Read Online Valentine's Day by Elizabeth Aston - Free Book Online

trepidation, she set it to the hedge on the other side of the field. The horse cleared it easily, landed, and cantered on. By now the rain was coming down heavily, and the sky was slashed with lightning. A crash of thunder made the horse shy, and she nearly came off but managed to cling on. Her dress was soaked through, and the horse’s back was slippery from the rain, but as she tightened her calves to grip the horse’s sides, there was another immense crack of thunder. The startled horse bolted; she could do nothing but hold on for dear life.

Chapter Fourteen
    B ack in London, Lady Amelia was busy making mischief. She attended the exhibition of paintings, and her eyes lit up at the sight of so many people who could be trusted to spread such a scandalous story. She whispered to a friend that she was surprised not to see Miss Welburn here, nor indeed Sir Richard, known as a connoisseur of paintings. “But I do believe they were seen driving out of town together in Sir Richard’s curricle, doubtless on some expedition of pleasure.” She knew that such seeds, deftly planted, would need no further attention.
    Once back home, she was incautious enough to invite her favourite brother into her sitting room, where she told him the whole scheme. He laughed heartily and declared it an excellent joke. “And tonight is the Kinghams’ ball, the biggest of the season, and it will soon be noticed that they are not there. Now you are to tell me all the details—I do so relish this kind of intrigue, and I love to see an heiress brought low.”
    Lady Amelia gave him an exact account of her discussions with Sir Richard and just what was planned, taking no account of the fact that her maid was in the room, all ears.
    Sent out on an errand shortly afterwards, the girl met Valentine’s maid, Jenny, and recounted the whole affair to her. Jenny scampered back to Mountjoy House, took a deep breath, and said she must speak to Lady Mountjoy. Eliza listened with growing dismay. She knew that Valentine had planned to drive out with Sir Richard to visit friends from India, but she had said that Lady Amelia would be with them. She thanked Jenny and immediately sat down at her desk to write a note to Mountjoy. She sealed it and rang for a footman. “Thomas, take a hackney cab and take this note to the House of Lords right now. You must find Lord Mountjoy and deliver it into his own hands, and let no lackey or official prevent you from doing so. It is extremely urgent and a matter of the greatest importance.”
    Thomas took the letter that was handed to him, said, “Very good, my lady,” and was gone. He was an energetic young man, and this kind of mission, with its sense of excitement, appealed to him. He was also a young man of resourcefulness, and once arrived at the Houses of Parliament, it didn’t take him long to be ushered into the library, where he found Lord Mountjoy in conversation with Lord Marbeck.
    “I’m very sorry to interrupt you, my lord, but there is an urgent letter from Lady Mountjoy for you.”
    Lord Mountjoy said in a concerned voice, “Is Lady Mountjoy all right?”
    “Oh, perfectly, my lord. But she said it is a matter of the utmost importance.”
    Lord Mountjoy had broken the seal and was reading Eliza’s note. His face darkened. “This is an utter disgrace. Damn the man, what a scoundrel he is.”
    Lord Marbeck, said, “What is the matter? Can I be of assistance?”
    “It’s the most damnable thing—it seems that that Sir Richard has run away with Valentine.”
    Lord Marbeck said in an icy voice, “In which case there does not seem to be much that can be done about it. An elopement, I collect?”
    “Don’t be such a damn fool, she has more sense than to elope with that man; no, no, it is a plot he has, a devilish scheme to force her into marriage. Of course her fortune is his object, he cares nothing for her, although there may be an element of revenge in all this.”
    He handed the note to Marbeck, whose