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Patsy smiled. ‘Thank you, Nancy. You always did look after me, even when you were just a girl. If I should be lucky enough to have a daughter I will call her after you, although Nancy will have to be her second name. Leo wants a girl to be called after his mother, Rebecca.’
‘Rebecca Nancy,’ Louise said thoughtfully. ‘That’s very pretty, but shouldn’t you call her after your mama, Patsy? She is a famous opera singer.’
‘I haven’t seen Mama or Claude for so long that I’ve almost forgotten their existence. One day Mama will turn up again and expect us to be thrilled to see her, but she’s never really been part of our lives.’
‘I think that’s sad,’ Louise said, sighing. ‘I would like Charlotte to know her grandmama.’
‘Who knows?’ Patricia shrugged. ‘She could arrive today. That’s what she does, and then she’ll disappear again when an offer is tempting enough.’
Nancy tugged at the bell pull. ‘And if it’s a boy? Will he be called Leo after his pa?’
‘Of course, but I will choose his second name. However, before you tease me further, it won’t be Gervase. That is certain.’
‘You rang, miss?’ Tilly appeared in the doorway.
‘Yes, Tilly. Will you send word to the stables to have the chaise brought to the front entrance? I’m going to take Mrs Wilder home.’
The luncheon party had gone on much longer than Nancy had realised and daylight was fading when they left the castle.
‘Isn’t that the Greystone carriage?’ Patricia said as they stopped to allow the vehicle to pass.
‘Yes, that’s strange. I didn’t think Gervase left the estate very often these days. I think he’s afraid that Christina will move in at the first opportunity.’
‘I expect she would, knowing Christina. She must be fuming to know that he’s taken up residence. But she’ll be even more furious when she discovers that Greystone actually belongs to you. Gervase will be beside himself, too.’
Nancy encouraged the pony to a brisk walk. ‘We’ll have to make sure that neither of them finds out until everything is settled legally. Anyway, they don’t matter. We have to look after you and little Nancy. I rather like the idea of a baby being named after me.’
‘It might be little Leo.’
‘Of course. I’ll love him, too. We’ll be home soon and not before time. Those clouds look ominous to me. I think it’s going to rain.’
Patricia wrapped her cape around her swelling belly. ‘It feels like thunder. You mustn’t stay long when we reach the mill house. I don’t want you to get wet and catch a chill.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be home before the storm breaks.’ Nancy flicked the reins and the pony obliged by breaking into a trot.
Fletcher let them into the house and she echoed Patricia’s concern about the ominous clouds. Nancy shrugged it off but she did not stay long and she left the mill house after a few minutes, having made certain that Patricia was comfortably settled to wait for Leo’s return. There was no need to worry when Fletcher was in charge. It would take a brave woman to flout Fletcher’s orders. Even Patricia, who had been known as the family rebel, bowed down to commands from the indomitable Fletcher. Nancy set off for the castle feeling satisfied that she had left Patricia in good hands.
However, the weather began to deteriorate before she had gone more than a couple of hundred yards and the sky darkened dramatically as huge drops of rain began to fall. A boisterous wind rushed in from the sea and flashes of lightning preceded loud claps of thunder. The pony shied and bucked in the shafts and Nancy almost lost control, but somehow she managed to calm the animal and keep the chaise upright. They reached the fork where the roads diverged, one way leading to the castle and the other road leading to the Greystone estate. But to Nancy’s dismay she found the way home blocked by another vehicle.
A flash of lightning illuminated the carriage door emblazoned with the Greystone crest. Nancy reined in and leaned forward.
‘Hey there. Are you able to move?’
Before she had a chance to catch her breath, a clap of thunder made her pony rear in the shafts and the chaise overturned. Stunned and barely conscious, Nancy found herself being lifted from the ground and thrown unceremoniously into the offending vehicle, which started forward at such an alarming rate that she was unable to move.
They were travelling at a spanking pace but eventually she managed to heave herself up onto the seat. She had to hold on for dear life as the carriage slowed down, swerved and then straightened up regaining speed. She peered out of the window and her worst fears were realised as Greystone Park itself came into view.
The carriage came to a halt outside the main entrance, but even as she attempted to escape the door was wrenched open. She was lifted bodily and flung over a man’s shoulder so that she hung like a puppet, unable to control her own movements.
‘You might as well give up,’ a familiar voice said triumphantly. ‘You are my honoured guest, Miss Nancy Greystone, if that really is your name.’
‘Make him put me down, Gervase.’ Nancy could hardly speak as her head was bumped against the man’s back. All she could see was a pair of legs and the top of his riding boots.
‘Take her to the east wing, Wills.’
Nancy gave up the struggle, concentrating on keeping her head from being pounded as Wills took the stairs two at a time. She was half-winded when he finally set her down roughly on the floor. She scrambled to her feet, glaring at him as he backed towards the doorway.
‘Are you one of the Wills brothers who went to prison for smuggling?’
