Even though Lady Prudence had been unable to attain such peace along her own path, there was still a part of her that hoped for such a future for her siblings. She hugged her sister farewell, a sign of affection that was only just beginning to feel natural once more. With a wave of her hand she bid farewell. As the cart drove away, Lady Prudence felt that her mind was overflowing with the effects of their conversation. She had much to consider.
Could it be possible that Lord Halthaven looked upon her with admiration? She would need to pay better attention in the future, she determined, for such sentiment was not to be encouraged. She was a married woman, after all.
9
Lord Fondleton felt the demon of rage rise within him. The darkened room of the inn was beneath him in fashion but he had done his best to keep a low profile so that his wife might not grow suspicious of his repeated attempts to locate her. He hated the filthy room with its rotten floorboards and flea-ridden mattress.
Perry slept in the bed without hesitation once Jasper had resigned himself to the creaking armchair. He had already decided that this night would be the last. He could not be convinced to spend another evening in such squalor. An earl deserved better. Tomorrow they would move on to the next town to make their inquiries under the ruse that they were devoted brothers in search of their addled sister who often wandered away without any hope of recalling the way home.
“What do you mean she cannot be found?” he growled. The clay pitcher that had held water for washing only an hour or so before shattered beside the cowering fool’s head. Perry whimpered. He was well aware of his lord’s temper, which had been increasing day by day.
“I… I’m sorry, M’lord,” he mouthed with little more than a whisper. “Perhaps the next town will…”
“Stop your blithering, you fool!” Lord Fondleton spat. “We’ve not heard a whisper of her movements no matter the town. A wench does not disappear for weeks on end without the aid of someone with connections. We need to discover her source.”
“Y-yes, M’lord.”
Jasper could not bear to look upon his sniveling servant for one more moment. They had made no headway in their search by Perry’s inspections. On the morrow, he would begin the interrogations himself. He felt a pit of disgust grow in his stomach. His wife had neither the skill not the connections to evade his wrath, it was only a matter of time before he caught wind of her trail.
“Shall I call for your supper?” Perry asked. Jasper laughed in his servant’s face. His favor was not so easily renewed.
“I’ll find my own at the tavern.” He flung his cloak about his shoulders and headed for the door without a backward glance. He needed a breath of fresh air and a release… of his tensions.
“What of me, M’lord? Shall I join you?”
Lord Fondleton rolled his neck until it cracked. The sound reverberated against the barren walls of the hovel.
“I think not,” he replied with a snarl. “Perhaps a supper foregone will renew your motivation for my purpose.”
Perry sputtered some sort of explanation as to why he had had little success in his search. Jasper did not remain around long enough to hear it. He cared not what the servant had to say. He cared less whether or not the man went hungry for his failure. Sympathy for the poor bloke’s plight was not at the forefront of his mind at the moment.
His frustration needed to be unleashed. If not upon Prudence, then some other in her stead. She would get her due in good time. Until that prized moment of victory, Jasper would hunt a lesser prey.
The giggling sound of a trio of barmaids calling patrons from the corner matched the tinkling of coin in his pocket. It would take almost no effort at all to draw one away from the others with the lure of his status and purse. A lowly maid was always hopeful that some lord or other would fall madly in love and sweep her away from the dregs of her current existence and into the glitter and ease of high society.
Jasper knew well to play upon that romantic fascination. Then, when the first rays of sunshine revealed the stark truth of his deception, the wench would keep quiet for fear of slander and ruin.
He felt a cold laughter simmer within him but suppressed its release and opted for a charming smile instead. Two fingers tipped the brim of his hat as he nodded to the ladies. With no less provocation they were trotting across the street to beg his patronage in their father’s establishment.
Sisters, he thought. All the better. Perhaps he might select more than one for his pleasure. It would take masterful skill to pull off the feat, to be sure. Separate the sheep from the comfort of their flock and then set upon them one-by-one like a wolf to a feast. A true challenge. One he had never attempted before.
He bowed low to make their acquaintance and allowed them to surround him with their smiles and pleasantries as they guided him toward the tavern.
“Beautiful ladies like you ought not to be unattended on the main street,” he said.
The three of them tittered like doves, their laughter as music to his ears. He wondered how their screams would sound.
“Oh no one in town will bother us,” one said as she took his arm.
“Daddy wouldn’t let anything ‘appen to us,” the second one said while the other sister just batted her very long lashes.
Oh, how to choose, Jasper thought with a thrill of excitement, for the chase was on. He decided that there was nothing to be done about it. He would have them all, and their daddy be damned.
10
A sprinkle of rain, no more than a mist across the dreary fields, awoke Lady Prudence from where she had fallen into slumber upon the picnic blanket. The cushion of tall grasses and wild flowers had provided the perfect sanctuary for their afternoon brunch. Posey had taken to retrieving small reeds and branches from the lush grass to chew at her leisure. Anything within range of her tether was at risk to the destructive teeth of the growing pup.
“Mari,” Prudence called with a yawn as she stretched her hands above her still-waking head. “We ought to gather our things before the skies unleash their fury. I did hear the stable master say it was supposed to be a fine day. Never wager upon the English weather, my brother used to say.”
Her words were met with silence.
“Marietta?”
Lady Prudence sat up and craned her neck to see beyond their matted patch of field. The grasses spread before her in every direction with nothing but the distant wood to catch her eye.
“Marietta!” she called once more. Still, her cry received no response. “Miss Marietta, show yourself at once!”
Panic set in and Lady Prudence shoved her feet back into her boots, yanked the laces tight, and grabbed Posey beneath her arm so that she might set off at a full run toward the manor. She would send a servant back for the picnic supplies, if she remembered. She dared not waste a single moment collecting the items when it was clear that Marietta was nowhere to be found.
The shortcut across the fields left her gown wrinkled with a spattering of burrs across the folded skirts. Lizzie would have to mend a tear or two along its length where her underskirts were beginning to show through. Lady Prudence did not care whether or not her attire was in any decent state for viewing. She rushed headlong into the study where she was certain to find the earl reviewing the ledgers at this hour.
True to his regular schedule, the gentleman was alone at his desk on the far end of the room. Lady Prudence had burst through the door with such force that his attention was drawn at once. His eyes opened wide with alarm at the sight of her frightened features. Posey struggled to be released from her captor’s trembling clutches.
“Miss Riverford,” Lord Halthaven stood with such an abrupt motion that his chair might have spilled over if he had not reached out to stop its plummet toward the polished floor. “What is the matter? You look as though you have seen a ghost.”
“Far worse, I am afraid,” she murmured. Posey raced across the room, leash in tow, to clamp her jaws upon the curtain length for a raucous tug. “Oh,” she cri
ed, “I’ve made such a mess of things.”
“Take a breath,” he replied with a soothing tone, but Lady Prudence could not be soothed. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head in despair. The telltale sound of shredding fabric only made the matter worse. The curtain would be ruined for certain. “Tell me what has happened. Are you in danger?”
Lady Prudence shook her head and groaned. It was thoughtful of the earl to worry after her safety. Of course, as far as he was aware she was the only one in any danger.
He waited with a calm, assertive patience for her answer while he disentangled the dog from her destruction. With Posey settled for the moment by a soothing scratch behind the ears, Lady Prudence forced a deep breath and collected her thoughts.
“We went for a picnic and I fell asleep,” Lady Prudence admitted with a groan. “Oh George, what have I done?”
“Miss, Riverford,” Lord Halthaven began attempting to cut off her ramblings.
“I should never have closed my eyes, but it promised to be such a fine day…” She continued near tears.
“Prudence,” Lord Halthaven said more forcefully catching her hand. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Marietta,” she cried. “When I woke she was nowhere to be found.”
Lord Halthaven’s shoulders straightened and Prudence could sense his urgency.
“When did you last see her?” he asked.
“She was playing with Posey at my side when I drifted off,” Lady Prudence explained. “It couldn’t have been more than a half an hour, I am sure of it. When I woke, she was nowhere to be found and my calls went unanswered.”
“Did you see anyone?” he asked. “Was there any sign of wrongdoing?”
“Not that I noticed,” she replied. “It was as if she just disappeared. She wouldn’t have wandered off without telling me, I am sure of it.”
“No,” he agreed. “She knows better than that.”
It could only mean one thing. Foul Play.
Lady Prudence was beside herself with worry. A young girl about in the countryside on her own did not bode well, particularly with Jasper Numbton on the loose.
“You must wait here, in case there is word,” Lord Halthaven instructed. Lady Prudence argued against it but he would not take her with him. Besides, the baron reminded her, he would be faster alone on horseback.
She could not help but feel responsible for whatever harm befell the sweet girl. It was, after all, Lady Prudence who was supposed to be watching after her. She begged that Lord Halthaven bring Marietta home safe and wished his horse speed and his eyesight be keen. She prayed fervently that Marietta was unharmed.
Posey was thrust into her arms as Lord Halthaven raced toward the stable without a backward glance. A small, selfish part of her mind was disappointed to think that he might never look upon her with respect after such a blunder. She pushed the thought as far away as she might, though it lingered against her will. The only thing of importance in this moment was Marietta’s safe return.
She stroked the small animal, both for its comfort and her own. If she threw the curtains open she could see a long way down the pebbled path that led to the manor despite the rain that had now begun in earnest. Lady Prudence pulled Lord Halthaven’s plush lounger closer to the window so that she might look out without interruption.
There, she perched with eyes peeled for any sign of movement as she awaited his return. Posey curled upon her lap for a snooze but Lady Prudence felt as if she herself might never sleep again. It was, of course, that evil which had got her in this situation to begin with. She had grown too comfortable with her host and his young cousin, even trusting herself to relax and slip away in her moments of calm. Never before had she allowed such terrible behavior, such informality.
Now, more than ever, she had reason to put a stop to it. Her own carelessness had been the root of the issue. If only she had maintained the walls that had done so well to protect her for all these years, she might never have let her guard slip. Then, she thought, Marietta might now be safe inside the manor.
It was several hours later and the rain had subsided when a lone figure came skipping up the path as if nothing were amiss. Lady Prudence stood to look better from the window. She was afraid that her eyes might be deceiving her. Marietta looked happy as could be, without a care in the world, while the entire manor had been turned on its head in the search for her.
Lady Prudence called to Mr. Perkins, the butler, so that he might have word sent to Lord Halthaven, wherever he might be. Then, she rushed from the manor to meet the child at the front stoop.
“Where in God’s name have you been?” Lady Prudence asked before Marietta could say a word. “How could you disappear like that without a word? We’ve all been ill with worry for you.”
“Oh no!” Marietta’s face fell and her eyes grew wide with concern. “Is George cross? Did you not read my note?”
“What note?” Lady Prudence flung her hands in the air with exasperation. There had been no note, of that she was certain.
“Posey must have eaten it,” Marietta shook her head with a groan.
“Oh, we are placing blame upon a puppy now, are we?” Lady Prudence said with disbelief as she thought of the runt sleeping in front of the fire as they spoke. Posey was prone to eating papers but it did little to excuse Marietta’s disappearance for hours at a time.
“Honest,” Marietta made a cross over her heart with one finger. “I left a note that my friends were playing in the next field over and I just had to see them. I didn’t expect to be gone long but when the rain started Martha’s mother insisted that I wait it out. She did not wish me to catch my death. Besides, I thought you had the letter so I did not think that there was any cause for worry.”
“No cause for worry!” Lady Prudence exclaimed. “We’ve all been worried half to death and Lord Halthaven has been out in that very rain searching for you!”
“Is he terribly cross?” Marietta asked in a small voice.
“I imagine so,” Lady Prudence replied. She had yet to witness George in a fit of anger but if her own experience was to be any judge of it she imagined that the man could be nothing less than furious. The thought sent a shiver of fear down her spine. “Come in and we shall prepare you for bed,” she said as she placed an arm across the girl’s shoulder.
“George will wish to speak with me first,” Marietta said with her head hung low.
It was exactly that thought which had prompted Lady Prudence to rush Marietta to her rooms. Perhaps if the gentleman had the opportunity to calm down for an evening, he might be less angry in the morning. It was not likely, she thought, but worth a try. The least that she could do was remove the girl from his sight for the time being. Then, perhaps Lady Prudence could talk some sense into him or even bear the brunt of his anger herself. That, she determined, was the least that she could do for the child who she could see now had really meant no harm.
“Off you go,” she instructed. Marietta raced up the staircase to follow the command while Lady Prudence peered out the door for any sign of the earl’s return. It would not be long. She returned to the study where the dog still slept under the light of the fire.
“Posey, did you eat that note?” she asked as she paced back and forth along the elegant rug.
The dog yawned and rolled over, but seemed content in her comfort. Not a repentant bone in her body. As she waited, Lady Prudence had to remind herself not to bite her nails, a nervous habit that she had developed as a child and never quite mastered. Instead, she clutched at her crumpled skirts in order to keep her hands busy.
It was not long before Lord Halthaven burst into the room. He left a sodden trail in his wake but seemed to care little for the fact that he was soaked quite through.
“Where is she?” he asked in a low tone that made Prudence bristle.
Lady Prudence squared her shoulders and set her chin before informing him that she was preparing to retire for the evening.
Lo
rd Halthaven called over his shoulder in such a voice as brought Mrs. Perkins running. He instructed that his charge be brought down to the study before she was tucked into bed. Lady Prudence felt a wave of despair. The girl would not escape his wrath despite her best attempts. She knew not where to begin. As soon as she opened her mouth to speak the firm set of his jaw told her that it was best not to interfere in this moment. Marietta could explain the tale herself, but Lady Prudence refused to let any harm befall the girl despite her misguided tendencies.
The study remained silent until there was a quiet rap on the door that announced the robed child’s entrance.
“Oh, George, I’ve never been so sorry in all my life,” Marietta whimpered. “I had no idea you thought me missing.”
“I believe I’ve been very clear as to the rules regarding your ventures from the grounds,” he replied in a firm tone. “You have deliberately disobeyed me.”
Marietta burst into the tale of her misdeed. She took full responsibility for her actions and the knowledge that she should not have wandered off at the first. She also explained the she had thought that the note would suffice if her companion had awoken before her return. She had intended to return even before her companion had awoken, though fate and the weather had intervened.
“It is inexcusable,” Lord Halthaven concluded. Marietta bowed her head and nodded in agreement. She professed her sorrow and assured her guardian that it would never happen again.
The pair stared at one another for a long while and Lady Prudence knew that all that could be said had been laid forth. Now, she had learned, the punishment would commence.
“Come here, child,” Lord Halthaven instructed.
A single tear slipped down Marietta’s cheek as she began to take slow steps forward.
The Countess and The Baron: Lady Prudence Baggington (The Nettlefold Chronicles Book 3) Page 8