Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid (Kellington Book One) Read online

  “Ah,” said Lynwood. “You didn’t tell me you’d met the new King.”

  After a moment of stunned silence, Stapleton laughed.

  “Inspector, please let us know if there’s anything that can be done to make you more comfortable.”

  Stapleton started to speak, then hesitated.

  “Yes?” asked Lynwood.

  “I don’t want to sleep until I hear back from Bow Street. I know it’s a bit irregular, but I saw a beautiful chess set in your study the other day. Would it be possible to have a game? It’s a luxury I’m rarely afforded.”

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, after Jane was satisfied all her patients were doing as well as could be expected, she collapsed into the arms of the man who’d come to mean so much to her. There were no words to describe how she’d felt when she’d heard how close he’d come to dying and when she’d seen the cuts and bruises all over his body.

  There were no words, so she gave herself to him physically, completely. They made love for hours. Tenderly, soothingly. As if only their bodies could say what their words could not.

  He woke her in the early morning hours before returning to his room. They made love once again and Jane knew everything between them had changed forever.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The next morning, everyone was seated on the terrace for breakfast. A message from Bow Street had arrived during the night, stating exactly what Stapleton thought it would. There was no sign of Evan Cantwell. He’d moved out of his rooms and a manhunt had turned up no trace of him.

  “Fisk,” said Ned, “you said you were following up a lead last night. What was it?”

  “I didn’t find much, my lord, just a couple things wot struck me as odd. That Overton bloke has two or three close friends from school and they do everything together. Every hell I went to and every…” He paused as he looked at the ladies. “…uh, establishment I visited always had the same story. It was the three of them together. Never alone. I checked with some of me Mayfair sources and they said the same thing.”

  “You have Mayfair sources?” asked Lynwood.

  “The servants network, yer grace. Best source of information in town. I can find just about anything about anyone in society that way.”

  “It’s true,” said Stapleton. “It’s actually one of the reasons I stopped thinking of Lord Edward as a suspect. Your servants sing the praises of this family unstintingly.”

  “I see,” said Lynwood, as he shot a glance at a stoic Heskiss. “What did the servants’ network say about Overton, Sergeant?”

  “Well, yer grace, they don’t seem to like him much. There’s nothing serious I could find, mostly just a feeling. Stand-offish. Don’t socialize much except with those two friends of his.”

  “What about romantic liaisons?” asked Ned.

  “None that I heard of.”

  “Those ‘establishments,’ you mentioned,” said Lizzie. “I assume you mean bordellos. Did you hear anything there?”

  Sergeant Fisk’s face turned crimson, as all four Kellington brothers admonished their sister.

  “Honestly,” said Lizzie. “It’s not like I don’t have a brain. I’ve known of the existence of such houses for years. I do have four brothers, after all, none of whom are up for any type of sainthood. Please continue, Sergeant.”

  “Well,” said Fisk, as diplomatically as possible. “Here’s the thing. Overton and his pals used to go to those ‘establishments,’ but mostly to drink and play cards. Almost like it was for show. They rarely stayed to, uh, do the types of things young bucks usually go to those places to do.”

  “Which would be….” Asked Lizzie, whose knowledge wasn’t as in-depth as she would’ve liked.

  “Lady Elizabeth!” said Lynwood.

  “You do good work, Sergeant,” said Stapleton. “Have you ever thought of going to work for Bow Street?”

  “Ye need two good legs for that, don’t ye?” asked Fisk, intrigued.

  “A good mind can make up for an imperfect body, as you’ve more than proven,” said Stapleton. “If you’re interested, we should talk. In the meantime,” he said, looking at those around him, “what are we going to do about Cantwell?”

  * * *

  Morning gave way to a lovely spring day when it was just about impossible to stay indoors. Vi, who’d been so well behaved in a house full of tumult, begged her mother to take her to the park. Jane refused, but finally compromised by accompanying her to the garden.

  Ned had left a couple hours earlier, joining Fisk and Stapleton in their search for Cantwell, as futile as it was likely to be.

  Arthur and Hal had gone back to search Huntington House for clues, while Lynwood had been called to Lords for an emergency session.

  Jane and Vi had the entire garden in which to play with the puppy, who still didn’t have a name. Vi was throwing a stick that the unnamed dog was enthusiastically retrieving. Under other circumstances, it would’ve been a perfect family outing and Jane found herself wishing Ned were there with them.

  As Vi continued to throw the stick, Jane noticed they were getting further and further away from the house and Lynwood’s army of servants.

  “Sweeting, you’ve gone far enough!” called Jane to her daughter. “Let’s go back toward the house.”

  “Just one moment, Mama!” said Vi as she ran after the dog, who’d evidently caught the scent of something.

  They were only out of sight for a split second around a large bush, but Jane felt a tingle down her spine. She ran toward her daughter.

  “Vi?” She called, as she ran faster. “Vi!”

  She rounded the corner, then saw the open gate.

  An instant later a cloth came over her mouth. She recognized the scent as ether right before everything went black.

  * * *

  After more than ninety minutes of searching, Ned, Stapleton and Fisk found the clue they’d been looking for. It was at a disreputable boarding house near Seven Dials and they’d paid the proprietor a crown to get him to talk.

  “He were here,” said a half-drunk Mathias Brown, “and he done run out on payin’ for the last three days of rent he did. Which is why I don’t feel badly on account of snitchin’ on him. If’n he hadn’t left me high and dry, ye wouldn’t get nothin’ out of me. But as it is, I’ll tell ye all I know. For a price.”

  They paid the man another crown to get him to hurry up.

  “At first he acted like he was royalty and all. Like he had loads of blunt. Paid up a week in advance on account of he didn’t want me snoopin’. Like I would do something’ like that with him never leavin’ his room. But somethin’ changed about a week ago. Stopped spreadin’ his blunt around and started layin’ low, like he was hidin’ from someone. Wouldn’t see nobody. That’s why I was so surprised when he seen them blokes.”

  “What blokes?” asked Stapleton.

  “Them three toffs wot come around. Really chummy together they was. And some regular Beau Brummels. Didn’t know what a bunch of swells like them wanted with Cantwell.”

  “Do you remember their names?” asked Ned.

  “Didn’t rightly get introduced, did I? But they got in a row, which ain’t all that unusual around here. But they was screamin’ about blackmail. And the one toff said Cantwell was a bastard – which he was – when Cantwell said to shut up and do what he was told. Called him Over-something.”

  “Overton?” said Ned, as he clenched his fists.

  “That’s it,” said Mathias. “Overton. Then they come out all angry and that was the last time I seen ‘em. Cantwell took off the day after.”

  “So that’s our connection between Cantwell and Overton,” said Fisk. “But it still don’t mean Overton was in on killing the earl.”

  “The oddest thing,” said Mathias. “I never figured Cantwell as a nancy boy, but with friends like that, he must’ve been.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Stapleton.

 
“That Overton and his mates was poofs. The three of them. Must’ve been Cantwell was, too.”

  Mathias was just about to ask for yet another crown, given his impressive deductive abilities, but the three men who’d been so generous were already running to their hack.

  Moments later, they were on their way back to Kellington House.

  “If Overton is homosexual, then his flirtation with Jane wasn’t genuine. He wants her money,” said Ned.

  “Or it could just be to cover up his preference for men,” said Stapleton. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to throw others off the track.”

  “Under other circumstances, I’d agree with you,” said Ned. “But given his association with Cantwell and the argument about blackmail, it’s too big of a coincidence. I’ve got to tell Jane not to see him again until we know for sure.”

  They arrived home moments later to find Kellington House in chaos. Before Ned and the others could even get out of the carriage, Rigg appeared and told the coachman to head to the northern road. Then he got in the carriage holding two braces of pistols and extra ammunition.

  “They’ve been taken, my lord,” said Rigg grimly as they set off. “We don’t know exactly when, but in the past hour. We sent footmen out in all directions and just received word of a carriage racing away from here and heading to the northern road. We sent word to your brothers, who’ll likely be right behind us.” He handed each man a pistol, then kept one for himself.

  We have to catch them, thought Ned with fear clamping down on his heart. We have to.

  * * *

  Jane awoke with a terrible headache and a dirty gag shoved in her mouth. Her hands and feet were bound and she was in a carriage that felt like it was moving at full-speed. She sat up immediately, frantically looking for Vi. Her terrified daughter was bound and gagged on the seat opposite to her, sitting next to a grim Wills Overton.

  “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Jane.”

  She didn’t take her eyes off Vi, hoping to impart strength to her, as she tried to get her hands untied.

  “There’s no use struggling,” continued Wills. “You’ll just tire yourself out. And you’re going to want to keep your wits about you. Because I’m not your real enemy. I never have been. I felt sorry for you all those years ago when you came home an outcast because I know exactly how that feels. I know what it’s like to have your family turn against you. But in my case it wasn’t because of what I’d done, it was because of what I was. What I am. I can’t go to prison, Jane. And I can’t afford to pay him any longer. He told me if I delivered you to him, he’d leave me alone. Let me live my life. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted, you see. And now I finally can.”

  As he said those words, Jane realized the carriage was slowing down.

  “I wish there’d been another way, Jane. But I didn’t have a choice. Good luck. I’m afraid you’ll need it.”

  The carriage drew to a stop. The door opened and Overton got out without looking back. Jane made as much noise as she could, but from the brief glimpse she had of the outside, she saw only forest. They’d left London while she’d been unconscious and must’ve been on the road for some time.

  Once the door was closed, Jane looked around for any type of weapon. Suddenly, a pistol shot rang out, and a moment later the door opened again. She caught a brief glimpse of Wills on the ground bleeding, the look of death in his eyes. Then Evan Cantwell got in the carriage and took Wills’s place.

  “Hello, Jane,” he said as he shut the door and the carriage got underway again. “Settle in. For it’s a long ride to Scotland.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Jane didn’t know how long Cantwell had kept them bound and gagged. It was at least an hour. Maybe two. But when Vi began whimpering, Cantwell knew it was time for a bathroom break.

  “I warn you Jane,” he said as he cut the ties around her legs, “don’t cross me. There’s no help for you here. The only reason I’m letting you answer nature’s call is I don’t want the bastard pissing herself. But if you try anything, I’ll not hesitate to beat both of you. Do I make myself clear?”

  Jane nodded, knowing that Vi’s very survival depended on Jane keeping her head and doing what Cantwell said. She’d kill him if given half a chance. She just had to look for a means of doing it.

  * * *

  Ned didn’t know how long they’d been on the road, but he’d been worried for every single minute of it. There’d been an accident that delayed them getting out of town by an hour and he was out of his mind with worry. He couldn’t lose his family. He couldn’t allow them to be taken from him.

  They were finally on the northern road and making good time, when the carriage began to slow.

  “Lord Edward,” called the coachman. “You need to see this.”

  Ned jumped out of the carriage before it drew to a halt, only to have his blood run cold. It was Wills Overton, dead, on the side of the road.

  “My lord,” said Rigg. Then, when he could get no response, he said “Ned, let’s get back on the road.”

  Numbly, Ned climbed back into the carriage and they were once again on their way.

  * * *

  “Mama,” whispered Vi, as they walked toward the woods. “Why did the man take us?”

  “Don’t worry about that, now, sweeting. Everything will be okay.” Jane prayed her words would be true.

  “I want to go home. I want to be with Ned.”

  “I want to be with him, too, sweeting.”

  And she did. She loved him. She wanted to marry him. She was needed in Marston Vale, but she and Vi needed a life with Ned. And Jane would do whatever she could to make it happen. She wouldn’t lose him, no matter what. If only they could get out of there alive.

  “That’s far enough!” yelled Cantwell from the side of the road.

  “We don’t have shelter. We need to go into the woods,” Jane yelled back, hoping it would provide them the means of escape.

  “Like hell you do,” he said. “Stand in front of the little bastard. Because if you take one more step toward the woods, it’ll be the last step she ever takes.”

  Grimly, Jane stood in front of Vi, shielding her with her skirts, as the girl relieved herself.

  “You’re being very brave, poppet,” said Jane.

  “Thank you. So are you, Mama.”

  As Jane blocked Vi from the men’s view, she looked about to see if there might be something she could use as a weapon. A tree branch. A big rock. They were on the edge of a forest, but there was a field between them and any cover they might find in the trees. There’s no way she could outrun them while carrying Vi. Running out of ideas, but not hope, she removed several pins from her hair and put them in her pocket. Perhaps they could be of some use to her.

  “You ain’t thinkin’ of tryin’ to escape?” asked one of the brigands who was suddenly right beside them.

  “My daughter needs privacy. Will you kindly turn away?”

  Much to Jane’s surprise the man did turn away, although he remained close at hand.

  “I had me a li’l girl, about the same age as yers. Died of a fever.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” The man had obviously loved his child. Perhaps he would be sympathetic to their cause.

  “Me, too. She was the only person in me life who was ever worth a damn.”

  “Than you can understand how much I love my daughter and how much I want to protect her.”

  The man considered her words for a moment. “I understand that just fine. But I can’t do nothin’ to help you. I hears to tell that the toff wants to marry you. Go along with him and you won’t be hurt.”

  “But we will be,” said Jane, hoping she could make him understand and knowing she didn’t have long to convince him.

  He seemed to be softening, but then he said “Ain’t no business of mine what happens to ye.”

  Jane decided she’d need a different strategy.

  “I hope he’s paying you well.”

 
“He is at that.”

  Damn.

  “How much?”

  “None o’ yer business.”

  “I expect it would be enough so you’d never have to work again.”

  “No one pays that much.”

  “Then he’s cheating you.”

  The man looked at her. “Shut yer mouth.”

  “I happen to know the Duke of Lynwood would pay five times what you’re getting. Ten times as much, as long as we make it out of here unharmed.”

  The man clearly wanted to believe, but frowned, thinking it too good to be true. “What’s some duke gots to do with this?”

  “His brother…” Jane swallowed, looking at Vi, “His brother is my little girl’s father.”

  Vi turned to her mother, her beautiful, achingly familiar green eyes wide. “Is that true, Mama? Is Ned really my father?”

  “He is, sweeting,” said Jane. Then she turned back to the man. “And he’ll pay anything for our safe return.”

  “If he’s the sprite’s da, why hasn’t he married you? I ain’t never heard of a toff who’d pay money for his natural child.”

  “This one will,” said Jane. “I guarantee it.”

  “What’s going on over there?” yelled Cantwell from near the carriage. “Sully, I’m not paying you to talk, you cretin.”

  Sully didn’t look too happy about the insult, thought Jane. Mayhap he’d help them after all. Or hold them for ransom. Perhaps she’d just created an even larger problem for herself.

  “Mama,” said Vi, as she took her mother’s hand and they began walking toward the carriage, “is Ned really my papa?”

  “Yes, sweeting,” said Jane, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Why didn’t he ever come to see me before?” asked Vi on the verge of tears.

  Jane kneeled in front of her. “That was my fault, love. I made a very bad mistake. I didn’t tell him we were going to have a baby. He didn’t know about you. If he had, I know he would’ve come to see you the moment you were born.”

  “Do you think he’ll ever love me?”