True Love's Deception

by Marie Higgins

  In all this time she had not thought up a good excuse to tell her parents about why she kicked her sister out. She had to tell them the truth about everything. Juliana had changed, and lying was not part of her life any longer. She didn’t want to be compared to Madeline ever again.

  The day arrived when her parents came home. Telling them frightened her half to death, but she packed her things and prepared to leave after she told them everything. The homecoming was sweeter than she thought, and tears continued to flow from her eyes as she hugged her father and mother. They asked about Andrew and Maddie’s whereabouts, but she put off telling them until they were settled in.

  Finally, the moment came, and they all sat in the parlor.

  “Now tell me, Juliana,” her father said. “You have had me anxious to hear what has happened while Constance and I have been gone.”

  Trying to appear calm, Juliana sat on the sofa and placed her clasped hands on her lap. She took a deep breath and began. “I first want to ask your forgiveness. I have lied to you, and I will not be able to live with myself until the truth comes out.”

  Her father’s jaw hardened, and Constance’s eyes widened.

  Juliana cleared her throat. “As you know, I didn’t want to marry, which is one of the reasons you had that stipulation about my inheritance.” She gulped down a hard swallow. “So, because I didn’t want you to arrange my marriage, I hired a man to portray my husband during our stay here in London.”

  Her father’s face turned red, and Constance’s expression dropped as sadness touched her delicate features.

  Juliana continued to tell them everything, even about falling in love with Andrew. She told them about her vindictive sister who wanted him for herself. Finally, she told them about tossing Maddie out of the house, and how Andrew would not return to Scotland with her. When she ended, several minutes passed in silence. The pendulum of the Grandfather clock struck the hour and echoed through the house. Still nobody spoke a word.

  Constance stared down at her hands, wringing a handkerchief. Clifford gazed into the room, staring at nothing. But the angry lines in his face told her what she wanted to know.

  She cleared her throat and stood. “I know I have disappointed you both. I will leave within the hour to return to Scotland. Grandmama needs me, and right now I need to be someplace where I’m needed. I hope someday you both understand why I did what I did. And I hope Madeline contacts you to let you know how she’s faring.”

  As she reached the door, the creak of the leather seat drew her attention to her father’s black winged chair. He stood and walked to her, still wearing an expression she couldn’t read.

  He reached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “We all learn from our mistakes. I’m quite certain Maddie will learn from hers, just as you have learned your lesson.”

  She nodded.

  “I also want you to know I love you.” His voice broke. “And I always will. I may not like what you have done, but you are my child and I will love you regardless.”

  A sob tore from her throat and she threw herself against her father, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She cried into his shoulder for a few minutes before withdrawing.

  “I love you, too. Don’t think I’m leaving because of you. Grandmama truly does need me, and I am anxious to return and see to her welfare.”

  He nodded. “May God be with you on your journey.”

  As she hurried up to her room, her heart lightened a little more. Too bad she couldn’t tell Andrew goodbye. But then, she had that day in the yard. She just hadn’t known it. Some day she would be able to see him again. But it was too soon now. Too much heartache had passed between them. Regardless, she would always love Andrew.

  ANDREW HADN’T BEEN fully happy. True, his life seemed fuller because of his family. But he would never forget Juliana. After he had sent her the letter asking her to come live with him here, he waited for days, even weeks, but she never came.

  Perhaps it was for the best. He wouldn’t be able to take it if she never forgave him for sleeping with her sister. He hadn’t told her, but he was quite certain Maddie would.

  He hadn’t changed his daily routine much after leaving the Beaumont estate. He still enjoyed horseback riding. The cool air helped clear his head. Unfortunately, it didn’t do a thing for his broken heart.

  Mostly his family left him alone when they noticed he didn’t want company. Nobody asked, thank the Lord. Although he knew his father expected since he’d been separated from Juliana all this time. Andrew had told them his wife was in Scotland taking care of her grandmama, which is where Andrew had heard she’d gone.

  Today he rode hard, pushing his horse to the limits. Finally, he pulled the animal into a trot as he led him to the pond. As the horse drank, Andrew’s mind wandered back to Juliana. Would there ever be a day when he didn’t think about her?

  From off in a distance, he heard his name being called. He glanced around the open area and saw his father riding toward him. Andrew smiled.

  “I hope I’m not disturbing your solitude, but I thought this would be an excellent time to talk to you.”

  Andrew nodded. “You are not disturbing me.”

  His father pulled up next to him and dismounted, letting his horse drink from the water.

  “Andrew, I see you are out of sorts lately. May I ask why?”

  Andrew forced a smile. “Out of sorts?”

  “Yes. Something is disturbing you.” He arched an eyebrow. “Could it be you have not seen your wife for a few months?”

  Andrew let out a deep sigh. “Yes. I miss her.” He stared at the water rippling against the rocks.

  “Hmm...”

  He glanced at his father, whose arms were crossed over his chest and his head tilted.

  “Andrew? Tell me, is your wife coming back at all?”

  Andrew frowned, his chest tightening. “I’m afraid not, Father.”

  “May I ask why you think this?”

  Andrew pulled his horse away from the water and walked toward the meadows, his father following. “When Juliana and I married, I knew she didn’t want to live in England. Scotland is her home. It’s where she loves to be. I didn’t mind, because I didn’t think I had family here.” He shrugged. “When I discovered I did, I told her I wished to remain. She said she didn’t want to stay.” He looked at his father. “What am I supposed to do? I cannot force her to do something she is against.”

  “Do you love her?”

  Andrew nodded. “More than life itself. But England is my home now. It’s where my family is.”

  “Andrew, my boy. There is a lesson to be learned, you know.” He chuckled. “You need to find out for yourself where your home really is.” He stepped closer and tapped him on the chest. “Home is where your heart is.”

  A lump of emotion formed in Andrew’s throat. He blinked away the mist trying to coat his eyes. Could there be a chance for him and Juliana after all? He loved her—so wouldn’t he live anywhere with her? After all, he could always visit his family on occasions.

  He grinned and met his father’s gaze. “I love her, Father. More than anything.”

  “Then why are you standing here talking to me? Go get your wife!”

  Andrew chuckled and hugged his father. “I will. I promise.”

  He tore away from his father and mounted his horse.

  “Oh, before you leave, I have something for you.”

  Andrew turned toward his father who reached in his overcoat and pulled out a letter.

  “This must have come a little while ago, but it was misplaced in the excitement of everything. Just this morning, one of the servants found it and apologized for not bringing it to your attention sooner.”

  Baffled, Andrew took the missive and glanced at the seal. Beaumont? He broke it open and glanced at the signature. Maddie. His heart dropped. What did the girl want now?

  But as he read the letter, excitement built in his chest. True, he would like to take a strap to the girl’s bac
kside, but hope for winning Juliana’s heart was within sight.

  Finally.

  FATE MUST NOT WANT him to complete his mission. As soon as Andrew had decided to fetch his wife, everything had been thrown in his path. It took him hours to get packed, and he had to change coaches twice before starting on his journey.

  At long last, he was on his way, but in a few hours it would be dark and he should find an inn for the night. After instructing the driver, Andrew sat back in his seat and stared out the window.

  How could he convince Juliana to love him with all her heart—enough to want to be his wife? The only way he could think of was to tell her the truth. All the truth. If that didn’t work, he’d charm her the only way he knew how. He knew firsthand how she melted when he touched her, and how her lips melded to his.

  It took the driver a little while to find an inn before night settled upon them, but finally he located one. The place wasn’t to Andrew’s liking, but it would do. He chuckled. Strange how his tastes had changed. This kind of establishment used to be the type he had visited often. But since Juliana, everything changed.

  And he liked it.

  He let his valet and driver take his trunks to his room while he found a place in the crowded room to sit and order a meal. A wench sided up to him, smelling strongly of whiskey and cigar smoke. She wouldn’t have been that wretched if she would wash her body and keep clean clothes. But then not every woman was like Juliana.

  “Wot would ye be hungry for t’night, govna?”

  He smiled. “What is the specialty?”

  “Ye mean ‘sides me?” She waggled her brows.

  He chuckled. “Yes, besides you.”

  “Well, we ‘ave roast chicken and potatoes and ‘ot bread.”

  “I’ll take that, thank you.”

  She nodded. “Wot will ye be drinkin’?”

  “Do you have anything not watered down?”

  She grinned. “I see ye’ve been ‘ere before. But I’ll bring ye what I ‘ave.”

  As Andrew waited for his meal, he glanced around the room at the other patrons. At the nearest table, the man who had his back to him poured out his woes to his comrades as he drank his ale. The man’s voice lifted from his agony.

  “I’m out of work, I tell ya. The blimy son returned, and I couldn’t stop him.”

  The three others chuckled, making the drunk slam his cup on the table. “I couldn’t do anything to stop him, I tell ya.”

  The whiskered man next to the drunk shook his head. “It surprises me how long you had been duping the richy earl. Why didn’t the man catch on to your thievery?”

  The drunk brought the cup to his mouth and tossed back the liquid. It dribbled disgustingly down his chin. He didn’t even wipe it away when he set the cup back on the table.

  “I had kept the man believin’ in me. He paid well.” He shook his head. “He let me go after seventeen years, curse him! And he threatened he’d warn his friends about me.”

  The others roared with laughter. The drunk shoved away from the table and stood, knocking his chair over in the process. Most of the people in the room laughed over the man’s plight.

  The tall, drunk turned and stumbled toward the door. Dressed better than the others here, Andrew narrowed his gaze on him. Something familiar struck a bad chord with Andrew, and he studied him harder.

  When the man came closer to Andrew and he could see him fully, Andrew blinked in disbelieve. Isn’t he dead? Andrew shook his head to clear out the confusion. It couldn’t be. But the more he watched the man, his gangly step and mussed hair was unmistakable.

  Uncle Thomas?

  Andrew now knew this man was not his uncle, but for several years Andrew had given this thief the title. Many nights Andrew hid from the drunken man, afraid of getting beaten. His grandfather could not save him...or didn’t want to.

  One night while Thomas had beaten Andrew until bruised and bloody, Thomas passed out in the alleyway. In Andrew’s weakened condition, he took Thomas’ knife and stabbed him in the chest. Thomas had never returned after that, and Andrew had thought he’d killed him.

  Apparently not.

  Andrew bunched his hands into fists, hoping for the moment to lay the drunk low. He frowned. He couldn’t do that. Not now, and not while Thomas was in this condition.

  Thomas met Andrew’s gaze and his eyes widened. The other man pointed a shaky finger at him.

  “Look what we ‘ave ‘ere.” Thomas belched. “The very reason I was relieved of my position.”

  No longer did the older man wear rags. He dressed in the finery of those men of wealth. Had the thief taken enough money to live this way?

  “I believe I am seeing a ghost,” Andrew mumbled.

  Thomas shook his head and dropped to the empty chair across from Andrew. “Ye tried to kill me. Ye almost did.”

  “Apparently I didn’t try hard enough.”

  Thomas lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Ye have killed me now, boy.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “No longer can I make money from your kidnappin’.”

  “What?” Andrew raised his voice. “You were making money from my kidnapping?” He paused, his mind scrambling for answers. “Did...you kidnap me?”

  Thomas nodded. “I had a plan. It worked until you decided to come back to England.” He waved his hand through the air. “Henry didn’t like it and wanted to give ye back to yer family. He’d grown soft on ye. But I wouldn’t have him foiling my schemes.” He grinned. “So I killed him in his sleep.”

  Anger pumped through Andrew and his hands itched to wrap around the drunk’s neck and squeeze until there was no life left.

  “May I ask how you were getting money from my kidnapping?”

  Thomas chuckled, leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers over his chest. “I was working with yer father, I was. Told him I could help him find his missin’ son. He paid me quite nicely. When I thought he would stop givin’ me money, I paid someone to pretend to be his son, just so yer father would keep his trust in me.” He frowned. “Then ye came back. I tried to scare ye off, but ye ignored my threatening letters.”

  Andrew widened his eyes. “Those came from you?”

  “Indeed they did.” Thomas scowled. “Now ye’ve cost me my livin’. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

  Andrew seethed. He leaned forward and narrowed his anger toward the drunken thief. “I’ll tell you what you can do. You can run like the devil was on your heels. I will have you put in prison for your crimes. You can run, but I will hire men to hunt you down. You will pay for everything you have done to me, and my father!” His chest heaved with anger and his hands begged to plow through the other man’s face. But Andrew would be the bigger man. He would act like a gentleman.

  Thomas’ eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Ye wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.” Andrew arched his brow. “I’ll give you a chance to run, but trust me, I will hunt you down and put you away where you belong.”

  The drunk scrambled out of his chair, fell to the floor, then jumped to his feet in a hurry. As his face lost color, he quickened his step and ran out of the inn. Everyone in the room laughed, except Andrew. Elation and victory grew in his chest. He had finally won the battle with his past sins.

  When his meal arrived he was able to eat peacefully. Nobody bothered him, especially the barmaid. And he let his mind think about how he would win back his wife.

  With a full stomach, he left the table and made his way up the rickety stairs toward his room. Ahead of him were two men talking with panic-stricken voices as they moved their hands in wide gestures.

  “The Mistress is gonna skin us alive when we tell her we’ve been robbed.”

  This grabbed Andrew’s attention. Had Thomas been up to his old tricks again?

  The other man shook his head. “I’m not gonna tell her. She’s been ornery as a bear. She’ll bite my head off.”

  “But one of us needs to tell her we ‘ave no money for
lodgin’.”

  The first man held up his hands. “It won’t be me a’tellin’ her. Nobody can pay me enough for that.”

  Andrew held in a laugh. The poor men. He knew firsthand how it felt to work for a cross woman. Juliana had been like that several times.

  “Pardon me,” Andrew cut into their conversation. “But I couldn’t help hearing your predicament.” When both men looked at him, he smiled. “I wonder if I could help you out in any way. I know how it is to live with a vexed woman.”

  The first man nodded. “You can help us out by tellin’ our Mistress we have been robbed and we cannot pay for our stay at the inn.”

  Andrew chuckled. “I’ll do one better.” He dug through his pocket and pulled out his coin purse. “Let me pay for the stay myself.”

  “Whot?” The man’s eyes widened. “That’s kind of ye, sir, but ye don’t know us.”

  “I know,” Andrew said with a nod, “but I feel very generous this evening.” He handed them the money. “Please take this and pay for your stay.”

  Both men gasped and took the money. Gratitude glistened in their eyes, which confirmed to Andrew he had done the right thing.

  “Thank ye kindly, sir. This will pay for the night, and hopefully get us to where we need to travel tomorrow.”

  “Are you heading to Scotland? I would happily give you and your mistress a ride.”

  “No, sir. We are heading to London.”

  “Ah, then I suppose we will have to part ways now. It has been a pleasure helping you.”

  Both men shook Andrew’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure knowin’ such a kind man,” the second man said.

  Andrew left and walked into his room, his heart full of promise. So far everything had been working out for the best. He only hoped things would continue when he arrived in Scotland.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Juliana pushed off her bed and growled as she paced the floor. Nothing had been going right since she returned to Scotland. The only good thing about the trip was the triumph she felt when paying off Grandmama’s debtors and the look on their pathetic faces when she shoved the money at them.