by Cheryl Holt
She frowned. “You believe I’m Little Henrietta?”
“Yes, I believe you are.”
“I guess I’m delighted to hear it. I’m shocked, but delighted.”
“That’s my feeling too: shocked, but delighted.” He reached out and took her hand. “We need to have some extensive discussions about how to go forward.”
“Maybe.”
“Would you travel to Roland and stay with me for a bit? Please?”
She drew away from him, but what had he been expecting? Had he imagined she’d weep with joy and tumble into his arms?
Yes, actually, he’d imagined exactly that. He was such an idiot!
“I would hate to encounter your sister-in-law again,” she said.
“She’s no longer at Roland. After she had you and Fish arrested, I sent her home to live with her own relatives instead of mine.”
“Good. I didn’t like her, and she didn’t deserve the spot she occupied in your life.”
“Penny and Simon will ride in very soon,” he said. “They’ll be a pair of annoying newlyweds, and I’m struggling with how I should greet them. They have to understand how upset I am, but I won’t cause a rift with them right off the bat. It would be a tremendous benefit to me if you were there when they arrived.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You tried to tell me you were Henrietta, and I never gave you a chance to speak up. I most humbly apologize for that.”
“I was positive that it would be hard for you to swallow. It’s hard for me to swallow, and I’ve had months to ponder it. It’s why I didn’t inform anyone.”
“With our stumbling on the truth, we have to develop a plan for the future. I want to publicly claim you so you’ll be part of my family. I hope you want that too.”
He waited with bated breath for her to gush, Of course I want that too! Of course I want to be your daughter!
But her composed expression remained firmly in place. “I can’t decide what’s best. I have to ask Fish her opinion, then I’ll have to engage in some serious reflection.”
“If it will help in your deliberations, I’ve invited Fish to return to Roland too. You’re aware of my fondness for her, and it’s vexing me that she left. I’d like her to come back. In fact, I begged her to come back.”
“Has she agreed?”
“No. She’s being entirely stubborn about it.”
Libby smirked. “I like that you’ll have to work to get back in her good graces.”
“Do you suppose I’ll succeed?”
“Yes, eventually.”
“What about your good graces?” he asked. “Will I ever manage it?”
“I can’t predict what will occur.” She pulled the door open. “I appreciate you stopping by. It was kind of you to make the effort.”
He chuckled. “Am I being kicked out?”
“Let’s not say you’re being kicked out.” Wasn’t that what he’d told her at Roland? “Let’s just say you were departing, and I’ve delayed you.”
“Let’s just . . .” he murmured, and he sighed. “I’m going to start writing to you. We’ll correspond regularly.”
“I guess that would be all right.”
“And whenever I’m in town, we’ll get together.”
“That would probably be all right too.”
“If you’d like to visit me at Roland, you don’t have to contact me first. You can simply show up and tarry for as long as you like. I’ll always be glad to see you.”
“Thank you.”
“Would you call me Charles? I’d request that you call me Father as Penny does, but it would sound awkward.”
“You correct, so I will contemplate the notion of calling you Charles.”
He stepped into the doorway and gave her hand a final squeeze. “Come to Roland, Libby. Bring Fish with you. Make me happy.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said again.
He hovered, craving something more, something different, but she was practically pushing him out. When he’d initially learned that she might be Henrietta, he hadn’t known how to react. Now he was claiming her, and she didn’t know how to react.
Like father, like daughter . . .
The thought flitted in his mind, and he smiled and said, “I’ll be watching for you at Roland. Don’t disappoint me.”
Then he spun away and nearly skipped out to the street. He was that exultant. His carriage was parked around the corner, and he headed for it. At the last second, he glanced back, and she was dawdling on the stoop and studying him intently. He waved, and she waved too, which he took as a sign of progress.
He kept on, curious as to how long it would be before he saw her again. They’d found each other, so how could she bear for them to be apart?
“Was that Charles leaving?”
“Yes.”
Libby was in the foyer, and Fish was up on the stairs, dressed only in her robe. Libby snickered with disgust.
“An afternoon romp, Fish? Really? One would deem people your age to have more control over their lusty impulses.”
Fish shrugged. “I’ve never been able to resist him.”
“I wish you wouldn’t have carnal relations with my father. Or if you feel compelled to have them, that you wouldn’t perform them right under my nose.”
“You’re an adult, Libby, and you weren’t raised in the proper way. You won’t swoon over a bit of dissipation.”
Libby wasn’t in any position to lecture Fish on how she should behave. She’d simply like Lord Roland to stay away from them until she could figure out what she sought from the lofty man.
“He believes I’m Henrietta,” she said. After how she’d been treated at Roland, she hadn’t expected the moment to ever occur, and she was a tad stunned.
“I had him read the letters.”
“He’s asked us to travel to Roland. What do you think about that?”
“I think we should think about it. At least, I should think about it. As to you, you should go at once. Let him welcome you into the family. Become his daughter. It’s what you’ve always wanted—to belong somewhere.”
“I’d be too afraid.”
“You—afraid? Don’t be daft. You’re Libby Carstairs. You’re the Mystery Girl of the Caribbean, and you’ve never been afraid of anything.”
“I’m afraid of the water. I’m afraid of the dark and tight spaces.”
“Well, after your ordeal when you were little, that’s understandable, but you shouldn’t be scared of your father urging you to live with him.”
“What if it doesn’t turn out as I’m hoping?” Libby absurdly asked.
“Why wouldn’t it? The entire kingdom has always loved you and that was before they knew you were Henrietta. Charles Pendleton will eventually love you too. He’ll spend the rest of his life proving it, so you’re being ridiculous—as usual—and I need to continue with my nap.”
Fish spun away and stomped to her bedchamber.
Libby collapsed against the wall, and she stood there for an eternity, struggling to process Lord Roland’s comments.
“I have a father,” she said to the quiet room. “He wants me to come home.”
She smiled, wondering if she’d ever dare.
Luke was irked by what his butler, Mr. Hobbs, had just imparted. Apparently, Miss Fishburn was in his front parlor and anxious to speak with him. He was hurrying down the hall to oblige her, but with each step he took, he worried he was growing deranged.
Ever since he’d crossed paths with Libby Carstairs, he’d acted like an idiot, and he couldn’t imagine why Miss Fishburn had arrived. She must intend to tell him a detail about Libby that he shouldn’t hear. No doubt Fish planned to drag him back into Libby’s world, but he refused to be dragged into it!
He couldn’t abide the drama that had
arisen since he’d met her. He simply yearned for matters to return to normal. He would marry the appropriate aristocratic debutante, settle down, and be happy. Or if not happy, then somewhat content. He couldn’t tolerate more of the insanity Libby stirred, yet here he was, keenly ready to be sucked into the whirlwind that surrounded her.
Fish was over by the window, staring outside, and drinking an alcoholic beverage, whiskey from the looks of it. He walked to the sideboard, poured himself a glass too, and went to stand next to her.
“Hello, Fish,” he said. “May I still call you Fish? Or are you too angry with me?”
“I’m not angry with you. Not much anyway, so Fish is fine.”
“Thank you. Aren’t you a city girl? What brings you to the country?”
“I’m headed to Roland—to stay with Charles.”
As a . . . what? he almost asked, but he had no idea how. So instead, he said, “I’m sure you’ll have an enjoyable visit.”
“Charles demanded I come.”
Her use of his Christian name was troubling, but then, Charles had alluded to their being romantically involved. Perhaps they were much closer than Luke had realized.
“Charles demanded it?” He tried to keep from sounding overly dubious.
“I debated forever over whether to oblige him, then I decided I might as well. I have no reputation to protect, so I can carry on however I like.”
He was never comfortable with women who were so blunt, so he wasn’t certain how to reply. Charles could misbehave in a reckless manner. There was no one with the authority to tell him he couldn’t, but the neighbors and the servants might have quite a strident opinion about her illicit conduct. Had she considered that problem?
She was no fool, so she probably had, but she didn’t care. Such disregard for propriety was disturbing in too many ways to count.
He stammered, “Ah . . . I hope it works out as you’re expecting.”
“It will or it won’t. I’m tossing the dice to see what happens.”
“Are you a gambler, Fish?”
“Yes, and I usually win too.” She switched subjects. “Have you talked to Charles recently?”
“No.”
“Then you haven’t heard, but I don’t suppose he could bear to inform you. Your ego might not survive the news.”
“What news?”
With no preamble, she announced, “I’m sorry to be the one to notify you, but Penny has eloped with Simon.”
“Simon Falcon?” Luke was so stunned he was surprised his knees didn’t buckle.
“Yes, Simon Falcon. It’s mad, isn’t it? He’d been flirting with her, but we didn’t recognize the danger until it was too late.”
“Gad, Charles must be beside himself.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Have there been any messages from them?” he asked.
“No, but I figure they’ll show up shortly and beg to be welcomed home.”
“Will they be? Has Charles said?”
“He’ll welcome them. He’s always doted on Penny, and he won’t start off by bickering with her new husband.”
“But Simon Falcon!” Luke couldn’t rein in his disparagement. “You’re fond of him, so I apologize for being derogatory, but I’m very astonished. Not so much that I lost Penny over it, but that she’d agree to have Simon in the first place. I can’t imagine what she was thinking.”
“I am fond of him,” she said, “but I have no illusions. I know exactly what he’s like, but she’s young, and he’s dashing and gorgeous, so I grasp why she’d be smitten. He’s not all bad, so she might have some good years with him.”
“I shall pray you’re correct.”
He meant it sincerely. He had no quarrel with Penny, and in fact, he was feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn’t have to wed her! Whew!
At the same time, he was concerned for Charles, and he would have to jump in and support his friend as he waded through the morass Falcon had created. The boy was a charlatan, and Luke would warn Charles to always be wary.
Fish yanked him out of his miserable reverie. “You won’t receive Penny’s dowry.”
“It appears I won’t.”
“I’m guessing you’ll run to London and begin searching for another heiress.”
“I have no idea if I will. I’m flummoxed by what you just shared, and I have to recover from the shock of it.”
She snorted at that. “Libby is in London. Charles invited her to come to Roland with me, but she wouldn’t.”
Don’t ask! Don’t ask! He asked, “What’s she doing in London?”
“She’s performing again. With all that’s transpired, she’s being paid a bloody fortune too. She couldn’t resist.”
“Yes, I suppose the crowds are flocking to see her.”
“Men especially are swirling. Every dandy in town is trying to glom onto her, but Simon and I have abandoned her just when she needed us the most. She’s alone and fending them off by herself.”
The declaration set a spark to his rampant jealousy. He’d once thought he could have Libby for his own, but she hadn’t been interested in binding herself, and he was tired of nagging about it. If the London dandies were chasing her, what was it to him?
“She’s never been rich,” Fish said, “but she’s suddenly an earl’s daughter.”
Luke frowned. “Is Charles claiming her?”
“Yes. He hasn’t publicly confirmed it yet, but there’s no doubt she’s Little Henrietta.”
“My goodness,” he murmured. “I hadn’t heard.”
“He’ll be eager to make up for lost time, so I’m betting he’ll fund a dowry for her. He’ll probably give her some of Penny’s—as a punishment for Simon. If he seeks my opinion, it’s what I’ll suggest when he inquires.”
Again, he couldn’t deduce the appropriate response, so he said, “Why are you telling me all of this?”
She clucked her tongue as if she was talking to an imbecile. “Will you take some advice from someone who is older and wiser than you, Lord Barrett?”
“Charles says much the same to me. Are you older and wiser, Fish?”
“Yes, and here it is: You don’t have to wed for money. Who cares if your manor is a bit bedraggled? It’s not about to collapse. It’s merely deteriorated, so you could marry for love rather than money. If you attempted that peculiar stunt, you might wind up being happy forever.”
“Marry for . . . love?” It was the most bizarre notion ever.
“Yes, for love, you arrogant beast. It’s what Libby has always wanted—to wed for love. It would be a shame if the only man who could goad her into it was too proud and thick-headed to convince her.”
She downed her drink, put the glass on the tray, then marched out. He glowered at her, feeling like a dunce.
“You believe I should propose to Libby?” The question sent a wave of joy coursing through him.
She halted and glanced over her shoulder. “Far be it from me to butt into the middle of such a weighty topic, but it’s clear that you are awful at pursuing these kinds of decisions on your own. You can have Charles’s daughter—as you always planned. You can get her dowry—as you always planned. It will simply be a different daughter, but why not? What’s stopping you?”
She sauntered out, and he stood like a statue, listening to her go. Then he staggered over to a chair and sank down.
Marry Libby Carstairs? Shackle himself to the most stubborn, willful female in the kingdom? Why would he deliberately throw himself into such a quagmire? He’d be emasculated in two seconds flat.
But as that message rang in his mind, a louder, more powerful message was drowning it out.
Libby was alone in London, and scoundrels were circling. She was working at another theater where any sort of cretin could slip backstage to acco
st her. Cads would be tempting her with gifts, jewels, and wicked promises.
Could Luke ignore what was happening? Hadn’t he previously vowed that Libby belonged to him and could never belong to anyone else? Did he still think that? And if he did, what was he prepared to do about it?
Libby meandered backstage, winding around props and crates. She’d finished her performance for the evening and was eager to change her clothes and head home.
The theater had been packed again, with tickets selling like mad. The manager was happy, as were the other actors. The current play wasn’t all that interesting, so the income she was generating would keep them working much longer than they might have otherwise. If she hadn’t been the main attraction, the audience might not have been half as large.
She entered her changing room and sat at the dressing table so she could study herself in the mirror. She was attired in the simple sort of costume she wore when she told stories about her sojourn on the island with Caroline and Joanna, so she could remove it on her own easily enough.
Her street garments would be harder to arrange, and Fish had abandoned her. In Fish’s absence, an actress was supposed to help her, but the woman was occupied until after the show, so she wouldn’t be available for many minutes. Libby wasn’t an invalid though, so she could get started without an assistant. She was just being petulant and didn’t feel she should have to tend herself.
She swallowed her frustration. She understood why Fish had traveled to Roland to renew her doomed affair with Charles. She understood it, but she didn’t like it. She didn’t want Fish involved with him. It would only lead to heartbreak in the end, so it would be much more difficult for Libby to establish a bond with Charles.
She was aggrieved too at the notion of Simon being married to Penny. She hadn’t heard that the reckless pair was back at Roland. She’d asked Fish to send a note once they arrived, but so far, there hadn’t been any message.
She constantly envisioned Fish and Simon loafing at Roland, while Libby was alone in London. Of course she could have accompanied Fish, but she wasn’t ready. She couldn’t deduce how to become Charles’s daughter. So much water had passed under the bridge, and she wasn’t an aristocrat’s child.
