Surrender of Trust (First Volume of the Surrender Series)

by Mariel Grey

  "Lord Chalifour! My word! I had begun to despair we would ever meet! I appreciate your journeying here to see me. As I recall, we were to have met several weeks ago, before my accident."

  Chalifour shook himself. "Yes, that's right. We were. I apologize. I tried to visit you earlier, but you weren't receiving visitors, understandably. However I must say, you look like you're recovering nicely."

  "I'm on the mend, all right," Lucien said with a cocky grin.

  Lucien's smile was infectious and Chalifour found himself smiling too. In the few minutes he had known Lucien in person, he was enjoying the man's company.

  "Well, I suppose we need to get down to business about the contract. There is one concession I must have this year. I need the rights to sell our spring foals," Lucien said.

  Chalifour's stomach dropped and ice crept up his spine. That was it, then. Lucien didn't know about the contract, which meant the unthinkable. Chalifour could hope Lucien had signed the document while delirious, but he was grasping at straws. Chalifour stood on the precipice.

  He could probably convince Lucien he had signed the contract while stupefied and under the influence of laudanum. However, if that wasn't true, Chalifour would then be guilty of collaboration in the crime too. That was something he would not do, even for this woman that he .... What exactly did he feel about Lucy? He pulled himself away from his thoughts and looked at Lucien.

  Lucien's cool green eyes appraised him, waiting for a response. Chalifour couldn't very well hide the fact he possessed a contract purportedly signed by Lucien. His horses were in the process of being transported here. In essence, they had already begun operations together and the only person who didn't seem to know was Lucien. Chalifour returned Lucien's stare.

  Though he was still disoriented looking at Lucy's twin, Chalifour needed to get this over with. He breathed deeply and exhaled before speaking. "Mr. Goodwin, I must profess some confusion. I already have a signed contract."

  "Come again?" Lucien's face registered puzzlement.

  Chalifour reached into his coat and withdrew the document, passing it silently to Lucien's outstretched hand. Lucien unfolded the papers with care and his eyes scanned the pages. Lucien remained mute, his eyes never displaying the inner turmoil he must be feeling. If Lucien could maintain such tight control over his emotions and facial expression, Chalifour best remember not to play cards against him. Lucien folded the pages and handed the document back to him, all the while saying nothing.

  Chalifour had to offer Lucien a graceful way out of this mess. "I can't hold you to this. It's obvious you don't even remember signing this contract."

  "That's because I didn't," Lucien said defiantly.

  It was Chalifour's turn to stare appraisingly at Lucien. After a moment's pause, he said quietly, "Your sister brought it to me."

  Shock and disbelief flooded Lucien's face.

  ****

  Judging by Lucien's face, it would have been kinder if he had simply fired a cannon fusillade at the man. "Lucien, if I may call you that, we obviously need to speak candidly."

  Lucien looked up at him, a blank expression on his face. Lucien could have been fresh from the battlefield with his shell shocked appearance. "I am reasonably sure Miss Goodwin forged the contract. The question is why. Do you have any idea?"

  Lucien's head shook slowly from side to side. Lucien's voice clouded. "There's something else."

  "What?"

  Lucien hesitated. "I'm not sure why, but I seem to be missing some cheque paper."

  "What do you mean you're missing cheque paper?"

  "I have one unaccounted for. I don't know where it is or what happened to it."

  First the forged contract and now the missing cheque paper. Blind fury rose within Chalifour. His mind exploded and his vision blurred. Chalifour's lips tightened and his fists clenched involuntarily. He stifled the urge to pummel the wall. Was Lucy in some scheme to defraud both him and Lucien? What had she hoped to gain by forging their agreement? What happened to the cheque? Had Lucy forged that as well? Had she stolen money from her own brother?

  Was Perdan involved? Chalifour wouldn't put anything past that man. Was Lucy involved in this blackmail scheme with Perdan to ruin her brother? Chalifour was aware of at least twice Lucy and Perdan had met. Were they lovers? A spear of jealousy pierced him.

  Chalifour gripped his hands behind his back and paced the room. He wanted to strike something, anything. Lucien’s green eyes, disconcertingly similar to Lucy’s, followed him across the room. Chalifour didn't know what game Lucy was playing at, but he would not be derailed from attaining his goal. He would not allow Lucien to be ruined for some undeserved scandal. He and Lucien were going to breed winning thoroughbreds.

  "Chalifour, what are you thinking on?" Lucien asked after the silence had lengthened.

  "I think your sister is playing at something with Lord Perdan. I just don't know what."

  Lucien looked surprised. "Why would you think that?"

  Chalifour stopped his pacing and stared at Lucien. "It's obvious. She's forged our contract. You have cheque paper missing. And I've caught her meeting with Lord Perdan several times. Perdan's morals are about as pure as an alley cat in heat and your sister’s behavior is not that of an upstanding and forthright woman."

  "No. No, that can't be right. Lucy would never do anything to hurt me. She wouldn't."

  "Why? Because you're twins?"

  "Yes, and I know she loves me. I'm sure there's got to be an explanation for this."

  "Are you aware she tried to impersonate you and race in your stead in the Oaks a few days ago?"

  "What!" Lucien fairly shouted before his shoulders sagged and he looked down at his hands. "I don't understand any of this." Lucien's eyes raised to meet his with an uncomprehending gaze.

  "It appears your sister has been trying to raise money by any means available. Are you in desperate financial straits?"

  "No. Maybe."

  "I'm afraid you'll need to explain yourself."

  "Lord Chalifour ... "

  Chalifour interrupted. "You may refer to me as a familiar. Call me Chalifour. I believe we will have a close relationship in the future, but we've gotten off to a rocky start. Let's try to mend that."

  Lucien gave a brief nod and continued, "Chalifour, I'm not sure how to even tell you this, particularly in light of your position in the Jockey Club and your stance on cheating and scoundrels within the sport of racing ... " Lucien's voice trailed off and he looked down again.

  "Go on."

  Lucien took a deep breath and appeared to marshal his courage before raising his eyes defiantly. "I'm being blackmailed for something I didn't do."

  A tiny ray of hope surged within Chalifour and he breathed a small prayer. He had inkling, and if he was right, it could explain so many things. "By whom?" Chalifour asked."I'm hesitant to say. He's a peer. It's my word against his."

  "Would it happen to be Lord Perdan?" Chalifour hardly dared breathe while he waited for Lucien’s answer.

  Lucien's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

  "I didn't, but I suspected."

  "But why? How?"

  "I came into some information Lord Perdan had demanded money from your sister for some debt of honor you allegedly owe him."

  "I owe Lord Perdan nothing, but I am still having to pay the man." Lucien's voice carried a bitter edge.

  "I tried to visit you on several occasions when you were apparently unconscious. Miss Goodwin never let on as to the extent of your injuries, only that you were not well enough to receive visitors. On one such visit, Lord Perdan was here. I sensed some friction between the two of them. I thought at first perhaps I had interrupted a lover's quarrel. To be perfectly honest, I detest the man and suspect he has participated in cheating in some races and at cards too. I hoped Miss Goodwin was not romantically linked with him. A relationship between your sister and Lord Perdan would create potential problems for me with respect to our business venture. I tr
ied to question Miss Goodwin about her relationship with Lord Perdan, or with you for that matter. She was adamant it was none of my affair. I, naturally, felt otherwise."

  "I've got to find a way to stop this blackmail."

  "What exactly is Lord Perdan blackmailing you with?"

  "He's alleging I threw the races last year at Newmarket. I raced poorly the first day and then won fairly easily the next."

  "Yes, I remember that. Go on."

  "Lord Perdan says I cheated in a fashion similar to what the Prince of Wales pulled some years back with Sam Chifney. Sam Chifney was banned for life. I can't afford to have that happen to me."

  "But you said you didn't cheat."

  "No, of course I didn't! But it's my word against his. About the races and even about his blackmailing me. Who would believe a peer is blackmailing me?"

  "You have a point. What proof does he have?"

  "None, other than how the races turned out. But he doesn't need proof. A whisper here, a whisper there. Lord Perdan could destroy my reputation. I'd be ruined."

  "We won't let that happen. We'll have to devise a way to stop Lord Perdan, but my more immediate concern is your sister and what she's up to."

  "Tell me what you think. Why did Lucy forge our contract?"

  "It seems obvious Lord Perdan approached your sister with the blackmail threat. With you being incapacitated and your sister not being privy to the details, I think she assumed I would be paying you a sum of money, so she forged our contract. When she realized there was not going to be a transfer of money, she tried to pretend she was you and race in the Oaks to win the purse, presumably to pay Lord Perdan."

  "Did she win?" Lucien asked.

  "Of course not! I found out about it and drug her off her horse before she could hurt herself."

  "Sorry," Lucien said with a shamefaced expression. Then a rueful smile crept onto his face. "It's just my nature." A solemn look replaced the smile. "I suppose we need to talk about that contract."

  "I want to continue with our plans to breed our horses. My mares are being transported here as we speak and will likely arrive in a day or so."

  Lucien's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You've wasted no time."

  "As soon as I knew you had agreed to my proposal, or I guess to be accurate, I thought I knew you had agreed to my proposal, I began to make the arrangements. I assumed we would want to begin immediately to have the spring foals."

  "Yes, of course, that would have been a logical assumption. I've been so out of touch, I barely remember what day it is. What do you intend to do about my sister? Will you be pressing charges?"

  "No, though I haven’t decided what to do about her yet. After what you’ve told me, I can't tell you why I believe this, it's simply a gut feeling, but I think Lucy is looking after your best interests. Or at least trying to. For now, I'd like our conversation about Lord Perdan to stay between us."

  "You mean you don't me to discuss the issue of blackmail with Lucy should she bring it up?"

  "I don't want her to know I am personally aware of the blackmail aspect."

  Lucien looked confused.

  "I know my request doesn't make sense to you at the moment, but rest assured, I have my reasons. So for now, I'm asking you to keep my knowledge of the blackmail a secret. Can you do that?"

  Lucien shrugged. "Of course! You can absolutely count on my discretion. After all, how can I possibly refuse the request of the man who could put my sister in prison?"

  Chalifour sighed. "I have no intention of placing your sister in prison."

  "I know, and for that I am truly grateful," Lucien said.

  "We'll speak about all of this again. We'll have to devise a plan to deal with Lord Perdan, but that can wait for the moment. The mares will be arriving soon, likely tomorrow, and I need you to focus on getting them settled. For the time being, I've got to return to Town. I have a dinner engagement this evening."

  "A dinner engagement?" A quizzical look formed on Lucien's face.

  "Yes. Your sister will be there."

  Chapter Twenty Five

  The coach seemed to creep along the road on the return trip to Town. Chalifour's impatience bit at him. He was not accustomed to the feelings of confusion which plagued him. Confounded woman! Lucy brought out all manner of sensations in him. It made him uncomfortable and cranky. Chalifour had to face the fact. He was in love with the blasted woman.

  Of all the women he had dallied with, why was Lucy the one who captivated him so?

  Chalifour had always viewed matters in terms of black and white, right and wrong. In forging that document, Lucy had breached his core values and code of ethics. Could he really overlook the fact she had broken the law?

  Lucy had certainly been placed in an untenable situation. Left with no viable alternative, she had done what was necessary to look after her brother. Lucy had even been willing to jeopardize her own well being for the sake of love and loyalty to her brother, admirable traits by any measure. But did that absolve her of the wrong doing?

  Faced with the responsibility of caring for her brother, Lucy had been threatened with ruin from all quarters, Chalifour rationalized. If she didn't pay the alleged gambling debt, they would be scandalized and ruined. The situation must have seemed hopeless when Lucy discovered the debt was actually a blackmail scheme and her brother's good name hung in the balance.

  A small voice in Chalifour’s head whispered to him. Your mother impressed upon you the idea that actions defined people, not their station in life. His own station afforded him the luxury of viewing morality through a rigid code of black and white from the proverbial Mount Olympus. His title as Marquis ensured him the freedom and ability to act freely based on his own ethics. He had never had to worry about being a pawn in someone else’s games. Instead, Chalifour had routinely judged others who didn't measure up to his rigid standards of right and wrong. Perhaps he had made a transgression in doing so.

  Chalifour gazed out the window of the coach and admired the rolling, green countryside dotted with clumps of blooming colors. He had to make a decision. He could continue to accept his own rigid view of morality, in which case he must reject Lucy, even though the reasons for her actions were virtuous. Or, he could recognize the fact life was sometimes comprised of unjust situations which called for decisions tinged in grey. Those decisions may be wrong under ordinary circumstances, but were perhaps not necessarily wrong in extraordinary circumstances.

  Continuing to stare out the window, Chalifour contemplated Lucy's probable anguish in viewing her limited options. Paying money for a debt they did not owe, face ruin and disgrace, or become Perdan's mistress. Chalifour bolted upright at his last thought. Rage boiled up within him at the very idea of Perdan propositioning Lucy. Had that swine touched her? No, there was no doubt. He was in love with the woman. But what was he going to do about it? Could he truly get past the forgery and the lies, even if those were lies by omission?

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chalifour drummed his fingers on his desk. He loved the woman, but he still faced the same dilemma. Could he reconcile Lucy’s actions? Lucy had performed illegal acts, albeit she had done them with real justification. But did that excuse her conduct? Chalifour had worked tirelessly to remove cheating and corruption from thoroughbred racing? Didn’t this fall into the same category? Wasn’t Lucy’s behavior and deceit part and parcel of the same actions he had tried to excise from thoroughbred racing?

  His mother’s words returned to him. Was Lucy defined solely by her actions? Her conduct in and of itself, was wrong, but her motives were pure. What about people who performed acts of kindness for the most vile of reasons? Superficially, they seemed kind. In reality they were anything but. When you delved deeper, what was the defining aspect of a behavior? The action itself, or the motive behind it? Chalifour rubbed his face. It was a conundrum.

  Chalifour tossed back his runner of brandy and searched his heart, at war with himself. Could he excuse Lucy? How were her actions
any different than someone cheating at a race or cards? His inner self responded. Oh, come on, man! Come down from Mount Olympus and join the rest of us mere mortals! What makes you so morally superior? Would you fault a woman for stealing food to feed her starving child? Of course not! Are you so sure you would not have behaved in the same manner as Lucy if it was a matter of saving your sister and your family name?

  No, he wasn’t sure. Chalifour wasn’t sure at all. Maybe that’s what was really bothering him. This mess with Lucy had brought to light the deficiencies in his own moral code, namely a false sense of self superiority and intolerance.

  Chalifour twisted in his chair, uncomfortable with the realization he would likely have done the same if he was in Lucy’s position. So how could he continue to fault her or question her? The answer was he couldn’t. He had erred in his rigid views on morality, that was now clear to him.

  Some things were not as cut and dried as they appeared on the surface. Motivations were an integral part of behavior and needed to be taken into account. Chalifour threw back his head and laughed. A block of granite had lifted from his shoulders! Gad, but he’d been such a self righteous prig!

  Having come to terms with the fact Lucy’s character possessed the qualities he wanted in a woman, Chalifour now had to come to terms with what exactly he wanted from a relationship with her. The answer came readily to him.

  Chalifour wanted to be free to ride with Lucy, travel with her, make love to her, protect her, comfort her. Chalifour could have none of those things, however, if he couldn’t gain Lucy’s trust. She needed to come to terms with him as well. There could be no hope of a relationship without mutual trust. So there was the crux of the matter. Tonight was the dinner at Glenhurst Hall, and Lucy would be there.

  ****

  Lucy began dressing early for dinner. Glenhurst had invited every man he deemed eligible and suitable for her and Monique. She sighed. She must appease Glenhurst and attend his dinner party. She couldn’t afford to anger him. Her family had benefitted greatly from his generosity and patronage over the years. Not to mention she didn’t want to create any more trouble for Monique. At least she would be free to leave tomorrow and return home.