Lady Crenshaw looked at Lady Barrington as if this entire mess could be laid on her rounded shoulders. “And how long do we have until the entire world can see the evidence of your daughter having been compromised?”
“Lady Crenshaw!” said Lady Barrington, as outraged as it was safe to be. “I do not mean he compromised her that way. It was just a kiss, but a very passionate one that her father and I just happened to walk in on.”
“Just happened to walk in on, eh?”
Lady Barrington had the good grace to blush just a little. “Yes, I’m sure my Madeleine would never be so ill-bred as to allow herself to be more carried away than a kiss. Unlike that female and her illegitimate child who are currently residing at Lynwood house.”
“What on earth on you talking about? You’re making even less sense than usual.”
Lady Barrington was then persuaded, despite her innate dislike of gossip, to fill Lady Crenshaw in on the history of Jane Wetherby and the curious interest Lord Edward had taken in the poor unfortunate woman, whose fall from grace had actually been predicted by quite a few of the ladies in Marston Vale.
Lady Crenshaw promised she’d look into the matter, before taking one last look at Ned’s supposed fiancée, who’d been staring at a mirror for the better part of an hour.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Look at all the pretty gowns,” said Vi in awe as she watched the ladies promenade.
Lizzie, accompanied by a footman and her best friend Rosalind, had taken Vi for a walk in the park.
“The ladies may be wearing pretty gowns, but none are as beautiful as you, poppet,” said Lizzie.
Vi looked up at her. “You and Mama are the two most beautiful ladies I ever saw,” then realizing her omission, quickly turned to Rosalind. “You, too, Miss Rosalind.”
Rosalind laughed good-naturedly. At four and twenty, Rosalind knew her looks were average. Average height, average build. Hair color an average brown. Her only truly good feature was her eyes, but even they were hidden behind spectacles. She knelt, to come face-to-face with Vi. “You, my dear, are not only beautiful, but very kind.”
Vi smiled. “I like your hair pin,” she said, then shyly hid her face in Lizzie’s stomach.
“That is a lovely pin,” said Lizzie as Rosalind rose to her feet. Rosalind’s family had fallen on hard times and it was rare when she had anything new.
Rosalind smiled and patted the pin, which was in the shape of a violet. “Thank you. I bought it from a street vendor. I know I probably paid far more than it’s worth, but I was struck by its beauty. And if I hadn’t spent the money…”
She left the sentence unfinished, but Lizzie could’ve completed it for her. If Rosalind hadn’t spent the money, her scapegrace brother would have. Her brother, abetted by her stepmother, was pushing the family ever closer to financial ruin. Elizabeth worried about her friend, for she showed little interest in marrying and, truth be told, had received few offers if any for her hand. While Lizzie would hate for her friend to wed where there was no love, she also didn’t like seeing her at the mercy of her brother and stepmother. And all efforts Lizzie had made to help Rosalind financially had been politely, but firmly rejected.
The two had been fast friends since Lizzie’s come-out two years earlier. Rosalind had come to her aid when a drunken admirer had tried to take advantage of her. The two of them had fought him off and sworn complete secrecy because if word had gotten out, the drunken admirer would’ve been killed in a duel and one of Lizzie’s brothers would now be living in exile on the continent.
“What have we here?” said Lizzie as she looked up to see Arthur and Hal riding toward them on horseback.
They dismounted, then gave their reins to the footman.
“Lord Arthur, Lord Hal!” said Vi. “We’re prome…prome…What are we doing Lizzie?”
“Promenading.”
“Why ever for?” asked Arthur.
“I don’t know. It’s just like walking, but slower,” answered Vi. “But we get to see all the pretty ladies and their gowns.”
“Uh-oh,” said Hal. “It looks like the pretty ladies are descending.”
Lizzie looked up to see at least a dozen of her acquaintances swarming toward them, or, more accurately, swarming toward her two handsome brothers.
“It is too late to escape?” asked Arthur.
“Why’d you come to the park at his hour if you didn’t want to be noticed” asked his sister.
“We wanted to be noticed,” clarified Hal, “just not by ladies. We were looking for more, uh, sporting company.”
“Might I remind you there are ladies present?” asked Lizzie.
“Where?” asked Hal. “All I see are you and Rosalind, hoydens the both of you.”
“I have very little sympathy for either of you rogues,” said Rosalind with a smile. “It’d serve you right if one of them dragged you to the altar.”
“You wound me, Rosalind,” said Arthur.
The hordes arrived and the two men were enveloped in a cacophony of giggles and curtsies.
“What a delightful child,” said Lady Gwendolyn Bossert, barely looking at Vi but addressing her comments to both of the handsome and quite eligible Kellington brothers. “I do find it charming when a gentleman turns his attention to children.”
“Gentlemen should turn their attention to children since they’re half responsible for their creation,” said Rosalind, to Lizzie, Arthur and Hal’s delight. “I’ve always found it odd that the slightest interest a man takes in his children is thought to be an act of great sacrifice, while a woman dedicates her life to them – and most of her figure – yet it’s only what’s expected.”
“What an odd thing to say, Miss Rosalind,” said Lady Gwendolyn. “And what an interesting gown you have. I particularly enjoy the intricate stitching at the hem and pockets.”
The intricate stitching was a result of the garment having been mended many times. Several ladies tittered behind their fans, Rosalind blushed, and Lizzie went on the attack.
“I’ll have you know, Gwendolyn dear, that…”
But whatever else Lizzie said was lost to Vi. There was an odd noise, like a cry of some sort. All the ladies talking made it hard to hear, but if she could just move closer, she might learn what it was. Vi walked to nearby bushes, but there was no sign of what she’d heard. She went past them to a thicket of trees. The crying was getting louder, like a whimpering animal. Then in the distance she saw a light brown puppy. It looked like it was caught in a trap. She ran the rest of the way to the dog.
“Don’t be scared. I’m here to help you,” she said as she knelt beside the animal, which was in a great deal of pain. One of its front paws was caught tightly in a snare and there was blood on the paw from where the dog had tried to free itself. Vi worked hard to loosen the trap, as the puppy began licking her hands.
“Don’t worry about that mutt. You cain’t take him where yer goin’.”
Vi looked up to see three filthy men approach her. They looked different than the men in Marston Vale, but just as dirty and frightening. With one more yank, she freed the dog, who began growling at the men.
“Come with us. We got some biscuits fer ye, don’t we boys?” said the first man again.
“We got everythin’ a lass like you might want.” His friend closed in on her.
The dog put itself between Vi and the men, then bared its teeth.
“I hate dogs,” said the first man. “I look forward to slittin’ its throat.”
“Don’t touch that dog!” said Vi as she picked up a rock and threw it at the nearest man. He ducked, but it hit him on the side of the head.
“You stupid li’l brat!”
The man tried to grab Vi, but she ran out of his grasp. The dog pulled at the pant leg of the second man, who tried to kick it, but tripped instead. Vi grabbed the puppy, just as the third man began closing in on her. She screamed, then ran in the direction she’d come from, with the men on her heels.
If on
ly she could reach Lizzie before the bad men caught her.
She ran as fast as her legs would go, then she heard one of the men behind her say a naughty word. She took a quick look behind and saw they were now running in the opposite direction. She turned around to see Arthur, Hal, Lizzie, that nice Miss Rosalind and the footman running toward her. She hoped no one was chasing them.
Arthur, Hal and the footman ran past her, chasing the men. Lizzie caught her up in her arms and suddenly Lizzie and Miss Rosalind were hugging her and rubbing her back and asking if she was all right. The puppy got squished, so she had to put him down.
“Sweetheart, are you all right? Did those men hurt you?” asked a very worried Lizzie.
“I’m all right,” Vi said. “I’m sorry I wandered off, but I heard the puppy crying. He was hurt and when I was helping him, those men came.”
“The brigands used the puppy to lure her to them,” said Arthur, who’d just returned. “We couldn’t catch them. They must’ve had horses on the other side of the bushes. Did they say anything to you, Vi?”
“They said they were going to take me with them and that…that they were going to slit the puppy’s throat.” Then she burst into tears.
Lizzie and Rosalind hugged her again.
“I don’t want them to hurt the puppy!” sobbed Vi.
“The puppy will be fine,” said Lizzie.
“How do you know?” asked Vi.
“Hal, pick up the dog,” said Arthur.
Hal looked at the puppy, which met his stare with a wide one of his own.
“It’s bleeding. And this is my favorite waistcoat.”
“I’ll take him, my lord,” said the footman, as he walked toward the dog.
“I’ve got him,” said Hal. He picked up the puppy, who then began to lick his face. “No wonder the villains didn’t like this dog. It’s disgusting.” But despite his words, he began petting it.
Vi was shaking with silent tears.
“Poppet, please don’t be sad,” said Rosalind, as she pulled the pin out of her hair. “You can have my pin that you liked. A violet for Violet.”
Lizzie looked at her generous friend. Rosalind has so few items to call her own. Now, she’d given away one of her favorites.
“I can’t take your pin,” hiccupped Vi. “You love it.”
“Of course you can take it,” said Rosalind. “It’d make me very happy to see you with it. May I place it in your hair?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Vi gave a glint of a smile and nodded. Rosalind put the pin in her hair. “Now you look like even more of a princess than you did before.”
The girl beamed.
“Lord Arthur, Lord Hal, how brave you were,” said Lady Gwendolyn, now that she and the other ladies had finally ambled over to them.
“How much trouble this child caused you,” said Lady Helen Henderson with a disparaging glance at Vi. “And, Lord Hal, is that…is that…blood on your waistcoat?”
Half the ladies appeared ready to swoon, as long as they were in range of being caught by either of the two lords.
“What happened?” The quiet voice of Lynwood reached them from the back of the mob. “I saw the chase, but was too far away to get here in time.”
The ladies swept into a deep curtsy, then they all tried to get his attention by telling the bits of the story they’d gleaned from having stood a safe distance away.
“Lady Elizabeth, what happened?” asked Lynwood, ignoring the others.
“We were careless enough to let Vi wander off. She heard a puppy crying and when she found it, three men tried to kidnap her. Arthur, Hal and Norton ran them off.”
“And Miss Violet is…” Lynwood looked at the girl, and for a moment Lizzie saw a flash of fear in his eyes.
“She says she’s fine.”
Lynwood smiled at Vi. “Miss Rosalind’s pin looks beautiful on you.”
Vi smiled at him, then leaned into Lizzie.
Lynwood turned to Rosalind. “Thank you, Miss Rosalind for the loan of your pin. It was most generous of you.”
Rosalind looked at the duke, her mouth too dry to speak. “It was a gift, not a loan,” she finally managed to say quietly.
Lynwood looked at her, then opened his mouth to speak. But just then Lady Gwendolyn placed a delicate hand on his elbow, turning him toward her.
“Your grace, I was just in the process of removing this ribbon to give to the girl when you walked up.” She slid the ribbon slowly out of her hair, keeping her eyes locked with Lynwood’s. “If you would be so kind as to give it to her?”
“Since it obviously means so much to you, why don’t you give it to Miss Violet yourself?”
Pleased to have the undivided attention of the duke, but completely at a loss for how to approach a child – where was the chit’s governess, anyway? – Lady Gwendolyn held the ribbon out at arm’s length. The child looked up and Lady Gwendolyn could swear she was cross. Ungrateful brat. Lady Gwendolyn dangled the ribbon, hoping the girl would simply take the thing so she could turn back to the duke, when suddenly the dog that had bled on Lord Hal’s waistcoat grabbed the ribbon and slobbered – slobbered! – on her gloves. That made the stupid girl laugh.
It made everyone laugh.
Barely suppressing her fury, Lady Gwendolyn turned back to the Duke of Lynwood, whose lips were set in a straight line, but seemed to quiver just the slightest amount. Damnation!
“It has been an exciting day. We’d best be leaving for Lynwood House,” he said. “Thank you for the use of your ribbon, Lady Gwendolyn. It seems to have cheered Miss Violet up considerably. Now, if you will excuse us, we must be for home.”
* * *
As Jane walked into the house after her drive with Wills Overton, Heskiss informed her that Vi and Lizzie were still in the park, but Ned was awaiting her in the drawing room. As Jane entered, she got the distinct impression she was about to be on the receiving end of a sound scold.
“Did you enjoy your drive, Jane?”
“It was perfectly fine,” said Jane, still trying to discern what she’d done to upset him.
“Was it?”
“Yes, it was a beautiful day and while I was surprised to see Wills, I enjoyed myself well enough.”
“Wills? I didn’t realize you were on a first-name basis.”
“I’ve known the man almost my entire life. When you’ve fallen out of a tree with someone, formality often goes by the wayside.”
“When did you fall out of a tree with him?” asked Ned, hoping he didn’t sound ridiculously jealous. Although it certainly sounded that way in his head.
“I don’t know. When I was 10, perhaps?”
“Oh,” he said, slightly mollified.
“Did you think this had been a recent occurrence? That I’d suddenly taken up tree climbing?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I climbed two trees just last week. Perhaps it’s a Marston Vale tradition.”
“To be honest, you didn’t actually climb a tree the second time,” said Jane, struggling not to laugh. “You climbed a branch.”
“That’s beside the point. What I’d like to know is what you were doing with Wills Overton. I thought you said you’d been cut by him and his friends.”
“I’m sorry if I’m not enough of a social pariah,” said Jane, her tone frosty. “I didn’t plan today’s outing and was quite surprised by his arrival, as I already noted. But I’d like to know why you believe you have the right to question me about my activities.”
“I have the right because I’m Vi’s father.” Try as he might, he could not sound calm and rational. But, damn it, he did have a point.
“That gives you the right to question me about her welfare. But you do not in any way have the right to interfere with my life.”
Even though Ned knew she was right, technically, it still bothered him to have her categorically deny any relationship between them. He’d proposed to her, something he’d never done before. And not only had she turned him down, she’d been out
driving with that fop Wills Overton.
Was she forgetting they’d had relations a few nights ago? Ned realized that didn’t necessarily tie them together, since he’d had plenty of liaisons where he hadn’t cared in the least what his lovers chose to do afterward. But the other night had been different. Meaningful. Intense. And sleeping at the inn as a family had meant more to him than he could put into words.
Good heavens. He was becoming a pathetic romantical.
“I have a right to look after Vi’s welfare. You don’t even know where she is right now, do you? Perhaps you should spend more time worrying about our daughter and less time in carriages with dandies.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he’d gone too far. He started to apologize, but before he could even get a word out, she turned on him.
“How dare you imply I don’t take care of my daughter! How dare you waltz back into my life, demanding a place when you never even gave a second thought to your actions so many years ago? There are ways to prevent pregnancy, my lord, and you didn’t employ any of them that night. And then, without thought to how this might affect Vi or what my plans might be, you informed me we’re getting married and that you have the right to make all our future decisions. Decisions which almost certainly mean leaving a life I hold dear in order to join the mighty House of Lynwood. I may not have always made the right decisions over the years, but I love my daughter dearly and I’ve protected her as best I could. You’ve known you were a father for a week. And when things got tough, you came back to the safe haven of your family. Well, I’ve had no safe haven these many years. Don’t you dare question my abilities, until you’ve done my job alone.”
Jane was on the verge of tears and Ned wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms. But he knew she wouldn’t allow it.
“Jane, I’m sorry. I was a fool to say what I did. You’re a great mother. I was just upset about Overton.”
None of this was making sense to Jane in the least. “Why were you upset about Wills?”
Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid (Kellington Book One) Page 18
