Unconventional Suitors 02 - Her Unconventional Hero (11 page)

“I was looking for Lady Grace,” she replied, deciding to be honest with her friend.

Beside her, Lady Danford gasped. “You too?” She hid her mouth behind her opened fan before leaning close and speaking lowly. “I have to confess that ever since I read about how the lady is blackmailing Lord Crestin in Mrs. Tiddlyswan’s column, I have been exceptionally curious about her. Are you curious as well?”

“Very.”

“Well I am almost positive that we are destined to be disappointed, for I am most certain that they have retired from Town.”

Adel’s heart sunk, for she hadn’t even pondered upon that possibility. “Do you truly think so?”

“Of course, for no one has seen either of them since Mrs. Tiddlyswan vowed to find out the reasons behind the blackmail. I am certain they found it far less scandalous to remove themselves from Town before the end of the season than to stay here and give fodder to the gossipmongers. Though if you ask me, I think their sudden disappearance is far more incriminating. Surely they have something to hide.”

“Of course they do,” Adel said in exasperation. Now she would never learn the truth. This dratted job was quickly turning from a blessed distraction to a stressful nuisance. “I should just give up the blasted gossip column altogether,” she muttered, unaware that she had done so aloud.

“So should I. I stopped paying attention to them when that vicious Mrs. Tiddlyswan kept reporting on Benedict’s shortcomings, as if his outdated apparel was the most scandalous thing going on amongst the
ton
, but since she has quit harassing him, I find that her column does not vex me nearly so much. If anything I find it amusing. I often read it with a skeptical eye, wondering how much truth is actually behind the rumors. Imagine someone having nothing better to do with their life than to spy on and report about other’s misgivings. La! What a sad life, indeed.”
Lady Danford’s words stung. Adel knew that the countess was not purposely insulting her, but it hurt nonetheless. The way she worded it made Adel feel nothing short of pathetic. Exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and made the decision to quit the column once and for all, for it no longer served its original purpose. Besides, between Lord Straton and Rose, she had enough on her mind now to distract her sufficiently.

It is with great disappointment that I report that Lady Grace and Lord Crestin have quit Town, presumably to avoid further information from coming to light regarding their scandal. This author is personally disappointed to verify their absence, although their actions are indeed rather incriminating.

In other news, it has been said that the widower Lord Pearson has recently come out of mourning and has set his cap for the Marquess of Pemberleigh’s only daughter, Lady Priscilla. Rumor has it that his interest stems from the sole fact that she has a large dowry. The fact that she oddly resembles his late wife has not gone unnoticed by anyone, I presume, or has it?

Adel scrawled out her column quickly. She knew that Mr. Bell was expecting it and she did not want to disappoint him. She would have to sit down and pen him a longer letter later explaining her decision to resign from her post. Folding the parchment into thirds, she slid the contents into an envelope and quickly sealed it. She would send it out with the morning’s post on her way to go visit Rose, for that was what she had planned to do with her day.

Walking into the breakfast room, she saw the footman removing two used place settings and knew she must have missed Aunt Tabitha and Katherine. She grabbed an apple out of a bowl of fruit on the sideboard before leaving to go find her family.

She was surprised to find them in the foyer, dressed as if they were about to go out.

“Good morning, Adel.” Katherine greeted her with a smile. “I was hoping you would awake in time to go with us. It is not like you to sleep so long.”

Adel was nearly as surprised as her sister was, for she couldn’t remember the last time she arose after the sun. “Where are you off to?”

“We are going to Bond Street to do some shopping,” Aunt Tabitha offered. “We can certainly wait for you to get ready if you would care to join us.”
Adel hesitated for a moment before daring to say, “I actually had my hopes set on visiting Rose today. Do you mind?”

“Do you wish us to go with you?”

“That will not be necessary. I would hate to ruin your plans.”

“Very well,” said Aunt Tabitha as she tightened the laces of her bonnet under her chin. “Give Rose our regards; we best be off.”
As soon as they were gone, Adel rushed up to her bedchamber and instructed her maid to fetch her pelisse. When the girl had disappeared to do as she was told, Adel slid the stash of bank notes she had hidden in her enamel carved jewelry box out and quickly stuffed them inside her reticule. It wasn’t an enormous amount by any means, but it was something.

Adel hadn’t second guessed her plans to visit Rose until she was standing before her door, reaching for the worn brass knocker. What if she had come at a bad time? What if Rose did not welcome her company? Pushing her doubts aside, she let the knocker fall, clanking loudly against the wooden door.

Just like the first time they had visited, the door, when it finally opened, only did so a crack and out slipped Rose’s frail hand, pulling Adel in with a surprising strength. When the door was securely locked behind them, Rose turned to her with a smile and said, “Lady Adel, I am so glad to see you again. Thank you for coming. May I take your pelisse for you?”

“Not at all,” Adel responded as she shrugged out of her pelisse and laid it on the scratched mahogany bench by the door. There was no way she would relegate Rose to the role of a servant in her own home. “I wasn’t sure if this was a good time to visit, but I longed to come and thank you once more for the beautiful lettercase you gifted me.”

Rose led her into the drawing room. “It was an honor, truly it was. I would rather it be in your possession than collecting dust in my trunk.”

Adel sat demurely on the settee as Rose took her seat across from her. Nervously she reached inside of her reticule, her hand tightening around the roll of money. She took a steadying breath before pulling it out and thrusting her hand towards Rose. “I also wanted to bring you this.”

Rose started at her hand, a look of confusion marring her delicate face. “What is that?” she asked, not attempting to take the offered gift.

“It is some extra money I had. I wanted to give it to you.” Adel looked into Rose’s eyes but couldn’t tell what the girl was thinking. She walked over to where she was sitting and extended her hand so that it was within reach. “Take it, please.”

Rose averted her eyes. “I cannot accept your pin money, however kind it is of you to offer.”

“I assure you that it is not my pin money. I have sufficient for my needs and wished to give this to someone who was in greater need of it than I. I hope you will not be offended by my offer, but I felt as if I should come and give it to you, though I’m not entirely sure why.”

Rose’s voice shook with emotion, and perhaps embarrassment. “I cannot accept it.”

“Nonsense, you can and you will,” Adel said as she lifted Rose’s hand and forced it into her palm. “Consider it payment for the lettercase if you must assuage your pride.”

“I will not do that, for that was a gift. I did not expect payment for it.” Rose tried to hand the money back to Adel but she ignored the girl and returned to her seat on the settee.

“Then let this be my gift to you.”

Adel watched as desire warred with pride before Rose finally said, “Thank you for your generosity. I shouldn’t accept it but the good Lord knows I could use it. My husband has refused to pay my lady’s maid her dues for months now. Bless her heart for staying on as my maid without any compensation, but I know she could desperately use the funds. I wouldn’t mind the loss of a maid so much as I dread the thought of losing her companionship. She has become a dear friend, my only friend really.”

“Well I am your friend now too, and I refuse to allow that to happen. Rose, why don’t you tell your brother about such things? I know he would be more than happy to assist you with whatever it is you are in need of.”

“It is so humiliating,” she acknowledged as her bottom lip trembled. “Besides, it is my husband’s duty to take care of me, not his.”

“But your husband is failing miserably at his duty,” she pointed out as if it weren’t obvious.

“No one knows that more than I, but he refuses to let Griffin help. It’s his way of punishing me, I believe.”

Adel’s eyes widened. “Why would he want to punish you?”

“Because I cannot provide him with an heir. I have been with child five times, and each time it has ended with loss. He blames me, as if it is my fault that my body cannot carry a baby past a few month’s time.”

“That is absurd,” Adel spit out angrily, hate for the baron welling up within her.

Rose shrugged. “Yes, but that’s how things are with my husband. Sometimes I wish he were dead. Is that horrible of me?”

“Not at all,” Adel said vehemently. “I would rather be fated to spinsterhood than to be wed to such a monster.”

“It is almost humorous to me how women think spinsterhood is a fate worse than death. Clearly they do not know that marriage can be far worse.”

“But it doesn’t have to be, does it?” Adel asked hopefully, her romantic childhood dreams of marrying a dashing and noble prince coming back to her at once.

“I like to believe that some married people are happy, though I must confess I do not have any examples of such wedded bliss in my life. My parents were miserable, though perhaps not as miserable as I. What about your parents, are they happy?”

“They were very much so,” she answered sadly. “My mother’s death ripped my father’s heart to shreds. She was his world, and he was hers. Sometimes I ask myself if it is worth loving someone so much, if it will just break your heart in the end.”

“I imagine it would be infinitely more satisfying to know that kind of love, even if it is only for a short spell, than to be forced to live a life void of it completely. It sends me into a fit of the blue devils to realize that the opportunity for love has been lost to me and that I’ll most likely die alone and unloved.”

Sadness engulfed Adel at the girl’s bleak future. Oh how she wished there was some way to change it for her.

“I always warn my brother,” Adel snapped out of her reverie at the mention of Lord Straton, “that he better marry for love and for no other reason if he wishes to truly be happy.”

Adel thought back to Lord Straton’s proposal with grand confusion. Why wouldn’t he heed his sister’s sad warning when her life was a tragic example of what could happen if he didn’t? Her anger multiplied the longer she thought about it, giving her a sudden desire to chastise him until he understood how foolish he had been.

“Rose, where is your brother’s townhouse located?”

Rose looked abashed by the sudden change in conversation, but thankfully didn’t question Adel. “It is located in Mayfair, number 11 Chesterfield Street.”

“Thank you,” Adel said as she committed the address to memory and rose. “I fear I have overstayed my welcome, but I would very much like to call on you another day if that is to your liking.”

“Very much so.” Rose stood as well. “And thank you for the money. You are truly an angel in disguise.”

Adel wasn’t sure about that, for at that moment she felt anything but angelic. Her driver gave her a skeptical look when she instructed him to deliver her to Chesterfield Street, but wisely kept his opinions to himself.
It was like night and day going from Rose’s pathetic townhouse to Lord Straton’s opulent one. His butler let her in without question, showing her to a tastefully decorated drawing room. The burgundy and gold Oriental rug complimented the burgundy striped wallpaper to perfection. The furniture had been chosen with an expert eye and looked as comfortable as it did elegant. She chose to sit in a cream colored wing-backed chair while she waited for Lord Straton, hoping he wouldn’t be long, for every minute that passed her anger only grew.

***

Griffin looked up from the stack of correspondence he was sorting through when his butler entered his study. He waited patiently to hear what the man wanted.

“You have a visitor, my lord. Lady Adel Desmond is waiting for you in the drawing room.”

Griffin perked up, quickly rising as he straightened his jacket. What in the devil was the chit up to? His curiosity fully piqued, he hurried to the drawing room where she awaited. Griffin nearly gasped when he rounded the corner and entered the room. Lady Adel was sitting primly in the ivory wing-backed chair that sat next to his favorite blue one, a dainty table the only thing separating them. She looked as if she belonged in the room, in his house, in his life, and his heartbeat accelerated as his breathing became shallow.

“Lady Adel, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” he forced his voice to sound even.

Her eyes turned at the sound of his voice, flashing emerald that made him wonder what was amiss. “How could you?” she seethed between gritted teeth.

Griffin was taken aback. “How could I? You must forgive me, my lady, for I am unsure of what it is you are referring to.”

He watched as she rose from her chair, looking as regal as the Queen herself, though much more beautiful in his opinion. Her hands where clamped tightly around her reticule, making him wonder if she were actually going to throw the blasted thing at him. His thoughts drifted back to the not so distant past when Benedict’s mother, the dowager countess of Danford had bravely thrown a teacake at his chest. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory, though by the tightening of Lady Adel’s lips, he could tell that it was the wrong thing for him to do.

“What is so funny, my lord? Do you find my anger amusing?”

“Not at all. I actually believed for a moment that you were getting ready to throw your reticule at me, which reminded me of the time Lord Danford’s mother threw a teacake at my chest. That memory is what amused me so. Please forgive me.”

She looked at him strangely. “Why ever would she do such a thing?”