by Lucy Adams
“If you will wait a moment.”
Before she could say anything, Lord Avondale had quit the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. She did not know where he was going but one look towards Lord Montrose told her that the gentleman was deeply concerned and angry that Lord Avondale might, as he had said, return with the proof of his treatment towards this young lady, Rebecca.
“This has gone far enough,” Lord Montrose said, angrily, suddenly breaking out of his firm stance to stride towards the door, going after Lord Avondale. “I shall not allow that fellow to return to this room, Eliza. It is quite ridiculous.”
Eliza’s brows rose and she planted both hands on her hips, glaring at Lord Montrose as he walked past her. “You have no need to do so,” she said, loudly, “for, as I have said, you do not own this house and, as yet, we are not husband and wife. You have no right to dictate whom I am allowed to meet within this house, Lord Montrose.”
Much to her shock, Lord Montrose ignored her entirely. He continued on his way, his hands tightening into fists as he made his way past her, his face slowly turning a deep, angry red.
“Eliza!”
Titania was on her feet just as Lord Montrose quit the room, leaving Eliza staring after him.
“Eliza, you must go after him!”
Eliza jerked suddenly as Titania grasped her arm, having hurried over from across the room.
“You cannot allow Lord Montrose to force an end to this discussion,” Titania said, urgently. “You have not yet informed him that your engagement is at an end and, should you not do so soon, I fear that Lord Montrose will find some way to ensure that you remain his.”
Eliza blinked, her heart suddenly slamming into her chest painfully.
“There was a reason for Lord Avondale’s treatment of you, Eliza,” Titania continued, physically tugging Eliza towards the drawing room door. “Can you not see it? Can you not understand?”
Slowly, Eliza began to walk towards the door of her own accord, understanding slowly beginning to creep into her heart as though it were an unwelcome guest.
“Lord Avondale married his cousin, Eliza,” Titania said, urgently. “There was to be nothing said of her pregnancy, nothing said of what had gone before.”
“Rebecca,” Eliza whispered, forced to lean against the doorframe for a moment as a bout of weakness took hold of her. “Lord Avondale married his cousin, Rebecca.”
Titania smiled and let go of her arm. “Yes,” she said, softly, a small smile etching itself across her face. “Yes, that is it entirely.”
Eliza shook her head, dismayed. “And Lord Montrose…..”
“Is the man responsible,” Titania finished. “That is, I believe, what Lord Avondale is trying to say. You must go to him now, Eliza. Show Lord Montrose where your loyalty lies. Bring this to an end.”
Eliza nodded and made to thank her sister, only for a furious shout to echo all through the house. She gasped and pushed away from the door, hearing the yelp of pain that came soon after it. Titania hurried after her as the shouts of rage and anger continued to grow in number, sometimes mixed with a cry of pain.
“Eliza?”
Lady Whitehaven appeared out of nowhere, her face a little pale as she hurried to Eliza’s side. “Whatever is going on?”
“Lord Avondale is here, Mama,” Titania said, hurriedly. “He came to speak to Lord Montrose. Who is –”
“Determined to silence Lord Avondale, it seems,” Eliza breathed, coming to a sudden stop as the sight of Lord Montrose brandishing his cane at Lord Avondale came into view.
“Good gracious,” Lady Whitehaven breathed, one hand fluttering towards her mouth. “Whatever is going on?”
Titania’s expression was grim. “The truth has made itself known, Mama,” she said, firmly, grasping Eliza’s hand and encouraging her towards the two gentlemen. “And it is time that Lord Montrose knows that he is no longer welcome in this house. Is that not so, Eliza?”
At her sister’s sharp look, Eliza found a new sense of strength enter her frame. She nodded firmly, lifting her chin as determination began to burn in her soul. She was finally going to be able to hear the truth from Lord Avondale and, in doing so, send Lord Montrose from her life for good.
Chapter Thirteen
“Lord Avondale!”
Jeremy turned to see Lord Montrose hurrying after him, his steps determined and a dark gleam in his eye. Jeremy allowed a sneer to tug at his lips, turning around from where he had been headed to face the gentleman.
“Yes, Lord Montrose?” he asked, knowing that the rest of his precious evidence – the letters between Lord Montrose and Rebecca – were still safely in the hands of one of his loyal footmen waiting in the carriage outside. “Is there something that you wish to say to me?”
Lord Montrose’s expression grew ugly, his face wreathed with anger and frustration.
“Why did you come?” he asked, stopping only a few steps away from Jeremy. “Why must you bring the past back to my door?”
Jeremy lifted his chin, not at all intimidated by Lord Montrose’s fury. “I have been determined to discover who left my cousin in such a dreadful circumstance,” he replied, softly, recalling just how pale and sad Rebecca had been on the day he had married her. “I confess that in my own grief and pain, I had lost some of the determination and anger I felt, but when I had the chance to go through her things, I found my determination and anger return to me. You cannot imagine what I felt when I saw your name written so clearly.” He took a step towards Lord Montrose, his hands tightening into fists as he battled to keep his temper. “There is nothing I can do for Rebecca now, but one thing I can do is ensure that Eliza knows precisely the sort of gentleman you are. I will do all I can to save her from such an unfortunate marriage, Lord Montrose, for I am quite certain that you yourself have not been honest with her.” His eyes held onto Lord Montrose, refusing to look away or show even a flicker of weakness. "Lady Barclay has, I assume, already agreed to be your mistress?”
Lord Montrose’s hand shot out but Jeremy dodged it easily. He took a step away again, shaking his head as he saw the look of sheer anger burning in Lord Montrose’s expression. “She has, then.”
“This has nothing to do you with you, Avondale,” Lord Montrose replied, darkly. “Eliza is mine. She has already agreed to be mine. I shall do as I please and neither she nor you shall have any bearing on my behavior.”
“And Rebecca?” Jeremy asked, softly, letting his words fill the air between them. “What of her? And what you did to her?”
Lord Montrose let out a mocking laugh that sent Jeremy’s skin crawling with disgust at the gentleman’s behavior.
“What of her?” Lord Montrose laughed, his expression growing malevolent. “She is dead, is she not?” Seeing Jeremy flinch, he laughed again. “Gone from this earth, she and that child with her. I have nothing to say on the matter, given that there is no one to seek out recompense for her.” He shrugged, his lips pulled into a wide, scornful grin. “She was pretty, yes, and remarkably amiable,” he continued, his voice dropping low and sending waves of fury through Jeremy. “But I cannot claim to be the only one who sought out her company.” One eyebrow arched slowly and Jeremy forced his hands behind his back, so that he would not allow his anger to force him to act unwisely.
“My cousin has written only of you,” he stated, harshly. “She wrote to you over and over, Lord Montrose. First, there came words of love, of gratitude and of hope. And then, by the end, she was in such despair, that I can barely bring myself to read what was written.” He shook his head, his eyes cold as he saw the grin fade from Lord Montrose’s face. “You told her not to seek you out, begged her to keep what was between you a secret. Excuses and lies were piled upon her shoulders and, as innocent and as quiet as she was, she accepted everything in the belief that you truly cared for her.”
“But I did not!”
Lord Montrose’s words ripped from his mouth and struck Jeremy hard, forcing him to suck in air.
His eyes widened as he saw Lord Montrose’s hard stance, took in his fury and allowed what had been said to settle over them both.
“You admit it, then,” he breathed, after a few moments. “You admit to me now that you were the one who forced Rebecca to return, ashamed and broken, to her father. You got her with child and then turned away from her, having taken your pleasure, having taken exactly what you wanted from her without consideration.” His jaw worked as he continued to battle against his flaring temper. “And you stand there and call yourself a gentleman?”
Lord Montrose turned away for a moment, his face paling slightly. Jeremy closed his eyes and sucked in air, taking long, slow breaths that helped cool the furious fire that was raging within him. Lord Montrose had, finally, admitted that he had been the one who had written to Rebecca and, in doing so, had taken the guilt and flung it across his own shoulders. There was no question of his innocence now, no excuse that he could make that would remove it from him.
“I cared nothing for Miss Childers,” Lord Montrose hissed, using Rebecca’s formal title. “She was a thin, quiet little thing who seemed to beg for any attentions I might give her.” A dark smile lit up his eyes. “And I was only happy to oblige.” Slowly, Lord Montrose began to move around Jeremy, who turned also, keeping Lord Montrose in view at all times. He did not know what the gentleman intended to do, but he was not about to risk turning his back on the fellow.
“So you decided to make her your own,” Jeremy said, coldly. “You wanted to take your pleasure and so, therefore, you did so.”
“It took some time,” Lord Montrose replied, shrugging, “but such things always do. And the reward at the very end was more than enough to make up for the time and effort I had to make in order to gain her trust and her affections.” He shrugged, still moving around Jeremy. “But none of this matters, Avondale. I shall deny everything to anyone who asks. I shall state that the letters you have presented are entirely false, written by your own hand in order to attempt to steal my bride from me.”
Jeremy’s stomach knotted painfully but he did not allow himself to show it. “Eliza will not be yours, Lord Montrose,” he said, secure in the knowledge that she would not allow herself to be tied to such a gentleman. He was quite certain that she would look over the letters that he had found and, coupled with Jeremy’s own explanation of what had occurred with Rebecca, would turn from Lord Montrose completely. “She is wiser than you think.”
Lord Montrose scowled and, to Jeremy’s horror, reached out and pulled a walking cane from where they were stored, just behind the front door.
“What is it you intend to do?” he asked, as Lord Montrose glared at him balefully. “Beat me until I am unable to rise? Try and pull the truth from my lips so that it will not be spoken?”
Lord Montrose’s jaw worked hard, his eyes so dark that they appeared almost black. He raised the cane high and Jeremy felt himself tense. He could run, of course, but he would not do so. He could not allow himself to show cowardice in the face of such overwhelming anger and attempt to intimidate.
“You have ruined everything I have worked so hard to gain,” Lord Montrose hissed, his hand gripping the cane tightly. “You have brought it all to an end.” The cane was brought down hard, catching Jeremy on the shoulder as he attempted to dodge out of the way. “This is all your fault!”
Sweat trickled down Jeremy’s spine as he tried to avoid the cane, over and over again. Pain was screaming in his head as his shoulder, ribs and knee began to ache from Lord Montrose’s blows. He staggered as one caught him about the head, his vision blurring as he put his hands out in front of him, trying to find something to break his fall
“Stop!”
Eliza’s voice broke through the haze of pain as Jeremy tried to remain standing, hearing her voice cry out again towards Lord Montrose. Blinking furiously, he felt something warm and wet begin to seep towards his eyes as he leaned heavily against the wall, his breathing ragged as he battled the pain.
“What can you be thinking of, Lord Montrose?”
Lady Whitehaven’s voice was high and sharp and Jeremy heard the clatter of the cane as it fell on the floor.
“You have no right to do –”
“Lord Avondale has attempted to ruin my reputation,” Lord Montrose replied, his voice still filled with malice. “I had no choice but to call him out.”
“That is not calling him out,” Lady Whitehaven retorted, as Jeremy felt Eliza’s gentle hand on his arm. “That is a cold-hearted beating, Lord Montrose. You have injured Lord Avondale terribly!” She shook her head as Jeremy pushed himself away from the wall, his chest heaving. “You are no longer welcome in this house.”
Eliza held onto Jeremy’s arm tightly, her support of him bringing a clarity to his mind and a strength to his limbs. Focusing his eyes on Lord Montrose, Jeremy took a small step forward.
“I shall ensure, Lord Montrose, that society knows of what you did to my dear cousin,” he said, softly. “It shall not be specific, no, for I do not wish to bring shame upon her father, sister and brother, but have no doubt that society will turn its back upon you.”
“And I shall ensure that the beau monde know precisely what it is you have done to Lord Avondale,” Titania added, her voice a little too bright for the occasion. “I shall be glad to see you gone from town, Lord Montrose. I have disliked you for some time.”
Lord Montrose snorted, as though he did not quite believe any of them. Then, he gestured towards Eliza, holding out one hand to her.
“Step away from Lord Avondale, Eliza,” he said, firmly. “You are not to stand beside him for a moment longer.”
Eliza shook her head and then looked up at Jeremy, her gaze soft. “No, Lord Montrose,” she said, her gaze still fixed upon Jeremy’s. “No, I shall not.”
“You are to be my wife!” Lord Montrose shouted, the sound echoing around the room and causing Eliza to start. “And I shall not allow you to spend even a single moment in Lord Avondale’s company! He shall no longer be considered a friend, Eliza. I have told you!”
Eliza smiled softly at Jeremy, the look in her eyes sending a wave of hope crashing through him. She turned her head slowly, her hands tightening even more on Jeremy’s arm as though she feared that, if she let him go, he might disappear from her for good.
“Lord Montrose,” she said, plainly, her voice strong and determined. “I have spent a good many days considering our engagement and, if you had called some days ago, as you said you might, then you would understand that I do not wish to marry you any longer.” Tilting her head, she gazed at Lord Montrose, who, to Jeremy’s eyes, did not appear surprised at this turn of events.
“I have heard,” Eliza continued, “that you have been seeking the company of Lady Barclay. I have heard that you have sought her company over my own. I feel as though I do not know you at all, Lord Montrose, and for that reason, I have been deeply unhappy over our engagement.” She held up one hand as Lord Montrose began to bluster and, to Jeremy’s astonishment, the gentleman fell silent.
“You will recall, of course, that I did not actually agree to our marriage,” Eliza stated, shrugging her shoulders. “And now to hear that you have treated another so terribly….” Trailing off, she sighed heavily, her expression sorrowful. “I can never allow myself to become the wife of someone so cruel, so heartless and inconsiderate. You are not a gentleman, Lord Montrose, and I shall be glad to be rid of your company.”
Lord Montrose’s jaw was set, his lips twitching for a moment or two as he struggled to find something to say. Jeremy settled his free hand over Eliza’s as they rested on his arm, feeling as though that, finally, he had managed to find his way back home.
“This shall have consequences for you, Eliza!” Lord Montrose retorted, beginning to pace backwards and forwards, as if he were lecturing Eliza in the hope she might return to him. “You are crying off from an engagement! That is severe indeed! Do you know what will be said about you? Do you understand what this may do to your sister
s? I am surprised that you would be so unfeeling towards them!”
Before either Eliza or Lady Whitehaven could speak, a light peal of laughter came from Titania. Her eyes twinkled as she threw a glance towards Eliza and Jeremy, her lips pulled into a wide smile.
“I can correct you on that matter, Lord Montrose,” she said, brightly. “To be removed from town, to be freed from society and all its expectations, is something that my sisters and my cousin will be glad of.” Her smile grew and she spread her hands out wide. “For myself, I will be sorry to leave London, but I am young and certainly more than able to enjoy a few more Seasons before I settle my attentions on anyone particular. So, in that particular regard,” she finished, “you need not worry. Eliza, you need not worry. This is what each of us want.”
“You see?” Lady Whitehaven said, softly, wrapping one arm around her youngest daughter’s shoulders. “You have nothing to hold over any of my daughters now, Lord Montrose. They are stronger than you imagine, braver than you have even considered. They show sound judgement, despite your attempts to deceive.” Her voice became harder, her expression stern. “I suggest that you quit this house, Lord Montrose, before I have someone throw you out.”
