Courting the Scot Page 4

  “Foolishness,” his mother said. “I may not approve of the challenge, but I do appreciate ye behavin’ this Season.”

  “I always behave,” Ian argued. Not once had he ever stepped out of line, though he had skirted it on more occasions than he cared to count. Had he actually stepped over it, he’d be married to someone who was not Davina by now.

  “I doona ken what it is between ye and Davina with yer challenges with bows and arrows, whisky and such. Ye are grown and shouldna be behavin’ like children any longer.”

  Ian refrained from informing his mother that this challenge came about by activities that were far from childlike, but he did not need her interfering with his life.

  “We send her a report every week,” Fanella assured him. “I have faith that ye will win this one.”

  He had more than faith. He knew he’d win. Not only would Davina be his to court, but he’d also collect thirty pounds from her brother and cousins.

  “Oh, look,” his mother brightened. “There is Benedick and Rosalind with her husband, Lord Felding. I haven’t spoken to either of them in an age.”

  Benedick Valentine and his sister, Rosalind, had been wards of his uncle, Osborn Grant, a vicar, and his wife Mary. The children were said to have belonged to Mary’s brother, who died in India. “Speaking of family secrets,” he muttered under his breath.

  His mother shot him a look of warning. His mother, Lachlan and Ian knew the truth--that their Uncle Osborn had taken Benedick and Rosalind, and their eight siblings, from Seven Dials and brought them home to raise. As the birth of the six younger siblings was questionable, his uncle let it be believed that the ten were orphans of his wife’s brother. Few knew the truth.

  “If you will excuse me, I think I’ll visit with my Valentine cousins.”

  Chapter 5

  Near Bonnybridge, Scotland - May 11, 1815

  Davina entered the dining room and stopped. A place was set at the foot of the table. Nobody had sat there since Uncle Aiden’s wife Meg did, and she’d been gone six years. Davina glanced at her siblings and cousins, but they seemed as surprised as she.

  “We may have a guest for dinner,” Uncle Aiden announced as he took his seat at the head of the table. “However, she may be too weary from her travels to join us.”

  Arabella turned to Davina. “She?” she whispered.

  “I doona ken who he’s talkin’ about.” If anyone should know, it was Davina. She was mistress of Annagburn, but nobody had informed her that they had a guest. Otherwise she would have made certain a room was prepared. With Uncle Aiden in charge, the guest might be surrounded by dust and cobwebs, depending on which room he assigned the poor woman.

  Everyone settled at the table and the footman brought the tureen of soup forward, filled the bowls, and then retreated to take up a place beside the sideboard. Davina was just about to slip her spoon into the hot liquid when there was movement at the entry of the dining room. At the lady’s appearance, Uncle Aiden stood, as well as her brothers and cousins, even Uncle Aiden’s youngest son, Hugh, who was only eight, came to his feet.

  Who was she? The lady could not be above thirty. And she was quite beautiful, with black hair and the bluest eyes Davina had ever seen.

  She remained where she stood but looked at each of them, pausing a little longer when she noticed the younger children.

  “Good evening,” she said after a moment. She was English. That made her appearance even more mysterious.

  A footman came forward and pulled out the chair at the end of the table. Once she was settled, the men returned to their seats.

  “I doona hold with separatin’ family. We live together. We eat together,” Uncle Aiden announced when the woman looked at young Fiona and smiled.

  “I willna bother with the names right now as there are too many to remember,” Uncle Aiden announced. “These are my children, nieces and nephews.” He glanced around at the brood. “Children, this is Lady Bentley, and a guest in our home.”

  Davina smiled and nodded, though this entire situation was rather confusing. She was used to Uncle Aiden being gruff and short at times, but Lady Bentley was a stranger to the rest of them and a guest in their home. Shouldn’t he be more pleasant?

  Where had her uncle met Lady Bentley? He’d gone to Stirling Castle today. Had they met there? No, he had to have made her acquaintance before today, or she wouldn’t be in Annagburn now.

  Had Uncle Aiden secretly been courting Lady Bentley and now it was time for her to meet the family? That would explain why he was behaving oddly. Was he afraid they would not approve?

  It was the only explanation Davina could come up with, and her heart soared at the possibility that Uncle Aiden might actually marry again. If he did, then she’d be free to be courted by Ian.

  No matter what, she must make sure that Lady Bentley’s stay was as pleasant as possible, giving her no cause to reject Uncle Aiden’s suit.

  Unfortunately, the family did not make a good impression since barely a word was spoken during supper. If Uncle Aiden had spoken to their guest then Davina would have felt more comfortable in doing so herself, but as he remained silent, so did she.

  There was something very odd about their surprise guest, and Davina was determined to learn what she could once she had Lady Bentley away from the others after dinner. But unfortunately, Lady Bentley retired immediately after the meal was concluded. As she’d learn nothing from the lady herself, Davina saw to it that Uncle Aiden’s children were taken to the nursery and readied for bed, then she returned downstairs to ask her uncle why Lady Bentley was here.

  As she neared the library, the voices of her uncle, brothers and cousins grew louder.

  Davina stopped. Surely, she’d misunderstood them. It wasn’t possible that Uncle Aiden had kidnapped Lady Bentley and was holding her for ransom—for jewels that had once belonged to the family. That would be complete foolishness on her uncle’s part, and as aggravating as Uncle Aiden could be at times, he was never foolish. In fact, he rarely acted on anything without giving it careful thought, and even if kidnapping had crossed his mind, he would never act on it after he considered all of the ramifications.

  Davina flattened herself against the wall and then edged as close to the opening of the door as she dared to listen. Holding her breath, she waited for a reasonable explanation as to why Lady Bentley was at Annagburn and prayed she’d heard incorrectly.

  “Have ye lost yer bloody mind?” Donovan yelled. “And you sent Ewan, of all people, to deliver the letter?”

  Ewan was Davina’s younger brother and only eighteen.

  “He may be fastest on a horse, but he’ll lose direction as soon as a lass steps into his path.”

  On that, her cousin was correct.

  “Neither the girls nor my children are to ken how or why Lady Bentley is here,” Uncle Aiden warned. “The girls are too unpredictable and I doona ken what they’d do, and my children are too young to understand.”

  Davina gasped at his assessment of her. She was not unpredictable.

  “We’ll each take turns keepin’ an eye on Lady Bentley, in case she tries to run off,” he added.

  Run off? Alarm shot through Davina. She hadn’t misunderstood. If Uncle Aiden was worried about Lady Bentley running away, then he was keeping her here against her will. Why would Uncle Aiden do something so foolish as to kidnap an English lady?

  “Where would she go?” Alistair asked. “Our lands are large and it would take her a few hours on foot to reach a road to any town.”

  “Lady Bentley is not one to trifle with. She’s determined and strong. I wouldna put it past her to set off on foot or steal a horse,” Aiden warned.

  “A good Scottish woman, aye, she’d have already left,” Cameron said. “Lady Bentley is a Sassenach, and a pampered one at that. She’s probably cowerin’ in her room right now, afraid of her own shadow.”

  Davina frowned. The lady she’d met was not afraid of anything. Though she’d sat quietly at the dinner table
, Davina had seen the determination and strength in her blue eyes, especially when she looked at Uncle Aiden.

  “Post guards at the exits and under her window. Doona make the mistake of underestimatin’ her.”

  Davina ducked into the parlor and hid behind the door when her uncle started to leave the library.

  If she heard correctly, Fergus, Uncle Aiden’s irrational and impulsive friend, had taken Lady Bentley, and though Davina wished she could be surprised, she wasn’t. The man, more often than not, acted before thinking, but that didn’t explain why Uncle Aiden had kept her.

  As soon as Uncle Aiden passed, Davina exited the parlor and walked straight to the library to demand answers. Alistair was the only one who remained within, and he stood brooding by the window.

  “Tell me I misunderstood,” she demanded.

  Alistair rubbed the bridge of his nose then took a drink of whisky. “What do ye think ye heard?”

  “Uncle Aiden kidnapped Lady Bentley?”

  “Nay, Fergus, the idiot did, but ye’re correct that Uncle Aiden kept her.”

  “But why?”

  “Jewels.”

  “What jewels?” Oh she wished he would just tell her everything so she didn’t have to keep asking questions to learn what the blazes was going on.

  “Our father wagered jewels against the late Earl of Bentley, who was the husband of the widow upstairs.”

  Davina’s stomach sank. Her father had had a horrible gleaming addiction, which was one of the reasons Uncle Aiden had once tried to discourage her from wagering with Ian. Except, they only won bragging rights but never anything of monetary value.

  “Uncle Aiden had attempted to purchase the jewels back from Bentley before he died, but the earl would not sell them. When Uncle Aiden heard someone address the widow on the walks by Stirling Castle, he inquired to find out her relation to the earl. He was going to approach her about the jewels and inquire after the current Bentley, but before he could, and while he was distracted by another acquaintance, Fergus up and kidnapped the lady. It took Uncle Aiden an hour to catch up to them, and by that time, it was too late to take her back because Uncle Aiden feared they’d be arrested.”

  “So, he kept her?” Davina asked in outrage. Had her uncle completely lost his mind?

  “Aye.” Alistair tossed back the remains of his whisky and strode to the sideboard to retrieve the decanter.

  “And she is to remain here until the ransom is paid?” Even as she said the words, Davina could not believe her uncle, of all people, had behaved so irrationally and out of character. Furthermore, it was criminal. She was an English lady!

  “Aye,” Alistair said again with much weariness. “And let’s hope this doesna destroy us all.”

  Davina wasn’t certain what could happen to Uncle Aiden, or her family, but it wouldn’t be good. At the very least, he’d be imprisoned. Much like Lady Bentley at the moment, except his lodgings wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable.

  Goodness, if Lady Bentley had simply been on a walk when she’d been taken, she had nothing with her other than the clothing on her back.

  Well, as mistress of the house it was up to Davina to make certain Lady Bentley was comfortable, despite the circumstances that brought her to Annagburn. At least for tonight. As for tomorrow, Davina wasn’t sure what she was going to do. It was wrong to keep Lady Bentley, but Davina wasn’t confident she could go against her uncle yet.

  “Excuse me.” She darted for the door.

  “Uncle Aiden doesna want ye, Sheena or Arabella to ken.”

  “It’s a little late for that.” She snorted. “Besides, we’d learn soon enough anyway.”

  After dismissing her brother and his concerns, Davina hurried up the stairs and to her room where she gathered an extra nightshift and then asked the maid which room Uncle Aiden had given to their guest. The answer further perplexed Davina. They had a number of guest rooms at Annagburn, but Uncle Aiden had put Lady Bentley in the chambers once used by Aunt Meg. Was it so he could keep a closer eye on Lady Bentley, since a door connected the two chambers?

  Taking the nightclothes, Davina went directly to the chamber and knocked on the door. It was opened almost instantly.

  “I hope I am not disturbing you, Lady Bentley.”

  “No.” She opened the door wider so Davina could step within.

  “I am Davina. My father was the second son, but Uncle Aiden has taken us in.”

  Lady Bentley nodded.

  “As you don’t have any belongings with you, I thought you might need this tonight.” She held out a folded nightshift.

  “Thank you.” Lady Bentley took the clothing from her. “But I’m afraid I’ll sleep in my gown. The buttons are too hard to manage.”

  “Oh, I can help ye with that,” Davina said brightly. “And, I’ll make sure one of the maids checks on ye in the mornin’ to help ye dress again.”

  “That would be most appreciated.”

  Davina spotted the chair against the door leading to Uncle Aiden’s chamber. “Are ye afraid Uncle Aiden will be disturbin’ yer privacy?” Her uncle might currently be suffering from a bit of madness, which Davina prayed was only temporary and that tomorrow he’d wake, realize his mistake and then return Lady Bentley, but he’d not hurt her. Of that, Davina was certain.

  “He’s a man, is he not?” Lady Bentley countered dryly.

  Davina couldn’t help but laugh. Uncle Aiden may be gruff but he would never harm anyone, especially a lady. “He isna like that. You’ve nothin’ to fear from my uncle.”

  “Has he told you how I came to be here?”

  Then again, Uncle Aiden was a stranger to Lady Bentley, and he had kidnapped her. In a similar circumstance, Davina supposed she’d be afraid too. “Oh, I ken, which I doona agree with, but ye’re here and ye should make the best of it.” At least for tonight anyway, since Davina still wasn’t certain what tomorrow would bring. Hopefully, not soldiers to arrest her uncle.

  Lady Bentley gaped at her. “He told you he took me.”

  Davina’s face heated. “He dinna tell me, but I overheard him talking to his nephews and then questioned by my brother, which is why I came to ye.”

  “Thank you.”

  “If there is anythin’ else ye’ll be needin’, just let me know.”

  After a moment, Lady Bentley sighed. “I just need my gown unfastened.”

  “Of course.” She grinned.

  Lady Bentley turned and Davina made quick work of the buttons.

  “Thank you.”

  “I can take it to the maids to be pressed for tomorrow if ye’d like.”

  “Thank you, but I’d rather keep it with me.”

  If she was a captive in a strange manor, Davina would want her clothing close too. “Very well. I’ll see ye in the mornin’.”

  After Lady Bentley closed the door, Davina gathered Sheena and dragged her to Arabella’s chamber, where Davina quickly explained everything that she’d overheard.

  “We need to help her escape,” Arabella insisted.

  “We canna or Uncle Aiden will have our heads,” Sheena argued.

  Davina bit her lip and tried to decide what to do. “I doona ken why Uncle Aiden did this, but he has to have a good reason. Let’s wait until tomorrow and think on it some more, then decide if we are goin’ to help Lady Bentley.”

  “I doona like this at all.” Arabella frowned.

  “Nay, neither do I, but what can we do?” That was the crux of the matter. Even if they did help Lady Bentley escape, they wouldn’t even get as far as the border of their land before Uncle Aiden caught up to them. What they needed to do was plan and think on the matter, and more importantly, wait. Eventually, Uncle Aiden would relax his guard and then they could help Lady Bentley.

  Or better, their uncle could wake up with the sense he lost today regained, and he’d mend the situation on his own.

  London - May 12, 1815

  Ian glanced around the dark pub along the Thames. Sailors and merchants alike filled
the space, enjoying a tankard or two after a long day. Ian sipped from his and watched as men enjoyed camaraderie and the serving lasses offering more than ale. Even if he wasn’t so set on proving Davina wrong, this was not an establishment where he’d risk dipping his wick, though few of the men seemed to have the same concerns. Ian had watched at least three being led up the stairs.

  “Aye, there you are,” Benedick said as he stepped inside and found Ian at a back corner table.

  It was the only reason Ian was here since Benedick refused to attend as a guest at Ian’s club.

  One of the servers came forward as Benedick took his seat and bent close enough to reveal her breasts, barely covered by the low-cut gown. “Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Valentine?” By the sultriness of her tone, Ian suspected she was offering something other than ale.

  “A pint, please,” Benedick answered without even glancing at her open bodice.

  With a disappointed pout, the lass stood and sauntered over to the bar.

  “So, what made you abandon all of this?” Ian gestured around the dark, disreputable pub, “and attend the wedding of Jonathan Bridges and Genviève Mirabelle Trent?”

  “I’ve never been so uncomfortable in all of my life,” he grumbled as the lass set the tankard before him.

  “Why did ye go?”

  Benedick liked it along the wharf, in the darkness, and being a part of the Thames River Police. It was because of his profession that neither Ian, nor Lachlan, had ever informed their cousin that much of their illegal whisky found its way into London under his very nose. Ian couldn’t even imagine why Benedick had been invited, unless he was friends with Bridges since the man’s shipping offices were where Benedick worked most of the time.

  “The bride and groom, before they were such, helped me catch a band of thieves,” Benedick finally answered after taking a deep drink. “Then insisted that I attend.”

  “Thieves?” Ian frowned.

  “A group of men who were working within warehouses along the ports, and taking shipments. Mrs. Bridges, before she even knew Mr. Bridges, had gone to him and demanded to know where the family belongings had disappeared to. Apparently, they’d been shipped months earlier, but Bridges could not locate them. One thing led to another and they discovered men working within his warehouse were part of the gang. I suspected, of course, but could not yet determine who was behind the thefts. Instead of leaving the matter to me and my men, they became involved when they shouldn’t have been.”