The Scandalous Lord Lanchester

by Michelle Styles

  ‘Everyone likes to have their own way sometimes,’ Lucinda said. ‘I fear Justin was harsh to you, Mariah. He takes such a scolding tone at times that it leads others to think he is a cold man, but I assure you it is not so.’

  ‘No, he is a loving husband to you, Lucinda. You suit him so much better than I ever should. It was a good thing I turned him down—had we married, we should both have regretted it.’

  ‘Is something the matter, dearest? You seem unsettled…a little unhappy. You are not sorry you accepted Andrew, are you?’

  ‘Oh, no, not at all,’ Mariah said as she slipped out of her half-finished gown behind the screen and handed it to the seamstress. ‘I am quite certain I wish to marry him. If I am in a mood, it must be because he is not here.’

  ‘Ah, yes, I understand. I always feel the same when Justin is away.’

  Mariah dressed in a pretty yellow morning gown, smoothing down the simple lines of the slim-fitting skirt. How could Lucinda understand how she felt? She was secure in Justin’s love, for he showed his adoration every time he looked at her. Mariah’s problem was that she was uncertain of Andrew’s feelings for her. He had not pretended to be wildly in love with her and that was honest of him. She had believed that she could accept the situation, as long as he felt warm affection and liking for her, but it hurt more than she’d expected. At one time she’d thought she might accept any man who was honourable, amusing and not interested solely in her fortune, but since then she’d come to a better understanding of her own feelings and knew that Andrew was the only man she wished to marry. She wasn’t sure when the desire to tease him and make him admire her had become so much more.

  Just when had she fallen in love with the provoking man? Was it last year in the spring, when she’d returned to Avonlea—or in Paris when he had disappointed her hopes, or at the lakes when he had failed to rise to her bait? Mariah wrinkled her smooth brow. Was it only because he did not cast himself at her feet, as other men had in the past, that she felt this way? Was it merely pique? She knew that she was changeable and wondered if she would have fallen quite so hard if Andrew had declared himself in love with her.

  Deciding that it made no sense to torment herself, she took Lucinda’s arm and, after bidding the seamstress goodbye, they went out into the conservatory for a walk through the scented blossoms. The gardener had coaxed some exotic flowers into flowering, though it was nearly Christmas, and it was a pleasure to smell and touch the blooms.

  ‘I think I shall ask Andrew if he will allow me to build a large conservatory at his home,’ Mariah said. ‘In the winter it is somewhere warm to walk even if the sun only shines for a little time. I do not mind walking in the cold, but when it rains one is confined to the house.’

  ‘I am certain he will say you may do just as you wish,’ Lucinda told her. ‘Justin recently told me I could refurbish Avonlea to my taste, but there is very little I wish to do. One or two of the guest rooms may need a new décor, but my own apartments are perfect, because he had them done for me.’

  ‘Lanchester Park needs a little refurbishment, I think,’ Mariah said. She stood at the window, looking south, and frowned. ‘Is that one of the gardeners, Lucinda? He is staring at us…’

  Lucinda came to stand with her, following her gaze. ‘I’m not sure. I have not seen him before. Yes, he is staring and rudely…’ She gasped and pushed Mariah to one side just as the man brought his arm up and fired towards the greenhouse, shattering a pane of glass. The ball passed its target and buried itself in a wooden tub of camellias as Lucinda screamed.

  In seconds servants had rushed into the conservatory and the man outside had run away across the lawns. He was being pursued by two of the duke’s servants as he headed towards a small wood.

  ‘Are you hurt, my lady?’ a footman asked of Lucinda.

  ‘The shot was meant for Lady Fanshawe,’ Lucinda said. ‘I saw that he was about to fire and pushed her to one side or he might have hit her.’ She looked anxiously at Mariah, who was standing by the pot of camellias looking at the splintered wood. ‘Are you all right, Mariah dearest?’

  ‘Thanks to your prompt action,’ Mariah said. ‘I feel shaken but his shot went wide. Perhaps it was not meant to hit me, but only to frighten us.’

  ‘What happened here?’ Justin came striding into the conservatory. He saw the shattered pane and the servants gathered around his wife. ‘I thought I heard a shot. Is anyone harmed?’

  ‘No, Justin,’ Lucinda said. ‘Mariah and I were just admiring the camellias and she saw someone staring at us rather too intently. I looked at him and noticed that he had a pistol in his hand seconds before he fired.’

  ‘She may have saved my life,’ Mariah said, ‘though I think it might just have been meant as a warning—to frighten me.’

  ‘Why would someone wish to frighten you?’ Justin asked. ‘I understand why men might wish to wed you, Mariah, for your fortune or yourself—but why on earth should anyone wish to shoot you?’

  Hearing a commotion outside, they saw that the duke’s servants were returning with their prisoner. Justin frowned, nodded his satisfaction, warned the ladies to go back into the house and stay away from windows and then went out through the French windows to speak with his servants.

  ‘Come, let us do as he says,’ Lucinda said, taking Mariah’s arm. ‘Justin will wish to get to the bottom of this before he allows us to walk here again.’

  ‘I cannot believe someone would dare to come here and shoot at the windows of your house, Lucinda. In Italy there was some unpleasantness, but I thought that was all finished. If I’ve brought this on you…’ She shook her head. ‘No, it is too awful. Andrew was attacked outside Milan and thought someone wished to kill him but…why would anyone wish to murder me?’

  ‘Come and sit down and tell me what is troubling you, dearest,’ Lucinda said and squeezed her arm. ‘I shall order some tea—or perhaps you would prefer something stronger?’

  ‘No, tea will be perfect,’ Mariah said. She lifted her head, forcing herself to smile. ‘They have caught the rogue who fired at us. It may be just someone who has a grudge against Justin for being sacked or thrown off his land, do you not think so?’

  ‘Well, perhaps. I really do not know,’ Lucinda said. ‘However, I am quite certain that Justin will discover the truth very shortly.’

  Mariah made no reply. She was trying to tell herself that the shot had not been meant to kill her, but she could not help thinking that it must have something to do with what had happened in Milan. Yet how could an attempt on Andrew’s life, the disappearance of a young lieutenant and that shot be connected?

  She smiled and murmured something comforting to Lucinda, but her nerves were tingling and she was uneasy.

  Where was Andrew? She wished he would come back. Somehow she would feel safer if he were here with her, though she knew that Justin must be furious. He would not tolerate such a thing happening on his estate.

  * * *

  Justin was indeed furious. It took all his strength of will to prevent himself giving way to an urge to have the man beaten to with an inch of his life. His keeper had caught the man and brought him to his knees with a flying tackle and he had already received more than one blow when he was dragged before Justin and thrust to his knees.

  ‘Let him stand up,’ Justin said, remembering that he was a gentleman. ‘Now, sirrah, tell me why you have just tried to kill my wife and Lady Fanshawe?’

  The man was visibly shaken, his face white, eyes wide with terror, having been threatened with hanging several times already in Justin’s hearing.

  ‘You had best tell me what you know,’ Justin told him in a deceptively gentle voice. ‘If you are helpful, I may save you from hanging—but if you remain silent I shall see that you receive the death penalty.’

  ‘No, sir.’ The man fell to his knees despite having been allowed to stand. ‘I beg you to forgive me. I never meant to harm the ladies. I was told to come here and fire at the beautiful lady, not to hit her,
like, but just to frighten her—but I didn’t know which one and so I fired at the plant pot.’

  ‘Who gave you such an order?’ Justin’s tone hardened. ‘Why did you accept an order that you must have known would land you in trouble?’

  ‘He gave me twenty guineas and promised me another twenty if I did my work,’ the man said in a trembling voice. ‘I were starving, sir. Me and the missus and kids, we wus all starving ’cos the mill closed last winter and I couldn’t find work.’

  ‘You should have come to me with your story and I would have given you money,’ Justin said. ‘Tell me the name of the man who paid you and I will see that you receive a lighter sentence for your crime.’

  ‘I don’t know his name, sir. He were a gent like you, that’s all I know—tall wiv dark hair and rich, I should think.’

  ‘Was he English?’ Justin frowned as the man shook his head. ‘French, German or Italian perhaps?’

  ‘He might ’ave bin French, sir. I ain’t sure. I met him at night and he told me where to come and what to do. I was to meet him again ternight at an inn and he wus ter give me the rest of the money. I ain’t sure his ’air was dark, ’cos he might ’ave bin wearing a wig, like. His ’air were a bit odd now as I think on it.’

  ‘Then you shall meet him,’ Justin said. ‘I shall come with you—and if you point him out to me I shall give money to your wife and you will serve six weeks in prison instead of the ten years you undoubtedly deserve.’

  The man stared at him for a moment, then started snivelling. ‘Me missus will starve if I goes to jail fer ten years, fer I’ll niver come out no more. If I take yer to ’im ’e’ll kill me, so I’m done fer whatever I does.’

  ‘Conduct yourself like a man,’ Justin said sternly. ‘You will be protected. Once I know who paid you to do this foul deed, he will not trouble you again.’

  The man looked at him uncertainly, then nodded once. ‘I ain’t got much choice, ’ave I, sir?’

  ‘You have no choice at all,’ Justin said and smiled benevolently. ‘My men will take you to the kitchens, where you will be fed. You will give my man your name and where he can find your wife so that food and money can be provided. You may think yourself lucky that your shot harmed no one but a rather beautiful camellia, otherwise you would never see your family again.’

  * * *

  ‘What did the rogue say to you?’ Lucinda asked her husband when he joined them in the parlour a little later. ‘Has he told you why he shot at us?’

  ‘He was paid by someone to frighten the beautiful lady, but, uncertain of which beautiful lady, he fired at the plant pot,’ Justin said grimly. ‘He claims not to know the name of the man that paid him, but I have hopes that we may discover the rogue tonight. They were to have met again.’

  ‘Justin!’ Lucinda looked at him in fright. ‘This man must be dangerous, whoever he is. You will take care?’

  ‘Yes, of course, my love. I have far too much to lose,’ Justin said and bent to kiss the top of her head. ‘Apparently, the rogue may be French, though Jacobs, as he calls himself, really has no idea. I do not know why anyone should wish to frighten either of you—unless one of your rejected suitors has taken it badly, Mariah.’

  ‘No, of course they would not…’ Lucinda cried and then frowned as she looked at Mariah’s face. ‘Would they? Do you think that you may have made someone angry, Mariah?’

  ‘It is possible,’ Mariah said, ‘though I can hardly believe that anyone would wish to shoot me just because I would not marry him.’ She looked uneasy. ‘I am sorry to have brought this trouble on you, Justin. I cannot think of anyone—except perhaps Count Paolo…’

  ‘Count Paolo? Was he not a friend of Lady Hubert and her husband? I thought it was his villa that you stayed at while you were out there?’

  ‘Yes, at the lakes,’ Mariah said. ‘He wished to marry me and was angry when I refused.’

  ‘Surely he would not have you murdered for such a reason?’

  ‘It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that,’ Mariah agreed. ‘Yet the look in his eyes…He was like a large predatory cat, prowling his territory. I may have injured his pride. I sensed something dangerous in him and I fear that he is capable of doing anything.’

  ‘He sounds a most unpleasant gentleman,’ Justin said. ‘Naturally you turned him down instantly.’

  ‘Well…I did think it might be amusing to have a mild affair, but only for a short time. Yes, I did turn him down almost at once, though vaguely so as not to offend, as we were his guests. I told him I would not consider marriage, but, before I left Milan, he made it clear that he had not given up the hunt. I think my refusal made him more determined to have me in the end.’

  ‘He does sound dangerous.’

  ‘He seemed to think he could persuade me to do what he wanted in time. He had costumes made to match for the ball and told me his friends would honour me when I became his wife. In the end I found him a little menacing and could not wait to leave, especially after Lieutenant Grainger went missing.’

  ‘Yes, I see. Andrew did mention something. He wondered if Grainger’s disappearance might have some bearing on the regiment’s missing silver, but I cannot see how any of this should affect you, Mariah. If that shot was aimed at you, it must be a disgruntled suitor. Unless…’ He shook his head. ‘You do not think your late husband’s trustees…Would his sister inherit if anything happened to you?’

  ‘No, I do not think so. Winston left everything to me. His sister has a house in Bath, which he gave her when she married, but neither she nor her husband can hope to inherit for they are not named in my will.’

  ‘Then it seems we may rule them out.’

  ‘I know she was a little annoyed that everything came to me under the terms of his will, but I am certain she would not do anything as sordid as to have someone shoot at me.’

  ‘No, I thought not—then I think it must be one of your suitors, Mariah.’

  ‘Unless he was shooting at me,’ Lucinda said. ‘Perhaps we have an enemy, Justin. You cannot be certain he meant to frighten Mariah.’

  ‘No, I cannot be certain, and that is why I have arranged for more armed men to patrol the grounds. I am furious that anyone dared to come right to the house and take a shot at you while you were in the conservatory. I shall not rest until this thing is settled.’

  ‘I wish—’ Mariah broke off as she heard something and then the door opened and Andrew’s tall figure walked in. ‘Oh, thank goodness you are back,’ she cried. ‘Perhaps you will know what is going on, for I am sure I do not.’

  Her voice was emotional, causing Andrew to frown and demand to know what had been happening in his absence. Justin told him and he swore loudly, then apologised.

  ‘Forgive me, ladies. I should not forget myself, even though I am shocked beyond belief that such a thing could occur. Lucinda, I am so sorry that you should have such a fright in your own house. You are not harmed—or you, Mariah?’

  ‘No, I am not harmed,’ Mariah said, feeling a little put out that his concern seemed more for Lucinda than herself. ‘It was shocking, of course, and I feel terrible, because Justin thinks it must be one of my disgruntled suitors. I can think only of Count Paolo. He was determined that I should be his wife and I suspected that he was angry when I refused.’

  ‘Yes, that is possible, of course. He is not a man I would trust,’ Andrew said, his eyes narrowed in thought. ‘You should never have encouraged him for a moment, Mariah.’

  ‘I merely flirted a little,’ she replied, stung by his criticism. How could she have known instantly that the man was obsessed with her—surely he must be if he had done this thing? ‘I had no idea that he was mad…Well, he would have to be if he came all this way to pay someone to shoot at me in Justin’s orangery.’

  ‘Mad or obsessed,’ Andrew agreed. ‘From what you told me, his interest in you was far from natural, Mariah—but it does seem excessive to come all this way to take a pot shot at you. If he had attempted to ravish you at his h
ouse, I might have thought him madly in love with you—but this is ridiculous.’

  ‘Completely,’ she agreed. ‘We shall dismiss it as a foolish idea. So what is the answer? Why would anyone wish to frighten me—or Lucinda?’

  ‘It might be that either I have an enemy—or perhaps Justin has upset one of his neighbours,’ Andrew said. ‘If a man wanted to strike at you, Justin, what do you suppose he might do?’

  Justin looked thoughtful, then his mouth drew into a hard line. ‘If he could not get to me, he might seek to harm my wife or child.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Andrew nodded. ‘However, I do not think you need concern yourself, Justin. If my judgement is correct, it is I who has an enemy and not you.’

  ‘Do you have any idea who has a grudge against you?’

  ‘If I did, I should have settled the business before this,’ Andrew replied tersely. ‘I had hoped to have got to the bottom of things by now, but although I believe I may know a little more I can be certain of nothing. Besides, I do not see why my affairs should cause anyone to shoot at Mariah.’

  ‘Perhaps we should discuss this in private,’ Justin said. ‘There are certain arrangements we need to make that the ladies need not be bothered with.’

  ‘Oh, fudge,’ Mariah said, eyes sparkling with a decided militancy. ‘Why do gentlemen always imagine we worry less if we do not know what is going on?’

  ‘I agree with Mariah,’ Lucinda said. ‘We are not babies to be coddled. I would prefer to be told what is happening, rather than kept in the dark, Justin.’

  ‘Indeed, madam?’ Her husband glanced at Andrew and then laughed. ‘We may as well discuss this openly since I, for one, shall get no peace unless we do. I was going to suggest that we send Jacobs in alone to meet the rogue who employed him this evening while we watch, and then catch him on his way out later.’

  ‘Can you trust the rogue? Might he not betray us to his employer?’

  ‘I think he has been suitably frightened,’ Justin said with a grim look. ‘Given the opportunity he might cut and run, but if the man who sent him is at the arranged meeting place, we shall have all the entrances covered. Neither of them will escape us.’