Reginald, Radley, and Bogsley arrived at Lord Milton's estate in less than an hour. To keep as quiet as possible, they tied their horses a good distance from the stables and did their best to keep low as they hurried toward the building.
Because of Bogsley background as a spy, they agreed when he insisted he would check for anyone inside. They also knew he didn't trust them to be quiet enough to not get them all caught before they found the horses.
They each came prepared with pistols and swords. Radley and Reginald kept watch while Bogsley snuck inside. At any sign of trouble, they were ready to rescue him. The man was not that large, but he was powerful. His dark clothing kept him invisible while his stealth kept him silent. In this situation, he was good because he knew how to keep a horse from making a sound.
Bogsley slipped back outside and told them there had only been one stableman on duty. Then, with a wicked grin, he said he was now sleeping more soundly. Radley thought he may have hit the man over the head, but Bogsley held up a bottle of ether before slipping it back inside a pouch hung on his belt.
With a grin, they followed him inside the dark building but once again, Bogsley stopped them.
"The stableman had one lamp lit, but the moon helps to see. Point out your horses, and I will bring them out. When I do, you take them to where we left our horses and wait." Bogsley didn't wait for a discussion; he expected them to follow his orders.
Radley stepped inside and watched Bogsley keep to one side of the aisle. It was so dark, he would have had a hard time knowing where he was going. When he came to the horse stalls, the small windows gave them enough light from the moon to see the horses. He quickly came across those belonging to him and quietly pointed them out to Bogsley. It was a relief to see they hadn't been sold.
Lead ropes were clipped onto four of his horses and led out one at a time. Two were handed off to Reginald. Together, he and Radley quietly moved to where their saddled horses waited, while Bogsley prepared four others. While Reginald stayed with the horses, Radley rushed back for two more.
Though, instead of waiting, he saw Bogsley running with the four horses towards him. "Is there trouble?" Radley asked as he took two of the leads.
As Bogsley continued to run with the horses, he explained, "I believe I heard someone coming as I led these to the door. So, I had no choice but to bring all four. That means I had no choice but to leave the stable door open. It won't take them long to discover what's happened."
The men mounted their horses and began riding towards Radley's estate while leading the horses behind them. It hadn't taken long before they heard shouting. With a kick of their heels, the men raced across the fields until they reached the road. Bogsley didn't see the road as safe, so he once again led them through fields. When they came upon freshly plowed ground, Radley knew they were close to home.
Once they arrived, they found Lewis sitting on a bench inside the stables waiting for them. He stood and hurried to help.
"What brought you here?" Radley asked him as he dismounted.
"I came to make sure you returned. If not, I planned to gather the other men." He untied a lead rope from the saddle and guided a horse into one of the empty stalls.
Radley did the same following with another horse. His father and Bogsley did the same. Radley's driver and footman entered and began helping by wiping the horses down. The hour-long race to return had their coats wet.
The ones chasing them never came to inquire or accuse. That spoke of their knowledge concerning ownership. Happy with his success, Radley and his father bedded down the horses and then headed to the house to retire.
Radley's driver and footman made palates on the floor directly by the doors. No one could sneak inside, and if they tried, the big fire bell by the door would be rung.
With such a late night, Radley and his father slept late. When he came downstairs to have a bite to eat, he found his butler at his post waiting for him. Lewis had obviously found success at tracking him down.
"Quint! It is a relief to see you. I hope you have returned to work for me."
"Aye, Milord. Your man, Lewis, paid me what was owed and said my job was waiting for me. I had found work, but temporary."
"Lucky for me. Come inside my office, and I'll see to what else I owe you. When can you begin?" They went down the hall and stepped inside his office.
"I have moved back into my rooms, Milord. It appears you need my help now. Your man Lewis explained what happened. I shall see to having the house set to rights. May I ask if the thief is still in the basement?"
"He is and being guarded until Barrister Hudson arrives from London. Also, my sister and her new husband should be coming as well. They are bringing my bride." He waved at a chair for Quint to take a seat.
"Congratulations on your marriage, Milord. I was told how you found the state of the house. I apologize for not sending word of what I feared was happening. I was fed many lies, and they began to make me suspicious." He sat with a worried expression.
Radley pulled the chair from his desk and saw Quint's worrisome frown. "I understand why you didn't. I trusted Talbot, and you knew that. We shall construe a plan to prevent such from happening again." He sat and placed his hands on the desk and felt another gouge in the wood. With a sigh, he pulled his attention back to Quint. "My father is here. He's sleeping in the guestroom across from the one I have taken since my room lacked furniture."
"I shall see that both rooms are ready before tonight, Milord."
"Thank you. We hadn't been able to find the bedding or towels until yesterday. The trunks had various breakables that had been packed with the linens." He suddenly stood and pulled a bell cord to bring a maid, then sat back down.
"I haven't had my tea," he explained. "Now, today, all the bedrooms will need to be made up for my guests. See that the maids, lent to me by my brother-in-law, see to this chore. There should be enough of us to righting this catastrophe now that the furniture has arrived."
"We shall do our best Milord. I contacted the staff, and they should be arriving soon. They were not paid in full, and that assures they will come."
Radley smiled at the sly wisdom of that. "Thank you. Do you know if most still need work? I was pleased with their work."
Quint folded his hands as he nodded. "Most jobs pay only a pittance of our earnings here. They will return. We tried to stay, but he fired us and told us to leave because you could no longer pay us. I thought the request was odd, Milord. However, we had little choice."
"I understand. Be sure I have a good kitchen staff. My lady wife was taught to prepare meals, so she will expect ones who are accomplished."
Quint nodded with relief. "May I inquire of those cleaning the house now? Will they be leaving soon?"
"My brother-in-law will likely take them back to his estate when we return from visiting his parents at Kensingdale. We shall be gone for a week. That should give the staff time to settle back into their jobs. I assume you can handle the bloated number of workers."
Quint smiled and agreed. "Excellent," Radley replied. "As you work restoring order, you will find various items missing. Make a list and I will see to having them replaced." He saw the maid step to the door but held up a finger for her to wait. "For now, Quint, please make sure my father has what he needs in the guest's bathing chamber. Everything is disorganized. The sooner you have control of my well-being, the better I will like it."
They stood and Radley asked, "Would you be willing to see to payroll? I have no plans to hire another stranger. You have been with me for five years. I need someone I can trust."
Quint smiled. "I will be honored, Milord."
"Good, then the staff will know who controls their pay. This will be good for them as well." He stepped around the desk and offered his hand. Quint, surprised, accepted it, and they shook on the deal. Radley knew at that moment that he would spend Christmas here. He would have all the family members come and celebrate with them. Her brothers would have a need to share bedrooms, but otherwise, the house had enough space.
He turned his attention to the maid. "Tell the cook I'd like coffee and my breakfast. I'll be there shortly." She bobbed and hurried away. A smile lit his face that he would soon have Charlotte back in his bed where she belonged.
I guess you know where this is leading now. Everyone will be arriving and Barrister Dalton Hudson will take care of Talbot and Ben arrives with Vivian and Charlotte. Hope the recapturing of the horses entertained you. FYI, no one can get in trouble for recovering what belongs to him. He has plenty of proof.
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