“I don’t think you are ungrateful. You are a young woman longing for more from the man you love. You’re chafing at the separation—try to be patient. Who can understand a young man’s mind?” Lady Grey rose to her feet and grabbed her wrap. “Shall we prepare to enter the lion’s den?”
Josie took a deep breath. “The sooner we get this over with the closer I will be to going home and being done with this entire pretense.”
Lady Grey nodded and led the way to the carriage.
The first home they visited was that of Lady Wilhelmina Landsdowne. She was a widow who was stick thin, weak, and sickly in appearance. She rarely left her home, as the ton came to her. She was infamous for her ability to know everything and could help make or break a career in the marriage mart with the words she would utter.
“Do not fear, Josie. I have known Wilhelmina from our season in town. She can be our best ally as I am aware of certain secrets that she would not want spread.”
“You would blackmail her into supporting me in this?” Josie whispered as the carriage drew up to the home.
“No. There is an unspoken understanding between us. I have never called in my favor with her, and now is the time. Do not fear, Josie.” With that, Lady Grey patted Josie’s gloved hands and prepared to exit the coach.
Josie inwardly trembled as they entered. The sitting room displayed dainty furniture and a gilded throne-like chair at the center of the room. The expensive surroundings had delicate figurines placed everywhere, which did nothing to ease Josie’s nerves.
“My dear, Wilhelmina!” Lady Grey sailed in toward the hostess with no evidence of fear. “It has been far too long since I have seen you. Let me present to you my charge for the season, Miss Josephine Storm. I have been blessed to finally have a young lady, like a daughter to me, to enjoy a season with.”
Lady Landsdowne put a looking glass up to her right eye and squinted. It made her eyes seem too huge on her horse-shaped face.
Josie fought the urge to giggle that this odd-looking dragon of society would scrutinize her. She managed to keep a sober look on her face but could not hide the twinkle in her eye as she curtseyed to this woman with a soft, “It is a pleasure, my lady.”
“Very pretty gel, Dorothea. Nice manners too. Will you be seated? I had many visitors this morning, but it is quiet now and we can enjoy a bit of a coze.” Looking at Lady Grey, she spoke in clipped tones. “What is this I hear about your nephew, Remington? I admired his prudishness as it was quite a diversion, but last night, he had to go and throw it all away on a young woman in a brothel? What is wrong with the dear boy? Has his heart been broken?”
Lady Grey jerked to attention, and her eyes blinked rapidly before she tilted her chin up. “I am not sure of what you speak, my lady. Viscount Remington entering a house of ill repute? I am sure there must be some mistake. Are you sure it was not Captain Allendale? It would suit his reputation to do so.”
“Initially, that was my first thought as well, but they do have different coloring. It was most definitely the Virtuous Viscount, although I suppose that title does not apply now. Pity.” She reached for a newssheet and handed it to Lady Grey.
Josie leaned over to glance at the drawing depicting none other than Marcus, a tilted halo on his head, in bed with a voluptuous woman barely clothed. Josie blinked several times herself. Marcus was depicted shirtless, the rest of his body hidden beneath a sheet.
Lady Landsdowne tittered. “Every girl loves a man to be a bit of a rascal. Maybe he finally succumbed to temptation. They all do eventually.”
Lady Grey met the other woman’s gaze. “If for some reason my nephew was there, I would guarantee it was not for what you and the rest of the beau monde would think. Remington holds his virtue and dedication to God higher than almost anything else. While he is human, I doubt he would fall this far and fast into sins of the flesh.”
Lady Landsdowne nodded. “I wondered, as his reputation is unparalleled. But sometimes people appear virtuous to hide secrets. We do not ever know what is going on in someone’s mind, do we? Men will be men and have their needs. I would expect that he would be faithful to his wife if he ever chose to wed.”
“I will choose to believe he is faithful to his future wife even now,” proclaimed Lady Grey, but her voice lacked confidence.
The rest of the short visit passed with the usual inanities of weather and war, and Josie’s tussle with Sir Bastian was only mentioned briefly as, “You poor girl. That Sir Bastian was an evil man. I hear he is in the Tower. I’m glad you were rescued from his clutches.”
Josie was grateful and horrified that Marcus’s scandal trumped hers.
The rest of the afternoon involved several similar conversations. Individuals delighted in the Viscount’s apparent downfall, and Lady Grey defended his integrity.
Miss Storm spent most of these visits sitting quietly pouring tea under the watchful eye of matrons who evaluated and assessed her. Josie’s stomach churned, and she only sipped her tea for fear she would not be able to keep even that little bit down with any modicum of grace. She struggled with the detailed drawing brought out at every visit to show proof of the Viscount’s transgression. She wanted to run and hide from that gruesome reality. It was with great relief that they returned to the Grey house.
“You must not believe the gossip, Josie.” Lady Grey’s voice quivered. Even she struggled to trust the Viscount’s integrity in the face of the gossip assaulting them today.
“How can I not? You observed the drawing. I also saw Marcus with a beautiful young woman on Sunday, and she flirted with him. She put her hand on his arm and leaned towards him as she laughed at something he’d said. He never sought me out. I have not seen him in over a week. No flowers. No note. No rides in the park. Now this? What am I supposed to conclude?” Josie could not stand in the foyer any longer and ran up the stairs to the sanctuary of her room and her pillow, grateful that they had decided earlier that they would not attend any events this evening.
~*~
In her room, Josie gazed out the window into the back garden and let the tears flow unhindered down her cheeks. Marcus indicated an affection for her, but that was in the country with no other women present. Many misses in town surpassed her in beauty and accomplishments. Why would she attract someone like Sir Bastian and expect a glorious specimen of manhood like Lord Remington to glance her way? She was nothing compared to that blonde beauty he had talked to after church.
Josie was realistic. Her figure was proportionate. How could she, with modest endowments, compete with the image she saw in the newssheet this morning? She had hoped that would not matter to a man who loved her. She couldn’t erase the image of Lord Remington in the arms of that other woman. Marcus in flagrante delicto. And the entire town knew. Weren’t most men more discreet in their illicit liaisons?
Josie sighed. Most gentlemen of the ton frequented brothels or had mistresses before they were married. It was a rite of passage. She understood this. She was aware that Captain Allendale had a checkered past, and probably Sir Tidley, Lord Westcombe, and even Lord Harrow did, although she couldn’t imagine it of him. Many other young men she’d danced with every evening most likely did too. However, they didn’t have their likeness depicted in the London papers.
So what did that make her? Convenient breeding stock? Her grandfather was an Earl, so she had the blue blood to qualify to marry into the peerage. Didn’t most men want a nice young woman from the country who would bear a houseful of heirs and dutifully raise children in the country while their husband spent time in town with willing widows or mistresses?
That was not what she wanted of marriage. She couldn’t bear to think that Marcus was like that. Was it as innocent as Lady Grey tried to paint it? How could it be otherwise? If something had happened and if he was not culpable of what the paper said, why had he not warned her? Why was he silent and absent? Why wasn’t he with her when Sir Bastian attacked? If he really loved her, why was he not here now, wiping away her
tears?
They were not married. Not even engaged. He had no official obligation to her. If he was not faithful, then why should she not flirt and consider other suitors? Maybe she had been wrong to settle on the first man to capture her heart.
Oh, but what a man! She smiled softly at the remembrance of him sitting by her bed when she had awakened from her fall and had regained her eyesight. It seemed so long ago now, yet it had only been four months. She had already spent more time in his company than any other man of her acquaintance. More than most of the women in the upper ten thousand get to spend with a man before they marry.
So why did she doubt him now? Why did she doubt herself? She could not think. Frustration, grief, anger, and confusion all warred within her soul. The comfort she sought was not to be found. She wanted to pray but realized with guilt that all she would do was complain to God. She already had more blessings than most. Why mourn the lost virtue of one man? He was free to do what he wanted.
Well, then. So was she.
~*~
Saint Giles, London
Lord Widmore paced the room he had rented out in a seedier part of town. His creditors were becoming more persistent, and since he could not escape the drain of his wife’s expenses, he now needed to seek the windfall mistakenly bequeathed to Miss Josephine Storm.
Big Red had shown up with a scrawny partner.
“You have failed repeatedly to kill my wife. Do you think you could do even one job right?”
“Youz ain’t paid us.”
“I shall pay you if you can accomplish this task.”
The men stood still, waiting.
“Miss Josephine Storm. I want her dead, and I want proof you’ve done it. Bring me a finger, at least. I don’t care where or how it’s done. Just do it, and quickly before she leaves town.”
“I’z need money for ’xpenses,” Red asserted.
Lord Widmore pulled out some pound notes and thrust them in the brute’s hands. “Once she’s dead, I’ll get her inheritance and can pay you richly for your labors.”
The men nodded and left, slithering into the darkness from whence they came.
Lord Widmore headed to the local brothel to satisfy his thirst for opium and the ladies.
It would be a fine thing to be wealthy again.
23
Marcus had not gone out amongst society that day but had spent most of it with his brother and the officials at Whitehall. He had been surprised at how quickly Sir Bastian had sought to kidnap Josie and was grateful his friends had been there to protect her and stop the assault. He wanted, more than anything, to go to her side and make sure she was unharmed but had been required to attend meeting after meeting with government officials. While Marcus had only been a small part of the puzzle, he had been vital to the case, and he was grateful that it netted safety for Josie. He chafed at the obligations it placed upon his time and prayed that Josie had recovered and been unharmed by Bastian.
Sir Tidley had ribbed him about his visit to the brothel and showed him the drawing from the newssheets.
Lord Westcombe teased him about his fall from grace.
Since he was not at liberty to tell them why he had been there, he had silently put up with their laughing at his visit to a bordello.
Michael had taken him aside. “Marcus, we may tease, but for whatever reason you were there, we all know it was not for what this rag claims.”
Marcus fought tears. His faithful friends would rib him, but they stood firm in their belief in his integrity regardless of evidence to the contrary. Their solid friendship humbled him. If only Josie had that kind of faith in him as well, he would be content.
He finally returned to his townhome and found a letter from Lady Grey. He rushed over to her house in response to her summons. It was already late in the day.
Marcus sighed as the carriage pulled up. He longed for, and dreaded, facing the music of his actions. He hoped against hope that Josie would overlook such a public fall from grace. Somehow, his heart sank with the realization that his hopes might be in vain.
When Marcus arrived at Lady Grey’s home, he was escorted to her private sitting room. He entered and crossed the room to give his aunt a kiss and a bear hug.
“How is Miss Storm? I heard about last night and wanted to come earlier but was unable to get away from obligations that demanded my attention.”
“Obligations? Hmmmm. We will get to that in a minute. Josie is in shock and heartbroken.”
Marcus’s shoulders slumped. She had already decided he had really done what everyone said he did. She had not trusted him. He swallowed hard. “Has the gossip been that bad?”
“We expected that her incident with Sir Bastian would be the talk of the town and cause her to be hoisted up for ridicule. Instead, she found sympathy and the entire ton gloating over the fall of the Virtuous Viscount.”
Marcus winced. He hated that moniker. He sat down across from his aunt.
“So. Is it true? You entered a house of prostitution?”
Marcus bit his lip and nodded, yet maintained his eye contact with his aunt. The inquisition he feared had begun.
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I would have a lot to say if I could. But I cannot.”
“You will not defend your actions?”
Marcus shook his head and frowned. He looked down at his hands. “No.”
“I apologize if you find me less than understanding, Marcus. You were raised better than that, were you not? What happened to your determination to live a life that was a witness and avoid the temptations and lures that society threw out?” She paused, pursed her lips, and exhaled loudly. “To say I am disappointed in you is an understatement.”
“I understand and anticipated that. Do you think that you and Miss Storm will be able to forgive me?”
“Are you sorry you were there?”
“I cannot say that I am.”
Lady Grey glared at her nephew with narrowed eyes. “If you were to do it over again, would you have made a different choice?”
“I made the best decision I could at the time. I know I did what I had to do to for the noblest of reasons.”
“Noble? How dare you call your actions noble? Indefensible, and yet you want forgiveness. Unrepentant, and you want it overlooked? How am I to forgive you if you show no remorse?”
“I am sorry if my actions have caused you and Miss Storm any pain or embarrassment.”
“It was humiliating for me to defend you when I knew nothing of what had transpired. Josie suffered a terrible shock last night and today discovered that the man she believed to be true had instead been unfaithful. How do you think that made her feel?”
“After all we have been through, I had hoped she would know better than to believe ill of me.”
“It is hard for either of us to do that when you admit that what the gossips say is true.” Lady Grey’s posture sank a bit as she continued. “Josie reported that on Sunday, a beautiful young woman flirted with you after church. I didn’t observe this. I am unaware of who might have sought your favors, but it disturbed Josie.”
“Sunday?” Marcus leaned back and tried to remember. Whom had he seen on Sunday? “I remember trying to focus on the service when all I wanted to do was look at Miss Storm. I could not tell you what the sermon was about, to my shame. I do not recall any women flirting with me. Henrietta is back and delighted in telling me about hers’ and Charles’s trip to the continent. She enjoyed herself immensely, and marriage seems to suit her well. She is now setting up her household and redecorating the rooms. I daresay my sister will have Charles in the poorhouse before long.” He shook his head and smiled at the memory.
“Henrietta is in town? And she has yet to come and visit me? I long to see her. Was she happy?”
“Blissfully. Do you think that might have been whom Josie saw me with? She has never met my sister, and Henrietta and I are close. Perhaps that was what she witnessed?”
Lady Grey frowned.
“Quite possible.” She looked at her nephew. “She has missed you, Marcus. You’ve stayed away far more than necessary.”
“I have a reputation for not singling out any particular woman. If I were to have done so with Josie, it might have hindered her attempts to have a wider choice of suitors to experience. I want it to be her choice, not the man who was convenient.”
“If you had paid more attention, maybe this recent behavior would be more easily overlooked by her.”
“Or she would be even more hurt and singled out for pity amongst society. At this point, you are the only one tainted by any shame. I apologize for that.”
“I still do not understand why you would jeopardize Josie’s affections and your reputation by such foolish actions.”
Marcus leaned forward on the chair with his hands clasped in front of him, elbows on knees. “Sometimes a man has to make difficult decisions and weigh the bad against the worst. I did what I had to for reasons I cannot explain. I will say this. If I would have had to die to accomplish what I did, I would have done so.”
“Die?” Dorothea breathed out the word as she searched Marcus’s eyes.
He maintained her gaze and hoped that his unspoken plea…
Lady Grey sighed. “I will not pretend to understand, Marcus. I love you, believe in you, and will stand by you.”
“I appreciate that. It is the best I could hope for at this time. May I see Miss Storm?”
“Not at this moment. She is resting. If you want to try to visit tomorrow or send a note around to her, I would approve. Tread carefully.”
Marcus nodded, relieved to have won his aunt to his side. But Josie? Would she understand without knowing the truth? “She’s had a rough time of it. Pray that she forgives me even though it appears I don’t deserve it.”
“I will, dear boy.”
With that, Marcus rose and left.
~*~
The next day dawned gray and damp. Josie’s mood matched the weather as she sat at her window lost in thought. Carriages went by with grooms hunched over and hats pulled low. Horses plodded down the streets with their heads bent. She spied footmen running to deliver messages. No birds sang, and a gossamer layer of fog cloaked the houses. It was too early for the ton to be out, as most would have arrived home well after midnight.
The Virtuous Viscount Page 20
