“Be sensible to shake the fellow like a rat,” Hal murmured. All the same, he knew that wasn’t so. He knew Luke was right, and that they had to make a coherent plan. His desire to inflict torment on the gentleman he still thought was to blame was just too great.
“I don’t understand this,” Luke said after a long moment. He was standing by the French windows, looking out over the grounds. On this side of the grounds, the trees grew more densely, oaks with the leaves still green, stretching out to distant hills. “Who would want to harm Lady Hartfield? Or Hestony?”
“I don’t know,” Hal began.
As he started, Luke’s face fell.
“What?” Hal asked. His heart thumped in alarm. His cousin was staring out over the mist as if he’d seen something terrible.
Luke turned around slowly, almost as if he’d forgotten Hal was there. He cleared his throat. “Oh. I just…no. It cannot be connected. It can’t.”
Hal’s voice was low and sounded dangerous, even in his own ears. “What happened? If it involves Lady Hestony, I need to know.”
“It does.” Luke’s voice was distant. “We had word from a servant at Amhurst – the housekeeper, I believe – that someone was seen infiltrating the grounds. They have seen him on more than one occasion.”
Hal just stared at him, as the words slowly seeped into his brain. “Somebody was spying on Lady Hestony and her mother? And nobody thought to say aught?”
“Cousin…I’m sorry.” Luke hung his head. “I wanted to tell you. But Emilia was so distressed that I daren’t cause a scene for fear of upsetting her. And you were on your way to London, and…” he trailed off as Hal cleared his throat.
“You said that Lady Emilia was upset? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Luke admitted. “She wouldn’t say.”
“Do you think she might confide in Lady Hestony?” Hal asked.
Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. The moment I mentioned that somebody had been seen infiltrating the grounds, Emilia was quite distressed. She started crying. I was too worried about her to readdress it.”
Hal nodded. Lady Emilia was four months with child. She should not be unfairly upset. All the same, if she had information…
“I can try to persuade her to confide in her cousin,” Luke said slowly. “In the meanwhile, perhaps you can see what sense you can get out of Mrs. Brookes, the housekeeper.”
“Very well,” Hal nodded. For the moment, the matter of the money slid into less importance. Finding out about the intruder was more imperative.
Feeling better than he had for a few days, Hal went downstairs again. He had a plan of action at least, and something he could do to help Hestony with her difficulties.
As he headed down toward the parlor, he heard Hestony and Emilia still talking and curved sharply left, heading into the grounds instead. Luke was right – it was likely best to give them time to talk together. At least then, Emilia might confide something about this interloper.
“All I can do is be here to take care of her,” Hal murmured to himself, buttoning his coat against a chill breeze that had started blowing.
One thing he could do was to ride to Amhurst Heights tomorrow and request formal permission to court Hestony. It was something he should have done an age ago, and it was one thing he could do to at least make sure Hestony was safe.
He might not know who her enemy was, but at least he could be there to keep her safe from him, whoever he might be. The truth of whoever it was would come out, he told himself, crunching down the gravel path, as and when it needed to. He was not here to solve mysteries, but to keep Hestony safe.
It was time for he found courage and took this step. However frightening Lady Hartfield might be.
Chapter Sixteen
A Moment of Terror
The wind ruffled the grass on the Amhurst estate as the sun was just setting in a wild tangle of dark orange on the distant hills. Hestony stood on the far edge of the lawn, the wind whipping her skirts about her, watching the sun set on the landscape.
A fitting place, for somebody who is wandering in their own darkness.
Hestony took a deep breath as she watched the wind-tossed clouds turn darker and darker. She had felt utterly without hope since she found out about their plight and what she must do. She had to pay serious heed to Lord Osburne. In so many ways, he was the route out of poverty and pain. She owed it to her mother to consider that route seriously.
Her heart would have to be as black as the distant hills before she could do that. But she had to—for Mama.
“Hal.”
That was the one thing which stopped her. Hal was precious, the way the beauty of a sunrise or the call of larks over fields was precious. Rare, immutable, a blessing. No monetary things could bring the joy he brought her. Yet, how could she barter the future of her family for something intangible?
She felt a tear track its way down her cheek. The thought of such a future was too awful to contemplate – a future without love. But it was tangible – a future when she and her mother at least had a roof over their heads! She was stupid to contemplate anything else.
Sniffing, she reached into her pocket to find a handkerchief. When she found one, she dabbed at her nose. At that moment, she heard a click, and something pressed against her temple. She went tense.
“Who is it?” she whispered. Her heart was pounding, and she could barely hear or think for the fear that held her paralyzed.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t ask that question,” a low voice said in her ear. “Nor would I turn around. The gun at your ear is fully loaded. All I need do is pull the trigger, and you will be no more.”
Hestony felt a tear trickle down her cheek, but this time it was one of fear, not pain. She was trembling, and she couldn’t think. She wanted to run or fight, but the man was holding a gun at her ear and she knew, with some deep innate knowledge, that he would feel nothing at pulling the trigger.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t harm me.”
“I have no intention of doing so,” that nightmarish voice said softly. “All I ask is for you to do as you are instructed. Turn around.”
Hestony swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted to do was to face this man – she couldn’t imagine what he looked like and she knew she didn’t wish to know. All she wanted to do was to run away, as fast as she could.
“Do as I say,” he repeated coldly. “And you will remain unscathed.”
Hestony made herself turn around. She found herself facing a tall man dressed in black, a hat partly-obscuring his eyes, a black cravat pulled up over his mouth. She could see little of him other than that he was gaunt, with high-cheekbones and a thin nose. He stood with a confident air. In his right hand, he held a pistol with a silver barrel, pointed level with her chest.