Lady Beneath the Veil(42)

Max regarded them with such a knowing smile that Dominique longed to box his ears.

'I hate to disagree with you, ladies, but I think you will find-ah,  no.' He stopped and sighed. 'If that is what you believe, then so be  it.'

A cold hand clutched at Dominique's heart, but she replied stoutly,  'You can tell me nothing that will shake my faith in Gideon. I trust him  implicitly.'                       
       
           



       

'You trust him implicitly,' he repeated slowly. 'What a good little wife you are to him, my dear. And how I pity you.'

'I do not need your pity. Now, if you will excuse us-'

'And if I should tell you that he is seeing Mrs Bennet?'

'Absurd!' exclaimed Gwen hotly.

Dominique clutched her arm, her legs suddenly very weak.

'You lie.' She glared up at Max.

The triumphant gleam in his eyes only deepened.

'He is meeting her in Green Park at noon.' He lifted his head as a  distant church bell chimed the hour. 'Which is now. Why not come with me  and we shall see who is right?'

Gwendoline said coldly, 'We do not need to go to the Green Park, my lord. My brother's integrity is beyond question.'

Dominique wanted to agree. She wanted to turn away from Max's tormenting, smiling face, but she could not.

'We will go with you,' she stated, her back very straight. 'But only to prove you wrong.'

Ignoring the earl's outstretched arm, she turned and marched along Bond Street until they reached Piccadilly.

'My dear, this is madness,' Gwen muttered, hurrying beside her. 'Let me take you home instead. I am sure...'

Her words trailed away as Dominique stopped, recognising the elegant curricle and pair trotting towards them at a smart pace.

'So Albury's integrity is beyond question, is it?' The earl's sneering voice only added to Dominique's misery.

She watched the curricle fly past, Gideon intent on negotiating the  heavy traffic. At his side was a cloaked figure, the breeze making the  voluminous hood billow out to display the unmistakable face of Agnes  Bennet. Like a devil at her shoulder, she heard Max chuckle.

'Well, well. This has worked out even better than I expected. Cousin, I am so sorry for you.'

'But where are they going?' asked Gwen. 'Where can he be taking her, and in broad daylight?'

'I have no idea,' drawled Max. 'But it makes no odds to me. She has served her purpose well enough.'

'She has-' Gwen broke off, her indignation too great for her to speak  for several moments. At last she said, in arctic tones, 'Pray excuse us,  Lord Martlesham. I must take my sister-in-law away from here.'

'Of course, ma'am. If there is anything I can do...'

'You have done quite enough!'

Dominique was rooted to the ground, staring after the curricle. Gwen put her arm about her shoulders.

'Come, love, let me take you back to the carriage.'

Dominique tried to focus. Everything seemed very distant. She saw Max  walking away, swinging his cane as if he had not a care in the world.  And everyone else, too, was carrying on quite as normal.

'I shall take you back to Grosvenor Square,' said Gwen.

Dominique shook her head.

'No,' she managed, her throat so constricted that it was difficult to speak. 'No, I want to go to Chalcots, if you please.'

'Very well, love, if that is what you want.'

'Yes, yes, it is.' She struggled into the waiting carriage and collapsed into the corner, her world in ruins.

* * *

Gideon left Agnes at the Peacock Inn and made his way back to the city  to the offices of Rogers & Mitchell. However, when he learned that  Mr Rogers was gone out of town he drove to the newly refurbished offices  of Coutts & Co in the Strand.

* * *

An hour later he was on his way home, well satisfied with the day's  work and eager to share his news with Dominique. After last night he  half expected her to be looking out for him and to come running out into  his arms, but when he pulled up at the main door of Chalcots there was  no sign of life. No matter, he would probably find her in the nursery.  How her face would light up when he told her that she was heiress to a  considerable fortune.

Thomas opened the door and Gideon greeted him with a grin.

'By Gad, you look as if you had lost sixpence and found a groat, Thomas. What is it, has Cook given notice?'

'No, sir.'

'Where is Mrs Albury?'

'She-she's gone, sir.'

'Gone? You mean she has not returned from town yet?'                       
       
           



       

'N-no, sir. I mean she has gone. Left.' Gideon paused in the act of  stripping off his gloves and under his frowning gaze the butler stumbled  on. 'Mrs Albury did come back, sir, with Lady Ribblestone, but she  immediately left again, with her maid, and Nurse and Master James.'

'What!'

Gideon dashed up the stairs. Dominique's bedchamber was the first door  he came to and he entered without knocking. The room was in a state of  disarray, drawers and cupboards open and clothes scattered, as if  someone had left in a hurry. He went quickly to the nursery, which was  in very much the same state. He was still trying to take it all in when  there was a discreet cough behind him and he turned to find his valet  standing in the doorway.

'What has gone on here, Runcorn?'

'As to that I couldn't say, sir. Mrs Albury came in with Lady  Ribblestone soon after one o'clock and set the household by the ears.'

'I can see that,' muttered Gideon, grimly surveying the empty nursery.

'From the little that I overheard,' continued the valet in a toneless  voice, 'I believe they had met Lord Martlesham in Piccadilly...'

'The devil they did!' Suddenly it all made sense. Gideon swung round. 'Any idea where they were going?'

'I am afraid not, sir, but if it is any consolation, they all went off in Lady Ribblestone's carriage.'

Cursing his stupidity, Gideon went back down the stairs, barking orders as he went.

* * *

Lord Ribblestone looked up from the letter in his hand when Gideon was shown into his study.

'Is my wife here?'

Gideon wasted no time on pleasantries, but that did not seem to surprise his host.

'No, and neither is mine.' Anthony held out the paper. 'I have only  just come in myself and this was waiting for me. It is very garbled, but  it appears Gwen has taken Dominique to Rotham.'

'Thank God.'

Gideon sat down abruptly. Anthony walked over to a side table and  filled two glasses from the decanter. He handed one to Gideon.

'Trouble?'

'Oh, yes.' Gideon passed his hand across his eyes and quickly explained the events of the past few hours.

'I hate to say I told you so,' murmured Anthony, when he had finished. 'But if you had told Dominique what you were about...'

'I know, but it is too late for that now.'

'Well, I suppose we must go after them.'

'We?'

Anthony's eyes narrowed.

'My wife has gone, too, you know.'

'Very well, but there is some business that needs attention first.'

'Where are we going?' asked Anthony, following him out of the room.

'To White's. I have a score to settle with Martlesham and I will need a second!'

* * *

Despite the early hour the club was busy and they found the earl at one  of the card tables. He was surrounded by his cronies, including  Carstairs and the foppish Williams. The earl was counting his winnings,  but he glanced up as Gideon entered.

'Albury,' he called across the room. 'Have you come to escape your wife's wrath?'

'Not at all,' replied Gideon, stripping off his gloves.

Max cast a smirking glance at his cronies.

'Quite a shock for her, to see you driving through Piccadilly with the  delectable Mrs Bennet at your side. After all, 'twas only a year ago you  were intent upon making her your bride, eh?' A few stifled laughs were  heard, but Gideon said nothing as he walked towards his quarry. Max was  still chuckling as he rose from the table and stood before Gideon, his  lip curled in a sneer. 'No doubt you have installed the whore in a  little love nest of your own.'

'Don't judge everyone by your own standards, Max. Mrs Bennet is now  safely out of your way, but she did send something for you.'

Without warning Gideon's fist came up and crashed into Max's face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Uproar ensued. Everyone crowded around and there were some mutters of  'bad form!' but a gesture from Lord Ribblestone prevented anyone laying  hands upon Gideon.

'By God, you will meet me for that!' Max scrambled to his feet, his  face suffused with rage and one hand pressed to his bleeding nose.                       
       
           



       

'With pleasure,' retorted Gideon coldly. 'You planned to dupe my wife  out of her rightful inheritance and I demand satisfaction for that.  Hampstead Heath. Nine o'clock tonight.'

'Tonight!' The buck-toothed Williams raised his quizzing glass to stare at Gideon. 'Nay, sir, make it tomorrow, at dawn.'

'I have business that cannot wait,' said Gideon shortly. He fixed his  eyes on Max. 'Nine o'clock, Martlesham. Be there, or be branded a rogue  and a coward!'