Lady Catherine's Secret: A Secrets and Seduction book (30 page)

As Catherine came downstairs after changing into her day dress, her mind was on Daniel. It hurt her to realize he still chafed at being engaged to her. Why else would he have brought up Stansbury’s attack and her other misjudgments? It must irritate him to be engaged to someone so impetuous, someone so unlike the kind of woman he’d hoped to marry. And he was right. She
had
been impetuous when she’d saved him that night and when she’d kissed him.

Twice.

No. When she included in her lapse in judgment at the dog fight, it now added up to three times. So much for her resolve.

As she reached the foot of the staircase, Percy, their butler, approached her carrying a calling card.

“You have a visitor, my lady.”

Catherine examined the card, but didn’t recognize the man’s name. She gave Percy a doubtful look. “I’m afraid I don’t know the gentleman. Did he ask for me?”

“The gentleman and his daughter insist that they need to speak to a family member. They say it is most urgent.” When Catherine still looked hesitant, he said, “The girl is about your age, and her father claims to be a professor at Oxford.”

“Oxford? Oh, my. Are they in the drawing room?” She glanced toward the closed doors as he nodded. “I’ll see them immediately.”

It had to be Calliope and her father. Had they received the message from Charles so quickly? What excellent timing, since Charles should arrive with Attwood at any moment.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

The pair perched awkwardly on the edge of the sofa in the formal room. Mother had designed the space to impress and intimidate. She would have been gratified to know it was having its desired effect on this pair. Professor Caruthers appeared to be in his late fifties, with a rounded belly and thick, graying sideburns that ran all the way down to his lower jaw, but his chin was bare. He stared at his hands, which were clasped in his lap. His lips were in a thin, tense line, and there were deep grooves in his brow.

Conversely, Calliope didn’t seem worried at all. Her little pink mouth was slightly agape, and her gaze darted around the room, taking in every detail of Mother’s newly redecorated space. The girl had made an effort to look sedate, and her pale blond hair was parted down the middle and pulled back into a low bun, but small errant ringlets of hair framed her face. It all looked too artful to be accidental, and her lips were too pink to be natural.

When Mr. Caruthers noticed Catherine, he bounded to his feet, startling his daughter. Calliope turned her vacant blue eyes to see what had caused him to move so abruptly and, seeing Catherine, rose to her feet as well. The girl cast her eyes down toward her feet, trying to conceal the gleam of excitement Catherine saw in them.

Catherine smiled politely at the pair. “Mr. Caruthers, you wished to speak with me?”

“You?” He looked genuinely startled. “I don’t... I mean, I expected...” His face turned bright red as he stumbled to a halt.

“You expected someone older?” Catherine asked. She smiled to put him at ease. “I understand. I’m sorry, but I’m the only one home at the moment, and I was told you're here on an urgent matter.”

Daniel had taken a short walk while he waited for the carriage to arrive. All of their work in protecting her reputation could be undone if it were known she’d entertained him at home without a chaperone present.

“Urgent, yes,” Professor Caruthers said, “but I can’t discuss the matter with an unmarried woman.” He glanced at his daughter.

“I understand your reticence,” Catherine said, choosing her words with care. “And I appreciate it. However, I have a sketchy understanding of your circumstances.” She glanced at Calliope, catching the girl’s troubled gaze, and gave her what she hoped was a comforting smile.

The girl blushed, glancing down in obvious discomfort.

“Although I don’t know the details, I believe that your daughter’s fiancée has disappeared, and you’re afraid some disaster may have befallen him,” Catherine quickly fabricated. Would they accept the lie?

Mr. Caruthers’s jaw dropped, but then it snapped shut with a click. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yes, that’s the gist of things.”

“Then you’ll be happy to hear that my brother and my fiancée apprehended... ah, retrieved Mr. Attwood. They left about an hour ago to acquire him and should be arriving shortly. Charles sent you a note.”

At this news, a transforming smile broke across Calliope’s face. Her vacant eyes now held a look of bliss. “He’s coming here? Now? That’s wonderful. He’ll be so thrilled to see me.”

Catherine froze, taken aback by the girl’s enthusiastic response. Attwood hadn’t seemed at all “thrilled” to be apprehended. Did she really love him so much that she was blind to his faults? The man had taken flight in the middle of the night, abandoning her at an inn. That wasn’t the kind of thing Catherine could ever excuse.

Giving herself a mental shake, Catherine recovered. “I suppose congratulations will be in order, once the two of you are reunited,” she said hesitantly, looking at Calliope curiously. What an odd girl. “Charles mentioned that he arranged to have the banns read, so your wedding will be able to take place in just over two weeks.”

Catherine heard a commotion at the front entrance and the sound of low voices and barking dogs.

They were back.

“The banns have already been read in Oxford. We could marry there with no delay.” Calliope made a little hop of excitement. She clasped both of Catherine’s hands in hers, clutching them with startling strength. “All we need is the groom.”

Catherine watched the girl with bemusement as Calliope’s face took on a look of rapture at the prospect of marrying a ne’er-do-well.

“That’s excellent news,” Charles announced, “because we have the groom right here.”

She whirled around to see Daniel and Charles with their hands clamped on Attwood’s upper arms. A trail of blood stained his cravat and he was holding a red-stained handkerchief to his nose.

“Charlie,” cried Calliope. She darted across the room and threw herself against Attwood. In her excitement, she wrapped her arms around his neck, jostling the raised hand that pressed the cloth against his nose, inadvertently forcing him to utter a yelp of pain.

“It’s touching to witness such a joyful reunion,” Daniel commented wryly as he released Attwood’s arm and stepped away.

Catherine caught his eye and they exchanged bemused smiles.

“You’re hurt.” Calliope’s mobile face shifted from abject love to fear. “What happened?”

“I... I tripped getting out of the carriage.”

Daniel grinned and rubbed his bruised knuckles, causing Catherine to choke.

Catherine heard a strangled groan and turned to see that Mr. Caruthers’s face was beginning to turn purple with fury.

Daniel stepped forward, moving past Attwood, and smiled as he approached Caruthers. He clapped the professor on the back, beaming at him. “I knew the couple would be happy to be reunited. Now they can marry at once.”

Caruthers looked like he’d rather spit on Attwood, but after a moment, he gave a terse nod. “Yes. We’ve had the banns read in Oxford.”

Catherine sighed with relief. For a moment she’d been afraid the professor would refuse to have Calliope marry the man.

“If we throw our support behind the union, I believe we can put a stop to any rumors,” Charles said. “I suggest we have Mr. Attwood stay here, at Kensington House. We’ll inform everyone that he’s been our guest for some days now. You and Calliope can stay with some friends of ours. We can tell everyone that you’ve been in London while the couple prepares for their nuptials. Any scandal surrounding poor Mr. Attwood’s disappearance should fade once they’re married.”

“Yes,” Catherine said. “The best way to diffuse a scandal is to pull its teeth and make it ineffective. There’s no real damage done if they marry as planned.”

Catherine was relieved to see that Mr. Caruthers had absorbed their words. The purpling of his face had faded to a healthier color.

“‘Poor Mr. Attwood,’ my foot,” the professor mumbled. Then he collected himself and responded to Charles. “Are you suggesting that Mr. Attwood can be relied upon to fulfill his obligation to my daughter? What if he disappears again?”

“Ah, yes.” Charles folded his hands behind his back and rocked back slightly on his heels, reminding Catherine of their father. “From what I understand, some men develop ‘cold feet’ as the wedding approaches. However, since Mr. Attwood will be residing at Kensington House, he will receive all the, ah...,
support
we can provide.” He cocked an eyebrow at Mr. Caruthers. “I personally assure you he’ll be present at the wedding. I’ve already found a man who can serve as his
personal
assistant
.” He stressed the word as he wiggled his slim eyebrows. “I have no doubt that he’ll be able to keep Attwood occupied and deliver him to the church at the appointed time.” His eyes danced merrily as he made this pronouncement.

“A
personal assistant
?” Mr. Caruthers sputtered, his face beginning to turn purple again. “This man will have a manservant at his beck and call?”

At that moment, Mr. Phipps appeared in the doorway. He must have been standing just outside the door, listening. Tall and burly, he had a coarse, weathered face, with a nose that had evidently been broken at least once, if not numerous times. His clothes were of a good cut and clean, but they looked as though he had slept in them.

“Ah! Here is the man now. May I introduce Mr. Phipps? He knew Mr. Attwood long ago and was most eager to help us find him. He possessed the perfect qualifications to be of assistance in this endeavor.” Although his words sounded pleasant enough, they became ominous when coupled with the look of loathing that Phipps and Attwood exchanged.

Mr. Caruthers cracked a small smile as he examined the alleged manservant.

“I’ll make sure he’s at the wedding, sir. You can rely on that,” Phipps said in a menacing tone as he glared at Attwood. “Perhaps you could let me check the room where he’ll be staying. I want to make sure it’s snug and secure for the
gentleman
,” he spat the word, “before he takes up residence.”

Daniel stepped forward. “If you’ll permit me, perhaps it would be best if Attwood were to stay at my town house. I'm a bachelor and don’t have a family to be put out by an unexpected guest. Your youngest sister might not be able to resist trying to investigate such an intriguing mystery.”

Charles looked startled at first, but then gave a decisive nod. “You make a valid point. Good thinking.”

Catherine tilted her head as she glanced up at Huntley. That had been astute of him. Of course Sarah wouldn’t be able to resist the mystery of Mr. Phipps and Attwood. Even though Daniel had only met her the one time, he’d foreseen a problem that her entire family had overlooked.

Another idea came to her in a flash. “Charles, perhaps Lady Wilmot could be persuaded to assist us in our ruse. And if anyone knows how to spread a carefully placed rumor, it’s Lady Elizabeth. With their help, I’m sure the news of Miss Caruthers’s London visit will spread as far as Oxford within a day or two.”

“That’s an excellent notion,” Charles said. “Well done.”

Catherine glanced around the room. Mr. Phipps leaned against the door frame, guarding the only exit, and Calliope still clung to Attwood. Despite her earlier behavior, she now looked as though she thought he might disappear at the first opportunity.

Daniel hovered near her elbow. With a sudden awareness, she realized she liked having him there, close enough to touch. And that startled her. When had that happened? When had she gone from avoiding him to wanting him close to her?

She took a step away. She didn’t like this notion of wanting him close. Not at all.

Charles stepped forward and placed his hand on the professor’s shoulder. “Mr. Caruthers, if you’d be so kind as to join me in the study, I believe we should discuss the conditions of the marriage and present them to Mr. Attwood. I’m sure he’ll be amenable to whatever you deem is a fair dowry.”

“Dowry?” Mr. Caruthers’s eyes widened and his head jerked back as though he’d been struck.

“Certainly, a dowry. You’ll want to ensure your daughter isn’t lacking in basic necessities once she’s married.” Charles’s brow furrowed in surprise. “It’s your duty as her father. You wouldn’t want to cut off your nose to spite your face. I’m sure you, as a prudent man, have set aside funds for her over the years.”

Caruthers sputtered. “How do I know the man won’t just take the money and leave her stranded?” He winced, and Catherine followed his gaze, seeing the hurt expression on his daughter’s face. Was the girl really that naïve?

“I’m sure we can craft an arrangement that will protect your daughter’s funds from any nefarious manipulations. Perhaps a trust with a regular allowance?” Charles suggested with a wily grin.

As understanding dawned on Caruthers’s face, a smile began to take root. Catherine saw his chin rise and his shoulders relax. The tense, haggard, grim-looking man who had entered the room transformed before her eyes. When she’d first seen him, she had thought he was older than her father, but now she could see that he was much younger than that, probably in his early forties.

“Thank you, Lord Spencer,” Mr. Caruthers said, meeting Charles’s gaze. “You’ve been more than kind. I apologize for any misunderstanding regarding your involvement. It didn’t take long for me to realize you weren’t culpable. Please forgive us for having drawn you into our predicament.” He glanced at his daughter, and she had the good grace to look embarrassed.