"Naturally," responded Caroline with great sarcasm. "Poppycock. Come and drive with me, Adam, or we shall have all London talking of your indiscretion. Not that they aren't already."
"There is no indiscretion in driving with a friend," protested Adam.
"It is indiscreet if you have already been making a spectacle of yourself with the friend. Besides, I wish for your company, though I am beginning to wonder why. Come join me."
Louisa, though infuriated by Caroline's high-handed tone, decided to seize the moment. She had never been this close to any member of Adam's family and wished to ingratiate herself with the Countess. If this woman was indeed working to thwart her plans, it was best to attempt to disarm her. She arranged her prettiest smile on her face.
"Your Grace, will you not introduce me to your sister?" she said in a gentle voice. "I have longed to meet her as you have told me so many kind things about her."
Adam stared at her in undisguised surprise, for he failed to remember saying anything about Caroline to Louisa, and any comments he might have made would have reflected not her kindness, but his lively awe of her. Caroline caught the look, and, hiding her amusement, gave Louisa Manning a haughty stare down her straight, well bred nose.
"You had best not introduce us, Gravesmere, for I certainly shall not speak to her," she said bluntly. "Come along, Adam, you have dallied away enough of the afternoon with your friend."
Adam hesitated, torn between the need to not be rude to his sister, particularly in a public spot, and his plan to put Allegra in her place. Caroline sat haughtily awaiting her brother, and Louisa deemed it best to present a meek front. Allegra had already seen them together, and thus her aim for the day had been achieved. And she had poured enough poisonous statements about Allegra into his ears in the past half hour that she thought not even Caroline would be able to soothe him.
"Go with her, Adam. I've many friends who will be glad to keep me company, and I know you would enjoy some time with your sister. Don't worry about me."
Adam, privately relieved to escape Louisa's smothering company, kissed her hand and climbed down from her carriage and into Caroline's. It moved off, Caroline not even acknowledging Louisa with a nod. Louisa stared after them, her mouth set in a grim line. Adam's sister was overly proud and would need to be taken down a notch when she attained her rightful position as Duchess of Gravesmere. She prodded her coachman in the back with her parasol, indicating to him that he should move on, and soon found a handsome young man to ride with her. Louisa was perhaps not of the haut ton, but she was seldom without company.
"Caroline, how could you make such a scene?" asked Adam, frowning across the carriage at his sister. "That isn't like you!"
"Adam, how could you be such an idiot?" mimicked Caroline. "Unfortunately, it is very like you. Driving in the park with your mistress, of all things!"
"I told you, Caroline, I was walking and we encountered each other. There's nothing wrong with that."
"A chance encounter, you say? I don't believe it for a moment, and even if I did, it would still be very improper of you to accompany her. She is not only exceedingly vulgar, but your name is already linked to hers in a scandalous way. Why you must persevere in this silliness I cannot imagine."
"You had best come to realize that I intend to make Lady Manning my Duchess, Caroline," said Adam. "We have been speaking of our plans this past day."
Caroline folded her hands in her lap and attempted to keep from laughing. It seemed Louisa had been very busy. "Really, Adam? Whatever shall you do with the perfectly adequate duchess you have now?"
"I'll divorce her," said Adam petulantly.
"With what cause? You have no evidence that Allegra has been indiscreet with another gentleman, and I don't believe you will find any. The marriage has been consummated, as any number of servants at Gravesmere can attest to, and so annulment is not an option. I think that perhaps Lady Manning will have to cease her scheming and be content to remain your mistress, a circumstance for which I can only be most grateful, she should be too, if she can keep you."
Adam stirred restlessly, his questions about Louisa reinforced by Caroline's attitude. But he stubbornly dug in his heels. His family had chosen Allegra for him, and she had been a total disaster. He would not allow them to dissuade him.
"Louisa loves me and is loyal to me. She deserves my loyalty in return, as odd as that might seem to you, Caroline. I know full well that you aren't romantic."
"No, I'm not romantic at all," agreed Caroline. "A fortunate thing, as it enables me to see that Louisa Manning isn't either. She's a very clever woman, and so of course she isn't in love with you. Surely you know of her past?"
"Louisa has explained it all to me, and I know that she has been vilely slandered."
"Slandered?" echoed Caroline. "Goodness Adam, she is a tradesman's daughter who married an impecunious baronet old enough to be her grandfather in order to gain his title. After his death she squandered what little was left of his money on clothes and jewels and ended up under the protection of a series of gentlemen. Her reputation was so besmirched that she had to flee to the Continent, where she found you ripe for the picking. What is there to explain about that?"
Adam swallowed. He owed Louisa his support, he reminded himself. She had stood by him in difficult circumstances. "If you were to become better acquainted with Louisa, I am sure you would understand that she is an extraordinary woman, Caroline. You will have to accept her eventually."
"I have no doubt she is extraordinary, but I doubt I use the word in the same way you do. As for accepting her--no such thing! If you think Mama or I or anyone in Society will embrace her, then you are a great ninny. Poor breeding can perhaps be forgiven, if there is great beauty or intelligence or wealth behind it, but indiscreet behavior in combination with vulgarity is something else altogether! Why, she would be cut at every turn if you were so foolish as to bring her into Society."
Adam frowned. His sister made Louisa appear tawdry, and his earlier doubts flooded into his mind. He wished fervently that he still felt about Louisa the way he had only a few weeks before.
"Then we will remain in retirement," he countered. "I have had more than enough of Society these past weeks, with Allegra's beaux traipsing in and out of my house."
"What an excellent idea," said Caroline approvingly. "Louisa Manning strikes me as exactly the sort of woman who would wish to avoid entertainments at all cost and would prefer to live in quiet seclusion."
Adam looked away. "She may not prefer it," he admitted. "But she would do it for me."
"She would do anything at all that you wanted until that ring was placed on her finger," agreed Caroline. "Then she would doubtless try to force you to introduce her to Society. What a sight that would be!"
"You don't understand my feelings for Louisa," said Adam wearily. If the truth was known, neither did he, he thought.
"You're right about that. I certainly don't. As a matter of fact, I half suspect that you are persisting in your liaison with her simply to annoy your wife. How you can prefer that conniving female to sweet Allegra I simply cannot understand."
"Allegra is everything Louisa is not. She is stubborn and willful and capricious," burst out Adam hotly.
"And lovely and charming and well-bred and beautiful and amusing and any number of other virtues," replied Caroline. "Really, for all that, can't you support a bit of stubbornness?"
"You will not convince me to accept her, nor will I give up Louisa," said Adam sullenly, folding his arms and inspecting the back of the coachman.
Caroline sighed. "Well Adam, I did not take you up with me in order to quarrel with you. So perhaps we had best part for now. But I hope you will reconsider your actions, which are far too rash. Indeed, I see someone I need to talk to. Would you mind giving up your place?"
"Not at all," Adam said sincerely.
Caroline signaled to her coachman to pull up to a nearby carriage, and Adam's face darkened when he recognized the eq
uipage and its occupants. Allegra and Lord Gresham were engaged in intimate conversation, and he felt a surge of fury shoot through him at the sight of his wife's little white hand held in Tristan's large brown one. "What the hell are you up to Caroline?" he demanded.
"Nothing at all. I merely wish to speak to an old friend.” she turned away from Adam, “Lord Gresham! The very man I was searching for!" she called, and hid a smile when he jumped and turned, his dark face reflecting his discomposure.
"Lady Eskmaine. What a surprise," he responded, cautiously.
"Why should it be a surprise? We're quite old friends aren't we? And good afternoon, Allegra dear. You look quite stunning this afternoon, but then, you always do. You don't mind giving up your companion to me, do you? Indeed, I'll trade you. You may have my passenger to keep you company."
Allegra blinked at her sister-in-law, startled by the interruption. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved to have her tete-a-tete with Tristan ended. She shot Adam a quick glance and saw that a look of cold anger blanketed his face. She gave him a glowing smile so that he wouldn't think she was in the least affected by his sudden appearance. But her blood was pounding in her veins at his nearness and the prospect that she might momentarily be alone with him. Why did she have to respond to him in this way, when she felt only the mildest affection for Tristan, who so obviously loved her?
"What the hell do you want with Gresham?" Adam ground out, glaring at his rival. The man still held onto Allegra's hand, and Adam was startled by the violent thoughts that flooded his head. No matter how this tangle ended, he knew that someday he and the baron would fight this out.
"Why, Lord Gresham and I are well-acquainted. He called on me earlier this afternoon, and we had the most fascinating conversation. I'm agog to continue it. Come, Adam, don't be rude. Give up your seat to Lord Gresham. Unless you don't wish to accompany me, sir?"
Tristan stirred himself when Caroline turned wide, innocent eyes on him, having been momentarily paralyzed by his admiration of her tactics. She clearly meant to seize the bull by the horns in this matter, something he had not suspected. He smiled slowly. There was no way he could refuse her invitation without seeming churlish, and in one fell swoop she had not only taken him away from Allegra, but also thrown Adam and Allegra together.
"How can I refuse such an invitation?" he responded. "It will be my pleasure. If you'll excuse me, Your Grace?"
Allegra murmured something polite, and watched as Lord Gresham climbed down from his carriage and approached Caroline's. Adam had turned to her sister and seemed to be muttering to her under his breath, for Caroline responded with a laugh.
"Don't be nonsensical, Adam. As much as I've enjoyed your company, I think you should accompany your wife home now. I'm sure Lord Gresham will be only too happy to see to my entertainment. Will you not?"
The last question was directed to Tristan, who bowed. "With pleasure, ma'am."
"There, you see? Now, thank you again for driving with me, Adam."
Adam glared at her, but had no option but to climb down from the carriage. He stepped aside to allow Tristan to clamber in, just barely restraining the desire to smash the other man in the face. Caroline smiled widely at him.
"Now, go with Allegra, Adam. It does my heart good to see a young couple together."
Under his sister's watchful eye, Adam swung up into Allegra's carriage and seated himself opposite her. She was gazing down at her reticule as though fascinated by it, and didn't greet him. Caroline didn't seem to notice the tension in the air.
"There. I will see both of you soon. And now, we had best move on as my carriage is blocking the track. Good afternoon to you both." She signaled her coachman, who pulled away, leaving Allegra and Adam alone together.
A silence fell over them, as each strove to appear unconcerned. Allegra fought to control her heartbeat, which she felt Adam could surely hear, while Adam struggled with the need to pluck her off the opposite seat and kiss her in full view of the assembled ton. Had it only been two days since he had been with her? It seemed like weeks, even months.
"I must apologize for my sister," he finally growled. "She's meddling where she shouldn't."
"She means well," murmured Allegra. "She simply doesn't understand that this is a matter that cannot be resolved."
Adam felt his spirits sink further. Allegra had said that she felt their estrangement was total. She must indeed be unwilling to be faithful to him. "Exactly. We are totally incompatible."
"Totally," agreed Allegra, picturing him as she had seen him earlier, riding so comfortably with Louisa, whereas now he was stiff and uncomfortable. Clearly he preferred women who could offer him more than she did. For one moment she considered offering to share him with Louisa, to tell him that if he taught her what it was that he wanted, she would be glad to oblige him. But then she banished the thought. It was too humiliating. Adam would probably only laugh at her.
A long silence fell between them. Adam thought for a moment of leaving the carriage, but he couldn't do it. He looked at Allegra's face, still turned down towards her lap, and longed to change her sorrowful look to a happy one, to see her eyes shine with the enjoyment and pleasure that he had seen at Gravesmere. Her hold over him was too powerful. Perhaps there was still some way to find his laughing lover again.
"Allegra--" he began, and then broke off. He didn't wish to make a fool of himself, to give her a chance to laugh at him.
Allegra looked up quickly. "Yes?"
"Nothing." Adam looked away, across the park, to where he could see Louisa's carriage still circling. Allegra followed his gaze, and the hopeful gleam in her eyes died.
"Perhaps we should return home," she said, her voice tight with disappointment.
"By all means." Adam leaned back in his seat as the carriage turned and left the park, silence blanketing its occupants.
In Caroline's carriage Tristan was eyeing his companion with a great deal of respect and a certain amount of alarm. "Allow me to congratulate you, my lady," he said.
Caroline blinked innocently. "On what, pray tell?"
"On a maneuver worthy of a field marshal. Well played, indeed. I'm quite in awe of you."
Caroline waved a hand airily. "Oh, that. It was nothing, I assure you."
"However did you pry your brother away from Lady Manning?"
Caroline shrugged. "I simply told him to get out of her carriage and into mine, which he was happy enough to do. He doesn't really care for her, you know. He's simply accustomed to being with her, and wishes to annoy Allegra. I could tell from his face that he wasn't enjoying himself with her. It's a pity he doesn't understand his own desires."
"I see you take the direct approach, ma'am." Tristan leaned back in his seat and stretched his long legs out in front of him.
"Of course. I've found that overly intricate plots lead to disaster. I'm sure you've discovered the same yourself."
Tristan assumed a look of injured innocence. "Me, my lady? What leads you to believe I'm in the habit of plotting?"
"It's just a suspicion," answered Caroline. She bowed politely to an elderly matron who was waving at her.
Tristan watched her appreciatively for a moment. Despite her lack of pretension, she was undeniably eye-catching, her large green eyes glowing above her fine cheekbones, her elegant figure swaying gracefully with the rhythm of the coach.
"Aren't you afraid that your reputation will suffer for being seen with me?" he asked casually. "The respectable Lady Eskmaine is usually not in the company of someone so disreputable as I."
"Nonsense. You come of excellent stock and are accepted in the best homes. It is you, Lord Gresham, who seem to have some sort of chip on your shoulder. My reputation will suffer not one whit, and I wouldn't care if I did. I choose my own friends."
"Are you calling me your friend?" Tristan leaned forward and watched her closely.
Caroline shook her head indulgently. "Hardly. Though we could be, perhaps, if you weren't plotting again
st my family. I think it a pity that a man so clearly intelligent as you should be wasting your time in this childish manner."
Tristan's expression grew dark. "If I were plotting against your brother, don't you imagine I would have a good reason?"
"There is no good reason for attempting to ruin the lives of others, particularly when innocents like Allegra are involved," said Caroline severely. "You are self-indulgent, my lord, a quality I don't particularly care for."
Tristan stared at her, stung. He had been called many uncomplimentary names in the course of his life, but most of them had implied a degree of fear. Caroline, on the other hand, seemed to find him amusingly contemptible.
"You have no notion of my motivations," he snapped.
"No, but I'm sure that all this is only because you're nursing some sort of ridiculous grudge. What did my brother do to you? Beat you at cards? Or perhaps he bought a horse you wanted. Maybe he insulted the cut of your coat. Really, it's too ridiculous. I don't know why you can't just let it be."
Caroline's tone was cutting, and Tristan grimaced. "I don't care to discuss this with you."
"Because a woman can't understand honor?" asked Caroline. "If this sort of silliness is honor, I'm glad we don't understand it." She shut her parasol with a snap and leaned forward. "Unfortunately, we still have to suffer for it. And believe me, Allegra is suffering."
Tristan struggled to regain his composure. He was used to dealing in innuendo and intrigue, and Caroline's calm directness was unnerving. And why should he care what she thought of him anyway? Once this matter was concluded he would never have to deal with her again.
"It seems to me it's your brother who is causing her unhappiness," he said lightly. "Perhaps you should berate him rather than me."
"Oh, I have, to be sure," answered Caroline cheerfully.
"I almost pity him."
Caroline smiled sunnily. "Don't waste your sympathy. You will need all of it for yourself shortly."
Tristan looked around. It wasn't too late to perhaps intercept Allegra's carriage and cause more mischief. "I'm sure you find my company tedious, Lady Eskmaine. Perhaps we would both be more comfortable if you allowed me to alight."
A Most Unusual Situation: A Traditional Version Georgian Romance (The Gravesmeres Book 1) Page 20