Read Online The Return of Lord Conistone by Lucy Ashford - Free Book Online Page A

of her heart long ago.
    ‘Verena! Verena!’
    David Parker’s voice. Help was coming. A search party with lanterns was hurrying in their direction across Wycherley’s lawns, headed by David and Turley. As they came close, they explained they’d heard gunfire.
    ‘Miss Sheldon was attacked by robbers and they fired at me when I went to help her,’ she heard Lucas explain swiftly; Verena said nothing, simply glad to leave the care of the injured Lucas to David and Turley.
    But there was someone else there. Someone who had materialised out of thin air as they reached the courtyard; a thickset man with roughly cut black hair, who looked faintly familiar, and who rapidly seemed to be taking charge of Lucas’s well-being with a sharp command to all and sundry. ‘Now, then. We’ll be needin’ a nice private room on the ground floor for his lordship, if you please! Some clean sheets and hot water. With a good log fire…’. Already he was helping Lucas into the house.
    Where had she seen him before?
    Then David was next to her. He must have seen her staring at the man, because he took her aside to explain. ‘He’s Lord Conistone’s valet, apparently. His name is Bentinck. Looks like we’ll need his help’.
    ‘Really?’ she breathed bitterly. ‘Really?’ Because she had suddenly remembered. He was the man who had been at the sale this afternoon. Opening drawers, looking around in an odd and shifty manner.
    Oh, no
. This meant Lucas had been lying to her—yet again—when he had told her he was just passing on his way to Stancliffe, because Bentinck had been here at least two hours before his master arrived! Did he take her for a complete fool?
    Oh, she was so right not to believe a word Lucas said! And as to a suitable room
—difficult
, because most of their spare furniture had gone.
    She summoned Turley. ‘There’s a day bed in my father’s study. Would you get that man—
Bentinck
—to help you carry it into the back parlour, please? And get a fire lit there. It will serve as a bedroom for Lord Conistone!’
    ‘Certainly, Miss Verena’. Turley nodded dourly at the valet. ‘Though I wouldn’t trust
that
one further than I can throw him’.
    Verena agreed heartily.
    * * *
    Lady Frances appeared to be in almost as much need of attention as Lucas; she was clearly close to fainting at the thought of the Earl’s grandson being shot on Wycherley land. The fact that Verena had also been in grave danger appeared not to occur to her.
    Verena somehow managed to persuade Lady Frances to retire for the night. ‘You’ll do no good here, Mama. I will cope. And Deb will bring you your headache powders,’ said Verena firmly.
    Which disposed for now of Deb, also, and the likelihood that she too would have hysterics once she realised that Lucas was actually staying under their roof.
    But—he kissed me. He told me he was mad ever to let me go.
    One thing was for sure. Getting himself shot was definitely not part of Lord Lucas Conistone’s plan.
    * * *
    It was close to midnight when Turley informed her that Dr Pilkington had arrived from Framlington. Squaring her shoulders—
Lord Conistone must leave as soon as possible, I will tell the doctor so!
—she went downstairs to the backparlour, which Turley, obeying her orders, had converted into the patient’s room.
    Bentinck was there, building up the fire with his back to her—hateful man. And grey-haired Dr Pilkington, who’d been their family physician for as long as she could remember, was bending over—
    Oh, no
. Her hand flew to her mouth. Oh, no. She’d thought—what had she thought? That Lucas would be sitting up, laughing, talking? No. He lay prone on the day bed that had been covered with sheets. His eyes were closed—
such pain, he must have been in such pain, how did he walk all that way with me?
—and a sheen of perspiration covered his haggard features. His shirt had been removed entirely; Verena felt a shock run through her, her mind blurring