Chapter Nineteen #3
Aaran ignored the question, instead saying, “Initially, we all agreed the shooter meant to end your life, but, like Thompson, I have come to believe this revenge was not against your person, but, rather, against your legacy—what you and Lady Elsbeth created with your simple generosity and belief in assisting a child to know his true worth. I have also been considering why none of it has touched me. Each of the others were pulled into a mystery of sorts. Orson followed a suspicious acting man in dark clothes and a cape and instead found a badly beaten Lady Emma. They appear to be separate incidents, but are they? Alexander shot another man in a cape while rescuing Theodora and finally finding his sister. That was followed by the man dressed in black who assisted with Lord Almano’s escape and who likely killed the man to keep Almano silent.
Then we had the man who knocked Lady Thompson’s bag from her hand and likely later killed Mrs. Mildred Taylor.
There was another in black who assisted in Moreau’s driver’s, Mr. Stark’s, escape and then, presumably killed the coachman.
Murder and mayhem, all around me, but not touching me, that is, until the pretend robbery of Lady Freya by a man in black. It is now my turn to suffer.”
“You believe the incident with Lady Freya was staged?” Duncan asked.
“I believe it was a warning to me. Perhaps even to you,” Aaran explained.
“My fear is how with each attempt on our family more innocents are dying. I do not want Lady Freya to be injured or killed because of me. Because of you.” He sighed heavily.
“I realize none of what I have said likely makes sense, but I cannot shake the idea that I, and, therefore, those for whom I care deeply are in danger.”
Duncan presented Aaran a small smile. “At least I know with confidence that you affect Cunningham’s daughter.”
Aaran chuckled. “She wore me down.”
Duncan smiled widely. “I used to say the same of Elsbeth, but, in truth, my heart cried out for her from that first moment she fell from her horse and into my arms. What do you require of me, Aaran? I trust your instincts implicitly. If nothing else, it is as you say, your turn. Your instincts are customarily exceptional. Perhaps you and I have always been the motivation for these crimes. A Scottish reckoning. Scots are known to hold our grudges past the grave.”
Aaran nodded in agreement. “First things first. Lady Freya will be of age within the next fortnight. She and I could marry then, even if Cunningham objected. If there was some means to delay her upcoming marriage to Hodge until that time, we could proceed without Cunningham’s permission.”
“You do realize your doing so will make Cunningham your enemy?” Duncan asked, but he had a smile on his lips.
“He already despises me. Are there degrees of hatred? It is simply the reason for his animosity that I do not understand,” Aaran admitted.
“I may have an inkling of which I was not previously aware,” Duncan admitted.
“Before we came to Kent, I was recently speaking to the other Scottish lords in Parliament about one of the bills being brought before us. At the time, you were still in the debtors’ prison with the others from Yorkshire.
Cunningham was also absent, for he had departed for young Pittboro’s marriage, and I made a remark on his absence and Cunningham’s dislike for your person.
Anyway, Lord Coutts said he always thought that Cunningham’s animosity rose from my elder brother not initially agreeing to step aside in Angus’s contract to marry Magdeline Bellton. ”
“My mother?” Aaran asked as he sat forward. “I did not know Cunningham wished to marry her.”
“My brother Angus broke the contract when he learned that your mother had already lain with your father and was carrying your father’s child. You were to be the new Graham, not a Duncan nor a Cunningham,” Duncan said as he sat forward, as if he worried about Aaran’s reaction.
“And you did not know this previously?” Aaran asked while staring at his feet.
“I would not have kept it from you this long,” Duncan said in adamant tones.
“Lots of people have repeated the tale of my mother chasing after my father and his using her for his own pleasure,” Aaran said softly. “Especially after you and Lady Elsbeth took me in.” Aaran wanted to squirm. Wanted to bolt and run, but he held himself perfectly still.
“I am confident you have heard numerous versions of the tale. Elsbeth and I discussed it repeatedly before we finally moved to right your history.” Duncan sighed heavily.
“We had to wait until there was no one around to object to the efforts we made on your behalf. After my brother broke the contract with your mother’s family, her parents wished me to step into his role.
My raising a child born out of wedlock was not so problematic as it would have been for Angus.
He was the head of the family at that time.
I was simply a mister, not even a title, for we were barons in those days.
I, too, refused to claim Magdeline Bellton.
That was what most bothered Elsbeth. You would be punished for the sins of your mother and father.
There was, for several years, no means for us to bring you under our roof and present you with the type of life Elsbeth thought you deserved.
We would first have to prove your father married your mother, and that you were Graham’s heir and not my brother’s son.
Naturally, you might think I had an ulterior motive for not rescuing you earlier, for, if you were Angus’s son, you would have become Lord Duncan and have displaced me. ”
“I view my features in the portrait of my Graham grandfather,” Aaran said dutifully, though his heart raced in reaction to this new turn of events marking his life.
“And I understand why you never made that explanation previously. Though I was grateful for your bringing me into your home, I would have questioned both your motives and my worthiness if I had been aware of this turn of events. Still, how does this information explain Cunningham’s dislike of my person? ”
“As I said, I was not privy to this information until shortly before you came to live with me. In fact, Elsbeth and I debated whether or when to tell you of these events.” Duncan paused again before looking away.
“It was only when I was going through my brother’s correspondence, after his passing, that I found a letter from Cunningham asking Angus not to marry Miss Bellton, for he wished to marry her.
Of course, this was before she had laid with Graham.
As your mother proved fertile, Cunningham would have had his elusive heir if he had been your father. ”
“And I would have lived in misery under his tutelage,” Aaran said softly.
They remained in silence for several minutes before Aaran asked, “Is there some means for Lady Freya and me to know contentment, what with Cunningham’s animosity? Can we marry without his interrupting the service?”
“There is always a means. As to the wedding, you could go to Jersey or Guernsey or back to Scotland before Cunningham comes looking for her.”
“I had not considered the islands,” Aaran admitted.
“They are both under British control, and there are no residency restrictions. Sir Richard Shield, a longtime friend, owns a house on one of the islands, but I am not confident which it is. He purchased it long ago. I assume he did so for his wife, but she has long since passed. I imagine he would be happy to have you use it. Shield despises Cunningham. When I escort Lady Freya to London, I could speak to Shield on your behalf, if you wish.”
Aaran was quiet for an elongated moment. “I fear if I send her back to London that Cunningham will expedite her marriage to Hodge.”
“I will speak to her on her journey and determine whether Her Ladyship is truly willing to go against her father’s wishes.
We will have a hard discussion on what all that could entail.
I could even devise a reason for Hodge to return to his home estate for a few weeks or, perhaps, suggest a more amiable wife—tell the baronet tales of how boisterous Lady Freya is.
” Duncan smiled at his attempt at humor.
“Return Lady Freya to London, and we will discover what is going on with the mystery man who has been plaguing our lives for this last year. Put whatever you think best in place as a deterrent to Hodge’s plans to court and marry Lady Freya.
We require only a fortnight. Meanwhile, we send for a copy of her birth or christening registration. We might need it to prove her age.”
Duncan chuckled. “I am glad you have come to your senses. All your brothers and their wives have already settled on the woman as part of our family. Therefore, let us set our minds on how we might protect Lady Freya so we might see you settled and married, as well as knowing an end to this madness that has plagued our family for too many months already.”