A Debt From the Past (19 page)

‘We shall not be lacking invitations, I think.’

At that moment they heard a carriage arrive at speed – and then raised voices. They rushed down the stairs and out of the front entrance to see what all the fuss was about.

James was standing in front of an elderly gentleman who was leaning heavily on a cane. The two men were confronting each other angrily.

‘Get back in your carriage. You are not welcome here!’

Beth couldn’t believe her eyes. The elderly man was so weary he could hardly stand, and the horses were lathered after being driven to their limit. Alex had arrived and was looking equally angry. Daniel had also appeared as if out of nowhere and stood slightly back from the others, but his presence was immediately felt.

The man glared at him. ‘So you’re here as well! I might have guessed.’

Daniel simply inclined his head, giving a respectful bow and saying nothing.

‘I told you to leave!’ James growled, clearly furious.

When the man swayed slightly, Beth couldn’t stand by any longer. She pushed her way forward and caught hold of the elderly man’s arm. Helen was there at once as well, and they both steadied him.

Beth glared at James. ‘This is still my house and I will say who can stay! This gentleman is clearly in need of rest, and those poor animals must have attention.’

Young Tom was already soothing the exhausted horses, and Beth’s staff had gathered ready to help if needed. She gave orders for a room to be made ready, food and brandy supplied, and the animals taken care of.

With herself and Helen either side of the elderly visitor, Beth pushed the men aside. ‘Out of my way!’

Stanley, the footman, had to help them up the stairs with their guest, and they soon had him settled in a comfortable chair, with a blanket over his legs and a large glass of brandy in his shaking hands.

Helen was making sure he was feeling better, and Beth was relieved to see some colour return to his face. He had been deadly white, and she had feared he was about to collapse. And that heartless guardian of hers had been ordering him to leave when neither the man nor the horses were in a fit state to take another step. It was unbelievable! There was no excuse for such callous behaviour. This man – whoever he was – had clearly been in need of help.

‘You, girl!’

Beth had been checking that the bed was ready and turned her head to see who had spoken so rudely.

‘Who the devil are you?’

She bristled with indignation at his tone of voice and was in no mood to endure more bad manners. She left what she was doing and walked over to him. ‘I am Elizabeth Langton, and the devil has nothing to do with my identity, sir! You are in my house and you may call me Elizabeth or Beth – I answer to both. I shall not respond to “girl” again.’

He surveyed her through narrowed eyes, and then the corners of his mouth twitched just a fraction. ‘Ah, you stood your ground against my grandsons. That shows me you have spirit. Admirable.’

He did not utter a word of thanks or apology, and Beth couldn’t stop the next words tumbling out. ‘It would seem, sir, that rudeness is a family trait. Now, may I ask what you are doing here, and why your grandsons are so angry?’

‘I am here to take Alexander back where he belongs, and James hates me with a passion. Where’s Alice?’

‘Alice is in London with friends. What have you done to make James hate you so much?’

‘None of your damned business! Send for Alice.’

‘I will do no such thing, sir. You have just told me that your family squabbles are not my business, so, as soon as you are well enough, you might care to join her in London. Until then we will see to your needs, and you may stay until you are fully recovered. I will send for a physician to make sure you are not suffering from anything more than fatigue.’

‘I don’t need a blasted physician!’

‘While you are in my care, you will do as I say, sir! Stanley, send Tom for the physician.’

‘At once, Miss Langton.’

‘The bed is ready and warmed for you. Have you brought a valet with you, or would you like one of my staff to help you, sir?’

‘My driver, Hutton, will look after me. There is no need for you to put yourself out further,’ he said sharply. ‘And as you are so set on the correct forms of address, you may call me Your Grace.’

‘Your Grace.’ Beth didn’t even bother to bow her head, showing no sign of shock or awe, for she knew that was exactly what this infuriating man was expecting. She’d had enough of this family, and titles meant nothing to her. Seething, she stormed out of the room and down to the study where she guessed she would find the men.

They were in deep discussion when she stormed in, and they stopped talking the moment the door flew open.

James spun round to face her, and she could see he was still furious, but so was she at this moment. In her shock at the loss of her dear godfather, she had allowed this man to take control over her life and estate, but this was about to end.

‘It would have been polite to knock first,’ James growled.

‘Polite? This is my house, and if I want to enter a room, I will do so without your permission!’ She walked over and faced him, standing toe to toe. ‘That cantankerous old man upstairs is sick. He couldn’t have taken another step, and neither could the horses. How dare you treat man and beasts in that cruel manner?’

‘He isn’t welcome here.’ James had also raised his voice.

‘Neither are you!’ she shouted back. ‘And as soon as your grandfather is fit to travel, you will all leave this house. You will have no more say in my affairs.’

‘The law says otherwise.’

‘I don’t give a damn about the law! You are finished here. You can leave and take your blasted family with you.’

There was a throaty chuckle behind her. ‘That’s right, girl – you tell him.’

She turned and glared at the elderly man who had just entered the room, and saw Helen and the footman rush in right behind him and take hold of his arm. ‘I told you not to address me in that derogatory way. Get back to your room and wait for the physician. You need rest.’

‘A man can’t do that with the two of you shouting at each other. And I want to talk to my grandsons.’

‘Well, you can’t until you are in a fit state to face them without collapsing.’

Stanley had a firm grip on the elderly man now and looked apologetic. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Langton. Her ladyship and I turned our backs for a moment and he was gone. We didn’t catch him in time to stop him coming in here.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ she said. ‘He’s unpredictable – like the rest of his family. Take him back upstairs and lock him in if you have to.’

A smothered laugh came from Alex whose eyes were dancing with amusement. James was still scowling, and Daniel was impassive, as usual.

‘I think I had better do as you say, Elizabeth; I do still feel a little shaky.’ Before leaving the room, he nodded to James. ‘And I think you had better do as she says. It looks as if you have met your match at last. I’ll talk to you later. And stop shouting, the pair of you. I need my rest. The train to London was unbearable, so I finished the journey by coach, and that is exhausting for a man of my age.’

There was silence while the grandfather left the room and the door was closed behind him. Only then did Alex roar with laughter. He gave Beth a smile of respect. ‘That was priceless!’

James glared at him. ‘What’s so damned amusing?’

‘Oh, come on, James. That was the funniest thing I’ve seen for some time. Have you ever seen anyone order Grandfather around like that and get away with it?’

‘I doubt Elizabeth will get away with it. That nasty old man will find a way to get even with her.’

‘He won’t be staying long enough to cause me any more trouble – and neither will you!’ She turned her attention to Daniel, who, as usual, was standing silently in the background. ‘I do not include you in any of this, Mr Edgemont. You have behaved impeccably, and you are welcome in my house.’

He inclined his head and smiled. ‘Thank you, Elizabeth.’

Without another word, Beth spun on her heel and walked out of the room. She had had her say, something she should have done in the beginning, and, to her immense satisfaction, it had given them plenty to think about.

Helen was waiting in Beth’s sitting room and handed her a cup of strong tea as soon as she came in. ‘I think you need that.’

‘I do.’ Beth collapsed into an armchair and drank the hot brew gratefully. ‘I’ve told them to leave.’

‘So I heard.’ Helen looked doubtful. ‘Do you think they will?’

‘No, but it felt good to let my anger spill out. I have been docile for far too long, and I am determined to take back control of the estate.’ Beth’s hand shook as she put the cup back on the tray. ‘Has the physician arrived yet?’

‘Yes, he’s examining His Grace at this moment. He’s a duke, by the way.’

‘I don’t care what title he has, Helen. While he is in my house, he will do as he is told.’

Helen hugged her friend, smiling broadly. ‘That’s the girl I grew up with! You’ve been in shock – we’ve both been in shock – but now we are back to normal. Let’s show them they can’t boss us around!’

‘Yes, they are not going to get their own way any longer,’ Beth agreed.

There was a knock on the door and Stanley looked in. ‘Doctor Gregson, Miss Langton.’

She knew the man who walked in very well; he had been their family doctor for many years. ‘How is he?’ she asked.

‘He’s tired after a long journey, that’s all. Apart from that he seems to be in good health. A couple of days of rest and he will be fine.’

‘That is good news. Thank you for coming so quickly, Doctor Gregson.’

‘My pleasure, Miss Langton. Call me again if you have any concerns, but I don’t anticipate any problems. Although he’s quite advanced in years, he is still a strong man.’

‘And very determined, from what I’ve seen of him,’ Beth remarked.

The doctor grinned. ‘That is obvious.’

When he had left, Beth sighed and rubbed her temple. ‘What a day!’

‘Why don’t you go for a walk outside, Beth? I’ll see to everything here. A quiet stroll in the fresh air will clear your head.’

‘That’s a lovely idea. I won’t be long, Helen.’

Relieved to be out of the house and away from all the tension vibrating through it, Beth climbed on to the fence, just as she had done as a child, and gazed at the horses in the paddock. It was late afternoon, with a soft breeze ruffling the grass, and she sighed contentedly. How she loved this place! It would break her heart to lose it, and she wondered, not for the first time, how Helen had survived the disaster that had befallen her. But she had, and her courage was undeniable. She had no wealth or material possessions now, but she had the love and respect of those around her, and that was worth more than gold.

One of the horses rolled on the ground and kicked its legs in the air, clearly enjoying the sunshine. Beth laughed and whistled softly in greeting, catching its joyful mood. When it stood up again and began to prance around the field, she called, ‘That’s the idea, Starlight – enjoy yourself.’

The animal finished playing and went back to grazing, and Beth let the peace of the scene wrap around her, content just to sit and watch.

‘This is a lovely spot.’

Beth nearly fell off the fence, startled by the quiet voice behind her. Steadying herself, she turned her head. ‘Mr Edgemont, I didn’t hear you coming, as usual.’

‘Dan – please. Am I disturbing you?’

‘Not at all.’ She smiled and patted the fence beside her. ‘Why don’t you join me?’

‘Thank you.’ In one smooth movement he was sitting next to her. ‘Like you, I have come seeking a little tranquillity.’

‘Are they still arguing?’

Dan’s laugh was amused. ‘James is walking around with a face like thunder, Alex is trying to calm him down – without much success – and Helen is threatening to lock their grandfather in without dinner if he doesn’t behave himself.’

‘And he had better heed her words,’ Beth laughed, ‘because she won’t put up with too much nonsense from him. What on earth did he do to make James hate him so much?’

‘It’s a long story.’ Dan cast a steady glance at her. ‘But it isn’t mine to tell, Elizabeth.’

‘No, of course not. I shouldn’t have asked. But there is one thing I am desperate to know, and I would be grateful if you could give me a truthful answer. This land has been in my family for generations. Could whatever James is involved in be a danger to the estate?’

There was a brief pause before Dan said, with conviction, ‘No, Elizabeth. I will not allow it. James is determined to honour his promise to his father and will not let anything, or anyone, stand in his way. But you can rest assured that I am watching him carefully, as is Alex. If there is the slightest indication that he is neglecting his duty to you, I will forcibly drag him away and Alex will take over. You will not lose your estate.’

Beth was stunned but also heartened by this declaration. She studied the tall man beside her intently. ‘Thank you. That eases my mind, but do you have the power to stop him from acting recklessly?’

‘I do,’ was all he said.

Those two words were said with such conviction that for a moment she was speechless. For some reason she had liked this man from the moment he had arrived; she had felt he could be trusted, although she had nothing to base that conclusion on. But he appeared calm, solid and dependable, whereas James was volatile and unpredictable. ‘Who are you?’ she asked quietly.

He cast her a sideways glance, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. ‘Daniel William George Edgemont, from London, twenty-nine years of age and six feet two inches tall.’

‘That wasn’t what I meant,’ she laughed, ‘and you know it. It is very noticeable that you move almost silently and disappear from time to time. And everyone turns to you for advice. So, what do you do? I’ve heard tales.’

‘Ah, you’ve been listening to Charlie and Tom.’

‘They are convinced you are a spy. Are you?’

‘Young boys have vivid imaginations.’

When he didn’t say anything else, Beth shook her head, still smiling. ‘You’re not going to tell me, are you?’