His Mistress (36 page)

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” she bit out coldly as she turned her pain into bitter anger. “You’d love for me to give you absolution. Well, I won’t. I have no intention of easing your conscience.”

Jane glanced around the room, relieved to see their argument had yet to be noticed. The last thing she wanted was more humiliation, and the minute Irene smelled blood, she wouldn’t hesitate to abase Jane in public. All in the guise of pity and concern, of course.

“I told you I was unworthy of you, but you refused to listen,” he snarled. It was the low, vicious sound one might hear a wounded lion make. Jane dismissed the thought as ridiculous.

“Don’t you dare lay any of this at my feet,” she hissed with a scathing look. Although his features revealed nothing, his eyes flashed with an emotion her broken heart couldn’t afford to define.

“Then expose me for what I am, and walk away,” he said hoarsely.

“I’ve no intention of letting you fall on your sword, Lancelot,” she sneered. “No, we’ll continue to play the happy couple and marry tomorrow. After that you’ll secure separate lodgings, as far away from my house as possible. You’ll also find some place other than
La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres
to seek your pleasure. I’ve no desire to see you when I visit the club.”

Fury darkened Tobias’ features at her decree. The moment she flinched in the face of his anger, his expression became unreadable. He jerked his head in agreement, and Jane’s heart became engulfed in flames. The fire consumed her until there was nothing left of her heart except ashes and an empty space in her chest. With a strength she didn’t realize she possessed, she met his gaze with calm serenity.

“For the remainder of the evening and tomorrow, we’ll continue this farce.” Jane allowed ice to drip off of each word as she eyed him coldly. “In the meantime, I need something for my parched throat.”

She didn’t wait for his reply and turned away to walk towards the salon doorway. Mindlessly she navigated her way through the crowd of guests pausing to speak to anyone who stopped her. It took her only a few minutes to find refuge in the morning room, but it felt as though it’d been an eternity since she’d walked away from Tobias.

Jane closed the morning room door behind her and stumbled her way to the sofa. The horror of it all sank deep into her limbs, and she buried her face in her hands. Desperately, she fought back the tears she wanted to shed. But she knew she couldn’t. If she returned to the salon with tear-stained cheeks there would be questions to answer, and she didn’t want to provide explanations. She sat upright and stared sightlessly at the fire burning in the hearth. From where she sat, the flames should’ve warmed her, but her body was encased in ice.

The sound of the salon door opening made Jane turned her head. Irene stood framed in the doorway with an exaggerated look of concern on her face. Jane immediately steeled her nerves for whatever mischief Irene had planned. She arched her eyebrows at her future stepmother noticing how Irene artfully appeared to have closed the door behind her, but it had swung open slightly. No doubt the woman had arranged for a friend to eavesdrop as a means of spreading gossip. Jane drew in a quiet breath of resignation.

“Are you unwell, Jane?”

“I’m fine,” Jane said quietly. “I simply needed a quiet place to rest for a moment. The excitement is a bit draining.”

“Oh,” Irene said with obvious disappointment, and Jane narrowed her gaze at the woman as Irene continued. “I thought perhaps you and Tobias had argued. I saw how abruptly Lord and Lady Hadley left the party. I thought they might have said something to upset you both.”

“Why exactly
did
you invite the Viscount and his wife to the party, Irene?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“The man is not one of my father’s friends, nor am I aware of any fondness you might have for Lady Hadley.” Jane tipped her head slightly as she met the other woman’s gaze.

“Your father and Lord Hadley are acquainted,” Irene said with a shrug. “I thought it might be advantageous for your father to further that friendship.”

“Or cause trouble,” Jane murmured with slow understanding. “Somehow you knew Tobias and Lord Hadley would not like each other.”

“Well, if you must know, I thought Tobias might like to extract his due from Viscount Hadley.”

“His due? Is there something
you
know that I don’t?”

“If you must know, Lord Hadley told your father that Tobias is a member of a notorious establishment that caters to perversions of the worst kind.”

“I see,” Jane said with an insouciant nod. Satisfaction rolled over her at Irene’s obvious confusion. “And you thought bringing Tobias and Lord Hadley together would create an altercation when Tobias
extracted his due
.”

“Of course not. It would have been disastrous for the two of them to brawl in the salon,” Irene exclaimed with all sincerity. “But I had hoped for your sake you would learn the truth.”

“The truth?” Jane eyed the woman with contempt.

“Oh, my dear, Jane. Did you really think Tobias would have bothered to look at you before your father blackmailed him into marrying you?” Irene’s bald statement made Jane stand up to face the woman. A slight movement at the salon door caught her attention, and Jane’s eyes widened in surprise. Irene, a gloating smile on her face, clutched her breasts with feigned sympathy. “I am sorry, my dear. It must be difficult to accept the fact that you love a man who had to be bribed into marrying you.”

“And how do you know this?” Jane challenged the woman as her father stepped deeper into the room. Oblivious to her fiancé standing behind her, Irene shrugged.

“Your father and I share all our secrets.” The woman’s blithe remark made Jane close the door of the trap.

“Does that include your affair with Lord Mallen?”

“Well, there are
some
things your father is better off not knowing.” The woman laughed softly. “After all, I would not wish to insult his prowess in the bedroom.”

“You must take me for a fool, my dear,” the earl’s voice echoed in the room like a booming church bell. Irene started violently, and her face became as white as a newly laundered sheet. Her father looked at Jane and nodded toward the door. “Leave us, Jane.”

The bleak expression on her father’s face almost made her feel sorry for him. It was obvious he was in pain at the discovery of Irene’s treachery. It was a sensation Jane knew well. The woman her father loved had made a fool of him, just as Tobias had betrayed Jane. But her sympathy only went so far as she remembered his role in the anguish she was experiencing at this very moment. Without a word she walked past Irene to the salon door. As she started to pass her father, his hand reached out to stop her. Regret let his features as he shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Jane.”

“If you’re asking for my forgiveness, I have none to give you,” Jane whispered. Her father winced at her words, and she glanced over her shoulder at Irene. “The two of you deserve each other.”

A gray pallor settled on her father’s face as her words split the tension in the room. Jane pulled her arm free of her father’s suddenly lax grip and walked out of the morning room. She’d always been alone, but for the first time she understood what it really meant. The only person she could ever rely on was herself.

T
obias signed his name in the wedding registry in the church’s small alcove off the main worship area. He laid the pen down and watched in silence as Jane repeated his actions. Each scratch of the pen across the paper signified one more lash of regret across his soul. He should have told her from the moment he proposed that her father was blackmailing him into their marriage. She could have chosen to refuse his offer and saved herself. Instead, he’d chosen to remain silent.

He’d truly meant to spare her feelings the day he’d proposed. When he’d proposed, her expression had convinced him that she would be humiliated to discover her father had used blackmail to secure her a husband. It would have given her time to break their engagement and salvage her pride. His lack of honesty had made him look twice as guilty of throwing her to the wolves simply to save himself. Jane laid the pen down on the open book and straightened upright.

“Shall we?” she murmured in the same, cool, touch-me-not tone she’d used since learning of his deceit last night.

From the moment they’d met at the church, she’d presented the outward appearance of a happy, composed bride. As they emerged from the alcove into the nave of the church, Tobias saw his family and the earl waiting for them at the sanctuary doors. He bit down on the side of his cheek at the way Samuel was watching him. The master brewer had managed to extract every last detail from Tobias last night after the two of them had left Culverstone House.

Tobias didn’t know who was the most angry with him, Samuel or himself. After thoroughly lambasting him verbally, his friend had developed a scheme to help Tobias win Jane’s forgiveness. He’d argued that it was a futile cause, but Samuel had refused to listen. Now the reckoning was at hand, and he wished he’d fought his friend’s plan more vigorously. He snorted softly.

He’d be a fool not to admit he wanted Samuel’s plan to work. Jane’s forgiveness meant everything to him. He would never be worthy of her love, but if she found it in her heart to forgive him that would satisfy him. Tobias extended his hand to escort Jane down the aisle toward the main doors. Instantly, her body became rigid.

“Do
not
touch me,” Jane said coldly, her eyes freezing him with just one glance.

The contempt in her voice was another lash, but this one had a physical sensation. It wrapped itself around his chest, grew tighter and tighter until it was difficult to breathe. He nodded his understanding and followed her down the aisle. The moment they reached the small group at the church entrance, there was a quiet chorus of best wishes. Jane smiled as if nothing was wrong with her world, but Tobias knew better. He saw the earl attempt to kiss her cheek, but she recoiled from him as if the man were a snake.

Had she confronted her father? It wouldn’t surprise him one bit. Jane had displayed an unshakable strength last night that was nothing short of amazing. No one would ever have guessed that the man she was to marry had betrayed her in the worst possible way. The pain he’d caused her created a vicious, tangible punch to the gut. It slammed its way into his muscles with the force of a lead pipe, until the pain became his as well. The pain still seeping its way through him, he saw Samuel bend his head toward Jane.

“So, where is Tobias taking you for your honeymoon?” the master brewer asked Jane with a smile.

“We’re staying in town,” she replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

“Do you mean to tell me Tobias has not planned a wedding trip for the two of you?”

“It’s quite all right. Tobias is working on an important case at the moment.” Jane shrugged and shook her head slightly.

“Well, this won’t do. It won’t do at all,” Samuel said with a disgusted shake of his head. The moment his friend clapped his large hand on John’s shoulder, Tobias uttered a quiet protest. He knew his objections wouldn’t work any better now than they had last night when Samuel had concocted his scheme.

“John,” the master brewer exclaimed. “Tobias didn’t plan a wedding trip for himself and Jane.”

“Tobias, my boy.” John eyed him with a look of annoyed disappointment. “Every woman deserves to be treated like royalty for at least one or two days after her wedding.”

“It’s quite all right. Really,” Jane said quietly, and Tobias heard the note of panic filtering through her voice. “Tobias has a great deal of work, and it would be difficult to make plans at such a late hour.”

“Nonsense,” Samuel stated emphatically. “I know just the place. The summer cottage on John’s estate.”

“Summer cottage?” Jane said with a look of consternation.

“A capital idea, Samuel. It’s the perfect retreat,” John said with a smile of satisfaction.

“I don’t think…” Jane stared at Samuel as if he were a fire-breathing dragon. “Tobias, please tell them we’ve already decided to stay in town.”

“Jane’s right,” Tobias said quietly, only to have Samuel glare at him.

“Do you mean to tell me you won’t take your bride on even a short holiday?” his friend said with disgust.

“I didn’t say that,” Tobias snapped offensively.

“Then the summer cottage on my estate is the perfect place for the two of you to relax for a few days,” John said with a steadfast note of firmness in his voice. Tobias’ mentor caught Jane’s hand in his as she protested once more. “My dear Jane. It would make me very happy if you and Tobias stayed at the cottage then you would be able to dine with me in the evenings. It will give us a chance to become better acquainted.”

Jane’s gaze darted to Tobias and then back to John. After a long moment she reluctantly nodded.

“Very well, as long as Tobias has no objections.” Jane’s eyes pinned him like a knife thrower might pin their victim to a board. Her sapphire eyes were as crisp as the fall day outside. Bright, but chilly. She clearly expected him to object to John and Samuel’s plan. Not about to do so, Tobias tipped his head in his mentor’s direction.