Suddenly a St. Clair (The St. Clairs Book 5)

by Alexa Aston

  She described the property and the house and told them they were invited to come the next time she and Hudson returned to Kent.

  “I can’t say when that will be. It will depend upon his business and whatever I am working on.”

  “I went to a reading that the Duchess of Everton did at Evie’s Bookstore,” Aunt Fanny said.

  “You did?” Mia had been sad to miss out on this. “Tell me about it.”

  Her aunt went into great detail, very impressed with how the duchess had conducted herself and how well the children responded to the story she’d written.

  “The duchess herself asked me to dine with her in the tearoom after it ended,” Aunt Fanny concluded. “I also sat with Mr. St. Clair’s twin sister, the Duchess of Linfield.”

  “I am happy you were able to go. We will have to attend the next reading together once Catherine publishes another book.”

  She stayed another hour and then begged off, telling them she had much to do at home. George awaited her and told her the Duchess of Everton had requested that Mrs. St. Clair come to tea this afternoon.

  “Her Grace came and spoke to me herself,” he said. “I waited to see if there would be a response to your note. She said she would ask everyone else to tea, as well.”

  Mia brightened. She was excited to see all her new relatives, who were fast becoming good friends.

  “Are you ready to return home?” he asked.

  “No. Our next stop is Madame Toufours’ shop. She was going to work on a few other gowns for me while I was out of town. I need to go for my final fittings.”

  George drove her to the dress shop, where the modiste fussed over her, asking for details of the wedding as she and her assistant fitted Mia. She told Madame how many compliments she’d received on her wedding gown and how the riding habit had come in handy.

  “In fact, I would like you to make up another one for me.”

  “Do you have specific color in mind?”

  “No. You may surprise me. Your work is superb.”

  The Frenchwoman nodded. “I thank you, Mrs. St. Clair.”

  Mia did some unpacking once she reached home, wondering how long they might stay here. She had no idea how to go about looking for a house and decided to ask at tea today what it involved.

  She arrived at the Evertons’ townhouse at four and was taken upstairs by Barton, who congratulated her on her marriage.

  “Mr. St. Clair is very good to the servants. Always courteous and friendly. I know I speak for them all in offering our best wishes.”

  “That means a great deal, Barton. Thank you so much.”

  At tea, she found Caroline had brought several boxes of sweet treats from her teashop, while Catherine had her cook send up sandwiches. Everyone filled their plates and then Laurel said, “Tell us everything about your honeymoon.”

  “Meadowbrook is a beautiful estate. The land is rich and green. The manor house is large and still intimate at the same time. I enjoy riding and we went out several days, going once to the sea, where we had a picnic.”

  “Speaking of intimate, did you make use of the book?” Rachel asked.

  Mia couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks. “No, we didn’t open it. I intended for us to but . . . well . . . Hudson is very skilled in that area. We might never need the book.”

  The women laughed heartily and Catherine said, “It seems the two of you might write a book of your own. We could have more authors in the family.”

  Her face flamed now as everyone began teasing her.

  “Keep it for a while,” Laurel finally said. “You might eventually find time to open it and see what’s inside.” She took Mia’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m just so happy for the two of you. You are radiant. I’m so glad you found each other and love.”

  Love?

  Mia hadn’t even thought of that. Desire, certainly. Hudson had aroused something within her, a sensual side she’d never known existed. They had spent many hours exploring one another’s bodies, seeing what pleased the other. What excited them.

  But love?

  She knew passion lay between them, a spark that was easy to light and one which burned brightly whenever they touched one another. Love, though, implied so many other things. She doubted her parents had been in love. Their marriage had been arranged and from what Mia remembered, they were polite toward one another if a bit distant. The same was true of Aunt Fanny and Uncle Trentham. They were respectful but she didn’t see any great passion between them, not like she’d witnessed with her new St. Clair relatives.

  She thought how close she’d grown to Hudson and how she looked forward to seeing him. How her heart leaped whenever he walked into a room. How her body ached for his touch. She knew if she never saw him again her life would be so miserable, she might as well not be living. Suddenly, her rational mind caught up with her heart. It told her that, yes, she did love her husband. She had no idea if he loved her in return. She doubted it. He was so confident and self-contained, it didn’t seem as if he needed anyone. Yes, he desired her and when they came together, it was as if nothing would ever come between them. Love, though, wasn’t something that she saw him ever feeling. Duty. Devotion. Protection. All those, certainly. Love was another matter.

  Mia determined to keep her new feelings to herself. She wouldn’t embarrass herself or Hudson by declaring she loved him. What she had was enough.

  For now.

  Eager to turn the attention in a new direction, she said, “Hudson has decided we need to purchase a townhouse. He wants to turn his rooms into space for my research.”

  “That’s a marvelous idea,” Caroline said. “And I have a better one. Viscount Bromwell, our next-door neighbor, passed away two weeks ago. His son, the new Bromwell, wants something larger and is going to place the townhouse on the market.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Laurel exclaimed. “Especially since Anthony and I live across the street!”

  The women began talking excitedly about the prospect of Mia and Hudson buying the property. Everyone lived within a ten-minute walk or a very short carriage ride. She hoped Hudson might want to go look at it.

  At that moment, her husband and the Duke of Everton came into the drawing room. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Her pulse fluttered wildly. Her husband came toward her.

  Leah, who sat next to her, said, “You may have my seat, Hudson,” and moved from the settee to a nearby chair.

  Hudson sat very close to her and kissed her. In front of his family. She’d never been around people who were demonstrative physically. Now, he acted as his siblings did, thrilling her to the bone.

  “How was your day?” he asked, his voice low, sending a shiver along her spine.

  “I’ll tell you about it later. When I collect on what you owe me,” she said saucily.

  “We’ve found a home for you,” Caroline said, explaining about Viscount Bromwell.

  “It sounds perfect,” Hudson said. Looking at Mia, he asked, “Would you like me to arrange for us to see it tomorrow afternoon? I know you plan to work mornings.”

  “I’d like that very much,” she replied.

  The rest of tea passed quickly. When they left, Hudson had George drive them by the townhouse. From the outside, it looked very inviting.

  “It’s probably larger than we need,” she said, worried about its size and how much it might cost.

  “I doubt that. We have a large family to entertain.” He slipped an arm about her waist. “And I hope we’ll have family of our own, too.”

  Her husband kissed her. Mia didn’t think she’d ever been happier.

  Chapter Twenty

  Hudson worked from home this morning after seeing Mia off. She was excited to return to the warehouse and back to her inventions. She promised to be home by one o’clock this afternoon and they both hoped they would hear back from Mr. Davidson regarding a tour of Viscount Bromwell’s London townhouse. Hudson had stopped by the solicitor’s house early this morning, exp
laining that he and Mia wanted to preview the property this afternoon. He also checked to see if Davidson had completed drawing up the documents giving Mia full possession of any inventions she created, now and in the future. Hudson had promised her that before they wed but they hadn’t signed any agreement to that effect. The papers were ready to be signed now that they were back in London. Davidson had anticipated one of Hudson’s early morning visits and took him to his study to sign while he was there, telling him Mia could do the same at any point, though it would have to be at his office.

  He heard a knock at the door as the clock chimed nine and went to answer it since this wasn’t one of the days his maid was here. Buying a large house would mean adding on numerous servants. He hoped Mia would be up to the task since it wasn’t something that interested him.

  Opening the door, he saw the Bow Street Runner he’d hired shortly before marrying Mia. He’d sent a note requesting the Runner come this morning, making sure the time was after Mia left the house. He didn’t know how she would react to having her cousin investigated, much less Hudson’s plans for revenge regarding the loathsome viscount.

  “Good morning, Mr. Easley. Please, come in.”

  He led the Runner to the room that served as his study and closed the door, just in case his wife came home early for some reason.

  Easley handed him a file. “This is my written report, Mr. St. Clair. I’m happy to give you a verbal one now and see how you wish to proceed.”

  Hudson set the document on his desk and leaned back in his chair. “Go ahead.”

  “Horatio Sloane, now Viscount Morrison, is mired in debt.”

  “Even after his marriage to Lady Morrison?” he asked.

  “Yes, Mr. St. Clair. From what I’ve been able to ascertain, Lady Hortense, now Lady Morrison, paid off all his debts soon after the wedding ceremony. That hasn’t stopped Lord Morrison’s gambling, however. It seems he is a regular at three different gaming hells.”

  He could use this to bring Morrison down.

  “What else?”

  “You asked me to discover why Lady Morrison decided to wed her husband in the first place.”

  Hudson had, curious as to why Lady Hortense had chosen to marry a man in debt and waiting on a title.

  “It seems the viscount and viscountess have peccadilloes that each other satisfies. Though it would be impossible to get anything out of her many rumored lovers among the ton, it was quite easy to speak to various women in the brothels Lord Morrison frequented before his marriage. He enjoys bondage—and being whipped.”

  Hudson was aware of sadomasochistic sexual practices, where one partner was restrained. How gratification came from inflicting physical pain or humiliation. He wondered if he could use this information in avenging Mia.

  “I came across a young man in one of the houses who has gone several times to the viscount’s house,” Easley continued. “He has participated in these practices with both the viscount and viscountess, sometimes all three of them together.”

  “So, these unusual tastes go beyond their marriage,” he mused.

  “It seems so, Mr. St. Clair,” the Runner agreed.

  “What of any investments?”

  Easley elaborated on what he’d learned regarding the couple’s legitimate investments and noted that they seemed stretched thin, especially since extensive, expensive renovations had begun at Morris Park and it appeared the estate hadn’t any viable income. Hudson would pursue that on his own. If they had debts he could buy up, he would. He’d do the same at the gaming hells where Morrison was in deep. He wanted to break Morrison, leaving him with nothing.

  Then Easley mentioned that Lady Morrison had, through a third party, purchased a bordello that catered to unusual tastes, such as those reflected by her and her husband.

  “It’s called the Pleasure Palace and has become their largest source of income. Many of the ton’s leading gentlemen are said to visit it.” Easley paused, his face grim. “One of the biggest draws involves the children to be had.”

  Hudson’s gut twisted. “How many?”

  “More than a dozen. I’ve only learned of the Pleasure Palace in the last two days and haven’t had time to gather all the details.”

  “Keep at it, Easley. Discreetly. Does your report list their bank and solicitor?”

  “Yes, Mr. St. Clair. It’s quite detailed,” Easley assured. “How do you wish me to proceed, beyond learning more of the Pleasure Palace?”

  “You can limit yourself to that for now. I’ll read through the information you’ve provided. From our conversation, it seems as though that will be enough for what I have in mind.”

  He rose and extended his hand. “Thank you, Easley. I’ll contact you when I’m ready to meet again.”

  It took well over an hour for him to read the entire report. He made notes as he went. Morrison seemed to favor Rigby’s.

  Hudson planned to be at the gaming hell tonight.

  *

  Mia arrived home just before one o’clock. Hudson was not there but she saw a note on the table by the door. He confirmed they had an appointment to see the Bromwell house at two this afternoon and he asked her to meet him there. She went back outside to let George know they would need to leave in half an hour.

  She went upstairs and changed her gown. Knowing they might be house hunting this afternoon, she’d deliberately kept from becoming too hands on with her devices this morning. Instead, she’d read through several journal entries to familiarize herself with the last devices she’d been conducting experiments upon before her wedding and honeymoon. She jotted down a few ideas that came to her, sharing them with George, who had a few suggestions of his own. It both surprised and pleased her how the former valet had adapted to a new line of work and how invaluable his contributions were to her process.

  She arrived at the Bromwell residence and found Hudson and Mr. Davidson standing outside, along with Laurel and Caroline.

  “We aren’t coming in with you,” Laurel said. “We just saw you arrive and wanted to say hello.”

  “I hope you’ll like the place,” Caroline said hopefully. “It would be wonderful if we could be neighbors.”

  Mia thought so, too, but it would depend upon Hudson’s opinion of the townhouse.

  A carriage pulled up and a man of average height but very good looks bounded from it, followed by a more sedate, older one. She figured it was the new viscount and his solicitor.

  Laurel and Caroline excused themselves and went to their respective houses as she and Hudson greeted the newcomers.

  “I see you’ve brought your solicitor, St. Clair,” the viscount said. “I hope you’re serious about buying the place. I’ve my eye on a spectacular house a few blocks from here but I need to sell this one first.”

  “It will depend upon the interior,” Hudson said cagily. “Mr. Davidson and I have already examined the outside and had a look at the carriage house and stables.”

  Lord Bromwell turned to her. “I think you will be quite pleased at the inside, Lady Mia.” Taking her arm, he said, “We all know it’s the woman who makes the decision in these instances.” He chuckled. “Just ask my wife, who is the driving force behind the townhouse I plan to purchase.”

  She looked over her shoulder and saw Hudson’s jaw tighten as the viscount led her to the front door. It took her a moment to realize her husband was jealous, which oddly pleased her.

  “Please call me Mrs. St. Clair, Lord Bromwell. I prefer it.”

  “I would call you Queen if you can convince your husband to take this place off my hands,” he said quietly.

  Lord Bromwell ushered her inside and then must have seen the look on Hudson’s face. He released her and said, “I’d be happy to show you around and point out all the features but I think you’d be happier discovering things on your own. I’ll be in the library having a brandy if you have any questions.”

  “Let’s start at the top and explore from there down to the ground floor,” Hudson suggested. “Mr.
Davidson, why don’t you join the viscount and his solicitor?”

  Her husband led her up several flights of stairs. The first rooms they came across were designated for the nursery. Mia felt a strong pull toward them, looking carefully around, imagining their children in these rooms. Hudson came up behind her and wrapped his arms about her.

  “Can you hear the pitter-pat of little feet here?” he asked in her ear.

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  He turned her so she faced him and kissed her.

  Breaking the kiss, he said, “I want our children to see their parents being affectionate with one another. My mother never had anyone in her life beyond Laurel and me. When the St. Clairs took us in, the first thing I noticed was how open they were in displaying their feelings toward one another and their spouses. It was a foreign concept to me.

  “Until now.”

  He kissed her again deeply and Mia felt desire stir within her.

  Hudson released her and stepped away. “We better finish looking over the house. I’ll tell you now, Bromwell was right. The decision is yours. I don’t care where we live—as long as we are together.”

  They explored every floor and when they’d seen every room, she said, “I love it. The rooms are spacious and numerous.”

  “Is there anything you would change about it?”

  She was reluctant to say so. He must have sensed this and pulled her to him.

  “If you are worried about money, don’t be.”

  “You read my mind. Yes, some of the furniture is very dated. I would want to change a few of the carpets and draperies, too.”

  “Change away. I may not have a grand title but I have more money than you could spend. If you want to empty the house of everything in it and start anew, feel free to do so.” Hudson chuckled. “I’m sure the female St. Clairs can give you some advice.”

  He kissed her. “Let’s go find Bromwell and let him know we want it. I already have a price in mind so let me do the negotiating.”