Verity

by Liese Anning

  'Anyway, I agree with Charlotte. I think that Caro would make you an excellent wife. She is pretty and would bring to your marriage a substantial dowry. You could marry her, and she would allow you to conduct your affairs without interference. The young lady you have chosen, would not make a suitable wife.' Lord Wrexham looked over to Verity and scowled at her, 'I have heard some unsavoury gossip about her family. She is a scandal waiting to happen. Our dear mama would be horrified if only half the stories, I have heard about her family, are true.'

  'What had you heard?' James snapped.

  'Her brother is a gambler, and on the road to ruin, and her sister... well, that is the best of all. Did you know that she is an infamous whore at Ellington’s club?’

  'And,’ his brother continued as he waited for an answer, ‘it is only a matter of time before everyone finds out.'

  Lord Wrexham smiled in triumph. He knew that his brother, who stiffly stood next to him expressionless, was, in fact, seething with anger. 'I will not tell anyone. But be warned, it will all come out eventually, and our family name will not be able to protect you.'

  James turned around and left his brother. The conversation he had just had with him had taken him by surprise. Although in the past, the two brothers had never been close, the Earl had always supported him and took an active interest in his military career. His brother was the only member of his family that had not criticised his marriage to Isabella. James had always thought that his brother would have continued to support him in the choices he made for his life. He never imagined that he would let his wife control his future.

  After the performances were over, the guests began to mingle, and the murmur of conversation once again filled the room. James then sort out an opportunity to speak with Verity once more. He managed, at last, to get her alone. 'How is my brother?' Verity asked.

  'Staying out of trouble,' James answered, 'he is delivering messages for me, and I keep him very busy.'

  Verity smiled, 'Thank you,' she said gratefully, 'for everything you have done to help him.'

  There was a pause in the conversation, 'he has the makings of an excellent officer,' James said at last.

  'Did you find out anything about Cassie?' she said, trying to smile.

  He nodded, 'yes,' he said, 'she is still there, but hopefully not for much longer.'

  Verity sighed, 'again; I must thank you.'

  'Do the Harrington's know about your sister?'

  'I do not think so,' she said, looking at him intently. 'I told them that she died last year. They seemed to be satisfied with my answer. Why do you ask?'

  'Be careful,' he said as a warning, 'my brother knows about her. And rest assured, if he knows, others will know too.'

  ✽✽✽

  Lady Caroline was used to getting her own way. She was the only daughter of the Duke of Hittlisleigh, and, consequently, was the apple of his eye. Her mother had died just after her birth, and, the Duke, who had dearly loved his wife, had never remarried. From an early age, she had been the mistress of her father's large estate. The Duke, her father, would grant her every request, however absurd or unreasonable they may have first appeared. The servants knew that one negative word from Lady Caroline could result in them losing their precious position. Over the years, she had dispatched several governesses, who had tried to instil any discipline into their uncontrollable ward. However, when the Duke looked at his daughter, he saw his perfect, beautiful little girl, not the spoilt young woman, who was used to getting her own way. But tonight, the Duke saw her as others did and it did not sit well with him.

  That evening, at Lady Marlow's soirée, he had carefully observed his daughter's behaviour and concluded that something was very wrong. When they had first arrived in Brussels, he had been only too glad when Lady Wrexham had taken his daughter under her wing. But after tonight, he was beginning to doubt whether that had been a good idea. He was worried that she was becoming too much under the older woman's influence.

  Once they had arrived back home, he knew that he needed to talk to his daughter. 'Caro, my dear,' the Duke said firmly, 'please can I have a quiet word with you in my study.'

  'Of course, papa,' she replied, as she followed him across the grand entrance hall into his large study.

  Once they were inside, he offered her a chair by the fire. Lady Caroline had only been in her father's study on a few occasions. Therefore, she knew he must be wanting a serious talk with her. She sat nervously and waited for her father to address her.

  'My dear Caro,' he said, at last, 'I am aware that it is late, but I must talk to you.'

  'What is it, papa?' Lady Caro asked curiously.

  'Why do you want to marry Colonel Mitford?' he asked, and after receiving no immediate reply, he continued, 'is it Lady Wrexham's idea?'

  The question took her by surprise, 'I do not know what you mean?' she answered innocently, 'Lady Wrexham is just a good friend...'

  'My dear,' he said, showing that he was a little out of patience with his daughter, 'do not play games with me. I have been watching you tonight, and it is evident, to anyone with any sense, that you and Lady Wrexham are in league with each other.'

  'He is a good marital prospect,' she answered, a little taken aback by her father's unexpected harsh words, 'he may be a younger son, but he comes from a good family.'

  'Caro,' he answered with a sigh, 'that is all true, but you could do so much better for yourself. Do not make up your mind, until we return to London. Next season, I could get you a titled gentleman for a husband. One with land and prospects. Do not let Lady Wrexham control your future.'

  'Please do not concern yourself with Lady Wrexham,' she said to him, sitting up with her back straight, 'believe me, she is of no consequence to me.'

  'Then why are you following her around like a lapdog?' he said in frustration.

  Lady Caroline said nothing; she just stared at the fire.

  The Duke, knowing his daughter well, sensed her unease. He suddenly felt a weight in the pit of his stomach as he began to suspect his daughter's motives for her friendship with Lady Wrexham. 'Are you in the same trouble as you were in last year?' he said softly, trying not to show any agitation.

  Lady Caro nodded, 'yes papa,' she whispered, apprehensive of his reply.

  'You little fool,' he said, almost to himself. There was then a protracted silence. This was not the first time he had had to bail out his daughter from this type of indiscretion. He had known for some time that his daughter was no innocent, but he had thought she had learnt her lesson from the last incident that so very nearly ended in her disgrace. 'Who is the father? I hope, this time, it is not one of the servants.'

  'No papa,' she answered with a smile, 'the father is a nobleman.'

  'Why can he not marry you? That would at least save the scandal.'

  'He cannot,' she answered in a whisper.

  'Is he already married?' the Duke said, looking at his daughter sadly.

  Lady Caroline nodded, 'yes, yes he is.'

  'Does he know?'

  'Yes,' she said confidently, holding her head up high, 'he was the one that suggested I married Colonel Mitford.'

  'Ah!' he said with a sigh. The heavyweight in the pit of his stomach was still there as he was beginning to understand the serious nature of his daughter's indiscretion. 'It is his brother, Lord Wrexham. He is the father, is he not?'

  'Yes,' she said forcefully, 'and we love each other. He wants me to have the child, and, if it is a son, it will be his heir. He has been married for eight years, and Charlotte has not yet presented him with a child. This would be a perfect solution for this problem.'

  'But, my dear, what if the child is not a boy?'

  'There will be other opportunities?'

  'I do hope you know what you are doing,' her father said cautiously, 'you are playing a very dangerous game.'

  'But, we love each other,' she said in reply.

  'Young fool,' he said, with a sigh, 'do you not know that Wrexham only loves hims
elf. I am afraid, my dear, that you will live to regret this. If Lady Wrexham finds out...'

  'Charlotte is a fool,' Lady Caroline said in disgust, 'she has no idea about the affair.'

  'For your sake, I hope she never finds out,' her father replied, 'she can be vindictive, and, when all is said and done, Charlotte is his wife.'

  'When will the child be born?' her father asked, after another silence.

  'December,' she answered.

  'Ah,' replied her father, 'that does not give us long.' He got out of his seat and paced back and forth across the room. Eventually, he turned to his daughter, 'leave everything to me. I will make certain Mitford comes up to scratch. But, Caro, I am warning you, once I have set the wheels in motion, it will be impossible for you to change your mind.'

  'I know Papa, but I love Wrexham.'

  The Duke sighed once more and then said affectionately to his daughter. 'Marriage to Mitford is not your only option. You could go back to Aunt Matilda, in Scotland, and spend your confinement with her. The same family could adopt the child as before. Then next season, once you have recovered, we can find you a suitable husband. No one would be any the wiser.'

  'No papa, I am never returning to that cold, desolate place, with that miserable, judgmental woman. No, I have made up my mind,' she said slowly, 'I want to marry and stay close to Lord Wrexham.'

  'I will do as you ask, my child,' he said affectionately, 'but, you cannot change your mind, and once you are married, if you are unhappy, I will be unable to help you.'

  The old Duke watched his daughter leave the room and was full of regret. Perhaps he should have remarried and provided Caro with the mother figure a young girl so desperately required. Someone who could have guided her steps and provided strict discipline when it was needed. He felt very alone. Perhaps that is what he should do once his daughter was no longer his responsibility. Find a young bride, who would bear him more children, and then he could try and right the wrongs of his past.

  Chapter 22

  The next morning, after the soirée at the Marlow's, James left Brussels. He had been called away, by the Duke, to assess the situation on the border with France. It was far worse than he had first feared. The French had almost closed the border, by stationing troops on all the major roads leading into Belgium. James shook his head. Should it happen, the allies were shockingly underprepared for any French advance.

  After the war in Spain, the British had sent a large proportion of its experienced army to fight the war in America. This left them woefully under-resourced at a time when they needed, more than ever, their seasoned campaigners. Not only were they going to have to rely on raw recruits, untested in battle; they were also going to have to make uneasy alliances with other countries, including the Dutch and Prussians. But, if anyone could organise this infamous army, it was Wellington.

  James had decided to take Stanford with him. Stanford, over the past few weeks, had proved to be invaluable. He trusted him to carry out his orders to the letter, and he knew how to hold his tongue. He had shown James that he was not a young man, who was prone to gossip with his fellow officers. If he stayed away from trouble, James was confident he would eventually make an excellent officer.

  After nearly a week, they arrived back in Brussels late in the afternoon. After reporting back, the unsettling news to headquarters, he returned to his rooms to prepare for a ball at his brother's residence. He had hoped that his business would have given him an excuse not to attend, but he had arrived back earlier than he expected, and Wellington had expressly asked him to attend. Only the possibility of seeing Verity again made the thought of spending an evening at a society function a little more bearable.

  'You will come with me tonight,' James said to Stanford, 'it will do you good to learn how to conduct yourself in society.'

  'Yes, sir,' Stanford replied.

  'Remember to wear your dress uniform. And, you must always be on your best behaviour. When people realise that you work in close collaboration with me, they will start asking you questions about the French. At all times, politely plead ignorance.'

  'Yes, sir,' he replied to his superior officer.

  'I expect you to engage both the ladies and gentlemen present, with a polite nondescript conversation about the situation outside Brussels.'

  'Yes, sir,' he replied.

  'I expect you to dance with the young ladies,' he said, raising his eyebrows, 'and I do not want to hear reports of you sneaking them away to dark corners to make love to them.'

  Stanford's lips twitched with a smile, 'yes, sir,' he said, 'I will dance with the ladies.' He paused, before answering, 'and no sir, I will not be caught making love to them.'

  James smiled and then said, 'and Stanford, one more thing,'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'Stay out of trouble,' James added as he waved him away.

  'Of course, sir. I will be on my best behaviour,’ Stanford said mischievously.

  'That is what I am worried about,' he said with a grin, 'now go and get ready. I will meet you here at nine.'

  Later that evening James entered his brother's glittering ballroom. As soon as Lady Wrexham had seen him, she made her way over to him. She was an attractive young woman of five and twenty, who always dressed in the latest London fashions. Tonight, she looked resplendent in a dark red silk dress, that revealed a little too much of her décolletage. The Wrexham diamonds that had been passed down generations of countesses sparkled brightly around her neck. All the other young ladies looked at her with a twinge of jealousy.

  'James,' she said, in a shrill voice, 'I am so glad you came. We have been worried about you.'

  'As you can see, Charlotte, I am alive and well,' he said, trying to sound polite.

  She looked over to the handsome young man standing next to him. 'Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?'

  'Of course, Charlotte,' he said as he turned towards Stanford, 'this is Sir Reginald Stanford.'

  After the introduction, Stanford politely bowed to Lady Wrexham. Stanford, even though he was still very young, too young to be at a ball, looked every inch the gentleman standing in Lady Wrexham's ballroom. He was tall and very handsome, dressed in his blue and gold regimental dress uniform of the 7th.

  Lady Wrexham was a little taken aback at the familiar name. 'Stanford? Did you say?'

  'Yes, my lady,' he replied with a smile.

  'Are you a relation of Miss Verity Stanford?' Lady Wrexham said curiously.

  James replied, 'yes. Sir Reginald is her brother.'

  'I did not know that Miss Stanford had a brother,' she then added, 'she kept that very quiet.' There was an awkward silence between them, until she, at last, said politely, 'Sir Reginald, you are very welcome. Come with me, and I will introduce you to the young ladies. They will be queuing up to dance with you. And I hope that you will not disappoint them.'

  After Stanford had been swept away by Lady Wrexham, James made his way across the ballroom. He looked back towards Stanford and was rather amused to see the young man surrounded by a group of young ladies, all of them competing for his attention. Stanford was naturally sociable and had the gift of being able to engage with anyone. The young women, who were all looking up at him with adoration, were delighted with their new acquaintance, and crowded around him, hoping that he would promise them all a dance.

  James left him and walked across the ballroom, mingling with the other guests as he went, and answering their usual questions about the possibility of war. As he engaged various parties in polite conversation, he looked around the ballroom hoping for a glimpse of Verity. He had not seen her since the soirée at Lady Marlow's, and he was desperate to talk to her again.

  He spotted Lord Harrington from a distance and made his way, across the crowded room, towards him. 'Good evening, my Lord,' he said, politely, once he had eventually reached his side. After they had exchanged pleasantries, James asked after his wife, ultimately hoping for news of Verity.

  'I’m afraid Lavinia is n
ot well. She was going to come this evening, but unfortunately, she succumbed to one of her headaches. Poor old girl. Once they start, she can have them for days. She must lie in a darkened room until they pass. And, it is not like her to lie down during the day. Not like her at all.'

  'And Miss Stanford?' he asked curiously, 'I brought her brother with me tonight. I thought she would like to talk to him.'

  Lord Harrington gave him a knowing smile, 'I am afraid she stayed at home with Lavinia. I did try and persuade her to come with me, but she would not.'

  James was disappointed not to meet Verity. He wanted to show her the improvement in her brother's behaviour. James had never broached, with Stanford, the subject of his sister. But, he thought that if the siblings were to talk under more normal circumstances, they would be able to begin to repair their shattered relationship. Over the past weeks, Stanford had matured. He had taken his responsibilities, which had been thrust upon him, very seriously. And James was now confident that the young man would start to treat his sister with the respect she deserved.

  Once the conversation with Lord Harrington had drawn to a close, his brother approached him. 'Good evening, James,' Lord Wrexham said, looking around the room, 'let me get you a drink. I know where the host keeps his best whisky.'

  James nodded and followed his brother into the library and sat down on a comfortable leather chair. His brother gave him a large glass of whisky and sat opposite, stretching his legs out in front of him. 'Any news from France?'

  James smiled as he was asked the familiar question. 'No, Tristan,' he replied, 'nothing.'