‘I do not wish to bother you…’ Sylvia looked uncomfortable. ‘Hubert has always been so generous to me and if I overspent my allowance he would settle my bills, but…he told me last week that I must keep strictly within my allowance for he could not advance me if I fell into debt.’ She bit her lower lip. ‘I did spend lavishly in Paris and now the merchant is dunning me and I cannot pay. His last letter was really quite abusive and I dare not tell Hubert.’
‘How much do you owe?’
‘No, Mariah, you can’t,’ Sylvia protested. ‘I wouldn’t dream of asking it. I did not mean you to know, but it slipped out, because I have been so anxious. Hubert has never refused me before.’
‘Perhaps he has some trouble himself,’ Mariah suggested. ‘Please allow me to help you, my dear friend. If you wish, we shall call it a loan without interest and you may repay one day in the future when you are able. Tell me what you need.’
‘I fear it is more than one thousand guineas.’ Sylvia sighed. ‘I know it is an exorbitant sum to spend on clothes, but I wanted pretty things for my confinement and I bought lace, silks and linen for the baby, too.’
Mariah smiled and shook her head. ‘I am so spoiled that I spent twice that amount on my clothes, which is why I did not need to buy more clothes in London for my trousseau. I shall give you a draft for fifteen hundred pounds on my bank. No, do not deny me, Sylvia. I want to do this for you—and if Hubert is in trouble I would help him if I could.’
‘You are always so generous,’ Sylvia said and dabbed her eyes with a scrap of lace that wafted lavender water into the air. ‘I feel awful for asking you, but it would be such a relief to me.’
‘You did not ask, I offered. Do not concern yourself about repaying, though if it makes you easier in your mind you may do so one day.’
‘I can only thank you. I am sure Hubert will be in funds again soon. When he tells me I may have what I please, I shall repay you.’
‘Say no more of it,’ Mariah said. ‘Now, let us go and see who has arrived, for I am sure that I heard voices in the hall just now.’
Mariah was thoughtful as they went into the reception hall and discovered that several members of the duke’s family had arrived. In the flurry of introductions and greetings, the slight awkwardness that had arisen with her friend was forgotten. Mariah had an uncomfortable feeling that Lord Hubert’s request that his wife did not overspend related to his business dealings with Count Paolo.
She said nothing to Sylvia, but decided that as soon as she had a moment to be private with Andrew she would tell him of her suspicions, though of course she would say nothing of the loan.
* * *
There were new arrivals all day long. Lucinda was busy greeting her guests and seeing to their comfort. Mariah offered to help, but was required only to keep the other guests company, which she was happy to do. They were all well known to her and most were curious about her marriage and talked so much that she had no chance to slip away with Andrew when he arrived with his sister and her husband, who had come to spend the day with them. However, being the centre of so much attention kept her well away from Count Paolo, though she was aware of him watching her intently whenever he was in the same room.
* * *
Thankfully, Justin had been in charge of entertaining the male guests and he had taken the count off to play billiards for most of the afternoon. Mariah did not see him until she went up to change for dinner and found him loitering near her door.
‘Are you looking for your room, sir?’ she asked. ‘I fear you have taken a wrong turning.’
‘I was waiting for you, Mariah,’ the count said, his eyes narrowed intently. ‘You have been avoiding me since I arrived, but you know we must talk. We have unfinished business.’
‘I think you mistake the matter, sir. I gave you my answer to your offer, which was obliging had I wished for an affair, but as you see I am to be married to the man I love.’
‘In Milan you looked at me as if you wanted me,’ the count said. ‘I think that perhaps you like to tease, madame, but you have chosen the wrong man. I told you that when I want something I do not let go easily. I have not changed my mind, though it seems you have.’
Mariah raised her head proudly. ‘Forgive me, but I do not wish to hear this. I have promised you nothing at any time. Yes, I found you attractive when we met, but that does not mean I wished to be your wife, sir. I told you in Milan that there could be nothing between us. I am to marry the man I love three weeks from now. I do not understand why you persist in this when—’
He moved towards her, and frightened by the menace in his eyes, Mariah gave a little cry of alarm as his hand reached out to catch hold of her wrist.
‘Please do not touch me!’
‘You belong to me, Mariah. I thought I made that clear to you when we spoke before.’ His grasp tightened, hurting her so that she gasped with pain. ‘If you marry Lanchester, you will be a widow within the month. You are mine and I intend to have you.’
‘Let go of me or I shall scream,’ Mariah hissed, anger taking away the fear. ‘The duke’s servants will throw you out if I complain of your behaviour. If you do not wish for a scandal, you should let go of me now.’
‘I do not fear the duke, his servants or Lanchester.’ Count Paolo’s gaze narrowed. ‘I mean to have you and when I want something I get it.’
‘I do not think you can risk a scandal at this time. It would not suit your business arrangements—’ Mariah gasped as he dragged her towards him, his eyes burning with such fury as he looked down at her that she was afraid of his mental state.
‘What do you know of my business? If that foolish bitch has told you anything…’
‘You will not speak of my friend that way.’ Mariah conquered her fear, gazing up at him defiantly. ‘She knows nothing—but I know that you are in debt. It is the reason you need more investment from new partners—and the reason you want me. You think to take the fortune Winston left me for your own ends, but you would be sadly disappointed, sir. My money is in trusts that even I may not break.’
‘You lie,’ he said, but there was shock and uncertainty in his eyes. ‘Bitch. Breathe a word of this lie to anyone and I shall kill you.’
He let go of her and pushed her away so that she stumbled and fell against the wall; then he turned and walked off, disappearing round the corner of the hall. Mariah shuddered, wrenched at her door and went inside quickly, locking the door after her. She was trembling and shaken as she entered her bedchamber, so much so that her maid looked at her in concern.
‘Are you ill, my lady?’
‘No, no, I shall be all right in a moment,’ Mariah said. She lifted her head, conquering the desire to weep. The count was without doubt an evil man. At their first meeting she had been conscious that something was very different about him. Then she had found him exciting and charming, but now she knew that his charm was merely a veneer that hid his true character.
He had threatened Andrew’s life if she went ahead with the wedding. She must find the right moment to be alone with him this evening and tell him of the count’s threat.
Chapter Ten
Dressing for the evening, Andrew’s thoughts turned again and again to the woman he was to marry. Until recently he had not realised how much she meant to him, but that morning as they walked he had found it difficult to keep his mind on the necessary discussions about their home and future. All he had wanted was to scoop her into his arms and carry her to his room so that he could make love to her. However, he was aware that to do so might seriously impair his ability to concentrate on other things.
Count Paolo must be watched. Mariah was frightened of the man, though she had not said so in as many words. The fellow was strange; his eyes seemed almost dead at times, but at others held a bright glitter, especially when he watched Mariah—which he did whenever she was in the room. He was clearly obsessed with her—but to what limits would his passion carry him?
He would have preferred the man to
stay under his roof so that he might keep an eye on him, but it would appear rude to overset Lady Avonlea’s arrangements and might alert the count. It was best that he felt himself secure. Andrew was unsure of his involvement in the recent events in Milan, but it was best to keep an open mind, though he must be watchful for all their sakes.
Satisfied with his appearance, Andrew thanked his valet for his assistance and left his bedchamber. Meeting with George and Jane, he exchanged pleasantries with them as they all went outside for the short carriage drive to Avonlea.
* * *
Andrew was greeted by Justin, and glad of the chance for a few words in private with him before the ladies came down for the evening.
Andrew was waiting at the end of the landing when Mariah left her room and walked towards the main staircase. He smiled as she came towards him, feeling a glow of admiration and pride as he saw how beautiful she looked. He held out his hand to her.
‘You look so lovely, Mariah,’ he said as she took it. ‘I wanted a moment alone with you before dinner. You will not mind if I steal you away to the library for a short time?’
‘I have been wanting to speak with you all day,’ she said and the urgency in her voice made him raise his brows.
‘Is something wrong?’
‘When we are alone. I should not wish anyone to overhear.’
‘You are troubled. What is it, my darling?’
‘I fear something is very wrong,’ Mariah replied, but would say nothing more until the reached the library.
‘I know you did not think the count a threat,’ she said. ‘But I am certain he is not what he seems, Andrew. I think he has cheated Lord Hubert in some way and will do the same to anyone foolish enough to invest with him.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘Sylvia told me something in confidence, then, earlier this evening, the count waylaid me outside my room. He told me that we had unfinished business and threatened…’ She took a deep breath, then, ‘He threatened that if I married you I should be a widow within a month. I told him that I would never marry him and that I knew he was in debt. He then grew very angry and told me I should be sorry if I repeated the lie.’
‘You will not do so to anyone else, Mariah.’ He looked at her sternly.
‘So you still think I have imagined it all? I tell you, Andrew, he is a dangerous man. I do not think he would hesitate to kill—and I feel he is mixed up in the attempt on your life, though I know it makes no sense.’
‘So you have put two and two together and made five.’ Andrew frowned. ‘I agree that he is a dangerous man, Mariah. I am sorry he made those threats to you. Forgive me for not admitting that I suspected him before this, but I did not wish to spoil things for you. With our wedding so close it should be a happy time for you.’
‘You do think him dangerous?’ Relief swept over her—if he was of the same opinion, he would not be careless. She arched her right brow at him. ‘What are you up to, Andrew?’
‘I suspected that he was involved somewhere, though at first I could not see where an Italian count might fit into the affair. I recalled that he had lived in France for several years. It is possible that he served in Spain when I was out there with Wellington.’
‘Do you think you made an enemy of him?’
‘As far as I know we met for the first time in Milan, when I enquired about importing some of his wine—but he may have known Lieutenant Grainger out there.’
Mariah stared at him in silence for a moment. ‘Lieutenant Grainger? Did something happen at that time that made the lieutenant think you should know—perhaps because he was more dangerous than we could have guessed?’
‘It is merely a theory,’ Andrew said. ‘I cannot be certain of anything—but supposing one of our men was a spy and the count was his paymaster…’
‘Lieutenant Grainger?’
‘Or someone else, perhaps?’
‘Do you mean Lieutenant Gordon?’ Mariah frowned. ‘He seems to have disappeared, does he not? You said his mother and sister have not seen him for some months…’
‘Yes, the mystery deepens. I have no idea where the count fits into this business, though, like you, I feel that in some way he is more involved than I first imagined.’
‘Lieutenant Grainger wanted to tell us something important. What made him go off suddenly that night at the ball? Do you think the count threatened him?’
‘He may have done so, though I cannot see why.’ Andrew shook his head as she questioned with her eyes. ‘I am as much in the dark as you, Mariah. I have spoken to Justin, because I need to stay here in this house at night so that I can keep an eye on our friend—and I do not wish him to be aware of it.’
‘But Jane and Lord George are staying with you…’ Mariah wrinkled her smooth brow. ‘You cannot neglect them.’
‘Jane will understand—and if I know George, he will want to lend a hand. We have to flush our enemy out, Mariah, and I think I may know how.’
‘What do you mean?’
He refused to be drawn further on the subject. Instead, he drew her into his arms, held her close and kissed her in a way that put an end to Mariah’s protests that he was keeping secrets from her again. Her body suffused with heat and desire rushed through her as her flesh melded with his and she leaned into him, feeling the burning need in him.
‘This is what I brought you here for, my love,’ he said, caressing the side of her face with his fingertips. ‘Do you know how much I long for our wedding? I count the days off, but it seems so long.’
Mariah laughed, delighted with his lovemaking. Now he was the impatient lover she had longed for.
‘Anyone would think you were in love, Andrew,’ she teased. ‘If you are so impatient, my dear one, we can anticipate our wedding a little.’
‘Oh, how I should like to accept that sweet invitation,’ he murmured, holding her close so that she could feel the burn of his need. ‘However, I must make certain that you are safe, my love. If I let my guard down, that rogue would have the advantage—but when you sleep tonight, know that I shall not be far away from you.’
‘Truly?’ She gazed up at him, eyes glowing. The way he held her, the way he looked at her, seemed to speak of his feelings for her. She felt that she was precious to him and her heart filled with love and happiness. ‘I shall sleep more soundly for it, Andrew. I confess that last evening I did not feel safe until I was in my room with the door locked.’
‘Well, you shall not be alone again,’ he said and kissed her nose lightly. ‘I shall stay close—and should the count attempt anything, he will be sorry.’
‘Thank you,’ she said and pressed her face against his chest. ‘I have been spoiled for most of my life, Andrew—but I never truly felt that I belonged to anyone until now. If I were to lose you, I do not know what I should do.’
He tipped her chin so that she looked up at him. ‘You will not lose me, dearest. The count is a rogue, but I think him a coward. He would not kill if he could get another to do his dirty work—though if he were cornered he might strike out like a wounded beast.’
‘Take care,’ she whispered and then laughed as she heard the longcase clock in the hall strike the hour. ‘We must go or we shall keep everyone waiting for their dinner.’
* * *
To Mariah’s surprise the count was not present at dinner. When the ladies left the gentlemen to their port and went into the dining room later, Lucinda told her that he had sent word to Justin that he must leave immediately and had gone off with only a small amount of baggage, leaving an address in London for the rest of his things to be sent on.
‘He apologised and said he had received news that he was urgently needed at home.’
‘Needed at home?’ Mariah’s nape tingled. ‘Did a messenger arrive with a letter for him?’
‘Justin asked the butler. He said that none had arrived that he knew of—but perhaps one of the servants took it up to him without saying anything. Anyway, he has gone. I thought you might be pleas
ed?’ Lucinda looked at her questioningly.
‘I certainly have no desire for the count’s company,’ Mariah agreed. ‘I cannot pretend to be sorry he has gone.’ It was as if a dark shadow had lifted, at least for the moment. Yet something did not ring true and she could not help wondering if he were planning a nasty surprise for her.
Mariah would not make her hostess anxious by telling her what she truly thought. The count must have known she would tell Andrew of their meeting. He might have thought she would warn others that he was a bad risk as a partner in business. Perhaps he had left rather than face her again.
The idea that there might be something more sinister behind the count’s sudden departure was building at the back of her mind, but she resolutely pushed it away. Andrew was on his guard. He would not be careless and she was being watched over. She felt safer for knowing that the count was no longer in the house and would not linger in hallways to catch her off guard.
A feeling of relief swept through her. He was no doubt a dangerous man, but perhaps he had realised that she was a lost cause and had simply gone off to try his luck elsewhere.
She decided that she would not allow his threats to worry her and was persuaded to play some music for the company. She was still at the pianoforte when the gentlemen entered. Andrew came to her and they discussed various pieces of music they both knew, then joined together in an amusing little duet for their friends. After that another lady took Mariah’s place and she was free to talk to Andrew as the last drinks were handed round.
‘You know the count left suddenly?’
‘Yes. I dare say he had urgent news from home.’
‘Perhaps. You will feel easier now that he has left, my love.’
‘Yes, of course. I imagine there is no need for you to stay here now.’
Andrew smiled oddly. ‘I do not think we need to talk about that gentleman again this evening, Mariah. I have been showered with gifts by our friends—they are at home waiting for you to inspect. Shall I reply to my own particular friends or will you do it for me? I confess I am not good at such letters.’
The Scandalous Lord Lanchester Page 18
