Loving a Fearless Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Book(17)

Wilson jumped up and down with the chill as he dressed, “Well, my hangover is gone. My brains won’t fall out of my head on the way back to the estate.”

Harriman said, “I have a feeling we’re going to be back here tomorrow.”

Nash laughed. “Maybe a little earlier in the day?”

“Maybe,” Darrell said.

The four of them made it back to the house in time for tea. Perfect timing. They were ravenous. Twice, Nash pulled the bell for more food. The second time, the parlour maid asked if they were interested in a meal. They all scoffed, and Nash rolled his eyes.

They all rested and were woken for their evening meal. After feasting, they went into the library. Darrell started calling it ‘the scene of the crime’ as their night started all over again.

Late into the night, Nash’s three friends climbed the stairs as if it were a very difficult thing to do. Nash went outside to get Rusty.

He called the dog several times. Usually, Rusty would come right away, but this time there wasn’t a sound. Nash worried he was hurt.

He got a coat, took a sconce from the wall, holding it high. He checked the stables, the barn and a paddock holding cows.

Nash had long ago sobered up, his worry heightened. He thought he would find Rusty dead of a heart attack; the dog was so old. He couldn’t leave him out here.

He started down the paths in the woods, zigzagging the ones closest to the house, knowing Rusty didn’t stray far into the deeper areas. Then Nash saw Rusty and dropped the sconce. It was a damp evening so the fire didn’t spread, but Nash wouldn’t have noticed if it did.

Tears filled his eyes. He kneeled next to his dog. “Rusty, what happened to you? Who did this to you?”

Nash had to wipe his tears on the side of his coat. His hands shook each time he tried to touch his dead dog. He retracted his hand unable to do it.

Nash looked at the body of his dog in front of him while Rusty’s head was about six feet away. He couldn’t move. Who would do such an awful thing? What human was capable of such a thing?

He walked back to the stables, crying, looking for a shovel, banging into every tool in there.

An old wrinkled faced man came out of the shadows. “How can I help you, Your Grace?”

Nash turned. His face was red, blotchy, his eyes swollen from tears. “Hello, Cobb. I just found Rusty dead, and I’m looking for a shovel.”

He started crying again when he said, ‘Rusty dead.’

Cobb shuffled from foot to foot. “I’m sorry to hear it. We loved that dog of yours. I’ll be right back.”

Cobb returned with two stable boys rubbing the sleep from their eyes. As soon as they saw Nash’s eyes and his face, they stopped rubbing and nodded together, “Your Grace.”

Cobb handed them all a shovel, and Nash led the way to Rusty. When he saw Rusty, Cobb sucked in his breath and stopped walking. One of the boys behind him bumped into Cobb from his sudden stop. They all moved slowly forward, and no one said a word. Where they saw Nash break ground, they came and helped. When the hole was large enough and deep enough, Cobb stepped toward Rusty.

“No,” Nash said sharply. “I’ll do it.”

Cobb nodded and stayed back. Nash began to cry again as he picked up Rusty’s body and placed it in the ground. They were all silent as he took Rusty’s head, placed it next to his body, and picked up his shovel.

Ten minutes later, they all walked silently to the stables. Nash handed his shovel to Cobb and nodded his thanks. He went to his bedchamber and cried one last time.

By the time Nash came down to eat, the other three were there and had been told. Nash’s eyes were swollen and half shut. His nose was red.

Harriman started, “Nash, I’m so sorry about your dog. He was great.”

Darrell was next, “Everyone loved that dog.”

And Wilson went last. “Do you know who did this? We’ll go hunt him down with you. Just say the word.”

By this time, Nash was sitting with a cup of coffee in front of him. Wilson said, “You think it’s the neighbour guy, don’t you?”

Nash nodded.

Harriman looked at Darrell and Wilson. “Then we’ll get our horses and pay him a visit.”

Nash nodded. “Here’s how you can help. I’m going over there, and I am going to confront that little worm. You can ride with me and sit on your horses outside. If they see you, it might scare them a bit. He’s not going to admit he did it, but I want him to know I know.”

Darrell looked around the room. “We can do that.”

Harriman and Wilson nodded.

Nash got no satisfaction out of his visit to the Stanton estate. Both Avery and that little weasel Henry were there and talked to him about what happened. Avery wanted to know what evidence Nash had to back up his accusation, and Henry taunted him, asking if he interviewed his own staff before running to them.

In the end, the only satisfaction he got from the meeting was that they knew he knew. He and his friends went back to Nash’s estate, and they asked him if he wanted them to leave so he could be alone. However, being alone was the last thing he wanted.

The card game lasted into the night, but they woke in the morning with no hangover. It was a pain free ride around the estate and to the waterfall. After a swim, they ate lunch at the tavern, and Nash was teased about how small his town was.