by Kate Pearce
“Of course she does. Just remember it might take longer to convince her parents of that. If you truly love her, then you will stay the course.”
The clock on the mantelpiece chimed, and Edwin rose to his feet. “Shall we join the others in the drawing room before dinner? I, for one, would welcome the chance to raise a glass to your future happiness.” He patted Charlie’s sleeve. “In complete confidence, of course.”
Violet managed to get to Charlie before he reached Letty, and drew him away to the quieter end of the drawing room. He seemed in good form and reasonably pleased to see her, which might soon change. She paused in front of a portrait of one of the previous Earls of Banfield and pretended to contemplate his scowling visage.
“Charlie, is there anything you’d like to talk to me about?”
He stared fixedly at the portrait. “Why ever would you think that?”
“Because I’ve known you since I was eight, and you’ve never been good at keeping secrets from me.”
“That’s true. Edwin says I have a remarkably expressive face.” He paused. “I did want to ask your opinion on a particular matter, but my brother advised against it.”
“What matter?”
He grimaced. “Me.”
“What about you?” Violet had a horrible sensation she knew what he was going to say, and tried to inject some humor into her voice. “Has Letty been telling tales?”
“She thinks you want to marry me. I told her that was stuff and nonsense because we are just friends, aren’t we, Vi?” He cleared his throat and looked at her beseechingly. “And I want to marry Letty.”
“We are just friends. There was a time when I thought we might make an excellent match, but that has never really been true for you, has it? I am immensely fond of you. If you truly love my half-sister, and promise me you will never give her cause to worry, how can I possibly stand in the way of true love?”
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thank you, Vi. I knew you’d come up trumps.”
She stared into his beautiful blue eyes for one long moment, and then gently disengaged her fingers from his. “I do hope you mean it, Charlie Sutton. Because if you hurt Letty in any way, I will come after you.”
“I know you will.” Charlie’s grin was infectious. “I’m already quaking in my boots at the very thought.”
They continued to walk to the end of the room, pausing at the windows to look out over the dimly-lit courtyard.
“Why didn’t Edwin want you to talk to me about this?” Violet asked.
“You know Edwin. He’s very cautious about everything, and he didn’t want you being upset. But as I intend to talk to your father before he leaves, I thought you should know what was going on.”
“I appreciate that.” The fact that she’d been the one to broach the subject seemed to have quite escaped him.
“Edwin’s been such a good fellow this week. I’m not sure how he guessed what I was feeling for Letty, but he did his utmost to clear my path to her side,” Charlie commented.
Violet almost stopped breathing. “By keeping other men away from her?”
He chuckled. “Not the men, just you and your stepmother. Haven’t you noticed he’s been almost constantly at your side?”
As they turned to face the room again, Violet looked straight into the brown eyes of Charlie’s treacherous older brother. Edwin had certainly kept her occupied. His smile died as they approached, and he turned to Charlie.
“You didn’t tell her, did you?”
Charlie opened his mouth, but Violet spoke over him.
“That you helped Charlie fall in love with Letty by keeping her older, spinster sister occupied?”
“Hang on, Vi; I never said you were old, or a spinster,” Charlie protested. “I just said Edwin kept you out of the way, and that I was very grateful to him.”
The glare Edwin gave his brother would have splintered steel. “Please be quiet.” He reached out his hand to Violet. “That’s not why—”
“Excuse me.”
She curtsied and turned away before she could embarrass herself further and start weeping in front of a room full of her relatives. He’d kissed her and spent time with her. She’d completely fallen under his spell and had begun to see him quite differently. Now she was paying the price for her own naiveté.
She reached the main entrance hall without encountering anyone and headed up the stairs.
“Violet, wait.”
She ignored Edwin’s quiet command and kept moving. Within moments, he caught up and gently cupped her elbow.
“Please don’t run away from me. Charlie—”
“You’ve achieved your aim.” She pulled out of his grasp. “Charlie is going to marry Letty, so you can go away and play your tricks on one of the other ladies.”
“There were no tricks. Violet, this is Charlie we’re talking about. As usual he’s completely misunderstood the situation, and made assumptions that are just not true.”
“I don’t care. Have you any idea how humiliating this is? To be… to be used so that Letty, as usual, can have exactly what she wants?”
All trace of amusement leached from his face. “Letty is irrelevant to this discussion, as is Charlie. Do you really think I would behave like that?”
She wanted to stamp her foot. “Why not?”
He let out a slow breath. “Violet, I understand that you are angry, but on my honor I never set out to deceive you about anything. Every moment I spent in your company has been a pleasure.”
“Like when you kissed me and pretended to care about me, so I’d stop loving Charlie so that Letty could have him instead?”
“This is not about Letty!”
Now she’d made him as angry as she was, and they were standing toe to toe like two boxers in a ring.
“You’ve been in love with Charlie for years, Violet. That’s all you’ve ever seen, all you’ve ever wanted, and he loves being loved. He needs to be adored, but you are worth so much more.”
“So you decided he should get my beautiful sister instead?”
“I decided nothing. Good God, can you think of a more unlikely pairing? Letty is beautiful and wealthy enough to marry a duke. But dammit, Violet, they fell in love!”
She bit down hard on her lip. She could hardly blame him for that. Edwin visibly brought his emotions under control and then raised his gaze to hers.
“You believe your stepmother is right and that no one sees you anymore because Letty is so beautiful, but it’s not true, Violet.” He thumped his fist against his chest. “I see you. I always have.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered.
“What do you think?” He sounded weary. “Everyone loves Charlie… he’s easy to love. He’s the youngest son, and he has no responsibilities. I’m my father’s heir. I’ve been brought up to understand that I have duties to perform. Taking care of Charlie, shielding him from my father’s wrath, takes up a considerable amount of my time. Do you have any idea how often I am approached by members of the ton simply to provide an introduction to my brother? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”
“Of course I do. But you are far more respected than Charlie.”
“Aye, respected, not loved.” He looked down at his boots. “Always in his glittering shadow. I remember seeing you at your coming-out ball. You wore a pale yellow dress sewn with pearls, and you were smiling fit to burst. But not at me. The only man you saw was Charlie. I’ll wager you didn’t even notice I was there.”
He took a step back. “Perhaps you might think on that. Mayhap we both need to stop believing our siblings are stealing all the light, and step out of the shadows ourselves.”
Violet gathered her skirt in her shaking hand as the threat of tears became imminent. “I have a headache. Will you tell my stepmother I’m going to bed?”
Then she ran.
Edwin sat down on the stairs and buried his head in his hands. What a disaster. If he could strangle Charlie, he would. Violet was too
upset to hear what he was trying to tell her, and even worse, he was too afraid to say he loved her in case it simply made things worse. He was too cautious. Charlie was right about that, but surely if Violet had time to think things through her normal good sense would help her understand that he was her champion, and not Charlie.
Edwin groaned aloud. Tomorrow was their last day at Castle Keyvnor. He’d promised to stand by Charlie when he approached the DeLisle family, but that gave him plenty of time to attend to his own affairs. And this time, with Charlie firmly in the past, he would have no compunction in telling Violet exactly what he wanted from her—which was the little matter of her heart, her love, and her hand in marriage.
Chapter 6
“Vi, don’t be silly. I need your help.”
Violet stopped walking. She’d set off in search of Benedict, but none of the castle staff seem to know who he was or where he might be, which was rather frustrating. If he had devised a new plan to win Charlie’s love for her, he needed to be stopped. She had already sat through breakfast comforting Letty, who kept bursting into tears at the drop of a hat due to an excess of nerves. She had no desire to deal with Charlie or any member of the Sutton family ever again.
“I have to pack, Charlie.”
“But Letty and I need you. I’m going to speak to your father, and I suspect he won’t be very happy about my intentions. But if you support Letty, perhaps it will make him more amenable to the idea.”
“Why on earth would you think that? My father thinks women are purely ornamental.”
“Vi… please.”
Violet stared hard at the decorative stonework on the arch ahead of her. Being the kind of person upon whom everyone depended to make things right was remarkably tiring at times—especially when her heart was broken. Not that Edwin would ever know that. She would go to London with her stepmother and marry the first man who asked her. Charlie was lost to her, and Edwin… had never been hers in the first place.
She swallowed down a very large lump in her throat and turned to confront her persistent tormentor.
“Oh, all right, then.”
He grinned at her, whooped, and swept her off her feet in a hug. “That’s my girl. Come on, your parents are waiting for us in the library.”
She allowed him to drag her up two flights of stairs into the more modernized area of the castle. The library door was ajar, giving her a view of her father standing in his favorite spot in front of the fire.
“But Father…”
That was Letty’s voice.
Charlie squeezed her fingers. “Wish me luck.”
They entered the library together. Violet took a moment to close the door, reasoning that the other guests didn’t need to hear what was likely to be a rather contentious family discussion. She only realized that Edwin was standing with his father to the right of the fireplace when she turned around.
There was no opportunity to escape now. She would have to brazen it out, support Letty and Charlie, and pretend Edwin didn’t exist.
Her father was already huffing and puffing, his color high as he tugged at the folds of his cravat. “Well, this is most unexpected, most unexpected indeed!”
Viscount Sutton bowed stiffly. “It was something of a surprise to me as well, sir, but I believe my son wished to approach you while we were all present and before we left this gathering.” He paused. “I offer him my full support in this matter.”
Edwin bowed. “As do I.”
“So I see, but this is hardly the correct venue for a marriage proposal.”
Charlie took a step forward. “I understand that, sir, and I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances, but my feelings for your daughter, Letitia, cannot be ignored.”
“She is too young.” Mrs. DeLisle spoke up, her arm around Letty… who looked alarmingly pale. “I cannot bear to be separated from her yet.”
Violet almost rolled her eyes at her stepmother’s suddenly maternal emotions. Everyone in the room knew she expected Letty to marry a duke, and would do everything in her power to ensure Charlie was kept well away from her daughter.
Letty shook off her mother’s restraining arm and clasped her hands to her bosom. “Papa, I love him! I will never marry another man, I swear it!”
“There, there, poppet. There’s no need to fly into alt.”
Her father looked distinctively uncomfortable at Letty’s outburst. Because of his family history he’d never been at ease with excessive female emotions, and preferred to pretend they didn’t exist. In this instance, he couldn’t do that and was clearly wishing himself elsewhere.
Violet cleared her throat. “I also think this would be an excellent match for Letty.”
The look her father gave her was incredulous. “You do?”
“Yes. I’m sure you don’t wish for Letty to go off into a decline, or take to her bed, or cry all day, or suffer from a want of spirits.”
His face paled, as he no doubt recalled the fates of his two female relatives who had also been of somewhat volatile dispositions. It was probably unkind of Violet to use his fear against him, but she didn’t think anything else would persuade him to accept the match.
“There are other men, Letty. You are still very young.” He took his youngest daughter’s hand. “Perhaps—”
“No!” She tore free of him, her eyes bright with tears. “I will never love another. I swear it!”
A note of hysteria crept into her voice and Violet took a step toward her, handkerchief at the ready to deal with the expected storm of weeping.
But Charlie was faster. He strode to Letty’s side and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t get upset, my love.” He faced her father, his gaze steady. “I will take care of her, sir. I will protect her from everything.”
“Oh Charlie,” Letty stopped crying, rested her hand against his chest, and looked worshipfully up at his face. “You are so kind to me.”
Her father sighed and looked over at Viscount Sutton. “Perhaps we might speak of this again in London? If the match does go ahead, I’m certain my wife will insist on a long betrothal.”
“Indeed.” Her stepmother looked absolutely furious, which should have cheered Violet up, but she was rather too miserable to care. “Come, Letty. It’s time to make sure everything is packed for our departure.”
Letty ran to her father, went on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Papa. I am the happiest girl in England!”
“Letty. I am waiting.”
Letty reluctantly joined her mother, smiling shyly at Charlie who blew her a kiss.
Viscount Sutton went over to speak to her father and Violet let out her breath. She’d done what Charlie had asked her to do. Now all she had to do was work out how to survive the rest of her existence stuck at home with her stepmother, who would never forgive her for speaking up in Charlie’s defense.
Still ignoring Edwin, she started after her father, only to have Charlie block her path.
“Thank you, Vi. I don’t know what you said to make him change his mind, but it worked.”
He embraced her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“You’re welcome.” She disengaged herself from his arms. “Now I must go and pack my things.”
Behind them the door banged shut, making her jump.
“Good Lord!” Charlie exclaimed. “What happened?”
“Probably just a gust of wind. You know how drafty this castle can be.” Edwin, who had remained where he was in an attempt to catch Violet’s attention, went over to the door. “Let me try to open it.”
For some reason the door refused to yield, which meant that he, Charlie, and Violet were trapped together. He wouldn’t have minded if Charlie had been subtracted from the equation. He jiggled the latch again.
“It seems to be jammed.”
“Edwin…” Charlie whispered from behind him.
“What?”
“What’s that noise?”
He turned to see Charlie star
ing at the far wall, Violet beside him, her eyes huge.
Something or someone was wailing and… he went still. It sounded like chains were being dragged over the floor.
“Edwin!”
Even as he blinked something came through the wall, and the wailing grew louder.
“Woe is me! Death to my betrayers! Woe is me!”
“Don’t be afraid, Violet.”
Instinctively, Edwin moved to Violet’s side as the apparition limped toward them down the long line of the library. The specter was dressed in old-fashioned clothing and dragged a chain behind its manacled ankle.
“I’ve heard that the castle is haunted. Perhaps this is one of the ghosts,” Edwin said. He tried to sound calm even as the room grew cold, and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention.
Charlie’s teeth were chattering so loudly Edwin could hear them. Violet seemed remarkably at ease, considering what was approaching them.
“That’s right,” Charlie stuttered. “There was some talk about a ghost from Tudor times. This must be him. Look at his clothing!” He took a step backward. “Let’s get out of here!”
“We can’t. The door is jammed,” Edwin said quietly. “I’ll try to talk to it, and see what it wants.”
“It’s not an it, Edwin,” Violet interjected. “His name is Benedict Nankervis.”
Edwin spared her a startled glance. “How do you know that?”
“He told me.” She took a step forward. “Benedict? There is no need to do this anymore. I tried to find you last night and tell you the game was up.”
“Don’t talk to it, Vi!” Charlie hissed. “Tell it to go away.”
Violet frowned at them. “What’s wrong with you both? He’s just pretending to be a ghost so that he can scare you into doing something heroic, Charlie.”
“What? Vi, are you blind? He came through the wall!”
“He is employed by the Banfield family as an actor and playwright. It is obviously a trick.” She gestured at the far wall. “There’s probably a secret door set in the bookcases or something.”
