‘Nevertheless, prepare yourself to be pursued. The way Ludovick danced attendance on you all evening tells me he’ll not delay in calling at Dunedin Hall to ask your father’s permission to pay court to you.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Serena replied sharply. ‘When Sir Ludovick rides with you to Thurlow tomorrow, I have no doubt whatsoever that I will become just another woman he has passed a few pleasurable hours with. The moment some other takes his fancy he will forget ever meeting me.’
‘I doubt it. You have him well and truly hooked. Ludovick is my closest friend and I gave him the best advice I could. I told him what a hot-tempered little shrew you can be when provoked, but he wouldn’t listen.’
A fierce light sparked in Serena’s jewel-bright eyes. ‘You did what? How dare you abuse my reputation and good name by discussing me with your friend? If Sir Ludovick has any sense at all he will ignore your conceited opinions.’
Kit chuckled infuriatingly, delighting in her indignation. ‘He won’t. He never has before. Now, tell me why you are here.’
‘I apologise for intruding, but I have to talk to you.’
‘Talk? How disappointing. I was hoping you might have other, more pleasurable things in mind.’
Meeting his gaze, Serena felt her flesh grow warm. His eyes had grown darker and smouldered with an inner light, passing over her in a simple caress that seemed to strip her bare. His gaze dipped to the creamy swell exposed above the lace trim of her bodice, which brought two indignant high spots of colour to her cheeks.
‘Do you forget so soon that you are betrothed to Dorothea, my lord? I find your eyes far too bold and eloquent for my liking.’
Kit arched his brows and gazed down at her with sardonic amusement. ‘Forgive me, but it is not often a lady comes visiting me in my chamber like a wraith in the night. You either underestimate your charms by seeking me out in this clandestine manner, or overestimate my ability to resist you, which I shall strive to do because—as you were so quick to point out—of my betrothal to your cousin and my determination not to hurt her. But you must see that you have placed me in an extremely delicate situation. Aren’t you uneasy, being here alone with me?’
‘I am not afraid of you.’
Kit chuckled softly at the forthright thrust she gave to her chin. ‘You give no indication that you are—but perhaps you should be.’
As his gaze leisurely assessed her, Serena could not imagine what he found that was of so much interest. He was the epitome of the confidant, arrogant male, which made her all the more aware of her own weakness and fragility, despite her attempts to appear otherwise. She was immensely relieved when he appeared to recollect himself and his mood changed. Frowning, he stepped away from her and went to where the fire had burned low and glowed in the hearth. One fist was pressed into the hollow of his waist and his other arm supported him on the stone mantel, one foot placed upon the raised hearth. When he turned the harsh lines of his face had softened, all trace of his former mockery having vanished.
‘I’m happy that you did not leave before my arrival,’ he said quietly, having unconsciously hurried to Carberry Hall earlier than he had intended, should she have decided to do just that, while telling himself it was his eagerness to see Dorothea that was the cause of his haste.
‘You stand at the door like a deer sensing the hunter. Come over to the fire where we are less likely to be overheard. The situation is delicate enough without making it worse by drawing attention to ourselves and causing a scandal in the middle of the night. Even after so short an acquaintance, I believe I know you well enough to know that what you have to say must be serious, otherwise you would not be here.’
‘The only reason I did not return home was to ask you if you have spoken to my father. Please don’t think I remained for any other reason. With every sight of you I am reminded of my own folly that day we met, and I deeply regret my stupidity. I had to speak to you.’ Responding to his order, she moved warily towards him. ‘I realise how it will look if anyone finds me here, but it was a risk I had to take.’
‘You are an extremely brave young woman.’
‘Bravery has nothing to do with it. In view of everything, I had no choice. You are leaving early in the morning so I will not have another chance to speak to you.’
Kit indicated a chair close to the hearth. ‘Please, sit down. I should have known after our conversation how anxious you would be.’
Serena perched stiffly on the edge of the chair, glad of its support. ‘Lord Brodie, ever since our conversation I have been living on a razor’s edge. It pains me greatly to have to humble myself in this manner—to you of all people—to discover what my father is up to, but with Andrew in Italy there is no one else I can turn to. The thoughts going through my head are driving me insane. I cannot endure it.’
Kit could see she was full of apprehension and knew exactly what it had cost her to seek him out. He regretted his earlier mockery and should have known better than to make what she had to say harder than it was. He should have made every attempt to put her mind at ease—but after what he had noted on the hunt, he couldn’t do that. Regarding her in silence, a deep frown drew his brows together and for a moment he was thoughtful, his gaze holding hers with a penetrating intensity.
‘I apologise. I can see my revelations have upset you. It is my fault you are so distressed. Haven’t you considered asking your father?’
Serena was sure there was more than the conventional apology in his words. ‘Of course I have, but I know he would fudge the issue and tell me it was the wild imaginings of my mind if I were to mention plots to him. Did you speak to him?’
Kit shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. The opportunity never arose.’
Her hopes sinking, Serena was swamped with disappointment, and the sudden gravity of Kit’s manner sent a blade of fear stabbing through her. ‘But you still believe something awful is about to happen?’
‘Yes, I do—and very soon. Parliament is to reconvene in a few days’ time. I suspect that whatever is afoot will manifest itself then. The whole event at Woodfield Grange was charged with secrecy and caused me a certain amount of disquiet.’
Serena’s heart stopped in sudden fear and she stared at him wide eyed. ‘Why? What do you mean?’
‘There was a tension in the air. The atmosphere was not conducive for relaxation or enjoyment.’
‘But I thought you said—’
‘What? That the hunting was splendid and that your father enjoyed himself? I did not speak loosely. He did—as did everyone present who belonged to his faith. Outwardly there was normalcy about the whole proceedings, but there was a tension among the gentlemen—with an underlying violence on leash. Clearly a general level of secrecy has been maintained, but the mouths of servants and wives cannot be stopped.
‘My uncertainty leads to speculation about a stir but, as to the precise form of this stir, I cannot name it. There were whispers among certain Catholic wives. They fear some disorder is brewing—that some extraordinary event is anticipated. I fear that Catesby’s emphasis on raising a troop of horse to enter the service of the archdukes in the Netherlands is nothing more than a fabrication to distract attention from the true nature of the action.’
‘Do you suspect a rising? Is that it?’
Kit didn’t answer straight away; when he did, he spoke thoughtfully, picking his words. ‘I am assailed by a multitude of questions but I can find no firm answers. I have listened carefully and sought to put myself inside a Catholic mind—but nothing is that simple, nothing is obvious. Given the evidence, there is every likelihood there will be a rising. It is rumoured that it is their intention to deliver the king a petition for tolerance. Perhaps they mean to back it up with force.’
‘That does seem plausible.’
Kit nodded. ‘I may be wrong. But you are right. At least there is sense in that. I am disturbed that there are so many splendid horses being collected in various stables in the Midlands. If there is to be no Flanders
mission, then for what other purpose but a rising, I ask myself.’
‘Do you think it will be concentrated in the Midlands—if there is a rising?’
‘No. It has to be on a greater scale for it to be of effect. Behind it all I sense Catesby’s hand. With his authority reaching into the innermost ranks of the Catholic Order, anything could be manoeuvred by his ambitious scheming.’
‘Is he a good friend of yours?’
Kit shrugged. ‘He and his associates made me welcome, but I did not become one of their intimate circle.’
‘Was he present at the hunt?’
‘No—but at every point his name was on everyone’s lips.’
Serena shook her head in a helpless gesture as she tried to comprehend it all. ‘I wish I understood all this. What can they achieve? If they manage to bring down the king, the crown will pass to his son Henry. How can this aid the Catholic cause? I suppose that, if it does succeed, it will bring about changes for the Catholics.’
‘And if it fails the damage and scandal will do their cause no good and will be so great that both here and abroad they will condemned.’ Kit frowned. Trying to work out what was going on was like trying to find his way out of a maze without an exit. ‘It’s a puzzle, I know. The only obvious point about it all is that it’s a conspiracy involving Catholic fanatics. They have a long tradition of subversive activity.’
Serena’s lips twisted in a wry smile. ‘That I do know,’ she said, thinking of her father’s lifelong dedication to the cause.
‘My own concern,’ Kit said quietly, almost to himself as he continued to look into the embers, ‘is the timing of my visits to Warwickshire—to my taking part in the hunt and even buying horses from your father’s stables. I have a distinct feeling that when something does manifest itself, my own involvement—no matter how innocent—will be misconstrued and I shall be brought down by it.’
Serena gasped, horrified by what he was saying. ‘No—surely not. You are not a Catholic and have played no part in any conspiracy. You bought horses from my father for perfectly legitimate reasons.’
Kit’s mood had darkened and his expression was grim. Although he looked calm and in control, his mind was in a continual turmoil of conflicts. ‘Nevertheless, it is possible that I may be suspected of complicity. Anyone connected with plotting against the king will be arrested. Men have lost their heads for less.’
‘Then you must distance yourself from all of this.’
‘I intend to. But already it may be too late. I am not alone, either. I am not the only one not of their faith to be at their gatherings, and I believe it was to their advantage to have unsuspecting Protestants in their midst in order to deflect suspicion that anything is afoot. Whatever offence occurs, myself and others will not escape suspicion.’
Serena was scarcely able to grasp the reality of it all as Kit’s words fell like hammer blows against her heart. As she stared up into his dark eyes a chill seemed to penetrate to her very soul.
‘And what about my father? I am so afraid that he is involved—that he is one of those conspiring against the king. Dear Lord! It will ruin him. All his goods and estate will be forfeit to the Crown—and this time he will hang for sure. May the Lord save him,’ she whispered.
The prayer was heartfelt and Kit looked at her closely, seeing panic in the eyes of this usually assured young woman. In truth, Kit didn’t know if Sir Henry had been made privy to what was to take place, but he had certainly implicated himself by selling his horses to Catesby. Kit would not distress Serena by saying so, but he would not give much for that gentleman’s life either. It would be a hard thing indeed to escape the full consequences if he were to be charged with rebellion and treason.
‘In my foolishness I hoped that Father would put it all behind him, that no more would he endanger his family and others,’ Serena continued, ‘but it is not to be. His determination to carry on his crusade and to continue to involve himself in plots and conspiracies was too much to be borne by my mother, who grievously endured many throughout their marriage.’
‘You have just cause to be angry and upset by your father’s actions, but he loves you well and does not seek to hurt you. If my words have frightened you, I apologise. It was not my intention to upset you.’
Kit’s voice was surprisingly gentle and the unfamiliar sound caused an embarrassed flush to sweep Serena’s cheeks in a crimson flood. He was looking down at her, and for a moment she fancied there was a strange expression in his face she had not seen before.
‘You have not upset me, and do not forget that my sole purpose for coming here was to be put in the picture. It’s important for me to know so that I can perceive the danger and act upon it should the time arise.’
‘The picture may not be so bleak. I may be wrong.’
‘And I am afraid that you may be right,’ Serena whispered. She stood up quickly. ‘I have stayed long enough. I must go.’
At the door she turned, drawn to his gaze. ‘You will take care, my lord?’ She didn’t know why she asked him this, and she was confused by it, considering how she felt about him, but for some unknown reason it was important to her that he did. There was an intensity in her lovely eyes that clearly conveyed the depths of her concern.
Having followed her to the door Kit nodded, moved by it. ‘Never fear, madam. Don’t let it trouble you. I am capable of defending myself if I must.’
The light in the dark depths of his eyes was as enigmatic as it was challenging to Serena and, unexpectedly, she felt a quiver of excitement. The quickening in Kit’s eyes told her he was aware of that response. Her rampaging emotions and imaginings when she wondered what it would be like to love such a man disturbed her greatly, and she tried to push them away, but they were to become like mischievous imps playing a teasing game, flitting to and fro through her mind when she least expected it.
The long-enduring ache of suppressed passion stirred Kit’s blood. He suddenly wanted to remove the pins from her glorious hair and spill the heavy tresses free of their confinement, to run his fingers through the silky mass. For a moment his resistance wavered, making him pause. It was a small warning, but a warning all the same. Too often of late he had found his thoughts straying to her and he scowled, pulling himself up sharp, determined to keep a tighter rein on his attraction to her.
‘Goodnight, Mistress Carberry. Try and get a good night’s sleep.’
‘I will—and I trust you will do the same, my lord.’
With a rapidly beating heart Serena sped silently along the dark and narrow passageway, which twisted and turned and weaved its way between the rooms of the upper storey of the great house, breathing a huge sigh of relief when no floorboards creaked beneath her feet to betray her presence. Carberry Hall was full of shadows, weird noises in the rafters and wind in the chimneys blowing so loud and fierce again tonight that it rattled every shutter in the house.
The storm had been building up by slow degrees throughout the day, and now the wind had reached its height and went searching over the dark landscape in a frenzied dance. A savage bolt of lightning seared the sky, illuminating the room when Serena entered, closely followed by a loud clap of thunder. Irately she pulled the drapes across the window to close out the storm which, to her anguished and wretched mind, was a harbinger of darkness and doom.
When Lord Brodie and Sir Ludovick had left for Northamptonshire the following morning and Serena had returned to Dunedin Hall, Lord Carberry, even more disquieted by his future son-in-law’s recent behaviour, lost no time in sending a message to Ashcombe Manor inviting Sir Thomas Blackwell to Carberry Hall.
Serena listened in silence over dinner while her father enthused about the splendid hunting he had enjoyed at Woodfield Grange and the company he had kept, but she sensed an underlying tension and a nervous excitement about him. Determined to speak to him about the matter which so concerned her, she followed him to his study afterwards. He was standing by the window staring out when she entered and, when he turned, she c
aught an expression on his face which made her recall Lord Brodie’s words of the secrecy and tension he had sensed among those present at Woodfield Grange—a waiting for something to happen.
Sir Henry’s expression quickly changed to one of fatherly concern when he looked at his daughter, noticing how pale she looked and recalling how quiet she had been throughout dinner.
‘You look pale, my dear. Are you feeling unwell?’
‘No. I am quite well, Father. There is a matter I must speak to you about. I am deeply concerned about something which has recently come to my notice.’ Impatient to have her say and brave whatever her father told her, the words came tumbling out in a rush. At first he looked so shocked she thought he had been taken ill, but the shock was shortlived. After traversing varying degrees of disbelief, perplexity and horror, his expression became grim, his manner telling her with cold certainty that what she suspected was true and that the unthinkable was about to happen.
‘And I need not ask how you came by all this,’ Henry said harshly, interrupting her at length. ‘This is nothing but conjecture. It is evident to me that Kit has been speaking to you.’
‘Only because I asked him. I had suspicions of my own long before I spoke to Lord Brodie—and besides, he, too, suspects something is afoot, but knows nothing as to the nature of it.’
Sir Henry threw her a look of impatience, clearly angry and ill at ease at being confronted with this by his daughter. ‘God help me, girl! Suspicions—that’s all they are. If you are not sure of anything, don’t go jumping to conclusions. These suspicions are in your imagination and as always will come to nothing.’
‘No, Father. Not this time,’ Serena persisted, refusing to be put off. Defeat was something she would not accept. ‘Andrew is aware of something being hatched and is concerned that you may be involved. He spoke of it to me before leaving for Italy.’
Conspiracy of Hearts Page 8
