Josiah reached them and headed straight for Diana, taking her out of Francis’ grasp. He embraced his wife, holding her tightly to him. Diana buried her head in her husband’s chest, his embrace allowing those tears to fall. Francis ached to watch his sister’s pain.
The Viscount of Ridlington had caused this.
“What happened, Diana?” Josiah said, as he kissed her forehead, urging her to look up at him through her tears.
“The V-Viscount. He arrived here this morning, seconds after you left,” she said, her words stammering through her tears.
“He must have been watching the house, waiting for you to leave,” Francis said, walking in a small circle as he bunched his hands against his temple, thinking hard. He now understood what had happened that morning. After the Viscount had ransacked Diana’s house, he had gone to Mr Preston’s office. Francis didn’t doubt he’d been just as violent there.
“He knocked out our poor butler,” Diana said, “stepped over him to get into the house. The footmen tried to restrain him, but it did little use.” Francis winced, remembering the footmen all too well, they were boys really, still lads with not much muscle on them. They wouldn’t have been able to stand a chance. “He found me with the harp, demanding to know where Lady Ridlington was. When I said I didn’t know, he…” she broke off as she gasped with her tears.
Josiah embraced her again, holding her tight and kissing her. The sight of the comfort made Francis turn away and rest his arms on the banister above the stairs, leaning over it. More than once had he considered taking Lady Ridlington in his arms in such a way that very morning, but he was not permitted to.
“He pushed over the harp, and then he began to destroy the place. He chased me through the house, saying he would ruin everything if I did not tell him where she was,” Diana said, her voice still stammered with tears. Josiah and Francis glanced at once another, the fear evident in that one look. “I didn’t tell him.”
“What made him leave?” Josiah asked.
“Our gardener,” she said softly, revealing a small smile. “He is such a big man; I do not think even the Viscount was willing to take him on. The footmen fetched him, and he threw the Viscount away from me, demanding he leave. The Viscount ran away with his tail between his legs then.”
“Good,” Francis found himself saying, but it was not enough. The Viscount would have to pay for what he had done now, not only to Lady Ridlington, but to his sister too.
I cannot let this carry on.
“That blunderbuss,” Josiah said, followed by a string of other curses.
“Josiah!” Diana admonished him.
“Can you blame me?” he asked, his eyes wide. “This has to stop. Now.”
“Agreed,” Francis said, standing up off the banister. “We tell the constables what happened. Have him charged for this.”
“They will still not arrest him, not if he says he had reason to suspect Lady Ridlington was here,” Josiah said, not releasing Diana.
“I know, but we make the case anyway,” Francis said, looking around the house. That day could have gone much worse. The Viscount could have taken his anger out on Diana rather than her house. It had been a close call indeed. “You two should come away from the house. Move in with me for now.”
“What?” Diana asked, looking up.
“It is not safe here,” Francis said, gesturing to the mess in the house. “There is nothing to stop the Viscount watching this house and forcing his way in again.”
“Agreed,” Josiah said. “It is not safe.”
“Come to mine. Stay there for a few days.”
“Are you certain?” Josiah asked.
“I have never been more certain,” Francis said with feeling. “Pack your things. We’ll leave for mine as soon as possible.”
* * *
Francis helped Diana into the carriage, seeing that she had stopped crying, even though the tears still lingered in her eyes. She paused for a second, holding onto his hand tighter and staring at him.
“It is my fault, isn’t it?” she asked in a whisper.
“What makes you say that?”
“I’m the one who goaded him before,” she said, “when he last came.”
“This is not your fault, Diana,” Francis said with feeling. “The only person we can blame for this is Lord Ridlington. In you go. Let’s get you somewhere safe.” He urged her into the carriage before stepping back and looking up and down the road.
