Page 64 of Fit for a Duke
‘Hasn’t come back?’ His mother looked momentarily alarmed but then flapped a hand in casual dismissal of Ezra’s concerns. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. She must have. Even if she was somehow left behind in all the confusion, Lady Fletcher’s servants will be there clearing away. They will ensure her safe return.’
‘I was the last to leave. There were no ladies left behind at that point.’
His mother’s expression turned evasive, causing Ezra to belatedly realise that he hadn’t seen her at all since very early after her arrival when they had briefly spoken to one another. He recalled as well that Brennan lived close by.
‘You weren’t there, were you?’ he said slowly, his seething anger on the point of erupting. ‘That’s why she couldn’t come back with you. You were with Brennan.’
‘So what if I was?’ she asked defensively. ‘No one will have missed me.’
‘Except Miss Benton, who thanks to your neglect might well now be in peril.’
‘I like Miss Benton and I am sorry this has happened, but really, who would want to harm her?’
Ezra was momentarily tempted to explain, but there was no time. Instead, his mind reeled with increasingly unpalatable possibilities. A tap at the door preceded Godfrey putting his head round it.
‘This was just hand delivered,’ he said, passing Ezra a sealed note. ‘Thought it might be important.’
Ezra crossed to his mother’s writing desk, picked up a paper knife and broke the seal. He read the contents once and swore viciously.
‘What is it?’ the duchess asked.
He passed the note to Godfrey. ‘Someone has taken Miss Benton, and they want me in place of her,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Out of the question!’ the duchess cried with surprising emotion. ‘You are all I have left.’
‘You expect me to let a young woman die and do nothing to prevent it?’ He waved a hand to prevent his mother from speaking again. ‘Hush, I need to think.’
Ezra paced the length of the room, rubbing his chin as he attempted to decide who had taken her. His dancing with her, followed by his mother’s public display of approval had clearly made her a target. Ergo, this was all his fault and a situation that he must somehow rectify. But where to start looking?
‘Barnes drove you to Brennan?’ he asked.
‘Yes, and waited for me.’
‘How long were you there?’
‘Oh, I’m not sure, perhaps two hours. I left just as the storm broke.’
Ezra nodded, recalling that the weather deteriorated a good two hours after their arrival at Midhurst.
‘Very well. Say nothing about this, Mother. I will deal with it.’
The duchess stood and looked resolute. ‘No! I cannot lose another son.’ Ezra was astonished when tears began to stream down her cheeks. Please, Ezra.’ She grasped his arm. ‘See reason. You are too important to the future of the duchy. Let others take the risks.’
‘If you wish to make amends for your neglect, oblige me by remaining silent about Miss Benton’s disappearance. If questions are asked, say she came back with you.’ He softened his tone, wondering if Clio had been right and that his mother did have feelings. It was the first time she had shown any sign of emotion in front of him, but still… ‘This will be resolved within a few hours, one way or the other.’
Having extracted a reluctant promise from the duchess, Ezra and Godfrey left the room and returned to their own.
‘What are your thoughts?’ Godfrey asked.
‘This has to do with Barnes. I wish I knew how, but the fact remains that Clio had this with her when we spoke,’ Ezra replied, glancing at the reticule he still held in his hands. ‘I remember her fiddling with the handle, which is how it caught my notice. She cannot have left it in my mother’s carriage and so…’
‘And so it must have been deposited there after she was abducted.’
‘Precisely.’ Ezra flexed a jaw so rigid with tension that he was surprised the gesture didn’t cause it to snap. ‘And the fact that her abductor wants me to meet him alone behind the stables in two hours confirms Barnes’s involvement. What do we know about him, other than that he’s a favourite of my mother’s?’
‘Your father employed him when we were away fighting Boney. Not sure how he came to be in your mother’s exclusive service. He’s a good looking dog who makes himself agreeable to the ladies, as well as being a decent driver with an instinct for horses. I reckon he used his charm on your lady mother, because she won’t hear a word against him.’
‘Is he our assassin?’
