The Duke's Dilemma (15 page)

Chapter Fifteen

How could she! She had no decorum. Even someone
as little versed in etiquette as himself was aware such remarks should not be
made in front of the servants. He glanced up to see both men trying hard not to
smile. He frowned and they sobered.

‘Good, get those lanterns lit, Clark, and we’ll
go secret passage hunting. As we’re certain there is one it shouldn’t be too
hard to locate.’
 
He patted his pocket
and nodded at Robin. His man answered immediately.

‘Yes, your grace, we’re both armed. Neither of
us go far nowadays without a pistol in our pockets.’

As Tom fiddled with the lanterns the back door
shook, this was followed by a fuselage of barks. Ralph smiled. ‘I believe we’ve
left the most crucial element of our search outside. If the dog remembers where
he went, maybe he can lead us back there.’

He marched up and down the endless passageways
pressing and knocking, rubbing and banging every protuberance, every knot hole,
but found nothing. ‘We’ve spent the best part of two hours searching, even the
dog has given up and gone back to the kitchen. I suggest we do the same.’

His two henchmen followed him to the rear of
the house; they went to the servants’ hall, he to the kitchen. He wasn’t sure
what his reception would be from his volatile sweetheart, but no doubt they
would enjoy a lively exchange of opinions.

*

‘The snow must be another yard deeper, Birdie.
I shouldn’t think the grooms will be able to attend the horses this evening.’
Hester hadn’t heard the door open but was aware Ralph was in the room. She
called to him, but didn’t turn. ‘Ralph, what will happen to the livestock this
evening?’

He spoke from beside her. ‘The cows will be
milked before it gets dark and the horses have enough fodder and water to last
until tomorrow.’ He lowered his voice before continuing. ‘Are we friends again,
darling?’

‘Of course we are.’ She glanced up and wished she
hadn’t. Her heart somersaulted and the familiar wave of heat enveloped her. He
didn’t need to speak, his expression told her he felt the same.

 
‘Miss
Frobisher, your dog is sitting in the scullery looking pitiful. I reckon he’s
after food.’

Relieved to be interrupted, she stepped round
Ralph and smiled at Polly. ‘I’m sure he is. I shall come and attend to his
needs immediately. One cannot let a hero remain unfed.’

She spent the afternoon with Birdie; they
played a round or two of piquet and then wrote letters to friends. Hester
wondered if they would ever be delivered. They were to eat an informal supper
of cold cuts and pickles followed by apple pie and cream.

‘I think it best if you join Ralph and I this
evening then the staff can spend the evening in the hall. Do you agree?’

‘I do indeed, my dear. As you know, initially I
was delighted that you and Lord

Colebrook
would be obliged to spend time in each other’s company, however it would seem
your relationship is developing at an alarming rate. I think it would be best
if I chaperoned you until this … until this matter is resolved.’

‘I appear to have fallen in love with him. I
can’t stand the understand how my affections have been engaged so as swiftly we
spend most of the time at daggers drawn.’

‘It’s as plain as the nose on my face, my dear,
that he’s head over heels in love with you. I can’t believe it – you shall be a
duchess by and by.’

Hester tossed her book to one side. ‘I said I
had feelings for him, not that I intend to marry him.’ She laughed at her
friend’s disbelieving look. ‘We’re scarcely acquainted. I shall eventually
agree to his proposal, but even then our nuptials won’t take place for a year
at least.’

Birdie snorted but made no further remark. Jet,
who’d spent the afternoon lounging in front of the fire, stood up and looked
hopefully towards his mistress.

‘Very well, I’ll let you out. It’s not quite
dark so I expect the men are still outside to take care of you.’

‘I shall come down and supervise the evening
meal. Those two girls are excellent workers, but are spending far too much time
in the company of the male servants. I understood that Polly was betrothed to
someone who worked here, if that’s the case then Tom is going to be
disappointed.’

Hester had also noticed a growing attachment
between her man of affairs and her new maid. ‘I don’t believe anything official
had been said, according to Polly they were merely walking out together. I
think Tom will make an excellent replacement.’

—

‘That was delicious, Miss Bird. You’re a woman
of many talents and without your skills we would have been on short commons
indeed.’

‘Thank you, your grace, if you wish to drink
tea I shall go down and make it later on.’

‘I’ve been thinking, Ralph, although we haven’t
yet discovered any secret entrances we know there must be one. If we lock all
the internal doors, will it make us safer?’

He stood up and came round to pull out her
chair. ‘I’ve already done so, my love. However, I think your dog’s the best
deterrent we have. No-one is going to get upstairs without him alerting us. I
suggest, ladies, you sleep in your clothes tonight.’

Hester swallowed. This suggestion was not
because of the inclement weather. ‘I thought we could play a hand or two of
whist, but I warn you, Miss Bird is an excellent card player.’

The next two hours sped past and the hour was
past nine o’clock when they were disturbed by the sound of running footsteps on
the staircase leading to the sitting area. Hester stiffened and Ralph was on
his feet and moving towards the door before it opened. Polly, closely followed
by Meg, burst in.

‘Oh, your grace, they’ve gone. Seth and Robert
went half an hour ago to check the doors and make up the fires in the
passageway and they’ve not returned. Tom sent us up here to ask if you could
come down, your grace, and please to take the dog with you.’

Hester was on her feet to guide the distressed
girls to the day bed. ‘Sit down by the fire. We’ll be quite safe up here
together whilst his grace finds the men.’

Ralph gestured with his head that she join him
by the door. ‘Here, sweetheart, take this pistol and keep it close. I want all
of you to go into your bed chamber and bar the door. Don’t open it unless it’s
me outside.’

‘Take care.’ She blinked back her tears, not
wanting him to see her distress.

Ignoring the three interested spectators he
stepped closer and her arms encircled his neck as his closed around her waist.
She tilted her face to receive his kiss knowing it might be the last time she
saw him.

*

Tom and Robin were waiting at the bottom of the
stairs, lanterns lit and pistols ready. ‘How long is it since you saw the men?’

‘About half an hour, your grace, Tom and I were
playing cards and didn’t notice the time. It was Polly told us they hadn’t
returned.’

‘I take it you’ve searched the house?’

 
Both men
nodded. ‘And the doors were locked, the keys still hidden in the table drawer
in the kitchen, your grace.’

‘Good. At least that narrows our search. The
entrance must be in the grand hall or along one of the corridors that lead up
to it. It can’t be this side of the house or we would have heard them.’ He
looked down at the dog. ‘It’s up to you, now, old fellow. You must find the
entrance to the passageway or the next time they come in here might well prove
fatal to your mistress and me.’

Ralph extracted his pistol, checking it was
primed and ready to fire, then took the lantern Tom was holding. The only way
forward was to find where these bastards were coming from and take the fight to
them. The way things were his assailants were having it all their own way,
picking them off one by one.

‘We’ll start in the grand hall. Tom, you go to
the left with the dog and Robin to the right with me.’ They had searched
meticulously once before, but this time the scent would be fresh and with luck the
dog would pick it up.

The passageway was black as pitch, his breath
steamed in front of him, swirling around the yellow glow of the lantern. He was
relieved the men knew they weren’t tackling the supernatural, what had happened
was enough to make anyone nervous. He was about to start his search when he
recalled something Hester had said about her unpleasant experience the previous
night.

‘No, it can’t be in here either, Miss Frobisher
said she could hear the dog barking a distance away; if he’d found the entrance
in the hall she would have seen it herself and he would have sounded nearer.’

He stood for a moment. ‘What we’re looking for
will be in the main passageway that runs between the drawing-room and dining
room. As before, you take the left, Tom.’

He searched the area thoroughly but found
nothing – taking the dog with them this time had proved no assistance. Ralph
had no option, he had to find it or they could all be dead by morning.

Halfway down the passage he began checking the
wall, in which the doors to the various rooms were situated, on his own whilst
the other two and Jet continued on the far side. They had no luck, everything
was as it appeared, no panel swung inwards, no rosette of carved oak turned
under his probing fingers.

A deep rumbling alerted him; the dog had
metamorphosed into that terrifying beast. He crossed the corridor to join Tom,
Robin close behind him. He whispered to his companions, ‘It’s here, the dog can
smell them.’

Jet, his hackles up, was growling softly as he
sniffed the wall. He stopped and pressed his nose against an innocuous panel as
if expecting it to swing inwards. It didn’t. The animal continued to vibrate
like distant thunder.

Without a word being spoken the three men
started a painstaking search of what appeared to be wood like all the rest. The
dog sat as if waiting for them to open it. Ralph gestured to the others to
stand back and raise their lanterns, he did the same. He was missing something.
He raised his lantern higher and from his superior height immediately saw what
he wanted.

 
‘God’s
teeth! It’s there, right in front of our eyes and we missed it because we were
looking on the wall and not the ceiling.’ Pointing upwards he stepped across
and reached out to press what looked like a knot hole in the black ceiling
beam. The depression in the wood was worn smooth as if by constant rubbing
whereas the rest of the wood was rough to the fingertips.

There was a faint hiss, a barely audible click
and a section of wall swung inwards. The dog bounded in. Ralph leapt forward,
grabbing him. ‘Quiet, Jet, we don’t want to warn them we’re coming, do we?’ He
gave the dog a small shake and the noise ceased. He blew out the candle inside
the lantern and the others did likewise; the flickering of their lights might
warn whoever it was of their coming. There were a dozen, at least, and their
only hope of success was surprise.

He kept his hand firmly in the dog’s fur
believing Jet would lead him as he had done Hester. He turned to the two men
behind him. He couldn’t see them but could hear them breathing heavily.

‘Robin, take hold of the tail of my coat, Tom
take Robin’s, that way we’ll stay together; the dog can guide us.’

Jet padded forward, his hackles stiff, his nose
to the ground, following a recent scent. He hoped one of the men had had the
sense to bring a lantern and tinderbox for they might well need one later on.
The passageway descended steeply and the stone walls he had been feeling under
his fingertips gave way to earth. They were outside the house now – God knows how
much further to go.

They’d been
travelling
sometime when he felt the dog tense and almost
imperceptibly the growl began again. They must be near their destination. He
flattened himself against the side of the narrow passage and releasing his hold
on Jet, he waited, pistol cocked and straining his eyes and ears, hoping to get
a clue as to what might be facing them.

He didn’t know what the dog had sensed; it was
as dark and silent as a grave ahead. He reached down, but the animal had gone,
slipped away into the darkness.
Buggeration
! They
were totally blind now. Keeping his fingers on the wall he crept on, his men
following behind. But something had changed. What was it? His mouth curved. It
didn’t smell as rank, the air was fresher. The passageway was widening; there
must be a chamber ahead.

He stepped forward and his hand was floating
free, no wall beside him. Before he could warn the others there was a faint
scuffle and he was seized from behind, his feet kicked out from under him and
his head enveloped in a stinking sack. His pistol fell uselessly to the ground
and he had only his booted feet as weapons. As ropes were tied round his
writhing body he used these to good effect and landed several punishing blows
on the shins of his assailants.

The satisfying crunch of boot on flesh elicited
no cries of pain, no swearing, no reaction of any sort. If he hadn’t known he
was dealing with flesh and blood he would have been truly terrified. Two men
grabbed his heels and he was hauled some distance, his head cracking on the
ground, and then tossed roughly against a wall. For a moment he was dazed.