by Clare Jayne
Wrackley? He thought. No, impossible… Realisation hit him and it all made sense in the worst way. “The Duke of Elborough.”
The maid nodded vigorously. “Aye, him.”
“I believe he was angry when Amelia turned down his marriage proposal,” Mrs Daventry said in a dead tone and Brightford remembered she had no one left except Miss Daventry.
“You said he was evil but I never would have believed a gentleman could do such a thing,” Mrs Gallerton interjected and for once he was grateful she was here and Mrs Daventry would not be alone to cope with this.
“I would believe anything of Elborough.” He turned to Mrs Daventry. “I will find your daughter and return her safely to you. You have my word.”
* * *
“I have no wish to marry you, sir, and insist on being returned home,” Amelia told The Duke of Elborough, as his carriage continued to drive her away from her friends and family and the further away it got the more afraid she became.
“No,” he said. Just that. He did not even try to justify his behaviour.
“You have clearly not considered what you are doing: marriages have to be planned. They do not take place on one man’s whim.”
“You have not taken the time to know me as I know you. I have planned this in detail: I have a special licence and a vicar is ready to perform the ceremony.”
“He cannot do so if the would-be bride refuses to say I do.”
“You will say it,” he told her, but she was not swayed by the iron in his tone, only dismayed at the detail in his plot.
“No.”
“You will say it,” he repeated, “because after spending a night alone with me you will only be accepted by any member of polite society as my wife.”
Amelia clasped her gloved hands together so he would not see how badly they were shaking. By now Walker would be home and would have told her family what had happened. Amelia did not know if Walker had seen who took her, but they must be able to guess that only Elborough had the power and lack of morality necessary to do so. She had no intention of marrying him no matter what the consequences but there was no point in angering him now. Her mother would turn to Mr Brightford and, if she could gain time, he would find her.
“You are right,” she said, attempting to sound calm. “It did not occur to me that you had thought this through so thoroughly.”
“Indeed,” he agreed smugly.
She glanced away from him and the sight that greeted her made her lean against the carriage window, staring out. “This cannot be the way to your home - we are leaving Edinburgh.”
“That is right,” he said. “After all, we would not want anyone to interrupt our time together, would we?”
How could anyone find her now? Fear rose up in her again, threatening to overwhelm her, as she thought of what the Duke had planned for her.
* * *
“So, have you finally asked Miss Daventry to marry you?” Alex asked when Brightford arrived at the home of Mrs Fenbridge’s parents.
“She is gone.”
His tone clearly conveyed his worry as Mrs Fenbridge went still and stared at him with large eyes. “Gone where? What has happened?”
“I know Miss Daventry is your friend, Ma’am, but the only way to save her is for your husband to help me and for you to remain calm, despite what I am going to tell you.” When Lottie nodded Brightford said, “The Duke of Elborough has kidnapped Miss Daventry, presumably to force her into marriage.”
Lottie put a hand over her mouth, the colour draining from her face, but she did not speak.
Brightford turned to Alex: “I need you to help me find her. Every moment she is alone with him, she is in danger.”
Alex nodded then said to Lottie: “Stay with your parents.” He touched her cheek. “We will find her.”
“The Duke will not behave honourably, to Amelia or to you,” Lottie said. “If he gets his hands on a weapon then be very careful. Do whatever you have to do to get her away from him.”
It was sensible advice and Alex followed it, collecting his pistol before leaving the house. They headed first to the Duke’s home and, not taking the word of the staff that no one was there, Brightford and Alex searched every room.
“Any clue?” Brightford asked as Alex re-joined him downstairs.
“There are signs that Elborough packed a trunk,” Alex said in a grim tone.
Brightford heard these words with a tightening around his heart: if Elborough had taken Miss Daventry out of Edinburgh then he had no idea where to look for her. “One of the staff must know something,” he said. They had to. Otherwise their task would be an impossible one.
They assembled the household servants in the hall downstairs and Brightford said, “We urgently need to find Miss Daventry, a young lady The Duke of Elborough has abducted. Her reputation and perhaps even her life are at stake.”
The group of sixty or more servants looked blankly at him, not one of them showing the least concern or inclination to help him.
He exchanged helpless glances with Alex then a different method of persuasion came to him. He emptied out all the money he had with him. “I will pay for information.”
Suddenly everyone had something to say. It seemed that the Duke had managed to hire an entire staff as greedy and heartless as him.
* * *
When the carriage pulled up at a private residence Amelia’s last hope of help died. She had been counting on them staying at an inn where she might beg for help. The duke could not have planned this more thoroughly.
As the carriage halted Amelia threw open the door and ran towards a nearby wood. She knew this could be the only chance she got and moved as quickly as she was able but after less than a dozen steps Elborough caught her. He held her in a painful over-familiar grip as he forced her back the way she had come and into the house. Once inside he let her go.
A woman - presumably a housekeeper - had opened the door for them but had not reacted to the rough way Amelia was being treated.
“We will have dinner in two hours,” Elborough said to her and she curtsied and left. He turned back to Amelia: “I will show you to a room where you may compose yourself. I expect you to behave in a more ladylike manner from now on.”
He sounded angry about her escape attempt and for a moment her own temper rose up and blotted out her fear: did he think she would meekly accept being forced into marriage to him? She remained silent as he gestured for her to ascend the staircase and as she began walking she could hear him right behind her, like some predator stalking her. She imagined having to live the rest of her life with him and knew she would be better off dead than enduring his attentions.
* * *
Mr Brightford strode from Elborough’s home, Alex beside him. They had the name of the house the Duke had rented under an alias. Now, since it was in the countryside far beyond the city, they had to find it. Time was running out for Miss Daventry: every moment she was alone with Elborough he could be hurting her in a way she might never recover from.
Brightford had once seen Elborough shoot a horse for not winning him a race. He remembered the expression on Elborough’s face and the thought of his having Miss Daventry at his mercy became even worse. The Duke had no conscience to stop him taking what he wanted from her.
“We must hurry,” he said as he reached his horse and mounted the gelding. “We have to find them before nightfall.”
“Indeed,” Alex responded, jumping into the saddle on his own horse. “Her reputation would be destroyed if she spent a night alone with him. That is clearly what he is counting on.”
“I do not care about her reputation - I will marry her the moment she agrees to it - but I cannot allow him to harm her.”
They galloped off into the waning day.
Chapter Thirty-Six
AMELIA HEARD the door being locked behind her and she immediately ran to the window and pulled it open. She grimaced at the sight of the long drop below her and wondered if the situation had become des
perate enough as to make it worth risking breaking her neck. If she was lucky and avoided that, she would likely break a leg and still be unable to escape. No, she would have to hope that a better means of freeing herself presented itself during the evening. She deliberately did not dwell on what she would do if she managed to get outside - it would be better to be alone in the middle of nowhere than here with the Duke.
There was a jug of water, bowl and towel on the table at the end of the four-poster bed so she cleaned and tidied herself the best she could with no mirror or change of clothes. She was waiting impatiently when the door was unlocked.
She swept out of the room the moment the door opened, having no wish to be alone in a bedroom with Elborough.
He looked her over in his usual unpleasant manner then held out her arm for her to take so he could lead her down to dinner. “Shall we?”
She glared at him, refusing to play along with the game that nothing was wrong, and marched downstairs ahead of him, not hurrying but keeping an eye on the front door. Her heart fell and her anger rose when she saw a footman standing guard in front of the door. That was her main means of escape blocked, she realised, panic growing.
She pushed down her fear and followed the scent of food to a small dining room, lit only by several candles. Places had been set at either end of the oak dining table so she sat down and the Duke, entering the room just behind her, sat opposite. A servant - the woman who had let them into the house - served them soup then left.
“I trust you are in a more gracious mood now you have had time to compose yourself and consider the many advantages of your position as my wife,” Elborough said, picking up his spoon, and the gall of his words made her lose her temper.
“Had I the slightest wish to be your wife, I would have accepted the proposal you made me,” she told him. “If you believe you can induce affection by kidnapping me then you are far more feeble-minded than I ever imagined.”
He dropped his spoon with a clatter and his expression was so violent that she feared he would hurt her. She clenched her hands into fists, letting the nails bite into her palms so she would not do something pointless, like screaming, and his expression slowly calmed.
“By this time tomorrow you will be my wife,” he said, breathing harshly. “You will learn to obey me and to treat me with respect one way or another.”
He returned to his soup and she did the same, her hand shaking as she picked up the spoon, hoping the meal would stop any further conversation between them. After what felt like a lifetime the next course of their dinner was brought in a served to them but she felt too sick by now to do more than pick at it.
“You are not drinking your wine,” Elborough commented.
“It has an odd taste,” she lied as a new means of escape occurred to her. “I do not think the glass was washed properly.”
He paused a moment, frowning and she held her breath. “I will fetch you another,” he said.
He left the room and she jumped up and hurried to the window. It was stiff but she managed to get it open, only to hear Elborough’s returning footsteps. He must have only gone to a room nearby. She looked helplessly from the window to the door, paralysed by the thought of what he might do if he caught her.
She saw a statue on the sideboard. She hesitated, uncertain whether this new plan would work, but she only had seconds left so she ran to it and picked it up - it was as heavy as it looked. She positioned herself behind the door and bit her lip, waiting, the statue a dead weight in her arms.
The door opened and Elborough stepped inside, a fresh glass in one hand. He saw the open window and stopped just in front of Amelia, who was concealed from his sight by the door. She hefted the statue up and brought it down hard on his head. He fell to the floor with a satisfying thump that she hoped would leave him with bruises and a headache. She let the statue drop to the floor then straightened and pushed the door shut, to stop the staff realising what had happened.
Amelia ran to the window.
* * *
Brightford and Alex stopped in front of a manor house and got down from their horses. This must be the right place. He could only hope for the thousandth time that they had got here early enough to prevent any harm befalling Miss Daventry.
“Mr Brightford!”
He recognised the voice but could barely believe it when he saw Miss Daventry running over the grass to him from the side of the building. He caught her in his arms and she held onto him tightly, shaking, as he closed his eyes, the hours he had spent fearing for her well-being finally over. They must be married quickly as he never wanted to leave her alone again. As he embraced her he said, “Where is Elborough? How did you escape?”
“I bashed him over the head with a statue,” she told him breathlessly but with distinct satisfaction.
At these words he laughed, pride welling up at the realisation that she had bested her kidnapper. “And we thought you might need rescuing!”
She pulled back from him and he reluctantly let go of her. She caught sight of Alex and smiled at him then looked back at Brightford with a solemn expression, “I promise, I have never been so grateful to see anyone ...”
The front door of the house opened and Elborough and two men ran out, all coming to a halt when they saw Brightford and Alex. They all assessed each other and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex reach for his gun.
“How did you find us?” Elborough demanded, looking ready to tear them apart for ruining his plans.
“That hardly matters now. Miss Daventry is safe and if you ever so much as speak to her again I will kill you,” Brightford promised.
“Then I will give you the chance to do so,” Elborough said with a smile that promised vengeance. “I challenge you to a duel.”
“No!” Amelia exclaimed.
“I accept,” Brightford said.
“No, you cannot.” Amelia grabbed his arm, paler than ever.
“I will have my valet send you details of the time and place.” Elborough gave Amelia a look that suggested things were not over between them but, before Brightford could object, the Duke turned and strode back into the house.
Amelia’s hand was still on his arm and she looked up at him with far more terror than she had shown for her own sake. “Do you not see that he wants to kill you to deny us the chance for future happiness together?”
He knew what Elborough intended but there was no other solution. “The Duke is a danger to everyone around him. I have to stop him.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
WHEN AMELIA saw her mother again she burst into tears. She felt a fool about it but it was as if half the fear from her capture was only hitting her now and, on top of that, she was now frightened beyond words for Mr Brightford’s life.
“You are safe now, my dear,” Mrs Daventry said, holding her and patting her back as if she were a child again who had had a nightmare. “It is all over now.”
But it was not a harmless dream and it was not over: she was safe but the man she loved was not and she knew she had to find a way to stop Mr Brightford and the Duke fighting each other.
It was the middle of the night by now so, after the explanation of all that had happened, Mr Brightford left and Amelia asked for a bathtub to be brought up to her room. While the necessary water was being heated and pails of it were carried upstairs it came to her what she must do. It was in fact something Mr Brightford and Mr Alexander Fenbridge had said about the Duke of Elborough’s staff that provided the answer. They would betray him if offered enough money.
She sent for McGillis, one of her family’s footmen, and gave him her orders. He did not look happy about them but nodded and left.
After that she took her bath, scrubbing the day’s events from her body, and then she was finally able to relax.
* * *
Lottie was not concentrating on her breakfast or even on her beloved husband. She was still in a state of shock over what had happened to Amelia and needed to see her as soon as possible to chec
k that Amelia was unharmed and not too distressed over everything.
She hardly spared a glance when Mr Brightford’s butler entered the dining room and held out a tray with a card on it to him. “This was left for you, sir.”
“Thank you, Mills.”
“What is it?” Alex asked.
Mr Brightford read what was on the back of the card then tossed it down on the table and continued with his breakfast. “I will be seeing the Duke of Elborough again tomorrow and it will be the last thing he does.”
The words, only half listened to, did not immediately make sense to Lottie but her husband’s subsequent silence had an ominous feel to it and she repeated in her head what Mr Brightford had said. A duel, Lottie realised, vividly remembering the fear her entire family had suffered when Benjy had fought one. “If you love Amelia and your family then you cannot do this. If you die we will all be left to mourn and if you succeed and kill him you will have to flee the country or be executed for murder.”
“My wife is right,” Alex said. “There is no good outcome to such an action.”
“Perhaps not,” Mr Brightford said, “but I have no alternative. The Duke is a danger to Amelia as long as he is alive and her safety is more important than anything else to me.”
Lottie listened to this, all appetite gone, as she thought how Alex and Amelia would feel if Mr Brightford were to die. The Duke of Elborough had found a way to wreck their lives after all.
* * *
“I have the information you wanted, Miss Daventry.” The footman stood awkwardly in the doorway to Amelia’s bedroom, Walker glowering at him for the impropriety of his being there, despite the fact he was only obeying Amelia’s instructions.
“And you told Mr Brightford’s butler the wrong time?”
“Aye, Miss. I told him to get there an hour later, as you said.”
“Excellent. So where and when did the Duke of Elborough’s man say the duel would take place?”
He gave her the instructions but exchanged worried looks with Walker as he did so. She could not have all her work undone now so she told him firmly, “You have done well, McGillis, and have probably just saved a good man’s life.”
