The Honorable Choice (Victorian Love Book 2)

by M. A. Nichols

  With a raised brow, Mr. Hatcher motioned to Ruby with a jerk of his chin. Lucas sighed, straightened, and met Ruby’s gaze once more, though his light eyes were akin to ice on a frigid winter’s day. Papa stood and glowered at Lucas, though his disapproval paled in comparison to that of the silent figure at her husband’s back.

  “You took long enough to arrive, sirrah,” said Papa, marching over to Lucas. “It is bad enough that you have the effrontery to steal away with our daughter and marry without our permission, but then you abandoned her and your child without a backward glance!”

  His dark brows shot upwards, and Lucas’s eyes darted to Ruby’s womb and back again. Crossing his arms, he shook his head. “We are not married.”

  Chapter 3

  The world around Ruby sucked in a breath, as though matching Mama’s audible gasp. Spine straightening, Ruby stared at the fellow, quite certain she’d not heard those ridiculous words.

  “Liar!” bellowed Papa. He thrust a rigid finger towards Ruby. “My daughter told us the truth. We know all.”

  “I assure you that I am not now nor have I ever been married to Miss Jeffries or anyone else,” said Lucas, his cold eyes raking over Ruby while those lips that had kissed her so lovingly curled into a sneer.

  Papa rounded on Ruby, but she had no words to offer in response to the stupefied look he gave her. Mama’s hand fell limp as she stepped away from her daughter, gaping as though she were a monster.

  The memories of their time together had carried her through the long days and nights since their separation—a balm to her heart when Ruby longed for his return and an aid to help her bear the burden of silence their elopement required. The time apart had been torturous, and only the knowledge that they would be reunited had allowed her any peace. Yet Lucas stood there denying the truth. Denying her and their child.

  “We are married.” Those were the only words Ruby could think to say, for they were the truth.

  A truth Lucas denied with a quick shake of his head.

  “We stood before a vicar and were declared husband and wife,” she insisted.

  Lucas’s shoulders rose in a dismissive shrug. “It was the only way to win the bet.”

  Bet? The air in Ruby’s lungs froze and her body went rigid. Her thoughts struggled to coalesce into anything useful. She understood his words but could not comprehend them.

  “What do you mean, Lucas?” asked Mr. Ashbrook, his eyes widening as his complexion paled. Mrs. Ashbrook took a step closer to her husband, taking hold of his arm as though she needed the support.

  “It was nothing,” said Lucas with a sigh and an airy wave of his hand. “Simply a gentleman’s wager.”

  “Lucas.” Mrs. Ashbrook fairly barked the name, the tone demanding more explanation when Lucas had clearly meant to give none.

  “You remember my friend Littleworth?” asked Lucas. When his parents did not respond, he turned to his younger brother, who stood beside Mr. Hatcher. “You know Littleworth. I introduced you when you came to London last year. Tall fellow with ginger hair.”

  But his brother merely glowered at Lucas, his eyes demanding the rest of the story.

  Lucas gave a sigh. “Well, Littleworth wagered I could not…” He paused, his hand turning as he sought out the proper word. Clearly, he found none, so he decided on an insinuating tone instead, and the manner in which he spoke sent a wave of revulsion through Ruby. “…be with Miss Jeffries. And she would not relent unless we were married.”

  Mama gasped at the implication, turning away from the others with a hand to her mouth.

  Ruby bit down on the inside of her cheeks, though she hardly felt it or the pain of her fingernails digging into her palm. Her lips trembled, but she fought against that ridiculous sentiment; tears helped nothing. Her heart compressed, and her legs trembled. Reaching over, she tried to take Mama’s hand, but the lady stepped out of reach. Unable to hold herself up, Ruby sunk onto the sofa.

  “Then you are married?” asked Mr. Ashbrook.

  “We stood before a vicar and were declared husband and wife.” Ruby repeated the words yet again, as though that gave them more strength and veracity, but Lucas’s eyes narrowed on her for a brief moment before he turned away with a scoff.

  “Miller dressed as a vicar and played the part to perfection,” replied Lucas.

  “Your valet?” Mr. Ashbrook’s words came out like a hiss, as though they’d caused him physical pain, and he clung to his wife as she did to him.

  Lucas’s lips twisted into a smile, and his eyes gleamed with silent mirth. “It was quite brilliant. I would not have expected Miller to be so adept at playacting, but he was indistinguishable from any man of the cloth.”

  “But…” Ruby did not know what she meant to say next, simply that she had to speak. Lucas’s revelations were too audacious. Too salacious. Too heartbreaking. They could not go uncontested, but no words could heal this breach in her world. If Lucas were lying, it meant he was trying to abandon her. If he were telling the truth, he’d debased her. There was no outcome that could match the expectations she’d fostered over the past few months and the dreams she’d built for herself. For them.

  A cold weight settled into Ruby’s chest, spreading through her until she had all the life and warmth of granite. The paralysis spread, seizing her heart until she felt nothing. Her gaze drifted away, watching the others in the room but not remarking them.

  This was not true. It could not be.

  *

  Having spent his life watching his brother’s selfish behavior, Conrad was left with no misconceptions concerning Lucas’s character. He’d not thought it possible for his brother to surprise him, and it was not a happy moment to realize he’d been wrong. Disappointment spread through Conrad like tar, seeping in with its black, sticky tendrils that tainted everything it touched.

  Watching Miss Jeffries’ eyes shining with the beginnings of tears was painful enough, but the manner in which she shrunk into herself was agony. The lady sat down on the sofa and her posture softened as though she could not keep herself upright. And then she stilled, remaining so motionless that she could have passed for a heartbroken statue. No one’s gaze should be so bleak.

  Mother and Father stood together, their own hearts breaking as they gaped at their eldest son, adding to Conrad’s burden. There was little to be done to fix this situation, though his mind whirled with the possibilities. There were amends to be made, but that could not erase the blatant harm Lucas had done with little thought.

  “This cannot be true, Lucas,” said Mother as she released Father in order to stand before her son. Her brows drew together, her eyes filled with naked desperation. “Or there must be some other explanation you can give.”

  Conrad’s teeth groaned beneath the tightness in his jaw, though he did not know which he hated more—that his brother gave his parents reason to grasp for some glimmer of hope or that they so readily found it every time.

  Lucas crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. “It is expensive to live as a gentleman ought, and you and Father refuse to give the funds required to maintain that lifestyle—money which is due to me as your eldest son and heir. When Littleworth approached me with this wager, I had no choice but to accept.”

  Turning his gaze to the poor lady sitting on the sofa, Lucas gave a huff. “Besides, if she hadn’t been so insistent on marriage, the bet would have been won with no one the wiser. I spent countless hours wooing her and flattering her—I wasted full evenings and days on this pursuit—and there are plenty of young ladies who would’ve been honored by all that attention. Most brides do not approach the altar unspoiled, and little Miss High-and-Mighty refused to give me my due. She held out and forced me to take drastic measures I did not wish to take.”

  “Lucas!” Mother gasped.

  Conrad watched Miss Jeffries. There was nothing in her eyes or posture that gave any hint she’d heard the words, but he felt certain she hadn’t missed a single one.

  “Do not lay the blame on
anyone but yourself, Lucas,” said Conrad, his muscles tightening as his heart pounded a rapid beat in his chest. “It was your decision to behave like the cad you are.”

  “Conrad, please,” whispered their mother, sending a pleading look at him.

  “That isn’t helpful,” added Father.

  Throwing up his hands, Conrad shut his mouth.

  “You are going to make this right,” said Mr. Jeffries, his tone far calmer than Conrad had expected to hear. “You have ruined my daughter. You sullied her virtue, and I will not allow it to stand.”

  Miss Jeffries remained immovable, though she flinched at those harsh words, and Conrad found himself speaking on her behalf. “She acted in confidence that my brother was a gentleman and true to his word. If not for her determination to remain virtuous, his elaborate farce would not have been necessary. Do not speak of her as though she is tainted by Lucas’s lies, for her actions have proven she is stalwart.”

  But Mr. Jeffries leveled a look on him as though Conrad were nothing but a rat scurrying through a muck-filled alleyway and then ignored him entirely.

  “What say you?” he asked Lucas.

  “He will do right by her and his child,” said Father, nodding at his eldest son. Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but Father’s expression hardened to marble, holding his son’s gaze in an unflinching and uncompromising glare. Lucas had pushed as far as he dared, and only a fool would think he could challenge his father further.

  And above all else, Lucas was no fool.

  Conrad had witnessed scenes like this throughout his life. It was a familiar dance to them all, yet his parents never seemed to see the patterns. Lucas’s head fell, his shoulders slumping. For several long, silent moments, he stood thusly, and once Lucas met their gazes again, Conrad was staring at the creature that played the role of dutiful son. With a few nervous glances, Lucas acknowledged the others in the room, though he would not meet their gazes for more than a brief moment. Tucking his hands behind him, Lucas looked for all the world to be the epitome of contrition.

  “I wish I had some better explanation than the one I offered.” The fellow shuffled as though nervous and even managed a faint tremble of his chin. “I don’t know what came over me to behave in such a manner. Littleworth made the whole thing sound like a lark and blinded me to what I was doing.”

  Lucas paused again, his head dropping once more for several long moments before he met his parents’ gazes. “I am not fit to be your son.”

  “Oh, Lucas,” said Mother, reaching forward to take her eldest son in her arms as bile churned in Conrad’s stomach.

  “This is a terrible thing you’ve done, but you have the power to right this wrong,” added Father.

  Pulling free of his mother’s hold, Lucas gave a solemn nod. “My pride landed us in this awful mess, and I will most certainly do right by Miss Jeffries—if she will have me.”

  Miss Jeffries did not stir nor look at Lucas, but her father gave a quick reply. “Of course, she will.”

  Mother and Father began speaking of wedding plans, but Conrad could not bear to listen to it. Turning on his heel, he marched from the room.

  “He will run.”

  Hatch’s voice startled Conrad, and he halted to look at his cousin-in-law, who’d followed him out; Conrad had fully forgotten that the fellow was witness to the Ashbrooks’ great shame.

  “He had no intention of coming here today, and if not for me, he would have ignored the summons,” said Hatch with a grimace. “A coward and a bounder.”

  “I hate to ask it of you, but might you stay until the wedding and help keep Lucas in line? I fear I will need reinforcements,” said Conrad, scrubbing at his face. He sighed and shook his head. “Though the marriage will do no favors for Miss Jeffries, at least she and the child will have the family to protect them.”

  “I would, but with Lily so near to her confinement, I am uneasy being far from home.”

  Conrad gave a grin at the one bit of happiness to be found at the moment. “Then Lily is doing well?”

  “The boys are running her ragged, but she is doing wonderfully.” Hatch’s own grin grew as he spoke, and a warmth filled his gaze that Conrad felt quite jealous to behold.

  “Perhaps the next will be a daughter who will bring a bit of peace to the household,” said Conrad.

  Hatch’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Lily hopes for a girl, but I despair at the thought. My wife already leads me a merry chase. Having another lady in the household would be my undoing.”

  Jonathan Hatcher was not one to quiver and quake. In the five years since he’d married Lily, Conrad could not think of a single time when he’d seen Hatch balk, and his reputation in business was unparalleled. Few would believe the look of trepidation written on Hatch’s face, and fewer still would believe it would be inspired by something so benign as dear Cousin Lily.

  Though nothing could lift Conrad’s mood entirely, Hatch’s longing to be with his family and joy over the next addition gave Conrad a modicum of peace. Happiness was lacking in the Ashbrook household at present, but it still existed in other places.

  “I am sorry to have taken so much of your time already, Hatch. Please return to your family.”

  Taking Conrad’s hand in his own, Hatch shook it and gave him a solemn nod. “But send word if there is anything else I might do.”

  “I doubt there is much more to be done,” said Conrad, though a niggle of fear whispered to him that things were a long way from settled. But there was little more to be done except decide on how to keep Lucas secure until the wedding, for Conrad had no doubt that Hatch was correct.

  Lucas would run.

  Chapter 4

  Silence was not a simple thing. Though many thought it merely the absence of sound, Ruby knew better. Silence had a personality all its own that spoke to those in its embrace if one merely listened, whispering peaceful contentment or shouting resentment and anger. Its voice was as varied as the reasons behind it, and there was nothing good to be said of the silence that choked the Ashbrooks’ parlor.

  A wedding should be a happy thing, and a bride should not despise her groom.

  Ruby could hardly breathe beneath the oppressive heft of that silence. It pressed down on her, making it difficult to keep herself upright. Her sewing box sat unopened at her feet, and her eyes followed the wooden vines inlaid on the top. Though Mama was working away on some bit of linen, Ruby felt no desire to do the same.

  Not that there was much time before they would leave for the church.

  A shudder ran down her spine, and Ruby closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, praying that her head would stop spinning. Her breakfast sat heavy in her stomach, and her throat clenched against the nausea. Ruby’s eyes burned, though she did not have the energy to shed another tear. The past two days had been filled with them, and she had no doubt there would be more to come, but at present, her heart was wrung out.

  Mrs. Lucas Ashbrook. The unwanted, undesirable bit of baggage who was worth only a few pounds and a bored gentleman’s wager.

  An itchy sickness spread down her shoulders, coating her skin. Memories of his touch twisted her stomach, worsening at the realization that she would have to submit to those touches once again and allow herself to be used for her husband’s pleasure.

  Sunlight filtered through the window, lighting the room in a warm glow. It reached across the carpet, brushing against the edges of her skirts, and Ruby shifted, pulling away. Though autumn was well on its way, summer had made one final push, and she stared at the reflecting glimmers from the polished furniture, her eyes aching from the brightness.

  “Are you ready?”

  Papa’s voice broke the silence, making Ruby start as he strode into the parlor. She opened her mouth to answer but closed it once again when she realized he was not addressing her. Mama gave a stiff nod, putting aside her needlepoint with pursed lips. Getting to her feet without a glance in Ruby’s direction, she took her husband’s arm, and the pair st
rode from the parlor.

  Coming to her feet, Ruby followed, as she knew she must, her heart sinking with each step. She’d once read a story in which an innocent man was condemned to die, and she wondered if he had felt the same hopeless resignation.

  “That is ridiculous,” said Papa.

  Ruby stepped through the doorway and found her parents standing in the hall with the Ashbrooks gathered round. The parents and two of Lucas’s younger brothers were there, but the groom was nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Ashbrook’s red eyes met Ruby’s, her expression pinched and strained, and Ruby knew without a word spoken that the wedding would not happen.

  “He must be here somewhere,” said Papa, his tone sounding more like the strained bark of a lapdog. “He cannot have disappeared once again. Find him!”

  It felt as though her chest was both collapsing and expanding. The weight from her shoulders lifted, but it shifted to her heart, squeezing it until it shrunk to the size of a pea. How should one feel at such a moment? Relieved that she would not be forced into a travesty of a marriage to a degenerate? Or heartbroken that he’d abandoned her once again?

  Lucas had known her situation. Known she was with child. Known her and their child’s well-being rested in his care. Having known all, Lucas still left.

  “We searched everywhere,” said Mr. Ashbrook, his eyes dim. Where his wife looked stiff and brittle, liable to shatter at any moment, he appeared deflated. Hopeless. His shoulders sagged as though bearing a great burden, and Ruby knew hers mirrored his.

  *

  There wasn’t a person in that hallway who was untouched by this disaster, and all showed the signs of it. Conrad did not care for coarse language, but several colorful epitaphs cycled through his mind as he thought about Lucas.

  “I assure you, Mr. Jeffries, my brother is gone,” said Conrad. His muscles tightening, he directed several of those foul words inward; he may have hired a team of men to keep watch over his brother, but Conrad had underestimated just how adept Lucas was at bribery, flattery, and anything else that encouraged others to look the other way. “He was discovered missing in the night. I chased after him, and the trail led me to Liverpool.”