A Debt From the Past (18 page)

Beth gazed from her friend to the man covered in mud, and she was stunned. They were laughing and joking with each other like old friends.

Squelching his way over to them, James was still smiling broadly when he reached them. ‘May I ask what brings you here?’

‘We wondered if we might have a look at the work you are doing to turn this into a school?’ Beth couldn’t help smiling, joining in the light-hearted fun.

‘Yes, of course, but, as you can see, I am in no state to give you a guided tour. I’m sure Becks will be happy to show you around, though.’

‘Thank you. And I must say that this is a very worthy use for such a large mansion.’

‘If you are interested, Lady Helen, I will show you the plans – when I’m in a more presentable state, of course.’

‘I would like that.’

They found Mr Becks in the entrance hall, a smile on his face as he surveyed the work being carried out, and he eagerly agreed to show them round.

Helen was clearly enthralled by the idea of this rambling mansion being turned into a school, and she asked many questions, which Becks answered with enthusiasm.

Beth, however, was looking at the building with different eyes. She had always wondered why her godfather had bought this place, as it was far too large for a bachelor. He must have been quite a young man at the time, and he had never talked about it as a home; in fact, he spent as little time as possible here. Would he approve of it being turned into a school?

As they walked from room to room, she was overwhelmed with the certainty that he would be delighted. Yes, he would be happy to see his son putting it to such good use. That thought brought Beth up with a start. When had she started to accept that James was indeed Lord Sharland’s legitimate son? And he must be or he would never have inherited the title. This realization had come upon her so suddenly, and it was clear that her fear had kept her from admitting this obvious truth. She must still be cautious, of course, until she could discover his motives.

‘Isn’t this exciting, Beth?’ Helen said. ‘I think Edward would approve, don’t you?’

‘Yes, I’m sure he would.’ She smiled at Becks, who, along with his wife, had been with her godfather for many years. ‘Will you and Mrs Becks have a role in this new venture?’

‘Oh, yes, Miss Elizabeth. We’re to be the caretakers and see that the young boys have everything they need.’ His smile couldn’t get any wider. ‘We’re to have our own quarters and a large increase in salary.’

‘That is splendid.’

‘Ah, it is. And his lordship has been taking an interest in our Charlie – teaching him things. He’s a bright boy and loves books, and if he gets good enough, he might be able to attend the school. He’s very excited about that prospect, and so are we.’

‘Really?’ Helen looked surprised. ‘But surely the fees for a school like this will be high?’

‘No, my lady.’ Becks was shaking his head. ‘His lordship isn’t charging. He’s going to take clever boys who can’t afford to pay.’

‘No fees at all?’ Beth could hardly believe a school could be run like that.

‘That’s quite right, Elizabeth,’ said a quiet voice from behind them. ‘Crazy, isn’t it?’

They spun round, and Beth gasped, ‘Oh, Mr Edgemont, we didn’t hear you approaching.’

‘My apologies if I startled you.’

Mr Becks grinned. ‘Mr Edgemont moves like a panther, my wife says.’

‘I would agree with that.’ Beth turned her attention to the tall man. ‘And are you to become a part of this crazy venture?’

‘I have promised to give James six months of my time when the school is up and running. Then we shall see.’

‘Mr Edgemont is to teach the boys riding and other physical skills,’ Mr Becks explained.

‘Other skills?’ said Beth, an amused expression on her face. ‘That should be interesting.’

Dan tipped his head back and laughed. ‘Nothing violent, I assure you, but the boys must learn how to take care of themselves.’

As Beth studied Daniel Edgemont intently for the first time, she realized that she was drawn to him. He was an impressive man, in a quiet way, and appeared to be someone you could depend upon. No wonder James had been pleased to have him here.

‘Ah, good, you’re back.’ James reached them by taking the stairs two at a time. ‘We need your strength for the next part of the work.’

Dan’s glance swept over his friend’s dishevelled state and he raised his eyebrows. ‘Have you been taking a mud bath?’

‘It’s great fun. You’ll enjoy it.’

‘You’ve always had the strangest idea of fun – and it always involves hard work.’

They grinned at each other, obviously sharing a private joke. Dan had begun to unbutton his jacket when there was a commotion in the hall below them.

James glanced over the banister and cursed under his breath. ‘Oh, hell, it’s Gresham.’

The man James had been doing his best to avoid hurried up the stairs. ‘Lady Helen, Miss Langton – what a pleasant surprise to find you here. I heard about the work going on and thought I might be lucky enough to catch Lord Sharland.’

‘Sir Peter.’ Beth inclined her head slightly, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Dan had disappeared. She also doubted that anyone would think the workman standing with them was James, and, as he remained silent, she took a chance. ‘He was here a while ago, but I’m not sure where he is now.’

‘Still being elusive,’ he said, not hiding his disgusted tone.

‘He has much to do.’ Beth looked James straight in the eyes. ‘Thank you for your report, George. I will tell his lordship that things are progressing well. Now, you had better get back to work.’

‘Thank you, miss,’ he replied in a rough accent and then hurried down the stairs.

Gresham watched James leave with a look of distaste on his florid face. ‘I’m surprised you allow anyone in that state into the house.’

‘The field he is working in is a sea of mud,’ Helen explained sweetly. ‘And, as you can see, there is dirt and rubble everywhere. It isn’t possible to carry out major renovations like this without making a mess.’

‘No, no, of course not.’ Gresham turned his attention to Mr Becks, who had remained silent throughout this exchange. ‘Do you know where I might find your master?’

‘I couldn’t say precisely, sir. He could be anywhere on the premises.’ If Becks found this subterfuge puzzling, he didn’t comment, and did not even offer to go and find James.

‘Would you like us to show you round, Sir Peter?’ Beth smiled with enthusiasm. ‘It is going to be a splendid school when it is all finished.’

He brushed a speck of dust from his jacket sleeve. ‘I don’t have the time to spare at the moment. Perhaps another time.’

‘Of course.’

‘I will bid you good day.’

They waited in silence until they heard his horse gallop away, and then the three of them began to laugh.

‘That was excellently done,’ said a quiet voice behind them.

‘It certainly was. You could use Elizabeth’s and Helen’s talents at times, Dan.’

At the sight of James standing beside Dan, Beth exclaimed, ‘How did you get up here?’

‘I used a ladder to reach the room Dan was hiding in. We were relieved Gresham didn’t take you up on your offer to show him around; otherwise, we would both have had to climb down again.’

‘I don’t know how much longer you can keep this up,’ Beth laughed. ‘But I gambled on the hope that he hadn’t recognized you under all that mud.’

‘He isn’t sure what I look like, so he’s doing his best to meet me. However –’ he glanced at his friend and grimaced – ‘that was close, Dan.’

‘Does he know
you
, Mr Edgemont?’ Helen asked.

‘Our paths have crossed once,’ he replied dryly.

‘And if he finds out you are with me, he might bolt again, and that’s the last thing we want.’

‘Then, James, I’d better get myself covered in mud as well,’ Dan said, unbuttoning his jacket.

Smiling broadly, they both bowed. ‘Ladies, if you will excuse us?’

As they made for the stairs, James turned, bowed again and said, ‘Thank you.’

‘What did you find out?’ James asked Dan as soon as they left the house.

‘Welland examined the handwriting carefully and stated that, in his opinion, it was written by the same hand as the one received by your grandfather, but that had been heavily disguised.’

‘In his opinion? That doesn’t sound very definite.’

‘What did you expect, James? I told you from the start that you would not obtain the proof you needed in this way. The man was not going to make his demands in a letter that could easily be traced back to him. Welland is an expert and did his best, but the letter is thirty years old.’

‘I know.’ James rested his hands on the fence by the muddy field and took a deep breath. ‘Sorry, Dan. Please thank Welland for me.’

‘I have already done so.’ Dan leant against the fence and studied his friend. ‘What are we going to do now?’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Leave the past where it belongs, and get on with your life.’

‘I can’t do that.’ James shook his head. ‘I made a promise.’

Dan swore under his breath. ‘If your father was here now, I’d stick his head in that mud until he allowed you to withdraw that promise. What the hell was the man thinking? All he had was a suspicion that Gresham was the man he had been after, but he didn’t have one tiny shred of proof.’

‘Ah, but he didn’t have you to help him.’ James grinned. ‘He told me to make sure I enlisted your services.’

‘Oh, did he? And then he left me a letter just to make sure I did get involved.’

‘He wasn’t taking any chance that you would refuse,’ James grinned. ‘Impossible tasks are your speciality. So – seriously – what should we do next?’

‘There’s only one way open to you now, and that is to confront Gresham and get a confession from him.’

James stood upright, a look of utter disbelief on his face. ‘You’re not serious?’

Dan nodded.

‘And while he’s telling me he ruined my family for monetary gain, shall I ask him if he killed my mother’s loyal coachman?’

‘That would be helpful.’

‘Helpful?’ James tipped his head back and gave a harsh laugh. ‘Oh, I’m sure he would send himself to the gallows, or add another victim to his list – me!’

‘I’ll be with you.’

‘How comforting!’

‘I’ve got one more piece of advice,’ he said, ignoring his friend’s sarcastic tone. ‘You owe those two girls an explanation. For some odd reason, they are protecting you without knowing why it is necessary, and yet Elizabeth Langton is terrified you are here to ruin her. You should never have involved her in this.’

‘I had no choice. My father made me Elizabeth’s guardian and told me to move in here until she reached the age of twenty-one, or until this damned business had been finally dealt with. He wanted to make sure that once we started investigating she would be perfectly safe. Gresham is vindictive enough to turn his anger on anyone connected to the Sharlands. And Elizabeth’s father knew the whole story, so Gresham might think he told his daughter.’

Dan nodded. ‘I agree that does make a difference.’

James nodded. ‘I can’t tell them anything yet because that might put them in greater danger. What I’ve got to do is get them away from here. If Gresham suspects we are closing in, then things could get unpleasant. Somehow I’ve got to persuade them to stay in London with Alice.’

‘Good luck with that,’ Dan said dryly.

‘I’ll need it.’ There was a call from the men in the field. ‘Come on, Dan. Help is needed out there. Time to get you covered in mud.’

The next four weeks were peaceful, and Beth began to breathe more easily. After their meeting with Sir Peter Gresham at the Sharland mansion, the atmosphere had been almost friendly. Almost, she thought wryly, for James was still aloof, never allowing himself to unbend too much in her company. Helen was the only one able to make him relax. He appeared to gain great pleasure explaining to her his plans for the school, and she was showing a lot of enthusiasm for the scheme. He was a different man with Daniel and Alex, and they could often be heard joking and fooling together.

James was still a mystery to her, and she was becoming increasingly confused about his motives, but Daniel was also an enigma. No matter how she puzzled over it, she could not fathom what he was, or how he was involved in the Sharland mystery – for that was how she now labelled it.

‘I miss Alice.’ Helen came in and sat down, looking to see if there was still tea in the pot and then pouring herself a cup.

‘So do I, but she must have been happy to leave her boys – as she calls them – to visit her friends in London. They have been quiet of late. The three of them have been spending most of their time working on the school, and there has been no sign of Gresham. Do you think they’ve given up on whatever they were trying to find out?’

‘I doubt that.’ Helen looked thoughtful. ‘Whatever the problem is with the Sharland family, I don’t think James will rest until it is settled.’

‘No, of course you’re right.’ Beth sighed. ‘I was beginning to hope that we might get through the next few months without any trouble. And no mention has been made of a season in London again, so perhaps that has been forgotten.’

Helen laughed at her friend’s hopeful expression. ‘Alice isn’t only in London to visit friends, Beth. She’s also there to make final arrangements for our stay and to start gathering invitations for social events.’

‘Oh no!’ Beth groaned. ‘I will refuse to choose a husband in that way. If I ever marry, it will have to be to a man I love and respect, not someone who will court me for the estate I own.’

‘I agree that it will be a very big enticement to many young gentlemen. With my situation being common knowledge, however, I am certain that I will not be besieged with offers.’ Helen didn’t look at all sorry about that prospect. ‘But we can enjoy the dancing and social events. We shall give the gossips plenty to tattle about, for I am sure that the happenings here have been circulating for some time.’

The girls burst into laughter, and Beth said, ‘You are quite right again, Helen. Our appearance in society will set the tongues wagging, and all will be consumed with curiosity.’