The Earl's Secret

by TERRI BRISBIN

  “Leave it be, Anna.”

  “You do not understand, Clarinda. Lord Treybourne is here, probably waiting for them outside.”

  A hand on her arm slowed her. “I could read the note. He is there, and he told them to leave discreetly. He does not wish to embarrass you by his presence.”

  “Clarinda,” she repeated. One look at her friend’s face and she comprehended that she knew the truth, too. “How long have you known?”

  “I am late to the game,” she said. “I realized it yesterday after we returned from Arthur’s Seat. Something your aunt said about men and their reputations. The thought occurred to me that Lord Treybourne would be a fool not to seek out Goodfellow on his own, without fanfare or attention. And from what little Robert has told me of the man, he is not a fool.”

  Anna nodded and lifted Clarinda’s hand from her arm, freeing herself to follow the men outside. She had debated for days over the need to confront him with the knowledge she held. At first, she decided not to do it. Something in the way he spoke to her and the way he treated Julia told her that he was not trying to humiliate her by his deception. And unless his investigator had been more efficient than her efforts to block him, he did not know the full extent of her involvement in the publication.

  Now though, this situation had fallen into her lap and her curiosity drove her on, out the doors, down the stone steps and onto the sidewalk. Lord Ellerton and Lord Hillgrove were making their way along the row of coaches there. A few minutes later, they climbed into the one carrying the Dursby crest and she could hear only voices from within—three voices. Tucking herself into the shadows at the edge of the building there, she tried to listen to their exchange.

  Her name…she heard her name and Clarinda’s. Then some muffled cursing…then nothing. She peeked out and watched as the third man climbed out on the street side of the coach and gave instructions to the driver. Too dark to catch a clear look at him, she knew him more by his height and build. He walked to the sidewalk and watched as the coach pulled off down the cobblestone street. He noticed her quickly and she saw it in his expression that changed from surprise to something resembling relief at her presence there.

  “Anna,” he said as he walked to her side.

  “Lord Treybourne,” she replied. It was time, past time, for dissembling. “Did your friends do something wrong? You sounded irate with them.”

  “Anna, would you let me explain?” He reached for her and she stepped away. “Please?”

  “I have been fearing this since I discovered who you really were and now that the moment has arrived, I find myself at a loss for words,” she admitted. Anna wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought about an angry confrontation but I realized that would serve no purpose.”

  “How long have you known?” he asked.

  “Since the night of the dinner. I heard you and Robert speaking outside.”

  “Why did you not ask me about it? Does Lord MacLerie know? Or Nathaniel?”

  David moved closer then, but at a slow pace. She was distraught and skittish and he did not want to scare her away before he could explain. Her eyes grew glassy and she swayed a bit. When they were only an arm’s length apart, he paused and waited. Her lack of reaction unnerved him more than any show of emotion could have and he felt it down into his soul.

  “Yes, I spoke to Nathaniel about you and he promised not to let on.” She glanced around the area, looking back down George Street toward the Assembly Rooms and then back toward him, all without ever meeting his gaze. “I do not even know if I can trust any answer you give me, my lord, but please just tell me why? Why did you do this?”

  “David,” he said. “My name is David.”

  “David Robert Henry George Lansdale, Earl of Treybourne, heir to the Marquess of Dursby.” She looked at him then. “You see, I know all your names, my lord.” A pause, haunted by a faint sob. “Just tell me why.”

  “Anna, you know most of this already. The pieces just do not fit together the right way. Your writer Goodfellow began making a mess of my father’s political plans. His essays were firmly trouncing the heir to his titles, his wealth, his position, but most to his honor and reputation. When he began threatening to take action, I came here seeking the help of an old friend to cool the fires before they got out of control.”

  “Nathaniel?” she asked.

  “Yes. My plan was to come here, discuss how best to handle the escalation my father was demanding and to discover, if I could, the identity of Mr. Goodfellow. Instead, upon my arrival, I was accosted by some mere woman who tried to pry my business out of me. Offended but intrigued, I tried to irritate her enough to stay away, however she was so different from the women that I, Lord Treybourne, meet and socialize with that she drew me to her.”

  “You are trying to level the blame for your deception on me?” Her voice was a bit stronger then.

  “Not at all. My point is that, in spite of my efforts to the contrary, I was impressed by every detail I discovered about you—your work, your efforts at the school, your deep opinions about the issues of the day. Then it was too late. I feared that any sense of companionship or enjoyment between us would turn to hatred if you discovered who I was…who I am. Actually, I saw it happen every time my name was mentioned. Your attitude and even the expression in your eyes hardened.” David shook his head and smiled at her. “I confess that I was enjoying our time together too much and did not want to lose it.”

  “And did you never think about the shock and humiliation I would suffer when I discovered that you were a hoax and I was in love with you?” Anger now laced her words. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides.

  The words, even uttered in anger, took his breath away.

  “You fell in love with Mr. Archer, not me,” he said.

  “Who is the man who shares my beliefs in the social ills of our country? Which man treated my sister with infinite patience and caring? Which man held me and kissed me with a passion I had not experienced before? Tell me, Lord Treybourne, which man did I so foolishly fall in love with?”

  “You fell in love with the man who loves you in return. The man who, even knowing how you would react, could not stay away from you. The man who cannot offer you all that you deserve.”

  “I know my position, my lord, and I understand clearly that I am not suitable for an earl. It is no surprise to me at all. I just do not appreciate being played the fool.”

  “I was never doing that, Anna. Never. If anyone was the fool, it is I. Instead of telling you the truth, I lied. I do not blame you for not believing me now.”

  “So, tell me your truth now. David Archer raised hopes that I thought long dead—ones of a happy marriage, children, family and friends. Now those hopes are dashed to pieces by a man I thought I loved. Make me understand now why you did that.”

  Her plea tore his heart apart. Would knowing the truth help her now? Could it reduce the pain she would feel when he left? He would take the chance.

  “My father has sworn to destroy anyone or anything that gets in the way of his political aims. Your publication is such a thing. I came here to try to calm the waters and take your publication out of his sight. Things became worse when I discovered that you funded your school with the profits from the magazine.”

  She gasped then and lost most of the color in her face. “You know?” Now she clenched her hands together before her.

  “My investigators—”

  “You had me investigated? You had no right—”

  “I believe in knowing my enemies, Anna.”

  She turned away from him for a moment and then faced him. She gave every indication that she was bracing herself for some terrible disclosure.

  “I found out that you own the magazine and the school. I discovered that you raised your sister from the time your mother died until you moved in with your aunt. I learned that you care about those less fortunate and would do anything to help them. I also realized that my very presence here would draw attention and
my father would find out what I already knew and destroy everything you hold dear.”

  She looked near to fainting and he paused for a moment. Reaching out to her, he held her hand as he continued.

  “It is not David Archer who is the façade—it is Lord Treybourne. We share the same opinions, you and I, about society and reform and so many other things. For many reasons, I support several similar charities in London, but I had to enter into a bargain with my father to gain access to my money. If I do not carry out the very public role he has carved out for me, the funding ceases and many people like the ones at your school will be abandoned.”

  She looked at him then and he knew she understood his dilemma now.

  “If I continue to carrying out my father’s bidding, I undermine the political battles to achieve the very causes I support. If I do not, those who depend on me for their living will have nothing.”

  “Damned if you do and damned if you do not.”

  “Exactly,” he said. “And then, just when I was considering leaving it all behind, I met a young woman who put me to shame with her own efforts. Who learned to never give up. Who demonstrated a clear commitment to her causes that shamed me for only throwing money after mine.”

  “I am not so holy as that, my lord. There are flaws here, too,” she whispered. “And now?”

  Anna was reeling from his disclosures. It was much better and much worse in some ways. He had been dishonest and had even set men on her to discover her secrets. And although he had uncovered her business affairs, he had not found the personal ones. Or he had not said so.

  A noise drew her attention and she noticed that Clarinda and Robert stood a short distance from them, engaged in some private conversation. She smiled at their concern, for their presence covered any insult to propriety, but they were far enough away not to hear the words spoken.

  “My father clamors for the blood of a Scottish reformer named Goodfellow and I must find a way to appease him.” He slid his fingers around hers and squeezed. “I have thought of nothing else but offering you marriage, but it will bring his wrath down on you and everything you own. If he discovers that a woman owns the publication and that her writer has been insulting and defeating his heir, he will destroy it. He is powerful enough that a few words whispered in the right ears will dry up your funding for the school and wipe out your advertising and subscription income.”

  “So,” she said, “if we were selfish enough to be together, everything we have worked for would be destroyed.” That was the end result of this mess and Anna knew she could not be happy at the expense of others. “I could not do it. Not even to have you,” she whispered.

  “Nor I, no matter how much I want you at my side.”

  So much had been shared that she could say nothing else. As though they had sensed the end of the exchange, the MacLeries now walked up to her, and Clarinda opened her arms to Anna.

  David did not offer an objection. He might have actually been relieved that she was taken care of, but Anna could not watch his face as they walked away to their coach, leaving him alone on the sidewalk.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “This is very strange, Robert.”

  Anna held out the note from the bank to him and waited as he read it.

  “It would appear that the mortgage to the school has been paid off and the deed is being processed now,” he replied.

  “I can read the words, I do not understand how it is possible. Unless you did this?”

  The MacLeries had extensive holdings of property and were one of the wealthiest families in Scotland. If anyone could afford to buy the mortgage, Robert was the one.

  “Just tell her.”

  Anna turned at the sound of Clarinda’s voice and watched as she entered her husband’s office and sent his secretary out with a simple nod. When the door closed and the room filled with an air of unease, Anna faced Robert. “Tell me what?”

  “I handled the transaction here on Treybourne’s behalf.”

  Shocked at the disclosure, she sat down in the chair in front of the desk and looked from one to the other. There was more, she could see it in their expressions. “He holds the mortgage on the school?”

  So, her worst fears would come true then? In spite of the apparent truce and the more amiable tone to the last two of their exchanges, his lordship was taking measures to strike at the magazine and her interests.

  “You misunderstand this, Anna. Treybourne does not hold the mortgage. You own the property outright now.”

  “I do not understand. Why would he do such a thing?”

  “Because it is what he does,” Robert said softly.

  The other two exchanged a few more glances over and around her and, despite not seeing them directly, she could feel their scrutiny. This was becoming commonplace whenever they shared company ever since…the day David left Edinburgh. Now, Clarinda’s whispers drew her attention, but they ceased as soon as she looked over at her friend.

  “Anna, did anything untoward happen between you and Mr. Archer the day he left for London?” Clarinda emphasized his name and narrowed her eyes at her husband in some meaningful gesture that only they understood.

  “Untoward?”

  “Anything of a personal nature, perhaps? Something that you might want to discuss with my wife in private?” Robert said, standing. She wanted to laugh at his discomfort and at the way that Clarinda caught off his escape by a sharp look and a shake of her head.

  “David and I did not…” she began.

  “Was there some insult to your honor, Anna?” she asked.

  “Oh, please, Clarinda. You and Robert know the truth about my honor.” Robert bristled as he always did when the past was raised in front of him, warning her that he would protect her now even if he had not protected her then. “There was no insult.”

  Anna stood and paced the room now.

  “I still feel like such a fool. How could someone who prides herself on guiding young women in how to avoid such things have fallen for his lies so easily?”

  Robert did stand then and he walked around the desk and put his hand on her shoulder. His strength and presence was reassuring to her even now when her gullibility was exposed.

  “You were so busy falling in love that you did not notice his deception. And I suspect that Treybourne was so busy trying to keep up the deception, that he did not notice he was falling in love.”

  Anna took much comfort in his assessment and wanted to believe that when David, Lord Treybourne, said he felt the same way about her as she felt about him, he was not lying. Not that it would make things any different, but it would help her put this behind her if she did not feel used by him. Foolish, a dupe, stupid, certainly, but not used.

  “But why did he need to pretend to be someone else? Was seeking a truce so demeaning to him that it was better to resort to subterfuge and lies?”

  Her own words damned her as much as accused him. Had she not lied and covered her own identity as the owner of the magazine and as A. J. Goodfellow? If it was such a good thing, why had she not revealed all of it to him when he told her his reasons?

  “Oh, please!” Clarinda exclaimed then. “Men and their pride, Anna. It always comes down to pride.”

  “There is more than that in Treybourne’s case, my dear.”

  “There is?” They spoke at the same time.

  “Nathaniel and I did not trust his lordship’s motives and so I had someone gather more information about his practices and his past.” Robert went back to the desk, tugged open one of the side drawers and lifted out a portfolio from within. “I received this recently from London.”

  Clarinda leaned over and reached for it, but Robert moved it under his hands. “There was no need, for it seems that Treybourne believed he owed you an explanation himself.” He took another packet of papers from the drawer, this one already opened from the looks of it.

  “You’ve read it?” she asked.

  “Yes. In his communications with me, Treybourne suggested
I do so in order to quiet any concerns I might have about his intentions or what effects this may have on you.”

  “Robert!” Clarinda moaned. “You read it before Anna?”

  He took his wife by the hand and brought her to stand next to him. “When you extended your protection to her, she became my responsibility, Clarinda. I did so only because I would do so if she were my sister or yours.”

  Anna could not argue, especially not when she knew that his sentiments were genuine regarding her. The effect of his words on her friend were predictable. Clarinda brushed away a few tears and reached up to touch his face.

  “Come. I think Anna will want privacy to consider his words.”

  “Anna?” Clarinda asked before allowing him to guide her out of the study.

  She would expect a complete and thorough explanation and Anna would give it to her…later. For now, she wanted to read his letter alone. She nodded and Clarinda left without further argument. The door closed quietly and she walked to the other side of the desk and sat down. With a nervous tickle in her stomach, she peeled off the covering and began to read.

  Miss Fairchild,

  Anna,

  As I write this I am struck by the recognition that this is actually the first time you will read my words. Not those of Lord Treybourne, but those of David Lansdale, the man who came to know you on his visit to Edinburgh. My perfidy and the deception I perpetrated on you has already been exposed and, although I tried to explain my reasons for it to you, I never did ask for your forgiveness for it. Of course, there are many good reasons why you should not grant it—Nathaniel and Lord MacLerie have no doubt informed you of several by this time.

  You have probably discussed with Lord MacLerie or Nathaniel the reason why I hid my identity from you and others on my visit there. Although they have ventured their opinions, they were not privy to the true reasons which I would like to make known to you now. Lady MacLerie has probably tried to convince you that male pride is at the heart of it, and, to some extent, that is true.