A Lady for the Forsaken Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Bridget Barton

  “I’m just going to have to keep you busy, my little imposter. I cannot have you leaving this house and becoming wrapped up with the likes of Lord Magnus Allandale. The man is as treacherous as they come.”

  *****

  Madelene found herself continually looking over her shoulder. She had the distinct feeling of being watched, and it was growing worse every day. Dawn had not yet broken, and yet she was wide awake, staring out of her window. She had a view of Nielsen’s house and part of the stables, but she would give anything to see the sunrise from her father’s ship.

  “Oh Father, how I miss you so. Life in England has turned out to be far more complicated than I expected, and I find myself in a most awkward position.”

  Her life on The Marguerite had been carefree, adventurous, and safe. Well, as safe as one can be when in close contact with pirates. One man had changed all of that for her, and she resented him for it. Lord Allandale had never appeared threatening before, but her father was scared of him.

  “No, Father is not scared of anyone. He is simply scared for me.”

  Madelene shivered as a sudden gust of wind blew into her small room.

  “The Jamaican sun would be welcome right now. A lovely hot sun to take away the chill of the English autumn.”

  The weather was only to become colder once winter was in full swing. At least there are snowmen and hot cups of cocoa. Maria will have to purchase some warm clothing for me, these shirts and pants are little barriers against the chill. She was expecting Maria at any moment to help her bind her breasts. Madelene was under strict orders never to leave her room unless in full disguise, except for her nightly escapades. It had been some days since she had snuck away to tend to the poor, as each night she was consistently tired. Gavin had increased her workload, surprising even Nielsen, and the Earl had requested her presence every evening. Many a time they would talk ’til past midnight, and the only thing that she could do after that was to lay her head upon a pillow and close her heavy eyes. If Madelene didn’t know any better, she would think that this was all done to keep her extremely busy.

  “But why should they wish to do that? Perhaps your imagination has taken a step too far this time, Madelene.”

  A knock at the door drew her away from the window, opening before she had reached the door.

  “Good, you are awake, ma cherie. I wish to speak with you before the household awakens.”

  Her abigail seemed anxious, fearful almost as she walked in carrying a lamp. She placed it on the small round table in the room, adjusting the brightness.

  “And a good morning to you too, Maria. What has you in such high fidgets?”

  The light from the oil lamp cast shadows in Madelene’s room, but it was bright enough for her to see the worry on her abigail’s face.

  “We have to leave, ma cherie. Giles has found some disturbing information, and I’m afraid that you are in danger.”

  Fear snaked its tendrils around her. What could have happened now?

  “What is it, Maria? Have we been discovered? Must I pack now?”

  Maria took her hands in hers and drew her to the bed.

  “It seems that Lord Allandale knows of your whereabouts. He knows that you live here, ma cherie.”

  “But how, Maria? Nielsen and I made sure to come back home by another route. I’m sure that no one was following us.”

  Maria released Madelene’s hands and rubbed her creased brow. Poor Maria, how I have stressed her so. Maria left her forehead, her hand falling into her lap.

  “I do not know how that man has found us, but I know that he is a powerful man, ma cherie. Your father would not have otherwise brought you to England. Giles and I have decided that we must leave as soon as we possibly can, but we must be careful. Lord Allandale may be watching the docks as well as the house.”

  Was this really happening to her? And just when she believed that she was relatively safe from the man. She had not left the house in days; how would he have discovered her whereabouts? But surely it shouldn’t matter. She was not Madelene within the walls of Scarborough House, but George. A thought occurred to her.

  “Do you believe that there is a spy among us, Maria?”

  Maria frowned. “A spy? But who in this household would know the Viscount? Those who know your true identity would never disclose your location to that despicable man.”

  Madelene believed that she knew exactly who could do such a thing. She wasn’t entirely sure, but her instincts pointed to one man in particular.

  “Mr Facet.”

  “Mr Facet?” Maria asked. “What would he want with you? Why? He does not even know you, ma cherie. You are George to him, my son. No, it cannot be him.”

  “I do not trust the man, Maria, not at all. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew that there was something wrong. Does he not seem familiar to you?”

  Madelene watched her abigail’s face scrunch up. Her thinking face. Maria shook her head.

  “I do not know, ma cherie. I cannot think of anyone.”

  Madelene was at odds about whether or not to speak of her theory regarding Mr Facet. She did not wish to cause any further stress, but if her suspicions were correct, then they had a dangerous enemy in their midst.

  “Maria, please, do not grow alarmed by what I am to tell you. Do I have your word?”

  Her abigail stood up, placing her hands on her hips. They had somewhat widened since coming to Scarborough House, but she knew that Maria would not appreciate it being brought to her attention. She prided herself on being a slim Frenchwoman. Perhaps having to taste all of Mrs Rosley’s cooking was the culprit for her extra pounds.

  “How can I give you my word when I do not know what it is you are about to tell me? That is hardly fair, ma cherie. At least warn me of the severity of the situation.”

  Madelene reached out for her arm and drew her to the bed, forcing her to sit down.

  “Do sit down, Maria. You do yourself no favours by working your nerves into a tangle. I may be wrong, but I feel that I must tell you my thoughts.”

  Maria closed her eyes and took a deep breath, expelling it slowly.

  “You have my attention, ma cherie; you may speak. But be mindful of my nerves.”

  Madelene decided that being direct was the best way.

  “Mr Facet may be one of our bandits.”

  Maria’s body became still next to hers. “What?”

  Madelene rubbed her abigail’s back. “Calm down, Maria. I did say that I am not certain about this theory.”

  “But why would you think it? What did you see that has made you think in such a manner? Mr Facet does not look anything like one of those bandits. For one, he smells better, and he has no beard. His voice does not match any bandit that I remember from that morning.”

  Should I state the obvious? Perhaps if I told her all that I knew, she would see my direction of thought.

  “He may be in disguise, Maria, just like I am. A good bath, a shave, and some new clothes can change a person. What if he has been following us from the countryside? You have to realise that this is all possible, Maria.”

  Maria stood up again and started pacing the room.

  “Do not ask me to sit, ma cherie, for I cannot. If what you say is true, then we are in trouble. But what would a bandit be doing with Lord Allandale? And how would he have discovered your true form? This makes no sense.”

  Madelene nodded. “I know. That is the only thing that I have not managed to figure out, and it may just be a vital piece of the puzzle.”

  Maria stopped pacing. “Come; let us get ready for the day. I will speak to Giles, perhaps to the other servants as well. They may be able to help us come to a conclusion regarding Mr Facet. If he is who you say he is, then we cannot leave it as he might just alert Lord Allandale, and that would put an end to our plan. I fear that the Viscount would think nothing of taking you against your will.”

  Madelene feared the very same thing. Maria helped her to get ready, habitual movements th
at allowed her to further think upon their discussion. Mr Facet was not to be trusted, of that, she was sure about, but she could not tell the Earl of her suspicions. Doing so would only tighten a noose around her own neck.

  *****

  A knock sounded at the door, and Hugh looked up, frowning. He had told Prescott that he did not want any interruptions as he needed complete concentration. New evidence concerning the Silver Wolf had come into his hands, and if it were any good, it would point him to the man behind the name. And perhaps my suspicions will be right.

  “Enter!”

  Hugh was surprised to see Prescott enter his study.

  “Prescott, I did specifically say that I do not want any interruptions.”

  His steward looked apologetic as he nodded his head.

  “Yes, I know My Lord. But I believe you will want to know about this news.”

  “What news?”

  Prescott did not need to tell him; the chaos from beyond the door told Hugh precisely who was there.

  “Julia? Aunt Felicity?”

  Prescott nodded. “They have just arrived, My Lord. They have brought several suitcases with them.”

  That meant that they were intending on staying for a prolonged period. What were his sister and aunt doing here? Hugh left his desk and walked to his door, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. His aunt had brought her two annoying dogs with her, tiny animals that could not stop their yapping, and James, hearing the noise, came streaming down the stairs.

  “Stop James!”

  The boy halted, turning large eyes to him.

  “Go back up the stairs. I will call for you when I am ready to do so.”

  James looked dejected as he turned away, bringing his chin to his chest. Hugh could feel guilt creeping up over him, but he squashed it. He did not need his nephew revealing himself to his visitors before he had thought of a way to introduce him. The loud chatters drew Hugh to the scene before him, and he grimaced. Of all the times for an impromptu visit, they had to choose this one. Julia was the first to see him. “Hughie!”

  Aunt Felicity whipped her head up. “Hugh! Get yourself here and help us with this luggage. I hope that you have decent rooms for us.”

  Hugh plastered on a smile. “It’s Lord Scarborough now, Aunt Felicity. Welcome to my home.”

  Aunt Felicity planted her hands on her ample hips, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “You can be the Prince Regent for all I care, but you are still that impertinent child that stole my pies from my own kitchen! Now, come and help me before I take my cane to you.”

  Hugh scrunched his nose. Trust his aunt to say something like that. The woman was a firecracker and completely opposite to her sister, Hugh’s mother.

  “Yes, Aunt Felicity, of course.” He turned to Prescott. “Have Mrs Wickham ensure that two rooms are aired out and prepared for my guests.”

  His steward nodded and left Gavin and Catherine with the luggage. Julia was the first to come to him, standing on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek. She specifically reached for his scarred cheek, an action that was not lost on him.

  “How I have missed you, Hughie. Home has not been the same without you.”

  “You have grown lovelier than when I last saw you, Julia. I have no doubt that Mother is trying to match you up with someone suitable.”

  Julia rolled her eyes. “You would be right. I was at my wits’ end when Aunty Felicity suggested we take a trip to London. Mama couldn’t say no – I believe that she is quite frightened of her sister.”

  “And as she should be! That sister of mine can be a ninny, trying to force her daughter to wed. Come, Hugh, give me a proper greeting.”

  His aunt was a short and plump woman; Hugh had to bend quite a way to plant a kiss on her soft cheek. She grabbed his hands and looked straight into his eyes.

  “It is good to see you, nephew. It has been far too long.”

  There was a sheen to her eyes, but she blinked it away, releasing his hands as she did so.

  “What must an old woman do to get some tea? Do not tell me that Lord Scarborough’s home is not welcoming of its guests!”

  His aunt’s great booming voice echoed throughout the house, drawing the attention of all who were present. He saw Mrs Wickham approach them, slightly hesitating as she took in the sight.

  “Ah, Mrs Wickham. Come, let me introduce you to my sister and aunt.”

  He waited for Maria to reach him before clasping his hand on her shoulder.

  “Julia, Aunt Felicity, this is the best housekeeper that a man could ever ask for. Whatever you need doing, Mrs Wickham will do it for you.”

  His housekeeper bobbed a curtsy and politely greeted them.

  “No need to curtsy before us, Mrs Wickham. We are just humble people who happen to have an obscene amount of money that no one with any sense in their head would accumulate. That is what I used to tell my William. I warned him to enjoy his money, or he would be working for nought. But did he listen? He has left me a widow, granted, a wealthy widow with more money than she knows what to do with. And with no children of my own, I find Julia a refreshing reprieve.”

  That was a mouthful. Aunt is as talkative and crazy as ever. Heaven help me.

  “Mrs Wickham, please organise some refreshment for them, and have Catherine prepare the rooms. The far east wing seems appropriate.”

  “Yes, My Lord.”

  Mrs Wickham returned from where she came from, her eyes still wide from the interaction with his family. He didn’t blame her; a minute with his aunt was enough to exhaust him. He held out his arms to the two women, tucking their hands in as they reached out to him.

  “Come, let me take you to the drawing room. Refreshments are on their way.”

  “Good, because I am frightfully hungry!” Julia said. “Aunt Felicity refused for us to carry some food for the road.”

  “Did you think that I was going to stay in Trentham Manor any longer than I had to? What a dreary place; my sister has truly lost her touch. I suppose it happens when you mourn two sons.”

  Hugh glanced sharply at her. The last he knew, Edward was the only one lost to his mother; what could his aunt possibly mean?

  “Do not look at me like that, young man. I can still box your ears for you ––you are never too young for discipline. Why I remember my mama taking a switch to my bottom and I was already a married woman by then! Perhaps it was not so proper to run away from my husband after the first week of marriage.”

  His aunt’s chatter knew no bounds. They would be stuck in the hallway if he did not move them along.

  “Come, Aunt, you must be tired from your long journey. The drawing room is just this way.”

  Hugh walked ahead, not waiting to see if they were following him or not. Just how long did they plan to stay? I am pleased to see them, but a week may be too long. My aunt will have driven me up the wall by then. But truly, Hugh was touched that they had come to see him. He had not seen his family in over a year, not since he first came back from the War. Hugh had not received a son’s welcome. Instead, his parents had rejected him and told him to leave the house – they did not want their son’s murderer in their midst. He had often wondered if everyone had had the same opinion of him, but with his aunt and sister here, it seemed as though not everyone had turned their backs on him. But they did take a long time to come and see me. When did they have a change of heart? Hugh was just happy to see his sister and aunt; he didn’t want to have to bring up the past with them. They were here, and that just had to be good enough.