Chapter Twenty-One
Con wanted to catch Charlotte’s thumb between his teeth, and pull her to him. Instead, he let her go and enjoyed the view of her lush bottom swaying as she climbed the stairs. He was delighted she had accepted his kiss and returned it so easily today. Each day, his future with her was looking more and more certain.
Worthington was right. If Con wanted her, he must become part of the family. Today was the second time he’d be able to show her he had the makings of a good husband and father.
The Great Danes arrived first with their footmen. The children could be heard again coming down the stairs, and once they were assembled, more footmen appeared.
Finally, Charlotte walked down the stairs, stopping on the last tread to survey the hall. She smiled at him, and he held out his arm. Together they strolled through the front door and across the street to Berkeley Square.
They were not the only ones taking their leisure in the Park. Mary and Theo joined another girl who looked to be about the same age. The child was accompanied by a woman he supposed to be about Charlotte’s age, and an older woman who had charge of a baby in an elaborately painted and gilded baby carriage.
“It is for Lord Wharton’s son and heir.” Her breath caressed his ear and he wanted to be able to slip his arms around her.
“How did you know what I was looking at?” he teased.
“How could you not notice it?” She looked as if she was about to go into whoops. “Grace said we had plain wicker baskets set on a frame with wheels.”
“I have no idea what I had. I’ll have to ask my mother.” He glanced at it again. “I am quite sure it was not that elaborate.”
Charlotte tucked her hand in his arm, and they strolled a little away from the others, albeit still keeping an eye on the children and dogs. Daisy lay on the grass and Duke stood next to her, nosing her every once in a while. “They paint a domestic scene.”
“Only because she is enceinte. Otherwise she would be romping all over the Park.”
“Maybe she will calm down after the puppies are born.” That had occurred to several of his hunters after they gave birth.
“One can only hope. Grace and I came to Town ahead of the children. On their way here Daisy tried to make friends with a pair of horses.” Charlotte grimaced. “Suffice it to say it did not turn out the way she wished.”
He could imagine what his horses would do, but he asked anyway. “What happened?”
“They bolted. The gentleman who owned the carriage and the pair started to yell. Fortunately, the team for our coach had been changed, so Mr. Winter, the children’s tutor, got them all back in the coach and didn’t stop until he arrived here.”
Con couldn’t help but to bark a laugh. “I may have to reconsider a puppy.”
“Oh, no.” Charlotte leaned more heavily against him. “They are the sweetest beasts in nature. She is much better since Matt has been training her.”
Con enjoyed the early morning as he rarely had before he’d met Charlotte. Not that he’d seen much of it. The air seemed fresher. The grass was still slightly damp. Other nurses and their charges began to enter the square.
“Lady Charlotte, good morning.” Harrington bowed to her, once again ignoring Con.
“My lord.” She curtseyed. “I am surprised to see you here at this hour.”
“I thought I would see if you were in.” The puppy’s head seemed to twitch even further away from Con.
“I have been extremely busy of late.”
Going for rides and walks with me. Con almost smirked.
Suddenly a scream rent the peace of the Park, followed by male voices shouting and dogs growling and barking. Con pushed Charlotte behind him, but the commotion was taking place near the old lady with the baby carriage. Mary and Theo—safe, thank God—were trying to calm the other girl, and the young woman who had accompanied the older woman was gone. Three footmen surrounded Duke, who was snarling at something on the ground.
Charlotte grabbed Con’s hand. “Come. We must find out what has happened.”
A moment later, he slid in between two of the footmen to find the Dane had caught and was standing on a man.
“Get him off me,” the man cried. “I didn’t do nothin’.”
“Don’t lie to his lordship,” one of the footmen ordered. “You helped grab that woman.”
Next to Con, Charlotte stared at the villain on the ground. “You!”
Con looked at the miscreant again. It was the blackguard he’d got drunk the night he’d rescued Charlotte. “Remove the dog. I’ll take care of him.”
The moment Duke stepped off, the scoundrel tried to bolt. Con caught him by the scruff of his neck, swung him around, and punched him in the stomach. The scoundrel dropped to his knees, heaving as if he’d throw up. “Now, unless you want a little more home brew, you’d better tell me where your accomplice took that young woman.”
“I ain’t telling you nothin’.” The scoundrel spat, the glob just missing Con’s boots.
“You think not? Well, you’ve got a choice: You can hang or you can be transported. If anything happens to that female, you’ll hang, and I’ll make sure the rope is nice and new.”
“Takes a long time to die with a new rope,” one of the footmen commented.
“He’s takin’ her to the Dove, on the other side of Richmond.”
“One of you,” Con ordered, “call the watch.”
The rest of Charlotte’s brothers and sisters had gathered next to her.
“What happened?” Walter asked.
“Hal, take Ben and lock this rascal in the cellar at Worthington House,” Charlotte said. “The rest of you take the children back to the house.”
Con looked around to see a large traveling coach stop in front of Stanwood House. The Mertons hurried over.
“What is going on?” Merton held his wife close to him.
“Miss Betsy kidnapped one of Lord Wharton’s servants.” Con looked down to see Theo tugging on his jacket. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“She isn’t a servant. She’s the housekeeper’s niece, and she’s getting married soon.”
“Was she visiting her aunt?” Charlotte asked.
Theo nodded as Mary said, “Her name is Miss Cloverly.”
Con thought of what the whore had in store for the young woman and his blood turned to ice. He glanced at Charlotte. “I’ll go and get her back.”
“I’m coming with you. She won’t trust a man by himself.”
“Charlotte, you cannot.” Merton glanced from her to Con and shrugged. “Worthington will not allow it.”
“I completely agree,” Harrington said. What the devil was he still doing here? And who the devil cared for his opinion? “Lady Charlotte, you may not accompany Lord Kenilworth. I forbid it.”
“You.” Her voice shook with growing anger. “You have no business telling me what to do. Nothing will keep me from going. If need be—”
“Go where?” Worthington asked, striding up, his wife next to him, almost running to keep up.
“Miss Betsy abducted another young woman.” Charlotte turned her slender back on Harrington. Her chin had firmed and her normally soft blue eyes flashed with anger. “Kenilworth is going to the inn they are taking her to. I am going with him.”
“Kenilworth?” her brother asked.
This was his chance to prove to her he could be trusted. That he would not expect her to be less than she was.
“I’ll keep her safe,” he promised. Truth be told, he would give his life for her.
The smile she gave him was so brilliant it made him blink. “I’ll be right back.”
“I object.” Harrington started after Charlotte.
Con grabbed his shoulder. “You have no business disagreeing. It is her guardian’s decision to make and he has done so.”
The man jerked out of Con’s grasp. “I see what’s going on,” he said to Worthington. “You are encouraging Kenilworth’s suit over mine.”
Her brother turned and stared at Harrington. “This man”—he pointed at Con—“has actually asked to marry my sister, which is more than I can say for you. I suggest you leave, before you are forced to do so.”
Con struggled not to laugh or grin. “I’ll need to get a message to my mother and my valet.”
“I’ll see to it after you’ve gone,” Worthington assured him. “Send word if you do not think you’ll be able to arrive back this evening. I’ll think of something.”
Lady Merton pulled her husband away and after a hushed discussion said, “We’ll follow them. Merton suggests we stay at the Star and Garter.”
She crossed the street into the house, and Merton started issuing orders to his coachman.
“My lord.” The footman named Hal cringed. “Jemmy jumped on the back of the coach.”
“This is getting to be a habit of his,” Con mumbled. And not a good one for a lad who was only six.
Less than five minutes later, he and Charlotte were on their way toward the Richmond Road.
Charlotte held on to the side as Constantine threaded the phaeton through the morning traffic. The moment he had recognized the villain, his expression had hardened into stone.
“Thank you for agreeing I could come.”
“If anyone has a right to be there, you do.” He glanced at her for a brief moment. “This time we’ll catch her and turn her over to the magistrate.”
“I hope we get there in time.” She could imagine how frightened the young woman was. “Why would she pick a female who was just visiting? How would she even have found out about her?”
Con was quiet for a few minutes as he negotiated the carriage between a milk wagon and a large coach. “It’s possible that she is procuring for individuals. She doesn’t seem to have a brothel to take them to. Otherwise she’d use that instead of country inns.”
She took a large breath. Surely, he could not mean what she thought. “You mean she supplies . . .”
“In a word, yes. Someone has a desire, and she finds the person to fulfill it. In this case, that customer may have wanted Miss Cloverly.” He dodged a vegetable cart. “The question I have now is why did she abduct you?”
Charlotte shook her head. “We always thought it was for revenge.”
He looked at her again. “Then why not Lady Merton? Her husband was involved. Or your sister Louisa, or Lady Worthington?”
That was a good question. Grace and Dotty had been there when Matt and Merton had ruined the woman’s brothel. Why her indeed? “I wish I knew.”
“Well, when we find her, we’ll ask.” The traffic was finally thinning. “Did you bring your basket?”
“Yes, your groom put it under the seat.”
“Does it include the kitten this time?”
She could not tell from his tone if he would be upset about her cat coming or not. She pulled a face and nodded. Collette had refused to be left behind. Even Dotty was unable to detach her from Charlotte’s pelisse without ruining the fabric. “I’m afraid so. She was adamant that she stay with me. She must have sensed my-my . . . that I was upset.”
“It’s not a problem. I shall simply have to remember not to stick my hand in the basket without giving her warning first.” Constantine’s tone was dry, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
She bit back a smile as they turned onto the Richmond Road. The tension in the air was palpable, but it was around them, not between them. She supposed it was because they were a team, acting in concert with each other. And he had trusted her enough to bring her with him. She had been prepared to argue with him and anyone else who tried to stop her from going, but he had made it easy for her brother to agree.
“Look, straight ahead of us past the landau.” She pointed, although there was really no need. “That’s Jemmy on the back of the coach.”
“So it is.” A slow smile formed on his lips. The ones that felt so good when they were kissing her. “We’ll just stay back here.”
Jemmy waved, letting them know he saw them too. “I’m really going to have to have a discussion with him about jumping on carriages,” she said more to herself than Constantine. “At least he should have some money with him this time.”
“Why do you say that?” Constantine glanced at her again.
“You gave him largess. The amount was significantly more than what he had to pay for the stage coach and hackney.”
“He is an enterprising young lad.” His tone was thoughtful and she wished she knew what he was thinking.
“Yes, he is. He was going to offer you the amount left over, but I told him you would want him to keep it.”
“That turned out to be a good decision.” Constantine took the ribbons in one hand and briefly covered her fingers with his. “We’ll make sure both he and Miss Cloverly are safe.”
The more Charlotte considered it, the more she wanted Jemmy to come with her when she married, if it wouldn’t harm his chances for finding his family, that is. Still, now was not the time for that discussion. First they must rescue poor Miss Cloverly.
As they traveled through Richmond, the landau in front of them turned off at the Star and Garter.
“I believe that is the inn Dotty and Merton are planning to stop at.”
Constantine slowed down and surveyed the inn for a moment. “It’s certainly grand enough for two marquises. I assume that decision was made when you went to fetch your basket. What did you and she talk about?”
“Dotty will arrange for Miss Cloverly to stay with our maids. She also plans to get a change of clothing from the Wharton housekeeper, and one of their footmen will depart immediately after we return with Miss Cloverly to notify the housekeeper that her niece is safe.” Charlotte grinned to herself. “When I left, she had my maid packing a small trunk for me.” She glanced at Con. “Dotty is very practical.”
“I got that impression from her.”
They had passed through Richmond and the roof of a building showed through the trees. “We should be there soon. What is our plan?”
“We walk in and ask for a chamber for you to refresh yourself, and a private parlor.” They were betrothed, surely that was allowed.
Her face fell a bit. “I thought . . . well, it doesn’t matter. Your idea will work.”
He wondered if she had wanted to do something like what he’d done at the Hare and Hound. “Thank you.”
The inn came into sight. It was much smaller than he had imagined. More of a tavern than an inn, really. He doubted they had more than one or two bedchambers, and those would be taken by the villains. They would very possibly be turned away and directed to the Star and Garter.
Yet, if it was an emergency . . . Perhaps he could indulge her after all. “How dramatic can you be?”
At once, Charlotte’s countenance lit up. “I do quite well in our Christmas theatricals. Do you have in mind something like you did when you rescued me?”
“Indeed.” Con was correct. She did like a bit of drama, and when she looked at him like that, he was happy to provide it.
They arrived at a building with a sign with a white dove on it. As expected, the coach turned into the yard. They followed closely behind.
Charlotte grinned, and cried in a carrying voice, “Oh, I can go no further. I must have something to drink. I am so parched. And the weather is far too warm to bear.”
“Yes, yes, my dear.” He took her fan and began applying it. “You see we are halting here.” He motioned to Jemmy, who ran immediately to the horses before anyone noticed he had not arrived with them.
She and Constantine shared a collusory look before the ostler hurried out to them.
“Help my groom with the horses, man, and be quick about it!” he ordered, lifting her down into his arms, and striding into the inn. “I must have a chamber for my lady. Landlord, landlord! Now, if you will.”
An older man came from down the corridor. “My lord.” The landlord bowed. “Crowe’s the name. We’re honored by yer presence, but I ain’t got the type of lodging ye’d be lookin’ for. There be the Star and Garter in Richmond—”
“I must have a chamber now. My lady can go no further.” The innkeeper looked as if he would argue, and Constantine lowered his voice. “Please, I merely require a room for my lady to rest, and a private parlor.” He had lowered her to her feet and taken out his quizzing glass. “Surely, you can provide such simple accommodations. It is only for an hour or two.” He leaned over and in a low voice said, “I shall pay well. I do not want a hysterical female on my hands for the rest of our journey to the duke’s residence.”
“Whatever ye want, me lord.” The landlord motioned to a young woman who’d come up. “Maisy, show his lord and ladyship to the big front room and tell Mrs. Crowe they’ll be wantin’ tea and whatever she can get together quick-like.”
Con swept Charlotte into his arms again, and she had an opportunity to look over his shoulder. Miss Cloverly, looking more angry than frightened, was being escorted by a man Charlotte hadn’t seen before.
Thank God for small favors. At least she would not be recognized. She decided it was time to swoon.
“Oh, my dear!” she moaned before going limp in Con’s arms.
Maisy opened the door for them and handed Con the key. “There ye be, me lord. I’ll send up some tea. Don’t think she’d be wantin’ ale?”
“Tea will be fine for her ladyship. However, send up a tankard of ale for me, and warm water. She will wish to clean the dust off when she awakens.”
“Yes, me lord.”
“Oh, and miss”—Con flipped her a half crown—“see that my groom knows where I am and has something to eat, if you will.”
“Pleasure, me lord.” Through slitted eyelids Charlotte could see the girl grin.
Maisy sauntered off as Constantine set Charlotte’s feet on the floor once more. “That part went easily enough,” she said. “Now how do we capture Miss Betsy and save Miss Cloverly, who, by the looks of her, is furious?”
He removed his hat and gloves, placing them on a bureau. “That is going to take some planning. If only we knew when Miss Betsy was arriving.”
“Perhaps Jemmy could find out.” Charlotte drew out the hat pin from her bonnet and placed it next to his gloves.
“Charlotte, he is a child,” Constantine said, clearly unhappy about involving the boy. He, however, did not yet know Jemmy’s past.
“Yes, but an extremely enterprising one, and he is clever. He lived on the streets before I found him and knows better than to take stupid risks.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Constantine frowned. “Very well, we’ll ask him.”
Charlotte gave him an encouraging smile, but Con wasn’t at all happy about having a child help them. He’d just as soon send the boy back to Richmond.
Yet when Jemmy arrived a few moments later, he was full of news. “They got Miss Cloverly three doors down near the stairs. How are we going to rescue her?”