Chapter Eleven #2
“It was not me.” Bear did not allow his answer to be heated. Nor did he permit himself to wither under her piercing gaze. He gripped the edge of Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s escritoire. “I was concerned for her wellbeing even before I learned of this.”
Lady Sedgewick sniffed, as if Bear’s concern carried little weight. “Yesterday, I went to speak to the Bow Street Runners. They were to follow my niece to the solicitor on her thirtieth birthday and trail her thereafter, ensuring she came to no harm. But it seems my arrangements were tardy.”
Bear’s mouth went dry. “What harm do you imagine has come to her?”
Lady Sedgewick met Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s steady gaze and for a moment, both of them ignored Bear’s question. A woman’s low laughter filtered through the walls, but Bear was too fixated upon the unfolding events in this room to wonder at wider goings on in the Lyon’s Den.
“My niece’s former brother-in-law is an unscrupulous character, motivated almost solely by the accrual of wealth.
” Lady Sedgewick answered at last. “As you know, Marianne will come into her inheritance on her thirtieth birthday. With Toby as her next of kin, and Edgar Chawton as Toby’s guardian, that inheritance could easily pass into his hands.
” The lady exhaled slowly. “This is why I was keen for Marianne to gain a male protector.”
“We were all keen to see that,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon added.
Lady Sedgewick cast a scornful glance in Bear’s direction. “Although your solution can hardly be deemed successful.”
“I do not envisage Lord Thaddeus Albright faring much better in the circumstances,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon responded icily.
Bear looked from one to another, trying to make sense of it all.
The name Edgar Chawton rang a distant bell.
But what was this about a protector? The conversation between the two women came to him as if from the opposite end of a long, narrow tunnel, while his new knowledge about Marianne’s society connections reverberated through his veins like the pistons of a steam train.
He shook his head to clear it. “Who is Lord Thaddeus Albright?”
Lady Sedgewick looked pointedly out of the window, and it was left to Mrs. Dove-Lyon to answer.
“Lord Thaddeus Albright is the man Lady Sedgewick selected for her niece to marry.”
Lady Sedgewick sighed dramatically. “Before Marianne decided to take matters into her own hands and marry you instead.”
“You knew of our arrangement?” Bear guessed, widening his eyes as Lady Sedgewick nodded.
“I have spies everywhere, of course I knew.” She made an impatient gesture. “Heaven help me, I thought a soldier in Wellington’s regiment might prove equal to the scheming of a greedy industrialist.”
“But I did not realize the need to be on high alert,” Bear protested, knowing as he spoke that this was not true.
Marianne had expressed her fears on their second meeting.
He should have given more thought as to why she worried about the safety of her inheritance, and less to how he might spend it.
“It is all my fault.” He sank into a leather wingback chair and tipped back his head, closing his eyes as guilt and regret washed over him.
“I should have asked more questions. I should have been more diligent.”
A voice spoke in the back of his mind that he should have asked a lot more questions. What else had Marianne been keeping from him?
“That is all very well, Lord Benedict. But we will achieve nothing by looking backwards.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon sipped her tea slowly. “We must make a plan for the future and to do that I must ask, are you still willing to marry Lady Brewood?”
The question half winded him. Just hours earlier, the answer would have been obvious, but this recent revelation had left him reeling. Society was a trap from which he had long wished to escape. Would marriage to Marianne ensnare him deeper into it?
Bear breathed deeply to quell his turbulent emotions, and as he did so, an image of Marianne slid into his mind: her blue eyes gazing into his, a carefree smile dancing on her lips.
He thought of her love for young Toby, her spirit of adventure, her appetite for gallops across the park. His confusion cleared.
Of course he was still willing to marry her.
He nodded firmly. “I already have the license.” It sat in his jacket pocket, a relic from another time. He pursed his lips as nausea churned in his belly. “But is your question not premature? First, we need to discover her whereabouts.”
Mrs. Dove-Lyon opened her mouth, but Lady Sedgewick was the first to speak. “We already know where she is.”
Bear was glad he was sitting down, for the world span around him. “Where?”
“Edgar Chawton lacks imagination,” Lady Sedgewick spoke contemptuously. “He will have taken Marianne to Medstead Hall. I expect to receive confirmation within the hour.”
Bear placed his hands together and tried to breathe slowly to prevent panic rising within him. “Has someone seen her?”
“The servants have all been dismissed. The house is empty. No one has seen her.” Lady Sedgewick fixed him with a cool stare. “But she will be okay.”
Bear felt as if he was drowning. He rooted himself in the room by focusing on the swirling patterns of Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s china cup. “You are very sure.”
Lady Sedgewick nodded. “If Edgar Chawton wishes to claim my niece’s inheritance, he must keep both her and Toby alive until she turns thirty.”
Her cool pronouncement gave scant reassurance.
“What about Toby?” Bear sat forward in his chair. “Has he taken Toby as well?”
“An excellent question. My great-nephew is safe and well at Fencham House. He is guarded day and night by staff I know and trust. Your concern, however, gives you credit.” Lady Sedgewick’s gaze softened slightly.
“We are assembling a team of men to stage a rescue tomorrow. Bow Street Runners known to Lady Sedgewick, and some of my wolves.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon inclined her head. “We all want to see Lady Brewood safely returned to London.”
Bear wanted to whisk Marianne and Toby away to The Towers, lock the door and never allow anyone entry. Ever again.
“Why tomorrow?” he demanded, uncaring that his loud voice ricocheted around the dimly lit room. “Why not today?”
“The runners need to gather more information. We do not know if Edgar is acting alone, or if he has a team of men working for him. They wish to strike once and bring down as many of them as possible. Besides, we have the certainty that Marianne will be kept alive and well until her birthday. There is no need for urgent action.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon drained her cup and placed it carefully in the matching saucer.
Bear rose to his feet, his eyes blazing.
“Damn it all, there is every need for urgent action,” he exploded.
“The woman I love might be hurt and scared. At the very least, she will be wondering about the safety of her son. I refuse to sit back and wait another twenty-four hours.” He banged his fist on the escritoire for emphasis.
The two women gazed up at him as the lamp light flickered. Mrs. Dove-Lyon steepled her fingers. “The woman you love?” she echoed delicately.
“The woman I love,” Bear repeated, nodding emphatically.
Lady Sedgewick cleared her throat, her expression unreadable. One white hand fluttered to her reticule, hesitated, then returned to the arm of her chair.
“But it could be dangerous, Lord Benedict. We do not know what we are wading into. It is better to first ascertain the facts. I will not put my wolves in more peril than is necessary.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon sat back as if the matter was settled.
“No.” Bear shook his head. “What you ask is impossible.”
Everything he had discovered in the last few days meant he could not countenance any delay. Bear had always fought for the people he loved, and now he would fight for the beauty of his dreams.
“What are you saying, Lord Benedict? Do you intend to ride to Medstead Hall and stage a rescue yourself?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s voice rippled with challenge.
“Yes.” Conviction strengthened within him.
“As Lady Sedgewick said, a soldier in Wellington’s regiment should be a match for an industrialist.” He leveled his gaze and met her challenge, picturing her piercing expression beneath her veil.
At once, it seemed as if they were the only two people in the room and the sounds from outside faded.
“But you are wounded.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon spoke so softly he had to lean forward to hear her. “And your time in France has left its mark.”
Bear knew she was referring to his debilitating fear of loud noises. For a moment, his conviction faltered.
Am I equal to this challenge?
Have I dreamed too big?
“Bessie, the man claims to love my niece.” Lady Sedgewick’s voice broke through his creeping self-doubt. “And if he loves her, he will do whatever it takes to see her to safety. Is that not so, Lord Benedict?”
He turned to face Lady Sedgewick and for the first time, he looked her fully in the eye. He saw the revered grande dame of the ton, but he also saw an aunt who cared deeply for her niece. Concern clouded her finely boned face and her gloved fingers quivered.
He bowed, grateful for her certitude. “That is so, Lady Sedgewick.”
She nodded slowly. “I admit, Lord Benedict, I am gratified to learn that you are not planning to marry Marianne purely for her inheritance.”
Her eyes stayed on his and a hot flush of shame went through him. “And I admit that Marianne’s inheritance played a role in my decision to marry her. But that was before I got to know her. And Toby,” he added.
Lady Sedgewick raised her eyebrows. “You have met my great-nephew?”
“Just once.” Bear took a breath. “He is a delightful young man.”
Lady Sedgewick smiled slightly. “You are full of surprises, Lord Benedict. I am acquainted with your father, of course. But I did not expect—” She trailed off. “It does not matter. The only thing that matters is Marianne.”
“We are in agreement on that point.” Bear was anxious to be off. He did not know the whereabouts of Medstead Hall but he would ask Pyramus on the way out. Pyramus had always struck him as a man who knew the answer to most questions.
“I will send some of my wolves along with the Bow Street Runners first thing tomorrow, unless I hear news to the contrary.” Mrs. Dove-Lyon sat back in her chair.
Her dark veil made her expression hard to read, but Bear thought her body language conveyed her doubts in his ability.
“Do not act in haste, Lord Benedict. I would advise you to wait for their assistance, even if your affection for Lady Brewood compels you to travel ahead of them. It is an unwise soldier who plunges into battle without the backup of his regiment.”
He nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words even as impatience surged in his veins. “I will remember my training,” he promised vaguely.
“Take this with you.” Lady Sedgewick fished inside her reticule and brought forth a sapphire necklace, studded with stones so bright they flashed in the lamplight. “It belonged to my sister, Marianne’s mother. When she sees it, she will know you travel with my blessing.”
Her words made Bear pause. He lifted an eyebrow in an unspoken question and Lady Sedgewick nodded slightly.
I have her blessing!
It was more than he had ever received from his own father.
Bear cleared his throat. “All of Society knows of my lack of blunt,” he said, his tone as abrupt as his language. “And yet you trust me with such a priceless piece of jewelry?”
“All of Society knows of you, yet I begin to believe few are lucky enough to know the true Benedict Fairfield.” Lady Sedgewick held the sapphire necklace closer, so he was obliged to reach out and take it from her.
The gemstones lay in his hand, cold and heavy.
“My niece clearly trusts you and consequently, so do I. As things stand, the trust that should exist between myself and Marianne is apparently lacking. This is a gesture of faith. I hope that in time, the bonds between the three of us will grow stronger as a result.”
Bear bowed, glad for the chance to hide the emotion in his face.
“I will not let you down.”
“Go quickly, Lord Benedict.” Lady Sedgewick laid her hand on his arm. “My niece is waiting.”