Authors: Ruth J. Hartman
Thoughts of Amelia, the way she’d touched Conrad, kissed him, brought heat to his belly and lower.
No.
This was not the time to think of that. Of her. Soon, though, very soon they would be wed. Then they would be able to…
He directed his focus back to Oliver. “About what we discussed… If you have further kindness in your heart, I’d appreciate the truth about my father not getting out.”
Oliver edged forward and extended his hand and they shook on the agreement. “You have my word.”
“
Have your word for what?” The door to the study clicked shut. Conrad hadn’t even heard it open. Shock washed over him as he stared at the new person in their midst. Lucy, now Mrs. Oliver Shipley, stood across the room. She frowned. “Conrad? What are
you
doing here?”
He stood and nodded. But no words came. He’d neither seen nor spoken to her since he’d tried to force her to marry him by blackmailing her father.
Oliver stepped across the room and took his wife’s hand. “Darling, Lofton has come by to ask a favor of me.”
Lucy bristled. “A favor? What right have you to…?”
Conrad winced. He’d gotten through his meeting with Oliver with better results than he’d had a right to expect. But Lucy…
Oliver led his wife across the room and waited as she sat on the chair across from Conrad. She glared. “Whatever gave you the notion that we owe you anything?”
“
Darling…” Oliver sat down beside her.
Conrad held up a hand. “No, she’s right.”
Lucy frowned. “What’s going on here?”
Oliver glanced at Conrad and raised his eyebrows. Conrad nodded.
“
Lucy, Lofton came by today to apologize. For everything.”
She leveled a stare at Conrad. “I see.” She turned to her husband. “And you believe him?”
“
I do.”
“
You
do?
”
“
Yes. He’s explained to me the reasons behind why he acted as he did toward me and you.”
“
Is that so? And what would those be?”
Again, Oliver looked at Conrad, who nodded his assent. It was easier that way. He wasn’t sure he could say all of the words again.
“
You see, it was never Lofton’s idea to… pursue you as he did.”
“
It wasn’t?” She looked at Conrad. He shook his head, but couldn’t force any sound past his lips.
“
No, his father…”
Conrad’s heart jumped. Surely Oliver wouldn’t reveal his parentage? But his breathing calmed when Oliver smiled at him.
“
His father left Lofton and Lady Lofton in a huge world of debt. So much so that he was forced, out of desperation, to seek out means of which he wouldn’t normally attempt. Or even think of attempting.”
Lucy frowned. “I find this difficult to believe.”
Time to own up to her. It was the least he could do after all he’d put her through. “Lucy, it’s all true. It was my mother’s idea for me to try to get you to marry me… for your inheritance.”
She pressed her hand to her lips. “Truly?”
“
Yes. Even so, I am extremely sorry for everything I did and said. And though I don’t deserve it, will
never
deserve it, I hope someday you’ll have it in your heart to forgive me.”
Lucy leaned forward and touched his arm lightly. “Oh, Conrad, I… I do forgive you. I can only imagine how you must have felt while doing your mother’s bidding. After having met her on several occasions, I have to admit she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Was it possible? They both believed him? And Oliver was willing to help him? It was more than he’d ever had the right to expect. To even dream about.
She studied him to the point he began to fidget. “Conrad, you look… different. Have you perhaps put on a little weight?”
“
Thankfully, yes. I know I was painfully thin for a time.” He reached up and rubbed his jaw. “But that’s what a bad toothache will do for you. When it’s painful to chew, you don’t want to eat very much.”
“
Ah… that explains… quite a bit.”
Conrad raised his eyebrows but didn’t question her. Better not to rock the boat when the water seemed calm at present.
Conrad entered his
house as soon as Giles opened the door. The butler’s hair was mussed, as was his shirt.
“
Visiting the closet again, Giles?”
Red suffused his face, and he coughed. “I… well…”
Conrad removed his hat and gloves and handed them to the butler. “Never mind. I guess it’s good someone in this house is lucky in love.”
“
P-pardon, my lord?”
“
Stop sputtering, man. You’ll not continue to impress the maids if you look the fool.”
“
Of course, my lord.”
“
Where might Lady Lofton happen to be?”
“
In the parlor.”
“
Is she alone?”
“
Yes, my lord. She’s in there admiring her new… hats.”
“
Hats? As in more than one?”
Giles nodded.
Conrad mumbled a curse. “Well, that’s just perfect.” He stomped a few steps toward the parlor and then stopped. He turned back to face Giles. “Thank you.”
Giles’ mouth gaped open and then he snapped it closed. “Certainly… my lord.”
Guess it will take awhile for the servants to accept that I’m trying to change.
Not that I blame them.
Turning back, Conrad resumed his quest to see his mother. Although it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Not about the hats. Nor about the news he had for her.
When he reached the parlor doorway, he stopped. His mother sat amid at least thirty boxes. Hats of pink, white, blue, green and peach were strewn about the floor. Where did she think the money was coming from? The air?
Conrad inhaled deeply and tried to relax. Thanks to Oliver, his financial burden was now under control. That still didn’t excuse Mother from spending needlessly. If she knew about the meeting with Oliver, she might take it as an open invitation to spend even more.
No, he’d not tell her. At least not yet. But about his other news… Yes, much as he hated to, he had to tell her about Amelia. Because very soon, there would be a new Lady Lofton in the manor.
“
Hello, Mother.”
She looked up with a wide smile. “Conrad. There you are. Aren’t they lovely?”
He stepped into the room carefully, watching his step so as not to squash any of the precious hats. “Yes, they’re adorable.”
Her smile flitted away. “Are you being sarcastic?”
“
How did you guess?”
“
That’s not very nice of you.”
Conrad stepped closer, his boot barely missing a long yellow ribbon that adorned a light green bonnet. “I thought we’d agreed to watch our spending.”
“
Perhaps you agreed. I, for one, need to look my best. As the widow of an earl and the mother of his successor, it’s expected of me.”
Conrad spotted a clear patch of floor and angled his boot to fit into it. An inch in any direction would cause the demise of any number of hats or their embellishments. From there, he hopped over a stack of three boxes until he reached the settee and sat down.
His mother frowned at him, but said nothing.
“
About that… you being the mother of the successor…”
“
Yes, what of it?”
“
Since we both know that I’m not really—”
“
Not
that
again? Why can’t you let it drop? You and I are the only ones who know, so—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “Actually, no.”
“
Pardon?”
“
There seems to be a new development.”
She stood and brushed the wrinkles from her skirt. As she looked for a place to step, she shook her head.
Conrad sighed, stood back up and extended his hand to assist her to the settee. She grabbed onto him, nearly pulling him over. He winced when she clutched so tightly that his hand went numb. With a hard tug, he freed his hand but the momentum also caused his mother to hurtle toward him. As he moved out of her path, she landed with a
plop
on the soft cushion of the settee.
And bounced.
Oh dear.
“
Was that really necessary, Conrad?”
“
Necessary or not, I needed you to sit down. There’s something of great importance we must discuss.”
She lowered her eyebrows and smoothed her skirt across her chubby knees. “Now what in the blazes were you saying about some new development?”
How to begin? May as well just blurt it right out
. “Someone else knows about me. About whom I am
not
.”
“
What?”
Her screech sounded like one of the awful birds from the Sanctuary. He shuddered. “A young woman somehow found out about me not actually being an earl.”
“
That’s not possible.”
“
I beg to differ. She told me herself.”
Mother’s hands clapped to the side of her chubby cheeks. “This is terrible! Now what do we do? I suppose the wench wants money for her silence.”
“
First of all, she’s not a wench. Secondly, we have no money with which to pay her, remember?”
“
Then what does she want?”
Conrad blinked.
“Me.”
“
I don’t understand.”
“
She wants a husband.”
“
And she picked
you?
” Mother cackled a loud laugh.
Conrad’s mouth dropped open like a dead fish on market day. “Now there’s a wonderful endorsement from one’s own mother.”
She had the grace to at least blush. “That may have come out differently than I’d intended.”
“
I can’t imagine how that sentiment would
ever
put your son in a positive light, Mother.”
“
Never mind about that.” She waved a hand at him. “Who is this wen— this woman?”
“
Miss Amelia Talbot.”
“
Of the Mayfair Talbots?”
He nodded.
“
Then our problems are solved.”
“
How did you come to that conclusion?”
“
Her family is
rich
.”
“
Apparently, she wants to marry me for the reason that she believes
I
am rich, so that won’t work.”
“
But you’re
not
rich.”
As he eyed the multitude of boxes strewn about the room, a furrow formed on his brow. “It would seem one of us thinks I am.”
His mother bit her lip and glanced from one side of the room to the other. “Perhaps I could return one or two of them.”
“
One or two?”
“
Very well, I’ll return more than that.”
He crossed his arms.
“
You want me to return all of them? But they’re each and every one so pretty.”
“
You may keep one.”
“
One?
How will I ever choose?”
“
Pretend they’re your children and you can only keep the one you love the most. Oh wait, I forgot that you think so little of the one you
do
have.”
“
Oh pooh. You took my comment the wrong way.”
“
At any rate, Mother, Miss Talbot has somehow found out about me, didn’t believe me when I insisted I couldn’t afford a bride, and expects that I marry her, soon, or she’ll tell what she knows to anyone who will listen.”
She gasped.
Conrad leaned closer. “Must I spell out for you what would happen if that were to occur?”
Slowly shaking her head back and forth, his mother let out a groan. “No. You don’t.”
“
At least we agree on that.”
“
What happens now?”
“
Now? I suppose I have no choice but to marry her. And the sooner the better.”
“
Wait. If you marry her too soon and people have not noticed the two of you about together, tongues will wag.”
“
What do you suggest? I have no choice.”
“
You must court her.”
It was Conrad’s turn to groan. “Can I not just wed her and get it over with? She’ll find out soon enough that she was wrong about my finances.” Even though that had changed thanks to Oliver, he still needed to keep up the front to his mother for the time being.
“
No, you cannot. You must take her to all of the events that young people attend when they are planning to wed.”
This can’t be happening.
“But I do not wish to do all of that.”
“
Conrad, this is something I must insist upon. If I’m to be saddled with some whiney, sniveling girl for a daughter-in-law, it must at least appear proper to an outsider. You will court her. And that’s final.” She crossed her arms over her ample bosom.
Perhaps she was right. That one time. Though he’d never admit it to her face. “Very well.”
I guess I can do a couple of social events. As long as it doesn’t involve the out-of-doors.
She clapped. “Wonderful. I’ll come up with a list of all the places you must take her.”
“
How many places are we talking about? I’d thought perhaps the opera. And if necessary, spend a few minutes at a ball.”
“
Oh, Conrad, that won’t do. Not at all.”
Amelia’s heart fluttered.
Today was her first outing with Conrad. Lady Lofton, who she had yet to meet, had apparently insisted that Conrad properly court Amelia prior to their upcoming nuptials. Where would they go? The Tower of London zoo? Or perhaps the Bird Sanctuary? Either would be fine with her, as long as it was out-of-doors.