CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

By Tuesday morning sealed copies of William’s and Daniel’s affidavits were lodged with Longhope and I’d like to plan and advertise a Grand Opening.’ She smiled suddenly. ‘The general public may not flood in … but I’ll wager our competitors will.’

‘To decide if the idea is worth copying?’

‘Yes. And also to find out what, if any, new techniques we’ve developed,’ replied Anna, reaching for Mr Landry’s letter which she had deliberately left until last. Then, having quickly scanned the page she looked across at Daniel and said, ‘He’s had a report from Mr Aldridge, the investigator.’

‘Finally.And?’

‘Apparently Harvill isn’t well thought of in Bristol.’

‘There’s a surprise. But by whom – and for what reason?’

‘The business community in general, I gather. Amongst other things, he has a reputation for underhand dealings.’ Anna continued reading. ‘Here’s something that may be relevant, though I can’t see how. The Harvills were originally from Worcester and owned property there. But the whole family moved to Bristol some time in the 1650s, probably on account of damage to property and reprisals following the battle of Worcester at the end of the civil war, he thinks.’ She looked up at Daniel. ‘I can’t see how that helps, can you? Hawthorne’s didn’t exist until Father bought a piece of semi-derelict land in 1735 and began building the manufactory on it.’

‘So is that all Aldridge has to offer? A history lesson?’

‘Not quite,’ said Anna, frowning over the final paragraph. ‘He’s heard rumours suggesting that Harvill may be over-extended financially.’

‘In which case, how the devil could he afford to buy Hawthorne’s – even if you were willing to sell?’

‘Mr Aldridge is wondering the same thing and attempting to establish whether or not the rumours are true.’ She tossed the letter on to the desk. ‘That’s it.’

‘And none of it any help at all.’ Daniel stood up and stretched, then pulled Anna to her feet. ‘There doesn’t seem much more we can do about any of this for now. It’s a little blustery outside but it’s dry. Shall we go out for a drive and a breath of air?’

She beamed at him and nodded.

‘Perhaps we could look in at the school and then call at Groves’ farm?’

He groaned. ‘ Must we?’

‘Well, not the school, perhaps. But I should call on Emily Groves. The new baby was born four days ago so she will be up and about by now.’ A glance at his face told her what he thought of this. Weakening, she said, ‘I suppose it can wait until tomorrow.’

‘Then let it.’ Taking her hand, he towed her towards the door. ‘Your dedication to duty is admirable. Usually, I am in awe of it. But right now, I would appreciate having you to myself.’ Pausing, his hand on the latch, he whispered, ‘I missed you last night.’

She’d missed him, too. He’d slept in his own bed in order, he’d said, to give her time to recover. Anna, who felt perfectly fine, wondered what precisely she was supposed to be recovering from but had been either too shy or not quite brave enough to ask … and still was. So she said cautiously, ‘And tonight?’

He grinned. ‘Is that an invitation?’

‘Do you need one?’

‘Not need , perhaps. But a fellow likes to know he’s welcome.’ And with a sudden laugh, ‘Get your hat and cloak and I’ll have them bring the phaeton round. If we dither much longer, Mama will be in here with yet more niggling dinner-party queries and we won’t get out at all.’

***

After a second night’s love-making that, astoundingly, had been even more wonderful than the first, Anna felt as if she was floating a few inches off the ground in a bubble of pure happiness which even the uncertainties of the Grimshaw Affair could not spoil. Daniel might not love her but there was much more between them now than she had ever dared dream there might be and she could be more than content with that.

As for Daniel, he was still not delving too deeply into the nature of his feelings towards his wife but could not help knowing that he was content – even happy – and much of that was due to Anna. Problems were always lessened when he could talk them over with her … and now there were the added pleasures of the bedroom, made all the sweeter – not just because of the long abstinence which had preceded them – but by Anna’s warm and ardent response to his touch.

***

It came as no surprise that Wednesday afternoon brought Daniel a copy of the letter of complaint and denial Grimshaw’s lawyers had sent to his own. No, they said, their client had neither blackmailed the late viscount nor attempted to blackmail the current one. After all, what possible means could he have to do so? The accusation was a complete tissue of lies and any evidence Longhope it was empty. Pivoting on his heel, he was about to move on when something struck him as not quite right. He looked again, not sure what had snared his attention … and then he saw it. Unless his memory was playing tricks, the Chelsea shepherd and shepherdess on either end of the mantelpiece had changed places.

Had they? Yes, he was sure they had … but that might simply be because a housemaid had taken them down to dust and put them back in the wrong places. Or it might not. It might be a message that someone had been here and wanted him to know that they had. Furious now, Daniel spun out and across to the dining-room where three sets of balcony doors led to the rear terrace with steps down into the garden. One pair stood open and, just as the reversed figurines had done, was silently jeering, See? See how easily I got into your home? And how easily I could do it again.

Daniel walked outside. Two of the footmen were heading towards the house from the shrubbery and Gregson, his head groom, was trudging back from the other direction.

Gregson saw him and called up, ‘Sorry, my lord. Nothing.’

Swearing ferociously under his breath, Daniel stepped back inside, shut and locked the doors before checking the others. It came as no surprise to discover that the key to one pair was missing. Mastering his temper as best he could, he realised that issuing the orders necessary to prevent further intrusions was going to make it impossible for him to keep this from his mother and sister. He didn’t have to share quite all of his suspicions with them, of course … but the idea of some nameless fellow creeping about the house was unlikely to go down well.

He ran down the stairs and, finding Flynn in the hall, said rapidly, ‘He’s been inside. He probably entered through one of the ground floor side doors but he left through the terrace doors in the dining-room and has taken a key. Gather all the servants together. Tell them that we’ve had an intruder and that, in future, I want all the doors that aren’t in constant use kept locked. Make one of the footmen responsible for checking every hour to see that they are. Then talk to Joseph. Find how sure he is that the man he saw today was the same one he saw before … and, as best you can, compare his description with the one I gave you. Report back to me on that later, please – and tell Joe I’ll probably want to speak with him myself.’

‘Very good, my lord.’

Daniel gave a curt nod. Then, drawing a long, resigned breath, he went first to the breakfast room to put the figurines back where they should be before going to face his family in the drawing-room. He found them poring over a pile of fashion plates and fabric samples.

‘But I like pink,’ Rebecca was protesting. ‘And what’s wrong with these sleeves?’

‘Too fussy,’ said Anna. ‘And pink isn’t a good colour on you.’

‘Perfectly true, dear,’ remarked the dowager. And looking up, ‘Not that we aren’t happy to see you, Daniel, but you are going to be horribly bored if you stay. We are looking ahead to Becky’s come-out and listing some suggestions.’

‘There’s nothing like being prepared,’ he murmured. ‘But if I may interrupt for a few minutes there is something I need to talk to you about.’

Reading the trouble behind his eyes without difficulty, Anna laid a pattern book aside and said, ‘Go on.’

Briefly and making it sound as unalarming as possible by omitting a couple of important details, Daniel told them, finishing with, ‘It’s unlikely anything of the sort will occur again but it won’t hurt to take a few precautions.’

‘Are you saying,’ demanded his mother, ‘that, while we’ve been in here, some stranger has been roaming the house at will? How is that possible?’

‘It appears he slipped into the grounds and then took advantage of an open door to wander inside. He can’t have been here for very long because –’

‘A thief?’ asked Rebecca, wide-eyed.

‘Possibly – though, as far as I know, he didn’t take anything. It’s unpleasant and totally unacceptable, of course, but no harm appears to have been done. I am guessing the man is a stranger passing through the neighbourhood who took the opportunity to take a private tour. But for the time being, can we all please be careful not to leave external doors open as if in invitation?’

‘Of course.’ Anna stood up, calm and unruffled. ‘I take it you’ve given the necessary orders to Flynn?’

‘Yes. He’s passing them on to the staff now.’ Smiling at his mother and sister, he said, ‘Don’t worry. It sounds worse than it is. Indeed, I might not have told you about it but for the fact that, for the next couple of weeks, you’ll wonder why doors you are accustomed to being open during the day are likely to be locked.’ He turned to go and then, as if in response to a sudden afterthought, ‘Ah. Anna … do you have a few moments?’

‘By all means.’ She rose, shook out her skirts and followed him to the door. Then, when he closed it behind them, ‘Where?’

‘Your office. We’re less likely to be overheard there.’

She nodded and led the way without speaking. Once there, however, she said, ‘What aren’t you telling them?’

‘Our intruder wanted me to know he’d been here.’ His tone grim, Daniel told her of the figurines, the open door in the dining-room and the missing key. Then he said baldly, ‘It’s possible it was Grimshaw.’

Anna stared at him. ‘How sure are you?’

‘Right now, not at all. But Joseph said the same man he saw before was loitering outside the gates again today and slipped into the grounds in the wake of your carriage. Flynn immediately sent all the grooms and footmen out searching for him. I imagine that gave Grimshaw – if it is him – his chance to get inside unseen. As yet, I haven’t had an opportunity to ask Joseph to describe the man but I will, and hopefully that will give us the answer one way or another.’

Anna stared silently into space, frowning a little. Finally, she said, ‘I’m finding it easier to believe our intruder was Grimshaw than some random snooper wandering in by chance. But what I can’t fathom is what he expects to achieve by it.’

‘Other than a rude gesture? One which will make me worry he could do it again?’

‘It was a big risk to take just for a rude gesture. And, unless he’s completely stupid, if he intended to do it again he wouldn’t have left any sign he’d been here. He’d have shut and locked the dining-room doors behind him and pocketed the key. We might not have missed it for weeks.’

Daniel regarded her with an expression that was partly thoughtful and partly something she didn’t recognise. Finally he said, ‘You know, I ought to find you uncommonly annoying. I’m not sure why I don’t.’

‘And I’m not sure why you should,’ she objected. ‘Or why you should think so now . We were only discussing possibilities, just as we always do.’

‘Exactly.’ Reaching out, he took her hands and pulled her into his lap. ‘And it inevitably ends with you hitting the nail on the head while I’m still hunting for the hammer. It ought to be maddening.’

Allowing one arm to slide around his neck, Anna smiled at him. ‘Because you’re a man, I suppose?’

‘Well, obviously.’ He grinned back. ‘I’m glad you noticed.’

‘I noticed a long time ago.’ She hesitated and then, throwing caution to the winds, ‘Roughly five years ago, in fact.’

His brows soared. ‘Really? We’d met? Before you came to value the scent bottles?’

‘No. But I watched through the window when you came to take Rebecca home for the school holidays. Most of the girls were collected by females who were probably their mothers’ ladies’ maids. Rebecca was the only one who was collected by a good-looking young man who always seemed happy to see her.’

Deciding to think about what this might or might not mean later, he said, ‘Who came for you?’

‘My father. Always. If he’d had his way, I’d have been educated at home but Mama decreed otherwise.’ Unable to resist the opportunity, she stroked his hair. ‘I met your father once, years ago at Hawthorne’s. But even though everyone at school knew Rebecca’s father was a viscount, I don’t recall anyone ever saying which viscount and therefore I didn’t make the connection. Consequently, when I came to do the valuation, aside from not knowing your father had died, meeting you was the last thing I expected.’

‘I … see. Were you ever going to tell me any of this?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m not sure why I’m telling you now, except …’ She stopped.

‘Except what?’

‘Except that things are … different between us now.’

Daniel said nothing for a few moments, playing idly with her fingers. Then, ‘Yes. They are. Changes for the better, do you think?’

‘Very much so.’

‘Good. That’s what I think, too.’ His thumb made lazy circles on her palm. ‘Much though I wish both Grimshaw and Harvill to the devil, there’s no denying that they’ve played a part in forging a relationship between us that I never expected to have.’ He grinned wryly. ‘As they say, it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good. But now they’re nothing but nuisances that I want out of our lives – sooner rather than later.’ He sighed. ‘And now, pleasant though it is sitting here with you, I’d better have a word with Joe and find out if Flynn has any additional news for me. So give me a kiss and send me on my way. I’ll see you later.’

Since nothing either Flynn or Joseph had to say was in any way conclusive, Daniel didn’t feel any better informed after he’d spoken to them than he had before. Deciding that safe was better than sorry, he repeated his earlier orders and reconciled himself to living on a knife-edge for the next few days. Then he went back upstairs to find comfort with his wife.

~**~**~