Married in Haste (27 page)

“You’re a fortune hunter.”

He frowned. “No, I have prospects, and all this land.” He tried to cuddle her close. “Tess, I have such plans for this place and dreams for our future. I’m already experimenting with a new breed of sheep. I want the wool from Erwynn Keep to be the best in the world.” He nuzzled her neck. “With my land and your capital, we will create our own haven.”

She pushed against his chest, breaking his hold.

“Tess, what’s wrong?”

“You need my money.”

He spread his arms out. “It’s important, but it isn’t everything.”

“But you can’t rebuild the house without my money.”

He wished she wasn’t making an issue of it. But he wouldn’t lie. “That’s right.”

She shook her head. “Brenn, I have no money.”

Chapter Fifteen

Brenn stared at Tess. “You’re joking.” He even forced a half-laugh.

“I wish I was.”

His brows came together in uncertainty. “But you have a fortune. Fifty thousand pounds.”

Tess nodded. “Yes, it was a fortune when my father was alive.”

“Was?”

“Neil lost it all.”

Brenn’s hands dropped to his side. “All of it?”

Tess shook her head, the lump forming in her throat making speech difficult.

Almost in a daze, her husband walked toward the windows. He swung around abruptly. “It can’t be true!

I was with Mr. Christopher. He’s your brother’s man of business. He would have told me if something had been amiss in the marriage contract.”

“I imagine Neil was very careful to ensure everything looked right and proper.”

“He deceived me—?” Brenn leaned back against the wall. He stared out over the lake in silence.

Tess shifted uneasily. “Brenn?” She hated disappointing him this way.

He didn’t answer.

She stood waiting, her hands clasped in front of her.

Slowly, he faced her. “It was fifty thousand pounds.”

“Yes, there about.”

“How could he lose fifty thousand pounds?”

“He invested it.”

“Invested it?” Brenn pushed away from the wall. “In those Italian documents. There should still be some money there.”

Tess shook her head. “He told me he’d lost it all. He gave it to a man who was a scientist. He’d invented a battery.”

“A battery?”

“Yes, it’s these plates and wires—”

“I know what a battery is,” he said, interrupting her ruthlessly. “It’s a ruse, a charlatan’s trick. They touch a dead chicken with a set of wires and the electric current makes the animal’s muscles twitch. It’s no great discovery.”

He started prowling the perimeter of the room, moving with the angry grace of a caged panther.

“Then Neil was the one that was deceived,” she said stiffly.

He came to a halt. “Do you believe that?”

“It’s what he told me.”

Brenn’s eyes narrowed as if he focused on something only he could see. “No. Hamlin is a fool but not that much of a fool.” He switched his gaze to her. “Why didn’t he use his own money to finance this foolishness?”

“He couldn’t. Father felt that Neil didn’t have a good head for business. His will made it such that the only way Neil could spend his own fortune is with Mr. Christopher’s approval and he never approved anything. I’ve heard Neil and Stella complain about him often.”

“I imagine they did,” Brenn said dryly. “Tell me, Tess, did Mr. Christopher think it a good idea that Stella buy a houseful of furniture?”

“No. He refused to let them do it. Stella had a terrible tantrum over it.”

“But they went ahead and made the purchases?”

“Yes, but I don’t see what it has…to…do…” Her voice trailed off, a horrid suspicion rising. She rejected it with a shake of her head. “Neil wouldn’t have taken my money to purchase the furniture that Stella wanted.”

Brenn crossed his arms. “The money came from somewhere, didn’t it? Where else could he have gotten money? Gambling?”

Tess went very still. Deep inside her, a coldness began building. “Neil is a terrible player.”

“Stella gambled too. Sir Charles mentioned that she had a fondness for gambling and expensive baubles.”

Crossing her arms, Tess admitted, “Stella loves jewelry but that doesn’t mean—” She stopped, unwilling to speak her suspicions aloud.

Brenn didn’t share that reluctance. “They were spending your money.” He gave a mirthless laugh. He ticked off on his fingers. “The furniture, the gambling, and how about that horse? I hear he paid a fortune for it and it turned out to be a nag. Would Mr. Christopher have authorized that expenditure?”

Tess gave him her back, unwilling to answer. The wind had picked up. The ominous gray clouds hung heavy in the sky. “If Neil did what we—you think he did, then I’m sure it is because Stella drove him to it. That woman is impossible.”

“I agree,” Brenn said bitterly. “Neil isn’t the only man to have been ruined by a woman.”

Something in his tone of voice made her turn. “What do you mean by that?” she asked levelly.

Their gazes met and she read all too clearly the recriminations. He blamed her for her brother’s actions.

“I didn’t know.”

“Yes, you did, Tess. You were the one who told me the investments were worthless.”

“I didn’t know about his taking my money.” She drew shaky breath. “I thought he’d lost the money on those investments. I never dreamed he might be borrowing it to pay for Stella’s extravagances. You must believe that.”

“Oh, I do.” He crossed to the front door and placed his hands on his hips. “If I had Neil Hamlin here right now, I’d throttle him with my bare hands.”

“He’s my brother,” Tess protested weakly.

“Your brother is a thief.”

“It was Stella. It had to be Stella. Besides, you are making too much of this. The way you are carrying on, one would think you only married me for my money.”

“I did.”

Tess reeled back from his answer.

“I didn’t have a choice, Tess. You can’t have thought we were a love match. We were contracted to be married in less than twenty-four hours after meeting.”

“But you…wanted me.” Her voice didn’t sound like her own.

His expression took on the hardness of disappointment. “But I had come to London for a rich wife. I would not have married you if I had known your coffers were empty. Nor would I have subjected a wife to this if I had not thought we could begin to rebuild the house immediately. We’re ruined, Tess. Between the two of us, we have two hundred pounds.”

Tess felt as if the walls of the house were crumbling around her. She staggered to one of the empty windows. Her knees practically buckling beneath her, she sank down to sit on the window edge. The lake was growing choppy. Its waters lapped against the crag of land.

For long moments, neither spoke.

She was the first to break the silence. “Do you remember telling me that if I fell you would pick me up?

You also mentioned several times that together we could do anything.” She looked up at him.

“Together.”

He made an impatient noise.

She stood. “Brenn, it couldn’t have been an accident that the two of us met that night. No, we were meant to meet and to marry and to build this house,” she said, a wave of her hand encompassing the empty shell around them.

“Tess, there are no fairies. If no one has told you that, let me be the first. Worse, I believe Maria Edgeworth has gone to your head.” He paused a moment, his hands on his hips. “We were a business arrangement, Tess. And we fit well together in bed and we managed to be companionable—”

“Oh, no! We are much more than just companionable!”

“What would you know?” he said. “You were so afraid of letting a man close, you didn’t have any idea.”

“Afraid?” Tess’s pride welled up. “I was never afraid. I told you I loved you and I meant it. I have never met a man who wanted to know what I thought or what I felt. I believed you were different.” Suddenly, she saw the truth. It was like blinders coming off her eyes. “You wanted me to believe you were different, didn’t you? It was all part of your plan to snare a rich wife.”

He took a step toward her. “That wasn’t it. Not even that first night. Not out on the terrace—”

“Don’t say another word.” She backed away, raising a warning hand. And then suddenly it was too much. The hurt, the betrayal, the sadness. She turned on her heel and ran.

“Tess!” he called, as if ordering her back. Well, she wouldn’t listen. She didn’t have to listen. Not anymore. Not since he didn’t love her.

Her kid slippers made no sound as she raced across the stone floor. She almost tripped over a clump of grass. Miles was back from his chase. He made a purring noise for attention as she stumbled down the front steps but she ignored him.

Brenn came out on the step behind her. “What are you going to do, Tess?” he called. “Return to London? Return to your faithless brother?”

She didn’t answer but she did slow her step, walking toward the coaches waiting by the barn.

What was she going to do?

He was wrong about her returning to London. She couldn’t. Then everyone would know the truth and she would be laughed at. The high-and-mighty Miss Hamlin had fallen. There would be many a match-making mama and her daughter who would dance to hear that news!

She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

But how could she stay here?

Not only did Brenn not love her, he was nothing more than a common fortune hunter. She curled her lip at the thought. Her father had been right. They were the worst breed of male.

Willa came out to meet her, complaining about needing to unload the coaches. “Where’s the house, my lady?”

Tess stopped. She glanced back over her shoulder at the great ruin of Erwynn Keep. Brenn still stood there, hands on hips, his dark head silhouetted against the sky. He looked every inch the blackguard he was.

She walked past Willa. The maid followed practically on her heels, repeating her questions. Think, Tess told herself. What do you want to do?

She opened the cottage door. She took a tentative step in.

The cottage interior was more pleasant than she had anticipated. The floor was of polished wood. A table, several chairs, and a rocker sitting in front of the hearth made up the meager furnishings. There were no rugs to add warmth.

She supposed that this was adequate for a man, but her woman’s eye saw many improvements that could be made. Willa watched from the door as Tess walked from room to room. There was only one furnished bedroom. The main room served as sitting room, dining area, and kitchen. Two of the other rooms off to the side of the main room were empty now.

Tess returned to Willa. “Not all of my trunks will fit in the bedroom. Put the extra trunks in one of the side rooms.” She began pulling off her gloves.

“You can’t mean to live here…my lady?” Willa added almost as an afterthought.

“I do,” Tess said simply. “Now please unpack.”

Willa didn’t move.

Tess raised an eyebrow. “Did you not hear me, Willa?”

“I did, my lady. But this can’t be the grand house?”

“Unpack us, Willa. I’ve asked once already.” Few servants dared to cross Tess when she used that tone of voice but Willa did.

“I don’t think you should live here,” she said. “No countess should live in such a hovel.”

At that moment, Brenn appeared in the doorway. Willa had the good grace to blush. There was no doubt that he had heard her words.

“I wanted to bring this in,” he said stiffly, indicating the money chest in his hands. He placed it on the table. “I’m going riding.” He walked out of the cottage without looking back. Through a window, Tess saw him saddle Ace and set off in the direction of the mountains.

Willa stood wide-eyed and silent.

“Please do as I ask.”

Straightening her shoulders, Willa said, “I will, my lady. But I’ll not be staying here. I am the finest lady’s maid in all London—”

“Thanks to my patronage,” Tess reminded her.

“Yes, my lady, and I appreciate all you’ve done. But I expected civilization. I can’t stay here.”

“What do you propose to do?”

“I’ll return with the coaches to London.”

For a moment, Tess was tempted to go with her. But her pride would not bear it. “Very well. I shall pay your wages until the end of the year.”

Willa curtseyed. “That is very generous of you, my lady. I will also need a reference.”

“I will provide a reference. And we won’t be in this cottage forever,” Tess added, wanting to make the point clear. “We are going to rebuild Erwynn Keep. It will be the finest house in all Wales,” she finished, conscious that she echoed her husband’s words.

“Yes, my lady,” the maid answered dutifully.

It took less than an hour for Willa, Tim, and Clarence to unload the coaches. Tess had them put the silver chest, the money chest, and other valuables in the bedroom. The other trunks she had stored in one of the empty rooms. After short good-byes, they were gone and Tess was alone.

She sat in the rocker by the cold hearth. How strange it was to be here. She couldn’t remember any time in her life when she had been so completely alone. There’d always been servants about.

As if sensing her thoughts, Miles jumped up into her lap and nudged her hand. She got up from the rocker, nuzzling the cat against her chest and crossed to a food hamper Brenn had ordered from the last inn. Pulling a cold roasted duck from it, she tore off a piece of skin and offered it to Miles. The cat batted it playfully with one paw before sticking out his pink tongue and taking a lick.

A second later, he snatched it by his teeth, jumped from her lap, and headed out the still-open front door with his bounty. Tess rose and shut the door after him. She rubbed her arms. She felt cold. If only there was a fire in the hearth.

If only she knew how to build a fire.

Spying a bucket by the door, she went out in search of water. She found it in the form of a pump on the back side of the house. Daylight was fading. The low clouds continued to threaten rain.

Priming the pump, Tess stared at the shell of Erwynn Keep. She blurred her gaze and tried to superimpose Brenn’s drawing over the real version of the house. For a moment, she could imagine it in brick, with rosebushes climbing alongside the front door. She even imagined the dragon weathervane proudly measuring the wind on top of the cupola.