by Tracy Kay
Joselyn half-listened to the conversation between Marshall and Stephen about the acting of the boring play she was being forced to attend. She was more interested in the audience Madeline was attracting. As soon as one lord or lady left Madeline’s side another took his or her place. At present, Lord Fuls had rudely interrupted Madeline’s exchange with Lady Worth, pushing the poor woman out of his way.
“Lady Madeline, I desperately need to speak to you,” Lord Fuls implored. “Lord Bryn is being stubborn about a piece of land I want to sell him which is connected to one of his estates. You need to convince him to buy it.”
“Lord Bryn is not interested in buying land, Lord Fuls,” Madeline patiently told the aging earl, quickly solving his problem. “His assets are tied up in other investments; however, Sir Waverly is searching for a small piece of land. I am sure he would be interested.”
“Sir Waverly, you say?” He paused for a moment then nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, yes, I think he will do. Thank you, Lady Madeline.” He briefly grasped her gloved hand before rushing away.
Nicholas chuckled at the departing man and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Evelyn Montgomery approached Madeline and begged for a private word. Madeline excused herself and guided Lady Evelyn onto a red, velvet settee in a private corner of the lobby.
Distraught, Lady Evelyn grasped Madeline’s hands, swiveled her head around to see if anyone was in hearing distance and whispered, “Lady Madeline, you must help me. Prudence was compromised and must be married off quickly and quietly. I don’t know what to do. The man in question simply refuses to marry her. My husband was the one who handled this sort of thing, not me,” Lady Evelyn rambled. “Oh, why did Harold have to die before my daughters were married off?” Lady Evelyn was still grieving the loss of her husband. Harold Montgomery had been an earl of good standing and good judgment. Evelyn had left all the decisions to him, but now that he was gone and she had no male relation to rely on, she was having difficulty adjusting and raising their four daughters, all of which were approaching marrying age.
“Lady Evelyn, calm down,” Madeline ordered. “Prudence is not the first girl to find herself in this situation. Tell me who compromised her. Perhaps we can convince him to marry her.”
“Lord Graives.”
“Oh, dear.” Madeline winced. “He won’t do at all. You cannot have Prudence marry him, Lady Evelyn. Lord Graives is disreputable at best, and he has a fierce temper when provoked. Prudence would not deal well with him at all.” Prudence was a shy, sensitive, young girl, barely seventeen, and Garner Collins, Earl of Graives, her friend Corinna’s brother, was a man rumored for his outlandish affairs with women and men alike. No, Madeline thought, he would not do for Prudence Montgomery.
“Then who? Her reputation has been destroyed and no one is going to want to marry her,” Evelyn bemoaned.
“Lady Evelyn, it may not be necessary to marry her off right away. I think you should wait to see if there is a child first, that is if she was compromised to that extent.” Madeline ignored the woman’s gasp of shock. “Actually, I am surprised it was Lord Graives. From my understanding, he makes a point of staying away from young girls. Perhaps it was an innocent encounter, a misunderstanding? Who saw Prudence compromised?”
“Lord Reigns, the old reprobate. By next week, everyone will know.” Geoffrey Carlton, Earl of Reigns, an elderly man with a lot of time on his hands and very little to do, loved gossiping and could not resist spreading tidbits that would destroy young debutantes.
“No, they won’t,” Madeline reassured her. “I will have a talk with Lord Reigns and find out what he observed. He owes me a favor and I will make him see that it would be in his best interest not to mention Prudence’s little indiscretion, if there was an indiscretion. Lord Reigns has a way of exaggerating what he thinks he sees.”
“I thank you for that Lady Madeline, but she could still be ruined, and what decent man would want her now?”
“Lady Evelyn, I know several men who would overlook this. Her beauty and her wealth far outweigh her innocence.”
“But if there is a child?”
“Then we deal with it and have her marry. I think Samuel Malany would make a good husband for her. He has been searching for a wife this past year, but hasn’t decided on anyone,” Madeline suggested.
“Oh, I don’t know, Madeline. The Malanys are a good family, but Lord Samuel is only the fourth son. I don’t want Prudence to marry beneath her.”
Samuel Malany was not beneath Prudence, and they would make a very good match. Madeline was now vexed with the woman, but offered her another option. “Prudence has choices, but they are limited given her situation. Lord Samuel will excuse her lack of innocence if that is the case, and he will not hold it against her, but if he is not good enough for you, you may try Sir Brent Wright. Sir Wright is not as wealthy or as titled as Lord Samuel, but he is a good man and will deal well with Prudence.”
“Will they both forgive a child?” Evelyn inquired, fearful of having her daughter raise a bastard child.
“I believe so and I suggest being honest with both men. Lying is not a good start for a marriage, particularly with these two men,” Madeline answered.
“Will you contact them for me, Lady Madeline, and tell them the situation? This is all very embarrassing.” Evelyn turned red in shame.
“Yes, but only after you learn of Prudence’s condition and if she was really compromised. There is no reason why she should be married off right away if she doesn’t have to be or create an unnecessary scandal.”
“I will let you know, and Lady Madeline, thank you very much for your help.” Evelyn grasped her hands and kissed her check.
“You are welcome, Lady Evelyn.” Madeline stood and left the distraught woman to herself. Madeline sighed. She liked Prudence. She was a nice girl, but she was easily influenced. It was no surprise to Madeline that she had been compromised in her first season, and with Lord Graives no less, she thought to herself shaking her head.
“You are very popular tonight,” Nicholas commented as she rejoined him and the others of her party.
“So it seems.” She brushed a stray lock of hair off her face tiredly. “Nicholas?”
“Yes, Maddy?” Nicholas studied her questioningly, noticing that she was flushed.
“Would Lord Graives have an interest in Prudence Montgomery?”
Nicholas grimaced at her in puzzlement. It was not what he had expected her to say. “Highly unlikely. Lady Prudence is a bit too young and innocent for his tastes. Why do you ask? No, wait, please, don’t tell me you are interested in him? Honey, he is a confirmed bachelor, although he is a suitable match for you, I don’t think you would do well with him. He can be . . . temperamental.” Nicholas hoped she hadn’t set her cap for Lord Graives. Although an acquaintance of his, he wasn’t sure he wanted his spirited sister to marry him.
Madeline put a placating hand on her brother’s arm to calm him. “Nicholas, I am not interested in Lord Graives. I can tolerate him as a family friend, but not as a husband. Besides, Brandon would never approve of such a match. I am only asking because Lord Reigns claims to have seen Lady Prudence and Lord Graives in a compromising position and Lady Evelyn is afraid her daughter is now ruined.
“Ah well, that is unlikely, but I will speak to Graives. I am certain he will sort it all out.” Nicholas patted her hand on his arm, relieved Madeline wasn’t interested in Graives, but now that the idea was out there, perhaps Graives would be a match for his sister. It was certainly something for him to consider.
“Thank you, Nicholas,” she replied wearily as Nicholas returned his attention back to Stephen. At times, it became a nuisance dealing with other people’s dilemmas.
Every now and again, Madeline wished she could attend a function without someone seeking her for counsel or to mend a problem. People had asked for her advice long before her first season. At first it was mostly her friends and their siblings, and then her friends’ mothers a
nd fathers, and eventually people she hardly knew started seeking her advice. They trusted her with their secrets, which she kept and never did she spread gossip unless it was well deserved.
Madeline was fifteen when she had her coming out and she had become popular at court. She had received so many invitations she couldn’t possibly attend them all. By the end of her first season, if she hadn’t attended a gathering, the function was considered a failure.
Now seven years later, Madeline was more powerful and sought after than her mother, the duchess. It was a responsibility she had never expected, neither had she anticipated her mother’s jealousy and resentment. Her mother, Elizabeth, had wanted Madeline married her first season out, but her brother wouldn’t allow it. Brandon had turned all her male callers away that first season and continues to refuse any proposal of marriage. Although she has fewer marriage proposals than before, she could receive up to twenty male callers a day and many times she had to turn them away. She knew after a third season, a lady was considered a failure if she hadn’t married, but for some reason she had avoided that stigma.
Elizabeth would rather see Madeline married and out of her way, but she believed the matter to be hopeless and claimed Madeline was a spinster. In an attempt to keep Madeline busy and out of society, her mother had handed over to Madeline all her duties of managing the household and staff of their country estates and the London manor house, anticipating Madeline would fall out of the ton’s favor, and freeing Elizabeth to travel and focus on her social activities. However, all she accomplished was eliminating her own duties. Madeline didn’t mind the extra duties as it allowed her to work with her brother, Brandon, helping to create a closer bond with him. Actually, she enjoyed it, and even though she was kept busy, she still had plenty of time for her social obligations and activities.
Over the past few years, Madeline had collected many secrets and many favors. She was well known, well respected, and a little feared. It was a constant irritation to her mother that Madeline had more influence than she did. Madeline supposed it was one of the reasons why they rarely got along or spoke to one another. Her mother wasn’t alone in her feelings. There were many people who resented her, even as they sought her out. She was not well loved by all; this she knew, but her family and her close friends did love her and that was all that counted in her opinion.
Madeline sighed and wiped her forehead with her lace handkerchief. It was awfully hot in the lobby and she wished she could get a breath of fresh air. As she put her handkerchief back into her ridicule, she had the feeling that someone was watching her, again. She first had the feeling after they had been seated, but she had shrugged it off when a more predominate feeling of ill ease overcame her when Henry placed his arm over the back of her seat. The man made her uncomfortable with his familiarity, and he gave her the chills. When she mentioned her odd feelings to Nicholas, he teased her, attributing her feelings as physical attraction. She was not attracted to Henry; in fact, the very idea horrified her. She loved Nicholas, honestly, she did, but Brandon would never have brushed off her feelings. He would have taken them seriously and questioned her about them.
Madeline sighed again, trying to ignore the odd sensation of being observed. She did not know how she was going to ever live through the second half of the exceedingly wearisome play. Madeline turned to where Stephen had been standing moments ago to ask him if he would trade chairs with her, but neither he nor Nicholas were in sight.
As Madeline scanned the room for her brothers, her eyes met an older man’s and he leered wickedly at her. A tremor of trepidation ran through her body, making her feel faint. The man was evil. She could feel it deep in her soul. Shocked and too terrified to move or call out, she watched the nondescript man with a sneer for a smile walk towards her.
When the man stopped in front of Madeline, he took her limp hand and kissed her palm. “My dear, Lady Madeline. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I am Aaron Farrington, Marquess of Brumley. I know your brother well.”
Stunned, Madeline stammered a greeting. “L . . . Lord B . . . Brumley.”
“I have heard of your and your friend’s trouble,” he began, indicating Joselyn, who was standing between Marshall and Henry, preoccupied with Lady Stanton who was regaling Joselyn with her endless ailments. “Should you not be safe and sound at home, out of danger’s way?” Farrington questioned with a smirk and gave her hand a squeeze before dropping it.
Recovered from her initial shock and feeling safe in such a crowded room, Madeline ignored his question and bravely accused him. “You have been sending some cruel notes to Lady Joselyn, Lord Brumley, and I do believe it is in poor taste.”
“I have sent no notes, Lady Madeline,” Farrington denied. “If I have something to say, threat or otherwise, I say it in person. By the by, where is Lord Kenrik? I would have thought your brother would be overseeing such a family outing.”
“My family is none of your concern, Lord Brumley,” Madeline told him haughtily.
“Ah, but it is, my dear. Anything the Cathcarts do is of interest to me.” He raised his hand and brushed a stray hair off Madeline’s brow, trailing a finger down the side of her face. When she didn’t flinch at his touch, he curled his lip into a malicious smile. “You should take more care, my dear. Talking with strangers could be the death of you.”
Madeline watched in paralyzed silence as Farrington walked away. She quickly leaned against the nearby wall before she fell. Her knees felt weak and she could not seem to be able to breathe. She was sure that horrid man had threatened her life and she was not quite sure how to respond.
“Madeline, are you all right?” Nicholas asked her a moment later, seeing her alone and leaning against the wall.
“Yes, I am fine, perhaps a little tired,” Madeline managed to say. She was not ready to worry Nicholas about her encounter with Farrington. Maybe she would tell Brandon tomorrow when she could think more clearly. She wasn’t even sure if Farrington had threatened her. Perhaps she was making something out of nothing. She was certain she could think of a way to handle the man on her own. She did not want to concern her brothers with something she could deal with herself. They had enough to worry them and didn’t need to deal with her insecurities and wild imagination.
“Would you like to go home?” Nicholas was concerned. He placed a cool hand against her hot cheek and scrutinized her closely. He worried about her and the demands that were put on her; indeed, he did. He didn’t like how so many of the ton expected her to solve their problems. Sometimes, he felt it was too much and he tried to protect her, but with little success.
“No, I don’t want to spoil anyone else’s evening.” She flashed him a brilliant smile so as not to worry him. “I am fine, honestly.” Madeline took his hand from her cheek, hooked his arm with hers, and led him back to their seats.
CHAPTER SIX
“Should we really be riding without an escort, Joselyn?”
“Madeline, stop worrying. Farrington would not dare do anything in such public surroundings as Hyde Park. There are too many witnesses. As you know most of the ton make their rounds this time of the morning. See,” Joselyn said, gesturing to the many lords and ladies in carriages, walking or riding horses.
“That is true,” Madeline had to agree. “Oh, and there is Lady Gretchen and her brother, Lord Simon,” she exclaimed excitedly, waving to the open carriage.
“Gretchen doesn’t have any more sense than a bean,” Joselyn commented about the approaching young woman.
“Of course, she does. Come, I want to go greet her and her brother,” Madeline responded, steering her horse in Gretchen’s direction and ignoring Joselyn’s criticism of her best friend. There was nothing Madeline wouldn’t do for Gretchen Malany and the feeling was mutual.
Madeline had known Gretchen since they were children and they seemed more like sisters than friends. Their families had been neighbors for decades, and she and Gretchen had gotten into so many scrapes together through the years
, Madeline couldn’t remember them all. Gretchen had a sweet nature and was full of energy, but when provoked, she became a spitfire as her many brothers liked to call her. At twenty-four, she was a petite woman, only an inch or so over five feet tall, with rich, auburn hair that had red and gold highlights and light gray eyes almost the color of silver. She had a soft beauty that melted hearts and she held a very special place in Madeline’s life.
“Gretchen, it is good to see you.” Madeline greeted cheerfully, stretching her hand out to the open carriage Gretchen and Simon occupied.
Squeezing Madeline’s hand, Gretchen smiled brightly. “Madeline, Joselyn, how wonderful. Deirdre, so good to see you again.” Deirdre nodded her head shyly as Gretchen let go of Madeline’s hand. “Madeline, I . . .” She paused, glancing at her brother for support who gave her an imperceptible nod. “The ball is less than a month away and I desperately need your help.”
“Oh, Gretchen, with Zachary’s death, I completely forgot. I am sorry, honey,” Madeline apologized, embarrassed that she had forgotten her promise to help Gretchen prepare for the event. Planning these yearly Malany balls always put Gretchen into a tizzy and Madeline helped her put them together.
Turning to Joselyn, Gretchen extended her sympathy with sincerity. “I am sorry to hear about your brother, Joselyn. Such a tragic accident.” Gretchen couldn’t imagine losing one of her many brothers whom she loved so much. Her heart simply ached for Joselyn’s loss.
