She looked him directly in the eyes, and he was momentarily stunned by her beauty.
“Yes, Your Grace, I understand completely. And I am deeply touched and honored that you would ask me to be your wife, but you must understand that my answer is, unfortunately . . . no.”
He took a step back from her, her words sending shock waves through his body. She was refusing him? It made no sense whatsoever! How could a little American girl have the nerve to spurn an offer of marriage from a duke?
He suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and he blinked at her in astonishment.
“I don’t understand.” He shook his head. “Just the night before last your aunt told me that you would be agreeable to an offer from me.”
“I am terribly sorry, but my aunt was very much mistaken.”
“So you do not have feelings for me?”
Charles felt like a fool asking her such a thing, but he wanted her to want him so desperately.
“You are a good man, kind and caring. I’m certain you would be a wonderful husband, and I am truly honored and humbled that you would care enough for me to ask me to be your wife, Your Grace. But you see . . . the fact is . . . I have already given my heart to another, and I—”
“There is someone else?” he demanded, his voice booming.
Of course there is!
Charles understood a little more now. She was in love with another man. She was not repulsed by him. If it weren’t for some other man, she would be accepting his offer. The girl had simply fallen for someone else first. But who was it?
His mind raced over the events of the last month that he had been in attendance with her. No one stood out in particular. There were any number of men vying for her attention.
Edwin Ainsworth. That penniless fool was besotted with the girl, but Miss Remington had barely given him the time of day. Lord Hampton was always sniffing around her as well, but he didn’t seem to be a threat either. Charles had seen Meredith with the Earl of Waverly’s family.... Now Waverly was a handsome young devil and had no need of the Remington fortune. He could easily turn a young girl’s head.
But still, everyone knew Waverly was in over his head with that notorious widow, Lady Katherine Vickers. It couldn’t possibly be him!
No, Charles hadn’t noticed a single London gentleman who stood out in her affections. Not one. Then who could it be?
“Might I ask, Miss Remington . . . have you given your heart to a gentleman back in New York, before you came to London?” he questioned.
He needed to know who the man was. He needed to know who had stolen her from him and had upset all his plans. Who had gotten to her first?
He had been so happy that morning, believing that he would be engaged to Meredith Remington before the day was over, and then he would be busy making plans for their wedding and introducing her to his children. He knew all four of them would love Meredith. He had even planned to take her to Paris for a honeymoon too!
Now it was all for naught. And he was humiliated to boot.
Miss Remington became flustered at his question, seemingly unsure how to respond. “No . . . it is not someone from New York.”
“Then it is a London gentleman, and I demand to know who it is.” Charles sounded like a petulant child, but he could not help it.
“Why do you need to know?” she asked, looking uncomfortable.
“Because I’d like to know who my competition is, so I can best him. I intend to win you back, Miss Remington.”
She gazed at him kindly, which infuriated him. He was not a man to be pitied!
“Your Grace, I am very sorry to cause you so much trouble and this awkwardness between us now. But you should know that I am very much in love with this gentleman, I want to marry him, and I have already agreed to be his wife.”
She raised her left hand, flashing an engagement ring of sapphires and diamonds.
Stunned, Charles thought of the ring that he had brought to give her today, a round ruby surrounded by seed pearls. It had once belonged to his grandmother and sat safely in his coat pocket still, but now it seemed rather old-fashioned and dull compared with the elegant, sparkling gems that now graced Miss Remington’s delicate hand.
“Tell me his name. Since you are already engaged, the news will soon be out anyway, so there is no reason to keep him a secret from me. The least you can do is let me know the name of the man who bested me, Miss Remington.”
She paused reluctantly, her lovely face drawn in concern. “The Earl of Waverly. He proposed to me last night.”
The Earl of Waverly?
It was Phillip Sinclair after all! That young rogue had swept Meredith Remington away from him only last night!
But how? Charles had never seen it coming. He had not even suspected that there was a serious rival for Miss Remington’s affections. The entire time he had been honestly and openly courting her, squiring her about, paying calls, sending flowers, taking her for carriage rides—the whole bit—young Waverly had swooped in from the sidelines and stolen her right out from under his nose!
By God, he wouldn’t stand for it!
Anger, born of humiliation and outrage at having his wishes thwarted, flooded his entire being. He couldn’t recall ever being so angry before. He wanted to reach out and strike the beautiful young woman standing before him. In truth he had to ball his fists at his sides to keep from doing so.
He would be publicly humiliated when word got out that Miss Remington was engaged to the Earl of Waverly because everyone had expected the duke to marry her. But even more painful than that . . . he was quite devastated that he had lost her.
He had wanted Miss Meredith Remington more than he had ever wanted anything or anyone. She was now the only thing that had ever been denied to him.
And that fact filled him with an undeniable rage.
She gazed at him nervously now, her stunning eyes wide with apprehension.
“Please accept my sincerest apologies, Your Grace. I feel—”
“Don’t say another word,” he commanded, his voice harsh and full of bitterness. “You and your aunt led me to believe . . .” He shook his head, still in utter disbelief that this had occurred. “You have both made a fool out of me, Miss Remington, and I shall not forget that. Ever. Mark my words. Good day to you.”
He turned and stalked from the room, slamming the door on his way out.
She would pay for this. Charles Ridgley, the fifth Duke of Havenfield, wasn’t sure how or when, but Miss Remington would pay for spurning him in this humiliating manner. She would rue the day she rejected him so heartlessly.
Yes, she would, indeed.
22
An Open Book
“Does my name matter? I just saved your life. He would have killed you there in the woods if I hadn’t rescued you.” His deep voice was filled with warmth and concern.
“ I would still like to know with whom I’m speaking,” insisted Olivia. “It’s nice to know a person’s name.”
His green eyes glinted in the candlelight. “What if I told you that I was Huntley?”
Olivia froze with fear, sweat suddenly trickling down her spine.
She’d been deceived. He was Huntley after all! She had been a great fool to have trusted him, a stranger in the dark woods! And now she was a fool who would pay the price of her folly with her life.
“You couldn’t possibly be Huntley,” she said, trying to maintain her composure. “I’d be dead already if you were him. You’re far too kind, and far too handsome, to be a killer.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“What if I am? Then what happens?”
* * *
Meredith paused to refill the ink in her fountain pen. Those nibs always seemed to run out when she was at a pivotal moment in a chapter.
She was pleased to be writing though, in the peaceful quarters above Hamilton’s Book Shoppe. And for the first time, she hadn’t had to sneak out of her aunt Lavinia’s house to do it either.
Eve
rything was out in the open since she was engaged to Phillip.
Aunt Delilah now knew she had the use of the writing space above the bookshop and couldn’t deny her, even though she wasn’t thrilled about it. Now that Meredith was engaged, the pressure to find a husband was gone, so Meredith had the freedom to spend her time as she wanted.
The past week had been a happy whirlwind.
She’d spent her days writing, while Phillip stopped by each afternoon to bring her lunch, steal a few kisses, and whisper words of encouragement. Her evenings were spent with Phillip and his entire family at Devon House. She had finally met them all now and had managed to learn each one of their names in record time.
And she and Phillip had even begun making plans for their wedding.
Meredith gazed down at the beautiful ring on her finger and smiled. Soon she would belong to a large and wonderful family. Happiness filled her at the thought of being Phillip’s wife. She would be able to sleep in his arms each night and wake up beside him every morning.
She loved him so much and couldn’t imagine being happier in her life than she was at this moment.
With a contented sigh, she finished replacing the nib on the pen and returned her attention to The Edge of Danger. She was determined to finish writing her book as soon as possible, now that she had the time.
A moment later a knock at the door caused her to stop and look up from her manuscript.
“Please come in,” she called, thinking she might need to speak with Phillip about visiting her too often. He’d already been by to see her that afternoon. As much as she loved him, she would never get anything done if he continued to interrupt her.
But it wasn’t Phillip.
“Simon!” Meredith cried in delighted surprise as she rose from where she sat at her desk.
“Good afternoon, Meredith. I just thought I’d stop by to see a writer at work,” he said with an amused grin, his eyes sparkling. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
His smile was so like Phillip’s, it warmed her heart. Meredith hurried over and gave him a hug. She was thrilled to be gaining a brother in her life.
“Of course you’re not a bother. I’m so glad you came by to see me!” she said.
“How could I not? Between my mother and Phillip singing your praises?”
Meredith nodded sheepishly. “They do seem to be overly proud of me for something I haven’t accomplished yet. I haven’t even finished a book yet, nor have I had it published, but they act as if I’m a celebrated author.”
Simon gazed at her fondly. “They have great confidence in you.”
“And that confidence,” Meredith said, “is a very special gift for me to have. Their support of me is more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
“So this is it, then?” Simon casually looked around the place. “This is where you write.... Did you know that Phillip and I used to play up here when we were children?”
“Yes, Phillip told me all about the forts you made with the blankets and how you played with your cousins.”
“We did have fun times in here.” Smiling, Simon continued to walk around the apartment, quietly examining this and that.
Meredith watched him, her curiosity growing as to what had brought him to visit her. He seemed a bit restless, as if he had something on his mind.
“Shall I put the kettle on for some tea?” she suggested brightly.
“I don’t want to keep you from your writing, Meredith, but yes, that would be nice.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she responded easily. “I was about to take a break just before you arrived. It’s no trouble at all.”
He smiled gratefully at her. “I’ll help you.”
They puttered around the kitchen together amiably, preparing the tea, assembling the cups and saucers, and adding a few biscuits and scones, because, as usual, the pantry was freshly stocked for her.
“I’m very relieved that you are going to be my sister-in-law, Meredith. I was worried there for a time, thinking I’d be stuck with Lady Katherine Vickers.”
“I’m glad that I could oblige you,” she responded, laughing a little.
“In all honesty, Meredith,” said Simon, “I’m lucky that my brother is marrying you. You’ve made him very happy. You’ve changed him.”
“So I have heard,” she said, as she reached for the whistling kettle on the stove.
Simon was not the first person to say such a thing to Meredith. She’d learned that Phillip had been a little wild before he met her. She supposed they were referring to his dalliance with the blond widow, but all that was in the past now.
She poured the boiling water into the china teapot.
“You’re a very good influence on him,” continued Simon. “You just have that way about you, Meredith.”
They both took a seat at the kitchen table.
“And what way is that?” she asked, quite curious to know what he meant.
“You have a way about you that makes everyone feel close to you, makes everyone want to be your friend and confide in you. My mother took to you instantly. So did Mara, and everyone else in my family. And you even managed to get my wayward brother to fall in love with you,” Simon explained.
“I fell in love with him first, actually,” she admitted while she poured the tea and passed him the sugar.
“I find that difficult to believe. You’re far too good for him, Meredith,” he said teasingly. “But what I’m trying to say is that you inspire trust and goodness.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’m sure you will find someone special too.”
A pained expression crossed his face. “That’s the problem though. I think I have found someone special, but I can never be with this person the way I want to be.”
Meredith nodded her head slowly, knowing instinctively what he meant. She surmised from conversations she’d overheard during dinner at Devon House that her guess about Simon was correct. She’d seen the expression on his face when his father had asked her if she knew any nice girls for Simon, since his son seemed to be so selective. Her heart hurt to see Simon so distressed.
“I happened to see you in the park one afternoon, when I was riding with the Duke of Havenfield,” she began very carefully, worried that she would say the wrong thing.
His dark brows drew together. “Did you?”
“Yes, you were meeting a friend in a rather secluded area.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to respond.
Would he remember what she was referring to? She had most definitely seen him embracing a man in the park that afternoon. Would he deny it? Would he be angry with her for insinuating something inappropriate?
Simon looked at her, his eyes full of intense sadness. “So you understand my dilemma then?”
Meredith nodded. She was relieved that he was honest with her, yet her heart broke for him and the position he was in.
“What will you do?” she asked.
“There’s nothing to do. I shall have to remain a confirmed bachelor, as they say. I’ll be a beloved uncle to the adorable children you’ll certainly have with my brother.”
She tried to imagine what Simon’s life would be like. Living a lie. Living in secret. Never being open and honest with the world. Hiding away, feeling on the outside of things. Never being able to have children of his own.
“It’s not fair, is it? All these strict rules that society imposes upon us,” she said sympathetically.
“No, it’s not fair. Not fair at all. But I must obey these rules and keep up with pretenses if I am to continue to live with the people I love.”
“You couldn’t just marry a girl who—” She stopped and stared at him.
“A girl who wouldn’t mind that her husband was in love with another man? No. I couldn’t live with myself, although I know of men who have done just that. You’d be surprised just how many married men out there are living a lie, and pretending that they are not who they are, Merry.”
Simon was right. For h
im to marry a woman just to put up a façade would not be fair to him or the woman. Meredith shuddered at the thought of the marriages like that already in existence.
Unable to hide the sadness in her voice, she said, “It really isn’t fair.”
“Such is life, I suppose,” he said in resignation. “There’s no help for it.”
“Does anyone else know?” she ventured to ask.
Simon shook his head ruefully. “Absolutely not. I’ve never breathed a word to anyone about it. Sometimes I think my mother might suspect, but I don’t think the rest of my family has any idea. I suppose someday they’ll figure it out, when I haven’t married . . .”
“I’m so sorry, Simon.”
“You’re the only person, aside from Robert, that I’ve ever spoken to about this, Meredith.”
They both grew quiet with the enormity of what he was revealing to her. Although Meredith was sure she had met men like Simon before without even being aware of it, he was the first one she’d actually spoken to about it openly. She couldn’t imagine the pain that he was going through or what it would feel like to not be able to be with the one he loved.
“What’s he like?” she asked. “Robert? The man in the park?”
Simon’s face lit up as he spoke of the man he loved. “He’s wonderful. Smart. Funny. He knows me so well, and when we’re together, nothing else matters. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
“I would love to meet him sometime.”
“You would?” He looked incredulous.
“Of course,” Meredith said. “He sounds so nice. If he’s important to you, then he would be important to me.”
“I would love for you to meet Robert. And I know he would love to meet you as well. I’ve told him all about you.”
“You have?”
“Yes,” he admitted with a smile. “I’ve bragged about my wonderful future sister-in-law.”
“That’s too sweet of you to say.” Meredith paused for a moment. “Perhaps you should talk to your mother about it, Simon, if you think she already suspects.”
His face grew dark and that worried look returned to his eyes. “I’m afraid it would devastate her and my father. And Phillip as well. I couldn’t bear for them to despise me or think less of me.”
The Unexpected Heiress Page 21
