The Nobody: Signet Regency Romance (InterMix)

by Diane Farr

  Now it was Serena’s jaw that dropped a little. “You think she discussed it with my brother?”

  Lady Lynwood nodded, pleased to find herself understood. “That must have been it. For why else would he call? He had certainly never called here before.”

  Serena, thoroughly mystified, turned to Emily for enlightenment. The state Emily appeared to be in increased Serena’s bewilderment. She was plying her needle with an assiduousness belied by her trembling hands, and the face bent over her work was scarlet.

  “Emily, what on earth—”

  “Oh, pray, Serena, do not ask me!” gasped Emily, pressing her hands over her burning cheeks. And to the amazement of both Serena and Lady Lynwood, Emily rose and fled.

  A short time later Serena burst into her father’s library in high dudgeon. Just as she had guessed, her brother and Mr. Montague both were present, poring over the racing forms. They looked up in surprise as Serena flung open the door and glared at them, her small hands balled into fists. Mr. Montague unconsciously touched his cravat and straightened in his chair, but these telltale signs were lost on Serena. She was far too angry to notice, and she was not looking at him.

  “Richard, what have you done to Caitlin Campbell?” she asked fiercely. “Has that poisonous fiancée of yours finally succeeded in driving her away? I know perfectly well what Elizabeth has been saying, but it’s all utter rot, and at any rate I won’t have you repeating it to Caitlin!”

  Ned rose to his feet with aplomb, bowing gracefully. “Serena, my dear, how delightful to see you! Do come and join us,” he suggested. “Do you fancy Jack-Come-Tickle-Me or Mother Goody in the fourth?”

  “What? Oh, sit down, Ned, for heaven’s sake,” Serena said, but her lips twitched and her expression lost a little of its heat. He obeyed her solemnly.

  The Weekly Dispatch, meanwhile, had slid from her brother’s grasp. “What happened?” he demanded. “Is Miss Campbell all right?” The intensity in Richard’s voice caused Ned’s eyebrows to fly up in surprise, but although he cast a rather searching glance at his friend, he said nothing.

  Serena flung her gloves onto the library table with much the same gesture as one issuing a challenge. “She has gone home to Rosemeade, and I know perfectly well she had no plans to do so. You may as well tell me the truth, Richard! She decided to leave only after speaking with you yesterday, so I am certain it was something you said that caused her to go. She told her aunt some farradiddle about her mother needing her. Well, I wasn’t deceived! It’s my belief Emily knows why Caitlin left, but she won’t say anything—when I tried to tax her with it, she ran out of the room! Now, why on earth would you call on Caitlin? And why would she consent to see you alone? There’s some mystery here, and I will scream if you don’t tell me what it is!”

  “Can’t have that!” said Ned promptly. “Bradshaw would summon the watch, and we’d all end up in the roundhouse. Beg you will sit down, Serena!”

  Serena tossed her hat to join her gloves, and sank into a chair across from the two men. Her anger muted into anxiety.

  “I cannot believe Caitlin would leave town without a word to me.” Serena gazed solemnly into the hazel eyes so like her own. “I’m sorry if I offended you by calling your fiancée poisonous, but I’m afraid my first thought was that she’s done something to drive Caitlin away. You must be aware that Elizabeth has taken Caitlin in dislike for some reason. She has tried for weeks to persuade me to cut the acquaintance. I can’t begin to tell you how vicious she’s been, how persistent! And Caitlin has done nothing whatsoever to incur such enmity.”

  Serena leaned forward earnestly, placing a beseeching hand over her brother’s. “Caitlin is a perfectly splendid girl, Richard. I wish you knew her! It is impossible to believe anything bad about her once one is truly acquainted with her. I can’t bear it if Elizabeth has used my own brother to hurt Caitlin in some way.”

  A queer little laugh escaped Lord Kilverton. “You need not seek to convince me, Serena. I am perfectly ready to believe Miss Campbell a paragon among women.” He rose suddenly and walked to the window, apparently struggling with some strong emotion. “I wish I could offer you an explanation,” he said at last. “The truth is, I did not know Miss Campbell would leave the metropolis. I promise you, Serena, that was not my object in speaking to her yesterday.”

  “Then why did she go?” demanded Serena.

  Kilverton turned to face them, his face suddenly haggard. “I do not know.”

  “What a rapper! It’s clear you know something.”

  “What I do know, I am not at liberty to divulge.”

  “Well!” gasped Serena, affronted. “Anyone would suppose you were employed in espionage!”

  However, all her urgings failed to induce her brother to confide in her. Mr. Montague eventually escorted Serena from the room, recommending her kindly not to tease Richard to tell her a secret that anyone but a peagoose could see involved someone other than himself. Serena took exception to this, declaring her conviction that if it was Caitlin who had a secret, she herself would be in possession of it. But she finally consented to go, having expressed the opinion that when she lay on her deathbed—in Bedlam, no doubt—Richard would be Excessively Sorry that he had not trusted her!

  Ned followed her, but paused with his hand on the latch. “You’ll be wishing me at the devil, old fellow, so I’ll take myself off. No, no, do not apologize! I’ve no wish to intrude on what is clearly not my affair. But if you think of a way I can assist you—or Miss Campbell—you’ll find me at my lodgings in Clarges Street.”

  Kilverton’s shoulders relaxed a little. “Much obliged to you, Ned.” He smiled faintly. “As you have no doubt guessed, I am in the devil of a coil.”

  Mr. Montague nodded, keeping his face carefully neutral. “I have guessed what the trouble is, of course—but, for your sake, I hope I am wrong.” And with that Parthian shot, he exited.

  Kilverton spent the greater part of the afternoon cudgeling his brain in a futile attempt to decide what was best to do. His immediate inclination, sternly suppressed, was to post instantly to Hertfordshire. He knew that would be useless, however, In fact, the longer he thought, the more he understood Caitlin’s course of action. It was depressingly clear to him that unless he prevailed upon Elizabeth to change her mind, Miss Campbell’s company would be torture and the pursuit of her acquaintance folly.

  An evening spent staring into the fire, and a sleepless night, resulted in a decision. Kilverton would post off to Hertfordshire after all—to seek the advice of his maternal grandmother, Lady Colhurst. Lady Colhurst was a needlewitted, sharp-tongued octogenarian with a great fondness for him. If a way out of his difficulties existed, her shrewd common sense would find it.

  Lady Colhurst resided year-round at Hatley End, a country house near St. Albans. Kilverton knew his grandmother was old-fashioned enough to disapprove of any visitor arriving on the Sabbath, so he contented himself with sending her word to expect him on Monday. He informed Jamie, his new tiger, that he would require the tilbury to be brought round Monday morning.

  The tilbury was ready betimes, Lord Kilverton’s valise was strapped onto the back, he gave his horses the office to start, Jamie jumped nimbly up behind, and they were off. Kilverton skillfully threaded his horses through the metropolis, and the scenery soon took on a more rural aspect. The traffic dwindled and eventually disappeared.

  They had reached a stretch where his lordship’s tilbury was the only vehicle in sight, when Kilverton was roused from a brown study by a sound of galloping behind him. He pulled obligingly off the crown of the road, creating space for whoever was in such a hurry to overtake him.

  It almost sounded as if the thundering hooves were drawing too near for safety. Kilverton turned to glance behind him, intending to call out a warning.

  Then something struck him a powerful blow on the back of his head and he knew no more.

  Chapter XXI

  On Monday afternoon, Miss Emily Campbell, tortured by guilt, s
et out to pay a call of apology on Lady Serena Kilverton. She was taking the first possible opportunity to explain, if she could, her strange and hasty exit during Serena’s Saturday visit. Her plans were soon hindered somewhat by an unexpected encounter with Philip Talgarth. Captain Talgarth, through a combination of luck and design, met Emily en route to Mount Street and offered to escort her to her destination. Once she had Captain Talgarth’s arm to sustain her rather than Lady Lynwood’s footman trailing in her wake, Emily’s progress slowed from a businesslike walk to a dreamy stroll. By the time they reached the Earl of Selcroft’s town home it was nearly two o’clock and she had all but forgotten the purpose of her visit.

  Serena received the two of them with great fortitude, although it was certainly a little off-putting to feel oneself a third wheel in one’s own home. Besides, it still annoyed Serena to see Captain Talgarth dancing attendance on anyone other than herself. Desperate to distract her visitors from their absorption in each other, Serena had just rung for tea when Mr. Edward Montague was announced. Serena brightened perceptibly.

  Before Serena could tell Bradshaw to show him up, however, Ned shouldered past the affronted butler and fairly ran to her, seizing both her hands in his. “Serena, where is Kilverton?” he demanded.

  “Three miles from Selcroft Hall,” she replied promptly.

  “Not the town, you little wretch! Your brother!”

  Serena, laughing, struggled to disengage her hands. “He drove out this morning to Hatley End, I believe. We don’t expect him back before evening, and perhaps not until tomorrow. Really, Ned, how can you burst in here in this hurly-burly fashion? Do you not see I am engaged?”

  “Beg pardon!” said Mr. Montague hastily, favoring Emily and Captain Talgarth with a sketchy bow. He turned back to Serena at once, however, regarding her with painful intensity. “Serena, did Kilverton have his tiger with him when he left?”

  Serena stared at him. “Yes, of course. Whatever is amiss? You took as if you’d seen a ghost.”

  Ned swore under his breath and took a swift turn about the room. “What I have seen is your brother’s tiger!” he flung over his shoulder at Serena. “Leaving messages all over town for your Uncle Oswald!”

  Serena caught Ned by the arm. “Sit down, Ned, for pity’s sake! You are giving me the fidgets. Now, pray, what are you on about? Why should Richard’s tiger be leaving messages for Uncle Oswald? What sort of message is he leaving?”

  Ned perched obediently on the edge of a settee, but gave the appearance of being poised for instant flight. “Well, you’ve hit it, Serena. Why should Richard’s tiger be hunting high and low for Oswald Kilverton? Oh, and skulking about with the greatest secrecy imaginable, let me tell you! Leaving discreet little messages at White’s, and Boodle’s, and the Lord alone knows where else. I discovered it by the merest accident. I was just coming out of White’s when I saw him—what’s his name? Jimmy?”

  “Jamie. But, Ned, you must have been mistaken! Jamie is even now with my brother—”

  “No, he is not, I tell you! Unless—Serena, is it possible Richard has returned to town for some reason?”

  Serena looked doubtful, “He has certainly not returned here, at any rate.”

  Emily’s soft eyes widened. “Oh, I do hope Lord Kilverton has not met with another accident!”

  Ned’s mouth hardened into a grim line. “I hope not, indeed.”

  It was clear he placed no dependence on this hope. Serena’s fingers tightened on the arms of her chair, but she took a reasonable tone. “Ned, if some accident befell Richard, Jamie would be with him. He would certainly not return to London without my brother! If Richard were injured in any way, Jamie would fetch a surgeon. Or at the very least he would return to Mount Street with the news, not go off to tell my uncle, of all people!”

  Ned leaped up as if goaded, and took another turn about the room. “Yes, except that he has not returned to you, and he has gone off to search for your uncle! And where is Richard? There’s something devilish havey-cavey afoot!” he exclaimed. “Your brother has met with too many accidents lately, Serena. And I’d stake my last groat your uncle’s at the bottom of ’em all!”

  Having stunned the company to silence, Mr. Montague then delivered a pithy outline of the suspicions he had voiced to Richard in Lord Selcroft’s library not so long ago, and ended with: “There will be the devil to pay, if that new tiger of Richard’s was somehow bribed by your uncle to—” He broke off, swallowing hard.

  Serena, who had grown noticeably paler during Ned’s summation of the dangers he saw threatening her only brother, pressed a shaking hand over her mouth. Emily flew to her side and placed an arm around her. “You must not be alarmed, Lady Serena,” she said gently. “We do not know that anything bad has happened, after all.”

  “There may be an innocent explanation for these things you have mentioned, Montague,” said Captain Talgarth bracingly. “And there may be an innocent explanation for Lord Kilverton’s servant seeking out his uncle. Kilverton may have sent him to do so.”

  Mr. Montague gave an expressive snort, and Serena shook her head, whispering, “Impossible!”

  Captain Talgarth lost none of his calm authority. “Well, if Mr. Montague suspects foul play, we certainly must take steps to discover the truth. It does seem unusual that Lord Kilverton’s tiger, after driving off with him as recently as this morning, should have returned to town.”

  “Aye!” Ned growled. “Without Richard! And searching eagerly for that scoundrel, Oswald Kilverton! Daresay they’ve connected by now. Even as we speak, Oswald may be congratulating Jamie on a job well done.”

  Serena uttered a squeak of fear and bounded up out of her chair. “Why are we all standing about? We must do something!” she cried.

  “So we shall.” Captain Talgarth, accustomed to command, was not surprised to find three pairs of eyes turning expectantly to him. He cast an appraising glance at Mr. Montague. He had been in the habit of thinking Edward Montague a frippery fellow, but Ned was returning his gaze with a level, concentrated attention that caused the captain to hope he had been mistaken. He reserved judgment until he could determine how well Mr. Montague followed orders.

  “Mr. Montague, do you go back to White’s and discover what you can. Someone will know of Jamie’s whereabouts, or Oswald Kilverton’s. With luck, Lord Kilverton himself may be there, or someone may have seen him, and the mystery will solve itself. In the meantime, I will pay a short visit to the Duke of Arnsford. It may be that Lord Kilverton has, in fact, returned to town and is even now with his fiancée. It is conceivable he would go there first, rather than here. Regardless of what we find, we shall reconnoiter here within the hour.”

  This demonstration of the captain’s masterful ways caused Emily to glow with admiration, but Serena bristled at such high-handedness. “And what am I to do?” she demanded. “I cannot sit here waiting tamely for your return!”

  The captain regarded her, considering. “I believe you should ensure that horses are waiting for us when we do return.” He bestowed a reassuring smile upon Lord Kilverton’s anxious relative. “More than likely, we will have no need of them,” he said soothingly. “But if we fail to find Lord Kilverton—or at the very least, Jamie—Mr. Montague and I will ride out in search of your brother’s tilbury.”

  As soon as the men were gone, Serena jumped to ring the bell and plunged into a flurry of activity. The tea for which she had rung earlier arrived, and while Emily poured, Serena arranged for the requested horses to be saddled and brought round. She also sent for her abigail, ordering her to instantly pack a bandbox with all items necessary for an overnight sojourn at a country house.

  “Mind you, Sarah, it must contain only the bare essentials! Everything must be included in one bandbox. But, stay—do pack extra linen, if you please, and my pink muslin.”

  Sarah hurried off to do her bidding, and Emily turned bewildered eyes upon her hostess. “Lady Serena, I do not understand. Why must your abigail pack a bandbox?
”

  Serena struck a small fist into a determined palm. “If Ned and Captain Talgarth go in search of Richard, I go with them! He is my brother, after all. I cannot stay here, fretting myself to flinders while others ride to his rescue! Mama would see me and instantly know something was amiss, and I do not wish to frighten her when there is nothing she can do.” She clasped Emily’s hands beseechingly. “You will go with me, will you not? Pray do not desert me—for I very much fear we will not return before dark, and must stay with my grandmother Colhurst one night. I have directed Sarah to bring extra linen, and my pink muslin will suit you beautifully.”

  “Go with you!” gasped Emily, shrinking. “Oh, Lady Serena, I cannot—”

  “Yes, indeed you can!” urged Serena. “We may easily send a note round to Lady Lynwood. And oh, Emily, if you do not go, how can I?”

  Emily instantly saw the force of this argument. She was very much in sympathy with Serena’s desire to join in the search for her beloved brother, but it would, after all, be a shocking thing for Lady Serena to ride out of Town with two single gentlemen, unaccompanied by any female. If she did not return until the morrow, that would be more shocking still. However, neither Emily’s regard for the proprieties, nor her strong inclination to accompany Captain Talgarth wherever he might go, could immediately persuade her to set down her tea and dash off the requisite note to Lady Lynwood. Serena spent the better part of an hour pleading with her. Emily had just seated herself reluctantly at the tambour-topped writing desk when they heard Mr. Montague’s excited voice raised once again outside the drawing room door: “Thank you, I’ll announce myself!”