“And I,” he said, tilting her head up so that he could kiss her. “Now, best foot forward for this evening?”
Lucy nodded and they headed down to the parlour for apéritifs before dinner.
***
The next letter that Max received from Mr Pennington was quite long and detailed, but Max didn’t read past the first two paragraphs for the moment.
Some of the ladies had decided to do some drawing this morning and had set their easels in the south garden, as they tried to capture some of the beautifully cultivated fauna. Since most of the gentlemen had been fairly active since arriving, many had decided to join the women, to read or simply sit on one of the many ornamental stone benches that adorned the garden, and enjoy the nice weather as they chatted to one another.
May and a few of the other ladies with children, had brought them outside to enjoy the day. Some of the older children were attempting to learn to draw but the younger ones were mostly playing together, watched over by their nannies or mothers.
Max’s thunderous expression as he stormed towards the gathering made many curious but it wasn’t until he hauled Giles off the bench and hit him in the jaw, that they realised anything untoward was happening.
Chapter Sixteen
Cries of “Max!” came from his wife, sister and mother but Max didn’t appear to hear them. He struck Giles again, sending him to the ground.
“Max!” Lucy grabbed his arm, trying to stop him hitting her friend again, but he pulled out of her grip and pulled Giles back to his feet by his lapels. Giles tried to level a punch of his own but Max blocked it and punched him twice in the stomach.
By this time, Giles had blood running from a cut on his lip.
“Max, stop it! You’re hurting him!” Lucy tried again.
Finally her words seemed to penetrate his rage and he looked at her.
“He’s living with Marie,” Max told her. “He’s her inside man.”
Lucy gasped and turned her gaze to Giles. “You did all this?” she asked.
Their audience, most of whom had no idea what was going on, were watching events unfold with interest.
“You were there!” she realised. “The day when I had the fall and you came to my rescue, it was planned wasn’t it? You knew exactly what she was planning, didn’t you? Your job was to console me.”
To everyone’s surprise, she threw a punch of her own, catching him in the jaw. He would have fallen if Max hadn’t still been holding his lapels.
“Get him out of here, Max!” Lucy cried, then turned and ran into the house.
Max was only too happy to oblige and dragged Giles through the house, throwing him out of the front door and onto the stone driveway.
“I’ll send the carriage to take you to town. We’ll send your things on to Marie.” And with that he slammed the door on a rather shocked-looking Giles, then locked it.
Max asked Mr Kirk to have the carriage readied and drop Mr Gibson in town, then told him that under no circumstances was he to be let back into this house, ever. The butler nodded and bustled off to do his master’s bidding. Max, meanwhile, went in search of Lucy.
He found her in their sitting room, with May and his mother trying to comfort her while she cried. May knew everything that had been happening, but Eleanor had been kept in the dark and looked suitably confused.
“Maxwell, what were you thinking, striking that gentleman?” Eleanor demanded.
“He deserved it, Mother. Now if I could have a few moments with Lucy, I would be much obliged.”
“Come on,” May said, leaving Lucy’ side and guiding their mother from the room. “I’ll explain everything.”
He trusted May to only tell their mother a sanitised version of events and then, as little as possible. Max immediately took the seat next to Lucy that May had vacated and handed her a handkerchief, putting an arm around her shoulder.
“Oh, Max, I feel so foolish!” she said, making an effort to get her tears under control and dabbing at her eyes. “How could I not have seen it? I met him that very day, for heaven’s sake! I'm such an idiot.”
“You aren’t a fool or an idiot, darling. I didn’t like Giles because he was overly familiar with you and I confess, I was a little jealous, but even I didn’t think that he was in league with Marie.”
“How did you find out?” she asked.
“I asked the detective to investigate Giles as well.”
“So you did suspect him!”
“I didn’t trust him, that was all I knew.”
Lucy shook her head. “I can’t believe I invited him into our home. Our home, Max!”
“You mustn’t blame yourself, he’s very charming, Lucy. Everyone else here liked him as well.”
Lucy didn’t seem comforted by that so Max retrieved the letter from his pocket. “Here, I didn’t finish reading it but maybe Mr Pennington discovered something that can put your mind at ease.”
Lucy nodded and accepted the letter, though she held it in such a way that Max could read the contents too.
He saw her knuckles turn white as she read the first paragraph but the story only got worse as he read on. It seemed that Giles had essentially been disowned by his family, for attempting to defraud friends and family of vast amounts of money, for a fictitious gold mine in America. He had fled when his ruse was discovered but the money was never recovered. His family had covered most of his debts, to save themselves the scandal of an arrest and trial.
Since arriving in London, Giles had lived extravagantly for a few months, staying at the best hotels, buying the best clothes, wine and spirits, and gambling frequently. The detective suspected that he had spent all of his ill-gotten gains.
Giles was currently speaking to a few gentlemen who weren’t acquainted with his family, and he seemed to be laying the groundwork for another swindle, using a similar story, this time investing in an American railroad venture. Until that came to fruition, he seemed content to stay with Marie, in her opulent apartments.
The detective couldn’t say for certain but he suspected that in return for accommodation and the use of her exclusive address, Giles had offered her a share in the profits of his latest ploy. Mr Pennington had so far discovered nine individuals who had had one or more conversations about the American railroad investment, either with Giles directly or Marie, who told her amours about her friend, Giles, who had just made a small fortune from a similar investment.
When she had finished the letter, Lucy let out a long sigh. “I’m suddenly only surprised that he didn’t try to talk us into this too.”
“If Marie was bankrolling him, she may have told him not to, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he had discussed it with some of the other guests.”
“We’ll have to warn them.”
“We will,” he assured her. “And now will you believe that this wasn’t your fault? He’s obviously a skilled liar and a professional swindler.”
Lucy gave him a weak smile. “Let’s just hope that this is an end to it.”
“Agreed.” He kissed her tenderly and gently took her right hand in his left, bringing it to his lips and kissing her bruised knuckles. “Would you like some ice for this?”
“I’ve had worse falling from horseback,” she assured him, gently flexing her fingers.
“You have a mean right hook,” he told her, unable to keep the smile from his lips. “And that is not something that I ever thought I would say to a Countess.”
Lucy smiled. “I thought you might be upset with me.”
“Whatever for?”
“Well, punching someone is hardly ladylike. It wasn’t even a slap but a closed fisted punch! I will be the talk of the ton for such behaviour.”
“Well, after careful consideration, I rather think he deserved it. Besides, I’m pleased to know that you can defend yourself and very well aware that should I now upset you, I might be on the receiving end of another such glorious blow.”
“You do seem to enjoy teasing me,” she remarked, though he
r expression showed that she enjoyed every second of it.
“I do, my love, I really and truly do.” He raised her knuckles again and placed a series of lingering kisses over the injured flesh. He knew that if he continued, his thoughts would soon become more carnal in nature and Lucy wasn’t yet sufficiently recovered from her shock for him to contemplate that, so he lowered her hand. “Now I don’t know about you but I feel like getting away from our guests for a while. How about if I ask May and Donald to preside over lunch and the afternoon’s activities, then we can take a picnic and ride the estate; find a quiet place for lunch.”
Lucy’s smile widened. “That sounds lovely. I’ll go and get changed.”
***
Giles arrived back in London feeling more than a little disgruntled. With little money, he had been forced to take a public stagecoach back to London, riding with the masses. He didn’t even have so much as a change of clothes.
He stormed into Marie’s rooms, only to be greeted with her screams of passion coming from the bedroom. Biting back his urge to throw the fellow out, he poured himself a large brandy and downed it in one go, then he called for hot water to wash with and made his way into his bedroom to change.
The blushes of the young maid when she heard the sounds of sex cheered him slightly, but he always wondered why people couldn’t tell that Marie was acting. She often used sex to get what she wanted, such as his help with the Starks, but if she wasn’t being paid, she just lay there, with no pretence of enjoyment.
Giles didn’t much care if she enjoyed it or not but she explained that most of her gentlemen friends liked to feel that they were pleasing her, even if they were paying her as well. Giles didn’t understand it but he accepted that some men felt that way. How they fell for her over the top shrieks of supposed ecstasy though, was beyond him.
By the time he was washed, shaved and changed, Marie’s guest had left and he wandered into her bedroom, hoping for his turn.
“What the hell are you doing here!” she demanded. “And what happened to your face?”
This was going to be harder than he thought.
“Later. Right now, I need a little love.” He reached out for her but she pushed his hand away.
“You were supposed to be seducing Lady Stark. Go and get her to give you some love, as you were supposed to.”
“Yes,” he sighed. “Your plan hit a small hitch when they discovered that I live with you.”
“What!” Her cry actually hurt his ears. “How did they find out? Did you tell them?”
“Give me some credit, I'm not an idiot. I have no idea how they found out and they didn’t exactly let me stick around to ask questions.”
“They did that to you?” she indicated his bruised jaw, black eye and swollen lip.
“Well I didn’t do it to myself, did I?” he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Tell me everything!” she demanded.
“There isn’t much more to tell!” he snapped. “Your plan failed, end of story.”
“Oh no, this is not the end, Giles.”
“Now see here, Marie, I know you have feelings for this chap, but he’s obviously in love with his wife and your hopes are in vain. Let it go and move on with your life; it’s over.”
“It is not over! If I can’t drive a wedge between them the old fashioned way, I’ll just have to be more creative.”
“In two months we are going to be filthy rich, remember? We’re heading off to America to start a new life.”
“You want to go to America, I'm not going anywhere.”
“You can’t stay here, they’ll drag you before the Courts.”
“What for? I’m the one supporting you, remember? So what if I fell for your lies and your charm, just like your investors did, that doesn’t make me a criminal!”
She might be able to pull off that lie, as long as she hid her share of the proceeds well. Still, he liked having her around, well, having a prostitute around. She was easy sex for him and her skills could be utilised to earn a little extra cash when he needed. She wasn’t the only doxy in London though, so he could soon find himself another, one who would jump at the chance of starting a new life.
“All right, you do what you want but I am done playing your games,” he told her.
“Oh, are you,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. “Then I'm done financing your lifestyle.”
In the blink of an eye, Marie found herself pinned up against the wall by her throat.
“Don’t you dare threaten me!” he told her. “I’ll leave when I'm good and ready to leave and not a moment before!”
Then he kissed her hard, tearing at her clothing at the same time. Still holding her throat, he pulled her away from the wall and roughly threw her onto the bed, pouncing on her a second later. He fumbled with his breeches, trying to free his member, when something cold pressed into his neck. Instinct told him to be careful.
Slowly he backed away from Marie but she moved with him, until it was his back pressed against the wall, her knife pressed against his throat.
“You think you can use me like some kind of whore?” she demanded. “Now listen closely, Giles; you are either with me or you are against me. If you’re against me you can either leave, or I will slit your throat right now.”
“I’m with you,” he tried to assure her, feeling a line of blood trickle down his neck.
Marie pressed the knife a little harder then finally stepped away. Her dress was torn, her breasts exposed and her hair a mess but she carried herself like a queen.
“Good. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get ready to go to the gentlemans’ club.”
Giles left, hating that she had bested him but admiring her spirit. It wasn’t the first time things had become violent between them and she had obviously learned to carry a knife.
No matter. He would humour her until he began getting investments, then he would leave her high and dry, taking her share with him. It was really best that he didn’t pay her if she was staying, that way her pleas of innocence would be easier to believe.
***
Marie suspected that Giles intended to double cross her, possibly even allowing her to take the blame for his crimes but she was prepared for that. She had collected ample proof of his actions and could claim to be simply another victim.
Obviously he no longer intended to help her with Max and Lucy but Marie’s real talent wasn’t in the bedroom, it was in knowing what people wanted most.
With some men that was sex, with others it was a friendly ear to listen to their problems, still others wanted to be dominated, to not have to make a decision for a time. Then some wanted to be flattered and appreciated, and still more men just wanted some easy companionship with a pretty lady.
Max had fallen into the last category, with a smidge of wanting easy sex as well.
Giles liked sex too but his real desire was for money. Lucy’s pretty face and the thrill of the chase had been enough to interest Giles in seducing her, but no pretty face was worth those bruises to him. Perhaps if she were still unmarried, her fortune would have held his interest, but it was too late to change that now.
No amount of money would ever sate Giles’ desire for it though, because he burned through it as quickly as lightening, gambling most of it away before he knew it. Since she had been supporting him, Marie had kept him on a very tight leash, financially speaking, refusing to allow any gambling. However, she knew that she could use his love of money to her own advantage in this situation, for both Lucy and Max were more than just rich, they had money coming out of their ears. She was certain that she could convince Giles to help her part them from some of it.
Marie cared little for money; to her, money was simply a tool. Money, and lots of it, could be worked into her plans though, extorting vast sums from Max or Lucy, amounts that would surely have Giles salivating at the idea.
Chapter Seventeen
In mid-September, two weeks after their last guest left, Max, Lucy, M
ay, Donald and their children, had all decamped to the Starks’ home, just outside of Rochester.
The earliest building dated to 1230 and unlike Lucy’s estate, Stark Hall had been altered and added to over the years, rather than rebuilt. Although it happened over a number of centuries, each new wing was in sympathy with the original medieval architecture, including mock battlements, giving the Hall the feel of a castle rather than a country house. Somehow the mix of buildings gave the place a homey sort of feel, rather than the more imposing look that real castles were designed for.
May had been told of their father’s illness and obviously wanted to spend some time with him before she and Donald returned to Scotland, so they had accompanied Max and Lucy.
Although they had planned to return to Scotland at the end of September, they had extended their stay for at least another month so that May could spend more time with her father. They were now nearing the end of the extra month however, and May was beginning to think about leaving again, although it was clear that she didn’t want to.
“I wish we didn’t live so far away,” May sighed as she walked the gardens with Lucy and her children. “I feel so cut off up there, so far from London and all of you.”
“But you are happy, aren’t you?” Lucy asked.
“I love Donald if that’s what you mean, and I do like Scotland. Despite the sometimes harsh weather, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. I just wish it wasn’t so far away from everyone that I love. It takes a week of travelling to get down here.”
Lucy could understand how she felt, she wouldn’t like being so removed from those she loved either.
“Couldn’t you arrange to live in London for half the year? Donald does have a house there, after all.”
“But then I would be away from him for a lot of the time; he doesn’t have an awful lot of business to conduct in London, so he would have to keep returning to Scotland. There doesn’t seem to be a happy compromise.”
“Well…” Lucy hesitated.
“What?”
The Convenient Bride Page 14
