Chapter Nine

In Which Geography Plays a Major Role, and Holly is Confused

She was an amazing young woman.

That thought flashed through Richard’s mind as he looked at her, sitting next to him quietly. Definitely unlike any other woman he’d known, since they would be badgering him with questions or demanding he tell them everything, reveal all his secrets, and when he refused, throwing a fit of rage or something.

Yes, Holly was unique. Besides her beauty, which was also unique in its way, she had a brain and wasn’t afraid to make use of it. Not for her the simpering, dithering giggles, or whispers behind fans, that served as conversation far too often.

If she had an opinion, she voiced it. If she disagreed, she’d voice that too. Life with her, mused Richard, would never be dull.

“It’s hard for you, isn’t it?” She gently touched his arm.

He tried to recall the topic under discussion, wrenching it away from an appreciation of Miss Holly Trease. That train of thought was definitely moving toward the ‘serious interest’ category.

“What?”

“The idea that you will have to violate something that is extremely important to you. Your word.”

He nodded, crashing back to the matter at hand. “Yes, Holly. It is indeed, and I have to say it’s a comfort knowing you understand that.”

She stared absently at her toes for a moment, thinking. “Could you lose your employment over this?”

“I’m not sure.” That was true, since this was a situation that neither he nor his employers could ever have anticipated.

She pursed her lips, then took a breath. “The papers that were stolen…were they of a nature that might cause injury or death if you revealed their contents?”

“Good Lord, I hope not.” He stared at her. “No. No, I can’t see any situation where a life might be at risk.”

“Excellent. That removes one obstacle, at any rate. If you tell us what’s in those papers, nobody will die as a result.”

“Fair point,” he acknowledged.

“So, deducing from the aforementioned non-life-threatening nature of the papers, you must be more concerned about breaking your word than the results of any revelation?”

“Yes. I suppose so.” She was right. It was his honour that was the sticking point here. If a man did not keep his word, what sort of man was he?

They sat quietly for a few minutes, Holly gazing at the portraits, Richard wrestling with the problem at hand.

At last, he looked at her, and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers.Her skin was silk, her palm warm, and she made no objection to his touch, simply moving her head and gazing at him.

“You’ve come to a decision, haven’t you?”

He nodded. “I have.” He rose and tugged her to her feet. “Let’s find your father. I need to talk to him and Sir Duncan together. That’s the only way.”

“And me,” she squeezed his hand. “You are not having that conversation without me present.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I’ll wager my mother will feel just the same.”

Richard had to chuckle. “The Trease women are a force to be reckoned with, are they not?”

“Indeed we are,” she grinned back. “Come then. Let’s find Papa and see if Sir Duncan can meet with us.”

“Holly,” he paused for a moment. “We have to avoid Blackstone. It is important he not know that we are getting together. It will rouse his suspicions, and I have no idea what he might do…”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” She squared her shoulders. “He is a guest here, after all, and it’s unlikely that he’d be creeping through corridors or listening at doors without a damn good reason.”

“Good point, but one never knows…”

“I think Ferguson is quite up to the task of keeping an eye on him,” she said confidently. “But we’ll ask Papa to ensure our privacy.”

He took a deep breath. “Thank you.” He raised her hand to his lips and dropped a light kiss on the back of it, pleased to see colour rise to her cheeks. “After this business is settled, I think you and I…well, perhaps we should…umm…”

She laughed. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

The sound of footsteps made Richard release her hand, and a footman appeared at the end of the gallery.

“Pardon me, Miss, but Lady Hazel is asking for your presence in her study.”

Holly nodded. “I’ll be right along.” She glanced at Richard. “You come too.”

He sighed at the obvious order,replied “Yes, Ma’am,” and obediently followed her and the footman back out of the gallery and down more passages until they reached the familiar territory of Lady Hazel’s private domain.

“Come in, both of you.” The soft invitation came from Holly’s mother, who rose as they walked into the room.

“Thank you, Mama. You simply cannot keep me out of this.”

Lady Hazel sighed. “I know.”

“That’s my girl,” said a laughing voice behind them, and Richard turned to see Lord Trease stroll in. “Can’t keep her down, Hazel, no matter what.”

“Just like her father.”

The muttered comment made Richard grin, but he said nothing, correctly assuming it was safer that way.

“Papa,” Holly turned to him. “Is Sir Duncan well enough to join us, do you think?”

Lord Hawthorn turned to Richard, his face serious. “He needs to be here for this?”

“Yes, my Lord,” he replied. “Very much so.”

He didn’t miss the glance exchanged by Lady Trease and her husband. She gave a tiny nod. “I’ll fetch him.”

“Mama,” Holly interrupted, “this must be private. Very private.”

“It will be.” Lady Hazel moved to the door, then closed it. “Holly, I am relying on you to never reveal this to anyone. Not your brother or your sisters.”

Richard watched, fascinated, as Holly’s eyebrows rose in puzzled surprise.

“Er, well, yes, Mama. Of course. If you insist.”

“I do.”

With that stern response, she crossed the room to the wall next to the fireplace, and turned a bell pull in a rather odd way.

Both Richard and Holly gasped as a panel swung open and revealed a passageway.

“Mama,” murmured Holly, her eyes wide in surprise. “I always knew there were secret passages in this house. Do you have any idea how long Willow and I spent hunting for them?”

“Of course, darling. But some things must remain secret. And this is one of them.” She stood before the dark opening. “I shall fetch Sir Duncan.”

And she vanished, leaving Lord Hawthorn, his daughter, and a rather confused Richard, staring after her.

*~~*~~*

It took her a few minutes to recover from the shock of actually seeing the entrance to a hidden passage right in her mother’s study, but a chuckle from her father distracted her and she rounded on him.

“You knew ?”

“Of course.”

“All the times we tried to find them?”

“Yes.” His lips twitched. “And may I say it was quite distracting to have you and your sister incessantly tapping on walls.” He glanced at Richard. “Like living in a house full of woodpeckers.”

Richard managed not to burst out laughing, but Holly could see his lips twitch as he struggled to contain his amusement.

She sighed. “Oh well, never mind. I suppose it’s a good thing there are still some surprises left here at Forest Grange.” She shrugged, then looked at her father again. “Does Ashe know about them? Or Cherry?”

“You’d have to ask your mother, dear.”

“Hmph.”

Her attention was distracted as the door re-opened to admit Lady Trease once more, but this time followed by Sir Duncan Aylmer.

“Well, this is quite intriguing,” he said as he stepped into the room. “I don’t think I’ve ever been shown a secret passage before.”

“Me neither,” muttered Holly under her breath.

“Sir Duncan,” said Lord Hawthorn. “Forgive the rather unusual situation…but I know you’ll understand our need for absolute privacy.”

The older man eased himself into a comfortable chair at Lady Hazel’s gentle insistence. He sighed. “Blackstone, of course.”

Holly blinked. “Goodness. He is really disliked, isn’t he?”

Sir Duncan smiled at her. “That he is, child. That he is.” Then he looked at Richard. “And you, sir, must be Mr Hawkesbury, the solicitor that my old friend William Durnford sent?”

“I am, sir.” Richard bowed low. “And I’m sorry that our meeting did not go as planned.”

“You are well, lad? I heard you were attacked?”

“I have recovered almost fully, Sir Duncan. Thank you for inquiring. The care I have received from Lord Trease and his family have set me to rights.”

“Nasty business, this,” he replied. “Well, we must get to it then.”

Disposing themselves around the room, Lord and Lady Trease sat on one side of Sir Duncan, and Holly and Richard took the other.

“Are you well enough to converse on this topic, my Lord? I understand your health is not what it should be…” Holly had to ask the question, a little puzzled by the colour in Sir Duncan’s cheeks.

She received a broad smile in return. “You’re a sweet girl, with a kind heart. And yes, I am quite well. Better, in fact, than many have been led to believe.” He glanced at Lord Hawthorn, received a brief nod, and then continued. “I have engaged in a mild pretence, my dear. Sometimes it is better to be perceived as weak and frail, than robust and in good health.”

Richard took a breath. “Blackstone, again.” The name dropped into silence.

Sir Duncan nodded. “As you say. Blackstone.” He turned toward Richard, his elbows resting on his knees. “The papers that were stolen from you. Do you recall the contents?”

“I do. But it has been difficult to know who to trust with that information, since I was sworn to secrecy until I reached you, sir.”

“We understand your dilemma and respect you for it, Richard,” offered Lady Hazel. “But now that we are together, it must be the right time for that information to be revealed.”

Richard looked at the old man. “With your approval, sir?”

“Go ahead, lad. I trust those in this room, without question.”

“Very well.”

Holly could see the pulse throbbing at the base of Richard’s neck as he swallowed and leaned forward. He was tense, perhaps even a little nervous, but she knew he’d be relieved once the burden of his task was revealed. The weight of that knowledge was becoming unbearable.

“The papers I carried detailed the original borders of the properties in this area. Forest Grange, Rosewood Park, and Myrtle Manor. One in particular had been drawn over two hundred years ago; a certified copy of the original plot map.”

“But we know those borders,” sputtered Holly. “They’re on the map, and I’m sure Papa has copies?”

“Let the man speak, dear,” gently remonstrated her mother.

“Sorry.” She sighed.

“To clarify the situation,” Richard glanced at Holly, “the borders of these properties were formally settled a couple of hundred years ago, and are as shown on your beautiful map, Lord Trease. So I can understand your confusion, Holly.”

“Good, because it’s not getting any better,” she grumbled.

“What is important here is the river. And that is where our investigations into the land records entered the picture.”

Sir Duncan nodded. “I understand your confusion as well, Miss Holly, because I was rather confused myself when Blackstone arrived at my doorstep a few days ago.”

“If I may ask, sir, how does he enter the picture?” Richard posed the question with a blend of curiosity and respect for the elder gentleman.

“He arrived unannounced,” began Sir Duncan, “claiming to be an acquaintance of a good friend of mine in London. A man who happens to be quite involved in the financing of canals.”

“Ahh,” murmured Lord Hawthorn.

Sir Duncan grinned at him. “Yes. Now you are beginning to understand.”

“Wait a minute,” interrupted Lady Hazel. “You’d better make it clear for the rest of us who don’t?”

“Go ahead,” Sir Duncan waved his hand at Lord Trease. “I’m going to have a spot of that excellent brandy I see on the mantelpiece, if I might, while you explain, Hawthorn.”

Silently, Lady Hazel rose to take care of Sir Duncan’s request, and then they all settled down to listen to the rather complicated but compelling tale of greed and fraud.