“Do you really wish to know, dear?” Notley’s brows lowered in discouragement. “I’ve hesitated in telling you but find myself uncomfortable with the circumstances I’ve created. You haven’t fooled me with your reassurances.” He patted her hand again and waited.
Charlotte didn’t know how to reply. If her father meant to protect her and the family, she shouldn’t pry. It would be best to leave things unknown, and were the day to come when Dearing questioned her involvement, she could reply with honesty. Another few beats of her heart passed. On the other hand, if her marriage continued on a downward slide and she truly believed no hope survived, it would be wise to understand her options, if any existed.
“What did you do, Father? I do wish to know.” God help her if she wasn’t worsening the conditions of her marriage by carrying knowledge better left unknown.
“I do believe Dearing is an outstanding gentleman. I could never have agreed to your marriage otherwise, but I knew him in a business sense only. His reputation was reported to me as respected and intelligent. There was no time to gain a true impression of his personality. The expected courtship that accompanies a gentleman’s suit was pushed aside because of our penurious situation.”
“I understand, and you should know Dearing has shown me kindness. He has a thoughtful nature.” The unexpected roses, visit to the gallery of instruments and his bone-melting kisses were testament to that. At least of late. She pushed aside the hurt she’d experienced at the beginning of their marriage and focused on recent interactions and how she hoped their relationship would progress. Certainly things had changed for the better.
“That’s reassuring. Nevertheless, to relinquish all control was more difficult than I anticipated, and I thereby put into place a small insurance policy of my own.”
“Go on.” Was the marriage certificate nonbinding? Had the church never sanctified their vows? A wave of dread and conflicted emotion flooded her every cell. Had she been living a lie this past year?
“I had a duplicate stock certificate created. One that appeared to be legitimate in every way but is nonbinding and counterfeit. If Dearing ever tries to sell or claim the investment represented by the Middleton Railway stock, he will be told it is illegitimate. I have the genuine certificate in my own possession.”
This was said so matter-of-factly, the ramifications of her father’s action took a long moment to settle.
“Why would you deceive Dearing, Father? I’m confused. What difference could one stock certificate make? And did you believe our marriage would fail?”
“Quite the opposite.” He squeezed her hand as he spoke. “I have a sense of surety about your marriage, but as your father, I needed reassurance beyond the immediate situation. You were sacrificing your control, your chance at a courtship, your choice of future. The least I could do was arrange some way to keep you safe if all my instincts proved wrong. I wouldn’t be able to salvage your emotions, but as I’d already come to realize my investment choices were not up to snuff, so perhaps I could provide some measure of recovery if the worst prevailed. I’m not proud of my decision, though I believed it necessary. Self-doubt, more than anything else, forced me to take action.” Notley sighed and matched her watchful stare. “When the time comes that you assure me you’re happily settled and blissfully in love, we will simply switch the certificates, and no one will be the wiser.”
“Aside from us.”
“Yes, Charlotte. Aside from us. It’s a harmless confidence that harms no one.” He stood, a flicker of impatience in his gaze.
“You make it all sound remarkably easy.”
“And it will be.”
“I remain unconvinced.”
“See here.” Her father moved to his large writing desk near the far wall. He pulled a key from his waistcoat pocket, inserted it into the lock on the topmost drawer and withdrew a long folder. He came back to stand before her while he riffled through the neatly arranged documents. At last he offered one forward.
“Take it now.” He gave the document a little shake for emphasis. “You will feel better knowing you have control over how much Dearing knows as you move forward in your marriage.”
With a reluctant huff, she accepted the paper and scanned the multiple lines of writing, though they blurred as emotion caught her unaware.
“There’s no need for tears, daughter. I never meant to upset you. Quite the opposite.” He placed the folder on a nearby table. “It was a necessary precaution on my part.”
“So, this certificate is authentic?”
“Absolutely.”
Charlotte folded the paper and carefully slipped it into her pocket. She hadn’t anticipated yet another layer to her complicated relationship.
“Now, let’s find where everyone’s hiding.” Her father cleared his throat, as if dismissing the subject at last. “I’ve shared enough this morning and won’t monopolize your company any longer.”
* * *
Despite an enlightening conversation with her father and the relief of knowing Louisa did not face immediate difficulty, Charlotte couldn’t dismiss the niggling predicament exposed by the false certificate. He claimed he believed in Dearing as a gentleman and yet created a situation of mistrust by duplicating the stock Jeremy thought valid. What would happen were the information to come to light? Yet another secret she must conceal.
Secrets.
She disliked them. Despised them. She’d asked that there be none within her marriage, and yet when Dearing discovered Shadow hidden in her chambers, he’d done little aside from tease her. Still, secrets came in all sizes and a kitten hardly rivaled a monetary trap as explained by her father. Her mind spun with the effort to unriddle it all.
Her husband possessed too many secrets. Why did he one day seem aloof and detached when only days later he behaved with romance and passion? She wanted a strong relationship, a family and a future, without the tumultuous discord of never knowing what to expect. While her father measured security in pound notes, she’d much rather feel loved and cherished.
As the carriage rolled to a stop, she spared not a word to her maid and hurried inside the house to inquire of her husband’s whereabouts. Hudson met her in the foyer.
“Lord Dearing is not here, milady. He requested his horse saddled and then left for the mews.” Hudson inclined his head toward the hallway. “A visitor has arrived and awaits in the front drawing room.”
“A caller?” Charlotte had no idea who it could be? She hadn’t entertained or socialized beyond her family and Amelia in the weeks past.
“Yes, milady. Lord Mallory arrived not twenty minutes ago. I told him there was no one at home, but he insisted on waiting.”
“I see.” Would this day cause nothing but disquiet in her soul? “I’ll go to him now and will ring for refreshments if needed. Thank you, Hudson.”
Charlotte took a deep breath and entered the drawing room, unwilling to allow the man’s unexpected presence to shake her confidence. Lord Mallory stood near the hearth and turned with the sound of her footfall. He eyed her with an undecipherable expression as she crossed the threshold.
“Lady Dearing.” He stepped closer.
“Lord Mallory, this is an unexpected surprise. My husband is not here at the moment.” She forced herself into a demeanor of assured confidence.
“I’d hoped to speak to Dearing, although with your arrival I can easily change the course of conversation.”
“Forgive me, I don’t understand.” She moved to a cushioned chair and sat, though she was far from comfortable. She’d like to keep as much distance between Lord Mallory and herself as possible. “I can ring for refreshments if you plan to wait.” She certainly had nothing to share with the odious man and would rather he took his leave straightaway.
“Ah, domestic bliss.” Mallory settled in the chair across from her. “You give the appearance of having life settled to perfection, but we both know differently.”
Did she imagine the threatening edge in his reply? Her ima
gination was quick to override better judgment, and she voiced the question that should have remained silent. “Why do you wish to speak to my husband?”
Mallory watched her intensely, as if able to peer into her soul, where she held tight to emotion. “You’re not feeling uncomfortable, are you? Are you concerned Dearing will discover you visited Lord Gordon’s residence? Certainly I understand if you’ve decided to conceal your actions. It’s more than a little scandalous for a newly married woman to be out alone in search of a bachelor’s attention.”
Charlotte gritted her teeth to quell the instinct to react. The way Lord Mallory stripped the words of their truth and reformed them into an insinuation of reprehensible behavior sent alarm racing through her. She had every intention of explaining her actions to Dearing now that her sister no longer needed her help. Did Lord Mallory seek to malign her? The notion was ridiculous, and she could think of nothing he would gain by making the suggestion. She had no desire to keep Mallory’s company a second longer than necessary. “Speak plainly, milord. I have no time for the trifling games you enjoy at my expense.”
“Ah, is that a temper I see, or perhaps, a guilty conscience?” Mallory shook his head in mock disapproval. “Either would explain why Dearing spends so much time at his club.”
Anger got the better of her. “What do you want with your interest in my marriage? My future bears nothing on yours.”
“But it does.” Mallory reclined against the chair and stretched his legs forward, as if planting himself for a good long while. “Are you not familiar with the competitive wagers made between comrades? Your unlikely marriage has been on the books at White’s for too many months to count and the odds are almost inconceivable; irresistible, in fact. An acquaintance and I have—”
“I have no interest in your poor habits.” She stood, forcing Mallory to follow suit. “I believe our visit is concluded.”
“Now you’re mistaken. You should take a moment to listen. A marriage so closely watched can advance in either direction. Only a fool would ignore the opportunity to pad his pocket.”
“You disgust me.” The words left her on a hiss. “Rest assured, your wager is secure. Lord Dearing and I are happily settled.” She begrudged every word but felt outraged at Mallory’s suggestion. She refused to let it go unanswered.
“You misunderstand again. How naïve you truly are.” He chuckled, though scant humor lived in the sound. “I need your marriage to fail; otherwise my associate walks away with the spoils.”
“Fail?” She shook her head, the notion men would place odds on her broken heart almost too much to comprehend. “Then you have already lost. Lord Dearing and I are looking forward to many years of contentment and family.”
“Were I to drop a few words about the club—words like betrayal, adulteress, or cuckold—I’m not altogether certain Dearing would agree with your view of the future. Secrets have a way of gaining power the longer they are kept. Lies are even more effective. I could conjure a wave of gossip or arrange a little scene that would cast both of you in the worst light.”
“You’re a despicable man.” She turned away, seething with anger as she moved toward the door. “You’re not welcome here, Lord Mallory. You’ve insulted my hospitality. Leave at once or I’ll have Hudson show you out.”
“Consider this after I’ve left and my suggestion has had time to ferment. If you’d like me to remain quiet, it will take a little doing on your part.”
She didn’t wait to hear any more of his venomous slander, her heels hard on the treads as she raced up to her bedchambers. With tears stinging her eyes, she moved to the front window to await the sight of Mallory’s departure.
Once, she’d considered her married life staid and boring, with too little emotion and far too much quietude, but how things had changed in the course of a few weeks. Impatient and unsettled by not only the conversation with her father but the confrontation with Lord Mallory, she turned from the window, unwilling now to stare at the empty drive for the satisfaction of the man’s departing carriage. Mallory would take his leave in due time. She hadn’t the stomach to watch.
Still, as time passed and she’d paced the carpet thin, her impatience won out. Taking the stairs with silent stealth, she made a beeline for her husband’s study. If nothing else, she would learn more about the man who owned her heart.
Chapter Nineteen
“Get out of bed, you bloody liar.” Dearing grabbed the flannel blanket and stripped it from the mattress with a violent yank. The fingers of his other hand curled, at the ready to clutch Lindsey’s nightshirt and force him to stand eye to eye for the fisticuffs he deserved, except the earl was bare-chested, clothed only in his smalls. Dearing stepped back, his punch diverted but his temper in full swing. “I trusted you as a friend. Now get up, you cur, so I can cuff you in the head.”
“Milord!” The same elderly servant who’d attempted to stop Dearing at the front stoop appeared within the doorframe, his eyebrows pushed high against his hairline.
With a swift pivot, Dearing slammed the bedchamber door to shut out the servant’s appalled expression and return to the subject of his anger.
“Hell, Dearing.” Lindsey sat up against the headboard, his arm flung over his eyes as if to shield them from the light of day, though the curtains remained closed. “Are you foxed? Why are you here and what time is it, for that matter?”
“Time for your confession.” Dearing reached for the sheet, crumpled at the foot of the bed. He’d drag Lindsey out by a hairy ankle if the man didn’t confess. They locked eyes, and Lindsey’s voice dropped, low and menacing.
“Is this a result of one of Mallory’s ill-advised wagers?” He scowled with the question. “Or have you gone completely mad?”
“Oh, I’m mad and you bloody well know why.”
“I see. Give me a moment and we’ll discuss your issue.”
Lindsey’s expression grew razor-sharp, albeit his eyes expressed some shade of understanding Dearing pegged as guilt.
“Otherwise I will put aside our friendship and treat you in a fashion most unbecoming.”
The polite threat hung between them for several moments. Lindsey was an avid horseman and outweighed Dearing by at least two stone. Dearing drew a much-needed breath. He squelched the immediate urge to react without thought and forced himself to withdraw. He didn’t wish to destroy their friendship, but he was likewise after the truth, whatever the cost. Why would Charlotte come to Mayfair? Was it to visit the very room he stood in now?
Lindsey swung his legs over the side of the mattress, ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes before he strode to the wardrobe, removed a banyan and shouldered into the silky garment. “There had better be a damned good reason for this intrusion.”
The memory of Mallory’s cutting remarks shot daggers into Dearing’s brain.
“While the cat’s away, the mouse will play. One wonders what drives a woman to unfaithfulness.”
Unwilling to give them voice, Dearing paced to the window and back again. How much of Mallory’s unsolicited remarks were irrational jealousy and how much truth? Would Lindsey stoop so low as to betray his loyalty in the very worst way? He drew a second calming breath before he began. “I suspect Charlotte has taken a lover. She’s become unusually secretive and is often away from home without disclosing her whereabouts. It hasn’t escaped my notice how often you inquire of my marital harmony. Any dolt can recognize when he’s being cuckolded by his closest friend. It’s quick work to sum two and two.”
“Ah, that’s enlightening.” These words were spoken plainly. The briefest lopsided grin flashed across Lindsey’s face before he schooled his features. “And you’re the genius who computed the maths?”
Humor didn’t sit well. Dearing formed fists at his sides to suppress his rage. Aware his accusation held scarce credibility, he remained at a loss to understand his wife. Lindsey had a talent with the fairer sex and a debauched history that stretched back all the way to Eton and their wilder
days.
“Did you expect to find Charlotte in my bed?” Lindsey canted his head to the left, eyebrows raised. “You can’t be serious?”
Dearing jerked his attention to his friend, though he didn’t answer. Did the man have a death wish to so much as suggest the idea? His eyes fell to the massive bed at the center of the room, the sheets in disarray. Lindsey was a lot of things, but disloyal? No. Deep in his soul, where he was most truthful with himself, he refused to believe his friend would commit such an act. He’d allowed his emotions to overtake common sense. Clarity returned. Dearing shook his head. It would seem his inability to decipher his wife left him prone to stupidity.
“I’ll interpret your recent actions as a lapse in judgment or a rampant case of brain fever.” Lindsey knotted the belt of his robe and walked barefooted to the bellpull. A sharp tug on the cord immediately produced a servant, perhaps at wait in the hall for the crash of breaking furniture. “Send up a tray with coffee.” Dismissing the man, Lindsey nodded toward the chairs in the adjoining sitting room. “Come along, then. Won’t this be cozy?” Sarcasm tinged the question, but Dearing followed nonetheless.
They settled in chairs and not a moment later, a tray appeared with coffee, crusty rolls and a squat jar of orange marmalade. Realization of his foolishness and misplaced conclusions caused Dearing’s temper to ease. He reached for a piece of bread but didn’t take a bite. “I’ve committed the gravest error.” These words were barely audible and the crux of all his misery. These words were indeed the confession of his heart.
“And that is?” Lindsey raised his coffee with an expression of expectation.
“I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with my wife.” Dearing cleared his throat. “Not the act of being struck with someone’s beauty or caught unaware by sudden infatuation. I suppose I could explain my immediate reaction a product of that condition. But now, having shared a modicum of time and happiness with her, I possess love of the most genuine kind.”
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