Sir Ashley's Mettlesome Match Read online

  ‘Then I suggest you find its owner and quiz him,’ James said. ‘Could it be this Sir Felix you spoke of?’

  ‘That’s what I intend to discover, my lord. I will go to Lloyds coffee house tomorrow morning to see what I can discover.’

  ‘I can help you there,’ Alex offered. ‘I am acquainted with some of the underwriters and will make you known to them. They will no doubt furnish you with an introduction to others. Is that agreeable to you, my lord?’ he added, addressing James.

  ‘Certainly. Keep Lord Trentham informed of your progress.’ James paused and looked round the table. ‘Has anyone anything else to report?’

  None had and the meeting broke up. ‘I hear you are to be wed, Ash,’ Harry Portman said, as they gathered together their papers.

  ‘Good Lord! Where did you hear that?’

  ‘Rosamund heard it from someone who heard it from the lady herself.’

  ‘How strange,’ Ash said laconically. ‘Do you know, I cannot recall making anyone an offer? Surely I have not forgot?’

  ‘Then it is not true?’

  ‘Certainly it is not true.’

  ‘I thought it must be a whisker.’

  ‘Tell me,’ Ash said, ‘who is the lady in question?’

  ‘Mrs Thornley, who else?’

  Ash was furious, not with Harry who was only warning him, but with Arabella. Did she suppose she could force his hand? ‘If you hear anyone else repeating that,’ he said, ‘you will oblige me by telling them how mistaken they are.’ He dismissed the subject and, tucking his notes in his capacious coat pocket, made for the door. ‘I am hungry. I have not stopped for a meal since I arrived back, so I am for dinner at Almack’s. Would anyone like to join me?

  Alex said he would and they set off for the eating house in Pall Mall, where they could wine and dine and listen to the latest gossip, which he hoped would not contain news of his coming nuptials. Something must be done about Arabella, but at the moment he was more concerned with finding the Sally Ann and Nathaniel Kingslake.

  ‘Tell me more about your investigation,’ Alex said, once they had been served with a huge helping of a succulent meat pie. ‘There is more to this than meets the eye.’

  Ash was startled. ‘Why do you say that?’

  Alex laughed. ‘I am used to dealing with men and have learned to read between the lines of a report.’

  Ash was chagrined to think he had not been as clever as he thought. On the other hand Alex had been a sea captain and his experience of ships and shipping might help, so he obliged him with a little more detail than his official account had given. ‘A company of dragoons interrupted the landing and the Sally Ann went off without completing it. It came back two days later. Where do you suppose it went in that time?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘Could have gone anywhere. Does it matter?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why?’

  Ash hesitated. ‘It carried off one of the villagers and he hasn’t been seen since.’

  ‘And that is important?’

  ‘Yes.’ How important he was not prepared to divulge. He was not sure himself.

  ‘Smugglers have been known to do that if they think the man might betray them. They land him in some remote place and leave him to find his own way home.’ He chuckled. ‘They have even taken captured Revenue men and dragoons to France and left them there. Was your man such a one?’

  ‘No. But he might have been innocently caught up in the landing and when the dragoons arrived jumped into the longboat rather than be taken up.’

  ‘To discover what happened to him, you need to speak to one of the crew prepared to talk.’

  ‘Except I do not know who they are.’

  ‘Then we must find the Sally Ann,’ Alex said.

  ‘We?’ Ash queried.

  ‘Yes. When it comes to sea and ships, I am your man. I have not had enough to do for the Piccadilly Gentlemen lately and my latest investigation has come to a dead end. I believe the young lady’s parents were simply using me to bring an errant daughter home. It will be a pleasure to be useful.’

  There was nothing more either of them could usefully say or do that evening and so they joined a game of cards in which Ash, to his delight, won a considerable sum. He forgot all about Arabella.

  After the bracing air of the Norfolk coast, Pippa found the atmosphere of London dirty, smoky and noxious, even worse than Norwich with its tanneries and breweries. She had to put a scented handkerchief to her nose and mouth the minute she stepped down from the coach. There was a row of sedan chairs waiting along the road and she hired two to take her and Teresa to Piccadilly and a boy with a handcart to transport the luggage.

  The footman at Trentham House, once Pippa had explained her connection to the family, made no bones about finding out if her ladyship was at home, but ushered her straight to the drawing room and announced her to an astonished Lady Trentham.

  ‘Pippa!’ Eleanor exclaimed, rushing forwards to take both Pippa’s hands in her own and kiss her cheek. She was an amiable, plump woman of forty-three, whose dark hair was arranged in innumerable corkscrew curls. ‘What brings you here? How did you get here? Why did you not warn me?’

  Pippa laughed at the stream of questions. ‘It was a sudden decision and we came by the stage.’

  ‘The stage! Oh, my dear, it must have been a really important matter for you to risk that. And where is your Aunt Augusta?’

  ‘She is still in Norfolk. I have a maid with me. You will give us house room for a day or two, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course. You do not have to ask.’ She clapped her hands to summon a maid and gave orders for rooms to be prepared, hot water for washing and an additional place set for dinner. ‘Now,’ she said when that was done and Teresa had been sent with the maid to unpack and they had a cup of tea in front of them, ‘sit down beside me and tell me all your news. Something momentous must have happened, I am sure. You would not leave your beloved Norfolk for the smoke else.’

  Pippa hesitated. She could easily say she had come to visit Robert Dodsley and nothing more need be said, but Eleanor was a dear friend as well as a cousin and she could not dissemble. ‘Momentous, yes, and worrying. Smugglers came to Narbeach and I am afraid Nat and Ben have become entangled with them and Sir Felix Markham is trying to blackmail me.’

  ‘You are talking about one of your novels, of course.’

  ‘No, this is all too real.’

  ‘Then you had better tell me the whole and leave nothing out. William might be able to help—’

  ‘No, Eleanor, you must say nothing to William. He is a member of the government, responsible for law and order. It will compromise him dreadfully. Promise not to tell a soul or I cannot go on.’

  ‘You cannot stop now, Pippa, when I am all agog.’

  ‘Then give me your word.’

  ‘Very well, I promise.’

  ‘It all began a few nights ago, when I went to the beach to watch the smugglers bringing in the contraband—’

  ‘You never did!’

  ‘Please do not interrupt or I shall be bound to leave out something important.’

  Eleanor smiled and put her finger to her lips and remained silent while Pippa told her story. But when Pippa mentioned Sir Ashley, she could no longer remain quiet. ‘Sir Ashley Saunders!’ she burst out. ‘What was he doing in Narbeach?’

  ‘I am not at all sure. I think he was looking for smugglers.’

  ‘Smugglers! That does not sound like the Sir Ashley I know. Are you sure?’

  ‘No, I am not sure. How do you know him?’

  ‘Why, my dear Pippa, everyone in town knows Sir Ashley. He is a notorious rake, but well liked in certain circles. I hope you have not become romantically involved with him.’

  ‘No, of course not,’ Pippa said, but her heightened colour gave her away. ‘I have only known him a few days and he has been kindness itself. Aunt Augusta and Ben are staying at his country estate. Ben is more or less in his custody.’

  ‘
My dear, you astound me. Please go on.’

  Pippa finished her story and explained about how Sir Ashley had come to London to find out about the smugglers’ ship and how Sir Felix had accompanied his proposal with veiled threats, which she had no doubt he was capable of carrying out. ‘I have to find out about the Sally Ann and where Nat is before he demands his answer,’ she said. ‘I am convinced Nat is not in Norfolk. He would have come home or at least made contact if he were. He might even be abroad. According to Sir Ashley, the first step is to find the Sally Ann and her owners.’

  ‘How do you propose to do that?’

  ‘I mean to go with Sir Ashley when he makes his enquiries.’

  ‘My dear Pippa,’ Eleanor said, shocked. ‘You cannot be seen about town with Sir Ashley without an escort. Your reputation would be ruined in an instant.’

  ‘Is he as bad as that?’

  ‘Yes. He leaves a trail of broken hearts behind him, though Mrs Thornley seems to think she has his measure. She is putting it about that they are to be wed.’

  Pippa’s spirits plummeted. ‘Who is Mrs Thornley?’

  ‘Arabella Thornley is Sir Ashley’s latest light o’ love. She is a widow of a respectable man of business, on the fringes of society, though she would not thank me for telling you that. She thinks she is ton. She is hoping, if Sir Ashley marries her, her reputation will soar.’

  ‘What is that to the point?’ Pippa said, bravely fighting her sudden dejection. ‘I still need to know where Nat is and if Sir Ashley is the only one who can help me…’ She paused and sighed. ‘Though why he should I do not know.’

  ‘Pippa, I beg you not to consider that course of action,’ Eleanor said. ‘I know you do not care for London customs, but it is not to be thought of. Let me tell William.’

  ‘No, you promised.’

  As she spoke, Lord Trentham entered the room. He was considerably older than his wife. He had once been a tall man, but now was a little stooped, and, because he had once been an Admiral of the Fleet, habitually wore blue. His clothes were every shade of blue, from his pale aquamarine breeches to his sky blue waistcoat and navy velvet coat. Only his hose and neckcloth were white. ‘Philippa, my dear,’ he said, bowing to her. ‘The footman said you were here. You are welcome, of course, but why did you not write ahead? Is something wrong at home?’

  ‘No, everyone is well,’ Pippa said, ignoring Eleanor’s meaningful look. ‘I came to visit my publisher to discuss my latest project. I hoped I might be given a bed for a day or two.’

  ‘That you shall have and most welcome,’ his lordship said, sitting on the sofa beside his wife, facing Pippa. ‘Tell me all your news.’

  Pippa hesitated. The news of the Narbeach landings was bound to have reached London, she decided, and it would seem strange if she did not to mention them. ‘We had some excitement in the village,’ she said, smiling. ‘There was a smugglers’ run and the beach was covered in contraband. The dragoons came and you never saw so many barrels, boxes and bundles disappear so fast. They only captured a tiny portion of it and even that was taken from the Customs House the next day in broad daylight.’

  ‘You saw all this?’ he queried in surprise.

  ‘From my window,’ she said hastily.

  ‘Smuggling is a very serious matter,’ he went on. ‘It is become a contagion, spreading everywhere, and is like to ruin the economy of the kingdom. We must take firm steps to bring it to an end. I hope you told what you saw to the proper authorities.’

  ‘Indeed, yes, but I saw very little,’ she said, realising how right she had been to swear Eleanor to secrecy. She did not think Lord Trentham would have any sympathy for Nat.

  ‘Guess what?’ his wife said. ‘She met Ash there. Is it not strange?’

  ‘Not strange at all,’ he said. ‘Ash has an estate in Norfolk, as you know. He is a good man, none better.’

  ‘You would say that,’ his wife put in. ‘All men together, but you know he has a reputation…’

  ‘Whatever else he is known for, he has a reputation for honest dealing,’ her husband said. ‘I would trust him with my life.’

  That was some small comfort to Pippa, but that was more than offset by the news that Ash was contemplating marriage. It looked as though falling in love once a month was a thing of the past. Was that how a rake reformed?

  Having no idea how to find Ash and worried by what Eleanor had told her, Pippa decided not to seek him out. She was on her own and must try to find Nat herself. But as she had told William she had come to town to visit her publisher, it behoved her to do so first.

  Next morning, after another sleepless night, she found her way to Pall Mall where Robert Dodsley, founder of The Annual Register and publisher of Defoe, Johnson and Pope, had his premises.

  Without telling him why the work was not going well, she suggested abandoning the idea of smugglers for something else. He would not agree. Instead he went over the book’s plot and how the adventure and romantic element could be combined and bade her stick at it. ‘Your duty is to your reading public,’ he said, patting her hand in avuncular fashion. ‘They are expecting a new Philip King book this year and if you start again, it will be late arriving. We cannot have that, can we?’

  ‘No, you are right.’ She paused. ‘Mr Dodsley, how would one go about finding a ship, if one only knows her name?’

  ‘One could go to Lloyds coffee house or to the docks, but I hope you would not go there alone, dear lady.’

  ‘No,’ she hastily reassured him. ‘I was asking in the name of research.’

  She did not know if he believed her, but took her leave to return to Trentham House. She was so deep in cogitating on what Mr Dodsley had said that she bumped into someone turning to go up the steps of the house. Her folder of notes flew from her hand. The man begged her pardon and stooped to retrieve the scattered papers and it was only as he straightened up and bowed to return them to her, she realised who he was and for a moment was speechless. She had come to London to find him, had been warned against him and here he was, apparently going into Trentham House.

  ‘Miss Kingslake! What in heaven’s name are you doing here?’

  Last time they had met, he had kissed her and called her Pippa; now, it seemed, they were back to being formal. ‘Good morning, Sir Ashley,’ she said primly.

  ‘Oh, yes, good morning,’ he corrected himself. ‘But dash it, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I am staying with Lord Trentham and his wife.’

  ‘I did not know you were known to them.’

  ‘There is much you do not know about me, Sir Ashley, but I can tell you Lady Trentham is my mother’s cousin.’

  ‘Good heavens!’ He gave a crooked smile. ‘So you have told them all.’

  Remembering his kisses, she managed a chuckle, intended to convey light-heartedness. ‘Not quite all, Sir Ashley.’

  The door opened behind them and they both turned almost guiltily to find Lord Trentham on the step, dressed to go out. ‘Don’t stand on the step,’ he said. ‘Come in, both of you.’

  They went inside and were ushered into the parlour where Eleanor was seated with some embroidery. ‘Look who was standing on the front step, my dear,’ Lord Trentham said jovially, apparently abandoning his original errand. ‘Philippa and Sir Ashley Saunders.’

  ‘We met on the step,’ Ash said, bowing to Eleanor. ‘My lady, your obedient.’

  Eleanor, for all her condemnation of the gentleman as a rake, smiled a welcome and bade him be seated, then ordered refreshments to be brought. ‘I am told you met Miss Kingslake in Narbeach,’ she said. ‘It is surely an out-of-the-way place for such as you.’

  ‘I am very fond of Norfolk,’ he said. ‘I have an estate there and often travel around the coast.’

  ‘Looking for smugglers?’ She persisted in her questioning, much to the discomfort of Pippa, who was afraid she was about to let the cat out of the bag to William; as Ash did not know William was being kept in ignorance, the conversation could become trick
y. ‘I collect there was a landing there a few nights ago.’

  ‘Indeed there was,’ he said, looking at Pippa, who had taken a seat a little way off and was trying to convey a warning with her eyes. ‘It caused not a little excitement, especially when the dragoons arrived, but as usual all but a handful escaped.’

  ‘I have told my cousins how I saw it from my window,’ Pippa put in quickly.

  ‘Ah, yes, it would be unsafe to be abroad at such a time’ he said and Pippa breathed a sigh of relief that he had understood.

  ‘Hmph,’ his lordship grunted. ‘Sir Ashley, I believe you came on purpose to speak to me.’

  ‘I did, my lord.’

  ‘Then let us go into the library. Ladies, will you excuse us a moment?’

  Eleanor nodded and Ash followed his lordship from the room.

  ‘My goodness, he becomes handsomer every time I see him,’ Eleanor said. ‘And you had him to yourself in Narbeach when everyone in town was wondering what had become of him.’

  ‘I thought you disapproved on him.’

  ‘I do in a way, but it does not stop me admiring him. Such deportment, such sangfroid, such good manners—a woman would need to be made of stone to be indifferent to all that. Not to mention he is hugely wealthy.’

  ‘Eleanor! It is as well William cannot hear you.’

  ‘Oh, he does not mind me. We are content with each other. Besides, I may admire the gentleman, but I would not be seen out with him except in the best of company.’ She sighed. ‘I suppose if he were to marry Arabella Thornley we might be obliged to receive her.’

  Pippa did not want to hear about the lady; it gave her a wretched feeling in her stomach even to hear her name. ‘What do you suppose they are talking about?’ she asked.

  ‘I really cannot say. Gentlemen like to have their little secrets, my dear.’

  ‘Yes, but if Sir Ash mentions Nat’s disappearance, it will look ill for me keeping it from William. You know how he feels about smugglers.’

  ‘I am sure Sir Ashley will be discreet and not betray you. Now tell me, how did you get on with Mr Dodsley this morning?’

  ‘The government has charged me with putting an end to the rampant smuggling, as Lord Drymore must have told you,’ Lord Trentham was saying. ‘I believe that is why you went to Narbeach.’