Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2)

by Maureen Driscoll

  Miss Emerson reached out hesitantly, as if to touch a strand of Irene’s fair hair.

  “Sweeting, I don’t think you should,” said her father gently.

  “It’s all right,” said Irene. “If I can irritate poor Miss Emerson with my bungling, she can certainly touch my hair. Go ahead, sweetheart.”

  Miss Emerson carefully touched Irene’s hair, looking at the different colors of gold in it. “It’s pretty,” she said.

  “Thank you. I think your hair is pretty, too. I just wish I could loosen this knot so we might see more of it.”

  The knot finally came undone and Irene was able to remove the bonnet. Miss Emerson smiled at her radiantly.

  “Thank you,” said the little girl.

  “It was my pleasure.”

  *

  James had watched the scene before him with mixed emotions. He’d heard Miss Wallace’s defense of Anna as he entered the house. He didn’t know what Williams had said, but it was a good thing for the butler that James hadn’t heard it. He didn’t know if this woman knew Nicholas, but he was heartened both by her defense of Anna and then by how gentle she’d been while untangling the bonnet.

  He’d noticed her earlier on his way out of Ainsworth’s house, of course. He’d nearly run her over. It was a sign of just how beautiful the woman was that she could attract his attention while he’d been seething mad. She was simply stunning. He wouldn’t mind touching her fair hair, as well. But this was neither the time nor the place. And she was Cedric’s sister.

  He wondered why she was there. Had her grandmother sent her to convince him not to press forward with the magistrate? It wouldn’t work. He was insulted they’d even try.

  But then she’d been so gentle with Anna and it had done something to him. He’d softened just the tiniest amount. Not toward her brother or father. Nor toward the dragon dowager. But Miss Wallace had shown such kindness to Anna. That deserved some consideration on his part. She’d even let his daughter stroke her hair. No other lady of his acquaintance would have done that, save his sisters, along with Ava and Maude, their cook.

  It was hard to believe she was related to Cedric. But she was and James had to be on his guard.

  She broke into his thoughts. “Perhaps, my lord, you would like to order a hot drink for Miss Emerson?”

  Of course. He should have thought of it himself. He still had so much to learn. “Williams, some warm milk and biscuits for Miss Emerson. And I suppose some tea for Miss Wallace and myself.” He said the last part only grudgingly. He didn’t know why she was there, but he didn’t think it could be in his best interest.

  “You are too kind, sir,” she said, barely keeping from laughing.

  “Yes, well, it wasn’t as if I was invited to tea when I was at your home earlier today. I’m surprised your grandmother didn’t set the dogs on me.”

  “If we had dogs, she might have,” said Irene, still suppressing a laugh.

  “I suppose we can go in the sitting room and you can tell me why you are here.” He motioned for a footman to take their coats. “But I do not wish for Anna to be with us if this conversation becomes heated.”

  “Unfortunately, there is every possibility it will. Perhaps her governess could take her?”

  “She doesn’t have one.” And he’d never place her in Williams’s care.

  “Perhaps she might play with toys in one half of the sitting room while we converse in the other.”

  “She doesn’t have many toys.” He hated admitting to such a thing. But perhaps it would help Miss Wallace recognize the importance of his mission. If he did not have the means to provide his daughter with such basics – and it tore him apart that he didn’t – then mayhap she would speak to her father on his behalf.

  “Then may we go to Lord Layton’s library, instead?” she asked.

  The request surprised him, but he nodded, then motioned for her to precede him down the hall until they reached the well-stocked library. But instead of taking a seat, she went to the shelves and began searching.

  “Are you growing bored with my company?” he asked, as he admired the sway of her hips which he was almost certain was an unconscious motion on her part.

  “I have a feeling the problem you and I shall have will not be one of boredom,” she said, going from one bookshelf to the next.

  James could imagine any number of ways he and Miss Wallace could entertain each other, if she weren’t a lady and he didn’t have Anna with him. “Can I help you find something?”

  “I’m looking for a book for Miss Emerson.”

  That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “My daughter is learning to read English, but does not quite have the proficiency yet for the books in Layton’s library.”

  “Ah, this should work,” she said, as she pulled a heavy volume from the shelf.

  Without thinking, James reached out to help her, his fingers brushing against hers as he did so. He felt a shock go through his body. And from her sudden discomfited expression, he believed she had felt it, too. Her accompanying blush flooded his body with lust. As a distraction, he examined the book in his hands. “It’s a book of art.”

  “I had a feeling Lord Layton might have such a volume. It has reproductions of great pieces of art from museums all over Europe. I thought perhaps Miss Emerson might like to look through the book while you and I converse.”

  It was a remarkably kind and intelligent suggestion, making James wonder if this lady was truly related to Cedric. He placed the book on a table, then pulled out a chair for Anna. “Would you like to look at the book while Miss Wallace and I talk?”

  His little girl nodded, then readily sat in the chair, which he pushed closer to the table. In the meantime, Miss Wallace had already gone to the settee halfway across the room. She was a rather assertive young lady, always leading the way.

  Fortunately, her actions also afforded him an excellent view of her backside. It was a reminder of just how female she was. And he was usually quite persuasive with women.

  Perhaps this Miss Wallace was a soft touch. He might be able to persuade her to help him with only a few kind words. She was obviously unmarried, though three years past her debut if he had to guess. She was likely starved for male attention. It shouldn’t be that hard for him to turn her into an ally.

  When he joined her, he gave her the smile that had brought more than a few women to his bed. He was pleased to see it made her blink in surprise. She took a step back, bumping into the settee. He reached out to steady her and felt that damned shock again.

  She pulled away and sat, looking off balance in all ways. He took a seat in the chair opposite her, trying to regain his own composure. He decided to go on the offensive.

  “I must say, Miss Wallace, you are not what I was expecting of Cedric’s sister.”

  “Yes, well, I imagine my brother had better things to do in America than talk about his younger sister.”

  “His younger, beautiful sister. I must confess myself surprised that you are yet unmarried. Have the gentlemen in England gone mad since I was last here?”

  She narrowed her eyes just the slightest. “Are you trying to charm me, sir?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I believe we have our answers reversed. If you were to ask me if your efforts were working, I would reply ‘not at all.’ However, I believe you are doing your best to turn me up sweet. Hence the smile with your remarkably white teeth and the compliment about my marital status, though it was not really a compliment at all.”

  James was taken aback. He was rarely rebuffed. And while she had noticed his admittedly very white teeth, it came as a surprise that she was not more receptive to his efforts. For a moment, he feared he’d lost all his appeal, until he remembered the ladies onboard the ship on his journey to England. More than a few had made it known that they would welcome his advances. He reckoned he could get a bed partner for that very night if he’d been so inclined.

  Yet, this chit had not only rebuffed him, she’d had th
e audacity to recognize the game he was playing. Cedric had been a bit of a halfwit. It was looking more and more likely that not only had Irene Wallace been given a full portion of brains, but she’d somehow also acquired the half that Cedric had been denied.

  A beautiful woman who was also intelligent. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

  “How was what I said not a compliment?” he asked.

  “You implied that I am unmarried solely because the gentlemen of England had gone mad. Perhaps I am still unwed because I simply did not say yes to any proposals. Perhaps the gentlemen of England are even more clever than you remember, yet I still felt I would rather remain alone. “

  “Whyever would you prefer to remain alone?”

  “Why do you remain unwed?”

  “That is not that same thing at all.”

  “Truly? Pray enlighten me as to why.”

  “It is the normal course of events for a gentleman to wish to remain unattached, yet for women it is the norm to yearn to be married.”

  “If your sweet daughter were not in hearing range I would utter an unladylike oath.”

  And oh how James wished to hear it. He was annoyed with this woman who would not fall into his trap, yet was growing more intrigued with her by the moment. Perhaps it was the fact that she was a mystery to him. Too many people were so easily deciphered. But not this chit. If she’d come here to play on his sympathies, she was truly making a hash of it. He had to learn more about her. “What issue do you take with my statement, Miss Wallace?”

  “While it is true that ladies too often must rely on a husband for their welfare, I daresay not many would marry were it not for the financial considerations.”

  “And why would that be?”

  “A woman’s lot is to keep her husband’s home, bear his children at her own peril and tolerate his excesses.”

  “His excesses?” James’s mind was immediately filled with any number of excesses he would like to indulge in with Miss Wallace.

  “Drink, consorting with lewd women, and the like.”

  “You, Miss Wallace, have just described my ideal evening.” He wasn’t sure why he was goading her, but it was a great deal of fun. “What about the advantages of marrying? Are you saying you do not wish to have a large house and children?”

  She considered the question for a moment, worrying her plump bottom lip as she did so. James could not take his eyes off the movement.

  She spoke a moment before he was about to kiss her.

  Which was fortunate timing for everyone.

  “I would like to have my own home, though it would not matter to me if it were large or otherwise. And I would very much like to have children. It is simply unfortunate that a husband comes as part of the package.”

  “I daresay he’s rather indispensable when it comes to children.”

  “On the contrary, most fathers have very little to do with the raising of children. Indeed, I’m sure some of them rarely see their children above two or three times a year when they are young.” She could not count the number of birthdays she’d spent alone growing up on the country estate, save for a few servants.

  “When speaking of a father’s indispensability, I was not referring to the raising of children, but rather to the begetting of them.”

  Miss Wallace turned a lovely shade of red.

  She cleared her throat. Then cleared it again. “You, sir, have reverted to your strategy of attempting to charm me again.”

  “Is it working any better this time around?”

  “I hate to offend your male pride – though I believe not much can put a dent in it – but, no. You are as successful this time as the last.”

  James could not prevent his laugh. “You are a delight, Miss Wallace. And do not fear that I am once again trying to charm you by saying so. I am only stating a fact.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him once again, as well she should since he hadn’t stopped trying to charm her. Then she spoke. “I should clarify what I said earlier. Most fathers only see their children on occasion, but I do not believe you are like most fathers. You are quite attentive to Miss Emerson. I admire that.”

  “Thank you. Anna is such a loving child that I cannot imagine doing otherwise. Though, in my personal experience, I can attest there are indeed fathers like the ones you described.” Then, fearing he’d revealed more than he’d intended, he added “Perhaps you should tell me why you’ve come.”

  For a moment, it looked like Miss Wallace had quite forgotten why she was there. But then, she cleared her head. “I am asking you to not pursue this matter against Cedric.”

  He’d thought as much. “Will your father plead my case with your brother?”

  “I do not believe there is a case to plead. Cedric would not do what you have accused him of doing. It would be akin to stealing.”

  “Not ‘akin to.’ It is actually stealing. I entrusted your brother with my land and in my absence he leased it to a mining concern, then pocketed the profits. What would you call that?”

  “A misunderstanding.”

  “I assure you it is no such thing.”

  “Unfortunately, it comes down to your word against his. Perhaps you are the one being dishonest here.”

  She looked pained to say the words, but, evidently, Miss Wallace was loyal to her family. James valued loyalty, though knowing her brother as he did, he wondered how she could be so blind to his faults.

  She continued. “I do not know you at all.”

  “My brother can vouch for my honesty.”

  “Just as I can vouch for mine.”

  “Though in your case, it is sadly a case of a sister’s blind devotion.”

  “Could not the same thing be said for your brother? My grandmother said you have spent the last eight years abroad. Even if the Earl of Ridgeway knew your character growing up, who is to say it has not changed?”

  “Because, Miss Wallace, true character doesn’t change.” Though he realized even as he said the words that she had an unfortunate point. He had at times over the past eight years behaved in ways no gentleman should. But true English gentlemen didn’t last too long on the American frontier. And he’d never done irreparable harm to anyone who hadn’t deserved it. Nevertheless, the chit was probing areas he didn’t wish to think about. It was time to send her on her way. “If you have merely come to call me a liar, Miss Wallace, you have wasted your visit.”

  “I came with no such purpose. I want to find a resolution to this. My father is ill….”

  “Did he send you?”

  “No. He does not know I am here, nor would he like it.”

  “What about the dragon?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “I suppose her formal title is the dowager viscountess, though it is not nearly as descriptive as mine.” Her eyes were scowling at him but he could have sworn her lips quavered just the slightest. Damn it. She was charming him without even trying.

  “No one sent me. I only came because I am concerned that a scandal of this kind could be injurious to my father’s health. Before you take any action, I would ask that you wait until Cedric’s return.”

  “When will that be?”

  “I believe he is expected back by the summer.”

  “Impossible. If I wait that long my land will be completely despoiled, if it has not been already.”

  “But if it is truly your land, I’m sure Cedric will give you the profits he earned.”

  “It is my land and your brother made it clear that he would part with only half of the profits, though by the time I left, he’d reneged on even that offer. And has it not occurred to you that I am in this for something other than monetary gain? I bought that land – with money hard earned, I assure you – because I wanted to work it. To grow food. To build a house and raise a family. To make something more of the land than when I took possession of it. To make my life better than it had been up to that point.” He stopped before he said more than he already had. What was it about this woma
n that made him bare his soul? He hadn’t even told Colin or Nick about his dreams and they were his closest friends. Yet he’d told this woman. His enemy’s sister. How the devil had that happened? “Mock me if you will, Miss Wallace, but that is my dream and waiting until the summer is not in accordance with it.”

  “I could never mock you for that,” she said quietly. “Your dream is a beautiful one. I envy you, really, because I can see you and Miss Emerson being very happy with such a life.”

  He had everything he could do to keep from reaching for her hand, pulling her to him and just holding her. She understood him. He barely understood himself. But somehow this woman who’d been raised in the lap of luxury knew why he wanted to work a small parcel of land in the wilderness. He was in serious danger of kissing her.

  He shook himself from such thoughts. “Then I hope you will plead my case with your father.”

  She seemed torn. Genuinely. Achingly so. “I am afraid I cannot help you, my lord.”

  “Then I am afraid I shall have to ask you to leave this house, Miss Wallace, for we have nothing further to discuss.”

  Her eyes widened. He suspected she did not get asked to leave often. And he almost regretted doing so. But they were edging ever closer to an intimacy that scared him. He had no wish to form a bond with any woman at this time. Especially Cedric’s sister.

  She began to rise when they were both surprised to find Anna standing before them. He hoped she’d not heard their argument. His daughter had been subjected to more than enough strife in her young life. He’d sworn to protect her from further unpleasantness.

  He was failing her yet again.

  Anna spoke in her quiet voice. “I don’t understand the picture. Can you help me, please?” Then she held out her hand.

  To Miss Wallace.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Irene looked at the adorable little girl in front of her, holding out her hand so trustingly. Lord James was confoundingly stubborn and could cause Irene’s father untold harm if he pressed his case. Not to mention he’d had a most unexpected and aggravating effect on her. He was charming in the extreme and it had only been by a concerted effort that she’d been able to pretend an indifference to him when in fact she felt quite the opposite.