by Lucy Langton
“So, is it true? Are you really married to some other woman?” Lord Peterson asked. His face was one of utter disbelief.
“Miss Butler presented me with a marriage license yesterday morning, saying she couldn’t bear to keep her mouth quiet about it any longer. She threatened to show the marriage license to the papers if I didn’t send Ada away. That’s when I sent Miss Butler away,” Flynt explained.
“With what the woman is threatening, do you really think that was the wisest idea?” Lord Peterson asked.
“What else was I supposed to do? Allow her to stay in this house and upset everyone with her lies?” Flynt scoffed.
“But is it a lie, Statham? You wrote in your letter that she produced a marriage license that could be easily believed. That even Lady Statham believes it to be truth,” Lord Peterson pointed out. “And the butler said she left this morning.”
Flynt nodded, the idea of Ada no longer being in the house crashing down on him once more. He hated the thought of her not being near or for him not to be able to rely on her during this time. But if she felt that leaving was honestly the best thing for her, then he wouldn’t try to fight with her, either.
“I don’t know how Miss Butler was able to get a marriage license with my signature on it,” Flynt said. “All I know about the woman is that my mother hired her to be her lady’s companion because her brother died while serving in the Navy.”
“If that is true, do you think you knew her brother?” Lord Peterson asked.
“I didn’t know a man by the last name Butler,” Flynt explained. “I would have recognized the name instantly if I had sailed with the man at all.”
“Then what do you think you should do?” Lord Peterson asked next.
Flynt lowered his head into his hands, using his fingers to rub his temples as he tried to think of a reasonable plan of action. The whole thing was so bizarre that all he knew was that he didn’t want society thinking he was married to another woman.
“Miss Butler needs to be stopped for sure,” Flynt reasoned. “And the only person I know for sure who is great in meddling in the lives of others, it’s Lord Locke.”
“You’re going to ask the help of the man who tried to ruin you on multiple occasions?” Lord Peterson asked.
“Who else in this whole country knows as much as he when it comes to the personal lives of the elite? He may even know this Miss Butler and why she is targeting me now of all times. If we were truly married, why not come to me a few weeks after our supposed marriage and not months later?” Flynt reasoned.
“I don’t like the idea of speaking with Lord Locke, but you might be right about the man’s nature and abilities,” Lord Peterson agreed.
“You know what’s the irony of all of this?” Flynt asked. When Lord Peterson shrugged, Flynt explained, “For the longest time I did everything I could to avoid marriage. I detested the idea, and everyone who knew me knew that I never wanted to be married. Now, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I remain married to Ada because I really do like being married to her, and I don’t want to give that up.”
Lord Peterson chuckled as he nodded his head in agreement. “I’ve watched you transform into an amazing man these last few months that you’ve been married to Ada. You’ve developed a deep love for each other that I never thought could be shaken by anything. But I suppose that Ada thinks you betrayed her.”
Flynt nodded as he said, “I had never seen her so upset. She is usually the one that is always calm and collective. But whatever Miss Butler said to her really upset Ada to her core. Watching her leave this morning really tore at my heart. And I know my mother and aunt are furious with her.”
“That must have been a very hard thing for Lady Statham to bear. Not only does she feel betrayed, but the women she loved so very much must have been hard on her, too,” Lord Peterson pointed out.
“I won’t deny that when I first watched her go that I thought all was lost. I’ve grown into a man who desires happiness with his wife more than anything a glass of brandy could ever fulfil. I want to be with Ada for the rest of my life, but really feel helpless in this matter,” Flynt confessed.
“Well, the day is still young. Let us go out and seek Lord Locke. Perhaps we could persuade him to tell us everything he knows concerning the matter or who would want to harm you with what Miss Butler just did,” Lord Peterson suggested.
“I agree with you,” Flynt said as he stood slowly from the desk. “There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. I just want to discover the answers now before too much damage has been done. With Miss Butler now gone, I’m worried about what she will try to do next to harm me.”
As Flynt stepped into the hallway with Lord Peterson, he knew in his heart that he should talk with his mother and aunt. But until he could get some real answers, he didn’t think that now was the perfect time to do so. Gathering his hat and gloves from the butler, he made his way out of the house with Lord Peterson.
Utilizing his carriage, they left the townhouse and went through town to the gentlemen’s club that Lord Locke owned. Flynt never imagined that he would ever return to such a place that held so many dark memories for him. But he was willing to do anything to get Ada back home with him where she belonged.
Chapter 25
Ada found the rocking of the carriage rather soothing. She was travelling away from Town, away from the life she had created with a man she thought she loved, and who said he had loved her. It all seemed as though she had been dreaming for many years and now was just coming out of that dream. She was waking up to a cold reality that she would no doubt be alone for the rest of her life.
As the carriage made its way towards Brighton, she tried to imagine what type of life she could live. She loved living in the cottage and could imagine herself staying there for a long time. Flynt would no doubt continue to support her if anything to keep her quiet about what had really happened. But she would need something to fill her life with. She could find employment in Brighton and perhaps help out a business owner who needed assistance with the daily tasks.
But no matter how hard she tried to imagine her new life and reassure herself that she would one day be happy again, all she could think about was the happiness she had experienced with Flynt. She remembered the concert they had attended together and the first thoughts of how handsome he was. Her mind rumbled along with all sorts of thoughts, and before she knew it, she was thinking about the first time Flynt had told her that he loved her at the botanical gardens.
The more she thought about Flynt and the life she was leaving behind, the more her heart hurt. She was done crying but couldn’t deny this pain inside of her. She reasoned that perhaps she could find someone else to love, that God would bring a man into her life in which she could forget everything she’d ever experienced with Flynt.
But as she lowered her hand to her stomach, Ada remembered her thoughts about being pregnant and started to wonder instead if she should wish she wasn’t expecting, or wish that she was so she could always have a small piece of Flynt with her to love.
As the carriage continued through the day and into the night, Ada concluded that she hoped that she was with child. She always wanted to be a mother, and once her marriage was officially dissolved, she was certain no man would dare marry a spoiled woman. Instead, she would raise this child in Brighton and be happy simply being a mother. As she kept this image in her mind of raising a son or daughter, the pain in her chest seemed to slowly fade away, leaving her with a feeling of contentment.
When the driver could no longer keep pushing the horses, they stopped at an inn late at night. Ada preferred it this way because it was very rare for a woman to be travelling on her own. But when the inn keeper’s wife answered the door, she seemed to take pity on Ada and showed her to a clean room where she could rest for the night.
After eating a meagre dinner of bread and cheese, Ada settled down onto the small bed without even bothering to dress into a nightgown. She was too
exhausted to worry about her state of dress. And in the morning, she would be able to rise early and leave the inn without having to worry about dressing once more.
As she reached across the bed and hugged the pillow to her chest, she closed her eyes and tried to force Flynt from her mind. The bed felt so empty without him, and she missed the feeling of comfort that came from having him near. She didn’t feel entirely safe staying in the room by herself even though the door was locked, and the driver and footman would be staying close by. In a world where Flynt wasn’t close by, she had a very hard time relaxing and falling asleep.
The only thing that seemed to settle her was her memories of when she’d been a child. She remembered her parents, happy together, and always getting to enjoy the best social outings. She had always aspired to be her mother one day.
Then, Ada thought about her brother. He had been a handsome young man, someone she was certain would also marry for love. He had been the one who was always full of life, aspirations, and dreams that Ada always thought were silly.
She wasn’t sure what had hurt her more in the long run. The fact that she lost her parents both to a quick sickness, or having to watch her brother fade away because of strong drink. In the end, Ada realized just how alone in the world she really was now.
~*~
Flynt began to sweat in the carriage ride over to the gentlemen’s club with Lord Peterson. He had promised Ada that he’d never set foot back in the place to avoid falling into the temptations of drinking and gambling. What he really missed was the rush he felt when he stepped into the boxing ring and used sheer willpower to overcome his opponent. Flynt actually smirked at the memory, thinking how that was the only thing he actually missed and not the appeal of the sport.
Town was becoming darker as rain clouds blew in from the sea. Flynt could smell it on the air, the familiar smell of wetness that came before a storm. It was a trademark sign to lower the sails and hunker down below deck to wait out the storm and pray you weren’t blown off track by too much. Now that he was on dry land, he thought a storm would be fitting for his current mood.
As the carriage arrived at the gentlemen’s club, a footman from the establishment was quick to open the door for them and allow them entrance into the building. It appeared as any other townhouse, yet the rooms had been altered to fit game tables, outdoor space for the boxing ring, and the upstairs rooms for a wide range of activities that Flynt didn’t even want to think about again.
“Lord Statham, if my memory serves me well, you’re no longer allowed in this establishment,” came the sweet voice of Lady Patricia. She wasn’t a true lady by society standards. But that is all she responded to in this gentlemen’s club, and she was tasked with seeing to all the visitor’s needs.
“That is true, Lady Patricia. But I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. I wish to speak to Lord Locke about a very serious matter,” Flynt explained. “And it cannot wait.”
Lady Patricia chuckled as she shifted her weight onto the other foot, lifting a pipe to her red painted lips and taking a long drag. She looked them both up and down as she let the smoke from the pipe empty out slowly from her lungs. A burgundy gown hung loosely on her shoulders, making the beholder have easy access to the designs of her plump body.
“It’s going to have to cost you fellas,” she said as she used her finger to summon them, bending it back towards her slowly as both hesitantly stepped closer to her. “I want a crown … each.”
Flynt was about to argue when Lord Peterson placed his hand on Flynt’s shoulder to prevent him from saying anything. It was clear that his distaste for the idea reflected on his face because it only caused Lady Patricia to laugh in return. Lord Peterson fished around in his pocket and withdrew the two crowns for the cunning woman and placed them into her hand. She quickly pocketed them before placing her lips to the pipe once more.
“Now that you gentlemen have paid the ferrywoman, we can now pass through hell together,” she said with a wink before turning and leading them further into the house.
In what appeared to be a study, Lady Patricia pushed open a door to reveal a decent size room. There were a fireplace and mantel that was decorated with various hunting paraphernalia. Rifles, guns, and blunderbusses were mounted on the wall. And above them were various animal heads of creatures Flynt had only seen sketched in books from faraway places such as Africa.
Flynt saw how many of the walls were lined with bookshelves, which were completely full of tomes of various languages. It appeared as though Lord Locke was a highly educated man who loved the exciting chase of the hunt. But if Flynt had learned anything from his time in the Navy, it was that looks could be deceiving. If only he’d read such a deceitful nature in Miss Butler before she was able to cause so much damage.
Lord Locke was standing in front of a small desk that didn’t appear to see much use. He was facing two other gentlemen, both who had pale complexions and bulging eyes that seemed to be glazed over due to the effects of too much alcohol. Whatever the three of them were discussing, the two intoxicated gentlemen, who appeared to be leaning against each other for support, appeared to be quite afraid of whatever it was that Lord Locke was saying.
“Now, the two of you get out of my sight. And if I ever catch you in my club again, I’ll have you sent off to the debtors’ prison,” Lord Locke said, his voice rising higher in tone, clearly terrifying the two he was speaking to. They didn’t say anything in reply and only nodded their heads furiously as they donned their top hats and gloves before scurrying out of the room. As those two passed the three of them, Lord Locke focused his eyes on Flynt before narrowing them at him.
“I feel as though I told you something very similar once, Lord Statham,” Lord Locke said as they approached him. Lady Patricia went to his side, placed a kiss on his cheek before sauntering back out of the room. Flynt sighed as he focused his eyes on the Earl, thinking he was some kind of man to be running his business as such.
“Lord Locke, I assure you that if I had any other option, I would choose it over coming to see you,” Flynt said. His words only made Lord Locke chuckle as he crossed his arms over his body. He was dressed in an elegant dinner coat with lace that reflected light off the many candles that were burning around the room on candelabras and chandeliers. His clothing alone, tailored perfectly, made him appear as an imposing figure.
“Something tells me this has to do with Miss Butler,” he said as his laughter continued. “I wondered when that woman would strike.”
Flynt hadn’t expected this type of response from the man and stood dumbfounded as he tried to reason how Lord Locke could possibly know his situation already.
“Lord Locke, I can only presume that you know something concerning the matter?” Lord Peterson asked when Flynt couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Of course. I was the one who orchestrated the whole idea when the woman came to me for help in seeking revenge for her brother,” Lord Locke explained, his smile broadening. “Lord Statham owed me a large fortune at the time, and I was going to collect on my debt one way or another. I hadn’t expected him to actually pay me on time, so I needed some collateral that at least the Earl would suffer.”
“Would you just please explain the situation to us?” Flynt finally asked. “My wife just left this morning, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win her back.”
“My, my, what a change of character, Lord Statham. If I remember correctly, you were the type of man who would never marry and would likely drink himself into an early grave. Or, get punched in the head too many times in the boxing ring to send you to meet your maker,” Lord Locke said with another laugh.
“Enough, Lord Locke. Please, just explain to me what you did so I can fix this unholy mess,” Flynt pleaded, wishing this nightmare could all be over.
Chapter 26
“Do you remember a man named Gerry Goodayle?” Lord Locke asked. The very name caused Flynt to stiffen, his eyes narrowing at the Earl. It was a name he didn
’t want to hear uttered on another man’s lips, and certainly not a conniving man such as Lord Locke.
“Yes, I do,” Flynt eventually replied as he balled his hands into two fists at his side, his shoulders hunching as though he was preparing for a fight.