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“Mr. Jones,” Lord Thomas extended a hand to his Dennington employee after Douglas withdrew, “I am honoured and glad to meet you in person, thank you for taking this on this job for us; though I am sorry you have been forced to stay with the miscreants for so long.” Jones, who had seen but not met the Duke before, was cognisant of the honour in the address that the owner of the Dennington Lines had just afforded him.

“I t’ank you, yer Grace,” Jones said with a bow. “I am only one o’ three ‘o ‘as bin servin’ with the ‘apless criminals.”

“Even though I know it is not why you did it, all three of you and the other six who have joined you will be handily rewarded,” Lord Thomas replied to the man who was holding his hat in his hand after refusing the butler permission to take it from him.

“We dinna’ do this fir reward…” Jones started to deny the offer.

“That is well known to us, Mr. Jones,” Lord William interrupted, “but you and your shipmates have sacrificed months of your time to insinuate yourselves into the crew of the criminals, and you are helping protect one who is very precious to all of us, to me especially. She is priceless, so all the money we possess would not even start to equal her value. What my father-in-law has decided to do is not because we think you expect it. The fact that you do not makes it all the more pleasurable to do as we intend. We are a stubborn bunch,” the Duke grinned, “so protest all you want, but it will not change our resolve.”

“Yes, yer Grace, thank you,” Jones conceded. The men in the sitting room were impressed that though the man was far from wealthy, he never asked what the reward was.

“When will the watching of the house commence?” Lord Richard asked, a hint of the former military commander bled in.

“ Tomorrow morning, sir ,” Jones retorted.

Richard turned to his brother-in-law, “You and your ‘wife’ will need to start your routine in the morning, William,” he smirked as he imagined William squiring Captain David Burnett about the park with the Captains hand resting on his arm.

William guessed the subject of Richard’s amusement and scowled at him in mock outrage which soon tuned into a grin.

William called Douglas back into the sitting room and asked him to have one of the footmen guards point out to Jones the spot that had been chosen as the place for Younge’s ‘crew’ to watch the house from.

It was far enough from the house that the watchers would not be close enough to see that “Lady Elizabeth’ was in fact a man, and they would consider themselves concealed so Younge’s suspicions were not raised as it was in a stand of trees with dense shrubbery.

After scouting the location and seeing that it could be approached from the forest without anyone being able to see from the house, Jones made his return to the cottage.

Captain Burnett joined the men in the sitting room. “We start your routine tomorrow morning, Burnett,” Lord Richard informed the officer. “You will take a walk on your own with a maid following you before breaking your fast. Later in the morning, you and your ‘husband’ will ride out together.”

“Yes, sir,” Burnett responded crisply.

“Those are the only two times that you will be seen outside. More would look suspicious,” Lord Richard continued his instructions.

“Jones will make sure Younge understands that their best chance to grab you will be when you take your early morning walk. When you take that walk, you will make a circuit of the gardens which will take you close to the stand where they will observe you from, but not too close.” Burnett assimilated his orders, none of it would be too hard, except for the wig and woman’s clothing that is.

“How long do you think they will wait before they attempt to kidnap our ‘Lizzy’ here, Richard?” His father pointed at Burnett with no little amusement.

“We will have one of the guards hidden in the forest contact Jones to make sure that Younge is persuaded to act in two to three days at the most,” Richard agreed, the sooner this was all over the better.

Richard would have quite happily just run Younge through and been done with it, but he understood that as a civilian that would initially be considered murder and would require a trial, though one that would not end with him guilty, it was still publicity none of them wanted.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The physician that served Falconwood and the surrounding villages, Mr. Riddell Benson, was shown into the bedchamber where the young duchess and her mother-in-law were awaiting him.

He was informed what had transpired that morning and Lady Amy was fully candid with him regarding the pains and cramping that she was feeling.

She informed him about the bloody discharge in the bath.

When he asked if there was ongoing bleeding, she shared that there was not. The answer seemed to please the man.

He then asked permission to examine her which she granted, and he poked and prodded in the area of her belly asking if she felt any pain and if so, where.

When he was done, he retired to the sitting room where he waited with the Duke of Bedford for his duchess and mother to join them.

The doctor entered the sitting room and was followed shortly by the ladies.

“Your Graces,” Mr. Benson started without preamble, “as you know, her Grace suffered a miscarriage at some point while she slept. I am surprised that the pain and cramping that is associated with such an event did not awake her Grace. However, it is not unheard of.

“The pains and cramping that her Grace is feeling now is what we expect after such an occurrence and is not something that should cause concern.

Thankfully there is no surfeit of bleeding.

The discharge that was experienced during the bath was more than likely some residual material that the heat of the water dislodged.

You may have some light spotting for some days to come, and it could be expected that there will be some little discharge in your bath again, but it could be that there will be no more.

“I do not see a reason to be concerned with her Grace’s long-term well-being,” Benson said as he looked at her husband, “Do you have any more questions for me?” the doctor asked as he finished his succinct report.

Lord Tom looked first to his wife and then his mother who both gave slight shakes of their heads. “No, thank you Mr. Benson,” the young Duke responded, “If there is a need, we will send a note.” The doctor rose and bowed leaving the sitting room.

“How are you feeling now Amy?” her concerned husband asked.

“Still sad at our loss Tom,” she answered the sadness plainly evident in her voice, “but I have accepted that this was not my fault, and it is as I advised Marie after her accident, beyond my control.”

“I will leave you to have some private time together,” Lady Sarah said as she kissed her daughter-in-law on her cheek. She started to leave but paused as Amy had a request.

“Will you tell the others what happened please Mother Bennet?” Amy requested softly.

“If that is what you desire, I will do that for you,” Lady Sarah answered.

“Also, please let the family know that I will rest today and be happy to see them on the morrow,” Amy added to her request.

Lady Sarah nodded and descended to the drawing room where the rest of the family were anxiously waiting for some news.

All they knew was that Ladies Sarah and Anne were summoned to Tom and Amy’s suite and then the doctor had come and gone.

There was shocked silence as Amy’s news was told to the family.

Marie was crying quietly into her silk as she empathised with the sense of loss that her sister-in-law was experiencing.

Aunt Rose hugged her niece to her side. Lady Sarah informed them that Amy had asked for no visitors until the morrow, and that she and Tom would take their meals in their sitting room for the rest of the day.

Elizabeth and Jane both instinctively put their hands over their bellies in a protective way.

Everyone expected such a reaction from Jane; although there were a number in the room who suspected that their hostess was with child, no one other than the two matriarchs had attempted to broach the subject with her.

Lady Catherine, never known for her subtlety, was about to comment when she felt her sister Anne’s hand on her arm and when she looked up, she saw the slight shake of her sister’s head, so as hard as it was for her, she held her peace.

“I feel terrible for my sister,” Marie said as her tears were starting to abate.

“As she did for you,” her mother pointed out.

“It will be hard, but I will respect her request for no one to come to her today, but on the morrow, I will be there as soon as I know that Tom and Amy are awake and ready to accept company,” Marie stated with resolution.

Although she still mourned her own loss, she knew that she would put her sorrow aside and commiserate with her sister-in-law.

“She will have to dismiss us if she wants to be alone tomorrow,” Lady Rose said emphatically, “I for one cannot wait to hug my niece and nephew.”

There was general agreement among the ladies. James had been silent; he felt badly for Amy, but he knew that his brother would be mourning their loss as well while trying not to show his pain so that he can be strong for Amy. Well, James would be there for his older brother.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Jones returned to the encampment around the cottage some two hours after he had departed.

Neither Younge nor Mrs. álvarez thought anything amiss with the time that he had been gone given the task that he had undertaken.

On his way back he had spotted at least four of the guards that were keeping them under surveillance.

He lauded the men he had met for their care; they were leaving nothing to chance.

He reported that he had discovered a stand of trees with thick brush two to three hundred yards from the house.

When Mrs. álvarez asked if there was no position closer, he informed her that from that point on it was open park that led to the gardens in front of the house, so the lady accepted that there was not.

He suggested, and Younge readily agreed, that they start watching the house in the morning to see if there were any patterns the lady of the house had established.

Jones also knew that the ship that Younge loved, and currently moored on the River Dee was being taken from him even as they were speaking, and that Younge had no idea it was.

The two men assigned to watch the Stealthy Runner were having another lazy day of fishing off the starboard side of the sloop.

They saw a navy cutter approach and thought nothing of it until it slowed, and then before they could react lines with grappling hooks sailed over the port side of the ship.

The two men were frozen in place as a contingent of Royal Marines jumped aboard from their vessel.

The two made a very quick decision that saved their lives, they made no move against those fierce looking men, knowing with a glare that one false move would be their last. A marine approached to relieve them of the pistols in their belts.

Once his men had made sure that the two were the only men left on board the sloop, a marine Lieutenant addressed the men.

“You two are part of Clay Younge’s crew?

” Both nodded with trepidation. “You are wise not to oppose my men, as any one of them would have happily run your through with their bayonets.” The pallor of the two was decidedly peaked at the thought of what could have happened had they offered resistance.

“Do you remember before you sailed from Fowey to Bundoran that Lamb and his friends were sent by Younge on a task.” Both men nodded.

“Do you know what that task was.” The men too frightened to talk shook their heads.

Lieutenant Reid could see that the men had no idea of, nor were part of the murder of former Sergeant Hamms. They were too scared to prevaricate.

“Jones told you that Younge was planning to kidnap a duchess who is a close cousin of the royal family did he not.” The two men stood with mouths hanging open as the realisation struck them like a fist to the nose at full force that the whole dismissal that they had witnessed when the three were kicked off the Coastal Trader was theatre for their crew’s benefit.

They nodded as they could see that lying at this point would not be to their advantage.

“I know from the report that I have read that you two hung back to get this assignment as you had no interest in the madness that your former captain was about;” Lieutenant Reid stated.

“that has saved your life and proved that you have goodness in you, your captain and Mrs. álvarez will soon be headed for the Tower and a date with the executioner’s axe.

” Both men swallowed hard. “As you did not participate in the deed, but you have committed other unlawful deeds, you will be banished from the realm. You will be placed on a Dennington Line ship to a destination of your choice, and if you ever return to England, it will be to the Tower with you. Where do you want to go?”

The two whispered for a short while and chose the Americas.

They were transferred to the Navy’s cutter as some of her seaman, and an officer took charge of the Stealthy Runner that had just been commandeered by the Royal Navy.

As the two watched, very relieved to be free of Younge and his madness, the colours of the Navy were raised on the sloop to the shrill sound of the bosun’s whistle.