“Yes, you’re correct. It would also seem some of the locals also use them as we heard several voice, both women but they sounded local in their speech,” Katherine stated.
Now Robert was worried as he’d not heard back from Evan and had no idea when the gamekeepers would be set in their positions. He knew they had to be the women he was after and now they knew how to enter the estate unseen. With a glance to the duke, duchess and his wife he suspected they were thinking the same thing he was.
“Did either of you hear horses?” he asked.
“No. Why?” Ethan answered.
“That’s because they are the two women we’re after. If I don’t miss my guess they are now returning to where they’re staying to plan for their final attack,” Robert declared.
“Then I say we go after them. Even taking the longer route we should be able to get to the cottage before they do,” Ethan suggested.
“Yes but as you can see there are several spread out over a distance and we’ve no idea which one they could be using,” Kristina told him.
“William, of your staff do you know of anyone who might be able to assist in telling us which would be the most likely,” Robert ask.
“I’m afraid not as none are on my lands. If we went he’d need to make sure to have enough men to check each building,” the duke said.
Robert was about to reply when the butler stepped into the office with Evan following.
“Your Grace and lords and ladies, I apologize for this interruption but Lord Markson’s valet has information he said can’t wait.”
From the look in the man’s eyes Robert knew it had to be highly important otherwise Evan wouldn’t have insisted in the audience.
“Have him enter,” the duke ordered.
“Your Grace, I’ve learned from one of the men I was able to get to help catch the women where they are hiding out. In a cottage to the west. My friend was able to tell me exactly which one. The second one after the fork in the road.”
“Evan is it? Are you positive,” William demanded.
“Yes Your Grace. He’d been out searching for wood and came across horse tracks. Curious as to why since no one had lived in the area for a long time he followed them and saw the two women. One had a rifle standing guard while the other practiced throwing a knife.”
With a brief glance at the map Robert found the house Even had mentioned. Using his finger he traced the fastest way from the mansion which took them along the river.
“Your Grace, if as Lord Rosewood told us they are afoot it would take them over an hour to return to their hideout. Well mounted we can get there in half that time,” Robert suggested.
“Then let us be off for there’s not a moment to waste,” the duke ordered.
After bidding Kristina farewell and a promise to return speedily Robert, with Ethan beside him, followed William to the ground floor and the armory. With a saber hung from his hip, as with the other men they headed for the stable. On arriving he was surprised to see horses already saddled and grooms armed waiting beside other mounts.
He wanted to laugh on seeing Ethan’s reaction to the size of the beasts. At least the man was skilled in the saddle so handling a seventeen hand high mount wouldn’t bother him.
“Lord Markson you take Apollo while Lord Rosewood ride Mercury. Of course I’ll have mine, Zeus.”
“Your Grace, I must say they are interesting names. Would you perchance be a student of Greek mythology?” Ethan asked.
“Yes Rosewood I am. Whenever possible I give them the names of gods. Of course for the mares goddess’. Now as I see the grooms are armed and mounted shall we be off,” William exclaimed.
As they rode out of the stable yard toward the courtyard Robert peered to the mansion and smiled on seeing Kristina on the top portico step. Beside her stood Jolene and Katherine.
Forty minutes later as the fork in the road came into sight Robert saw the two women step out from the woods. With William and Ethan beside him it took no time to capture them.
“As the representative of the Crown I’m placing you both under arrest for murder and attempted murder,” William declared.
“I can assure you we’ll never, as you English love to say, dance the hangman’s gig,” Estelle cried out.
Epilogue
As darkness started to settle in on the searchers Robert marched over to William and Ethan, who were in deep conversation.
“Your Grace, Lord Rosewood as much as I don’t like to admit defeat I feel we need to end the hunt for Estelle’s body.”
“Lord Markson, as much as I wish to challenge you on that I must agree. No one could have survived the rapids considering the condition we found Désirée,” Ethan informed them.
Robert thought back to hours before when they’d arrested Désirée and Estelle. Both had sworn never to be returned to London so them jumping into the raging water hadn’t come as a surprise to anyone. What had been their choice of a violent death and not poison or something more ladylike.
It had only taken an hour and a mile down river before he’d spied Désirée wedged against a rock.
When footmen were finally able to drag it ashore he saw the skull had been crushed and her neck snapped. It wasn’t long afterward than Kristina, Jolene and Katherine arrived bringing sandwiches for everyone. Robert had heard them approach and quickly covered the body with blankets as the ladies, in a landau, came into the clearing.
Over lunch his wife agreed the search for the other body should be extended downstream.
With the duke and Ethan beside him, Robert studied the waterfall which emptied into the lake. As they’d not seen any sign of the body, not even a scrap of clothing, he suspected she was here. The problem, the large body of water spread out before him was, he guessed, at least several miles wide.
“Your Grace, are there streams or rivers this are fed by this?” Robert asked.
“Yes Lord Markson and fortunately I own all this land. I’ll have weirs set at each of them and have my staff inspect them daily.”
“I seriously doubt we’ll ever find Estelle but I’m confident she’s dead and will inform the Crown along with Bow Street,” Ethan announced.
“On that I’d suggest we return to the mansion as I’m sure there are three ladies patiently awaiting our return,” Robert declared. He wasn’t surprised when the other two men grunted their agreement to his statement.
“Especially as we still need to bathe and dress for dinner. I can assure you gentlemen Her Grace will expect nothing less from us,” William stated.
The next morning
With two letters in his possession, one penned by The Duke of Clarion to Bow Street explaining what had happened to the two women, the other by Ethan to the Crown parroting the dukes, Robert handed his wife into their carriage.
“Are you sure about staying,” he asked Ethan.
He nor Kristina had been surprised on her brother preferring to return at a later date to London. Unmentioned by anyone Robert knew Ethan was going to ask for Katherine’s hand, once out of mourning. Robert already learned from William consent would be given which he’d told his wife, much to her happiness.
“It’s about time he married and had someone to worry about, then maybe he’ll leave us alone,” she’d told her husband.
Robert’s response had been just as predictable. “Darling, do you think that will ever happen. For some reason, even though you’re married he still insists on being a bother.”
With that said they curled up in each other’s arms and fell asleep.
“Yes, I’ll be here for another week or so, then I’ll return,” Ethan said.
With that Robert climbed into the carriage and signalled the driver to move off.
As the coach rolled down the drive Robert turned to his wife.
“With luck and the roads and weather holding in our favour we should be at the cottage by late tonight. If I remember there should be foodstuff for a late night dinner and our morning meal.”
“Y
es and more importantly the bed should be made and towels laid out for us. So, my darling we are about to do something not many of the ton can or could even dream about, if the wished to. Leave the pressures of London behind and enjoy life to its fullest,” she declared.
****
Hidden by thick brush a person with dark brown hair and a rifle cradled casually in their arm watched as the coach rolled onto the road to London and beyond.
“For the pain and suffering you’ve caused my family you both will die.”
Not waiting to see the exact direction the carriage took as for now it wasn’t important since time was on their side Estelle slipped further into the forest where a horse awaited her. Swinging into the saddle she raced off in the opposite direction, toward the channel and an awaiting boat to return her to France.
The End
Brotherly Love! (Markson Regency Mystery Book 4) Page 9
