Or had it?His interview with Mrs.Parker shed a new light upon the situation, forcing him to wonder if the woman’s threats had put Kate to flight.Certainly, the poppet’s pride would not let her ask him for the blackmail money.Nor would she even come to him for advice, Grayson suspected.
Perhaps Raleigh was right, and they were too much alike, too stubborn and willful, to make the compromises that their relationship demanded.Drawing in a sharp breath at the thought, Grayson only gradually became aware of his secretary’s scrutiny.
He stilled as he wondered whether the man had made some inquiry that he had failed to answer.“Yes?”
Wells shook his head.“I fear you are distracted.Are you feeling all right?”
No.He felt lousy—angry, betrayed, worried, and a host of other useless, annoying emotions he was unaccustomed to dealing with.“I am fine,” he said, lifting a brow.
Wells knew better than to pursue the matter.“Very good, my lord.But I expect that you will want to pay attention to this last bit of news.”
“Yes?”Grayson asked, tensing in spite of himself.
“Jasper Gilroy is on the move,” Wells said, and Grayson’s casual attention became sharp and focused.
“Perhaps he received word that one of his charges had married or that banns were being called for the other’s nuptials.Or perhaps he wearied of his self-imposed exile.Whatever his motive, he has returned to England and is heading this way.”
“Or north of London, to Hargate,” Grayson muttered.
“Perhaps.Our sources could not get near enough to discover his plans.He has a small group they have been unable to penetrate, but they will keep as close as they can.”
Nodding, Grayson leaned back and put a finger to his lips.Of course, there was nothing particularly alarming about Jasper’s approach.He might simply be on his way to his solicitors in order to squeeze more money out of the Courtland estate.Yet, if he had gotten wind of the weddings, he might be inclined to protest the imminent loss of his livelihood.
Grayson straightened.Perhaps he ought to send someone to retrieve Kate, and Lucy, too.But if he knew his wife, she was liable to shoo—or shoot—anyone who interfered with her plans.So perhaps it would be better if he went himself.
The idea should have been objectionable.Instead, it set his blood to racing.Suddenly, the very thought of seeing Kate again was enough to nearly send him from his chair.
Leaning back deliberately, Grayson pushed aside such thoughts to concentrate on Jasper.If the bastard did show up, it would be a perfect opportunity for him to release some of his anger and frustration by beating Kate’s uncle to a pulp.
A knock on the door brought Grayson out of his grim musings.He was not accustomed to interruptions, and he glanced at Wells in question.The secretary appeared startled, but answered the summons, only to stand aside as one of Grayson’s own footmen rushed in, breathless.
“My lord, you must go at once!”the young man said.
What the devil?Grayson straightened.“Where?”
“It’s her ladyship, my lord!She’s being held against her will!”
At the sight of Hargate’s chimneys, Grayson slowed his horse and guided it off the road into the meadow.Although nothing looked amiss from here, he wanted to be prepared for anything.He had made enough mistakes already where Kate was concerned, not the least of which was leaving her here alone and unprotected.
He should have sent servants to run the house and men to guard it.He should have been there, keeping her safe, instead of concentrating on himself.As he had so often during the seemingly endless ride, Grayson blamed himself, a novel experience.
Although he took full responsibility for his staff, tenants, and businesses, rarely had there been any problems in his smoothly-run life.But since Kate appeared in it, every moment was a struggle of some sort, against her, against himself, against temptation, and now against the fear that threatened to consume him.
If anything happened to her… Grayson drew in a sharp breath, unable to complete the thought, as he crested the hill and saw the Courtland home lying silent and peaceful before him.
By the time he reached the stables, Grayson had begun to wonder if his footman’s frantic summons had been a mistake, a hysterical reaction to something that idiot Tom had said.He frowned as an ugly suspicion took root.He would not put it past the coachman to have contrived some ruse to bring him running to Kate’s side.
Scowling, Grayson led his mount into the back of the building, only to halt in surprise.The formerly empty stalls were lined with horses.Hishorses.Stepping forward slowly, Grayson also recognized his coach and a landau that he had driven more than once.
What the devil?Stiffening, he marched to the house, determined to find out how and when half of his London stables had arrived at Hargate without his knowledge.
The noise hit him as soon as Grayson opened the door, such a din as he had never heard during his residency.It was the sound of many voices raised in argument, and he followed it down the gallery to the drawing room.There, he stopped in the doorway, stunned by the sight that met his eyes.
His coachman, his valet, half a dozen of his footmen, and even his cook, brandishing a rolling pin as if it were a weapon, were gathered with Lucy and Rutledge, around some central figure Grayson could not quite make out.How his servants had come to be at Hargate he had no idea, and what they were doing here he could not hazard a guess.
Choosing the one he hoped would give him the least convoluted explanation, he stepped forward.“Badcock,” he said, his voice unintentionally soft with menace.“What is the meaning of this?”
His valet whirled immediately, revealing a small pistol tucked into his waistband that made him look like some sort of debonair pirate, or an exalted footpad, Grayson was not sure which.
