Never and Always (Emerson Book 6)

by Maureen Driscoll

  “It is not his fault that he was born in unfortunate circumstances,” said Lorton. “Both Addington and I have offered to help, but he will not take our assistance.”

  Victor spoke up. “When I first met Lord Ridgeway, I was in an army hospital after receiving these wounds.” He indicated the right side of his face and body which had extensive scarring from burns. “Seven years later, while I was living rough and doing what I could to survive in the stews, he offered me a job as his valet, despite my never having done anything of the sort. He then allowed me to accompany him to his estate. During the journey I met my wife and my life has been improved immeasurably because of it. His lordship is the very best of men and offers hospitality instead of charity.”

  “Mr. Stemple is being entirely too circumspect when it comes to my former condition,” said Colin. “To be blunt, when I inherited the title, I also took on enormous debt. I could not afford to pay him and it is I who owe him thanks for standing by me when I was up the River Tick. I would very much like for you to join us, Jones. I am not beyond having Mr. Stemple knock you senseless and having Addington and Lorton carry you out to the carriage if required. Do not worry about your clothes. We are an informal bunch and I am quite certain we can find you clothes suitable to country living. I respect your pride, son, but I know your friends will be much happier to have you with them, won’t you boys?”

  With both young men very much in agreement, Jones finally relented and soon the five of them were underway.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Ridgeway Manor

  When Violet and her family had arrived at Ridgeway Manor for their holiday, she had been surprised to learn Letty would soon meet her half-brother. There had not been time for a letter to reach her with the news, so there was nothing to do now other than wait with Letty and Anna and pray this boy was deserving of the Emerson’s kindness. Violet knew only too well how cruel members of the ton could be. While she spent most of her time in Marston Vale, she often heard whispers about her birth when she was in London. She did not care that her parents hadn’t married until she was six. But it angered her that anyone spoke ill of her mother. Her Uncle Liam did a great deal to squelch the gossip – there weren’t many who wished to be on the Duke of Lynwood’s bad side – but she knew her mother had had a rough time of it when she had been raising Violet by herself.

  If this boy was playing a trick on Letty, Violet would find a way to get revenge.

  “What if Wesley finds me boring?” Letty asked, as she paced the floor of the morning room. It was the day Lord Ridgeway was due to return with their visitor. “He is older than I and has been at school. He might have little use for a younger sister.”

  “No one could possibly find you boring,” said Violet.

  “And we shall be by your side every moment you wish us to,” said Anna.

  “Yes, we will,” said Violet. “We shan’t hesitate to tell him to go to the devil if his behavior warrants it.” She truly hoped it would not come to that.

  “You have many people who love you,” continued Anna. “You might be meeting one more today.”

  There was the unmistakable sound of a carriage turning into the drive and the three girls rushed to the window to see the arrival of the Ridgeway coach. After helping Letty adjust the sash on her dress, they went outside to greet their visitors. Violet took her brother Daniel’s hand, since he was horse mad and might get too close to the animals who were only now coming to a halt.

  The carriage door opened and Violet moved a bit closer to Letty to show her support. As the Earl of Ridgeway stepped out of the vehicle, he was immediately besieged by Terrence and Audrey. Terrence took a moment to bow, but Audrey ran past him and into her father’s arms. Terrence did not seem pleased that his sister had beaten him to their papa, but, fortunately, the earl also pulled him into his arms before a squabble could break out.

  Mr. Stemple got out next and was immediately surrounded by his sons John and Jason, who rejoiced as if they had not seen their father in years, rather than days. He moved them aside so that a boy who must be Letty’s brother could get out.

  Violet inhaled sharply as she looked at the boy who bore such a marked resemblance to her friend. His hair was more of an auburn brown than his sister’s red. But his blue eyes were just like Letty’s and his friendly smile was the one Violet had seen on her friend’s face many a time. When his eyes lighted on his sister he grinned. And Violet felt it shoot straight to her heart.

  But instead of coming over to meet Letty, he turned back to the carriage. He helped another young man get out. This boy was also handsome, but with fair hair and blue eyes. He had to struggle to find his balance and Violet realized he probably had the same wasting disease as Mr. Haynes back home. A quick glance at her mother showed that she, too, was looking at the boy in an appraising manner. If there was a way to help him, Violet knew her mother would do so.

  As soon as that boy moved aside, another one came out. This one had dark hair and dark eyes. He was taller and thinner than the others and seemed a bit unsure of himself as he looked out at the many people who had come to meet the carriage.

  The Earl of Ridgeway kissed Audrey once more before turning to the family. “Please welcome our guests, Wesley Addington, Robert Carmichael and Mark Jones.”

  With that announcement, a great wave of children rushed forward to meet their guests, competing to be heard. The three visitors had a moment of astonishment, then each did what he could to answer all the questions directed their way.

  The earl was soon by Letty’s side. “You will like your brother,” he said. “And his friends are very nice, as well. Shall we?”

  He held out his arm and Letty took it. Violet watched as Letty and the earl made their way to the three boys and Letty smiled shyly at them. Lord Wesley gestured to his two friends, who bowed quite properly. Then Letty waved to Violet and Anna to join them.

  “They had better be nice to her,” Anna whispered to Violet as the two of them joined Letty and the others.

  Just then, Terrence and Audrey broke into a squabble, which made the Earl of Ridgeway turn to tend to them.

  Letty made the introductions for him. “Lord Wesley, Lord Lorton and Mr. Jones, may I present my niece, Miss Anna Emerson, and our very good friend Miss Violet Kellington?”

  “It is an honor to meet you,” said Wesley.

  His smile from afar had been attractive, but Violet was in no way prepared for the full force of it trained directly upon her. Well, it was not trained specifically on her, since it was Letty he had come to see and even now he was greeting Anna. But he was very polite. And handsome. Violet was so taken with him that she was unable to do anything other than curtsey and croak out, “How do you do?”

  “Thank you for allowing Jones and me to visit,” said Lord Lorton, a nice boy whom anyone could see was well-featured, but not nearly as handsome as Wesley.

  “Indeed,” said the equally good-looking Mr. Jones, as he bowed to both Violet and Anna. “You cannot know how much more we shall enjoy the holiday because of this kindness.”

  “Well,” Letty said with a grin, “I hope Colin prepared you for the fact that all of you will be quite besieged by the children.”

  “Brilliant!” said Wesley. “I not only have a lovely new sister, but Jones and Lorton and I shall get to spend time with so many nice boys and girls.”

  Terrence solemnly stepped forward. “I heard Papa tell Letty you’re her brother. You haven’t come to take her away, have you? For I will not let you.”

  Wesley knelt to be eye level with the boy. “I would never take her away from you, though I am certainly glad I came to meet all of you. I can see you take very good care of her.”

  “I protect her,” said Terrence.

  “Thank you for doing so,” said Wesley. “I can see she is in very good hands.”

  That chuffed up the young boy. And it stirred Violet’s heart even more. Letty’s brother was both handsome and kind.

  Audrey stepped forwa
rd. “What’s wrong with your leg?” she asked Lord Lorton.

  “Audrey,” said Lady Ridgeway gently as she joined them. “It is not polite to ask questions such as that.”

  “It is quite all right,” said Lord Lorton with an easy-going smile. “You mustn’t be afraid of me.”

  “I’m not afraid,” said Audrey, who, nonetheless, leaned into her mother’s skirts.

  “That is clever of you,” continued Lord Lorton. “There are those who see someone walk with a limp or speak in an odd way and reckon they must be bad people. But I simply have difficulty walking. You are in no danger. You cannot get this from me, like if I had the ague.”

  Terrence leaned forward in a conspiratorial way. “Do you know what my sister gets from me?”

  “I cannot imagine.”

  “Spiders!”

  That made everyone laugh.

  “Terrence,” said Lady Ridgeway, “I thought you had agreed to stop putting spiders in your sister’s bed.”

  “But I do not do that anymore, Mama. I put them in her shoes.”

  “Oh, dear,” said Lady Ridgeway. “I fear your papa and I need to be more specific. Now, children, I am certain our guests would like to rest after their journey. You will have plenty of time to get to know them in the coming days. But for now, we should show them to their bedchamber and leave them in peace.”

  As Lady Ridgeway ushered the boys into the house, the three girls conferred. “Your brother seems quite nice,” said Violet, who blushed even as she thought about Wesley.

  “They all do,” agreed Anna.

  “I believe it was a good decision to invite them here,” said Letty. “Though I am glad the two of you will be by my side.”

  Violet nodded, knowing it would be no hardship indeed to spend time with the three boys from Eton.

  * * *

  In the following days, Violet spent a great deal of time with Letty’s brother and his friends. It was decided early on that titles could be dispensed with, which was especially helpful for the children since some of them found the pronunciation of “viscount” a bit difficult. Violet liked both Robert and Mark, who were good-natured and patient with the children. Her mother Jane had convinced Robert to allow her to examine his leg. Violet could tell the boy was self-conscious about it and suspected he used his quick wit to help make up for what he considered a weakness.

  But while Violet enjoyed the time she spent with the children and their visitors, it was Letty’s new brother who intrigued her the most. On the day before the boys returned to school, the children decided to play a game of hide and seek. Wes and Violet were the seekers.

  “Thank you for accompanying me, Violet,” said Wes, after they had quietly passed Frederick, the three-year-old son of the Duke of Bancroft, whose hiding spot consisted of lying halfway under a chair, bottom up and eyes closed. “I am afraid I would have been lost in this house, then everyone would have had to come find me.”

  “Fortunately, I know the manor fairly well from my visits here,” said Violet, as they carefully made their way past two more children, who then giggled to learn they had not yet been discovered. She was doing her best to have her wits about her, but it was difficult. Her initial impression of Wesley of being a handsome young man had not changed. But now she also knew him to be patient with the children and genuine in his interest to get to know his sister better. He and Letty had spent time alone each day and it was obvious there was a bond between the two which was likely to grow even stronger with time.

  But as Violet and Wes made their way through the house, alone except for the giggling children, Violet found herself tongue-tied.

  “I appreciate the kindness the Emersons and your family have shown my friends and me,” said Wes, as they continued their walk through the portrait gallery. “And I apologize for usurping the time you wished to spend with Letty.” He turned the full force of his grin on Violet and she stumbled. “Be careful,” he said, as he reached out to catch her.

  In doing so, Violet felt her world change, as the breath left her body and her arm tingled from his touch. She knew she was, if not ‘in love,’ then certainly in that general vicinity. It was ridiculous, of course. He was much too old for her and he thought of her only as his sister’s friend. But there was no mistaking the thrill of being near him. She would just have to enjoy the rest of their time together, then think fondly of the episode until the day came when she would fall in love for real.

  “You understand the value of true friends,” Violet managed to say as they walked through the hall.

  “I am most fortunate to have two of the very best friends a man could have. In that, you and I are alike. There are any number of difficult circumstances in life, many of which cannot be avoided. But I believe the challenges are much easier met with friends by your side.”

  “Do you like school?” she asked.

  “The food is wretched, but I like being with Mark and Robert.”

  “But what about your lessons? I would love to be able to learn more about astronomy. I have read everything in Uncle Liam’s library but I can only imagine the texts they have at school.”

  “I can picture you on a dark night gazing up at the stars.”

  “It is one of my favorite activities. I have a balcony off my bedchamber at home where I have spent many an hour looking up at the stars. In the summer, we sometimes sleep outside as a family. The children aren’t that interested in the constellations. They just think it is great fun to camp outside. I do not think my parents were all that interested in the night sky originally, but they learned about it because it fascinated me.”

  “They sound like very good parents.”

  “They are the very best and I know I am quite fortunate.” Violet hoped he would say something about his family. She did not wish to pry, but Letty had told her it sounded as if Wes’s family was rather distant and cold. She could not imagine such a thing. When more was not forthcoming, she looked at an antique clock on the wall. “It is nearing time for tea. I believe we should become more observant in our search.”

  “I wonder where the children are,” said Wes, raising his voice to give fair warning to young Joseph, Winifred and Alex’s son, who was hiding beneath the bench ahead of them. “They are certainly most clever in staying hidden.”

  Joseph giggled as they stopped a few feet away. He decided to make a run for it, bolting out from beneath the bench. But as he turned back to see if he was being pursued, he tripped on the edge of the rug and fell. A moment later, he began crying.

  Violet ran toward him, but Wes was there before her. He sat on the ground to examine the boy, who had been more startled than hurt. “There, there. Please don’t cry. You are all right.”

  “You caught me,” said Joseph between sniffles.

  “But you led us on a merry chase. You hid much better than the others.”

  That appeared to cheer him. “Really?”

  “Yes. I would say you hid better than anyone. And you were very brave to stay hidden for so long. I know your papa and mama will be most impressed.”

  “Can I hide again?”

  “Would you rather have a biscuit, instead? I believe tea is about to be served. You wouldn’t wish to miss that, would you?” Joseph shook his head. “And we shall be sure to tell everyone how clever you were.”

  That was it. Violet knew she would never forget the sight of Lord Wesley Addington comforting the young boy. She knew she would never marry this man. But she knew in her heart of hearts she would never forget him, either.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Mayhew House, London, 1835

  “I forbid you from attending that chit’s come-out.” Wes’s father had eventually learned of his son’s visits to Ridgeway manor over the past five years. He had not been happy about it, but he had accepted them in part because he had tired of his son asking to bring his two unsuitable school friends home with him. Better they be a plague upon Ridgeway and his family, than an embarrassment to Mayhew. But now he had discovered
his son’s plans to attend his half-sister’s debut ball. He had no idea why his son had such odd ideas, but could only attribute it to madness on his wife’s side of the family.

  “She is my sister, Father, and I wish to support her.”

  “She most certainly is no relation of yours. She is naught but a by-blow of a long-ago affair I had. And you are hurting your mother by pursuing this nonsense.”

  “Mother told me she does not care what I do. She simply does not wish to hear me speak of it.”

  Wes had once worried about hurting his mother, but when she had accidentally learned of his visits to Ridgeway Manor, she had spoken in such disparaging words about Letty, that Wes had been angry on his sister’s behalf. Her parentage was not her fault. And she should not be denied a brother because of it. “Letty already delayed her come-out one year so she could share it with Violet Kellington.”

  “There is another by-blow who should have the decency to stay out of Society.”

  “Father, I have asked you before not to disparage my friends. Lord and Lady Edward are Miss Kellington’s parents. They simply married after her birth.”

  “That does not change the fact she was born on the other side of the blanket.”

  “It is extremely unfair that children born under such circumstances bear any type of shame. Had Lord Edward known Lady Jane was with child, he would have married her immediately. As for Letty Emerson, do you not bear any responsibility for the circumstances of her birth?”

  His father simply shrugged. “It was not as if her mother had been unmarried. And Emerson accepted her as his own, though everyone knew he had been cuckolded.” He looked exceedingly proud of himself at the thought of it.

  And that made Wes ashamed. If he ever married, he would never subject his wife to such humiliation, nor would he ever cuckold another man. “I am going to my sister’s come-out, sir. I am old enough to make my own decisions.”

  His father shook his head in disgust. “Go, if you must, though I cannot imagine why any man your age would rather go to a ball than a Covent Garden brothel. I hope to God you are not an unnatural. You would never be welcome in this house again if that were the case.”