Wit & Intrigue (An Assignation to Remember Book 1)

by Angela Johnson

  With a calming breath, he turned back to Margaret and the maid. “What happened?”

  Annie dissolved into tears, which was preferable to speaking, he assumed. So, Alex turned to Margaret and gave an expectant glare. When she did not speak, he looked to the vanity and saw the boxes. With one look at each box, he formulated the answer.

  “Why would she do this?”

  “You are blind, Alex.” Margaret sneered at him as though disgust was the only emotion available. “She did it for you.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “It is obvious to everyone in society you are not attracted to her. And, how could you be? She is an ugly little thing with all those freckles and red hair. Not a man in all of England wanted to dance with her until they found out she was Lady Trenton, and then it was merely for curiosity. No one wants an ugly woman on their arm. Least of all you.”

  Alex shook his head and looked to his wife. “She is not ugly. Debra is beautiful.”

  Another scoff escaped Margaret’s throat. “Saying such things now, will not erase the weeks of ignoring her while you went out to play cards and gamble away her dowry. You did this to her.”

  Alex didn’t want to hear anything more. As he approached the bed, hoping Debra would regain consciousness he noticed his mother pressing a cloth to the burns on her skin. The guilt of everything he’d said to his wife since the moment they were married came back to him. He was certain he’d complimented her, told her she was beautiful, why would she think her appearance wasn’t enough?

  Turning to Margaret, he said only two words. “Get out!” His tone and anger said the rest, which sent her running from the house.

  He never wanted to see Margaret again. He should have stopped the friendship between the women before it began back in Sussex. Against his better judgment, and in an effort to show Debra he trusted her, he allowed the friendship. Deep down, he’d known nothing good could come from it, and the proof was before him.

  As if seeing his wife injured wasn’t terrible enough, the anger in her parents was the nail on his coffin.

  “We trusted you to take care of our daughter, we gave her to you whole. She is now scarred and broken.” Lady Norwood sat next to Debra as though her presence was the only reason Debra stayed alive.

  It was a bit dramatic, as her life had never been in danger, but as the days lingered, her hair turned a deep blue, and the burns blistered Alex believed the negative comments coming at him from the Countess of Norwood. He was the protector of her daughter, and Margaret being in Debra’s life was his fault.

  Unable to listen to the discussion of how to bring her hair back to red any longer, Alex made for White’s. The walk alone brought peace to his mind. He hadn’t left the house since the fateful day a week previously. It would be a long time before Debra reentered society. He wondered if she would ever trust anyone again, as it was obvious as the days wore on how deceitful Margaret and her friends had been. It hurt his heart to think she’d suffered at their hands, and the purpose was unknown.

  “I am not surprised to see you here, Trenton,” Baker said as he joined the table. Alex momentarily wondered why he always ended up gambling against the man, but then looked at the other fools around him and had his answer. Samuel, Leigh, and Nathaniel were the ones he preferred to sit with.

  Samuel leaned forward. “How is Debra?”

  “Still in pain.” The burns were terrible. But he was thankful the maid insisted on using the concoction on her shoulders first. If the burns had been on her face, he dared not think of the consequences of his actions for Margaret would not have left the house in a state of smug satisfaction. No one would have blamed him for attacking Margaret.

  “Are the burns healing?” Nathaniel asked with deep concern. Debra was their youngest sister, impetuous and sweet, and they cared deeply for her wellbeing.

  Alex nodded as he looked at his cards and threw in his sixpence. “It will take time, but the doctor believes her skin will return to normal.”

  “Freckles and all?” Samuel asked as though he dreaded the answer.

  Alex looked up and nodded. “Yes. But in my defense, I never once told her I wished the freckles away. It never crossed my mind.”

  “Never?” Baker asked with a laugh. “I cannot imagine a man in all the world who wants a woman covered in freckles.” He must not have sensed the coldness coming from the other men at the table, for Baker continued to speak. “God did not intend for women to be so ugly as Debra. There must have been a mistake in the process, because red hair and freckles do not go well on a woman’s complexion. Someone should have told the earl and countess to stop at seven children instead of forcing another on the world.”

  Alex threw his cards on the table and glared at the man. “Take it back!”

  “What? You want me to lie and say the ugly little girl is beautiful? Trenton, you have eyes.”

  He did have eyes, and in all honesty had no idea what Baker and other people thought so dissatisfying in regard to Debra. She was by all accounts, gorgeous. He knew society frowned upon freckles, but why did everyone have to conform to the rules? If there was one thing he absolutely loved about his wife, it was her penchant for trouble and nonconformity. He would need to tell her this tonight when he went home.

  “I said take the words back. Debra is a beautiful and kind woman and you will not insult my wife.”

  Baker put his cards on the table and burst into laughter. “I will have to tell Rilla about this. She will also have a fine laugh. We have often thought the extra money in the dowry was to pay you to take her off old Norwood’s hands. He had to trick someone into…”

  Alex’s manhood had taken a vital blow over the previous week with his parents finding out he hadn’t consummated the marriage, Debra trying to please him by burning freckles from her body and coloring her hair, Lord and Lady Norwood accusing him of mistreating their daughter, and now Baker laughing at his attempts to honor his injured wife. It was too much, and he lost his temper.

  Throwing the table to the side, Alex reached forward and grabbed Baker by his cravat. The pent-up anger of the previous weeks left his body through his fists as he punched Baker in the face, Alex threw him to the ground and beat the man, not flinching when blood spilt on his hands. He hit Baker until Samuel and Leigh pulled him off.

  “What the devil?” Baker yelled spitting blood to the ground.

  “You ever speak of my wife in such a way again, and I will do more than give you a busted lip.” Although he wasn’t angry with the men holding him, he shoved their hands away and left without a word in their direction.

  As an earl, certain situations were usually ignored, but this would be spread throughout the ton by morning. Alex wondered how he’d be portrayed as he slowly made his way home taking detours so he wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt associated with the place. When he walked in the door, a horse or carriage might have been faster transportation as Samuel, Leigh, and Nathaniel sat in the parlor with their parents.

  “Do not be angry with them; word reached us long before they arrived.” His father’s expression told him he was caught between pity and laughter.

  “If you ask me,” Samuel said, “Baker deserved more than what you gave him.”

  Defeated by his own anger, Alex crumpled into the nearest chair his hands hurting from the fight. He wanted to ask after Debra but couldn’t say the words. As though his mother already knew, she offered an update. “Debra is sleeping. We washed her hair again, and the color has turned to a gray. At least it is better than blue.”

  “So, another hundred washes and it should be back to red,” he said without humor.

  “One of these days, you will look back on this time and laugh.” He knew the words were said to lighten the tension in the room, but not a single person smiled at his mother’s prediction.

  “Perhaps you should tell George Baker the same. I have a feeling he will seek revenge for the outburst tonight.” Nathaniel’s words were brushed aside in Alex’s mi
nd. George Baker was a nincompoop and Alex would be willing to tell him to his face if given the chance.

  “Alexander,” his father said without a trace of the confused humor from before, “you need to control your temper.”

  “I did not have a temper until this week when I saw what that woman did to Debra.” Saying Margaret’s name out loud only made him swear. With women in the room it would be inappropriate, and he’d need to apologize profusely to his mother-in-law as he’d never used such language in front of her.

  “I blame myself,” his mother said sniffing back tears. This was a surprise. He hadn’t heard his mother take responsibility before. “If I had listened when you requested Apsley and his family not be invited to the wedding, she would not have had the opportunity to befriend dear Debra and cause so much damage.”

  Speaking for the first time since he’d walked in the room, the Countess of Norwood cleared her throat. “I would like to know why Lady Margaret went to such lengths with my daughter. I simply do not understand what happened to cause such a devastating situation.”

  How could he explain Margaret’s actions when he did not understand it himself? He’d offered for her hand, and she turned him away. He’d never done anything to cause her to hate him, and yet this act of aggression was simply unfathomable.

  He tuned out the conversation staring into the fire. If he could, without causing a scandal, he would go to the Duke of Apsley’s home, and make Margaret pay for the pain and damage she’d done.

  “Are you listening?” Waverly asked. The words went through his ears and didn’t register until his father said his name. “Alexander, I am speaking to you.”

  “I apologize for not hearing,” Alex said running a hand through his hair. “What did you say?”

  “Apsley sent a letter of apology for his daughter’s actions.”

  “I was not aware he knew of the incident.”

  “I made certain to inform him. Trust me when I tell you, Margaret will pay dearly for this deception.”

  “Somehow, I do not find comfort in those words and with the pain Debra is in at this moment, I do not think she will either.”

  “She already knows. Margaret sent a letter of apology to Lady Trenton.”

  Alex’s eyes went cold with the thought of more contact between the women. “What, pray tell, did the apology include?”

  His mother handed the letter to him. Hesitating only a moment at reading a letter addressed to his wife, he opened it and looked for the words explaining the reason behind her actions. If he expected it to be a true apology, he would have been disappointed. Margaret simply wrote, “I suppose you should be thankful I let the maid put it on your shoulders first. A disfigured face would have ensured Alexander seek an annulment.”

  Looking to his father, he asked, “Is Apsley aware of the contents of this so-called apology?”

  “If he is, it is the end of our acquaintance.” Waverly growled. “I find no satisfaction in the current situation as it stands.”

  Handing the letter back to his mother, Alex stood and excused himself. Walking up to Debra’s bedchamber, he sat in the chair next to her bed and kept vigil. It wasn’t necessary, as she was not in any danger, but he yearned to be near her and lend comfort.

  Chapter 25

  Debra knew her husband was angry, but he never once chided her for the mistake she’d made. The consequences of her actions would have been worse, had Annie not intervened and insisted on removing the freckles from her shoulders first. In her looking glass, Debra viewed the scabs for the first time as Annie changed the bandages.

  “They are unseemly.” Debra tried to sound positive, but her despair over the entire situation couldn’t be helped. Alex had warned her to stay away from Margaret, and out of her anger for how he’d hurt her, she’d ignored his words.

  “Your shoulders will heal. I think you had better worry about the dye in your hair more than these wounds.” Annie was right. Her hair had finally turned a dark gray, which was much better than the blue.

  “I will never rejoin society if my hair stays this putrid color.”

  The shame of her decision was worse than the actual injury to her physical self. Both her mother and Duchess Waverly gave their opinions on the matter, leaving Debra with the confidence of a toddler. Alex hadn’t yet told her she was a fool. She dreaded the day he’d finally let his anger out.

  “I will help you with your wrapper.” Annie held the cashmere robe ready for Debra to step into it.

  “I think I will spend time at my desk.” Then remembering the manuscript she’d finished; Debra took hold of Annie’s hands. “Will you ask Lord Trenton to frank this package?”

  “Yes, my lady. Do you need my assistance for anything else?”

  “No. I wish to be alone.” Although she’d finished Voluptuous Desires, she now had her new novelette, The Maiden Wife.

  Pen, ink, and parchment in hand, Debra tried to focus on the novelette. Her mind wandered back to the moment she’d met Margaret. From the beginning of their friendship, there’d always been a nagging feeling, but it was easy to ignore.

  Each time Margaret spoke of Alex, it was as though she were speaking of a man she loved. Knowing Margaret had been the one to refuse Alex, the insecurities were pushed aside, but it was hard to ignore now as she thought back to the conversations and replayed them in her mind. Margaret was in love with Alex but wouldn’t marry him because his wealth wasn’t enough.

  “I should have known she was evil.”

  With this thought, Debra put The Maiden Wife back into her desk drawer and started a new novelette, The Betrayal. This would be a story of two wealthy young women who loved the same man. It should have been obvious, and perhaps she would have noticed the way Margaret looked at Alex if Debra hadn’t been so tied up in her own emotions.

  Margaret would never admit to her reasons, but Debra didn’t need her to. Although the former expected to marry a wealthy duke, she did not love Duke Midhurst and in Debra’s estimation a marriage of convenience was the worst sort of death a living person could experience.

  The ideas forming in her head, Debra wrote out the first chapter of a beautiful but evil woman with blonde hair and a nasty disposition. The words flowed from her pen as though she were speaking. Her mind went faster than her hand could write, but when she finished the first couple of pages there was a sense of satisfaction.

  “This could be my best novelette yet.”

  She wasn’t proud of her decision to use Madame Rowling’s tonics for hair and freckles. She understood her vanity had driven her to near destruction. While writing a character who experienced a similar trial, Debra used weight and starvation for her character instead of freckles and hair color so no one would know it was her, she realized her careless behavior had been selfish.

  Putting her pen down and crossing back to her mirror, Debra looked at her reflection. Silently, as she didn’t want anyone to possibly overhear, she said words that had never come from her mouth before. “You are beautiful and have no need to look any different.”

  Chapter 26

  Ingram House was full of people, too many people if Alex was being honest with himself. The burns on Debra’s shoulders were gone. Her hair was back to the beautiful red he loved, and as her first appearance after the debacle they chose her parents’ party to resurface. If he’d known the Earl and Countess of Norwood planned to invite half of London to their home, he might have suggested spending the rest of the season locked inside. He thought it was supposed to be a quiet family dinner.

  He admired Debra as they were announced. She wore a white dress and had her hair flowing down her back. She hadn’t worn her hair loose since he met her, and it seemed to bring confidence to her posture. Alex had a hard time taking his eyes off his wife. Since the entire issue with the hair dye and freckle remover, Alex made a concentrated effort to remind his wife of her beauty each day.

  “You are beautiful tonight, Love.” Alex grabbed two glasses of punch from the passing se
rvant and handed her one. Whispering he said, “I did not know this was a big party.”

  “Kate, and Adele wanted to invite a few men so they could flirt. That meant my mother needed to balance it out with women, hence the large group of people.” Debra took a sip of her punch and motioned for him to follow her.

  She led him to the patio where they could sit and talk. “Thank you for the kind compliments, Alex. I know I do not deserve you.”

  Alex took her hand and squeezed it. “We need to start trusting each other if we are going to make our marriage work; therefore, trust me when I tell you I love your deep red hair and the freckles adorning your face. Without both, you are not the woman I love.”

  “Alex, I do not want to be one of those people who avoid their spouse. There are too many people in society stuck in those situations.”

  “I agree, Love.” He sat back on the bench noticing she hadn’t reacted to his comment of loving her. Looking up at the sky he knew he’d caused her a deep amount of pain, as she refused to return his sentiments of love. But he was not blind to her emotions any longer, or so he hoped. Every time she looked his way, he saw the spark of attraction she held for him. It was only a matter of time before she would trust him again. He only hoped he would deserve her trust when it came, instead of saying something stupid as he had the morning they were wed.

  As a bridge in the conversation, he pointed out a few of the constellations. “Do you see the five stars that form Cassiopeia?”

  “No, where are they?”

  Alex took her hand and raised it to point out the stars. It was the easiest way to show her. “Cassiopeia is in the form of the letter ‘W’. It starts right there,” he said as he moved her hand in the direction, “and ends right above your head.”

  He waited for her to make a comment about the stars. This was supposed to be a romantic moment where she could see his admiration and quite possibly steal a kiss. Looking around to ensure they were alone he ran his hand down her back and brought her other hand down from pointing out the stars.