Last Gentleman Standing

by Jane Ashford

  Lavinia was in the room when she entered, scribbling on a sheet of paper at the small writing desk in the corner. When she saw Elisabeth, she said, “Good morning, my dear. Is there any news today?”

  Elisabeth took a breath. “I don’t wish to put you in a quake. But this morning, Growser came back without Tony.”

  Lavinia sat up straighter. “What? The dog came alone?”

  “Yes. And he was all scratched and dirty.” Elisabeth braced herself for the hysteria she was certain would follow this announcement.

  But Lavinia surprised her. “What do you propose to do?” she asked quietly. Her resolute expression was quite new to Elisabeth.

  “I’ve notified Mr. Wincannon. He’s been looking for Tony, you know. He was, not at all worried, but now…”

  Lavinia nodded. “He seems a very culpable man,” she replied sagely. “What shall I do?”

  Elisabeth stared at her in astonishment. It appeared there was more to Cousin Lavinia than she’d imagined. “I…I do not…you might take care of Belinda for me. I’ve been so taken up with this…”

  Lavinia was nodding. “Of course,” she said. “I shall tell her what has happened. I am sure she will feel a little agitated, but we shall get along. Is there nothing else?”

  Elisabeth shook her head. “I…I can think of nothing.”

  “Very well,” answered her cousin sturdily. “But if you do, you must tell me straightaway.” She rose. “I will go up to Belinda now.” And she left the room.

  Elisabeth remained standing by the door for a few moments, marveling. Her cousin had exhibited a strength she hadn’t known she possessed. Indeed, her quiet composure had comforted Elisabeth a great deal; she didn’t feel quite so alone with her problems now.

  When she explained the occurrences of the morning to Derek, he frowned and fired a series of questions at her. Then, he walked over to the fireplace and rested his arm on the mantel, staring into the fire with a look of concentration.

  “What do you think?” said Elisabeth, when she could stand his silence no longer.

  “I’m afraid there’s been an accident or something of the sort. I admit I was beginning to conclude that yesterday, but this seems to confirm it. I’ve found no sign of him.”

  “What shall we do?” Elisabeth asked quietly. “Shall I call in a constable?”

  He inclined his head. “You may, of course, if you wish it. But I think you would gain little beyond making this affair public. I suggest rather that I continue to search, with help.”

  “What kind of help?” she replied eagerly. “Oh, how I wish there was something I could do.”

  He smiled at her sympathetically. “I know. But unfortunately neither of us knows very much about such things. I shall go to my father, my man of business, and my groom.”

  Elisabeth was taken aback. “Your groom?”

  “Yes. Wills joined my household several years ago from parts unknown. He has since exhibited a remarkable familiarity with some of the less savory elements of London society. I think he may be able to help us track down this trainer. Indeed, I thought of asking him ere this, but I didn’t wish to start gossip about Tony’s disappearance.”

  Elisabeth nodded. “I suppose there’s no stopping that now.”

  “On the contrary. You must put it about that he has gone to the country on a visit.”

  Elisabeth brightened. “I shall say he has gone down to look over Willowmere for me. To oversee the work, you know.”

  “Excellent,” he replied. “The only hard thing left is to keep you from worrying yourself into a decline.”

  “I don’t think it will come to that,” she said. “But it is hard not to worry.”

  “I know.” He looked at her for a moment. “The best thing to do is keep up your social engagements,” he said. “It will keep your mind busy. Was your dinner party last night enjoyable?”

  Elisabeth made a wry face. “No,” she answered, and she gave him a short description of the evening.

  “All in pink,” he laughed. “I must meet these young ladies.”

  “Oh, you will. Make no mistake. I’m sure you’re high on their list of eligible husbands.” She stopped abruptly. “Oh, what an old cattish thing to say.”

  “But true.”

  “Yes. However, I should be more charitable. They cannot help it, after all.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I find that hard to credit.”

  “It’s their upbringing,” she replied. “But that is of no consequence. You must be on your way, I know,”

  He smiled ruefully. “Yes. Tony.” She nodded, and he took his leave, commanding her again not to worry. Elisabeth only shrugged. But she had little opportunity to worry, for less than ten minutes later, Ames came in to announce, “Miss Taunton is below.”

  Elisabeth stood immediately. “Jane?” she said. “Oh, send her up.” A few moments later, Jane walked into the room, and Elisabeth went forward, holding out her hands. “How good to see you,” she said. “You are just the person to divert me.”

  Jane smiled. “Thank you,” she replied. “What has put you in the dumps?”

  Elisabeth hesitated. She wasn’t sure she should tell anyone else of Tony’s disappearance. But as she looked at the other girl’s homely sympathetic face, she brushed such considerations aside. She was in need of a friend. “We have had some rather distressing occurrences lately,” she began, and she told Jane the whole.

  The other girl appeared shocked. “The dog returned alone,” she repeated, frowning. “What can that mean?”

  “That’s what I keep asking myself,” answered Elisabeth. “I fear it means that Tony is hurt, or worse. I cannot stop seeing him, lying somewhere in a ditch, his leg broken and in a fever, or…” She rose and began to pace about. “And I can do nothing! This is what maddens me.”

  Jane nodded soberly. “That is always the worst element of a crisis—waiting. But surely someone is searching for him?”

  “Oh, yes.” Elisabeth told the other girl about Derek Wincannon’s help. “But I hear so seldom how it’s going. I feel so useless.”

  Her friend nodded once more. “Yet the affair is in good hands. The Wincannons are very capable men. However, I understand exactly what you feel. It’s difficult sometimes, being a woman. We must always wait when we would wish to act.”

  Elisabeth sat down on the sofa again and clasped her hands tightly, “If only we had some notion of where he’d gone,” she said. “I can think of nothing but Tony, yet there is nothing to think of. Oh, I wish we might get some news.”

  “I am sure you’ll be informed as soon as anything is known. You mustn’t allow this to overset you.”

  Elisabeth smiled ruefully. “You sound just like Mr. Wincannon now. You all insist that I must not upset myself. But how am I to help it? None of you tell me that.”

  “Well, perhaps I can take your mind off the problem for a few minutes,” replied Jane. “I called today to give you some other news, in fact. I’ve found out something about our Byronic character.”

  In spite of herself, Elisabeth was interested. “Indeed? What?”

  Jane settled herself more comfortably on the sofa. “I told you that I would make inquiries among my friends. Well, one of them had been to the Indies in recent years and had heard a bit about this man Jarrett. It seems that he went to the islands years ago in hopes of making his fortune as a planter in Martinique. But after putting all his money into the venture, he found that he had no talent for managing a plantation. He lost nearly all he had and was on the verge of ruin when he married a very wealthy and very young girl of a French family.”

  “The sister!” exclaimed Elisabeth.

  Jane nodded. “It sounds right, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, my friend knew little more. Soon after the marriage, Jarrett sold his holdings on Martinique and took his bride to Jamaica. There was some talk th
at her family wasn’t pleased about the move. But that is all I have found out as yet. I didn’t wish to attract too much attention to our researches, you know.”

  “Of course,” said Elisabeth. “And then his wife died.”

  Jane shrugged. “So it would seem, from the reports of Mr. Jarrett’s pursuer. And clearly he has got her money.”

  Elisabeth raised her eyebrows.

  “Well, he had none of his own left,” continued the other girl. “And he appears to have an income now. Where can it have come from, if not his wife?”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “It seems certain,” agreed Jane. “And if he was left her money, her brother is probably angry about it.”

  “But he said that Mr. Jarrett had ruined her.”

  Jane shrugged. “People say outrageous things when money is involved. I’ve seen it in my own family. A great-aunt of mine left her fortune to charity, and the outcry was enormous. You should have heard the things my cousins said to one another.” She looked thoughtful. “And living on the edge of poverty is not particularly amusing. It’s hard to see money slip away. One can imagine going to some lengths to keep it.”

  “Then you don’t think Jarrett did anything wrong?”

  “Oh, I didn’t say so. I meant only that it is silly to believe everything said by a man who may have lost out on a fortune. He may be painting his rival blacker than he is.”

  “I’m sure that must be so. Mr. Jarrett seems a gentleman. When he called here recently, he was very kind and understanding. Villainy is something for novels, not real life. Indeed, I’m a little uneasy about your inquiries. Is it fair to snoop about as we have been doing?”

  Jane smiled. “Now you’re being naive, I think. What harm can it do? And I should say simply that we don’t know the man’s character or his past sufficiently to say what he is.”

  “You’re right, I suppose.”

  Jane smiled. “It will hurt no one to continue our researches, Elisabeth. You cannot wish to abandon such a fascinating character just as we are discovering things at last?”

  Elisabeth shrugged. “If you wish it. But it seems we shall find no romance after all. Only a family squabbling over money.”

  The other girl laughed. “Much too realistic. We’ll have to rely on poetry to supply our adventures, I suppose. They refuse to intrude on our ordered lives.”

  Elisabeth’s smile faded. “If only they did,” she replied, her thoughts turning back to Tony.

  Seeing her expression, Jane said quickly, “Did you like the book I lent you?”

  Elisabeth looked up again. “Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you. It’s delightful.”

  “I have another, if you like.”

  “I should like it above all things. I don’t know when I have enjoyed a book so much. But I haven’t yet finished. I’ve had so little time.”

  Ames entered the drawing room. “A note has been delivered, Miss Elisabeth,” he said. “It is from Mr. Wincannon, and I thought you would wish to have it immediately.”

  Elisabeth jumped up and took the paper from his hand. “Oh, yes,” she said. She tore it open quickly and scanned the contents. Looking up again, she sighed. “He says nothing of import. He believes he may have found the trainer Tony was seen with. There will be no answer, Ames.” The butler bowed and left the room. “He says I shouldn’t worry,” continued Elisabeth wryly.

  “It sounds as if he is making progress.”

  Elisabeth shrugged. “Perhaps. But we have no assurance that this trainer knows anything of Tony. We simply know nothing.” She crumpled the paper in her hand.

  “Soon you will hear. I’m sure of it.”

  Elisabeth turned back to her with a wan smile. “Thank you. I hope you are right.”

  Jane fidgeted. “I’m afraid I must go,” she said. “But I hate to leave you so distraught.”

  Elisabeth shook her head. “I’m perfectly all right. I can’t help worrying, but I’ll be fine. I promise you.” She added, to herself, the wish that she could be as sure of Tony’s well-being.

  Fifteen

  As the time passed with no news, Elisabeth carried through on the social engagements she’d made, but she was always distracted; and many of her acquaintances commented on this. Only with the Wincannons and Jane Taunton was she free to discuss her fears, but even with them, she was often silent. Derek had succeeded in tracing the animal trainer, but the man first disavowed all knowledge of Tony’s whereabouts and then disappeared.

  This highly suspicious action suggested that he had known something of Tony, after all, which made their unavailing efforts to find him again all the more frustrating. Elisabeth enlisted Mr. Tilling in the search, and he joined Wincannon’s man of business in investigating all possibilities. The viscount, too, made inquiries. But none of these men had any more success than Derek and his groom could boast, and at the end of the week, there was still no news.

  Elisabeth rose the following morning with a sense of despair. She’d done everything she could think of, even calling in the Bow Street runners to search for her cousin. But nothing had worked, and she was beginning to believe that nothing would. She became more and more convinced that Tony was lost to them. Her uncharacteristic fatalism arose from her helplessness in this case. She was forced to leave everything to others, and this galled her.

  Belinda and Lavinia were already breakfasting when she went downstairs. There was little talk during the meal, since even Belinda had been subdued by their loss now. Elisabeth said nothing at all as she mechanically ate and stared out at the clouded sky. When Ames entered with a note, Elisabeth took it automatically. There had been so many notes in the last several days, and none had held good news. But her cousins looked at her expectantly, so she tore open the envelope and unfolded the sheet within.

  The script was extremely shaky, so that at first she didn’t recognize it. It was only when her eyes strayed to the signature that Elisabeth realized that the note was from Tony. “I’m all right,” it read. “Took a ball in the shoulder but better now. Do not worry. Tony.” With a cry, Elisabeth thrust the paper at Lavinia and ran out of the room, calling for Ames as she went. The butler came into the hall as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “That note. Who brought it?” asked Elisabeth quickly. “Is he here still?”

  Ames was surprised. “Why no, miss. It was left by a carter who stopped at the door for a moment. Not used to such a neighborhood, I would say.”

  Elisabeth was already pulling the front door open and looking eagerly into the street. “We must find him.” She searched in both directions, but the pavement was empty. Running down the steps, she extended the range of her vision, but there was no sign of a cart. She turned to Ames, who had followed her out looking perplexed. “That note was from Tony,” she told him. “But he doesn’t say where he is. He’s been wounded.”

  The butler appeared chagrined. “If I had only known…” he began.

  “Would you know the man again?”

  Ames frowned. “I paid no special heed to him, miss. I’m not sure I would.” He shook his head. “Had I known,” he repeated.

  They walked back into the hall, finding Belinda and Lavinia awaiting them there. Elisabeth shook her head at their questioning glances. “At least we know now that he’s all right,” she said. “We may be easy on that score.”

  “How like Tony to forget to tell us where he is,” said Belinda. “He is always so thoughtless.”

  “He was wounded, Belinda,” answered Elisabeth sharply. “I daresay he was not thinking clearly. His writing shows that he was weak. Oh, I must get to him.”

  Lavinia agreed. “Let us tell our friends who have helped us. Perhaps Mr. Wincannon or Mr. Jarrett can find the man who brought the note.”

  “Mr. Jarrett?” asked Elisabeth.

  “Why, yes,” replied her cousin. “He’s been such
a comfort to me. He always believed we should hear some good news before long. He supported my spirits amazingly.”

  “That was kind. But I think we need not ask his help in this. Mr. Wincannon can do all that is necessary. And we wish to keep the truth as quiet as possible.”

  “Oh, yes, I would never violate your confidence. Should I not have talked to Mr. Jarrett? He gave me to understand that you had told him the whole. Why, he inquired about Tony before I even mentioned the matter. He was excessively worried about us all, Elisabeth. Such a truly considerable man. But I didn’t mean to do anything against your wishes, as I hope you know. I would never do so. Oh dear.”

  “It’s quite all right, cousin,” responded Elisabeth. “Do not upset yourself. I did tell Mr. Jarrett of our loss, and he was exceedingly kind about it, as you say. I am glad he’s been a comfort to you.”

  Lavinia brightened. “Well, he has, you know. You have been so very busy and so worried that I didn’t like to come to you with my silly fancies, but Mr. Jarrett has been so kind. I don’t know how I would have gotten on without him.”

  Elisabeth felt a twinge of guilt for neglecting her cousin and a good deal of gratitude toward Jarrett, who had evidently spared her this task. She knew, with some shame, that Lavinia’s chatter might have driven her half mad during this period, despite the older woman’s good intentions and staunch support. She turned away. “I will write the Wincannons,” she said.

  Derek Wincannon called very soon after he received Elisabeth’s note. He examined Tony’s letter with frowning concentration, but when he looked up from it, he had little to say. “You’re sure it is Tony’s hand?” he asked Elisabeth. The two were standing once more before the library fire.

  Elisabeth nodded. “It is shaky, and I admit I didn’t recognize it at first. But I have looked very carefully since, and I am sure it is his.”

  Wincannon nodded also. “Well, then we know he’s safe.” He put the note on the desk and turned back to Elisabeth. “I must say I consider it unlikely that we’ll find him before he communicates with you again. There is no clue here. He might be anywhere.”