Lady Margaret's Mystery Gentleman

by Christine Merrill

  She shook her head and shrugged, remembering her sister’s advice to take advantage of the situation that had been presented to her. Whatever happened between her and David Castell was a transient event. She must enjoy it while she could for she doubted Hugh would allow her another chance like this one. ‘But at the moment, I do not want to think about my brother,’ she said, holding out her arms for another kiss.

  He shook his head and stepped away. ‘This is all wrong,’ he reminded her. ‘You should not be encouraging further familiarity between us. You should call down the servants and have me banned from the house for doing something as totally inappropriate as kissing you.’

  She smiled back at him. ‘Dancing masters are supposed to be somewhat inappropriate, aren’t they? If not, there would be no reason to warn young girls against them.’

  ‘I am not actually a dancing master,’ he replied. ‘I am something far worse. A ne’er-do-well with aspirations beyond my station.’

  ‘That makes you even more interesting than a dancing master,’ she said, smiling.

  His face darkened. ‘Is that what I am to you, some kind of novelty?’

  ‘That is not what I meant,’ she said hurriedly, not entirely sure what had angered him.

  He responded with a bitter smile, ‘Then you are too naive to know your own mind. Let us be honest with each other. These interludes have an extra appeal to you because you know your brother would disapprove of your choice. You have no real concern what might happen to me if we are discovered, because you cannot think any further ahead than the moment’s pleasure.’

  ‘I am sorry,’ she said, still stunned at how quickly things had changed between them.

  ‘I have to go,’ he muttered, running a hand through his hair and glancing towards the door as if he wanted to be anywhere in the world but with her.

  Just then, Liv whistled from the garden, giving Peg a reason to escape the awkwardness between them. When she got to the window she turned back, but David refused to meet her gaze. ‘Until our next lesson, Mr Castell,’ she said, willing him to understand that she had not meant to hurt him.

  ‘My lady,’ he said, blank-faced, bowing as if they were nothing more than student and teacher. Then he was gone.

  * * *

  David walked down the street, away from the town house, cursing under his breath. He had wanted to impress the woman with his skill as a lover. Then, he had behaved like an injured virgin who had given herself cheaply to someone who had no honourable plans for the future. What had he been thinking to raise such a fuss over her perfectly sensible admission? He had got as far as he had with her because she enjoyed getting forbidden kisses from an even more forbidden sort of man.

  In turn, he had taken extra pleasure in kissing a woman he could not have. He had known, from the first, that his acquaintance with her would be temporary. Once he had got what he needed from her, he would be gone.

  But one moment they had been talking about him getting to know her brother, and the next? It had been as if a door had slammed in his face. And before that, he had been kissing her and having feelings that did not feel the least bit temporary. And before that had happened, he had been trying to leave her for ever, to continue his investigation of Scofield outside the house.

  It was as if there was a war going on inside him, between what he wanted and what he knew he was entitled to. Perhaps it was because he’d had no real family, but for most of his life he had been satisfied to live and work alone. Why did he suddenly feel the need for a partner in both? And why, of all women, did it have to be Peg Bethune?

  He did his best to put her out of his mind, focusing on what he had found in the journals. As far as he was concerned, Scofield’s entry after his father’s death, or the lack of it, exonerated the servants that had left the family’s service. If one of them had run mad with a knife, Scofield would have taken immediate action and had no trouble writing about it after. Nor would he have ripped out the pages that recorded the details. Whatever had happened, the Duke knew the truth of it and had taken pains to hide it from anyone smart enough to search for it.

  But it was strange that there had been no serious mention of Dick Sterling in the later entries. If the killer was the Duke of Scofield, as he suspected, the man had grown much more cagey by his second murder. This time, he had been careful to reveal nothing in his writings to link him to the death. The absence was almost stranger than a confession. It was as if the argument with Sterling had made no impression on him at all.

  It made sense if Peg was right and the Duke’s wild threats had no real weight behind them. Perhaps he forgot what he said as soon as the words were out of his mouth. She was so adamant that it made David want to believe as well, just as he wanted to believe that she might feel real affection for him in spite of his deficiencies in rank.

  He had never met a woman so optimistic. She kept her faith, even in the face of scathing public opinion and worrisome circumstantial evidence. She believed in her brother because she believed she knew his heart.

  It was a shame that such devotion was wasted on Scofield, who did not seem to appreciate the loyalty he was shown. If only she could believe in David as she did her brother, he would not waste the gift he was given. He could move the world for her if she believed in him, or at least change it enough so they might be together for ever.

  Chapter Nine

  That afternoon, Peg was walking down the hall towards the library, daydreaming about sweet kisses and a man who seemed to grow both more exciting and more confusing with each visit. She had insulted him without meaning to, probably because she was so inexperienced that she could not even flirt correctly.

  She should not have responded as she had when he’d called himself a ne’er-do-well. Instead, she should have chided him for speaking ill of himself. It appeared that he had come far with a minimum of help from his family, which was an indication of good character. She could not blame him for aspiring above his station when he had managed to get where he was living by his wits. It was not as if a title had fallen into his lap, as it had for her brother.

  All in all, there was much that she admired about David Castell. It hurt to think he had left her convinced that she was a shallow, silly girl who would toy with his affection for the novelty of associating with someone from a lower class. Perhaps this was nothing more than a flirtation, but that did not mean she had any less respect for him, or would not consider an offer, should one be forthcoming.

  Of course, the final decision on marriage did not lie with her. If David did offer, Hugh would refuse. Her lover’s rank would not matter as much as the fact that he’d had the temerity to ask at all. It might help that David held her brother in contempt, as well. If he wanted her, he would not care what Hugh said.

  But she did. Her loyalty had to lie with family, before all others. Hugh was her guardian and she had been brought up to be obedient. If pressed, she would obey him, even if his decision seemed irrational. Then she would be left just as Liv was, unable to settle for an elopement and waiting for a marriage that might never come.

  She closed her eyes and sighed, reminding herself that it was foolish to worry about things that might never happen. She must take things as they came and the first step was to make sure David saw the errors in his logic and realised that there was nothing to write about. When that happened, she would see if his feelings for her were deep enough to last beyond a few stolen kisses. Only then did she need to think about Hugh’s opinions of her suitor.

  Suddenly, there was a patter of hurried steps on the rug behind her and a hand closed on her elbow. ‘I need to talk to you about the dancing master,’ Liv said in a whisper, pulling her down the hall and into the empty sitting room.

  ‘There is no reason to be so dramatic about it,’ Peg said, refusing to lower her voice.

  ‘On the contrary, I think there is.’ Liv looked both ways before shutting the door and the
n out the window to be sure no one was listening there. ‘You have been seen creeping about the upstairs with him.’

  Peg silently cursed Jenny, the maid, for revealing what she had promised to keep secret. Lord knew how many in the household must have heard about it if it had got back to Liv. ‘Whatever you think of it, it is not as it appears,’ she said with a smile.

  ‘That hardly signifies,’ her sister said. ‘It is what other people think that matters. And it is assumed that your flirtation is getting far out of hand.’

  ‘My flirtation?’ She tried her best at an airy laugh. ‘I am not having one of those. And might I remind you, you were the one encouraging me in that direction in the first place.’

  ‘I meant a few kisses only,’ her sister said in a ridiculously prim voice. ‘Nothing that would be as harmful to your reputation as taking the man to your bed.’

  ‘It was my bedroom,’ she corrected. ‘A room with a bed in it, which we did not use. We were only there to keep from being found elsewhere. Mr Castell wished to search the house.’

  Her sister rolled her eyes. ‘And what business does he have in the family rooms?’

  ‘He is a newspaper reporter,’ Peg said, with a sigh of relief at being able to share the truth. ‘He is investigating Hugh. I am trying to prove to him that he has no reason to do so.’

  ‘You are helping him?’ Liv said, appalled.

  ‘Only because it is the quickest way to clear up these terrible untruths,’ Peg responded. ‘He will get in far less trouble if someone from the family helps him than if we let him root around on his own, making unsupported assumptions.’

  ‘And how is that going, so far?’ Liv asked, with a raised eyebrow.

  ‘Our investigation is in its formative stages,’ she allowed.

  ‘Not well, then,’ Liv concluded.

  ‘These things take time,’ Peg countered. It did not sound as confident as she’d have liked.

  ‘I imagine they do,’ Liv said sceptically. ‘And you do not mind that a bit, do you?’

  ‘What are you implying?’ Peg said, trying to sound indignant rather than guilty.

  ‘That you are falling in love with a man who means to ruin us all,’ Liv snapped. ‘How can you be so foolish as to allow him to use you in this way?’

  ‘He is not using me,’ Peg said, hurt. Perhaps it had begun that way, but now he was accusing her of using him. She needed more time to figure out just what was going on between them.

  ‘He has known you for only a few days and he already has you leading him around the house, searching our personal possessions,’ her sister said, disgusted.

  ‘Not ours,’ Peg said. ‘Just Hugh’s.’

  Liv sighed. ‘I do not always like our brother, but that does not mean I wish to spy on him or allow others to do so.’

  ‘Are you afraid of what he will find?’ Peg snapped and realised from the awkward silence that followed that her surmise was likely true.

  ‘It does not matter what he uncovers,’ Liv said, stubbornly. ‘He should not be doing it. I have a good mind to tell Hugh what you have been up to, so he can put a stop to it.’

  ‘And then I will tell him what you are doing with your dancing time,’ Peg said, triumphant to realise that she had a way to control the conversation.

  Liv sucked on her lip, as if considering whether it would be worth the risk.

  ‘You know Hugh will never allow you to see Alister again if he discovers you have been sneaking out to meet him. He has refused one offer from him already and will not listen to a second.’

  ‘I am well aware of that,’ Liv replied. ‘But I cannot allow you to ruin yourself so I can have a few illicit meetings.’

  ‘I am not going to ruin myself,’ she insisted.

  ‘Not alone, perhaps. But you will have help,’ her sister said in a grim tone.

  ‘Mr Castell would never do such a thing,’ she replied. Although there had been a moment when they were in her room that Peg had thought he quite wanted to.

  Liv rolled her eyes. ‘He entered this house under false pretences. You know nothing about his past or his parentage. It is possible he has not even given you his real name, since he’s used two already.’

  Peg struggled to find a counterargument, then she fell back on the only thing she had. ‘Yet I know him, Liv. I understand him better than anyone I have ever met.’

  Her sister reached out and cradled her face in her hands. ‘That is only true because you do not know many people at all and even fewer men. This is what Hugh gets for keeping us both so sheltered. It has left you too naive to navigate the ton.’

  ‘Do not treat me like a fool,’ she said, pulling away from the comforting grasp. ‘I know...what I know.’ For a moment, she had wanted to say something about the contents of her heart, but it would have been premature and proved her to be just as naive as her sister thought her.

  ‘And I know what I know,’ Liv replied. ‘Once he has got what he wants from you, he will go and not look back. If you are not careful, you will be unfit for a decent marriage in the future. And if you are unlucky, he will find enough information to bring the house down around us. I hope you will be satisfied, then, with what you have learned.’ Liv turned and left her, slamming the door of the sitting room as she went.

  * * *

  After a good night’s sleep, David felt no better about his conversation with Peg. He had not wanted to, but he had dreamed about her, smiling at him and rushing into his arms. She had answered his kisses with her own and whispered her hopes to him as if they had any possibility of a future together.

  Even worse, the thought of her partnering him in his investigation excited him in a way that defied all logic. She had been a great help to him so far and could be so in the future, if he could think of a way to smuggle her out of the house to accompany him on his interviews.

  But each new fact increased the chances that they would find a truth she was not expecting. She was fond of him now, but what would happen on the day they discovered that her brother had done the things he was accused of? He did not imagine her affection for him would last through that.

  If the end result was going to be disaster, it was foolish to foster hopes in either of them. It was even more dangerous to kiss her and raise passions that dare not come to fruition. And yet...

  * * *

  When he arrived at Scofield House for the next faux dance lesson, his heart galloped at the knowledge that he would see her. The fact that they would be alone together for a precious hour raised an irrational joy that he could not smother. If love had come to him, it had found the worst possible time to do so. Even so, he could not bring himself to regret it.

  When he arrived in the music room, Lady Olivia was waiting for him, but there was no sign of Peg. Though he had wanted an opportunity to question the other sister about the murders, there was something about the cold look she was giving him that made him doubt she was likely to share anything of import with him, now or ever.

  But Peg was another matter. She would tell him anything he asked, even when he was not sure he wanted to hear it. He needed to remove the obstacle to their privacy before she arrived. He grinned at Lady Olivia in what he hoped was an encouraging way and went to the window to open it and help her out.

  ‘Not so fast, signor,’ she said in a voice that dripped irony.

  ‘You do not want to visit with your friend?’ he said.

  ‘Not at the expense of my sister’s honour,’ she said, giving him a stern look. ‘And you can drop the false accent, Mr Castell. Peg has already told me that you are no more an Italian than I am.’

  ‘I am sorry to have deceived you over the matter of my birth. But I assure you, your sister is perfectly safe with me,’ he said, holding his hands wide and empty before him.

  ‘Pardon me if I do not take your word over the evidence of my own eyes,’ she said.


  ‘What is it you think you see?’ he asked, trying not to look guilty.

  ‘Nothing, when I look at you,’ she said, putting a subtle emphasis on the first word to remind him where he ranked in her acquaintance. ‘But that hardly matters since I know you are a liar and do not trust you at all. It is what I see when I am with my sister that worries me.’

  ‘And what is that?’ he said, trying not to seem too eager to hear the answer.

  ‘I told her to flirt with you,’ the lady admitted, with a regretful shake of her head. ‘But it is clear she does not know how to keep a dalliance from becoming too serious. She is enjoying these lessons far too much. She cannot stop speaking of you. She glows,’ Olivia said in disgust.

  ‘She does?’ he asked, feeling a matching flush on his own cheeks. This was far better than dallying with him because he was a lower-class novelty.

  ‘And according to her maid, she lured you to her bedroom and trapped you in a kiss,’ Lady Olivia said, somewhere between shocked and amazed. ‘You may not be a gentleman, but you are a fully grown man and should have known better than to follow an innocent girl to her bedchamber.’

  ‘She was very persuasive,’ he replied, remembering the awkward kiss she had given him and trying to hide his smile.

  ‘If you are wise, you will resist any further persuasions and do nothing to encourage her,’ she said, shaking her head in disgust. ‘My brother would not approve, and he has a certain reputation for violence that is well deserved.’

  ‘Really?’ he said, wondering if this was an idle threat or if she was about to reveal some unheard truth.

  ‘Let us say, I have seen for myself what happens to men who pay court to me who do not meet his approval,’ she said.

  ‘Your friend who you visit with during the lessons,’ he completed for her.

  She shook her head. ‘He is far too smart to run afoul of Hugh. I am thinking of another, more foolish young man, who ended up dead in a river.’