Most Rebellious Debutante (9 page)

That was true, Lucy reflected. And even a hint about a man’s presence in the cottage could mean discovery of Lord Rockhaven and Staines, if Lord Rockhaven’s fears were founded on fact and not fantasy. So, she needed to return there as soon as possible to warn him and brave his possible wrath once more. She grinned to herself at the thought of
his reaction to another visit from her. She felt no alarm at that thought: she would give as good as she got.

She speedily delivered the remaining groceries to Cook’s designated recipients and, no more than ten minutes later, she was on her way towards the Montcliffe estate. She had been careful not to make her departure from the village seem hurried in any way and only flicked the whip over Maud’s head when she had driven past the last humble dwelling. She would have preferred to approach the cottage on foot through the wood, since that was less noticeable, but she didn’t dare waste the time.

Desperately hoping that she was in time to warn Lord Rockhaven of the possible danger he was in, she turned off the country lane on to the track that led to the
gamekeeper
’s cottage. She didn’t want to herald her approach in case the man making enquiries were already there, so she turned off the track before she reached the cottage and drove a few yards into the woodland, thankful that the weather had been dry recently, leaving the ground
reasonably
firm. She tethered Maud to a low bush and then hurried towards the cottage.

She paused behind a tree and peered round it, glad that she was wearing a dark-green carriage gown so that she blended in with the woodland. There was no sign of any
visitors
. She listened. All seemed quiet. The dogs had begun to bark, but not in a frenzied way, which was a good sign. They had detected her presence but couldn’t do anything other than warn of her approach. She must point that out – it could alert an enemy that there was someone who needed the dogs’ protection. She flitted to the next tree and then the next and then ran lightly across the open space to the cobbled yard.

Staines was standing by the old outbuilding watching her approach.

‘Afternoon, miss. We thought as it might be you, seeing as how the dogs weren’t too anxious. T’cap’n sez as he hopes you don’t mind but he’s too busy to converse with ’ee right now.’

Lucy laughed out loud. ‘I bet he said it a lot more
colourfully
than that!’ Her eyes twinkled merrily for a moment but then swiftly sobered. ‘It’s vitally important that I see him. Is he in there?’

Staines didn’t stand aside. ‘He don’t want to be disturbed, miss.’

‘I’m sorry, but I must. It’s important. There have been enquiries made about him in the village.’

Something in her quiet determination told Staines that this wasn’t just an annoying social call. ‘All right, miss. If you’ll wait here …’

He turned and pushed open the door, intending to go inside first to speak to his master, but Lucy moved swiftly in his wake and entered the dim, low-ceilinged building only one pace behind him.

‘It’s the young lady, Cap’n. She says—’

‘It’s all right. I’ll tell him myself,’ Lucy said behind him. She stopped and gaped at the earl. ‘You’re standing!’ she exclaimed. ‘Can you walk? Are you getting better?’

Lord Rockhaven was indeed standing between two sets of parallel bars, his arms over the top bars and his hands
gripping
two lower ones. His face darkened and then flushed.

‘I would have appreciated—’

Lucy took a step forward, pushing aside the surprise of finding Lord Rockhaven on his feet. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t
intend to rush in unannounced, but there isn’t time for any social niceties. Two men have been asking about you in the village. A gentleman and his servant. I came to warn you. I don’t think anyone knows that you are here and, from what I gather, they would be unlikely to give you away, even if they did, but they seem to know that Mr Staines is here – except they don’t know who he is – only that he is likely to be an ex-soldier taking shelter.’

She paused for breath, giving Lord Rockhaven the chance to ask sharply, ‘Who is he? What does he look like?’

‘I haven’t seen him, but one of the villagers said he is about your age and has a slight family resemblance.’ She raised her eyebrows questioningly as she said the latter phrase, noticing that Lord Rockhaven didn’t seem surprised by the revelation. ‘The man with him seems a bit of a
roughneck
and best avoided.’

‘When did he arrive?’ Lord Rockhaven asked, breaking eye contact to demand, ‘My chair, Staines.’

Staines hurried to wheel it into the appropriate position, murmuring, ‘Sorry, Cap’n. I didn’t think anyone had seen me.’

Lucy replied to Lord Rockhaven’s question, ‘Only today. Mrs Boulton didn’t think anyone would deliberately betray you, but feared someone might mention Mr Staines without thinking. It’s some village lads who have noticed you here, Mr Staines.’ She turned back to Lord Rockhaven, a note of reproof in her voice as she added, ‘The villagers are quite poor, you know, especially since the Hall was closed down. Many are out of work and have to catch rabbits and
suchlike
to be able to feed their families. And I really think you should let your dogs roam loose for the time being and
maybe find somewhere else to live for a while. Isn’t there anywhere up at the Hall? It would be more suitable.’

Lord Rockhaven’s face was grim and he didn’t
acknowledge
her suggestions. He was too busy manoeuvring his chair deftly towards the doorway.

Staines leaped out of his way. ‘T’lass is right, Cap’n. We needs to get you away from here without delay. You’re a sitting target in that chair.’

Theo grimaced at Staines’s words. Didn’t he know that! ‘I’m not running away,’ he snapped. ‘If my cousin has the temerity to come here to kill me, he’ll find me ready and waiting for him! He won’t shoot me in the back as he did last time!’

‘Your cousin?’ Lucy echoed, horrified that a family member should be the one who had tried to kill Lord Rockhaven and, presumably,
had
killed his brother.

‘He is a braggart and a wastrel and, since Con’s death, he, unfortunately, is my heir,’ Lord Rockhaven said tersely. ‘His extravagances have brought him to
point non plus
and he has his greedy eyes on my title and fortune. I refuse to run away from such a character.’

‘Nay, it’s not running away,’ Staines argued. ‘It’s a tactical manoeuvre … just until you’re stronger, Cap’n. Let him find
me
. I’m only what folks think, an ex-soldier tekin’ shelter. I’ll humbly apologize and move on me way until he’s gone.’

Theo could see the sense in that. If they both suddenly disappeared, it would look too providential to be a
coincidence
. ‘What if he recognizes you? His companion sounds like that thug of a batman he had.’

‘I’ll tell him ’er ladyship says as ’ow I could come here. From what you’ve said about ’er, she would ’ave if she knew.’

‘That might satisfy him…. However, I won’t get far in this,’ he pointed out, still reluctant to protect himself and leave his servant behind.

‘What about the children’s den?’ Lucy suggested. ‘It’s incredibly well-hidden though it offers no protection against the weather.’ She looked at him doubtfully. ‘You might have to stay there overnight.’

Theo looked at Staines. ‘Would it do?’

‘Aye, I reckon it would. They’ve made a good job of it and I put some added branches there to make it thicker.’ He looked apologetically at Lucy. ‘I ’ope you don’t mind, miss. It reminded me of when I was a lad.’

Theo made a swift decision. ‘Right! We need to move fast then. I’ll need a couple of those old horse blankets out of the stable, Staines, and my greatcoat from the cottage. Oh, and a cob of bread and my canteen of water … and anything else that might betray my presence here.’

Staines hurried across the yard towards the cottage.

‘I’ll get the blankets. Is that the stable over there?’ Lucy asked, pointing to her right.

‘Yes. They’re hanging on hooks near the door. Two should be enough.’

Lucy darted across the yard. Staines was emerging from the cottage when she returned clutching the blankets. They smelled of horses, but she didn’t suppose a seasoned campaigner like Lord Rockhaven would find the smell offensive, nor the texture too rough.

Staines dropped a bundle on his master’s lap and then draped the blankets on top.

‘I’ll take Bruno with me,’ Theo decided. ‘He’s a good watch dog and will keep quiet on command.’

The two dogs had been whining and grumbling during the recent activity and their noise increased at the prospect of imminent release.

‘Quiet!’ Staines commanded, as he entered the pen,
separating
Bruno from the other dog. Bruno, tail wagging, willingly squeezed through the gate that Staines held only partly open and bounded over to where Lucy stood beside Theo. She felt only a vague unease, realizing that neither man would have released the dog if it was likely to harm her. She stood still whilst the dog sniffed around her.

‘Friend!’ Theo said quietly. Bruno immediately
transferred
his attention to his master, who heartily scratched the dog’s ears. ‘Good boy!’ Theo praised, and then said more sharply, ‘Patrol!’

Bruno stood still, only the muscles along his back and haunches quivering as he tensed for action.

‘Don’t forget to dismantle all my training equipment and scatter it in the outbuildings as soon as you come back, Staines,’ Theo remembered to say.

‘I’ll do that, Cap’n. Now, ’old on tight. We’re off.’ Staines took hold of the wheelchair handles and set off at a trot, trundling the wheelchair over the cobbled yard and along the track towards the wood.

Bruno loped alongside and Lucy hurried to keep up.

Once they left the hardened track she could see that the wheels were leaving two narrow parallel ruts along the ground. Careless of her smooth hands, she grabbed hold of a fallen branch and began to sweep vigorously across the tell-tale evidence.

They reached softer ground and the wheels sank too far into the ground to allow Staines to make much headway.
‘It’s not much further,’ he told his master. ‘If it’s all right with thee, Cap’n, I’ll carry thee. Can you fetch t’rest o’ things, miss?’

Lucy gathered them up from Lord Rockhaven’s lap and turned away, sensitively realizing that Lord Rockhaven would not wish her to watch as Staines gathered his tall yet slender form into his arms and expertly draped him over his shoulder. Staines set off in the direction of the den, loping along as if he had no more than a sack of grain over his shoulder. Lucy dropped the assorted bundle on to the seat of the wheelchair and yanked the wheelchair around, knowing it would be easier to pull it through the long grasses and undergrowth, rather than push it. She followed Staines at a slower pace, her breath rasping in her throat.

When she arrived at the den, Staines was holding back some springy branches that served to disguise the entrance and Lucy pulled the wheelchair through, unceremoniously pulling the skirt of her dress free from some thorns that had snagged hold of it. She turned round, surprised to find herself no more than a few inches away from Lord Rockhaven’s standing figure.

‘Oh!’ She let go of the wheelchair handles and
instinctively
stepped back a little. ‘You’re standing. It … it seems strange.’

Lord Rockhaven was holding on to an overhanging branch with his left hand and his face was taut with controlled pain. Bruno lay at his feet, his body relaxed but his eyes watchful. A faint flicker of a smile relieved the tension of Lord Rockhaven’s face. ‘Yes. I have improved much in the past few weeks, but I cannot yet walk unaided.’

He held out his right hand and Lucy found herself responding to his gesture by placing her right hand in his.

‘I have much to thank you for,’ he said tenderly, looking down into her eyes. ‘I hope to have the opportunity another time to thank you more leisurely.’ Glancing down, he turned her hand until it was palm uppermost and looked at the scratches and the blisters that were already forming. He traced the lines of scratches tenderly with the pad of his thumb, then looked up again, his one eye revealing a depth of emotion that made Lucy’s heart race with anticipation and she held her breath as he lifted her hand up to his lips and tenderly kissed her palm.

She would not have believed that such a simple act could have such an effect on her heart. It was beating so rapidly within her breast that she quite expected it to burst out of its confines. His action was more moving than any of the
well-presented
protestations of undying love that many of her suitors had effusively uttered. She felt a warm blush flow over her cheeks and she lowered her eyelashes in confusion, not wanting him to see her reaction to his courtly gesture.

‘Tell me your full name, so that I may greet you properly the next time we meet,’ he asked softly.

‘L-Lucy Templeton,’ she stammered, feeling almost dizzy from her close contact with this man. She raised her head slightly and her glance settled on his lips; lips that curved into a lazy sensuous smile that seemed to invite her
confidence
and promised … what? She wasn’t sure, but she hoped she had the chance to find out. She knew what those lips felt like; their smooth velvety strength had teased her own lips into a yielding spiral of desire. A kiss completely forgotten by its giver, she realized.

Time seemed to stand still and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his face. In spite of the scar and the patch over his eye, his expression was … tender, she realized. Her thoughts led her to run the tip of her tongue lightly over her lips and they tingled in anticipation.

Impassioned by the simple action, Lord Rockhaven groaned within himself. How he wished he had met this entrancing young woman before he had been injured so disfiguringly! He sensed she might have been the one who could have banished the blackness of the family curse that had hung over him since his childhood.

By the softness of the hand that he still held, he realized she must be of genteel birth, maybe a poor relation of some local family. He vaguely thought of the Cunninghams whose land was separated from his own by this small
woodland
. Of course, that’s why they felt free to play there! There had been no children in the family in his younger days, but, now that his thoughts took him this way, he remembered Cunningham’s pretty but compliant wife who had graced his mother’s drawing room on several occasions some years ago. Was she the mother of the children who had accompanied Miss Templeton on their first meeting? They had called her Aunt Lucy. Was she Mrs Cunningham’s sister? Or, from the lack of style in her clothing, a more distant relative?