Gayle Buck (16 page)

“He certainly did that in the sketch of you, my lady,” said Lord Damion.

Victoria glanced at him in surprise. “Was there a sketch of me? How odd that I did not see it the other evening. Actually, I was not even aware that he had done one.”

“I discovered a slit inside the sketch case lining and inside it a drawing that I had not seen before. The drawing was much creased, as though Charles often gazed at it.” Lord Damion watched her face closely. “He apparently thought often of you. And of the child.” Victoria’s fingers faltered on the pianoforte keys. She smoothly regained control. Lord Damion said quietly, “Where is Charles’s child, Victoria?”

Chapter Sixteen

Victoria’s heart pounded. “What should I know of any child, my lord?”

Lord Damion said softly, “He must have loved you and the babe very much,” and caught the sheen of tears in her eyes. He leaned over to take her hands away from the pianoforte keys so that she was forced to turn her attention to him. He said carefully, “My dear lady, you have nothing to fear from me or anyone in this house. I swear to you that I only wish to assure myself that Charles’s child is alive and well.”

Victoria stared into his sincere eyes. She freed her hands to dash away tears that threatened to overflow. “Jessica is safe and is with friends, my lord,” she said in a low voice.

Some of Lord Damion’s tension eased. She had at least admitted to the child’s existence. But he still needed to understand why she had kept Charles’s daughter a secret. “Why did you never tell any of us that you and Charles had a daughter?”

Victoria looked away from him, shaking her head. “I did not know if Charles’s family would accept me or our daughter. For myself I did not particularly care. I have established my own life. But I feared for Jessica. I feared that she would be branded a bastard. I could not have borne that. I
would
not have stood for it.”

“I assure you, my lady, that would not have happened,” said Lord Damion.

She faced him squarely, her dark eyes flashing molten gold sparks. “You forced me to come with you here from spite, my lord. And because I was in your company I was subjected to insult by nearly every member of this family. Believe me, I was soon utterly convinced that Jessica did not need her father’s family. And so I said nothing about her.”

Lord Damion stared at her, white-faced. He was appalled by the consequences of his own hasty actions. “I can only beg your forgiveness, my lady. I had no right to treat you as I did, nor to question your motives for coming to England.”

Victoria gazed at him steadily. Her smile was cool. “But you were right, my lord, and so was Sir Aubrey in his way even though his opinion of my character was baser than yours. For I am at the very least a mercenary woman. I came to claim what rightfully belongs to my daughter.”

Lord Damion regarded her in silence. Finally he said, “When Sir Aubrey made public the contents of the solicitor’s letter, you did not seem in the least distressed. I thought then that it was odd you were so unmoved when even Margaret, who stands to gain nothing, expressed surprise. You must have realized almost instantly that the solicitor was referring to your daughter.’

At her nod, Lord Damion said, “Then I must assume that you contacted the solicitor immediately upon setting foot in England. It was a wonder that he gave you a hearing at all.”

Victoria smiled again. “On the contrary, my lord, Mr. Bernard was already aware of my existence and of Jessica’s.”

Lord Damion raised his brows. “You surprise me profoundly, madame.”

“Sir Aubrey was not as privy to Lord Robert’s business as he believes,” said Victoria. “His lordship wrote to me that Charles had sent a sketch of myself and a notarized copy of both our marriage license and Jessica’s birth papers to the family solicitor. Upon being informed of the documents by Mr. Bernard, Lord Robert instructed him to make provisions in his will for Jessica. In his letter to me, his lordship made it dear that Jessica’s inheritance would not be affected if I chose not to accept his invitation to come to England.”

Victoria was silent a moment, remembering her mixed feelings about the letter. She looked up to meet Lord Damion’s intent gaze. “Lord Robert sounded like a very lonely man. In the end, I decided that perhaps he could be allowed the opportunity to meet his granddaughter.”

“But you did not altogether trust him,” said Lord Damion.

Victoria laughed. “My lord, Charles spoke so rarely of his family and hardly any good. I did not know what to expect, but I was determined to protect my daughter,” she said frankly.

“And what is your opinion of us now, Lady Victoria? Are we to be trusted with Charles’s child?” asked Lord Damion quietly.

Victoria studied the arrogant cast of his features, recalling that moment of weakness in front of Charles’s portrait. She had felt fear when she had looked up to recognize the hard planes of Lord Damion’s face. She had feared the ruthless streak that she knew existed in him. But the fear had been an exaggeration. She did not now believe that he would harm herself or her daughter. “I have sent a message this afternoon for Jessica’s nurse to bring her to the Crossing,” she said quietly.

Lord Damion sighed. As the silence lengthened, he had begun to fear her answer. He raised her finger to his lips. “I am grateful to you, Lady Victoria. It will mean more than I can say to us all.”

“And now you are fully informed, my lord. I have no more secrets,” said Victoria briskly.

“I wonder if that is so,” murmured Lord Damion, his quick memory already casting back over their conversation. “What did you mean about Sir Aubrey’s opinion of your character being baser even than mine?” She flushed, further arousing his curiosity.

Two ladies entered the drawing room. “Oh! How awkward of us, to be sure. We seem to have interrupted a tête-à-tête, Doro,” said Margaret. The glittering expression in her eyes belied the smile fixed to her lips.

Lord Damion’s lips tightened as he drew slightly away from Victoria. He had been on friendly terms with Margaret Giddings for several London Seasons and had always found her to be amusing company. But lately Margaret’s presence had become progressively more irritating to him. He disliked her arch airs and the possessive attitude she tended to display toward him. Lord Damion decided that the woman was in need of a sharp setdown.

Victoria saw the hardening of his expression and forestalled his retort. “Here is Margaret now, my lord, prepared to practice the duet with you for the Christmas celebration,” she said smoothly. She diplomatically overlooked the stunned expression in Lord Damion’s eyes. “We were but this moment discussing a suitable selection, Margaret, and I think we have settled on a traditional carol. If you will join his lordship, Doro may be the judge of our performance.”

In the face of Margaret’s swiftly departing surprise and growing satisfaction, Victoria presented a sheet of music to Lord Damion and remarked it would be necessary for the couple to share it.

Dorothea seated herself in anticipation. “You slyboots, Margaret. You never even let on,” she said. “I think it is a delightful idea.”

“Indeed it is,” murmured Margaret. She smiled up at Lord Damion as she joined him at the pianoforte. Carefully avoiding Lord Damion’s eyes, Victoria advised the duo of their cue before she turned to the pianoforte and began to play.

Surprisingly, Margaret possessed a fine, clear voice that soared above Lord Damion’s rich baritone. Lord Damion glanced down at her, astonished by her obvious enjoyment of the old song. She was in her element and reveled in it. When the piece was finished, he said, “I was not aware that you could sing, Margaret. You have a truly lovely voice.” Margaret blushed rosily, unused to such sincerity from a man.

“She does indeed. And so do you, Damion. I had quite forgotten,” said Lady Hortense from the doorway.

Doro turned in her chair as the older woman came toward them. “Oh, ma’am, Margaret and Lord Damion mean to sing for the company at our Christmas gathering. Is it not splendid?”

“To be sure, we are all in for a decided treat. I shall look forward to it, for I enjoy good music above all things,” said Lady Hortense.

Recognizing that he was firmly caught, Lord Damion glanced down into Victoria’s laughing eyes. With an answering glint of humor in his expression, he said dryly, “We must thank Lady Victoria for this inspiration. Without her to guide us, I doubt that Margaret and I would ever have come together over a sheet of music.” Victoria busied herself with the music sheets, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Margaret had no such inhibition and she laughed delightedly. With more warmth than she usually showed, she said, “Indeed, I for one approve your excellent suggestion, Lady Victoria!” The two women exchanged smiles, each tacitly acknowledging a temporary peace between them.

Lord Damion stood up from his place at the pianoforte. “Mama, I believe that Lady Victoria has an announcement that she wishes to make.”

Victoria looked up at him quickly. She met the sudden implacable expression in his eyes and realized that he meant to be certain that she would announce her daughter’s existence without delay.

Lady Hortense and Dorothea regarded her with friendly curiosity, waiting for her to speak. Margaret supposed that Lady Victoria had unearthed more sketches and glanced down at the sheet of music in her hands.

Victoria was angered that Lord Damion had not allowed her to choose her own time or to lead up to the subject in her own way. Very well, she thought as she drew a breath. Lord Damion would receive exactly what he demanded. Therefore, without preamble, she said, “The letter which Sir Aubrey received from the family solicitor made reference to another heir. That person is Charles’s and my daughter, Lady Jessica Marie Silva y Montoya March.”

An astonished silence greeted her abrupt announcement. Then her audience burst out in surprised exclamations. Margaret sat down abruptly on a sofa, stunned. She stared in wonderment at Victoria. Once more the woman had managed to snatch the limelight.

“Somehow I did not expect such a bald statement,” said Lord Damion, both surprised and displeased. Victoria spared him a cool glance and he found that he was beginning to recognize the dangerous light in her eyes.

“Pray recall that I am quite capable of choosing my own course, Lord Damion, and I am unused to interference,” said Victoria in a low tone for his ears alone. Lord Damion stared at her, speechless. He had never before encountered such censure from a female.

“But why did you never tell us of Charles’s daughter?” asked Lady Hortense, bewildered.

Lord Damion inclined his head in apology to Victoria before he replied to his mother’s query. “Lady Victoria felt that she needed to meet Charles's family before she would trust us with the knowledge of his daughter’s existence.”

“Oh my dear,” murmured Lady Hortense sorrowfully. For the first time Victoria felt a stab of guilt over her duplicity.

“Or perhaps it has taken this long for Lady Victoria to discover a suitable child to pass off as Charles’s daughter,” said Sir Aubrey harshly from the doorway. In the shocked silence he advanced into the room until he stood over Victoria. His smile was thin. “So you have taken my advice, young woman. I thought you might once you had learned the terms of his lordship’s will.”

Lord Damion shot a startled glance at Victoria’s set expression. He realized that he had misinterpreted his uncle’s discussion with her on the morning after her arrival. He now understood Victoria’s reference to Sir Aubrey’s opinion of her.

“I have taken no advice of yours, Sir Aubrey,” said Victoria quietly.

“Of course you have not. It is all simple coincidence, my dear,” said Sir Aubrey affably. “But why not produce a son for Charles? You would have had much more to gain with an heir to the title. Or is your solicitude for this unknown girl because she is your own bastard?”

“Aubrey! That is quite enough!” exclaimed Lady Hortense wrathfully.

Victoria was white-faced as she rose to her feet, so hastily that the pianoforte stool was sent tumbling. “This is precisely the sort of insult that I feared and the very reason that I did not bring Jessica forward from the first. I shall not have my daughter treated to slander and cruelty.” Her eyes blazing, Victoria started past Sir Aubrey. Lord Damion caught her arm in an unyielding grip. She said furiously, “Unhand me at once, my lord! I shall not remain a moment longer in the same house with that odious man.”

“Then you would not hear Sir Aubrey’s apology, my lady,” said Lord Damion. He looked grimly at his uncle as he drew out a folded sheet and extended it to the older man. “This drawing was put away in a slit inside Charles’s sketch case. I discovered it this afternoon and immediately took the liberty of asking Lady Victoria about it, for which I owe her an apology. You will undoubtedly recognize the young woman holding the child.”

Sir Aubrey stared at the sketch for several seconds. Lady Hortense grew impatient. “We should like to see it as well, Aubrey.” Without a word he passed the sketch over to his sister-in-law. Lady Hortense snatched at it and she, Dorothea, and Margaret soon had their heads together over it.

“Why, it is Cousin Victoria with a baby!” exclaimed Dorothea. “How very clever Charles was. One can see that motherhood positively suits you, cousin.”

She realized what she had said and a look of astonishment passed over her face.

Margaret’s feelings were vastly different from those of anyone else in the room. She looked over at Victoria with an almost friendly expression. Lord Damion could never seriously be interested in a woman who had a child. Margaret thought that her own chances of becoming the next Countess of March were suddenly much improved with Lady Victoria’s newest revelation.

Sir Aubrey barked a laugh and eyed Victoria in sardonic amusement. “I have underestimated you once more, my lady. My apologies are indeed in order.”

At that moment Evelyn entered the sitting room. He immediately recognized that something of import had occurred. “What has happened? What have 1 missed?”

Dorothea urgently held out her hand to him. “Eve, do but come look. Charles did a sketch of Cousin Victoria and their baby.”