“You must have no fear in that regard, Davina. I already have some knowledge of the mining business, but I have little or no interest in it. I shall leave such things to my brothers, and may they have joy of them, for I have none. And you must believe me when I tell you that I would never give you away. I care too much about you to do something of that nature.”
“Forgive my reticence, Lucas, for I would never have suspected you in all of my days. I am rather conditioned, you see, to hear much and say little.”
“I understand entirely. In many ways, my life is similar.” Lucas paused for a moment and thought. “But perhaps we ought to look forward to a future where passionless feuds and pointless little men do not form part of our lives.”
Lucas smiled at Davina in a way which made her believe that a future with him was truly possible.
Chapter Eight
Davina truly dreaded the days she spent assisting her uncle at Horndean Hall. Although it was perhaps only once or twice a week, it had always been a great chore to her. Not the work itself, but rather the time spent feeling uncomfortable and out of place in the great hall; even in the confines of the small office that her uncle kept her.
Horndean and its occupants, with the exception of Cordelia, had never been in any way welcoming to her, and she always felt her mouth go just a little dry on her approach to the great imposing building.
On that particular morning, Davina had simply been instructed to transport some vital paperwork from her uncle’s home across to Horndean and into his office. In truth, there had been very little to carry, and so Davina had simply ridden over on horseback with the wallet of papers tucked under her arm as she went.
Her uncle was not to be there, and neither was the Duke. As she understood it, they would be away for a good deal of the day, and she rather gathered that they were going to be in some sort of conference with other parties interested in the mining works. As little interest as Davina had in the thing, she understood enough of interested parties to understand that they were usually simply wealthy men of commerce ready to invest.
As was her custom, Davina took a side entrance into the building and scuttled through the great hallway feeling somewhat relieved that she encountered nobody on her way to her uncle’s office. Once she had gained its safety, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it breathing hard. Quite why she felt that way in Horndean Hall was beyond her; after all, she had done nothing wrong and had no reason to hide from anybody. She was there on business and nothing more.
Taking no more time than it took to get her breath back, Davina hastily filed away the paperwork that her uncle had wanted and turned to leave his office. She would be glad to be out of the place and on her way home again.
As Davina stepped out of the office, she shrieked in alarm. Her wrist had been seized by none other than Prudence Cunningham, the Duchess of Horndean.
“Your Grace!” Davina said, her heart pounding hard and her breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Were you hoping to scurry in and scurry out, my dear?” Prudence Cunningham spoke and moved in a curiously fluid and smooth way, reminding Davina, as she always did, of a snake.
“I believe my uncle and the Duke are away from the hall today, Your Grace, and my uncle simply asked me to deliver some paperwork from his home to his office. I have done just that, Your Grace, and was making ready to leave.” Davina could hear her own voice shaking and felt suddenly afraid.
“I should very much like to have a word with you if I might beg a moment of your time, Miss Marfont.” The Duchess continued to hold Davina’s wrist in a way which suggested that Davina’s consent was neither here nor there to her. If the Duchess of Horndean wanted to speak to her, then the woman would have her way regardless of Davina’s thoughts on the matter.
Without another word, the Duchess spun Davina around and pointed her back in towards her uncle’s office. Once the two women were inside, the Duchess released her grip on Davina’s arm and gently pushed the door closed, keeping herself between the door and Davina.
“Your Grace?” The obvious fear in Davina’s voice was now making her feel somewhat humiliated.
After all, she had done nothing wrong to deserve such manhandling, and she certainly should not make herself so very afraid of the woman.
“My dear daughter, Lady Eleanora, has found herself rather overhearing a conversation which has concerned her greatly.” The moment Prudence Cunningham began to speak, the hair on the back of Davina’s neck stood up. The idea of Lady Eleanora accidentally overhearing a conversation was almost laughable, and Davina had a very clear image in her mind of the pinched and angular young woman hovering outside the door listening, as Davina always suspected her of doing.
However, she began to fear exactly what it was that Lady Eleanora had overheard in the first place.
“Indeed?” Was all that Davina could think to say in response.
“Indeed, she has, and I must admit it has concerned me also. I do believe that you seem to think yourself a little in love with Lord Lucas Farrington.”
“I … I …” Davina knew she was blushing and realised that she had been cornered like a rat in a trap. There would be no point arguing with the Duchess since the woman seemed so very confident of her information.
“Please do not try to deny it. Eleanora knows exactly what she heard, and I trust that she has delivered the information to me quite faithfully. The fact that you were discussing it with Cordelia is something that troubles me greatly, but that is an issue for another day. I shall, of course, find some way of putting an end to this tawdry little friendship that my daughter has developed with you; it is most inappropriate. However, you may continue to consort with her in the meantime whilst you do my bidding.”
“Your bidding, Your Grace?” Davina felt hot and nauseous and did not like the sound of doing the Duchess’ bidding one little bit.
“Yes, my bidding. You see, as it stands, I am the only person, besides my dear daughter Eleanora, who knows of this great travesty you are performing. This great betrayal of my family.”
“I meant no betrayal, Your Grace.”
“Please do not speak while I am speaking.” Prudence Cunningham’s faded red hair and pale eyes and skin always served to make her look as if she were suffering from some illness which would ultimately result in her death. In truth, her appearance always made Davina feel a little repulsed, and she had always wondered quite what the Duke of Horndean had found of interest in the woman in the first place. “By consorting with any member of the Farrington family, especially when your uncle is in the position he is in, can only be a betrayal, my dear. Fortunately for you, the Duke does yet know nothing of it. He would suspect you as the person he seeks; the person who has been passing information to that family. It is, of course, entirely in your hands whether or not he becomes entirely aware of your behaviour.”
As Davina looked helplessly down at the floor, she heard the Duchess laugh most cruelly. What a truly dreadful woman she was.
“So, as to your new duties.” The Duchess began to address Davina as if she were the maid. “You are to continue your repugnant little relationship with Lord Lucas Farrington. You may take the whole thing as far as you wish; it is of little matter to me.” She smirked in a way that Davina found quite disgusting. “Your sole purpose in continuing your association shall be to find out everything you can about this business of mining and bring it back to me. You are to discover exactly how much the Farrington family knows of our interests in mining and, furthermore, if they do have any information, particularly with regards to the location of the mine, you are to bring it to me at once.”
“But Lucas does not talk of such things,” Davina said, interrupting.
“Lucas, is it? Goodness me, has the Duchy of Calgarth sunk so low that they would allow a woman of no status whatsoever to address them without title?” The Duchess threw her head back and laughed, revealing some rather unpleasantly yellowing teeth.
Davina made no
response whatsoever to Prudence Cunningham’s spiteful remark. However, she could feel her own anger and resentment begin to boil within her quite passionately; almost uncomfortably. Was this the feeling that Lucas had felt when she had talked of her uncle’s ill-treatment of her? Was this an angry passion?
“You must make Lucas talk of such things, my dear. For you see, if you do not provide me with at least something of interest within the next seven days, I shall make your uncle aware of your transgression. I shall make him very well aware what my husband might think of such a transgression and how badly that would reflect upon him. I presume you understand what that means?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Davina murmured.
“Of course you do.” The Duchess smiled garishly. “You would, of course, be immediately turned out of his house. And with no skills to recommend you, I should not imagine it long before you would find yourself either in service or prostituted.”
“Your Grace!” Davina spat the words angrily.
“Oh, my dear girl, keep your naïvely insulted pride to yourself or you shall be all the sorrier for it.” The Duchess took a step towards her and, despite the woman’s far slighter frame and inferior height, Davina could not help taking a step backward. “You may go now, my dear. You will not speak of this to anybody, most particularly not to Lady Cordelia, and you will report back to me before seven days are over.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The Duchess turned, opened the door, and strode through it in one fluid movement; almost slithering. Davina scurried along behind her, hurriedly trying to gain the side entrance through which she had entered just minutes before. The Duchess continued on her way in the most unconcerned fashion, and Davina felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw the dreadful woman walk in through the drawing-room door and close it firmly behind her.
For a few moments, Davina leaned against the side entrance door which was tucked away on the other side of the great staircase. She was breathing hard and felt clammy from head to foot.
Her heart was racing but no longer with fear; the passion and anger which had overtaken her in the face of such insults had not yet taken its leave. Davina had been insulted and belittled and had been made afraid to the extent that she had felt humiliated by her fear.
However, worse than that, she had been callously blackmailed into agreeing to betray the only man she would ever love.
As she finally began to regain control of herself, Davina felt a resolve she had never experienced before. She knew in her heart that she would never, ever betray Lucas Farrington. It was simply down to her now to decide how she should best proceed in this situation where she knew she could never find a way to truly protect herself. Walking silently back into the great hallway, Davina looked all about her. Seeing nobody there as a witness, Davina crept noiselessly back in the direction of her uncle’s office. Before she had even reached the door, Davina knew exactly what to do to thwart the ugly and evil old Duchess.
Chapter Nine
Davina had found everything she has been looking for in under ten minutes of furtive searching. Throughout the entire time, she had been convinced that, at any moment, Prudence Cunningham would return and find her there, fully aware of what it was she planned to do.
However, Davina had not been discovered and neither had she seen another person when she made her illicit exit from Horndean Hall.
Setting her horse off cantering immediately, Davina knew that she must first make her way down into Winterton before she did anything else. In as much as she was going to thwart the Duchess, she also needed to find a way to make a life for herself in the immediate; far away from Horndean.
Almost two hours later, Davina, exhausted from her efforts and the high drama of the day, finally arrived at the immense front entrance of Calgarth Hall.
She had never in her life attended the great estate, and thought it rather less imposing and rather more inviting than the dreadful dark stone architecture of Horndean Hall.
In truth, Davina knew that she ought really to try and find a servants’ entrance into the building. However, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to get from there to find herself an audience with any member of the Farrington family. Instead, she knew she must approach the front door and ask to speak with Lucas directly. It was a risk, but she knew that she had nothing left to lose.
Gripping the stolen papers in her hands, Davina felt clammy once more and decidedly unwell. When the butler finally opened the door, he looked at her with a certain amount of annoyance.
“Sir, forgive me, but I must speak with Lord Lucas Farrington immediately. I have some information of the greatest importance to both him and his family.”
“And your name?” he said, peering at her through the small slits of his eyes.
“My name is Miss Davina Marfont.” When he looked at her doubtfully, Davina rather feared that he would turn her away. “I am the daughter of the attorney to the Cunningham household, and I have information of great importance.” Davina hissed the words through gritted teeth.
“Perhaps you would like to come in, Miss Marfont. If you would wait here for just moment.” And with that, the butler turned his back upon her and walked away. He disappeared down a long corridor, but Davina clearly heard the loud knock on the door which she assumed was likely to be the drawing-room.
From so far away, all she could hear of the conversation was mumblings and, as her nerves began to get the better of her, Davina was inordinately glad to hear the footsteps and then suddenly see the handsome countenance of Lucas himself.
“Davina? Are you quite well?” He hastened towards her holding out an arm and placing it around her shoulders. “Do come along with me and take a sherry in the drawing-room. You look so pale.”
“I am quite well, I thank you, Lord Farrington.” Davina gave him his full title purely and simply for the benefit of the butler who seemed somewhat taken aback by his Master’s enthusiasm for the young lady. “But a sherry would be very welcome.”
“Do come in,” he said, putting a hand on the small of her back and guiding her before him into the drawing-room. “Please allow me to introduce you to my brother. This is Gabriel Farrington, the Duke of Calgarth.” Timidly, Davina looked up into the Duke’s face. He was a slightly older version of Lucas, but rather better groomed and perhaps a little less wildly handsome. “This, Gabriel, is Miss Davina Marfont.”
“Marfont?” Gabriel said vaguely. “I know that name, do I not?” He smiled at her in a rather perfunctory manner. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Marfont.” And he bowed.
“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance too, Your Grace. And I hope that you will both forgive my intrusion into your household this day, but I have information of great importance, and I must part with it now before I leave for Winterton.”
“Leave?” Lucas said and turned to take a step towards her. “What do you mean leave for Winterton? What on earth has happened?”
“I am rather afraid that the Duchess of Horndean has discovered that you and I are friends, Sir.” Davina looked down a little, unable to continue to look at the Duke of Calgarth, who seemed somewhat surprised by her statement.
Clearly, his younger brother had not confided in him in any way. He knew nothing whatsoever about the existence of Davina in Lucas’ life.
“And your uncle? Has he been made aware? Has he hurt you, Davina?” Lucas spoke question after question in that fast and furious way which seemed to be his custom when passion gripped him.
“He is not yet aware, Lord Farrington. The Duchess has told no one of our connection, but rather she has threatened me.”
“Threatened you? How?” Gabriel said, suddenly interested.
“She has told me that I must continue to keep friends with Lord Farrington but to secretly find out whatever I can with regards to this dreadful mining business.” Davina could not help being disparaging about the whole thing. At that moment, she cared very little for the Duke of Calgarth’s f
eelings on the subject of mining for, as far as she was concerned, the subject was in part responsible for ruining her life.
“I know so little of it.” Lucas shrugged. “Although I daresay that Prudence Cunningham would not know that.”
“Has the fact that you have come here to tell us all of this not put you in a most dreadful position, my dear? For surely you cannot keep faith with both families at the same time? After all, has the Duchess of Horndean not made that clear herself?”
“I am aware that I cannot keep faith with both families at the same time. But I cannot choose to do the bidding of the Duchess of Horndean at the expense of my friendship. I realise that we shall not be able to continue in our acquaintance, Sir, and I have come here to tell you as much. But more than that, I have come here to give you this. This is your assurance that I have never, and would never have, passed any information, even if I did know it. The Duchess of Horndean would never have extracted a thing from me, and now you can be sure of it.” And with that, Davina handed a sheaf of paperwork and a thickly rolled scroll of waxed paper to Lucas.
“What is this?” Gabriel said, taking a step forward. “What are these papers?”
“On this very day, Your Grace, I have gone into the office of my uncle, and I have stolen these papers. I believe they will be of great interest to you. For within the paperwork, you see, is a list of interested parties. I have been in my guardian’s home long enough to understand the legal implications of an interested party. It is undoubtedly a list of men preparing to invest their money in the sinking of a copper mine. I have no doubt that it is the mine about which you also find yourself interested.”
Regency Romance Collection: Regency Fire: The Historical Regency Romance Complete Series (Books 1-5) Page 18
