Читать книгу Haloran Hall - Myrna G. Raines - Страница 4

Lord Kiley walked into the chamber just as Addie had finished feeding the gentleman a little bread soaked in chicken broth. Nothing heavy, but with the draught he had to eat something, or he would be deathly ill. Vomiting would not help the wound in the slightest, Addie was thinking to herself. Would, in fact, be very detrimental to his healing.

“Addie, would you take my daughter to her chamber and draw the drapes so she can rest. She looks to be about dead on her feet. Please take care of her, and do not allow her to return until this evening. You know she is like her mother in that she feels everything has to be done with her own hands.”

Shalan allowed herself to be led away since she had not the strength to resist. Only a couple of hours sleep had she managed, in snatches, as she was up watching the stranger most of the night. She would rest, as her father commanded, and Addie would see to it.

Lord Kiley sat in the chair that Addie had occupied. He could see the stranger’s face, and still be close enough if any change took place. Anxious to find out this man’s identity, he waited patiently until Addie had led his daughter from the room.

“I am Lord Argus Kiley, and you are at present in my home. Do you want to make known your identity, sir? You must be a member of the nobility as you were dressed so. And I would like to be apprised as to what you were doing on my land and evidently in some sort of battle. There has been no fighting here for years, although we are near the border. Perhaps you were waylaid by highwaymen? We have had no trouble with the Scots for an age.”

“If they were highwaymen, why would they murder my guards and leave my mount? The lady informed me that Danube is quite safe in your stables, so I am not aware of the reason we were attacked." He hung his head and nearly whispered, "I understand my guard was not as fortunate as I. Damned shame." His head came up and he addressed Lord Kiley. "I am Lord Jaran Haloran, of Haloran Hall. A missive was to be sent to you that I would not be in residence, as I was expecting a visit from you and your daughter.”

Just what would Shalan make of this turn of events? She had been most averse to even meeting the man.

“I received the message yesterday, Lord Haloran, in plenty of time for us to postpone the visit. I must confess I had not the slightest idea that you would be as young as you seem to be.”

“We, the nephews of the late Lord Haloran are all fairly young, three of us are seven and twenty years, another will be soon, and Hugh is the youngest at five and twenty. I happen to be the eldest of the five, and as such, was mandated to be the heir to the late Lord Chester Haloran.

“As to the postponement of your visit, I was called away to London, as my cousin, Peyton, has been having some difficulty. Someone has made several attempts on his life, and I was rushing to his aid when I was waylaid on the high road. It happened so suddenly and we were not prepared as we had been on the road such a short time. At first, I did not think they meant to attack us, but when I realized we were the target, we attempted to make our escape as we were but four, and there must have been upward of a dozen or more in the group that quickly drew their swords and gave chase. They overtook us, even though Danube could have outrun them easily, but you surely understand that I could not leave my men. And that is how I came to be on your land. I most regret if I have discommoded you in the slightest.”

“No, no, Lord Haloran. I am only thankful that your predicament was not much worse. My daughter apprised me of the fact that you had dragged yourself, evidently to acquire some aid, when she found you unconscious. It is most fortunate that you did, as I’m sure she would have ridden past the place of the conflict, unaware, as it was not out in the open, but in a copse. I’m certainly grateful that she is a strong girl, and not like some, who could not lift a man to save her life. She not only dragged you to your mount, but managed to get you upon it. How, I do not know, as you are no slight man.”

“And I am most appreciative for her efforts. Was the black haired young lady your daughter, sir? I saw hazily during the night and did not see anyone clearly. However, I did see colors and shapes. My vision has cleared somewhat today, but is still not completely cloudless.”

“That would be the draught, sir,” Addie stated, coming into the room, “it tends to make the eyes dim. I took care of Lady Shalan, your Lordship. I thought I was going to have to slip her some of the comfort draught, but she is sleeping like a babe. Exhausted, she was. Have you further need of me?”

“That shall be all for the moment, Addie. If the need arises, I will call for you.” Addie turned and left the room, but determined to stay near in case she was needed. Lady Shalan would never forgive her if anything happened to her charge.

“Shalan? That is an unusual name. How did she come by it?”

“It was certainly not of my doing,” Lord Kiley chuckled. “Her recently departed mother had a vivid imagination. She decided she wanted something different from the usual Jane’s and Mary’s as there are so many of them. Her brother had only just returned from the East... Ceylon, to be exact, when Lady Beatrice was prepared to give birth. My dear lady wife so liked the sound of the place her brother had visited. When Shalan was born, it was only a variation of Ceylon that my Beatrice did love without naming her after the island itself.” Lord Kiley laughed. “You’d just have to know my wife, sir, to understand her reasoning. Like our daughter, she was not your ordinary woman, as was proved when Shalan managed to bring you here from the moor on her own, with no help.”

“A remarkable feat, sir. Not like other women at all.” He stirred around, grimacing with each movement. “Did the physician say when I would be allowed out of this bed? I must get to Peyton as soon as possible. If I must, I’ll go without his permission.”

“I thought you were informed that a missive has been sent to your cousin letting him know that you are injured, and not able to come to him. I took the liberty of inviting Lord Peyton here, although at the time I did not know he was a Haloran. I sincerely hope he receives the message as I was under the impression that his surname was Peyton. If there is a danger to his life, I’m sure he will be better protected in the keep, although it is very old, than he would be in London. I have quite a few men at my disposal.”

“That knowledge relieves my mind somewhat. He cannot discover who has such a vendetta against him that they would threaten his life. Once he had some warning as he became deathly ill from poison, and twice he has barely escaped. Regrettably, I do not know all the specifics. I must say I cannot figure it. Peyton is such a timid soul and could not defend himself against anything larger, or more menacing than a mouser housecat. Why anyone would want to bring harm to him is beyond me. And I do appreciate you inviting him into your home, along with myself, as well.”

“Think nothing of it, my good man. With the fastest courier, the missive should be in his hand on the morrow, and if he comes straight here, should be arriving sometime on Friday or perhaps Saturday. If you would like, I could send some of my men to meet him, as added protection. If, as you say, he is a timid soul, it might set him at ease to have others on whom he can rely.”

“It should certainly serve to allay his fears. You see, from the time we were very young, I have looked out for him, as he was a sickly lad. Only a month or so younger than me, actually more like a little over a fortnight, I felt it was my duty to protect him as much as possible. Peyton should have been born before me, but I was an early babe, and strangely, it was I who thrived, and he did not. As you said about your wife, you’d just have to know Peyton to know that he wouldn’t harm a fly, and why someone would mean to bring harm to anyone as gentle as Peyton, I do not know. But the more guards he has around him, the safer he will feel.”

“Then I shall arrange for them to be on the road no later than tomorrow morning. He’ll have a contingent with him for most of the way.”

“I am grateful for your thoughtfulness, Lord Kiley. I don’t recall ever being in that position. I never felt that I was vulnerable as Peyton has most assuredly felt his entire life. It’s why I only had three guards with me as I traveled down to London. Poor souls. And they were only to guard against highwaymen. For the life of me, I cannot understand why someone would waylay us. It could not be for personal gain, as I have the notes I started out with. I had your servant check my cloak for them. None were disturbed.”

“This entire incident is indeed a mystery." Lord Kiley rose to take his leave. "You’d better get some rest, Lord Haloran. The more you rest, Shalan says, the faster your body will heal. She knows quite a bit about those things, as I fear she is a bluestocking. Her lady mother attempted to give her governesses who would teach her the finer things a woman should know, sewing, drawing, knitting, the pianoforte, but she seemed from the very beginning to take more to books than to a needle and thread. And the moors. She says they call to her and she seems to love riding across the land, or helping the stable hands with the horses. I’m afraid since her lady mother passed on I have been somewhat remiss in my duties to Shalan. She has been left to her own devices, more or less. I pity the poor man who does take her to wife.”

“Ah, don’t be too uncompromising with her, Lord Kiley. After all, the young lady did save my life. If she had been sewing, and had not been riding on the moor, my story might have turned out quite differently.” He was not normally an apprehensive man, but he shuddered at the thought of what might have occurred had Lady Shalan not come along when she did.

“That it might have,” Lord Kiley stated solemnly, and advised the earl he would be back to check on him shortly. “Have you need of a servant to sit with you? I shall send someone.”

“No, I am quite comfortable at the moment. As your daughter stated, sleep is what I need. I only hope Peyton receives the missive and will soon be on his way here. I’ll feel much better when I have set my eyes on him. I cannot imagine anyone seeking to harm Peyton.”

As Lord Kiley made his way to his study, his attention was caught fast by the words of Lord Haloran. There had been a hearing in court as to which nephew should inherit Haloran Hall. And the court had decreed it should be Lord Jaran. But this timorous soul, Peyton Haloran, was to be born before the new earl. Had he argued that point? That only a fluke of nature had prohibited him from being the eldest? And who were the others who stood to inherit? And what had been their arguments? Perhaps it was only a hearing to ascertain who indeed was first born and nothing more. After all, a great fortune had been at stake, and the eldest was bound to inherit.

It bore looking into, especially since the earl’s cousin had been threatened, apparently more than once, and the one who had been counted as the heir had been wounded, left for dead. The life of Lord Haloran’s cousin was obviously in jeopardy, and with such a short time separating their birth dates, Lord Peyton was evidently the next in line for the Haloran fortune. Could it be that someone had become embittered by the court’s decision, and decided to rid himself of all those in the lineage above him in order to inherit? It most certainly stood to reason, but would not that happenstance also be so very obvious? Without an ironclad alibi, the man could never hope to escape the law with such a crime.