As the carriage slowed and turned onto a narrow lane, Justin roused himself from his n usings, his shoulders growing rigid against the soft leather. “Do you really think that we can find Alex?” A hitch in his voice betrayed his fear. “How can you possibly know where to begin looking?”
“Because of your father’s letter,” answered Branford.
“I—I don’t understand?”
“I should have given it the attention that Alex wished,” added the earl. “Then perhaps all of these troubles might have been avoided.”
Justin widened his eyes. “But …”
“Your sister was right,” continued Branford. “The letter held the answer to everything. I had just figured out the last part of the puzzle when you arrived.” He shook his head “I was about to send a warning to Alex. The villain behind all your family’s troubles is Lord Hammerton. It is he who is behind all this.”
“Hammerton!” exclaimed Justin. “W-Why would he wish to harm either of us? What possible threat are we to a man in his position?”
Branford gave a curt laugh. “That is exactly the crux of it, Chilton. You see, your father, andnotRobert Plainfield, was the rightful Earl of Hammerton.” A pause. “Asyouare now.”
Justin’s expression changed from puzzlement to disbelief. “That can’t be true!”
“Oh, but it is,” assured Branford. “Alex was right to be suspicious about the accidents. It’s evident that Hammerton had his eye on you for quite a while. Once it became clear that you were coming to Town for the season and would be moving with Polite Society, Hammerton no doubt decided that he couldn’t take a chance that you would stumble onto his secret. If Alex hadn’t been so clever and courageous, he would have left her alone.”
His mouth thinned for a moment. “I should have demanded that you tie her to her easel after she went off in the dead of night to a rendezvous arranged by Hammerton’s first note.”
“She didwhat?”
Branford gave a brusque cough. “Er, we shall discuss that at a later time as well. Suffice it to say, I was able to extricate her with a minimum amount of damage—the shot merely grazed her shoulder.”
He expelled a harried sigh. “Damnation, I would have thought she had learned enough from that not to go haring off a second time.”
Justin bit his lip. “I imagine that Alex felt she had no recourse. I didn’t take her seriously. And as you may well guess, she doesn’t back down in the face of trouble, especially when she thinks her family is threatened.”
They both exchanged rather guilty looks.
“Even though you now know that Hammerton is the villain,” continued Justin after a moment’s thought. “How are we ever going to find where he is holding her before this evening?” He gestured towards the rolling fields and stands of oak outside the window. “Why, he could beanywhere,milord!”
Branford steepled his fingers. “True. But I have heard rumors of certain debauched parties that Hammerton and his dissolute cronies occasionally have at a secret location. One of thosecronies is Baron Whitleigh, who is wont to pass his afternoons at White’s with a bottle of brandy.”
The earl smiled. “With a little encouragement, Whitleigh found he was able to recall that Hammerton has a hunting box in Burnham Beeches. We are going to pay him a little visit. He cracked his knuckles. “Speaking of hunting, I believe vermin are in season.”
After making himself a little more comfortable on the seat, he added, “And another thing, Chilton. As we are going to be in each other's pocket for the next little while, Branford will do, rather than those incessant ‘sirs’ and ‘milords’—I am not yet in my dotage.”
Justin gave a shy grin. “Yes, sir!”
“Henry?”
Ashton entered the drawing room after handing his hat and walking stick to the butler. “Is something amiss?”
“I amsoglad you have returned.” Lady Ashton shot up from her chair, her face was clouded with worry. “I’ve just come from second visit to Miss Chilton’s aunt and have received some very disturbing news. The girl is missing!”
Ashton frowned, but before he could speak, his wife went on in a rush.
“Lady Beckworth is beside herself, as you can well imagine. From what I gather, a note was delivered to Alex early this morning. She left the house—by herself I might add—shortly after that and hasn’t been seen since.”
Unable to contain her agitation, Lady Ashton pace the room. “I was just about to visit Sebastian to inform him of what hasoccurred—though I fear that he’s in no condition to do anything about it.”
Ashton’s face was grim. “You needn’t bother with a visit. I’ve just come from White’s, where young Whitleigh was in a state of apoplexy from having Sebastian wave a pair of pistols under his nose earlier this afternoon. He was babbling something about Lord Hammerton’s hunting box in Burnham Beeches and asking why the devil Sebastian was interested in it.”
“Hammerton? I must say, I’ve never cared for the man—he’s too oily by half.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Sebastian must think he has something to do with Alex’s disappearance.”
Ashton nodded. “I would imagine that’s correct.”
