“I understand that you and Miss Alyssa are virtually penniless.”
“Yes.” Catherine put her chin up, as if by doing so, she might suddenly make herself rich and feel less ashamed than she did at that moment. “We are not sure what we will do now.”
“You have no need to worry,” said Mr. Oakley. “Just before he died, it seems your brother had some sort of premonition. I received a letter from him. I would have come to your aid sooner, except I’ve been away and didn’t read it until I returned home yesterday. Sadly it came at the same time as news of his death.” His face became a grim mask again.
“You said there was a letter?” said Catherine when Mr. Oakley did not speak for a few moments.
“Yes. Mr. Willoughby wrote a letter asking that should anything happen to him, I would become the guardian of you and Miss Alyssa. I’m assured by Mr. Parry that the letter is legally binding.”
“But not morally, surely?” said Catherine. “What I mean is, you do not have to follow his wishes.” Catherine was surprised to hear herself speak, but she wanted to give him a way out. Then perhaps she would not feel the constriction in her chest which she knew was born of shame.
“On the contrary. For reasons I prefer not to share with you, I consider your brother’s request both morally and legally binding. You may both come and live at Oakley Castle, where I have arranged for my Aunt Harriet to come and chaperone you. So, Miss Alyssa,” Oakley bowed in Alyssa’s direction. “You shall have your pretty dresses, and make your debut, when your proper period of mourning has passed, and I am sure that every man there will fall in love with you.” His tone changed and he became more businesslike. “We might as well leave today, before your cousin has a chance to turf you out.” His lips closed into a tight line, suggesting that he did not much approve of Cousin George.
“Oh this is wonderful!” Alyssa clapped her hands together. “I mean, it’s awful, about poor Jimmy, but wonderful that he thought of us. Isn’t it, Catherine?”
“Yes,” said Catherine, who was blushing because Oakley had heard what Alyssa said on the way back from the churchyard. “Deareset, why don’t you go and pack, and I will discuss the details with Mr. Oakley?”
Alyssa did not need telling twice. Catherine could see that her young head was already full of the joys of new dresses, attending balls and having handsome men dance attendance on her.
“Mr. Oakley, Sir,” said Catherine, when Alyssa had gone, and Mr. Parry had also excused himself. “I hope you won’t think ill of my sister. She’s very young and as she believed she might not be able to make her debut, it is something she is very excited about.”
“I believe your sister has a very pragmatic view of life, Miss Willoughby. For someone so young, she seems to understand exactly how society works.”
“I do not believe that to be true,” said Catherine, hotly. She hated that he might think Alyssa was like some of the mercenary ladies in the Beau Monde, even if Alyssa had done much to give him that impression.“Alyssa has been shut up at Willoughby Manor for most of her life, and she is a complete innocent. She reads about the ladies in society, and believes that she wants to be like them, having no true understanding of the politics of … of love.”
Oakley’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “And you, Miss Willoughby, know all about the politics of love?”
“I know that it is not nearly as glamorous as Alyssa believes. That being a wife involves other duties that she probably has not considered.” Catherine blushed again. She had always spoken openly to her brother about anything and everything, and it was only now that she wondered if such a discussion was appropriate with Mr. Oakley.
“Yet you’re happy for her to make her debut in this society that you seem to despise so much?”
“I want Alyssa to be cared for, and as we’re both unable to make our living in this world, then I must concede that finding her a wealthy husband is the only way of ensuring that.”
“And what about you, Miss Willoughby? I shall have to find you a wealthy husband too if I’m to do my duty as your Guardian.”
“I am not interested in marrying. At least not in the way Alyssa is content to be married. The reason I wanted to speak to you alone was to assure you that you have no need to introduce me to society at all. I shall be quite content if I can take my books and my easel with me to your home, and then when Alyssa is married, I’m sure she will allow me to live with her, and I shall no longer be a burden to you.”
He bowed his head gallantly. “I consider you a very charming burden.”
Chapter Two
Xander had not lied about finding Catherine Willoughby a charming burden. Something about her intrigued him. Most women of her age would be fluttering their eyelashes at him, desperate to become Mrs. Oakley. Catherine always met his gaze head on, and during her first few days at Oakley Castle, he’d learned that she was very intelligent. She was also very stubborn, which was why he was at that moment searching the grounds for her.
He had not seen her for six months, having left his Aunt Harriet to take care of their needs whilst he took dealt with problems in France, where the revolution was causing untold misery. Despite the length of time that had passed passed, he was surprised to find that Catherine was still dressed in mourning.
He found her sitting under an oak tree, lost in concentration at her easel. Even though he walked towards her, in full view, he was aware, and somewhat intrigued, to realize that she hadn’t even noticed him. Although everyone agreed that her sister, Miss Alyssa, was the stunningly beautiful sister, Catherine had something else. Something indefinable. To Xander, and many other men, Alyssa was like the sun. Shining and bright, but if you looked too long your eyes began to hurt and you were forced to look away. Catherine was more like the moonlight, soft and shimmering, and not nearly as painful on the eyes.
“May I see it?” he gestured to the painting, at which point she looked up startled.
“Mr. Oakley,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were there.”
“No, I gathered that. So, may I see what you’ve made of my house?”
“No, not yet.” She became a little flustered, quickly covering the canvas with her scarf. He imagined it was because the painting was very bad and she knew it. “What I mean is, I want to surprise you with it. You have such a beautiful house. I always thought Willoughby Manor was the most wonderful home in Britain, but Oakley Castle is exquisite. So I wanted to paint it then give the painting to you. It’s a gift, to say thank you for all you’ve done for Alyssa.
She can hardly wait to make her debut now she has so many beautiful gowns.”
“It is that I wished to speak to you about.”
“I’m sorry, have we spent too much? I know it seems a lot and I have asked Alyssa to be more circumspect but…”
Xander held up his hand. “That is not important. Miss Alyssa may have as many gowns as she pleases. So may you. This is why I wanted to speak to you. I gather from the dressmaker that you have ordered only two black dresses for yourself.”
“I’ve already told you that I have no wish to be presented to society.”
“But society may come to you.”
She looked up at him wide-eyed. “What do you mean?”
“I realize you do not want to be presented at court, but I intend to invite guests here to stay beforehand, as part of your sister’s coming out, so that she has a chance to learn how to behave in society before being thrust into the limelight. Do you think you are doing Miss Alyssa any favours by dressing like a servant?” His eyes took in the cheap black muslin dress Catherine wore. “Or that any man would be impressed by a woman when her sister’s clothes are threadbare?” He saw her hands go instinctively to a patch on her sleeve.
“I would just rather not take too much from you. At least not for myself,” she said.
“But you must see how that reflects on Miss Alyssa. And not just on her, but on me.”
“On you?”
“I am the legal guardian to yo
u both. What does it say that I keep one sister in style and the other in rags? People might even consider I favour Miss Alyssa for other reasons.”
He watched her face as his words sank in, just as he intended them to. In truth, he doubted his friends, who knew him well, would think any such thing, but he was determined that Catherine should stop denying herself pretty clothes. “Can I tell the dressmaker to visit you?” he asked.
“Yes. Yes, of course,” said Catherine, quietly.
“I will be very angry if I find you have ordered less than an entire wardrobe.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Mr. Oakley,” she said, her mouth turning up slightly at the corner.
“Well you should be. I’m told I’m ferocious.”
To his surprise she laughed. “Hardly. You’ve been very kind to both of us. Kinder than I ever…”
“Than you ever what?”
“Kinder than I’m sure Jimmy expected. I’m sure he thought you might just put us in a cottage somewhere and pay the rent.”
“Mr. Willoughby knew me better than that.” His voice became grim as he thought of his young friend. If any of them were to die, he expected it to be for the cause. Not knocked down on one’s own doorstep by a group of murderous vagabonds. “I wish to talk to you about Jimmy. I haven’t wanted to say anything sooner, because I know his loss affected you deeply. As it did me. But we must find out who murdered him. I know the local authorities have put it down to vagabonds in the area, but I’m not convinced. Do you know anything about the men who came to the house that night?”
Catherine shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. It was all so quick.”
“Do you know of any reason why they might have been there? Perhaps Jimmy had debts.”
“He did have debts; those Papa left us with, but most of them had been paid off. The people we owed money to were tradesmen. Not the type to send men around.”
Xander knew that to be true. He’d always paid Jimmy over the odds for the forged documents, determined to do something to help his proud friend. “Did he ever discuss anyone else he might be involved with? I’ve heard, though it may just be a rumour, that Jimmy knew the Captain.”
“Oh but the Captain didn’t do this! He and Jimmy were friends. He’d never hurt him.”
“No, I’m not suggesting he did,” said Xander, feeling unaccountably jealous about Catherine’s passionate defence of his alter-ego. “But it may have some bearing. Do you know what Jimmy did for the Captain?”
Catherine appeared to hesitate. “I’m afraid to tell you, in case it makes you think less of Jimmy.”
“Believe me when I tell you that I hold, and will continue to hold, your brother in the highest esteem. I know how much he cherished you and Miss Alyssa, and how he wanted to release you all from your penury after your father left you all penniless.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and believe it or not, I have offered to help in the past, but Jimmy was too proud to take it.”
“I didn’t know that. I knew he was proud. I didn’t know you’d offered.”
“I imagine Jimmy was also too proud to admit it. But we’re getting off the subject. You must tell me everything you know. Do you know who the Captain is?”
Catherine shook her head. “No. I’ve only seen him from a distance and then his face was covered.”
“Jimmy never hinted at who he might be?”
“No, never. I suppose I should tell you the truth. It doesn’t really matter now Jimmy’s dead. The Captain relied on Jimmy, because of his talent for forgery.”
“Forgery?”
“Oh, see, now you’re going to…”
Xander held up his hand. “No, I’m not shocked. Only surprised that you should know about it. Jimmy once told me about how he forged notes from your father to get out of lessons at school.”
Catherine laughed a little. “Yes, he did. Then he put it to less selfish uses. Whenever the Captain needed forged documents to get into France, Jimmy provided them for him. Then…”
“What?”
“Someone else found out about Jimmy’s talent, and they offered him a lot of money. I wasn’t sure, but Jimmy said it would help Alyssa to have her season in London. I should never have agreed…”
“You think the men who killed him were something to do with that?”
Catherine nodded. “Yes. I think that for whatever reason they silenced him. They might have hurt me and Alyssa too but I heard Jimmy tell them we were away visiting relatives. Then they…” She put her hands to her face. “It’s my fault. I should never have…”
“Miss Willoughby, listen to me.” Xander gently moved her hands from her face and held them in his. “It isn’t your fault. It was foolish of Jimmy to get involved with other … clients beside the Captain. Do you know anything about them? Even the names on the forged documents might help. I don’t suppose Jimmy shared that with you.”
“No,” she said. “No, he didn’t. I think Alyssa wants me.”
Catherine got up out of her chair and rushed off towards the house. He half expected to see Alyssa on the terrace, but there was no one there. She was hiding something, Xander was sure of it. But what? He was about to follow her, when he bumped into the easel, knocking it to the ground. The scarf fell away, revealing her painting of Oakley Castle.
“Good Lord,” said Xander, hardly able to believe his eyes. It wasn’t a bad painting at all. He would have gone so far as to say it was excellent. Admittedly it owed a lot to Gainsborough. All that was missing was a gentleman and his lady in the foreground.
Had Miss Willoughby been a less honourable young lady, she might even have passed it off as a Gainsborough original.
Catherine barely noticed what gowns she picked, as the dressmaker bustled around her, obviously delighted to have the extra business. She was too busy thinking about Jimmy and whether she could really trust Mr. Oakley. Even in the short time she’d spent in his company, she began to wonder if she’d been wrong about him. He’d been more generous than he ever needed to be to her and Alyssa. What’s more, she’d enjoyed talking to him at dinner, finding him very knowledgeable once he got past his initial reservations about discussing politics and philosophy with a mere woman.
Even if she told Oakley the names on the forged documents, what could he do about it? They might have been used by now, assuming Jimmy’s killers had achieved their aim. But why would they need to kill Jimmy first? If all they planned to do was leave the country and take on new identities, then there’d be no reason to silence him. Unless what they planned was something different. Something they feared might come to light before they achieved it. And if that were the case, did she not have a duty to let Mr. Oakley know so that he could inform the proper authorities? Added to which, she wanted Jimmy’s killers brought to justice, and it might be the only way to do it.
On the other hand if she told him what she knew it might lead to other questions, such as how did she know so much? It could lead to her and Alyssa being thrown out onto the streets. She had a feeling that Mr. Oakley was not a man who would take kindly to being deceived.
It was strange how he’d appeared at her side whilst she was painting. Engrossed in her work, she hadn’t been aware of him walking towards her, yet the moment she knew he was there, she became acutely aware of him, to the point her heart beat faster and she lost her normal cool reserve. In his company she felt as dizzy as Alyssa. She only hoped he hadn’t noticed it. She’d hate for him to think of her as a simpering young female. Though she doubted he thought much of her at all.
“I will leave you these gowns, Miss Willoughby,” the middle aged dressmaker was saying, “and bring you more tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” said Catherine, barely looking at the gowns the dressmaker had placed on the bed.
“And may I say it’s been a pleasure dressing you. Your sister is beautiful, but you have something else about you. To see my clothes on you is like … Oh I don’t know. Like seeing a portrait in its proper frame.”
“I must admit I hated to see you dressed in mourning, especially when there’s no need anymore. It’s such a waste of a beautiful young lady.”
“Stop!” said Catherine, holding up her hand and laughing. “You will make me very conceited.”
“I don’t think there’s much chance of that, Miss Willoughby.”
Imitation of Love Page 2
