Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

“ C olborne, there you are.”

Samuel had begun to wonder whether Lord Timothy would join him at Brooks that evening when he arrived. Despite it being later than he had said he would be there, Samuel did not mind.

“I was beginning to think that you had better things to do than join an old friend for a brandy,” Samuel said with a grin.

His grin faded as he noticed the tense expression on Lord Timothy’s face, and his brow furrowed.

“My sincerest apologies,” Lord Timothy said and joined Samuel at their usual table.

“Are you well, Colborne? You appear rather stressed.”

Lord Timothy sighed and turned to Samuel.

“There is something I must tell you, and there is no easy way to go about it.”

Samuel shifted in his chair, and his brow furrowed.

“If you aimed to fill me with concern, you have certainly succeeded.”

“I do apologize, Yarmouth. It was not my intention to worry you, but it is a rather urgent matter.”

“Please, do tell.”

“I also wish to ask for your discretion on the matter,” Lord Timothy spoke slowly.

“Of course.”

Samuel grew even more concerned, and sincerely hoped that everything was well with Lord Timothy and Lady Lillian.

“This letter was delivered to our home last eve. It was addressed to Lillian,” Lord Timothy said as he retrieved the letter from his breast pocket and placed it on the table. He slowly slid it over to Samuel and drew in a deep breath.

Samuel unfolded the letter, and as he read the threatening words directed at Lady Lillian, his jaw tightened, and his anger boiled up inside of him.

“Who dares to threaten your sister in such a manner?”

“We do believe that it can only be the same man who wrote the rumors of you, ruining your reputation,” Lord Timothy answered.

“I cannot believe that he has the audacity to drag Lady Lillian into this mess. This is my fault. I should not have…” Samuel’s voice trailed off, and he was not even certain what to say.

“It is not your fault. You were not aware of what this madman was capable of. He certainly enjoys ruining people’s lives, making them squirm like bugs. Please, do not blame yourself, Yarmouth.”

“How can I not? I danced with her at the ball, thus exposing her to the man who wrote the article. It was not enough for him to ruin me, now he is intent on ruining everyone who comes into contact with me.”

“Do not blame yourself. We will not allow this to happen.”

“Your mother surely had much to say regarding this,” Samuel sighed.

“Well,” Lord Timothy sighed and looked at Samuel, “Lillian made me promise not to inform my parents yet.”

“How so?”

“Lillian was convinced that, if my mother and father knew of this, she would be imprisoned in our home until her last breath. She allowed me to inform you, but no one else.”

“She did?”

“Indeed. She did not seem to mind at all. It seems that you two are in the same situation, only hers is more dire. My mother will not tolerate anything which would bring harm to our family or its reputation.”

“Your mother is a proud woman, and relentless in her intent to protect her family. That is an admirable trait,” Samuel said.

“You speak much too kindly of my mother’s traits.”

Samuel chuckled and leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table.

“How is your sister?”

“She is well, but despite her insistence, it is clear that she is afraid and unsettled.”

Samuel’s jaw tensed once more, and he felt incredibly guilty that he had brought this on Lady Lillian. It was never his intention to drag her into his situation. But the only thing that he could now do was to find the man responsible, not only for the sake of his own reputation, but for the sake of Lady Lillian’s as well.

Samuel studied the letter and narrowed his eyes. There was something rather familiar about the penmanship, but he did not know why, beyond one certainty: it was written by the same man who had sent him the letter at his townhouse.

The two friends finished their drinks, but then Samuel excused himself after apologizing to Lord Timothy for cutting the evening short.

The words written in the threatening letter sent to Lady Lillian whirled through his mind as he rode home in his carriage, and he grew more and more worried with every moment that passed.

“Coachman, detour to Welsford House, please.”

“Very well, Your Grace.”

The carriage changed direction, and as it approached Welsford House, Samuel glanced out of the window. He noticed Lady Lillian in her window, and his heart began to pound wildly.

“Stop here, please. I will only be a moment.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Samuel climbed from the carriage and approached Welsford House. He lifted his gaze to the window and stared at the beautiful Lady Lillian. She suddenly held her hand against the glass and moved away.

Samuel’s brow furrowed as he watched her disappear from sight. Moments later, much to his surprise, the front door opened, and Lady Lillian stepped out, then closed the door behind her.

“Lady Lillian” he uttered with a smile as she approached him.

“Your Grace, come with me.”

Samuel followed Lady Lillian to a dark corner in the park central to the square, hiding them from sight by the foliage of the trees.

“Your Grace, I am aware that this is most improper, but it is the only way that I am able to speak with you.”

“It is quite alright, Lady Lillian, I do understand.”

Samuel’s heart began to race as she stared into Lady Lillian’s eyes, and it was quite overwhelming to stand that close to her.

“There is something which I must tell Your Grace,” Lady Lillian whispered, and she sounded as flustered as Samuel felt.

“You do not need to say a word. Your brother informed me of the letter that you received, and it was rather alarming,” Samuel whispered in the shadows. He was well aware that if anyone were to see them, Lady Lillian’s reputation would be ruined, but at that moment in time, he did not wish to move away, even the slightest bit. Standing close to Lady Lillian warmed his body at an overwhelming rate, but he felt not a shred of regret. “I cannot imagine how unsettled you must be feeling.”

Lady Lillian shrugged her shoulders.

“Being prohibited from leaving the house as ordered by my mother has its advantages.”

“Are you well under the circumstances?” Samuel asked in a concerned tone.

Lady Lillian clasped her hands together and nodded hesitantly.

“I am as well as can be expected. I am concerned about you.”

“Do not be. I am perfectly fine.”

Lady Lillian nodded pensively and sighed. A lock of golden hair fell onto her face, and Samuel fought the urge inside him to brush it away.

“But you need not fret, Lady Lillian. I will find the man responsible. I will not allow him to threaten you, or cause you any harm.”

A grateful smile graced Lady Lillian’s delicate lips, and her eyes sparkled even in the darkness around them.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

The intensity of her gaze mesmerized Samuel, and the feelings which filled him were rather overwhelming. He had not felt this way about any young woman before, and it was as exhilarating as it was terrifying. Despite knowing that he should step away, he brushed the golden lock of hair off her face, his hand gently caressing her cheek.

Her lips parted, and her chin tilted upward. Her lips were so close, Lady Lillian’s breath was warm on his face, and he was unable to fight the urge that filled him. He leaned in closer to her, but much to his dismay, their moment was interrupted by the clattering of hooves nearby. Samuel moved away hastily and felt rather embarrassed for nearly compromising the young lady with a kiss.

“My apologies, Lady Lillian.”

“There is no need to apologize, Your Grace,” Lady Lillian uttered breathlessly.

“I urge you to go back inside before someone sees us.” Lady Lillian’s reluctance was not lost on Samuel, and he gently brushed away the lock of hair, which had fallen onto her face again. “Please, go,” he whispered.

Lady Lillian nodded and hastily left his side. He watched as she disappeared back into Welsford House, and he sighed wearily.

It was clear that she was frightened and unsettled by the threatening letter, and he did not blame her in the least.

Of course, he blamed himself. If it were not for him, Lady Lillian would not be in this situation. He would not have brought attention to her, and the person responsible would not have set his sights on her.

As he stepped out of the shadows and went towards his carriage, he instinctively gazed up at her window. But she was not there. The candle that bathed the room in a golden glow had also been blown out, and there was only darkness.

Samuel stepped up into his carriage and directed the coachman to take him to his townhouse. It had certainly been a very long evening, and he now wished for the confines and the solitude of his home.

His concern for Lady Lillian grew as the carriage rolled along the cobblestones, and he vowed that he would unmask the man who had threatened her.

Samuel recalled the threatening letter that Lord Timothy had shown him, and the more that he thought about it, the more certain he was that the penmanship was rather unique. It was the same as that on the letter which he had received upon his arrival at the townhouse, which meant that it was from the same person.

But who was it? It was obvious to Samuel that it was a member of the ton and someone who had seen Samuel and Lady Lillian together, whether it was at Lady Montague’s ball or strolling through the park. But it made more sense that it was a guest at the ball. Finding out who it was would be rather difficult, as the guest list had been extensive. Lady Montague had never excluded any member of the ton at her previous balls and, in a similar manner, had made no exception with the most recent one.

Samuel’s jaw tightened as he tried to think of who might wish to ruin both his reputation and Lady Lillian’s, but no one came to mind. They had no known enemies, and it was impossible to prove otherwise. Perhaps he required a new approach, but what would that be? Perhaps he and Lord Timothy ought to speak again, on the morrow.

As the carriage came to a stop in front of his townhouse, Samuel heard a commotion from outside. He stepped down from the carriage, and his brow furrowed as he saw his footmen, the Housekeeper, and a few of the maids standing outside. A broken window was visible from where he stood, and he approached his Housekeeper, seeking an explanation. The maids scattered back into the townhouse, and the footmen resumed their places.

“Mrs. Hall, what on earth is the matter? Why is there a broken window?”

Mrs. Hall’s eyes were wide with fright, and she ushered Samuel into the townhouse.

“My apologies, Your Grace. It all happened very fast.”

“What do you mean?”

As Samuel stepped inside the drawing room, his eyes widened. Not only was the window shattered, there was glass on the floor, and some of the furniture was overturned. Books from the bookshelves were strewn on the floor, and Samuel could not believe his eyes.

He slowly paced the length of the room and inspected the damage.

“Please be careful of the glass, Your Grace.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Hall,” Samuel said and turned to her. “Was anything stolen?”

“Not that we can see, Your Grace. As you arrived, we had just stepped outside to see if anything had been dropped out there, but there was nothing but the broken glass. The study is even worse than this room. We are all trying to sort through the mess. Allow me to show you.”

Samuel followed Mrs. Hall along the corridor and into the study. She was correct; it was more of a shambles than the drawing room. Furniture was overturned, papers strewn about, and the drawers of Samuel’s desk had been emptied on the floor. It was rather strange that the intruder had made such a mess, yet had not stolen anything of value. The priceless paintings still hung on the wall, and the Faberge eggs were still in their display boxes, but everything else had been overturned. Samuel was convinced this was not a normal robbery, but that the person responsible had been searching for something specific.

“Was anyone harmed?” Samuel asked.

“No, Your Grace,” Mrs. Hall said and clasped her hands together, “although two of the maids were very much startled. They were on their way to clean the drawing room when they encountered the scoundrel.”

“They saw the man?”

“Indeed. Perhaps they can give Your Grace a better idea of who the man was, although they are quite startled still,” Mrs. Hall pointed out.

Samuel took a few steps, and glass crunched under his boots. He looked at his feet and noticed a broken vase on the floor, one which his mother had gifted him from France. Its delicate porcelain was in shards, entirely ruined. His jaw tightened as he crouched and touched the delicate pieces.

“Careful of the broken edges,” Mrs. Hall urged.

As she spoke the words, a sharp edge cut Samuel’s hand, and he winced. The glass sliced into his skin, and a searing pain erupted in his hand.

“Your Grace,” Mrs. Hall gasped as she rushed over to him. She reached for a kerchief and pressed it against his skin. The kerchief was immediately stained with Samuel’s blood, and he clenched his fist around the fabric. “Clara,” Mrs. Hall called out to a nearby maid. “A bandage, and make haste.” The maid scurried away and soon returned with a bandage. “You must be more careful with all of this shattered glass.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hall. I am fine.”

“Your Grace, we should-”

“How could this possibly happen, Mrs. Hall? Where were the footmen outside? Where were you? Where were the maids?”

“I was upstairs with the maids, Your Grace. We cleaned the upstairs chambers, turning the sheets and such. I am not certain where the footmen outside were. But I could inquire.”

“I will do that.”

“Your Grace is pale. Perhaps some tea would help.”

“I said I am well. I wish to speak to the staff. Send the maids to me immediately, in the breakfast room, where we will not be standing in all of this mess. And have Billings send for someone to board up the broken window until we can have it properly fixed.”

“As you wish, Your Grace,” Mrs. Hall nodded and left the study.

Samuel stared at the mess around him and sighed with annoyance. It was certainly not a coincidence that this had happened to his home, and he was convinced that it had been perpetrated by the same person who was behind the article and the letters.

Now, Samuel was more determined than ever to unmask this man, and with the assistance of the maids, hopefully, he would be closer than he was before.