Chapter Twenty-Three
A loud pounding on the door early in the morning made both Clarice and Samuel jump out of bed. “Stay behind the door, so nobody sees you,” she said as she slipped on her robe and moved toward the door. Before opening it, she asked, “Who is it?”
“My lady, it’s Kirkland. I need to speak with you privately.”
She opened the door. “Come in quickly.” After he stepped inside, she shut and locked the door, and she noticed Kirkland wasn’t surprised to see Samuel.
“Pardon the intrusion,” he bowed, “but I thought His Grace would want to hear what’s being said about him.”
She and Samuel looked at each other, both knowing her father had done something.
“Tell me, Kirkland,” Samuel said as he leaned against the door, his arms crossed, prepared for a confrontation.
“Rumor has it that you torched Stanton Hall, killing your family so you could inherit the title.” Kirkland shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not true. You’re an honorable man.”
“Do you know who started it?”
“A former Stanton Hall stable boy who now works somewhere as a stable hand in Newmarket said you started the fire, then went to the stables so you’d look innocent.”
Clarice swiftly pressed her hand over her mouth to quiet her gasp.
“Thank you, Kirkland.”
He bowed. “Your Grace, my lady.”
After he left, Samuel locked the door again and started pacing the room, looking worried. Clarice didn’t blame him. She couldn’t imagine what he must be thinking, knowing people believed he murdered his family.
“Your father must have bribed him. Whether he worked at Stanton Hall or not doesn’t matter. The damage is done. I need to think. Can you ring for a breakfast tray? I need strong coffee.”
Clarice went to the door between her and Letitia’s room and knocked. A moment later, Penny opened it. “My lady.”
“Can you please send for a breakfast tray? In addition to tea, I want strong black coffee.”
“Right away, my lady.”
Clarice shut the door, and when she turned, Samuel was dressed, which made her think she should be as well.
She pulled a chemise and a day dress out of the wardrobe and dressed behind the screen in the corner.
When she came around the screen, she asked, turning her back to Samuel, “Could you please lace up my dress?” Samuel, seeming lost in unhappy thoughts, had her asking again, “Could you lace up my dress?”
“Oh,” he said, coming to himself. “I’m sorry.
” His fingers worked the laces. “I keep hearing Kirkland’s voice in my head.
Your father finally got what he wanted. He ruined my victory with Zeus and has everyone in Newmarket and all of Suffolk, no doubt, gossiping about whether I did or didn’t start the fire. ”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize for what he did,” he bellowed and grimaced. “Forgive me. I’m just frustrated and angry that your father hates me so much that he would do this. Making threats is bad enough, but to act on them and purposely try to ruin my life is beyond reprehensible.”
“I agree. How do we make it right?”
“We find the rumormonger. Or rather, Kirkland does. He shouldn’t have too much trouble locating a former stable boy who recently came into coin.
” Samuel walked to the door. “I’ll be back soon.
Actually, meet me outside the inn doors in thirty minutes.
I want to go to Ramsbury Ridge Farm and find out from Ramsbury how bad the gossip is. ”
“What about breakfast?”
“I can’t eat now,” he said as he went out the door.
She didn’t think she could eat either, but a cup of tea would be nice. Just then, Penny entered through the adjoining door with a tray. Clarice asked, “Is Letitia up?”
“Yes, my lady. She’ll be right in to join you now that His Grace has left.”
“I’m here,” Letitia said as she swept into the room, already groomed and dressed for the day. “What is happening?”
Clarice told her everything.
“I can’t believe Portsmouth did this. I knew something was off with him when he called on me.”
“Sometimes he hides it well. For most of my life, actually. At least until I turned eighteen.” She sat down at the dressing table. “Penny, will you please do my hair?”
“Yes, my lady.”
While Penny brushed and styled her hair, she said to Letitia, “I’m going with Samuel to Ramsbury Ridge Farm.
He wants to speak to the baron. We are both hoping Kirkland finds this former stable boy.
And if he was in fact working at Stanton Hall at the time, he would be a grown man now.
My father, no doubt, bribed the first likely person he came across, knowing it didn’t matter if he was at Stanton Hall or not.
Once the rumor was spoken, it would spread like a forest fire.
Samuel is already being talked about after winning the race yesterday.
And today, his competition on the racing circuit will be all too happy to see him fall from grace. ”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Can you send word to Greyson and Hunter and ask them to come to Ramsbury Ridge Farm? I have a feeling Samuel will be keeping a low profile until he can clear this up. Even if he gets the person to recant what they said, the damage will be done. But still, it’s better than doing nothing.”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you,” she said as she hugged Letitia. “I’m meeting Samuel outside the inn. I’ll see you later.”
“Be careful.”
“Thank you. You too.”
Clarice entered the quiet corridor and made her way to the inn’s main entrance, keeping her head down and listening for Samuel’s name.
“Lady Chesterfield.”
Her feet came to a halt as she looked up to see Lord and Lady Kendall, their faces worried. “We heard the rumors about Stanton,” Lady Kendall said with a tense frown. “So your father went through with his threats? The blackguard. I’ll see him ruined if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Lord Kendall asked.
“If you see my father, send word to me at Ramsbury Ridge Farms. I’ll be with Stanton.”
“We will. Tell His Grace that he can count on our support,” Lady Kendall added.
“Thank you. I will. I must go.”
Clarice hurried outside and found Samuel standing by a hackney. “Kirkland is otherwise occupied, so we’re traveling in this.” He opened the door and assisted her inside, then he joined her on the bench.
“What did Kirkland say?”
He said he would tear apart every stable and mews until he finds the stable hand.
He said it wouldn’t be too hard. Other servants will not appreciate one of their own suddenly having money to spend.
Or at least more money than they earn. More likely, he’s bragging about how he got the funds, and all he had to do was tell a lie.
“Yes. Most likely.”
They arrived at the farm and found Ramsbury and Anna in the breakfast room having their morning meal. Both looked up with concern when they entered.
“Help yourself to breakfast. There’s plenty,” Anna said. “And strong coffee, just the way you like it, Samuel.”
“Thank you.”
She and Samuel filled their plates with food from the sideboard and sat next to each other, joining the baron and baroness at the table. A footman poured Samuel a cup of coffee and Clarice a cup of tea.
“Now that you’re settled,” Ramsbury said, his brows furrowed, “we heard. A new stable hand I recently hired told me and was quite vocal about wanting to throw you out before you burn Ramsbury Ridge Farms to the ground.”
Clarice reached over and squeezed Samuel’s hand.
“Don’t worry, I relieved him of his duties and sent him on his way. No one in this household believes this nonsense, and if they do, they will also find themselves packing their things.”
“I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Samuel said, his voice cracking with emotion.
“You aren’t. I pride myself on hiring good people who don’t listen to gossip.”
“Everyone talks about gossip at some point,” Clarice said.
“I stand corrected. Listening to gossip and believing it are two different things,” Ramsbury added.
“Clover races in five days. What am I going to do if things don’t settle down?”
“You act as if nothing happened,” Ramsbury said. “You have nothing to hide, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Samuel went on to explain Kirkland’s search for the stable hand who leaked the gossip. Clarice told them that Lord and Lady Kendall would send word if they saw her father.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Samuel,” she said. “Lady Rutherford asked if there was anything she could do. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked her to get word to Greyson and Hunter, and have all three of them meet us here.”
“Thank you. Seeing Greyson and Hunter will make me feel better. I hope Tobias and Albert don’t buy into the gossip and quit, leaving me high and dry for the rest of the racing season.”
Ramsbury chuckled. “Forgive me for laughing. Tobias and Albert would be insane to leave your employment after Zeus won yesterday. One doesn’t leave a winning horse and its owner for gossip.”
Samuel leaned back in his chair, cradling his cup of coffee in his hands and sighed.
“I think the only thing I can do is spend time getting Clover ready and stay away from any members of the ton.” He paused, taking a sip of his coffee.
“Do you think The Jockey Club will revoke my membership? They pride themselves on the pristine reputations of their members.”
Ramsbury looked thoughtful, then shook his head. “I can’t say. But they would be fools to believe a stable hand over a duke.”
Samuel shrugged his shoulders. “I can only hope. If they cancel my membership, I’ll get a letter today.
Meanwhile, I’m going to see Clover. Tobias and Albert should be with her in the paddocks.
No better time than now to find out what they have to say.
And Zeus, well, that boy deserves some carrots. ”
“I’ll accompany you,” Ramsbury said.
“Lady Clarice,” the baroness spoke up. “Would you care to join me in the drawing room? We can find something to pass the time while we wait for Lady Rutherford, Viscount Greyson, and Mr. Hunter.”
“I would like that very much.”
Samuel and Ramsbury left, and Clarice found herself in a pretty burgundy drawing room, sitting on a chair facing Anna, who was sitting on a settee with an embroidery hoop on her lap. “Do you mind if I work on this?”
“Not at all. I’m happy to sit and wile away the time pretending nothing is amiss.”
“This must be difficult on you, knowing your father is responsible for what is being said about Samuel.”
“It is. Except he warned both of us it was coming. We didn’t think he would go through with it, though. And if he did, Samuel believed it was better than granting him what he wanted.”
“Forgive me for prying, but what does your father want?”
“I assumed you knew. That perhaps Samuel told Ramsbury. Anyway, he wants to keep us apart and force me to marry a man of his choosing . . . again.”
“Does he realize he doesn’t have that type of control over you anymore?”
Clarice found herself laughing. “Yes. He chooses to ignore it. There is more to the story of why he hates Samuel and forced me to marry Chesterfield instead of him seven years ago. But I’m not at liberty to say.”
“I can’t imagine my father forcing me to marry anyone other than Ramsbury. You must have been truly devastated when this happened.”
“I was. I’m glad it’s all behind me now. And no matter what my father tries to do now, Samuel and I will prevail and get married.”
“Ramsbury and I will help you in any way we can.”
“Thank you.”
A footman entered and announced, “Lady Rutherford to see you, my lady.”
“Thank you,” Anna said.
Letitia entered the room and said, “Baroness, I hope you don’t mind the intrusion. I just had to come with Greyson and Hunter, who have joined Stanton and your husband at the stables.”
“Not at all. Please sit,” Anna said, and Letitia sat on the settee with Anna. “Clarice explained what was going on and said you’d be coming.”
Letitia looked at Clarice and sighed in relief. “Oh, good. Have you heard anything new?”
“No,” she said as she clasped her hands together on her lap.
“Hopefully, Kirkland will have word soon. Until then, I’m going crazy with worry.
I just can’t understand why my father can’t let it go.
He already got his revenge once.” She had a terrible feeling that her father would forever, until the day he died, cause strife in her and Samuel’s life.