Lady In Disguise (The Langley Sisters)

by Vella, Wendy

  Leaning forward Will kissed her softly, their lips clinging and holding until he eased away leaving them both breathless. He then helped her from the carriage, his hands steadying her as she stumbled when her feet touched the ground.

  “Tomorrow, my love,” he added before climbing back inside.

  Minutes later Livvy stood at the edge of the path and watched Will’s carriage until it had gone from her sight. She shouldn’t feel the rush of joy at his words, it was wrong; they could have no future because of her cousin. Yet when he told her that she was now his, Livvy had wanted to yell that he was now hers too.

  “I saw that kiss, Olivia Langley!”

  “Hello, Bella,” Livvy said to the youngest Langley who was waiting inside the front door as she arrived. “Have you had a nice time since I was away?”

  “Yes, Jenny’s sister Helen is such fun.”

  “Well, now that you have greeted me perhaps we could step inside and close the front door so all the heat does not escape.”

  “Luke told me the weather was terrible in London and he was glad to be out of it when I enquired after his trip. He seems to be continually cross at the moment and I’m not sure why, Livvy.”

  “He’s been away for five years, Bella, I should imagine it will take time for him to adjust,” Livvy stated, stomping her feet on the mat.

  “Perhaps you’re right, and now I want to know why Lord Ryder was kissing you.”

  “Leave it be, Miss Bella, your sister should be allowed her secrets,” Jenny said arriving in the hallway in time to shut the door.

  Livvy looked at Phoebe and they shared a nod. They had both decided to tell Jenny and Bella everything; there would be no more secrets between them.

  “Will you and Bella come into the parlour, Jenny? Phoebe and I have some things we need to discuss with you both.”

  They were soon all settled in the chairs and Phoebe handed out the gifts to

  oohs and ahhs of delight and then the copy of ‘La Belle Assemblée’ was produced which actually got a round of applause. Livvy did not want to dampen the excited mood but knew what she had to say could not wait because she would probably run out of courage.

  “I need to tell you both something, and it is not pleasant, however both Phoebe and I believe you should hear it.”

  Phoebe sat on the arm of Bella’s chair in case their little sister should need her support.

  “What is it, Livvy, you look so serious?”

  “It is serious, Bella.”

  She nodded but said nothing further.

  Livvy started with the death of their father and how he had taken his life.

  “Poor Papa, he never was the same after Mother died,” Bella said when Livvy had finished.

  “Are you not angry with him, Bella? I was furious knowing he had left us alone with no support, especially after you also suffered in the accident,” Phoebe said.

  “I’m angry that you shouldered this alone, Livvy, and sad that he did not think to leave us with financial support, but I saw how he withdrew without Mother. His mind was not the same after her death and he left us long before he took his life. We have memories of what he meant to us and those are the ones I will hold on to.”

  Livvy had misjudged Bella as she had Phoebe; the youngest Langley was a lot tougher than she appeared.

  “But there is more isn’t there, Livvy?”

  Nodding, Livvy told the rest of her story explaining about her visit to their cousin and his blackmail threats.

  “Why that scoundrel! How dare he treat you that way when we welcomed him here and I made him my special bread and butter pudding?”

  Livvy had to laugh when Jenny jumped to her feet, indignation and fury evident in every quivering inch of her ample body. “I escaped before he could do me any permanent damage, Jenny, and left him with a swollen jaw and a large bite mark on his hand.”

  “What shall we do, Livvy?”

  “Run, Bella. Run as far as necessary, because there is no way I will ever let that man touch any of us again,” Livvy stated. “If he is to blacken our names then he can do so, but we will not be here to listen to it. I am saddened that the good man our father was will be forgotten but there is nothing we can do to change what will inevitably happen when Lord Langley starts his campaign to discredit us.”

  “Livvy and I sent Lord Langley a note before leaving London, and told him we would welcome his intentions and asked that he visit in January instead of December, therefore we have a bit of time before we need to flee,” Phoebe said.

  “That is if he believes us, Phoebe, and is not harboring a deep anger over my treatment of him.”

  “He will believe it, Livvy,” Bella said. “He believes he has us trapped, furthermore we are women without means, what could we possibly do but yield to his demands.”

  “Exactly what I said,” Phoebe said with a smug look on her face.

  “However if anyone can think of another plan we are open to all suggestions,” Livvy added, thinking of leaving Will and how much it would hurt.

  They all spoke at once, questions were asked and answered and then Jenny said. “I say we kidnap him and send him on a long voyage. My cousin could organize that if we had enough money. He has his own boat which he smuggles goods from France to England on, I’m sure he would be able to take Lord Langley on a long journey somewhere.”

  The Langley sisters looked at Jenny, all wearing differing expressions. Livvy was thinking, Phoebe was in awe and Bella was nodding.

  “What kind of goods does he smuggle?” Phoebe questioned, looking more interested than she should.

  “It matters not what he smuggles just that he can help us if we need him,” Jenny said, giving Phoebe a look that indicated she was not happy discussing her nefarious cousin any more than was necessary.

  Bella clapped her hands together. “I like the idea of that vile man being at the mercy of a wicked ship’s captain.”

  “We don’t have enough money surely?” Livvy said, hardly daring to believe she was considering Jenny’s words seriously. “And what if he returns?”

  “When he is gone then we do to him what he was to do to us, we start spreading stories around about him, blackening his name so that by the time he returns no one will believe a word he says,” Bella said with a calculating look on her face.

  “It may just work,” Phoebe said, looking out the window. “It has not snowed for a few days here by the looks of things and that means the roads will be passable by horseback. If we go out for a couple of nights this close to Christmas we should be able to steal enough money to pay for his long voyage.”

  “I can’t believe I’m considering this,” Livvy whispered, feeling hope flutter inside her. “It is surely too farfetched and we have no hope of pulling it off.”

  “Dire times call for dire actions, sister,” Phoebe stated.

  “We do need more money for whatever we choose to do,” Livvy agreed. “For now we will concentrate of obtaining that before deciding upon the drastic step of kidnapping a peer. And what if we fail,” she warned. “He could have us clapped in irons.

  “We will not need to worry about his return because you will have married Lord Ryder by then and we shall be protected by both him and Duke.” Bella’s face held a sly smile.

  Livvy ignored the words, although she could not stop the swell of excitement in her chest at the possibility of marrying Will. Dared she hope?

  ***

  Will wandered aimlessly along the lower floor of Rossetter. He had been back

  for several hours and was due to look at the property that Freddy had found for him nearby, however he was feeling less than enthusiastic about the prospect and of course that was due to a certain cinnamon-eyed woman. His thoughts were consumed with Livvy and how she had felt in his arms, the rightness of sharing his life with her. Never had he wanted a woman with such an all-consuming need. She was in his blood and he knew she would be there until he drew his last breath. He needed her to trust him, tell him what trouble
d her, but he was damned if he knew how to do that.

  “’ill!”

  Looking up at that shriek he found Joseph approaching with his son riding on his shoulders.

  “You seem preoccupied, brother. Care to join my rascal and me in the conservatory where you can unburden your soul while he plays?”

  Will didn’t unburden to people, he kept his secrets and thoughts close to his chest, yet wasn’t that part of what had driven him and his brother apart, his inability to share his thoughts and troubles? Joe was also a wise man who would not pass judgment unless it was required.

  “Lead on, your Grace,” he said, realizing he wanted to talk about Livvy to someone who understood how to love.

  The conservatory was to the rear of Rossetter and comprised of a long curved glass entranceway that opened into a huge round room with more widows that looked over the pasture and hills beyond. It housed hundreds of varieties of plants Will had never known the names of, and Greek statues. A raised fountain housed fish and was an instant attraction to Billy, who squealed and pulled his father’s hair as they drew near.

  “Hideous brat,” Joseph said fondly as he lowered his son into his arms and let him look into the water.

  The windows, even on a cold day, kept the room at a nice temperature and

  Will wandered slowly around the room touching leaves and smelling flowers and trying to remember the names of the statues as he and his siblings had when they were children and found themselves in here.

  “Aphrodite, Athena and Zeus,” he said.

  “Poseidon,” Joseph said, pointing to one tucked behind a large leafy plant.

  “Hera and Ares,” he then added, pointing to another two statues.

  “I always felt sorry for Hera being stuck next to Ares.

  “Why,” Joseph said, trying to stop his son from plunging head first into the water.

  “Firstly because she is Zeus’s wife and he’s off romping with the goddesses of love and wisdom and secondly because she is the queen of marriage, women and that sort of thing and is next to the god of war,” Will said, studying the statues before him.

  “Perhaps she’s enjoying the change,” Joseph said, lowering himself onto the seat beside Hera and Ares.

  “I think that’s highly unlikely as Ares would be spending most of his time off battling foes,” Will said, joining him.

  “And your point is?”

  “True,” Will grunted, stretching his legs out before him.

  “So how was your trip to London?”

  “Brief, successful, and frustrating.”

  “Come here, Billy and I will remove your mittens if you don’t tell your mother.”

  Eager to shred leaves and play in the dirt, the little boy came to his father instantly to have this hands freed.

  “Start with the successful,” Joseph said, pocketing the mittens.

  The brothers discussed warehouses and ships and the town house Will had purchased for some time, and slowly he began to relax as Billy dashed around the room returning every few minutes with another gift that he handed either Will or Joseph. So far they had flowers, leaves and a small pebble.

  “If there’s any insects prepare yourself, he loves them and they are the highest form of offering he can give a person.”

  “Excellent,” Will said. “I shall hope that particular delight eludes him then.”

  “Now tell me of the frustration, brother.”

  Blowing out a loud breath Will thought about what he would say and then simply started with, “I think I’ve found the woman I want to marry, Joe.”

  “Olivia Langley.”

  “Yes.” He was not surprised his brother had guessed.

  Opening his arms Joseph caught his son as he ran to him and Will realized he wanted to do that to his own children, his and Livvy’s children. He wondered if they would have red-gold locks like their mother.

  “Why is loving Olivia Langley frustrating?”

  “I didn’t say I loved her,” Will clarified. “Just that I want to marry her.”

  Ignoring his brother’s snort he continued. “Something is very wrong in that household, Joe. Freddy and I encountered Phoebe and Livvy in Damply waiting for the stage to London.”

  “What! I hope you bloody well took them yourself. Christ, it doesn’t bear thinking about all the things that could have happened to two woman alone on a stage coach to London.” Joseph shuddered.

  “After a heated debate with Olivia I managed to convince her that my carriage was her only option.”

  Joseph laughed. “I can imagine that debate, Olivia Langley is not a lady who would willingly take a backward step.”

  She wasn’t and that was just something else he liked about her. Livvy would never let him have everything his own way.

  “’ill,” Billy said, reaching for his uncle. Hefting the boy into his lap he was then rewarded with a throaty little chuckle as the boy held out something wriggly for him to inspect.

  “Delightful,” he said, taking the offering and hefting it over his shoulder while the boy wasn’t looking. Yawing loudly, Billy stretched his legs onto his father’s lap and settled his body into Will’s arms.

  “Freddy said that the Langleys only have one servant and that when he walked through the house many of the paintings have been removed because he could see the darker patches of paint left behind.

  “If they are indeed struggling they have hidden it well, because when Penny and I visited them at Thea’s prompting everything appeared the same as it always had.”

  “Something’s wrong, Joe,” Will said, running his fingers through his nephews soft locks. “Livvy was happy enough when we reached London. I took them around the warehouses and gave them gifts and hot chocolate and then I left for a few hours to go to an appointment. When I returned everything had changed. Both she and Phoebe had been crying and told me they had to return home immediately.

  “Who had they seen in that time?”

  “Their cousin, Lord Langley.”

  “Sniveling little weasel. I never liked that man. However, I saw no indication that he was not supporting his cousins as he should so Penny and I did not interfere. You believe otherwise, don’t you?” Joseph looked at his brother.

  “Yes, and Freddy is now digging as deep as he needs to, to find anything that may indicate what I suspect.”

  They brothers were silent, both looking at Billy who had pushed his dirty face into Will’s jacket and was now snuffling happily in his sleep.

  “I never thought much of children before him, you know. But he tugged at my heart from the first glance.”

  “It’s because you share blood, makes things more complicated,” Joseph said. stroking his son’s soft cheek. “When he was born I cried like an infant and vowed from that day onwards to love and cherish him, even when he hands me worms.”

  Will sighed. “Love is a painful uncomfortable thing, brother, and I’m not sure if I’m up for the challenge.”

  “Too late,” the Duke drawled with a smug expression on his face. “I was thinking…” he then added.

  “I’m shuddering.”

  “Christmas Eve is soon and we should invite the Langleys to join us for the burning of the Yule log and you could then coerce Olivia under the mistletoe after I have coerced Penny.”

  I think that is a very sound notion, brother, get Thea to invite them, they won’t refuse her.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Are you not wishing to tie us up and take our jewelry too?”

  “No, we just want your coins thank you, Madam, now please return to your carriage,” Livvy said.

  “But surely you need to search my sister and I to ensure we are not concealing anything of value,” the woman persisted.

  The Langley sisters had been surprised when the two elderly ladies had stepped from the carriage they had pulled over. Neither of them had swooned or cried, in fact they appeared delighted with the turn of events. One had dived back into the carriage, returning with a large velvet
pouch carrying a substantial amount of money if the size was any indication of what it held.

  “We carry this in our carriage for just such an occasion,” the woman had then said before throwing it at Livvy. “Your need is obviously greater than ours.”

  “We have no wish to inconvenience you further, ladies, our purpose was to gather money to feed our family, nothing more,” Livvy said, feeling the need to explain in the face of such generosity.

  “Oh well in that case we insist you take some of our jewelry, don’t we Hester,” the woman said, beginning to remove her necklace.

  “Dear God,” Livvy whispered, her horror turning to laughter as the second lady started doing the same.

  “Ladies, please! We have no wish to take your jewels and really must insist you return to your carriage. I would hate for you to get overly cold on such a night.” Livvy could hear the tinge of desperation in her words as she struggled to stop laughing. Beside her Phoebe was making noises behind her hand.

  “Such a lovely thing to say, Hester, don’t you think?” one of the ladies said, looking at Livvy once more.

  “Lovely,” Hester agreed.

  “I have a gun pointed at you, my lady.” Livvy felt she had to point out the obvious.

  “Yes, but I’m a good judge of character, young man, and desperation is the only thing making you do this, therefore we will not hold it against you,” the woman said, turning towards the carriage.

  “Are you sure you don’t want a necklace or two? They’re quite valuable I believe,” Hester said.

  “Positive but thank you again for your generosity and allow me to apologize to you for any inconvenience,” Livvy said, knowing that neither Jenny nor Bella would believe them when they recounted tonight’s events. She hardly believed them herself.

  It was as the women finally closed the carriage door that Livvy looked at the trees beyond and saw the man watching them from horseback.