Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
The day of the horse auction dawned bright and clear.
From early in the morning, a large crowd began to gather in the grounds, where Sebastian, at Freddy’s suggestion, had obligingly arranged for the erection of a large marquee and light refreshment.
In discussing the plans over dinner, Freddy had pointed out that a crowd that had been fed and watered with a pleasant ale would be more likely to be feeling in an expansive mood when the bidding began.
Sebastian had twelve horses to sell and, to judge from the crowd, they would fetch a pretty penny. Not for the first time, he considered that Anthony’s eye for horses could have been the man’s one redeeming feature. It may well be the saving of the estate.
As he circulated among the crowd, he noticed Lady Kendall in conversation with her brother as they inspected a handsome bay mare. They both looked up as he approached. Lady Kendall smiled as Sebastian took her outstretched hand.
‘Do you have an interest in horses, Lady Kendall?’ he enquired.
Her eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Indeed I do. My last husband owned several winners at Newmarket and I rather enjoy carrying on his tradition.’
‘Are there any horses here that take your eye?’ Sebastian indicated the magnificent beasts being paraded around the crowd.
‘I rather fancy that chestnut with the white sock on his off foreleg,’ Lady Kendall said.
‘I don’t believe he has any wins to his name,’ Sebastian responded.
‘Not yet,’ she said. ‘What about you, Harry?’
‘My man is bidding on the sorrel filly,’ Harry said.
She nodded. ‘Excellent choice, but I doubt Father will be quite so sanguine if you are successful. Now I really must go and talk to my own man about the chestnut.’ She dipped a curtsey, and smiling sweetly at both men, excused herself.
Sebastian stared after her as the crowd parted to let her through.
Although it was predominantly a male occasion, a few wives and families had accompanied their menfolk, no doubt, Sebastian considered ruefully, hoping for a chance of an early encounter with the new, and eminently eligible, Lord Somerton.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the county mamas, with her clutch of eligible daughters in tow, bearing down on them.
‘Come inside and join me in an ale,’ Sebastian said, grasping his friend by the elbow and propelling him bodily towards the house.
Inside the cool hall, they encountered Fanny tying on her bonnet.
‘What a crowd,’ Fanny said. ‘Who would have thought such a boring thing as selling horses could be such a social occasion? I thought I should like to join Freddy and see the bidding.’
Harry bowed low over Fanny’s hand as Sebastian introduced her.
‘Enchanted. Of course, Mr. Lynch and myself are acquainted, but Alder never mentioned you were cousins.’
‘Well she’s not actually my cousin,’ Sebastian pointed out. He nearly added, I appear to have inherited her with the estate, but refrained.
‘Are you a friend of dear cousin Sebastian’s?’ Fanny enquired, tucking her hand around Sebastian’s arm.
His jaw clenched at the unwanted intimacy and the assumption of ownership the gesture entailed.
‘We served together in the same regiment, my dear,’ Harry said.
‘Oh, then you must have some wonderful stories to tell about Seb—Lord Somerton.’
Fanny flashed Sebastian her prettiest smile but he had become inured to her charms over their short acquaintance.
As Harry opened his mouth to speak, Sebastian shot him a warning glance and Harry said, ‘Just boring military stuff. Nothing of any interest to a pretty young thing such as yourself.’
Fanny giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand and patting her curls.
She cast a dimpled smile at Harry. ‘I do hope you will be attending the ball, Colonel?’
‘What ball?’ Harry cast an enquiring eye at Sebastian.
‘Some ghastly soiree Fanny is organising to allow me the opportunity to meet the neighbours,’ Sebastian replied, removing the clinging hand from his arm.
‘Although, by the look of this crowd, I think they’re all here today.
They seem hell bent on introducing themselves to me and I’m damned if I can remember a single name. ’
‘Cousin Sebastian is being quite churlish about it,’ Fanny pouted.
‘Sebastian Alder? Churlish about a ball? Never!’ Harry said with a wink.
‘As I have explained to Miss Lynch, a certain French musket ball ended my dancing days.’
‘Nonsense. You hardly limp. I don’t see why you can’t dance,’ said Harry unhelpfully.
‘I am certain an invitation has been sent to your sister, so I do hope you will come as well,’ Fanny continued.
‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world, if only to see Bas here in dancing slippers!’ He glanced at Sebastian and winked. ‘I’ve got no immediate plans that would take me away from Lincolnshire.’
‘I think that is the auctioneer’s bell,’ Sebastian said.
‘You’re not going to watch?’ Fanny pouted.
Sebastian shook his head. ‘No. Bragge can give me the good news later.’
After Fanny left the house, Sebastian shook his head and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
‘You have just set your cap at the silliest female it has ever been my misfortune to meet.’
Harry grinned. ‘Just a bit of fun, Alder.’
‘Odd pair, those,’ Sebastian remarked. ‘You said you know Lynch?’
Harry shook his head. ‘I’ve met him a few times, in London. Always happy for a hand of cards. I must confess she’s a pretty thing, though.’
‘No dowry, no pedigree that I am aware of and one of the most foolish females I have ever met.’
Harry shook his head. ‘Alder, you are too quick to judgement. Apart from the lack of dowry and pedigree, she may well have other redeeming features.’
Sebastian admitted Harry to the peace of the study and the two men subsided into the masculine leather chairs that stood by the empty grate.
Johnson brought two stout ales on a silver tray.
The absurdity of the gesture did not escape Sebastian.
He caught the footman’s eyes but, beyond a slight quirk of the mouth, the man was too well trained to react.
‘I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have a familiar face here,’ Sebastian said.
Harry smiled. ‘It’s good to see you too. Not sorry to miss the fun at Waterloo.’
Sebastian laughed without humour. ‘Oh, trust me, you missed nothing. The rain and the mud for starters... and when the Imperial Guard charged us, I thought my day had finally come.’
‘Ah, but you stood up to them, Alder.’
‘The square held but Heyland—you remember him?—died in my arms. We took La Haye Sainte farm but I got hit in the process. We lost a lot of good men that day.’
Harry nodded. ‘You look to have made a good recovery.’
‘I have Lady Somerton to thank for that. She’s the one who found me. If I’m honest, she probably saved my life.’
‘Ah yes, the formidable Lady Somerton,’ Harry said. ‘I can imagine she let nothing stand in her way when she thought she had found Lord Somerton’s heir.’
Sebastian regarded his friend for a long moment. ‘I’ve heard that it was not a happy marriage.’
Harry took a draught of his ale before replying. ‘A more mismatched couple you would never meet, but they tried.’
This was news to Sebastian. ‘What do you mean?’
‘In the early days of their marriage, they were the centre of quite an influential circle of the ton. The house in London was the place to be seen but his eye started to wander and the marriage soured.’ Harry drained his cup and seemed to contemplate the empty vessel for a moment before he said, ‘Lady Somerton retired to the country. I don’t think she’s been seen in London much in several years. ’
‘And Anthony?’
Harry swilled his beer. ‘I don’t think he was seen much at Brantstone.’
‘Tell me about Anthony. Did he have any enemies?’
Harry frowned. ‘Enemies? A man like that is sure to have enemies. Possibly a few cuckolded husbands, certainly cheated card players, but no one in particular comes to mind. Why do you ask?’
Armed with the information Bennet had given him, Sebastian had slipped unseen into the stables and inspected the saddle for himself. The cut had been subtle but the evidence damning. The saddle had been tampered with in such a way as to cause a rider serious injury ... or death.
‘I think …’ Sebastian voiced, for the first time, the thought that had been growing in his mind since Bennet first told him about the saddle. ‘I think he may have been murdered.’
Harry’s eyes widened. ‘Good lord! What on earth makes you think that?’
‘I’ve got evidence,’ he said.
‘What sort of evidence?’
Sebastian shook his head. He’d said too much, even to Harry, whom he would have trusted with his life.
‘I’m probably seeing shadows where there aren’t any. Take no notice of me.’
Harry shook his head in disbelief. ‘You must be mistaken, Alder. God knows he could be irritating and he certainly owed money to all and sundry, but I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill him.’ He paused and laughed, raising his glass to his lips again. ‘Apart from you, that is!’
‘I didn’t even know he existed and, besides, I have an impeccable alibi.’
Harry frowned. ‘Be sensible, Alder. Who would want to kill him?’
‘That’s what I was asking you.’
Harry laughed. ‘No, you are seeing shadows. Somerton broke his neck taking a hedge. Accidents happen. It doesn’t mean there is anything sinister about it.’ When Sebastian didn’t respond, Harry’s face sobered. ‘You surely don’t suspect someone in this house capable of such a thing?’
Sebastian had considered that question. It seemed to be in Freddy and Fanny’s interest to keep Anthony alive. The servants? It seemed ludicrous that a servant would kill their master unless they had very good reason to do so.
To the best of his knowledge, the only person with motive enough to want to see Anthony dead may have been Isabel.
But why? It certainly seemed to have been a loveless marriage but that was not generally motive for murder.
Money? Murder seemed an extreme measure for finding the finance to start a school. He pushed the thought away.
‘The man had enough creditors,’ Harry said. ‘Maybe one of them ...?’
Sebastian shook his head. ‘They’d have wanted him alive. A dead debtor is of no use.’
Harry set down his empty mug. ‘No, it seems too far-fetched. I can’t believe it, Alder.’
‘Your sister was possibly the last person to see him alive. Has she said anything about the night he died?’
‘Georgie? Good God, no. Why?’
‘I have heard rumours that he had …’ Sebastian searched for the right word, ‘an involvement with your sister.’
Harry regarded him for a moment. ‘Look, she’s my sister and I adore her, but I’m not immune to her faults.
She likes to marry old, rich men and likes to take the young, good-looking ones to her bed.
Somerton was one of the latter. so yes, it’s quite likely they formed some sort of attachment.
I’m not privy to my sister’s private life.
’ He gave a shudder. ‘In fact, I deem it in my own best interest not to know, but if it puts your mind at rest, Alder, I was there that night and nothing untoward happened. He came for supper and left. That was it.’
‘Was he drunk?’
Harry shrugged. ‘He’d had a few wines but he was in control if that is what you are asking.
’ He laughed. ‘Forget it, Alder. It was an accident. They happen. And on the subject of my lovely sister, I give you fair warning that you may need to watch your own honour. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. ’
Sebastian laughed. ‘As if she would eat me for supper?’
‘Preferably covered in a sugar glaze with an apple in your mouth,’ Harry said. ‘Dangerous woman, my sister.’
‘I can see the attraction, Dempster, but no... I assure you I can resist her blandishments.’
Harry leaned forward, his brow creased. ‘It’s none of my business, Alder, but it’s been seven years since Inez. You’ve got responsibilities now. Time to find yourself another wife.’
The back of Sebastian’s neck prickled as it always did when Inez was mentioned.
‘I’ve always had responsibilities, Dempster.’
‘But now you need an heir.’
Sebastian rose to his feet and walked over to the window. Outside, the crowd was beginning to drift away. The auction had concluded. His heart clenched, the pain as raw and bitter as it had been the day he had found his wife’s battered and violated body.
He heard Harry rise to his feet and join him at the window. They stood together in empathetic silence.
‘I’m serious,’ Harry said at last. ‘You have to overcome thinking of yourself as plain Captain Sebastian Alder. You are now Lord Somerton, and the world and all the beautiful women you have ever dreamed of are at your feet. Take in the London season, play the field. You never know.’
‘Playing the field has little interest.’
‘What about the widow?’ Harry suggested.
‘Isabel? Good lord, Harry! I hardly know her.’
Harry just shook his head. ‘No one says you have to love the woman you marry. You just want two things, a good dowry and a good breeder.’
Sebastian shot his friend a look of disgust.
‘That’s how it’s done,’ Harry said with a shrug.
Sebastian stared out of the window, horrified by his friend’s cold, calculating approach to marriage.
Was that how it had been for Anthony and Isabel? he wondered.