To Tempt an Irish Rogue (22 page)

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Authors: Kaitlin O'Riley

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Historical, #Fiction

BOOK: To Tempt an Irish Rogue
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“Don’t worry about my feelings right now, Paulette,” Lisette murmured softly. “I’m fine and you seem to have other issues to worry about.”
“But I do worry,” Paulette protested. “It just doesn’t seem fair that I should be with child, when you—”
“Stop, Paulette. Honestly. I’m fine.” Lisette squeezed Paulette’s hand and gave her a cheerful smile. “Now, I assume you are to marry him.”
Once again the room grew quiet and they waited for Paulette to speak. “Well . . .”
Confused, Lisette said, “But he must marry you. You’ve told him about the baby, of course?”
Paulette turned to stare pointedly at Yvette. “No. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to tell him myself, because
someone
went and opened her big mouth and told Jeffrey Eddington and Jeffrey told Declan today in the bookshop!”
“Oh, Yvette!” Colette exclaimed in surprise.
Juliette rolled her eyes.
Paulette glared at her younger sister. “How could you betray my confidence like that, Yvette?”
Lifting her chin in defiance, Yvette defended her actions. “Yes, I told Jeffrey about the baby. But I had to, Paulette! I had to! This isn’t a little secret about you being in love anymore. This is about your life! You’re having a
baby
, for heaven’s sake! And you weren’t going to tell Lord Cashelmore about the baby, but planned to run off to America with Juliette when she leaves!”
Four pairs of astonished eyes stared at Paulette.
“It really is quite difficult to believe that you are considered to be the sensible one out of the five of us,” Juliette remarked dryly.
Colette’s face was agog. “You weren’t seriously considering that as an option, were you?”
Paulette could barely look her sisters in the eyes.
“She was!” Yvette confessed heatedly. “I thought she was making the biggest mistake of her life. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone about Paulette and Lord Cashelmore, but since Jeffrey already knew about them, I went to him for advice. He agreed with me that Paulette was being foolish and that Lord Cashelmore should be told. It’s his child too after all. And then today I had to tell Juliette about Paulette’s plan.”
“Yvette did the right thing in telling Jeffrey,” Lisette stated, her eyes on Paulette. “This is not a secret you can hide for long, Paulette. Lord Cashelmore must marry you!”
“Leave it to Jeffrey to become involved in this,” Juliette laughed ruefully.
“This isn’t funny,” Paulette pointed out.
“No, it’s quite serious.” Juliette’s expression suddenly grew somber. “Which is why you must marry Lord Cashelmore without delay.”
“None of you care that he is rumored to have murdered his first wife?” Yvette asked.
They all turned to stare at Yvette.
“What? It’s a valid question! It’s the whole reason that Paulette kept him a secret in the first place.”
Paulette sighed in weariness. “He’s completely innocent of any wrongdoing involved with the fire that caused Margaret to die that night. I swear to you. He will swear to you.”
“I believe him,” Juliette said. “He told me this afternoon that he had nothing to do with her death and there’s something about how honestly he said it that made me believe him.”
Paulette reached across the table and squeezed Juliette’s hand in gratitude. “Thank you for that. I knew you would understand.”
Again Lisette asked, “So you’re going to marry him?”
Paulette hesitated. “This afternoon I told him that I would never marry him.”
“Why on earth would you say that?” Yvette cried in dismay.
Colette groaned.
Juliette downed the last of her champagne.
“I know what you’re all thinking,” Paulette began to explain, “but Declan never wanted to remarry after all the bad things in his first marriage. He’s only asking me because of the baby. He doesn’t really wish to marry me.”
“It doesn’t matter what he wants anymore,” Lisette pointed out. “He has to marry you now.”
“But I don’t want a husband who doesn’t want me,” Paulette declared, knowing she sounded like a sulky child.
“Do you love Lord Cashelmore?” Juliette demanded.
Paulette grew thoughtful. Yes, she loved Declan. Which is why she couldn’t force him into a marriage he didn’t want. “Yes, I love him.”
“Does he love you?”
“I don’t know.” Paulette paused. “There were times I believed he loved me, but he’s never said so.”
Colette’s expression grew weary. “Don’t be an idiot, Paulette. He said he’d marry you. It’s the right thing to do. You love him. He obviously cares for you. Think of the child.”
“Think of Mother,” Yvette said ominously.
Covering her face with her hands, Paulette groaned at the thought of their mother learning of her situation. The humiliation was too much. “Oh, please, please don’t tell Mother about this yet. I couldn’t bear her knowing right now.”
“Then think of your future if you don’t marry him,” said Lisette.
“Think of your future if you do,” Juliette added, with a hopeful grin.
The room grew quiet.
“So you really think I should marry him?” Paulette finally asked in hesitation.
“Yes!” all four sisters said in unison.
“You won’t hate him?” Paulette revealed her secret fear that her family would never grow to love the true Declan and would always remain suspicious and leery of him. She wanted them to accept him into the family.
“Of course not,” Lisette said sweetly. “Why would we hate anyone you loved, Paulette? As long as he treats you well and is a good man, we will welcome him into our lives because of you. I’m sure we’ll all grow to love him when we get to know him.”
“I like him already and I’ve only known him a day,” Juliette declared.
Her sisters wouldn’t disapprove of him because of his notorious background after all. “I feel like an idiot,” Paulette said, “about everything. And I’m so very embarrassed.”
“Don’t feel that way.” Lisette patted her arm gently. “It’s okay.”
“It could have happened to any of us.” Juliette gestured to her and Colette.
“Looking back now I wish I’d gotten with child and had to get married to Quinton,” Lisette remarked rather sarcastically, making them all laugh.
“You mean to say that you’ve all done
that
before you were married?” Yvette asked. Her eyes lit up with possibility and intrigue.
Holding up her hands, Juliette admitted without shame, “Guilty.”
“We’ve already said as much to you, Yvette,” Colette said. “Besides, just because we did, doesn’t make it right or mean that you should do the same. Look at what happened to poor Paulette.”
“Yes. Look at me,” Paulette said, frowning. “I’m as sick as a dog and haven’t eaten in days.”
“You really don’t look well at all.” Yvette eyed her sister critically. “You had better marry Lord Cashelmore before you start to look worse.”
That made them all laugh again, Paulette especially. “I love you, girls, and Juliette, I’m so glad you’re home again.”
Juliette grinned broadly. “I am, too. Although I always seem to arrive as something momentous happens!”
Chapter 26
Words
Standing on tiptoe, Mara Reeves gripped the railing of the great ship tightly in her hands, trying to peer over the edge. She couldn’t see anything but the wooden railing. Suddenly Papa lifted her up in his arms, holding her close against his broad chest. A strong gust of wind buffeted them and Mara buried her face in his coat until it subsided before looking out at the expanse of gray sea that swelled beneath them. She clung to Papa as the huge ship rolled back and forth on the waves. The land drifted farther and farther away.
“We’ll come back to London soon, Mara, darlin’. I promise,” he whispered to her.
She didn’t want to go back to Ireland, and she knew Papa didn’t want to go either. His eyes were sad. But he said that they had to go.
Mara liked their life in London. She liked Mrs. Martin and their house there. She liked the little bookshop and pretty Miss Hamilton, who made Papa’s eyes smile. And she especially liked the other children she’d met only yesterday. She’d had fun with Sara Fleming and her two boy cousins at Devon House that afternoon. Mara had hoped she could play with the children again, but she knew they left for Ireland the next day.
Mrs. Martin traveled with them, along with Papa’s valet named Hobbes, and another gentleman, whom Papa introduced as Mr. Sebastian Woods, his attorney. After their ship docked, Mr. Woods stayed in Dublin and they boarded a carriage to take them home.
When they finally arrived at Cashelmore Manor, Mara was fascinated by a grand party happening at the estate. The house was filled with lots and lots of guests dressed in finery. Oh, and the music! There was so much going on. As Papa sent Mrs. Martin and Hobbes to see to their things, he carried Mara through the ballroom, searching for Uncle Gerald. She knew her father was upset, but Mara couldn’t get enough of staring at all the pretty dresses. Such glittering colors and patterns as they swirled on the dance floor in time to the music. She had never seen a ball before and now she understood why all the adults wanted to have one. It looked like great fun!
“Declan, my boy! And Mara!” Uncle Gerald shouted, looking more ashamed than surprised as they were ushered into her father’s private study. Uncle Gerald was wearing elegant black evening clothes, and his face looked very red. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“So I can see.” Papa’s expression was grim.
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here. This is
my
house.”
“Yes, of course! I know that, but I . . .” Uncle Gerald sputtered. “I . . . I meant to ask what has brought you home from London so suddenly? Has something happened? Have you had news from the courts?”
“Something like that.” Papa’s eyebrows furrowed and he motioned to the rather lavish party going on in their house. “What’s happening here, Gerald? This is certainly not a welcome home party for me.”
“Oh, it’s just a gathering of friends to celebrate Alice’s birthday. It’s nothing.” Uncle Gerald’s face grew even redder.
A dark memory tugged at the back of Mara’s mind, calling to her. She had very few memories of her uncle, even though he wasn’t really her uncle. She knew that he was Papa’s cousin, but she was told to call him uncle, so she did. Uncle Gerald had always been kind to her. He liked to make her laugh with funny faces that he made and give her sweets. But something . . . something about him frightened her. . . . She hugged Papa.
“It’s a little more than a gathering of friends.” Papa’s voice was cold. “There must be two hundred people out there.”
“Yes, well . . . You know how these things happen. . . .” Gerald’s nervous laughter made Mara feel uncomfortable. “It started out as a small party, but then Alice just kept inviting more and more people. You know how wives are. . . .”
“I asked you to look after the place for me, Gerald, I didn’t expect you to—”
“Excuse me, Lord Cashelmore, but there seems to be a bit of a problem.” Mrs. Martin entered the study, looking very worried. Another woman, who Mara recognized as the Cashelmore housekeeper, hurried behind Mrs. Martin. The housekeeper, Mrs. Finley, looked distraught.
“What is it?” Papa asked her.
Mrs. Martin looked ill at ease. “Aside from Mara’s rooms not being aired, all the other bedrooms are being used by houseguests at the party, and your rooms, my lord, the master’s rooms, are occupied.”
“My rooms?” Papa turned on Mrs. Finley, who looked ready to burst into tears. “My rooms are not to be used by anyone while I’m away. You know that. Who is staying in my rooms?”
“Good evening, Declan.” Aunt Alice entered the study, dressed in dazzling scarlet silk and her black hair artfully arranged atop of her head with cascading curls down her back. Mara had never seen anyone dressed so spectacularly. “What a wonderful surprise! Welcome home! You’re looking as handsome as ever, Declan. Oh, and sweet Mara is here, too. She grows more beautiful every day. She looks just like her mother, God rest her poor, tragic soul.”
Alice smiled at Mara in that false way adults did when they didn’t care for children very much. However, Mara couldn’t stop looking at Aunt Alice’s sparkly red dress.
“Good evening, Alice,” Papa said through gritted teeth.
“I’m afraid we must apologize, Declan,” Alice said smoothly. “We weren’t expecting you, as you can see. And while we were here overseeing the estate at your request, we took a few . . . liberties, shall we say? I’m afraid that Gerald and I have been staying in the master’s rooms. We didn’t think you would mind, what with you being in London and us staying here. We will, of course, have all our things moved out immediately, if you wish. However, I don’t think you’ll be needing them.”
“What are you talking about?” he demanded. Mara sensed Papa was not happy at all with the situation.
“Not now, Alice,” Gerald warned in a low voice.
Alice ignored her husband and made a gloomy face at Papa. It looked like she was sad, but she really wasn’t sad at all. “It seems that the authorities have been made aware of your return. I really don’t believe you have much time before they arrive here and take you into custody.”
“Alice!” Uncle Gerald cried out.
Mrs. Martin gasped, her hand over her heart.
Not understanding what Aunt Alice was saying, Mara worried about what was happening. She felt Papa’s shoulders grow tense and suddenly a flicker of fear blossomed in her belly.
Papa said, “Mrs. Finley, find a room for me tonight. I don’t care where. And send someone up to ready the nursery for my daughter.” He then set Mara on her feet. “Mrs. Martin, why don’t you try to get Mara some supper and ready her for bed. I’ll be up to see her shortly. Be a good girl, Mara darlin’, and go with Mrs. Martin now.”
Her father was angry. She didn’t like it when he was upset. It hardly ever happened so she could remember those times very clearly. Papa became terribly angry with Auntie Deirdre before they went to London a while back. And before that was the dreadful night of the fire. He was very angry with Mama that time. But someone else was, too. Someone had been angry with Mara that night....
“Come along, sweetheart.” Mrs. Martin held out her hand and Mara took it, clinging tightly to her.
Mara was glad Mrs. Martin had come with them to Cashelmore Manor, for she hadn’t cared for her former nurse. She had been very strict and became cross quite easily. After climbing two flights of stairs, Mara still held Mrs. Martin’s hand as they stood in the doorway of her nursery. It seemed colder and darker than she remembered and with all the furniture covered with dust cloths it looked quite spooky.
“Well, it’s certainly a grand room,” Mrs. Martin said in her cheery voice, even though Mara knew she was still worried. “Once we get a fire lit in here, and put things to rights, we will make it all cozy again for you.”
And she was right. A couple of servants came in and began lighting the lamps and the fire, removing the dust cloths and unpacking her trunk and bringing her supper tray. The nursery and her bedroom were warmed up and almost looked as she remembered. At least they no longer looked spooky!
As Mara ate her supper, she wondered how long they would stay at Cashelmore Manor. She already longed for her flowered window seat in London, where she could look out and watch all that happened on the busy street below. When she looked out the nursery window here at night, she saw nothing but darkness.
Mrs. Martin got her ready for bed and then Mara chose one of her books for Papa to read to her when he came. It was the little toy book that Miss Hamilton gave her the day in the park,
Beauty and the Beast
. Mara sat on her bed, pulling the little tabs to make the pictures move and the beast dance. Suddenly Papa’s valet, Hobbes, came running into the nursery. The man was clearly panicked and upset.
“Mrs. Martin! They’ve taken Lord Cashelmore!” he exclaimed. “He’s been arrested!”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Martin cried, her eyes wide, dropping the dress of Mara’s she had been hanging up in the wardrobe.
The toy book fell to the floor, but in her hands Mara held the cardboard tabs that made the pictures move.
“They’ve taken him into custody!” The pitch of Hobbes’ voice increased. “What do we do? What are we to do here in this country now?”
Mrs. Martin pushed him out of the room. “Hush. Not in front of his daughter, you fool! I’ll be right out.” She closed the door and turned to Mara with a worried expression. “It’s time for bed now, Mara sweetheart.”
Something was terribly wrong and a sick feeling rushed through her. Mara feared she might throw up on the floor. Papa was not coming to see her later. She knew it with a dreadful certainty. Somebody had taken him from her. She understood that much. Silent tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
“Now, now. Everything is going to be all right, you’ll see.” Mrs. Martin sat on the bed beside her and hugged her tightly. She smiled at her, but Mara could see the fear and worry in the woman’s eyes. “Oh, don’t cry, Mara. Hobbes was just confused. You know how silly he is sometimes. Your father is fine. He just had to go out for a little while to take care of some business. He’ll be back as soon as he can, because he loves you so much.”
Great, choking sobs wracked Mara’s small body and she shook with pain.
Papa was gone! Papa was gone! They had taken Papa!
And Mara desperately needed Papa to come back to her.
Suddenly the paralyzing fear that had gripped her little throat for so long finally snapped open. Mara found the words she needed again, as she began to scream for her father . . .

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