Call of the Heart (21 page)

It was Royal!

Lalitha knew the sounds he made when he was excited and when he was trying to get to her.

Then she heard Lord Rothwyn say:

“I wonder what is arousing my dog? He seems to sense there must be something behind that wall.” “Rats, Sir!” the man exclaimed, “the ship be riddled with ’em. You have a sporting little beast there.” “Strange that he should be so excited,” Lord Rothwyn said.

Then he raised his voice.

“Officer,” he called, “there is something here I would like to show you.”

“There be nothin’!” the man insisted. “Nothin’ at all! Ye be wasting yer time, Sir.” “I trust my dog’s instinct,” Lord

Rothwyn answered coldly.

There was the sound of two more men approaching and a quiet voice said:

“You wanted me, M’Lord?”

“Yes,” Lord Rothwyn answered. “I think my dog has found something.”

It was then that Lalitha, with a super-human effort which scraped away the skin, freed her hands.

Pulling the gag from her mouth, she tried to scream. Although it was not a loud noise it was still a sound.

Then even as the Revenue Officers opened up the wall Royal jumped into the darkness, yapping with excitement, to lick her face.

She was lifted into the cabin and while her ankles were still tied she was standing upright and Lord Rothwyn had his arms round her.

“Y-you . . . have . . . come!” she cried incoherently, hiding her face against his shoulder. “I . . . knew . . . I was sure ... you would ... hear me ... calling ... you.”

Lalitha gave a semi-conscious little cry of fear, then awoke to find that she was in her own bed at Rothwyn House.

Although the curtains were drawn she could see the dim outline of the white and gold walls, the cupids over the mirror on the dressing-table, and the huge vases of lilies and roses which scented the room.

She was safe! She was home and she need no longer be afraid!

It was hard to remember what had happened since the moment she had found herself held closely in Lord Rothwyn’s arms and she knew that the horror of being carried away from England was over.

Someone had untied the cord from round her ankles, and then Lord Rothwyn had taken his cape from his shoulders and covered her with it.

He had helped her along the narrow passage and up onto the deck of the ship.

She remembered seeing Revenue Officers with pistols in their hands lining up the sailors who manned the ship, but

Lord Rothwyn had hurried her to where she must climb down a rope-ladder and into a small boat.

There was a large Revenue Cutter floating alongside the ship in which she had been abducted and she could see that there were many more men drawn up on deck, all fully armed, so that there could be no question of their being opposed by any sort of violence.

She was too bemused by what had happened to think of anything except that Lord Rothwyn was beside her and she need no longer be afraid that she would never see him again. They were rowed the short distance to a Quay a long way down-river from where they had embarked, but nevertheless there waiting for them was the carriage.

Lord Rothwyn helped Lalitha inside and Royal jumped in to nestle against her, his head in her lap.

It was perhaps the little dog’s demonstration of his affection as she stroked his head which broke the control Lalitha was keeping over herself ever since she had been saved.

Without really thinking about it she turned towards Lord Rothwyn, hid her face against his shoulder, and the tears came.

He held her close as the horses started off and alter a short silence he said gently:

“It is all right! It is all over!”

“I ... knew you would ... save me,” she whispered. “I c-called and called for ... you with my ... heart ... like the poem.”

Her voice was muffled and indistinct with tears and Lord Rothwyn’s arms tightened round her as he replied: “I heard you call. It awakened me, but the credit for saving you must go to Royal.”

“Would you . . . have . . . gone away,” she asked, “if he had not . . . scratched at the . . . wall?” “I had every intention of tearing the ship apart,” he answered, “because Royal was so certain you were there.”

Lalitha’s tears were checked by her curiosity as he went on: “When I reached the Quay there were a number of ships tied up alongside it and I walked along seeking which one was likely to sail on the morning tide. Then when we came to an empty berth Royal showed me that you had been there.”

‘ ‘How did he do . . . that?” Lalitha asked.

“He ran about wildly sniffing the ground and making it very clear that this was where you had been. I had a Revenue Officer with me because I had already explained to him what

I suspected might have happened.”

“Why did you . . . suspect?” Lalitha asked. “I will tell you that later,” Lord Rothwyn replied. “At the moment I am explaining about Royal.”

“Yes . . . of course,” she murmured.

“ ‘What ship has recently left here?’ I enquired, and the Revenue Officer asked the same question of some dockers.” “They told him it was a Dutch ship already moving down the river but still in sight.

“ ‘What was her cargo?’ the Revenue Officer asked.

“ ‘Corpses for one thing!’ one of the men replied and laughed.”

Lord Rothwyn paused.

“It was then we set off in the Revenue Cutter after your ship.”

“I thought I ... should never ... see ... you again,” Lalitha said, and now the tears were pouring down her cheeks.

She thought, that Lord Rothwyn was about to say something, but he checked himself. He just held her close against him until she stopped crying, and then he gave her his handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

When they arrived at Rothwyn House it was still very early in the morning, but half the house-hold seemed to be waiting for their arrival.

Nattie was there, looking a little pale but otherwise she was her usual self.

Lord Rothwyn helped Lalitha into the Hall; then, as he realised that she was feeling too weak to climb the stairs, he picked her up in his arms.

She weighed no more than a child and he carried her up the staircase to her bed-room and set her down gently on the bed. “Look after her, Nattie,” he said in his deep voice. “Her Ladyship is exhausted. What she needs is sleep.” He would have left Lalitha, but her hands went out to hold on to him and she said in a whisper:

“Are you . . . going . . . away?”

“I have to leave you for a little while,” he answered, “but I promise that you will be well protected. No-one will be allowed into this room without Nattie’s permission, and there will be two of my most trusted men on guard outside it, not because there is anything more to fear, but only that you should not feel insecure.”

He looked down into her eyes, and seeing that she was still uncertain he said with a smile:

“Trust me! I promise that I will never lose you again!”

He saw a sudden light come into her eyes, as it the words had a special meaning for her. Then he was gone from the room and Nattie put her to bed.

She had been given a drink, Lalitha remembered, which tasted of honey and herbs and she knew now that it must have made her sleep deep and dreamlessly until this moment.

It must be getting on in the day, she thought, then heard the clock in the Hall chime and count the strokes:

“Five ... six ... seven ... it could not be!”

She stirred, then realised that Nattie was sitting in the room in an arm-chair by the fire-place.

She rose and came across to the bed.

“You’re awake, M’Lady?”

“Is it really seven o’clock?” Lalitha asked.

“You’ve had a good sleep. Things’ll seem better now. I’ll order you something to eat.”

Nattie rang the bell.

“Might I not dine with . . . His Lordship?” Lalitha asked.

“His Lordship has not yet returned.”

“Not . . . returned?”

Lalitha sat up in bed.

“Why? Where has he gone?”

Then before Nattie could reply she knew the answer to the question.

He would have been seeing about the girls who, like herself, had been kidnapped.

He would, she felt, feel it his duty to do what he could for them, just as he would also see that the “White Slave Traders” be brought to justice.

When the food came—delicious, beautifully cooked dishes to tempt the appetite—Lalitha managed to sample a number of them because she knew that it would please Nattie.

At the same time she was not really hungry.

All she wanted was to see Lord Rothwyn, to find out what had happened, above all to know that he was there and that the future need not hold any terrors for her.

She wished now that she had told him she was certain it was her Step-mother who had contrived her capture.

She wanted to ask Nattie questions about Elsie and Henry, but somehow she felt uncomfortable at discussing anything that had occurred until Lord Rothwyn returned.

She haa the feeling that he would not wish her to do so.

After she had finished her dinner Lalitha found that she was no longer tired, and the exhaustion she had felt when Lord Rothwyn had brought her back from the ship had gone completely.

Her deep sleep and perhaps the healing herbs, which she was sure had come from the Herb-Woman, swept away all the physical ill-effects arising from her experience, but she knew that there were others which only Lord Rothwyn could alleviate.

Time passed and Nattie insisted on getting her ready for bed.

She brushed her hair until it shone, brought her a fresh night-gown, and Royal was collected for his evening walk.

“Who is taking him out?” Lalitha asked apprehensively. “Mr. Hobson himself!” Nattie replied.

Lalitha could not help a little smile to think that the Major-Domo should condescend to perform a task which was usually allotted to one of the junior footmen.

When Royal’s return was heralded by a knock at the door Lalitha heard Nattie speaking for a moment to the Major-Domo outside.

She came back into the room not only with Royal but she carried a large crested silver ice-bucket in which reposed a bottle of champagne.

“His Lordship has returned!” she announced.

“He is . . . back!” Lalitha exclaimed.

“He will join Your Ladyship after he has bathed and changed,” Nattie answered.

Lalitha drew in a deep breath.

Somehow it was impossible to speak.

She could only feel as if every nerve in her body had come to life and that she had been waiting a century for this moment.

Nattie set the champagne down on a small table beside a wing-back arm-chair. Then she fetched from the Major-Domo, who was still outside the door, a silver salver on which reposed two cut-crystal glasses.

“I’ll leave you now, M’Lady,” Nattie said. “Is there anything else you require?”

“No, nothing, thank you,” Lalitha answered. “I am so grateful, Nattie, that you stayed with me all today. It must have been very boring for you.”

“I had plenty to do saying prayers of thankfulness for Your Ladyship’s safe return,” Nattie answered.

She spoke with a throb in her voice, and Lalitha thought that there was a suspicion of tears in her old eyes as she turned away abruptly.

‘Can she really be so fond of me?’ she wondered humbly, and was deeply grateful that anyone could care for her so much.

As soon as the door had closed behind Nattie, Royal jumped up onto the bed as he knew he was not supposed to do.

He made a fuss of Lalitha and she had the feeling that he too was waiting for the appearance of his Master.

They waited for what seemed a long time. Then Royal began to wag his tail and there was a knock at the communicating door. Without waiting for an answer it opened.

Lord Rothwyn came into the room and Lalitha felt as if it were lit by a hundred candles.

He was not dressed as she had expected, but was wearing a long silk robe in which she had never seen him before.

He closed the door behind him and walked slowly across the room to where she sat up under the carved canopy against the lace-trimmed pillows, her hair falling over her shoulders.

She looked very frail and insubstantial, and yet beneath the thin material of her night-gown he could see the soft curves of her breasts.

Her eyes were very large and seemed to fill her whole face. There was a light in them that he had never seen before.

“You are all right?” he asked.

“You must be very tired,” she answered. “Is your wound aching? You have not done too much?”

“Are you really worrying about me, Lalitha?” he enquired. “But of course I am worrying,” she answered. “You should have taken things very easy your first day out.”

Lord Rothwyn smiled and then he said:

“I think in the circumstances I might prescribe for us both a glass of champagne!”

“It is there!” Lalitha said, indicating the silver wine-cooler with her hand.

Lord Rothwyn drew the bottle from the ice which encircled it and poured some of the golden liquid into each of the crystal glasses.

He carried one to Lalitha, picked up the other for himself, and said: “We must celebrate the fact that we are together again.”

There was something in his tone which made her drop her eyes before his.

“Shall we drink to our happiness?”

“I would . . . like to do . . . that,” she answered almost in a whisper.

Lord Rothwyn raised his glass.

“May we be happy ever after!” he said very softly and drank.

Lalitha sipped the champagne and felt as if it were sunshine running through her.

A little shyly because standing by the bed Lord Rothwyn. seemed so tall and over-powering she said:

“You should sit down. There is so much I want to ask you, but I do not wish to be a nuisance if you are tired.”

Lord Rothwyn re-filled his glass before he replied:

“I do not admit to feeling tired, but as we have a lot to say to each other I am quite prepared to make myself as comfortable as possible. Shall we sit close together as we did that night in the hut?”

Lalitha’s eyes went to his wonderingly.

Without waiting for her permission he sat down on the bed beside her with his back against the pillows, his legs stretched out in front of him on the satin and lace covers. Lalitha felt a little quiver of excitement go through her because he was so near.