Seduced at Sunset (Love at Pembroke Palace Book 6)

by Julianne MacLean

  But did his mother’s lack of approval even matter? Did he owe her anything? She had done nothing all those years ago when his father drank too much and beat Drake to a pulp.

  But bloody hell, she was his mother, and she had suffered too.

  Perhaps Drake could hold off going to Pembroke Palace for a day or two, at least until she stopped weeping. Then she might be able to accept his news and be happy for him.

  The coach lurched forward, but since they were in Mayfair already, he lowered the glass and shouted out the window, “Drive past Pembroke House, if you please.”

  “Yes, sir,” his coachman replied.

  It was a silly thing to do, for Charlotte was still in the country, but Drake needed to feel some connection to her. He wanted to remember those promising moments of anticipation when she walked out the front door to join him for an early morning row on the Thames.

  This turmoil with his mother and her broken dreams had knocked him off kilter. What if his own dreams were at risk as well? What if Charlotte did not share his feelings and refused his proposal? What would he do then?

  Good Lord. None of this emotional drama was the least bit familiar to Drake. He had been living a reclusive life and had expected to remain a bachelor until he drew his last breath. What had changed? What had happened to him? He was The Iron Fist, after all. Why was he feeling so bloody sentimental? And so damned vulnerable?

  The coach pulled into the square where he had come to collect Charlotte at dawn on those two previous occasions. Just the memory of those mornings made his heart skip a beat. Clearly, he had tumbled over the edge, well beyond sexual attraction and infatuation, into a full-blown love affair that made him feel as if he walked on a cloud.

  Then, when he saw the house all lit up, his hopes soared, and his heart began to beat wildly. Was she here? Had she returned to London without telling him? Had she not been able to stay away?

  He stood up in the coach and rapped a fist on the ceiling. “Stop here!”

  The coach pulled to a halt and Drake opened the door.

  Chapter 20

  One hour earlier…

  Adelaide, Charlotte, and Garrett had retired to the drawing room after dinner and were just about to begin a game of cards when the butler walked in.

  “There is a gentleman here to see you, Your Grace. I took the liberty of showing him into the library.”

  “Who is it?” Adelaide asked.

  “Dr. William Thomas.”

  A swarm of butterflies invaded Adelaide’s belly, and her eyes met Charlotte’s. “What is he doing here at this hour?”

  “Wasn’t he supposed to be at the theater tonight?” Charlotte asked.

  Garrett sat back in his chair. “What is going on? You are both behaving as if William is here to catch you robbing a bank.”

  Adelaide struggled to regain her composure and smiled at her son. “Forgive me, Garrett. I didn’t expect him. That is all. I will go downstairs and see what he wants.”

  Garrett began to shuffle and deal the cards onto the table. “Invite him up. We could use a fourth player.”

  She cleared her throat nervously and lifted her eyebrows at Charlotte, who was equally flustered.

  “I will be back shortly,” Adelaide said.

  She descended the stairs slowly, for her heart was all aflutter and she was a bouncing ball of nerves. Why was William here, and for pity’s sake…how did she look? Was her hair all right? Perhaps she should go to her room first and check her appearance in the cheval glass and take a moment to collect herself.

  Then all at once Adelaide found herself standing outside the library door. She felt a strange mixture of euphoria and emotional agony, for the thought of him loving another woman was worse than death.

  She paused outside the door, swallowed hard, then entered cheerfully with a warm smile. “William, what a lovely surprise.”

  He was facing the fire but turned quickly when she spoke. Still dressed in formal black and white theater attire, he looked as frazzled as she felt. She had never seen such an anxious expression on his face before. There was something happy in his eyes, however…though he looked shaken, as if he had nearly been run over by a turnip cart.

  “Please accept my apologies for the intrusion,” he said. “I hope I am not interrupting anything.”

  “Not at all,” she replied, crossing the room to stand before him. “You are always welcome. You know that. Especially when Charlotte and Garrett are here.” Our beautiful children. “They asked me to invite you upstairs for cards. Will you join us?”

  A calmness spread over her suddenly as William removed his spectacles, folded them, and slipped them into the breast pocket of his jacket.

  “You know I love a good card game as much as the next man,” he said, “but I came here to see only you, Adelaide. In private. There is something I wish to ask you.”

  She tried to breathe steadily. She did not know what to expect.

  Then suddenly William dropped down on one knee and clasped both her hands in his. Bright, shimmering hope, precious and thrilling, exploded within her.

  “Adelaide,” he said, his voice soft and low as he looked up at her. “I have known you all my life, and I have loved you all that time. There has never been any woman for me but you, and that is why I could never leave your side, even when you belonged to another. I have waited a long time, and I would have waited forever if I had to, but the time for waiting is over.” And he paused.

  “You are the other half of my soul,” he continued at last, “and I want you now, for myself, utterly and completely. I want to hold you in my arms, worship you every day for the rest of my life and give you all the happiness and pleasure I am capable of giving. I want to grow old with you, Adelaide, and never be without you.”

  He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles, and her whole being filled with a joy she had not imagined could exist.

  “Will you marry me, Adelaide,” he asked, “and end my lifelong yearning? Will you make me the happiest man alive?”

  “Oh, William,” she sighed, as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a stunning square-cut ruby ring surrounded by diamonds.

  “May I put this on you?” he asked.

  Her hand trembled as she held it out. “Yes!”

  His eyes glimmered with something that resembled flirtatious amusement, and he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

  “I am so happy,” she cried laughingly as he rose to his full height before her. She stood up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you so very much, my darling. I thought I would die if you married another, because I always believed you were mine. All I want is to be yours at last, for I am tired of waiting, too.” She drew back to hold his face in her hands. “We were dutiful and good, and patient, were we not?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “I have admired and respected your integrity, Adelaide. You were a magnificent duchess and the best mother in the world.”

  “But now I am free to be with you,” she said. “There is a new, very capable duchess at Pembroke now—lovely Rebecca, who has taken hold of the reins admirably—and all my children are grown. It is time I took something for myself, and that something is you, the man I have always adored. Dreamed of. Do you mean it, William? Are we finally going to be together?”

  “I will never let anyone or anything tear us apart again,” he replied.

  He pulled her close and held her for a perfect shuddering moment of elation before he pressed his lips to hers.

  All at once, Adelaide was swept back in time to that profound moment years ago, on the eve of her wedding, when he kissed her in the maze beneath the light of the moon and convinced her that they were destined to be together. She had believed it and was willing to give up everything for him that night, but that was not to be. Not then.

  Everything was differ
ent now, however. Here he was, kissing her again, as if not a single moment, or hour, or year had been lost.

  He drew back and smiled at her in the golden glow of the firelight. “You are to be mine, at last,” he whispered.

  She blinked up at him in awe, nodded, and remembered her tears from earlier that day. “But what about your lady friend?” she asked. “I thought you had plans with her this evening.”

  “I spoke to her and explained that I could not escort her to the theater tonight, or any other night for that matter—for my affections were engaged elsewhere.”

  “Oh dear,” Adelaide replied. “She must have been devastated. I am so sorry.”

  “I was sorry, too,” he said, “but she will recover. It was only a summer courtship, and we really didn’t know each other very well. It was not like it is between you and me.”

  “Sometimes I feel as if you are living inside my own heart,” Adelaide said.

  “I feel it, too,” he replied.

  A knock sounded at the front door. Adelaide turned to see the butler pass by the library to answer it.

  “Who could that be?” she said.

  They listened as the caller was greeted, then the butler passed by the library door again to head upstairs.

  “Someone must be here to see Charlotte or Garrett,” Adelaide said, wondering—hoping—that it might be Mr. Torrington, here to apologize for his mother’s unseemly conduct.

  Sure enough, Charlotte passed by the library door next, and there was some hushed conversation in the entrance hall before she appeared on the threshold. “Look, Mother,” she said. “We have a guest. Mr. Torrington is here.”

  He stepped into view as well, and Adelaide immediately went to greet him. “How lovely to see you, Mr. Torrington. Please come in. Allow me to introduce my…” She paused. “This is my fiancé, Dr. William Thomas. William, this is Mr. Drake Torrington, the gentleman who came to Charlotte’s rescue when she was attacked by the thief a few weeks ago.”

  Charlotte laughed out loud. “Fiancé?”

  Adelaide smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Oh, Mother, that is wonderful news!” Charlotte hugged her.

  Meanwhile, Mr. Torrington was slowly moving into the library, frowning at William, who regarded him with astonishment. Neither made a move to shake hands.

  Charlotte and Adelaide exchanged uneasy glances.

  “Do you two know each other?” Charlotte asked.

  Mr. Torrington inclined his head. “Yes, we most certainly do.”

  Chapter 21

  Charlotte laid a hand on Drake’s sleeve. “Is something wrong?”

  He turned to face her. “Is this the successful result of your matchmaking?”

  She stammered slightly. “I…I am not sure. It appears to be so.” She turned to William. “You two are really getting married?”

  “Yes,” he replied.

  Charlotte hurried to hug him. “I am so happy for you both. Congratulations.”

  “Wait a minute,” Drake said. “Before you all run off to celebrate, I will have you know that I have just spent the past hour consoling my mother, who was, a short time ago, jilted by this man without any explanation whatsoever. This is what you have been up to, is it?” he said to William. “Carrying on liaisons with two women at once? Do you have any idea the hurt you have caused?”

  Charlotte looked down at Drake’s fists clenching and flexing, and felt a sickening dread roll over her.

  “I don’t understand what you are implying,” Charlotte said. “Do you mean to suggest that the woman Dr. Thomas has been courting was your mother?”

  His gaze shot to hers. “Yes.”

  Charlotte backed away from Drake, then looked up at William, the man who was her real father and her mother’s lifelong love. As she recalled Mrs. Torrington’s cruelty earlier that day, she simply could not think of herself. “Well,” she said decisively, “if he has extricated himself from that relationship, I can only say bravo.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Drake replied.

  She squared her shoulders. “Allow me to explain. Today I had the pleasure of meeting your mother. Did she not tell you? I paid a call, you see, hoping to learn why you ignored my letter and did not wish for me to join you on the river this morning. But that is beside the point. What matters is that your mother was grossly disrespectful to me.”

  “How so?” he asked.

  “She informed me that you had not come home to take part in a…what was the word she used? Oh yes, a ‘torrid’ affair. She called me a desperate spinster and told me to go back to the country and spare myself any further humiliation where you are concerned.”

  Drake’s lips pressed together in an angry grimace.

  William’s head drew back in surprise. “She said that to you? Are we speaking of the same woman? Dorothea Torrington?”

  “Yes,” Charlotte replied. “She treated me like dirt on the underside of her boot. And you…” She turned to Drake again. “You left me humiliated indeed! I waited until seven o’clock this morning, but clearly you preferred to row alone.”

  No one said anything for a full ten seconds. The fire snapped noisily in the grate and an explosion of sparks discharged up the chimney.

  Garrett appeared in the doorway. “What the devil is going on in here?” he asked. “I heard shouting.”

  “No one is shouting,” Adelaide replied, holding out her hands to push down the tension in the room. “There has just been a misunderstanding. That is all.”

  Garrett turned to Drake. “Good evening, sir,” he said in a rather threatening tone. “I do not believe we have been introduced.”

  “Good evening,” Drake replied. Then, without waiting for the introduction, he strode out of the library, shouldering his way past Garrett. He walked out of the house and slammed the door violently behind him.

  Charlotte ran to follow, but Garrett grabbed hold of her arm and held her back. “Let him go,” he said.

  “But you don’t understand! You don’t know what has happened.”

  “I saw the look in his eye,” Garrett said. “He was fit to be tied. Is that the boxer?”

  “The retired boxer,” she clarified. “And yes, that was Mr. Torrington.” Gone now. Walked out of her life—probably for good.

  Garrett turned to Adelaide. He glanced at her left hand. “Good heavens, is that a boulder on your finger?”

  Charlotte turned to look as well, and despite everything, felt a deep stirring of happiness when her mother lifted her hand.

  “William gave it to me tonight,” she said. “He has proposed, and I have accepted.”

  Charlotte and Garrett moved together across the carpet, their footsteps perfectly in sync, and embraced their parents.

  “I am so happy for you,” Charlotte said. “This is the most wonderful news I could ever hope for.”

  No more was said about the awkward confrontation with Mr. Torrington, for no one wanted to spoil a precious event that was a long time coming and deserved to be celebrated to the fullest.

  Drake burst through the front door of his house and dashed up the stairs. Bang! Bang! Bang!

  With a tight fist, he pounded on his mother’s door until it rattled on the hinges. “Open up, Mother!” he shouted. “I must speak with you.”

  He heard the sounds of the bed creaking and the shuffling of her footsteps across the floor. The door swung open.

  “Where have you been?” she asked, her eyes puffy and red.

  “I was out seeking answers,” Drake replied. “I went to confront Dr. Thomas, only to find him in the company of another woman. Did you know about that?”

  She regarded him with a furrowed brow. “I suspected as much and should have known better. He is a dishonorable philanderer, just like your father.”

  “But what do you know about the other woman?” Drake pre
ssed as he followed her into the room. “Was there an understanding between you and Dr. Thomas? Did he actually propose?”

  His mother glared at Drake with derision. “No. But all the signs were there. He led me to believe—”

  “You believed what you wanted to believe, Mother. If there was no proposal, there was no promise of anything. Yet you wrote to me in America and asked me to come home to arrange for your future as a married woman. If anyone misled anyone, it was you who did so. But that is not the worst of it. I saw Lady Charlotte tonight, and I know it is her mother, the Dowager Duchess of Pembroke, who has stolen your alleged fiancé away from you. Charlotte told me what you said to her when she paid a call here this afternoon. Would you care to explain?”

  Eyes as wide as saucers, his mother stared at him intensely, then hobbled to the chair before the fire and collapsed into it. “She was the duchess’s daughter. I didn’t want you to see her anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because her mother was my rival! For two years, the dowager remained in the country, and William began to forget her. I like to believe I helped him to finally give her up, but then Lady Charlotte took a stroll down our street and fell victim to a purse thief. If not for that incident, they would not have stayed in London. Fate is cruel beast, Drake! You, my only son, are the reason the dowager got in my way. What were the odds? Everyone knows Lady Charlotte is as reclusive as you are, living under the pretense of being a writer.”

  “There is no pretense,” he told her, for he could not stomach the inaccuracy. “Lady Charlotte’s work has been published. And very successfully.” He would leave it at that.

  “Oh, what does it matter?” his mother said. “It is over now. William has cut me from his heart and his life, and I must accept it. I should have known I could never be so fortunate as to have a man like him for a husband. I had such high hopes though. I thought there might be happiness in my future, but my whole existence has been a tragedy from start to finish. Why do I keep hoping?”