Never Too Late

by Christina Courtenay

  ‘No, by all means, bring them along now.’

  He managed to limp as far as the estate office and sank down onto the chair with a secret sigh of relief. Perhaps he had been somewhat hasty in leaving his bed, but he was here now and the sight of Maude made him forget the pain.

  She was looking particularly lovely today in one of the new gowns he’d ordered for her. Although it was dark grey, it was embroidered at the hem, cuffs and neckline with silver flowers which shimmered in the sunlight streaming in through the window. The fashionable high waist suited her tall, lithe figure to perfection and the tight bodice emphasised her curves. He reflected that she’d probably look good even dressed in rags, but he enjoyed seeing her in clothes that enhanced her beauty.

  ‘Are you listening to me?’ Maude’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

  ‘I beg your pardon? So sorry, I was just thinking about something. What were you saying?’

  ‘I was just explaining about these two entries here ...’

  Luke tried to pay more attention, but every time his gaze fell onto her mouth, he couldn’t help but remember the kiss they had shared on the Wallaces’ terrace. A kiss that probably shouldn’t have happened, but which he couldn’t regret. He was no nearer to solving the mystery of her marriage to Edward, but he did know now that she wasn’t indifferent to him. Far from it.

  ‘Lord Hexham, are you sure you shouldn’t be in bed? It seems to me you’re still under the influence of laudanum.’

  ‘What? Oh, yes, perhaps you’re right.’ Luke thought it was probably better if she thought him hazy because of the sleeping draught. If she had any inkling of the real reason for his distraction, she might leave the room.

  ‘Should I ask cook to prepare you some coffee, perhaps? Or would you like to return to ...’

  ‘No! I’m not going upstairs and that’s final.’

  She held up her hands. ‘Fine, only asking. I’ll go and see about the coffee then.’

  Maude couldn’t find any servants about and decided it was probably faster if she went to the kitchen herself. There she found Mrs Mason busy chopping vegetables and ordering the scullery maid about.

  ‘His lordship would like some coffee in the estate office, please,’ Maude said, then remembered Anna. ‘So you’ve finished looking at the kittens then?’

  ‘Kittens?’ Mrs Mason looked puzzled. ‘I don’t have time to look at no kittens today, my lady. Besides, I already chose the one I want.’

  ‘Oh, but I thought Anna was going with you. Who was she with then?’

  ‘I’m sure I couldn’t say, my lady. She came through here earlier, but as far as I remember, she was on her own.’

  A stirring of unease rippled through Maude. ‘Hmm, perhaps I’d better go and have a look for her. She can’t have gone far. The kittens are in the far stable, aren’t they?’

  ‘Yes, that’s the one.’

  Maude headed out the back door and went straight to the farthest stable, where she found one of the stable lads feeding the cat and her little ones. There was no sign of Anna.

  ‘Ah, Joshua, did you see where Miss Anna went?’

  ‘No, my lady. She’s not been here today so I’m sure I couldn’t tell yer where she might be.’

  ‘What, not at all?’

  Joshua just shrugged. ‘No, ma’am. Haven’t seen ‘er since day afore yesterday.’

  ‘Oh, dear.’ Maude felt her heart begin a tattoo of apprehension.

  ‘Is something wrong, my lady?’

  Maude shook her head. ‘No, no, it’s probably nothing.’

  ‘Sorry I can’t help yer.’

  Maude thanked him and dashed back outside. Soon she’d asked just about every groom in sight, but no one had seen hide nor hair of Anna. The child’s sturdy pony was still in its stable, and when Maude checked with the gardeners they hadn’t seen her daughter either. Panic was starting to squeeze her insides and she returned inside and to the estate office.

  ‘Luke, I can’t find Anna,’ she blurted out, forgetting to address him by his title, so great was her apprehension now. She was feeling slightly nauseous and was having trouble breathing properly. She put out a hand to steady herself. It wouldn’t do to faint now. She had to find her daughter.

  He put down the cup of coffee he’d just finished and frowned. ‘What do you mean? She’s lost?’

  Maude explained what had happened and saw his brows come down in an almighty frown. ‘Damn it all,’ he muttered. ‘Where’s Mrs Gascombe? Could she be with her?’

  ‘No. She had to go back to her own house today to sort out some estate matters.’

  ‘Thomas?’

  ‘Went fishing ages ago and hasn’t come back yet.’

  ‘Right, well, let’s organise a search party. She’s probably just hiding somewhere in the house, playing at hide and seek or some such thing. Let’s not worry yet. She’ll turn up, you’ll see.’

  But after an exhaustive search of the house and grounds, there was still no sign of Anna. It was as if she’d disappeared into thin air.

  Maude sat in the parlour by herself, forcing down a cup of tea and some cake. Her hands shook so much the cup rattled on its saucer. She barely tasted it and was having trouble swallowing, but she knew she had to make herself eat. If she didn’t keep her strength up, she’d be no use to anyone. And she had to stay strong so that she could find her daughter.

  Luke was heading the search outdoors and she trusted him to see that no stone remained unturned. She was determined to join him and the other people who had been recruited from the village to help with the search as soon as she’d finished. She couldn’t rest until Anna had been found.

  Guilt streaked through her. She should have paid more attention earlier when Anna came to tell her what she was up to. Maude was mortified to remember that the only thing she’d been able to think about at the time was how much she was looking forward to seeing Luke and talking to him about the accounts. About anything, since she grasped at every excuse just to be in the same room as him.

  It was madness.

  Just because he’d kissed her once didn’t mean he wanted to rekindle their relationship. He probably still thought her a heartless deceiver and he’d only kissed her because she was there, available. Or perhaps to punish her. For punishment it surely was – the scene played inside her head over and over again until she wanted to scream with frustration. She’d been on the verge of asking him so many times what he’d meant by it, of trying to explain about the past, but couldn’t make herself utter the words.

  He’d probably just been toying with her.

  And now Anna was gone and it was all her fault. She was a thoroughly bad mother, thinking only of herself. Dear God, please don’t let any harm come to her! She’s only little. But where on earth could she be?

  Maude’s thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Donne with a stack of letters. ‘Thank you, just put them there,’ she said, hardly noticing.

  Donne did as he’d been asked, but kept one letter back which he held out to her. ‘I think perhaps you ought to read this one, my lady,’ he said, his expression grave and his eyes full of concern.

  ‘What?’ Maude glanced at the proffered letter and froze momentarily. On the outside was printed in large letters, ‘TO LADY HEXHAM – URGENT’. Maude snatched it out of Donne’s hand and tore it open. One of a pair of new hair ribbons that Luke had bought for Anna fell out and Maude gasped and caught it. Her stomach clenched with terror when she realised Anna had been wearing them that morning and she had to blink to clear her vision so that she could read the accompanying note.

  ‘The child is safe for now. Bring your diamond necklace to Hope Spring tonight at midnight. Leave it under the large oak tree and go back to wait by the road. The child will be delivered to you there if you do as we say. Don’t tell a soul and come alone, or else you’ll never see the child alive again.’

  ‘Bad news, my lady?’ Donne enquired gently.

  Maude shook her head and tried to paste a false s
mile on her face. ‘N-no. Everything is f-fine. You may go.’

  Donne hesitated as if he didn’t believe her, but it wasn’t his place to question his mistress. He bowed. ‘Very good, my lady.’

  As soon as he’d shut the door she put her face into her hands, giving way to tears of despair. Anna was alive, but could she trust the abductors? She had to do exactly as she’d been told and try to believe that no harm would come to her child. What else could she do? But the time until she held her little daughter in her arms once more was going to seem like the longest hours of her life.

  Luke felt fear gripping his insides tighter and tighter for every hour that passed. He’d been helping with the search for Anna, but as far as he could see, they’d now exhausted all possible hiding places. He went back to the house to report this disappointing news to Maude, although he hoped against hope that the child would have turned up in the meantime.

  He was met at the door by Donne, who immediately told him about the letter Maude had just received. ‘An urgent letter you say? Hmm, sounds suspicious.’

  ‘Indeed, my lord, my thoughts precisely, which is why I thought it my duty to inform you.’

  Luke nodded. ‘Thank you, Donne, you did the right thing. I’ll speak to her ladyship immediately.’

  He found her standing immobile by a window, staring into the garden without really seeing it. ‘Maude?’ he said and laid a hand gently on her arm. He could feel her trembling. ‘Maude, how are you bearing up?’

  She turned slowly, her blue eyes filled with anguish, then quickly lowered her gaze. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders. ‘I’m ... fine, thank you. As well as can be expected, at any rate.’

  He shook his head. ‘I don’t believe that. I know you too well. Has something else happened?’

  ‘I ... don’t know what you mean.’ She turned away from him and pretended to stare out the window again.

  ‘Maude ...’ There was a warning note in his voice. Did she really think she could deceive him? She ought to know him better than that.

  She bent her head and put her arms around herself, as if the pain inside her was too much to bear. ‘I’m not supposed to tell you,’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘Anna ... I can’t jeopardise ...’

  ‘Nonsense,’ he said firmly. ‘Besides, you don’t have to tell me anything, just show me the letter you received. I’ll wager that will explain it.’

  ‘Letter?’ She blinked at him.

  ‘The ever efficient Donne told me about it. Nothing escapes him, you know. Now if you let me read it, you won’t have physically said anything to anyone, will you?’

  He saw a flash of something like amusement at his subterfuge, but it was gone from her eyes as quickly as it had appeared. She produced the letter from her pocket without quibbling, however, and it didn’t take him long to read. He swore under his breath.

  ‘They’re not going to get away with this. I’ll go and speak to the magistrate myself,’ he said.

  ‘No! No, you mustn’t!’ Maude cried, clearly agitated. ‘Don’t you understand? They’ll kill her. My little girl. She’s all I have left ...’ Tears spilled over, but she dashed them away and stared at him beseechingly. ‘Please, Luke, we can’t tell anyone.’

  ‘But the kidnappers would never know. I’ll go in secret.’

  ‘We can’t be sure of that. What if they’re having us watched? What if someone is listening to us even now? Then they’ll know I didn’t keep it to myself and Anna ...’

  He shook his head. ‘I think we’re safe indoors, but you may be right. They knew about your necklace, so they must have been watching you closely. Wait, I need to think.’ He began to pace the room, deep in thought. There had to be some way of rescuing Anna, while still apprehending the culprits and retaining Maude’s necklace.

  The alternative made his blood run cold and simply didn’t bear thinking of.

  Chapter Nine

  ‘Listen to me. We’re going to tell everyone that Anna is with Mrs Gascombe and that you’ve just received a note to that effect. Anna had forgotten to ask your permission, while Mrs Gascombe assumed she had. She’s only just found out and has let you know the child is safe.’

  Luke had stopped his pacing at last and was outlining his plan to Maude. She hung on his every word, because her brain felt paralysed and she was sure she couldn’t have thought of anything sensible herself. She nodded.

  ‘That news will hopefully filter through to the abductors,’ he continued, ‘and they’ll think you haven’t told anyone. In this way, we won’t jeopardise Anna’s life by not complying with the instructions. Let’s pretend the note says they’ve decided Anna is to spend the night at Holby Manor.’

  Maude nodded again, but protested, ‘She’s never been away from home before.’

  ‘Then she’d find it an adventure perhaps, although we can let it be known that Mrs Gascombe isn’t very pleased with this turn of events,’ Luke commented drily. ‘Everyone must know by now what her views on children are.’

  Maude tried to smile. ‘Yes, indeed, but Anna is an expert at getting her own way. We can say she must have twisted Eliza’s arm somehow.’

  ‘Hmm, to be sure, but will Eliza help us by agreeing to this pretence without a proper explanation, do you think?’

  ‘I don’t think there’s any need to inform her. Holby is far enough away that hopefully Eliza won’t hear about this until tomorrow, and by then it will all be over one way or another.’ Maude shivered.

  ‘Yes, you’re right.’

  ‘So you’ll call off the search now all is supposedly well?’

  ‘Yes. I’m certain the men will be pleased. They’re all as worried as we are. Little Anna is well liked.’ He headed for the door. ‘Let me just tell everyone and then I’ll be back to outline the rest of my plan.’

  Going to Hope Spring in daylight was one thing, but even thinking about going there in the dead of night was quite another. Maude didn’t see that she had any choice, however. If she wanted her daughter back it was just something she had to do. The thought of being out and about all by herself may be frightening, but never seeing Anna again was unthinkable.

  Besides, she wouldn’t be entirely alone. Luke would be there somewhere, in the shadows. He’d promised. It was immensely reassuring to know that he was helping her, even if he couldn’t be seen to do so openly. She was very grateful for his support and doubted very much she could have done it on her own.

  Before going anywhere, however, she had to endure the long wait until it was time to leave and the evening seemed interminable. Maude found that having to make small talk with only Luke and Thomas, without Eliza’s usual chatter enlivening the conversation, was absolute purgatory. Luke did his best to help, but was rather abstracted and answered most questions with monosyllables that made Maude want to scream with frustration. Thomas kept throwing them both strange glances, which Maude had to counter by trying to appear calm and collected. It was a relief to retreat to the salon while they lingered over their port, but her peace was short-lived when they joined her remarkably quickly.

  As soon as the tea tray had been removed, Maude excused herself. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s been a somewhat fraught day and I find I’m very tired. I bid you goodnight.’

  She escaped to her room, but instead of getting ready for bed, she dressed warmly for the hour-long ride to Hope Spring, then paced the chamber. She was too agitated to lie down and rest, as would have been sensible. The preparations were also setting her nerves on edge because they reminded her of that night so long ago when she should have made her escape with Luke.

  A shiver hissed down her spine and she went to check that the door opened. This time nothing must go wrong. She had to leave the house or all would be lost.

  Just like last time.

  This is different, she told herself. And someone had known of her plans then, whereas they didn’t now. Just in case, however, she left her door slightly ajar and blocked the keyhole with the corner of a handkerchief so that no one cou
ld lock her in. It seemed a silly thing to do, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Not this time.

  Anna was too precious.

  ‘You don’t really believe that story, do you?’ Thomas said as soon as Maude’s footsteps disappeared upstairs.

  Luke had been lost in thought, but these words brought him back to the present with a jolt. ‘What story?’ he asked, feigning incomprehension.

  ‘The one about her daughter staying with Mrs Gascombe. It’s as plain as day that annoying woman can’t abide children, so there is no way she would take the little girl with her on an outing, let alone have her stay the night. Lady Hexham is bamming us.’

  ‘Well, I ...’ Luke didn’t know quite how to answer this. He didn’t want to tell Thomas outright that he knew it was a lie. He still hadn’t got to the bottom of who was trying to kill either himself or Maude. He’d been suspicious of Thomas from the outset and hadn’t ruled him out as a possible culprit, even though the man was sitting here now as calm as you please. After all, he was the only one who had a motive, as far as Luke could see. So it would surely be madness to confide in him. What if it was Thomas who had abducted little Anna and he was merely playing a deep game? Had Thomas laced their tea with arsenic, tampered with the carriage or sent that flower pot crashing down next to Luke and Maude? It was entirely possible.

  Thomas sent him a searching glance, then looked as if understanding dawned. ‘Oh, I see,’ he said. ‘If the child really has disappeared, you think I might have something to do with it, so you’re keeping me in the dark? Well, think again. I’ve spent the entire day with two of the gamekeepers, so I’d be in the clear. They’ll vouch for me, no question.’

  ‘Well, speaking hypothetically, if she was missing, a person doesn’t actually have to be present in order to have her abducted,’ Luke pointed out. ‘If you were the one responsible, you could have paid someone else to do the job for you. But there’s no point discussing this since she’s safely at Mrs Gascombe’s house.’