No Regrets

by Mari Carr

  She sobered up. She’d come to care deeply for Mrs. Henry as well. She’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, sick at the thought of leaving this new and very special family.

  Sensing her distress, he bent to kiss her lightly on the cheek before taking her arm in his. He led her outside, helping her into a plush carriage as the servants finished piling the luggage onto the back and strapping it in place. Chelsea was already waiting inside.

  Despite her anxiety, Vee couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of a trip. Since her accident and subsequent memory loss, she’d yet to leave the grounds of the estate, meeting no one except new servants. The idea of meeting a true marquis and his wife thrilled her, and she prayed they wouldn’t mind being saddled with a clumsy girl with no past. She also hoped she didn’t disappoint Ben. She knew how much this visit meant to him as well.

  “So are my girls settled?” Ben asked from outside the carriage window. Vee was surprised to see he had mounted Scout.

  “You aren’t riding in here with us?”

  “No, sunshine. I’m going to ride ahead and warn them of our arrival. I failed to respond to the invitations, and I want to give them ample time to prepare. As I said, I’ve realized the error of my ways. I’ve been avoiding my family and friends for too long. Besides, it’s high time I stopped hiding the two prettiest girls in Dover and started showing them off.”

  Chelsea giggled. Vee grinned, delighted to hear that he wanted to introduce her to his friends.

  “Mr. Henry will be driving you to the Grange. He will see you both safely there.”

  Feeling better knowing Mr. Henry would be with them, Vee relaxed, enjoying the comfort of the carriage.

  “I’m off. I will see you in a couple of hours.” He tipped his hat and rode off.

  “Well, you heard Lord Benjamin, my sweet. It’s a long ride. Are you sure you don’t need to relieve yourself before we leave?”

  Chelsea shook her head.

  “Okay, then. Let’s see what I’ve got in my bag of tricks here.” While Mrs. Henry saw to the packing of her dresses and toiletries, Vee gathered things to entertain Chelsea on the long ride. “I’ve some playing cards. I’ll teach you how to play rummy. And if the road is not too bumpy, I’ve brought a sketchpad and pencil. Perhaps you could draw a picture as a gift for the McCormicks. And should all that fail, I’ve brought along a couple of books for us to read.”

  She was rambling, full of nervous energy. Ever since learning she was embarking on this new adventure, she’d felt edgy. She didn’t want to embarrass Ben in front of his friends, yet she couldn’t help but feel more than a little intimidated by their titles—the Marquis and Marchioness of Dorset, the Earl and Countess of Wilshire. Since discovering who she wasn’t two nights ago in Ben’s bed, she had once again begun to actively ponder her past. Could she possibly fit in with the aristocracy?

  When she thought she’d been a prostitute, she had stopped searching her mind for memories, content to hide at Waterplace forever.

  Now, she was once again anxious to discover her true name. She knew Ben shared this desire. He said he wouldn’t rest until she found her family and she believed him. However, she couldn’t help but worry what would happen when she did discover her family. She loved Ben. Of that there was no doubt. What if her true identity was one that prohibited a relationship between them? Or what if she never discovered who she was? How long would Ben help her look before he insisted she leave the past there, in the past, just as she’d insisted he do with his? They couldn’t look for her family indefinitely, and after so many weeks, she’d begun to give up hope of her memory ever returning.

  Chapter 18

  V is for Victoria

  All the “what ifs” swirled through her mind until her worrisome thoughts were interrupted when Chelsea stiffened beside her.

  “Chels?” She looked up and spotted the cause of the small girl’s distress. Frank Prescott peered in the window of the carriage.

  “Ladies,” he said affably. “I’ll be driving you to the Grange today. Just bang on the roof to let me know if you need anything.” As he spoke, he looked only at Chelsea, who refused to meet his eyes. The entire bench upon which they sat shook with the child’s fear.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Prescott,” she said coolly, drawing the groomsman’s eyes to her. “I believe you are mistaken. According to Lord Benjamin, Mr. Henry will be driving us.”

  “Oh, no.” The groomsman’s swarthy face grew more menacing. “Didn’t anyone tell you? Mr. Henry took ill this morning. I thought sure someone mentioned this to milord before he left.”

  The smug grin on Prescott’s face belied his false words. No one told Ben anything about Mr. Henry’s supposed illness. True concern for the beloved butler’s welfare surged through her. What if Prescott had harmed the dear old man?

  “Ill?” She reached for the door handle. “Well, then there’s no way we can travel today. I must go see Mr. Henry.”

  “Oh, there’s no need for that, miss.” Frank held the door closed. “His missus is looking after him. She insisted you not be late for your party. Don’t you worry about anything. I’ll take care of you. Both of you.”

  With that, he gave them a malicious smile before disappearing. She felt the carriage shake with his weight as he climbed aboard. She reached for the handle of the door, only to find it locked. Before she could react, the carriage was on its way with them trapped inside.

  After a few frozen moments, Vee chastised herself for the paralyzing fear overtaking her.

  “Chelsea,” she whispered, leaning close to the terrified child. “You must tell me, do you know Frank Prescott? I mean, did you know him before he came to work for Lord Benjamin?”

  Chelsea, stark white, remained motionless for so long Vee feared she hadn’t heard her question. Then, the girl looked up and nodded.

  “You’re frightened of him. He did something bad to you?” Vee wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

  The small girl nodded.

  “When?” It was foolish of Vee to speak so low. There was no way the groomsman could hear their conversation over the noise of the horses and the carriage wheels, but she still didn’t raise her voice above a whisper.

  Then, realizing her questions could only be answered with nods, she reworded. “When you lived with your mother?”

  Again, the single nod.

  “Your mother knew Mr. Prescott?”

  Chelsea nodded.

  “Was he a friend to your mother?”

  Tears formed in the small girl’s eyes, but, to Vee’s amazement, they did not fall. The child had long ago blocked out painful emotions. Chelsea shook her head slowly.

  “He wasn’t a friend. Did he hurt your mother?”

  Chelsea remained motionless for a full five minutes. During that time, Vee’s heart shattered several times over. She knew what her questions were costing the little girl. Chelsea’s face had lost all its color, and the trembling that had begun in her tiny hands was now rumbling throughout her small frame. Vee was terrified the child would pass out, but the small girl held her gaze as if it was her only connection to earth.

  “Did he hurt your mother?”

  Chelsea nodded.

  “How?” Crap. She would have to reword the question. Before she could think of a way to do so, she heard a raspy whisper from the bench next to her.

  “He k-killed h-her.”

  Chelsea had spoken her first words since the horrific tragedy that claimed her mother and grandfather’s lives.

  “He killed her?” True fear coursed through Vee as she realized the danger she and her young ward were now in.

  “Yes.”

  Vee was confused. “Your mother perished in a fire.”

  Chelsea only shook her head in response, tears streaming down her face.

  “Oh, my God.” Could Frank Prescott have been responsible for the fire that killed Mrs. Duncan? Had he come to Waterplace with the intention of silencing the only witness to his crime? Ha
d he merely been biding his time posing as a groom, waiting for the opportunity to kill Chelsea?

  Vee wrapped her arms around the trembling girl as she glanced out the window. Nothing looked familiar to her, but she hadn’t been off the Waterplace property since the beating that robbed her of her memory. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to get her and Chelsea out of the danger that they now faced.

  Each minute that passed seemed to last an hour. Vee searched the entire carriage for a weapon, but could find nothing. Frustrated, she clung to Chelsea, attempting to appear calm for the child’s sake.

  If Frank Prescott had been responsible for the fire that caused Chelsea’s mother’s death, then surely his arrival at Waterplace had been no coincidence. His intentions toward Chelsea and now Vee were quite deadly. And Ben had unwittingly handed the man the means to his vengeance by hiring him. Frank had no intention of letting her and her ward arrive at the Grange safely if his earlier words and behavior were any indication.

  But how would he kill them?

  “I’ll take care of both of you,” Frank had said.

  Her mind traveled back to Mr. Henry, and she silently prayed he was all right. If anything happened to the dear old man, she shuddered to think of how Mrs. Henry would live without him.

  They’d been on the road for nearly an hour, which meant they must be getting close to their destination. Of course that was providing Frank was even headed toward the Grange. Perhaps he was leading them in the opposite direction, intent on taking them as far away from Ben as possible before acting on his deadly threat. After all, neither she nor Chelsea knew the area. They could be halfway to London for all she knew.

  Deciding the best offense was a good defense, Vee took the choice of when he acted out of Prescott’s hands. Perhaps she could catch him off guard. Before she could reconsider her actions, she banged on the roof of the carriage. After only a moment, she heard the groomsman call for the horses to stop.

  She opened the window, calling out to him. “We need a moment to relieve ourselves.”

  “We’re almost there,” Prescott answered, disgruntled at having his plans delayed.

  “I’m afraid we cannot wait. It will only take a moment.”

  She reached over to clasp Chelsea’s hand and whispered her plan. “When I say the word, run.”

  The young girl looked confused for only a moment before she nodded. The door to the carriage swung open and Vee stepped out first, careful to keep herself as a shield between her young ward and Prescott.

  “We’ll only be a minute.” She forced a smile as panic began to claim her. Quickly, she pushed Chelsea through the thickest foliage she could find. When she was sure the groomsman could no longer see them, she bent down. “Run, my sweet angel, and don’t stop, no matter what you hear. I’ll keep you safe.”

  At her words, the small girl took off at the same amazingly surefooted pace Vee had witnessed the first day she’d tried to follow the girl into the woods.

  “You all right, Miss?” she heard Prescott call from the clearing. She had to give Chelsea a decent head start before leading the evil man on her own chase. Chelsea’s safety was all that mattered to her. After everything the poor child had lost, she wouldn’t let Prescott claim her young life as well.

  “Just a moment more.” She cursed when she heard her voice quivering. Glancing behind her, she could no longer see Chelsea. Vee peered through the foliage and noticed Prescott had stopped his pacing to pull a rather nasty looking knife out of his boot. He must have determined this was as good a place as any to commit his crime as he slowly began to approach where she was hiding.

  She couldn’t delay any longer, so she also began to run, taking a different direction than Chelsea had and making enough noise to draw him after her.

  “Miss!” Frank began to chase her. The tight shoes she’d worn for the trip were ill fitted for running, so she stopped briefly to remove them before continuing her escape barefoot. The twigs and dead leaves cut the bottoms of her feet, but she kept on as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. She ran for what felt like ages, her breathing labored and loud in her own ears when she came to a clearing.

  Frank’s footsteps pounded, not far behind her. Continuing, she realized there was no longer anywhere to hide. She left the woods only to emerge by a large oak tree. Stepping behind it, she attempted to still her breathing, hoping the wide trunk would conceal her from Prescott’s view. With any luck, he would assume she’d changed direction and remained in the shelter of the forest.

  She was in no condition to continue running. If only she could make it to the Grange. She could alert Ben to the danger. Fear consumed her as she worried about Chelsea. Had the little girl outrun Prescott? Had she managed to hide? Vee recalled the days after she’d first come to Waterplace. She’d never been able to find Chelsea in the woods. She prayed the child would be able to remain out of sight again.

  Looking up into the branches of the oak tree, she shuddered violently as she suddenly remembered being in this very same spot before. Flashes of light exploded in her head as a powerful pounding started in her ears.

  “Open Sesame,” she whispered without conscious thought, the memory of the place assaulting her.

  “Abracadabra. Please come for me.” The words ran through her head as she was assaulted from all sides by color, sound, bright flashes of light, pain, wind. Crying out, she felt herself fall forward, desperate to escape the onslaught of emotions, memories, feelings. They all raced toward her, bombarding her with painful sensations.

  She’d lost someone.

  Who? Chelsea? No.

  Erin.

  Hayley.

  “Oh, my God,” she screamed. “Somebody help me! I know who I am. I know where I am.”

  * * * *

  Standing on the front porch of the Grange, Ben spoke with Jack and Alex and enjoyed the return of pleasant summer weather, especially after suffering through the torrential storms of the past week.

  “I’m glad you could make it, old man.” Alex patted him on the back. “We haven’t seen enough of you this past year.”

  “An oversight I intend to rectify.” Ben wondered why he’d ever sought to avoid his friends. He’d been to hell and back with these men. They understood him, knew him, accepted him. Vee was right. Shutting himself away from the people he cared about had only exasperated his depression, not lessened it.

  “I’m anxious for you to meet Vee.” Ben had already explained her memory loss and he was hopeful Alex or Jack would recognize her. If not, both men had offered their assistance in discovering her identity.

  Ben had avoided discussing the romantic turn their association had taken. He was sure his friends would chide him for his foolishness in entering a relationship under such strange conditions. Alex had readily agreed to allow her to stay until her family could be found. Obviously both men were curious as to why after two months he would want, to use Vee’s words, to “get rid” of his governess, but so far, neither man had inquired.

  “She has absolutely no memory of who she is?” Jack asked.

  “No, none whatsoever. I’m grateful to both of you for any assistance you can give me in discovering her identity.”

  “I’m surprised there’s been no outcry about a missing woman. If what you say is true about her education and bearing, it only stands to reason she is a gentlewoman. I can’t begin to fathom why no one is looking for her,” Alex added.

  Jack agreed with Alex’s comment.

  Then Ben heard the screams.

  “Vee.” He ran toward the sound as fast as his feet would carry him. His friends followed close behind. A cold chill ran through him as he prayed he would reach her in time. He knew that voice, knew it was his Vee, and from the sounds of her screams, she was in pain.

  As he crested the hill, he saw her in the distance lying on the ground below the oak tree where he’d first found her. A large man was standing over her, a knife in his hands. Fury beat through his chest and he yelled he
r name. “Vee!”

  The man, alarmed by the sound of his voice, escaped into the shelter of the woods. Ben, still too far away, continued toward her. She had stopped screaming, but she was crying.

  Good God. Had the man stabbed her? He’d never heard such agonizing sobs. He reached her a few moments later, but she was clearly out of her mind. Jack and Alex reached him as he stooped to gather her in his arms. She was trembling, flailing, unaware of her surroundings. He ran his hands all over her body searching for a wound, but none was present.

  “Vee.” He shook her gently. “Vee, it’s me. It’s Ben. Please. Please, sunshine. It’s me. I’m here.” He was desperate to drag her from the strange, delirious state.

  “Ben?” Her voice was hoarse from her cries. “My head hurts.”

  “It’s me, love, it’s me.” He cradled her in his arms, feeling as if his heart would break in the face of her agonizing pain.

  “Chelsea,” she whispered. “He’s going to kill her.”

  “Who?” he asked, alarmed. “Who’s going to kill Chelsea?”

  “Frank Prescott.” She didn’t open her eyes, the pain in her head clearly still excruciating. “He killed her mother.”

  “Dear God,” Alex replied. “Who is this Prescott?”

  “My groomsman.” Ben’s voice was steely with anger. It was Frank who’d been hovering over Vee only moments earlier. She had been right all along. Her suspicions about the man were correct. Frank Prescott was not what he seemed.

  The familiar cold killing rage coursed through Ben’s veins as all his old instincts began to kick in. “He’s a dead man.”

  Rising slowly and gently laying Vee against the trunk of the tree, he turned to his friend. “Alex, watch over her. She’s my life,” he added. “Don’t let anyone hurt her. Jack—”

  “I’m right behind you,” Jack answered coldly as they took off in the same direction they’d seen Frank escape only a few moments earlier.

  Several long moments passed before she felt she could open her eyes without pain. Shielding them from the bright light of the sun, she found herself under the intense scrutiny of a handsome, dark-haired man she’d never seen before. Her head was pounding and she still felt weak, but she needed to move. “Chelsea?”