To Marry a Duke (14 page)

‘I’m coming now.’ He jumped in, his weight rocking the
carriage dramatically and causing Demelza to lose her balance.

‘Papa, you’re not suited for a carriage. You’re far too
large,’ she admonished him, giggling as she pushed herself upright again.

‘Believe me, I’d much prefer to be riding Apollo, but I
couldn’t allow you three delightful ladies to travel unaccompanied could I?’

‘Fustian!
It is too far to ride and
you know it,’ Allegra told him laughing.
‘Although if you had
travelled post you would be in town by now.’

He grinned, arranging himself more comfortably in the
corner. ‘I could, my love, but I would be considerably the poorer for the
privilege. Travelling post is exorbitantly expensive.’

Allegra arched her eyebrows a fraction and he chuckled. ‘I
know; I’m as rich as Croesus but miserly in my spending.’

‘I do hope not, sir, for I intend to be an extravagant wife.
I shall demand a new gown for every day of the week.’ Still laughing the party
settled into their respective places.

‘When do you think we will be there, Papa?’

‘Another few hours, I’m afraid. But the sun will set soon
and then it will be more comfortable in here.’

The carriage continued at a leisurely pace, the horses were
not as fresh as they had been the day before. By using three pairs the load was
less but even these fit and healthy beasts began to tire after forty miles of pulling
a full carriage under a hot sun.

As the interior of the coach cooled Allegra noticed Jago had
become more alert. She watched his eyes stray several times to the pockets in
the carriage door.

‘Jago, what is in the door that interests you? Are you secreting
jewellery of great value?’

He shook his head and raised a finger to his lips. He did
not want her to wake Demelza or

Miss Murrell. She leant forward to
hear his answer.

‘There are pistols in the door; I don’t like travelling this
stretch when it’s getting dark, so it’s best to be prepared,’ he whispered.

Allegra nodded and reached into the leather pouch beside her
and drew out a gun. She was an excellent shot and familiar with this type of
fire arm. ‘I shall put it here, in the pocket inside my skirt. If we were
accosted a bandit would not expect me to be armed.’

He did not argue but followed her lead and removed the
second loaded gun, tucking it into his belt. ‘You’re a constant surprise to me,
my love. I’m learning new things about you every day.’

‘My father taught Richard and I together.’ She patted her
travelling bag. ‘I have something similar in here. Remember, I am well used to
travelling this route.’

The coach gently swayed to a stop. Thomas called down. ‘I’m
just lighting the lanterns, sir, nothing to worry about.’

This gave Jago the opportunity to change position. He
indicated to Allegra that she should shuffle along the seat and then took her
place by the window. She could feel the pressure of his thigh against hers, the
thickness of his buckskin unmentionables and the folds of her French green cambric
travelling dress not sufficient to prevent his body heat sending a quiver of
excitement round her already overheated body. She was
glad
 
in
the darkness of the interior her
wanton behaviour could not be observed.

Lanterns lit, the coach resumed its journey. The coachman
urged the horses into a spanking trot. Jago was not alone in his dislike of
travelling this particular patch as night approached.

His arm left the safety of his lap and travelled around her
waist, pulling her even closer. She dared not look up, expose her mouth to his,
what they were doing was quite
risqué
enough. She felt his fingers sliding upwards until he cupped her breast. Her
head fell sideways onto his chest and heat pooled in a most unexpected region.

Then his weight shifted violently and she cried out as she
was flung to the floor. The carriage rocked and she could hear Thomas fighting
to control the horses. From her position crouching by the door she watched
Jago, pistol in hand, disappear into the darkness. She could hear Miss Murrell
comforting Demelza whilst Jenny cried.

‘Get on to the floor, away from the open window. Quickly,
do
it now,’ she ordered. It was best not to take chances.
She heard them slide down beside her in the well between the seats. They were
being held up. Cautiously she peered through the slit of the door, expecting to
see a row of
footpads,
or at least a highway man on
his horse brandishing pistols and demanding their valuables.’

Even in the gloom she could see the road ahead held nothing
more alarming than a fallen tree.

The grooms from the rear step were
frantically trying to drag it aside. There was no sign of Jago anywhere.

She sat up, quickly hiding her pistol. ‘The road is blocked;
I am going to see if I can help. It is safe to resume your seats.’

From the carriage to the road was a long drop without the
steps and she decided to edge out feet first. She slid her legs over and was
carefully feeling for the ground when Jago spoke quietly from somewhere behind
her.

‘For God’s sake, stay inside, it’s an ambush, I’m sure of
it.’

She froze. Her stomach lurched and for a second she was
unable to think clearly. No wonder the grooms were working so hard, at any
moment they expected to be mowed down by an unseen attacker lurking in the
darkness of the woods.

She moved, not back into the comparative safety of the
carriage, but out into the danger. If Jago was there, risking his life for
them, she would be with him.

Keeping the door half closed she slithered through the gap
and dropped silently to the ground. She rolled under the carriage, between the
wheels; from there she could see but remain invisible.

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the twilight and she stared
around. The grooms were working to remove the tree, but where was Jago hiding?

There was little room to manoeuvre under the carriage and
she was obliged to shuffle painfully until she could see the far side of the
road. This appeared to be deserted. Then she glimpsed, or thought she did, a
movement in the undergrowth.

Yes, she was certain, there were men hidden beneath the
overhanging branches. She swallowed the bile in her throat. This was not an
ambush by common thieves; this was something far more sinister.

How could she warn Jago without revealing her position? She
scrabbled about in the dust with one hand until she found a stone. She slid her
arm round, hitting her knuckles painfully on something protruding from the
wheels, and hurled the missile into the bushes where she had seen the movement.

The result was even more successful than she could have
hoped. The stone found a soft target and the man discharged his gun in
surprise. The bullet tore harmlessly into the canopy of leaves but the return
fire was instant and deadly. The scream of agony from the trees meant at least
one man was wounded. Then she saw a pair of boots she recognized as belonging
to Jago.

She could not hear his orders but the two grooms dived
behind the protection of the fallen tree

trunk
and
then their guns fired into the trees as well. Another howl of pain and there
was the sound of running feet fading into the distance.

The danger was over. The ambush had been routed. They were
all safe. She felt movement from above and then Miss Murrell talking urgently
to Demelza. Jenny was still snivelling She began to inch her way
backwards,
there was more room to move down the centre of
the carriage.

Jago called to his men. ‘Go and see what we hit, but be
careful, load your guns first.’

Demelza threw back the door and jumped out.

‘Get inside, now, sweetheart.’

His warning came too late as a single shot came from the
bushes on the side nearest the carriage. Without a sound Demelza crumpled to
the ground.

Chapter
Fourteen

Everyone froze - suspended in
disbelief. Then several things happened at once. Jago dropped down to his
daughter’s side. The two grooms paused and then continued their cautious
approach to collect the wounded men from the far side of the road.

Thomas jumped down to offer his assistance but Allegra’s
eyes were fixed on the place in the bushes from where the flash of the gunshot
had come. No one else was looking that way, all, in those first few seconds,
concerned with the fallen girl.

She backed out of her hidey-hole her pistol cocked and
ready. She could see someone studying the scenario, believing he was safe,
ignored by those who were armed and dangerous. He did not appreciate his
position. She raised her arm and steadied her breathing. With deadly accuracy
she fired and the hidden man reared up clutching his chest and toppled
sideways, dead.

Jago jumped up, cracking his head on the swinging carriage
door and swore loud. ‘Thomas, who fired that shot, for God’s sake?’

‘I did,’ Allegra told him quietly as she emerged from behind
the carriage, her smoking pistol dangling at her side. ‘I was under the
carriage, I saw it all. He was watching, gloating; I could not allow that.’ Her
voice was level, her words clear, but her eyes were empty.

‘Miss Murrell, come out here. Take care of Demelza. She’s
winged, not badly hurt,
thank
God.’

Jago grabbed the older lady s arms swinging her down her to
the ground. Stepping round his daughter, he removed the gun from Allegra’s icy
hand, pulling her into the warmth of his embrace.

‘Darling girl, it’s over; you did well. I’m proud of you.
That vermin deserved to die.’ He felt her struggle in his arms, her attempts
became more frantic.

‘Jago, I am going to be sick.’

He stepped aside, not a moment too soon, as with a horrible
retching, she cast up her accounts. He held her until the heaving was over. She
leant weakly against the carriage, grateful for the steadying arms around her
waist. Her skin was clammy and her hands shaking too much to wipe her face.
Gently he removed his handkerchief from his jacket and completed the job for
her.

‘I apologize; that was most unladylike of me.’

‘Indeed it was, my love. Whatever will you do to shock us
next?’ Jago, moving his feet carefully to avoid the noxious mess, lifted her
back into the carriage. ‘Sit quietly inside, sweetheart, whilst I deal with
Demelza’s injury.’

She needed no further urging. She felt faint, her head still
spinning unpleasantly. Slumping back against the seat she thanked God the
outcome had been no worse, that Demelza was not badly hurt.

In that split-second, when she had seen Demelza’s body on
the dirt beside her and thought her dead, she had never felt such rage, such
anger. She believed she now understood what Captain Pledger had once spoken of,
that soldiers felt a “killing rage” and in this state could hack and
dismember
their enemies without conscious thought. At the
time she had considered this description a little far-fetched, but now she
realized this was true. She must not dwell on what she had done; time enough
for that later.

Outside she could hear Miss
Murrell tearing strips from her voluminous cotton petticoat to make bandages.
Thomas was talking quietly to Jago, but she was unable to catch his words.

She was temporarily removed from reality, drifting in a
state somewhere between consciousness and sleep and could not bring herself to
take any further part in the proceedings. Demelza was not badly hurt and Jago
was well, what more did she need to concern herself with?

Thomas had finally let down the steps and Miss Murrell
climbed inside. Jago entered, Demelza in his arms, and carefully placed her on
the seat, her head in Miss Murrell’s ample lap.

‘There, darling, rest, you’re going to be fine. You feel
unwell because of the shock; your injury isn’t deep, hardly more than scratch.’

Demelza recovered enough to answer. ‘That’s all very well
for you to say, Papa, but it’s not your shoulder that’s hurt.’

‘I know
,
I’m an unfeeling brute.
I’ve been told so many times before.’ He smiled down at his daughter. ‘I think
you’re more concerned about missing out on parties and excursions than your
injury.’

She returned his smile. ‘It will take more than this to stop
me. I’ve been anticipating this trip to Town for ever. Lucy and I talked of
little else when we were at that horrible seminary you incarcerated me in for
so many years.’

He backed out of the carriage, brushing his lips across
Allegra’s forehead as he passed. ‘I must stay behind, to clear up, my love. I’m
keeping John with me, Thomas, Billy and Fred can see you safely to the next
hostelry.’

‘Be careful, Jago. Keep your pistols loaded,’ Allegra roused
herself enough to whisper.

‘I shall, my dear. Thomas has instructions to send back
assistance as soon as you arrive at your destination.’

*

The carriage moved off, harness creaking, its lanterns
bobbing in the gloom, leaving Jago with a lantern and a groom, to seek for
corpses. This was no accident, it had been meticulously planned, but why anyone
should wish to murder a member of his family, he could not hazard a guess.

He went first to the spot from which the near fatal shot had
been fired. ‘Hold the lantern up, John, whilst I poke around in here.’ He
parted the branches and immediately found what he sought. The light waved
wildly for a moment and then was steady again.

Face down he saw the body of a man dressed in what, at first
glance, appeared to be verminous clothes, exactly what one would expect from
such a villain. Then he beckoned the lantern closer and with his boot he rolled
the corpse over on to its back.

The muffler the man had used to obscure his face had slipped
and now hung limply round his neck. What was this? The man was all but
clean-shaven, and had, as far as he could see, undamaged teeth. No footpad he
had ever come across had such a face as this; broken teeth, lank hair full of
creepers, that was more usual.

He crouched beside the body, holding out his hand for the
light. He placed it by the man’s outstretched arm. Gripping the cuff, he
carefully raised the arm until it was within the yellow pool. The watching
groom cried out in shock.

‘My gawd, sir, this here’s a toff! He ain’t
no
regular footpad. He has fingernails and smooth hands.’

Jago dropped the hand, his suspicions confirmed. He shone the
lantern directly over the pallid face but he was certain the man was unknown to
him. Why should a stranger wish to harm him? No, confound it! It was not he the
man had been after. He had been in his sights for some time, an easy target.
When he had called out to Demelza the shot had been fired.

His scowled in concentration; had be used her name? He had
not. He had called her sweetheart. In the dark could the murdering bastard have
thought he was talking to Allegra? Was she the intended victim? After all they
were of similar build, and dressed alike, and in the dark the difference in
their colouring would not have been obvious. He dismissed the idea immediately;
the assassins must have been after someone else. It had just been a near tragic
mistake.

His smile was grim. Well at least one of them had paid the
ultimate penalty. None of it made any sense. He had made
enemies,
of course he had, but had not made his fortune out of another’s ruin. All had
been won fairly, through hard work and an acute business sense. He did not know
the answers now but, by God, he intended to find out.

 
He grabbed the
lantern and strode off to search the far side of the road. At least two of
their attackers had been hit, but whether fatally he had yet to discover. The
trampled undergrowth was easy to spot even in the darkness. He had had his fill
of corpse hunting. He needed to think. ‘You take a look in there, lad. See if
there are there any more bodies.’

The young man dived into the undergrowth and was soon
crashing around, the lantern swaying crazily.
‘Nothing here,
Mr Tremayne, but lots of gore.
They must have got away whilst we dealt
with Miss Tremayne.’

‘It’s as I thought, you can come back now. I don’t suppose
you have a tinderbox about your person?

‘No, sir; but
there’s one in the coach.’

‘I expect there is,’ Jago replied dryly. ‘Gather up any
loose branches, dry grass, twigs; anything that will burn. We must make a fire
by the side the road. It’s possible a coach could still come by and we want to
be seen.’

Carefully he ignited a sliver of
dry wood from the candle inside the lantern and transferred the flame to the
waiting fire. At his third attempt, the air blue with curses, he finally
succeeded and the pile of wood blazed brightly. He extinguished the candle and
settled down for a long, boring wait.

*

In a little over an hour, Thomas
expertly turned the carriage into the flare-lit yard of a busy coaching house.
Allegra had recovered from her dizziness and was ready to do what was
necessary. She smoothed back Demelza s hair. ‘We have arrived, my dear. You
will have to stay here with Miss Murrell whilst I go and arrange matters. I
promise it will not be long before you are tucked snugly in bed.’ She nodded to
the maid. ‘Jenny, come with me.’

‘Will my papa be here soon? Will
Richard be coming as well?’ The injured girl had already asked this question
several times.

‘Yes, as soon as we send back for
him. Not long now.’ Allegra was deeply concerned. Her patient’s condition had
deteriorated on the journey. The sooner she got Demelza inside and fetched a
physician to attend
her the
better.

Jenny assisted her with her
bonnet whilst she replaced her gloves. The steps were lowered and she
descended, well aware her crumpled, dusty dress contrasted badly with her silk
lined, pristine chip straw bonnet.

But whatever her appearance, no
one doubted her pedigree. Accompanied by Jenny and Thomas, who had handed the
ribbons to Billy, she stalked into the vestibule. Fortunately there was only
one person waiting to be dealt with. The other travellers, from the mail coach
standing in the yard, were on their way to the dining-room for supper. As they
had but thirty minutes to consume it and re-board the vehicle, they had no time
to stare.

The stout country gentleman,
waiting at the counter, stepped aside to allow Allegra to approach. She was
relieved to find the landlady in attendance.

‘I have a seriously injured lady
in my carriage. We were set upon by footpads in Feathers Wood. She has been
shot in the shoulder and requires the attention of a physician immediately. I need
two rooms, each with private parlour, is that possible?’

‘Oh, my lady,
what a dreadful thing!
Upon my word I thought those wretches had been
dealt with.’ The woman rang the brass bell by her side loudly and two girls appeared,
who from their matching appearance, were obviously her daughters. ‘Annie, send
Jack at once to fetch Dr Canning, tell him a young lady has been shot in the
shoulder. Beth, run to the kitchen and have them prepare clean linen strips and
boiled water for the doctor’s use when he arrives.’

The
landlady,
curtsied to Allegra. ‘I’ll direct you to your rooms myself.’

Allegra led the way back to the
carriage. Two ostlers held the horses’ heads and Fred and Billy, the second
coachman, were waiting by the open door. ‘Thomas, will you carry Miss Tremayne
upstairs? She is too unwell to walk.’

He ducked into the interior
emerged backwards, his feet guided by Fred and Billy, Demelza in his arms. Miss
Murrell followed, hastily securing her own bonnet.

‘This way, my lady, please to
follow me.’

The rooms they had been allocated
were at the front, overlooking the yard. The largest had an adjoining
sitting-room; the second was adjacent, but not connected. The rooms were clean
and well-kept but not ideal.

‘I am sorry, but are there any
rooms in a quieter location? I believe Miss Tremayne will not do well with so
much noise outside.’

The landlady thought for a
moment. ‘I have a small room and parlour at the rear, overlooking the garden,
but only the one.’

‘Excellent. Please direct us
there. Miss Murrell and Miss Tremayne can have those rooms. Make sure there’s a
cot for the maid. I shall take these. My affianced, Mr Tremayne, will be
arriving later and will also require a room. The smaller chamber will be
adequate for his needs.’

Demelza was quickly settled, her
outer garments removed, her chemise serving as a nightgown. Allegra drew Miss
Murrell to one side and addressed her softly.

‘I have to leave you for a while.
I must send word to Brook Street for they will be expecting us to night. I must
also ask Abbot and Sam Perkins to return to us.’

‘Jenny and I can manage here, my
lady. We will sponge Miss Demelza to keep down her fever - but I hope the
doctor comes soon. I fear her injury might be worse than we had at first thought.’

Thomas was standing in the narrow
passageway waiting for her. ‘Have you arranged for the horses and sorted some
accommodation for yourselves?’ Allegra asked him.

He nodded. ‘Billy’s seeing to
that, my lady. Mr Tremayne told me to stay with you. I’ve also got Fred
searching for a cart to drive back to collect Mr Tremayne and John.’

‘Thank you.’ They came to the
second passageway. ‘I have no idea in which direction my rooms are. I was not
paying attention.’

‘If you allow me, my lady, I can
conduct you.’ Thomas stepped past her. ‘This place is old, more like a warren
than a dwelling.’

The rooms were found and Allegra
was pleased to see a tray with a tureen of steaming broth, fresh bread and
cheese and several slices of apple pie, standing on the sideboard in her
parlour.