Heirs and Graces Read online

  He still couldn’t make that admission.

  She’d had no trouble saying no to him on the few occasions when desire temporarily overcame reason. If Armitage hadn’t dipped his wick where it didn’t belong, John and Mabel would be planning their wedding by now and her father would still be John’s mentor and friend. Armitage’s lust had ruined more than one life but there was absolutely nothing John could do to exact revenge. He felt so damned helpless.

  ‘Perhaps she’s too ashamed to stay here, especially since none of her neighbours want anything to do with her.’

  Armitage’s face paled but he said nothing. What could he say? It was a petty victory, pointing out the misery he’d made of Mabel’s life, but it was the only victory John was ever likely to affect over a man in Armitage’s position.

  ‘Report to my office in the morning, Travis. We will talk about this again.’

  With a brief nod, Armitage turned on his heel and walked away. John watched him cut a path through the crowded taproom and head for the door. He would be sorry if something had happened to Miss Armitage. Unlike her father and brother, she was friendly when she came to the factory, had a kind word for everyone and didn’t put on airs. Be that as it may, hell would freeze over before he did anything to help the Armitage family.

  ‘What was that all about?’ Franklin asked. ‘First Lloyd, then his daughter, now Miss Armitage. People seen to make a habit of going missing around these parts.’

  John shrugged. ‘You wanted to know about the glassworks.’

  ‘Yes, but not here. Too many ears wagging.’ Franklin nodded towards a gaggle of men, standing nearby, obviously curious about John’s conversation with a well-dressed stranger. ‘Would you be willing to speak with my employer? He would make it worth your while.’

  John thought about it for a moment and executed another shrug. ‘Why not.’ He glanced in the other direction and cursed beneath his breath.

  ‘What is it?’ Franklin asked.

  ‘That oaf by the door staring right at us,’ John replied. ‘No, don’t look. That’s Brody, the master’s eyes and ears everywhere. You’d best go before he gets curious.’

  They agreed a meeting place close by for later that evening, shook hands on it, and Franklin left the tavern.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘What was your impression of Travis?’ Jake asked Franklin. They were in Jake’s dressing room with Parker as Jake changed into evening clothes in preparation for his dinner engagement with Olivia.

  ‘He’s a bitter man, my lord. I’d say he still loves Mabel Lloyd and truly wants to know what happened to her. But he’s battling against his own anger and pride.’

  ‘You gave him no indication that we know of Mabel’s whereabouts?’ Franklin shot Parker a wounded look. ‘Sorry, Franklin,’ Parker said in what was, for him, a contrite tone.

  ‘You think we can trust him?’ Jake asked.

  ‘He hates the Armitages. I could feel the resentment oozing out of him when Armitage came into the tavern, asking about his sister.’

  ‘That must have taken some guts,’ Parker said. ‘Admitting in front of his father’s workforce that they can’t control the girl.’

  ‘It’s a measure of their desperation, too,’ Jake said, putting the final knot into his white cravat. It nestled snugly around his high collar and he secured the arrangement with a superb Burmese ruby pin. ‘They would have looked for her anyway. A man with Armitage’s ambitions can’t have his daughter running amok through the capital, especially as they need the girl to marry Mason. We have yet to establish why, but I’m convinced that her cooperation is pivotal to Armitage’s ambitions.’

  ‘I think Travis might know more than he realises about what goes on at the glassworks—other than making glass, I mean,’ Franklin said. ‘He’ll have seen things but minded his own business, until Armitage involved himself in John’s affairs, that is. There again, perhaps Armitage unwittingly said things to Mabel that she repeated. Anyway, he’s willing to talk to you, my lord. I think he would have done so even if I hadn’t said you’d recompense him.’

  ‘He will take his revenge any way he can get it,’ Parker said. ‘We’ll use that to our advantage.’

  ‘He thinks you’re the solicitor Lloyd was engaged to see on the day he disappeared. He’s probably curious about why he wanted to see you.’

  ‘I wonder if he can get us past the security guards so we can take a look around without anyone knowing,’ Jake mused.

  ‘Best hear what he has to tell us before we take risks,’ Parker cautioned. ‘Besides, if there’s nothing going on there tonight, there won’t be much to see. And on the nights when something is happening, the place’ll be guarded tighter than a virgin’s boudoir.’

  Jake sent his retainer a droll look. ‘Very eloquently put.’

  Parker chuckled. ‘True though, for all that.’

  ‘We could keep the glassworks under observation, my lord, and see if we recognise anyone who visits after hours,’ Franklin suggested.

  ‘We could,’ Jake agreed. ‘But we do not have the luxury of time on our side. The announcement of Smallbrooke’s death will most likely be made tomorrow and my orders are to try and discover the identity of his killer and the future plans of the Radicals, regardless of other considerations.’

  ‘And save the Prime Minister from appearing guilty of killing off his detractors,’ Parker added, his expression scathing.

  ‘Derby isn’t lily-white but he had nothing to do with Smallbrooke’s death,’ Jake said with assurance.

  ‘Very likely not,’ Parker agreed. ‘But his political rivals won’t hesitate to start rumours. Smallbrooke was a thorn in Derby’s side. His death will make Derby’s life easier.’

  ‘Only if we can prove he had nothing to do with it,’ Jake added. ‘Hence the need for speed, to say nothing of finding Lloyd. I’ll wager a vast sum that he’s being held somewhere in the glassworks. Mabel spent the night in one of the sheds when she was too frightened to return to her cottage, if you recall.’

  ‘If he is being held there and if he’s still alive, then they don’t want him dead, just out of the way,’ Parker reasoned. ‘If he’s already dead, we’d be showing our hand for no good reason. It ain’t like you to be ruled by emotion.’

  Satisfied with the lay of his waistcoat, Jake slipped his arms into the black tailcoat Parker held out for him.

  ‘You are right, as always, Parker.’ Jake picked up his gloves. ‘I will send the carriage back here once it’s dropped Fergus and me at Cheyne walk. Be in it when it returns to collect me from Mrs Grantley’s at eight-thirty this evening. You too, Franklin. We will use the unmarked carriage, Parker. If we are to venture into the East End at that time of night it would be better not to draw too much attention to ourselves.’

  Parker brushed the shoulders of Jake’s coat. ‘Right you are,’ he said with his usual lack of formality. ‘You’d best be getting on. Wouldn’t do to keep the lady waiting.’

  Jake shot his butler a sardonic look and left the room. He found Fergus already dressed and waiting for him downstairs. The carriage was at the door and they discussed Franklin’s discoveries as they travelled to Chelsea.

  ‘Shall I come with you when you meet Travis?’ Fergus asked. ‘I might be of use.’

  ‘Best not,’ Jake replied. ‘There will already be three of us. Don’t want to spook the man. Franklin says he’s in a sorry way.’

  ‘Very well. What can I do to make myself useful instead?’

  ‘Stay with the ladies,’ Jake said. ‘Isaac will be there, of course, but I would be happier if there is more than one male present.’

  Fergus frowned. ‘You anticipate problems?’

  ‘It is better to be prepared.’ Jake clenched his jaw and stared out through the carriage window as it rattled along the streets. A light drizzle pattered against the glass, keeping people indoors and the roads clearer than usual. ‘I have a bad feeling about this business. We will be showing our hand tonight by meeting Travis whe
n we are unsure if we can trust him. If I am recognised and someone is clever enough to make the connection to Cheyne walk, where Miss Armitage and Mabel are both hiding, I might inadvertently bring danger to Olivia’s door. It’s not that I do not trust Finch and Isaac to take care of the ladies but…well, the people behind Smallbrooke’s murder are ruthless individuals. They have to be to have pulled off such a daring crime and then pose his body in the House in the hope of destabilising the government.’

  Fergus nodded, his expression grim. ‘If they think there is the remotest possibility of their being exposed, there is no telling what they might do.’

  ‘Then you can see why I am worried.’

  ‘Indeed, but it would be best not let Olivia know I am remaining behind for that reason.’

  Jake barked on a laugh. ‘I am not quite that bird-brained.’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘God save me from strong-willed females.’

  ‘You are partly responsible for Olivia’s determination to take care of herself. You should not have recruited her and definitely shouldn’t encourage her to fence with you.’

  Jake lifted his hands and allowed them to fall back on his thighs with a soft thwack. ‘She will put herself in danger anyway, so I feel duty bound to ensure she has some idea how to defend herself. How else can I keep her safe?’

  ‘You could marry her,’ Fergus suggested mildly.

  ‘Don’t be absurd!’

  ‘Merely pointing out the obvious,’ Fergus replied, chuckling. ‘You have to marry somebody sometime and are unlikely to find anyone else who wouldn’t bore you rigid in no time flat. At least Olivia challenges you, instead of batting her lashes at you and hanging on your every word.’

  Jake gave a non-committal grunt.

  ‘Earls have a duty to secure the continuance of the title,’ Fergus said.

  Jake fixed Fergus with a droll look. ‘So do viscounts.’

  ‘But then I am not trying to deny the attraction I feel towards a highly suitable female. If I had found one, I would set my cap at her before someone else beat me to it.’

  Jake scowled at the thought of another man laying so much as one finger on Olivia. ‘Olivia insists that her reputation has been tarnished beyond recall and that she will never marry again for that reason.’

  Fergus elevated both brows. ‘And a lady never exercises her right to change her mind?’

  Jake shrugged. ‘She will do whatever she wants to do. I have never been able to influence her and wouldn’t know how to try.’

  ‘Ha! We both know that is not true. She is opinionated and highly independent, it’s true, but that is partly why you are so ideally suited. You know it but are too stubborn to admit it. You would never be content with a biddable wife.’

  Jake sighed. ‘You never fail to amaze me, Fergus.’

  ‘I do my humble best.’

  ‘We are charged with saving the government from being toppled by a scandal that could rock the nation and change the face of our political landscape beyond recognition, yet you want to talk about getting married.’

  ‘Not me, dear chap,’ Fergus replied, undeterred by Jake’s irritation. ‘I was merely pointing out what ought to be obvious to you. No need to thank me.’

  ‘We’re here,’ Jake said curtly as the carriage rattled to a halt at Olivia’s door.

  ‘Point taken. I shall mind my own business.’

  ‘I’d be obliged.’

  The two men alighted from the carriage and walked through the door that Finch had already opened for them.

  ‘Good evening, my lords,’ Finch said. ‘Filthy night.’

  ‘Keep a sharp lookout this evening,’ Jake said as Finch relieved him of his hat and cape. ‘I am not expecting trouble but I need you to remain extra vigilant just the same. Make sure all the doors are bolted, including the kitchen door.’

  ‘I will see to it, my lord.’

  Olivia rose to greet them as Jake and Fergus entered her drawing room. She was wearing a cream gown decorated with a frieze of cerise rosebuds that Jake had admired her in before. Thankfully she also wore stays, but his relief was short lived since the wretched garment allowed him an unfettered view of her plump breasts as well as baring the smooth, translucent skin of her shoulders for his inspection. Damnation, he could not permit himself the distraction! But as he took her hand in his and brushed his lips against her knuckles, Fergus’s warning about her being tempted into matrimony by another man rang in his ears. Knowing that the possibility existed was one thing. Hearing it spoken aloud made it seem more likely to happen, and jealousy radiated through Jake in hot waves. Was there someone who had engaged her interest? Had Fergus heard rumours, and was he trying to give Jake due warning?

  ‘The stays are an improvement,’ Jake said, forcing his gaze away from her décolletage, never more conscious of her sensuality and his growing inability to fight against the power her femininity wielded over him.

  ‘I am so very glad you approve.’

  Olivia reclaimed her hand with a speed that reinforced Jake’s suspicions about her affections being engaged elsewhere. Damn Fergus for putting the idea into his head! Olivia was a grown woman, at liberty to do as she pleased. And if she did remarry, then naturally she would no longer be able to work for him and he would not have to worry about her safety. That, he told himself, would be a blessing.

  He turned his attention to the other ladies, and then to Isaac. Miss Armitage was grandly attired in a gown that clearly met with Fergus’s approval. His friend had already fallen into easy conversation with her, causing Jake’s dark and unsettled mood to lighten momentarily as he wondered which of them was in greater danger of succumbing to Cupid’s arrow.

  ‘What news do you bring me regarding Cartwright, Isaac?’ Jake asked, taking a glass of champagne from Green’s tray with a nod of thanks.

  ‘Frustratingly little that we did not already know,’ Isaac replied with a shrug of regret. ‘He has not done anything out of the ordinary, other than to plead for a cattle thief to be hanged.’ His expression was disgruntled. ‘For Cartwright, that is not an unusually harsh stance.’

  Jake nodded and turned to speak to Miss Armitage. ‘Your brother was making enquiries about you in The Grapes this evening.’

  ‘Oh?’ She seemed genuinely surprised. ‘What a very strange place for him to be asking. I mean, if I want to stay out of sight I am hardly likely to take myself off to a tavern. Especially not one frequented by my father’s employees. But then again, I suppose he thought that if I had made friends anywhere, it would be with someone who works at the factory and that they would agree to shield me. I seldom have occasion to meet anyone else.’

  ‘Parker, Franklin and I are to meet with Mabel’s young man later this evening,’ he told Olivia. ‘We think he might know something that will help us, even if he is not aware that he actually does.’

  ‘Let me come with you, Jake. I might be able to help.’

  Jake shot Olivia an incredulous glance. ‘Thank you, but you know that would be the height of folly.’

  ‘I excel at folly.’ She sighed. ‘But you’re right, I suppose. There is nothing I can do, but I hate missing all the fun.’

  ‘There is plenty you can do. I would like you all—you, Eva and Miss Armitage, as well as Mabel, of course, to move into Grosvenor Square until this matter is resolved.’

  Olivia flapped her hand in dismissal. ‘There is no need for that.’

  ‘There is every need, Olivia. Don’t be difficult. I am sorry if it inconveniences you, but it will only be for a day or two. This matter will be resolved one way or the other within that space of time; I am absolutely sure of it.’

  ‘I have Finch here to protect us.’

  ‘Don’t be stubborn!’ Jake was close to losing patience with her. The urge to shake some sense into her, or toss her across his knee and spank her until she agreed to do as she was told, grew stronger with every second that she continued to defy him. ‘You said you wanted to help. Surely you can see how great the stakes are.
We have never been entrusted with a more important task and I cannot have my attention diverted by worrying about you.’

  ‘You go too far.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘I am not your responsibility and never shall be.’

  She stood across from him, her chest heaving as her breath came fast and shallow. Her aquamarine eyes glowed with the rich burn of anger. A man could drown in those damned eyes if he didn’t have a care. Jake had never found her more compelling, or harder to resist, than when she defied him. The devil take it, there was only so much provocation he could take without retaliating in the fashion that sprang spontaneously to his mind—and to regions much lower.

  He became aware of the others stopping their private conversations and viewing them with undisguised curiosity. Their reaction brought Jake to his senses.

  ‘We will discuss the matter again later,’ he said softly.

  ‘There is nothing to discuss, my lord. Thank you for your concern but I am perfectly comfortable here.’

  Green announced that dinner was served, which Jake decided was just as well. He had briefly lost control in a manner than only Olivia seemed able to provoke in him; the infuriating vixen! He offered her his arm with an exaggerated bow. She raised her chin and graciously placed her hand on his sleeve.

  When they were seated and the first course had been served, Jake told them that Parker’s men had spent the day delving into Falconer’s background.

  ‘Unfortunately we have not found out anything that we did not already know,’ he said. ‘He comes from a political background. His father was a Tory Member of Parliament, but Falconer did not follow him into politics.’

  ‘Oh,’ Olivia said. ‘I assumed he was a Parliamentarian.’ She fixed Jake with her eyes. ‘That just goes to show how helpless and ignorant I am,’ she added, with a sardonic lift of an eyebrow.

  Jake gave the merest hint of a bow. ‘Falconer feels he can have more influence outside Parliament. He has been in India for some years, where he made a fortune capitalising on the new trade links between there and England. He is wealthy in his own right and, like Cartwright, feels his services to the British economy have not been properly acknowledged.’