Eleanor gratefully picked up the thread.“You certainly make me feel that in having a quiet wedding I had a narrow escape.”
“A quiet wedding in Paris.How romantic.”
“Yes,” said Eleanor, thinking of a bleak church in Newhaven and a short-tempered parson.“But sometimes I pine for orange blossom and bridesmaids.”
Amy grinned.“I suppose I would too.It is something we hope to do only once and so, I suppose, one should make the most of it.As long as I’m married to Peter, though, I simply don’t care.Do you know, I miss him when we’re apart?Even now I’m wondering where he is.Is it not ridiculous?Do you…?”She stopped her question in embarrassment.“No, I’m sorry.”
“Do I think about Nicholas?”said Eleanor, undisturbed.“I do sometimes.But we don’t have a grand passion.”
Then she thought of their recent encounters and wondered if she lied.Was he now thinking of her?She rather hoped he was sleeping.
“Anyway,” she said prosaically, “I don’t have to wonder where he is.I know.He is at Miles Cavanagh’s rooms.”
“Oh, then it was him I saw near there on my way here.I thought it was, but he didn’t look well.I thought he looked drawn the other day, but today he looked worse.”
“Yes, I know,” said Eleanor, smoothing a tiny cotton smock.“We both need a repairing lease.”
Thought of the country suddenly linked up with her brother’s offer.If she wished to take anything from his house it would have to be soon.She explained the situation to Amy.
“A treasure hunt,” said the girl.“What fun!”
“Well, I doubt there will be any treasure,” said Eleanor.“Lionel will have sold anything of monetary value.But there are possibly a number of sentimental trifles I would like.With you to accompany me and Thomas for protection, I need not be nervous.”
So, after a light luncheon, they set out.
That eveningthere was a crush in Miles Cavanagh’s simple rooms.All the members of the Company were there, sitting around the table and passing the brandy decanter.In a corner three men clearly of the lower orders talked among themselves.One was Tom Holloway.Lord Melcham sat in an armchair by himself, sipping at a small glass of sherry.
Nicholas was at the head of the table.He was dressed in the height of elegance, obviously ready for yet another night on the town.He addressed his friends.“Everything is arranged as best it can be.I don’t anticipate trouble, but if there is, I hope to God you can get me out of it.Lord Melcham, you will await news here?”
“If it is not inconvenient, Mr.Delaney, Mr.Cavanagh,” said the older gentleman.“I must confess to being eager to see the fruition of so many months’ work.”
“You can’t be more eager than I,” said Nicholas dryly.He broke off as Peter Lavering burst into the room.
“Delaney, thank God I’ve found you.Amy and Eleanor have disappeared!”
There was a stunned silence followed by an uproar that was cut off by Nicholas.“Peter, sit down and tell us what’s happened.”
The large young man ignored the first instruction and paced nervously.“I went to collect Amy from your house.She spent the day with Eleanor but was expected back, so when I called at Lady Middlethorpe’s she asked me to go for her.Your staff were put out because they seemed to think they’d both gone to Lady Middlethorpe’s in the early afternoon.They’d taken a footman as well, because they were stopping to pick up something from Eleanor’s old home on the way.”
“They must have taken the carriage,” said Nicholas.His voice was level, and the look he shared with Francis was simple concern.But Francis noticed that his face in the candlelight had altered; the contours had become valleys and his eyes were almost black.
“Yes,” said Peter impatiently, “but it came back with some bits of furniture not long after they left.I went to Chivenham’s, but they said Amy and your wife had walked on to Lady Middlethorpe’s with the footman.”
He glared at a stonily impassive Nicholas and then burst out, “Your indifference to the welfare of your wife is, I suppose, your own business, but I’ll be damned if I let anyone harm a hair on Amy’s head!”
He looked acutely embarrassed at this outburst, but nobody seemed to have noticed.Everyone was staring at Nicholas, who had covered his face with taut fingers and was swearing long and fluently in a number of languages.
Suddenly he surged to his feet and slammed his fist down so the table shook.“This is the last bloody straw!Lord Melcham, no doubt you know what you can do with your damned schemes!”
He ignored that gentleman’s protests.“My friends,” he said in cold, clipped tones, “our first consideration is to get the ladies back unharmed.I have no doubt they are being held hostages for my good behavior.I don’t need to tell you my behavior is going to be very good indeed.Everything they want they shall have.However, it is only prudent to cover for all eventualities.”
He turned to the three men sitting in the corner.“Shako, go and snoop around Chivenham’s house and see what you can find out.It’s possible they are still there.Tim, run over to my house and tell them to send any news or messages here.Peter and Francis…” He sighed as he looked at them.“I’m so sorry.I would like you to stay here and be prepared to organize any escape which seems practicable.But don’t take chances.I believe they are in no danger as long as I behave myself.An unwise attack could trigger disaster.”
He looked around at the shocked faces.“The rest of you I would like to come with me as planned.Lord Melcham, do you stay?”
“Sir,” said that man severely.“I cannot allow you to throw away everything like this.”
“You cannot stop me,” said Nicholas icily.“Do you expect me to sacrifice my wife and my friend?”
