Jon stopped listening. Damnation! Why hadn’t Jay told her? He knew Tina would be hurt upon learning the truth. He realized she had fallen in love with her husband the moment he saw her upon her return from up north. That Jay hadn’t trusted her with the truth now seemed an insurmountable problem. How would they ever get back—past those barriers?
He knew Jay had been reluctant to tell her. Jay wasn’t sure what she would have done. Perhaps he suspected she might refuse to marry him, wanting to keep the properties. But, maybe…
“Tina.” The sharpness in his voice brought her to a stop. “Tina, what would you have done if he had told you?”
“Done?” She was taken aback by his question.
“Yes. Tell me, what would you have done if he had told you the truth, then asked you to marry him.”
The question hadn’t occurred to her. “I—I don’t know,” she responded truthfully. “What would have happened if I had refused him?”
“I’m not sure.”
Her forehead puckered for a moment as she mulled over this sudden turn in events. “Then maybe I had better find out.” She moved toward a chair and dropped into it. “Who would know?”
“Probably his solicitor.”
“Hmmm. The last time I spoke to Mr. Strate, he refused to tell me anything. Maybe if you make an appointment he’d be more forthcoming. I’m free this afternoon.”
“Me?” Wariness was evident in his voice. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”
Tina looked up at him, her face set in stubborn lines. “And why not?”
“Don’t you think you ought to discuss this with Jay first?”
“Why should I discuss it with him? He didn’t see fit to discuss it with me. All I want to know is what would have happened if I had refused. It seems Mr. Strate would know that, wouldn’t he?”
“Yes, I suppose he would. But, Tina…”
“If you won’t take me, then I’ll have to go myself.”
Jon took in the determined look on her face and capitulated. He knew she would do just that. He sighed. He hoped Mr. Strate would tell her something to make her see reason. If he didn’t…well, Jon didn’t want to contemplate the results if the solicitor failed.
Jon was in the library, sampling Jay’s whiskey and contemplating the fire when Jay arrived home for luncheon. He and Tina had sent off notes: his to Mr. Strate requesting an appointment in the afternoon for half past two, hers to the Westover ladies, postponing their afternoon meeting until tea time, after which Tina proclaimed herself tired and said she would take luncheon in her room and rest. Jay, she told him, would understand.
And so did he. Tina didn’t want to face her husband over luncheon, having now confirmed he had only married her to retrieve property which should have been his all along.
Jay was not alone. With him was his partner, Brand, who had docked that morning with a ship full of spices, silks, cotton, and a variety of other delicacies.
Without Tina present, over luncheon the three talked business, with Brand regaling the two of them with his latest misadventures and triumphs.
“It was a close thing in the West Indies,” he told Jay. “But, luckily, Night Star was there, too, and with both crews, we were able to finish our business and get out. Madsen was headed up the American coast to pick up another cargo before he headed back, so I suspect he will dock within the month.”
Jay nodded. Night Star was another of their ships. Its captain, Adam Madsen had sailed for them for a number of years. He was a good man, familiar with the sea and its vagaries. He and Brand both knew if they were in a bind, Night Star’s captain was a good man to have in your corner.
“That will be good,” Jay said. “Are you going to stay around for a while this time?”
“No,” Brand replied. “I have a letter I will post just before I leave, but I’m not ready yet. I think we will head back to the Orient this time—perhaps make a stop in India.”
“I see.” Jay toyed with the stem of his wine glass. “And when are you planning on leaving?”
“By week’s end,” Brand said. He drained his glass and set it down. “There’s nothing for me here right now. The letter will let him know I’m still alive, but it will be up to him to decide what to do about the rest.”
Jay nodded. “I will keep an eye on things for you.”
Jon did not understand the conversation, so kept quiet. But Jay enlightened him after Brand left to finish overseeing the unloading of his ship’s cargo.
“I was hoping he would meet Tina, but perhaps tomorrow.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I thought to get her opinion on whether he’ll do for Felicia in a couple of years.”
Jon grinned at the memory. “As I remember you promised Felicia a duke.”
“So I did. And Brand will be one someday, if he doesn’t get himself killed first.” Jay chuckled at the question in Jon’s eyes. “Brand is the Marquess of Lofton, but for now he chooses not to reveal his presence.”
“Warringham! I knew I’d seen those eyes somewhere. They are quite distinctive.”
“True,” Jay agreed. “Which is why he chooses to stay out of England for now. Frankly, I’m hoping he will stay away long enough for Felicia to make her come out. I would like the two of them to meet. What happens after that is up to them.”
“Matchmaking? You?”
Jay chuckled. “I find it fascinating myself. But, I wasn’t leading Felicia on when I told her I would keep my eyes open. I just happened to already know of an excellent candidate.”
They left the house together, Jon heading for his own town house while Jay headed back to his offices. Jon returned a short time later to find Tina waiting for him in the entryway.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Very sure.”
He nodded and turned to escort her outside, where he helped her into his carriage. There was little use arguing with her when she’d already made up her mind. A short distance later, they stopped in front of a large brick-fronted townhouse. It looked much like Thane House on the outside, rising three stories high plus attics.
“Where are we and why are we here?”
“My house,” he told her. “Welcome to Kent House.” Ushering her inside, he helped her out of her sea green pelisse and handed it to his butler, before guiding her into the spacious library. Seating her before the fire, he ordered tea for her, then settled himself across from her.
“Why are we here, Jon?”
“Mr. Strate ought to be here momentarily.” he answered. “I thought you might prefer to meet him on neutral ground, where it might not get back to Jay you had met with his solicitor without his knowledge.”
“Oh.” It had not occurred to her it might get back to Jay, but now Jon had mentioned it, she could see it could be a possibility. A clerk might have let it slip, or she might have been seen by an acquaintance who might have said something.
Mr. Strate arrived on the heels of the tea trolley. Apologizing profusely for being late, he then settled into the chair Jon indicated and accepted a cup of tea. “I must congratulate you, my lady, on your marriage. The previous marquis would be ecstatic to find that his plans had come to fruition.”
Tina got right to the point. “It would have been easier had I known of those plans, would it not?”
Mr. Strate had the grace to look a little sheepish. “I am sorry about that, my lady, but his lordship insisted that I not tell you of the provisions of the will. I don’t know if he expected your mother to tell you or expected you not to know, but I was given specific instructions in that regard.”
Tina didn’t know what to say to his admission, so she asked the question she’d brought him here for originally. “What would have happened had I refused to marry him?”
Setting his cup down, Mr. Strate turned sharp pale blue eyes on her.
“That depends upon the circumstances,” he answered. “The previous marquis obviously didn’t expect it to happen, so we did not discuss it
in detail. However, it would be my opinion that had his lordship proposed and you turned him down, the provisions of the will would have been met.”
“But didn’t it require that he honor the betrothal contract?”
“Yes, yes it did. And, by proposing to you, he would have indicated his intention to do just that. If you had refused, he had no control over your actions. You, therefore, would have been the one in breach of contract, which, it could have been argued, would void the provisions of the will.”
“In other words, if I had said “no”, I would have lost everything.”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“You could have hired a barrister to argue before the court that by not marrying you, he did not fulfill the terms of the betrothal contract and, therefore, you were entitled to inherit. It might have been a long, protracted case, but there were possible compromises the court might have entertained.”
“Such as?”
“Because the marquisate has extensive properties, a division might have settled the case.”
“A division?”
“Yes. The court may have been amenable to awarding the family properties to his lordship, that is Collingswood and Thane Park, and the rest to you. The court might not have wished to deprive the marquisate of its hereditary properties. And since there were extensive properties beyond those, the court would not have felt it was depriving you of an inheritance.”
“I see.” Tina sat back in her chair. “But that would have destroyed Papa’s intent in the end.”
“I beg your pardon, my lady?” the solicitor was clearly puzzled.
“Papa, I mean, the late marquis, intended that I receive Thane Park. I’m not sure what he would have done with the rest, had he been able to specifically indicate who should receive what, but I know he wanted me to have the Park.”
“That would have changed the tenor of the case significantly, had you evidence of that,” Mr. Strate said. “He said nothing to me when the will was written. However, since it was not necessary to bring the matter before the court, I do not see why it matters at this point.”
Tina stared off across the room. A long, complicated court battle would have drained them both dry. It would have been a losing proposition for both of them. Regardless of how she felt about his duplicity, their marriage was the only solution which made sense. Any other scenario involving solicitors and barristers might have easily left them with nothing—not even each other.
“No,” she said softly, “At this point, neither do I.”
After the solicitor left, she turned to Jon. “So what do I do now?”
“You are the only one who can make that decision,” he replied somberly. “I know you feel betrayed, but perhaps you can work it out. He’s a good man, Tina. I wouldn’t want to see you two torn apart by this.”
“I just wish he had told me,” she said forlornly. “I don’t know what I might have done, but I wish I hadn’t learned from Mr. Milton that everything I thought I knew about my own marriage was a lie.”
“It can’t be everything, Tina.” Jon’s voice was a combination of regret and hope. “There have to have been things you two found enjoyable together. Some common ground.”
Tina marshaled her thoughts for a moment. It wouldn’t do to tell her brother she and Jay were compatible in bed. But, there were other things the two of them had in common. A love for Thane Park, Collingswood, and the other properties and the people on them. A sense of humor. An attraction to each other. She knew this was true. Even when they were separated, they seemed attuned to each other. The awareness she felt when Jay entered a room seemed reciprocated on his part.
Perhaps there was something to go on. But, what did they really have without trust? That was what worried her. He had not trusted her with the provisions of his father’s will. But she hadn’t trusted him either. She had taken matters into her own hands by trying to trap Milton and it had almost backfired.
Maybe that’s where they needed to start. At least it was where she intended to start. She would trust him more and, hopefully, gain his trust in return.
Thoughts of the pendant intruded and she wondered again if she hadn’t brought this entire debacle upon herself by disregarding Nona’s wishes. Yet it was much too difficult to believe there was someone else out there who was her destiny. Jay completely filled her world. There wasn’t room for anyone else, was there?
Jon returned her home shortly before tea time. She had spent a pleasant afternoon exploring his new home, much of it examining the portraits in the gallery. She had found one portrait particularly interesting. It showed their father in his uniform. Looking at the portrait brought back long buried memories.
They were hazy memories, but still she remembered her father as he had been in India. Tall, dark haired, with emerald green eyes—the very image of Jon now. And when he laughed, the room laughed with him. She closed her eyes and remembered the feel of being lifted in his arms and twirled around, the feel of the gold buttons on his smart red coat. She had loved her father, but he had left her life all too soon. Jay’s father had filled the void and had given her mother a new happiness. For that she would always cherish his memory.
Chapter Eighteen
Geri and the duchess arrived for tea and, after briefly discussing the events of the night of the masquerade, settled down to finalizing the plans for Tina’s soiree. She was certain Jay thought she was foolish for going ahead with the event, but it was her affair.
He wouldn’t understand that she refused to let her investment go to waste. She’d spent quite a bit of time planning the perfect occasion. Besides, she wanted to be firmly established by the time Felicia made her debut and it wouldn’t do to have to cancel her very first event.
On the duchess’ advice, she’d kept it small. Instead of inviting everyone currently in the city, she, Geri, and the duchess had culled a list of over 300 to just over 100. She was grateful, now, she’d decided against dinner beforehand. That might have been too much in her current state.
She hadn’t received RSVPs from everyone, but she planned as if everyone, plus a few extra, would show anyway. She was especially anxious about one invitation in particular. Unfortunately, thinking about that gave her a headache, so she pushed it away to worry about later.
“Well, if you’re sure about this,” Geri said, “I think you have everything well in hand.”
The duchess agreed. “Despite losing the last few days, your staff is very well trained, so there should not be any problems.”
“Thank you. I have already expressed my appreciation to Keyes for having the forethought to contact your butler regarding extra footmen. You must convey my thanks as well.”
The duchess laughed. “Morton is a well-paid treasure. I will pass on your thanks.”
All too soon, they were leaving, and Tina climbed the staircase to her chamber.
Still unsure of her own thoughts on her stepfather’s will, she took the coward’s way out and sought her bed. Jay would understand, she knew, and she would have some extra time to decide how to bring up the issue for discussion.
The next day was full of frenzied activity as Tina prepared for her soiree. She had little time to think of anything except the event that evening. Jay left her to her own devices once he realized he could not talk her out of it, but only retreated as far as the library, promising to be on hand should she need assistance.
Thankfully, the staff had been exceptionally efficient and there was very little to do except supervise as Mrs. Greaves gave direction. At luncheon, Jay emerged and insisted she stop and have a bite to eat.
“If you are going to insist on having this soiree,” he told her, “I want you to be able to enjoy it.”
Despite that she was still out of charity with him for the moment, she appreciated his caring and even heeded his advice to rest for the afternoon.
“You have done well,” the duchess assured Tina when she arrived later that evening.
Tina smile
d and looked around the ballroom. “Thank you, Your Grace. I could not have done it without you and Geri.”
“Nonsense! We only offered a little advice.”
Then she took herself off to mingle with the guests. Tina looked up at Jay, standing beside her. So handsome in his severe black and white evening clothes, he was the perfect foil for her this evening as she had chosen to wear the silver and white gown she had been married in.
She wondered if the tension she felt between them was one-sided, or if he felt the strain as well. Just as the betrothal contract had preyed on her thoughts when they first met, now his father’s will made her question his motives. One more day, she told herself. Tomorrow she’d find time to speak to him about everything—including her pendant.
During a short break in the receiving line she took the opportunity to gaze out over the ballroom. She had taken her mother’s suggestions and turned the room into one of understated elegance. Painted white, with gilt trim around the large windows, it was the perfect frame for the ton. The crystal chandeliers with their many candles threw light as if the sun were present, scattering rainbow prisms around the room. The parquet floor had been waxed to a shine and mirrored the kaleidoscope of ball gowns.
Jay was about to suggest they abandon their posts and have the musicians begin, when a late arrival entered. He stiffened at the sight of the dowager Countess of Wynton. Tina, sensing a change in his demeanor, turned just as her grandmother reached them.
Dressed in a gown of deep green velvet, her blond hair perfectly coiffed, emeralds and diamonds spitting fire from her ears and around her neck, she was a regal figure, even with the cane.
Tina stared into eyes the same shade as Jon’s for a moment, then smiled. “I’m so glad you came,” she said hesitantly.
The countess looked at Jay, then back at her. “Are you?”
“But, of course,” Tina replied, sincerely. “I would not have sent the invitation otherwise.”
“Then you must accept my apologies.” The countess’s hand went to her throat where the locket Jay had noticed before lay, suspended below the emeralds and diamonds by a thin gold chain. Looking up at Jay, she added cryptically, “You were right,” she said crisply, “And I shall consider you in my debt.”
The Gypsy Legacy: Marquis Page 29
