She put on a pale gray riding skirt with a yellow jacket to match her sunny mood, grabbed a quick breakfast, and hurried to the stables. She was surprised to see Dottie there before her, talking with Rupert, who had two other men with him.
“Sirrah! We are a household of ladies here at Longford. It is preposterous that you suspect one of us of highway robbery out on the heath! No, I emphatically refuse you permission to search my home and stables!” she announced in withering tones.
“Dottie, he doesn’t suspect any such thing,” Rupert assured her. “Officer Thorpe merely wants to look in the stables to see if the robber is hiding there without our knowledge. He has already searched the Hardings’ stables, and I came over here with them so that you wouldn’t be alarmed.”
Dottie lifted her lorgnette for a more thorough inspection. “You profess to be John Eaton’s coachman? My condolences!” She swung around to Thorpe. “And you are the authority from Middlesex County?” The moment Thorpe nodded in the affirmative she said, “There you are, then: This is Bucks County, and you have no jurisdiction whatsoever!”
“Lady Longford, would you prefer that the Bow Street Police of London be called in? They would overrun the entire area and leave you no privacy whatsoever.”
“The London authorities have more good sense than to waste their time chasing phantom highwaymen. I suggest you need look no farther than The Cock and Bull Inn in Hounslow. No doubt you will discover it was nothing more than drunken horseplay!”
Rupert finally realized that Dottie wanted him to get rid of her unwanted visitors. “Gentlemen, I know the owner of the inn. Why don’t we go there and get to the bottom of this matter?”
Before they were safely out of earshot, Dottie remarked to Alex, “Deliver me from the country bumpkins of Slough!”
Alex laughed. “I’m off to Hatton to see how Kit is faring. If I discover a highwayman hiding in Zephyr’s stall, I shall run him through with a pitchfork!”
“No, darling, send him up to the house. I wouldn’t mind an encounter with a dark and dangerous night rider.”
As Alex rode the short distance to Hatton, she thought of the masquerade ball. A picture of Nicholas disguised as a highwayman came full-blown into her mind. It was so compelling that it took her breath away.
I was so madly in love with him that night. It is nothing short of a miracle that I got over my feelings for him. As Alex cantered across the lush meadow of Hatton Grange she saw a man standing beside a black horse. Suddenly, her heart began to hammer. It cannot be Nick! My imagination is conjuring his image because I am thinking about him! Then again, it could not be Kit, who never cared to work with the horses. She closed the distance between them, and when her eyes told her she was not imagining him, the ground came up to meet her and she swayed in the saddle.
“Alex!” Nick caught her before she fell and held her secure in strong arms until her eyes fluttered open. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly. Dear God, no, I’m not all right! “I didn’t expect to see you.” I’ve been longing to see you! “Kit told me you were safely back from France.” I saw you with my own eyes at Champagne Charlie’s! Dear God, I thought I was over you, but now I know that I shall never be over you!
Nick carefully set her feet to the ground, cursing himself for causing her to feel faint. “Can you stand, Alexandra?”
“Of course.” She saw that he had been washing mud from the mare’s legs. When Hounslow Heath is all afire, then Hounslow’s roads are naught but mire. The words of the old rhyme ran through her head. My God, Nicholas, are you the highwayman? She knew he needed money. His father had left him penniless, and army pay was a disgraceful pittance. She also knew he was reckless enough to risk his neck. Her heart turned over in her breast. If aught happened to him, she would die. “I … I came to see Christopher.”
Nick frowned. “Didn’t you get his note?”
“Yes … he told me he walked into a door … I have to see for myself that he is all right.” She hesitated. “We are engaged.”
“I know.” He took her hand and looked down at her ring. “Alex, more than anything in the world, I want you to be Lady Hatton.”
“Thank you.” She lowered her lashes so he could not read the pain in her eyes. “I’d better go.” Her lashes flew up as he drew close. “No, no, please don’t lift me into the saddle; I’ll walk Zephyr.” She felt so brittle that she feared she would shatter into a million shards if he touched her.
As she slowly walked toward Hatton Hall, her thoughts were in chaos, her emotions tangled up in knots, and she now felt reluctant to visit Christopher. She had a sudden impulse to mount Zephyr and ride away, yet she knew that if she gave in to the urge, she might never return. Alex chided herself for being a coward. She had a duty to Christopher and to her family; she must not play fast and loose with her promises. She tethered Zephyr’s reins and knocked on the hall’s magnificently carved door.
“Good morning, Mistress Alexandra. Lord Hatton is in the breakfast room. I shall bring you a cup of chocolate.”
Mr. Burke’s cheerful welcome did much to calm her agitation, and the moment she saw Kit’s bruised face, her reluctance to see him fled. “I know you said you couldn’t see me for a few days, but I wanted to make sure you were all right. Is it very painful?”
“Only when I breathe.” His words, which could have been meant as a jest, sounded petulant and filled with self-pity.
Mr. Burke brought her a cup of chocolate, and she noticed that Kit did not speak again until he had left the room. She took a sip and broached the subject of their wedding. “Your note mentioned going to the church to arrange a date for the ceremony. As I understand it, the banns are read three Sundays in succession, so it would be possible to have the wedding in a month, if you wish.”
“No, that’s not soon enough!” he said sharply. “I’ll get a license so we can dispense with the banns. Alex, surely a fortnight is long enough to wait?”
She felt dismayed that he was behaving so differently today. Yet she had known all her life that Christopher could be moody and sensitive at any hint of rejection. She did not wish to argue with him. “Arrange for the license. You are right; two or three weeks is long enough to wait.” At least this way there would be no time to plan a costly wedding reception, inviting half the county. She set her cup down and gave him a radiant smile. “Kit, why don’t we go for a gallop in the sunshine? I’m sure it will make you feel better.”
“Alex, I have such a headache. I thought I’d go out by the lake and do some painting today. You understand my need to be alone?”
“Of course I do! My own sketching brings me both pleasure and tranquility. Solitude is exactly what you need. I’ll see you in a few days when you are feeling better.”
As Alex galloped along the river, she pondered over how withdrawn and unwell Kit had seemed. And yet, at the same time, he had insisted that they waste no time in getting married. Alex sighed. She should never have invaded his privacy. His note had said that he didn’t want her to see him with a black eye. Now she wished with all her heart that she had not ignored his wishes. If she hadn’t gone to Hatton this morning, she would not have discovered that she was still madly, hopelessly in love with Nicholas.
Nick Hatton was in no great hurry to see John Eaton, and he deliberately waited until after lunch to set out for Slough. He surmised that at first light Eaton would have informed the county authorities that his coach had been robbed on Hounslow Heath, and that they would have dispatched an officer to investigate. When Eaton’s baggage and files were recovered in Dog’s Hollow, they would have returned them to him; for his own perverse pleasure, Nick wanted to arrive after the fact.
When he rode into the courtyard at Eaton Place, he hid his amusement and nodded politely to the driver he had encountered last night who was now washing the mud from the black berline coach. At the stables, Nick turned his gray yearling over to a groom then proceeded to the front door, which was opened by Eaton�
�s liveried majordomo.
“I am sorry, sir, Mr. Eaton is presently engaged.”
“I’ll wait,” Nick said implacably and took a seat in the luxuriously furnished entrance hall. When the servant withdrew, Nick could hear voices coming from Eaton’s office, and he smiled with satisfaction, knowing he had timed his visit perfectly.
“I have concluded that your unfortunate encounter was nothing more than drunken revelry, Mr. Eaton. I believe it was a practical joke perpetrated by young bucks gathered at the inn on Hounslow for a cockfight. Such behavior is reprehensible, yet not uncommon.”
“In other words, Thorpe, you failed to turn up any suspects?”
“You have no witnesses, sir, and I recovered your baggage at the precise spot your coach was stopped, which lends weight to the probability that it was no more than drunken horseplay.”
“You may have recovered my valise and my files, Thorpe, but this leather satchel contained a great deal of money! I was robbed—robbed blind—yet you seem reluctant to pursue the matter!”
“Sir, do you have proof of how much money was in the satchel?”
“Proof? Do you not realize that I am financial advisor to the Duke of Devonshire, among others? My word should be all the proof that is necessary!”
“I am not questioning your word, sir. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the satchel lay out on Hounslow Heath all night where any who passed by were free to help themselves.”
“Your incompetence is staggering! I shall report you to your superiors, Thorpe. I should have gone to the London authorities straightaway.”
“I have reason to believe the London authorities would not waste their valuable time chasing phantom highwaymen on Hounslow Heath. In my opinion, such a tale could make you a laughingstock and cast doubt on your own competence to handle the money of others. I bid you good day, sir.”
The officer left and Nicholas was shown into the office. Eaton’s blood was already boiling with anger, and Nick knew this put the financier at a disadvantage. “Good afternoon. I am here on behalf of my twin, Lord Hatton.” Nick spoke with the same air of authority he had used as Captain Hatton, when he had commanded more than a thousand men. He reached into the breast pocket of his blue superfine coat and brought out the letter that Eaton had sent to his brother and laid it on the desk. “What exactly is the meaning of this?”
Eaton snatched up the letter and scanned it. “It’s simple enough!” he shouted. “He cannot repay the loans I made him. Since I hold the title deed on Hatton Hall, it is forfeit to me.”
Nick’s mouth curved. “Surely you jest. My twin is far too shrewd to forfeit our ancestral home to anyone.”
“Shrewd?” Eaton sneered. “It may come as a shock to you to learn that he has squandered his inheritance along with Hatton Hall. I have his signature and all the necessary documents in my possession.”
“It may come as a shock to you to learn that you do not. My twin would never let the deed for Hatton out of his possession.”
Eaton glanced quickly at the metal container of files that sat on his office floor where Thorpe had laid them, then he hesitated, suddenly unsure of himself. Some of the high color left his face, as doubt insinuated itself into his mind and uncertainty drained away his bombastic confidence.
Once more, Nicholas Hatton reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a sheet of paper. Again he laid it on Eaton’s desk. “This is the real list of my late father’s investments, notarized by Tobias Jacobs, his solicitor at law. Lord Hatton wishes to withdraw them from your administration.”
Eaton went purple and opened his mouth to vilify him.
Nick held up his hand. “Before you protest, let me give you the reason, Joan, darling. Lord Hatton refuses to do business with a deviant financial advisor who is a member of the decadent Mollies’ Club. I doubt very much if our good friend Hart Cavendish will keep you in his employ either, once he learns what your nickname, the Corkscrew, really stands for.”
Suddenly Eaton was sweating, and a gray pallor had replaced the alarming color of his face. Nicholas smelled victory. When you had a man by the balls, his head and his heart soon followed.
“I am a reasonable man, Eaton, with the patience of a saint. I shall sit quietly while you get my twin’s stocks and bonds from your vault. In return, I shall forgo the pleasure of revealing your scandalous secrets to every newspaper in London.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nick was filled with triumph as he rode back to Hatton. When the property came into view, he realized that the hall, with its verdant pastures and tranquil lake, had never looked lovelier nor meant more to him than it did at this moment. He had overcome the threat of its loss and firmly believed the risks he had taken to keep it safe were not only worth it but completely justified.
Nick couldn’t wait to share the wonderful news with his twin and put Kit’s mind at ease about losing Hatton Hall to John Eaton. He knew they would have to have a serious discussion about the investments and choose a new trustworthy financial advisor who would keep a tight rein on his brother’s spending, but Nick decided that could wait. Today, he simply wanted Kit and himself to savor the moment and celebrate their good fortune.
“Kit, are you home?” Nick called the moment he opened the door.
“He’s been outdoors, painting, most of the afternoon. He’ll return when the light starts to fade,” Mr. Burke predicted.
“I have excellent news, Mr. Burke. We can stop worrying about John Eaton; I don’t believe he will be favoring Hatton Hall with his presence any time soon.”
“I was never worried, sir. I knew Eaton was no match for a man who defeated Napoleon.”
Nicholas threw back his head and laughed. “Wellington gave me a little help with that one, Mr. Burke.” He ran upstairs and removed the stocks and bonds from his saddlebags. As he looked at the valuable certificates, Nick admired their father’s shrewdness; his only mistake had been in trusting his cousin. The investments, and Kit’s vulnerability, had proved to be too much of a temptation for a miscreant corrupted by greed, as Eaton was.
He unlocked his desk and placed the investment certificates in the drawer along with the forty thousand pounds. Before he relocked the desk, he removed the title deed to Hatton Hall, along with the paper Christopher had signed, authorizing Eaton to make all financial decisions for him. Nick’s mouth curved as he anticipated his twin’s surprise when he handed it to him. He hung his blue coat in the wardrobe, removed his starched neckcloth, and unfastened the buttons on his embroidered waistcoat. When he heard his brother below, he picked up the two precious documents and hurried downstairs to share the good news.
“Let’s go into the library for a minute, I have a surprise.”
Kit set down his canvasses and followed him warily. “I remember the surprise you gave me last time we were in the library!”
Nick laughed. “I’m sorry I thumped you; I can never remember being that angry with you before.” His eyes examined Kit’s face, and he was relieved to see that the bruise had almost disappeared. “Christopher, if you could have one wish for anything in the entire world, what would it be?”
Kit’s eyes became wistful. “Do you want the truth?”
“Always.” Something told Nick he shouldn’t have asked.
“I wish I could go to Italy and study painting. Did you know that most of the world’s finest art is in the city of Florence?”
“Italy? What about Hatton?”
“Hatton has become a millstone about my bloody neck. Sometimes I hate the damn place!” Kit said passionately.
Nick was dismayed and wished he’d told him the good news immediately. “John Eaton no longer has possession of the title deed to Hatton Hall; we do! It will never be a millstone again.”
Kit stared in amazement at the deed with its red seals. “How on earth did you get it back from the thieving swine?”
“I robbed his coach on the heath.”
“You are the highwayman?” Kit asked in disbelief.
Kit let out a whoop of joy. “Christ, Nick, you are amazing! If you hadn’t left to join the army, I never would have gotten into such a bloody mess. Together, nobody can beat us!” He lit a candle, held the paper to the flame until it ignited, then tossed it into the empty fireplace.
“I’m taking Hatton Hall’s deed to London, and putting it in a bank vault, where no one can get their greedy hands on it again.”
“You are an arrogant bastard, Nick. Have you forgotten that I am Lord Hatton and the deed belongs to me?”
“Are you prepared to fight me for it, Kit?” Nick slipped the deed inside his shirt. “I assure you, my lord, that is the only way you will get it.”
Gray eyes stared into gray for a long, drawn-out minute. “I was only jesting. Damn, this is such a load off my mind; I think I’ll join Rupert at the Epsom races this weekend to celebrate!”
Nick immediately decided that it was not the best time to tell his twin about the investments he’d recovered. He also concluded that it was high time he removed everything from his desk and got it safely to London. “I won’t join you. I have some unfinished business in Town.”
“In that case why don’t you try out my phaeton? That pair of chestnuts I bought are a bit of a disappointment. Their gait doesn’t seem to match. Perhaps you can solve the problem.”
The problem is that they are not a matched pair. “All right, I’ll give them a run and take a look.” Nick hesitated, more than curious about Alexandra’s visit this morning. “By the way, did you decide on a date for the wedding yet?”
“I told Alex it would have to be in the next two weeks, thinking I’d need her money to save Hatton, but thanks to you I can now give her the month she asked for.”
“Did you tell her about your financial troubles?”
“Good God, no! I don’t want her to think I’m marrying her for her fortune. She’ll find out soon enough.”