“Indeed. Such a cad. He used to sell trinkets, either stolen from his lady-lovers or given to him as a remembrance by them. I have heard he cannot find a woman who is willing to abide his attention any longer.”
“Your Grace,” Lord Manton said earnestly, “if he has come sniffing around your lovely daughter, I say lock her up and set a guard on her. Make certain the guard is armed. Mr. Skeffington will do anything to get his hands on her dowry, including taking her innocence. Your Grace, it is best to be watchful. You have baited the man by denying his courtship. He will seek revenge."
"Many thanks for your frank honesty," the duke stated. "Had I known his reputation, he would never have been allowed a dance with my daughter. I do not understand why he was even welcomed to the balls. I have seen him at them more than once."
"Ah, yes. It is not such a mystery. The hostesses are not aware of his reputation. Their husbands have too much at stake to tell tales. Mr. Skeffington knows the well-kept secrets of every man in London. He is more than willing to announce them to the world if denied entry to a social function. Nothing is more frightful to a man than his wife learning of his gambling or his mistress.”
“Indeed,” the duke uttered with a nod, staring out in front of him. “I must go.”
Usually, when the duke announced his departure from Almacks, the other gentlemen would protest loudly, persuading him to stay longer, but this eve, they urged him.
The duke retrieved his coat from the coatroom and proceeded out into the cool evening air, towards his coach. Although the journey to their estate was relatively short, the duke’s mind was filled with thoughts on how to keep his daughter, as well as the family safe from Mr. Skeffington and his wrath.
Upon arrival at Stonehill Manor, he entered the parlor where the duchess and Lady Emmeline sat, quietly speaking amongst themselves, and they glanced at him in surprise.
“Good evening, Father,” Emmeline greeted with a furrowed brow.
“Good evening, my dear Emmeline,” the duke greeted and turned to the duchess, “my love.”
“You have returned much earlier than usual. Did Almacks close down? Or perhaps burn to the ground?” the duchess inquired in a sardonic tone.
“There is no need for that tone. I have spoken to the gentlemen there, and they all confirmed the sinister motives of Mr. Skeffington.”
Lady Emmeline stood from the chaise and turned to her father. “I was right about him. He is not a good man, is he, Father?”
“Not in the least. He is a cad.”
“There is no need to use such language in our home,” the duchess warned. “It may be acceptable within the group of men you find company in at Almacks, but it is not acceptable in this home.”
“My apologies, my dearest,” the duke said sincerely. “The man gambles and behaves dishonorably and disrespectfully towards people, especially women. He has had many female companions whom he only used for money. Skeffington is in deep debt and his father, Lord Featherstone, had disowned him, cutting off his financial means to survive.”
“Father, you are not insinuating that Mr. Skeffington only showed interest in me due to my large dowry, are you?” Lady Emmeline asked.
“I am not insinuating, but it is very possible,” the duke answered.
“That is revolting, to say the least. I want that man nowhere near Emmeline, or anyone of our family, or even the estate,” the duchess ordered, clutching her chest.
“Fear not, my love. I will order added eyes on the estate, and Emmeline as well.”
“Will it be enough to keep her safe?” the duchess asked.
The duke inhaled and glanced at Lady Emmeline. “There is another way to ensure Skeffington never bothers you again.”
“What is it, Father?” Emmeline asked as she glanced desperately at her father.
“No,” the duchess gasped.
“What, Father?” Lady Emmeline insisted.
“Marriage to Lord Markham, and to leave London until Skeffington is taken care of,” the duke answered.
“That is not a terrible resort, Mother.”
“She is not nearly ready to be married!” the duchess exclaimed and stood from her chaise. “She is still a child, my child, and I will not allow it. Nor will I allow her to leave London.”
“My love,” the duke said and approached her, lovingly placing his arms on her shoulders. “Our daughter is in danger, and we must do this in order for her to be safe. She will be safe with Lord Markham. He loves her very much and would not allow anyone to harm her.”
“But neither would we,” the duchess said, and much to Lady Emmeline’s surprise, she noticed a tear run down the duchess’ cheek.
Feeling terrible at the thought that her mother had shed a tear over her, she approached them. “Perhaps I can suggest something?”
The duke and duchess glanced at her expectantly, not uttering a word.
“We could invite Lord Markham to lunch tomorrow and discuss this. Perhaps he can think of another solution, where he and I would not have to leave London,” Lady Emmeline suggested.
The duke breathed a sigh of relief, and the duchess and the duke nodded. “I agree with you, Emmeline. Your mother and I are acting rash and are overly emotional. We are not thinking rationally.”
“I understand, Father, and I will not hold it against you, either of you.”
The duchess smiled weakly, approached Emmeline and embraced her lovingly. “You are my daughter, and I love you dearly.”
“I love you as well, Mother. Both of you,” Emmeline said contently.
10
Lord Markham was in his study, lost in his thoughts of the dinner he had at the duke and duchess of Bedford, and Lady Emmeline’s beautiful face was all he could see. The dinner had felt rather surreal, as the duke had absolutely no objection to Lord Markham courting his daughter, if it was what she wished.
And it was, much to Lord Markham’s delight and relief. He truly had not felt this way about any woman he had met, and his chest swelled with pride as he realized that he was now courting Lady Emmeline, one of the loveliest young women in London.
A smile formed on his lips, as he blankly stared at the book in front of him. He had not read a single word since Emmeline filled his mind and did not even realize when his manservant entered the study.
“Pardon the interruption, my lord,” the manservant uttered, and Lord Markham was whirled from his daydream and back to reality.
He glanced at the manservant. “No need to apologize. I was merely lost in my thoughts. Is something the matter?” Lord Markham asked, noticing the ragged breathing of the young servant.
“I have an urgent invitation to bestow onto my lord,” the manservant said.
Lord Markham placed the book he was reading on the low table beside his wingback chair and stood. The manservant handed him a sealed envelope, and he quickly opened it.
It was an invitation to Stonehill Manor, by the Duke of Bedford, which would delight Lord Markham, but the manner in which the words were phrased filled him with dread, and he glanced at his manservant. “When was this delivered?”
“A few moments ago, my lord.”
“By whom?”
“His Grace’s footman, my lord. He informed me that it was a rather urgent matter.”
“Indeed. So I have read. Have my carriage at the ready as speedily as possible. I am needed at Stonehill Manor,” Lord Markham ordered.
“Of course, my lord.”
The servant rushed out of the study, and Lord Markham bit his lower lip before rushing out of the study himself.
Upon arrival at Stonehill Manor, a nauseated feeling had risen up inside him as he feared something had happened to Lady Emmeline, or her parents. Oddly enough, the first thing which came to mind was that Mr. Skeffington had made a nuisance of himself.
This thought, however unsettling to Lord Markham, was very probable, as Mr. Skeffington had made it no secret that he was interested in courting Lady Emmeline as well. Lord Markham knew the nat
ure of Mr. Skeffington and refused to allow him to take advantage of an innocent young woman such as her.
Mr. Skeffington’s antics were well-known amongst the gentlemen of London, but those gentlemen would not openly admit it. Skeffington had a manner to extort even the noblest of men, which was where he built his chain of secrecy.
But Lord Markham was aware of it.
As the coach came to a standstill, Lord Markham climbed out and stepped onto the cobblestone path which led to the lavish Stonehill Manor.
The home of his beautiful Lady Emmeline.
Before he reached the entrance, the large wooden door opened quite forcibly, and the duke stood in the doorway.
“Your Grace, good afternoon,” Lord Markham greeted the duke.
“My lord, thank you for coming on such short notice,” the duke said as he stepped aside allowing Lord Markham to enter.
The duke closed the door behind them and motioned to Lord Markham to follow, and Lord Markham obeyed.
Lord Markham did not utter a word or inquire what was amiss, he merely followed the duke’s anxious footsteps towards the parlor. The room was empty, but in the distance, he heard the voices of two women. The duchess and Lady Emmeline, no doubt.
As Lord Markham stepped inside the parlor, the duke turned to him, wearing a worried expression on his face.
“Your Grace, what is this urgent matter?”
The duke retrieved a thick leather-bound book from a bookshelf and motioned the duke to follow him again. This time, Lord Markham asked, “Your Grace. Forgive me, but what on earth is going on?”
“We have many things to discuss, my lord. Please follow me to the terrace. The women are waiting for us there.”
Lord Markham nodded and followed the duke down the hallway. Beams of light cast a bright glow at the end of the hallway as he noticed the doors to the terrace was open, and as he and the duke stepped out into the fresh afternoon air, Lord Markham’s tight chest eased at the sight of Lady Emmeline.
Her golden hair was piled on the crown of her head, with soft golden tendrils framing her face. She wore a light blue day dress, which accentuated her lovely brown eyes and her porcelain skin.
“My lady,” he said breathlessly and kissed her hand.
“My lord,” Lady Emmeline said with a flush of her cheeks, making her look even more radiant to Lord Markham.
“Welcome, my lord,” the duchess said, and he nodded gratefully.
The duke motioned to Lord Markham to sit, and he joined the women at the table. Tea had been served mere moments ago, as the tea was still hot, and the food fresh.
“I do apologize for the matter of urgency which the invitation to have tea with us today was delivered to your home, my lord, but we required you here,” the duke said apologetically.
“Please, Your Grace. There is no need to apologize. I will gladly rush here without a moment’s notice,” Lord Markham said and glanced at Lady Emmeline. “Are you well, my lady?”
“As well as can be expected, under the circumstances. Thank you for asking, my lord,” Emmeline said with a forced smile, despite the smile reaching the corners of her eyes.
Lord Markham knew she was delighted to see him and have him at the estate, but something was amiss. It was undeniable.
“Would you care for some tea, my lord?” the duchess asked.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Your Grace,” Lord Markham accepted politely, but he could not stand the anticipation any longer. “I do not wish to be rude, but why did you require me to rush to the estate, not that I mind in any way, of course.”
“We have encountered a possible problem,” the duke said simply.
Lord Markham’s heart sank in his chest and his brow furrowed. “A possible problem?”
“Indeed. It seems that Mr. Skeffington has an interest in courting Emmeline, and after what I heard my gentlemen acquaintances speak of him at Almacks last evening, it is rather troubling to me to know that a man such as Skeffington has an interest in my daughter,” the duke said and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“It is troubling indeed, Your Grace. Mr. Skeffington, and not to speak ill of him, is not a very honorable man,” Lord Markham pointed out.
“One cannot help but speak ill of him, as he does not possess a single good trait,” the duke pointed out. “I fear that Mr. Skeffington will persist in wishing to court my daughter, by force if necessary.”
Lord Markham glanced worriedly at Lady Emmeline and pursed his lips briefly. “I will not allow it.”
“My father made a suggestion last evening, and we would wish to discuss it with you. Perhaps we can find an alternate solution,” Lady Emmeline uttered carefully.
“Of course,” Lord Markham said. “I am willing to do anything possible to keep you and your family safe.”
“Even marrying me, and leaving London until Mr. Skeffington is apprehended?” Emmeline asked.
Lord Markham’s eyes widened, and he stared at Emmeline for an elongated moment.
“My lord, I do understand your hesitation—”
“There is no hesitation or reluctance from me, Your Grace. I am in love with your daughter and there is nothing on this earth I would wish more than to marry her,” Lord Markham professed. “But is it what she wishes?
“It is for her safety,” the duchess explained. “For the safety of our family. We are not certain what Mr. Skeffington is capable of.”
“Do you have an alternative to what could be done?” the duke asked.
Lord Markham lowered his gaze slightly and thought for a brief while. His words were true; there is nothing in the world he would wish more than to marry Lady Emmeline, but not under circumstances such as these. He was not even certain if this was what she truly wanted. Things moved very fast, and he felt overwhelmed, but as his gaze suddenly met hers, those feelings of stress, panic, and fear floated away.
“I will marry you, my lady, but I will not allow you to leave your family.”
“We are all at risk,” the duchess protested.
“That is not certain,” Lord Markham replied. “Skeffington is a sly man who knows how to manipulate people and hurt them where they are most vulnerable. His ways are subtle but powerful. We must be vigilant of him.”
The duchess glared at him in exasperation and asked, “You suggest we do nothing?”
“Not in the least. Vigilance is powerful if utilized correctly. I will stay here, at the estate, and bring some of my best men to guard the estate.”
“Father, what if we simply give Mr. Skeffington money to settle his debts? Would he not then cease to seek revenge?” Lady Emmeline inquired.
“Men such as Skeffington do not know how to contain themselves. If you give him money, he will not settle his debts. He will only make more and manipulate and threaten you to give him more and more,” Lord Markham said.
“How do you know Skeffington so well?” the duchess glanced at him suspiciously.
“I knew someone like him. Cut from the same bark,” Lord Markham answered, with no further explanation or elaboration.
Lord Markham, although he would never mention it, was referring to his older brother, who was murdered due to his mountain of debt. He was unable to settle those debts and owed money to the wrong people which resulted in his demise. Lord Markham had not spoken of his brother at all since his death, as it pained him to think of the brother whom Lord Markham looked up to when he was a young boy.
Those days were in the past, and it solved nothing to dwell on them any longer, thus Lord Markham pushed it from his memory and carried on with his life.
“My lord, is it safe to assume that you and my daughter will be wed soon?” the duke asked.
“Only if my lady wishes it. It must not be out of obligation. I vow to keep her safe whether we are wed or not,” Lord Markham uttered and gazed at Lady Emmeline.
“I do wish it, Father,” Lady Emmeline answered.
“That is settled then. I shall make the necessary arrangements. Do you have
preferred time of the year, my dear?” the duke asked.
Emmeline glanced at Lord Markham and raised her brow subtly. “It matters not to me, whenever my lady feels.”
A smile briefly formed on Lady Emmeline’s lips, and she turned to her father. “Perhaps having Lord Markham here at the estate with his additional footmen will make the nights more bearable, as well as adding to our safety and peace of mind. Especially yours, Mother. The crease in your brow shows you are tense.”
The duchess nodded and lowered her gaze. “Lord Markham can stay at the estate for as long as it takes to reprimand Mr. Skeffington, but I do wish to clarify a few things.”
“Yes, Mother?”
“Under no circumstances is Lord Markham to be with you inside your chambers, day or night. There will be no late nights spent in one another’s company without my presence, or your father’s. And under no circumstances are you allowed in Lord Markham’s bedchambers during any time of the day,” the duchess said sternly.
“That goes without saying, Your Grace,” Lord Markham uttered, placing his hand on his chest. “I do not wish to inconvenience any of you, or be a nuisance in your home.”
“My mother is aware of all that, my lord. She is merely concerned, from a moral standpoint,” Emmeline said and raised her brow.
“Ah,” Lord Markham uttered, understanding what the duchess had attempted to say so diplomatically. “I assure you, Your Graces, there will be none of that. I have much respect for Lady Emmeline, as well as for Your Graces.”
“Wonderful. I am delighted that we have come to an agreement,” the duke said and glanced at Lady Emmeline. “Your instincts were correct about him.”
Emmeline merely smiled as the duke excused himself from the table.
“Father still seems worried,” Emmeline said quietly.
“Indeed he is. Although he would not utter the words, he worries very much of the safety of his family. He loves you very much,” the duchess acknowledged. “As do I.”
“And I you, Mother,” Lady Emmeline smiled. “Perhaps an autumn wedding?”
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 90
