Page 9 of The Earl's Reluctant Bride
The implications of Barlow’s words provoked disquiet. Alexander’s mind was racing ahead in one particular direction. “Barlow, I must ask you. What is her age?”
Barlow paused his pacing. “She is eight and ten. She was due to be presented this season.”
Thornton had to be blunt and persist in asking the right questions if he was to assist Barlow in getting to the bottom of this matter. “Has she expressed affection for a gentleman?”
Barlow abruptly sat in an armchair as realization dawned, his eyes widened. “Not to any of us. My parents are at their wits end. That is why it was imperative for me to speak with the countess. I had to impress upon her the urgency of the situation and the predicament in which Elizabeth finds herself. She faces ruin for leaving the estate without a chaperone.”
“I gather she has never done anything so reckless?” Alexander asked pensively.
“Never. I have been racking my brain for an explanation and the one that I found ….”
Alexander was sure they had arrived at the same conclusion. “You believe she has run off with a paramour.”
Barlow leaned forward and clenched his hand in a fist. “At this point, it is the only explanation. Elizabeth is intelligent but she is naïve. It may very well be that she met a scoundrel who whispered words of love and convinced her to run off with him.”
Alexander held Barlow’s gaze. “I am afraid you may be right. Your family is wealthy and Lady Elizabeth is set to receive a substantial dowery. Perhaps this cad seeks to take advantage of her for his own selfish reasons. He has no honor for he did not approach your parents and ask for her hand.”
“This is as bad as it gets.” Barlow sat up.
Alexander was decisive. “I have no doubt they are headed to Gretna Green and we must catch up with them. She will be ruined if it is discovered that she eloped and the circumstances will only be made worse if she spends a single night with this bounder. She is traveling alone with him, no chaperone, so there is no telling what he might do.” He did not wish to alarm Barlow but it must be said.
Barlow stood with renewed vigor. “They have a head start and are likely to be traveling on horseback. Elizabeth’s favorite horse is missing.”
“We will depart forthwith. I will have the staff prepare the horses which will be our best thoroughbreds, and some sustenance for us. Using the thoroughbreds will give us a chance to close some of the distance and we will get the best horses at each stop we make to refresh them,” Alexander said as he summoned the butler.
Alexander gave the butler the directions calmly but his blood was boiling for he did not think much of gentlemen who tried to take advantage of innocents. How dare he! He was fuming as he thought how he would make this bounder pay, but there would be enough time for that. They needed to give chase and as this was a matter of urgency retribution must wait.
The butler appeared with a package containing their food and he announced the horses were ready. The food was packaged to easily fit into a saddlebag and Alexander thanked the butler before turning to Barlow. “We must make haste.”
Alexander led the way. They took long strides and quickly reached the door leading to the courtyard. A groom waited with the horses and Alexander placed the food into the saddlebags. They mounted and rode off leaving Thornton Manor behind in a plume of dust.
Thoughts of losing Elizabeth to another man surfaced but he pushed them aside. Alexander knew they must press on until their horses were winded. They would travel the Great North Road which was the route taken by the stagecoach. Their first stop on the journey would be Stevenage because he believed Lady Elizabeth and her paramour would rest and replenish their horses there. It would be a logical step to take. Alexander and Barlow would make discrete inquiries at the establishments there.
Alexander cast a glance toward the sky. It would be nightfall by the time they arrived in Stevenage. It was difficult and dangerous to ride at night, but what choice did they have? They would be fortunate if the skies were clear, and he knew there would be a full moon this night. Hopefully, the moonlight would provide them with sufficient light to get by.
What an unholy mess!
A low-hanging branch snapped Alexander out of his reverie. He lowered his head to avoid an accident but when he raised it his thoughts went back to Lady Elizabeth. He did not want to think about her innocence and beauty being ruined by a scoundrel. He pictured her beautiful smile and it gave him a renewed sense of urgency. He told Barlow it would not be wise to tarry for too long in Stevenage. If Lady Elizabeth was not there, they should quickly move on.
They rode with a sense of purpose, only stopping to refresh themselves when they were on the outskirts of London. By that time, they had completed over half of the journey to Stevenage and the sun was already on its retreat. They pressed on and Alexander was relieved when they finally arrived in Stevenage. He was exhausted and he was certain Barlow felt the same.
They changed their horses at the Horses and Hound stable and Barlow took the lead in making the inquiries. Alexander waited outside the stable. Shortly thereafter Barlow strode toward him, his face a mask of concern. Clearly, he did not receive favorable news.
“They did not have a gentleman and lady passing through these parts this day. Could it be they managed to get much further than we anticipated?” Barlow looked away hastily and moved restlessly.
“I do not believe so,” Alexander answered confidently.
“Then what the devil is going on?” Barlow ran his hand through his hair with frustration.
Alexander must remain calm for Elizabeth. He paused. “There is something we should consider. Did you hear of the scandal caused by the Lord Chancellor, Thomas Erskine, and his housekeeper?”
“Now that you mention it, it stirs a vague memory, but the full details do not come to mind.”
“Well, Lord Erskine was a widower, aged three scores and six, who had an illicit affair with his housekeeper, thirty years his junior. She bore him two children, but they were illegitimate so they could not inherit. Lord Erskine was of the notion that these children should inherit so they eloped to Gretna Green. He believed that according to Scots Law, any subsequent marriage legitimized such children,” Alexander explained.
“I gather Lord Erskine eloped because the children by his first wife feared that their legitimized siblings might threaten their inheritance. What a malarkey,” Barlow replied.
“Which brings me to the reason why I mentioned this sorry saga in the first place. It turns out that Erskine traveled to Gretna Green dressed as a rather flamboyant-looking woman. Can you imagine such a thing? It was only when the rather bewildered anvil priest was about to marry the couple that Erskine divested himself of his strange attire.” Alexander watched as Barlow paused and considered the implication of his words.
