Pride and Retribution (2 page)

‘Of course.’ Wilfred
quickly left the room and went down to the front hall, where the butler invited him into the main parlour.

‘Would you like some
brandy, My Lord?’ The butler offered and Wilfred nodded as he went to the window. He contemplated the busy street and wondered how many women the Duke had brought here and abused to this extent. He thought fleetingly of his sisters. Caroline was just starting her first season and Eleanor was due in a couple of years and a dread settled in his belly that somebody like the Duke would offer for his sister and she would be consigned to a life of purgatory. He knew he would have to talk to his father about this and probably his sisters. The Butler handed him a snifter of brandy and he took it absently as he debated what to tell his sister.

It was almost an hour before the doctor called him back to Harriet’s room. She had been splinted, washed and dressed in an undamaged nightgown. The doctor was
washing his hands in the basin that the maid had provided. He dried them on a towel. ‘Ah! My Lord.  I’ve set her arm and leg. I suspect that more than one of her ribs is fractured, but not broken, so lots of bed rest. You will need to employ a nurse for her.’ He looked from his hands. ‘Luckily she wasn’t torn inside, but it could have been quite nasty for her.’ He sighed. ‘She will have no problems in childbirth from this, if she ever feels safe enough to be alone with a man again. But she will need constant care and I gather she isn’t your wife?’ Wilfred shook his head slowly. ‘Well, as I say she will need constant attention. The bruising should fade away and the swelling will reduce in a few days. If you wish to move her to another location, now would be the time to do it.’

Wilfred spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening getting Harriet moved and settled in her new home. He collected her older sister and left the household in her firm hands.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest gossips in London lived just around the corner in Half Moon Street and she was watching the goings on avidly when Wilfred stepped out with Harriet in his arms. He told her to mind her own business, but he was wasting his time and the gossip mill started to churn before he’d even stepped over the threshold at Green Street.

At eight, still
not having eaten since luncheon, Wilfred was in a foul mood as he was let through the front door at the Grosvenor Square residence. His father’s butler, Higgins, opened the door with alacrity and pleasantly welcomed the Earl.

‘Good evening, My Lord. His Grace is in his study and has expressed a wish to see you immediately you returned home.’

‘Thank you, Higgins. Could you see if cook will get me something to eat?’ he smiled wanly and set out straight for his father’s study. He tapped on the door and received permission to enter and opened the door.

His father was an austere looking Duke, in that his dress was sombre, as was his demeanour and he had about him the air of an aristocrat that took no nonsense
and knew what was what and what should be. He looked up from the ledger he was working over, at his only son and his expression clouded over straight away.

‘I see you’ve arrived at last!’ Roderick de Lacy, the Duke of Dovedale said firmly
as he threw his quill down and folded his hands over his stomach as he sat back in the chair. ‘Do you have an explanation as to why you were seen in the vicinity of a known courtesan’s residence and was seen prominently carrying said courtesan to your carriage? How much will it cost me to avoid damages?’

‘You believe I did that to Harriet Saunders?’ he asked his father in surprise.

‘I don’t, son, why don’t you tell me what happened.’

Wilfred slowly explained everything right from when Ha
rriet had spoken to him at the Aston ball. By the time he’d finished his temper was black again and his father was astonished.

‘Do you love this girl?’ he asked impertinently.

‘Love is not a requirement for me to feel compassion for a woman in need, father, but I will ask you this. What do you hide behind your title? What will be revealed at your death that will bite me or mother in the backside?’ Wilfred asked dangerously.

His father was too shocked to be so accused to say the right thing and instead he blustered
, pride evident in every word. ‘How dare you insinuate that I’m like that bastard Markham!?’ he shot to his feet. ‘I’ve a good mind to throw you out on your ear!’ he blustered a bit more and a few choice curses were scattered around the study before Wilfred stood up to his full imposing height. He was almost a head taller than
his father and certainly broader, younger and fitter.

‘Have I struck a chord
, father? I hope to hell you never have beaten a woman to within an inch of her life and then hidden behind your title, because if you had I would lose all respect for you.’

Wilfred’s harsh, cold words hung in the air between the two men and Roderick could see that his son meant every word.
Static practically jumped between them and in the end Wilfred turned, poured two brandies from the decanter, placing one before his father, before he sipped his and resumed his stance in front of the desk.

Slowly Roderick
de Lacy, the Duke of Dovedale sat down, picked up his drink, sipped it and sighed. ‘Son? I have never, nor would I ever raise my hand to a woman. Even your sister’s discipline is handled by your mother. There are no scandals hiding behind my title, so when I finish with this mortal coil, you can be assured there won’t be suits against my estate.’ He sighed again and suddenly looked older. Wilfred had almost forgotten his father was in his late sixties and not the young man he’d been when Wilfred was a child.

He sat down again. ‘
Because of this I will accompany mother for Caroline’s season.’ Wilfred stated softly.

‘I wouldn’t ask it of you, Will.’ His father said in a conciliatory way.

‘But nevertheless I shall do it. I would not like either Caroline or Eleanor to end up with a husband like Markham and he would take a great deal of pleasure in ruining my sisters, especially now.’ He smiled wanly at his father. ‘I must have a word with Caroline anyway and warn her off Markham, because I don’t want him to be able to blindside me.’

‘Did Harriet Saunders mean that much to him?’

‘I doubt it. He’s the kind of man that uses up a woman and then discards her. I would take today’s beating as a dismissal for Harriet.’ Wilfred murmured as he rested his head back against the chair back.

‘Pride is a terrible thing, son, make sure you don’t fall foul of it.’ His father murmured back.

Wilfred spent another ten minutes with his father before he went to eat his cold supper, with a nice bottle of Claret, in the dining room and then went to look for his sisters.

He could hear their chiming laughter as he climbed the second flight of stairs to the family bedrooms. He still had a room here that he could use if he wanted to.
He tapped on Caroline’s door and heard the giggles and bustle as they hid what they were doing. ‘Who is it?’ Caroline’s light voice enquired making his heart squeeze in his chest that what he had seen today could happen to her.

‘It’s your brother, Wilfred.’ He murmured by the door jamb.

A squeal issued and the door was yanked open and both his beautiful sisters stood in the door way. They grabbed his arms and pulled him through the door. Both were in nightgowns and housecoats.

‘Will!’ Caroline nearly exploded with happiness. ‘
We haven’t seen you for absolutely ages!’

‘Where have you been?’ demanded his youngest sibling. He stood with an indulgent smile and surveyed his siblings.

‘What were you giggling about when I knocked?’

‘We were just discussing Miss Jane Austen’
s novel “Sense and Sensibility”. We thought how the Marianne character was rather stupid to throw herself into the power of Mr Willoughby, but were very glad to see that in the end she was sensible and married the Colonel.’ Eleanor supplied, but she had a very agile mind. He stroked two fingers down her cheek. She grabbed his hand before he dropped it to his side. ‘What’s the matter Will? You look as if you have had a dreadful day.’ She cupped his cheek and tilted her head sideways giving her an endearing look. Both his siblings were beautiful, but Eleanor was going to be a true beauty, with her flashing blue eyes and masses of dark hair. Eleanor, like Wilfred took after their father, while Caroline definitely took after their mother, with her golden hair, green eyes and fair skin.

‘Sit down, Will and maybe you can tell us why Lady Pikeston w
as here this evening giving Mother an earful.’ Caroline said firmly pushing her brother back until he sat on the edge of her bed.

He looked at both his sisters. ‘I helped a woman in distress today.’ He said carefully.

‘Really?’ Caroline spluttered. ‘Did you lay your cloak down, like Sir Walter Raleigh did for Good Queen Bess!? Or did you rescue a Maid Marian, instead?’ She was so bright and effervescent it made his heart ache to imagine her being treated as Harriet Saunders had been.

H
is smile faded and Eleanor scolded Caroline. ‘Don’t be a silly ninny. Those are gallant acts, yes, but in this modern age a cloak over a puddle wouldn’t rescue a damsel in distress!’ She looked at Wilfred firmly. ‘Tell us why you are bothered by this?’

‘I was supposed to be helping a lady friend of mine move house, but she was late and I went to her previous address to find her bloodied and battered body in amongst the torn contents of her wardrobe.’

Caroline let out a shriek as her hands flew over her mouth. Eleanor looked at him solemnly. It always surprised him that Eleanor was younger and the more sensible of the two. He had the main characters of “Sense and Sensibility” right in front of him, with serious and sensible Eleanor and flighty and fanciful Caroline.

‘Do you know who perpetrated this heinous crime?’ Eleanor asked softly.

‘I do.’ Wilfred said softly, ‘and I can’t touch him, because he’s a Duke.’

‘Markham!’ Eleanor spat viciously and looked at Caroline in triumph. ‘See I told you he wasn’t to be trusted.’

‘When did you meet the Duke of Markham?’ he asked Caroline abruptly and then softened his expression before he put her back up and she clammed up.

‘We were in a modiste’s with Mother and he was there ordering some saucy
French underwear for his mistress.’ Caroline said as she settled from her surprise. ‘He was pleasant to me, before Mother called us away.’

‘Well his pleasantness hides a beast. I want your word that the two of you will stay away from him, never be alone with him and if he becomes a nuisance tell me or father and we will deal with him.’

‘What did he actually do to your friend?’ Eleanor asked quietly and Wilfred shook his head.

‘Not for your ears.
I hope you never see anything like that in your whole life and certainly never suffer from similar treatment.’ Eleanor gave him a speaking look and Wilfred shrugged. ‘Suffice it to say she has two limbs in splints, numerous fractures in her ribcage and her whole body is black and blue.’

‘B
ut what about her face?’ Eleanor demanded. ‘Will she still be pretty?’

‘I have no idea a
nd I won’t until the swelling goes away. But I can tell you her nose is broken.’

‘How can a Duke be so beastly?’ Caroline asked in horror. ‘Are all men like that?’

‘No we are not and most men would be offended by that comparison.’ He sighed deeply. ‘I shall be accompanying you on your season, Caroline, so I don’t want to hear any moans about it, because you don’t have any say and father has already approved.’

She pouted a little, but didn’t complain. She was actually thrilled that she would be squired around by her handsome brother.
‘It won’t be so bad, will it?’

‘No.’ Replied Eleanor
thoughtfully. ‘He will be able to censure the men who ask you to dance.’ She smiled brilliantly suddenly. ‘I’m going to miss you frightening off the unacceptable suitors!’ and the two girls started giggling again.

‘Well, let’s have a look at some of
your gowns, then?’ He said to lighten the mood and they both squealed in delight and the talk turned to fashion and the fashionable venues and balls to attend. Caroline was excited about being presented to the Prince Regent at Carlton House.

Wilfred left them after another hour, re
turned to his townhouse and changed for a night out. He had promised to go to Fotheringay’s Ball, but he should not have gone out at all, as he only became morose after seeing the Duke of Markham there. The Duke stood proudly in the ballroom as if nothing untoward had happened that day and laughed gaily with his attentive audience of debutantes. Wilfred’s mood got blacker and blacker as the night wore on and in the end he went to the card room and managed to win a lot of money, while he guzzled down claret as if he owned shares in the vineyard, and didn’t really pay any attention to the cards. He just kept winning until somebody commented on it and Wilfred decided to leave the game with a murmured apology. It was rather unfortunate that as he stumbled out of the card room, he spied an ethereally beautiful girl sat on a bench alone. He stumbled over to her and dropped on the bench beside her without asking for permission. She looked at him haughtily. In Wilfred’s inebriated state, he didn’t think, he just leaned in close, whispered in her ear and grinned stupidly at her.