Julius's Passion (Regency Club Venus 4)

by Carole Mortimer

  “But you know Gabriel Templeton, the Duke of Blackborne. The lady who wrote these letters was his sister, Elizabeth.”

  “Does he have another sister? I thought he had recently learned his sister died years ago.” James frowned.

  Julius tightly gripped the letters they were about to read and which he knew could change the past as well as the future. “Gabriel had only one sister. Elizabeth. She died nineteen years ago while giving birth to her daughter.”

  Dear God, was it possible that Bethany had been named after Elizabeth? Could it really be that simple?

  Julius was beginning to think that it not only could be, but was.

  A short time later, he had the answer to those questions and more.

  He also knew that he and James had to share all this with Bethany at the earliest opportunity.

  * * *

  “Bethany, a word, if you please.” Julius had waited until his host’s attention was diverted, pouring the two gentlemen a glass of brandy after dinner, so he could speak softly to Bethany before she left the dining room and retired for the night.

  She turned to him, once again looking beautiful in a gown the color of soft apricot. It gave her skin an equally creamy appearance and made her hair glow as if it were spun gold. Her eyes were the deepest blue he had ever seen, and surrounded by thick dark lashes.

  All through dinner, Julius had found himself studying her as he looked for similarities to either Gabriel Templeton or his sister, Elizabeth. Gabriel was tall and dark-haired, with gray eyes, so no possibility of a likeness there. Julius had met Elizabeth once when she’d accompanied their father and Gabriel on his first day of school, and then again when Julius stayed with Gabriel during part of the school holidays. Consequently, he knew that Elizabeth had been fair haired and blue eyed, as Bethany was. Gabriel’s sister had also been as slender as Bethany.

  “Yes?” Bethany prompted when Julius remained silent.

  “Come to my bedchamber in half an hour.” Julius kept his voice low.

  Her eyes widened. “Your bedchamber?”

  He glanced across the room to where Metford was now watching them through narrowed lids. “If you please,” he pressed Bethany urgently.

  She nodded before stepping away from him to cross the room and give Metford a kiss upon his cheek. “I will see you in the morning for our ride as usual, Uncle.” She smiled up at him warmly before finally making her escape to her bedchamber.

  Julius’s expression was deliberately bland as he felt himself the focus of Metford’s narrowed and assessing gaze. The older man crossed the dining room, a glass of brandy in each hand and a look of determination in his eyes.

  * * *

  It was the longest half hour of Bethany’s life as she waited in her bedchamber, still fully dressed, after dismissing the attentions of her maid to instead pace her room until it was time for her to go to Julius.

  She had not expected him to make such a blatant suggestion of her joining him as that. But perhaps he only wished to speak with her so that he could explain why he had removed those letters from her uncle’s study earlier? Julius must surely have had opportunity to read them by now.

  Yes, much as she might wish Julius was inviting her to his bedchamber for another purpose entirely, that had to be his reason for wishing to be alone with her.

  The last thing she expected, after Julius answered her quiet knock on his door and invited her inside, was to find his valet, Franklyn, was also present.

  Bethany was once again rendered slightly breathless at how much the man looked like her brother would have, had James lived.

  “Hello, Bethy.”

  Bethany literally felt all the blood draining from her head, her heart and her limbs, before slowly but surely, everything went black.

  She regained her senses to the sound of Julius’s reprimanding tone as, having lifted her from the floor after she had fainted, he now placed her on what felt like the softness of the bed. “—enough of your damn stupid theatrics! Bethany could have injured herself when she fell, damn it.” The mattress tilted as Julius obviously sat beside her and took her left hand in one of his.

  “I was merely attempting to cut out several long minutes of explanation.” The mattress dipped as Franklyn sat on her other side and grasped her right hand in his. “How was I to know she would faint from shock the moment I called her by my childhood name for her?”

  “Imbecile!” Julius snapped, in complete contradiction to the way his other hand now gently stroking Bethany’s cheek. “Time to wake up and open your eyes, love,” he encouraged softly.

  Bethany still felt lightheaded, as if she were in a dream world where Franklyn really was James and had addressed her in the affectionate name of Bethy, as only her adored brother had.

  She ignored Julius’s gentle urging and, for the moment, kept her eyes closed as she remained in that half-conscious state where anything, even that of her brother being alive after all, seemed possible.

  “Not sure I approve of you calling her love in that proprietary manner,” Franklyn cautioned.

  “I do not believe I asked for your approval,” the older man bit out.

  “As Bethy’s guardian—”

  “Which you are not.”

  “But I soon will be.”

  “I believe, after reading those letters from Elizabeth Templeton to your mother, that particular honor should and will lie with Gabriel Templeton. Regaining your title is another matter entirely,” Julius continued firmly. “Without Metford’s confession, it could take months to sort out the legalities of where the title rightfully belongs.”

  “At the end of which, I sincerely hope the bastard is dangling at the end of a hangman’s noose.” Franklyn broke off his tirade as Bethany sat suddenly upright in the bed to snatch her hand away from his grasp. “You will agree with me once you hear the truth,” he assured softly.

  Bethany continued to stare at him.

  Obviously, he was older, his eyes more cynical, and he had that scar upon his jaw, but could this man really be…?

  Was it possible this man Franklyn was, in fact, her brother, James?

  And if he was, where had he been for all these years?

  “It really is me, Bethy,” he spoke gently, reaching for her hand again.

  She glanced at Julius, her eyes widening as he gave a nod in answer to her unasked question, his fingers remaining reassuringly about hers.

  Bethany’s mouth felt exceedingly dry, and yet she still had to swallow before being able to speak again. “Your name is Lord James Charles Malcolm Metford, and you are the true Earl of Ipswich?” she clarified.

  His gaze warmed. “I am.”

  Bethany acted instinctively as her hand rose and swung in an arc until her palm landed against his cheek with a resounding smack.

  “Bethany—”

  “It is the least I deserve, Julius,” James interrupted before turning back to Bethany. “Yes, it is me, Bethy. And you have my word I will never leave you again, for any reason.”

  The tears came as unexpectedly as the slap she had administered seconds ago, burning her eyes before cascading down her cheeks in scalding rivers. “I mourned you for years,” she wailed. “Years and years. I mourn you still!” she accused brokenly before turning into Julius’s waiting arms, and, with her arms tightly about his waist and her face buried against his chest, she sobbed in earnest.

  Normally, Julius would have felt decidedly uncomfortable, holding a weeping woman in his arms, but as that woman was Bethany, all he felt was grateful that he was the one she had turned to for comfort. James looked less than pleased at witnessing his sister held so securely in Julius’s arms.

  He scowled at the younger man even as he pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and handed it to Bethany. “Allow her a few minutes. I am sure she will wish to hear your explanation shortly.”

  James’s scowl turned to a guilty wince, but he respectfully remained silent until Bethany’s sobs began to ease and Julius could feel her
becoming less tense in his embrace.

  Julius pulled back enough that he could look at her face, wet and blotchy from the tears she had shed. “Better?”

  She looked at him silently for several long seconds before she seemed to gather herself and pulled completely out of his arms.

  Her shoulders straightened, and her expression became one of stoic determination as she wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks before turning to look at her brother. “You will explain all of this situation to me, and afterwards, I shall decide whether or not I will forgive you.”

  Julius’s chest swelled with admiration. Bethany truly was magnificent when she became every inch the lady she undoubtedly was. Whoever her parents might be.

  “And you.” The frown she now leveled at Julius wiped the smile from his lips. “You will then tell me what part you have played in this subterfuge, for you have surely known all along that your valet is my brother, James.”

  Julius could see no point in trying to deny that was the case. Instead, he settled for sitting quietly beside her as James explained the events of ten years ago and how he had lived in the years since.

  Bethany’s face was paper white by the time James had finished with his tale, her fingers painfully gripping Julius’s. “Our uncle paid those street thugs to murder you.” It was a statement not a question.

  “Yes,” James confirmed.

  “And your friends from St Giles saved you from a watery grave?”

  “They were not my friends then. But yes, they pulled me from the river and prevented me from drowning.”

  She nodded. “Then I forgive you, my dear brother. I shall also want to return to London with you so that I might meet these friends and thank them for keeping you safe for me all these years.”

  “Bethy,” James choked.

  “My beloved brother,” Bethany said emotionally.

  Julius allowed the brother and sister several minutes to hold each other before interrupting them. “There is still more,” he said gently.

  James pulled back to look at him. “I have confessed to my sins and been forgiven. The rest of it is for you to share with Bethany.”

  His mouth twisted. “I had a feeling you might say that.”

  Bethany looked at him with happily glowing blue eyes. “Does your part of the story have something to do with the letters we stole from my uncle’s study earlier?”

  “It does.”

  “And Elizabeth, the sister of Gabriel Templeton?”

  “You were listening.”

  She shrugged. “I was gathering my senses and overheard that part of your conversation while I was doing so. Tell me,” she encouraged. “I do not believe I could be any more shocked than I am at this moment.” She smiled lovingly at James.

  “Do not speak too hastily, love,” he said ruefully.

  “Please tell me,” she urged Julius.

  By the time Julius had finished his explanation regarding Elizabeth, her death after giving birth to her illegitimate daughter, and the incarceration of her married lover to a French asylum through grief, Bethany’s face had become gray rather than merely paper white.

  “Apparently, Elizabeth and Henrietta, Countess of Ipswich, although Henrietta was slightly older than Elizabeth, had become fast friends during Elizabeth’s very first Season,” Julius continued determinedly. “They continued to correspond by letter even after Elizabeth had been disowned by her father, the previous Duke of Blackborne, and ejected from the family home, after which time, Elizabeth and her married lover departed for France. Elizabeth’s letters indicate that her health deteriorated during the last three months of her pregnancy, to the extent she, quite correctly, feared for her life. Henrietta and David Metford, the Countess and Earl of Ipswich, traveled to France with their small son so that Henrietta could comfort and be with her friend for those last three months.” Julius glanced at James. “Your brother remembers living in a French chateau for several months when he was seven. All these years, he has believed that his sister was born there. Which she was, just not to Henrietta,” Julius added softly.

  Bethany’s lips felt numb and her head was completely empty.

  Not surprising when moments ago, she’d had her brother returned to her, only to now learn that he was not her brother at all and that Gabriel Templeton, the Duke of Blackborne, was her uncle. If he could be regarded as such when her own birth had been out of wedlock.

  “Gabriel is even now scouring France for any news of the niece he only recently learned is alive,” Julius put in softly.

  “He is?”

  “Yes.”

  “And my real father?” she prompted.

  “The Earl of Newnham’s health has deteriorated in recent months, and he is not expected to live much longer,” Julius provided gently.

  Bethany drew in a shaky breath. “How do I— When will I— Who am I?”

  “You are Bethany Elizabeth Henrietta Metford,” James stated. “Daughter of Henrietta and David Metford, and sister to James Metford.”

  “But—”

  “That is who you are, Bethy,” he maintained firmly. “Who you are and who you will always be, even after you are married and have children of your own. All that has changed is that you now also have the powerful Duke of Blackborne as your uncle.”

  Bethany felt slightly bewildered still by all she had learned this evening. But one thing was clear to her. Whether or not she was the niece of the Duke of Blackborne, she was still illegitimate. As such, she would not be able to marry or have children of her own, or risk including them in that stigma.

  She moved away from both men before standing. “You have both given me much to think on tonight.” She crossed to the closed door. “If you will excuse me?” She didn’t wait for their answer before quietly opening the door and stepping out into the hallway before closing the door behind her.

  Julius and James looked at each other, their expressions ones of equal bewilderment.

  “What just happened?” Julius rose to his feet.

  “I am not sure,” James answered slowly. “She eventually seemed fine with my being alive, after all.”

  Julius remained thoughtful. “I believe it was the news of her own birth which unsettled her the most.”

  The other man nodded. “Even my stating that my affection for her has not changed, that nothing will change, did not seem to reassure her.”

  “Because for Bethany, everything has changed,” Julius realized. “To her, she is no longer the person she thought she was, but someone else entirely.”

  “That is complete nonsense.”

  “Not to Bethany.” Julius felt sure his explanation for her behavior was the correct one. “I intend to write several letters this evening and have them sent on their way first thing in the morning. We then need to ensure both Bethany and your uncle return to London with us. The Prince Regent shall resolve the situation as to who is rightfully the earl and who will go to prison. After which, we shall be able to address Bethany’s doubts and fears as to where her future lies.”

  “We?”

  “We,” Julius confirmed.

  Because, no matter what else was decided, Julius had every intention of being an integral part of Bethany’s future.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “My dear, you really should knock before entering my study—” Adrian Metford broke off his admonishment of Bethany when he realized Julius had entered the room behind his niece. “What on earth…?” He half rose to his feet.

  Julius quickly crossed the room. “Remain seated.” His hand on the older man’s shoulder easily held Metford in place behind the desk.

  “What is the meaning of this?” the earl spluttered, indignant at being told what to do in his own home. Worse, in the sanctity of his study.

  Except it was not his study. None of the Ipswich estate or properties belonged to him.

  Julius and James had parted the previous evening, shortly after Bethany’s departure, both aware that what happened next—the timing of it, at lea
st—would be Bethany’s decision. But before making any decision, she obviously needed time to assimilate and adjust to the news of her birth.

  Even so, Julius had been more than a little startled to be woken by a knock on the door of his bedchamber just as dawn was breaking outside the window. He was even more startled when Bethany didn’t wait for him to answer that knock but instead strode determinedly into the room, carrying a candle to light her way. Alerting Julius to the fact he had once again forgotten to lock his bedchamber door!

  Bethany had then proceeded to tell him what she had decided must be done as soon as the rest of the household was awake.

  James had entered the bedchamber two hours later, Julius’s breakfast tray in hand, to find his sister curled up asleep in the armchair beside the window and a fully dressed Julius standing beside her.

  The two men had conversed softly for several minutes before Bethany awoke, Julius quietly informing James of how his sister wished them to proceed.

  This, confronting Metford in his study, was the start of it.

  Bethany eyed her uncle contemptuously across the width of the desk. “It has come to my attention that ten years ago, you hired several unsavory men to attack and kill my brother.”

  Julius felt as if all the air had been knocked out of his lungs by the blunt challenge of her statement, so God knows how Metford felt.

  Not that he gave a damn how the older man felt about anything. Metford was a murderer and a charlatan, and he fully deserved every morsel of Bethany’s contempt.

  “What? How dare you!” A red-faced Metford attempted to stand, only to be pushed back down again by Julius. “Have you taken leave of your senses, child?” he demanded of Bethany.

  “Not at all,” she dismissed in a hard voice. “Would you like to know how I am so certain you are responsible for the attack on James?”

  “What I should like is for you to return to your bedchamber, and I will send for Dr. Harrington,” her uncle snapped. “You are obviously unwell.”

  “I am perfectly well, I assure you,” she scorned.