Gentleman's Guide 01 - His Impetuous Debutante (24 page)

“
Too personal to discuss
with your husband?”

“
Taylor, please,” she
pleaded with him.

He chuckled and pulled her into his
arms. “I suspected myself.”

“
Are you happy?” she asked
hesitantly.

“
Right now, I am more
concerned with how you feel about the matter. You don’t seem
happy.”

“
But I am. Very much. But,
two wives have told you the same thing, and I was afraid of
bringing up unpleasant memories.”

“
Phoebe, don’t protect me
that way. You have done it before by not reading
Bluebeard.”

“
You know about that?” She
pulled back and looked up at him. How could he have learned? It was
a ghastly tale that she never wanted to share.

“
Yes.”

“
I didn’t think you would
have enjoyed the tale.”

“
I doubt that I would
have.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I am very happy that you are
carrying my child.”

“
We will be fine, Taylor,”
she assured him.

“
Of that you can be
certain because I am not going to allow anything to happen to
you.”

*

Before she drifted off to sleep that
night, Taylor broached the subject. “Have you told anyone of the
child?”

“
No. I wanted to tell you
first.”

“
Thank you.” He kissed the
top of her head. “I have a request.”

“
Yes?” She leaned back to
look up at him.

“
I don’t want you to tell
anyone.”

“
Why? Are you afraid
something will happen?”

“
Let’s just say I don’t
want to tempt fate at the moment.”

“
Taylor, that is
ridiculous.”

“
No, it is not.” He sat up
and turned her to face him. “I am not sure the fire was an
accident, nor does your brother. For the time being, please keep
this our secret. Until I know for sure.”

“
Who would want to kill
me?”

“
Any one of my cousins who
could inherit.”

“
Nobody knows who that
is.”

“
Maybe they are taking a
chance.”

“
Then wouldn’t it make
more sense to try and get rid of you?”

“
That is the one thing I
have not been able to figure out.” It would all be so much simpler
to just get rid of him. Had he been killed, two women would still
be alive and probably married to someone else. “Just keep this
between you and me at the moment. I have further plans. As long as
your condition is a secret, I feel you would be safer. The others
were until they conceived.”

“
If that is your
wish.”

*

“
I am returning to London
for a few days,” Taylor announced after breakfast.

“
Without me?” Phoebe was
slightly hurt.

“
It is part of my plan. I
want others to believe you stayed here. Indisposed.”

Phoebe blushed at what he
inferred.

“
I’ll continue to return
to London on a regular schedule for the same reason, until our
child is born.”

“
And keep me hidden in the
country?” She demanded, hands on her hips, facing him.

“
Of course, just where a
good wife should be.” He pulled her into his arms.

“
And what will you be
doing in London while I am indisposed?” Phoebe folded her arms
across her chest indignantly.

“
A little Faro at Whites.
Possibly place a few bets in the book. Perhaps the
opera.”

“
Then I am glad I am
staying here. Sounds like a horrible time.”

“
If I get lonely, I am
sure I can find company.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You had better be
referring to my brother and your friends.”

He thought about teasing her a bit
more, but was afraid she would begin to think he was serious. “Of
course, love.”

“
Then have fun and I will
anxiously await your return.”

*

“
Phoebe didn’t join you?”
Parker asked when Taylor sat down next to him at
White’s.

Now was the time to begin the charade.
Not even his friends would know the truth. At least not yet. “My
dear wife is indisposed,” he ground out a bit angrily.

“
Surely you realize these
things happen to women.”

“
That is not the point. We
have been married over three months and it is still happening to my
wife.” He put his glass on the table none too gently.

“
Two months isn’t that
long,” Lavins offered.

“
Not when your life
doesn’t hang in the balance on whether you can produce an heir.”
Taylor sat back and took in his surroundings. A number of men had
picked up on the conversation, just as he hoped they would. All of
London knew the stipulations of his grandfather’s will. This would
hopefully leave Phoebe safe for a short time, if someone was trying
to kill her. But, if someone was, they hadn’t waited until she
conceived. Perhaps they determined it wasn’t necessary to wait.
After a year of mourning, he would be past his twenty-ninth
birthday, too late to meet the deadline.

Two hours after the men separated,
Noah appeared in Taylor’s library. “What was all that about this
evening?”

“
I wanted the world to
know that my wife was not expecting my child,” he bit back coolly.
He knew he was being irrational. If he could trust anyone, it was
Noah. After all, Phoebe was his sister.

“
You think someone did try
to kill her?”

“
Yes. The more I think
about it, the more convinced I am. Both Nora and Heather were quite
healthy. I want the world to think Phoebe cannot conceive, giving
me time to determine what my cousins have been up to.”

“
Do you have anything else
to go on?”

Taylor raked his hands through is hair
and paced the library. Noah had to be told. He would never forgive
him if he withheld the truth and something horrible happened to
Phoebe. “Hell, maybe I am just overly cautious. I don’t know. Maybe
it is paranoia. But I need to know for sure. I have the same gut
feeling I had with Heather and Nora. Now there is much more at
stake.” Turning, he faced Noah. “I think you know what your sister
means to me. More than any estate or title. She is expecting,
making me want to take every precaution possible for her
safety.”

A slow smile came to Noah’s face. “I
should have guessed. What can I do?”

Taylor laid out his plan to Noah, who
made only a few suggestions on how they would proceed for the next
months.

*

Taylor had been gone one day when
Holly approached her mistress. “Lady Phoebe,” she interrupted while
she was playing.

“
Yes, Holly?”

“
I have known you since
you were a babe and something has been weighing on my mind, but I
wanted to wait until Lord Sandlin was gone.”

“
What is it?” Phoebe
rested her hands on her lap.

Holly closed the door behind her. “As
your maid I notice things about you.”

“
Yes.”

“
Well, it has occurred to
me that, …well…”

“
That I could be with
child?”

“
Yes.” Holly’s eyes shot
up. “Then you are?” She beamed.

Phoebe’s smile matched her maid’s.
“Yes, but we are to keep it a secret.”

“
Why?”

“
Because of past history.
Lord Sandlin doesn’t want to take any chances.”

“
Doesn’t that man know by
now that while you suffer more accidents than the average person,
nothing really bad will happen?

“
Not totally. That is why
I promised not to say a word. You will keep my secret will you
not?”

“
Of course.”

*

The third evening Taylor was gone on
his second trip to London, Phoebe began to feel incredibly lonely
and decided to take a book to bed, where she had a tray delivered.
After Holly placed the dinner in her room, Phoebe began to pick at
it while she read, not feeling very hungry. She had not even eaten
half of her meal when the first pains hit, tearing at her abdomen.
It was the worst cramping she had ever suffered. Breaking out in a
sweat and feeling nauseous, she rang for her maid. Seeing her
distress, Holly had a message sent to Taylor in London and another
for the doctor.

Before the doctor could arrive, Phoebe
was in a near panic. There were spots of blood and she was close to
hysteria at the thought of losing the child. She lay completely
still in bed and waited for the doctor to arrive. Holly had
returned to her side and placed the dinner tray out of the way. She
held her mistress’ hand, much like she did when Phoebe was ill as a
child.

Tears coursed down her cheeks,
anguished over the loss of the child and what the loss would mean
to Taylor’s future. What if she lost his child? Would she have time
to conceive and bare him another before it was too late? Did it
really matter? This child was more important than estate and funds.
She was just getting used to the idea of having a baby. She
couldn’t be losing her son. It had to be a son.

*

Taylor sat brooding in White’s with
his friends. He hated being away from Phoebe, even if it was for a
good reason. Why hadn’t he learned anything yet? He should know
what his cousins had been up to by now. At least one or two of
them, anyway. But he hadn’t learned what any of the three had been
doing. Only two more days and he could return home. Only to repeat
this again and again.

Taylor was just about to order another
drink when he saw Charles, his valet, hovered at the door. He stood
quickly and approached the door.

“
You need to return home
immediately, Lord Sandlin.”

“
Why?” He was afraid to
ask.

“
It is your
wife.”

Taylor returned to the table.
“Something has happened to Phoebe.” He then bolted for the
door.

As he closed the carriage door, a hand
reached out to grab it. Each of his friends climbed in.

It took six hours to reach the estate
and upon their arrival he was greeted by the doctor coming down the
stairs. His face was worried, and Taylor’s stomach contracted. He
followed the doctor into his library.

“
How is my wife?” Taylor
finally asked.

“
She will
recover.”

“
And the
child?”

“
The child is fine for
now.”

The friends who had been kept in the
dark about Phoebe’s condition exchanged surprised looks.

“
What
happened?”

“
Lady Sandlin developed
some significant pain. I believe the danger has passed and the
child is well.”

Taylor fell into a chair. “What would
cause this?”

“
A number of things.
Though it had all the signs as if she had taken something to rid
herself of the child.”

Taylor shot to his feet. “You are not
suggesting…”

The doctor interrupted him
immediately. “No. I am not suggesting she would do any such thing
on purpose. I am saying perhaps she accidently ate something.
”

Taylor absorbed what he was saying.
How could she accidently eat something? Anything she ever ate was
prepared in his kitchens. He knew better than to think she would do
anything to harm the child. The doctor watched Taylor. “Lord
Sandlin, if I could speak with you in private.”

“
Why?”

“
There are things I would
like to discuss that you may not want everyone privy to.” He
gestured to the others in the room.

Taylor looked around as if noticing
his friends for the first time. “Anything you say to me can be said
before them.”

“
If you are sure, Lord
Sandlin.”

“
I am sure.”

“
I am reluctant, given the
implication of what I am about to say.”

“
Go on.”

The doctor stood straight and faced
Taylor, hands behind his back. “Do you recall when your first wife
lost her child?”

Taylor had blocked the memory of Nora,
in those early months, bent over in pain, the blood and the
miscarriage. It was not unusual for a woman to lose a child and
Taylor gave it no further thought. Nora conceived again three
months later.

“
I don’t believe that
miscarriage was anymore an accident than the near one Lady Sandlin
almost suffered.”

“
What do you mean?” Taylor
shot to his feet again.

The doctor took a step back. “Your
first wife showed all the signs as Lady Sandlin upstairs. I never
had proof so I said nothing. This is not something you accuse a
lady of without proof. And, a miscarriage is not an unusual
occurrence.”

Six shocked faces stared at the
doctor. Instinctively Taylor knew Nora would never have tried what
was being suggested. She knew the importance of an heir for their
station. Selfish as she may have been, she knew the rules of
society and inheritance and would never intentionally shirk that
duty.