Page 36 of A Lady's Past
Pulling back to look him in the eye, she studied him. “You know your name and mine, that’s a good sign. We’ve had a steady flow of people coming through, but Bertram hasn’t returned. He blames himself.”
“He’s a good man. I do not know how they managed to surprise him, but I doubt he could have done anything to change the outcome.” Jacques put weight on his feet and leaned forward before slowly standing. The room wobbled for a moment, but then he was fine. He took a breath and walked to the window. He had failed her when he said he would keep her safe. A knot formed in his chest and tightened painfully.
Millicent said, “Diana is a clever girl. She will find a way to help herself, and with Honoria one never knows what antics will take place.”
Turning, he faced the pretty blonde his best friend had married. Still in her red gown from dinner, she was a vision marred only by the worry etched around her eyes and mouth. “How well do you know Lady Chervil?”
“Very well. She lived at Everton House much of the time I was employed there.” Millicent took a step back and narrowed her gaze.
“I like her, but she strikes me as frivolous. Is she likely to get Diana killed with her whimsy?”
A slow smile pulled at Millicent’s lips. “You should not worry about that, Jacques. She may appear as if she hasn’t a care in the world, but she is a smart, clever and very resourceful woman. She is also quite well off. If I were in trouble, Honoria Chervil would be a fine asset to have on my side.”
Jacques sent up a prayer that she was right. Diana would need all the help she could get. If Victor had a boat waiting in the harbor, Jacques might never see Diana again. It wouldn’t do. He would strip his homeland bare, but he would find her.
* * *
An hour later, Jacques was desperate to get out of the house and look for Diana. His headache was a reminder that he was alive, and she might be in the hold of some boat waiting for an opportunity to leave England forever.
Alexander Lynds, the man at the head of the Buckrose Horsemen, arrived in an elegant black coat and well-shined shoes. He hardly looked like the rough-and-ready pirate who’d helped Jacques escape the Bastille. “It’s good to see you, Laurent. I heard you’ve had a difficult night.”
In other circumstances, he would have been happy to see Alex. He shook his hand. “Lynds. I appreciate you cutting your evening short to help. Miss MacLeod and Lady Chervil are in grave danger. I fear they may already be beyond our borders.”
Alex gave the butler his hat and overcoat, then sat on a large chair near the window in Preston’s library. “At least I can give you some relief with regard to that. No one matching the description of Victor Caron or either lady has left London by road, and no ships have been permitted out of port since I was contacted. It is extremely unlikely Caron could have made it out before then. I assume the timeline you gave me is accurate, Your Grace?”
Michael nodded. “As accurate as is possible, within twenty minutes.”
“Then I am confident they have not left the country. We will find them.” Alex leaned forward. “I’m somewhat concerned about the circumstances of this incident. Can you tell me what happened?”
“What do you mean, you are concerned?” Jacques’s defensive instincts kicked in.
“How were you ambushed?” Voice steady, Alex never took his gaze away from Jacques.
Part of Jacques wanted to rage against the obvious implication that things might not be as they seemed, but he needed Alex’s help. “We left here around ten o’clock. It was prearranged to take my carriage back to Everton House where the ladies and footmen live.”
“Why did the ladies require your carriage?” Alex brushed a bit of lint from his coat and leaned back in his chair.
“The Everton Domestic Society carriage was needed elsewhere.”
Alex pushed his blond hair back from his eyes. “Who asked for your help?”
“Miss MacLeod sent a note a few days ago.” This was not going well.
“So, Miss MacLeod asked for you to transport her home and the carriage was attacked.” Alex pulled out a notebook. He took a quill from the desk, dipped it in ink and jotted a note.
Jacques stood. “She did not arrange this. She is a prisoner and in danger. You are wrong about her.”
With a long sigh, Alex put the notebook away. “I understand your affection for this lady, and you may well be correct. Perhaps she is an innocent who has been taken advantage of. Certainly, her parents’ absence from her life and her claim that they were murdered counts in her favor. I know you believe her innocent, and Michael, I mean His Grace, also thinks she’s a good woman. However, I must look at this from every side.”
Fury raced through Jacques. It was insane that anyone could believe anything but good could come from Diana. He stood in front of Alex. “I will vouch for her. Get her back and you can see for yourself that she is all things good. Her story is painful to listen to. I have known my fair share of liars. Get her back and let her prove her innocence.”
Gaze steady, Alex nodded. “I will find her if it is possible. Hopefully the lady wishes to be found. If she does, she will assist in her own rescue. In the meantime, we will watch all the roads out of town. I have stopped all ships and small boats from leaving English waters. I can’t enforce that for more than twenty-four hours, so we have until tomorrow evening to find her.”
It was a struggle to be grateful, but Jacques said, “Thank you. She will prove herself worthy of the Horsemen’s attention.”
Alex nodded. “I think we should speak to her employer and Middleton’s wife’s uncle. Perhaps we can at least get some clues about what she had planned.”
“All she was planning was to stay alive and clear her name.” Jacques was going to have to get his temper under control before he made a fool of himself.
