Clara entered the study, removed her gloves and sat on one of the two large chesterfield sofas. “This is awfully civilised of you, Charles. I must say you have become very domesticated since your engagement was announced. I hope Miss Beresford appreciates what a fortunate young lady she is,” Clara teased.
Charles accepted the tray of refreshments from the butler and then made a show of pouring the tea for Clara, handing her a cup and saucer.
“I shall remind her every day,” Charles said with his ready smile. “But on this occasion I’d hoped to lull you into a false sense of security.”
“Oh?” Clara asked. “Am I going to regret my easy compliance?”
“Maybe. I heard something about you yesterday that I wasn’t aware of. It made me feel like a bit of a clod, to be honest, that a virtual stranger was telling me things about my sister that I had no inkling about,” Charles said, watching a betraying flush spread across Clara’s face.
Clara placed the tea cup back on the saucer, suddenly unable to drink anything. “Who were you speaking too?”
“Lord Grinstead. I’m afraid he’s not very happy with you. It appears he’s lost his friend to a broken heart.”
“What?” Clara said, the creeping flush overtaken by a rush of heat.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you had feelings for Lord Chertsey?”
“There was no point. It has come to nothing.” Clara was a little defensive.
“He has excluded himself from all but the worst aspects of society, and you are obviously not happy. Don’t look at me like that! I can see you’re not your usual self, Clara; I’m no longer a complete fool! I therefore am at a loss as to why you are both still apart.”
“His occupation; his outlook on life; oh it’s everything and nothing!” Clara exclaimed, flinging her hands up in the air.
“So, you care about him?”
Clara sighed. “I do. I’m struggling to forget him; no that’s not true; I can’t forget him!”
“Why do you have to?”
“He is obviously not beating a path to my door, is he?” Clara said in despair.
“Why would he if you sent him away?” Charles asked quietly. “I’ve been at the receiving end of one or two of your scolds. They leave one in no doubt that you wish one to purgatory!”
Clara grimaced. “Am I that bad?”
“Afraid so, dear sister,” Charles said with a grin. “Now I’m going to be the loving brother that I am and face the wrath of Lord Chertsey and pay him a visit.”
“What are you going to say?” Clara was suddenly alarmed. Pining for Edmund was one thing, but being forward was another matter completely.
“Leave that to me. Leave that to me.”
*
Charles approached Edmund’s house with a little less bravado than he had shown within the walls of his own home. He presented his card and waited in the hallway, stovepipe and walking cane in hand. He looked around, admiring the marble floor and staircase, far grander than his own stone one.
The butler returned and relieved Charles of hat, gloves and cane before showing him into the drawing room. It was as grand as the hallway had been, three floor-to-ceiling windows letting light flood into the room. The windows were swathed in silk curtains, the same fabric covering the furniture, matching perfectly. There was so much tasteful opulence in the room that Charles felt quite drab.
Edmund sat in a chair that had a side table next to it. An open bottle of wine was on it, and Edmund nursed a glass. “Get yourself a glass from the cabinet, Baker,” Edmund instructed gruffly.
Charles did as he was bid, wondering just how long it had been since the Earl had enjoyed a full night’s sleep; he was unshaven, and his eyes were sunk into his face. “Good afternoon, My Lord.”
“Is it? The days are all the bloody same to me. Long and tedious.”
“Quite,” Charles replied, taking a long swig from the now-full glass. “We have missed your presence since we returned to town.”
“Have you? That pretty chit of yours mustn’t be all that entertaining if you’ve missed me!”
“Fine. You want it without niceties, I’ll give it to you without them. My sister is missing your company. Is that direct enough?”
Edmund smiled in amusement at the angry Charles; Edmund was so much older, he almost felt paternal to the boy. “Why, when she sent me off with my tail between my legs, would she decide she’s missing me now?”
“I can’t pretend to understand women,” Charles confessed. “But she isn’t happy and it’s linked to your absence from her life.”
“Well, isn’t that just sweet? Unfortunately, I’ve moved on!” Edmund snarled.
“It doesn’t look like that from my viewpoint, My Lord.”
“If I could bloody stand, I’d punch you for that comment, Baker.”
“In that case I’m thankful you can’t,” Charles replied with feeling. Edmund was far too tall and broad for Charles to antagonise him too much after a threat such as that.
Edmund chuckled. “What is it about your family that you can make me laugh? No one else does. They are more likely to bore me to tears,” came the slurring speech.
“I would say it’s our good looks and charm, but you don’t seem inclined to agree at the moment, My Lord.”
“I’m not.”
“My sister is a good woman.”
“You once told me that she was so much like a fish wife that she’d never marry. It looks like you were right.”
Charles flushed. “Did I really say that? I suppose that’s brothers for you! She is a lovely person in truth; can you not visit just once more? It would be a shame to be in the same town and not see each other.”
“Oh, I see her all the time in here,” Edmund said, tapping the side of his head. “Ouch,” he said when his movements became too vigorous.
“Well, do something about it then; see her in the flesh; speak to her; clear up this misunderstanding,” Charles was encouraged that Edmund had confessed something so personal.
“Do you know something, Baker? I’ve had a lucky escape. You should take a leaf out of my book; the ladies at Mrs Langtree’s are very obliging, and they agree with everything I say. Something that sister of yours never did. She was constantly challenging me, the cheeky mare!”
“So, you’re frequenting Mrs Langtree’s? I can’t say I blame you, but you can’t think much of my sister if at the first hurdle you hurl yourself into another woman’s arms, or women, from the sound of things!” Charles had no idea how he was going to do it, but he had to return home and convince Clara that she had become attached to the wrong man. He could not see his sister married to someone who would be unfaithful.
“Get out of my house!” Edmund shouted. “How dare you lecture me? She rejected me, remember?”
“My apologies for disturbing you, My Lord. I will leave you in peace. I’m sorry things did not work out,” Charles stood and walked towards the door, but he turned back to Edmund. “There will be only one person who benefits from all this: Mrs Langtree.”
“She will. She even charges me when…”
“When what?” Charles probed, pausing at the doorway.
“When all I want to do is talk with the chits. I just want them to make me understand why she rejected me. Mrs Langtree is bloody mercenary though. She says time is money; well, time is what I’ve too much of. Bloody women! Wish the lot of them would leave me be!”
Charles did not respond to Edmund, but left the room, smiling to himself. It appeared Lord Chertsey was not the cad he gave the impression of after all.
Chapter 22
Clara was horrified. “He’s drinking himself into oblivion? How is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Charles smiled. “If he didn’t care deeply about you, he would be going about his business as normal, wouldn’t he? He’s clearly suffering as much as you are.”
“Clearly, my foot!” Clara snapped as she paced in front of the drawing room fire place. Charles and Milly both
watched her with apprehension.
“What would you have liked me to say? That he’s got over you? Forgotten you? Is chasing some debutante? Or even worse, chasing some rich widow?”
“Charles!” Milly said with censure. “There’s no need to be so gauche about this! Please remember who you are speaking to!”
Charles looked bashful, but his smile showed just how little he took to heart his cousin’s censure. “What do you want me to say, Clara? He is obviously suffering as you are; he just has a different way of dealing with it.”
“I don’t know what I want you to say!” Clara exclaimed with exasperation. “I just wish I could see a happy conclusion to all this. I should be concentrating on taking my mind off him not this nonsensical clinging on to something that is impossible to solve.”
“Stop being so defeatist,” Milly said with feeling. “All you have to do is work out where he will be at a certain time, and then be there. Once he sees you, you can both speak frankly and resolve this misunderstanding.”
“As long as he’s sober enough to understand her,” Charles said unhelpfully.
“Oh, for goodness sake! Why are you two determined to put blockers every step of the way?” Milly exclaimed in frustration.
Her outburst caused the brother and sister to look at each other and burst into laughter. “Oh, Milly, we’ve never seen you lose your temper before,” Clara said, wiping away tears of mirth.
Milly blushed. “I can lose my temper sometimes; I just have to be extremely provoked, and you are both doing that perfectly well at the moment!” Milly pushed the thought to one side that recalled another time recently she had lost her temper with someone else; only he was capable of responding to her in a way that she would never forget. The blushes caused by that encounter would stain her cheeks for months to come. She sighed; now was not the time to feel the mortification of that incident; her cousin was the focus of attention now. She forced herself to concentrate on what was being said.
“I do need to speak to him,” Clara finally admitted.
“Progress at last!” Milly said with feeling. “Now, all we need to do is to find out where he’ll be and make sure Clara is there.”
“Easier said than done, if the last days are anything to go by. He hasn’t been at any entertainments we’ve been at. Nor his club if Charles’ information is correct,” Clara said, her heart sinking once more.
“It’s a pity we can’t get you into Mrs Langtree’s; I know he goes there most nights,” Charles mused.
The look that passed between Clara and Milly did not go unnoticed by Charles. “What? What am I missing?” he demanded.
“Clara has been to Mrs Langtree’s,” Milly said quietly, deciding that now was not the time for secrets.
“What the devil?!” Charles spluttered.
“Never mind that!” Clara snapped. “What do you mean he’s there every night? If he’s attending Mrs Langtree’s, he’s clearly not that upset over me!”
“Oh no!” Charles interjected. “You are not turning this away from you, Clara Baker! What does Milly mean, you have already attended Mrs Langtree’s? I demand to be told now!”
Neither woman had seen Charles so angry before, and both sets of eyes opened a little wider. Charles had stood and was now glowering at them with his hands on his hips. His face was blood red, and the frown could challenge any that either had ever seen.
“Sit!” Charles demanded of Clara; she complied without argument. “Now, I shall ask you again, why were you in Mrs Langtree’s?”
Clara gulped. She might be the oldest sibling, but at that moment she felt like a naughty child before a very angry parent. “I-I, it was when Mr Shambles had persuaded you to go. Do you remember the night?”
“That was months ago!” Charles spat.
“Was it that long ago?” Clara tried to be upbeat about the incident, but her tone did not pacify her brother. “I was beside myself with worry about you, so I decided to follow you.”
“Good God! I didn’t think the evening could get any worse, it appears I was wrong!” Charles groaned sinking into his seat. “Go on; I need to hear every detail.”
Clara was not sure she could tell him everything, but knew she needed to tell most of the sorry tale. “I thought it would be easy to find you, and I would have a mask covering my face, so there would be no risk. I’ve since realised that I was naïve in the extreme.”
“Did you know about this?” Charles asked Milly.
“I most certainly did not!” Milly said indignantly. “But I must admit I found out a few days later.”
“And I’ve been kept in the dark. So, dear sister, you obviously didn’t find me, so what happened?”
Clara took a breath. “I bumped into Lord Chertsey, and he helped me.”
“Really? How so?”
“I was approached when I entered the room, and Lord Chertsey rescued me from a difficult situation.”
“I dread to ask,” Charles groaned, rubbing his hands through his hair.
“Well, it was nothing. There was no impropriety, and he made sure I was safe in a room while he searched for you,” Clara said, a trifle indignant.
“Oh, that’s fine then; a peer of the realm, who has never met me before, searching Mrs Langtree’s for me. Can it get any worse?”
“Well, possibly,” Clara admitted shamefacedly. “He bought Mr Shambles a drink and found out that you were in a private room.”
Now it was Charles’ turn to burn fiery red. “Clara, you are torturing me!” he groaned, slumping back in the chair. “So that’s why he bundled me into a carriage. And I believed his lies!”
“He promised that if I left the building, he would return you home safe and sound, and he was a man of his word,” Clara said in defence of her love. She did not choose to mention the kisses they had shared whilst waiting for the carriage.
“All the friendship was a falsehood. I did keep wondering why someone so much at the top of the tree in society would bother with me, and now I know. He was keeping an eye on me for my sister!”
“It’s worse than that,” Clara said softly.
Charles looked at her with a pained expression. “I am at an all-time low, but feel the need to hear more for some sadistic reason. Pray continue.”
“It was my fault, but I didn’t realise at the time that he was trying to find out about Mr Shambles. Once he knew the two of you were friends of sorts, I suppose that’s why he was friendly towards you. But in his defence, when I found out who he really was, I challenged him, and he swore that if he hadn’t wanted to spend time in our company he wouldn’t have,” Clara said, unable to stop herself from defending Edmund.
“I’m dumbfounded and wish I had the power to punch the blighter into oblivion!” Charles said with a shake of his head. “I don’t wish to see him for a long time, Clara. I’m sorry; I’m not in the right frame of mind to support you in trying to secure a man who has used us both ill.”
“Really, Charles?” Clara said aghast at what her brother’s words meant. Without his support, she would have no opportunity to approach Edmund; for all intents and purposes, he was lost to her.
“I’m sorry, Clara. I can’t.”
“Now just one moment, Charles Baker,” Milly said standing in front of Charles’ slumped form. “You are not going to cast off your sister because you feel hard done by!”
“I think I have the right to feel that way!” Charles responded in surprise.
“In one respect yes, you probably do, but let’s not forget that, if you hadn’t been so foolish in the first place and encouraged that man when there must have been signs that he wasn’t quite the right sort, none of this would have happened.”
“So, it’s my fault now?” Charles asked in disbelief.
“No! What I’m saying is that all three of you have been at fault, but it comes down to that scoundrel, Joshua Shambles. Thankfully, he’s disappeared back into the hole he crawled out of, and now is the perfect time to pull together and limit the dama
ge he did to this family.”
“I’m friends again with Clara!” Charles responded defensively.
“That is more to do with Clara’s constant forgiveness of your bad behaviour over these last few months. You behaved like an undisciplined child, storming out of the house, refusing to accompany us to balls and the like. Through all that Clara was steadfast in her belief that you were still her lovely brother, and it was just the influence of that man who was leading you astray. Let me tell you, I wasn’t so convinced that it was all Joshua Shambles’ doing!” Milly inwardly smiled at the expression of shock on Charles’ face.
“Added to that, when she had survived the worst night of her life, in which she legitimately thought you were both going to die; she was faced with your future father-in-law insisting he wanted nothing to do with this family. It was only her pleading your case and then Lord Chertsey assuring them of your character and your commitment that changed his mind. Just remember Charles, those two people are suffering because they are apart, both of them ensured that you aren’t going through what they are now!”
There was silence in the room at the end of Milly’s tirade. Both siblings were astonished that Milly was able to reprimand someone so well.
Milly looked at Clara and Charles, half tempted to give in to the feelings of mirth she felt at their astounded expressions, but she decided to continue instead. “There is only one thing to do about this to resolve it one way or another. I shall return shortly.”
The door closed firmly behind Milly as she left the room.
Both sat in silence for a few minutes before Charles let out a whoosh of air. “I feel as if I’ve been physically beaten by Milly! What on earth has got into her?”
“I’ve never seen her like this, I admit. What she said is true though,” Clara responded quietly.
“I pity any children she ever has; I don’t fancy being forced to go through that very often.”
“Well, as long as you remain a decent human being, I’m sure the usual, placid Milly will return, although she has been acting a little out of character since we left Dorset,” Clara admitted.
My Lord the Spy Page 18
