A contemptuous smile emerged on Padgett’s face in recognition of Arthur’s presence. “Lord Daneford! Thank the Lord! I have confronted the villain who dared abduct Victoria. I have her!”
“Then you will have no issue handing her over to me,” Arthur said in a cool, forceful voice.
“And have you once more proclaimed a hero in front of Harriet? Do you think me a fool?”
“I believe you think I am one,” Arthur uttered, maneuvering his horse to block any escape across the bridge. From the corner of his eye, he saw Carlisle closing in behind them. He commanded, “Hand the girl over to me and go your way. At least you will have a chance of escape.”
Padgett swallowed hard, perspiring profusely. “I think I will hold to her for the time being. It is safer. Seems you have drawn the wrong conclusion. Not that I expected more from you.”
“Tell me, Padgett, what you did expect of me?” Arthur asked, watching Carlisle position himself behind Padgett.
Startled, Padgett glanced back at Carlisle, and then back to Arthur. Suddenly, Padgett tossed his head back and laughed a malevolent laugh. “Expect? Not this. I have to hand it to you— you have surprised me. It means little, though. I have no more reason to stay in this dull, quaint village.
“Bloody hell! I should never have diverted from the plan. I should have married Harriet before introducing myself to you. That was the plan. Now I understand why. It was to taunt you that she could never be yours. Know, though, it was you who is responsible for what is happening now. You changed the plan. No one was supposed to get hurt...
“Now, my lord, lower your pistol. I need to cross. As you have discerned, I have an appointment to keep.”
Eyes firmly fixed on his adversary, Arthur responded with a small shake of his head. “You are going nowhere with Victoria.”
Madness gleaming in his eyes, Padgett glared at Arthur. He gripped the reins with one hand and turned Victoria around fully in front of him. Kicking the flanks of his horse, he spurred his mount forward and slammed into Arthur.
Padgett’s attempt to squeeze by Arthur and the railing of the bridge was met with staunch resistance. With fear of hitting Victoria if he shot, Arthur dropped his pistol. He slung his fist at Padgett and landed it along his jaw.
Blocking Arthur with his arm, Padgett whipped around. Reaching desperately for his daughter, Arthur felt Padgett’s boot kicking against his horse. Pulling too tightly on his reins, Padgett’s mount reared back. All before Arthur seemed to slow…and move in a surreal manner.
Realizing his predicament, Padgett thrust Victoria outward over the railing. The little one hung precariously over the rushing river. Padgett looked at Arthur; his malevolent grin widened. Padgett’s hold loosened on the girl. Then he let go.
The sound of a splash sent Arthur lunging at Padgett. The man lost his balance and fell back off his mount. Spiraling downward himself, Padgett reached desperately for the railing. His fingers clawed into the wood.
The darkening sky burst forth with a drenching rain. Thunder roared above them, shaking the foundation of the bridge. Despite the forcible winds, Arthur climbed over the railing.
Arthur disregarded Padgett perilously hanging beside him and ignored Carlisle’s call. There was no time. Down below, the last of the skirt of Victoria’s gown disappeared under water.
Arthur leaped.
* * * *
Time was endless. Harriet stared out the window, blankly, into nothingness. She saw only her daughter, small and helpless. Her heart ached at the thought. Victoria had to be so scared… so terribly scared.
Outside, the promised storm had descended with a vengeance. The wind howled unmercifully while rain pummeled down relentlessly against the house. Thunder broke, shaking Harriet’s very core.
“Are you all right, my dear?”
Harriet glanced back at Aunt Eleanor. She had been barely aware of Aunt Eleanor’s presence sitting on the sofa. Harriet had refused to go to bed as Arthur had ordered. Instead, the two women waited in the drawing room.
“I cannot stand this! I should be out there, too, searching,” Harriet cried, choking back tears. “Victoria…my baby…”
Aunt Eleanor rose and crossed the room. She took Harriet’s trembling hands in hers. Looking into the older woman’s eyes, Harriet’s bottom lip quivered. Then Harriet slipped out of her chair and into the arms of the caring woman. The whole of her emotions seized her in uncontrollable weeping. Aunt Eleanor rocked her much as she would have an infant until Harriet’s sobs subsided.
In the foyer, the grandfather clock chimed twelve times. Noon. Harriet eased back out of Aunt Eleanor’s embrace. Wiping her reddened eyes, she said with a semblance of composure, “I need to see lunch is prepared for everyone searching for Victoria. It seems the whole of the village has come to help. They must be famished.”
“It is not necessary.” Aunt Eleanor heaved a sigh. “I have already instructed Florence to prepare what is needed as well as instructing Alfred we are not receiving visitors.”
“You are too good to me, Aunt Eleanor,” Harriet said. Tears pooled in her eyes once more. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. You welcomed me and accepted Victoria. Few would have.”
“I love you both. You are my family,” Aunt Eleanor said in a low voice; emotions gripped her also. “After my Edward passed, a part of me died along with him. When James came to me with this strange proposition, I hesitated until he told me the whole of the story. He knew well I would never refuse…”
Her words faded into silence. Harriet stared at her with large, inquisitive eyes. She felt her throat tighten. “Never refuse who? Arthur?”
Aunt Eleanor looked mildly dazed, but she nodded. “Yes, Lord Daneford. I have known Victoria was his child before you arrived.”
“Yet, you opened your home to me, knowing all?”
“You were welcome without question. I owe Lord Daneford.” She paused momentarily. “I was told of the deceit upon you, my dear.”
Harriet lowered her gaze. “I see. I did not know you knew Arthur that well.”
“I am James’ godmother. Is it not understandable that I would have made well his acquaintance?”
“I suppose,” Harriet agreed in a quiet manner, but concern echoed in her words. “Why would you not tell me?”
Looking grim, Aunt Eleanor hesitated. She took a deep breath and let it out. “It does no harm now for you to know the truth. You know much about my nephew, Nigel, but not all. Nigel was unfortunate to have been born the fifth son in a family with little money. His future was uncertain at best and in his youth, he didn’t do much to enhance his chances.
“As you know, he went to school with James and…Lord Daneford. There was a period…how should I say this…that Nigel went wild. I doubt he was worse than either James or Lord Daneford in the beginning, but Nigel descended down a dark path where he became no more than a drunk. He was lost to his family.
“He was my favorite nephew. I went to James and begged him to intervene, but it was Lord Daneford who succeeded. He offered Nigel a second chance. James and Lord Daneford paid off his many debts and saw to his commission. Nigel served side by side with Lord Daneford. Then in the heat of battle, Nigel repaid Lord Daneford by using himself as a shield, saving Lord Daneford at his own expense.”
“I had been told of his bravery, Aunt Eleanor, but not that it was Arthur he saved.”
“It would have served no purpose, my child,” Aunt Eleanor said. She tilted her head in an attempt to hide her swelling tears from Harriet. “I can never repay Lord Daneford for all he did for Nigel. He paid for his care and saw to Nigel receiving a medal for his bravery, but moreover, he gave to Nigel a purpose.
“Upon Nigel’s death, my brother took comfort his son had redeemed himself. It was a priceless gift. It is why I accepted you into this house…why I allowed my family to accept you as Nigel’s wife and Victoria as his child. Given the circumstances, Nigel would have wished it.”
Harriet wiped bac
k a fallen tear. “So you believe in second chances.”
Aunt Eleanor regarded Harriet for a moment. “I believe if you are fortunate enough to get a second chance, you should not turn your back upon it.”
Harriet had no time to reply. A clamoring arose. Suddenly, the door burst open. Alfred rushed in. “Lord Daneford returns…with the young one.”
“Victoria!” Harriet cried and raced out of the room, followed closely by Aunt Eleanor.
Harriet halted abruptly in the foyer. The entrance doors opened wide while the wind and rain whipped throughout the hall. Her heart stopped as Arthur walked into the manor, holding Victoria.
Never had she seen him look so disheveled: water-soaked, his face scratched and bruised. His coat ripped; he had lost his hat. But it was not Arthur her eyes fixed upon.
Victoria! Harriet’s head swirled; her chest heaved with difficultly. Her daughter lay so still…motionless in Arthur’s arms, drenched. Marks on her wrist and face indicated she had been bound.
Praying fervently, Harriet uttered weakly, “Is she…she isn’t…?”
“She is alive,” Arthur said. “But I will not mince my words, Harriet. I have already sent for the doctor. Come.”
Arthur said nothing else, but carried their silent daughter up the stairs. Harriet followed.
Chapter Ten
The chamber was cool and dark. Despite the change into dry clothing and the fire burning, a chill encompassed Arthur. He stood helplessly at the foot of the bed, while his daughter lay quiet. The little one seemed so small and fragile. Arthur thought his heart’s strings had been pulled in the past, but nothing prepared him for the ache that lived in him for the child…his child. Never had he felt so helpless.
Etched in his heart forever was that gut-wrenching moment he dove into the dark, murky water, his vision blurred by the wind and rain. Diving into the water, he found the visibility no better. Then, in desperation, he stretched his arms and reached out into the unknown. Sinking into the deep, Arthur grasped hold of something solid. Thank God in heaven he had found his daughter!
In the midst of the storm, he laid Victoria down on the riverbank, not knowing if she was alive or dead. Quickly, he dispensed with the gag and the rope around her hands. He couldn’t tell whether she was breathing until he began to shake her. She coughed, at first small coughs, and then more forceful until she threw up.
The fury of the storm had been unleashed. Time had become of the essence. All seemed eternity, fighting the blustering winds and flurry of rain until he arrived back at the manor.
He laid the child down on her mother’s bed, but it was clear his daughter was a sick child. Her breathing was shallow; all color drained from her face. So small and fragile. She seemed like a sleeping angel swallowed in the massive bed.
Now, there was nothing more to do but wait. The doctor said there was nothing more that he could do.
"Not only was there the water intake to be concerned with. It is the fall. The impact. Her back is bruised. We will see if she awakens. I have seen cases where they wake up as if they had been napping. All well and good. But then I have seen it where they never regain consciousness. I’m afraid only time will tell. It is out of my hands."
The ominous words of the doctor echoed with Arthur. He hated it—this waiting. He glanced around the room. No one had left the manor, not even the doctor. He realized that no one would be leaving…not until Victoria was out of danger.
Harriet had not left the little one’s side. Nor did he suspect she would.
The whole of Harriet’s being reflected in her eyes. He saw well the fear that lived where once there was a sparkle. Her swollen, reddened eyes focused on her child. Her trembling hands constantly reached over and caressed Victoria’s face.
“She can’t die. She is all I have…all I live for.” Harriet’s voice trembled. “I have nothing else. God cannot be so cruel.” Her tear-stained eyes rose upward and pleaded. “Please, God, do not take her from me. Forgive me…take me… Please…not my baby…” Her voice faded into silent tears.
There was a slight knock on the open door. Carlisle had returned. From the look upon his face, Arthur comprehended quickly he wasn’t going to like what he heard.
Carlisle walked over to the far side of the room and gestured for Arthur to join him. Arthur ran his hand over his mouth. Reaching over, he gently squeezed Harriet’s shoulder before he joined Carlisle. In a strange way, he found comfort with her acceptance of his presence.
Crossing across the room, Arthur realized that Carlisle had been busy over the last few hours. From the look of him, Carlisle had changed hastily. Arthur had never seen his friend dressed in anything but immaculate fashion, never a cravat tied crooked or shirt undone. Carlisle hadn’t even bothered with a waistcoat.
“Victoria?”
“There has been no change.” Arthur frowned. “You have news?”
Carlisle shook his head and explained. “We have yet to locate Padgett. The magistrate, Sir Malcolm, believes he may have well have drowned, but I won’t believe that until I see a body.
“Though, now the weather has broken, the search will begin in earnest.”
Arthur frowned. He had given no thought to the man the moment he jumped into the river. He had realized that Padgett, himself unbalanced, must have fallen into the river after his descent. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had heard a splash, but nothing else. The whole of his attention was bent on saving his daughter.
“If he still lives, I will find him,” Arthur said, sighing heavily. “What of his belongings? Have they been searched?”
“I went over to the house myself and confiscated his personal effects. The room was quite sparse. I found a bundle of letters in a hidden drawer.”
“And…” Arthur pressed.
“It was as you suspected. This Gracious One seems to have been in touch with Padgett. From a quick glance, it seems the two have plotted against Harriet for quite a while. Seems Padgett was set to blame the gypsies. Quite an ingenious plan.” Carlisle paused, glancing over at the bed. “He seems to have known the rumors about the gypsy curse and Harriet, which says he knew well who she was. I believe he wanted us to discover the other letters.
“It gives no indication of the reason for the abduction or what he had planned to do with Victoria. I would wager he met with this Gracious One while in London on his last visit.” Carlisle paused and took a deep breath inward. “It seems he was not who we thought, which is my fault. I should have looked more thoroughly into his background.”
“It’s not your fault,” Arthur assured his friend. “Go eat and rest. Send the letters to me. I will read over them while I wait. This Gracious One has played me for the last time. It goes no further. Now it is I who seeks the Gracious One and be assured, he will rue the day.”
“Arthur.”
Arthur turned to find Harriet standing beside him. The way she said his name made him go silent for a moment. Finally, he asked, “Do have need of anything?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “I want to talk with you…alone.”
Arthur nodded. What brought on the need to talk at this time? Had she heard their conversation? He gestured to Carlisle to withdraw. Carlisle understood and said no more.
Carlisle went to dear sweet Aunt Eleanor and took her arm. “Come, we will get some tea.”
Neither spoke as they walked past him. Aunt Eleanor gave him a tentative smile, but beneath the smile she couldn’t hide the sadness in her eyes. Arthur watched them disappear out of the room. A lump choked his throat. He wished to God this shrouding darkness enveloping this room would lift.
In silence, he turned to Harriet. She looked like a child herself, vulnerable and exposed.
“She will be fine,” he said. “She will wake and give you that devilish grin. Give it time. She will live. She is a fighter like her mother.”
“She is, isn’t she?” She looked at him in a pleading way, as if begging to hear anything that would give her hope.
; “She is,” he said gently.
“I needed to talk to you. Needed to thank you for saving her.” She paused, trying to regain her composure. Her chest heaved, as if a pillar of stone weighed heavily upon her. She broke down. “I’ve tried to give her the life she deserves. I have failed…if anything happens to her…I will never forgive myself.”
“It is not your fault, Harriet. The child is vivacious, lively, and happy because of you.”
“But she isn’t safe. Look at what has happened. I refused any other consideration when I found I was with child. Do you not understand I realized that most in the position I found myself in would have given her up? It would have been your duty to find a home for the child…without me. I was selfish. I had nothing else.
“I created a fantasy. I thought we could be happy and I could give her the life she deserves…a respectable life. How wrong could I have been! I’ve killed her…my selfishness…I thought only of myself. I couldn’t lose her, too. I didn’t want to be alone.”
“You have never been alone, Harriet.”
Pressing her lips together tightly, she shook her head. Tears streamed down her face. “I have never been so alone. I deserve my fate…but not Victoria.”
Arthur grasped hold of Harriet and looked straight into her eyes. “No, Victoria doesn’t deserve this to have happened to her. Neither do you. Understand, Harriet, you are not alone.”
“Do not start on me, Arthur. You wanted me, but do not play me for a fool any longer. We were never meant to be…you and me.”
“Why…why do you continually harp upon this? I told you what happened was my fault. If I hadn’t believe Grandfather when he told me you betrayed me…left me for another.”
Suddenly, she unleashed her pent-up frustration. Never had he seen such wrath come from her. “Why? Why did you? I gave you my word…my word I would wait for you forever,” she said forcibly. She pushed him back. “You should have known I would not have betrayed you. You should have looked for me…if you loved me…you would have searched for me! You should have looked for me.”
Seductive Lies Page 15
