The Temptation of Lady Serena (11 page)

“Yes, I do love him, desperately. Most of the time, he is incredibly gentle and charming. I’ve watched him play with Arthur and Ben, Lady Rutherford’s little boy. Robert is almost never high in the instep. He has gone out of his way to entertain me.”

Serena hesitated. “He’s doing all sorts of things he would not normally do, but he will not allow me to know him more deeply. He has told me about his estates and his horses and all manner of
things,
but never shares his
thoughts
and
feelings.
I’d never seen him act—never knew he could act—the way he did at Merton and on the drive back. He was so
hard
and . . . dictatorial. The way he spoke to me and the things he said . . .” Serena looked down at her hands.

“And you’ve been jumping every time you hear a loud noise outside, afraid it will be him,” Lady Beaumont said.

“Yes, I have the greatest dislike of contretemps. That was the reason I agreed to leave my home and come to London, to avoid . . . the situation there.”

“I’ve heard your brother married. His wife didn’t want you around, I take it.”

Serena nodded.

“Well, that was a mighty pretty way to thank you for keeping the estate in good repair for him until he was ready to finish playing soldier. He should have sold out when your father died.”

Serena blinked back tears. After all the years she’d struggled to do her duty, all the years she’d spent alone, this woman was the only one who’d ever acknowledged what she’d done, given voice to what she’d sacrificed. “I tried not to think of it, but I wished he’d come home. I’m so much older now.” Her voice was suspended by tears.

“Come here, my girl.”

Serena sank to the floor beside the sofa.

Lady Beaumont patted Serena’s head. “You just have a nice cry. You’ve been used ill by some of those who ought to have had your best interest at heart, and I’ll include Robert in that. We will not allow it to happen again.”

Lady Beaumont sat with Serena until she’d cried herself out.

Serena finally lifted her head. “Phoebe and Marcus think Robert loves me. You’re his grandmother. What do you think?”

“Oh, he loves you well enough. He would not have done what he did if he wasn’t afraid he’d lose you. Until now, Robert has been very clever avoiding the parson’s mousetrap. Too clever. They’ll tell me I ought not to talk to an innocent like this, but I’m from a different generation. We were not so mealy-mouthed. And you, my dear, have been kept in ignorance. If you’d had a better understanding of what happens between a man and a woman, you probably wouldn’t have made the mistakes you did.”

Serena blushed. “I was so foolish.”

“Well, you’re not alone. Robert had his heart badly broken when he was young. I don’t know what happened. He would never talk to me about it. Since then, he’s become used to taking his pleasure from a particular sort of woman and discarding them the minute he is done.”

“Do you mean a . . . high-flyer, ma’am?”

Lady Beaumont chuckled. “Not usually, although, I am sure there were some of them as well. No, I am referring to well-bred ladies with the hearts of courtesans. Kept him safe from any entanglements.”

“Do you think he might discard me after we wed?”

“No, my dear, where Robert loves he’ll be very different. But, if he doesn’t admit his love, he’ll use your love for him to get what he wants. You will not have the influence over him you should have. Like his father and grandfather, he’ll remain in control. If you mean to marry him, you must make him admit his feelings before you’re leg-shackled. If you don’t want to marry him, tell me now and we will arrange it so you need not.”

“But I don’t understand.” Heat rose in Serena’s face. “We were seen . . . together.”

“Arrangements can be made. I don’t say you can remain in the
ton,
but you would be free of the betrothal. Do you wish to marry my grandson?”

“If he loves me and allows me to be close to him, yes. If he holds me at arm’s length, then no, I could not live like that. I would die a slow death, without any freedom. I’d rather live quietly, as a spinster.”

“Then you must trust us to help you bring him around. Mind you are not to be alone with him in a dark corner of a terrace, or anywhere else for that matter. He’ll take full advantage of you, and he has the charm and experience to do it. Not to purposely hurt you—never that—but to show you and the world that you are his.”

Serena stiffened her spine and anger surged within her. “He said something very much like that on the drive back from Merton.”

Lady Beaumont grinned. “Keep that day in mind, and don’t allow him to run roughshod over you. You’ll be much better for it. Come along now. The other ladies have some entertainment planned for us.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Serena rose, vowing that when Robert came, she’d be ready for him.

 

Robert returned to London two weeks later to find the knocker off the door at St. Eth House, meaning the family was gone for a significant period of time. He walked to Dunwood House and found the same state of affairs.

Scowling, he drove to his grandmother’s, where he was greeted with the news that his grandmother and aunt were away from Town and had given no date for their return.

Robert stormed into Beaumont House in a black rage. “Charles!”

Mariville popped his head out from his office. “Yes, my lord?”

“Do you happen to know where my grandmother, the St. Eths, the Eveshams, and Lady Serena might be? The devil take them, they’ve all disappeared.”

“I believe I saw an announcement in the
Morning Post
that the St. Eths, Lady Serena, and the Eveshams were all traveling to France. I know nothing about Lady Beaumont.”

“Did it not occur to you, Charles,” Robert asked in a sweetly dangerous tone, “that I might like to know that information?”

“It did not occur to me, my lord,” Mariville responded pointedly, “that you were in ignorance of it.”

No, why should it? Robert glared at Charles. The
Post
was delivered by express mail when Robert was in Yorkshire. It was his own damn fault he didn’t read it. “When did they leave?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to find the notice again.”

“Do so!”

Frustrated, Robert entered his study and poured a brandy. France? Why France, of all places? He’d told St. Eth he wanted to marry as soon as possible. What the devil were they thinking?

They’d left without a word.
Serena was his affianced wife.
He’d made sure of it. He should have been told.

Then again, Serena had been exceedingly angry at him when they returned from Merton. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken leave of her so quickly. He’d thought that his time in Yorkshire would give her an opportunity to become used to the idea of being his wife. Actually, he’d hoped she’d miss him, at least a little.

He’d missed her damnably. Now that she’d be his, he couldn’t stand to be away from her.

He sat twirling the glass until Charles knocked on the door. “Well?”

Robert’s heart raced when his secretary hesitated.

Charles spoke carefully. “It appears, my lord, they all left the day after you did.”

Robert surged to his feet. “They’ve been gone for
two weeks?
”

“So it appears, my lord.”

Beaumont paced the room, unable for a minute to think. “Do you have any idea where in France they’ve gone?”

“One of the announcements mentioned Paris.”

Robert stilled. “Make arrangements for me to travel there immediately. I’ll leave from whichever port has the first passage.”

Robert waited in Dover for three days, until the wind was, once again, in the right quarter. When he arrived in Calais, his mood was blacker than when he’d left London. Fear of losing Serena made his breath quicken. He had to find her and bring her home.

I
n the parlor of the Coq d’Or, Serena glanced at her cousin. “Phoebe, when shall we continue on to Paris?”

“To-morrow. The horses and carriages have arrived. I wanted to give them a day to recover.” Phoebe grinned. “It really is time to leave. We’ve seen everything there is to see here.”

“Yes, we’ve had a very good time,” Serena said. “I’ve never seen a beach made of pebbles before, and the excursion to the château that Aunt Ester arranged was wonderful.”

“I think we’ve had something to eat or drink in every café and restaurant in Dieppe.” Phoebe took a sip of tea.

“Are the cafés in Paris similar?”

“Most of them are more elegant. All the French towns seem to have any number of good eating establishments,” Phoebe said. “There are some wonderful ones in Rouen, where we shall stay for a couple of days.”

The next morning Serena stood with Phoebe, checking off items on the lists they’d made.

“I think that is it.” Serena studied the carriages, six for traveling and three for baggage. “The coachmen have the directions for to-day in the event we are separated, though I do not know how that could happen with this cortege.”

Rutherford strolled up to them. “All we need are brightly colored ensigns to make us more noticeable.”

Phoebe laughed. “True, there is no disguising us.”

“I’d say not.” He lifted his quizzing glass. “Where are we changing horses?”

“I’ve decided not to change them,” Phoebe replied. “The countryside can still be uncertain. I don’t know what we’d find in the way of new horses, and I do not want to leave ours behind.”

Serena enjoyed the trip. They made a very merry party as they traveled by slow stages to the ancient city of Rouen, where they rested for a few days, visiting the cathedral and the Abbey of St. Ouen, the oldest parts of which dated back to the early fourteenth century. They also saw the astronomical clock, the site where Joan of Arc was said to have been burned, as well as the Church of Saint-Maclou.

Their twelfth day in France found them entering Paris through the Porte de Villiers in the northwest section of the city. By midafternoon, they drove through large wrought-iron gates which gave way to a circular drive leading to the front steps of the Hôtel Charteries, Phoebe and Marcus’s Paris residence. Wilson opened the door as their carriages came to a stop.

The house, built in white stone, was situated near the Jardin de Tuileries and not far from the British embassy. It had a main building and two wings. Walled gardens bordered three sides of the building.

Serena alighted from the carriage and stared up at the window-filled façade. “It is beautiful!”

Phoebe looked pleased. “Thank you. We’ve put a great deal of work into it. But come, tea will be ready soon.”

They all gathered in a drawing room overlooking the front drive and drank tea while the baggage was being settled. Soon footmen showed them to their respective chambers. Serena’s suite had lovely painted panels in both her bedchamber and the small parlor. Long windows, overlooking the side garden, adorned both rooms and allowed the afternoon light to shine through. The fireplaces were already lit.

Serena was the first one down to the morning room on the ground floor in the back of the house. She walked out the wide double doors onto the terrace to view the garden and the fruit trees beyond. Espaliered tree branches bearing small fruits ran horizontally on the old stone wall surrounding the garden.

Phoebe joined her.

“Phoebe, I could stay here forever. I’ve always wanted to have a wall upon which I could train trees and vines.”

“I am so pleased you like it. We had a lot of work putting the house back together. The previous owners were caught up in the Revolution and the next occupants, no better than squatters, took possession of the house. Fortunately for us, the property was never taken over by the government. I am well satisfied with the results.”

Serena creased her forehead. “What happened to the original owners?”

“Murdered. We bought the house from an heir who did not wish to ever return to France.”

Phoebe took Serena’s arm to walk back inside. “The gentlemen have gone to the embassy to register our arrival. They will no doubt return with at least one invitation. Sir Charles Stewart, the ambassador, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth, entertain extensively. We shall begin morning visits to friends of ours who are here and take a trip to the shops to-morrow.” Phoebe reached for the bell pull. “Have you decided how you wish to handle Beaumont?”

“Yes, I have given it a great deal of thought. I’ll deal with him honestly. There is no point in prevarication. If he cannot admit he loves me, I will not marry him.” Serena paused. “Phoebe, I cannot be alone with Robert. I—whenever he touches me, even my hand . . .”

Phoebe leaned forward. “I understand. We’ll make a point of providing you with a chaperone at all times. Even if you stroll in the garden with him, one of us will always be in sight. Will that do?”

“Yes, perfect!”

Phoebe’s eyes lit. “And if he does try anything, one of us will dash out to protect you.”

Serena worried her lip. “He’ll be so angry. I’m dreading our first meeting.”

The door to the terrace opened and Anna joined them smiling. “Phoebe, what a perfect house. I shall have to convince Rutherford we need a Paris residence as well.”

Tea was served as they made plans for the next day.

Anna took a sip of tea and nibbled a small biscuit. “I cannot wait to see the Paris shops. Serena, you should have seen the clothing Phoebe brought back from her wedding trip.”

Serena turned to Phoebe. “I want to stop at a café and taste the hot chocolate I’ve heard about.”

“You will eat your way through France,” Freddy said. “I don’t understand how you can eat so much and never seem to gain any weight at all. It must be your youth.”

Serena looked at Freddy’s slim form and hid a grin.

The ladies all turned when the gentlemen entered.

“We’ve an invitation to an embassy ball to-morrow,” Marcus informed them. “And a rout party the next day.” He rattled off the names of their countrymen and women currently populating Paris.

Phoebe frowned. “Marcus, do you know if word of the betrothal has gotten around?”

“I don’t know how it could not have, with the announcement in the
Post,
” Henry said. “But yes. I was congratulated on my skill at marrying my niece off so well.”

Serena, who had been talking with her aunts, said, “Uncle Henry, what did you say?”

“My dear, your engagement is common knowledge at the embassy.”

She frowned slightly. “But what does that mean?”

“Only that you must behave with propriety, my dear, which I’m sure you will do anyway. And if Beaumont attends any of the events, you will accord him his place by your side.”

“I don’t agree with you, St. Eth,” Lady Beaumont said, as she entered the room. “There’s no reason I can see why Robert should be rewarded for his bad behavior. When he shows up—and if he decides to attend any of the entertainments at which Serena is present—she may treat him as she wishes.”

Henry looked as if he’d argue, then his face lightened. “Of course, if we were to put it around that there was a little tiff . . .”

Marcus snorted. “And this
is
France. Tiffs occur on a much more frequent basis here.”

Phoebe’s eyes sparkled. “If one of the French noblemen begins to pay a little too much attention, as they are wont to do . . .”

“Perhaps my nephew will finally smarten up,” Freddy finished.

 

Traveling with his valet and groom, Robert hired a chaise and horses. They arrived in the quiet
hôtel
in Rue St. Honoré, not far from the British embassy, in the afternoon on the third day after he departed Calais. Leaving Henley to take care of the rooms, Robert strode quickly to the embassy. He was searching for the registry when he heard a familiar voice.

“Beaumont! What are you doing here?”

Robert turned to see an old friend from Oxford, Sir Walter Thrashridge. “I could ask the same about you. The last I heard you were in Portugal. Are you posted here now?”

“No, unfortunately, merely passing through to my new posting in Brussels. I’ve seen Evesham.”

Robert fought to keep his irritation at Marcus hidden. “I have come to join them. I was in Yorkshire when they made the decision to travel here. I understand it’s a rather large party. Who else came with them?”

Beaumont waited while Thrashridge thought.

“I remember now. Lord and Lady St. Eth, then a Lord and Lady Rutherford, St. Eth’s sister and other niece, Lady Serena. What a beautiful girl she is, made quite an impression at Lady Elizabeth’s ball t’other evening. In fact, Lady Evesham, Lady Rutherford, and Lady Serena were the principal attractions. Evesham and Rutherford took care to stay by their ladies. With all the expatriates and the Frenchies hovering around Lady Serena, there wasn’t any getting near her.”

Robert stopped himself from grinding his teeth. “Don’t happen to know Evesham’s direction, do you? I only know it is some house he bought.”

“I don’t, but the registry will have it. Are you going there now?”

“That is my intent.”

“Well, I’ll show you the way. There was something else I thought I should say to you.” Thrashridge rubbed his chin. After a moment he smiled. “I’ve got it now. I’m to wish you happy. Who is the young lady?”

“Lady Serena,” Robert said gruffly.
And when I find her, I’m going to drag her to Yorkshire where she belongs.

 

Robert went directly from the embassy to the Hôtel Charteries on the other side of the Jardin des Tuileries. The walk did nothing to clear his mind. He couldn’t even think of what he would say when he saw Serena, not to mention his best friends who’d spirited her away. Wilson ushered him in, then kept him waiting in a small parlor. Unable to sit, Robert paced.

Serena had been looking through a first-floor window when she saw Lord Beaumont approach. She fled down the corridor and back stairs to the morning room, where the other ladies were sitting, bursting into the room in a very unladylike fashion. “He’s here! Oh, what shall I do?”

Lady Beaumont took her hands. “Now, now, calm yourself. You don’t have to see him if you choose not to.”

“No, indeed, but, Serena, he is in Paris,” Aunt Ester said. “You will have to meet him at some point.”

Anna worried her lower lip. “Serena, what say we remove to the long drawing room? That way you may have some privacy, and we will still be there for you.”

“Thank you, Anna.”

 

Robert’s fury grew as he was made to wait in a small parlor off the foyer. Wilson finally came and escorted him to Marcus, Rutherford, and St. Eth. Marcus motioned Beaumont to a chair and let the silence stretch.

“Well, aren’t you going to say anything?” Robert flushed angrily. “Are you not going to explain why you took Serena out of the country without a word to me?”

Marcus raised a brow. “Didn’t you promise Phoebe that you would not attempt to engage Lady Serena’s heart before you knew your own mind?”

“I do know my own mind. I am going to marry her. You—all of you—know that! She loves me!”

Rutherford raised his quizzing glass. “If you were so sure of her feelings, why did you find it necessary to place her in a position where she couldn’t refuse you?”

Robert flinched, but did not answer.

Marcus continued. “It was because you knew that, unless you loved her in return, she wouldn’t marry you.”

Pressing his lips together, Robert harnessed his rapidly rising temper and made his demand. “I will see my affianced wife now, if you please.”

St. Eth, who had been standing next to a window, met Robert’s eyes. “But
I
do not please.”

Beaumont clenched his jaw.

St. Eth, under his breath, added, “This young man needs to be taught a lesson.”

He met Robert’s gaze. “Lady Serena is here under my protection. You will have speech with her
only
if she wishes it. There is, however, one person here who does wish to have a word with you.”

Robert, now in the devil’s own temper, growled, “And who might that be?”

St. Eth smiled humorlessly. “Your grandmother.”

“My
grandmother
. Here?”

The door opened, and Phoebe walked in. “Robert, I will take you to Lady Beaumont. She wishes to talk with you before you see Serena.”

Phoebe rounded on him, hands clenched at her sides. “Despite your peccadilloes, I never thought I should be ashamed to call you my friend. You have gone far beyond the line of what is pleasing.”

She strode out of the room.

Robert followed her up the stairs to a parlor.

“My lady, here he is.” Phoebe turned and shut the door behind her with a snap, leaving him to face his family’s matriarch.

He bowed and regarded his grandmother with a haughty stare. She may be a gorgon, but he would not give an inch. She had no right to go against him.

“You, my boy, may sit and tell me what you think you’re about, acting in this reprehensible fashion.”

“Grandmama, I am trying to do what you told me to do. I am trying to marry.”

“Good God, boy! Don’t you think you can get a girl to marry you without compromising her? What’s addled your brain?”

He was the head of the family. Who was she to question him? He did what was necessary. “Grandmama, despite how Serena and I got there, we are betrothed and she must marry me.”

Lady Beaumont narrowed her shrewd eyes at him. “Oh, she
must,
must she?”

“Her reputation will be ruined if she does not. You know that.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” Lady Beaumont said. “If Lady Serena doesn’t wish to marry you, I shall do everything in my power to help her out of this betrothal.”