Lady Catherine's Secret: A Secrets and Seduction book (21 page)

Of course. How could he have been so foolish? “Rajah. How is your sister? I trust she suffered no ill effects from her fall.”

“Ha! You can’t keep that one down for long,” Charles said with an indulgent gleam in his eye. “She tried to get on her horse the very next day, much to her governess’s annoyance. Mother had placed her on strict bed rest because of her head injury. After that, Miss Bell was afraid to let Sarah out of her sight, convinced she’d head straight to the stables at the first opportunity. Mother’s finally letting her resume her normal activities today. I should warn you however, she seems quite taken with you. Young as she is, if she decides to set her cap for you, you’d better take care. I watch out for my sisters.” Although his tone was casual, Charles pinned him with a pointed look.

Daniel met his gaze and gave a slow nod. He found himself taking a liking to the young man. As an only child, he’d often wondered what it would have been like to have a large family. How different would his life have been with a sibling? Would it have been less empty? Richer? He hoped his own children might be as close as Charles and his sisters obviously were.

Of all the people in his life, Wentworth had come closest to filling the role of brother. They’d met at boarding school, and once the young man had realized what Daniel’s home life was like, he'd never said a word about it, but simply invited him home during every break between terms. Daniel could never repay him for the kindness he’d shown. Wentworth might have a temper, but underneath it all, he had a kind heart. He did his best to hide it so that no one could take advantage of him.

The other boys at Eton hadn’t been so welcoming. At every turn, they’d made Daniel aware of his shortcomings. His education had been neglected at home, and he wasn’t cultured enough to associate with them. The worst part was that everyone knew his father was insane. That alone would have been enough to make him a social outcast, but the combination of problems had been insurmountable. If not for Wentworth, his life would have been unbearable.

“You always seem to wind up on the right side of things in business, Huntley,” Cunningham said.

With a start, Daniel realized he hadn’t been paying attention. He tried to pick up the thread of the conversation.

“In fact,” Cunningham continued, “I remember a couple of years ago, some men tried to outmaneuver you by having you followed and trying to circumvent you in some of your business dealings.”

A smile slid across Daniel’s face at the memory. “Yes. They were most annoying until I figured out their scheme. They were spying on me to gather information about my future endeavors. Then they made deals with the other parties involved before I had a chance to finalize my contracts.” He gave a slight shrug. “It was a simple matter for me to lead them into bad deals rather than good ones. After they lost quite a bit of money, they finally stopped trying to predict my plans. I never did identify all the members of that little group.”

“Ho! That’s devilishly clever of you, Huntley. Devilishly clever. ‘Hoist with their own petard,’ so to speak.” Cunningham said, his goatee quivering again with laughter.

Charles looked at him quizzically. “Petard?”

“Shakespeare, my boy. What, haven’t they been teaching you anything at Oxford? Means to be brought down by a weapon of your own devising.” Cunningham clapped Charles firmly on his shoulder and then turned to Daniel. “So, do you have any good investment tips for me?”

“Hmm. You’ve caught me at an unusually bad time. I’m in the midst of negotiating an important contract, and my partner insists on an exclusive arrangement.” Lord Larchmont had been most insistent on it. He noticed Cunningham’s dejected face and added, “But if you’d like, I’ll contact you the next time I come across something you might find of interest.”

Cunningham’s expression brightened considerably. “That is most generous of you, Huntley. Most generous. You know how I love to dabble.” He pursed his lips and glanced away. “But I imagine your, ah... partner will keep you occupied. If he’s the man I’ve heard rumors about, you’ll find it difficult to extricate yourself from your entanglement with him. Tread carefully. I think I’ll hunt around for another good investment in the meantime.”

Daniel gave a casual shrug that belied his tension. Did Cunningham suspect his alignment with Larchmont? “Happy hunting.”

His alignment with Larchmont had already benefited him. After all, he wouldn’t have been able to purchase the estate if not for the man’s influence.

Charles gave Daniel a genial nod as he took his leave, and his thoughts returned to Catherine. He wondered briefly if he’d mentioned to “Gray” that he’d be gone for a couple of weeks. Last night was still a bit hazy. But he did remember telling her that his servants were at his new property.

At least Catherine wasn’t in danger of being disgraced. He’d be able to pursue his negotiations with Lord Larchmont regarding a marriage contract with Lady Lydia with a clear conscience.

He left the club a short time later, confident that Catherine had returned home undetected. As he hurried down the steps, he passed a fat, balding man who seemed startled and nearly slipped in the snow, but then righted himself.

23 - Worn Leather Shoes

It was too bloody cold!

The snow melted when it touched the frosty puddles that were beginning to ice around the edges. When the man accidentally stepped into one, an icy, foul liquid seeped into the seams of his shoes, soaking his wool socks. Now with each step he took, the frigid water stole the warmth from his feet. He could hear the liquid squelching as he traipsed down the busy street.

The man arrived at the Ambridge Club and noticed that the steps were coated with a thin layer of ice. He wondered briefly if one of the servants there had tried to wash them that morning.
Idiot
. Someone could get killed. He gingerly crept up the slick steps, intent on getting out of the snow.

He glanced up just as a tall gentleman came out the door and started descending the steps toward him. Then, as if he had not a care in the world the gentleman gave the man a nod of greeting and continued on.

It was the
marquess. Huntley!

The man stumbled in surprise and stood there agog. After a moment he clicked his mouth shut and turned to stare after the marquess, furrowing his brow.

What the deuce? Huntley shouldn’t be walking about like this! I paid good money to have him taken! Did the men I hired even manage to search his home last night?

He turned around in his tracks and hurried off, his worn leather soles slipping on the road.

There were two scoundrels he needed to talk with, and they’d better have some damned good answers.

24 - A Letter Arrives

After breakfast, Catherine joined her mother and brother in the morning room. Charles had only recently returned from an appointment at his club. Soon, Mother would drag her away on a round of afternoon calls. She only hoped she’d be able to speak with Charles first. She needed his advice.

When a young footman entered the room bearing a letter, Charles glanced up and frowned. After he examined it, he smiled. “It’s from Mannerly. I haven’t heard from him in at least a month.” He slid his finger under the seal, breaking it.

He quickly scanned the missive but then stopped. “What on earth?” He read it again, and this time his eyes moved more slowly.

Mother stared at him, and when he was done reading the message, he handed it to her without a word. After scrutinizing it, she sighed deeply. “What do you plan to do?”

“What can I do? This is all so outrageous. I never laid a finger on that...” He stopped, glancing at Catherine.

It must be about the girl from Oxford, Catherine realized.

Mother handed the letter back to Charles. “Perhaps a quick trip to visit your friend in Cheshire would be advisable.”

“Yes. I think you’re right. I’ll leave immediately, if you’ll excuse me.” With a nod, he left the morning room.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing to trouble you, dear. Your brother needs to take care of some personal business.”

§

When Catherine returned to her bedroom, she found a note from Charles on her bed.

“Sorry I had to leave so suddenly —,” was all it said. Tucked inside was the letter he’d received.

Dear C.,

Rumors continue to fly regarding you and that silly twit of a girl, Calliope.

I know you were never involved with her, but that doesn’t seem to matter at the moment. The blame is being placed squarely on your shoulders.

These are the facts. Professor Caruthers chased Attwood and his daughter all the way to Gretna Green, only to discover they’d never arrived. He tracked them to a little town, but only his daughter was there. Charles Attwood had abandoned her.

Caruthers tried to track down the blackguard, but he slipped away, leaving no trail behind. I know how distasteful it must be for you to share the same first name with such a man, but I think that the similarity in your names has caused a great deal of confusion. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but according to some stories I’ve heard, he sometimes impersonated you.

Apparently, once Attwood had bedded the little idiot, she confessed she had lied about her inheritance. After a great deal of shouting and arguing, he ran off in the night, leaving the bill unpaid and the girl unprotected.

She proves to be a complete bubble head. Why lie to Attwood to trick him into marriage, ruining herself in the process, only to confess her trickery before the wedding could take place? It defies comprehension.

Her father insists she marry and is casting around for anyone he can drag into his net. It would be best for you to lie low for a while, as I think he will be coming after you next. He is desperate to get the baggage married, and he holds you partially to blame since her name has been linked to yours. He believes you may have aided Attwood in her seduction.

I suggest you take an extended trip away from London as I believe Caruthers will look for you there.

Your friend,

M.

Poor Charles. No wonder he had left. Calliope had created an enormous mess.

25 - A Secret Revealed

He entered the tavern, searching for the two men he’d hired to take Huntley. The room was dark, even in the middle of the day, and it took his eyes a few moments to adjust. He spotted the men sitting at a narrow table in the corner of the otherwise unoccupied room and wove through the haphazardly arranged tables to join them.

He grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it up to the booth, straddling it backward as he took a seat. “What happened?” he demanded, leaning forward over the back of the chair. “Huntley is walking around town, plain as day.”

The two former dockworkers exchanged glances, and then, as if by some agreement, the smaller of the two spoke. “Someone saw us. We had to run or be caught.”

“Bah. You were two against one,” he snapped back, his voice dripping with scorn. “You were scared, admit it.” There was nothing he hated more than a coward. “I’m paying you good money, and I expect results. What good are you if you can’t take a lone man on a foggy night?”

The pair shifted nervously. The smaller one spoke up again. “We might not have taken him, m’lord, but we have some information you may find useful.” As he explained what they’d seen at Huntley’s town house, and what they’d learned about Lady Catherine Williams, daughter of the Earl of Kensington, his employer’s eyes grew wide.

If this was true, it could change everything.
“Are you absolutely certain about your information?” he asked, his mind racing. “If you’re wrong, you’ll scuttle my whole plan.”

“We’re sure, m’lord. We was searchin’ Huntley’s place when they arrived, and we slipped out while they slept. They never knew we was there. She spent the night with him, that’s for sure. And we followed her home the next day. It was her. I’d swear on it. We saw her goin’ from the stable to the house as she changed her disguise.”

“How extraordinary.” This information might well prove to be more useful than anything he could have forced from Huntley if the kidnapping had been successful. “You may have botched your real assignment, but if this proves to be true, I’ll reward you handsomely.”

26 - A Dismal Week

That evening at the ball, Catherine eavesdropped shamelessly, but she heard no rumors concerning her fencing. Huntley wasn’t in attendance. One or two guests mentioned that he’d left for his new estate outside London, and relief seeped into her bones.

A small kernel of satisfaction began to grow within her. In an amazing reversal, Huntley had gone from being a potential threat to an ally. For such a conventional man, she never would have guessed he’d be so understanding about her passion for fencing.

An uneventful week passed. No rumors, no sidelong looks, but also, unfortunately, no fencing. Avoiding it was akin to torture, but with Charles gone, she didn’t dare try to slip away again. Not after what had happened the last time she’d ventured out to Bernini’s alone. Instead, she threw herself into her role as the proper Lady Catherine. It was always wise to bank some goodwill with Mother by accommodating her this way, so Catherine threw all her energy into the task.