Wicked Deception (38 page)

“
Is it not ridiculous how
you try to convince yourself of things to alleviate your own
guilt?”Catherine asked in amusement, and shrugged. “I no longer
feel that obligation to him anymore. Nicholas’s death made me see
all too clearly. Gabriel will see that as well, in time. You must
give him that benefit, Martha. You forget he was also a victim of
Lilly’s schemes.”

“
I see only a man whose
arrogance and pride have made him miserable these last few years
and nothing more, my dear,” Martha argued with a sniff. “He should
have walked away when he learned of your marriage.”

“
That is all in the past
now. I’m leaving and he will have a wife,” she said softly, her
green eyes undisturbed. “All is as it should be.”

Martha was glad to hear Catherine
resolved her feelings for the Earl. She was eager for all of this
to end. She would let Nicholas know of it when she saw him next.
Catherine was ready to walk away from her past at last.

~ ~ ~

The wedding was attended by only Lady
Atwell, her daughter, and Tieghan. Gillian could barely remember
saying the words that bound her to the tall, impossibly handsome
man next to her. She eyed him under her lashes as the reverend
pronounced them married.

He dutifully kissed her forehead and
stepped away. She felt a nervous lump in her throat as a luncheon
was served. She spied his son earlier as he was carried up to the
nursery and wondered about his mother. She knew it was
inappropriate to ask after Mrs. Van Ryker now that she was
Gabriel’s wife.

She suddenly realized how little she
knew of the man she was married to. Her cousin’s wife and daughter
left, knowing they would never be back. They were very much rid of
her. She felt out of sorts as she sipped the champagne Tieghan gave
her, hardly encouraged by his well-wishes.

Her husband appeared detached as he
picked at his food. She wondered if he regretted their marriage
now. She felt too numb to feel anything, looking down at the
enormous diamond on her finger with something akin to
horror.

“
You can have it reset if it
displeases you,” Gabriel observed coolly, watching his wife stare
at the ring in obvious dismay. “You won’t hurt my feelings; only
say nothing of it to my Mother. She chose that setting when she
married my father.”

“
It’s quite lovely!” Gillian
exclaimed and shook her head. “It’s just so very big, my
lord.”

Tieghan snickered at her words. Gabriel
glowered at him until he took his leave, declaring he had an
appointment. She felt suddenly mortified to be left alone with the
brooding man at the end of the dining table and tongue-tied. He
broke the silence.

“
I don’t expect this to be
but a marriage in name only, Gillian. You needn’t worry I will
press you for more,” he began, his dark eyes meeting hers with a
trace of mockery in them. “Does that alleviate your distress? I can
see you’re troubled. I can assure you I won’t pounce upon you for
my rights, my dear.”

Gillian gazed at him in surprise at
this, but said nothing as he continued to speak. He was telling her
in no uncertain terms the marriage was merely an arrangement. Her
heart plummeted with each word. She felt a trace of anger he
couldn’t wait a scant hour after their nuptials to inform her of
this.

“
I see no reason why we
cannot maintain a civil relationship for appearances sake,”
Iverleigh was saying. His eyes met hers without a trace of warmth
in them. “It is not my wish to have more than that. While at some
point, we must have an heir. I have no wish to lay with a stranger
any more than you do. I hope this doesn’t dash any of your girlish
dreams, but we both know why this marriage was necessary for both
of us.”

“
Yes, I rather heard your
choices in women in the past brought you to the altar with me this
day, Lord Iverleigh,” she replied coolly and was glad to see his
eyes darken in anger at her words. “I suffer no illusions about
you. You needn’t explain that or the presence of your son here
today.”

“
If the fact my son resides
with me distresses you than we can find you another residence, of
course,” he told her flatly and she could see he clearly
misunderstood her meaning. He thought she was balking at having his
bastard under heel. Clearly he was angered enough to push her out
the door if that was the case. “I wouldn’t want you uncomfortable
with him here, but he is very much a part of my life. If that is
unacceptable to you; then I shall remedy it at once. I wouldn’t
want you to be embarrassed by any of my misdeeds, Lady Iverleigh,”
he finished in a disdainful tone that reminded her of who she was
related to as he raised a golden brow in mockery.

“
That won’t be necessary, my
lord,” she mumbled stiffly, aware he regarded her with obvious
dislike now. “I wouldn’t ask that of you at all. I’m well aware of
your relationship with your child’s mother. I only ask you not to
treat me as if I’m like my brother, for I can see it in your face
that you’re displeased to have been stuck with me as your last
choice for a wife.” He looked as if he would have said something to
that. She was well past listening as she pushed back her chair and
rose. Her sea green eyes filled with undisguised contempt, her
lovely face taut with anger. “I did nothing but have the misfortune
to have the man as a half-brother to earn your spite, my lord,” she
continued in obvious anger. “While you have earned mine for
thinking marrying you did me any favor today at all. You may have
your appearances, Lord Iverleigh, and hide behind them as you will
with your mistress. I have nothing to hide at all,” she finished,
and tossed down her cloth napkin. She turned and stalked from the
dining room, her head held high, a fine mist of tears in her eyes
at his thoughtless words.

Gabriel was angry he tossed the words
in her face as soon as they were out of his mouth, realizing he
alienated his bride on the very day of their marriage, no less. He
cursed and wanted nothing more than to go after her and assure her
he meant no insult to her. He thought better of it. The girl should
know at once he had no desire but to have his good name
restored.

He wanted no misguided idea that would
lead her to believe theirs was anything more than a business
arrangement. She benefited from it as well, for none would dare cut
her now that she was his wife. Marriage spared her much in the way
of scorn. Though behind their backs society would laud the sins of
what had happened to the both of them; it would not be able to
publically repudiate either of them.

He hoped his bride was the meek,
biddable creature he’d been promised, but he saw the fires of fury
in the woman’s eyes before she stormed away. He smiled slightly,
thinking it was refreshing she wasn’t the dull, lackluster bride
he’d thought.

Remembering what he’d seen at the
dinner gave him pause. He pushed aside his feelings of lust at the
bounty revealed under her gown. He had women aplenty to see to his
needs. His wife would learn only too soon he would not be seeking
her bed until it became a necessity to them both.

If she thought he was interested in
more, she was doomed to disappointment. He already lost Catherine.
He wouldn’t allow himself to think any other could fill that void.
He was angry his thoughts turned to her on his wedding day and
blamed his wife for bringing it up.

Surely she was informed by the
insensitive Eugenia all about his former mistress? He could see the
questions in her eyes, asking him to explain her importance in his
life. Clearly his desire to find her another residence answered her
question? His dark eyes narrowed as he thought of his bride.
Gillian would learn he had a way of getting what he wanted. She
could play the part, or suffer in silence. He cared not.

~ ~ ~

Imogene could see Gillian was upset but
said nothing as she helped her out of the wedding gown. Gillian
told her to remove the gown from her room and said she wished a
nap. Imogene frowned and nodded and left her mistress sitting in
her shift, a frown marring her perfect brow.

Gillian sighed and rose from her
dressing table, disgusted at her conversation with Gabriel. He had
not even bothered to deny he married her just to cover his
continued involvement with his son’s infamous mother. She heard all
about Catherine from Eugenia and was appalled at her husband’s
flagrant behavior.

So, he thought being married might
yield him a measure of respectability did he? She scowled, feeling
slightly used by his actions, though in truth, he was right. Her
marriage to him saved her from suffering from being stigmatized by
her being related to Francis. The name Wingate was forever gone and
she was Gillian St. Armand, the Countess of Iverliegh.

She shouldn’t care what he did in his
private life now. It was obvious he still cared for the woman if he
had their child under his roof. She quelled the feminine pride and
jealousy that was prickled by his mentioning if she didn’t like it,
he would find her another place to live.

Clearly, he intended to do as he wished
now that he married her. She was angry all was made very convenient
for him. She smiled in a brittle way. He would find she wasn’t
anyone’s convenience soon enough.

Nicholas walked into the prison under
the cover of darkness after paying the guard to lead him to
Dartmouth. He knew he took a chance, but the man was willing to go
to his death saying nothing of what he knew of Rudd’s crimes and he
wondered why.

Surely he had no love for his
brother-in-law or he would have denied the many murders put at his
feet? He stood in front of his cell, staring at him as he sat upon
his pallet.

“
What do you want, Van
Ryker?” the nobleman growled in the gloom. “Have you come back from
the grave this night to gloat over your victory?”

“
No, gloating seems
short-lived. I only came to ask you why you would take the blame
for all, Dartmouth,” Nicholas stated coldly, glaring at him through
the bars. “You would go to your death with his crimes levied upon
you?”

“
I knew of it, Van Ryker,
and that alone is enough!”Dartmouth snapped and stood, his
reptilian eyes meeting his with hatred. “Sorry to disappoint you
that I don’t seek to vilify Francis anymore than what is being
done, but I won’t because it is what you want.”

“
Don’t keep silent on my
account, Dartmouth,” Nicholas offered mockingly, his blue eyes
narrowed in anger. “It matters not to me. You will both meet in
hell very shortly. I was only curious as to why you would keep your
silence.”

“
Of course you wouldn’t
understand, Van Ryker, but you were hardly raised a gentleman,”
Dartmouth said contemptuously, sneering down his nose at him. “It
wouldn’t matter, for I will still hang.”

“
Rudd sought to blame you
for all, and thought nothing of it, and in the end you would have
people question whether he was even involved in this, Lord
Dartmouth,” Nicholas said and shook his head sadly. “I pity you,
sir, for your loyalty is seriously misguided. But then, you thought
Lilly would aid you as well. We both know she had her own agenda
from the moment you took her out of here. Did she tell you I was
writing to her for months during the trial, and after? She thought
me a secret admirer then, and it was what brought her to London
that day. She was meeting me.”

“
Lilly always had her
weaknesses for compliments, Van Ryker. Why do you tell me this?
What do you want?” Dartmouth asked, livid to learn she betrayed him
from the start.

“
I want you to confess your
crimes, Dartmouth, and only yours. You will give these parents and
families the peace of mind they need,” Nicholas demanded coldly,
his eyes meeting his through the bars. “In exchange, I can promise
you that I will find her. I will make her no other deals this
time.”

“
I want her dead, Van
Ryker,” Dartmouth bit out coldly, his eyes meeting his without
wavering. “If not for her damned involvement Sullivan would have
never found Clarice’s evidence. I’m very well aware she still seeks
to kill your wife. You obviously realize letting her live is not an
option now? She is very determined to seek her revenge.”

“
Do you know why?”Nicholas
asked, determined to know why Lilly harbored such hatred for
Catherine.

“
Of course, it was the
damned diary,” Dartmouth said and barked with laughter. “Imagine
her horror when young Catherine found it in her room years ago and
gave it to their father? He realized she wasn’t his at all, but
Thornton’s. I’m afraid she had no idea.”

“
All of what she has done
was because of learning she wasn’t Dunleavy’s daughter?” Nicholas
asked harshly, his disbelief obvious.

“
Yes, it rather twisted her
to learn her father was a commoner, and knowing her sainted mother
stood by and kept it all hidden. I wish I could regale you with
more, but that is all she told me,” Dartmouth stated in amusement
and chuckled. “It seems Lilly never got passed that and saw herself
as something less in Dunleavy’s eyes. To know she was given to
Iverleigh in Catherine’s place to be rid of her quite told her how
the man felt about her. It made her determined to destroy them
all.”

“
I don’t understand. What
are you saying? Catherine was to have married Gabriel?” Nicholas
asked, pretending he had no knowledge of it. The last piece of the
puzzle falling into place.