Secrets of Scarlett Hall Box Set: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection

by Jennifer Monroe

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Juliet studied herself in the mirror. After several hours of donning and throwing aside all of the dresses and gowns she owned, she settled on a borrowed dress from Annabel, white to represent purity. Her hair was styled just so, and she wore the gold bracelet Lord Parsons had gifted her. Yes, it was the perfect ensemble.

  The day promised to be glorious with a clear blue sky and bright sunshine. Spring had arrived, leaving the last days of winter behind. There was no other way to view the day than as absolutely perfect in every way.

  The woman who stared back at her was much changed. She was no longer a woman of beauty, but rather a woman of strength. It was a trait Isabel and her mother had shared and one she had always desired. Now she understood what that strength entailed and what one must do in order to use it.

  “You look wonderful,” Annabel said, joining Juliet in the mirror’s reflection. Then she frowned. “But I believe your bosom is much too exposed; it appears as if your breasts will pop out at any moment.”

  Annabel was right. The dress was much too tight for Juliet’s more opulent frame, but the result was what she had hoped to achieve. She dabbed a bit of perfume on her decolletage and wrists and took a step back to reassess her reflection.

  “Are you attempting to,” Annabel swallowed visibly, “entice the man?” Juliet had not told her cousin as of yet that Robert was her father, and she had no plans to do so until she had implemented her plan.

  Juliet smiled. “Not at all. I am a lady of the ton, am I not?” Annabel nodded. “Today, I simply feel as if I should stand out, so everyone recognizes me. Let us just say that I wish to be seen.”

  Annabel laughed. “Then you have done it well. You do look beautiful; as if you are to attend the most magnificent of balls. I doubt anyone will mistake you for anyone other than yourself.”

  “Perfect,” Juliet muttered as she patted her hair one last time. “Come, we have much to do today.” She took a wrap from her wardrobe and placed it over her shoulders. She wanted every villager to see her attire but preferred her mother not take notice. The woman would march her back to her room and demand she change, thus ruining Juliet’s plans, and she could not have that!

  They made their way down the hall to the foyer. Daniel stood beside her mother at the door, his head bowed as her mother spoke. Juliet watched from the landing above them, wishing she could hear the words, but her mother spoke too quietly, even in a room that echoed most sounds.

  Juliet squared her shoulders and descended the stairs. Daniel glanced up, and his smile warmed her heart. The love she had feared gone shone brightly on his face.

  “Mother,” Juliet said. “Daniel.” It was difficult for her to keep the formal tone in her voice, but with her mother standing there, she had to force herself to do so.”

  Her mother turned to Juliet. “Daniel has informed me that he will be leaving a week from Saturday.”

  Juliet stiffened but said nothing.

  “You may say your farewells.”

  Juliet nodded. She wished she could be alone, but her mother and Annabel walked to the edge of the room and stopped. Well, she could do nothing about it, so she turned back to Daniel, her heart in her throat.

  “Will you go north?” Juliet whispered, hoping her voice was as quiet as her mother’s had been. She preferred their conversation to remain private, even if the were not left alone.

  “Yes.”

  “You will be safe, I trust.”

  Daniel shifted on his feet. “I think so.”

  Juliet glanced at her mother, who continued her vigil. “I love you, and I am sorry we cannot be together.”

  “Just know I’ll never stop loving you,” Daniel replied. “Goodbye, Juliet.”

  She blinked back tears. “Goodbye.” Without thought, she threw her arms around him; she needed one last embrace. Although her heart ached, she found peace in his arms and knew somehow that feeling would never leave her. She wished to weep, to sob, but she would not. She would create her own future despite what others put in her way.

  When Daniel was gone, Juliet turned to her mother and cousin. “I have something important to do, but I will be back soon.”

  Her mother nodded. “Be careful.”

  “I will,” Juliet replied. She held out her hand to her cousin. “I am ready.”

  ***

  The carriage stopped in front of an inn that had a small cafe. Juliet kissed Annabel on the cheek. “I would like to speak to Robert alone, if I may. Go inside and have some tea and cakes. I will be back to join you soon.”

  Annabel nodded. It was not an uncommon request, so her cousin asked no questions before entering the tiny establishment.

  Juliet made her way to the cobbler’s just as she had done so often before. This time, however, she did so alone and with a plan in mind. On her way, she made every effort to smile and greet every passerby. Many she knew by name, and most, if not all, knew her, as well. Today, her status of the ton would serve her as it had never served her before.

  When she arrived at Robert’s shop, she peered through the window. A couple she did not recognize stood near the counter, an oddity in itself, and after the man gave Robert several notes, they left the shop.

  Juliet entered the shop. Once she had thought the place full of joy dabbled with a bit of mystery. Now, however, she saw the falsity of it all.

  “Ah, Juliet,” Robert said, a wide smile on his face as he leaned against the counter in that leisurely manner she had once considered endearing. “It is an honor to have such a lady in my shop. As it always is.”

  “You are too kind,” Juliet said, forcing a smile as she walked toward him. “May I ask a favor?”

  “Of course! What can I do for you?”

  “It is this wrap.” She removed the shawl from her shoulders. “I am afraid I paid much more than Mother would approve of. Would you be willing to hide it in your bedroom for me until I can come for it at a later time?” She folded it twice and placed it in his hands. “It is from India and worth a small fortune.” She had to fight back a laugh when his face lit up. “Yet, I fear Mother will learn of it, and I am simply unwilling to let it go.”

  “I’ll do it now,” he said with a grin before slipping through the white door behind the counter. He left the door open enough for her to see him place it on his bed, and when he returned, she sighed.

  “I do not have money for you today, I am afraid,” she said. “However, I do have this.” She removed the bracelet. “Will it be adequate?”

  His eyes bulged as he took it from her. “I believe this will do just fine,” he said, placing it in his coat pocket. “As a matter of fact, if you want to increase your investment, I would be happy to accept other pieces you might have on hand. At this rate, we will have shops all across England!” He seemed extremely pleased.

  “How wonderful!” Juliet exclaimed.

  He closed the ledger he had open before him on the counter. “And your mother? Did you do as I suggested?”

  Juliet shook her head. She had to force her fisted hands into the folds of her skirts and summon every bit of strength and control she could muster in order to keep calm. What she wished to do was beat the man across the head and scream as loudly as she could! “I was unable to speak to her,” Juliet said. “For the woman has been dead for some time.”

  Robert blinked. “Dead?”

  Juliet’s jaw tightened. “Of course.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “There are no shops, are there…Father?”

  To Juliet’s surprise, Robert barked a laugh. “Eleanor told you, did she? It is true concerning your mother. I came across her some two years ago.” The man did not even have the decency to attempt to appear mournful!

  “Oh? And her dying wish was for you to know me and use what you knew to blackmail my mother?”

  Robert snorted. “Eleanor has more wealth than any woman should possess. You have led a comfortable life full of leisure while I suffered. I simply want what I deserve.”

&nb
sp; “You suffer because you love no one but yourself,” Juliet spat. “It is how I was. However, you can change! You can begin by returning the money to the women you have tricked into investing. Then you will stop hurting my mother.”

  “She is not your mother,” he said, his lip curling. “She is merely the woman who raised you.”

  “Which is far more than you have done! She is a woman of honor and strength; not a coward like you.”

  Robert formed a fist and leaned forward, and Juliet thought the man would strike her. “You think you’re better than everyone,” he said through clenched teeth, “but you’re nothing more than the child of a gardener and a lady’s maid. Servant blood, the lowest of all.”

  Juliet refused to withdraw, her anger was that strong. “You are right. I once thought the same about the blood that flows through me, but it is not the truth. It is the heart that matters.”

  Robert laughed as he straightened. “There’s nothing more to say on this matter.”

  “Are you saying you are unwilling to do as I ask? You will deny your daughter’s request?”

  “You might be my daughter by blood, but I don’t care about you, not in the way you want. Nothing matters but my money.” He jutted his chin. “Now, if you will leave me be, I have work to do.”

  As he turned to move behind the counter, Juliet realized that no good existed in this man.

  “Annabel,” Juliet hissed, and Robert stopped. “How dare you kiss her and then try to coerce her into more!”

  Robert gave a wry smile. “It is what I do,” he said with a shrug. “Tell your mother I will see her Tuesday. Do make sure Annabel returns.”

  Juliet closed her eyes for a moment. It was time to implement the plan she had hoped to avoid. It had been her hope the man would take the one last opportunity to change, but it was clear it would never happen. Somehow, she was glad he did not, for what she would do would give her great pleasure.

  “I am a storyteller,” she said.

  Robert stopped at the doorway to the back room and turned, a look of disinterest on his features.

  “It is a gift I seem to have inherited from you.”

  The man grinned and tilted his head as if what she said honored him.

  “Like you, it has served me well in the past. However, unlike you, I will not use it for my own advantage any longer, but instead, I will use it for those I love.”

  “What are you rambling about?” Robert said, the disinterest now replaced by annoyance.

  Juliet leaned down and pulled off her boot, smiled, and threw it in an arc over the counter where it landed with a thud.

  “What are you doing?” Robert shouted, his eyes wide. “Have you gone mad?”

  In an unhurried manner, she pulled two pins from her carefully coiffed hair. “My precious Annabel is the closest friend a woman could ever have.” She pulled at several strands of her hair to loosen them. “You will never hurt her again.”

  “Juliet, what…” He shook his head.

  Ignoring him, she grabbed her right sleeve near the shoulder and pulled hard, the soft fabric tearing at the seam so the sleeve hung at her elbow. “My mother, she is the woman you call Eleanor, has sacrificed everything for me.” Thoughts of her mother hurt and scared brought forth the tears she needed so much at the moment. “And you sought to destroy her and my family. Well, I will do anything to protect them!” She reached for the opening of her dress and gave a sharp pull. “Anything!”

  “No!” Robert shouted as Juliet turned, one foot bereft of a boot and her dress hanging in tatters on her body. “Come back here now!”

  Pulling the door open, Juliet ran out into the busy street and screamed with all her might, putting all her frustrations into that scream as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Help me! Someone! Please, help me!”

  Men and women gasped and hurried to her, and she crossed one arm over her chest as she wiped tears from her face with the other.

  “Miss Juliet,” one man said, his voice filled with concern, “what’s wrong?”

  “That man!” she shouted, pointing at Robert standing in the doorway to the shop. “He tried to take my virtue!”

  Shouts of anger erupted, and two men in dark coats grabbed Robert by the arms. Robert fought them, shouting his innocence, but he was no match for them.

  “He ripped my gold bracelet from my wrist as he attempted to undress me!”

  “She’s a liar!” Robert shouted.

  The crowd grew angrier, and one of the men reached into Robert’s pocket and produced the bracelet. “What’s this then?” he demanded.

  “My bracelet!” Juliet cried.

  Another man came running out of the shop, her boot in one hand and her wrap in the other. “Look what I found! The shawl was on his bed!”

  Juliet sobbed as she made a point of looking down at her bootless foot. A woman wrapped an arm around her protectively. “It’s all right, Miss. We’ll see justice’s served, we will.”

  “She’s a liar!” Robert cried again as the men led him away. “She’s my daughter!”

  “And I’m the King’s uncle!” shouted one of them men while another said, “If that’s true, then you’re even sicker than I thought!”

  The woman wrapped the shawl around Juliet just as Annabel pushed through the crowd. She threw her arms around Juliet. “What happened? Are you all right? did he hurt you?”

  Juliet shook her head. “I am fine,” she whispered, her heart now settling.

  “Do not worry, you are safe now.”

  “Yes,” Juliet replied, her anger now replaced with relief—and perhaps a bit of joy. “We are all safe now.”

  ***

  Juliet came through the door of Scarlett Hall, her dress in tatters and hair disheveled but in better spirits than she had experienced in days. She spoke with several people in the village, including one Lord Ezra Montague whose brother was a magistrate, and he assured her that Robert would be met with swift punishment. What that entailed, Juliet did not know, nor did she care. Her family was safe and that was all that mattered.

  Dozens had witnessed the fiasco, had heard her cries, and seen the evidence; she doubted the man would ever return. If he did, he would be shamed out of the village by everyone there.

  When Annabel asked what had transpired, Juliet simply told her cousin that one day she would explain, but that day was not today, and the girl did not ask again.

  Now they stood in the foyer, and Juliet gave Annabel a nod before turning and walking down to the study where she found her mother gazing out the window.

  Juliet cleared her throat. “Mother.”

  Her mother turned, but when she laid eyes on Juliet she gasped and rushed to her side. “What happened?”

  “I confronted the man who is my father,” she said quietly.

  Her mother touched Juliet’s hair. “Your hair, your dress…surely he did not try with his own…” Her words trailed off and her eyes went wide.

  “Daughter?” Juliet asked tersely. “No. However, you and I are the only two who know he did not make such an attempt on his daughter. According to the dozens of witnesses, a lady of the ton was accosted by him in his shop and was able to escape.”

  “I do not understand,” her mother said, the shock clear on her face. “What happened to him?”

  “He was taken away,” Juliet replied matter-of-factly. “Far away where neither you nor any member of my family must endure his threats any longer. You have nothing about which to worry, Mother. You are now safe.” She explained everything that had happened, including her attempt to give him the opportunity to choose a different path.

  Her mother listened without interruption, and when Juliet finished, she pulled Juliet into her arms. “Why did you do this?”

  Juliet gave her a wide grin. “You have done everything to keep me safe and happy, and I wanted to do the same.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Nearly a week had passed since Juliet confronted Robert, and surprisingly things had quickly returned to
normal at Scarlett Hall. The servants continued their work, Juliet and Annabel spoke of their future, and Juliet still had yet to speak to Daniel. He would soon be leaving to begin a new life, and that thought still brought sadness to her heart. She wished more than anything to be with him.

  Yet, that was not meant to be. Juliet had come to a new understanding, a respect not only for herself, but for the wishes of her mother. Therefore, it meant that Juliet would soon be required to accept an offer of marriage from Lord Parsons. She did not wish to wed the man, but after all her mother had done for her, Juliet could not decline.

  The morning was still early as Juliet made her way to the dining room for breakfast and was surprised to find Forbes helping her mother with her coat.

  “Are you leaving?” Juliet asked as she descended the stairs.

  Her mother glanced up at Juliet and smiled. “I am.”

  The woman offered no further explanation, and Juliet looked at the butler. The man gave no more indication than her mother as to her intentions.

  “But Mother, it is Tuesday. You have never left the house on a Tuesday.”

  Her mother smiled. “I will meet you at the carriage,” she told Forbes, who replied with a bow before leaving through the front door. When the man was gone, her mother said, “I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last week. Thinking of days past and habits that I have. Habits that made it easy for someone to arrive unannounced to find me at home alone.” She pursed her lips at this but did not mention the name of the man of whom she spoke. “Upon reflection, I decided it would be a nice change to see what the world is like on a Tuesday.”

  “I think that is a brilliant idea,” Juliet said. “May Annabel and I remain here for the day, then?” The last thing Juliet wanted was to have people fawning over her after the incident at the cobbler’s shop. She almost laughed at this; how many times in the past had she wanted nothing more than to have everyone fawning over her?