Actually, Caroline knew no such thing. She had hoped, certainly, but a proposal was far from certain. "What?" she gasped as the reality of what could have been descended upon her. "Truly, Amy, I did not know. When?"
Shaking her head, Amy continued with a fair amount of disgust and disbelief that her friend could be so completely unaware of the truth. "The summer your father died. Oh, Caroline, how could you not know? The two of you were inseparable. You kissed in Papa's garden. Do not think the servants did not see, for they did. And they talked. Marcus had a ring. And then?" She shrugged and shook her head again. "You were gone and his heart was broken. He has never truly been the same since."
"No." Caroline could not believe Amy's words. If she did, she began to ache for all of the lost years. "That cannot be." Then she straightened, pushing the truth aside. It was too painful to even contemplate. "And even if it was, it changes nothing. We are not those foolish young things any longer. He needs a young wife so he can secure the family titles and then retire to the country. You do know that his vision and his leg are still concerns for him, do you not?"
This time, Amy snorted in a very un-ladylike manner, but rather in a very Gibson like manner, Caroline was quick to notice. "Rubbish," she said again. "Yes, Marcus has physical issues, but they are easing. More than I think he is even willing to admit to himself. Dr. Hastings is working with him, and while his eyesight will never be perfect again, he is no longer blind or even close to it. As for his leg, that remains a problem, yes, but as long as he is not completely dependent on the cane for mobility, Gibson assures me that soon he will be able to walk without it."
Caroline's head spun with all of the information Amy had imparted. Still, it changed nothing. "What do you hope to gain by telling me this, Amy?" she finally asked, the tea long since gone cold and neither of them pretending this was simply a social call any longer.
"My brother's happiness," Amy said simply as she rose, her garnet-hued walking dress floating around her like a cloud. "Physically, Marcus is much improved but at his heart? He is still in a great deal of pain." She waved a gloved hand in the air. "Oh, I know all about this foolish plan of his to find a young wife, with love not being a consideration. He has reveled far more to me than he is aware, I think. And perhaps at one time, that might have sufficed for him. But no longer."
Rising herself, Caroline frowned. "Again, I do not understand."
"His time in Bath changed something fundamental inside of him. There is anger and rage bottled up within him that was not present before. A marriage of convenience with the wrong woman will only allow those feelings to fester and grow. They will not heal him. Only love can do that. It is what healed me. And Gibson." Amy gathered up her reticule. "I want nothing less for Marcus. And I know that Lady X loves him, almost to the point of distraction."
"He is infatuated with her, you know." Caroline offered up that tidbit out of sheer desperation.
Amy just smiled, seemingly unrattled. "Then make him infatuated with you, instead." With another sigh, she shook her head. "You do not have to reveal the truth to him if you do not wish to do so. Though I find that keeping secrets from one's mate is rather difficult. Still, the choice is yours."
"He is not my mate." It was Caroline's immediate reply, given without thought.
"He could be," Amy replied with more than a bit of cheek before sweeping from the room and leaving Caroline speechless.
For a few moments, she simply stood in the middle of her drawing room, listening to the clatter of carriages pass by outside and the low murmur of servants bustling about the house as they went about their day, preparing for both Caroline's carriage ride and excursion to the theater with Marcus later that evening. Her head was spinning. So much had been said in so little time. It was almost enough to give her a megrim. If she suffered from them, that was.
Then, just as her father had taught her, Caroline decided to take one issue at a time and deal with it head on. That was always the best policy when faced with a situation that seemed insurmountable.
There was little Caroline could do regarding what Gibson - and now, by default, Amy - knew about Caroline's years in Northumbria. Her friend knew some of the details obviously, but clearly not all. If she did, it was unlikely that Amy would ever speak to her again. No one would. So for now, that secret was safe. If details about her time away from society ever became known, however? Well, she would decided how to deal with that later. Best not to borrow trouble that might not arrive, her father always said. At the moment, it seemed like sound advice.
On to the next problem, then. Amy knew Caroline was Lady X. She probably knew about Caroline's excellent forging skills as well, given that Gibson was her husband. However, she had not threatened to reveal either of those secrets so there was an excellent chance she would not. Revealing such information would not serve Amy's purpose, which was clearly to see Caroline and Marcus wed. For the time being, that secret was safe as well, but Caroline did concede that it might be time to pass on the mantle of Lady X to another young woman or simply allow the gossip column to end completely.
She had enough funds stashed away now to ensure that she lived comfortably and cousin Norbert always made certain that extra funds were available should Caroline be in need. In Norbert's case, guilt drove him to make certain that Caroline was comfortable, and while she would not abuse his generosity, she was not foolish enough to turn him down when he offered assistance. If she was careful, she knew she could manage quite well for the rest of her days, even without Norbert's assistance.
That left only the matter of Marcus. Unfortunately, that was also by far the most complex of the problems. She loved him. She always had. She could not have him, however. She was too old, not worthy and the list went on. They were the same old arguments she had engaged in with herself every day since Marcus' return to town.
The notion that he had once cared for her enough to want to marry her, however, was new. Caroline had not known that he had intended to propose when they were younger until Amy had spoken of it. If he had, she would have accepted.
Did he still care for her? More to the point, did it matter?
No, Caroline decided firmly, it did not.
All that mattered was getting Marcus settled with a young wife, just as he said that he wanted. He might still desire her. In fact, it was clear that he did. He did not bother to hide the fact. But they both knew that a union between them would not be in anyone's best interests. Love did not factor into the equation, no matter what Amy believed.
Caroline was truly happy that her friend had found a love match with Gibson. For despite everything, Caroline did believe in love. She simply did not believe in it for herself. Maybe once, but no longer.
She also knew that reputation was everything and hers was not precisely the best. In turn, Marcus' family had weathered far too many scandals as of late. Another one might be one too many. Not to mention that as The Mystery, Caroline was afforded much privacy by society. Oh, they poked and pried, but for the most part, they let her be, liking the idea of the mystique that surrounded her, rather than caring overly much about the mystery itself. It was a way to allow her back into society without knowing too much about her past.
Her reputation, of course, was no longer pristine. Her Uncle Lewis had seen to that by yanking her away from London in the manner he had and keeping her whereabouts shrouded in mystery. Perhaps he had not meant it to be that way, at least at first, but the damage had been done nonetheless. His own death on a dueling field so soon after claiming the title had not helped matters either. Especially when it was discovered that he might have fathered at least one future earl through a poorly thought out affair with an elderly peer's much younger and extremely nubile wife.
Now, questions lingered about Caroline's time away from London, but not so many that she would receive the cut direct. After all, she was older now, no longer a threat to the young debutantes seeking husbands. At best, she might discreetly become someone's mistress, but her a
ge was against her being a true diamond of the first water again, as she had been in her youth. That, in turn, rendered her relatively harmless to the matchmaking mamas, as well as allowed her to be someone the matrons of society were more than willing to tolerate. After all, Caroline posed no risk, no threat to the young misses or the titled men seeking brides.
No, as long as she played her assigned role, she was comfortable and safe, or as safe as any unmarried woman in society could be she supposed.
However, if Marcus started courting her openly? If Caroline was seen as the prime candidate to snatch The Viscount of Mystery off the matrimonial market? Then perhaps the ton might not be so gracious towards her. They might begin to question, to poke and to pry into business that was best left buried in the past. They might cut her socially. Worse, they might cut Marcus as well. Oh, he would still receive some invitations, but not as many as was his right as a viscount and future earl. His place among the ton would well likely be tarnished, as would the places of their children - should she be fortunate enough to bear him any, of course.
Caroline could not and would not allow such a thing to pass. Marcus had suffered far too much in his life. She would not add to his misery, not when she could avoid it by finding him a proper wife. Love was not part of the equation. It could never be.
But happiness? Yes, perhaps Caroline could manage that well enough for Marcus. And as for Amy? Well she would have to be satisfied with that.
Chapter Seven
"Is something amiss, my lady?" Marcus could not understand why Caroline was distant with him once again. He thought they had hashed the whole nasty business out the previous evening at the Carlyle affair. In fact, he had gone so far as to begin spreading his own rumors around his various clubs that morning specifically referencing Caroline's assistance in his quest for a wife. There had been nothing in any of the gossip rags about the plan, of course. Not that he suspected there would be since it had been an extremely private conversation.
However he did want Lady X to mention his hopes of securing a wife at some point in the near future, mostly so that his presence at Caroline's side could be explained away rather neatly. Hence the need for him to begin spreading the rumors himself. He also hoped that the juicy tidbit would have the added effect of teasing Lady X out of hiding so that he might finally discover her identity. Then he could put this infatuation with her behind him once and for all. He hoped.
To that end, he had also begun making discreet inquiries about Lady X with various sources, including the indomitable Bow Street Runner, Harry Greer, who often did work for the Duke of Enwright. The man was nothing short of a miracle worker, at least according to the duke, and Marcus was willing to pay handsomely for the man's services. He wanted the true identity of Lady X. That was all. After that, Marcus would take it from there.
Once he had satisfied his curiosity about the gossip columnist, Marcus could then sort out this bloody mess where Lady Caroline was concerned.
That, unfortunately, was a bit more of a tricky problem. He wanted Caroline, desperately in fact. However, he had also promised Candlewood that he would not touch her unless he intended to propose marriage. He was also forced to face the fact that he could not wed Caroline, mostly because she would not have him. And he would not force her.
The heir business, he had decided the previous evening on the carriage ride home, would take care of itself. Any young woman could give him an heir if he bedded her often enough. Affairs of the heart were a completely different matter. Caroline had loved him once. Marcus knew that for certain. Perhaps he could make her love him again. On the other hand, she was also rather stubborn and perhaps - just perhaps, mind you - she had merely felt great affection for him and not a grand sort of love at all.
All of those thoughts and more had plagued him as he had made his way through the darkened streets of London the previous evening, having left Caroline at the Carlyle's ball, unable to be in her presence any longer and not ravish her. For from the moment he had taken her in his arms, he had discovered that no other woman would ever do. He loved Caro; he always had. He did not want some other woman, lovely as she might be, to warm his bed and bear his children. Not even Lady X. Infatuation and love were two very different things. However, given that Caroline was determined to rebuff him, he could not help but wonder if Lady X would do the same. He suspected she would not and he was still enough of a rake to want to find out for himself.
Marcus also knew that Caroline would never agree to be openly courted and that was largely his own damn fault. He also knew that if Candlewood discovered that he was in pursuit of Caro without an immediate offer of marriage, the man would flay him alive. For some odd reason, his old friend protected Caroline with the full weight of his title. It was not love, for as far as Marcus could tell, nothing more than a deep friendship lay between them. But there was something, a shared secret that Marcus was determined to discover so that he would have a clear path to making Caroline his wife. On his own schedule, of course. Candlewood and the others be damned.
His muddled state of mind had not improved when he had returned to Cheltenham House to find his sister there waiting for him while her husband checked on their father who had just returned from Scotland on business for the crown. Amy had pestered Marcus relentlessly about his search for a wife and about his relationship with Caroline. She had reminded him that love needed to be a part of the equation and that marrying simply to produce an heir would leave one miserable for the rest of their days.
Marcus could not say that he disagreed. However, he had also reminded Amy that love matches were rare and that just because she had found one did not mean that he would as well. She had uttered some harsh words then that he had not thought her capable of speaking, much to his surprise. She had also snapped at him not to be such a bloody fool. He had love right before him, his sister had informed him angrily and that he would be an idiot if he looked elsewhere for happiness.
Once Amy and Gibson had departed and Marcus had calmed his temper over a glass of fine scotch, he had realized that Amy was right, a conclusion he was slowly coming to on his own as well. He could not simply marry some chit that Caroline selected for him. Not when he wanted Caroline herself.
There was also the little matter of his infatuation with Lady X, but that, he decided as he downed the rest of his drink, would pass.
He needed to focus on winning Caroline's heart. The rest would sort itself out in the end. Which was precisely what he had set out to do immediately upon his arrival at Turner-Carson House to escort Caroline to the theater earlier in the evening.
Now he was faced with a sulky female once more. He had no idea what was upsetting her tonight, but her mood swings were getting bloody tiresome. In Marcus' mind, his ancestors had the right of it when they simply threw a woman they fancied over their shoulder and absconded with her. Would have made this whole bride business a good deal easier. Not to mention a far sight more pleasurable.
"Caroline?" Marcus prodded again when she did not answer after he repeated her name the fifth time. "Are you angry with me for some reason? I thought you enjoyed our carriage ride today?" In response to his words, he received another nearly vacant stare. Damn the woman! Would she not bloody well pay attention to him?
"Pardon?" She finally blinked at him a few times and in the darkened lights of the theater, Marcus knew she hadn't been paying the least bit of attention to him. Though precisely what had captured her attention he couldn't not guess.
Frowning, Marcus laid his hand gently over hers and then tightened his grip when she moved to pull away. No. She was his. The sooner she came to accept that idea, the better off they would both be. "I asked if anything was amiss. I am guessing the answer is yes, as you have done nothing but stare into the crowd since we arrived."
In truth, escorting Caroline to the theater where they would be seen in his family's private box might not have been the best plan, especially not if he planned to convince her that he was seriously considering ot
her women to share his marriage bed. Well, at least until he could convince Caroline herself to share it, that is. Society, not to mention his friends, might get the wrong idea and then his plans for Caroline might well go to Hades unless he was extremely careful.
"Oh." She seemed confused for a moment, as if she had quite forgotten that he was seated beside her. "I was merely taking in the crowd, seeing whom you might visit at intermission. I see Lady Sophia with her bother a few boxes over, but I do not see Lady Diana." She put down her quizzing glass for the moment as she turned to look at him rather hopefully.
Quickly, Marcus tamped down the small surge of irritation that rose up in him. Now was not the time to allow his temper to get the better of him. "Let it rest for the moment, Caro. Please. It was only last eve that we came to speaking terms again. Besides, I thought we agreed that no young lady of that particular circle was well suited for me."
"It's just that I think," she began to protest but Marcus squeezed her hand quickly.
"Enough, love." His voice was so low, barely a whisper that Caroline strained to hear him. "I have let it be known around town that you are helping me seek a wife. While not strictly proper, I think we can both survive a few days in each other's company without causing a scandal. Not to mention that we have the blessing of Candlewood for the arrangement." That blessing had, of course, come at a price - namely Marcus' promise once more not to be caught out with Caroline - but it had been granted nonetheless.
Flipping open her fan so that no one could read her lips, the quizzing glasses of the ton already trained on their box, Caroline gave Marcus an exasperated sigh. "This is not proper, Marc, and you well know it. People will assume that we are courting and that could be disastrous. For both of us." She continued to fan herself briskly in an attempt to hide her irritation.
"All will be well, Caro," he assured her, though from the expression on her face, it was clear that she doubted his words. "You will see. No harm shall come to either of our reputations and I will find a suitable wife that is to my liking." Then he shifted in his chair, moving his leg and hips about until he found a comfortable position. He did it mostly to relieve the pressure that sometimes built up on his leg, but it was clear that Caroline suspected he had ulterior motives. He did, of course. He was simply not going to inform her of that fact, however.
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