Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress
Page 12
Her uncle was propped up in a large bed, wrapped in a colourful banyan. He looked smaller than she recalled and pale, but alert. His hair had turned white in the two years since she’d last seen him, just after her aunt died.
An older woman approached. ‘Miss Pallant, I do not know if you know me—’
This was another surprise. ‘Mrs Vernon! I remember you. From Bath.’
Mrs Vernon had been the mistress Marian’s aunt had so despised, the woman her aunt had said lured her uncle away. The manservant had then been in her employ.
‘Oh, my goodness.’ Marian turned back to Miss Blane. ‘Jack Vernon! Is Jack Vernon your betrothed?’
Jack was Mrs Vernon’s son. When they’d been children, Edwin used to pick fights with Jack, and Marian would try to stop him. Otherwise Edwin would come home with a black eye and a bloody nose, and his father would bellow at him for being a ninny.
‘He is indeed.’ Miss Blane smiled.
‘Jack Vernon?’ The captain looked equally incredulous. ‘Lieutenant Jack Vernon of the East Essex?’
Mrs Vernon answered him. ‘That is my son. Do you know him?’
‘I do.’ The captain sounded surprised.
The connections made Marian’s mind swirl. The captain was connected to her uncle and cousin and to Jack Vernon, as well.
‘You just missed him,’ Miss Blane said. ‘Jack left to rejoin his regiment yesterday.’
Marian nearly forgot her manners. ‘Mrs Vernon, allow me to present Captain Landon.’
‘Landon!’ Her uncle’s voiced boomed from the bed, feeling neglected, Marian thought. ‘Attend me.’
The captain stiffened before approaching her uncle’s bedside. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘Why are you not with the regiment?’
Marian hurried over. ‘He was injured, Uncle.’
‘Injured?’ Her uncle huffed. ‘I was not informed of this.’
‘Sir.’ The captain’s voice had a hard edge. ‘We only today learned of your presence in Brussels.’
‘We? What do you mean by we, Landon?’ His expression was contemptuous. ‘What do you have to do with my niece?’ He turned to Marian. ‘What the devil are you doing in Brussels, girl? You have no call to be here.’
She fought to hold her temper. ‘I came with Sir Roger and Lady Fenton. You do recall their daughter is a great friend of mine.’
‘Sir Roger brought you?’ He looked indignant. ‘I gave no such permission.’
Marian met his eye. ‘Your man of business gave permission for me to stay with the Fentons.’ As if his man of business cared any more than her guardian did where she went or what she did. ‘Did you not put him in charge of me?’
He leaned forwards in bed. ‘Do not be impertinent.’
Impertinent? Marian had no intention of allowing her uncle to intimidate her.
He turned back to the captain. ‘What is your part in this, Landon?’
Marian held her breath, hoping the Captain would lie, hoping he would see now how awful her uncle could be.
Hoping he would not leave her.
The captain straightened. ‘I am recuperating in the house Sir Roger leased in this city.’
Marian could have kissed him. He had not lied, precisely; merely withheld the whole truth. Well done, Captain! She applauded silently.
‘I’ve a mind to ring a peal over Sir Roger’s head, bringing my niece here. Damned fools, all these English flocking to Brussels when Napoleon was about to attack.’
Miss Blane rolled her eyes and Mrs Vernon lowered hers. These two English women, of course, had flocked to Brussels and had probably nursed him back to health.
Tranville pointed at Marian. ‘You, girl, you tell Sir Roger I wish him to call upon me posthaste.’
Marian kept her voice steady. ‘I will inform him of your request the next time I see him.’
She heard a breath escape the captain’s mouth.
Please keep quiet, Captain.
Her uncle turned his attention back to him. ‘What news of the regiment, Landon?’
‘I know little, except they were bound for France,’ he responded.
‘Has Edwin gone with them?’ he asked.
A muscle in the captain’s jaw tensed. ‘No, sir.’
Mrs Vernon came to Tranville’s side and took his hand. ‘Remember, Lionel? Edwin is staying nearby until you are well.’
‘Fool,’ he huffed. ‘His duty is to the regiment.’ He pointed to the captain. ‘I told him to befriend you. Said he could learn a thing or two from you. But Edwin never did anything I told him to do—’ His voice broke off into a fit of coughing.
Marian felt angry on Edwin’s behalf. He’d accepted a commission in the army to please his father even though Edwin had been totally unsuited to it.
Her uncle’s coughing subsided and he leaned back against the pillow, looking weak and tired.
Unfortunately he roused again. ‘Landon, you should have insisted Sir Roger or his wife accompany my niece. This is family business, not regimental business. It is not your affair.’
Marian spoke before the captain could respond. ‘Captain Landon came at my request, Uncle,’ she replied sharply. ‘You have no call to scold him for it—’
Her uncle’s eyes bulged. ‘See here, girl!’
She kept on. ‘He was being a gentleman, which is more than I can say for—’
The captain put a hand on her arm. ‘Enough, Marian.’
She glanced at him in alarm and mouthed, ‘No.’
He turned to her uncle. ‘I will tell you why I have escorted your niece.’
‘Go on.’ Her uncle gave her a smug look.
Marian felt ill.
The captain set his chin. ‘Sir Roger and Lady Fenton left for England several days ago. Your niece remained and opened the house for wounded soldiers.’
‘What?’ Uncle Tranville sat upright. ‘She is acting as a nurse? Shameful. That is only for lowlife.’
‘We are acting as your nurses,’ Miss Blane muttered, but Uncle Tranville seemed to take no notice.
Marian lifted her chin. ‘It is true Sir Roger left and I stayed behind. And it is true Captain Landon is one of the soldiers in my care, the only officer, which is why I chose him to escort me. I have not acted the nurse, however. Those tasks have been performed by the Fentons’ Belgian servants. I have merely managed the house.’
‘Managed the house,’ her uncle muttered in disdain. ‘You make it sound like a brothel.’ His thoughts seemed to drift for a moment, then caught on some idea. He peered at the Captain and spoke in the most matter-of-fact tone. ‘You spent the night under the same roof with my niece without a proper chaperon?’
Captain Landon straightened and held her uncle’s gaze. ‘Yes, sir. She kept me alive.’
Her uncle waved those words away as if Captain Landon’s life was of no consequence. ‘That is very improper. Very improper indeed.’
When had her uncle ever cared about where she went or what she did? ‘You are being nonsensical, Uncle.’
He tapped his fingers on his mouth. ‘He compromised a decent young lady.’
‘He did not compromise me,’ Marian cried. It would be more accurate to say that she had compromised him. ‘Besides, you are not one to pass judgement, Uncle.’
When had he ever acted with propriety? He’d never taken any steps to conceal his relationship with Mrs Vernon. All of Bath knew. Marian’s aunt had been greatly shamed by it. He’d not even remained faithful to Mrs Vernon, which caused even more talk.
‘Perhaps this is not the best time to discuss this,’ Miss Blane broke in. ‘Are you not becoming fatigued, Lord Tranville?’
‘I am as fit as you are.’ His eyes shot daggers at her.
Miss Blane seemed unaffected.
‘Listen.’ The captain stepped forwards. ‘I can resolve this—’
‘Indeed you can, Landon!’ Her uncle laughed as if in triumph. ‘You can marry her.’
‘Marry me!’ Marian cried.
‘Marr
y her.’ The older man’s expression turned smug. ‘It is the perfect solution. He compromised her; he must marry her.’
‘He did not compromise me!’
Her uncle paid her no heed. ‘I must admit, I once thought that I’d marry you to Edwin, but now that Edwin will be a baron one day he needs to look a great deal higher. Landon will be perfect, though. He’s a younger son, perfectly respectable, but needing to marry a fortune. You, my girl, have an excellent fortune.’
None of Marian’s fantasies of how a gentleman might propose marriage had ever included her uncle. She would not go along with this no matter what. She’d already refused when the captain tried to propose out of duty; she certainly would not accept when the proposal came through her uncle. She was speechless with rage. How dared he?
The captain wore a thunderous expression. Mrs Vernon looked as if she might cry. Miss Blane looked disgusted.
‘Sir.’ The captain’s voice was taut. ‘It is not your place to propose—’
‘Of course it is my place to propose,’ her uncle interrupted. ‘I am her guardian. I am supposed to see her married. This way I am saved the trouble of finding someone to bring her out into society.’
‘I had my come-out in Bath with Domina,’ Marian said to no avail.
Her uncle was beyond listening. ‘I am correct that you have no fortune, am I not?’ he demanded of the captain.
Allan was consumed with rage. Of all the manipulative, self-centred things Tranville had done, this was the pinnacle.
‘I have no fortune,’ he admitted stiffly. ‘But that is of no consequence. You have no right to force—’
‘Oh, I do not force.’ Tranville’s self-congratulatory tone turned threatening. ‘I insist. If you do not do right by my niece, I will ruin your career in the army. I will make certain the parents of every marriageable young lady in the ton learn you are a callous seducer of respectable women.’
‘You will do nothing of the sort!’ cried Marian.
Tranville turned his malevolent gaze on her. ‘Will I not, you ungrateful wretch!’
Allan could endure this no longer. He surged forwards, ready to put his face into Tranville’s and tell him exactly what he thought of him.
Miss Blane pulled him back.
Tranville continued to address Marian. ‘If you do not do what I say, young lady, you will not get a penny of your money until you inherit. How will you live then, eh? You’ll be in the first man’s bed who will have you. By the time you inherit, no decent man will want you.’
Allan pulled away from Miss Blane. ‘This is beyond everything. Apologise this instant!’
Tranville was unstoppable. ‘Is it not a bit late to play the champion, Landon? You have been sharing quarters with her for days.’
‘Say and do what you want about me,’ Allan seethed, ‘but your niece has done nothing to deserve these high-handed threats. Her behaviour is to be admired, not punished.’
The General’s eyes narrowed. ‘You know what I am capable of, Landon. If you value your army career, your good name and your future, you will do as I say.’ He tilted his head towards Marian. ‘And if you defy my wishes, she will be ruined.’
‘Lionel—’ Mrs Vernon pleaded.
His head whipped around to her. ‘Stay out of this, woman!’
Allan held up his hands. ‘Enough!’ He turned from Tranville to Marian. ‘We will marry. Even though I detest your uncle’s interference in the matter, marriage has always been the only honourable option.’
‘No,’ she rasped, so low only Allan could hear.
Tranville laughed like a demon. ‘I knew he would agree the moment I said you were rich.’
Allan glared at him, his fingers curled into fists. It was all he could do not to strangle the life out of him.
‘Let us leave now, Marian.’ He took her arm and backed away from the bed. ‘We can discuss this as we walk back.’
They started towards the door.
‘Not so hasty, girl,’ her uncle called after her. Now what?
‘You are not going back to perform menial tasks to a house full of men. You stay here.’
‘No!’ she cried.
Allan could not leave her with Tranville. Not after this. ‘If you say I’ve already compromised her, what does it matter? She comes with me.’
‘Do not add arrest to the list of things I might do to you, Landon,’ Tranville countered. ‘I am her legal guardian. She must do as I tell her and I tell her she is to stay here.’
‘She can share my room,’ Miss Blane offered. ‘Come. I’ll accompany you both out. You can have her things sent here later, Captain.’
‘You see she returns, Ariana,’ Tranville shouted.
Miss Blane hurried them out of the door.
When they were out of earshot, she stopped them both. ‘Retreat was necessary. It is sometimes, is it not, Captain?’
He did not answer her.
‘He is horrible,’ Marian cried. ‘I refuse to do as he says. I do not care what he does to me.’
Miss Blane raised a finger. ‘Ah, but you do care what he does to Captain Landon.’
Marian averted her face.
‘Let him do what he wants to me.’ Allan touched Marian’s hand. ‘I will not let him hurt her.’
Sympathy warmed Miss Blane’s eyes. ‘The more you defy him, the worse he will become. Do you not know this to be true, Captain?’
‘Yes,’ he had to admit.
Miss Blane went on, ‘Idleness is bringing out the worst in him. I suggest you act as if you intend to do as he says. Give it a little time. You will be able to do as you wish once he has something else to think about.’
‘You sound as if you know him well,’ Marian said.
She smiled. ‘Jack and I have been targets of his manipulation, but Jack made threats of his own. Tranville heeded them. We will renew those threats on your behalf, if necessary.’
‘I do not fear a confrontation with him,’ Allan said, his anger still blazing too hot to allow her to douse the flames.
‘I am certain you fear nothing, Captain,’ she responded. She shooed them to the stairway. ‘Talk together privately, but do not do anything hasty.’ She turned to Marian. ‘I will wait for you in the drawing room. Rest assured, you will be away from Lord Tranville’s company in my room.’
The Captain nodded in gratitude. ‘Come outside with me,’ he said to Marian, taking her arm.
They descended the stairs and continued through the hall out the front door of the hotel.
Outside the Hôtel de Flandres, he faced her. ‘Forgive me, Marian. I was wrong to bring you here.’
She clutched the sleeves of his coat. ‘Take me home, Captain. I do not want to stay here. I want to be with you and our soldiers.’
He shook his head. ‘I cannot. The cost to you is too great. We must do as Miss Blane suggests. Retreat for the moment and allow emotions to calm down.’
‘He cannot make us marry.’ Her face filled with anger again.
‘When do you inherit?’ he asked.
She looked at him suspiciously. ‘In a little more than a year’s time, when I turn twenty-one.’
‘Twenty-one?’ He was surprised. Most heiresses did not receive their inheritance until at least twenty-five.
‘I know it is unusual,’ she said. ‘But that was how my father wrote the will. Why do you ask?’
‘I propose we become betrothed, but we postpone marriage until after you are twenty-one. Once you have inherited, you can decide to cry off if you wish.’ This way they could play Tranville’s game and win.
Her brow furrowed. ‘You propose to become betrothed only to thwart my uncle’s manipulations?’
He still believed that marrying her was the only honourable thing he could do, but he could not tolerate her thinking he had done so to appease Tranville. Indeed, he could not quite imagine life without her. He believed that fate had brought them together. All they had to do was the right thing, the honourable thing and all would work out well.
She nodded and flew into his embrace, her arms wrapped around his neck, her face against his heart. ‘This is not the proposal of which I have dreamed. I do not know if you want to marry me or want to be released from the obligation.’
He held her. ‘I know you do not want to marry me. You have said so more than once, but one thing I do know.’
‘What is that?’ she murmured against his chest.
He released her and lifted her chin with his finger. ‘My proposal is vastly superior to General Tranville’s.’
A laugh escaped her. ‘Do not jest.’
He held her against him again. ‘Be betrothed to me. For now. Perhaps even before I must leave Brussels we will be free to know our own minds.’
‘I do not want to stay here.’ She pulled away from him. ‘I want to be with our soldiers.’
‘I know.’ He glanced towards the hotel. ‘Avoid Tranville, but if you must see him, avoid a confrontation.’
She gave him a steady gaze. ‘I promise to avoid him.’
He smiled. ‘And I promise to see that your soldiers receive the best care possible.’
Her eyes glistened with tears. ‘Deep in the left-hand corner of my trunk is a purse. Keep its contents to pay for food and the servants’ wages and for Valour, if you need it. I am very fond of Valour.’
His smile faded. ‘I will see to it.’ He had no intention of using her money for Valour, though. Only for the others. ‘I will send your trunk.’ She nodded.
‘We should say goodbye,’ he murmured.
She ran into his arms again. ‘Goodbye, Captain.’
He squeezed her as tightly as he could. ‘I will call upon you as soon as I can.’
With a quick brush of his lips against hers, Allan backed away and turned to walk from her.
Chapter Nine
Edwin Tranville lounged on a bench, trying to muster enough energy to wander back to the inn that had become his home in Brussels, the one with the excellent Belgian beer. He’d come from there to the Hôtel de Flandres, shamed by Landon into the notion that he owed his father a visit.