In Search of Love: Convenient Arrangements (Book 2)

by Pearson, Rose

“I know, I know,” Thomas continued, waving a hand and feeling tense inside as he saw the opportunity to speak the very words Lord Fairfax himself had thrown at him on previous occasions. “You believe me quite unworthy of my bride, do you not?”

  It took all of his strength to keep his smile fixed to his lips, to have his easy manner strung to every part of his body, but it appeared to persuade Lord Fairfax. The man looked at him sharply, his eyes a little narrowed, but after a moment, he let out his breath and shrugged, turning back toward the dancers and seeming to ignore Thomas completely.

  “Yes, indeed so,” he muttered, as though he could not bear to even look at Thomas. “You are quite unworthy.”

  Thomas laughed and shook his head, as though he thought Lord Fairfax quite ridiculous. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw none other than Miss Sussex—Lady Altringham, as he now knew her to be—beginning to approach. With a warm smile, he beckoned her toward him. Now was the time to begin their endeavor.

  “Good evening, Lord Altringham.”

  “Good evening, Miss Sussex.” He inclined his head, then greeted Lady Newfield, who stood, ever watchful, as though she knew precisely what a gentleman such as he might intend. He presumed that, out of all the parts they had to play, this particular one, where she had to appear quite angry and irritated with him, would be one of the easiest. “And good evening to you also, Lady Newfield.”

  “Good evening, Lord Altringham.” Lady Newfield’s voice was cool. “You are not dancing this evening, it seems?”

  “Whatever gives you such an impression?” he asked jovially. “Indeed, I have every intention of dancing this evening. I simply have not yet stirred from Lord Fairfax’s side in order to seek out different partners.” His smile was quick as he turned toward Miss Sussex. “I am sure you would be able to help me with my situation as it is at present, Miss Sussex?”

  She giggled, just as he had hoped, and handed him her dance card. Their fingers touched and Thomas felt his stomach twist, butterflies filling it as he looked at the lady and saw her blush. There certainly was a good deal of feeling between them, he realized, although now was not the time to pursue such a thing.

  “There,” he said with a broad smile as he handed her back her dance card. “The waltz and then the supper dance, I think.”

  “The supper dance?” Miss Sussex replied with a surprised look. “Oh, Lord Altringham, that is very kind of you indeed.”

  Smiling warmly, he bid them both good evening and then turned his attention back toward Lord Fairfax.

  “It will not be difficult to pull such a lady out of doors for a short time after the waltz,” he murmured, seeing how Lord Fairfax frowned and praying desperately that their plan would work. “Just so long as Lady Newfield does not follow us.” Arching one eyebrow, he jabbed Lord Fairfax in the arm. “You might make certain that she does not?”

  Lord Fairfax frowned, his lips pulling tight. “I do not want to be a part of any of your schemes, Altringham.”

  Thomas pretended to consider this for a moment, then shrugged as though it did not matter. “Very well,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Then I shall just have to hope that Lady Newfield does not notice when I steal her charge away for a short time.” He laughed again, the sound tasting all the more false on his lips. “Or if she does, that she will not find us until I have been able to achieve all that I wish.” Grinning, he slapped Lord Fairfax jovially on the arm and took his leave.

  Now all he had to do was wait.

  * * *

  “Do you think he will warn Lady Newfield?”

  As they twirled around the dance floor, Thomas looked down at his wife, holding her a little more closely than he ought and finding himself quite taken with the beauty of her gentle eyes. “I am sure that he will,” he said softly, relishing the feeling of having her in his arms. “You saw his face when we were greeting each other, I am sure.”

  Lady Altringham nodded, her lip caught between her teeth for a moment as she bit it, considering. “Yes,” she said slowly, looking up at him. “Yes, I did. He did not seem pleased with you at all.”

  Letting out a small laugh, Thomas smiled ruefully. “Yes, that is quite so,” he answered wryly. “Lord Fairfax has never approved of me. And yet, I am certain that this will be an opportunity he will be quite unable to ignore, given that he will be able to pull me free from you, courtesy of Lady Newfield, and thereafter, he will have his chance to try and steal my life from me for what will be the third time.”

  Lady Altringham sucked in a breath, her eyes widening with fright. “I must hope he will not be successful.”

  “As must I,” Thomas answered with a small smile. “Indeed, Lady Altringham, you are quite extraordinary.” He hesitated for a moment, finding his breathing becoming a little ragged as he continued to twirl the lady across the floor. “Most young ladies of my acquaintance, who have been treated poorly by me, would be more than eager for my punishment. And yet you…” Giving her a warm smile, he resisted the urge to lean down and capture her lips with his, knowing that it was not at all appropriate for such a moment. However, the desire was settling deep within himself, eager to pull her closer, to wrap his arms about her, and to kiss her with all the strange emotions that surrounded him now whenever he was close to her.

  “You need not thank me again, Lord Altringham,” Lady Altringham replied with a look of curiosity in her eyes, as though she wanted to understand precisely what it was he was feeling at the present moment. “Indeed, I will not have it.” Smiling, she stepped back from him as the music came to a close. “I am glad that, in a strange way, this situation has brought us closer together rather than pushed us further apart.”

  He bowed toward her, then offered her his arm, which she took at once, gazing up at him with what appeared to be an adoring expression. “As am I,” he murmured, feeling the same thankfulness and relief that had filled him since she had revealed to him the truth about who she was. “And I fully intend to continue with my commitment to become just as good and decent a husband as ever there was.” Reaching across, he patted her hand with his free one, before leading her toward the French doors that were open and waiting. “In the hope that, one day, Lady Altringham, I might be deserving of you.”

  The gardens were dark and dimly lit, which normally, Thomas would have found to be very delightful indeed. It would have been a perfect setting in which to steal away one lady after another, to try and ensure he garnered as much attention from each one as he could in only one evening. Tonight, however, he felt tense, his breathing quickening and his hand tightening as it rested on Lady Altringham’s.

  “It is a little cool this evening.”

  Lady Altringham’s voice was quiet, but a slight warning tinged her words. With a quick shake of his head as though to clear his thoughts and force himself onto the task at hand, Thomas cleared his throat and spoke in what he hoped was his usual warm and encouraging voice.

  “If you are cold, mayhap you would allow me to put my arm about your shoulders to warm you a little.”

  Lady Altringham laughed, the sound a little uncertain, betraying her own nervousness. “I do not think such a thing would be appropriate, my lord.”

  Grinning in the darkness, he rested one arm around her shoulders, his fingers resting on the very top of her left arm as he pulled her closer. “But it is near darkness, my dear lady,” he told her, relieved that the gardens were very quiet indeed. “Surely there can be nothing to concern you here at present.”

  She laughed again, the sound still as tense as before. “You are incorrigible, Lord Altringham.”

  “Miss Sussex?”

  Lady Newfield’s voice leeched out of the darkness and, even though Thomas had been prepared for it, he found himself starting with surprise, stepping back from Lady Altringham and dropping his hand to his side.

  “Just where have you been?” Lady Newfield screeched, hurrying toward them, a shadow in the darkness. “How dare you leave my side when you know very well the sort of gentleman
Lord Altringham is?” She did not look at Thomas but rather reached out both hands and tugged her charge away. “You are behaving in a disgraceful manner, Miss Sussex! We are to return home at once!”

  Protesting loudly, Miss Sussex was led away by an angry Lady Newfield, leaving Thomas to stand alone, sighing heavily as he raked one hand through his hair. Quite certain that Lord Fairfax was watching him from somewhere, he took a few minutes before turning to head back to the ballroom.

  A small sound to his right had him turning swiftly. Praying that Lady Altringham and Lady Newfield were somewhere nearby, he spun around to look into the darker parts of the gardens, where he was sure Lord Fairfax was hiding.

  “Hello?” he called, seeing and hearing nothing further. With a shrug, he turned back toward the path, only for something—or someone—to grab at his arm and haul him into the shadows. A shout of surprise left his mouth as he was slammed back against something hard. Instinctively, he ducked and dropped to his haunches, shifting to his left as something hit the tree where he had been shoved. Catching his breath, Thomas lifted himself up slowly, his hands outstretched and his eyes searching the shadows for Lord Fairfax.

  “Who’s there?” he cried, praying that Lady Newfield and Lady Altringham were somewhere behind him as he turned, the tree now just behind him. “Who is it?”

  Out of nowhere, someone shoved him backwards, hard, and Thomas fell back, losing his balance and hitting his head against the tree. Stars began to swim in his vision as he groaned, blinking rapidly as he tried to push himself up, but finding that he lacked the strength to do so.

  “I told you, you were unworthy.”

  Lord Fairfax’s hissed voice came from the shadows, making Thomas catch his breath. Even though he knew that it was Lord Fairfax, there was still something quite horrifying about hearing his friend speak with such disdain and fury.

  “I am unworthy,” he said, dropping his hands into the earth and trying his utmost to push himself up again. “I have no claim to be otherwise.”

  A hard laugh came from the darkness. “You will not live this time, Lord Altringham.”

  “I think that is quite enough, Lord Fairfax.”

  Relief flooded Thomas as the two ladies suddenly appeared beside him. He had not heard them come back along the path, nor had he heard them come into the darker part of the gardens. And yet suddenly, there they were, with Lady Altringham bending down so that she might remain by his side, before pulling him up with her, his legs buckling as he attempted to stand. His head had been dealt quite a few blows these last few days and he felt barely able to deal with the shifting pain that ran from one side of his head to the other.

  “Lord Fairfax?” Lady Newfield said firmly. “You may as well step forward and make yourself known.” She came to stand beside Thomas, one hand on his shoulder for just a moment as he felt his strength returning. “We are aware that it is you who has been attempting to kill Lord Altringham.”

  “It is quite true, Fairfax,” Thomas answered, putting one hand to the back of his head and feeling it come away sticky with blood. Wincing, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hand before pressing it to the back of his head. “We know that you are the one who has arranged these attacks upon me.”

  He held his breath, unable to speak anymore as he waited for Lord Fairfax to say something. Would the fellow run back to the ballroom, leaving their questions unanswered and leaving them to stand there alone? Lady Altringham stood closer to him, pressing her fingers through the crook of his arm so that she could hold onto him.

  “What is it that you want, Altringham?”

  Lord Fairfax’s voice echoed from the darkness and Thomas took a small step forward, knowing that it would be best to answer truthfully.

  “I want to know what you are doing,” he said, wondering where Lord Fairfax might be. “And why.”

  Lord Fairfax’s laugh was malevolent, sending a shiver up Thomas’ spine.

  “You know quite well that I think very little of your behavior,” he said, coming out of the darkness and standing before the three of them, a wraith-like figure. “Why should it surprise you that I now seek nothing other than to knock some sense into you?”

  “Except, that is not what your intention was,” Lady Altringham said, her voice loud and without tremor. “You have tried to kill Lord Altringham on three different occasions, have you not? You have tried to shoot him, to kill him with a blow to the head, and this time…?” She shrugged, looking up at Thomas, the whites of her eyes visible in the gloom. “What was it you intended?”

  Lord Fairfax laughed again and Thomas felt Lady Altringham shudder.

  “There is a very sharp knife in my hand, Altringham,” Lord Fairfax said without hesitation. “I should like not to injure Lady Newfield and Miss Sussex, so I ask them both to step aside.”

  Lady Newfield said nothing, but instead came to stand in front of Thomas, her arms folded. “I shall do nothing of the sort,” she said firmly. “And you are a fool to ask such a thing.”

  Thomas wanted to reach out and remove Lady Newfield from his path, but even a light touch to her shoulder told him that Lady Newfield would not allow herself to be moved.

  “Why do you defend such a gentleman?” Lord Fairfax laughed mirthlessly. “Surely you know the sort of fellow he is? After all, you have only just come to pull your charge away from him!”

  “Just as you informed me, Lord Fairfax,” Lady Newfield replied with a hint of irony in her voice. “But there is more to this situation than you might first think, sir. Perhaps we, too, are able to play a part in order to achieve our aims.”

  There came a long silence after this remark. Thomas felt himself about to speak a good many times, only to prevent himself by doing so out of sheer force of will. Straining to hear, he kept his eyes fixed on the shadow of Lord Fairfax, fearful that he might suddenly hear Lady Newfield let out a cry of pain as Lord Fairfax attacked her in order to reach him.

  “Why do you have such an eagerness to defend Lord Altringham?” Lord Fairfax asked eventually, his voice filled with disgust. “You know he is nothing more than a rake and yet you—”

  “Why do you seek to kill me, Lord Fairfax?” Thomas interrupted, not wanting Lady Newfield to reveal the truth to him yet. “What is it I have done that has brought you such anger that you no longer wish for life to thrum through my veins?” He pressed Lady Newfield’s shoulder in an attempt to remove her from where she stood but she did not even flinch. Rather, she remained steadfastly in front of him, with Lady Altringham pressed to his side. Shame filled him. He did not deserve their protection and yet they gave it to him willingly. “I know very well that I have done plenty of things that are shameful, but to have my life taken from me seems a severe punishment.”

  Lord Fairfax let out a harsh laugh. “It is nothing less than you deserve,” he said fiercely. “You have taken everything I ever wanted and been able to achieve success no matter what you have done. You do everything wrong, treat those about you unfavorably, take what you wish from the ladies who desire you, and yet you find the delight and the felicitations of the ton still turned toward you.” He laughed again but the sound was darker now, holding anger and pain rather than anything of mirth. “You do all manner of evil and yet the beau monde welcome you to them as though you are a long-lost child.”

  Lady Altringham caught her breath, her hands tightening on Thomas’ arm. “Then you are jealous of Lord Altringham?”

  “Jealous?” Lord Fairfax sounded scornful. “That is not a word I should use. I am angry, yes. Angry that he has been able to achieve such success when he does nothing well, whereas I, who do everything that a gentleman ought, am given nothing but disdain by the ton.” He laughed harshly again, his voice becoming tighter, his words flung toward Thomas like sharp, flaming arrows. “I even thought I should do something quite marvelous and seek a lady to wed who would have no hope of such a thing without my offer. That, I was sure, would bring me happiness and contentment. However, I soon discov
ered that I was not considered worthy enough and was turned away!”

  Thomas frowned, hearing the anger and hurt in Lord Fairfax’s voice and wondering at it. “You sought to become wed?”

  “I sought to marry Miss Martins,” Lord Fairfax retorted sharply. “Not that you would recall such a thing.”

  Beside him, Lady Altringham let out a quick gasp, making Thomas realize precisely what Lord Fairfax meant. His chest grew tight as he stared into the darkness, wishing he could see Lord Fairfax better. “You mean to say that you sought to court Miss Martins, daughter of Viscount Fotheringhay?”

  There came a moment of silence, before Lord Fairfax spoke again. “I did not know the lady, of course, but I heard that she was very much looked down upon, ill considered by the ton,” he said airily, as though such a thing granted him some sort of superiority, despite his current attempt to kill Thomas. “I glanced at her once or twice and thought her satisfactory, so sought out her father.”

  “But he refused you,” Lady Altringham breathed, her voice very hard to make out. “He refused you because you were not wealthy enough.”

  There came another momentary hesitation, and Thomas himself was quite certain that Lord Fairfax was astonished at the truth that came from Lady Altringham’s lips.

  “Indeed,” came the slow reply, the word drawn out carefully. “It was quite ridiculous, of course, for who else would marry the girl?” He snorted. “And then, of course, I heard that she was to wed none other than you, Lord Altringham.”

  Thomas shook his head. “But that did not come from any sort of goodness,” he stated, seeing now that there was more than mere jealousy in Lord Fairfax’s heart. “I had no other choice but to do so.”

  “Yes, but it was the lady I had chosen!” Lord Fairfax explained furiously. “I may not have cared for her, may not even have known her, but I had determined to make her my bride so that she could have all the happiness a life as a wife and mistress could have. I thought that such a good act would set aside my… difficulties with how well you were treated by the ton. I thought that they might look more favorably upon me also, only for you to step in and do precisely what I could not.” His voice had become edged with anger now, his words rapid, and Thomas felt his heart thump furiously, half thinking to forcibly remove Lady Newfield from where she stood in order to protect her.