Page 60 of The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere
“Carry on? No, Georgiana. Do you have any idea how much power a man like the Duke of Kenilworth has at his command? Now that he knows who you are, I don’t want you anywhere near him. It’s no longersafe for you.”
“What? You can’t mean you expect me to simply drop it! What about Clara Beauchamp? We still haven’t figured out how she fits into this, and what of your sister, and your nephew? I can’t just walk away—”
“You can, and you will! Do you understand me, Georgiana? You’re no longermy employee—”
Benedict broke off as a light suddenly illuminated one of the rooms on the ground floor.
“Now you’ve done it,” Georgiana hissed, her head so far out the window she was an inch from toppling to the street below. “You’ve woken Daniel withyour shouting.”
“Get back inside, Georgiana. I’ll dealwith Brixton.”
As usual, she ignored him. “I’m coming down. Someone has to keep Daniel from shooting you.” With that, her head disappeared, and a moment later the dull glow of candlelightlit the window.
“Damn it. That woman is going to drive me straight to Bedlam.” He had half a mind to climb up the trellis that led to her bedchamber window to stop her coming down, but before he could execute that ill-conceived plan, he heard the clop of horses’ hooves, and the rattle of carriage wheels drawing near.
Georgiana’s head appeared at the window again. “Who’s that?”
Whoever it was, they were moving quickly. Benedict waited, and a moment later, his own carriage came around the corner and shuddered to a sudden stop onMaddox Street.
“Lord Haslemere!” Grigg shouted as soon as he caught sight of Benedict. “Something’s afoot with the duchess and the little lad. You mustcome at once!”
Chapter Fourteen
Georgiana was shouting out the window at Lord Haslemere. Lord Haslemere was shouting at the coachman, who was babbling incoherently in reply, and Daniel was standing on the pavement in his shirtsleeves, his pistol stuffed into his waistband and one enormous fist cocked and aimed at Lord Haslemere’s head.
This was the scene waiting for Lady Clifford when the commotion at last drove her from her bedchamber to the doorway of the Clifford School. She took one look at the chaos, planted her hands on her hips, and started barking orders. “Daniel, kindly refrain from assaulting Lord Haslemere. Georgiana, it is not at all ladylike to shout into the street from your bedchamber window. You, young man.” She pointed at the coachman. “Silence, if you please. As for you, Lord Haslemere, this is hardly the proper time for a call. What are you doing on my doorstep in the middleof the night?”
“Georgiana…Kenilworth…my sister and nephew…” Benedict began, but when he tried to explain himself to Lady Clifford, he realized he hadn’t any bloody idea what was going on. “Explain yourself, Grigg,” he demanded, tugging poor Grigg into the midstof the melee.
Grigg stumbled forward, his wide-eyed gaze moving between Benedict, Lady Clifford, and Daniel Brixton’s pistol. “Erm, well, I went off to the duke’s like ye told me to, my lord, and what do ye suppose I found?”
“That’s what we’re waiting to find out, Grigg.”
“Right. Well, the duke’s house was all lit up, an’ servants all scattering this way and that, and there was a traveling coach waiting outside.”
Benedict’s blood went cold. “What’s Kenilworth want with a traveling coach at midnight? Was there anyone inside it?”
“Nay, my lord, but someone was going somewhere, right enough, because the servants were shoving all sort of packages and bundles and whatnot inside.”
“Jane and Freddy.” Benedict’s frantic gaze met Lady Clifford’s. “He’s sending them away from London.”
“We don’t know that, Lord Haslemere, but he’s certainly sending someone somewhere.” Lady Clifford tapped her lip, thinking. “Is the duke likely to hurt either the duchessor their son?”
“A week ago, I would have said no. Now?” Benedict’s hands clenched into fists. He’d never felt so helpless in his life. “I think it’s possible, yes. At the very least, he has the means to hide them. He has dozens of homes in England, and several more in remote parts of Scotland. If he succeeds in getting them out of London, we’ll never find them.”
That was enough for Lady Clifford. “Daniel, ready yourself while I fetch Georgiana.”
“No!” Benedict’s voice was harsh. “I don’t want Georgiana involved in this any more than she already is.”
“Does the duke know who Miss Georgiana is?” Brixton’s face was like stone. “He knows she works withLady Clifford?”
“Yes. He had us followed from Lady Archer’s. I saw the carriage hidden in the mews. I came back here to warn her, but thanks to you, Brixton, we’ve wasted precious time.” But as much as Benedict wanted to blame this whole mess on Brixton, he knew this was allhis own fault.
He’d endangered Jane, Freddy, and Georgiana when he’d insisted on paying that call at Grosvenor Street this morning. That devil Bagshaw must have eavesdropped on their conversation, then wasted no time telling the duke all about it. There was no other explanation for why Kenilworth had turned up at Lady Archer’s when he never wagered. He’d never appeared at any of her entertainments before.
The duke had come to Lady Archer’s tonight specifically to find out who Georgiana was, and he’d succeeded. Once he discovered she was part of the Clifford School, it would be easy enough for him to deduce she was prodding into secrets he’d preferremain buried.
There were discreet rumors about the school, and rumors about Lady Clifford. There werealwaysrumors, but only those people who had reasons to hide their behavior knew precisely what she did. Benedict had made a grave error assuming Kenilworth wasn’t one of them.
