Beyond the Duke's Domain: Ducal Encounters Series 4 Book 4

by Wendy Soliman

  ‘But the point you made about our horses would apply to their captors too, surely. And if they do what we did and walk here after dark, well…’

  ‘I dare say Basingstoke, if he’s behind this sorry business, will have thought of that and made arrangements for their safe transportation. And don’t be deceived by what you see,’ Amos advised. ‘This building goes back a long way.’ He paused. ‘And I seem to recall that there’s a function room in the cellar reserved for private parties.’

  ‘Ah.’ Raph nodded.

  A loud dispute erupted from inside the tavern and two brawny individuals tumbled out onto the street, trading blows as a crowd quickly gathered. The combatants appeared to be regular brawlers, and those watching took sides, wagering on the outcome. Bruised and bloodied, the men eventually pulled themselves to their feet, appeared to agree that their differences had been resolved for the time being and staggered off arm in arm.

  ‘I think it’s as safe as it ever will be to go in now,’ Amos said, shrugging.

  Raph flexed a brow. ‘If you say so.’

  ‘I’m sure you know to keep your valuables close. The dips around these parts are very good at what they do, and highly organised. You won’t know you’ve been robbed until it’s too late to catch the thieving scoundrel responsible.’

  ‘Lead on,’ Raph said, flexing his fingers.

  Amos pushed through the door into the low-ceilinged taproom that was packed full of men in scruffy working attire. The air was rank, the smell of unwashed bodies and desperation overwhelming. The suspicious, calculating glances sent their way made them stand out despite their casual dress. A path cleared and they made their way to the ale table, their progress followed by the gimlet gazes of a dozen men. A blousy barmaid who might once have been pretty gave them a speculative look.

  ‘What brings you gentlemen to our fine establishment?’ she asked, slapping tankards of ale in front of them. ‘Slumming it, are we?’

  Amos lifted his tankard to Raph’s. ‘Your good health.’

  ‘And to getting out of here unscathed,’ Raph added.

  Amos chuckled. ‘That too.’

  ‘This is surprisingly good,’ Raph said, taking a cautious sip of his ale.

  ‘The men don’t care about their surroundings. They won’t even notice them, given that they’re probably an improvement on their own homes. But give them poor quality ale and there would be a riot.’

  ‘Ah, Lord Amos, always a pleasure.’

  A burly individual appeared and assessed Amos, who offered him his hand. It took a moment for Amos to recognise the man, and then Zach’s earlier association with this place made sense.

  ‘Gower,’ he said. ‘Good to see you again. This is my friend, Raphael Sanchez-Gomez.’

  Raph’s hand also disappeared into the landlord’s beefy grip.

  ‘Business good?’ Amos asked, leaning one elbow casually on the bar.

  ‘Can’t complain.’ Gower sniffed. ‘Wouldn’t do me no good even if I did. How’s his grace?’

  ‘He is perfectly well.’

  ‘Send him my best wishes. I ain’t forgotten what he sent you to do for me.’

  ‘Gower had been having a little trouble with a group of men who decided that this place was a good earner, and wanted to run it themselves,’ Amos explained to Raph. ‘The tenancy has been in Gower’s family for three generations and Zach decided that’s where it should stay. That was a few years ago now,’ Amos added quietly when Gower’s attention was briefly distracted. ’Zach didn’t have much to do with it and obviously didn’t remember all the particulars, given how many disputes of that nature he’s routinely called upon to arbitrate. I only remembered myself when Gower appeared. I was the one who played referee between the warring factions.’

  ‘And I ain’t had no trouble since,’ Gower said, returning his attention to them. ‘Well, none that I couldn’t handle on me own.’

  ‘How are the bookings going for the private room?’ Amos asked.

  ‘Slow,’ Gower muttered with another disdainful sniff. ‘Ain’t no one got money for no swanky parties nowadays. Well, swanky by our standards at any rate.’

  Amos nodded, his expression sympathetic. ‘No gentlemen shown interest?’

  ‘Hah! Like anyone of your ilk would risk life and limb in this den of thieves.’ He gesticulated at a man creeping up to Raph whom Amos hadn’t noticed. ‘Get your thieving mitts off of my guest, Dawkins. He’s off limits to the likes of you.’

  A hunchbacked individual slunk away into a dark corner, muttering about swells having no business in their neck of the woods, preventing him from making a dishonest living.

  ‘Like I say, I’d forgotten all about Gower’s indebtedness to our family,’ Amos said to Raph when the landlord was required to arbitrate in yet another dispute. Amos and Raph stood well clear of the melee as fists flew briefly and were as quickly stilled when Gower grabbed the combatants by their collars and threw them into the street.

  ‘All in a day’s work, I expect,’ Raph said, amused.

  ‘Apparently so.’ Amos drained his tankard. ‘Anyway, I think we can safely cross this place off our list. Gower would have told me if anyone had been making the type of enquiries that interest us. If they haven’t done so by now, given the imminent arrival of the girls, then this definitely isn’t the place. Let’s make ourselves scarce. We’re drawing attention to ourselves,’ he said, glancing at a man loitering in a corner who’d been watching them and appeared to be craftier than the hapless Dawkins in the pursuit of his thieving livelihood. ‘Besides, we don’t want to lose Gower custom, or add to his peacekeeping duties.’

  ‘Fine by me.’ Raph swallowed the rest of his ale. ‘It’s still early. Can we get from here to Aldershot today?’

  ‘No, it’s much too far. If we intend to do that then we need to take a carriage and four and leave early tomorrow morning.’

  Amos waved to Gower and wished him good day as the two men left the tavern and retraced their steps to the better part of town.

  ‘Is Aldershot closer to Basingstoke?’

  ‘Much closer.’

  ‘Then that must be the chosen location.’

  ‘Perhaps.’ Amos slapped Raph’s shoulder as they reached the posting inn and reclaimed their horses. ‘But my money’s on Beauworth Hall. Anyway,’ he added, turning his face to the sky and sniffing. ‘We’d best be getting along. Those clouds look threatening and I’m not in the mood for a soaking.’

  ‘Why are you so convinced it’s Beauworth?’ Raph asked as he swung into his saddle.

  ‘If I have to put my feelings into words, I’d say it’s because Basingstoke will get a vicarious thrill from pulling this damned business off right under Zach’s nose. Trust me, he’s a man who knows how to bear a grudge. Besides, not only is Lewis Nash married to our cousin, but he’s also one of the most reliable men Zach has when it comes to ferreting out information. It was Nash who passed on the whisper about Beauworth, and he hasn’t been wrong yet.’

  ‘You think Adler’s informant, the one who works for Basingstoke, is feeding him false information?’

  ‘Hard to know,’ Amos conceded. ‘But again, Adler’s sources are usually reliable too, which is why it’s hard to know which way to turn.’

  ‘Are you suggesting that we not go to Aldershot?’

  ‘No. We need to be thorough. Investigating in Beauworth will be a delicate operation and needs to be handled with stealth. The village is poor and its inhabitants are not especially law-abiding. If they see something illegal going on, they won’t squeal, nor will they welcome us sticking our noses in. Zach might have to pull rank, so let’s eliminate the others first, then decide how to deal with Beauworth if we have no luck elsewhere.’

  ‘Fair enough.’

  The two men walked their horses through the crowded streets in the direction of the Park.

  ‘Has Ariana been pressing you for information about our progress?’ Amos asked.

  ‘We spoke about it, and she understa
nds the need to let us do the investigating.’ Raph rolled his eyes. ‘I think. Truth be told, I don’t know how to speak to her as an adult. She has always been my younger sister; lively and inquisitive in happier times, but a child for all that. I am only just getting to know her as a young woman.’ Raph seemed conflicted as he articulated his thoughts. ‘She has grown to be so very independent, which is not to be wondered at given the travails she’s been obliged to endure. I don’t feel as though I have earned the right to impose my authority, such as it is. It’s more a case of getting to know her again and taking things one day at a time. She’s desperate to avenge herself and all the other girls who have been abused by Cutler and hasn’t thought beyond that point, as far as I am aware.’

  ‘Let’s hope we get to the bottom of this wretched business quickly in that case,’ Amos replied. ‘Then you will be at leisure to reacquaint yourself with both of your sisters, and Ariana will have laid at least some of her demons to rest.’

  ‘Amen to that,’ Raph said with feeling as they cleared the centre of Winchester and set their horses to canter along the road that would lead them into Shawford.

  Ariana and Lucy hid themselves away in the orangery, where the fragrant perfume of the plants in full bloom pervaded their senses. More conveniently, the room gave them an unimpeded view of the stables. Anyone looking for them would be unlikely to find them here, and their hiding place had the added advantage of allowing them to see when Amos and Raph left on their sortie.

  ‘Why are you limping?’ Ariana asked, as she closed the door behind them. ‘Did you take a fall from Fizz?’

  ‘No, nothing nearly so dramatic.’ Lucy offered up a wry smile. ‘I dismounted to enjoy the view up by the old chapel and managed to twist my ankle. Clumsy of me.’

  ‘Oh, bad luck. Can I get some ice for you?’

  ‘Best not draw attention to ourselves. I can manage as long as I don’t have to run anywhere.’

  Ariana smiled. ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.’

  ‘Are you still sure you want to do this?’

  ‘Don’t you dare use your sore ankle as an excuse to renege!’ Ariana wagged an admonishing finger beneath Lucy’s nose.

  ‘I wouldn’t dare,’ Lucy assured her. ‘Oh look, the gentlemen are on their way.’

  She pointed to Amos and Raph riding fast down the back lane that would take them to Shawford. Ariana took a moment to admire Amos’s noble profile, and wished she didn’t feel quite so strongly attracted to him. She transferred her attention to her brother and offered up yet another silent prayer of thanks for his safe deliverance.

  ‘Come along then.’ Ariana jumped to her feet, tied her bonnet securely beneath her chin and slipped her arms into the sleeves of her pelisse. Lucy followed suit, tucking her untidy hair beneath the hat that matched her habit and pulling on her gloves. ‘We look the epitome of respectability.’

  ‘Hardly,’ Lucy replied, laughing. ‘In my case, at least. But hopefully, we shall not see anyone we know. Or anyone at all who comes close enough to find fault with our appearance.’

  A short time later, the girls were squashed tightly together on the gig’s seat—a seat that was designed with just one person’s comfort in mind. Ariana handled the reins with ease, accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of the placid cob between the shafts. As long as they didn’t pass an especially lush patch of grass that attracted the animal’s interest, they could depend upon Bertie to get them to their destination, albeit at his own pace, which was never hurried.

  It took them the best part of an hour to cover the eight-mile distance to Beauworth, and Ariana felt her apprehension increasing with every passing yard. Why, she could not have said, but she had learned to trust her instincts and sensed that they would make some sort of discovery once they reached their destination. She kept up a constant flow of chatter with Lucy, remarking upon the passing scenery and other inconsequential matters in an effort to overcome her nerves.

  Raph would crucify her if he discovered what they were doing. But with great good fortune, it wouldn’t come to that and Ariana would not find herself on the receiving end of a scolding that in some respects Raph had forfeited the right to deliver.

  ‘Is this the village?’ Lucy asked, screwing up her nose as Ariana slowed Bertie to walking pace. ‘It doesn’t look terribly prosperous.’

  ‘That is because it lies beyond the duke’s domain, I expect,’ Ariana said, ignoring the stares send their way by suspicious villagers who stopped what they were doing to watch their progress with varying degrees of hostility. Ariana suppressed a shiver. If they got themselves into an awkward situation, she accepted that they would not be able to rely upon the local populace for rescue.

  Her courage almost failed her, and she was sorely tempted to turn Bertie around and return to the safety of the Park. But an indomitable determination reinforced her will and partially countered her doubts. She thought of how fortunate she and Martina had been to escape the clutches of these evil people, and couldn’t abide the possibility of other girls suffering a worse fate. Someone had to take a stand.

  ‘Look out for Beauworth Hall,’ she said, as they neared the end of the street. ‘It’s just outside the village, I think, set back from the road on the left.’

  They cleared the only street through the village and Lucy kept a sharp lookout as Ariana concentrated upon negotiating the obliging Bertie through this uncharted territory, taking note of what was where in case they were obliged to beat a hasty retreat. Not that Bertie was capable of moving at anything other than a plodding pace, she conceded, but even so it was better to be prepared for all eventualities.

  ‘Over there!’ Lucy pointed to dilapidated chimneys visible above a stand of trees. ‘There’s nothing else along this stretch of road, and if the house we are looking for is close to the village then it has to be the right place.’

  ‘And most conveniently there’s a track at the side of it,’ Ariana said, turning Bertie onto it without hesitation. ‘Which probably accounts in part for their using the premises. Vehicles can be parked out of sight, one assumes.’

  ‘What are we going to do?’

  ‘We are going to leave Bertie here to enjoy this patch of grass and see where this track leads to. He won’t be visible from the road, just as long as he doesn’t wander from the grass, which he almost certainly will not. Besides, we have yet to pass another conveyance.’

  Lucy swallowed. ‘Very well,’ she said.

  Lucy winced as she lowered herself to the ground and put weight on her injured ankle but assured Ariana that she would be able to walk on it for a short distance. Ariana felt guilty for that necessity, but they had come this far, and she wasn’t about to let anything prevent her from taking a closer look at the hall.

  ‘Come along then. Take my arm and lean your weight on me. It will help.’

  She tied Bertie’s reins off as the cob calmly cropped at the grass. The girls made slow progress along the track that was rutted but just about wide enough to accommodate small carriages.

  ‘It’s been used recently,’ Lucy said, pointing to wheel tracks in the mud and recent horse droppings.

  Ariana felt a moment’s anxiety, but no more than that. ‘This is the place, I absolutely know it!’ She shuddered as recollections of her own fear and feelings of complete helplessness during her captivity flooded her mind, reinforcing her determination.

  She peered through gaps in the wide hedge that bordered the Hall’s boundaries, but there were no obvious signs of life. Not that she expected it to be that straightforward. The lawns were overgrown, the flower beds neglected, but the men who called here were not coming to admire the grounds. As they walked slowly onwards, Lucy’s limp became more pronounced. The tumbledown house came into view and Ariana noticed what should have been obvious before now.

  ‘Smoke,’ she said, pointing to one of the chimney stacks.

  ‘There is supposed to be a custodian,’ Lucy reminded her.

  They paused when the track cam
e to an abrupt end at a dilapidated carriage house, in which there were no signs of life, neither equine nor human.

  ‘What do we do now?’ Lucy asked.

  ‘Hush. Keep your voice down,’ Ariana said. ‘I can hear something.’

  The girls clasped hands and crouched down below the hedge. Ariana could feel her heart palpitating and worried that Lucy’s scarlet habit would be visible through the gaps in the hedge if anyone had heard them and came to investigate.

  They remained where they were for several uncomfortable minutes, exchanging worried looks. When a good five minutes or more had passed and there was no sound or movement that implied they had been seen, Ariana stood up and peered in the direction of the carriage house.

  ‘What are you doing!’ Lucy cried, tugging at her skirts. ‘Get down!’

  Ariana gasped and did precisely that.

  ‘What is it? What did you see? You have turned decidedly pale and your hands are shaking.’

  ‘Townsend,’ Ariana hissed. ‘He’s standing by the coach house, either waiting for someone to arrive or because he’s seen us.’

  ‘Basingstoke’s man? Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course I’m sure. I would know him anywhere.’

  ‘Then we need to get out of here now.’ There was an urgent edge to Lucy’s voice. ‘If he is expecting visitors, they will have to use this track. Then Bertie will be seen, and so will we.’

  ‘This is it. We’ve found the place. Let’s go.’

  The girls retraced their steps as fast as Lucy’s ankle permitted. It was obvious to Ariana that she was in considerably more pain. She glanced up at a darkening sky and low clouds and it was equally obvious that the heavens were about to open.

  ‘There is going to be a deluge,’ Lucy said. ‘We will get drenched in the open gig. We need to find somewhere to shelter but I don’t much like the idea of that village.’

  ‘We will go to the tavern,’ Ariana said. ‘We can ask for a private sitting room and wait for the storm to pass.’

  Lucy looked uncertain, but with no other option available to them she nodded reluctantly.