“Yes, I am insulted.” Hempstead’s eyes narrowed. You look and act as if you feel no remorse for your actions, Robert. No self-reproach at all. You certainly aren’t taking responsibility for your heinous behaviour. So cold. So very, very cold. Vicious even. I’m quite beside myself with embarrassment among other things.” Hempstead removed a small snuff box from his coat pocket and dipped into it. He brought the pinch to his nostril and took a sharp inhalation without bothering to hide behind the veil of a handkerchief.
Robert observed his brother and shook his head slightly. Declasse, indeed. “Even you must be exaggerating when you call me vicious, James. Remorse? Responsibility? How have I neglected any responsibility? What do I have to feel remorse about other than allowing you to stay in my chamber?” Lord Robert nearly yelled. “I should have you thrown out of this room.” He reclined on the bed, upset with himself for his outburst. His brother was the only person he knew who had the ability to pull him out from behind the facade of Lord Robert Weston. The slightly cocky, exceedingly good looking, and supremely charming, Lord Robert Weston.
“You haven’t kept your word, Robert. Did you actually think you could get away with it? Your word. You’ll never be taken seriously by the ton, by anyone, ever again. You have no merit.”
“I have no merit? I haven’t kept my word? To whom? About what? James, what is this about? I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.” Robert poured another cup of coffee, wishing fervently that Terence would reappear with another glass of whisky. His hand moved towards the bell cord, but he thought better of it. He didn’t need to give his brother any more ammunition to use against him.
It was James’ turn to roll his eyes. “Since you insist on acting the fool, dear brother, I’ll repeat the story to you. The whole sordid story.”
“Oh, it’s sordid now? Your insults mount, My Lord. Please, enlighten me. Tell me the reason for this; this gross invasion of my privacy?”
Lady Judith has shared with me, and a number of others I might add, that you and she had an agreement.”
“An agreement? An agreement concerning what, pray tell?” Lord Robert fell back against the bed pillows. “What did she say I agreed to? What could she have said? She left me, James. I waited for her. She’s back. That’s what I know. It’s all I know. And you stand here, before me, with some hare-brained tale that involves remorse, regret, sordidness, and any other manner of malicious content. The ton must be chomping at the proverbial bit for a juicy story is all I can reckon.”
“I have the story directly from the lady in question. Lady Judith told me, in strictest confidence until we were overheard, that three years ago, when she was seventeen, and before she and her mother went abroad.”
“You were overheard? Is that it? And then the lady had to repeat her confidence to everyone present. Where were you, by the way?”
“Almack’s, not that it makes any difference.”
“Trust me, dear brother, it makes all the difference. What time were you there? And if Lady Judith was with you, when did I behave in such vile fashion towards her? Can you answer me that?”
“The lady came to the club at somewhere around eleven o’clock. She was distraught. She’d just come from St James Street, where she’d dined with you.”
“I was not at the townhouse on St James. I haven’t set foot in the place for three years. It was my knowledge that the place had been rented.”
“Come now. Do I look like I was born yesterday, My Lord? Your carriage was seen in the vicinity last evening. Lady Judith told me that you and she had a secret pact. A pact to marry. The wedding was to take place when she returned from her travels.”
“Lady Judith said that?” Lord Robert sat bolt upright in the giant four poster bed, and throwing caution to the wind, reached for the bell cord to alert Terence to bring up more whisky.
“You and she were secretly betrothed. I must admit my surprise and shock when she told me that considering the fair amount of wenching you have indulged in over the past year or two.”
“Judith stopped writing to me, James. I am not made of stone.”
“Yes, yes, of course. When Lady Judith returned home and invited you to dine with her last evening, she looked forward to the rekindling of the relationship. She is alone, without her mother, and you broke off with her. My God, Robert, have you no thought for anyone but yourself?”
“She told you I broke a wedding promise?” Robert’s face paled. This was bad. Very bad indeed. “How could I break a promise that was never made? This story is untrue, James. How much brandy had you drunk by the time you were alerted to this alleged travesty I’m involved in?”
“Don’t try and turn this on me, little brother. Your law degree will do you no good in this situation. Come clean and just admit you dined with Judith last night. Clearly you went beyond the point of inebriation, or you would not be surprised by any of this. Judith told me and everyone else she knows how … how humiliated you made her feel. She was, as I said, distraught. You’re as good as finished, dear brother.”
“It matters not that Lady Judith has told people this story. What she said is untrue. I was at the club for half the night, hence the sighting of my carriage. I played cards with Tom Radcliffe and two others. They cleaned me out. If you don’t believe me, look in my wallet. Or better yet, ask Lord Thomas.”
“Tell it to the ton, Robert. Brooks’ is just down the street from the Bennington townhouse. You could have slipped out and dined with Judith unbeknownst to anyone else. And do you actually think Tom Radcliffe will say anything to the contrary of your words? There would be no reason for me to consult with him about anything having to do with you. I’ve seen his loyalty to you. He would lie to Prince George himself if it would absolve you of a wrongdoing.”
Robert reclined against the pillows, eyes closed, trying to make some sense of the story his brother was relating. Why would Judith concoct such a wealth of lies?
“Oh ... you realize this will most likely be in the papers tomorrow.” James smiled gleefully when Robert opened his eyes.
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Ugh. The papers! Why would Lady Judith do something like this?” he whispered to the bed curtains.
The soft linen sheets he laid upon felt stiff and coarse against his skin, the sunlight from the window was caustic to his eyes, and he felt himself getting short of breath.
If what the Marquess said was true, then Lady Judith had done something so utterly damaging to Lord Robert’s personal reputation he would have to leave London. Today. As soon as possible before anyone saw him. Better even to hide in his bedchamber all day and leave by cover of darkness.
“Do you hear me?” Lord James shouted drawing Lord Robert from his thoughts.
“Yes, the papers. It will be in all the papers. Well, it will be in the papers then.”
“That’s all you have to say about it?”
“What more can I say about it? You don’t believe that it’s untrue. I have not a leg to stand on with you or, apparently, anyone except Lord Thomas.”
“Well, it seems to me you should stay in today and leave for Hempstead Hall tonight. Under cover of darkness.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Lord Robert was coming back into himself. He couldn’t, for the life of him, imagine why Lady Judith would say something untrue about him. However, this scandalous story was absolutely ruinous. Even Robert, who disregarded the majority of the ton, knew that this story could taint his and his family’s reputation forever. His word would never be respected again. He sighed once more. “Will you take a note to Judith for me?”
“I’ll do nothing of the sort. You can’t think I’ll support you in this sort of gross mistreatment of any woman, much less our cousin. You’d be wise to heed my words and lay low until tonight.”
“I see.” Lord Robert knew it was no use to try and argue the point when his brother was in a frame of mind such as this. The frame of mind that consisted of an already firmly established opinion.
“I must be going, and I trust you won’t be here when I return tonight. You’ve brought shame on this house. You’ve brought shame on our good name. Our father will never get over it, I’m afraid. ”
Lord Robert winced at this last. No matter what he said or did, he was, somehow, always a disappointment to the old duke. Now, he’d allegedly done something akin to social suicide. “Never fear, Lord James. You won’t find me under your roof.” He smiled wryly at the Marquess’ back as the man turned and the bedchamber door slammed.
Robert fell back on the pillows again and closed his eyes. He hadn’t brought shame to anyone. Lady Judith had simply gone on an extended tour, a gift from her mother. It had been an early birthday present for her eighteenth birthday. She would turn eighteen in Paris or Rome or Seville. Somewhere other than London.
Judith. Lord Robert had been so in love with her. For as long as he could remember, he’d had feelings for her. And she’d returned them. Until he’d asked her to become his wife.
Then she’d wiped a tear from her eye and told him she’d always love him. But, she was too young for marriage, she’d said.
At the last minute, she’d asked him to wait for her, and he’d joyously assented. He’d let her go with the expectation of a happy and loving reunion. And he’d waited patiently. And waited. Biding his time until her unplanned return.
After one year with no word from her, he’d begun to question everything he knew to be real about their relationship. He’d begun to question everything he knew to be real about Judith. To learn that she was telling stories about him that were untrue and scandalous caused more consternation.
He sat up abruptly. He must go to see her. That way she could tell him that the story his brother had given him was untrue. It had to be untrue. Why, he was even angry at himself for believing it. He rang for Terence to come and help him bathe and dress.
Forty-five minutes later, he was ready to visit his lady love. Cream coloured pantaloons, high boots, soft cotton shirt, silk waistcoat, and his newest double-breasted tailcoat. He nervously asked Terence to retie his cravat then topped the ensemble off with his new beaver hat.
He made his way downstairs, out back to the mews and the stable. He wouldn’t take his own curricle. It was too recognizable. “Daniel, hitch up the old carriage.”
“Yes, My Lord. Is it just yourself today? I can have your curricle ready for you immediately.”
“The old carriage, Daniel.” Lord Robert would need only to sit back, pressed against the seat, away from the windows to be hidden from prying eyes. No one would be the wiser. The ton was already brimming with salacious gossip about him. The carriage bore no crest or coat of arms to alert pedestrians to whom the occupant might be. He waited for Daniel, one shiny, polished boot tapping rapidly on the stones of the stable yard.
“I’m going to see Lady Judith at the family home in St James Square. Her father’s home. I find myself somewhat fortunate that the story weaving Lady had no desire to stay at Regent Street upon her return to London.”
Lady Judith’s mother had been the sister of Duke Atwater. The house on Regent Street was as familiar to Lady Judith as her own immediate family’s was.
Dan brought the carriage around to where his master stood in the yard. “Yes, My Lord.”
“Mind you stick to the mews as much as you can, and you’re not to mention this visit to anyone, is that understood, Dan? And we don’t need a footman. He could be recognized. Be sure to keep back under the hood as much as possible. Is that quite clear?”
“Yes My Lord. I understand. Very clear. No footman. Keep under the hood. Yes, My Lord.” Daniel nodded and opened the door of the carriage for his employer while shooing away the tall lad who ran from the stable, white powdered wig askew. Lord Robert waited a moment for Daniel to get up in the driver’s seat, and then he knocked on the wall of the vehicle.
Within minutes, he was swaying side to side and to and fro as the horse cantered down the uneven cobbled alleyways at the rear of the fine white stuccoed townhouses. He squeezed himself back against the rich leather upholstered seat of the coach praying he wouldn’t be detected by a passerby.
Dan stuck to the mews and back streets. Fifteen minutes later, he brought the coach up in the stable yard behind the Bennington residence.
“That will do it, Dan, thank you. Now off with you. Come to Brooks’ in one hour. After that, we’ll head for the country, straightaway.” Even though everything between he and Judith would be made right, it would still behoove him to spend a few days at Hempstead Hall.
“Yes, My Lord.” Dan smiled.
Lord Robert turned on his heel and walked through the stable yard and around the house to the hall. He kept his head down and descended the stairs to the servant’s entry and ducked in.
The staff were having their dinner in the hall. It was already three o’clock, and Lord Robert’s stomach growled reminding him he hadn’t eaten since the evening before. He’d spent most of the previous night drinking brandy and playing whist with his close friend, Lord Thomas Radcliffe.
He slid past the servants’ hall and the kitchen door and up the backstairs to the second floor. He knew Lady Judith would be in her private sitting room off the bedchamber. If he was correct, she would be taking her dinner there now.
He moved with a furtive walk down the corridor towards the door he knew Lady Judith was behind. He knocked, his knuckles barely touching the oak that separated him from her.
Hearing nothing from inside, Lord Robert twisted the door handle and pushed the door open slightly.
“Is that you, Jules?” He caught his breath at the sound of her voice. The voice he hadn’t heard in three long years. He brushed aside the inkling that the voice sounded somehow ... different. Without speaking, he slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.
Lady Judith turned towards him, startled. “What are you doing? How did you get in here?”
He crossed the room in three bounds to kneel beside the chair she sat on. “I might ask you a similar question, My Lady.” He reached up to touch her cheek. She recoiled as if stung. As if he were a stranger.
“Judith. Why? What has happened? I have it from my brother you’ve been spreading rumours about me. I know it can’t be true. It’s entirely out of character for you to behave in such a manner. I came here to get the truth from you.”
“Rumours?” She looked directly at him. For a split second, she appeared as someone else. Her features had hardened during her travels, no doubt the result of losing her mother on the journey. Her hair was somewhat darker, or was it? He decided she’d changed the style. “Surely I don’t know what you speak of,” she snarled at him.
“My brother told me, actually berated me, when he delivered the news that you had said I reneged on a promise. Do you know what I’m speaking of now?”
She gazed out the window, her eyes darting here and there. “I, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But, darling, it’s me. Robert. Why do you treat me so coldly?” He reached for her again, and she made herself small against the back of the upholstered chair she reclined in.
He pulled back. “I see. So you’ve changed your mind about me? About us? You no longer wish to marry me?”
“Oh, please don’t be difficult, Robert. I shall have to call Jules. This is a most complicated situation. Surely you must understand that I, well, I want to move up. So to speak. Within the ton. Can you blame me? My parents are dead. I have no one. My very survival is at stake. I cannot live alone forever. I want to be married. I want to have children. But I also want security. The kind that comes from having a firm foothold on the higher rungs of society. You must understand that. Once an heir is located for my father’s estate, what’s to become of me?”
Lord Robert stood and walked over to the marble fireplace. “What’s to become of you?” He smoothed the front of his jacket. “I offered you marriage three years ago. I offered you love and a comfortable life. Security, as you so poetically de
scribe it. You denied me but asked me to wait for you. You wanted to see foreign places and still have me. And I was willing to give you that. I waited for you, as you asked me to. All this time, I’ve waited. Yet you told Lord James and others that I forsook you when you came back.” He fingered the items on the mantel to avoid looking at her. “Your parents would have given their permission, God rest them, for you to marry me when you were seventeen. They would have allowed you to marry me even though I’m not Atwater’s heir. I had a future with my law practice. I’ve been quite successful.”
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