“I don’t know. I don’t know what to believe,” Luci admitted.
“Well, shall I stay while you read this, or should I step out? Only know that I will abide by whatever you decide upon reading it, My Lady.” Christina gave her a knowing look and placed the letter beside Luci. The younger woman took it and met Christina’s gaze, then stood and walked slowly to the window, holding onto her desk for support.
The governess busied herself with clearing away Luci’s dishes, pleased to see that her bowl of broth and plate were both empty, along with another plate that held but a few crumbs. A large goblet of water was also drained, another very good sign. As Christina placed the items on the cart by the door, Luci turned and called out to her.
“Wait, don’t leave yet,” she said, holding the letter to her chest. Fresh tears filled her eyes. Suddenly, Christina was filled with a deep sense of regret coupled with fury at the Marquess, only to feel a wave of relief when Luci smiled broadly.
“I must see him!”
Chapter 28
“Mother! Father!” Luci called as she hurried down the stairs. She raced into their drawing room and stopped short, clearly surprised to see her aunt. “Aunt Mary! How wonderful to see you, I did not know you had arrived.”
Luci darted forward and placed a kiss on her aunt’s cheek, returning the older woman’s adoring smile.
“Of course I came, I had to see you once I learned of the unfortunate events that happened recently.” Lady Hardigree held out her hands for Luci to embrace her, and said, “My word, you look awful.”
“Be nice, sister,” Lady Thornshire said, taking Luci from her and holding her closely. “She only means that you’re too thin, and you need some color in your cheeks.”
“That may very well be true,” Luci acknowledged. “I shall have plenty of time to eat and bask in the sun during the ride to Ashworth Hall. I’m departing first thing in the morning.”
“What? Have you gone mad?” Lady Hardigree demanded, clutching at her throat in alarm.
“I have not. I know that you have all read the letter from Lord Ambergrave—do not look guilty, Mother, I would have done the same thing in your position—and therefore, you know why I must go.”
Luci left to go pack her things, most of which still sat untouched in their trunks since her arrival several days ago, leaving her parents and her aunt to exchange worried glances.
“Do you think this is wise, Edgar?” Lady Thornshire asked, twisting her fingers together nervously.
“I don’t see that we have much choice,” he answered quietly, watching Luci go. “Miss Ross was right. We have no authority over her, certainly not when it comes to returning to her own home.”
“But what if Lord Ambergrave hurts her again? How would we even learn of it if she took ill or… or worse? I cannot trust that man, not after all this,” Lady Thornshire said, pursing her lips until they were only a thin, white line.
“We can only trust that he is a man of his word. If you’ll excuse me, ladies,” Lord Thornshire said before striding towards the door of the drawing room and out of the house.
“Where are you going?” his wife asked, and Lord Thornshire paused.
“I’m going to Ashworth Hall. It’s time I speak to the Marquess face-to-face, man-to-man, and put all of this unrest behind us. If Luci is intent on returning there, I wish to know his mind beforehand.”
Lord Thornshire left and his wife moved to follow, but Lady Hardigree held her back. “Let him go. He must. He is the one responsible for Luci’s situation and he is feeling the effects of that guilt. Let him make it right.”
“Oh Mary, what can we do?” Lady Thornshire asked, desperate for some solace.
“Nothing that is in line with that law, I’m afraid,” Lady Hardigree replied, though her mind was already at work on some sort of devious solution. “I don’t suppose we could kidnap her…”
“Of course not.”
“…or shoot all of your horses to prevent her departure. I’m sorry, that is the extent of my knowledge in this situation.” Lady Hardigree smiled sympathetically, her attempt at humor clearly ineffective. “But Angeline, think of it this way. She is bolder now, about to go forward with her own decision. Is this not what you’ve wanted for her? Remember, this marriage was not of her own doing, and she was powerless to prevent it. Give her this moment to come into her own.”
“I don’t have to like the notion, but I can agree with it,” Lady Thornshire said, sitting down and collapsing against the sofa in defeat. “But is it enough?”
“Is what enough?” the Duchess asked, coming to sit close.
“His apology. His declarations. They’re merely words on a paper, are they not?” Lady Thornshire looked out the window, her face unreadable.
“They may be to you and me, but to Luci, they are everything. We must hope that they are everything to Lord Ambergrave, as well.” Lady Hardigree patted her sister’s hand reassuringly before giving her a wink. “And if they are not, then we shall consider breaking the law.”
Gideon had bid farewell to Derwall and the staff only that morning but already his sense of unease was flaring up, filling him with an odd sense of dread. He had a singular focus, Luci’s smiling face flooding his thoughts. In truth, she had been all he could think about these last many days, and the sudden loss of her left an ache deep inside him that refused to be healed. He knew not how she might receive him or whether Lord Thornshire had accepted his apology, but he also knew that he had to make the attempt.
Less than an hour’s drive remained before his carriage should arrive at Stonefield Park, but the driver called out a command to stop the horses. Gideon tried to see out through the windows along the side of the carriage, but could only see a small cluster of men blocking the path.
“You there. Where is he?” a loud voice called out to the driver. “Who’s yer passenger?”
The driver’s voice was muffled, but Gideon could make out his refusal to divulge any information. Suddenly, the door flew open and beefy hands reached in for him, hauling him out by the lapels of his coat.
“Where’s our money, fancy boy?” one of the men spat out, causing Gideon to recoil slightly.
“I’m not certain what you mean. Who are you? Who are you looking for?” he asked, attempting to decipher their intent.
“Don’t play any games with me, boy. I’ll take yer head off in a blink, I will,” the man threatened, balling his fist and striking a menacing pose. “Now where’s our money?”
“Again, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what money you’re referring to,” Gideon insisted, trying to sound calm. The rough-looking men inched closer, tightening the circle around him. His driver was pinned against the side of the carriage as well a few feet away, looking very alarmed.
“We know ya have it, ya owe yer debts from the horses,” the man answered with a sneer.
“Horses? The ones I bought recently for my stable, you mean? Those have been paid for in full, I assure you,” Gideon insisted, but the closest man’s snarl of rage stopped him.
“Not buyin’ the horses, ya idjit, racing ‘em. Ya been placing bets at the track and skipping out afore ya paid up. Now we’re here to collect.”
Gideon looked around rather helplessly, noting that he was vastly outnumbered as there were four of them but only one of him. Even should his driver manage to get free, he would be of little aid against a group this size and this angry.
“I’m afraid you are mistaken. I haven’t placed a wager on horse racing in… I don’t know, ten years? I don’t even know which track you’re referring to,” he protested, confused by their accusation.
“Oh, don’t try it. We know who ya are. You’re that Lord Ambergrave, and we’ve come to collect,” the man who was clearly in charge of the group shouted.
Gideon paused, confounded as to how they knew his name but clearly had the wrong man. He struggled to think of a time he may have encountered these men or others who might know them, but could not recall. Suddenly,
his eyes narrowed.
“Lord Stillscar! He had sworn his revenge, and this is how he sought to do it. With unpaid debts made in my name.
“Good sirs, I think I know the explanation for all of this—” he began, but before he could finish, a fist to his face sent him reeling backwards into the side of the carriage.
“The explanation is we get our money or we start cutting off your fingers!” the man roared.
Still clutching his injured face, Gideon demanded crossly, “How much is this debt I supposedly owe?”
“Thirty pounds, and we’ll be adding interest every time ya open yer mouth to argue,” a slightly smaller man piped up, clearly the numbers man of the operation.
“Fine. The debt is not mine, as you have been deceived by someone who sought revenge against me,” Gideon said, nodding. “But I shall pay the debt to put this matter to rest.”
There was some grumbling among the men as they looked to one another, considering whether or not this was an acceptable offer. Gideon waited while they wrestled with their next course of action.
“Fine, then. Hand it over and be on yer way,” the first man said roughly, his mistrust obvious.
“Of course I’m not traveling with that sum of money, what would you expect?” Gideon argued. “I will have to write you a promissory note and then supply the funds once I’m returned home.”
“What kind of fools do ya take us for? Yer not goin’ anywhere. You’ll slide off and be gone and worse, call the constable or somethin’.”
For emphasis, the man darted forward and landed a punch in Gideon’s midsection, one that bent him over and left him gasping for breath. While he was unable to defend himself, the man landed another blow to his face with an uppercut.
The blows continued to rain down upon him from all sides. Doing his best to protect his face and body, his arms were therefore useless for any form of attack. He chanced to hear an unpleasant cry that told him his driver was also bearing the brunt of this misplaced assault.
When Gideon finally collapsed to the ground, the man leaned close and said, “You’ll get our money and you’ll bring it to Corner Downs by sunset. We’ll be taking a souvenir to help ya remember yer appointment. If ya don’t show up, we’ll be comin’ to find ya and takin’ the rest.”
Unable to open his eyes, Gideon heard rather than saw the sound of a knife coming out of its sheath. He was too weak to resist when the man pulled his arm up by the wrist and held the sharp edge of the blade against one of his fingers.
“Whoa, there. What’s going on here?” a man shouted from a short distance away. His horse neighed loudly when the animal stopped short.
“Run away, lads!” one of the ruffians shouted. Gideon’s hand fell to the ground when his attacker fled on foot, avoiding the shouts of the witness who’d mercifully come by.
The scuffling of fleeing footsteps was replaced by the sound of boots running closer. The newcomer dropped down beside Gideon and suddenly shouted, “Lord Ambergrave! What are you doing here?”
Gideon opened his eye only a crack and spied Lord Thornshire, his face flushed from the effort of riding hard and coming to his aid.
“My driver… help him, please…” Gideon managed to stammer. Thankfully the Earl followed the instruction, leaving his side to go attend to the injured servant.
“Here, both of you into the carriage,” Lord Thornshire said, returning to Gideon’s side and helping him to sit up. “I shall drive us back to Stonefield, it’s not terribly far.”
The Earl helped the men to their feet and hoisted them into the carriage with great effort, letting both of them recline across the seats. Gideon heard other sounds of knocking about outside the carriage and saw that Thornshire had tied his own horse alongside the team for the ride to his home.
The first painful jostling of the carriage taking off was like a blade through Gideon’s skull. He forced his eyes open again to look at his driver, horrified to see that the poor man had turned a ghostly white and was very still. The sight of the trees and walls flying past the carriage window at such an impossible speed made him feel queasy, but it explained the agony of the carriage wheels bouncing beneath his injured head.
“We’ll be there shortly, Ambergrave,” Lord Thornshire once called out loudly from his perch atop the carriage seat, but it only added to the droning roar in Gideon’s ears.
Blissfully, Gideon slipped into fitful unconsciousness for the duration of their travels. It only compounded the suffering of waking when the carriage stopped and several men helped retrieve him from within.
“Careful now! Support his head!” Lord Thornshire called out from somewhere nearby. “Those ribs may well be broken as well, so guard them carefully and be gentle.”
Gideon was vaguely aware of moving from the courtyard into the main house. An interminably long time later, he was finally settled in a soft bed with his bleeding head resting on a crisply clean pillow.
“Send for the physician and the constable,” Lord Thornshire ordered gruffly. “I want those men found and apprehended. Also, send for my valet to assist Lord Ambergrave. Someone please inform Lady Thornshire and Lady Ambergrave of the man’s arrival but be cautious what you say about his current state.”
“My driver…” Gideon said once again.
“Never fear, Ambergrave,” Lord Thornshire said kindly, leaning closer and speaking in a volume more welcome to Gideon’s throbbing head. “He is in a room adjacent at this very moment, and we will see to his care as well.”
“Thank you,” Gideon wheezed, the pain in his ribs increasing as he tried to speak.
“Think nothing of it,” Lord Thornshire protested. “Now rest. The physician will be here shortly. We will do everything in our power to help you.”
Chapter 29
“Oh good, you’re here,” Luci called out when she opened the door to Christina’s knock.
“Yes, you asked for me?”
“I did. Since I’m to return to Ashworth Hall in the morning, I thought it might be wise to go ahead and pack some more of my things to bring with me,” Luci explained, pointing to several garments laid out in a row. “Can you tell me which of the gowns I’ve laid out are the most appropriate? I want to ensure that they are in season and useful for a variety of occasions, yet still suitable for the wife of a Marquess.”
“Has no one told you, My Lady?” Christina asked, a look of horror on her face.
“Christina,” Luci began, looking somewhat exasperated, “I thought I said we do not stand on ceremony. At least not when we’re alone.”
“But Luci… I thought you would have heard by now,” Christina said, coming closer fretfully. “Lord Ambergrave was brought here nearly an hour ago.”
“Here? What do you mean, he’s already here?” Luci asked, smiling. “Why, perhaps he could not wait for a reply to his letters. He’s come to see me and to make amends?”
Christina didn’t answer, and Luci began to grow worried.
“What is it? Why is he here then?” she asked, studying her governess’ face intently.
“Apparently, he was set upon by bandits along the road. He’s been beaten rather badly. Your father’s physician is in with him now,” Christina explained. “In any event, there’s no need of packing your things. I should imagine he’ll be staying here for quite some time.”
“Why was I not told sooner?” Luci cried, throwing down the garment and hurrying towards the door only to have Christina block her path.
“I should think no one knew your feelings towards him, nor his feelings towards you. But the more urgent course was to tend to him, so it is best that you stay here for now.”
“Stay here?” Luci demanded. “I will do no such thing. Regardless of what has transpired these past many weeks, he is my husband and I shall go to wait for news of his condition.”
“Very well, then. Shall I return these things you’ve begun to pack?” Christina asked stoically, which made Luci pause.
“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry I spo
ke so harshly, Christina. After all the kindness you’ve shown me in what has been the most difficult time of my entire life.” Luci hugged her closely then added, “You’re more dear to me than any friend I could hope for.”
“Thank you, Luci. Now go, I’ll see to your things.”
Luci hurried from the room and down the stairs, nearly tripping on her hem in her haste to discover where they’d taken Lord Ambergrave. She finally inquired of Pierson, who showed her to a room in the east wing.
“If I may, Lady Ambergrave, I will happily go in and see if the physician is finished?” the butler offered.
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