CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

C HAPTER T WENTY -S IX

C harlie left Wiles in charge of organizing the watchers while he took Oriana to the cottage. This lack of sleep was taking a toll on her. He undressed her and slowly made love with her. She succumbed to Morpheus almost immediately afterward. He would leave her alone the rest of the night even if something happened. At about three in the morning the sound of an owl filtered through the air. The watch .

Oriana rose. “Was that a bird?”

“Yes.” He started pulling on his breeches and boots. “I’m going out to look around.” When he looked back she had her gown on and was fastening the buttons. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to stay here?”

“No. I want to be there when we catch them.”

“I didn’t think so.” He took her hand in his. “Let’s go find out what’s happening.”

Another owl sound called out, as if it was answering the first. A man burst through the trees. It only took a second for Charlie to recognize that it wasn’t one of their people and to dash after the villain. The man was huffing and puffing, as if he wasn’t used to the exercise, when Charlie leapt on the blackguard and brought him down. The man started thrashing around, trying to escape. He punched the man on the side of the head and the scoundrel stopped fighting. “I need something to tie him up with.”

“Here.” Oriana pushed a length of rope at him.

“We got the other one near the barn,” Wiles shouted. “You were right. They were going to torch it.”

“Take him to the barn. He might be groggy. I punched him pretty hard on the head.” When Charlie got up from the man, he tried to run again, and he grabbed him by the collar. “So much for hurting him too badly.”

Wiles picked up the rope, bound the man’s hands, and started pushing him toward the barn. “Got a hard head.”

They made the villains sit on the ground and formed a circle around them. Charlie strode up, bringing Oriana with him. “Tell me who gave you the order to do this?”

One blackguard spat and leered at Green One. Before anyone could blink an eye, she lashed out and kicked him in the face. “Give me that look again and I’ll really hurt ye. Tell his lordship what he wants to know.”

“It was our idea,” the other one said, watching her warily.

“Someone told you to do damage to my property,” Oriana said. “It was Lord Ognon.”

“How’d ye know—”

“Stubble it. She didn’t know, did she? She was test’in ye,” the villain Green had kicked snarled.

“She knew,” the skinnier man said. “She sounded like my wife does when she knows someth’in I’m keep’in from her.”

Oriana rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache. “The only thing I do not know is why he sent you.”

“Ye were supposed to send for him to help ye,” the skinny man said. “Said he was yer only family.”

“He might be my family, but I would no sooner trust him than I would a poisonous viper.”

“What are we going to do with them?” Wiles asked.

Oriana stared at the two blackguards for a while. “I do not have a cellar that will keep them securely.”

“I do.” Charlie glanced at her. “Or we can take them to the magistrate’s gaol. He’ll be back in a few months.”

“No, no, no.” The smaller man started to weep. “Please don’t. Me wife’ll leave me. She said if I was do’in anyth’in wrong, she wouldn’t have me anymore.”

That was interesting. He looked at the man again. “Then why did you agree to do Ognon’s dirty work?”

“I didn’t at first. Then he said that he was enclosing the land, and I’d lose my farm unless I did him a favor.”

Wiles gave the larger criminal a hard shove with his boot. “What’s your story?”

“Money. I needed the money to keep my grain store go’in. Me barn burned down.”

Oriana stared at the larger man. “On whose property was your barn?”

“Lord Ognon’s. He said he’d run me off unless I did it.”

“For the love of God.” She closed her eyes as if she was in pain. “The cur is worse than an absolute idiot.”

Everyone around murmured their agreement.

“It still doesn’t answer what we’re going to do with them,” Wiles said.

Charlie searched Oriana’s eyes. “We could discover if they’ve ever been in trouble before.”

She nodded. “And if they have not, we could help them somehow.”

“It’s not their fault that the title and lands defaulted to a gentleman who cannot be trusted and would use his tenants badly.”

“He’ll just do it again, miss.” Green Two stared at the one she kicked. “And I don’t trust him.”

That also met with general assent.

“I was trying to scare ye. It didn’t work, did it?” the man said.

Some of her tenants chuckled.

Oriana glanced at Charlie, then at the two miscreants. “Do you want to remain in England, or would you rather emigrate to America or Canada?”

“How would we do that? We don’t got no money,” the bigger one said.

“I can provide you with enough to book passage and to buy a farm or a business.” The smaller one opened his mouth, and she held up her hand. “You will be escorted from here to the nearest port with ships sailing west.”

Charlie exchanged a brief look with Wiles, who gave a short nod. “That’d be Liverpool, miss. I can have the information by later tomorrow or the next day.”

It occurred to Charlie that he would need to get statements from Ognon’s two men. If there were no consequences for him, he’d continue to harass Oriana. At least catching the two men would give them a few days to find a more permanent solution.

“Thank you, Wiles.” She turned back to their prisoners. “Will your wife go with you?”

“I think so.” The smaller man appeared uncertain. “I can ask.”

“Give Wiles your direction and we will bring her to Lord Stanwood’s house. You will be locked up there until you are escorted to the ship.” She met the gaze of all the men and women they had been keeping watch with. “I am proud of you. This was not an easy task. Thank you.”

“You did it with us, miss,” Green Two said, then pointed at Wiles. “And you brought him to help us understand what to do.”

“That’s right,” Johnny Smith added. “We all did it together.” He gave her a sheepish look. “It was sort of fun work’in with everyone like that.”

Oriana’s eyes misted. “Come by today, but not too early.” Everyone chuckled. “I’ll have something for you. Good night. Get some sleep.” She placed her hand on Charlie’s arm. “I am ready for my couch.”

“I’ll escort you home and go back to my house. I’ll tell Mrs. Rollins you will meet with her in the afternoon, shall I?”

“Yes, please.” She leaned against him as they walked back to her house, then he kissed her at the door. “Until later today.”

“I will see you then.”

The door opened and Figgs held it. “Did you get them?”

“We did.” Oriana smiled. “I will tell everyone about it when I wake up.”

“Yes, miss.” She bowed. “Sleep well.”

“I intend to,” Oriana said over her shoulder.

Charlie strode to the stables, expecting to saddle his own horse, when Green One came out with him. “I just heard what happened, my lord. Thank ye for yer help.”

“It was my pleasure.” He took Hermes and mounted. “Have a good rest of the night.”

Oriana made her way up the stairs to her chamber. She was exhausted, but much of the tension that had kept her strung like a tight bow had evaporated. Now there was just one more fence to take, and that would be easy.

She woke to the sun shining and a warm breeze coming through the windows.

“You’re awake,” Kerby said. “Would you like your breakfast?”

“What time is it?”

“Going on noon.” She gave Oriana a missive. “This came from the vicarage this morning.”

“Excellent.” Another item they could check off their list before she and Charlie married. “I would like a bath before I eat. After I have broken my fast, I must go to Stanwood Place and continue my meeting with the decorator.”

“Yes, miss.” Her maid left the room.

Oriana placed a hand on her midriff. Could she truly be pregnant? She gave herself a shake. There was no point in thinking about it now. The next few days would tell. She swung her legs over the bed and padded to the stand behind the screen. The sound of the bathtub being pulled out of the cupboard came to her. Soon the vessel was full of warm water that she happily sank into. “It will be nice when no one has to carry water up the stairs.” Fortunately hot water was always in her kitchen.

“It will, miss.” Kerby handed Oriana the soap and cloth. “I think I am going to enjoy being there. And it’s not so far that I can’t come here when I need to.”

“I agree. I will be back and forth a great deal.” She applied the lavender-scented soap to the cloth and washed.

“When you’re dry Lady Prue left a note for you.”

“I know I have not been here much, but where has she been? She is almost never here.”

“I don’t know.” Kerby widened her eyes as she shook her head slowly. “She never says anything but if she’ll be here for dinner.”

“Very strange.” Oriana would have to ask her aunt when she saw her again. She dressed, ate, then went down to her office and took out the strongbox. Everyone deserved extra for their work. If she gave them a chance to say anything, they would all say they did it for her and the estate, but she was not going to give them that opportunity.

She tugged the bellpull, and Figgs entered. “Within the hour the men and women who kept watch and helped capture the villains will be here. You are to give them two pounds each. Do not allow any of them to talk you out of it.”

The majordomo came as close to an approving look as she ever had. “Yes, miss. They will not talk me around.”

“I know I can trust you.” Oriana rose. “I am going to Stanwood Place to finish planning the refurbishment. Do not tell anyone outside of this house where I am.”

A brief look of concern might have passed over Figgs’s countenance. “Yes, miss.”

Oriana could tell them what was happening soon enough. “I will dine here this evening.”

“Will his lordship be here as well?”

If she knew Charlie . . . “More than likely.”

“Very well, miss. I shall tell Cook.”

“Thank you. Please have my curricle brought around.”

The path to Stanwood Place seemed to be shorter and shorter each time Oriana traveled it. She met Charlie when she was almost at the house. “Good afternoon.”

He rode around, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. “Good afternoon. I hope you’re feeling much more the thing. I know I am.”

“I am. It is amazing what good sleep can do for one. Did you look at the colors I chose for the rooms?”

“I did. I like all of them. How much more do you have to do?”

“Only the main reception rooms are left.” They would be done before dinner. “Would you like to join me?”

“Very much.” He gave her a sly glance. “But I’m working on something with Rollins that I want finished as soon as possible. By the way, we have not discussed our wedding trip.”

“Speaking of weddings, we have a meeting with Mr. Taunton tomorrow morning.” She started her curricle again.

Charlie rode alongside her. “Which brings us back to our honeymoon. Where would you like to go?”

That was a very good question. One to which she had not given any thought. “I have no idea. Not London in the summer.”

“No, it’s much too hot. Not Paris as well apparently. My sisters said it was starting to smell as bad as it does in Town by the time they left in late June.”

“Perhaps someplace cool, but not too cool.” But where could that be? “I really do not know. Let me finish with Mrs. Rollins. Maybe something will come to me.” They reached the front of his—soon to be her—house as well, and two grooms ran over.

Charlie lifted her down. “Where are we dining this evening?”

“Rose Hill. We haven’t dined there recently.” She would have felt badly about not having dinner with the Rollinses, but this would give Charlotte an opportunity to speak with Mrs. Rollins, and Kenilworth was there to entertain her husband.

Charlie tucked her hand in his arm. “I’ll send a message to my cook that we will not be here.”

“Excellent. I have to say, I feel so much better now that we caught those men.”

He barked a laugh. “And are helping them escape your cousin. Mrs. Crew was here this morning. After giving her husband an excellent bear-garden jaw, she kissed him and told him he was a fool for thinking she’d leave him. She’s thrilled about traveling to America. Apparently, she has family in a place called Connecticut. Mr. Nutley is content to emigrate as well. He was a miller before your cousin closed down the mill. I think he will be able to find work.”

“You have had a much busier morning than I have. Has Wiles been able to book them passages?”

“I expect him back this evening or tomorrow,” Charlie said. “You will have to wait until tomorrow to find out when they are departing.” He picked her up and whirled her around. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She tried to sound stern. “If anyone sees us, they will think we belong in Bedlam.”

“Not a chance. My parents showed everyone how a happily married couple behaves.”

Oriana wondered exactly what that meant, then decided she did not want to know at the moment. She had decorating to do in her new home.