‘I have arranged for Molly and Tom to be driven to the park,’ Parker said.
‘And for a footman to stay with them?’ Jake asked.
Olivia’s head shot up. ‘Why is that necessary?’
‘Just a precautionary measure,’ Jake assured her. ‘Until we know what’s to do with Sir Hubert and why someone sent Tom the boat he is so determined to launch it is better to be safe than sorry.’
‘Perhaps I should go with him.’
‘I would prefer it if you did not.’ Jake sent her a disarming smile. ‘Perhaps I am being over-protective, but I refuse to apologise for my desire to keep you and Tom safe.’
Olivia returned his smile, reassured. ‘Then thank you. Go off to Bond Street and I shall stay here and immerse myself in a book.’
‘We shall not be long,’ Jake told her, turning in the doorway to treat her to a seductive smile.
Olivia watched him go, both astounded and encouraged by his demonstrative behaviour, even if only Parker was there to witness it. Had he put aside his irrational fears for her safety and decided to put his own desires ahead of affairs of state? Olivia sighed. It would be so much easier if she had fallen in love with a man without such a complicated background. But, there again, such a man would probably bore her witless.
Before Olivia had made much headway with the book she selected, the door opened and Tom bounded into the room with his boat beneath his arm, Molly following in his wake.
‘We are going to the park, Mama, and I shall sail my boat.’
‘Of course you will,’ Olivia replied, pulling Tom onto her lap, kissing her beloved child and running a hand through his soft tangle of curls. ‘But you must promise to be a good boy for Molly and do as she tells you.’
‘Of course I will.’ Tom wriggled from Olivia’s lap and dashed towards the door. ‘Come along, Molly,’ he said. ‘I’ve been waiting for ages.’
Molly shook her head, looking almost amused as she bobbed a curtsey and ran off after her charge.
The house seemed unnaturally quiet and the book Olivia had selected did not hold her interest. She found it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open and eventually nodded off to sleep. Someone clearing his throat woke her a minute or two later. She blinked sleep from her eyes and looked up at the concerned face of Reed, the senior footman who took charge of the household in Parker’s absence.
‘What is it, Reed?’ she asked, stifling a yawn.
‘Sorry to wake you, ma’am, but the master isn’t back yet so I needed to tell you—’
‘Of course he is not back. Lord Torbay only just left.’
‘No, ma’am. That was over an hour ago.’
Olivia glanced at the clock on the mantel and was surprised to see that she had actually been asleep for almost that long. ‘So it was.’ She felt alarm worming its way through her at the sight of Reed’s stricken face. ‘Tell me,’ she said curtly.
‘It’s Molly and Master Tom, ma’am.’
Olivia jumped to her feet, knocking over a side table in her haste. ‘Something has happened to them?’
Reed cleared his throat, his face ghostly white. ‘I am terribly sorry to tell you this, but they have disappeared without trace.’
Chapter Twelve
‘Sir Hubert must have been desperate to take so little for the Gainsborough,’ Parker said as he and Jake were driven back to Grosvenor Square.
‘The timing of the offer is what interests me,’ Jake replied. ‘We now know that he accepted a cash sum for all three paintings, against the advice of Sotheby’s experts who felt he would get considerably more for them if they were given sufficient time to let collectors know they had come on the market, and then offer them at auction.’
‘Aye, and he collected the draft from Sotheby’s on the day he disappeared. Now that is significant. You think he’s left these shores with a pocketful of cash?’
‘Did anything strike you about the name of the man at Sotheby’s who dealt with Sir Hubert?’
‘Alistair Carter, the chief cashier. A.C.’ Parker nodded. ‘That explains who he was meeting but he implied to his wife that the rendezvous was to take place at his club. Obviously, he didn’t want her to know that the paintings had been sold.’
‘Precisely so. Sotheby’s gave him a bank draft and I dare say he cashed it the same day, but I doubt whether he has let England.’ Jake stared out of the carriage window, wondering why they had stopped. Some sort of altercation up ahead had halted them. Jake lowered the window and heard colourful language coming from two coarse individuals whom he could see squaring up to one another. Satisfied that they were not being personally threatened, he put the window up again and left his driver to deal with the matter, his thoughts still on Sir Hubert’s odd behaviour. ‘It is a large sum, especially if he doesn’t use any of it to discharge his debts, but still not enough to keep him in the style he is accustomed to for more than a few years.’
Parker sniffed. ‘Desperate men, and all that. Besides, he could live a lot cheaper abroad; especially without an estate in need of repair, children to support or a position to maintain.’
‘Even so, I think he’s still here. So, the question remains, where is he hiding himself?’
Parker shrugged. ‘Could be anywhere. London is a big place and it’s easy to lose yourself in a city full of people too busy to take any notice of anyone else. We know his friends ain’t harbouring him, because I had people speak with all the names on Lady Margaret’s list. They all claim not to have seen him and I believe them. I got the impression that he owed some of them money and they were tired of being applied to for more when previous loans had not been repaid. Anyway, like you say, he’s very self-aware and wouldn’t want his posh friends to know he was walking away from his responsibilities.’
‘I agree.’ Jake nodded pensively. ‘If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that he’s hiding himself amongst the theatrical lot. He assisted his brother and must know a lot of people in that line of work. Factor in his charm, good looks and temporarily full pockets and…well, I don’t suppose too many people would turn him away; especially the ladies.’
Parker shrugged his massive shoulders. ‘Needle in a haystack then.’
‘Yes, except for the fact that he probably has desperate plans to restore his position, which means getting hold of Lady Marchant’s letters, which means—’
‘Which means he will need to get into Cheyne Walk to look for them.’
‘Or make contact with Olivia with some cock and bull story that he thinks will gain her trust. He must assume she is unaware that he has gone missing. She and Lady Grantley are not on speaking terms and even Olivia was astonished when that lady approached her. Sir Hubert knows how proud his wife is and Olivia is the last person he would expect her to turn to in a crisis.’
Parker nodded. ‘Most likely.’
‘So, how can we keep Olivia safe from his clutches?’
Parker raised his bushy brows. ‘You think it’s definitely him that’s after her?’
‘Who else could it possibly be?’
‘Lady Marchant?’
‘Then why wait all this time? If Olivia knew those letters existed and intended to make them public, she would have done so by now.’
Parker grunted. ‘Most likely.’
‘No, I think Sir Hubert is behind this.’
‘The same question applies. Why wait all this time?’
‘Because his circumstances have become pressing. If he does not find a way to make a regular income, and do so quickly, he will lose everything, so he will do whatever is necessary to obtain Lady Marchant’s letters. We know he searched Olivia’s house while she was in gaol and did not find them, so he must have assumed that Barber had them, along with Marcus Grantley’s other business papers. They were not found there so he has returned his attention to Olivia.’ Jake’s face was invaded by an angry frown. ‘And in order to get it, he sent a toy to her son with the express purpose of upsetting her.’
‘Yeah well, that d
idn’t work. She’s safer now because she’s with you, where he can’t reach her, and he hasn’t tried to get into Cheyne Walk either. Finch would have let us know if he had.’
‘Olivia is safe, but she is also a virtual prisoner and, take it from me, she won’t accept that situation for long.’ Jake rolled his eyes. ‘I, on the other hand, will not allow her to wander about unprotected until we have run Sir Hubert to ground.’
Parker chuckled. ‘I can’t imagine you letting her go anywhere without your personal protection.’
Jake grimaced. ‘And being seen in my company too often will create more problems than it will solve.’ The carriage finally moved forward again, several constables having been summoned to separate the warring costermongers responsible for the delay. ‘No. The time for action is upon us. We must use our resources to find Sir Hubert and resolve this matter once and for all.’
‘Right. Where do we start?’
The carriage had arrived back at Grosvenor Square. Jake leapt from it, not having answered Parker’s question. As he walked into the house, he was alarmed to hear a loud, despairing wail come from his library. Olivia’s loud wail. He shared a glance with Parker and strode in that direction, to find Reed standing helplessly over a sobbing Olivia.
‘What is it?’ Jake addressed the question to Olivia as he crouched beside her.
‘Oh, Jake!’ She threw herself into his arms and he only just managed to catch her and pull her upright before they both lost their balance. ‘Tom is gone and it’s all my fault.’
While Jake consoled Olivia as best he could, Parker elicited an explanation from Reed.
‘The driver and Jenson just came back, sir. Jenson said Molly insisted on going to Holland Park. She said the lake was safer for small boys than the serpentine.’
‘Molly is involved?’ Olivia blinked red-rimmed eyes and fixed Jake with a dumfounded expression. ‘She did this?’
‘I told Jenson to keep a watch on Molly and the child,’ Parker said in a mordant tone. ‘He was not to let them out of his sight.’
‘He swears on his mother’s life that he didn’t,’ Reed replied. ‘He’s waiting to tell you what happened himself.’
‘Have him sent in,’ Jake said, seating Olivia and forcing a glass of brandy upon her. ‘Drink it,’ he said, holding it to her lips. ‘You have had a shock and it will make you feel better.’
‘Nothing will make me feel better.’ But she took a sip, promptly choking on it. Jake patted her back and made her take another sup, after which she appeared fractionally calmer. ‘I should have gone with them,’ she cried in anguish. ‘I had a premonition, a feeling…I don’t know, something. I told myself I was seeing shadows where none existed. I was tired, thought he would be safe…oh, Jake, what if he is hurt…or afraid, wondering where I am? My poor little boy, my love, my life.’ A heart-wrenching sob escaped her. ‘I cannot bear it!’
‘Hush, we will get him back. No one means him harm. They just want to frighten you, and they are doing a good job of it.’
Olivia opened her mouth to reply but closed it again when Jenson entered the room.
‘Tell Mrs Grantley and his lordship how you came to lose Master Tom,’ Parker said in a glacial tone.
Jenson shuffled his feet but gamely met Parker’s glower. ‘They were at the lake and Master Tom was sailing his boat. There were other boys there, also with boats, and they seemed to get along just fine. Then one of the boys tumbled into the water.’ Olivia gasped. Jake squeezed her hand. ‘Several people rushed to pull him out, more crowded around, pushing and jostling and offering advice. Molly and Master Tom were on dry land, safe and sound, I swear it on my life.’ Jenson cleared his throat. ‘Then an altercation broke out between two nursemaids. One accused the other of being jealous because she had secured a position the other nurse had wanted and that she had retaliated by deliberately pushing her charge into the water. The one being accused said she hadn’t been anywhere near the child. Blows were exchanged, which drew a larger crowd and…well, I got separated from Master Tom and when I tried to find him he was nowhere in sight.’
‘Do you think the incident was deliberately staged, Jenson?’ Jake asked. ‘A diversion?’
‘I couldn’t rightly say, my lord. It seemed spontaneous but, I suppose, warring nursemaids ain’t exactly a common sight.’
‘Which is why it drew such a crowd,’ Jake said, sharing a glance with Parker. ‘A fight between women always does.’
‘I am that sorry, Mrs Grantley. John Coachman and I drove around the surrounding streets, convinced at first that Molly must have taken Master Tom to safety and we would find them waiting for us but there was neither sight nor sound of them.’
‘If Molly wanted Tom safe she would have taken him straight back to the carriage,’ Parker said. ‘She knew where it was.’
‘Molly did this.’ Olivia face was chalk white, other than her puffy red eyes; her expression blank. ‘But why? What have I ever done to her?’
‘Awful convenient that Jane happened to be away and Molly took over her duties today,’ Parker remarked.
‘Jane has just returned,’ Reed said. ‘Her mother had not taken a turn for the worse and had not sent for Jane. Now that Jane’s thinking straight, she says no one would have known to send for her here anyway. They would have sent a message to Cheyne Walk and Finch would have passed it on.’
‘There is no doubt then,’ Jake said, his expression grim. ‘Your maid has been working with Tom’s abductor and deliberately contrived to have Jane out of the way today so that she could take her place.’
‘I asked her to,’ Olivia said forlornly. ‘I played straight into her hands.’
‘She knew you would.’ Jake patted her hand. ‘You always have her look after Tom when Jane is absent.’
‘And I often go with them on their morning excursions. What if I had been there today?’
Jake did not respond. She was too overset to hear that Sir Hubert had probably planned on just that eventuality. ‘Did Molly ask you if you would be joining them?’ he asked.
‘Actually, no.’
‘How did you come to employ Molly, Mrs Grantley?’ Parker asked. ‘Was she recommended to you?’
‘Yes, now that I think about it, she was. Green was the only servant I retained from Belgravia. The others, and there are not many of them, came from an agency. All except Molly. Sarah Granville, one of the few friends who did not drop me when I was accused of Marcus’s murder, recommended Molly. She worked for Sarah for several years but Sarah and her husband, whom I do not at all like, by the way, were about to go to Europe for a grand tour and Sarah decided against taking Molly with her. But she assured me she was a proficient lady’s maid and wanted to see her settled in another position.’
‘Reed,’ Jake said. ‘Go up to the attic room Molly has been sleeping in and search it thoroughly. Let me know what you find.’
‘At once, my lord,’ Reed replied, looking relieved to have a reason to leave the room.
‘Go with him, Jenson,’ Parker added. ‘Two pairs of eyes are better than one. Hopefully even you cannot mess up a simple search.’
‘Send someone round to…what is the name of the curate whom Molly has developed a liking for, Olivia?’
‘Oh, er, Graves.’
‘Send someone round to his chapel to ask if he conducted a meeting for fallen females, or some such nonsense yesterday and if so, did he ask Molly to help out? Was she there or did she use it as an excuse to have an unscheduled afternoon off and meet with whomever she is working with?’
Parker left the room to make the arrangements, leaving Jake temporarily alone with a sobbing Olivia.
‘This is all my fault,’ she said over and over again.
Jake handed her his handkerchief and waited for her to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. ‘It is not your fault. How can you even think such a thing?’ he asked.
‘I put my own pleasures ahead of my son’s welfare and God is punishing me for laying with a man who is not my h
usband.’
Jake shook his head. ‘That is nonsense and well you know it. If anyone is to blame then it is Molly. You were right to have doubts about her.’
‘I thought she was simply questioning my morals, which annoyed me, partly because I knew my behaviour was questionable.’
‘You are too sensible to believe that is true, my sweet, so I shall put your irrational reaction down to anxiety.’ He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. ‘I know you too well to suppose that you will fall apart. Instead, I need you to be strong so that together we can find Tom and bring him home where he belongs.’
‘Yes.’ Olivia sniffed, wiped away more tears, seeming a little more composed. ‘That is what we must do. You do not suppose that Molly will harm him, do you?’
‘I doubt that very much. She is either being paid well to deliver Tom to the man employing her or is doing so out of a misguided sense of…well, something.’
‘Rescuing Tom from the clutches of a loose woman?’ Olivia suggested with the hint of a smile.
‘That’s more like the attitude of my brave darling.’
‘I keep imagining Tom being afraid, and crying for me. He is scared of the dark, you see.’
‘Whoever has him has taken him in order to gain access to you,’ Jake told her.
‘And we think we know who that someone is.’
Jake looked up at the sound of Parker’s voice. He had not heard him return to the room.
‘Who?’ Olivia’s red eyes widened in expectation. ‘Tell me what you know.’
Jake proceeded to relate all they had learned in Bond Street, adding his own conviction that Sir Hubert was still in the capital, using the money from the sale of the Gainsborough to try and gain access to Lady Marchant’s letters.
‘He can have the lot of them,’ Olivia said without hesitation. ‘Providing he returns Tom to me immediately and unharmed.’
‘Of course we shall give them to him, if all else fails,’ Jake replied soothingly. ‘However, I dislike giving in to blackmail and have a mind to get the better of your husband’s brother, if only because he has caused you so much distress.’
With Good Grace (Victorian Vigilantes Book 3) Page 16
