‘Do as you wish with me.’ Francesca tossed her head unconcernedly. ‘You may cut off the head of the snake but two more will grow in my place!’
‘I do not believe for one moment that you are the head of this particular snake,’ Griffin scorned. ‘Nor your milksop brother, either. Neither of you is intelligent enough,’ he added with hard derision. ‘And I believe we will leave it to the Crown to decide whether or not to cut off both your heads.’
All the colour now drained from Francesca’s cheeks. ‘How can you remain loyal to such a man as the Prince Regent? A man who overindulges himself in every way possible, spending money he does not have on things he does not need, and to the detriment of his own people.’
‘Oh, please, spare us your warped idea of patriotism!’ Maystone dismissed. ‘Also be assured, madam, that if my grandson is not returned to me unharmed, then I shall personally recommend the hardest sentence imaginable to the Prince Regent, for your crimes against both him personally and to England,’ he added grimly.
Hatred now gleamed in those cold blue eyes. ‘My brother should have disposed of the boy when I advised him to.’
‘You will be quiet, madam!’ Bea was shaking with anger at this woman’s added cruelty, when Lord Maystone had already suffered so much during these past weeks of uncertainty as to whether his grandson still lived. ‘Your grandson is unharmed, Lord Maystone,’ she reassured him gently.
He blinked his uncertainty. ‘You are sure?’
She nodded. ‘I realise now that I was abducted and beaten because it was he that Lady Francesca and her brother spoke of that day I overheard the two of them talking together. Sir Rupert Colville was adamant that he would care for the boy as if he were his own. At the time I thought he spoke of an orphaned ward or nephew. Having recently been orphaned myself, my heart ached for the little boy. For the loneliness he must feel. I had no idea of the truth of the conversation I had overheard.’ She gave a bewildered shake of her head.
‘Michael truly is unharmed?’ There was such hope in Lord Maystone’s voice.
Bea gave a puzzled frown as she heard Griffin draw his breath in sharply before she answered the older man gently. ‘I truly believe that Sir Rupert Colville will have ensured Michael has remained unharmed, yes. Sir Rupert is not a man who enjoys physical violence.’
‘Unlike you, madam, who enjoys nothing more than beating those who are more helpless than yourself.’ Griffin’s eyes glittered with anger as he looked contemptuously down his nose at Francesca. ‘Where is Harker now?’
Francesca now seemed less defiant than she had a few moments ago. ‘I presume he is in his hovel of a cottage, where I was forced to stay hidden during the week of Beatrix’s imprisonment.’
Griffin’s eyes widened. ‘Harker lives in a cottage on my own estate?’
‘His name is not Harker but Harcourt, and he is nephew to your own housekeeper,’ Lady Francesca taunted.
Which explained, Griffin realised, why none in the area had reported seeing anyone suspicious or unknown to them. But did that also mean that Mrs Harcourt—?
‘The old dragon has no idea of Jacob’s political views, if that is what you are now thinking,’ the blonde-haired traitor dismissed mockingly. ‘Not that any of this matters now.’ She took in everyone present in the room with one sweeping glance. ‘You may rescue Maystone’s grandson, arrest Jacob, Rupert and myself, do with us what you will. But, as I have stated, there are plenty of others who will happily take our place in securing Napoleon’s freedom.’
‘There are even more of us who will ensure they do not succeed,’ Christian assured her grimly.
And no doubt Griffin would have to be one of them, he accepted heavily.
But once Maystone’s grandson, Michael, was freed and returned to his family, once the Corsican was safely away from England and secured in exile, then he might discharge his duties to the Crown once and for all, and return to his estate in Lancashire.
Return to Bea.
Chapter Fifteen
Ten days later
‘His Grace, the Duke of Rotherham, is here to see you, My Lady,’ Shaw announced from the doorway of the drawing room in Latham Manor.
Bea’s heart leapt in her chest at the news that Griffin was back in Lancashire, and she tensed as she looked up from the book she had been reading, as she sat in the window seat enjoying the last of the day’s sunlight. ‘You are sure the Duke is here to see me and not Sir Walter?’
Bea had not seen Griffin since Lady Francesca and her associate, Jacob Harcourt, had been placed in custody, and he had set off immediately for Worcestershire with Christian Seaton and Lord Maystone, their intention to liberate the latter’s grandson from the home of Lady Francesca’s half brother.
But not before it had been discussed and decided that Bea should remain here with her real guardian, Sir Walter, while the other gentlemen were gone. She would far rather have accompanied them on their rescue mission, but had accepted that she would only have slowed them down, and no doubt have been in the way too.
Plus someone had to remain and offer some comfort to Sir Walter. The poor man was devastated, both by the revelations of his wife’s affair with Griffin’s wife, and by Lady Francesca’s treasonous actions, and her subsequent arrest. Bea felt that she might at least be of some help to him by remaining here.
That had indeed proved to be the case, the two of them spending much time together as Sir Walter adjusted and accepted that his wife now faced many charges, including kidnapping and treason.
But he was a pragmatic man, and, having also learnt of his wife’s sexual relations with another woman, seemed to have hardened his heart to her fate. Indeed, he was currently out riding his new hunter, having resumed his normal activities several days ago.
They had received word from Griffin after the rescue of Michael, Lord Mayst