Authors: Alicia Quigley
Adam glared at the
little man who was beaming at him so helpfully. “Lord Gresham, did you say?”
“Lord Gresham of
Gresham Park. The lady and Lord Gresham had an, er, excessively passionate
relationship. My agent was mightily entertained. I must say I envy you, Your
Grace. The lady is very talented. I’m sure that more than makes up for her
occasional lapses.” Privately, Mr. Pemberton wondered how the duke had the
energy to entertain both his mistress and his wife, who seemed, from his
perusal of the now-burned notes, to be every bit as voracious as, if perhaps
more discriminating than, Lady Manning.
“You’re certain of
this information?” demanded Adam.
“Absolutely certain,”
Mr. Pemberton assured him. “I investigated the first case myself and was able
to witness Lady Manning in action more than once. And the agent I sent to Paris
was completely reliable.”
Adam shook his head,
trying to clear it. It seemed he had been a fool. Taken in by Louisa’s story,
and hypnotized by her physical charms, he hadn’t thought to question her words.
Slowly he began to untangle the puzzle that presented itself to him. Louisa was
Gresham’s former mistress, and it was Louisa and Gresham who seemed to have the
biggest part in separating him from Allegra. The sense of unease he had felt
moments before grew stronger. There was a great deal more going on here than he
had suspected.
“No, I don’t think I
need you to investigate Lady Manning,” he said slowly. “That’s something I’ll
do myself. Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Pemberton. My secretary will be in
contact to settle your account.”
Adam marched out of
the room, leaving Mr. Pemberton staring after him. He would never understand
the nobility, he thought with a sigh.
Escape
Allegra sat on the
edge of her bed, dolefully regarding her toes as they peeped out from under her
lacy nightgown. After her encounter with Adam the night before she had left the
ball, slipping out of the house before anyone could see her in such disarray,
and taking her carriage back to Gravesmere House. The servants were too well
trained to express surprise or dismay at her sudden appearance alone, and she
had gone immediately to her boudoir, where she had stripped off her dress and
jewels without Merriwether’s aid and climbed into her bed. But sleep had eluded
her for the most part, and when she had dozed she had dreamed of Adam making
passionate love to her, and then his angelic face becoming shaded with disgust
and anger as he glared at her when he had finished. This couldn’t go on. As
long as she was near Adam she would want him, and would be willing to accept
any scraps that he might throw her. Last night had been exhilarating, but also
humiliating. She had to gather what remnants of her pride were left to her and
escape before it happened again.
She walked to the
ornate desk that stood in a corner of her room and sat down, pulling a piece of
paper towards her. After a moment of thought, she hastily scribbled a note,
folding and sealing it before she could reconsider her actions. She rang the
bell and waited impatiently for her maid to arrive.
“There you are,
Merriwether. Take this downstairs and make sure it gets delivered immediately.
Then come back here. I need to get dressed.”
The maid dropped a
curtsey and left, and when she returned she found Allegra already seated at her
dressing table, dragging a comb through her tangled hair.
“Let me do that, Your
Grace,” Merriwether said. Her mistress seemed agitated this morning.
“Is the duke about?”
asked Allegra.
“He was here earlier
this morning, but he went out,” answered Merriwether.
“Do you know when
he’ll return?”
“He didn’t say.”
Allegra sighed. It
was just as well, but she would have liked to see him one more time. Still, it
was probably better that she did not. Her resolve might falter. “Quickly,
Merriwether,” she said. “I’m expecting a visitor.”
A half an hour later
Allegra was pacing up and down the sitting room, jumping every time there was a
sound in the hallway. Finally, she heard footsteps approaching, and she paused,
a hand at her throat. Now that her plan seemed about to come to fruition, she
doubted herself. Did she have the strength to do this? And was it fair to Lord
Gresham?
The door opened and
Tristan appeared in it, handsome and calm as ever. He bowed politely, but said
nothing until the door had closed behind him and the footman’s footsteps
disappeared down the hallway.
“Good morning, Your
Grace,” he said. Allegra looked beautiful, despite her evident distress. Her
skin was missing its usual rosy glow, but that only heightened the brilliance
of her blue eyes. Her hair was dressed very simply, and it clustered around her
head like a golden crown. She was lovely, but she was also clearly distraught.
He felt a pang that she should be this way, for he had been a cause of her
worries. He shifted uneasily. Guilt was not an emotion with which he had much
familiarity.
“Lord Gresham. Good
morning.” Allegra cleared her throat. “I suppose you’re wondering why I
summoned you.”
“I must admit that
after last night I thought that you wouldn’t care to see me for some time. I’m
flattered that you feel otherwise.”
“I’m somewhat
embarrassed myself. It’s just that I need your help, and you did say that I
might count on you if I needed a friend.” Allegra tried to say the words
without sounding too stilted.
Tristan blinked. He
had indeed said that the night before, and he found to his surprise that he had
meant it. Allegra, who had never done anything to him, was clearly at the end
of her rope. If he could help her, he should. “You may count on me. Is there
some service you require?”
Allegra clasped her
hands in front of her and looked down. A blush rose up her neck into her
cheeks. “Yes, there is. I was wondering if you would--if I might--if perhaps
you still would take me away with you after all!”
The words came out in
a rush, as though she needed to say them quickly, before she could stop
herself.
Tristan’s eyes
widened, but he managed to contain his shock. He looked at her closely. She was
clearly embarrassed. He could only imagine what it had cost her to ask him such
a question.
“I was under the
impression that you still loved your husband and wished to try to reconcile
with him,” he said in as conversational a tone as possible. “Surely this would
make that difficult?”
“I was mistaken last
night. There is no longer any relationship to salvage. I must get away from
here, Lord Gresham, and you are my only hope. Please say you will help me.”
Now what had that
stupid boy done, thought Tristan. “What has changed your mind? Last night you
seemed so certain that you couldn’t be with me.”
Allegra gave a laugh
that was meant to sound confident, but instead trembled on the edge of
hysteria. “I was being silly and missish. And overly romantic, thinking that I
could make Adam care for me. It was stupid of me. I see now that we never had a
chance. I must leave here immediately and never return.”
“But this is the
world you belong in,” protested Tristan. “Your family and friends are here. The
life of an outcast isn’t an easy one, my dear. If you ran off with me you could
never return.”
A week, even a day
ago he would have felt a rush of triumph at her words. Instead he felt only
pity and a wracking anger at himself. He had reduced her to this state, and
instead she was blaming herself.
“I don’t wish to
return!” Allegra’s voice broke on a sob, which she hastily suppressed. “Believe
me, Lord Gresham, I’ve considered this from all angles. I have no choice but to
go with you.“
Tristan’s sense of
the ridiculous returned for a moment. “A compliment indeed,” he murmured.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I
don’t mean it that way,” said Allegra hastily. “Indeed, I think you’re a very
nice man, and I’m sure that I can bring myself to be much more accommodating
than I was last night if you just give me a little time. I don’t mean for you
to do me this service and receive nothing in return.” She hung her head.
Once again the
unaccustomed feeling of shame rolled over Tristan. She meant to barter her body
for his help, as though he wouldn’t aid her without that promise. Of course, he
admitted to himself, he had never helped anyone for unselfish reasons before.
Why should he start now? “You don’t have to do that,” he said harshly.
“I’m not an
innocent,” said Allegra. “I understand how these arrangements work. You’ve made
no secret of your interest in me, and if you will help me, I promise that I
will come to you willingly.“
“I think perhaps you
should stay here and talk to your husband. Surely you can work this out. I
don’t think you truly want to leave.”
“It’s not a matter of
what I want, it’s a matter of what I must do,” cried Allegra. Her fingers
twisted together and her eyes glimmered with anxiety. “I can’t stay here any
longer. I can’t tell you why, but you must believe me. If you don’t help me I
don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Then of course I
must help you.”
Tristan moved forward
and took her hand, patting it soothingly. It was obvious that something had
happened that had badly upset her, and she was too distraught to make a careful
choice. She wanted to leave, to make an end to her marriage, and running off
with him was obviously the most final way she could think of to do this. “Tell
me, what has happened to bring about this decision?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Allegra suppressed a sob. She couldn’t imagine relating last night’s events to
anyone, not even Caroline or Emily. She had given herself over completely to
Adam, a man who despised her. It was a humiliation she never wanted to face
again.
“You don’t have to.”
Tristan looked around the room, feeling slightly panicked. He was unaccustomed
to helping ladies in distress. He was far more likely to take advantage of
them. He urged her into a silk-covered chair. “I’m just not certain that this
is the best idea.”
Allegra looked up
quickly, alarm in her eyes. “Do you mean that you don’t want me anymore? I’m
sorry that I was so foolish last night. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“No, it’s not that.”
He paused, wondering what to say next. “I know how much you care for
Gravesmere.”
“And you think that I
will make a miserable companion, don’t you?” Allegra looked sympathetic. “I’ll
do my best to be cheerful. I’m sure that I’ll very quickly forget Adam once I’m
away from his presence. That will make it so much easier, don’t you think?”
“Certainly.” Tristan
privately doubted that it would do much good, but he saw no point in telling
her that. She wouldn’t believe him. But there must be some way to convince her
to remain in London. “What about your friends, and your family? I know you’re
fond of your mother-in-law, and Lady Eskmaine. Won’t you miss them?”
Allegra looked
pensive. “I know they’ll be disappointed in me, but they have no peace so long
as Adam and I live like this. It would be far kinder to them to remove myself,
so that they can get on with their lives. They want Adam to be happy, and to
have a good marriage, and children--all the things he’ll never have so long as
I’m here to prevent him. In the long run they’ll be better off if I go.”
“I see you’ve thought
this all out.”
“I’ve had to. At
first I meant to stay and fight Lady Manning, but now I know there’s no point
in it. I haven’t the strength, and Adam doesn’t want me in that way. I realize
now that there is no point in dragging this out. It’s best to make a clean
break.”
“I still think you
should stay. Perhaps there’s more to this matter than you understand. It would
be foolhardy to burn your bridges when there might still be an opportunity for
reconciliation.”
“No.” Allegra’s voice
was quiet but firm. “No, I can’t stay here. If you no longer want me, I’ll leave
on my own. It will be more difficult without a protector, but I’ll find a way.“
Looking into her
earnest eyes, Tristan believed her. He saw nothing there but hurt,
disappointment, and determination to escape. Whatever had happened the previous
night had been the final straw for Allegra. It was odd the way things had
worked out exactly as he had wanted, despite his attempt to back out. He
pondered his options. He could tell her the truth about his scheme with Lady
Manning, but he had no particular wish to reveal himself as a villain, and he
couldn’t even be sure that she’d believe him. Her mind was clearly made up.
He bowed and raised
Allegra’s hands to his lips. “Then it will be my pleasure to oblige you, my
dear. Of course I will take you away with me.”
The Unflappable
Freddie
Adam leapt up the
stairs to Louisa’s house and pounded on the door with his fist. His drive from
Mr. Pemberton’s had given him some time to examine the events that had occurred
since his return to England, and his conclusions weren‘t pleasant. Now that the
veil had been torn from his eyes by Mr. Pemberton’s revelations, he could
discern a distinct pattern in Louisa’s and Gresham’s actions. Some of Allegra’s
behavior still seemed baffling, but he suspected that Louisa could cast light
on that as well. She had some explaining to do, he thought grimly, and rapped
harshly on the door again.
The butler answered
it, a look of alarm on his face. “Good morning, Your--” be began, but Adam
pushed past him.
“Where is Lady Manning?”
he demanded.
“In the little
sitting room,” answered the butler, noting Adam’s anger. He allowed himself a
small feeling of satisfaction. Louisa was a difficult woman to work for, given
to illogical demands and tantrums, and he had a feeling that now she would be
given the rough side of someone’s tongue for a change.
“I’ll show myself
up,” said Adam.
He turned and bounded
up the stairs two at a time, striding down the hall to the sitting room with an
impatient tread. He flung the door open to reveal Louisa sitting on the couch,
dressed in a loose wrapper of lilac silk over a lacy petticoat. She blinked in
pretty surprise at his sudden appearance, and then smiled charmingly.
“Adam, darling! How
wonderful that you could visit me today. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Why not?” asked
Adam. “Did you have other plans?”
“Of course not. You
know all my days revolve around you, darling. It’s just that when you didn’t
return to me last night I presumed that you had made an unpleasant discovery
about your wife and that you would have other matters to deal with this
morning.” In truth, she had been alarmed when he hadn’t come back, since
Tristan’s defection had ruined her plans. But she had told herself that Adam
and Allegra must have had another fight, or perhaps Allegra had turned for
comfort to yet another gentleman, and Adam had found her with him. She was
hopeful that their marriage had been sufficiently battered that even Tristan’s
mysterious behavior wouldn’t put an end to their estrangement.
“Ah yes. My wife.”
Adam moved closer and stood over Louisa, staring down at her broodingly. “You
seem to be very interested in her.”
Louisa looked up at
him and gave a light laugh. “How could I not be, when she makes your life so
miserable? I only want you to be happy, Adam, and I can’t help but think that
she brings you nothing but sorrow with her wanton behavior.”
“I met with Mr.
Pemberton this morning,” said Adam abruptly. “He told me that he had evidence
that Allegra had been unfaithful to me.”
A gleam of triumph
came into Louisa’s eyes. “Truly? How wonderful! I mean,” she amended, noting
the darkening of Adam’s countenance, “how dreadful. It must be painful, Adam,
though you suspected as much.”
“Indeed,” said Adam
noncommittally. “You will be disappointed to know that nothing came of it. His
information was useless.”
“Useless? How can the
evidence be useless?” Louisa’s voice rose in pitch. “If she was caught in a
compromising situation, then that is all we need.”
“The situation was
most compromising. However, the man involved makes our situation difficult.”
Louisa gasped. “Who
was it? Surely not a member of the royal family?”
“What an active
imagination you have, Louisa. No, it wasn’t a member of the royal family. It
was me.”
Adam watched grimly
as a look of cold fury descended over Louisa’s face, to be hurriedly replaced
by one of gentle pain. “You, Adam? I thought...I thought that you no longer had
anything to do with her.”
“The flesh is weak,
Louisa. I’m sure you understand that.”
“I can’t pretend that
I’m not disappointed, Adam. I’ve always felt that what we have is so very
special. But she is your wife, and I’m sure that she went out of her way to
entice you. After all, her body is probably the only way she can think of to
keep you. It’s a pity, but I’m sure that further evidence will appear soon.”
Louisa spoke in a
soft, wounded voice, but inwardly she was seething. How dare the girl seduce
Adam? Is that where he had been last night? When she was Duchess of Gravesmere
she would make sure that her predecessor’s life became a living hell. There was
nowhere she could run to that rumors wouldn’t follow.
“Do you think so?”
Adam folded his arms. “Mr. Pemberton is an expert, and he’s discovered no
evidence of any infidelity on Allegra’s part. He seems to think my vigilance
has been misplaced.”
“Then it’s obvious
that he’s not doing a very good job. You yourself have seen how scandalously
she behaves. She flirts without pause, and as for her being seen constantly
with Lord Gresham--well, all the world knows that is no innocent friendship.”
“Ah, Lord Gresham.
How interesting that you should mention him. I understand he’s a particular
friend of yours, Louisa.”
Louisa gaped at him.
“Whatever are you talking about? I’ve met him, of course, in Paris and again
here in London, but I’ve never had anything to do with men of his sort. He’s a
libertine, Adam.” She shuddered delicately.
“Really? I was told
that you were once his mistress.”
Louisa’s brow
contracted. She waved one white hand gently in the air and her voice took on a
tone of injured innocence. “I thought I’d explained all that to you in the
past, Adam. I was a woman alone in the world before I met you. I had no money,
and many men sought to take advantage of my difficulties. When I wouldn’t
succumb, they spread unkind rumors in an attempt to force my hand. It isn’t
like you to taunt me with their lies.”
“No, it isn’t. I
believed you when you promised me that I was the only man outside of your
husband you had even given yourself to.” Adam tapped his toe gently on the
ground. Looking down at Louisa he wondered how he could have been taken in so
completely. It was at least partly his fault, he admitted. He had wanted to
believe in the vision of purity she had presented; he had liked the idea that
he was saving her from her jealous would-be lovers, that he was the only one
that she wanted badly enough to give into her passion. He had turned a blind
eye to the many inconsistencies in her stories and to the well-meant cautions
of others.
“That’s one reason I
love you so, Adam. You always believe me.” Louisa tilted her head prettily to
one side.
“I’m sure you find
that an agreeable trait in a man. However, this time my source was not my
sister or a concerned friend. It was Mr. Pemberton.”
“Mr. Pemberton?” A
touch of alarm appeared in the back of her eyes. “Why were you discussing me
with Mr. Pemberton?”
“I wasn’t. He brought
up the matter after he told me he didn’t think Allegra was cheating on me. He
suggested I might be better off having you followed.”
“Me?” Louisa infused
the word with indignation. “What a rude man. Simply because I’m your under your
protection he feels that he can slander me. You see what it is to be in my
position, Adam? Everyone thinks that they can mistreat me. I’ll be so glad when
I’m your wife and free from such hurtful gossip.”
She reached into her
bodice, making sure he had a clear view of her cleavage, and retrieved a tiny
lace handkerchief. Dabbing delicately at her eyes, she peeped up at him,
gauging his response. To her dismay, his gaze remained icy.
“Mr. Pemberton wasn’t
gossiping. It seems he has been twice hired to watch your movements, and his
experience led him to think that I might want to do so as well.”
Louisa froze. She had
been dismissed by previous paramours for her infidelities, but she had never
thought to ask where they had gotten their information. And Sir Anthony had
also been in possession of some unpleasant details before his timely death.
When Adam had gone to Pemberton’s agency in order to have Allegra watched, it
had never occurred to her that he might run across information on her own
activities instead.
“What nonsense,” she
said, her voice trembling slightly. “He was simply trying to get more of your
money by making you suspect me. You know better than that, Adam. We’re meant to
be together, and mustn’t allow small-minded people to tear us apart.”
“He seemed quite
certain.” Adam’s voice was conversational. “He told me of your affairs with two
neighbors--oh, and the footman--when you were married, and also of your being
kept by the Comte de Valene. From him you moved on to Gresham, I understand.”
“Adam, how can you be
so cruel as to throw these lies in my face? Never have I been so hurt.” Tears
appeared in her eyes and caught in her long black lashes, sparkling like
diamonds.
“I’ve staked so much
on my faith in you, Louisa, that I might still believe your lies if not for his
mention of Gresham,” continued Adam as though she hadn’t spoken. “But that made
me think--something I should have done long ago. Since Allegra and I returned
from Gravesmere, there has seldom been a moment that you and Gresham haven’t
been present, trying to tear us apart. It has to be more than mere coincidence,
the fact that whenever I’m with you, I happen to see my wife with Gresham. And
the things you’ve told me, the way you skewed Allegra’s every action to make it
appear she was being unfaithful to me--it was really very clever, Louisa. But
now that I’m aware of your history with Gresham, the illusion falls apart. Did
you promise him my money to help you? Or is he doing it for payment in kind?”
“Adam, you’re insane!
Mr. Pemberton’s words have driven you mad with jealousy. I promise you, my
darling, I’ve never done a thing to interfere in your marriage. Gresham’s
actions are his own, and I have nothing to do with them. Your little wife has
caused all her own problems. Have her seductive ways so clouded your mind that
you can’t see the truth?” Louisa reached out to him appealingly, her eyes still
glimmering with tears.
“Actually, I think my
encounter with her helped to clear my head considerably. She’s quite bad at
hiding her emotions. Everything is right there on the surface, and I’ve been
too blind to see it. Unlike you, Louisa. The truth about you is buried deep,
but today I’ve discovered it. I tell you right now, your plot has failed. What
did you do to Allegra to turn her against me?”
“I’ve done nothing,
Adam, I swear it.” Louisa’s voice shook with emotion. “I’ve never spoken to
your wife, and I had no need to turn her against you. She’s a wicked woman,
shallow and vain and unfaithful. Nothing has changed that.”
“You did something, I
know that. You and that devil, Gresham. I’ll find out, and I’ll make sure you
never have a chance to hurt her again. And if I can’t win back Allegra’s
affections, if one hair on her head has been harmed, I swear I’ll make sure
that your reputation is in such tatters that not even Gresham will want you
back!” Adam flung away her hand as it grasped for his arm.
Louisa collapsed onto
the floor, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Adam, darling, you’re the light of
my life. I won’t be able to live without you. Please believe me. I love only
you. There’s never been anyone for me except you.”
Adam shook his head
impatiently. “Is that so? Then why, Louisa, have the curtains on that window
been moving ever since I entered this room? The window is closed and there’s
not a breath of fresh air in here.”
Louisa looked
frantically over her shoulder to where the heavy pink draperies concealed the
window nook. “Adam, you’re seeing things. There’s no one here but us.”
“Then you won’t mind
me making a fool of myself by checking.” Adam strode to the window and threw
back the curtain, revealing a man, his vest and shirt unbuttoned, his cravat
untied, and his breeches clenched in one white-knuckled hand.
Adam stepped back and
stared. “Freddie?”
“Gravesmere.” Freddie
Brocklehurst’s eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of his head. “I
say, this isn’t what it seems. Lady Manning invited me here to have tea and
well, um, one thing led to another, and...” His voice trailed off under Adam’s
withering glare.
“Under other
circumstances, Freddie, I might be angry with you,” said Adam. “But knowing
your proclivities and now being well aware of hers, I say take her and
welcome.”
“Damn it, Gravesmere,
you know I’m a younger son. I can’t afford a woman like Lady Manning. My
allowance would barely keep her in slippers,” said Freddie indignantly.
Adam laughed, feeling
almost lighthearted. He hated himself for allowing things to come to this
point, but now that he was free of Louisa he felt a great weight lifted off his
shoulders. He had felt guilty for the past weeks that his affection for her was
waning, but the knowledge that she had only been using him for his title and
money relieved him of that. Being made to look an idiot was a small price to
pay. Now he only had to convince Allegra that there was still something worth
salvaging between them. He turned towards the door.