Taking her by the hand he led her over to sit on a fallen tree. Seated beside her he caught her hand in his, thoughtfully smoothing it with his thumb as he talked. ‘What happened to Gwenna is a lesson to us all. Life is short and shouldn’t be wasted. You know how I feel about you, Rose, or should do by now. I believe we became quite close while in Biarritz, and I flatter myself that you might care for me in the same way.’
She started to speak, anxious to assure him that she did indeed, but he stopped her words with the press of one finger to her lips. ‘Pray allow me to finish, or I may lose courage altogether. Quite against a lifetime’s determination to tread a solitary path through life, I now find that I am only truly happy when I’m with you. Would you, dearest Rose, do me the honour of becoming my wife, because I rather think I love you to distraction.’
‘Oh!’ was all she could manage.
Bryce waited for more, his expression growing anxious. ‘Does that mean I misread your response entirely? Because if so then—’
‘Oh, no, I just … I can’t say how I … can’t quite …’
He let out an exaggerated sigh, eyes glinting with merry humour. ‘Is that a no or a yes?’
‘No, I mean yes.’ Laughing, she started again. ‘I love you so much I can’t quite believe you truly feel the same.’
Now his eyes were alight with love, and something that could only be desire. ‘Oh, I mean it all right. But I have no intention of jumping the gun, as Jago did. I shall make an honest woman of you first.’
Rose felt the sweetness of his touch run through her like fire as he kissed her, the beat of her heart escalating to match his. Her response was instinctive, born of the love she felt for him as she arched her body to meet his. She felt the persuasive gentling of his hand as it moved to slide the gown from her shoulder and softly cup her breast, leaving a burning desire in its wake. She was straining ever closer, kissing him with a kind of fevered desperation, her whole body trembling so violently she had little control over it. Nor did she wish to have. He took her lips with softly biting kisses and their mutual need flared to fresh heights, Rose wanting only for these beautiful sensations to go on and on and never stop.
At length he paused to smile down at her. ‘The only thing I insist upon is that it be the shortest engagement in history, as I really can’t hold myself in check for much longer.’
And judging by the kisses which followed, Rose rather thought she might have a similar problem.
It was an hour later when they strolled back into the courtyard, Rose’s cheeks aglow, very much a match for her name, brown hair tumbling loose from the pins which held it. She caught sight of Joe lingering by the stable door and her heart plummeted. Oh dear, he would not take kindly to this news, but she would have to tell him herself. She couldn’t have him finding out on the servant grapevine.
Bryce paused, his hand on her arm. ‘There’s just one thing I should have mentioned – warned you of – but, what with Gwenna’s death, we’ve been rather preoccupied.’
‘Can it wait a moment? I need to speak to Joe, let him down gently, you understand.’
‘Ah, yes, I see. Of course, I understand perfectly. I’ll speak to you later, then, my love. But don’t be too soft with him. You have warned him many times in the past not to grow too fond of you.’
‘I know, but he’s my friend.’
Bryce frowned. ‘He’s your manservant.’
She kissed him on the nose. ‘Can’t he be both?’
‘What a very singular woman you are,’ and he strolled away chuckling.
Joe was in a less benign mood. ‘Kissing him in public now, I see.’
‘Joe, please don’t start your bullying, not now. I’ve come to tell you something important.’
Folding his arms across his broad chest, he stood legs astride before her, an expression of obstinate disapproval on his round face. ‘And what might that be?’
Ignoring the harshness of his tone, and the awkward stiffness of his body, Rose linked her arm in his and drew him into the warmth of the stable. The soft snicker of the horses was a comforting sound in the background, the smell of the saddle and harness he’d been polishing quite intoxicating. He’d left them lying in the straw, carelessly abandoned as he’d obviously rushed out into the yard at her arrival. Did he watch for her all the time? she wondered. Rose worried how best to approach what would undoubtedly be bad news, so far as Joe was concerned. The last thing she wanted was to alarm him, or spark a fresh bout of jealousy which might result in reprisals or a need for revenge. Rose felt far too enmeshed in her new life now to have Joe destroy it.
There was no place to sit, and stifling a nervous sigh, she turned to him with an anxious smile. ‘There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll come straight to the point. You will be aware that Bryce and I have grown close in recent months. Well, he has asked me to marry him, and I have accepted. I wanted you to be the first to know.’
Joe stared at her, unmoving, saying nothing. ‘Are you mad?’ he said at last.
‘Only with love for Bryce. He is so sweet to me, you really wouldn’t believe.’ Her hands on his arms, still stubbornly folded across his chest, she gave them an affectionate squeeze. ‘Please be happy for me, Joe. I know you’re fond of me, but I did make it clear, even when we were still on Ellis Island, that I don’t feel the same way. I know things are different now, that all of this business has changed our friendship somewhat, but I haven’t changed my mind. You are a good and true friend, sadly that’s all you are to me. I’m afraid I could never love you, not as I love Bryce.’
Joe absorbed this before snarling, ‘You know why he’s so sweet to you, don’t you? Why he’s asked to marry you? It’s the only way he can get his scheming hands on the land and property.’
Rose froze, a spurt of anger starting up inside. This was even worse than she’d feared. ‘I think you’re confusing him with Jago. Bryce isn’t like that. He’s started his own business, a chandler’s in Fowey.’
Joe made a scoffing sound in his throat. ‘Fowey is a small town.’
‘It has a very busy river.’
‘Even if the business ever makes a profit, it would be nothing compared with an estate of a thousand acres and a dozen or more farms. Don’t be naive, Rosie, he’s a fortune-hunter after your inheritance.’
Had anyone else made this remark to her, she would have slapped his face. But this was Joe, her old friend feeling bitter over losing her, and the person who held her safety in his two hands. Rose’s reply, however, was chilling.
‘You’re wrong. He loves me, and I love him. He is entirely trustworthy.’
‘But does he know that you aren’t?’
Rose flinched, but chose to ignore the remark. ‘I do hope you can be happy for us, Joe. In any case, I thought you were rather sweet on Tilly these days. She certainly talks a lot about you. I do want you to be happy too.’
‘I can’t ever be that, Rosie, while you behave so recklessly, that’s asking too much. And what about this situation we’re in?’
‘What about it?’
‘Have you confessed, have you told him that you aren’t who you claim to be, My Lady?’
A familiar sick feeling came into her stomach. ‘Joe, don’t ever speak of that. We agreed we’d never refer to it again. It was you who got us into this mess in the first place, and I, like a fool and for the sake of Robbie, went along with it. Now it’s far too late to start revealing the truth.’
‘Aye, that would be most uncomfortable for you, wouldn’t it, Rosie love?’
Fear was growing in her, one she was having trouble suppressing. ‘What are you saying? Is this meant to be some sort of threat?’
His mouth twisted into a most unpleasant smile that reminded her more of Jago than the Joe she’d known all her life. ‘And if it were?’
‘Then I’d warn you that you’d be putting yourself in as much danger as me, were you to come clean. A confession now would result in both of us being thrown in clink. How would you li
ke that?’
‘It might be worth it, to deprive Bryce of taking you to his bed.’
‘Stop this, Joe!’ Anger coursed through her, banishing the fear. ‘You don’t mean any of this. You’re just upset. I can understand you must be disappointed, and I am so very sorry to have hurt you. But I promise you there will always be a good job for you here, for as long as you want it.’
‘Oh, well, that’s all right then, My Lady. Everything’s fine, isn’t it? I’d best be about my work then, if’n you please, ma’am.’ And giving a mocking tug to his forelock, he strode away to tend to the horses, which weren’t in need of any attention at all. Rose took the hint and marched off in something of a huff.
Out in the courtyard the front door suddenly opened. ‘Ah, Rose, there you are. I’ve been searching for you everywhere,’ Lydia called with some impatience. ‘Might I have a word? Now, if you please.’
With a weary sigh, Rose followed her into the house.
They were again sitting in the small parlour as they did every afternoon, except that this time instead of tea and petits fours, there was a bottle of champagne and three glasses set out on the small round table before them. Rose stared at these for a moment, perplexed, as she knew of no celebration due, not when yet again the family had been thrust into mourning. But then Lydia started talking and she forgot all about them.
‘May I begin by saying that you seem now to quite belong here at Penver Court, settling in far better than I initially anticipated.’
Rose was pleased by this compliment, if rather surprised by it. This woman was to become her mother-in-law, after all, so it was important that they get along. ‘It’s most kind of you to say so. It was somewhat overwhelming at first, but I do feel more at home now. And I’ve come to love the place as much as you.’
Lydia glanced at her with a scathing expression on her face, eyebrows raised. ‘Hardly; you are still a newcomer, still a stranger here, but behaving better than expected.’
The woman had such a gift for turning flattery into an insult.
‘Obviously it hasn’t been easy for us,’ she continued. ‘We are Sir Ralph’s new family, after all, his own having let him down badly.’
Rose bit back an instinctive urge to defend Rosalind’s husband which naturally sprang to her lips. But perhaps Robert had let his father down in some way, although such behaviour didn’t entirely fit the picture Rosalind had given of him. However, it was all in the past now, and she didn’t know the whole story. Nor was it any of her business. Rose clasped her hands in her lap and put a polite smile on her face, wishing she’d been allowed a moment to tidy herself before this unexpected interview.
‘The fact of the matter is, that as a family we have no wish to involve ourselves in long drawn-out disputes over that ridiculous will. There is a much better way in which to resolve the problem.’
‘Oh, and what problem would that be, exactly?’
‘Please don’t try to be clever, dear. You know full well.’
Genuinely mystified, Rose protested. ‘I’m afraid I don’t. I believed all that business of the will was settled last year, by the family solicitor. What more is there to say?’
Lydia primmed her mouth, and then forced it into a stiff smile. ‘Everything. You can’t imagine we would welcome being passed over for a child that may not even be legitimate. Wrayworth may have accepted young Robbie without the necessary documentary evidence of his birth, but the rest of us are less easily satisfied. But as I say, we have no wish to resort to law as only the lawyers would benefit, and the inheritance, such as it is, would rapidly vanish into their pockets.’
Now she stood up, and walking over to the bell pull that hung by the fireplace, gave it a sharp tug. ‘It is in your own best interests that we do not pursue the case, for in the end we’d be sure to win, albeit at considerable cost. I’m sure you have no wish to see your son turned away without a penny, or yourself accused of fraud. Who knows where you might end up?’
A numbness had come over Rose as she listened, a terror growing in her. Had Jago been snooping among her things? Was she about to be unmasked?
‘My elder son has undoubtedly been usurped from his rightful inheritance, yet ousting your child would destroy the very inheritance we are trying to protect. Therefore, the solution is obvious. You and Jago must marry. He is willing to accept your child, bastard or no, as the new baronet, if he may maintain his rightful position as master of the estate until the child comes of age, and thereafter is granted not only a proper allowance but several of the farms and holdings by way of compensation. There, is that not the perfect solution for us all?’
While Rose sat in stunned silence, too shocked to think of any immediate response, Lydia moved briskly to the small table and indicated a pile of papers which Rose hadn’t noticed before.
‘I have had the necessary documents drawn up for you to sign. I think a matrimonial agreement of vital importance where property is concerned. Marriage is a matter of business, after all. Jago will be here at any moment. All you have to do is sign, and the engagement will be announced.’ She was already reaching for the champagne bottle. ‘Normally one would not contemplate celebrating a wedding while in mourning, but Gwenna’s death was rather different, so I’m sure we can ignore such rules for once.’
Rose was thinking that there had been no unmasking, as she had feared, no revelation of the truth. Although Lydia questioned her authenticity, she hadn’t a clue why. Even so, Rose was quite certain that had she opened her mouth at this point, nothing but a squeak of horror would have come from it.
The door opened and Jago entered, an air of triumph evident in the way he swaggered over to his mother, took the champagne bottle from her hand and easily popped the cork with which she’d been struggling. Pouring out three glasses, he handed one to Rose.
‘To a successful alliance.’ Raising the glass to his lips, he drank half of its contents in one gulp. Rose, having finally come to grips with the shock, calmly set her glass down on the table untouched.
‘I’m afraid there’s been some mistake. It isn’t Jago I intend to marry, but your other son, Bryce. He has already asked me, and I have accepted.’
Chapter Seventeen
With one furious flick of his hand, Jago swept the champagne bottle and Rose’s goblet from the table, shattering splinters of glass all over the Persian carpet. ‘If you think you can cast me off, marry my brother and deprive me of my rightful inheritance, then you are very much mistaken.’
‘You expect my son to stand by and say nothing while he is effectively robbed?’ Lydia snapped, her face quite purple with rage.
Rose was desperately hanging on to her rapidly failing courage, heartily wishing she’d kept her mouth shut and left it to Bryce to make the announcement. She had not expected the news to be welcomed with unalloyed rapture, but not for a moment had she reckoned on this reaction. But despite the delicacy of her situation, she had no intention of allowing herself to be bullied.
‘I’ve done nothing to encourage such a proposal from Jago. Nor have I robbed him of anything.’ This much at least was true. ‘The decision over who should inherit Penver Court was made by Sir Ralph, not by me. I had absolutely no say in the matter, or influence over him. And you are absolutely wrong about Robbie, he is most definitely Sir Ralph’s grandson and the rightful heir.’
‘We have only your word for that,’ snarled Jago.
‘Which is no recommendation,’ his mother added. ‘You haven’t even provided us with the necessary documentary proof.’
Rose had had enough for one day, and quickly got to her feet, experiencing an urge to run away somewhere safe, far from Penver Court, with just herself, Robbie and Bryce. If only that were possible. ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, Lydia, but I have no control over the legalities of that will, and if you have any complaints to make on the question of my marriage to your younger son, you must take that up with him.’
Jago grabbed her by the arms as she would have walked away, and s
hook her, quite violently. ‘You damn well won’t marry him. You are going to marry me, like it or not.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! This isn’t the Middle Ages, or some silly Victorian melodrama. You can’t force me to marry you.’ Rose laughed, which proved to be a bad mistake.
Jago knocked her flying onto the Persian rug, his greedy hands wrenching at her skirts as he attempted to thrust himself upon her. Rose screamed, but if she’d hoped for any help from Lady Tregowan, she was quickly disenchanted. The expression of rapacious excitement in the older woman’s face told her she would do nothing to check her son’s lust and greed, and the click of the door as she exited seemed to seal Rose’s fate.
‘I mean to have you one way or another,’ Jago panted. ‘If not in marriage, then I shall at least enjoy you before Bryce does.’
‘I think not.’
The voice, coming out of nowhere, was balm to her heart. Jago instantly released her, stepping away to face his brother with something like murder in his eyes. Rose was filled with terror of a different sort now. ‘Stop this,’ she cried, scrambling to her feet and quickly smoothing down her gown. ‘Stop this at once.’
If either heard her plea they gave no sign of it. Bryce stood, legs apart, before his brother. He was taller, broader, stronger, and with an iron determination in his face. His voice, when he finally spoke, seemed to hum with the depth of his rage despite an outward appearance of calm. ‘I will not allow you to treat Rose with the same callousness you used on Gwenna. Sadly, our foolish cousin succumbed to your lust because she loved you. Rose, however, loves me, and she is to be my wife, not yours. Touch her again, and I’ll kill you, brother or no.’
As softly as this threat was uttered, the tension in the room was palpable as Jago said nothing, neither man moving a muscle, and yet each bristling with hatred.
Taking a breath Rose stepped forward, hoping to ease the stand-off with calm reason. ‘This has gone quite far enough. In case either of you have forgotten, I am a living, breathing person with a will of my own, not a piece of chattel to be disposed of at the behest of some man. Or your mother, for that matter. I will make my own decisions in life, thank you very much. The choice will be entirely mine! Do you understand that, the pair of you? So even if you brawl and fight and make an exhibition of yourself, as you did in Biarritz, or take out your broadswords and fight a duel at dawn, I will make the decision whom I love and marry. And right now, with the way you are each behaving, it may well be neither of you.’
My Lady Deceiver Page 20
