The Dangerous Lord Darrington(49)

'I think,' he said sternly, 'we should finish this discussion somewhere more private.'





Chapter Twenty-Two



They gathered in a small room on the next floor. Guy took up a position  by the door. Having got this far, he would make sure Radworth did not  escape now. His glance shifted to Beth, who gave him a faint smile. She  was looking a little tired, but still beautiful, her silk gown glinting  in the soft light, the blue-green colour accentuating her flame-red  hair. She was sitting beside Madame de Beaune, who was staring at the  watch as if to assure herself it was really there in her hands.

'Now,' barked Sir John, 'perhaps, Radworth, you will explain yourself. What is this about?'

'A misunderstanding, nothing more. It can all be explained.'

'I think not.' Guy's voice cut across the room. 'Before you try to worm  your way out of this, let me tell you that the man you paid to follow  Madame de Beaune and murder her has been caught and has already  confessed everything.' He glanced across at Beth, adding for her  benefit, 'I set two plans in motion before we left London. One was to  send word to Bourne Park and persuade Madame to place herself under my  protection. The other was to ask Sir Henry Shott to find Radworth's  hired killer. He soon discovered the culprit, a man from Radworth's  estate in Somerset.'

'That greed should have caused all this!' She shuddered.

Miles was standing by the fire, looking down pensively into the flames.  'It was not greed, it was love,' he said calmly. 'Love, lust,  desire-call it what you will. Darrington said I am a collector, but he  is wrong. I am a connoisseur. Imagine my delight when I found myself  travelling back from France with a young man who was only too keen to  describe to me his home, an ancient Priory, full of antiquities. Then in  Portsmouth we dined with the de Beaunes. The old man was not  excessively rich, but he had two treasures, his young bride and the  Breguet. As soon as I saw the watch I knew I must have it.'

'So you attacked them-a woman and an old man.' Guy's lip curled in disdain.

Radworth shrugged. 'Getting the watch off the old man was not  difficult, but then Wakeford came along. Chivalrous young fool decided  to play the hero. I snatched the woman's necklace and ran off, but I  decided to go back, for I had thought of a way I could have all the  treasures that had been described to me that night. Once I had removed  the old surt-out and cap and replaced my wig and tricorn, no one would  recognise me.'

'What about your wounded accomplice?' asked Guy.

'The fool thought I had devised some plan for his escape. Once I had  persuaded Wakeford to see Madame and her husband to the packet, it was  an easy matter to add another stab wound. He was dead by the time the  constable arrived.'

'You murdered him.' Beth gasped. 'And placed the blame for the theft upon Simon.'                       
       
           



       

Miles gave a thin smile. 'The necklace was a mere gewgaw, so it was no  hardship to slip it into your brother's portmanteau. You have no notion  how difficult it was to persuade the constables to check the bag, but at  last they did so, and when Wakeford returned he was marched off to  gaol.'

'And you were happy for my brother to be falsely accused.'

He looked across at Beth and smiled. 'I thought it a rather neat  ending. I had the Breguet, Wakeford would take the blame, then I would  marry his sister and have his inheritance, too.'

'We thought you so kind.' She shook her head. 'I have never known anyone so, so evil.'

'But that is not the end, is it?' said Guy slowly. 'You had to make sure Simon would not be acquitted.'

'No.' Beth shook her head. 'How could he do that?'

'Buying strong ale to stir up the mob, then laying on an unseaworthy  ship to carry away the freed prisoners. Was that it, Radworth?'

'Precisely. How astute of you, Darrington.' Miles smiled to himself,  like a man reminiscing on some past glories. 'It was only a matter of  waiting until the news came in that she had gone down with all hands.  Then, of course, I came to Malpass, to offer my condolences.'

'And your wicked scheme almost worked.' Beth's lip curled.

'Yes. If only the fools I paid to kill Madame de Beaune had not failed me!'

'They did not fail you,' put in Guy. 'But they killed the wrong Madame  de Beaune. That is what made me suspect that you were involved, when  Clarice hinted that Madame was dead. I knew that was not true, because  she was by then living under my protection.'

'I was very 'appy to stay,' put in Madame, smiling slightly. 'I remember Monsieur Wakeford with great affection.'

'As I am sure he remembers you, ma'am,' Beth replied warmly. 'I know he will be delighted to renew his acquaintance with you.'

'I went to fetch Madame earlier this week and installed her in a house  nearby.' Guy spoke directly to Beth. 'We arranged that she would come to  the Assembly. I wanted her to confront Radworth, but I received word  tonight that Madame was too afraid to travel here without me. That is  why I had to leave you. I dare not tell you, I could not risk Radworth  becoming suspicious-'

Her smile lit up the room for him. 'It did not matter. I knew you would come back to me.'

Sir John jumped up. 'Well, if that is all for tonight I think we should  be going,' he said. 'My lord, I would be pleased if you would give me  your company to put Mr Radworth into the lock-up for the night and in  the morning I will take him to Thirsk and he will be able to exchange  places with young Wakeford. I do not think we need to keep your brother  locked up any longer, Mrs Forrester.'

'Perhaps not quite an exchange,' said Guy. 'I greased several palms to  find a safe, comfortable cell for Simon and employed a guard for him,  too.'

'Do you mean Logan?' said Beth quickly. 'You put him in the gaol to protect Simon?'

'Yes. I was afraid Radworth might try to get to him.'

'As a matter of fact I did,' said Miles. 'You have just explained why my bribes failed.'

'I c-cannot believe what you are saying!' exclaimed Beth. 'You paid court to me and all the time you were-you were-'

'But Wakeford is an irrelevance, my love.'

Beth turned away, distressed. In two strides Guy was beside her. He put  his arms around her and held her until the shivering subsided.

'I am well. Please, Guy, you do not need to worry about me.'

She spoke bravely but he was not convinced, and turned to his friend.

'Davey, I would be glad if you could see the ladies home while I accompany Sir John-'

'Madame de Beaune is welcome to stay at the Priory,' said Beth. She  added shyly, 'And you, too, Guy. Please come back when you have finished  here.'

His heart soared at her words. He kissed her hands. 'Gladly,' he muttered. 'I will be back as soon as I can.'

She gazed up at him, a smile trembling on her lips. 'I shall wait up for you.'



After all the bustle and excitement of the evening, it was a relief to  climb into Lady Arabella's large travelling carriage. Its roomy interior  comfortably accommodated them all, with Beth explaining to Sophie and  her grandmother that Madame de Beaune was to be their guest for a few  days.

'You are very welcome,' declared Lady Arabella graciously. 'I do not think I know you.'

'No, Grandmama,' said Beth patiently. 'You will remember I told you  that Madame met Simon at Portsmouth. She is come now to testify to his  innocence.'                       
       
           



       

As the carriage trundled its way home Beth and Davey explained everything that had happened.

'From our seats on the far side of the room we had no notion of what all the commotion was about,' said Sophie.

'They say Mr Radworth has been arrested,' stated Lady Arabella.

'Yes Grandmama. It was he who attacked poor Madame de Beaune and put the blame for it all upon Simon.'

The old lady snorted contemptuously. 'Hmmmph! I never liked the man,  always thought he had a lack of breeding.' She put her hand up to her  neck. 'And I did not like the way he stared at my diamonds. As if he  could not wait to possess them.'

'There is no possibility of his possessing anything of ours now,'  replied Beth. 'I shall instruct our lawyer in the morning-a contract  based upon such villainy and deceit cannot stand.'

'I do not think there will be any difficulty there, ma'am,' affirmed Davey.

'And when will my grandson be home?'

'Very soon, I hope, Grandmama.' Beth clasped her hands. 'I hope by tomorrow evening we shall all be together again.'



The tranquillity of the old Priory welcomed them and Beth immediately went in search of her housekeeper.

'We will need a room made up immediately for Madame de Beaune,' she  informed her. 'Lord Darrington will be returning, too, before the  morning, Mrs Robinson, but you had best make up one of the other guest  rooms for him.' She added, unable to prevent herself from smiling, 'I  believe Mr Simon will need his own room tomorrow.'

'Oh dear, oh lord, ma'am, that is good news,' cried the housekeeper,  wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron. 'I will not tell you how  hard I have prayed for this moment! I was that shocked when the soldiers  came and took him away, and Kepwith told me he had been living in the  undercroft all this time-! But is he really free, ma'am? Will he have to  go to court? What-?'