by Cheryl Holt
“Charles has been through a situation like this, and he thinks we could both benefit from an interval apart.”
“He thinks you could benefit. I’ve constantly tried to avoid you, but you pestered me until I relented and gave you what you sought.”
“It was grand though, wasn’t it?” He snorted with amusement. “Don’t you dare claim it wasn’t. If it were up to me, I’d carry you back to Barrett, toss you in my bed again, and keep you in it forever.”
She almost said, You could take me there if you wanted, but she swallowed down the comment.
He was a rich, powerful nobleman who could act however he liked. He didn’t have to listen to Charles Pendleton, and his decision to obey Lord Roland was an overt indication of his true opinion.
Oh, he could whine and insist he was just being courteous, but the reason Libby had to slink away was so he could focus on whether he’d still like to propose to Penny.
Libby had fornicated with him, but he hadn’t been careful at the end. He’d spilled his seed into her womb, so he’d placed her in incredible jeopardy. What if she wound up with child? By the time she discovered that the worst had transpired, he’d likely be wed to Penny. What then?
“You’ll leave as Lord Roland suggested?” he asked.
“Yes, of course. How could I refuse?”
“Will you return to London?”
“Yes.”
He nodded as if she’d supplied the correct answer. “I told Charles I’d stay here for the remainder of the party. I’m the guest of honor after all, so I shouldn’t vanish.”
He chuckled, then paused, as if he expected her to chuckle too, but she simply gaped at him as if he were a stranger who’d wandered into her room by accident.
“No, you shouldn’t vanish,” she snottily retorted. “Not with your presence being so important.”
“Will you go back to the theater where you were performing last week? What are your plans?”
“Yes, I’ll go there,” she lied. “I can’t afford to be unemployed.”
“I’ll come to town as soon as I’m finished. Promise me you’ll be there. Promise me you won’t do something crazy—like disappear on me. I’ll be aggravated if I have to search for you.”
She wondered, once she hid herself away, how long it would take for his obsession to wane. Hopefully, if she ever bumped into him again—in the far distant future—he would be married, with Penny having already delivered many babies to his nursery.
She asked, “What are you imagining will happen between us when you arrive?”
She wasn’t about to connect with him in the city, but she was curious about how his mind was working. He seemed to truly believe he could keep on with her and Penny, that Libby would ultimately agree to that sordid scenario. She couldn’t make him realize how revolting it sounded.
Then again, she was an actress, and everyone knew that actresses were harlots. Why wouldn’t he assume she’d debase herself in any manner he requested? In her dealings with him, she hadn’t exhibited much of a moral spine, but that was about to change.
He frowned, as if it was a trick question. “What will happen? What would you suppose? We’ll continue on as we have been.”
“What about Penny?”
“What about her?”
He threw the query out casually, as if Penny were a dog by the side of the road, rather than the girl he was about to wed.
“You’re staying for the rest of the party,” she said. “It tells me you’re still on track to propose to her.”
He debated his reply, then settled on, “I have no idea what I intend. I told Charles I would tarry until the bitter end. He asked me to, and I swore I would. After that, I can’t guess what will occur.”
“You need an heiress. You need Penny’s dowry.”
“I won’t claim I’m eager to pass up the money she can provide.”
“You’re such a smart man, Luke. Why can’t you admit how awful this predicament is for me?”
“It’s only awful if I forge ahead into an engagement. I haven’t decided that I will.”
“If you don’t wed Penny, you’ll wed someone else just like her.” He looked as if he’d argue the point, and she cut him off. “You will. Don’t treat me as if I’m stupid.”
He sighed. “This is becoming an impossible problem.”
“Yes, it is, and I’m tired of bickering over it.”
“I’m not too keen about it either.” He forced a smile, one that begged her to smile too, and when she didn’t, he said, “Tell me what to do, Libby. I can’t bear that I’ve made you so unhappy.”
“What if I wind up with child?”
He blanched, as if he’d never pondered the notion. “You won’t. A babe rarely catches after just one attempt.”
“What if it’s one of those rare occasions? If I was increasing, would you still betroth yourself to Penny?”
She sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to announce that he’d never behave that despicably. She waited for him to declare that he’d marry her in an instant, that he’d forsake Penny and Charles and pick her instead.
But that vow didn’t arrive.
“Let’s not worry about it now,” he said. “We can cross that bridge if we ever have to.”
“It’s because I’m a lowborn actress, isn’t it?” Her tone was scathing. “If I was a rich earl’s daughter like Penny, you wouldn’t hesitate.”
He grimaced. “Could you not talk like that? I think you’re remarkable, but you understand the world where I reside. You realize the kind of bride I’m meant to have. I’ve constantly told you how extraordinary I deem you to be, so I won’t enter into this sort of discussion. I can’t win it.”
She pulled her hand from his, and she slid out of the chair and away from him. He reached for her, but she was too quick. She studied him, certain it was the last time she’d ever see him, and she was anxious to catalogue every detail so she’d never forget.
“I have to tell you a secret,” she said. “I should shut my mouth about it, but in case there’s gossip later, I want you to hear it directly from me.”
He exhaled heavily, as if she was a great burden, then he stood too and faced her. The bed was between them, like a barrier he wouldn’t dare climb over.
“Fine, Libby. What is it?”
“After Uncle Harry died, I found a box of old letters. I learned the truth about my past and my parents.”
“You mentioned it when we first met, and I’m glad for you.”
“My mother was a flamboyant singer who enticed a nobleman, and eventually, they eloped.”
“My, my, that must have created quite a scandal.”
“It was definitely a scandal. She was a lunatic who likely should have been locked in an asylum to prevent her from causing my poor father so much anguish.”
“I’m sorry you have to feel that way about her.”
“After how she fell apart, I can’t convince myself to picture her as being particularly stable.”
“I’m conflicted as to what I should say about your mother, but I’m not surprised to discover that your father was a nobleman. You’re so incredible. I always suspected you had blue blood running in your veins. Who is he? Is he British? Would I be acquainted with his family?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, you’re intimately acquainted. You’ve known him all your life.”
He scowled, not able to unravel the puzzle. “Who is it?”
“It’s Charles Pendleton. I’m his lost daughter, Little Henrietta.”
His jaw dropped, and he scornfully scrutinized her. Then he provided the exact response she’d expected.
“Libby Carstairs, you are not Henrietta Pendleton.”
“I am,” she firmly stated, “so you see, Lord Barrett, my father is an earl, and Lady Penny is my sister. With that informat
ion on the table, are you still desperate to wed her rather than me?”
“You’re not Henrietta,” he repeated. “Why would you tell such a whopping falsehood?”
“People have been calling me a liar all day, so I shouldn’t be irked by your attitude, but I must admit that I am sincerely crushed by it.”
He clucked his tongue with disgust. “Libby, you have to recognize how bizarre this sounds. Who persuaded you to make such a claim? Was it Mr. Falcon? I consider him to be a shady character. I hope you haven’t permitted him to drag you into an untenable morass.”
“He didn’t persuade me of anything. I learned about it from my uncle’s letters. I couldn’t decide how to proceed, so I kept the news to myself until this afternoon.”
“Gad, you can’t have apprised Charles. It would be such a cruel trick to play on him. He’d be devastated.”
“Lord Roland just happens to be my father.”
“Would you stop saying that?”
“Yes, I will stop. For now. I simply want you to hear—from my own lips—that my father is an earl, that I was born with very high blood. And Penny is my sister, and you’re about to marry her. If my world had spun in a different direction, I would have been the perfect bride for you, but Fate and my mother snatched it all away. So you’ll pick Penny instead of me, and it will kill me forever.”
“I can’t imagine how I should reply to such a peculiar outburst.”
“I’m feeling a tad hysterical, so you probably shouldn’t stand too close. Who can predict what I’ll do next?”
He stared at her across the mattress, an impasse as vast as the ocean opening up between them.
He could have shaken off his stupor and told her he didn’t mean to denigrate her, that he believed her and was certain she would never lie about such a monumental topic. He could have rounded the bed, pulled her into his arms, and told her he was excited for her, that he would help her maneuver through the harrowing future that would arrive after the truth was disseminated.
But he didn’t round the bed. He didn’t pull her into his arms.
“You mentioned this to Charles?” he asked.
“No, he mentioned it to me. I guess a housemaid was spying on me while I was talking about it with Simon. She tattled before I could reveal the secret in my own way, but just so you know, Lord Roland thought I was lying too. His only concern was to be sure I didn’t blab to anyone.”
“I can understand why. Have you any idea of the upheaval this will stir if it spreads?”
“Oh, yes, I’m prepared for it. I’ve been the Mystery Girl of the Caribbean for twenty years. I have a fairly clear notion of what that entails.”
“Don’t tell people about this, Libby. Please don’t. It can’t end well for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She waited a second, then another and another, dying a little when he didn’t take a step toward her.
Ultimately, he said, “I should check on Charles. He’s likely quite distraught over this situation.”
“We can’t have Charles distraught, can we?”
“You stay right here,” he ludicrously commanded, as if she was prone to following orders. “I’ll be back in a bit. We’ll discuss this further.”
“I won’t move a muscle until then.”
“Good.”
He dawdled, appearing as if he’d offer a profound remark, as if he’d apologize for calling her a fraud, but it wasn’t voiced.
He whipped away and left, and she listened as he exited the suite. She wondered if he’d bothered to look in the hall first before he strutted out. What if he’d been observed by her nosey housemaid?
Well, it was his problem. Not Libby’s. She wasn’t the one who was about to become engaged to an earl’s daughter. She was single and free, and he was the least of her worries.
“Pompous idiot,” she muttered as his strides faded away.
She went into the dressing room to dig out a satchel so she could pack a few clothes for her trip to London.
Penny arrived at Libby’s bedchamber, and she peeked into an empty sitting room, but in the bedroom beyond, Libby was next to the bed. There was a satchel on the mattress, and she appeared to be stuffing clothes into it.
She hurried in, saying, “Libby! What are you doing? You can’t be leaving. Please tell me you aren’t.”
Libby froze, then crudely muttered, “I should have locked the bloody door.” Then she turned around. “I’m sorry, but I can’t have a visitor right now.”
Penny bustled over, and she studied Libby. It was very strange, but from the moment they’d met, she’d felt such a potent connection to the beautiful female.
It wasn’t just that Libby was famous and glamorous. She was the woman Penny would like to be when she was older. Penny had always been the quiet daughter, the perfect child, but a stubborn streak bubbled below the surface.
She envied Libby her autonomy and freedom. Libby didn’t answer to anyone, didn’t heed silly orders or edicts. She made up her own mind and chose her own path. No female in Penny’s world was ever allowed such liberty.
Penny intended to watch and imitate Libby, so she would gradually learn how to display the exact sort of brazen attributes.
“The party isn’t over for a week,” she said. “You can’t abandon me. You’re the only guest I truly want in residence.”
“I can’t stay here another minute.”
“Why not? Was someone rude to you? Who was it? I shall deal with him or her at once.”
Libby stared, and Penny received the distinct impression that she was biting down many comments that Penny ought to hear. Clearly, there were events occurring that involved her, but they were likely being kept from her for her own good.
She rolled the dice and asked, “Is it my father? Or is it Lord Barrett? Which one of them has vexed you?” Libby’s eyes widened imperceptibly, and Penny said, “Was it both of them? If so, I will wring their stupid necks.”
Libby chuckled, but glumly. “Your father suggested I depart, and I agreed that I would. He decided it would be for the best if I left.”
“The best for whom? My opinion wasn’t sought, and I don’t want you to go.”
“I shouldn’t have attended in the first place. In light of my profession, I’m not suitable company for you and your friends.”
Penny’s jaw dropped in astonishment. “Did Father say that to you?”
“Not in so many words, but I understand his reservations.”
“I’m stunned that he’d insult you that way. How dare he!”
Libby sighed. “You’re a nice girl, Penny, but you don’t have to defend me, and I would hate for my presence to cause a rift between you and your father.”
“The rift has already been created, but it wasn’t your fault.”
“I like your father, and I don’t like to have the two of you quarreling.”
“Can I tell you something, Libby? Will you listen?”
“I’m not sure I should be your confidante. There are many issues with us that shouldn’t ever be addressed.”
“I know what some of them are.”
Libby smirked. “I doubt that very much.”
“How about this? I know Lord Barrett is in love with you.”
Libby blanched. “No, he’s not.”
“How about if I describe his sentiment as inordinately devoted. Is that better?”
“No.”
“I wish you wouldn’t deny your relationship with him. Your cousin, Mr. Falcon, told me all about it.”
Libby sniffed with offense. “If that’s even remotely true, then Simon needs to shut up.”
“I’m glad he revealed it. People in this accursed manor treat me like a baby. If I continue to obey my father, I’ll be marching to the altar with Lord Barrett before I can blink.”
; “It’s probably a good plan for you,” Libby tepidly said.
“No, it’s not! Not if he’s in love with you instead. Would you put me out of my misery and honestly admit that he’s besotted?”
“You constantly mention Lord Barrett to me, but you and I shouldn’t discuss him.”
“We have to, don’t you think?” The question hung in the air, then Penny stepped in and clasped Libby’s hand. “Father is determined that I wed him, but I won’t. It wouldn’t be fair to you—or me. Why would I pick a husband who’s in love with someone else? If that’s where I’d stand right at the beginning of my marriage, what kind of life would I have?”
“There are expectations for you,” Libby said, “and the rules are different. You don’t get to marry for love, and Lord Barrett would be an excellent husband.”
“I suppose—if you don’t count his being obsessed with you! You can’t mean I should be content with a philandering spouse. You can’t believe that.”
“No, I don’t believe it.”
“I told Father—and Lord Barrett too—that I won’t marry him so long as he’s infatuated with you.”
“You didn’t!”
“I did, so I’m fighting with them. They’re so annoyingly arrogant.”
“I won’t argue the point,” Libby furiously said.
“They assume they can command me, but I won’t let them. I can’t figure out why, but I’m so desperately fond of you. I could never hurt you, and if I wed Lord Barrett, I’m certain you’d be crushed.”
“Maybe,” Libby murmured, unwilling to dive in any farther than that.
“Since that’s the case, I won’t marry him. My father can rant until he’s blue in the face, but he won’t change my mind.”
“I’m very impressed by your bold attitude.”
“I have to watch out for my best interests. Father has proved that he won’t. If I’m not careful, there’s no predicting who I’ll wind up shackled to.”
Libby sank down on the bed, her hips balanced on the edge of the mattress, her feet on the floor. She gazed at Penny with her magnificent blue eyes, and she looked weary and very sad. Penny was still holding her hand, and she linked their fingers and squeezed tight, eager to shift some of her own vigor into the troubled woman.
