Susie Darcy's Tenacious Nature Page 15

  ‘How can I help?’

  ‘Given what we know about Porter colluding with Covington’s steward, Covington’s straitened circumstances and his love of art, he seems the most likely suspect.’

  ‘Agreed.’

  Spence stood, poured them both measures of whisky without asking James if he would like one, and handed him one of the glasses. James was grateful for the refreshment, and raised his glass in a salute.

  ‘Your good health,’ he said.

  ‘Here’s to some successful sleuthing,’ Spence replied, returning the gesture.

  ‘How large is Covington’s estate?’ James asked when they had settled back into their chairs.

  ‘A fraction of the size of this one but it would still be possible to hide someone away on it, I should think.’

  ‘Risky though.’

  ‘The whole damned escapade is riddled with risk and smacks of desperation.’

  James pursed his lips and absently ran a finger along them. ‘True, but I suppose the profits make it worthwhile, especially for the mastermind, who is probably protected by several layers of people, none of whom are aware of his identity.’

  Spence lifted a brow and nodded. ‘Very likely.’

  ‘Miss Stoughton, would she be able to—’

  ‘Undoubtedly.’

  They both turned at the sound of Susie’s voice. Neither of them had heard her come down and James wondered how long she had been standing there, listening to their conversation. He tried to think if his language had been unguarded enough to shock, then decided that if she would insist upon eavesdropping then she must accept the consequences. Besides, she couldn’t have been there for long since she had taken no time at all to get ready. Certainly a fraction of the time it would have taken Beatrice to change for dinner. Be that as it may, the transformation was remarkable. She wore an evening gown of peach satin with an overlay of white net. The trimmings around the hem, bodice and half-sleeves were ornamented with silk and shimmering crystal beads that drew the eye to her flawless skin. She appeared breathless and her cheeks were flushed, as though she had rushed her preparations.

  She may have been flustered, but James had never seen her look lovelier. He stood as she walked into the room and permitted his appreciation to show in the gaze that lingered on her person. ‘You were fast,’ he said.

  ‘I hoped to catch you and Spence before the others come down,’ she said briskly. ‘Spence, you and I must consult with Miss Stoughton in the morning. We know Mr Porter met with this man Bevan and we also know that Covington is the link between the two of them. Covington must be involved, but I hope Mr Porter isn’t. Even so, I stupidly told him why Mr Tyrell is really here so I might have set the cat amongst the pigeons.’

  Spence frowned. ‘You are far too familiar with Porter, Susie. I’ve warned you before. No good can come of it.’

  James could not have agreed more.

  ‘Oh, stop being such a big brother,’ she said with a casual wave of a gloved hand. ‘I have admitted what I did to Mr Tyrell and he is glad that I did.’

  ‘Glad?’ Spence looked astounded.

  ‘He thinks it will drive the conspirators to act injudiciously, always supposing Mr Porter is in league with them.’

  ‘Well, put like that, it seems likely, I suppose. But still, Susie, you shouldn’t be giving away confidences.’

  ‘Yes, it does seem likely.’ Susie spoke off-handedly, ignoring Spence’s rebuke. It was impossible for James to tell how badly Porter’s possible involvement affected her. She seated herself and concentrated upon arranging her skirts, taking longer to do so than James considered necessary, perhaps using it as an excuse to regain her composure. ‘I so want to keep Porter’s name out of it until we are absolutely sure. Papa doesn’t deserve to have his goodness thrown back at him in such a fashion.’

  They heard voices coming from the hallway, implying the others were about to join them. Spence agreed upon a time and place to meet James in the morning before they did so.

  ‘I’m coming too,’ Susie insisted. ‘It would be natural enough for us to call, but I’m not sure what excuse we can make for having you with us, Mr Tyrell,’ she said musingly. ‘If Mr Covington is embroiled in this business, your presence might raise his suspicions.’

  ‘She makes a fair point, Tyrell,’ Spence said, standing with the presumed intent of dashing up to change himself. ‘We will leave you in the village and call back for you once we’ve paid our call.’

  ‘You could take the time to visit with Miss Fleming,’ Susie said with a sweet smile for James.

  He shot her an exasperated look, unwilling to admit just how comprehensively he looked forward to her continued help as they furthered their enquiries on the morrow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Susie deliberated upon her unrealistic ambitions throughout the course of the evening, wishing she possessed the moral fibre to overcome her inclination for unsuitable gentleman. She had every advantage in the world yet felt depressed because she lacked freedom of choice in one case and the necessary wiles to attract the gentleman who interested her in the other. Mama had remarked upon her distracted state several times during dinner and she had noticed James sending her frequent quizzical looks, too. She tried to appear cheerful and participate in the general conversation but her heart wasn’t in it and her contributions lacked sparkle.

  Her determination not to form an attachment to any gentleman, negating the need to endure the agonies of a season, had not stood the test of time. Now, not only did her heart beat a little faster whenever her gaze landed upon Tobias, but she suffered from the same affliction when exposed to one of James’s provocative looks.

  There was a name for women like her and it was not a pleasant one.

  When the evening finally came to an end and she was able to escape to the privacy of her chamber, she was not ready to consider sleep. Instead she curled her feet beneath her bottom on the window seat and pulled a thick shawl around her shoulders. She stared out at the inky blackness of the starless sky, restless and disgruntled. Marriage to a trainee steward would be frowned upon, but not impossible. Marriage to Wickham’s son was, for her, out of the question. Papa would forbid it and would be gravely disappointed in her lack of judgement. She could wait until she reached her majority and then make her own decision. But that would require her to choose between her family and the man she could so easily fall in love with, which was no choice at all.

  Tobias had never crossed any boundaries and she had no reason to suppose that her feelings were reciprocated. Mary frequently told her outrageous stories about the manner in which he charmed half the young women in the village. It seemed he could, and frequently did, take his pick from amongst their number. He was obviously a scoundrel, which made him dangerous.

  And all the more enticing.

  He probably made a point of passing the time of day with Susie because charming females of all persuasions came more naturally to him than breathing. According to Mama, his father had been cut from the same cloth. Telling herself such things was one thing. Ignoring the spiralling warmth she experienced whenever Tobias fixed her with one of his smouldering looks, and overcoming her admiration for his confident manner that made her feel both safe and yet on the verge of something forbidden, was entirely another.

  Worse yet, feelings she had supposed could never be replicated had manifested themselves just as violently in her dealings with James.

  She played absently with the fridge of her shawl, her thoughts interrupted by the loud screeching of an owl. She didn’t much care for the flighty creature she was in danger of becoming. One who transferred her affections from one charmer to another on a whim.

  ‘Ha!’ Susie threw up her hands in exasperation.

  She climbed into bed, miserable yet resolved. She could not marry Tobias but would do everything in her power to prove that he was not involved with the forger. At least she would then have the satisfaction of knowing that she hadn’t fallen victim to the charms of
a rogue who was using his position at Pemberley to feather his own nest.

  As far as James was concerned…well, Susie would do all she could to help him, which in turn would help Tobias—always assuming he was innocent of involvement. Then he could take himself off and marry the fragrant Beatrice.

  Susie slept badly and woke with yet another slight headache. She did not permit it to keep her in bed and rose early. A stroll in the fresh air before breakfast would help to clear her head and keep her mind away from unsuitable topics. She was a realist, not a wilting violet, and would overcome her temporary obsessions with the passage of time.

  Clad in the walking gown she intended to wear when Spence drove them over to the Covingtons—a fawn creation in poplin trimmed with stain ribbon and colourful embroidered flowers—she slipped a red silk shawl around her shoulders and headed for the rose garden. She expected to have it to herself at such an early hour and so was surprised when she heard a low exchange of voices coming from behind an arbour—male voices. She cocked her head to one side, straining to hear what was being said. Only the family ought to be in this part of the grounds and she was fairly sure that her father and brothers had not ventured out. None of them were in the habit of taking early morning rambles. Besides, she recognised one of the voices.

  It belonged to Tobias.

  Susie tried to decide what she ought to do. Whomever Tobias was talking to, he wouldn’t expect to be interrupted in such a location at this time of day, she reasoned. That made it a safer place for him to collude with outsiders than in the areas where he was expected to be found and where grooms, keepers and gardeners would already be going about their duties. The rose garden had the added advantage of not being overlooked from the house.

  Susie ignored the urge to run away and forget all about the incident. She had to know what Tobias was discussing. It could be vital to James’s cause. She walked with a light step closer to the spot where the conspirators were concealed, reminding herself that she was not the trespasser and had every right to wander wherever she pleased. But she still felt wary of detection. There was a wild side to Tobias that he kept well-hidden but which Susie had seen rare glimpses of. She found it enthralling and at the same time terrifying. Even so, she was sure he wouldn’t harm her.

  Almost sure.

  She tried to move quietly and yet not appear as though she was creeping about her own gardens. As she got closer she could hear what was being said and detected an urgent edge to Tobias’s voice.

  ‘It would be better to postpone,’ he insisted.

  ‘Not your decision to make. You were the one as got this business started. Now you have to see it through.’

  ‘There are too many unexpected visitors to the area. It ain’t safe.’

  Susie’s heart quailed. Was he referring to James? He hadn’t actually mentioned his name. Stop clutching at straws. A little optimism filtered through her despair when it occurred to her that if Tobias was involved in selling the forgeries it would be within his own best interests to warn his co-conspirator that James was onto them. So why hadn’t he done so?

  ‘I’m telling you. We should cancel the arrangements for tonight. We both have too much to lose if we get apprehended.’

  ‘Losing your nerve, Porter?’

  ‘It’s over-confident coves who think they’re invincible who fall foul of the law.’

  ‘The master has a guest who’s keen for tonight’s business to go ahead. He won’t permit us to postpone.’

  Tobias grunted. ‘Then we’d best take precautions and change the location. It don’t do to become predictable.’

  ‘You worry too much.’

  ‘One of us has to look at the broader picture.’

  The other man grumbled, but then suggested an isolated place on the outskirts of Denton village. ‘I’ll put the word out,’ he said.

  Susie had a vague idea where it was, which left her with a dozen unanswered questions rattling around inside her brain. A disused barn in the dead of night? It was the last place anyone would think to look for more forgeries being sold which, presumably, was the entire point. Even so, surely genuine purchasers would not venture into such territory. The costly originals they sought to acquire ought to be sold through reputable galleries. There again, perhaps there was fierce competition between less scrupulous agents to get their hands on authentic-seeming forgeries that could be passed off as the real thing.

  Susie mulled the matter over, thinking it would explain how Bevan had managed to audaciously sell two forgeries to guests of Sir Robert’s. He must have brought casual conversations around to the subject and somehow duped the gullible purchasers into believing that was a valid reason to keep the transactions secret. Avid collectors, she was told, would go to extreme lengths to acquire rare works of art at competitive prices, and often were not too concerned about provenance.

  It was difficult for her to make any sense of what she had just heard, such was her disappointment to have Tobias’s involvement confirmed. But doubts about his culpability lingered. He hadn’t revealed what Susie had so foolishly confided in him regarding James’s purpose in coming to Derbyshire. It made absolutely no sense for him not to warn the man he had just spoken with, causing Susie to wonder if Tobias was playing some sort of dangerous game, pitting one side against the other in order to cover himself in glory. He had once told her that knowledge equated to power, provided one had the wits and courage to make use of it. But if that was what he intended, presumably he would report what he knew to Papa and be hailed as the hero of the hour.

  The two men walked away. She saw Tobias’s broad back as he strode off towards his own cottage. She would like to have caught a glimpse of the other man’s face but he had already slipped away across a short expanse of lawn and disappeared between the trees that edged the formal gardens. She couldn’t risk exposing herself to his view by following after him.

  ‘Botheration,’ she said aloud.

  She hadn’t recognised his voice but would know it again if she heard it.

  Her stomach fluttered with nerves as she made her way back to the house, where her breakfast would await her. She wouldn’t be able to eat a bite until she was informed that Tobias had done the honourable thing.

  ᴥᴥᴥ

  James found a note waiting for him from Beatrice when he returned to Hillgate House after dining at Pemberley. He sighed when he read it, unsurprised at her request—a politely-worded demand—to call upon her. James knew she wouldn’t leave the district until he did so but that a dispute between them would be difficult to avoid if he did.

  Resigned to the inevitable, he decided to act upon Susie’s advice and make the visit whilst she and Spence were engaged with the Covingtons. He had no idea what he would say to appease her wounded pride. He had not danced attendance upon her and knew that anyone who had the temerity to ignore Miss Beatrice Fleming’s demands must suffer the consequences. Dawlish sent him sympathetic looks but, for once, had no advice to offer.

  He retired, thinking not of Beatrice but wondering why Susie had been so preoccupied that evening. Had someone overset her? He wished he could have asked her but the opportunity to do so had not arisen. Susie being unhappy unsettled him far more than the prospect of facing Beatrice’s unjustified ire. James had not invited Beatrice to join him in Derbyshire and had made it clear that he didn’t have any time to spare for her. Beatrice must be made to realise that her interests would not always be his priority.

  He was waiting astride Gladiator at the appointed place when Spence drove up to him in a curricle, Susie at his side. They exchanged pleasantries. James’s sour mood lifted fractionally at the sight of Susie garbed in a fashionable walking gown that flattered her figure, the red of her shawl a colourful addition that matched its trimmings and suited her personality.

  ‘Susie overheard something useful this morning,’ Spence said, looking grim-faced. ‘I will let her explain.’

  ‘Ah,’ he said, when she had done so, thinking Porter’s suspicious b
ehaviour must account for her lack of vibrancy. ‘An odd place to hold an auction, which is what I assume they are planning to do.’

  ‘What I fail to comprehend is why the forger must be there,’ Susie said pensively. ‘I assume that is who the other man was referring to when he insisted upon keeping the master’s guest satisfied.’ She reached up and absently toyed with the silk flowers decorating her cork gipsy bonnet. ‘Surely they cannot risk alerting likely purchasers to the fact that the paintings are forgeries, so he would not be able to claim any credit for them.’

  ‘Perhaps he enjoys seeing them appreciated,’ James replied. ‘Artists can be a vain bunch.’

  ‘Speaking from experience, Mr Tyrell?’ Susie asked with a flash of her old spirit.

  ‘I shall leave you to decide the answer to that one, Miss Darcy,’ he replied with a teasing smile that made her blush.

  ‘Susie didn’t recognise the other man’s voice but says she will know it if she hears it again,’ Spence said.

  ‘I wanted to get a look at him but I couldn’t get close enough. It was most vexatious and even more unreasonable of the man not to look in my direction.’

  ‘I am glad you didn’t take that risk,’ James said, meaning it.

  ‘My sentiments entirely,’ Spence added. ‘My sister has a tenacious nature but for once managed to exercise some restraint.’

  ‘We must assume that if I go to that meeting place this evening, I will find out all I need to know,’ James said.

  ‘We will,’ Spence agreed, ‘since I shall be there with you.’

  Susie opened her mouth and then closed it again without speaking. She had, James would be willing to wager, been about to say that she would be there too, but common sense prevailed. She must realise that both James and her brother would refuse to take her along and even she wouldn’t dare to go to an isolated location without an escort at the dead of night.

  ‘That being the case, I wonder if you need to trouble Miss Stoughton today. I doubt there is anything she can add,’ James mused.