A Lord In Disguise

by Fenella J Miller

  In the circumstances she thought the best thing that could happen was for her to somehow find the money to pay for her trip abroad. A few weeks apart would be good for both of them. 'Mary, I am going to Ipswich and you will be coming with me. I shall change into a suitable ensemble. I can manage this myself, you must go to the stables and have the carriage got ready for my departure.'

  She quickly changed into a promenade gown and matching spencer and descended to the stables. It would not be dark for several hours and she thought this was ample time to reach Ipswich and speak to the family lawyers.

  She had the precious letter from the nun in her pocket – this was proof enough to set things in motion with regards to the estate. Her intention was to demand an advance on the inheritance she was entitled to. Edward had said he would investigate what had happened to the monies from papa's business ventures, but this had been forgotten in the general excitement of the past week. If that had been handed over to the family residing in her ancestral home then the lawyers had been delinquent in their duties.

  Once she had the funds for her trip she would set things in motion and there was nothing Edward could do to prevent her. There was something she could do for him before she left and she would get the lawyers to take care of that as well.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Edward saw the carriage vanish down the drive and cursed volubly. He had no doubt at all that Penny was inside but where the hell she was going he had no idea. He had no option but to go after her. He saddled Sydney for himself. One of the boys had told him she was going to Ipswich, but for what reason they could not tell him.

  He was mounted and about to leave when the unmistakable sound of mounted soldiers approaching gave him pause. For a second he was tempted to flee as there could only be one reason they were here. He had been recognised, and his days of freedom were over.

  The militia had arrived at the entrance to the drive. He urged his horse into a canter and went to meet them. The young officer, the lieutenant, who had so ably arrested the men who had been illegally occupying his farms, raised his hand and his brigade halted smartly behind him.

  'This is a sad business, my lord, but I have no option but to take you into custody.'

  'I shall not attempt to escape. Where are you taking me?'

  'I have been told to take you to Colchester and from there you will be taken to London and appear in court accused of the murder of Lord Jasper Bentley.'

  'Do I have your permission to collect my necessities and inform Lady Bradshaw what is taking place?'

  'I shall escort you to the door but I will not need to go into the house.'

  Edward vaulted from the saddle and strode in. Lady Bradshaw and her daughters were sitting together watching the door, waiting to be told what was happening.

  He bowed formally. 'My lady, I must be brief. I have been masquerading as Edward Trevelyan, I am in fact Lord Edward Stonham and wanted in connection with the death of Sir Jasper Bentley in a duel. I must accompany the soldiers to London. Miss Bradshaw has gone to Ipswich and I intended to go after her. I hope you will convey my apologies to your daughter when she eventually returns.'

  For once the garrulous woman was speechless. The girls were in tears and equally quiet. He nodded and left them. He took the stairs two at a time intending to pack some necessities into a saddlebag but Frobisher was there before him.

  'I shall come with you, my lord, I believe they will allow you a personal servant if you are prepared to pay.'

  How the devil did he know? There was no time to enquire now, but obviously his deception had been poorly thought out and badly executed.

  'Thank you, if you are sure, then I would be pleased to have you accompany me.'

  By the time he returned downstairs Bruno had been saddled and brought round for his man to mount. The lieutenant did not query this addition to his arrest party – in fact, if anything he looked pleased.

  There was nothing Edward could do until he was in London and could send for his father and get the family lawyers involved. He must pin his hopes of escaping the gallows on Thorogood who held his life in his hands.

  At Colchester he was transferred to a carriage and a fresh set of soldiers rode alongside. Frobisher was allowed to travel with him but he had little inclination to talk to his valet. The closer he got to his incarceration the further he got from his persona as Mr Edward Trevelyan.

  One didn't speak to one's manservant unless to give him an instruction. He stared right through the arresting officers every inch a lord. His family was more prestigious and powerful than Bentley's which meant he was given a certain deference even though he was deemed, in law, a murderer.

  He expected to be thrown into a filthy jail cell but this wasn't the case. The beak he was taken to at Bow Street explained matters to him.

  'My lord, it has been decided that you will be able to remain, under guard, in your own establishment. You have given your word you will not attempt to abscond again and that is good enough for me. You will appear before the court in three days' time.'

  The Earl of Rushmere, his father, was a powerful figure and had used his considerable influence to good effect. Perhaps being arrested would turn out to be beneficial and not fatal. He thought he might be bundled into another malodorous carriage but when he stepped outside saw the family vehicle waiting in the road.

  The steps were let down by a groom and he ducked inside.

  'My dear boy, I am delighted to see you but devastated that you have been arrested.'

  'Sir, I must thank you for your intervention. How are you here so soon? You do not usually remain in Town so late in the year.'

  'I received a most interesting letter from a Miss Bradshaw sent by express by her legal people. It arrived this morning. In it she warned me you might have been seen. However, son, it was the other information she gave me that brought me so speedily to London.'

  'My man of business, Thorogood, is at this very moment searching for proof. I have three days before I appear in front of the magistrates. We must pray that is sufficient time for him to persuade those involved to speak the truth.'

  'I have been assured that even if you are found guilty you will not hang but be transported.'

  'I should prefer that neither option took place. The journey to Botany Bay takes weeks and then God knows where I might be indentured. It could be a year before I am back in England with my name unsullied.'

  'From the tone of the young lady's letter I must assume that you are entangled with her.'

  'I am in love with her, sir, and intend to make her my wife. I intend to apply for a special licence today so that I can marry her before my court hearing.'

  'Excellent suggestion, my boy. Then it is possible there will already be an heir conceived before you are sent away.'

  'Devil take it! Is that all you can think of? Someone to inherit the title? I intend for her to have the protection of my name and be able to inherit my fortune if anything happens to me.' He leaned closer to his parent. 'I have changed over these past few weeks, my lord, but I see you remain more interested in protecting the title than my well-being. Whatever the outcome in court I shall never return.'

  His father recoiled as if he had been slapped. No one had ever had the temerity to speak to him in that tone of voice. 'If you do not then I shall disinherit you. The title will be yours, but the estates will go to whoever I choose.'

  Edward leaned back in the corner and closed his eyes. The conversation was over. Indeed, from that moment his life as the heir to the Earl of Rushmere was also done.

  *

  Penny returned from Ipswich to find the house in chaos. It took some time to discover what had caused such dismay when they should be celebrating the miraculous news that their beloved brother was alive and well and living in Spain.

  'He is a lord, Penelope, and to think that you refused to marry him and now it is too late. He has gone. Even if his name is cleared he will not come back here and mingle with the likes of us.'


  'Mama, it makes no difference what his name is, to me he will always be Edward the man I love. I wrote to his father and am hopeful an earl might be able to make things easier for Edward. I was intending to leave for Spain and bring Ben back to us but instead I shall go to London. Will you come with me?'

  To her astonishment her mother immediately agreed. 'We shall all come. The carriage will be sufficient to convey us to the inn and from there we shall travel on the common stage. If we intend to take our maids with us we will require all the seats inside. Therefore, you must send to Nettlested and book our seats immediately.'

  She embraced her mother. 'I shall go myself, it will be quicker. I doubt that there will be space today but hopefully we can travel sometime tomorrow. We shall have to overnight at Witham as completing the journey without doing so would be detrimental to your delicate constitution.'

  Mattie and Beth dried their tears and hugged her. 'We have never been to London. Shall we be able to attend an opera or go to the theatre whilst we are there?'

  'I don't know, but I don't see why not.'

  Half an hour later she was cantering towards the village with the groom beside her. It was now quite dark but fortunately there was a hunter's moon and they could see perfectly well. Whilst the groom held the horses she marched into the vestibule of the bustling hostelry.

  Nettlested was a large village but not quite a town. It was situated no more than half a mile from the toll road and therefore an ideal halt for the coaches to change their horses.

  The landlord greeted her by name. 'Miss Bradshaw, what brings you here so late?'

  She explained and he shook his head. 'I can accommodate Lady Bradshaw, yourself and your two sisters but not your maidservants as well. They will have to travel ahead of you or on the following coach.'

  'They can travel with our luggage before us. At what time do we have to be here tomorrow?'

  'There is space on the six o'clock for them, but you will have to wait until noon if you want to have the coach to yourselves.' His chins wobbled as he tallied up the small fortune this was going to cost – but not as exorbitant as travelling by post-chaise.

  'We shall overnight at Witham. Please ensure that we have the best accommodation available.'

  'I shall send word with the overnight mail coach, miss.'

  She settled the account and hurried out before he could have asked why they were all in such a hurry to depart for the metropolis.

  She was up when the three maids left with the trunks to catch the early coach. There was no need for her sisters and mother to be ready until mid-morning. The letter she had asked the lawyers to send to Edward's father would have arrived yesterday and she prayed he would act upon it immediately.

  Whilst she had been in Edward's office she had also written a reply to the nun, Sister Bernadine, to say that she would come as soon as she could to bring her brother back. She had asked her lawyer to have the letter delivered with a substantial sum of money – half for the convent and the other for her brother for his expenses.

  Although she would much prefer it if he returned to England, as long as he was alive and happy, and Mama and her sisters could return to Bradshaw Manor, that would be enough to make her happy. She had other plans for herself. Whatever Edward had to say to the contrary she was determined to marry him as soon as she got to London which was why she wished her family to be with her.

  A special licence could be obtained and the ceremony could take place anywhere as long as there was a clergyman to conduct it. She did not see that being a problem. Whatever Edward had said, she was certain as there was doubt now on the veracity of the accusation that the worst that would happen was he would be exiled from the country. As his wife he would have no option but to take her with him.

  Now the war with the French was over, and travelling on the continent was relatively safe, she rather thought she would like to settle in Spain so she could be close to her brother if he decided not to return.

  Her mother and sisters were more concerned about the fact that their gowns were outdated, that their new wardrobe had not been completed in time for their visit, than the fact that Edward might be executed, transported, or at the very least banished never to return to his native land.

  'Mama, we shall not be attending parties, nor mixing in society so I think it hardly matters that our gowns are not of the first stare. We all look perfectly elegant and no one could mistake us for anything but members of the ton.'

  'Where shall we be staying? I hope you have arranged for us to stay in a comfortable hotel. I could not abide somewhere unpleasant.'

  'We are to stay at Grillons.'

  'Splendid, I have stayed there before and it is a pleasant place. Elizabeth, Matilda, you will be on your best behaviour whilst we are in Town. One never knows who one might see at such a prestigious venue.'

  The journey was long and tedious but the closer she got to her destination the happier Penny became. Her intention was to settle her family at the hotel and then go in search of Edward. She would, of course, take Mary with her. From the one Season she had spent here she knew that it was perfectly permissible for a young lady to walk about in the good areas of Town if accompanied by her maid.

  His family house was adjacent to Bond Street so it would be no problem at all to walk along this fashionable road and then slip into Hanover Square. His father, the Earl of Rushmere, should be in residence by now and should be able to tell her where his son was being kept. Her expedition could not be attempted until the following morning so she would have to contain her anxiety until then.

  *

  Edward had his own apartment on the first floor of the magnificent house in Hanover Square that had been in the family for generations. Frobisher had set out the hip bath and fresh garments. These contraptions were all very well but not a patch on the bathing rooms he had installed at Ravenswood Hall. Would he ever see this place again?

  Once dressed he wrote out the information that would be required to obtain a special licence, then he wrote a formal letter and signed it making Frobisher his proxy in the business.

  'I don't care how much it costs, bribe whoever you have to, but don't come back without it.'

  'You'll be wanting a reverend gentleman to conduct the service, my lord, shall I set about acquiring one of those as well?'

  'First I must acquire a bride. I'm hoping that Miss Bradshaw will immediately set out for London when she discovers what has happened. But, unless she sends word here, I'll be hard-pressed to find her in time.'

  'The young lady is resourceful, my lord, she'll be here, I guarantee it.'

  His valet took the papers and the purse and headed for Doctors' Commons to obtain the necessary document. He had no intention of consummating the union until after his court case had been settled, whatever his parent might think to the contrary. When he made love to Penny for the first time he wanted it to be a memorable occasion for both of them and not something hurried and desperate.

  It would be time to dine soon but he'd made it clear to the staff he wanted a tray in his apartment. There were few books in his sitting room and he had no wish to venture down to the library to find a book as it would mean the possibility of confronting his father. Instead he would occupy his time by writing a letter to Penny in case, by some twist of fortune, they didn't meet before … well, better not to dwell on that.

  There were heavy footsteps approaching his rooms and he put down his pen and stood facing the door. He had no intention of speaking to the earl. There was a sharp knock.

  'Enter.' He sounded less than welcoming. That had been his intention.

  The door swung open and Richard Dunwoody strode in. 'Good God, man, I thought you somewhere languishing on the continent. Yet here you are. Why the hell did you come back?'

  He explained what had happened over the past few weeks and his friend was suitably impressed. 'How did you know I was here?'

  'Word has spread all over Town. The tabbies have been busy. I must warn you that there
's been no mention that you are innocent of the charges – as far as the world is concerned you are as guilty as sin.'

  'I have not heard from Thorogood, I'm not sure if that is a good sign or a bad omen. Will you stay and dine with me? I am eating here.'

  'I should be delighted. I am not the only one surprised by your reappearance. Your erstwhile betrothed will be staggered to hear you are about to marry someone else when you were professing undying love to her a month or so ago.'

  'I thank all the stars in heaven that I didn't marry her – it would have been a disaster for both of us. She needs a more accommodating husband, a fellow who will indulge her, not a curmudgeonly fellow like me.'

  'That's as may be, Edward, but if your name is cleared I think you might find yourself obligated to her.'

  'She'll get over it. I shall be married to the woman I love and to hell with anyone who objects. My father has been told that my sentence will be transportation not execution. He doesn't seem to believe I will be cleared even though we have evidence that I didn't harm Bentley in the duel.'

  'From what you have divulged I cannot see how they can convict you. The Bentley family have powerful friends and I'm sure that it is they that have pushed for the trial.'

  'Richard, I want your word that you will take care of my wife if anything untoward happens to me.' He gripped his friend's arm. 'Not only Penny but also her mother and sisters. I must tell you what has just become known.' When he had done his friend was astonished.

  'Sir Benedict Bradshaw is aware of his inheritance but doesn't actually remember who he is or anything about his family?'

  'Exactly so. Penny was absent when I was arrested because she had gone to Ipswich to set things in motion for his return – or more accurately for her departure to Spain to bring him back.'

  'Then let us hope that we can extricate you from this mess and you can make the visit your wedding trip.'