Elizabeth Rolls - Regency High Society Vol 3 - Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love

‘Well, if it’s any consolation,’ she remarked, swiftly channelling her thoughts in a new direction, ‘I came away from my visit with mixed feelings too. I thought Mrs Cranford most charming. She insisted I return here in their carriage, and she also invited me to the party next week.’ She frowned slightly. ‘I’m not too sure about her husband, though. I found his regard faintly unnerving.’

Daniel studied her for a moment over the rim of his glass. ‘In what way?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. He just kept staring at me. It made me feel a little uncomfortable,’ she admitted, just as the door opened, and Janet entered to inform them that a Mr Ashcroft had arrived and was wishful to see them.

‘Ashcroft …?’ Daniel’s brows snapped together again. ‘Never heard of the fellow! Probably here trying to sell me something. Tell him to take himself off!’

‘No, wait!’ Katherine, placing her sewing to one side, didn’t hesitate to countermand the order. ‘If it’s the person I think it is, I most certainly wish to see him. Ask him to come in, Janet.’

When Daniel watched the slight, middle-aged man, who bore all the appearance of a downtrodden and overworked lawyer’s clerk, enter a few moments later, he thought his suspicions were correct, until Katherine darted forward to clasp the man’s bony fingers.

‘Oh, it is you, Mr Ashcroft! How happy I am to see that you arrived back safely.’

‘And I you, Miss O’Malley,’ he assured her, before darting a wary glance at the tall figure who now stood staring frowningly down at him from a position in front of the hearth.

‘Are you acquainted with Major Ross, sir?’ Katherine enquired, drawing the diffident, middle-aged man forward.

‘No, I’ve not had the pleasure,’ he admitted, extending a nervous hand in the direction of the tall man who continued to regard him with faintly hostile eyes. ‘But I’ve heard a great deal about you, sir, from Sir Giles.’

‘Ha! Have you, by gad!’

Mr Ashcroft not surprisingly appeared faintly unnerved by the gruff response, and so Katherine hurriedly intervened. ‘Do not pay Major Ross any mind, dear sir. He’s in a bad humour, but will recover presently, I assure you.’

Ignoring Daniel’s muttered oath, Katherine invited their visitor to take a seat. ‘Can I offer you some refreshment? A glass of wine, perhaps?’

‘No, thank you, dear young lady. And I must not stay. I came here only to pass on a message from Sir Giles.’ Mr Ashcroft risked a fleeting look up at Daniel once again, before fixing his gaze on Katherine’s far more amiable countenance. ‘You are to stay here with Major Ross, and attend the party Mr and Mrs Cranford are holding on Friday next. I am to pay a brief visit to Mr Cranford as soon as I leave here to apprise him of the situation. Unfortunately he had left London before news of your safe arrival reached us.’

‘Ah!’ Katherine exclaimed, enlightenment dawning. ‘So Sir Giles and Mr Cranford are engaged in the same work, are they?’

‘Er—in a manner of speaking, yes, miss,’ he admitted, casting yet a further tentative glance in the general direction of the hearth. ‘Sir Giles has every intention of making your presence known in the—er—right quarter, as you might say, at the appropriate time, and has taken the precaution of sending two of his best men down here to look after you.’

Betraying great fortitude, he then turned his attention to Daniel. ‘Sir Giles wishes me to assure you, sir, that the young lady will be in no danger. You are to make use of the two men who travelled with me from the capital in any capacity you think fit. There will be others arriving soon in the locale, and my sister and I shall ourselves be putting up at the local inn. Needless to say, there must be no contact between us once I leave here.’

‘Evidently Sir Giles expects the traitor to act as soon as he knows of Katherine’s safe arrival,’ Daniel remarked, after tossing the remaining contents of his glass down his throat.

‘Sir Giles knows how to play the game, sir. He’s refining every detail at this very moment. The men he’s sent down are merely a precaution, sir, nothing more,’ Mr Ashcroft didn’t hesitate to assure him. ‘Sir Giles knew you’d expect nothing less. The traitor will be given insufficient time to act before next Friday. He’ll need to make contact with his associates. But Sir Giles is convinced that if an attempt to … to abduct Miss O’Malley will be made, it will occur on the day of the party, perhaps even at the event itself. Time is not on the traitor’s side, sir. He must prevent Sir Giles from escorting Miss O’Malley to London.’

Daniel appeared decidedly grim, and Katherine was experiencing certain misgivings now that all the scheming and planning were showing signs of achieving a result, but steadfastly refused to betray her feelings of unease. ‘Then we must all be patient and wait for events to unfold.’

‘Believe me when I tell you, Miss O’Malley, that your safety is Sir Giles’s main concern,’ he reiterated. ‘Try as best you can to continue as normal.’ Mr Ashcroft made to leave, but then bethought himself of something else. ‘By the by, I’ve brought your trunk of clothes from London, miss. I’ll instruct the two men I’m leaving here to carry it into the house for you.’

‘Oh, you darling man!’ Katherine darted forward to place a kiss on Mr Ashcroft’s thin cheek, which had the effect of sending him quite pink with pleasure before he took his leave.

Daniel, unable to suppress a smile, went over to the decanters to replenish his glass. ‘How typical of a woman! At a time like this the only thing that concerns you is clothes.’

‘But of course! It will be sheer bliss to don my own garments again. Besides which, Daniel, you know yourself we’ve nothing to worry about for the next few days.’

‘Possibly not,’ he conceded. ‘At least now I’ve no qualms about sending a note to my uncle accepting his invitation to accompany him to the local market town to view some livestock next Friday morning. And those two men will certainly come in handy about the place. For a start, I shall set one to work in the garden to keep a permanent eye on you and make sure you don’t take it into your head to go wandering off again.’

‘Do so, by all means. I shall enjoy the company,’ she assured him, refusing to become nettled. ‘It’s just a pity Sir Giles didn’t think to send us a female.’

Daniel raised his brows in surprise. ‘Not necessary. Janet can keep an eye on you whilst you’re indoors.’

‘And how typical of a man!’ Katherine parried, casting him a look of exasperation before reaching for the door-handle. ‘Janet has far too much to do to watch me all day. It’s high time, Daniel Ross, that you sorted out your domestic situation. Janet is in desperate need of help about the place. The sooner this house has a mistress to take charge the better!’

Smiling tenderly, Daniel gazed down into his glass. ‘It has already acquired the only one it will ever have whilst I remain master here,’ he murmured, the instant Katherine had departed, closing the door quietly behind her.

‘Can I not persuade you to step into the house for a glass of burgundy before you set off home, my boy?’ Sir Joshua’s invitation was heard even by the footman who emerged from the house in order to assist his master to alight from the carriage.

Daniel hesitated. The visit to the market town had proved surprisingly enjoyable. Not only had he been impressed by the high standard of farm stock offered for sale, but he had come upon a number of neighbours whom he had not seen in a very long time, and had received several invitations to dine. He was eager to return to Rosslair and tell Katherine about the trip, but decided that that could wait a while longer. Sir Joshua didn’t socialise to any great extent these days, his hearing having become an increasing handicap, and Daniel had gained the distinct impression that his uncle pined for a little masculine company from time to time.