Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance (25 page)

‘Anything
Richard, name it.’

‘Can you let
Jenny know that I have had to return home early than expected but I shall
return to visit as soon as I can? I will be sure to call on her.’

Alex nodded,
‘consider it done.’  He gave Felicity one final fond glance and turned his
horse to face south. She suddenly reached up and grabbed his arm indicating for
him to lower his head so that she could whisper something in his ear.  He gave
a knowing smile in acknowledgement, one final wave and he was off.  ‘Well what
was all that about,’ Richard enquired curiously. Felicity just tapped her nose.
‘You will just have to wait and see won’t you,’ she teased. The pair watched
his diminishing figure as he rode out of the square and down the lane until he
was no longer visible.

Felicity
suddenly felt deflated and turned to climb up on her beloved Artemis. ‘Come
on,’ Richard encouraged her, ‘it is time to go home. Do not look so gloomy, after
all it is only a week before he returns.’

A few days later,
Richard received a note from Alex advising him that his father had accepted his
kind invitation and the Dowager was so pleased at the news of the impending
wedding, that she was prepared to endure the rigours of the journey to attend
as well. He continued to read ....

 
At
Felicity’s final request on parting, I have invited the Allons’s and their
daughter Jennifer, although they will be making the journey separately.  They
did not wish to put you to any trouble and were happy to stay at the Black Lion
at Richmond. The Countess would not hear of it and has issued them a direct
invitation from her own mouth to add to yours and insisted they stay at
Lealholme Manor. So you can expect a party of six persons, not of course
including your mother. We will be arriving on Thursday at approximately 5pm Regards
Alex

Richard put down
the note.  So, that was what Felicity had whispered into Alex’s ear on the
morning they had parted.  Most of the time he could strangle her beautiful neck
but sometimes she managed to get things right. The thought of the arrival of
Jennifer Allon filled Richard with renewed vigour.  His ankle was healing well
and by Thursday, he would be in a far better position to assist with entertaining
his guests.  Richmond offered so much, the Castle overlooking the beautiful
river Swale, the magnificent views of Richmondshire from the castle keep and
the quaint little Georgian theatre.  It was smaller than the Georgian Theatre
in Harrogate but much more homely.

Thursday arrived
and the party already knowing each other very well settled down immediately.
Richard had arranged for a visit to the castle on Friday with a stop off for
luncheon and the Black Lion.

Felicity wrapped
up in a warm pelisse of cherry red velvet strolled along on Alex’s arm, enjoying
the delights of the river Swale as they ambled along the castle walk.  Richard walked
ahead escorting Jenny. Felicity nodded toward them; ‘I think we did the right
thing don’t you?’ she smiled rather pleased with herself.

‘I think you did
the right thing,’ he acknowledged, ‘I discover you are a romantic.’

‘Oh yes,’ she
sighed and isn’t this a lovely place to be romantic in?  But sad to, have you
heard of the story of this castle and the little drummer boy.  Not so very long
ago some soldiers found the entrance to a tunnel under the castle keep and they
wanted to know where it led.  The tunnel was too small so they sent down a
drummer boy. He was asked to walk along beating his drum and the soldiers would
walk above ground following the noise, but after three miles, the noise stopped
just short of Easby Abbey.  They believe the tunnel was an escape route for the
Abbot and the canons if the Scots attacked them.  The drummer boy was never
found and no one knows to this day what happened to him.  Some people say that
on dark winter nights you can hear the faint sound of his drumming, just where
he is believed to have fallen. Is that not rather sad?’

‘Indeed it is Flick,
but do you suggest we creep out it the dead of night to discover whether we can
hear the sound of the drums? The rumour might be true you know,’ he suggested
mischievously.

Felicity glanced
up at him and he noted the excited, expectant look in her eye.

 ‘Don’t even
think it Flick, Richard would have my head.’  After gaining a much better
understanding of her precipitate nature, Alex was worried that he may have just
put an idea into head.  ‘You are to promise me that you will not go on your
own. We will go together some other time when we are married.  Promise me!’

‘Ah well,’ she
sighed, ‘I promise. I should like that very much. Enough of sad tales, possibly
we should think of something a little more jolly. Where shall we live once we
are married, are we to return to Stansfield Park? I will be so comfortable to
live with your wonderful Grandmamma.’

Alex looked
aghast, ‘No my love Stansfield Park is my father’s seat and although my
Grandmother would be delighted, I want you all to myself.  No, I have my own
seat in Thorndale, it is not so very far away and Grandmother can visit all she
would like.  We will live there, unless of course you would prefer to live in London.’

Felicity looked
dismayed, ‘Oh no, not London! I feel so cooped up there and people are so
censorious.   It is lovely to go for part of the season and I do love the balls
and the theatre, but I could not live there. Oh I think I would die.’

Alex observed
her alarm with slight amusement. ‘You will probably find it very different as a
married Lady Flick but as you wish, you will have all the freedom you want at
Thorndale Park.  You can gallop the hills and dales as much as you please.  I
just needed to know, because I need to prepare a little, that is all.  Once we
are established there you can do what you like with the place.’

Felicity was
moved and tears sprung to her eyes. ‘I do not know what I have done to deserve
you. I did not know that such a man existed.  You are nothing like the stuffed
shirts that have offered for me in the past.’

‘You would have
driven them to an early grave Flick, but I am not so easily put out.  I think we
will deal very well together, a partnership of equals.’  Felicity chuckled, ‘it
is just as well as you have already put the announcement in the gazette and I
have arranged a small engagement celebration.  I have organised a supper and
small country dance and I have invited some close friends from the
neighbourhood.’

‘Lord have
mercy,’ croaked Alex as he patted the hand lying across his arm.  ‘How have you
arranged that so quickly?  My life is never going to be the same again.’

Felicity gave a
mischievous grin, ‘Oh, it was not difficult. There is nothing like a party to
cheer you up in the dead of winter and my friends and neighbours are always up
for a treat at such short notice.’

The members of
the small house party entertained themselves admirably throughout the weekend. 
Considering such short notice, the party was a remarkable success. Alex could
only be impressed at Felicity’s organising skills, especially not having the
assistance of her mother, and during his stay; he was able to make final
arrangements for the wedding.

The wedding took
place six weeks later at the end of January in the parish of Richmond.  It was
a large affair with family and friends amounting to at least two hundred
persons.  The reception was held back at Lealholme Manor in the extensive
ballroom on the second floor and the Countess had put on a marriage feast in
fine style.  During the reception, it was possible to get lost in the crowd and
Alex surreptitiously weaved his way toward his bride. He whispered
conspiratorially in her ear. ‘I have something for you Flick come with me,’ and
while no one was paying attention, he took her hand and led her up to the
bedchamber he had been allocated as a guest. Pulling her in, he gently closed
the door behind him.

Felicity stood
in her wedding dress and watched curiously, as he walked over to the dresser
and pulled out a small square case of luxurious deep blue velvet. ‘Come here,’
he beckoned as he opened the case to reveal the Stansfield necklace nestled in
its proper setting, together with the earrings and broach arranged neatly
beside it . Alex turned Felicity around, lifted her hair from the nape of her
neck and put the necklace on securing the clasp gently. He bent over her and
kissed her neck, relishing the fact that she was actually his wife.

She turned to
look at him, fingering the necklace, ‘Oh it is beautiful,’ she murmured as she
turned back to face the mirror.

‘It is if it was
made for you,’ he smiled, ‘it brings out the wonderful beauty of those violet blue
eyes.  It is yours now.’

Felicity looked
astounded. ‘But, but your Grandmamma, it belongs to her surely?’

‘The old Duke
had it specially commissioned for her and now she hands it down to you with her
blessing,’ he answered with pride.

Felicity was
speechless, not so much for the gift of the necklace but at the Dowagers
generosity.  She looked back into the mirror as the light from the window
bounced off the sapphires and diamonds. She swallowed with emotion. ‘You know
in all the time I had it in my possession, I never once tried it on. It felt
like contraband in my hand and I could not wait to return it to you.  How can
something that is so beautiful cause so much trouble and so much joy?’

‘It is just as
well you felt guilty my little housebreaker, for it will stop you from
committing such a folly again.  But now it is sitting where it belongs.  She
turned to him. ‘Oh Alex I was such a fool to do something so hen witted as to
steal it, but sometimes I cannot help my impetuosity.  Oh I do hope that you
will never regret marrying me.’

‘Yes very hen
witted,’ he agreed, ‘but as for regret, no never! Your madcap personality is
what I love about you most. Life in your company will never be boring.  With me,
you will have the freedom you desire. The world is our oyster so what will it
be my love, Brussels, Rome or Paris?

 Alex reached
out and drew her to him, brushing his lips along her soft silky collage and
moving up until he found her willing ready lips. She found herself drowning in a
surge of overpowering passion. He raised his head and looked into her melting violet
blue eyes as innocent as they were expectant. ‘Yes Paris I think the city for
lovers.’  He kissed her again fervently drinking in her the sweetness of her
body and they melted into one, a tempting promise of things to come.

Reluctantly he moved
away and sighed. ‘I could stay here forever but unfortunately we have guests
downstairs and we shall soon be missed.’  He gave her one last lingering kiss,
‘Tonight my love, I cannot wait.  We have a lifetime of adventure before us.’

The
End

Langthorne’s
Honour

Returning
from a long exile Lord Alastair Langthorne, the somewhat arrogant Marquis of
Thorndale returns to England to clear his name and find a bride.  He has only
been in London for two weeks when his eyes alight on the beautiful Lady Helene
Fairchild the daughter of the Earl of Beresford. The Earl however is hardly
enamoured of the match and what is more, despite her obvious attraction Lady
Helene will not have him.  The Marquis is prepared to wait for as long as it
takes but then fate intervenes.  The Old Duke dies threatening to disinherit
him in favour of his dissolute cousin Sir Tristram unless he restores the
family name and marries within three months.  The Marquis has to resort to
desperate measures to succeed and win his bride and all in the face of the
malicious attempts of his cousin to thwart him. A tale of duelling, kidnap,
betrayal and romance all set in the backdrop of Regency England.