There was no need for further explanations. If word of Valbourg’s association with an actress, and the possibility that he had fathered her child, should reach the ears of his family, his guardianship of Sebastian would most definitely be in jeopardy.
‘I intend to make it very clear that Lord Valbourg is not my lover,’ Catherine said, hard-pressed to believe she was saying such a thing in mixed company. ‘He has been kindness itself, but I will not see him lose Sebastian as a result of his friendship with me.’
‘And what of your own future, my dear?’ Tandy said. ‘How will you feel about everyone knowing you have a child? Your reputation will suffer.’
‘I know, but the reason I came to London five years ago was to establish a career for myself and to make enough money to support my son,’ Catherine said. ‘Thanks to you and Theo, that is precisely what I have done. Now I have my son back and all I want is to be able to live with him and know we won’t be separated again. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. No one is going to take Thomas away from me again,’ Catherine whispered fiercely. ‘No one!’
Chapter Nine
The rumours began to fly even sooner than Valbourg expected. Though he and Catherine had driven around the park well before the fashionable hour, it had been long enough for several people to see them together, and with a child that could only have belonged to Miss Jones.
His brother, Hugh, was the first to acquaint him with the details.
‘Oh, yes, it’s definitely making the rounds,’ Hugh said as he and Valbourg mingled with the crowds at Lady Upton’s musicale later that evening. ‘And it’s creating quite a stir. Not only is the lovely Miss Jones not the virginal angel we have all been led to believe, she is the mother of a cherubic little boy. And you were the one seen squiring her around the first time she chose to show him off.’
‘I took her and the boy for a drive in the park,’ Valbourg said. ‘I have done the same with several other young ladies, minus the child of course.’
‘Ah, but Miss Jones is not like the other young ladies, is she?’ Hugh said. ‘She is an actress. And given the sudden appearance of a child, an actress with considerably lower morals than any of us thought.’
‘I’ll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head,’ Valbourg warned, not in the mood to entertain slights about Catherine. ‘You don’t know the circumstances.’
‘I don’t need to. She is an unmarried woman with a child, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from her,’ Hugh advised. ‘You don’t want the wrong kind of story reaching Father’s ears and, trust me, he will find out. Better you tell him the truth before he hears it from someone else.’
* * *
It seemed Hugh was not the only one who felt that way. Upon arriving at his father’s for dinner a few evenings later, Valbourg was confronted by his sister Dorothy, who had also heard the rumours and was not at all pleased. ‘Is it true, Valbourg?’ she fired at him. ‘Are you keeping company with that actress?’
‘I am not keeping company with anyone,’ Valbourg said with as much patience as he could. ‘I took Miss Jones for a drive in the park.’
‘What about the boy? They say he is her son.’
‘He is and, other than the fact that his father is dead, I know nothing about him.’
‘Poor little fellow,’ Mary murmured. ‘Where has he been living?’
‘With his grandparents.’
‘Never mind that. What of this dead father?’ Dorothy said, refusing to let it go. ‘Was he really her husband or is the child a bastard?’
‘Dorothy!’ Mary gasped.
‘Such language is hardly appropriate for the dinner table, Dorothy,’ her father chastised.
‘I apologise, Papa, but really, we are all adults here and it is better the truth be known. I think he must be illegitimate,’ Dorothy said, answering her own question. ‘Otherwise why would Miss Jones not have kept him with her all these years? There’s never been so much as a whisper about a child. Is she so ashamed of him that she felt compelled to bury him in the country?’
‘If that were the case, why bring him to London now?’ Mary asked. ‘No one knew she had a child and no one needed to.’
‘I’m sure she had her reasons,’ Valbourg said. ‘And since speculation is all you have to go on, I suggest you leave the matter alone.’
‘But it is interesting, wouldn’t you agree, Valbourg?’ Hugh threw in. ‘The virgin angel not a virgin at all and quite obviously, not an angel.’
‘That’s enough, Hugh,’ Alderbury snapped. ‘I’ll not have talk like that when your sisters are present.’
‘You needn’t avoid it for my sake, Papa,’ Dorothy said. ‘I think the whole thing is disgraceful! And you should know better than to be seen with her, Valbourg. What will people think?’
‘Frankly, I don’t care.’
‘You should. If your name becomes associated with hers, the ensuing scandal would be disastrous. I hate to think Sebastian might hear about it.’
‘Sebastian won’t hear about it unless someone in my family decides to tell him,’ Valbourg said in a tight voice. ‘I trust that will not happen.’
Dorothy’s nostrils flared. ‘I hope you are not referring to me?’
‘Don’t look at me,’ Hugh said, holding up his hands. ‘I have absolutely no intention of getting involved in this.’
‘No one will say anything because there is nothing to say,’ Lord Alderbury barked. ‘I will not permit scandal to tarnish the good name of this family, Richard. If you are doing anything inappropriate with this woman—’
‘I’ve already said I am not.’
‘Good, then I suggest you not be seen in her company again. As for the rest of you, I want to hear no more about it. Do I make myself clear?’
‘As a bell,’ Hugh replied.
‘Yes, Papa,’ Mary said dutifully.
Dorothy looked mumpish, but grudgingly nodded. ‘As long as Valbourg does as he’s told—’
‘Dorothy!’
‘Oh, very well. But do not think we are the only ones talking about this, Papa,’ Dorothy said. ‘Valbourg has set a good example thus far, but it only takes a moment’s foolishness to change that. And we must keep Sebastian’s welfare in mind.’
‘No one is more concerned with Sebastian’s welfare than I am,’ Valbourg said. ‘But I will not be told by you or anyone else who I may or may not keep company with.’ He abruptly stood up. ‘I will see you in the morning, Father. There are matters I wish to discuss with you in private. Good evening.’
It was an abrupt departure, but Valbourg had taken all he could for one night. Dorothy’s snobbery and accusations were getting under his skin. The fact that what she said was partially true did little to assuage his anger. He wanted to be with Catherine. He had been away from her for only a few hours, but he already missed her fiercely. He wanted to hold her in his arms and assure her that everything was going to be all right...even if he had no idea if it was.
More than that he dared not do. To do so would put his guardianship of Sebastian at risk and he was very aware that as the days passed, his need to be with Catherine would only grow stronger. At some point, the price for the pleasure of her company was going to become too high and he would be forced to make a choice.
For his own sake, he sincerely hoped that day was a long, long way off.
* * *
It was on their fourth day together in London that Catherine decided to tell Thomas the truth about his parentage. It wasn’t so much she felt he was ready to hear the truth as it was that the story was quickly making its own way around town. She knew that if she didn’t broach the subject with him soon, someone else might. With that in mind she waited until the two of them were standing by the pond, throwing bread to the ducks, before bringing the topic up. Thomas lov
ed feeding the ducks, and Lily, who had taken to joining them for their afternoon strolls, made sure he always had a full bag of dried bread to throw to them. As Catherine watched him, she marvelled that this precious golden-haired child really was hers and that, after five long years, he was finally back in her life.
‘Thomas,’ she called when at last his bag was empty. ‘Come here and sit by me for a minute,’ she said, settling on to a vacant bench. ‘There’s something we need to talk about.’
It was obvious that obedience had been drilled into the boy. He turned at once and made his way back to her side. ‘Yes, Miss Jones?’
‘Are you enjoying being here in London with me?’
‘Very much, miss. I didn’t think I would, but I like coming to the park and spending time with Lord Val and Sebastian. I will have so much to tell Megan when I get home.’ He looked up at her. ‘When am I going home?’
Catherine caught her bottom lip between her teeth. ‘That’s what I want to talk to you about. You know I’ve been coming to see you for the past five years. And I hope you know that I like you very much.’
‘I like you, too. You never tell me to be quiet or say that I talk too much. And you always answer my questions. I think sometimes Reverend Hailey wishes I would not ask so many.’
Catherine smiled, charmed by the boy’s innocence. ‘I’m sure that’s not the case. But I am glad you like me because that’s what I want to talk to you about.’ She stopped and glanced towards the pond, praying she was doing the right thing. ‘Has anyone ever talked to you about...your parents?’
Thomas shook his head. ‘No. I did ask Reverend Hailey about it once, but he got very angry and told me I wasn’t to talk about such things.’
‘But you would like to know.’
‘Yes. When I see other children with their parents, I would like to know who mine were—’ He broke off and looked down at his new shoes. ‘Some of them point at me and call me names. I didn’t know what they meant, so I asked Reverend Hailey. He told me never to say that word again. He said my real parents were dead.’
The pain went deep, causing Catherine to flinch. ‘Reverend Hailey didn’t tell you the truth, Thomas. Not all of it.’
‘But he’s a clergyman. He says people must always tell the truth or God won’t love them.’
‘Sometimes people don’t tell the truth because they think it will spare someone else’s feelings. Sometimes, the truth hurts.’
‘Did Reverend Hailey lie?’
Catherine stared out across the water, envying the ducks their peaceful existence. ‘I know he thought he was doing the right thing, but now that you’re here with me, it’s time you knew the truth. You see, the reason I have been coming to see you all these years isn’t just because I am a good friend of the family. The truth is—’
‘Lord Val!’ Thomas burst out. ‘Look, Miss Jones, Lord Val is here.’
Before Catherine could finish, Thomas slipped off the bench and ran towards the man who had already become something of a hero to him. Not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that the moment of truth had been postponed, Catherine sighed and stood up. ‘Lord Valbourg, what a pleasant surprise.’
‘I was on my way to my father’s house and thought I would stop by to see if Thomas was feeding the ducks,’ Valbourg said, swinging down from his magnificent black horse. ‘I vow they are growing so fat they won’t be able to float.’
‘Should I stop feeding them?’ Thomas asked, his brows drawing together in concern. ‘I wouldn’t want them to sink.’
‘I shouldn’t worry about it,’ Valbourg said, clearly a little guilty the boy had taken his words to heart. ‘They do spend most of their day swimming, after all.’
‘Thomas, why don’t you run along to Lily now?’ Catherine said. ‘I shall be there directly.’
‘Yes, all right. Goodbye, Lord Val.’
‘I’ll see you again soon, Thomas,’ Valbourg promised. He waited until the boy was far enough away before saying, ‘Forgive my intrusion, but I had to see you this morning.’
‘Is something wrong?’
‘I’ve had a letter from Reverend Hailey.’
Catherine felt her stomach clench. ‘He wrote to you?’
‘It appears the headmaster at Glendale sent his letter to Eliza and that she was not pleased to receive it. Her husband has informed me that he is shocked by my behaviour, that I had no right to involve myself in the matter and that he expects the boy to be returned to him at once or he will take legal action.’
A sickening dread crept over Catherine, making her feel a little light-headed.
‘Are you all right?’ Valbourg asked, concerned by her sudden pallor. ‘Would you like to sit down?’
‘No, I’m fine.’ She took a few deep breaths and tried to tell herself it was going to be all right. ‘I was about to tell Thomas I was his mother.’
‘Ah. Bad timing on my part.’
‘That’s all right. I’m not sure I was ready for it,’ she admitted. ‘But I will have to tell him soon because I am not sending him back.’
‘I’m sure Hailey knows that, too, which is why I want you and Thomas to come with me this morning and talk to my father.’
‘Your father! Oh, no, Richard, I can’t!’
‘You must. There may come a time when you need his help.’
‘But surely there are other options.’
‘None as secure as having Thomas living with the Marquess of Alderbury.’
‘But...have you even broached the subject with him?’
‘He knows you have a child and that you and I have been seen together.’
‘And?’
‘And he cautioned me against doing anything that might create a scandal.’
Catherine felt her hopes deflate. ‘So he advised you to stay away from me.’
Valbourg reached for her hand and gently squeezed it. ‘I want you to meet him, Catherine. It is important we all know one another and it might well make the difference in Thomas’s safety.’
That, more than anything, convinced Catherine of the wisdom of talking to Valbourg’s father. It didn’t lessen her feelings of anxiety, but she had to believe Valbourg knew what he was doing and that he had the best interests of everyone at heart.
She simply couldn’t afford to believe anything else.
* * *
They were shown into the marquess’s private study; a large room filled with books, solid masculine furnishings and elaborate paintings of horses and hunting scenes. His father was not there, but Valbourg used the time to acquaint Thomas with a large globe that stood on a pedestal in one corner of the room, and to do what he could to set Catherine’s mind at rest.
In truth, he had no idea what his father was going to say about this highly unusual meeting. All he knew was that it was necessary. He fully expected Hailey to try to take Thomas back and he had resolved to give the boy as much protection as he could. The fact that spending time with Thomas meant he was also able to spend time with Catherine was an added bonus.
‘Has your father read all these books, Lord Val?’ Thomas enquired, gazing wide-eyed at the selection of leather-bound volumes.
‘A good many of them. Most have been collected by past generations and a few are quite rare. But my father loves to read, and from the time I was your age, I was encouraged to do the same.’
‘Reverend Hailey says I should only read the Bible,’ Thomas said. ‘Though I think he sometimes reads books about history.’
‘One can learn a great deal from history,’ Catherine said, looking almost as impressed by the shelves of books as her son. ‘I have always been interested in the ancient Roman society. They were a highly advanced civilisation.’
‘Apart from their questionable morals,’ Valbourg said in a low voice. He saw a delightful blush rise
in Catherine’s cheeks and marvelled that a woman who had given birth to a child and spent so much of her life on the stage could still be embarrassed by the mention of such things. There was so much about her he still had to discover—
‘Valbourg? What’s this all about?’
His father’s gruff voice had Thomas scurrying back to Catherine, who suddenly looked like a doe caught in the hunter’s sights. Valbourg stood his ground. ‘Good morning, Father. I told you last night I wished to see you about a private matter, and since it concerns Miss Jones and her son, I thought I would bring them both here to meet you.’
‘Did you indeed!’ Alderbury’s mouth hardened as he moved to stand behind his desk. ‘You assume a great deal.’
‘Perhaps, but I hope when I explain the situation, you will understand why.’ He smiled at Catherine, indicating that she should come forward. ‘I’m sure you remember Miss Jones?’
Alderbury stiffly inclined his head. ‘I do.’
Catherine performed a graceful curtsy. ‘Lord Alderbury.’
‘And this is Thomas,’ Valbourg continued, unconcerned by his father’s lack of enthusiasm. ‘He is five and has a prodigious thirst for knowledge.’
To Valbourg’s surprise, Thomas walked up to his father and smiled. ‘Good morning, sir.’
Alderbury’s eyebrows rose. ‘What’s that on your fingers, boy?’
Thomas gazed down at his hands. ‘Breadcrumbs. I was feeding the ducks.’
‘Mind you don’t touch anything, then.’
‘I won’t, sir. Though there might be some on the book I was just looking at.’
‘Eh? What book is that?’
‘That one. About horses.’
‘Indeed? Like horses, do you?’
‘I think they’re splendid. Lord Val said he is going to let me ride one of his, but he hasn’t said when.’
‘We will have to check with your...with Miss Jones first,’ Valbourg said, catching himself. ‘I wouldn’t want to get in the way of her schedule.’
No Place for an Angel Page 18