London, 16 December 1844
It was over. Penchley had lost the last battle. He had thought to salvage at least his career, even after Sarah Grenford chose that schemer Maddox over him. Today, those hopes were dashed.
Who would have thought Bennett would return to England, and be reconciled with his family, him and his common bride? It was only a matter of time until Haverford discovered Penchley's part in Bennett's elopement.
Penchley had already been shaken before he arrived at the colonial office to deliver Haverford's formal report and make an appointment for him to see the Home Secretary. It had been the Chinaman, across the road from Haverford House, standing where he could not be missed, staring at Penchley as Penchley climbed into the hackney.
It was a threat. It had to be. All the way to his destination, Penchley racked his brains for a way to counter it. Again and again, since he first decided to marry Sarah Grenford, fate and the Haverford family had thrown obstacles in his path. He had met and overcome every one. There had to be a way.
Then, the first person he saw at the colonial office told him about Bennett. The man had been in with the Earl, his father. He had apologised for deserting his post. If any commoner had done such a thing his career would be over. But noble families could get away with anything short of murder.
Bennett had been demoted, but the gossip around the office was that his impetuous elopement had touched the heart of the Home Secretary's wife. The man was forgiven, and Penchley was toast.
He would have some small revenge before he went into exile. Seated at the duke's desk, he drafted something that would cause the Grenford bitch at least some inconvenience, if not heartache. With luck, the new Duke of Wellbridge might be driven to take his own life, before he was allowed to sully Lady Sarah. Penchley would give instructions for it to be sent in two day's time. By then, he would be in France.
He would leave by the servants' entrance and out into the service lane. He could avoid the Chinaman, and no one else was looking for him. Yet.
***
Just west of Margate, Kent
In the early hours of morning, well before dawn, the castle was silent. Even the night footman had been asleep in his alcove by the front door when Sally passed him on her way to the library. For the fourth night since they disembarked, she had been unable to sleep.
She had wanted to go straight to London with Maddox and Penchley. But there was no saying David was there. As the new Duke of Wellbridge, he was almost certainly in Great Britain, but he could be about the business of the duchy anywhere from the Highlands of Scotland to the extreme west of Cornwall.
Or he could be attending to shipping business. His own operation had warehouses in Bristol and Liverpool, as well as London, and Seventh Sea also operated out of Glasgow and Southampton.
Maddox would find out where he was and take her note to him if he was near at hand. Maddox needed to find out how his father fared. He had also promised to collect Johnny and send him to join the Haverfords here in Kent.
Hourly since they parted, she regretted not insisting on going to London, where she would at least be easier for him to reach. She had no cause to be afraid of her reception. Of course, David loved her. Of course, the gossip she had heard was lies, created from whole cloth to make David look bad.
She felt guilty that her trust was not wholehearted, but as the hours passed and he didn't come, as day turned into night and back to day again, her doubts grew.
She had a stack of journals from the Royal Society on the low table in front of her couch. In the last 30 minutes, she had read the same page five times, and still didn't know what it said. She got up the pace. Tomorrow, Papa planned to go to London. She would travel with him. She had to know. Even if the news was dreadful, she had to know.
As she passed the window, faint flickering lights caught her eye. Lamps coming up the carriageway. She stood her nose nearly pressed at the glass, watching as a post-chase came into view, and swung up to the front of the house.
David? Was it David? The man who swung down from the carriage seemed too short, that was all she could tell. He was bundled up in coat, hat and scarf, but as he turned to the house and bounded up the stairs, the glimpse she caught was not familiar.
She wore a robe over a night rail; hardly appropriate for greeting strangers. But she opened the library door a crack to watch as the night footman roused at the door knocker and opened to the traveller. The man slapped the footman on the shoulder as they exchanged a few words. The footman went out into the cold closing the door behind him.
The traveller removed his hat and trucked out of his coat and scarf and at that moment she knew him. He had grown 9 inches since she went away, and his face had lost the chubbiness of childhood for the chiselled bones her father shared with his brothers.
It was Jonny.
She flung open the door and hurried to greet him. He met her partway, holding out his hand for hers, but submitting to her hug when she wrapped her arms around him.
"Jonny! How wonderful to see you." She looked over his shoulder. "But where is Maddox? I thought he was going to fetch you? Have you come all the way from Rugby on your own?"
He raised an eyebrow, reminding her sharply of their father. This new Jonny would take some getting used to. "I am capable of looking after myself," he said, then grinned. "It was fun, actually. I left Maddox in London." He frowned. "Come into the library, Sally, and I'll tell you all about it. And is there any chance of something to eat?"
"Is there something wrong? Is it David? Has something happened to David?"
Jonny led the way into the library, throwing reassurances over his shoulder. "He's fine. As far as I know. I haven't seen him since last half day. Is Papa awake? I guess not. It's very early."
Sally rang the bell pull for the kitchen. Early as it was, someone would be awake to fix Jonny a snack. "Now, Jonny. Tell me what sets you travelling through the night? And without Maddox?"
Jonny made a face and then looked up into the corner of the room as if for inspiration. "Maddox said I was to just tell you and not beat about the bush. And you've always been a very sensible girl. But I'm not sure where to start."
"At the beginning," she said dryly, masking her alarm.
"Ah, well. Maddox came to collect me from school, with Papa's note. He arrived late this afternoon—no; yesterday afternoon now. We decided to train to London, stay overnight, and catch the early train to Dover this morning."
A maid from the kitchens entered, looking flustered. "Molly, is it not?" Sally said.
Molly curtsied, a clumsy little bob. "I'm sorry, milady. None of them above stairs maids are awake. I can fetch someone, if your ladyship wants."
"I am sorry to disturb you," Sally said. "Lord Aldridge has just arrived and needs something to eat and drink. Bread and cheese, perhaps a mug of tea?"
The girl bobbed again. "I can do that, milady."
She whisked out of the room and Sally turned back to Jonny. "Go on. Why did you change your plans?"
"It was what we found at Haverford House. Sally, Papa's man Penchley has sent a betrothal announcement to the newspaper. We found his drafts in the wastepaper basket. It will be in this morning's papers, unless Maddox can stop it. He thinks it will be too late, so he sent me to warn you."
Sally frowned. "Thank you. David should not have done such a thing without speaking to me first. And why did he involve Penchley?" She shook her head, torn between irritation at the ducal arrogance and delight at the speed with which David clearly wished to claim her.
Jonny hadn't finished. "Not David," he explained. "Maddox. Penchley has announced your betrothal to Maddox."
***
London, 19 December 1844
Awaiting Toad next to his breakfast plate was a stack of post; on the top, a letter from his mother. The duchess reminded him he had agreed to spend a quiet Christmas with his family at Wellstone and had promised his sister he would bring Piero, and requested they come early or stay late, if their duties would allow.
He hadn't accompanied his mother and sister back to the country after Aunt Eleanor was interred, for he now had two shipping concerns to manage at the London docks, and so did his brother-in-arms, Piero. But they had already arranged time for the trip and could afford a few extra days if they wished. Toad wanted to make sure his mother hadn't been brought too low by the second major loss this year.
But before he could tell Blakeley to tell Franks to pack a trunk after breakfast and send a note to Piero, he'd been ambushed by his own newspaper. Fittingly, the rain began before he left the breakfast table without eating three minutes later, the announcement of Lady Sarah Grenford's betrothal crumpled in a ball in his jacket pocket.