Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“ C hristopher, prepare my horse at once.”
The valet looked up at the duke in alarm, hazarding a glance out a window, into the dark of night.
“N-Now, Your Grace? But daybreak is only a few hours away. Perhaps you might wait until the sun –”
“Now,” Frederick demanded, interrupting the other man. “I am to leave in a few minutes and everything had better be ready for my departure by then.”
Without waiting for a reply, Frederick walked back into his room and shut his door behind him, pressing a hand to his chest where he could feel his heart beating aggressively.
He had experienced yet another nightmare, but unlike the others, this one provided him with much more insight. Finally, he had an idea of how he had nearly met his demise and he was going to catch his attacker if it was the last thing he did.
Quickly, he donned a pair of riding breaches and put a coat over his sleep shirt, before pulling on his riding boots and leaving his room.
The stable boy looked half asleep next to Christopher, but Frederick’s horse, Zeus, was properly saddled nonetheless and ready for where he had set out to visit that night. There was another horse there, its reins in Christophers grasp.
“I am coming with you,” Christopher stated as Frederick mounted his horse.
“Absolutely not. I do not need a chaperone. Go back to sleep, I shall return in the morning,” Fredrick said dismissively, turning his horse down the pathway that led to the entrance of the property.
“Please, Your Grace. It is dangerous to be wandering about so late. Especially in your condition. If something were to happen to you, I am not sure I would be able to face Her Grace without any answers on what might have happened to you. And I would never forgive myself for not going with you.” Christopher pressed desperately.
Not for the first time, Frederick found himself impressed by his valet’s loyalty. He had kept an eye on the man ever since his accident, anticipating some sort of plot to fool him and lead him to his demise. But all Christopher had been was reliable and concerned, a trait Frederick knew must have not be easy to come by when dealing with an employer like the duke.
The mention of Eleanor had also swayed his decision, as he realized that he was not sure what measures to take if something were to bring him to his demise.
That is not good , he thought to himself quietly. Would she be properly taken care of? Would she miss him? Or would she be thankful that he had met his end?
“Fine, you may come along,” Federick conceded grumpily, waiting for Christopher to mount his horse before nudging Zeus into a trot toward the entrance of the estate.
The ride to Frederick’s destination was plagued by silence, mostly because the duke had been trying to ensure that he could remember all the crucial details of his dream.
If he was fortunate, they would be able to deduce who was responsible for Frederick’s dilemma.
He was not surprised when his friend greeted him with contempt, rather than a warm reception.
“Bloody hell, Ironvale,” Sampson groaned, blinking blearily at Frederick’s face, his annoyed face illuminated by the warm glow of a lit candle as they settled in the Duke of Rosehall’s study. “This could not wait until morning?”
“It is technically morning,” Frederick pointed out with an unperturbed shrug. “Just early.”
“Proper morning. When the sun is up and I don’t have to squint at you because you have arrived at the witching hour like the harbinger of doom.” Sampson sighed, exasperated.
“It could not wait. I might have found out who attacked me.” Frederick announced plainly.
Sampson ceased his grumbling and rose to his feet, heading to his liquor cabinet to grab a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He poured some of the bottle’s contents into both glasses and asked carefully as he handed one to Frederick.
“Well? Who is it?”
Frederick paused and took a drink, letting the familiar burn in his throat wash over him with a grimace.
Then he said, “I do not know.”
Sampson stared at him in disbelief, then he dropped his forehead onto his desk with a groan of despair.
“But I do know the circumstances that led to my attack,” Frederick added with an unimpressed expression as he stared down at Sampson’s tired form.
“Well, why did you not lead with that? How did you find out?”
Frederick hesitated, but then he reminded himself that Sampson had no reason to want him dead, considering their business would crumble if Frederick met his untimely end. The man was reliable and could be trusted, at least for now.
“I had a dream about it. A nightmare, really. I have had frequent a number of them after my accident. And in a way, some of them turned out to be the memories I was missing. This time was no different, although some details were not as clear as I would have liked. I had gone… somewhere. Perhaps a pub or a club, to speak with someone on a certain matter. And afterward, I had left, thinking my business had been concluded. But I had barely gotten far enough from the establishment before something heavy struck me at the back of my head. That… that is all I remember.” He explained to Sampson.
His friend regarded him thoughtfully for a moment and then took a sip of his drink.
“That is not a lot to go on. We are missing the factors that would narrow down the motive of the perpetrator and therefore hand us the assailant on a silver platter. You are not even sure where you met this person, much less your reason for doing so.” Sampson pointed out.
“Yes, but this is the closest we have gotten yet. You know me. I would not go out of my way to meet with anyone unless they are important. Why would I seek out someone who – by my intuition – I barely know? Why would I go to them, rather than have them come to me?” Frederick pressed, feeling slightly disoriented.
“You wouldn’t,” Sampson hummed with a nod. “I am pretty sure all of London knows better than to summon you. Even men who have shown up at your abode on their hands and knees have faced your wrath because they were not invited. For you to have gone to find this person on your own accord, they must have been greatly important –”
“Or insignificant enough that I merely wanted to handle the matter quickly and leave to attend to other business elsewhere. Perhaps it was merely a stop on my way to a different location.”
Sampson looked as though he was starting to see more and more of Frederick’s side of things, but there was still a frown of doubt between his eyes.
“Say all of that is true. It still doesn’t provide us with enough information to seclude our search to certain areas or give us a suspect list. You might have caused a lot of trouble among many people, but you kept a very small, tight circle. Anyone could be responsible. We have no reason to suspect anyone because we still don’t know why you were where you had been that day. I do not mean to discourage you, but I think it would be wise to exercise caution in this matter. There is still a chance that your attacker desires to finish the job. If you expose all your hands carelessly, you might lead him right to you.” Sampson stated gravely.
Frederick did not like that the other man had raised a good point. And he hated that he still lacked the answers that would put this matter to rest, once and for all.
“I understand your concerns and I agree that I should be aware of what all the factors are before I get too carried away by my need to find the assailant. However… I need to put this situation behind me, as soon as possible. This foolishness has gone on long enough and I am ready to put an end to the fool who believed he could put me down.” Frederick said with an irritated sigh.
Sampson watched him silently, and then he hummed, shifting his gaze elsewhere. The action was strange and Frederick noticed it right away.
“What?” Frederick asked, irked all of a sudden.
“Hm? Oh, nothing.” Sampson shook his head quickly.
That only further increased Frederick’s wariness. “Tell me. What is it?”
Sampson sighed, deep and long-suffering, and then he downed the contents of his glass all at once before he spoke.
“I have noticed that you seem rather… desperate to find this culprit. I understand that you wish to enact vengeance and move on from the matter completely, but you are rushing through things. And that is very unlike you. You value precision. You like to handle matters as clearly as possible. But this situation has you wanting to work with vague details and what-ifs and that is very out of character for you. I do understand the motives you might have behind your actions, but I encourage you to pace yourself. Rushing will only lead to mistakes and that will only incur additional costs. And you have paid enough already, dear friend.”
Frederick sat there in silence, allowing Sampson’s words to wash over him. Once more, he could see the reasoning behind what the other had said.
It was best to be cautious because it was still unclear who Frederick was dealing with. But still, there had been this pressure that bore down on his shoulders, hurrying him to end this cycle of the unknown. If not for his sake, then at least for the sake of his wife who was –
Frederick went completely still.
Eleanor. Eleanor had nothing to do with this. She was innocent and should not be involved in his troubles, yet he had brought danger to her door by returning to the estate and the longer he remained, the higher the risk of her getting hurt was.
He wanted to protect her at all costs, to keep her safe from harm – even the ones that might be brought upon them because of him. He had already disappointed her severely, on numerous occasions and he could not fail to protect her as well.
“What if we find out where I was? If we can discover the location of that club, we might be able to ask people around there if anyone remembers who I had met or spoken to. That might put us on the right track.” Frederick proposed.
“It is a rather long shot, but no effort would be wasted. If we follow that route, there is a chance of us discovering something about the night of your attack, although the odds might be small.” Sampson pointed out reluctantly.
“No matter how little, as long as we stand a chance of getting answers, then I am all for it. It might look desperate, and perhaps that is what I am – desperate to end this. I do not care. I will make sure that scoundrel rues the day he ever crossed paths with me.”
Sampson nodded with a grin. “I have no doubt you will. Do not worry. I shall continue to look in other places, search our business engagements, and if perhaps there is a link from there to this mysterious dead man walking, I assure you that I will find it. You can count on me.”
Relief flooded Frederick’s bones and for the first time since he had awoken that morning, he felt himself relax, knowing that the menace that had evaded him for a while wouldn’t do so for much longer.
“I know I can, friend,” he nodded, and finished his drink. “I know I can. Thank you.”