An Unbending Lady for the Desperate Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Emma Linfield

  The Duchess seemed to rally. “My girl, that makes a great deal of sense. Why has no one thought to suggest such a thing in the papers? I have read every story on the matter, and not one person made that allusion.”

  “They do not think as I do, Your Grace,” Victoria smiled. “I learned much from my father, who was an investigator like me. The best of them, in fact. He had ways of thinking that others lack, and he passed those onto me.”

  “You are rather remarkable.” The Duchess stepped away from the bedpost, looking immediately stronger than she had a moment ago. Victoria recognized the look on her face—the expression of a woman who had something to cling onto. Victoria resolved not to disappoint the Duchess. Come hell or high water, she would bring Lady Helena home.

  Unless I am mistaken… Victoria liked to have faith in her convictions, but she wasn’t always correct. The idea of this wretch kidnapping wealthy young ladies seemed like it might have a great deal to do with what could be offered in return. But there was every chance that this devil merely liked the challenge of capturing high society darlings and had no intention of letting them live. Maybe, getting away with it was this man’s reward.

  But Victoria could not say that to the Duchess. Not now since she had given the woman a sliver of hope. The high society did not understand that demons lurked in this world—evildoers who behaved purely out of self-satisfaction, to feed their sick desires.

  If this kidnapper was one of those demons, then those young ladies were doomed.

  Chapter 4

  Christian waited impatiently on the landing. He had tried to listen in to what was happening inside the room, but the voices echoed back muffled and distorted.

  His head snapped in the direction of the door as it opened, and the two ladies exited.

  “Is all well?” Christian jumped in with his interrogation.

  The Duchess cast a glance at Miss McCarthy. “All are not well , Lord Galbury. My daughter is gone, and I have no notion of where she has been taken to,” she chided. “But I have decided to put my faith in Miss McCarthy here, in the hopes that she may be able to locate my sweet Helena.”

  “I’m sorry I don’t understand.” Christian eyed the curious stranger. He didn’t know what could have happened in that room to cause this sudden change in the Duchess—her entire demeanor seemed less fraught than it had minutes before.

  “Miss McCarthy is an investigator, and I should say she may be the only one that I feel inclined to trust. Aside from some minor untruths, she has performed her duties with the utmost care and dedication, and I have reason to believe she may be the answer to my prayers.” The Duchess turned to the younger lady. “Tell me, did you investigate the previous kidnappings? I had not thought to ask before.”

  Miss McCarthy’s expression darkened. “Alas not. Those men outside prevented me from gaining entry, and by the time I finally managed to get into the houses of those poor souls, their chambers and carriages had been turned over so completely that I could not have found a scrap of evidence, even if I had possessed the largest spyglass known to mankind. My colleague attempted to keep everything as it ought to have been, but the others are rogues. Rogues who know little of what they are doing, I may add.”

  “Then, it must be fortunate that I have denied them access?” The Duchess breathed a small sigh of relief. Christian reasoned that this newfound ‘faith’ may not have lasted long, had the Duchess discovered that Miss McCarthy had investigated the previous kidnappings and come up with naught.

  “Very fortunate, Your Grace,” Miss McCarthy replied. “And you must continue to deny them, or they shall ruin any progress we may make. To them, they are more concerned with seeming triumphant, than actually seizing a victory.”

  Who is this strange creature? Christian had never encountered a lady so brash and confident. It was something of a refreshing change, for she clearly had no qualms about speaking her mind.

  “You will return as soon as you have more information?” The Duchess fidgeted anxiously with the sleeves of her gown.

  Miss McCarthy nodded. “I will report to my colleague this instant, and we shall come up with a plan of action. As soon as we begin our pursuit, I will inform you. You will know of our every move, so you may be assured that you have put your faith in the right person.”

  “Gratitude, Miss McCarthy.” The Duchess sighed. “Lord Galbury, might you accompany this young lady to the door? I must go and speak to my husband of what has been unearthed. Although… Miss McCarthy, you will not mind if I tell him that it was Admiral Thomson who informed me of everything? He is more traditional than I, and I have reason to believe he would be bemused by the idea of a female investigator.”

  “Of course, Your Grace. As long as you have faith in me, that is all I care for,” Miss McCarthy replied. A tight note lingered in her tone, piquing Christian’s curiosity. If she were truly a female investigator, then he imagined she had already endured her fair share of scorn and disbelief, upon telling people what she did. Maybe she had thought the Pelsley’s would be different.

  With that, Christian and Miss McCarthy parted ways with the Duchess. The latter made her way along the hallway, to locate her hiding husband. Meanwhile, Christian fell in step with the strange investigator, as they headed back down to the front entrance.

  “May I offer you a proposal, Miss McCarthy?” he said, as they walked.

  She smirked. “I thought you were already engaged, My Lord?

  “I… That is not what I meant!” His cheeks flushed with heat. “You are teasing me?”

  “Certainly.”

  He gave a stifled laugh. “Very amusing, Miss McCarthy. But I had a different manner of proposal in mind.”

  “Oh? And what may that be?”

  “Lady Helena is exceedingly dear to me, and I will do everything within my power to aid you in your search for her,” he replied. “I have served in the British Cavalry, and there are many acquaintances of mine who may prove useful in your investigations.”

  He needed to reassure Miss McCarthy that he could not possibly be a suspect in this vile affair. She had not alluded to it, but he still felt inclined to nip any thoughts of that ilk in the bud.

  The idea had come to him while he had been pacing the landing, waiting for the ladies to emerge. Truly, he did not know why he hadn’t thought of it sooner; he had a vast number of acquaintances who knew all about intelligence, albeit of an ordinarily military nature. With Miss McCarthy and her associate’s assistance, combined with knowledge from his acquaintances, there was every chance that they would find Lady Helena, alive and well.

  “That will not be necessary,” Miss McCarthy replied. “But I thank you for your generous offer.”

  Christian furrowed his brow. “You misunderstand me, Miss. I was not asking for your permission. I was merely informing you of what is going to happen.”

  “And I am informing you that, if we should happen to require your aid, you will be called upon. As of this moment, however, that is not needed.” Miss McCarthy held his gaze. “Leave this to the professionals, My Lord. If you do not, you will only get under our feet.”

  The impertinence of her! He felt quite furious. “Miss, I really must insist that you—”

  “You will be called upon if you are required. Until then, I suggest you continue in your actions. The Duchess will need all the comfort and reassurance she can get, and she seems fond of you. Her husband cannot play that part, given his own grief. I am sure you are suffering, too, but you must be stronger than the Duke. Be her friend and behave as a future son-in-law might. That is where your focus should rest for now.” Miss McCarthy smiled sweetly. “And, in the meantime, we will bring your fiancée back to you.”

  “Miss, if you would—” However he didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Miss McCarthy swept out of the house before he could muster a protest. For the second time today, a door had slammed in his face, and he could do nothing to remedy it.

  Miss McCarthy had torn into his life like a whirl
wind, and though she might have won the favor of the Duchess, she would have to behave a great deal more graciously to win his. A stern resolve fixed in his mind. He would give her two days, and if she did not call upon him within that time, to seek his assistance, then he would take matters into his own capable hands.

  If you think that is the end of it, Miss McCarthy, that I shall wait idly by while my fiancée is still missing, you are sorely mistaken. There are things you do not know, and things you did not pause to learn… Only fools rush in, and I do hope you do not turn out to be such a fool. For the sake of Helena, and the Pelsley’s, and me.

  Why, she could well be putting the investigation into jeopardy by refusing to work alongside him, for she had not given him the chance to mention what he had heard about there being two men involved in these kidnappings. At least in the ones that had taken place upon the road, where the ladies had been riding in their carriages. Surely, that was an important factor? Yet, the stubbornness in Miss McCarthy had prevailed. He hardly knew her at all, but he imagined that same stubbornness was an innate trait in her character.

  Irked by the brusque manner in which she had left, and the insistence that he play the part of guard dog or companion, he walked away from the front entrance and entered the drawing room on the ground floor of the house. It lay empty, as he had known it would.

  He crept toward the window, which looked out onto the street beyond, and peered around the edge of the heavy, green velvet drapes. He picked Miss McCarthy out of the crowd, though it was not hard to do. She was the only lady. Even attempting to blend in by wearing that dense woolen cloak did not make her any less noticeable.

  Who is this colleague—this Admiral Thomson? Intrigue prompted him to closer to the pane, where he might get a better view. Miss McCarthy had taken one gentleman to the side and was in the midst of an animated discussion, her arms flailing wildly as she made some poor display of charades. The gentleman in question was much older, with silvered hair and bushy whiskers, and weathered features that suggested he had endured some hardships in his time.

  As a former military man, Christian had wondered if he might recognize Admiral Thomson. True, he hadn’t been in the Navy, but Admirals tended to be well known by all who served to protect this nation. But he barely recognized this man at all.

  Hmmm… how disappointing. If he had known the Admiral, even vaguely, he might have tried to undercut Miss McCarthy altogether; go directly to her colleague and make the proposal of working together to him. He supposed she would not have liked that one jot, and would have railed at him for it, but a young lady was still missing. A very important young lady. And Miss McCarthy had refused his offer of aid, without bothering to hear his views. So, he did not care so much for the fragility of her overstuffed ego.

  He had been so deep in thought regarding Miss McCarthy’s churlish behavior, that he did not realize he had been spotted until it was much too late. His eyes widened. Miss McCarthy had turned, catching him in the act of his spying. A half-amused, half-withering look darted from her eyes, striking a keen blow in his chest.

  No! He ducked back, his cheeks burning with sudden heat. He knew he had nothing to prove to that rude creature, but he certainly hadn’t wanted to be caught snooping on what she was doing. Why did I have to pry? What purpose was that supposed to serve? Now, she has seen me peeping through the window like a foul Tom, and will no doubt think me even less worthy of her respect than she did before. How idiotic of me!

  Part of him wanted to follow Miss McCarthy outside, so he might explain himself, but he reasoned that would only succeed in making matters worse. No, it was far better to remain indoors, and keep away from the windows, where he was safe from embarrassing himself any further.

  He gritted his teeth and scuttled back out of the drawing room, not quite knowing what to do with himself. He had spent most of yesterday at this house, even going so far as to sleep in one of the guest chambers.

  But, in truth, he longed for his own home and the solitude it would provide. Not out of callousness, but out of a sense of intangible loss that he had yet to start processing. He had been here for the Duchess, while her husband hid away in his own grief, giving Christian no time to dwell upon Lady Helena in his own fashion.

  At eight-and-twenty, and she at one-and-twenty, he had known Lady Helena all of his life. Two decades of shared family summers and gatherings at Christmastide, with her turning from a ruddy-cheeked child with golden ringlets to a beautiful young lady, who had blossomed into womanhood. Indeed, he supposed his mother and father had only suggested a betrothal between the two children as a means of ensuring that those pleasant assemblies would always continue.

  Did they foresee something that I did not? Christian sighed sadly. After his mother had passed from an affliction of the heart, which carried her off in the middle of a snowy winter’s night, his father had not been long behind her. To this day, Christian fervently believed he had died of a broken heart, for he had never seen a pair more ferociously devoted to one another than his mother and father. Nor did he think his father could have coped without her. Maybe that was what they had hoped for Christian and Helena—that same sort of unyielding adoration.

  How mistaken they were. He did adore Helena in his own method, but it was not the stuff of heroic romance that his parents’ marriage had been. To him, Helena was more like a sister. A dear one, at that, but a sister nonetheless. A platonic affection, at least on his part. Helena had shown a willingness to love him, once they had discovered they were to be engaged. But as for her true feelings… well, he would not have assumed to know those.

  Nevertheless, even as a much-loved sisterly companion, he loathed the very essence of what had happened to her. It made him sick to his stomach. She must be so lost and afraid… No, I will not cow to Miss McCarthy’s conceit. Two days, and if Miss McCarthy and her associate have not called upon me, I will pursue Helena of my own accord.

  He owed her that much.

  “Who was that, at the window?” Benedict asked, nodding to the empty space that Lord Galbury had just vacated in an embarrassed rush.

  Victoria shrugged. “Lady Helena’s fiancé. He wanted to aid in our investigation, but I told him it would not be necessary. He is a military man of some kind, and claims to have acquaintances in knowledgeable places, but I doubt he will be of much use. He did not emit the sensibilities of a combatant, and we do not need outsiders treading on our toes.”

  “You have become ruthless these past years, McCarthy.” Benedict offered a curious smile, somewhere between sadness and resignation. “It would have been more prudent of you to keep him on your side, in case we do require external help.”

  “Well, there is naught I can do about it now.” Victoria glanced at the window, wondering what had prompted the gentleman to stand there and peer at her in so intense a fashion. Had she really riled him so very much that he had wanted to observe her?

  Perhaps I was somewhat hasty in my dismissal… But she had been so aggravated by the Duchess’ remark about informing the Duke that Benedict would be the main investigator, that she had momentarily taken leave of her common sense. She had thought that, just once, someone had chosen to rely upon her exclusively. Not in this world. Not in this time. Maybe, not in my lifetime. Always, she would fall in below her male counterparts.

  “Come, we should go to the office. We have much to do.” Victoria brushed off her upset, focusing on the task at hand instead.

  Benedict nodded. “I think that is a fine idea. I think you have done some fine work today, my girl. You thought on your feet and used your intuition regarding the Duchess.” He paused, that sad glint reappearing in his eyes. “You really are your father’s daughter.”

  Truly, it had been a long while since she had missed him this much.

  Why did you have to leave us, Papa? You did so much good in this world—why did the Lord have to take you away so soon? She blinked back bitter tears, knowing they would do her no good. A young lady was in the hands of
a deviant wretch, and the clock was clanging above Victoria’s head. If she did not act quickly, then all the evidence in the universe may not be enough to save Lady Helena.

  Chapter 5

  Victoria paced the floor of the office she shared with Benedict. In truth, it served as both Benedict’s office and Victoria’s place of residence, with a cramped room above that provided her with sanctuary. It was not much, but it belonged to her, allowing her to live independently of anyone and anything. Her mother lived across the city, close to Southwark, though Victoria visited often. Sometimes, she grew somewhat lonely, but it always passed swiftly.

  A day-and-a-half had gone by since she had left the Pelsley townhouse, and they had come no closer to finding any avenues they might follow. Yesterday afternoon, she had returned there in secret to scour the alleyway at the end of their garden for boot prints. Sure enough, she had found the muddy marks of the perpetrator, but they had petered out once they had reached the street.