“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He stayed where he was as she approached, blocking her exit by remaining in the middle of the doorway.
“How is your day going so far, Miss Allender?”
She stopped an arm’s length away and frowned up at him. “Very well, thank you, Lord Belmont.”
“Excellent. And is the weather to your liking?”
“Yes, it is very pleasant, thank you.”
“I hope your family is well?” Mathew said.
“Is there a reason we are exchanging pleasantries, my lord?” She tilted her head to one side to study him.
“As every conversation I have had with you since your return to London usually results in you being cool and distant with me, I felt we should start again and become reacquainted. My hope is that given time you will see that I am a well-bred, polite man of moderate intelligence.”
She swallowed her smile but he saw it in her eyes. “Don’t be absurd.” She moved closer, motioning for him to let her pass. “The problem here is that you are used to everyone adoring you, and as I do not, you are put out.”
He’d tasted those lips, and wanted to do so again. “Tell me what Lord Stadler was referring to,” he said softly, moving closer. “Please.”
Her sigh was small. “It was silly, childish stuff that as adults we need bother with no longer.”
“If it is silly and childish, it should not bother you to tell me.”
“There really is no need for this.” She flicked her hand, trying to get him to move to one side so she could pass.
“Yes.” Instead, he moved closer and cupped her cheek. “There is.”
“Mathew, don’t do this to me again.”
“Do what again?” He liked the sound of his name on her lips.
She stepped backward, her eyes telling him she’d said too much, and his hand fell to his side.
“It is over. It happened long ago, and is now of no consequence, therefore I wish you to leave this subject alone.”
“I am not as easily ordered about as your siblings, Patience, and now that I know I did something that hurt you, you must understand that I feel entitled to know what.”
“Patience,” Charlie said, “Mr. Pody has two cups of warm milk for you and Mathew. Come and drink it before it gets cold.”
“Where are you going today?” Mathew said as she tried to move around him.
“We are returning to the town house. Why?”
“Excellent. Then I shall call upon you at home. We shall talk, you and I, Patience, and you will tell me the truth.”
She drew alongside him. “Why can you not leave this alone? Why can you not understand that I do not wish to have a closer acquaintance with you anymore, as there is too much that has gone between us? Surely that is your wish also, considering that being in my company causes you discomfort.”
“You are referring to Anthony?”
She nodded.
“Even though I know you are right, I cannot walk away. I care about you…very much, and knowing I have hurt you in some way does not sit well with me,” Mathew said as he backed from the room, knowing her eyes were following him.
“Here he is, Mr. Pody. This is Lord Belmont, and he will love the warm milk.” Charles was standing in the doorway, looking out to the street, watching the people and carriages bustling about.
“Good morning, Miss Allender.”
“Good morning, Lord Kelkirk,” she replied to Simon’s greeting.
Mathew took the cup from the man, trying not to shudder. He loathed warm milk too, but as the boy seemed excited about it, he would drink it.
“It’s wonderful, is it not, Mathew?”
“Wonderful, Charlie.” Mathew wondered where he could dump it, and one look at his brother in law told him Simon was thinking that very thought.
“Mathew loves warm milk,” Simon said. “In fact, I will give him the rest of mine, as I am still full from my morning meal.”
“No, really.” Mathew tried to evade Simon, but it was too late; he was topping up his cup.
A sudden loud noise interrupted them.
“Good Lord, did you hear that? Some fool just shot a gun in the middle of London!” Simon said, making for the door.
They all rushed outside to watch a carriage race up the street, the driver nearly hitting a cart carrying hay in the process.
“No!”
Mathew’s eyes went to Patience as she said the word. Her eyes were trained on the carriage. The cup slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor, spilling the contents everywhere, and seconds later she grabbed her brother.
“Charlie, get out of the doorway!”
“I-I’m all r-right.”
Mathew moved to her side, but as he did so, Patience pushed her brother toward the footman who had accompanied them.
“Paul, keep Charlie in here!” She yelled the words as she picked up her skirts, and then, much to Mathew’s surprise, she began running down the street away from him.
“Patience!” She didn’t stop as Mathew roared her name. “What’s going on, Charlie?” he asked, but the color had leached from the boy’s face and the footman had stepped to his back, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Please go after her, Lord Belmont. I cannot leave Lord Allender alone, and fear that Miss Allender may fall into trouble without me.”
“Mathew, where the hell is she going?” Simon looked at him, then back up the street at the rapidly diminishing figure of Patience.
“Stay with the boy and I’ll go after her.”
After handing the footman his cup, Mathew followed Patience. She was running down the middle of the street following a carriage. She jumped over piles of manure, wove around carts, people and horses, but never slowed. Mathew followed, doing the same, and slowly closed the distance between them. He could see her ankles and the soles of her half boots as she ran, and then finally he drew alongside her.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“That gunshot…it has to have been from him!”
Her breathing was coming in pants, and the carriage was now some distance away. Mathew wrapped his fingers around her arm and stopped her. Her eyes were frantic as she craned her neck to see where the carriage had gone.
“Let me go!” She was trying to pull his fingers from her arm, but he didn’t release her.
“Stop, Patience. You cannot outrun that carriage.”
As if she were waking from a dream, her eyes grew wide and she stopped moving as reality returned.
“No…no, no.” She dropped her gaze to his feet, and Mathew watched her shoulders rise and fall as she drew in a deep, shuddering breath.
“I-I’m sorry, Lord Belmont. I, ah, thought I saw an old friend, but it seems I was wrong.”
“You could never lie worth a damn, Patience, and it seems that has not changed over the years.” She tried to walk away from him, but he still held her wrist. “It was after the shot rang out that you panicked. Who did you think was in that carriage, and why did that bullet scare you?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Your brother is standing outside the cowkeeper’s shop looking terrified out of his wits, with his footman standing over him.”
“Dear God, Charlie!” Patience tried to run again. “Let me go! I must see to my brother.”
“Unless Charlie is in imminent danger, I think it best that we walk,” Mathew said into her ear.
She stiffened as her eyes darted from side to side. There were a few people looking at her strangely, but Mathew saw no one he knew.
“Take my arm.” She did as he asked, and together they walked back to where Charlie was waiting for them. She was rigid, her muscles tense, fingers digging into his arm, so he gave her a few seconds to calm down before he asked another question. “What was that about?”
“I’ve explained already.”
“Your eyes tell me you are lying, Patience. They have the same look of fear
as I saw in your brother’s. Plus I doubt seeing an old friend would cause you to cast propriety to the devil as you just did.”
She bit her lip but said nothing further, and as they approached the cowkeeper’s shop, Charlie ran to his sister and she wrapped her arms around him. Simon was standing beside the front door, looking at the wooden façade, when Mathew joined him.
“That’s from a bullet.” He pointed to a hole. “And I cannot be certain, but am fairly sure it was not here when we arrived. And if that is true, my guess is that it was aimed this way. After Miss Allender’s astonishing actions, I would suggest it was aimed at one of them.”
Mathew felt his blood chill as he looked at the hole. “The question is, why?”
“Yes,” Simon said, following Mathew back inside the shop. The Allender siblings had already retreated there.
“’Tis a disgrace, my lord,” the proprietor said, approaching him. “I have sent my daughter to alert the constabulary. I won’t have some fool shooting his pistol about theses busy streets. A stray bullet might harm my cows.”
“No indeed, Mr. Pody,” Mathew soothed the man.
“Very brave of Miss Allender to run after the carriage, I have to say. But then a woman who likes cows would be no different, in my opinion.”
“Indeed,” Mathew said.
“Is Lenny back with the carriage, Paul?” he heard Patience ask one of her footmen.
“I shall check, Miss Allender. Please stay inside until I return.”
“We will.” She gave the footman a brief nod.
“Charlie, do you think you could take a few sips of milk?” Mathew had retrieved his cup and moved to the boy’s side.
“Th-thank you.” Charlie drank the contents slowly, with his sister alternating her gaze from him to the window and back again.
“Louis said the velocipede demonstration will be held in three days. As he has also demanded I attend, perhaps you would like to come with us?” Simon said.
The boy was slowly starting to calm, and the grip he had on Patience had eased. “I would like that very much, Lord Kelkirk.”
Patience seemed to want to say something, but she remained silent. Mathew had the feeling that would not last long.
One of the footmen returned to say, “The carriage awaits, Miss Allender.”
“Thank you, Paul,” Patience said. “We must leave now, Charlie. Bid Lord Belmont and Lord Kelkirk good day.”
“Good day to you, Mathew and Simon. I look forward to seeing you again soon.” The boy was still the color of the milk he had just drunk, and his sister was no better.
“It was good to see you again, too, Charlie. Should you need me for anything, then please send word.” Mathew shook the boy’s hand. “And that goes for you also, Patience.” Mathew touched her cheek briefly.
He and Simon walked the Allenders to their carriage, and he closed the door after they had climbed inside. Lifting a hand, he waved goodbye, but only Charlie responded.
“What the hell was that about?”
Simon was also watching the carriage bearing the Allenders roll away from them.
“I’m not sure yet, but something is very wrong with that family. After what has happened today, it is my belief that they are under some kind of threat.”
He would say nothing further for now, but he would call on the Allenders after he had given them time to calm down. Then he would get some answers.
CHAPTER SIX
“Don’t charge, Charlie!” Lucy screamed from her position standing on top of a chair.
The Allender siblings were in the largest room in their town house. Furniture had been cleared, and she and Charlie were fencing while Lucy stood on a chair and directed them…well, Charlie, actually, as she was still fuming with Patience over her treatment of Mr. Stanhope.
Charlie had learned to shoot a pistol, wield a sword and fight with his fists. And between them, the Allender sisters and the Toots brothers had kept him fit and agile, in case one day Brantley succeeded in taking him and he would need to fight to survive.
Two days had passed since the incident in the cowkeeper’s shop, and Charlie had recovered; Patience, however, was still unsettled. She was certain that the gunshot they had heard was something to do with their cousin, and that the bullet had been intended for Charlie.
“Lighter on your feet, Charlie!”
Patience hauled in a deep breath and kept her eyes on her brother as Lucy instructed him.
“Think clearly about your moves. You will not win if you let emotion rule you.”
They had once again discussed Patience going to the constabulary and telling them what they believed their cousin was up to, but again they had no evidence to support their claim. Brantley had always used others to make his threats and attempts on Charlie’s life, and as a much-loved peer, it would be the Allender siblings’ word against his. Patience was sure they would not be the ones who were believed. They had tried once, just after the attempted kidnap of Charlie. Patience had visited the local magistrate only to be told that she was fooling no one in her attempts to discredit a man of reputable standing, and that she should be ashamed of herself for spreading such vicious lies.
“Strike where she is weakest, Charlie.”
“Do you want him to slice me to pieces, then, sister?” Patience rasped as she tried to draw air into her lungs.
“After your behavior, I shall not mind seeing you suffer a bit.”
“It was days ago, Lucy. Can we not move on, now that we have a greater threat?” Patience balanced the tip of her foil on her shoe while she took a much-needed rest. “I cannot help that I do not trust as easily as you, and furthermore, I know nothing of Mr. Stanhope and merely indicated that in my words.”
“You told him you did not know him, and therefore could not say whether you were pleased to make his acquaintance or not!” Lucy screeched.
“Must you scream, Lu, it makes my ears hurt,” Charles said as he practiced a few moves. Patience saw the smile he tried to hide as he looked at his sisters. He loved annoying them when the opportunity arose.
He now knew Brantley was in London and that they must be vigilant, and his resilience amazed her, especially as her insides still resembled a butter churn.
“I do not trust as easily as you, and Mr. Stanhope seemed…” Patience searched for the right word. “Too nice.”
“How can someone be too nice?” Charlie questioned her.
“Yes, how?” Lucy snapped. “When you have spoken only a handful words to him, and those were laced with innuendo and threat.”
“As head of this family, I need to—”
“Dear Lord, not that again,” Lucy and Charlie said together.
“I’m sorry that my responsibilities to you both cause annoyance. However, I take them seriously, especially after what has just happened to Charlie and me,” Patience said, hurt that they were so ungrateful when all she’d ever wanted was to see them happy and keep them safe.
“We are still unsure that the bullet did not come from someone who mistakenly fired their weapon, or if indeed it was intended for Charlie, Patience. And of course we are grateful for all you have done for us, but you can be controlling upon occasion, and this business with Mr. Stanhope is an example. He is a nice man, and you must trust that I can tell the difference between a nice man and a charlatan, Sister. I am twenty, and you have taught me not to be a fool.”
“I don’t mean to be controlling, but it seems to come naturally,” Patience admitted, which made her siblings laugh. “I want only the best for you both, but sometimes my fears can make it seem otherwise.”
“We know.” Charlie slashed his foil through the air. “And seeing our cousin has scared you, just as it has Lucy and me.”
He was an insightful boy for eleven years old, Patience thought. “Yes.”
“The thing is, Patience,” Lucy said, still on top of the chair. “I think I may like Mr. Stanhope a great deal.”
Patience felt the air squeeze from her lungs. “
Really?”
“Really, and as I quite like you too, I would be most grateful if you would at least try to get to know him.”
“I will,” Patience said, nodding. “I promise.”
“Excellent. Now breathe, Sister, as you are turning blue.”
Patience inhaled deeply. “I have made an appointment to see a private investigator tomorrow. I want to have someone look into Brantley’s movements and see if there is anything in his past or present that we can use against him.”
“Excellent idea. Hopefully they can find something so bad that he is imprisoned or sent to the colonies,” Lucy said.
“I want to stand on the dock waving if he is sent to the colonies,” Charlie put in.
“Correction, Brother,” Patience said. “We shall all stand on the dock waving as Brantley Winston is taken from England in chains.”
“I think we may have to kill him,” Charlie said, swishing his foil from side to side, as if he had just ordered plum pudding for his evening meal.
“The thought has crossed my mind,” Patience said, because it had, many times.
“Well, we shall endeavor to stave off criminal activities until investigating all other avenues,” Lucy said. “Now fence, you lazy creatures.”
They did, back and forth, up and down the carpet, until the muscles in Patience’s arms and shoulders ached. And as she did, she thought. Was Mr. Stanhope a good man, or could he hurt Lucy? Was there something in her cousin’s past that could help her control him? Could she bring herself to shoot him?
“Ouch! Bloody hell, Charlie!” Patience leapt back as her brother jabbed her in the ribs.
“Pay attention, Patience!” Lucy snapped.
“I’m trying,” she muttered, rubbing her side.
Mathew was also in her thoughts. She had expected a visit from him before now, because she had done something extremely foolish in front of him and Lord Kelkirk. She had run in a panic from the shop, and he had seen that fear, had watched and listened as she had comforted Charlie, and now he had more questions he wanted answers for, which in turn meant she had to redouble her efforts to stay as far away from him as she could. All that mattered was her brother’s safety, not becoming reacquainted with Lord Belmont.
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