“Yes, could you harness up the cart for us to use, please?” Rupert asked.
“At once, my lord, I will fetch Gramps,” the groom replied.
“Gramps?” Rupert asked.
“Name of our cart-horse, my lord. I think it is because he is a grumpy old curmudgeon. Reminded old Amos, who was head groom before me of his grandfather I gather,” John Cutler said, tugging his forelock.
He headed off and returned with a smallish pied cart horse, who seemed obedient enough but had a disgruntled look on his long face. The men laughed because he did look like a cantankerous old man, although he seemed to move well enough. He did try to kick out once as he was put in the traces, but then seemed to gloomily settle down.
“Do you want to ride or sit on the bench while I drive, my lord,” Major William asked.
“Ride, I think and we need some old blankets or an oilcloth to cover the chests and some rope to secure them safely,” Rupert replied.
“I’ll saddle Nimrod for you, my lord, shall I?” John Cutler suggested.
“Yes please, thank you, John.”
The men had already saddled two horses and O’Neill and Johnson mounted them. John led out Nimrod and Rupert vaulted aboard his large black stallion.
“Major, if I might have a word before you leave?” John diffidently requested.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Cutler?”
“Only if your missus minds that yesterday, Nimrod got into her fancy mare’s stall…”
The major walked around Rupert’s horse, which he had considered his finest possession before inheriting the estate.
“He has fine points and good conformation. I am not sure if I should offer a stud fee or just be grateful,” the major laughed.
“I don’t suppose Nimrod is complaining. She’s a very pretty mare…” Rupert said back. “We are not going to fall out over nature taking its course, are we, William?”
“Certainly not, my lord. We can consider the matter further if there is a foal. Something like sharing the sale price might settle the matter?”
They set off for the road when they were fully organised. Cooper sat beside the major on the cart’s box. Gramps was steady but slow but eventually they reached the point in the road where the gate to the old road stood. The land was fenced and was part of the home farm, although the fields were currently closely cropped and growing only grass. The first part of the road was utilised as an additional farm lane and was relatively clear of weeds as it was used at least during the harvest season. From some distance in the road split, one fork heading to the home farm, and the old road wove its way up the hill, but it was very overgrown and more difficult for Gramps to drag the cart over.
It was a bumpy ride for Cooper and the Major, but the road was not impassable and they finally reached the old chapel. Rupert unlocked the doors, lit the lantern, and took them down to the crypt. He unlocked the tomb and slid the top to one side. They lifted out the coffin and slats and then heaved the three chests out. The first was the heaviest, but Johnson and O’Neill were strong men who made it look easy and carried it up to the vestry. Johnson stayed in the vestry with rifle at ready in case of interruption. Johnson and O’Neill lifted out the other two chests and then the major helped Rupert to replace the slats and coffin. The three chest were loaded up on the cart and lashed in place. Rupert locked everything up behind him and put out the lamp. Then they set off down the old road again.
Gramps seemed to pick up speed when they were back on the proper road, probably because he recognised the route home to a nice warm stable. When they reached the Manor, Rupert directed them to a side door which he unlocked, and between them they carried in the chests to the library. When the cart was unloaded, they handed it over to Seth Brown who came out to help deal with the cart.
“Thank you, well, that is that job done,” Rupert said, relieved. He intended to tuck the chests into the secret room by himself until the jeweller wrote or arrived.
Rupert walked to the entrance hall and shed his outer garments. He had dressed in his oldest clothes, so went upstairs to wash and change. Farrant knocked on his bedroom door, just as he was finishing tying his cravat.
“Excuse me, my lord, but Sir Cuthbert Addison has sent a message and there is a person who has arrived by the name of Riviere.”
“Good, show the gentleman into the front drawing room and offer him refreshments. Say I apologize for keeping him waiting and will be down in a few minutes.”
Rupert read the note Sir Cuthbert had written, or perhaps dictated to his clerk.
Dear Lord Rogers
The felon Maurice Rogers was traced to Frome, but regrettably, he slipped out before we could arrest him. I promise that this matter has my full attention and am doing everything possible to apprehend him and bring him to justice. Please take every precaution until he can be taken.
Your obedient servant
Cuthbert Addison, Baronet.
It was not a satisfying letter, but at least Sir Cuthbert was still looking for Maurice which might cramp his style somewhat. Rupert headed downstairs and entered the drawing room. Mr. Riviere was a dapper small man of uncertain years, who clearly aimed for a fashionable look without being seen as too ostentatious.
“Thank you for coming so quickly, Mr Riviere. I wish you to understand that this matter is very confidential and it was on Sir Cuthbert Addison’s recommendation that I asked for your assistance,” Rupert said feeling a bit of a pompous oaf saying it.
“Of course, my lord. The Rivieres have always treated the matter of client confidentiality of utmost importance. You can trust that any matter you wish to discuss will be kept totally secret.”
“I have some articles I wish you to value for me. This may be a slightly unusual commission. Could you come this way, please?” Rupert led the jeweller to the library where the Major was guarding the chests, holding his rifle, in the direction of the door as it opened.
“It’s all right Major, this is the jeweller Mr Riviere I sent for. Do you want to see what is in the chests?”
“Do I? Yes of course I do, after Cuthbert’s tale and lugging them back to the manor, my curiosity is killing me,” the major admitted.
Rupert shut the library door behind him and turned the key in the lock, then strolled over to the first chest and opened it. There were gasps of surprise from both the jeweller and the major.
“Bloody hell, you’re as rich as Midas!” The major blurted out and then apologized for his language.
“I am staggered, my lord. When you said it was confidential and might be a little unusual I assumed you were in financial difficulties and needed to sell some family jewels, or possible sell and have paste copies made…” The jeweller uttered and then covered his mouth as if he had lapsed from his usual diplomatic decorum.
The jeweller bent over the open chest and lifted out a coin.
“Islamic and definitely gold but I will have to test one, to confirm the gold content. Then on a solely gold value, I should give you an estimate of what they are worth. Do all three chests contain the same coins?”
“No; still intrigued, Major?”
“Best show in town, I heard your great-uncle was eccentric and towards the end of his life got a bit miserly, but I never thought he was hiding a treasure of this magnitude.”
Rupert bent and opened the second chest. The one with the bags of gems.
Chapter 13
Rupert pulled out three of the small bags at random. He untied the first and tipped it out on the middle of his desk, bright green stones, the size of his thumbnail cascaded out. There was an audible gasp from the jeweller and he could see that William was trying hard not to react. He untied the second bag, and clear white diamonds of a similar size sparkled as they fell onto the mahogany of his desk. He opened the third bag, this one did not contain stones, instead pearls of great size rolled out and Rupert had to move to prevent a couple from falling on the floor. There was silence until the Major quietly asked, “Do all those bags con
tain jewels?”
“I assume so, I only opened two bags when I found the treasure,” Rupert said, staring at the gems and pearls.
It took the jeweller all day to examine and itemise the gems and jewellery then to count the coins. He had arrived in a rented carriage from Frome, having caught the Mail from Bath. He was put up for the night and driven to Frome in time to catch the return Mail coach from London on route to Bath.
He had told Rupert, “The gold coins will be no problem to sell as I doubt they have historical value. But the gems should be sold gradually, so they do not flood the market and lower the price. The jewellery will find a good market, when you decide what you want to keep.”
Mr. Riviere suggested a ten percent commission on the sale of the gold and gems, taking away only one gold coin to assess its gold value, but promising to make arrangements with a bank in London to store the gems and gold coins until sale could be arranged.”
Rupert and the major transferred the chests to the secret room but the major slept on the sofa in the library overnight and the room was kept locked, with one of his men inside when Rupert or the major were not in the room.
A letter from Lord Hansard arrived on the following day together with a note from the vicar, confirming tersely that he would read the banns on Sunday, which would be the last Sunday in Advent. That morning Cooper had reported to the major that he had found footsteps in the mud in the grounds behind the house, which he was certain were not caused by any of the employees. He had followed the tracks to the road and would continue to keep watch for interlopers.
Rupert was driven around to Verity’s that day and took the letters with him.
“Did everything go well with the jeweller?” she asked him once they were alone in the small intimate parlour.
“He gave me a provisional figure for the gems, wanted to check the gold value of the coins before giving a firm figure for them and I think you should choose which of the jewellery you want to keep, before we sell those you do not like,” Rupert told her naming the provisional estimates he had been given.
Verity gasped. “You are terribly wealthy. You must be glad you won’t have to marry to save your estate.”
“Ah, my sweet, that wasn’t a worry once I met you. Even if we did not find it, only you would be my bride. I would have found away, even if it meant working the fields myself. And do not forget with your fifteen percent you are also wealthy.”
The smile she gave him was tender and full of promises. “Ninety percent in love,” Verity whispered. “And I would have worked those fields with you.”
A dark feeling swept over him then, and Rupert sat on the armchair of the sofa and pulled her between his splayed thighs.
What if…
It was hard to even think it, but what if everything blooming between them were to be ripped away? He could not shake the unsettling feeling that they might lose each other. “Maurice is still out there, and I just got this awful feeling that he might do something that will irrevocably alter us,” Rupert said gruffly, his fingers tightening on her hips.
She gasped, and the pulse fluttered at the base of her throat. For a moment wild fear entered her eyes before it disappeared. “I do not believe that,” she said fiercely. “We will not let him!”
Her spirited defiance warmed him. Verity cupped his cheeks, kissed him, and with a jolt he realized she was comforting him against the very unexpected fears.
Their passion flared bright and hot. Rupert stood and guided her to the sofa and sat, tumbling her into his lap. And he never stopped kissing her. Not wanting to make love to her in a hurried fashion, he broke their kiss and they rested their foreheads against each other.
“The next time I take you will be in our marriage bed,” he said a bit hoarsely.
Desire beat at him and he was so very tempted to ravish her now. He sought for any safe topic to speak about, but he did not ease her from his lap. Rupert wanted to feel her soft weight against him.
“Actually, I wanted to show you a letter from your brother and from the vicar and to ask if I can drive you and your ladies to the church on Sunday, to hear our banns being read.” He held out the letter from her brother.
Dear Lord Rogers
If Verity says she will have you, welcome to the family. May I invite you both for the Christmas festivities, if you arrive on the 22nd that would be ideal. We are expecting a small party. You can inform me then of the date of your wedding.
Faithfully,
There followed a squiggle which Rupert assumed was her brother’s signature.
“The rest of the letter was legible, so it must have been written by his secretary,” Verity laughed when he pointed it out.
His visit was brief, largely because the major was concerned about the dangers of him being attacked again. Rupert spent some time planning for his wedding, as they intended to hold a reception following their marriage at Ellesmere Manor.
On Sunday morning Rupert arrived once more at Lady Verity’s home, his carriage had Cooper on the box with Tom Coachman and Johnson up behind. Rupert was alone in the carriage, as Major William had stayed back to guard the library. He had kept O’Neill with him as extra security as Cooper had seen more foot prints and caught a glimpse of a large man. He had fired off a shot but the man had bolted and got away.
“I don’t know whether it is Maurice’s suspected co-conspirator seeking to kill you, or that word has got out about the treasure and a thief was trying to case the manor, so for now I would prefer if we keep a presence in the house until this Maurice is taken and then we can carefully take the gold and gems to a bank in London,” the major had explained.
“You know more about keeping things secure than I do. I will enjoy accompanying three beautiful ladies,” he had said with a grin.
Rupert had descended with Cooper and Johnson’s guarded permission and handed the ladies into the carriage. Lucia was wearing a mantilla with a black veil, and a large silver cross around her neck, which Rupert assumed was to assert her Catholic beliefs in a heretic establishment. She also carried her rifle. As she boarded, Evans sprang on board and sat beside Miss Herriot, with their backs to the horses. Both Lucia and Evans kept their eyes scanning the road and countryside as they headed for the church.
Rupert tried to chat with Verity but the realisation of the threat, dampened their mood and they lapsed into silence. They travelled to the church and Rupert handed the ladies down although Evans and Lucia reluctantly left their rifles in the coach. Johnson stayed with the carriage, but Cooper slipped into the church and sat at the back.
The church was fairly full and Lady Verity and Miss Herriot greeted their acquaintances and introduced Lucia and Rupert to those who at least pretended to gentry within the community. Sir Cuthbert was in the church and spoke briefly with Rupert and Verity, then he spent some time talking to Mary Herriot. Rupert noticed that Mary blushed and giggled as the portly magistrate was clearly flirting with her.
“Verity, Sir Cuthbert is a widower, isn’t he?”
“Yes, his wife died three years’ ago of some illness, the had been delicate for some years.”
They sat in the Ellesmere pew and suffered through the service. The hymns were bearable, but the vicar clearly loved the sound of his own voice and there was a lot of shuffling in the pews as his sermon neared the hour mark in length.
“I think we should do something about replacing the vicar before our wedding, this man is a dead bore,” Rupert whispered to Verity, who sat beside him chastely holding his hand.
She covered her mouth to suppress a giggle and turned it into a slight cough in reply. The vicar finally read the notices including publishing the banns for their marriage and then a final hymn and some recessional music for the choir and vicar to process to the vestry by.
They stood up and Lady Verity and Miss Herriot made their goodbyes and accepted the congratulations of their well-wishers. The people trouped out, running the gauntlet of shaking the vicar’s hand. He made a point of congra
tulating them while wearing a miserable scowl on his face. They were grateful to escape and waited in the porch as Cooper dashed to have the carriage brought round.
It took a little time before the carriage came around, as there were others trying to board their transportations. Despite their caution, no one really expected anything to happen outside the church and they boarded safely and set off once more for Ellesmere Manor. Rupert had invited them to eat, promising to escort the ladies to have them driven to Lady Verity’s before it got dark.
The roads were not particularly busy as it was Sunday, there being no real farm or business traffic. It was sleeting gently and Rupert felt some sympathy for the men on the box and Johnson huddled up behind. Ellesmere Manor came into sight and they all breathed a sigh of relief. They began the turn into the drive and the leaders pulling the carriage reared up, neighing in panic. Tom Coachman pulled up the horse and tossed the reins to Cooper as he went to check on his horses. Both leaders, were preferring their back hooves and clearly lifting their leading foot in some agony. Crooning quietly to the horses, he calmed them down and then bent to examine the right-hand horse’s foot.
“Caltrops, my lord, we are under att…” he yelled, plucking out a small metal contraption, but he was clubbed to the ground by a large ugly man, whose misshapen nose indicated his former profession.
Cooper hefted his rifle and shot the heavy-set man, although as the horses were clearly unsettled, shaking the carriage, it hit low in the man’s belly. He was amazed the horses had not bolted. Then the carriage came under fire from the shelter of a nearby hedge.
Rupert grabbed Verity and dropped down onto the carriage floor while Evans fired at the shooter.
“Down, Mary!” Rupert said sharply.
Miss Herriot quickly joined them on the floor of the carriage. Rupert grabbed and cocked one of the pistols but he could not see anything to shoot at.
“Rupert…” Verity began shakily, and he squeezed her fingers reassuringly.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Secret : a Christmas collection of historical romance (Have Yourself a Merry Little... Book 2) Page 117
