Chapter Eleven
Arthur sprang to his feet at the sound of Daphne’s voice.
At first, he wasn’t sure who she was talking to in such a raised voice.
Black. It had to be him. He was the only man here this evening who would anger her.
He headed in the direction of her voice.
She wasn’t hard to find. At a built-in seat overlooking the gardens, Daphne was standing as Black had ahold of her arm with one hand; in the other he waved a pistol.
He looked wild-eyed as he stood shakily on his feet.
The man was drunk, making the situation more volatile.
At the sight of Arthur, he began shouting. “Get back! She is mine and no one else’s.”
“I belong to no one!” Daphne boldly said.
Black, in turn, let go of her arm for a second and backhanded her. “Shut up, you stupid cow. Women are to be seen and not heard. You will thank me for showing the error of your ways.”
The slap only made Daphne angrier and more determined. She tried to move away from him, but he grabbed her arm once again. People were gathering, curious as to what was happening. Graham appeared at Arthur’s side.
“We’ve got to get that pistol away from him before he hurts someone with it,” Graham remarked.
Arthur watched Black’s movements for a moment. “Someone needs to keep him occupied. Make him talk to keep his mind off that pistol. Someone else needs to come behind his right side and force the gun from him. I don’t think he’ll fire it. He’s too drunk to concentrate on any one thing.”
The two men studied the other for a moment. “Why don’t you keep him talking and I’ll grab the gun,” Arthur said.
Graham shook his head. “He has a problem with you. He’s more likely to engage in conversation with you. You keep him focused talking and I’ll get the pistol.”
“Agreed.”
But before either could advance their plan, Daphne began speaking to Black. She urged him to sit down and talk with her. If he was so determined to marry her, they needed to come to some sort of understanding. To everyone’s surprise, the earl nodded his head in agreement.
“I knew you would come around,” he said, his words slurring as he spoke. Black turned toward the small crowd gathered in front of them. “Someone find a bishop to bring a special license and marry us here and now.”
Daphne got him to sit on the upholstered bench seat next to her. His eyelids were at half-mast. He was trying to fight the inevitable. That he would soon pass out, and with any luck, not remember anything. He would only wake up with one of the worst hangovers he’d ever encountered.
“What’s she doing?” Graham asked as everyone watched the scene unfold.
“She’s trying to win his trust,” Arthur replied.
“She’s smart and knows how to read people easily enough,” Roxanne said, squeezing her way between both men. “This will be a ball no one will soon forget.”
“The important thing is that he does not get agitated again. If Daphne can keep him placid, I think he’ll drop the gun if she asks.”
“Or he blacks out,” Roxanne replied. “He can barely keep his eyes open.”
Graham nodded at his wife’s observation. “That would be the easiest way to put an end to the matter.”
Roxanne turned to her brother. “What are your plans? Are we to expect an announcement soon?”
“You’ll have to wait and see, but if that’s what occurs, you will be the first to know.
” He scrubbed his beard with one of his hands, realizing he had failed to cover his face with his mask after they ate.
Perhaps Daphne would now agree with his idea of leaving tonight for London and eloping to Scotland on the first train they could get going north.
Black was too unpredictable, and he might be drunk tonight, but he was determined, and drink was not going to keep him from his mission of making Daphne his wife.
“Fair enough,” she replied. She pointed towards what was playing out. It appeared the earl was nodding off and Daphne reached over and gently removed the pistol from his hand.
Arthur held his breath as he watched. He was proud of her. She’d kept her cool and focused on what was important, ignoring anything Black spewed at her.
Handing the pistol over to Graham, Daphne rose and quickly walked over to her father first, assuring him she was fine before joining Arthur.
“You’re all right?” he asked lowly.
“Yes, I’m fine, though I should admit I was shaken when he first grabbed me.”
“I was sick with worry. He was too unpredictable with that pistol.”
“Does anyone know where he got it?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, but I’ll be sure to ask Graham if he knows. Come, let’s find you somewhere to sit and a glass of brandy.”
They didn’t have to go far as Roxanne came to their rescue, knowing the young woman wasn’t ready to meet the throng of people waiting to see her. “Come, I have just the spot. No one will disturb you.”
Following his sister down a long corridor, Arthur realized where she was taking them. There was a room next to Graham’s study which his sister had turned into her own. It was set up similarly to her husband’s study, but the features were all feminine.
“There’s brandy and whiskey along with wine on the sideboard. Lock the door behind you to ensure no one disturbs you.”
“Thank you, Lady Roxanne,” Daphne said.
“There’s no need to thank me. You’ve just been through a difficult ordeal and don’t need a crowd questioning you. Stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you, sister,” Arthur said as they watched her walk to the door.
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to find me.”
She left the room and closed the door behind her. Arthur began to head to the door to lock it. “If you’d rather, I can leave it unlocked. We can see if anyone disturbs us.”
“It won’t stop the gossips, not that I care,” she said.
“Would you like a glass of wine or another brandy?”
“A brandy, please. I didn’t get to drink the last one.”
“Brandy it is,” he said with a grin, making his way to the white-colored sideboard. He mused that most of the furniture here had been imported from France, so the wood was probably fruitwood, a popular choice in French décor.
“Arthur, I’ve changed my mind. I want to elope. Tonight,” she said breathlessly.
He turned from pouring brandy into a snifter. “Why the sudden change?”
“Black. Drunk or not, he’s determined to marry me. I don’t think he’ll stop until he achieves what he wants. Marriage to me means money to him, and he’s desperate.”
Arthur passed her a brandy. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
“Yes.” Her voice didn’t waver. It was strong and determined.
He glanced over at the clock on the mantel. It was going on ten. “We’ll need to leave now. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to catch the first train north to Scotland.”
She drank her glass of brandy in two large swallows. “What are we waiting for?”
“Did you wear a cape? We won’t be able to get it without raising suspicion. My greatcoat is in my carriage.”
“So is mine. In my father’s carriage. Mother didn’t want me hiding behind it when we made our entrance.”
“Smart woman,” he replied. “I know a way out of the house that is seldom used.”
She stood up and peered at him. “Let’s get going.”
He nodded with a grin and led her out of the room and down the hall.
When they reached the end of the hall, there was a door off to the right.
He knew of the door since he was a boy. It was where Graham was supposed to enter if he was dirty from his outdoor adventures.
Opening the door, they both stepped outside.
Arthur turned to make sure the door was secure before taking her hand and leading her to a laurel hedge.
“Where are we going?” she whispered.
“This leads to the carriages. We’ll stay behind the hedge to keep out of sight.”
Moments later, they were at her father’s carriage.
None of the men seemed to be around, so Arthur opened the door and grabbed her cape.
They stealthily moved behind the carriages until they came upon his own.
His coachmen were standing by the horses, talking quietly among themselves.
Opening the carriage door, Arthur assisted Daphne inside.
This alerted the coachman, who Arthur met halfway.
“We’re off to London as planned.”
“Yes, Your Grace. It’s a good night to travel as well.”
“Excellent. That’s what I want to hear.”
He climbed inside and began to sit across from his soon-to-be wife, but she shook her head.
“There’s no need in you sitting there. I would like if you sat next to me.”
He made his move just as the carriage groaned and the horses began to pull it onto the drive. Once he was certain they had begun, Arthur sat down next to her.
“That’s better,” she remarked with a smile. The moon was at a three-quarters phase, making it easy to see.
“There are some blankets if you’d like me to get them.”
She nodded. “Yes, please. This cape is warm but not enough in this colder weather.”
He reached across and lifted the seat cushions. Grabbing two blankets, he unfurled one and placed it over her before doing the same for himself. He watched as she drew the blanket up to her neck and sighed.
“You know, Gretna Green is not the easiest to get to. Trains from London go to Edinburgh. You’d have to hire a carriage to get us there.”
He turned his head and gazed at her. “How would you even know that?” he asked.
“I looked into it,” she replied.
“I was aware it wasn’t accessible by train.”
She snuggled close to Arthur. “Didn’t you mention having a lesser estate in York?”
“Yes, I have an estate there. Why?” He suddenly realized what she was about, but rather than let her know, he questioned her.
“I think it’s beneath a duke’s station to elope to Gretna Green. Plus, our wedding night would be spent there, and I don’t care for strangers listening to us consummate our marriage.”
“I know the bishop in York so getting a special license is not a problem. The vicar of one of the churches is a cousin of mine.”
“What’s he doing there?”