"Do hold your tongue," Lachlan snarled, rubbing at his temples. "I am not in a mood for such joking today." The fact that he was supposed to meet with Covington in a few hours had not helped his mood either, a meeting that had now been rescheduled twice so far. What if the earl did not accept Lachlan's attempt to make things right? He did not even want to think about such things.
"You had better get in a mood, Lach," Radcliffe warned. "Your stepmother arrived in town last evening while you were at the Upton's musicale courting the fair Miss Saintwood. And sneaking off with her again, might I add. The library this time, was it? I had heard as much."
In a single moment, all of Lachlan's pent up desire left him, his blood running cold. "Claire is here? In town? But who would give her refuge?" He could not think of a single family in London who knew his stepmother well enough to allow her - and most likely her enormous wardrobe - to stay with them, even for a few days. He also made it a point to ignore his friend's well-placed barb about sneaking off with Diana once again. After all, it was true. There was no sense in denying it.
There was a grim smile on Radcliffe's lips. "One Miss Euphemia Reynolds, a spinster of some note, and..."
"The aunt of one Lord Adam Reynolds," Lachlan finished for his friend. "Damn the man!" Then he frowned. "How on earth did Adam find her?"
"According to Candlewood, Bow Street Runners." Radcliffe helped himself to a finger of brandy, splashing the liquid into a glass, even at this early hour. "Once it became clear that Miss Saintwood preferred you over him, Hathaway hired a veritable pack of Runners to search out anything he might be able to use to lure Diana away from you. He was hampered a bit when Harry Greer refused to work for him, but the other Runners were good enough for his needs, as you might imagine. Connections were made and when Claire expressed an interest in visiting London, Hathaway came up with the idea of ensconcing her with his maiden aunt." Radcliffe threw back the drink before pouring another. "The old woman is rather deaf and she does not get out into society much, if at all."
Lachlan shook his head in disgust. "The perfect place for Claire to set up house for a time, then."
Radcliffe swirled the amber liquid in the glass, rays of early morning light reflecting through the room as he did so, caught and scattered by the intricately cut crystal glass. "The witch is here for you, Lach. Make no mistake. And the duke is after Diana. He only wants her now that he cannot have her, of course, but the result is the same. He will attempt to take her from you. Made the pronouncement at Brooks just the other day. In general, he is the boring, coolly distant sort that most believe him to be." He took a long drink from the glass. "Or he was until he lost the one thing that he assumed was always his. Even though he did not want her." He drained the rest of the glass and placed it on the sideboard. "If I were you, my friend, I would watch my back."
Lachlan had every intention of doing just that. He was uncertain what sort of play the duke would come up with to try to woo Diana back to him. He did not know the man that well, at least not nearly well enough to know how he thought. But Claire? Ah, Lachlan knew her very well and with her, it was always about using her feminine wiles to attain what she wanted. Well, they would not work on him and she well knew it. Though he doubted that she would give up without a fight. It was simply not in her nature.
"I shall," the marquess assured Radcliffe. "I have no desire to be caught up in a scandal of Claire's making. I left that life behind in Scotland. I've no wish to tread that same path here."
Nodding, Radcliffe was clearly in agreement with the marquess. "You have friends who will help you. Do not think we shall leave you alone to be hunted by the witch. Or to allow Diana to have the proverbial wool pulled over her eyes by the duke. There are other dukes about, even though sometimes I believe Hathaway forgets that. He does not have as much power and influence as he sometimes believes." Then after a brief good-bye, Radcliffe was gone, leaving Lachlan to stew over this latest bit of news, even though it was not completely unexpected.
Well, he would deal with this new situation in the same direct manner as he had every crisis since Annis had passed and his father had gone slightly mad - with directness. After their encounter in Vauxhall, Lachlan knew he wanted Diana for his wife. Even if he did not deserve her, he wanted her. It was clear - to him anyway - that she felt the same. However, it was also clear that she needed to be properly courted a bit longer. Still, by the end of the season, or perhaps sooner if all went well, there was no reason they should not be betrothed.
Lachlan knew he might not be a duke, but he was a marquess, and Lord Westfield seemed inclined to accept his suit for Diana's hand. At least more than he did Lord Hathaway's. At the very least, he had encouraged Lachlan over the last few days and did not seem overly concerned about the rumors of his behavior in Scotland that seemed to follow Lachlan wherever he went.
As for Claire? Well, he could not wholly stop her, of course. She was the wife of a viscount, after all. However Lachlan could work to minimize any damage she might inflict upon his reputation or his relationship with Diana. By now, any sane woman would have realized that Lachlan was not about to wed her once his father passed. That left the disturbing notion that Claire might not be quite sane. Then again, she might also simply be that devious. With one such as her it was difficult to tell the difference.
Burt first, however, there was the little matter of his family's debt to Covington. Until that was resolved, it would continue to hang over Lachlan's head, distracting him at odd moments. He was in a war to win Diana's heart and her hand in marriage. Where she was concerned, there could be no distractions.
Several hours later, Lachlan shifted uncomfortably in his seat in the solicitor's office, his anger beginning to grow. Men of honor did not ignore meetings such as this one, especially when the man in question was the one who had arranged the bloody meeting in the first place.
Before him, Lachlan could not help but notice that the solicitor - a thin, weak looking man who went by the name William Walsh, was fidgeting as well. Though that probably had less to do with the marquess' presence and the lateness of the earl than it did with the fact that Lachlan had brought his own solicitor with him - one Robert Crowder who was among the most respected solicitors in all of London.
Crowder was particular about whom he took on as clients, but the old marquess had been one of his favorites. When Lachlan had become Hallstone, Crowder had assured Lachlan that he would continue tending to the marquisate's affairs just as he always had. He was also willing to educate Lachlan in much that he needed to know to become the new marquess. Thus far, the man had done an admirable job, which was why Crowder had insisted upon joining the other men in the office of Covington's solicitor for the meeting.
"I'm certain the earl will be along shortly," Walsh fairly squeaked, his eyes continuing to dart to Crowder. "In fact I..."
Whatever he was about to say was cut off when the Earl of Covington swept into the room uttering what did - to Lachlan's ears anyway - sound like the most sincere of apologies. "Forgive me, my good men," he said as someone scurried in after him to take his cape and hat, "but my wife is not well today and we were worried about the babe being in danger."
At that, Lachlan's heart softened a little, and he worked to ease the glower from his face. He did not have a looking glass at the moment, but he had been told he resembled a thundercloud when he was angry. He probably did so now. As it was Radcliffe who had said it, Lachlan had no reason to doubt the man. He also knew that if it was his wife growing large with his first child - and hopefully heir - that he would probably behave in much the same manner as Covington.
"Do not think about it again," Lachlan offered, rising to shake Covington's hand, a little surprised when the other man took it without hesitation. "Is Lady Covington well, then? Please, give her my best wishes for her continued good health."
That seemed to catch the earl off guard for a moment. "She is well for now," he finally replied slowly. "Dr. Hastings has been to see her and he
says nothing is amiss. Given his reputation, I am inclined to believe him." The earl was a large man, nearly as large as Lachlan himself, but he settled into what seemed to Lachlan to be the smallest chairs in London with relative ease. "But enough of that. We have business to discuss, do we not?"
"Indeed we do, my lord." That came from Crowder, yet Lachlan noticed that Covington had not taken his eyes from where Lachlan sat, doing his best not to appear overly angry or upset. Then again, considering that Lachlan was about to return a ridiculous sum of money to this man, his disposition should not matter in the least. But it did - and Lachlan knew it.
Crowder withdrew a sheaf of papers from the satchel at his feet. "I have drawn up what I feel is..."
"Leave us." Covington's voice was sharp and hard. "Both of you." He looked at Walsh first and then Crowder. "This is between Lord Hallstone and myself. We shall settle it like gentlemen." When neither solicitor moved, he frowned, the action making his eyes look like two angry slashes. It was a move that impressed, but did not exactly frighten, Lachlan. If he was so skittish, he would have never survived in the Highlands for as long as he had without a scar upon his body to show for his fear.
Finally, both Walsh and Crowder rose and left the room, protesting as they went. Still, Lachlan said nothing, allowing Covington to dictate the meeting. Well, up until a point anyway. He was no fool and would not allow the other man to completely gain the upper hand. That was not his way.
Once the door clicked closed behind the two men, Lachlan turned to face Covington, his face as impassive as he could make it. "Well done. There are few men who can get Crowder to obey if he does not wish to do so. A bit uppity for a solicitor, but he is a good one."
"So I have heard." Covington's voice was bland, as if they were discussing the weather. "Walsh, for all he looks like a good wind from a passing carriage might blow him over, is no slouch either." Then he regarded Lachlan carefully. "But you have not called on me these many times to discuss solicitors, have you?"
Lachlan shook his head. "No, I have not." He crossed a leg lazily over his knee, a move he had perfected back in the drawing rooms of Edinburgh when he wished to intimidate his audience. He was not certain it would intimidate Covington, but then it did not need to. All he wanted was for the other man to respect his position regarding the matter of the return of funds. "I believe we are here to discuss the contract Lord Devonmont drew up in regard to his daughter, Jane. And the money you paid my father to release her."
Covington studied Lachlan through half-closed eyes, as if taking his measure. "I am given to understand by way of Lady Weatherby that you do not wish to challenge the validity of my marriage." It was clear the earl was still not certain that Lachlan was being honest in his intentions.
Well, best to set the earl straight, Lachlan supposed. He was tired of dancing around the issue and Covington seemed like a good sort. "Good God, man, no! I would not wish my bastard of my father on any woman, let alone your wife! I'm given to understand she's quite lovely and has a very giving nature. He would snuff out her very spirit if given a chance, I assure you." He shook his head. "Which is precisely why I accepted your payment at the time."
"And now you wish to return it." It was clear that Covington did not understand why, but he was willing to hear Lachlan out. In general, once such deals were made, they were not undone, even for noble intentions.
"I do." Lachlan gestured to the papers that Crowder had left on Walsh's desk. "You see, my father made that contract with Lord Devonmont under the very worst of conditions. My father is, well, let us just say that he is not a man of honor." Then Lachlan hesitated. "No, let me be perfectly clear. He is a bastard with almost no redeeming qualities. I have reason to believe that he tricked my mother into marriage so very long ago, an action that eventually killed her - albeit indirectly."
Covington's eyes had lost some of their suspicion. He was ready to listen. "Go on."
"When I discovered that my father had essentially arranged to purchase a richly dowered English bride and bring her to Scotland under the false pretense of being a governess, I was enraged." Even now, Lachlan could still taste the bitter bile that rose in his throat over his father's trickery or the sickness he had felt listening to his father outline the sort of life Lady Jane would have led. "I also knew that I could not allow my mother's fate to befall her."
"Still, you went against your father and his wishes, if you are to be believed," the earl countered. "And you did not know my wife from any other society miss."
Lachlan shook his head, needing to make Covington understand. "It did not matter. Unlike others of my station, I was raised partly in England. I learned a different code of honor than the one prevalent in the Highlands, one where a man takes what he wants and damn the consequences. My father lied to obtain what he wanted - a wealthy English bride that would have been little more than a slave to him when she arrived. He had other plans for her, ones that I will not speak of." Lachlan gripped the arms of his chair to keep from punching something. The more he spoke of his father, the more enraged he became. "You do not need to know the specifics, but believe me when I say they would have been very unpleasant for Lady Jane."
Covington blanched, seeming to finally understand the depth of Laird McKenna's treachery. "Thank you for that, at least."
"When I intercepted your letter to my father," Lachlan continued, "I knew the easiest way to immediately resolve the situation was to take your payment for Lady Jane's freedom. Otherwise, you might have questioned whether or not I had a right to make such a deal on my father's behalf."
"Or I might have simply not cared," Covington confessed. "I was desperate to keep her. I would have done anything to ensure she became my wife."
At that, an image of Diana, naked in his bed and looking up at him with those lovely, adoring blue eyes, flashed though Lachlan's mind. Were the positions reversed, he knew he might well have done the same. "However I never intended to keep the money. My father was enraged, as you might expect, but he quickly found another woman to take to wife. After all, it was not the woman so much as the role she would fulfill. And Claire did come with a sizeable dowry, if not English bloodlines."
"I am given to understand the laird is dying?" Covington was looking more and more convinced by the moment. "That is why you are in town, correct? To clear up his debts?"
Lachlan nodded. "I am. More than that, I want to restore my family's name if I can. Scandal has been attached to the McKenna name since my father first whisked my mother off to Gretna Green." He lifted an eyebrow. "To be honest, I did not have much hope of clearing anything, be it debts or name, before my father passed. Then," he shrugged, "my grandfather passed and I became Hallstone."
"And as a marquess, suddenly, doors were opened to you that were closed before." Covington nodded in understanding. "That happens."
"So you believe me then?" Lachlan asked quietly. "All I want is to undo the damage my father did and nothing more. I have no wish to steal your wife, lovely as she might be."
That made Covington laugh, something that Lachlan had not thought the other man would do in his presence. "That is good to know, Hallstone." Then he sobered a bit. "And I do appreciate what you are doing. It is not necessary, however."
"It is to me." Lachlan rose and put his hands behind his back as he began to pace. "You might not need the funds, but I need to do this, to prove that the McKenna name has honor. More than that, to prove that I have honor. That I am not the man who spent much of his early life whoring around Edinburgh. I need to be worthy..." Then he stopped, unwilling to allow Covington a deeper glimpse into his life than he already had.
"To be worthy of her? Is that it?" Covington rose as well. "To be worthy of Lady Diana Saintwood."
Lachlan scowled. "That is not what I said."
"You did not need to." Covington picked up the papers that still lay on Walsh's desk. "Anyone with half a wit about them can see that you are in love with the girl."
"I am not." The automatic
denial was on Lachlan's lips before he could think.
The earl shrugged. "Very well then. You are not in love. However, you do have feelings for her and, unless I miss my guess, you are looking to fight Lord Hathaway for her hand."
"Perhaps." Lachlan held himself stiffly, still not certain he could trust Covington.
"You will win, you know," Covington confided. "Hathaway is merely like a child throwing a tantrum when someone takes a toy he no longer wants. He might not want it, but he does not wish anyone else to have it either. It will pass." He brought the papers over to where Lachlan stood. "The man does not know what he wants. He has been overly coddled by all for too long simply because he is a duke. Until you arrived and upset his world, that is." Then he grinned. "Personally, I think it good for him."
Lachlan grinned as well, quickly discovering that he liked the earl. "That is excellent news, then." He looked at the papers. "And not to belabor the point but you will take the funds, correct?"
"I will," the earl nodded. "I do not need them but I understand your need to give them."
"Thank you." There wasn't much more Lachlan could say. Other than perhaps that this meeting had gone far better than he had thought it might, and he promptly informed Covington of that fact.
With a nod and a smile, the earl clapped Lachlan on the back. "I am pleased as well. I have to confess that despite assurances to the contrary, I was a bit worried that you were here to contest the nullification of the contract. Jane is my world. She is my very life and I did not fight hard enough in the beginning to keep her, much to my shame. It is that inaction on my part that allowed your father to make the offer for her, such as it was." He looked at the other man askance. "I do not pretend to know your involvement with Lady Diana, other than to know that it is remarked upon frequently. If you care for her, even a little bit, do not delay in having her for your own. Many successful marriages were built on far less. And I do think that there is much more between the two of you, at least if my wife is to be believed."
A Marquess Is Forever Page 22
