Serena Read online

  “Aye,” Freddy said grinning. “I did stop by at Moorely, but Serena wasn’t at home.”

  “I see,” was all his lordship said.

  “No, it is a wonder that her uncle allows her to careen over the countryside unattended, when there are who knows what lurking about,” Sir Jasper remarked.

  “Careening about the countryside?” His lordship leaned forward. “What can you mean?”

  “Well, Freddy said she wasn’t home … and I did see her not thirty minutes ago, on Bolder Road. I simply assumed she was on her way to the rectory.”

  “To the rectory?” His lordship now stood up. “Whatever for?”

  Sir Jasper frowned. “Now how should I know that?”

  “Perhaps she was visiting Eustace?” Lewis suggested. “Though don’t know why she should want to. Prosy fellow.”

  “No, no.” His lordship paced a moment. “She wouldn’t visit Eustace. We bumped into him in town earlier today, and he said something about having business to discharge.”

  “Well, what then was she doing?” Freddy asked.

  “I tell you what,” Sir Jasper said. “Her uncle needs to draw in the reins … at least for now.”

  “Ha!” Freddy laughed at this. “I’d like to see you try that. Not biddable, you know.”

  “Is she not?” returned his uncle, quietly, a soft smile lingering about his lips. “Is she not?”

  ~ Fifteen ~

  JOE REED WORE knit dark gloves with exposed fingertips, and he used his nails to play with his grizzled beard. He looked down at the old woolen gloves cut off at the knuckles and sighed heavily. His nails were dirty and jagged, much like the man he had become. He had chosen this way of life because he had not been able to find another way to survive. He couldn’t read, he couldn’t hold any but the most menial of jobs, and those didn’t make him enough blunt to even eat properly. Thus, he had turned to a life of crime. It wasn’t easier than the farming he had at first attempted to take on, but it paid better and more often.

  Lulworth Tavern afforded him a dark corner, and he sat back and studied the small man seated across the square table from him. He glanced at the dimly lit galley, leaned forward, and said in a low, angry voice, “Oi tell ye this fancy cove giving us orders means to bob us a trick in the end. Oi want to know why we ain’t dividing up the rig now. Oi ask ye, why? Oi don’t loike it. Oi think he needs watching, what say ye?”

  “Aye, agreed,” his small companion grunted.

  Joe Reed nodded his head. “And the finified young lord whot saw me after Oi did in Tall Tee … he needs some attention, don’t he?”

  “Aye.” The small man was a man of few words, rarely speaking unless matters called for it.

  “Right then, Oi haven’t been able to get to him yet, and Oi mean to tell our flash covey that we wants our share or else … whot say ye?”

  “Oi don’t know. Queer that sounds to me. Ye don’t want to take a chance taking another shot at gentry. Trouble leads that way, and the flash covey, well, ye best be careful telling him anything, or ye’ll find yerself in a shallow grave.”

  “Whot then?”

  “Joe, ye ain’t thinking. We gots to find where he has it hidden, that’s whot we gots to do. Then … we make our move.”

  “Aye, we’ll have to work on it,” Joe answered thoughtfully. “Ye be right. Oi always loike running things by ye. Got a good head on yer shoulders, and Oi tell ye whot, I was happy to do Tall Tee in, the way he was always slapping ye around.”

  The small man grunted, “Thankee … Oi hated him, Oi did. And that young flash covey, well, he could be trouble, but this time, if ye toikes a shot, well then, toike a shot and make it work.”

  “Gots to find him first. He left the inn … ye know.”

  “Aye, but he is forever visiting that Moorely mort. Saw them together Oi did. Wait till then … mayhap pop them both off at the same time, free and clear.”

  “Aye, that’ll do. That’ll do.”

  * * *

  Serena had returned from town and had not been home more than ten minutes when she made up her mind. She rushed into the library where her uncle was enjoying a fire and a good book, planted a kiss upon his cheek, and told him she had one or two more things to do outdoors.

  He waved her off, telling her that he expected his good friend to be dropping by as was his habit late in the day.

  Pleased that he would have company, she hurried upstairs and donned her riding clothes. A few moments after that found her at the barn saddling up her mare and telling her groom he could not accompany her as she was only taking a quick ride to the rectory.

  Reverend Eustace’s parish of Bolder was comprised of a small farmer’s village, no more than five farms, one handsome house, perhaps a smattering of no more than a dozen smaller ones occupied by the lesser gentry, and a number of picturesque cottages.

  The rectory itself, which bordered the Piney Woods of the New Forest, was not richly appointed, with only a small garden front and back. Although it was a modest parish, it was most certainly a respectable establishment and charmingly designed.

  Serena had always enjoyed her visits to the rectory when the Reverend Thomas FitzWilliams had been there. He had been a dear friend of her uncle’s, and although he had moved on to a larger parish in the north country, he and her uncle maintained a lively exchange of mail.

  She arrived at the arched doorway where the housekeeper, Mrs. Plumstock, who had stayed on with Eustace, opened the door, and smiled. “Lord love you, child, where have you been all these weeks? I have missed your visits sorely.” She ushered Serena within. “Come in … sit. The reverend is not home yet, and you and I can sit with a hot cup of tea and have a lovely chat.” She led her towards the kitchen.

  “That would be lovely, Mrs. Plumstock, as it is you I have come to see,” Serena told her as she followed her. “In fact, I just saw the reverend in town and knew he would not yet have returned from his errands.”

  “Ah,” said Mrs. Plumstock. “Right then … sit yourself down.”

  Serena had always loved this cozy kitchen. Potted herbs adorned the windowsill, and copper pans hung near the large brick fireplace. Dark oak beams lined the ceiling and baskets hung in various shapes and sizes.

  In the center of the lovely room was a dark oak round table, and Serena pulled up a wooden chair and sat as Mrs. Plumstock poured her a cup of tea and pushed freshly baked pastry at her.

  She sipped as Mrs. Plumstock asked, “Now then, how is your uncle? I heard he took sick.”

  She laughed. “He is up and about but as crotchety as ever, thank goodness. In fact, he tells me that tomorrow he means to drive me over to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Tucker’s for luncheon. He wants to take a look at an American horse Lewis Tucker imported for breeding.”

  “Aye, I heard tell that ’tis a magnificent animal, strong in the works.” Mrs. Plumstock nodded with approval. She reached for a biscuit and took a sizeable bite as she leaned onto the table. “Well now, isn’t this nice … having you here again for a cozy chat. I must tell you, I miss the Reverend Thomas a great deal. Things are not quite the same …”

  “Indeed, we miss him as well. Such wondrous stories he had a store of. Do you remember the one about William II, you know, King Rufus?”

  “Bloodthirsty devil that he was,” grumbled Mrs. Plumstock. “Red-bearded, wild-tempered …”

  “And put to death in our own New Forest,” Serena said purposely.

  “Ah, tch tch, now, that was only a story. It is written that he was killed while hunting in the New Forest and that it was no more than an accident,” Mrs. Plumstock said, putting down her cup of tea. “We don’t want to be calling our ancestors murderers, now, do we?”

  Serena laughed. “No, we don’t, but the Reverend Thomas said that the story was all about an underground tunnel that led to the churchyard … by one of the tombstones. No one really knew which tombstone. I remember that he said two men hid beneath its hideaway trapdoor and waited for their chance to pop off a sh
ot at Rufus the Miserable. They weren’t caught because they simply vanished. Remember the story? He said that the king’s men looked all over the New Forest but of course never thought to look underground.” Serena couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice.

  “Pop off a shot, indeed.” Mrs. Plumstock laughed. “What kind of talk is that for a gentry maid? Lord love you, child, they didn’t even have guns when Rufus roamed …” Mrs. Plumstock said. “The story was that he was stabbed, with his own hunting knife, and then it was put about that he must have fallen somehow on the blade.”

  “But we know better, don’t we?” Serena said, very serious now.

  “Maybe we do, and maybe we don’t,” was all Mrs. Plumstock said, frowning.

  “This is important. Mrs. Plumstock. I am a grown woman, and there is no danger that I mean to find a tunnel and perhaps get hurt. I once heard Reverend Thomas tell my uncle that he found the hidden passage. They saw me standing there listening and immediately changed the subject, but I know he found it.”

  “Faith, why is it so important, my lovely?”

  “Because I have always believed it was in the Tregaron Crypt,” Serena said, watching for a reaction. She was well pleased when Mrs. Plumstock gasped.

  “Bless you, child. ’Tis what I have always believed as well.”

  “Why? What made you think so?”

  “Saw Reverend Thomas puttering around there. One night he was late for dinner, and I went out to fetch him. Heard him puttering in the churchyard, and he was in the crypt. I called to him, and he came out grinning like a boy. I knew. I just knew he found it.”

  “Did he tell you anything about it?”

  “In a manner of speaking he did. He winked at me and said, ‘some legends are true’.”

  “I knew it,” Serena said with some excitement.

  “Never you mind. Forget all this nonsense of tunnels and crypts. No good can come of it,” Mrs. Plumstock warned. “’Tis just what I told Reverend Eustace when he asked about the Rufus legend, but did he mind me? No, he did not.”

  “What do you mean?” Serena felt a wave of shock scurry through her blood. No … impossible, she told herself.

  “Well, he was fiddling in the garden, and I went out to tell him dinner was getting cold. Didn’t find him in the garden, and I noticed a movement in the churchyard. Found him—I was just walking past the crypt when he startled me. I shrieked to high heaven and told him he near scared me to death he did.”

  “So he was interested in the legend of Rufus?”

  “I don’t know how interested. He has never mentioned it since that night.”

  Serena felt sick. “I see. So it is possible he doesn’t even know if the tunnel really exists?”

  “Oh, as to that, he does. I did say that I was sure Reverend Thomas had found it … in the Tregaron Crypt.”

  Serena took the last sip of her tea, her mind racing. She got up a few moments after that, dropped a kiss on Mrs. Plumstock’s forehead, pulled on her riding cloak, and started for the door. “I must run, for it will be dusk soon, and Uncle has very strict rules about my being out alone.”

  She rushed home, her mind abuzz with the confirmation of her suspicions. Whoever had been behind the robbery of the gold meant for Wellington had known about the underground tunnel. She had no doubt whatsoever that the gold was hidden there … but how, just how, had he managed to get it there unnoticed by either the reverend or Mrs. Plumstock?

  At night? Mrs. Plumstock didn’t live at the rectory but at her husband’s little farmhouse just down the road. Perhaps he had managed it while Eustace was asleep, but how had he carried such a heavy load? In smaller bundles, no doubt, large enough to hold a sufficient amount but not too heavy to drag?

  This really needed further investigation. Her first reaction was to send a note around to his lordship, but she stopped herself.

  She was very certain he would try and protect her by leaving her out of any investigation he might put forward. No. She couldn’t draw him in just yet. She didn’t want to investigate the crypt alone either.

  Freddy.

  Of course, she would ask Freddy, and then if her suspicions were confirmed, they would immediately put the matter into Daniel’s hands. Daniel? Where had that come from? She mustn’t think of him like that. She had to find a way to keep herself aloof and apart, but how could she, when all she wanted was to whisper his name and feel his arms around her?

  ~ Sixteen ~

  LUNCHEON AT TUCKER Grange turned out to be a lively affair. Both Lewis and Freddy, now the best of good friends, were spirited young men forever keeping the conversation casual and full with amusing anecdotes of their recent and wayward youthful adventures.

  Serena smiled to see her uncle so enjoying himself and wondered what he and his lordship were talking about as they had their heads together and seemed to be in deep conversation.

  This gave her an opportunity, for she needed to get Freddy aside. She sighed over this and wished she could confide in his lordship instead. She told herself that as soon as she knew more, and was certain of the facts, that was just what she would do.

  In the meantime, although she found the chatter of Lewis’s bride, Betty, light-hearted and enjoyable, she needed to get Freddy into a quiet corner.

  Luncheon came to an end with Lewis patting his flat belly and announcing that it was time to retire to the library for a snifter of brandy.

  Chagrined that she was stalled once more, Serena bit her bottom lip as she watched them file out but found Betty taking up her hand. “Let’s follow them in, shall we? You and I can enjoy some sherry while they drink their brandy.”

  “Yes,” Serena agreed with a laugh, “but will they allow us to barge in on them?”

  “No, they will put up a fuss, and we shall ignore them,” Betty told her with an arched look.

  A moment later, Betty led Serena into the comfortable library and said, “Hallo, gentlemen … we thought you might like us to join you.”

  Her husband marched right up to her, threw his arms around her, and drew her close. “Naughty puss,” he said, obviously delighted.

  She laughed and got on her tippy toes to kiss him.

  His brother Jasper objected amiably, “Hold there, brother! What the devil is this? Send the females on their way.”

  “Hush, you horrible thing,” Betty said on a giggle. “The truth is you really do want us here adding to your conversation. Quite dull without us, admit it, Jasper.”

  “I shall do no such thing.” Jasper’s smile was wide.

  “Ha … Jasper, you don’t stand a chance against my little spitfire.” Lewis laughed and took his wife’s hand. He led her and Serena to the sofa, where he saw them comfortably situated. “Would our lovelies like some sherry?”

  The squire looked towards Sir Jasper and inquired if anything had been done about the murdering scoundrels yet.

  Jasper shook his head and said, “We have been working hard attempting to trace it back to the Home Office, but as of yet, we cannot figure out where the leak came from.” He pulled a face as he looked at Serena. “I know you dote on her, Squire Moorely, and here in the country rules about grooms in tow are lax, but even so, if I may suggest, I think you need to rein her in a bit—what with blackguards lurking about.”

  The squire snorted. “Would that I could.” He shook his head. “If you have a notion that I can keep Serena, who is forever telling me she is a grown woman, from doing just what she wants, you are quite out. She has a mind of her own and uses it. Besides that, she won’t be fenced in, which is what it would take to keep her from riding off whenever she chooses. Do you think a groom could keep up with her if she chose to lose him? Ha. He could not.” He sighed again. “I have to believe that she wouldn’t put herself in a dangerous situation.”

  “Yes, yes, but I think Jasper may be right in this instance. This is awful … all this ugly Piney Wood business,” Betty put in thoughtfully.

  “Eh, there is that.” He looked at his niece, who
was totally ignoring them.

  Serena had heard every word, but she did not look their way or respond. Instead, she watched as Freddy and Lewis discussed hunting and waited for the right moment.

  His lordship pulled up a chair and sat as close as he could to Serena cuddled into the corner of the damask sofa. She turned to smile a welcome at him, and their gazes met.

  All at once, and for no reason at all, she could see him—she saw him naked, and making love to her. He was tall and muscular, and his eyes blazed with passion. He stood in all his hard, mesmerizing glory, and for a moment she imagined that he was hers.

  She felt a shiver of desire skittle through her.

  Blushing? Was she blushing? She looked down at nothing in particular.

  His lordship said, “My boots or the Oriental rug? Which has you more fascinated?”

  She laughed. “Honestly … neither,” and with that her eyes flashed back to meet his gaze.

  She couldn’t remain unaffected by his expression. He must see that, and once again all she could think about was him, and the way they had made love. She wanted his kisses still … his lips all over her body. She wanted all of him. She wanted to learn how to please him and … and this had to stop.

  She saw that Freddy had just broken away from Lewis to pour himself a little more brandy, and she hurriedly got to her feet and went right to him.

  * * *

  When the gentlemen retired to the library, his lordship found that he was loathe to leave Serena’s company.

  Earlier, when he had looked up to the announcement of Serena and her uncle when they first arrived, he felt his heartbeat quicken. When he looked and found her, he experienced an intake of breath. He physically felt the air pass through him as it was sucked out of his lungs. For a moment, a very long moment, it was almost impossible to breathe. All he wanted to do was stomp across the room and take her into his arms.

  He felt his mouth drop open as he watched the pale green muslin gown swish around her provocative figure as she walked. He looked at the bodice, and even the lacy trim couldn’t hide from his mind’s eye those full breasts, and he was hard and hungry and wished everyone in the room to perdition so he could be alone with her.