A Compromised Lady (2 page)

He noted Almeria’s flush with grim satisfaction.

She recovered and rattled in again. ‘But, Richard—’

He flung up a hand. ‘Enough, ma’am! I’ve every intention of marrying.’

She blinked. ‘But who? There were several eligible girls out this year, and they are, each and every one, snapped up, while you sat in Kent!’ She counted the eligibles off on her dainty fingertips.

‘Lady Sarah Wilding, Miss Creighton, the Scantlebury chit—’ Her lip curled slightly. ‘Trade, to be sure, but one hundred thousand! I suppose one can make allowances.’ She glared at Richard. ‘All betrothed! So whom do you have in mind?’

‘How in Hades should I know?’ he answered with forced calm. Trust Almeria to take him literally!

‘All I can tell you is that I am not on the catch for an heiress!’ Then, with fell intent to end the conversation once and for all, ‘Besides, you know Max. He’ll probably give Verity a dozen strapping sons in his image.’ He watched, fascinated, as Almeria’s colour rose. Judging by the peculiar sounds emanating from her, it was entirely possible that she was actually choking. His baser self stirred. ‘I mean, it didn’t take him long this time. They’ll barely have been married nine months.’

She favoured him with a look that would have felled a dragon and said, ‘I do not consider this a suitable topic of conversation. And if you had the slightest regard for one who has only your well-being in mind—’ She halted mid-flight and drew a deep breath. ‘Well, that is neither here nor there. Now tell me, you arrived yesterday; where are you staying?’

At the sudden change of tack, the back of his neck developed a most unpleasant prickling sensation.

‘With Braybrook, just for the moment,’ he said. ‘I mean to be up for a few weeks though, so I’ll probably take lodgings.’ No need to tell Almeria that in addition to the small estate he had bought the previous year, he was in the process of purchasing a small town house—she was likely to go into convulsions when she did find out. Bloomsbury was not on her list of eligible addresses for a gentleman.

‘And you mean to take part in the Season?’ She sounded as though she held out little hope in this direction.

‘Actually, yes,’ he confessed.

She blinked. ‘Really? Well, then—you must stay here.’

Richard stiffened. ‘Here?’

‘But of course!’ she said. ‘Lodgings!’ She shuddered in distaste. ‘Quite ineligible. Of course you must stay here!’

He thought about it. He preferred lodgings. Much safer. He knew the signs. Almeria was up to something. Something that involved him.

Oh, for God’s sake! As if he couldn’t dodge yet another of Almeria’s matchmaking attempts! Even if it was compounded by his own intent to seek a bride this year. Besides which, staying with Almeria, he might be able to give her thoughts about Max and Verity a happier turn. If she could see that he really didn’t mind, had never considered the earldom his, then perhaps she would become reconciled to the match. Spending a few weeks at Arnsworth House would be a small price to pay for healing the breach in the family.

Taking a deep breath, he said with a tolerable assumption of pleasure, ‘That is really very kind of you, Almeria, if I won’t be in your way.’

She waved that aside. ‘Of course not, Richard. Shall you be in for dinner this evening?’

Richard shook his head. ‘No. I’m promised to Braybrook for the evening. I’ll stroll back to Brook Street shortly and have my man bring my things over, if that’s convenient.’

Lady Arnsworth looked like a cat drowning in cream. ‘Perfectly. Myles will give you a latch key.’

Suspicions redoubled, Richard simply nodded. ‘Thank you.’

She waved his thanks aside. ‘Oh, nonsense, Richard. And you must not be thinking that I will for ever be expecting you to dance attendance. You may not have realised, but I will be chaperoning Dorothea Winslow this season.’

Richard stared. ‘Chaperoning Thea? But…didn’t she—surely she must have married years ago?’

Almeria’s eyes opened wide. ‘Dorothea marry? Dear me, no. Such a sad story…I dare say you will recall she was betrothed to one of Chasewater’s younger sons?’

Richard remembered that only too well. At not quite seventeen, Thea Winslow had been betrothed to the Honourable Nigel Lallerton, third son of the late Earl of Chasewater. As a gentleman set for a career in Parliament, naturally he required a well-dowered bride. Thea had been it.

But Lallerton had died in a shooting accident.

‘I assumed she’d recovered from her disappointment and married,’ he said. He had been abroad himself for some years after that and had heard nothing more.

Almeria’s metaphorical whiskers positively dripped cream. ‘Sadly, no, Richard. Such affecting loyalty! Naturally one sympathises with her, but, goodness! It must be several years since poor Nigel Lallerton died.’

Richard stared. He remembered that Thea had retired from society after Lallerton’s death.

Understandable if her affections had been engaged. But never to marry? Had she then cared for Nigel Lallerton so deeply that she had retired completely from society after he had died? He’d not had much time for Lallerton, himself…a bully, as he remembered. He stepped back from the thought. The man was dead after all. And perhaps Thea had seen a different side of him…Still, never to marry…

Almeria spoke again. ‘She cannot mourn for ever and I dare say Aberfield considers the time right…’

The sentence remained unfinished, but Richard had no difficulty filling the blanks: Thea Winslow could not be permitted to inter her heart or, more accurately, her hand in marriage, permanently in the grave. She must take a husband. Her father’s political ambition required it.

‘Of course she must marry,’ said Almeria, echoing his cynical thoughts. ‘Probably Aberfield would have brought her to town last year, had they not been in mourning for poor dear Lady Aberfield.’

Tis positively unnatural for Dorothea to waste her life because her first choice met an untimely end!’

Something about Almeria’s airy tone of voice sent awareness prickling through him, like a hare scenting the hounds.

‘Oh?’

She sighed. The sort of sigh that would have reached to the back seats in Drury Lane. ‘Naturally Aberfield wishes her to make an advantageous match. Of course, Dorothea is not a beauty. She was used to be well enough, but at twenty-four she really is past marriageable age, and one must expect that the bloom has faded. Still, I dare say she will attract some offers.’

The prickle intensified. ‘You are not envisaging me as an eligible suitor here, are you, Almeria?’ he asked bluntly.

Almeria’s eyes widened. ‘Good heavens, no, Richard!’ she exclaimed. ‘Partial though I am, I cannot persuade myself that Aberfield would look on your suit at all favourably.’

‘My suit?’ Richard wondered if he had misheard. ‘My suit, did you say, Almeria? I wasn’t aware that I had one.’ Under the circumstances he considered the even tone he achieved did him great credit.

‘Of course not,’ said Almeria crossly. ‘How you do take one up! Naturally when Aberfield wrote to ask if I would chaperon Thea, I thought of you. After all, you were used to be fond enough of her.’

‘She was a child, Almeria,’ said Richard, striving to maintain his calm. ‘I wasn’t thinking of her in terms of a bride!’ In fact, he’d been disgusted at the announcement of the betrothal.

Almeria waved dismissively. ‘Oh, well. No matter. I understand Aberfield has already put out feelers. He is looking for a political alliance to a man of far greater substance, you may be sure.’

‘How very sensible of him,’ he murmured, tamping down a sudden flicker of anger at the thought of Thea being used as the glue in a political union. Again.

Apparently oblivious to the edge in his voice, Almeria went on to enumerate all the eligible men of rank and fortune who might reasonably be expected to have a chance of securing the daughter of an influential viscount. ‘For you know, she will arrive in town this afternoon, and I must be prepared,’ she said.

Again an odd flicker. This time of interest. Aberfield House was just across Grosvenor Square.

Perhaps Thea would call. It would be good to see her again…

Aberfield House had not changed in the slightest in the eight years since Thea had seen it. Carnely the butler had a few more wrinkles, but otherwise she might have been stepping back in time.

Thea checked her appearance in a pier glass in the hall as David knocked on the door of the library, reflecting on the futility of this even as she straightened her bonnet and tried to tuck a curl back into it. She was tired and travel stained, dusty from the journey. She wished that she could have gone to Arnsworth House first to change and wash, but apparently her father insisted on seeing her first. Perhaps it was better to get it over and done with. Besides, Lord Aberfield would find fault with her appearance, or, failing that, with her very existence no matter what she did.

Grimly she reminded herself that even if Aberfield House had not altered, she had. The despairing young girl who had left here eight years earlier was gone.

David’s light knock on the door was answered by a loud injunction to enter. She did so, reminding herself to keep her face blank, her eyes downcast.

A swift glance located Lord Aberfield seated before the fire, one foot heavily bandaged, resting on a footstool. Thea uttered a mental curse: gout. He’d be in a foul mood.

David escorted her over to a chair. He smiled at her and cast a warning sort of glance at their father.

‘Good afternoon, sir.’

Aberfield shot a glare at David. ‘Took your damn time, didn’t you?’

David looked amused. ‘Next time I’ll arrange winged horses, sir.’

Aberfield scowled and turned his gaze to Thea. ‘Sit down. Hurry up. I’ve not got all day to waste on this. As for you, sirrah—’ he turned to his son ‘—you may wait outside to take her over to Almeria Arnsworth. You’ve no more to do here.’

‘I think not, sir,’ said David calmly. ‘I’ll stay.’ Grey eyes snapped fire.

‘The devil you will,’ said Aberfield. ‘You’ve interfered quite enough. Writing your lying letters.’

A satisfied look of understanding came into David’s face. ‘So that’s it. He did receive my letters before he died!’

‘Out.’ The softness of Aberfield’s voice did not disguise his fury.

‘Go to hell, sir.’

Thea blinked as she sat down. David’s tones were as polite as they had been when he bid their father good day, and she didn’t understand in the least what they were talking about. To whom had David written and what did it have to do with her coming to London?

Unable to quell his only son and heir’s outright defiance, Aberfield snapped his attention back to Thea. ‘Get that mealy mouthed look off your face,’ he shot at her. ‘You don’t fool me, girl. I know what you—’

‘Enough!’ said David sharply.

Aberfield’s eyes bulged, but he said only, ‘Suppose he’s told you already why I sent for you? Eh?

Interfering cub!’

‘No,’ said Thea.

‘No?’ His colour rose. ‘If I say he’s an interfering—’

‘I’ve no idea why you sent for me,’ she interrupted him.

‘Don’t speak over me!’ he snarled. ‘Surrounded by worthless fools!’ He caught David’s eye and took a deep breath, evidently attempting to control himself. He continued in bitter tones, ‘Well, he’ll have told you that you are to go to Almeria Arnsworth for the Season?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, sir, but I don’t understand why.’

He snorted. ‘Aye. And well you might not! God knows what I did to be saddled with you!’ He caught David’s eye again and said, ‘Everything’s different now.’ He swept up a sheaf of papers from a wine table beside him and thrust them at her. ‘Read those—if you can! What a damned mess! Thought I’d made things plain to the fool; but a few fairy tales, spun by—’

‘I did what I thought right, sir,’ said David.

An extraordinary noise burst from Aberfield, but he controlled himself and said to Thea, ‘David must needs meddle, blast his eyes! I’ve no choice; but by God, if you’re to marry, you’ll marry as I say!’

Again she met David’s eyes. This time he shook his head, his expression faintly apologetic.

‘Read them, Thea,’ he said gently.

What had he done?

Leaning forward, Thea took the papers from her father, forcing her expression to utter stillness, her hands to steadiness, despite the shaking of her insides.

The first paper was straightforward enough—a letter from a firm of London solicitors, assuring Lord Aberfield of their humble duty and informing him that it was their sad task to apprise him of the death in Bombay, some months earlier, of his brother-in-law, Theodore James Kirkcudbright. Thea bit her lip. Uncle Theo had been her godfather. She had been his heiress. Once.

She continued reading. The lawyers drew Lord Aberfield’s attention to the enclosed copy of Mr Kirkcudbright’s Last Will and Testament, which they believed to be rather different from the previous one. There were also two letters from the late Mr Kirkcudbright: one to his esteemed brother-in-law, the fifth Viscount Aberfield, and one to his goddaughter, Dorothea Sophie Winslow, only daughter of the said Viscount Aberfield. They believed the letters would sufficiently explicate Mr Kirkcudbright’s intentions and remained his humble servants, et cetera, et cetera.

Puzzled, Thea turned to the letter addressed to herself. Her godfather had not written to her in several years…not since he had written to express his shame and disappointment in her.

My dear Dorothea,

I shall be dead and buried before you read this, and can only pray that your brother has not been misled by his Partiality into overstating your comparative Innocence in the Affair your father related to me several years ago. You will understand that in reinstating you in my Will I have placed the strictest controls upon your inheritance, so that you are not placed in the road of Temptation again. It is not my intention to reward any Transgression, but to show my Good Faith, and give you the opportunity to redress the situation by making a good marriage.

I remain your affectionate godfather and uncle,

Theodore Kirkcudbright

David had persuaded him to reinstate her.