‘I know what you are going to say, my dear.’ Lord Maystone squeezed Bea’s hand in understanding. ‘But you must understand that my first loyalty has always been, must always be, to the Crown I have served all these years.’
No, Bea did not understand. A boy’s life was at stake, this gentleman’s own grandson—surely it was worth anything to have him returned safely to his family?
She gave a firm shake of her head. ‘I admire your loyalty, of course, but there must be some way in which you can maintain that loyalty and still rescue your grandson?’
‘We must respect Lord Maystone’s views, Bea.’ Griffin had easily seen and recognised that stubborn set to her mouth as the precursor to her frankly stating her own views on the subject.
‘Why must we?’ She stood up abruptly, those flashing blue eyes now including him in her anger. ‘We are talking of a little boy, Griffin,’ she added emotionally. ‘A little boy who has been taken from his parents, from all that he loves. He must be so frightened. So very, very frightened.’ Her hands were so tightly clasped together her knuckles showed white, as she so obviously lived through memories of her own abduction and imprisonment. When she had suffered through that same fear of death, of dying.
‘You must remain calm, Bea.’ Griffin quickly crossed the room to clasp her clenched hands within his own.
‘I do not see why.’ Tears swam in those pained blue eyes as she looked up at him. ‘Consider how you would feel, Griffin, if the child who had been taken were your own? How you would feel if your own son had been snatched from—?’ She broke off as there came the sound of choking, both of them turning to look at Aubrey Maystone.
Just in time to see him fall back against the chaise, a hand clutching at his chest, his face as white as snow.
Chapter Twelve
‘I did not mean— I had not thought to distress Lord Maystone so much that he— I am so very sorry!’ Bea buried her face in her hands as the falling of her tears made it impossible for her to continue.
‘It is not your fault, Bea,’ Griffin consoled huskily as he reached out to cradle her in his arms.
The two men had managed, between them, to carry Lord Maystone up the stairs to one of the bedchambers, and Bea, Christian, and Griffin were now all seated about the library as they waited for the doctor to come back down the stairs after attending to his patient. Christian reclined in an armchair, Bea and Griffin once again sat together on the chaise.
‘It is my fault,’ Bea sobbed. ‘I should not have said— I should have thought.’
‘Nothing you said tonight was anything Maystone has not already said to himself many times during this past three weeks, Bea,’ Seaton assured her comfortingly. ‘The man has been beside himself with worry, and I have no doubts that this prolonged strain, and these added days of travelling, are the only reason for his collapse tonight.’
‘Why did he not confide in me?’ Griffin gave a pained frown. ‘We could all have assisted in searching— No,’ he guessed heavily. ‘I am sure one of the kidnappers’ demands was for Maystone’s silence on the affair.’
Indeed, Griffin had thought of Bea’s accusation prior to Maystone’s collapse: How would he have felt if it had been his child who had been taken? Would he have turned England upside down in an effort to find his son? Or would he have done what Maystone had done, and suffered in silence himself rather than put the child’s life in jeopardy?
If he had known Bea prior to her abduction, would he have been able to stay silent when she was taken, in the hopes it might save her life?
The answer to that was he had already been doing exactly that for this past week.
As had the man Michael for whom she had cried out in her sleep? The man whom she must surely now remember?
Perhaps that was what she had been about to tell Griffin earlier, when Maystone had arrived and interrupted her.
Christian stood up restlessly. ‘Maystone decided that, as you were leaving to follow up the rumour of Harker’s sighting in Lancashire, and the other Dangerous Dukes were all busy with their new marriages, it must be me that he took into his confidence in this matter.’ He looked grim. ‘It has been difficult enough for me, knowing there is a child’s life at stake, so goodness only knows how Maystone has coped with this prolonged strain.’
‘And the boy’s parents?’ Bea lifted her head from Griffin’s chest, her cheeks tear-stained. ‘They must be beside themselves with worry.’
‘His mother is prostrate and his father sits at her bedside a great deal.’ Sutherland nodded grimly.
‘But what do the kidnappers’ people want?’ Griffin frowned. ‘Something from Maystone, obviously, but what?’
Sutherland gave a grimace. ‘Initially they had hoped he would use his influence to persuade the Prince Regent and the government into allowing Bonaparte to reside in England.’
Griffin narrowed his eyes. ‘We are all aware that cannot be allowed to happen.’
‘Of course not,’ Christian acknowledged briskly. ‘As we are also aware, there is still the hope amongst Bonaparte’s followers that if he did reside in England they might one day be able to put him back on the French throne.’
‘But that is ludicrous! Is it not?’ Bea looked at the two men uncertainly as they exchanged a pointed glance.
‘It certainly will be once Bonaparte is safely delivered and incarcerated on—’ Sutherland broke off abruptly, giving an impatient shake of his head. ‘At the moment there are legal moves afoot by Bonaparte’s followers, to ensure that he remains in England. That is something the Crown and government simply cannot allow to happen.’
‘Understandably,’ Bea acknowledged softly.