The Theft of a Dukedom (16 page)

Richard opened his eyes and looked down on the
soft brown hair that was spread over his abdomen.
Kitty’s face was pressed to his pectoral muscle and she
was asleep with her thumb in her mouth. She looked so
childlike he felt guilty for destroying her innocence.

After they had made love, they whispered
endearments to each other for a while, until Kitty
remembered that her father had been murdered that
lunchtime.

‘Why?’ she had cried, in between the sobs
wracking her body. ‘What did he do that he deserved to
be murdered?’ She demanded of Richard, who couldn’t
answer such an impossible question. He shrugged and
squeezed her tight.

‘I don’t know. But I’m glad that I’m here.’ He
mumbled as he kissed her forehead tenderly and she
curled against his body for comfort. Slowly he let her
hair down from the braids that it had been in since
before dawn, plucking each plait out until her hair
cascaded across his chest like a brown waterfall, rippling
in the late evening sun streaming through the window.
He carefully covered her exposed body with the sheet,
to protect it from the sun and after she had cried herself
to sleep, Richard dozed fitfully.

‘Kitty?’ he murmured and kissed her forehead
again. ‘I think we should get up, Victoria is expecting us
for dinner.’

She snuggled and moaned like a child does when
it doesn’t want to wake up.
‘Come along, angel.’ He said more firmly. ‘You
need to wash my sperm off your body!’
‘Your what?’ she asked innocently as she was
waking up and then her eyes opened wide and looked
up at his face in shock. He smiled enigmatically as she
had total recall of their lovemaking. ‘Your sperm, did
you say?’ and he laughed, pushed her over on her back
and pushed his hand between her thighs. Immediately
she felt the stickiness and looked under the sheet. ‘It’s a
good job I asked Mary to get me a bath.’ She said
indignantly and clambered out of bed. She opened the
door to her bathing room and checked the bath. It was
full of tepid water. She literally tied her hair in a knot as
she locked the door to the sitting room and stepped
into the bath, quickly soaping her groin and rinsing her
body, before wrapping herself in a large towel.
‘Come on, Richard. It’s your turn.’ She ordered
as she sauntered back into the bedroom. She stood at
the foot of the bed and just looked at the definition of
his muscles. He looked fit and healthy on the front; it
was only when he turned over that you saw just how
weak he was.
Richard moaned, rolled over and climbed slowly
out of bed. He sauntered arrogantly to the bath,
climbed in and washed himself quickly. ‘Kitty? Is there
another towel?’ he asked and she whipped the one off
her body.
‘No. You’ll have to use this one.’ She said,
standing blatantly in front of him in the nude. He
stepped out of the bath, took the towel and pulled her
into his arms. He kissed her very passionately with his
tongue swiping provocatively against the inside of her
lips.
‘You are a very beautiful and sensual woman,
Amelia Stafford, and I think you should know that my
feelings are very much engaged.’ He murmured as their
lips parted. He looked at her wet lips and again
imagined what they would feel like sliding over the head
of his penis.
She stroked the hair off his forehead. ‘You are a
very handsome and passionate man, Richard Dunsmore
and I know my feelings are engaged, otherwise you
couldn’t have ignited the fire in my body that’s burning
for you.’
He made an inarticulate sound, crushed his
mouth over hers as he clutched her body to him and
carried her back to the bed. Slowly and erotically they
dried each other with the one towel
‘We must get dressed.’ She said eventually. ‘You
need to go to your suite!’
He rolled off her body again and lay against the
pillows, hands behind his head, watching her get
dressed indolently. He felt a spike of arousal as he
watched her smooth her stockings on, with her foot
resting on the stool.
Her thighs are so creamy.
He
thought as he watched her tie the ribbons of her
garters.
‘It’s unfortunate, but I don’t actually have a
mourning dress.’ Kitty said as she stepped into her
calico chemise, ‘so I’m not sure what to wear.’ She
looked over at Richard and gasped at the size of his
manhood.
Even getting dressed arouses him!
She
thought, startled at the size of his erection. ‘Are you
always like that?’ she demanded impertinently.
‘Always around you.’ he admitted. ‘Most of the
time I can camouflage it, but not when I’m naked.’ He
chuckled and clasped it in his hand. ‘This is all for you!’
he promised.
‘Well, I hope so.’ She sniggered. ‘I would be as
jealous as hell if some other woman ended up satisfying
you, instead of me!’ She said as she tied the ribbons of
her chemise in a bow, pulling her breasts about until
they were comfortable. Suddenly Richard was in front of
her, she looked up into his bright blue eyes as he placed
his hands on her waist.
‘There isn’t another woman in this world that
could arouse me like you do.’ He said hoarsely and
kissed her lips softly.
‘You should get dressed.’ She whispered again,
‘before you get carried away and make more love to
me.’ He released her and went to retrieve his britches
from the carpet the other side of the bed. Kitty opened
her armoire and looked at the selection of dresses.
‘What have I got that’s dark enough and plain enough
for mourning?’ she muttered to herself.
‘Do you always talk to yourself?’ Richard asked
as he arrived behind her, still fastening his britches.
‘No. I usually talk to Mary.’ Kitty said absently as
she pulled dark coloured garments out. ‘Too fancy.’ She
murmured as she replaced the indigo gown with pearl
adornments. ‘Ah! Now this might do.’ She said brightly
as she pulled a dark grey morning dress with an ivory
lace collar out. ‘Yes.’ She said and walked over to the
bed, draping the gown over the rumpled linen. She
went straight to a chest of drawers and opened the
third drawer down, moving items around until she
stood with a black lace shawl in her hands. ‘Perfect!’ she
uttered, took a petticoat out of another draw and
turned to smile at Richard. ‘Ensemble complete.’ She
said and gasped again as she looked at Richard. He had
his shirt on, but only the bottom few buttons done up,
he’d tucked it into his britches, but he looked so
elegantly masculine, provocative and down right sexy,
that Kitty couldn’t resist going to him and burying her
face in the open front of his shirt, feeling the hard
planes of his chest and the crisp hair against her cheek.
She threw the clothing on the bed and smoothed her
hands over his buttocks, breathing deeply the smell of
him.
‘You should finish dressing, before Mary arrives
and scandal spreads through the household.’ He
whispered, resting his cheek on her head and
scrunching handfuls of her hair against her back.
‘Yes,’ she stepped away from him, a soft smile
on her lips. ‘We wouldn’t want anybody to know, would
we?’
Kitty concentrated on getting dressed and tried
to ignore the man in her rooms. Eventually she was
dressed and finished her ensemble with her black riding
boots. As Richard shrugged his jacket on, she
straightened his collar and kissed him lightly on the
cheek. ‘Now we have to pretend that we haven’t spent
the evening in bed.’ She murmured as Mary tapped on
the door.

Victoria and Edward arrived downstairs and
were greeted by Deacon. ‘Your Graces.’ He murmured
deferentially. ‘The guests have started appearing for
dinner and I’ve served beverages in the drawing room.
Dinner should be served in about twenty minutes.’

‘Thank you, Deacon.’ Victoria intoned absently
and turned for the drawing room, Edward trailing
disconsolately in her wake.

The footman opened the door for them and she
was confronted with the house guests. Francis came
forward immediately. ‘Your Grace.’ He murmured and
lifted her hand to his cheek.

‘Sir Francis.’ She greeted him formally. ‘I see
Charles is late.’ She muttered, ‘I do hope he’s sober
now.’ As Francis escorted her to the massive, ornately
carved oak fireplace

‘I think he is,’ Francis murmured as he handed
Victoria a glass of sherry. ‘I saw him leaving the study
with a young lady earlier and he didn’t look in the least
inebriated.’

‘Good.’ Victoria said and she smiled sadly at
Francis. ‘How long had you known my husband?’ she
asked as she watched Edward walk away to the other
side of the room. She knew he didn’t want to hear
about Thomas and how he was killed.

‘I’ve known Thomas Stafford since we were five
years old and shared the same tutor.’ He explained. ‘I
was just a poor Baronet and he was just a rich Marquis.
But we formed a lasting friendship and he was the best
friend a man could have.’ Francis said disconsolately
and sighed. ‘I sent a messenger to London almost as
soon as it happened, so both the King and Lord
Liverpool will know about it tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow?’ Victoria asked in shock, it had
taken them a week in a carriage.
‘Yes, tomorrow. He’s under orders not to stop
for anything, except the call of nature and to change
horses.’ Francis said firmly. ‘I expect a reply in three or
four days and the militia probably by the end of the
week.’
‘The militia? Why would the militia come here?’
Victoria was alarmed.
‘Your Grace. A peer of the realm has been
brutally slain by a cowardly murderer and the King will
want to know why.’
‘More like the Prince Regent, actually.’ Charles
said as he joined them, he looked elegance personified
in black britches and coat, his white silk shirt and dark
cravat, complete with diamond stick pin, tied
moderately, as befitted such a sombre occasion. ‘I was
going to write, but the letter vanished off my desk when
I fell asleep.’ He said confused.
‘I threw it in the fire.’ Richard said as he arrived.
‘You couldn’t possibly have sent that rambling nonsense
to the King!’
Victoria looked about and asked ‘Where is
Kitty?’ as Louise came and joined them, standing next to
Charles and smiling coyly.
‘She should be down in a moment.’ Richard said
and smiled gently. ‘Mary was just doing her hair.’
Victoria managed to laugh at the impudent
expression in his eyes.
Kitty burst into the room at that moment and
couldn’t stop the blush that reddened her cheeks. She
felt that every person in the room knew what she and
Richard had been doing. She walked demurely to
Richard’s side and said ‘Good evening,’ to everyone.
‘Good evening, Kitty.’ Victoria said with a frown.
‘Have you been running again, you look a little flushed?’
She said and Kitty almost choked on the first sip of
sherry.
‘Yes, Your Grace. I was running on the stairs.’
She managed to gabble out, much to Richard’s
amusement.
Victoria turned her attention back to Francis.
‘When will the Magistrate get here?’
‘I should think before we finish dinner. I asked
Deacon to keep something warm for him. Investigating
this type of crime must be done as quickly as possible.’
Kitty shoved her hand in the crook of Richard’s
elbow and clutched him really hard. ‘Where abouts on
his body did the bullet hit him?’ she asked in as even a
voice as she could manage.
Francis sighed and flicked his eyes to Victoria,
but she was serene. ‘The bullet took him straight in the
heart. One shot only.’
‘Marksman.’ Charles muttered.
‘Probably someone back from the Peninsular.’
Richard ventured.
‘A hired assassin?’ Victoria asked scandalized.
‘I would think so, Lady Victoria.’ Francis said
gently. ‘The shooting was too accurate for anything
else.’
‘What distance?’ Richard asked.
‘Probably two hundred feet, maybe more. He
was in the middle of the bridge at Middleton and I’ve
assumed the gunman was in the poplars.’ He sighed
again ‘It’s the only real cover near enough to the
bridge.’
‘Were there any witnesses?’ Victoria asked softly
as she looked down into her empty glass.
I must be
careful not to drink too much, Edward still needs me.
She placed her glass on the mantle and looked
enquiringly at Francis.
‘Yes. There was a local boy fishing on the bridge.
He came into the village shouting that the Duke had
been shot on the bridge. When I rode out, Thomas was
lying on his face, his hand still holding the lead of the
horse he was walking.’
Both Kitty and Victoria sobbed at the same time.
‘I knew I should have gone.’ Kitty said as her eyes
flooded with unshed tears. ‘If I’d gone back with the
mare, he would still be alive!’
‘You couldn’t possibly of known somebody was
going to kill your father, Kitty. He wouldn’t have let you
walk, just like I wouldn’t.’ Richard said boldly.
‘Dinner is served, Your Grace.’ Deacon said and
summoned them all to the dining room.
‘Thank you, Deacon.’ Victoria replied, Francis
offered his arm and they followed Deacon into the
dining room.
Dinner was subdued, and nobody really wanted
to talk about the demise of Thomas Stafford, until the
Magistrate arrived.
‘Your Grace?’ Deacon murmured beside her
chair. ‘Notary Nigel Pearson, the Magistrate is here.’
‘Thank you, Deacon. Will you show him in and
ask Mrs. Tate to bring him some dinner?’ She turned to
her son. ‘Edward darling, will you move further down
the table? I’m sure you don’t really want to listen to a
stuffy lawyer?’
‘Yes, Mama.’ Edward said and moved to the seat
next to Kitty. The footmen prepared a setting and the
Magistrate arrived.
‘Your Grace.’ He bowed deferentially.
‘Please Mr. Pearson. Won’t you have a seat?
Mrs. Tate is preparing you some dinner and we can talk
after you’ve eaten.’ Victoria was gracious and soft
spoken, like a true noble.
The Notary sat and the footman placed a plate
of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings in
front of him. Victoria slowed down the courses for the
rest of the party and eventually they arrived at the last
course of a selection of fruit, cheeses and biscuits at the
same time.
‘Normally at this stage of dinner I would invite
the ladies to join me in the informal parlour for gossip
and tea, but tonight I’m afraid we shall all have to either
stay here or go to the main drawing room.’
‘I think we can all stay.’ Charles said
magnanimously. ‘I’m sure Deacon can bring some tea in
here, if you don’t mind us having port and a cigar?’
‘Not at all.’ Victoria said and nodded her head to
Deacon, who started the procession around the male
population with a decanter of brandy, one of port and a
humidor of cigars. A footman placed cups and saucers in
front of the ladies and another one followed Deacon
with pots of tea, which he dispersed the length of the
table. Two other footmen were clearing the table of
used crockery and a maid was placing ashtrays and
match holders by each gentleman’s seat.
Victoria speared the Notary with a firm gaze,
letting him know she wasn’t stupid, vacuous or vain.
‘Now, Mr. Pearson, can you tell us what happened?’ She
smiled at him gently. ‘I’m sure you have some questions
for us, at least.’
‘I do, Your Grace.’ Pearson said and cleared this
throat. ‘What time did the Duke leave the party?’
‘We were just fording the river at Holwick.’ Kitty
said firmly, ‘Lady Victoria’s mare threw a shoe in the
middle of the ford. I offered to take the mare home, but
father wouldn’t hear of it and took her himself.’ Kitty
finished and managed not to sob. ‘We hadn’t reached
Low Force, so it must have been around ten o’clock or
maybe eleven.’
‘What time did you set out this morning, Lady
Amelia?’
‘Dawn, so I would think five o’clock or there
abouts, the grooms were a bit slow, so the light was
good before we left.’
‘And where were you going?’
‘It was Edward’s first time here,’ she squeezed
Edward’s hand where it laid on the table, ‘and I wanted
to show him Low and High Force and Cauldron Snout.’
‘A substantial outing, My Lady.’ The Magistrate
said evenly. ‘So who decided that the mare had to be
walked home?’
‘I did.’ Charles said firmly. ‘I led the horse out of
the ford, checked the bruising in its hoof and asked Kitty
who should take it home.’
‘I was already out of my saddle and fully
expected to go, but father wouldn’t hear of it and
decided to take her himself.’ Kitty finished.
‘Was there anytime that any of the party were
missing for a substantial time?’
‘No.’ Kitty said fervently. ‘Only father was
missing when he went home.’
‘You can’t say that Kitty.’ Charles interjected.
‘We were separated when you climbed the rocks at
Cauldron Snout.’
‘Yes, but you were never alone and neither was
I.’ Kitty said vehemently. ‘And anyway I suspect father
was already dead by then.’
‘What time did you arrive at the Snout?’
‘Just before two o’clock.’ Charles definitively.
‘How can you be so sure of the time?’
‘I checked my watch!’ Charles said and laughed.
‘Sorry, but I looked at my watch and was surprised it
had taken us six hours to get there, plus an hour or
more for lunch at High Force.’
The Magistrate nodded and moved down the
table, asking pertinent questions of the rest of the
house guests. Agatha had a busy timetable for the day
which had started with ‘a treasure hunt after breakfast,
a light lunch followed by a reading from “Candide” by
Voltaire, which was interrupted by Sir Francis with the
most horrific news since we were told of Robin’s demise
in Jamaica.’ She finished on a sob.
‘Robin?’ The magistrate asked. ‘Robin Stafford is
dead?’
‘My elder brother was killed in a duel in Kingston
about two months ago.’ Charles explained.
‘Was the source of this disclosure impeccable?’
Pearson asked intently.
‘Colonel Sidney Bostwick of the Kingston Militia.’
Agatha said proudly.
‘Would this Colonel personally know your
nephew, Lady Agatha?’ Agatha took in a breath to
confirm that and then stopped. ‘Come to think of it, no.’
She said distantly. ‘No, Sidney hasn’t been to England
for thirty years, so he wouldn’t know Robin by sight.’
‘So any man could have turned up in Jamaica
and purported to be Robin Stafford and Colonel
Bostwick would just accept it.’
‘I believe my father wrote to the Colonel to
inform him of Robin’s arrival, but it was already too
late.’
‘It may be that the man killed in Jamaica may not
have been your brother at all.’ Pearson said calmly.
‘What the devil do you mean by that?’ Charles
demanded with true ducal arrogance.
‘I was informed by Farmer Jenkins that he saw
Robin Stafford running through his best field of barley,
this lunchtime!’
Charles pushed back his chair and started pacing
up and down the room. He folded his hands behind his
back and was lost in thought.
‘It would appear this event changes everything.’
Victoria understated and beckoned for Deacon to refill
the glasses. She even offered hers. ‘I think I could do
with a brandy.’
Charles sat again, lit a fresh cigar and swirled his
brandy in his glass. ‘Sir Francis? Didn’t you mention that
you’d sent a notice to London?’
‘I did Your Grace. I informed the King that
Thomas Stafford was dead and his son Charles was now
the Duke of Durham.’
‘I think you’ll find that when we get back to
London, the new Duke will already have taken his seat
in the house and Kitty and I will be out on the street.’ He
looked up at Deacon. ‘Have my valet pack the bare
essentials. I shall be riding for London tonight!’
‘Why would you go?’ Victoria asked softly.
‘Father told me about Robin’s duel with the
Duke of Albany, and how he stood over the Duke’s body
and laughed like a hyena.’ He sighed deeply. ‘Any man
that can ignore the rules of duelling is capable of
murder. I believe Robin is perfectly capable of killing
father today and being in London in a couple of day’s
time and take the Dukedom for himself.’ He shook his
head. ‘It must have sent him over the edge when father
disinherited him.’
‘I thought you didn’t want the title?’ Louise
asked. ‘This would be the ideal opportunity to give it
up.’
‘How could you think that I would give up a title
to my father’s murderer?’ Charles asked indignantly. He
lurched out of his seat and rushed to Louise as she
started to cry at his harsh tone. ‘My love.’ He murmured
and kissed the tears off her face. ‘I cannot let him get
away with it. It’s not right. The title was my father’s to
leave to which ever of us he pleased.’ He sighed. ‘I
would rather see it go to the crown, than give it to my
insane brother!’ He sighed again and patted her
shoulder. ‘I also have to get there before he destroys
my father will.’
‘Your Grace, can you explain about the duel?’
the Magistrate asked, so Charles told him all the
particulars, exactly as Thomas had told him.
‘In that case Robin Stafford is wanted for the
murder of the Duke of Albany and he would find it
deuced difficult to be accepted in the House of Lords.’
Sir Francis Burns emphasised.
‘If I can get home before he causes too much
trouble, I might even manage to see him hanged for it!’
Charles spat viciously. He turned and looked at Richard.
‘I know you can’t ride for long and today has been very
difficult, but can you come in a coach. If you travel non
stop, only changing horses, you should still be there in
two days.’ Richard nodded solemnly. He knew Charles
was going to kill his brother, if he could find him.
‘Charles, you can’t ride alone!’ Kitty said firmly.
He looked at her in exasperation. ‘What happens if you
lame the horse? Or throw a shoe? I would have thought
today was example enough of what can happen when
you’re alone! You are a Duke now!’ she finished harshly.
‘Or had you forgotten?’
There was a round of “quite right, Kitty” and
“hear hears”, making Charles uncomfortable.
‘It doesn’t matter, Kitty. If I don’t get there
before him, Robin could cause irreparable damage not
only to our name, but the dukedom as well.’
‘I wonder if this has anything to do with the
accidents Kitty was subjected to before she left
London?’ Millicent asked pointedly.
‘What accidents?’ the magistrate positively
demanded.
Charles again explained the accidents,
interspersed with comments from Millicent, Kitty and
Agatha.
‘The punch bowl sounds positively murderous.’
Pearson said hollowly. ‘That much weight could have
killed you.’ Kitty shrugged her shoulders.
‘Aren’t we getting a little off track here?’ Sir
Francis asked. ‘Are there any other suspects?’ He asked
Pearson.
‘No. There are no strangers hereabouts. The only
person that shouldn’t be here is Robin Stafford, if he
was supposed to be killed in Jamaica two months ago.’
Pearson said softly. ‘It was the only thing I couldn’t
account for. Jenkins is not the kind of man to make a
mistake like that. If he said he saw Robin, he saw Robin.’
He sighed. ‘I must admit I was a little surprised not to
see him at dinner. Now I know why.’
‘Did this Jenkins say whether he was carrying a
long gun?’ Richard asked.
‘No, but he thought he was going fishing and it
made him wonder why he was heading south on foot.’