“Your help is appreciated.” Mr. Hanes slipped his folded eyeglasses in his pocket. “However, sir, I must recommend that you not pay anything to the wives from the ducal coffers, at least not at this time.”
“Why?” he asked. “They’re legally due their dowries.”
“We don’t have confirmation who the real wife is.”
Morgan blurted, “But you said that Lady Meriwether was the real wife and the other two married Lord Meriwether afterward.” He stepped forward, then immediately bit his lip. “I apologize, Captain.”
“No harm.” Christian nodded at his valet’s quick thinking. “I wondered the same thing.”
“If you pay Lady Meriwether, then the other two will come forward and demand payment.” Mr. Hanes lifted a brow. “I don’t have proof of the marriages or the marriage contracts. Your brother didn’t write me. Though Lady Meriwether’s dowry amount is small, there’s a great deal of money involved. Miss Lysander claims her dowry is two thousand pounds, and Miss Howell states her money amounts to twenty thousand pounds. Until we know what’s in the marriage settlements, I must advise against it. It would put the dukedom in an untenable position if you paid these women and then discovered all was for naught. What if their claims are false? That no dowry was paid? What if there are other wives?”
Christian stood, and in response, so did the solicitor.
“I plan on calling on the three tomorrow. They’ve suffered enough at my half brother’s hands. I can’t in good conscience let that stand. I will pay their dowries. If there are other wives, God forbid, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” He clasped his hands behind his back.
“Of course, sir.” Mr. Hanes bowed and took his leave.
“I’ll get your evening coat, Captain.” Morgan exited after the solicitor, leaving Christian alone.
He didn’t even want to go to the theatre tonight, but it was expected of him. The Prince Regent had specifically asked if he would attend so he could be acknowledged publicly for his service. Christian walked to the window that overlooked the courtyard with the small garden attached. Instead of finding comfort, he felt nothing but emptiness. How many nights had he looked at this same scene when his father and stepmother had thrown outrageous parties with London’s most dissolute? How many times had Christian awoke in the morning only to discover the drunks and laggards, half-naked from their late-night revelries, still asleep on the lawn?
Too many to count.
One thing he learned from the war. Inside, men were still the same breed no matter their social status or where they came from. Tonight’s attendees in all their finery would not differ much from the actors and actresses who had converged on Rand House for those monstrous parties. Society would only be there for the latest on-dits they could share in tomorrow’s drawing rooms.
For some odd reason, Katherine Greer’s face wouldn’t leave his thoughts. What kind of a wife had she been to his brother? The type of woman Meri would fall in love with would want to be entertained nightly at lavish events with outlandish people.
She didn’t appear to be that type of person. Proof was the fact that she took the other wives home with her.
He rested his head against the window and closed his eyes. The amount of two hundred pounds felt like a burr under his skin.
The type of woman Meri was attracted to would’ve had money. That’s why his attraction to the likes of Miss Howell or even Miss Lysander made more sense.
Why did his brother marry Katherine Greer? Who was she?
More importantly, why had she wanted to marry his brother, the biggest wastrel in all of England?
* * *
Katherine poured another cup of tea for Beth while Constance’s aunt watched Kat’s every move. She wouldn’t call it rude, but it definitely set her nerves on edge. “Mrs. Hopkins, may I offer you another cup of tea? Perhaps another lemon tart?”
“No, thank you.” With neat gray hair and startling dark blue eyes, the older woman daintily pressed a napkin against her lips. “You must call me Aunt Vee.” She chuckled slightly. “After all, we are living together now.”
Constance patted her aunt’s hand. “We’re only staying until we resolve this business about the dowries.”
“And the marriages,” said Beth, who had appeared relieved once they’d arrived at Katherine’s house. When they’d entered the carriage for the ride home, Beth had insisted she sit in the middle between Willa and Aunt Vee. It was almost as if she were hiding from someone.
“You’re welcome to stay for as long as you like,” Katherine added.
“Oh, that’s lovely. We’re running away from my brother. He wants to have me committed.” Aunt Vee turned to her niece. “We can live here forever if need be, Constance. At least until you have the baby.”
Constance’s eyes widened. “No, Aunt Vee. We can’t live here forever, and you shouldn’t tell that story.” She rested her hands on her swollen belly. “We’re not running from anyone.”
Willa entered with a tray of iced biscuits in her hands but stopped when she heard the conversation. “Why does he want to have you committed?”
The older woman shrugged. “Seems my brother is bothered when I have tea with my husband.”
“Aunt Vee, please,” whispered Constance.
Before Katherine could change the subject, Willa asked, “Why does that bother your brother?”
“My husband has been dead for twenty years,” Aunt Vee said earnestly. “We have tea once a month. I always serve my apricot tarts from the jelly I make. They were his favorites.”
The room fell silent. No one even blinked.
When Willa started to laugh, Aunt Vee joined in.
“Ack, my relatives do that all the time with their dead spouses. That’s not madness.” Willa set down the tray, then wiped her eyes. “However, the majority of them like to imbibe in a bottle of whisky before they invite them to tea.” She walked to Aunt Vee’s side, then took her arm, leading her from the room. “I want to hear more about your husband and this brother of yours.”
Katherine set her cup and saucer down. Leave it to Willa to find a way to give her time alone with Meri’s other wives. She reached over and took Constance’s hand. “Is it true what your aunt said?”
Constance nodded, and her reddened cheeks grew even more scarlet in color. She stared at their clasped hands. “If my uncle has her committed, he has control over her house and her modest allowance. The house is what he wants. It has a lovely view of Portsmouth and the sea. There have been stories told in our family that our ancestors hid fortunes found from shipwrecks in underground cellars on the property. Of course, no one can find any of it, but the legends continue.”
“Do you have any other relatives?” Beth stood and took Aunt Vee’s vacant seat on the sofa next to Constance.
“No. My parents are gone, and I promised my mother before she passed that I’d protect her oldest sister. Aunt Vee can’t live by herself or my uncle would throw her into an asylum, so she lives with me.” She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to Katherine. “She’s not insane. Just a little above the clouds.”
Katherine nodded. “I’ve three hundred pounds in the bank for operating my business. If you need part of it, I’d be glad to help.”
She would have had five hundred pounds available if she could get her dowry back. Though a modest amount, it allowed her to be seen as a lady, one whose loving family had provided for her. Though Katherine’s mother was the best mother in the entire world in her estimation, it didn’t negate the fact she was still an actress who’d borne a child out of wedlock. She didn’t have an extra coin for a dowry.
So Kat had taken it upon herself to provide one. She’d saved every single penny of it, and she’d adopted her great-grandmother’s real surname—Greer—not her mother’s surname of James or her stage name of Fontaine. No one in good society would have had a thing to do with her if they knew the truth of her birth and upbringing.
Let alone if they heard a
peep of what happened to her in York.
“Thank you for your generosity,” Constance said with a sad smile.
“How much do you need?” Katherine asked.
“I have some money we can live on. However, I had more, or at least I did, until I met Meri. My father left me his maritime business of refitting ships in a trust, thus keeping it safe. Thank heavens.” She leaned back against the sofa. “How did you meet Meri?”
It didn’t escape Kat’s notice that Beth moved a little closer to Constance. They all wanted to hear one another’s stories. “A year ago, he peeked into the window of my linen store at the Beltic Arcade. I went outside to see what he wanted. He was so captivating, I let him in to the shop. That day, he purchased a set of bedding. He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.”
Beth nodded in agreement. “He could charm a nun to give up her habit.”
“Pftt.” Constance let out a breath. “Well, I’m not a nun, but he charmed the clothes off me.” She glanced at her protruding middle. “Now look.”
“I’ll help you too. I’ll stay with you through the birth.” Beth glanced up at Constance. “If that’s all right?”
“I’d welcome your help.” Constance smiled grimly. “I need all the friends and assistance I can gather.”
Beth turned her gaze to Katherine. “And if it’s all right with you?”
She smiled. “Of course.”
Beth fiddled with a biscuit on her plate. “When did Meri leave you?”
Katherine had debated how much to share, but in that silent moment, the earnest looks on the two women’s faces reassured her. They would not hurt her, since they were in as much pain as she, perhaps even more. Their circumstances were certainly more desperate than hers.
“Well, it was a whirlwind courtship of sorts. In three and a half weeks, we were wed.” She took a sip of tea.
Constance’s eyes widened. “The banns were called immediately?”
Katherine nodded. “We married at a small church. After the ceremony, we returned to my home, where Willa had prepared a massive wedding breakfast. Meri ate and acted happy. He flirted in his usual manner, then hours later, he told me he had to go to Portsmouth. He left immediately, and I never saw him again.”
She stared out the window to keep her tears at bay. She didn’t mourn Meri. She grieved for the loss of a true marriage and a chance at happiness. She had wanted marriage to wash away the sin of her illegitimacy and her past. But that had been a fantasy.
“Meri enchanted me the same way he did you,” Constance added. “Perhaps if my parents were still alive, they would have seen through his charade.” She dipped her head again. “For God’s sake, he was the son of a duke. I thought him honorable.… Proof that one’s rank in society is no reflection of the quality of the person. He stayed with me a month. I thought he was the answer to my problems. Only, he created more.” A tear raced down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Katherine.”
Katherine swallowed the tightness in her throat as she shook her head. “I’m sorry too. For you. For your baby. For Beth and for me.” Now, another would soon face the stigma of being a bastard, and Constance, the poor mother, would suffer every time her child experienced the cruelty from the slights and deliberate insults that would come their way. Kat wanted to shake her fist at the heavens and demand why such a cruel fate had been given to all of them. They were three women who faced real ruin. Constance and Beth were well-bred ladies who didn’t deserve such treatment, and Katherine wouldn’t allow them to suffer because the duke wanted to wash his hands of Meri.
Beth knelt between them. “Meri captivated my brother. All they talked about were horses and racing.” She pursed her lips, then exhaled. “My brother arranged my marriage, gladly conveyed my dowry, then gave Meri most of our family fortune to invest. Meri stayed for a week. My brother should have been the one to exchange vows with our husband.”
“Oh, you poor dear,” Constance whispered. “Your brother is a viscount?”
Beth stood tall and straightened her dress. “Yes. St. John Howell. For the last three years, he’s been trying to marry me off. He thinks he’s being a good brother, but his judgment is questionable. He’s made bad matches for me before, but thank heavens, they didn’t come to fruition. I’m afraid he’ll be desperate for me to marry once this gets out. I don’t want to go home nor be recognized here. I just want to live in peace. But I’ll do whatever I can to help you all.”
Katherine offered each woman a smile. “We’re friends now. And friends help friends.” She reached and took Constance’s hand with her right and Beth’s hand with her left. “There’s only one thing to do.”
“What’s that?” Beth asked.
“I’m going to the theatre this evening,” she announced.
Both women’s eyes widened.
“It’s a little unorthodox, but at my shop, I heard the Duke of Randford is attending tonight at the behest of the Prince Regent. He should be the one to help us fix this mess. I plan to find him and have a nice long discussion with him. Would either of you like to join me?”
“No,” they both said in unison.
Constance giggled slightly. “You’re braver than I am.”
Beth examined Katherine critically. “You have the keen instinct of a rebel even though you’re such a little thing.”
“A veritable warrioress,” Constance added.
“Some of the best surprises come in small packages,” Katherine said. “Please make yourself comfortable. I need to get ready.”
With a wave, she left the room, and with each step, the more confident she became. After an enlightening afternoon with her two new friends, Katherine knew the path before her. She’d not allow them to suffer. Nor would she allow the baby to be born in an unmitigated scandal if she could help it. A certain duke would soon discover that Katherine would not stop until he helped Constance and Beth.
As important, she had to protect her business, which meant she had to keep her own secrets safe. The scandal swirling around her and the other two wives was a recipe for disaster. If anyone found out she’d married a trigamist, she might lose the chance to outfit the Prince Regent’s bedchambers. The Prince Regent would be loath to entangle his pride and joy, the Royal Pavilion, with her problems, no matter how superior her linens were to the competition’s.
She would protect her chance to win that contract. With a royal warrant for appointment, Katherine would turn her business into an indisputable success. She had worked hard, but more importantly, she put her heart and soul into her products. Winning the contract would ensure her future security. The money earned would be her own, and nothing could damage her or her reputation ever again.
Of course, she couldn’t allow anyone to discover where she came from or why she had married Meriwether.
All of it led to a logical conclusion. This untenable situation she and the other women found themselves in would not stand. If the brilliant Duke of Randford could outwit and outmaneuver Napoleon’s forces, then he could certainly find out what had happened to all their dowries and fix the mess Meri had created.
Unlucky for the duke, but lucky for Katherine, she planned to meet him at the theatre.
The duke might soon fancy that walk in hell’s park he had spoken about in Mr. Hanes’s office rather than tangle with her.
Chapter Four
Christian could feel his valet’s anxiety clear across the carriage. As the seconds ticked by, the poor man’s face turned paler. The situation turned dire when he pulled his cravat away from his neck. Under no circumstances would a self-composed Jacob Morgan allow a perfectly tied neckcloth to be ruined.
“Jacob,” Christian said slowly. “We’re in the theatre line, waiting for our carriage door to be opened.”
His valet nodded once, then turned his head. As he pulled the window curtain aside, the streetlamps outside lit the inside of the carriage. Sweat glistened across his brow. He grimaced once, then dropped the curtain.
He cleared his throat and l
eaned back against the rear-facing velvet squab in Christian’s carriage. “At times, this carriage feels like a box. If someone would attack us at this instant … we would be defenseless.”
“I have a pistol in the storage compartment below me.” Since he and Morgan had returned to London, they’d settled into an uncomplicated routine. His valet was a loyal and easy man to spend time with, but sometimes his observations, like the one he’d just uttered, suggested he’d come home from war with more than an eye injury. “But we’re not close to the battlefields anymore.” Christian smoothed his cadence. “We’re safe.”
“Indeed, sir.” Morgan drew back the curtain once more. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief, then blew out a breath. “There are quite a few women here. I wonder how many handkerchiefs you’ll receive tonight.”
“Hopefully none.” Christian smiled slightly and leaned forward to take in the view. “Today, I only received—” Suddenly, he stopped. “Oh, for the love of God,” he said through clenched teeth. “Is that Lady Meriwether coming straight toward our carriage? She appears to be in a high lather and has someone with her.” Christian knocked twice on the roof. Immediately, the driver stopped the slow crawl.
Morgan glanced at the window. “She must be upset if she’s coming here.”
“Indeed. Will you find the Prince Regent and explain that an emergency arose? I’ll not be able to attend the theatre tonight.”
“Of course, Captain. I’ll hire a hackney and meet you back at Rand House.”
Before Christian could offer more instruction, the crisp sound of a knock echoed in the carriage. He peeked outside the window to see the women had arrived. Lady Meriwether’s stare was glued to the door handle. In seconds, Morgan turned the latch, opened the door, and leapt to the ground.
Christian drew in a deep breath. The only avenue available was to leave the area immediately before she could inflict any real damage. With a determined face, she had the look of a person preparing for all-out battle with certain victory to follow. He exhaled when he glanced at the open door. Thankfully, only one person accompanied her. Lady Meriwether’s companion, the one who looked at Christian like he belonged in a pail of pigwash.
A Duke in Time--The Widow Rules Page 4