“That simply isn’t true,” Lady Selina replied. “It’s her turn to shine. She’s the bride.”
Lady Leah began to play, and Reuben stood at her side, dutifully turning the pages for her. They sang together. Lady Leah’s voice was a timorous soprano, and his brother was a rich, melodic tenor.
“My goodness,” Lady Selina remarked. “He does have a wonderful voice.”
“He does,” Jasper agreed. He could feel her presence at his side. She was like a brilliant light, drawing him in like a moth. He had never thought that there would be a feeling, like this. Or that engagement to the wrong lady would disastrously entangled him.
“It’s as smooth as silk,” she commented. As the two ended their duet, Lady Selina stood, clapping her hands. “Bravo!”
Jasper watched her. She was enjoying herself. She sat back down, as the two musicians continued attempting a second duet for the company.
She turned to him, folding her hands delicately in her lap. She smiled at him, and his pulse quickened. Was she not aware of the hold she had on him? Certainly, she knew how this whole situation tormented him!
“My Lady,” he said, raggedly.
“Yes, Your Grace?” she asked, then frowned. “Is something the matter? You look rather pale.”
He tugged at his cravat, feeling as though he were being strangled. He wondered how to bring it up without offending her, as he had during their first, disastrous conversation. He recalled how his heart had sunk as the smile had faded from her face.
“What’s this, Your Grace?” Lady Kirby said, walking over to them. “What are the two of you talking about?”
Jasper felt caught. He opened his mouth, but Lady Selina answered for him.
“How wonderful Lord Munro and Lady Leah’s voices are,” Selina replied smoothly. “Their choice in music is exquisite.”
Aunt Georgiana beamed as she looked over at her only daughter. “Yes, we hired that musician from Paris to give her lessons.” Selina’s eyes cut over to the Duke, who had a guilty look on his face.
“I recall—a Monsieur DuBois, was it not?” Lady Selina asked, recalling the staid little musician, who spoke in a heavy Parisian accent. He’d listened to her play, once, correcting every mistake by tapping on her wrist with a finger.
“It was,” Aunt Georgiana said. “Your memory is extraordinary, my dear.”
“Like a trap,” Selina said proudly. “Nothing gets away from me.”
“Very true, dear,” her aunt said, beaming at her.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear them both perform that Scottish tune that we were discussing just this morning?” Selina suggested. Her aunt had recently acquired some new sheet music and had been showing it to Selina.
“You’re right! I shall go straight over and ask them,” Aunt Georgiana declared, moving off.
Selina waited, expecting the Duke to press her for protestations of love—she was often the object of affections for gentlemen. He had already shown himself interested upon their first conversation. She was surprised when he was silent. She glanced over at him. He was tugging on his cravat.
“Are you unwell, Your Grace?” she asked, feeling bad for him. After all, it must be hard for him. He appeared to be a gentleman of honor.
“Perhaps a little, My Lady.” He cleared his throat.
Mr. Wickes entered, walking over to her uncle, and speaking in an urgent voice. Her uncle looked horrified, clearly having just received some shocking news.
“What do you think is going on?” Selina asked, burning with curiosity.
“I’ll go and find out,” the Duke said, standing. Not one to be left behind when something was happening, Selina followed close behind.
“They were attacked, My Lord,” Mr. Wickes was saying. “By bandits, out on the road.”
“Who was, Wickes?” the Duke asked.
“Lord and Lady Morton, Your Grace,” Mr. Wickes said. “They’re alive and unharmed, but shaken, from what I’ve been told. As soon as they returned home, they sent word.”
“Good grief,” her uncle said.
“We should go and check the roads,” the Duke said, immediately taking charge of the situation, for which Selina silently applauded him. Her opinion was not wanted at the moment. “Stephen, Reuben, Lord Kirby— we should go, now. See if we see anyone fitting the description.” He turned to the Dowager Duchess. “Shall I escort you home, Mother?”
“I’ll stay here, with the ladies,” she replied. “Come and collect me when you know it’s safe.”
“Very well,” he said. The Duke’s eyes met Selina’s. She looked away. It was improper for him to be so concerned about her and not his fiancée. Luckily, he did as he was supposed and walked over to Lady Leah, bidding her farewell.
All the gentlemen left the room, leaving the ladies in stunned silence. Aunt Georgiana took charge of the situation.
“Mr. Wickes!” she called out. “I believe some tea is in order.”
Chapter Five
Since the party from Gillingham Hall had taken the barouche, Lord Kirby lent all the gentlemen several of his best Thoroughbreds. Jasper rode through the darkness, with Lord Kirby at his side. Reuben and Stephen had taken the northern road, toward the town of Willow Run.
“I don’t see any sign of them,” he remarked. The horse that he was riding was much lighter than Pilot, who was of a more muscular build. He sat all the way back.
“They likely went into the woods,” Lord Kirby said. “They wouldn’t chance being seen at the inn. The innkeeper’s a good sort. Doesn’t suffer any blackguards.”
They sat on their horses, scanning the woods for any sign of a campfire. There was none—just pitch blackness. It was lightly drizzling, the heavy rain that had so captivated Lady Selina having sloughed off.
“This is true. They’d certainly stand out at his establishment,” he said. “It worries me, that they’re being seen here, though.” There were few dangerous folks in this county—for the most part, it was well-meaning and hard-working people. They didn’t stand for drunkards or ruffians in their midst. It was just simple country folk, and the lords and ladies on their estates.
“Is it possible that they’re deserters, Your Grace?” Lord Kirby asked. After all, there’s a regiment being housed in Brookville, just to the south of here.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow,” Jasper replied. “I know the Colonel well.”
“Very good, Your Grace,” Lord Kirby said. “Let’s go and see how the ladies are faring. Perhaps your brother and Lord Sandbourne have news.”
“Yes,” he replied, touching his heels gently to his mount’s sides. The hot-tempered Thoroughbred sped off.
The ladies, meanwhile, sat in tense silence. Selina wondered what the gentlemen were doing just then—were they locked in battle with the thieves, even then? Were they on a wild chase across the countryside, in pursuit?
“I do hope Lady Morton is all right,” Leah was saying. “She’s always been such a particular friend of ours.”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” Aunt Georgiana wondered mournfully.
Selina remained quiet. She’d often encountered intrigue such as this. After all, the world was a wide place, with people in it who were not as well-meaning as one would like to believe. Her father and brother had fought off robbers, once or twice, while they were on the road. It didn’t make her question—she wasn’t the bad person, after all.
Her father’s estate, Staunton, was very near to London. The crime rate in the nearby environs wasn’t as low as it was all the way out by Kirby Hall. Many people were traveling through on their way in and out of London.
“You know, Aunt Georgiana,” she said. “It’s not a question of goodness. They were after money, and they meant to have it. It wasn’t against Lady Morton on purpose, I’m sure.”
Leah was glaring at her. “How could you say something like that?” she demanded, tearily.
“Lady Morton is a very demure and proper lady,” Selina replied.
“But it wasn’t to test her faith,” Selina explained, looking at the Dowager Duchess, who looked a tad surprised at Leah’s outburst. “They weren’t thinking of her—only themselves. That’s how bad men think.”
“And I suppose you think you’re so worldly,” Leah went on. “That you’ve been to all these exotic places, and learned so much about the world, while we’re all bumbling about the countryside.”
“That wasn’t at all what I was saying, cousin,” Selina said, gently. “I was simply saying that—”
“It doesn’t matter what you thought, Selina,” Leah hissed. Lord Kirby and the Duke arrived back. “Oh, Your Grace!” Leah flew across the room toward her fiancé. “Did you find them?”
“No. We found no trace,” he said. His eyes turned toward the others. “We’ll search a bit more in the morning. I doubt they’re staying in the area.”
Selina frowned, wondering how it was that they could have disappeared so quickly. Usually, thieves were discovered out on the road, trying to get away.
The next morning, Jasper rode to Brookville to visit the Colonel. The regiment was staying in several houses along the main street of town. Jasper approached the brick house where he knew Colonel Fitz was quartered, knocking on the green wooden door.
In a few moments, it swung open. A young lady gaped at him, wide-eyed. She was dressed in a simple gray frock, with a stained apron over it.
“Good morning, Miss,” he said, bowing. “Can you tell Colonel Fitz that the Duke of Gillingham is here?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” she said, disappearing into the house. “Papa!” she called out, her footsteps disappearing down the hall.
“Macy! I told you not to answer the door,” her father said.
The girl replied, but her voice was too low for Jasper to hear. There were heavy-booted footsteps coming down the hall.
“Gillingham!” Colonel Fitz’s voice boomed. He was a large gentleman, dressed in a red coat, breeches and tall, black boots. “Your Grace! To what do I owe the honor?”
“Lord and Lady Morton were robbed out on the East Road last night,” he said, following Fitz down the hallway. The house was full to the brim with the Colonel’s children. “I was wondering if you had any deserters of late?”
The Colonel sighed, a look of concern on his face. “To tell you the truth, I did, Your Grace. They left a few nights ago, to go out on the town, and they’ve yet to return. It may be them, or they may show up in one of the inns. When they do, you can be sure they’ll be questioned.”
“Could I have descriptions of the men, so I can see if anyone has spotted them?” Jasper asked, following him into the study. It was filled with papers and books and maps.
“To be sure, Your Grace,” the Colonel replied, gesturing for him to sit. Jasper sat down. The Colonel sighed. “There are three of them, Your Grace. William Jordan is a slight man of three-and-twenty. He’s got red hair and blue eyes. Frederick Coyle is five-and-twenty. He’s got dark hair and dark eyes. And then, there’s Jack Dawson, who is also five-and-twenty. He’s brown haired and blue eyed.”
“Thank you, Colonel,” Jasper said, committing them to memory. “I’ll go to the Mortons to see if the descriptions match the men that they saw.”
“If I hear anything, I’ll send word,” the Colonel said. “I’ll keep my own eyes and ears peeled. I’ll start sending out patrols, to cover the roads.”
“Very good, Colonel,” he replied. “It might help to check the woods, too. See if anyone’s sleeping rough out there.”
“Quite right, Your Grace,” the Colonel replied, frowning. “I just can’t believe Jordan and Dawson would do something like this. Coyle, however.”
“Is he a bad sort?” Jasper asked.
“Shifty. Notorious for getting into the drink,” the Colonel mused.
“Oh, Leah,” Selina gasped, upon entering the room, where her cousin was having her first fitting for her wedding gown. The seamstress knelt beside her, placing pins. The dress was form fitting, with short sleeves, which were slightly puffed.
“Isn’t she a picture?” Aunt Georgiana asked, her hands going to her face.
“Indeed,” Selina agreed. “The Duke is a very lucky gentleman.” It pained her to say it.
“Selina,” Leah hissed. “That’s so improper.”
“Is it?” Selina asked, archly.
“I think it’s a fair statement,” Aunt Georgiana agreed. “Now, just imagine that there will be seed pearls, in place of the pouncing.”
“Oh, yes,” Selina said, looking at how a pattern of roses and vines had been picked out with a pin onto the silk—where the seamstress planned to sew in the seed pearls in place. “That’s so elegant.”
“It was Leah’s idea,” Aunt Georgiana said.
“Exquisite,” Selina said. She was trying to make peace with her cousin. Leah, it seemed, was not having it. She didn’t even smile.
“Come, Mother,” Leah said. “We were going to call on Lady Morton.”
“Oh, I’d love to come and hear her tale!” Selina said, excitedly.
“I think Lady Morton is only seeing close friends today,” Leah pointed out. “If at all.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to overtax her,” Selina replied.
“I don’t see why Lady Morton wouldn’t want to see Selina as well,” Aunt Georgiana said.
“I think it would be asking too much of her,” Leah said, firmly. “She barely knows Selina, after all.”
“If you think it’s right,” Selina said, backing off. “I’ll go and collect my maid. She’ll probably want to stretch her legs.”
“Don’t leave the estate, dear,” Aunt Georgiana said. “We don’t know where those awful men are.”
“Don’t worry about me, Aunt Georgiana,” Selina assured her. “We’ll stay on the estate.”
Selina collected Faith, who did indeed want some fresh air.
“What if they come here?” Faith asked as they walked down the front steps, then began to follow the drive.
“It’s doubtful, Faith,” Selina said stoutly. “Usually, thieves don’t stay in one place for long. Otherwise, they get caught. We’re very safe on Uncle Kirby’s estate.”
Faith sighed. “I hope you’re right, My Lady. We won’t go far, will we?”
“Of course not. We’ll stay within sight of the house the whole time.”
Jasper was riding to Kirby Hall, to let Lord Kirby know what he had found out. He was out looking for anything suspicious. As he rode Pilot toward Kirby Hall, he saw Lady Selina, accompanied by who he could only presume was her maid.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lady Selina said, dropping him a curtsy. She looked radiant in a pale-blue dress. She wore a straw bonnet with a black ribbon. In her hand, she held a bouquet of poppies.
“Lady Selina,” he said, shocked at finding her practically on the road and accompanied by only a lady’s maid. “You shouldn’t be abroad.”
“We’re in sight of Kirby Hall,” she replied. “Who would attack us here?”
Jasper turned to Lady Selina’s maid, who was watching the exchange. “Does your lady often risk her life like this?”
“Often, Your Grace,” her maid confirmed darkly. She was a very serious girl—almost a foil to Selina. She seemed intelligent, though. Sharp-witted—the perfect companion to her mistress.
Selina laughed, throwing her head back to look up at the sky. “Not to say that I’m not concerned for our welfare, Your Grace. But I don’t want to live my life trembling in fear. It’s broad daylight out. Who could be out on a day like this, trying to do something untoward?”
“Well, My Lady,” Jasper announced, getting down off of Pilot. “I’ll have to accompany you back home.” He swung the reins over the horse’s large, dark head.
“Then you’ll be accompanying us to the overlook, as well, Your Grace,” she replied sternly, arching her brow.
Jasper sighed, smiling and shaking his head. “As you wish, My L
ady.” He turned to her maid, who looked disappointed. “Never fear, Miss. I will make sure that we all return back to Kirby Hall safely.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” the maid said, smiling in a way that told him that she was seeing right through him. He turned away from her. He had no doubt that gentlemen were often bending to the indomitable will of the Lady Selina. He was different, though. He’d prove it.
In a few strides, he’d caught up to Lady Selina, who was strolling slowly toward the overlook. She glanced over at Pilot.
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