by Tuft, Karen
“An actress?” Lucas’s mother gasped. “In breeches?”
“Alice, truly, I think it best if you leave the room. More to the point, I’m ordering—”
“Fiddlesticks,” his mother replied. “If you think I’m leaving Lavinia—Ruby—whatever her name is—alone in here with you three, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Thank you, Lady Thurlby,” Lavinia said.
“Don’t be thanking me yet,” she said. “I’m not about to leave you without a chaperone in a room with three men, not in my house—although if you are who Lord Cosgrove claims you are, I doubt it will affect your reputation one way or another. An actress known for wearing breeches, in my home. I can scarce believe it. No, I’m staying because I fully intend to hear what all this is about.”
“What this is about, Lady Thurlby, is the scandal that was about to descend upon your family,” Lord Cosgrove said. “Nothing more and nothing less. Fortunately, I have arrived to spare you such humiliation.” He smirked, and if not for the fact that Lucas and his parents were present, Lavinia would have slapped his loathsome face with all her strength. But she was not blameless in this disaster, so she could do no such thing.
“You may outrank me, Cosgrove, but do not by any means mistake me for a fool,” Lord Thurlby said. “You have already shown your motives to be less than noble.”
“Pious country sensibilities. How tedious,” Cosgrove said, bringing his jeweled quizzing glass to his eye so he could look down on Lucas and his family with haughty scorn.
Lavinia stood as straight as she could, calling upon all the most courageous roles she’d ever played to guide her demeanor and give her strength: Portia, Cordelia, Joan of Arc. “I have nothing to say to the Earl of Cosgrove, Lord and Lady Thurlby,” Lavinia said, head held high. “I am more than willing to explain myself to the rest of you, however.”
“Did you know Miss Chadwick’s affections are highly sought after?” Cosgrove drawled. “She’s a prime article, as should be plain to see. Since I no longer need disguise my motives here, I will tell you straight: I consider her to be mine. Bought and paid for.”
“Good heavens,” Lord Thurlby muttered.
“I am not the only one who has pursued her, you know. Lord Anston, Lord Wetheral, Sir Robert Mattersey . . . the Duke of Worthing . . . have all sought after her quite ardently—and extravagantly. There are others I could name as well. Shall I?”
“Alice, leave the room this instant,” Lord Thurlby practically yelled.
Lucas’s mother ignored him and turned to Lavinia. “I took you into my home, into my heart, thinking my son had finally found love and a purpose in his life. But you have lied to me—to all of us—the entire time. How could you do this to us?”
Her words cut deeply. Lavinia, wracked by a day of grief and worry over Delia, thought she could take no more. But she must, for Lady Thurlby’s words were entirely true.
“Come, Ruby, it is time for us to go,” Cosgrove said with bored impatience. “There is nothing for you here; you are deluding yourself if you think otherwise. I commend you for your ingenuity in slipping out of my sight and out of London. Well done.” He gave a slow clap. “You like applause, don’t you? Now take your final bow, and let us be gone from here.”
Lavinia looked at Lucas. She saw only too clearly the shock and confusion in his eyes. “My name is Lavinia Fernley,” she said to him. “And I refuse to go anywhere with the Earl of Cosgrove. If you wish me to leave, I will, but I will not go with him.”
“Stop this infernal nonsense, Ruby,” Lord Cosgrove said. “You have cost me a pretty penny, chère amie petit, and I have no intention of leaving here without you after all the trouble and inconvenience you’ve put me through. You cannot actually believe you will be happy in such rustic surroundings. The idea is appalling. Your life is in London, with me, under my protection. It is time you accepted that fact.”
“My name is Lavinia Fernley,” she repeated more firmly, this time to Lord Cosgrove. “I created the character who was Ruby Chadwick. She served me well, but she is gone. I no longer need her.”
She turned to Lady Thurlby. “Your son and I are not betrothed, milady, and I am truly sorry for the deception we created surrounding it. The meeting we were to have had with you and Lord Thurlby this afternoon was to tell you the truth and explain everything.”
“Apparently not everything,” Lucas said.
Stung by his words, Lavinia turned on him. “You wish I had taken you aside on such short acquaintance and told you of every man who has flirted with me backstage, made an overture, offered me a jewel? To what end? Lord Cosgrove is merely the latest in a constant stream of gentlemen with ungentlemanly intentions, although he is certainly among the most vile—”
“Watch your tongue,” the earl growled.
“I will not.” She turned deliberately away from Cosgrove to face Lucas and his parents. “I am not the earl’s chère amie, despite what he wishes you to believe. And while it is true that I was offered gifts from some of my admirers, I always made it very clear before accepting that they should expect no favors of any kind in return. These so-called gentlemen are never so direct as to call their gifts ‘inducements,’ although that is certainly what they are—lures to dangle in the hopes they may secure a female plaything.
“I have no interest in these men. I despise them.” She looked over her shoulder and shot a venomous glare at the earl. “I despise you. Oh, no, I will not be going anywhere with you, Lord Cosgrove, not now or at any time in the future. I own my own property, you see, far away from London and Drury Lane, and I will have my own life there, a normal life, away from you and men like you.”
She took a deep breath. “And now, Lady Thurlby, if you’ll excuse me, I will go pack my things so I may leave in the morning. I only pray you will take pity on my friend Miss Weston and Mr. Drake too, for I doubt he will leave her side, and allow them to stay under your roof until I can secure arrangements for them to join me. If I may beg that one favor of you, I will be forever in your debt. Thank you for allowing my friends and me to share your home and your family. You are extraordinarily blessed in the family you have. I hope you know that.”
She dropped into a deep curtsy—there was still enough actress in her to want to make a grand exit—and then she left the drawing room. She took the stairs with all the dignity of Joan of Arc, knowing she would fall apart the moment she reached her room. Lucas’s siblings would be hearing what had happened soon enough from Lucas and his parents, and Lavinia was relieved that she would at least be spared from seeing the shock and dismay on their faces.
Oh, Lucas.
Her heart was broken. He hadn’t defended her, hadn’t pursued her after she’d left the drawing room—that was what hurt the most. She’d told him more about herself and her past than she’d told anyone, save Hannah—the only man she’d told, certainly.
It only went to prove what she’d known her entire life, she reflected as she entered the safety of her bedroom and began packing her belongings into her trunk—that trust was a hard-earned thing, a rare commodity. Perhaps she hadn’t told Lucas about her past as Ruby Chadwick, but he’d betrayed her by accepting the Earl of Cosgrove’s distorted version of the truth so readily.
She sat on the bed and covered her face with her hands, unable to hold back the flood of tears any longer.
* * *
It took all of Lucas’s fortitude not to dash after Lavinia, pull her into his arms, apologize profusely for his momentary shock, and tell her how brilliant she’d been in confronting the Earl of Cosgrove—she’d thoroughly outranked the man with her magnificent, virtuous defiance of him. She’d been a duchess, a queen.
He would go to her soon. He must tell her how proud he was of her and how much he loved her—for he did love her, thoroughly and completely.
There was still the Earl of Cosgrove to deal with, however, not to mention a significant amount of explaining he owed his parents and siblings, who were currently gathering in the entra
nce hall and looking on with curiosity.
“It would seem one particular young lady is not for sale this evening,” Lucas told Lord Cosgrove.
“Nor would it ever have been allowed, not in my house,” his father added. “You have worn out your welcome, Lord Cosgrove. Good evening to you.”
“Allow me to escort you from the premises,” Lucas said, gesturing toward the door.
But with his family gathered in the entrance hall, it immediately became apparent that the earl wasn’t about to leave quietly when he had an audience at his disposal.
“What a fine group we have here, Mr. Jennings,” Cosgrove said. “Siblings, I presume? I’m sure your parents are as pleased as punch with the lot of you. Which one is Simon, pray?”
Everyone turned in surprised unison to look at Simon, who looked like a trapped animal seeking escape at the earl’s words.
“Ah, Simon—may I call you Simon? I had planned on giving you two hundred fifty pounds tonight—half of the reward I’d offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Ruby Chadwick. I already gave the other half to your friend—what was his name? Woodhouse, Woodhull, something like that. Anyway, the one who showed me your letter.”
“George Wootton,” Simon mumbled.
“That’s it. Wootton. Well, I was close.”
“I don’t want any money.”
“That’s good to hear, Simon, because I don’t intend to give you any. Since I already paid two hundred fifty quid to your friend Mr. Woodley, not to mention incurring the added expense of traveling all the way to Lincolnshire, of all places, only to discover that my little bird of paradise refuses to return with me—”
“Bird of paradise?” James asked.
“You will cease referring to her in such terms,” Lucas hissed at Cosgrove.
“She has found herself a champion, it seems.” Cosgrove pulled on his gloves and took up his hat and cane from the table nearby. “Sadly, I have no intention of battling you to the death or any other such nonsense over a mere female, Mr. Jennings, no matter how delectable she may be. I have wasted enough time and money on her already.” He tapped his hat into place. “I bid you all a good evening and her a good riddance. Enjoy the scandal that is about to erupt in your midst. May it provide you hours of entertainment.”
Lucas followed Cosgrove to the door and then outside as a gathering fury built within him. He had no intention of letting the earl have the final word. “A moment, Cosgrove, if you please.”
The earl’s coach stood nearby, the groom ready to open the carriage door.
Lucas approached Cosgrove until he stood toe-to-toe with the man. “Allow us to understand each other: Ruby Chadwick is no more. The disappearance of the actress who was the so-called Darling of Drury Lane is a mystery that will remain unsolved. Do you take my meaning?”
“Jennings, you are an utter bore. I cannot imagine what she sees in you.”
“Do you take my meaning?” Lucas growled, leaning menacingly into the earl’s face. Only the discipline instilled in him during his years in the army kept him from wrapping his hands around the man’s throat and choking him to extinction.
“Perfectly,” Cosgrove drawled.
Lucas watched the earl enter his coach and continued watching until the coach had traveled down Alderwood’s private lane to the road and disappeared from sight before he turned and entered the house. There were questions to answer and discussions to be had.
And then he would go to Lavinia as quickly as he could.
* * *
Lucas reentered the house to find everyone talking at once—excepting Simon, who had moved away from the others, and James, who had wandered close to Simon—presumably to keep him from bolting, which is what he appeared to want to do.
“Lucas, I think it is time you told us what is going on,” their father said. “Into the drawing room, if you please.”
It was not to be a private interview, however, as siblings and spouses queued up and followed Lucas and his parents into the room. James poured brandy for all the men—a mere splash for Isaac and a generous measure for Simon, who was looking pale.
“You’re all wondering at the Earl of Cosgrove’s pronouncements just now, no doubt,” Father began.
“Rebecca, perhaps it’s best if you aren’t here,” Mama said, interrupting. “This discussion is likely to be unsuitable for delicate feminine ears.”
Their father looked at their mother in amazement. “Alice, sometimes your logic truly baffles me.”
“I’m eighteen, Mama, and not so delicate as all that,” Rebecca said. “I keep company with Susan, after all.”
“While that is true enough, Rebecca, I would not have our parents think I am filling your mind with radical philosophies or wanton suggestions,” Susan retorted.
“Susan, the very idea,” Mama said. “Very well, Rebecca. Move over, Isaac; I want Rebecca to sit by me so I may cover her ears during the conversation should the need arise.”
“Mama, really!” Rebecca exclaimed. “I know what a bird of paradise is. Isaac gave a Sunday School lesson about that very thing only a few weeks ago.”
“Isaac? In Sunday School?”
“It was the woman taken in adultery, Mama. Repentance, you know. ‘Go and sin no more.’ Not the same thing at all, Rebecca,” Isaac said.
“What bird of paradise?” James asked. “And who is this Ruby Chadwick the earl was talking about?”
“For a barrister, you can be rather dim sometimes,” Susan said, earning a scowl from James.
“It would seem our fair Lavinia is known in London by the name of Ruby Chadwick,” Father said. “I’ll let Lucas explain.”
And Lucas did. Over the next hour, he told them what he knew—of his initial encounter with Lavinia at the White Horse and her public claim that he was her husband, at helping her find her friends and his decision to accompany them to her farm. “Our encounter with Lord Cosgrove this evening has helped fill in some of my gaps of knowledge: that Lavinia had been performing on Drury Lane under the fictitious name of Ruby Chadwick and had become something of a sensation. I was not interested in London social life while I was seeing to Anthony’s health and, therefore, had not heard of her.”
“Apparently you had though, Simon,” James said. “What was your part in all this?”
“I meant no harm—truly, Lucas,” Simon said, looking beleaguered. “But you must understand that for the past several days, all the talk in Town had been about Ruby Chadwick and her sudden and mysterious disappearance. There was speculation and gossip of all kinds—kidnapping, ransom, murder. A fellow couldn’t go anywhere and not hear about the popular actress who performed breeches roles and what could have happened to her.
“And then I showed up here only to discover my brother’s betrothed, of whom none of us had any prior inkling, was none other than Ruby Chadwick herself. It was laughable, really. I wrote to Georgie to tell him my discovery so he could share in the joke. I’d heard Cosgrove had offered a reward, but that wasn’t my reason for writing Georgie. Truly, Lucas.”
“And yet a young man of modest means could surely make good use of a few hundred pounds, I daresay,” Lucas said, unconvinced. “Especially one who has been busy being a man of leisure. Leisure can be expensive, can’t it?”
Simon dropped his gaze to the floor. “The money was tempting; I can’t deny it, I’m ashamed to say. It was mostly for laughs though, Lucas. Now that I’ve gotten to know Lavinia better, I see what a mistake it was.”
“But Cosgrove referred to her as a bird of paradise too,” James said.
“You seem fixated by that term, James,” Susan said.
“Susan, hush,” Mama said.
Susan merely smirked at James, who glared back at her.
“She was not, nor has she ever been such a thing, James,” Lucas said. “Do you recall your introduction to Lavinia? What was your first impression?”
“Ah, I understand. She’s a deuced attractive woman, to be sure. One would have to be dea
d not to notice. I imagine there have been too many men like Cosgrove who’ve had less than honorable thoughts where the fair Lavinia is concerned.”
“Precisely. As a result, she has an extremely poor opinion of men and has since she was very young.”
“I find all of this fascinating, setting aside the bird of paradise part, of course,” Susan said. “Becoming Ruby Chadwick protected Lavinia while also creating a career for herself. Very resourceful, if you were to ask me. Clever.”
“I shudder when you speak of such things as careers, Susan,” Mama said. “It seems so . . . I cannot find the right word.”
“Exciting?” Susan offered. “Challenging? Inspiring?”
“Unladylike was more what I was looking for.”
“Back to the issue at hand,” Father said. “Rather than hosting Lucas’s betrothed and her cousins and friend these past few days, we have taken a band of actors into our midst.”
“One of whom wears breeches,” Mama said.
“Two if you include Mr. Drake,” Susan added with a wink.
“You are not taking this seriously enough, Susan,” Mama scolded. “Breeches on a woman—the very idea is shocking. The neighbors would be scandalized if they were to find out.”
“I can’t see why, Mama,” Susan said. “Women have the same appendages as men—arms, legs, and so forth. Why a woman can’t don a pair of breeches and be considered modest defies logic. The legs are entirely encased in sturdy fabric. Now, bare a woman’s bosom in the latest fashion—”
“Oh dear.” Mama’s hands flew to cover Rebecca’s ears.
“Enough, Susan. We must return to the point. It’s getting late,” Father said. “We still have a problem to resolve here. Miss Fernley and her friends have lied to us the entire time they have accepted our hospitality, and regardless of what anyone thinks, our neighbors will not look kindly upon this if it were to reach their ears. We have the family name to uphold. We are pillars of the community. As personable as they have all been, we have a duty to think the ramifications through thoroughly before we can proceed. Miss Weston’s recent illness only complicates this further.”