The Devil Rogue (29 page)

“Nonsense, my dear
.
My son has never done anything unless he really wanted to
.
If he has asked you to marry him, it is because he wants to
.
Oh, he may have convinced himself he is only doing the honorable thing, but deep down there is more to it than that, and he will realize it soon enough.”

“You said you knew my mother
. . .
did you also know my father?”
An expression flashed in the viscountess’s eyes, so fleeting, Angela wasn’t sure what it might have meant.

“I knew who he was and only that he married your mother
.
She didn’t go out into society after the wedding.”
There was a faraway look in her eyes as she continued, “It was as though she just vanished
.
I tried many times to contact her, but she never returned any of my letters
.
I suspect your father prevented her from doing so.”

“Yes,” Angela agreed
.
“He is a very domineering,
manipulative
man
.
He controlled my mother, and then he controlled me in every aspect of my life
.
That is why I don’t wish to marry
.
It’s not just your son; I don’t want to marry anyone
.
I don’t w
ish
to find myself
in the position of being
controlled by a man ever again.”

“My son may be a bit hard-headed and arrogant at times, but you needn’t worry that he would ever harm you
.
As a wife you would have your own power to wield, especially if you’ve captured his heart, which I suspect you have
.
There are subtle ways a woman
can
get around a stubborn male.”
The viscountess’s smile was enigmatic, as though she w
ere
speaking
words
from experience, and in the speaking of them
, recalled a pleasant memory.

Angela was at a loss
.
“My lady, for one who disapproves of me, you seem agreeable to a marriage between your son
and me
.”

“I never said I disapprove of
you
, my dear
.
It is your current status of mistress that I
’
m against
.
As for marrying my son, I have yet to be completely swayed in that direction
.
There are certain facts regarding your
family which I would urge you
to look into.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Just that I suggest you
investigate
the circumstances leading to your mother
’s
marr
iage to
the Baron of Eberly.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Only that I recall a rumor before your mother married
.
It was so long ago, I can’t remember the specifics
.
Suffice it
to
say, things are not always as they seem.”

Angela’s suspicion that the baron was not her real father rose to the surface
.
The viscountess appeared to be
suggesting
that very thing
.
Did she know something about her mother, before her marriage to the baron
?
The one person who knew the truth would not confess it easily, and Angela was not inclined to
chance another beating
.
She was lucky to be alive after the last encounter with
T
he
B
aron
.
This time, she would not be so foolhardy as to confront him in person
. S
he would sneak into his house and search for anything that might give her some answers.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to retire to my rooms before dinner,”
the viscountess
said,
breaking into Angela’s musings.

“Yes, my lady,” Angela said absently, her thoughts turned inward on the subject of her father.
She needed some privacy herself, so she could
dissect
this new information
more fully.

“And Miss Hopkins?”

At the door,
Angela turned
to look at
the viscountess
.
“Yes, my lady?”

“I look forward to seeing you at dinner.”

“Yes, my lady.”
Angela knew it was a command, but it was also a form of acceptance, however temporary
that
may
turn out to
be
.

The viscountess’s willingness to dine with her son’s mistress
was a significant turn of events
.
Angela
now found herself in a most singularly peculiar position
.
There was no precedence to her situation
. N
ever had she heard of a man’s mistress residing in his home, let alone having the man’s mother invite her to dinner
.
Angela
may have been an innocent before this, but she’d always kept her ears open to gossip
. She’d
often hid under the camouflage of marble pillars and potted palms, listening in on the scandalous goings on within society
.
Nothing she’d heard and filed away for future
use,
for what purpose she couldn’t have said at the time
, had
mentioned
a
mistress and
her
lover’s mother dining together.

It was perplexing, to say the least
.
Then there was the odd conversation about her parents, or rather, her mother and the baron
.
Entering her room, Angela contemplated Lady Blackridge’s words
.
After closing the door, she moved to the bed
. S
it
t
ing
on the edge
,
she
ponder
ed
her next move
.
She needed to get some answers, about her mother, about the baron, and about her real father
.
Some
how she was going to
have to find a way to
get into the baron’s house
and search his study
.

Her mind whirled, slowly formulating a plan
.
She would wait until dark
.
She would watch the house and when the baron left, she would sneak in through the window to
his
study
.
The study’s one large window was on the side of the house, away from the street, low to the ground and hidden by bushes
.
She would need britches
.
Crawling through the hedges and climbing over window sills was not a task to be done wearing a dress with too many yards of material that could slow her down or get snagged.

Rosemary would know where to find men’s clothing, Angela was sure, so she left her room in search of her maid
.
Tonight would not be a good time to do it,
however, with
the dinner with
Lady Blackridge
looming in her mind and her nerves
.

Tomorrow night, perhaps
.

If memory served, it was the baron’s regular card night
.
He would be out until the early morning hours.

ISABELLA WAITED IN
her rooms for Ian to arrive
.
There was s
omething about Miss Hopkins
that
disturbed her, or rather,
a
vague recollection of her mother, and the rumor that had circulated concerning the baron and another man
.
She
wondered how much Miss Hopkins knew about her parents, about her father.
Many years had passed since those days, but
Isabella
was certain
that
if she thought enough about it, it would all come back to her.

As memories of that time in her life resurfaced, so did the memory of when she’d first
met
Roen, Ian’s father, and
how
they
’d
eventually f
a
ll
en
in love
.
But it hadn’t happened as simply as that
.
They’d had their own share of mishaps, misunderstandings, and hurdles to cross before their happy ending.

Ian had grown into a man very similar to his father
.
Roen had also been
a handsome,
arrogant
and
stubborn man
.
But unlike Ian, Roen had not been a womanizing rogue
.
Roen had
nurtured
the
anger and bitterness
that dwelled
deep
within him
self, isolat
ing
him from everyone around him.

A
young
Isabella had seen through his protective barrier,
however. She’d
detected a glimmer of the man he could be, the man he’d hidden from the rest of the world
.
When she’d looked into his green and gold-speckled eyes, his true self had been
revealed
to her
.
It hadn’t been easy for either one of them,
their journey together
being
a difficult one,
but in the end, their love for each other
had
persevered.

Now
Isabella’s
son exhibit
ed the
signs of a man in love, something she hadn’t thought would ever happen with
him
.
W
as Miss Hopkins the right woman for him
?
Hopefully they would be able to discover that on their own, and hopefully, their
‘
e
ver after’
would be a happy one.

Even though it had been many years since Roen’s death, Isabella still thought about him often
.
He’d been the love of her life, and after he was gone, other men had held no interest
for
her
.
But h
er widowed status
had become
a lonely existence, and lately she’d been contemplating taking a lover
.
She was
an intelligent,
independent
,
and wealthy
woman
,
so she had no need of a husband
. What
she missed
was
the closeness and companionship
the right
man
could provide
.

A
soft knock on her door brought Isabella out of her musings
.
At her answer to enter,
Ian walked in, the concerned expression on his otherwise unemotional countenance bringing an amused smile to her lips.

5

Villarreal / The Devil Rogue
                                     

Chapter
1
7

IAN STILL COULDN’T
believe his mother
had
invited Angela to dine with them
tonight
.
He shook his head slowly, recalling the conversation
he’d had
with his mother earlier
.
He’d been strolling
through
the conservatory, lost in his thoughts
,
when a servant
had
summoned him to his mother’s rooms
.
Fearing what might have transpired during her meeting with Angela, he’d rushed up the stairs, only to be met with the news that Miss Hopkins would be joining them for dinner
.
His usual stoic expression must have betrayed his surprise, for it drew a soft laugh from the viscountess.

“My dear, what did you think I would do to her, devour her
whole
and wash it all down with tea?”

“I didn’t know what to expect, to be sure, mother
.
I certainly never imagined
such ready acceptance on your part, not that you’re disagreeable by nature, but considering the circumstances
—
”

“The circumstances, as they appear, may not necessarily be as they appear.”

“Is that
supposed to be
a riddle?
” Ian retorted
.
“
Are you trying to confuse me
?
”

“I merely suggest you investigate
the events prior to the marriage of Miss Hopkins’ mother and the Baron Eberly
.
I knew her mother in those early days, and something niggles in the back of my mind
–
something about her and another man
.
It was all hushed up quite neatly, and then
suddenly
she was married to the baron.”

“I already suspect the baron is not Miss Hopkins’ real father, so what could it do for her, except cause more scandal if she were to discover the truth?”

“The more I think on it, the more my memory serves me, and if she is who I
believe her to be
,
well, mark my words
–
society in all its hypoc
risy will be set on it
s ear and justly so.”

“That’s quite a statement, which makes me more curious by the moment, and as such, doubtful your memory is as bad as you claim.
”

She
laughed
.
“You’re right, of course
.
I’m not so
far into my dotage
that my mind has withered
.
However, I do only have a vague remembrance of those youthful days, and the scandal surrounding my friend
.
I remember being hurt by her choice not to confide in me, and I never did hear the truth from her lips
.
Then she was
dead and
gone, and no one remembered or cared about what
had
happened before her marriage.”

“But you know more than you’re telling me
,
don’t you?”

“I
only
have a strong inkling
–
so strong, in fact, that more and more I believe I
’
m right
.
It is your
move, my dear
– a
quest, as it were, if you should so desire to embark upon it.”

“Are we talking fair damsels in distress and knights on white chargers?” Ian asked with
amusement
.
“I never knew you were so fanciful, mother.”

S
he shot him
an admonishing look
.
“You’d be surprised
by
what you don’t know about me, my dear.”

Ian raised
one
dark
, slashing eye
brow, so resembling his mother’s
.
“Apparently so.”

“If you truly wish to marry Miss Hopkins
. . .
if that is the path you’re determined to take, then you must unravel her past, and set things right for her
.
Until that happens, she will not marry you.”

“And you got all this from a brief conversation with her?”

“Our conversation, yes, and what you told me about her sad life with the baron, and my memory of her mother
.
It all comes together like pieces of a puzzle
.
The picture is almost complete, but for one or two more pieces.”

“As a lord of the realm, it is my duty to
rescue the fairy princess from the fiery dragon.”
Ian gave his mother a courtly bow, in keeping with the
ir
talk of quests, knights
,
and fair maidens.

“This is not a thing to make a mockery of
, Ian
.
That girl’s future hangs in the balance, and if you care for her just a little, you will tread carefully.”

“My apologies, lady mother
.
I will notify my
solicitor
in the morning of this new development in our investigation.”

“That would be most prudent.”

“Which leaves me with one other question
. H
ow long do you plan on staying
?
I
do
enjoy your visits, as you know, but at the risk of sounding churlish
,
your presence here will put a damper on my wooing of Miss Hopkins.”

“On the contrary, I think my presence will add
a degree of respectability, belated though it is.
”

“It will make my efforts much more difficult, and
cause Miss Hopkins no small amount of discomfort.”
Ian inwardly railed at the idea of his mother residing here while he worked his skills of seduction on Angela.

“Your Miss Hopkins is stronger than you think
.
I believe w
e will get on famously together.
”

“Hmmm…”
Ian
left his mother’s company with a skull full of perplexing questions
.
How was he going to conduct an affair with Angela w
hile
his mother
was here,
practically
breathing down his neck
?
Where had his sensibilities gone and w
ho
, exactly,
was
Miss Hopkins?

Tomorrow
,
he
would put into motion plans to discover the answers
to
those
very
questions
,
except
the one about
what
had
happened to his sensibilities
.
He’d never been a man prone to the weakness of infatuation
. . .
romance
. . . l
ove
.
Was he falling in love with Angela
?
W
as he already
in
love with her
?
The prospect was an uncomfortable one
– frightening, even.

He admired
Angela’s
strength
and courage
, her kindness to those in service
.
She had a way of accepting that which c
ould
not be changed,
shrewdly
turning adversity into a commodity, and yet she remained steadfast in
the
defense of others, carrying their burdens upon her slight shoulders.

She was a lovely and passionate woman
,
and h
e adored her,
Ian
realized with a start
.
So he would have to win her trust, convince her to marry him before they reached the end of their bargain
.
That was n
o small task considering how
obdurate she was about the subject
.
Ian knew her reluctance stemmed from her fear that any man she marrie
d
would dominate her, possibly even abuse her
.
He would use the time remaining to lay her fears to rest, to prove to her that not all men were like her father.

Ian considered his next move with careful deliberation. A
strategy
slowly formed in his thoughts, gaining in strength as he analyzed the potential for success. It was a bold idea, and could prove to be quite scandalous – dangerous even – if he were caught. A search of the baron’s residence, during his absence, of course, might produce some piece of evidence that would reveal the answers to Angela’s past.

THE NEXT EVENING
, Angela was in her room with Rosemary, attired in Phillip’s overlarge cast-offs
.
“How do I look?” she asked, holding out her arms
.
She was wearing
a
large
,
billowy white shirt
,
stuffed into the waistband of dark brown knee bre
e
ches, stockings and a pair of worn shoes with
tarnished
buckles
.
She’d had to stuff rags in the toes
to keep from stepping right out of them
.
The vest and matching dark jacket completing the ensemble stretched tightly across her bosom, obviously not made for a woman with her measurements.

Rosemary had not approved of Angela’s plan, but grudgingly procured the necessary items for her anyway, and when asked how she’d obtained them, only gave a saucy smile for an answer
.
Responding to Angela’s question, she said,
“Not like a man, dearie, or even a boy, for that matter
.
You’re too small and slender and
female
.
”

“It comforts me to know that I look like a female,” Angela
said
in a dry tone
.
“But my intention, at least for tonight, is to appear male
.
In the dark and from a distance is all I’m hoping for.”

“
Y
our breasts are ready to pop out at any moment
.
”

“
They are not going to pop out.”
Angela scrunch
ed
her shoulders inward.
“T
he fit isn’t as tight as it looks
.” Oh, who was she trying fool?

“I suppose under the cover of darkness,
” Rosemary said slowly, “
and seen from far enough away,
you could pass for a young boy
.
”
She didn’t sound convinced at all.

Angela snatched the cap off the bed, stuffing her hair into it and arranging it snuggly on her head.
“It will just have to do.”

“I still think you shouldn’t go
.
It’s a stupid idea, especially after what happened the last time you encountered your father.”

“It’s not a stupid idea
. W
ell, maybe it is, but I see no other way to find the information I need
.
And this time, I won’t be confronting
T
he
B
aron.”

“What information?”

“Who my real father is.”
The look of surprise on Rosemary’s face, along with hurt, bit at Angela’s conscience
.
She had yet to confide in her friend about her suspicion that
T
he
B
aron was not her real father
.
“I intended to tell you
.
I only came to suspect it recently.”

“
You really believe
he
’
s not your father?”

“I recalled something from when I was a child, and then during my conversation with the viscountess yesterday, it was revealed that she knew my mother
.
She urged me to look into the circumstances of my parents’ marriage.”

“Are you sure you want to go digging around in the past
?
Sometimes, things are better
off staying buried.”