“To have a sight of the young lady and hear it from her own lips as she ain’t been kidnapped nor held captive against her will. Do you take me, me lord?”
With another inward sigh, Alex nodded. “Then I’ve no other recourse than to fetch her back here. However, I’ve been journeying all morning and I’ve no intention of taking off again until tomorrow.”
The Greenaways became voluble again.
“Ha! Think we’re going to hang about waiting upon your convenience?”
“And what if you don’t come back? Who’s to say he won’t take off with her again? Mr Benjamin, you can’t let him go off alone.”
Alex eyed them with dislike. To his annoyance, it appeared the runner was not suited with his solution either.
“I’m bound to state, me lord, as there’s something in what the lady says.”
“That I’ll go off somewhere? Are you off your head? This is my home. Bound to return, aren’t I?”
“Ah, but when, me lord? I don’t have no orders to be kicking me heels neither. Bow Street won’t take it kind if I’ve took more time than needed to settle the business.”
Clutching at straws, Alex tried again. “What if I bring Miss Greenaway to London, to Bow Street?”
Benjamin eyed him, waving down the mutterings starting up from behind. “The problem with that, me lord, is I can’t be certain as you’ll come, can I? Seems to me as I had ought to accompany you to wherever the young lady is.”
“And have those two follow you and start badgering her again? No, I thank you.”
The fellow began to ruminate all over again, and Alex breathed a little more easily. It was plain he had the upper hand. Vergette’s name had fortuitously acted as a powerful deterrent, for which he was mightily relieved. For no consideration would he trust the Greenaways not to nose their way in if he was to consent to take the runner with him to Romsey.
At last Benjamin spoke. “I’m bound to ask you for a written undertaking, me lord, as you’ll bring the young lady to Bow Street within a day or two.”
“Three. Three days.” Alex was ready enough to set his signature to such a thing if he could bargain for more time. “I’ve to allow Miss Greenaway a chance to prepare and I ain’t setting off before the morning. It’ll take us a day to get to London and I’ve to find accommodation.”
“I will say that’s reasonable, me lord.”
“Reasonable? You’re letting him off scot-free!”
“If you’ll allow me to finish, madam? I’ll be glad if you’ll write that undertaking, me lord, and I’ll take it with me afore I leave this house. After which, sir and madam, you may do as you please, but I’ll be off to London by the night mail.”
Ignoring the outbreak of hostilities, Alex sat down at once at his father’s desk and hunted in the drawers for paper. Selecting a pen with a reasonably sharp point at its end, and with a passing instant of gratitude for Outram’s efficiency in ensuring the inkwells in the standish were kept freshly filled, he set about the task of writing what was needed. It did not take long. He signed it with a flourish and shook sand over it. Giving the ink a moment to dry, he again took to the drawers, looking for the Luthrie seal. He was not yet entitled to use it, but it would serve better than his own.
Using a flint to light the candle kept with the stick of sealing wax, he heated the end and dropped a splodge on the folded note. As he stamped it with the seal, he found the runner waiting by the desk.
Alex held out the letter. “I’ve addressed it to your magistrates. Trust that’ll serve?”
“Nicely, me lord,” said Benjamin, taking the note and carefully tucking it into a pocket book he unearthed from within his voluminous great-coat. He nodded at the Greenaways, still arguing near the fire, and lowered his voice. “Doubt you’ll be troubled by ’em, me lord. They’ve taken the notion to post down to Bow Street to be sure and catch the young lady there.”
“As long as they don’t try to follow me.”
“They won’t do that, me lord.” Benjamin laid a finger to the side of his nose and winked, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Tipped ’em off as it’d hurt their case if they took it into their heads to do any such thing. Hindering an officer of the law in the execution of his duty is that, me lord.”
Alex grinned. “Do you mean to say they believe you?”
The fellow raised his brows. “And why wouldn’t they, me lord? Who’d know the law better nor me?”
Thanking his stars for the influence of Vergette’s name, Alex got up and went across to the bell-pull to summon the butler.
The front door shut behind the unwelcome visitors, and Alex let his breath go. He’d seen them off himself, along with the butler. There was no trusting the Greenaways not to start something, and he wanted to make sure they were gone before re-joining the family.
“Thank the Lord for that, Meech. Don’t let them back in, will you?”
“Certainly not, my lord. I must beg your pardon for their having entered the house at all. Had it not been for the individual from Bow Street, Matthew would not have been overborne.”
