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‘What happened to his wife?’
‘I’m coming to that. You remember I said I was buying a ship? Well, I had one, a beautiful fast clipper, called the Swallow, and it was readying for a voyage to India. I sailed on her as far as Lisbon and found Lady Bolsover. He had beaten her to within an inch of her life and she had fled to her aunt and uncle and, as you can imagine, they are bent on revenge. They sent their son, Juanita’s cousin, to England to track him down, but they have not heard from him for some time. I think Bolsover got wind of it and wanted somewhere to hide. Sir Edward’s debts and the old family story of Colin Paget gave him the idea.’
‘He’s married,’ Mark said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. ‘He’s married already! He can’t marry Jane.’ He jumped up and wrung his friend’s hand. ‘Thank you, Drew, thank you.’
‘What about Isabel?’ Lady Wyndham put in. She had been listening intently, but had taken no part in the conversation. ‘And there’s Sir Edward’s debts. You have solved only half the problem.’
Mark turned to Drew. ‘What about Isabel?’
‘I intend to go over to Greystone Manor just as soon as I have had a rest. I only returned to England yesterday and am devilish tired. My lady, if you could furnish me with a bed for an hour or two, I would be grateful. I need to be fresh and have my wits about me if I am to persuade Sir Edward to entertain my suit. If it takes money, then money he shall have. I have already told the skipper of the Swallow to find Teddy when he arrives in Calcutta and bring him home. That should sweeten Sir Edward up a bit, but, if not Sir Edward, then his lady wife.’
‘I must go back to Jane,’ Mark said.
‘Not tonight, Mark,’ Lady Wyndham said. ‘You can go to Greystone together tomorrow.’ She rang a bell at her side to summon a servant to conduct Drew to a bedroom. As soon as he had gone, she turned to Mark. ‘Whichever way you look at it, this is going to cause a huge scandal.’
‘I know, Mama, but nothing like the one that might have ensued had I run off with Jane, or if Drew had run off with Isabel.’
‘I sincerely hope that you have not been entertaining that idea.’
‘I could never have done it, even if Jane agreed, which I am sure she would not.’
‘Then, let us hope Sir Edward is amenable.’
* * *
The next morning saw the two men, both of them nervous, set off for Greystone Manor. Mark was in a long-tailed coat in blue superfine and pantaloon trousers and Drew in a frockcoat and nankeen breeches buckled below the knee. Both had spent an unconscionable time tying their cravats and adjusting the sleeves of their shirts. For such a formal visit, they chose to ride in the Wyndham coach, driven by Jeremy.
‘Shall we go and frighten Bolsover out of his bed?’ Mark suggested as they approached the Fox and Hounds. ‘I have a mind to make him crawl.’
‘Nothing would give me greater pleasure.’
Mark called out to Jeremy to pull up at the inn and the two young men entered the inn and enquired for Lord Bolsover’s room. Two minutes later they flung open the door to see the startled man sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray on his lap.
‘What the devil—?’ he began, but was cut short when Drew removed the tray and put it on a nearby table. ‘Breakfast is over, my lord,’ he said. ‘It is time to say goodbye. The game is over and we hold all the trumps.’
‘I do not know what you are talking about.’
‘We are talking about a little matter of attempted bigamy,’ Mark said. ‘Very much against the law, that is. I know the Prince Regent got away with it, but you are not the Prince Regent.’
‘You are talking rubbish.’ He was clearly agitated, but with the two men standing over him, one each side of the bed, he could not move.
‘The lady’s name is Juanita,’ Drew said. ‘Juanita Estaban as was. I have a copy of the registry entry of the marriage made in the cathedral in Lisbon. Would you care to see it, to refresh your memory?’
‘No.’
‘No, of course not. You know exactly what it says. You left her for dead and fled back to this country. But are you safe? Did you know your wife’s kin are searching for you? Yes, of course you do, that is why you are hiding here. I fancy they would like to know where you are. I would not like to be in your shoes if they find you.’
‘You are talking rubbish.’ He was clearly agitated.
‘Is it bigamy or murder?’ Mark queried, addressing Drew. ‘Whichever it is, our man is in trouble.’
