Game of Dukes, page 13
‘You have met the daughter?’ There was a twinkle in Sir Richard’s eye as he asked the question.
‘She challenged me with a shotgun upon my arrival at the Abbey.’
Sir Richard chortled. ‘That does not surprise me. However, since you are acquainted with Celeste, I probably don’t need to expand upon her mother’s attractions to an ailing man in need of company. An old gentleman who had always been partial to a pretty face, I might add. Besides, Mrs Stirling was one of those rare individuals who wanted nothing from the old duke, was unswerving loyal and protected him from all the people who attempted to take advantage of his incapacity. I rather think that the daughter is cut from the same cloth.’
Phin nodded. ‘But their attachment would not have sat well with my aunt. Or, I suspect, with Darwin.’
‘Quite so. Matthew took himself off to France to try and save the family’s fortunes, which was supposed to stop the rot at the Abbey.’ Sir Richard grimaced. ‘He failed and the place has gone downhill steadily ever since. However, I hear you are in a position to put matters right.’
Phin smiled thinly. ‘The local gossip mill is as efficient as ever.’
‘You have already saved a lot of families from starving this winter, Phin. Like it or not, you are a local hero.’
‘Hardly that.’ Phin paused, put his empty cup aside and scrubbed a hand down his face. ‘You share my view that the accident which claimed the lives of my relations was a little too convenient?’
‘I do,’ Sir Richard replied without hesitation.
Phin shared a glance with John. ‘Care to speculate upon who caused it and why?’
Sir Richard held up his hands to ward off the question. ‘I have my opinions but that is all they are. If any of them were based upon fact, you can be sure I would have acted upon them long since. All I can tell you is that your remaining relations have had to endure the indignity of living from hand to mouth this past year, and for several years before your uncle’s death. But they are by no means the only suspects and anyway, I can’t imagine them resorting to murder. Bear in mind that a lot of local people were put out of work, even before the duke’s death, as the funds dried up.’
‘Are you suggesting that those who lost their livelihoods took the ultimate revenge?’ John asked, looking as astounded as Phin felt.
Sir Richard shrugged. ‘I heard rumblings, unsubstantiated rumours, you understand. Tempers ran high and I’m afraid your uncle was blamed. He became increasingly short-tempered, irascible even, as his illness advanced. I heard him described as petty and spiteful.’ Phin raised a brow but said nothing, remembering the comments made by the tenants earlier. ‘The local populace felt that he had a responsibility to keep proper control of his estate and protect their livelihoods, which of course he did. I suppose one must have a certain sympathy with their point of view.’
‘But to kill a duke and his heir. That only made their situation worse.’
‘When people have empty bellies and are thirsty for revenge—especially uneducated people—they do not always think clearly.’
Phin conceded the point with a nod. ‘Do you know where all the money went? The duchy thrived when I resided at the Abbey. The house was full of people all the time, there were lavish entertainments, week-long parties…’
‘I don’t have the first idea, and your uncle never raised the subject with me. In fact, he seemed oblivious to the fact that his home was crumbling around his ears and appeared to have ceded almost all of his responsibilities to young Matthew, confident that he would put things right.’ Sir Richard sighed. ‘But matters did not go as planned in France and before he had a chance to do anything to resolve the situation here—’
‘The accident happened,’ Phin added with a grim nod.
‘It did.’ Sir Richard fixed Phin with a commiserating look. ‘Your cousin looked so much like you as an adult that you might almost have been twins,’ he said. ‘It was quite a shock, seeing you for the first time. I thought you were Matthew.’
‘I wish that you had been right and that he was still alive,’ Phin replied, sincerity underscoring his words. ‘However, as to the money, I have summoned Frazer from London. He will be here tomorrow with the books and we will take a good look at them. Perhaps then we will get to the truth.’
‘Does it matter, if you are in a position to put matters right?’
‘It matters a great deal, Sir Richard, and might just shed light upon the identity of my family’s killer. Always supposing that it was no accident and they were deliberately killed, of course, which is what I have thought ever since Miss Stirling explained the circumstances surrounding the accident to me.’
‘Then, have a care, my boy. If the person responsible even suspects that you…well, suspect him, then your life will be in danger too.’
‘Thank you, but unlike my uncle and cousin, I am prepared for trouble and constantly on my guard.’
‘That is a great relief. I am so very pleased to see you again and will be most affronted if anything happens to you.’
About to stand and take his leave, Phin paused. ‘Do you know what my uncle and father argued about, Sir Richard?’
Sir Richard looked away, suddenly evasive. ‘Not the first idea, I’m afraid.’
‘I see.’
Deeply disappointed by Sir Richard’s prevarication, Phin wished the squire good day. He and John returned to the side of the house and reclaimed their horses along with an ecstatic Rufus, who acted as though he had been abandoned for days rather than half an hour.
‘He lied to you,’ John said as they rode away, ‘about the reason for the disagreement.’
‘Yes, he did.’ Phin removed one hand from the reins and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘Whatever could have happened to make everyone so tight-lipped on the subject, I wonder? It was so long ago now and both my father and uncle are dead. Why would it hurt if I knew the truth?’
‘Those papers of your uncle’s that you say you found. I dare say the answer lies buried in them somewhere, if you really want to know. I can’t help thinking that they protected you for a reason.’
‘They protected me because I was a child, John, incapable of understanding the petty differences that sometimes grow out of all proportion and rend a family apart.’ He firmed his jaw and pushed Malachite into a trot. ‘But I am no longer a child and will most definitely understand now. It’s simply a case of persuading someone who knows the truth to be candid.’
*
Celeste went about her vastly reduced duties that afternoon with a lightness of step. The maids were making good progress with the drawing room and she enjoyed seeing them bringing it slowly back to life. The drapes had been removed and beaten, as had the rugs. The pictures were in the process of being carefully cleaned. Maids scrubbed at walls and windows. Polishing would come next and then, after the sweep’s visit, the dust sheets could be removed from the furniture.
Her morning’s ride with Phin had been a revelation. As she became better acquainted with him, she liked him more and more. He was a complex character, but so like Matthew that her heart broke anew every time she looked at him. His generous gift of a mare had taken her completely by surprise, but was typical of the man she was getting to know—and to like perhaps a little too much. She sat beside the range in the kitchen, glad to see Mrs Gibson’s helpers bustling about whilst that lady sat beside Celeste, drinking tea and watching Celeste persuade her kitten to take more milk, which it did with enthusiasm.
‘Another saved soul,’ Mrs Gibson said, smiling.
‘Well, we do live in an Abbey, Mrs G, so I suppose that is what we are supposed to do. Carry on the tradition, I mean.’
‘Ha! If you ask me, the religious have the least reason to be sanctimonious. How many wars have been fought in the name of religion, every side convinced that theirs is the one true God?’
‘We are feeling philosophical today,’ Celeste replied, smiling. ‘Must be all the free time you now have in which to reflect, rather than worrying about your soufflés rising.’
‘I dare say you’re right, but you won’t hear me complaining. Anyway, how was the duke this morning?’
‘In a pensive mood. He would dearly love to know why his father and uncle argued.’
Mrs Gibson’s face darkened. ‘Some things are best left in the past.’
‘You know?’ Celeste gave Mrs Gibson her full attention. ‘Don’t you think you should enlighten him? He has a right to know, especially given what he’s doing for this place when he doesn’t really want to.’
‘I don’t know anything for sure. I heard whispers at the time. All sorts of rumours abounded when Phin’s father abruptly left the Abbey. He and the old duke had been close, but then all of a sudden they were at loggerheads. But I have no proof to support what I heard said. It would do more harm than good if I told him. You know how things get exaggerated in the retelling.’
‘He isn’t a child anymore and can draw his own conclusions.’
‘Very likely,’ Mrs Gibson replied, jutting her chin pugnaciously, ‘but he won’t hear it from me.’ She lumbered to her feet and chastised the kitchen maid for some minor transgression. It had been unnecessary and Celeste guessed that Mrs Gibson had only done so to avoid continuing her conversation with her. With a sigh, she accepted that she would get nothing out of the Abbey’s longest standing servant, who could be excessively stubborn when the mood struck her.
She replaced the kitten in its basket and wandered outside, turning her face up to the sun and breathing deeply of the fresh summer air. Not looking where she was going, she stumbled into a solid wall. Her eyes flew open as hands landed on her shoulders, steadying her. She recoiled when she observed Toby leering at her and shook herself free of his grasp.
‘Let me be,’ she said irritably.
‘You should look where you are going,’ he replied. ‘Bad things happen to little girls who don’t take care of themselves.’
‘I will take my chances,’ she replied with a haughty toss of her head.
‘Walk with me.’
He grasped her wrist to prevent her from objecting. Rather than indulge in an ungainly battle of wills that she was unlikely to win given that he was so much stronger than her, she fell into step beside him and he released her wrist.
‘It is not like you to stroll around the estate,’ she remarked.
‘I am curious to see what Webster is up to.’
‘I should have thought that was obvious. He’s living up to his new responsibilities and restoring the place.’
‘What do you make of him?’
‘Why ask me?’ Celeste lifted her shoulders in a negligent shrug. ‘You have never sought my opinion before, and always make up your own mind anyway. Besides, I am barely acquainted with him.’
‘You have spent more time with him than anyone else, and it’s clear to me what he thinks of you. Where did you ride to this morning?’
She wanted to tell him it was none of his business, but knew she wouldn’t be rid of him until she answered his question. Besides, indulging Toby’s whims was usually the best way to have him lose interest. He liked to think he was in control of every situation he found himself in, and Celeste was prepared to perpetuate that myth on this occasion.
‘All over,’ she replied casually. ‘He wanted to reacquaint himself with the estate and see the extent of the neglect for himself. He plans to breed horses.’
Toby sniffed. ‘So Alvin tells me.’
‘Well then, you know as much as I do.’
‘A word to the wise, my dear.’ Toby’s expression darkened. ‘Don’t be taken in by him. Your uncle was too old and feeble to do anything other than look at your mother, but even then her reputation suffered. Wester, on the other hand, knows what he wants and isn’t averse to taking it. He will have you, ruin you and then discard you.’
She sent him a scathing look. ‘And you would not, given half a chance?’
‘I would take care of you, my dear. You would want for nothing, if only you would smile at me.’
‘Fine words, Toby, but even if I was remotely tempted, which I am not, we both know that you don’t have two pennies to rub together. You depended upon the old duke for your livelihood and have transferred that dependency to the man you have spent the last five minutes disparaging in front of me, simply because you are jealous and feel threatened by him.’ She fixed him with a look of contempt. ‘But be warned, he will not be as easy to gull as his uncle was, and if you don’t pull your weight you will find yourself without a home.’
‘Which goes to show how little you actually know about me.’ He smiled in a conceited and confident manner, making an effort to be agreeable. He was a handsome man, but Celeste found his charm offensive easy to resist. Even if she’d been the type who took an interest in other women’s husbands, which she was not, Celeste would not be tempted by Toby Darwin. ‘I can easily afford to keep a mistress in style.’ He grasped her chin in one hand and rubbed a finger of the other across her lips. ‘Bear that in mind, my dear. You are mine, whether you are ready to admit the fact or not, and my patience is not inexhaustible.’
With that he released her chin and strolled away, hands clasped behind his back, leaving Celeste quaking, her day spoiled by his empty threats. He had never expressed his wishes quite so emphatically before, and in his current mood he truly frightened her. She wondered if she should mention the incident to Phin but as quickly dismissed the idea. If she did so, Toby would be unceremoniously ejected from the Abbey, which was no less than he deserved, given that Celeste had given him absolutely no encouragement. But she thought of Emma, who adored her husband and saw nothing but good in him, and couldn’t see her evicted from the only home she had ever known.
Toby was jealous of her friendship with Phin, she told herself, gathering her wits and strolling in the opposite direction to the one that Toby had taken. She would simply keep out of his way and wait to see how things progressed now that Phin was in control of the Abbey.
Chapter Nine
The entire following morning was taken up by dealing with outstanding correspondence that had accumulated over the past months which required Phin’s personal attention. It was clear that no one had known what to do with anything other than outstanding accounts, which had been sent on to Frazer for settlement.
‘You would have thought that Darwin would have stepped in and taken control once Goddard was dismissed,’ John said, screwing up his nose as he collected up the pile of letters that he, acting temporarily as Phin’s secretary, would be required to answer in accordance with Phin’s directions.
‘He likes to act the part of the gentleman but is unwilling to take on the responsibilities that go with it.’
‘Aye, you’re likely right about that.’
‘Frazer will be here on this afternoon’s London coach, John. I want you to take the only excuse for a carriage that we currently possess and collect him from Newmarket. I would have Alvin make himself useful in that regard but I don’t want anyone else to have advance warning that Frazer is coming.’
‘By which you mean Darwin, I imagine. You suspect that he might be somehow responsible for bleeding the coffers dry and to do so he would have to have been in cahoots with Frazer.’
‘The possibility crossed my mind, but it doesn’t do to jump to conclusions based on nothing more solid than my dislike for the man. Once I get the measure of Frazer I will have a better idea what I’m dealing with.’
‘Unless Darwin has primed him.’
‘I know for a fact that no letters have arrived for Darwin by express. I asked Celeste to tell me if any did, so if Frazer is somehow involved with Darwin he is sufficiently sure of himself not to feel the need to advise his fellow conspirator of his summons.’ Phin pushed himself to his feet. Rufus, stretched out on a rug, was immediately alert, his tail wagging, ready to follow Phin with a sense of abiding loyalty that could teach Phin’s remaining relations a thing or two. ‘Come on then, boy. We’ll go for a gallop to get rid of some cobwebs and leave John to work his way through that lot.’ Phin grinned at his long-suffering friend. ‘Good luck. I promise I won’t put all this administration on you indefinitely. Once things settle down, I suppose I’d better behave like a grown up and engage a secretary.’
‘It won’t kill me,’ John replied, stretching in arms above his head. ‘Go on with you and leave me to scratch away with my pen in peace.’
‘Until later then.’
Phin and Rufus took themselves off to the stables, risking the still crumbling front steps in order to avoid the kitchen and any possibility of seeing Celeste. He had confused her, he knew, by not showing her any particular attention the previous evening at dinner and leaving the table as soon as the meal was over. He did not linger to share the port with Darwin and Alvin. The truth of the situation was that he’d been shaken by what Sir Richard had told him. He had gone to see him in the hope of having it confirmed that there was nothing sinister about the freak accident that had killed his family. Instead Sir Richard had convinced him that his suspicions were not groundless.
He had taken Sir Richard’s warning about his own welfare to heart, but was equally concerned for Celeste’s safety. If someone was out to ruin the duchy and was unable to get to Phin, Celeste would be an easier target, and one that would have Phin running to comply with her abductor’s demands. He was not willing to take any chances with her welfare, but he knew that if he expressed his fears she would disregard them. The chit was too independent for her own good, he thought impatiently, swinging into Malachite’s saddle and pushing the stallion into a trot before he could think up fresh ways to dislodge Phin from the saddle.
His first few days at the Abbey had been full, to say the least, and physical exhaustion had ensured that he slept well the previous night. He had left the dining parlour with the intention of searching through his uncle’s private papers, but something held him back. It was almost as though he was afraid of what he would find, which he found difficult to accept. He was a rational man and it was many years since he had feared anything at all, especially ghosts from his past.
