Rescued By A Viscount(29)

Simon could not rid himself of the feeling that in the three days since he’d visited the Belmont family, something very bad had happened, and although he had no right to pry into what that something was, he wanted to know. All of them were tense and unhappy, and the look in Claire’s eyes would stay with him for the rest of the evening. Thirty minutes later, he realized he did not want to stay at the musical any longer, either. He would have an early night and be on Daniel’s doorstep when Claire arrived. He would then question her, and this time she would bloody well answer him.





CHAPTER SEVEN


Claire waited until the house was quiet before sneaking into her brother’s study. She placed her lamp on top of his desk, opened the drawer, and found the note. Her fingers were not steady as she copied it word for word before replacing the original and folding her copy before pushing it into her dressing gown pocket. She then looked through the other drawers until she found a pouch of money. It was wrong to steal, especially from her brother, but he had left her with no other choice. Hurrying out into the hallway, she then made her way back to her room. She had walked these halls at night on her own before, however tonight she had a mission, and the fear of someone seeing her was making her nervous. Only when she was safely inside her room with the door locked did she exhale loudly.

When she had realized her brother had no intention of going to rescue Anthony’s child, she had made plans to do so herself. Unfolding the note she had just copied, Claire re-read it, making sure it was clear and concise, as it would be the only aid she had in locating her niece or nephew.

I saw what happened to you in Tuttle Lane, Miss Belmont. Therefore I have decided to give you one more chance, however this time you will have to go to Liverpool to retrieve your brother’s possessions. Anthony Belmont’s battalion passed through my family’s village, and when they left, my sister was carrying his child. She has now passed away, but before her death, she told us who the father was and that she was to contact you, should she need help. My brother and I will wait for seven days at the Anchor tavern every day for an hour from midday. If you do not come, then we will have no choice but to abandon the child, as our ship will leave the following day. I have proof it is of your blood.

She had to go or live with the guilt for the rest of her life. She had pleaded with both her mother and Mathew, both had refused to yield, and now it was up to her to do something. She did not care if the child was French or English or any other nationality. It was Anthony’s; therefore she would care for it as her own.

Tomorrow she was supposed to accompany Eva, Daniel and Georgia to Stratton at ten o’clock, and this had given her the opportunity she needed. In the morning, Claire would send a note to the duchess explaining she was sick and could not accompany her. She would pack her things and make her way to their house at eleven o’clock. She would then send her brother’s carriage home and hire a carriage to take her to Liverpool. Failing this, because she had never hired a carriage, nor knew where to go to do so, she would catch the stagecoach. Mathew would think she was at Stratton, as he did not believe Claire would defy him. Of course, so many things could go wrong with her planning. Eva and Daniel could decide to leave later, for instance, or someone could see her departing London. Yet she had to try. She couldn’t discuss things with anyone, so she had to manage the journey herself, and the thought was terrifying. However, she was an intelligent woman. If her wits did not help, then she had the money she had saved, plus the full purse she’d stolen from her brother to bribe people. Dear lord, she hoped Mathew didn’t blame the staff for the missing money. Claire dismissed this thought; she would deal with that upon her return if it needed to be dealt with.

She would be a young lady traveling alone, as she dared not take her maid because she was a terrible gossip; she had told her she would be using Eva’s for the duration of her visit at Stratton. The journey to Liverpool would take three days, possibly four, and this would create curiosity. But she would have to worry about that, too, as the journey progressed. Claire could not allow herself to waver, because then she would think of the mammoth task before her, and the doubts would choke her.

The night was long, and she thought and re-thought her plans until they were organized in her head. She pictured the child and wondered who the mother was. Would it have Anthony’s eyes or even hers? Eventually exhausted, she dozed, and it was her maid who woke her a few hours later. “Would you like a bath, Miss Belmont?”

Who knew when she would have another? “Yes, please, Janet.”