Regency High Society Vol 3: Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love

Katherine considered that, for someone who belonged to the landed gentry, Daniel betrayed precious little respect for his own class. ‘If what you surmise is true, then perhaps it behoves me to attempt to encourage those middle-aged roues present to partner me in a dance.’

‘Don’t be so naïve, girl!’ he scolded, clearly annoyed that she would even contemplate doing such a thing. ‘It will avail you nothing if you tried,’ he went on in a milder tone. ‘You don’t suppose for a moment the villain would risk exposure by attempting anything himself, do you? No, he’ll have others here who will do his dirty work for him if he suspects you do indeed pose a threat, and that you might well prove to be none other than Justine Baron’s sister.’

As no attempt had been made to abduct her thus far Katherine could not help thinking that the traitor had not been duped, and didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed to think that all Sir Giles’s planning and that eventful flight from the French capital had been in vain. All the same, she could never feel sorry she had been involved in the venture, even though she very much feared that to her dying day she would be tortured by bittersweet memories of the man who was now swirling her so expertly round the room.

As the dance drew to an end Katherine, desperately striving not to dwell on what undoubtedly would be her barren future, allowed Daniel to lead her across the hall into the dining-room, where a large number of guests had already gathered to enjoy the delicious supper.

She might have wished that he had not chosen to join his uncle’s party, whom she had noticed were the last guests to arrive, for although she did take an instant liking to Sir Joshua, she was under sufficient strain already to maintain the pretence of light-heartedness, without having to cope with his probing questions into the exact relationship between his nephew and herself. Like Daniel, she found Mrs Melrose’s polite utterances rather insipid. Worse still was Julia’s faintly cool reception. Having experienced the noxious emotion herself, Katherine could now recognise jealousy without difficulty when she saw it. Evidently Daniel’s former love now viewed her as a rival. How little the woman knew!

Fortunately Katherine was not forced to endure the ordeal for too long, for no sooner had several couples begun to drift back to the large salon than the gentleman who had first claimed her for his partner appeared at her side again, with a stuttered reminder that she had promised him a second dance.

She couldn’t recall doing any such thing; nor could she even remember the young gentleman’s name. Nevertheless she did not think twice about returning with him to the salon, where couples were already taking up positions for a set of country dances.

‘You must forgive me, monsieur, but I have been introduced to so many people this evening that I am having a little difficulty in recalling your name.’

‘G-Gifford, ma’am … George G-Gifford. I-I’m here with the gentleman who is to s-sponsor me during the f-forthcoming Season.’

Katherine couldn’t imagine that the event would turn out to be an overwhelming success, given the young man’s evident shyness and painful stutter. It wasn’t that he was ill-looking. In fact, some women might consider him quite handsome, and yet she couldn’t help thinking that the hard, dark eyes seemed oddly at variance with the boyish good looks and diffident manner.

Just as the musicians struck up a chord, Katherine noticed Daniel enter the room, with Julia clinging possessively to his arm. She noticed him staring fixedly in her direction, with an almost frozen look on his face, as though he had just received a severe shock. She did her utmost to thrust his odd expression from her mind and concentrate on her own partner, managing with a reasonable amount of success to converse with him whenever they came together in the set. At least Mr Gifford proved to be a graceful dancer, so it came as something of a surprise when he managed to step on the hem of her gown, just as the dance was drawing to a close.

‘Oh, I am so s-sorry, mademoiselle. I have torn y-your gown. W-will you permit me to escort you to the ladies’ withdrawing-room? S-so clumsy of me.’

Katherine assured him that there was no need to put himself to the trouble, and that she could find her own way without assistance to the bedchamber their hostess had set aside for the purpose. She discovered him at her side all the same, when she slipped out into the deserted hall. It was then that she sensed the unassuming young gentleman was not quite what he seemed, the split second before his fingers grasped her arm just above the elbow, and she was propelled with considerable force towards the room which had once functioned as her grandfather’s library.

Although her every instinct urged her in those first heart-stopping moments to reach out for the vase on a nearby table and bring it down hard on Mr Gifford’s head, or at the very least let out a scream for help, she paid heed to Sir Giles’s warning and didn’t attempt to put up even a token resistance. Naturally it came as no surprise, after Mr Gifford had flung wide the door, and had almost thrust her into the darkened room, to discover a burly figure lurking in the shadows, ready with lengths of rope and a gag which he proceeded to put to immediate use.

‘You know what to do.’ There was no hint of a stutter in Mr Gifford’s voice now, and his features were hardened by a look of pure malice, a look Katherine felt certain she had seen on someone’s face in the not too distant past.

That was it! she suddenly realised. That was precisely what Daniel had been attempting to convey a few minutes before. He had, she felt certain, suddenly recognised Gifford. But from where? Where had they run across him? She turned her head, but before she had a chance to study his malevolent expression more closely, a hood was thrust over her head.

Tossed over a brawny shoulder, she was then carried from the house by way of the glass-panelled door which her grandfather had had installed to allow more light into the room and to grant swift access to the garden. Unfortunately this section of garden was quite separate from that part which had been lit so prettily for the occasion, and was not visible from the windows of the salon where the party was taking place. It was only a matter of a few yards, she clearly remembered, before one reached the shrubbery, beyond which ran a narrow lane, wide enough for a carriage.

Her perilous situation suddenly hit her with frightening clarity. Throughout her flight from France she had never experienced real fear, simply because Daniel had been with her. But he wasn’t with her now. Bound and gagged, she was as helpless as a new-born babe and couldn’t possibly escape without help. If Sir Giles’s well laid plans went wrong, and her captor succeeded in getting her away unseen, then her situation was dire indeed.

She was not unduly surprised when her abductor made directly for the shrubbery. Nor was she astonished to detect the chinking of a harness a minute or two later before she was bundled none too gently on to the floor of a carriage. She felt it sway slightly, as though he was attempting to enter. Sounds of a scuffle quickly followed, a sickening thud and a groan. Then the vehicle swayed again as someone succeeded in entering this time.

Her companion did not attempt to move or speak until the equipage had turned on to the main road, then hands slid beneath her arms, lifting her on to the seat, and the bonds securing her wrists and ankles were swiftly removed. The gentleness of her companion’s actions was enough to convince her that she was now perfectly safe, undoubtedly under the protection of one of Sir Giles’s own people, and yet with the best will in the world she could not stop her hand from trembling as she pulled off the hood and removed the gag. Then she found herself gaping like a half-wit, for her rescuer was none other than Mr Ashcroft.

‘Are you all right, my dear?’ he enquired. ‘I trust the blackguard wasn’t too rough with you.’

‘I was urged by Sir Giles not to put up a struggle, which was possibly why I came through the ordeal relatively unscathed,’ she admitted, rubbing the circulation back into her sore wrists. ‘Though if I’m honest, I’d be forced to admit that it went against the grain somewhat for me not to attempt to put up at least a token resistance.’

‘I’m glad you did not. You’re in no danger now,’ Mr Ashcroft assured her gently. ‘We’ve had men scouting the area for days. Earlier in the evening, when this carriage was spotted drawing up in the lane, we felt certain that an attempt would be made tonight to abduct you by way of the side entrance. You were never in any real danger. Needless to say one of our own people is now tooling this vehicle. The original driver and the scoundrel who carried you from the house have been taken into custody. The rest we can safely leave to Sir Giles.’

A hundred questions sprang into Katherine’s mind, but she found herself asking only one. ‘Where are you taking me—back to Rosslair?’

‘We are to make a brief stop at the inn in order to collect my sister. Until Sir Giles has located the whereabouts of every member of the spy network, you are to remain safely hidden,’ Mr Ashcroft responded. ‘It is better that you do not return to Major Ross’s home.’

‘Yes,’ Katherine agreed hollowly, ‘it would be much safer … for all concerned … if I did not return there.’

Chapter Sixteen

This is utterly insupportable!’ Daniel declared, after examining the several letters McGann had collected that morning from the receiving office, and discovering no word yet again from either Katherine or Sir Giles. ‘I would far rather face a French column on the field of battle than endure this intolerable waiting a moment longer!’

‘Oh, dear. The Major’s blood’s up,’ McGann whispered, joining Janet at the table. ‘Very bad sign, that. You mark my words, there’ll be trouble afore long.’

‘Shush,’ she hissed, before turning her attention back to her master, who had begun to pace up and down, which he was inclined to do whenever angry or upset. ‘But, sir, you know what Sir Giles said, when he came here on the morning after the party to collect Miss Kath-erine’s belongings,’ she reminded him in an attempt to soothe his evidently mounting ire.

Although she had never perfectly understood the precise nature of the work in which Katherine and her master had been engaged, Janet did know that they had been involved in something very secret on behalf of the government. ‘The good gentleman did say that Miss Kath-erine was in safe hands and would remain so until the business be cleared up completely.’

‘But it’s been over a month, Janet,’ Daniel pointed out, not in the least mollified. ‘I should have heard something by now.’ He resumed his restless pacing. ‘That old fox is hiding something. I sense it. And if I discover one hair of my darling girl’s beautiful head has been harmed, I’ll take the greatest pleasure in breaking every bone in Osborne’s body!’

‘Oh, dear. He means it an’ all,’ McGann confirmed, sotto voce.

‘It’s all my fault, of course,’ Daniel continued, ignoring the interruption. ‘I should never have agreed to Os-borne taking her away from here.’ He paused yet again in his perambulations to run impatient fingers through his hair. ‘Furthermore I should have declared myself when we were in France. But no, I foolishly decided to do the gentlemanly thing and not put more pressure on her by making her feel uncomfortable.’

Janet cast McGann a secretive little smile. ‘We know well enough how fond you are of her, sir.’

‘Fond …? Ha! A most inappropriate word, Janet! I’m damnably sure I cannot live without her … At least I’ll never be wholly content unless she’s by my side.’

Daniel joined them at the table, his expression softening marginally. ‘She’s a brave little soul. She saved my life, you know?’

It was plain that they did not know. McGann recovered from the shock first. ‘Well, to be sure, ‘tis no more than you’d expect. The girl’s got good Irish blood flowing through her veins, so she has.’

‘She’s Anglo-Irish, McGann,’ Daniel reminded him softly. ‘And what’s more, she’s mine.’

He rose again abruptly, resolve etched in each rugged contour of his face. ‘And by God, she’s coming home, back here where she belongs!’

Although Katherine clearly heard the click of the door and then the familiar footfall on the carpet, she continued to stare through the bedchamber window at the view upon which she had absently gazed too often during these past few weeks, and one which she would have had the utmost difficulty in describing if asked to do so.

Daily she was becoming increasingly uninterested in the sights and sounds about her, and although she remained powerless to fight off the debilitating lethargy that continued to hold her firmly in its grasp, at least she retained innate good manners enough to accept the fact that she could not remain as a guest in Sir Giles Os-borne’s house for very much longer.

‘Bridie, I believe it’s time we were thinking of returning to Bath,’ she announced, in a voice which distinctly lacked any vestige of enthusiasm. ‘Perhaps Sir Giles will be kind enough to put his travelling carriage at our disposal. If not, we must make arrangements to hire a post-chaise.’

Bridie regarded her young mistress in silence, at a complete loss to know what to do for the best. She had helped Katherine through many heartbreaking periods, but she had never seen her young mistress more desolate than this.

Contracting influenza from Sir Giles’s sister had naturally not helped the situation. Nevertheless, Bridie had known the instant she had set foot inside the house that Katherine was not herself. Her young mistress might have succeeded in concealing her bouts of weeping from Sir Giles and Miss Mary Osborne, but she herself had easily detected the telltale signs and had guessed the truth even before she had heard Katherine call out that certain someone’s name in her sleep.

She knew, perhaps better than anyone else, just how steadfastly determined Katherine had been during the past years not to become too attached to another living soul in an attempt to protect herself from further searing hurt. She also knew that a very special gentleman had succeeded in breaking down those defences, and that at some point during their six-week separation her young mistress had fallen deeply in love.

She regarded the slender figure staring resolutely out of the window in some concern. If this show of total apathy was the result of her young mistress’s love not being returned, then Bridie did not doubt that Katherine would eventually begin to mend. She very much feared, though, that the opposite was true, and that Major Daniel Ross was every bit as much in love with Katherine as she was with him.