“Yes, I will hear it.”
Chapter 28
“I feel as if my head is spinning and will not stop, Adeline. I feel I must sit down and yet at the same time I cannot do it. I can do nothing but pace this drawing room until I wear a hole in the rug.”
“Imogen, you must sit down. I have sent for more tea and some bread-and-butter to fortify you, but you really must sit down.” In the end, Adeline rose from her own seat and grasped Imogen firmly.
“I cannot drink any more tea, I am awash with tea,” Imogen said, her cheeks still violently red even an hour after the Earl and his sister had left them.
“But you shall drink it nonetheless, and you shall most certainly eat the bread-and-butter. We do not know when this thing is going to come, but it might be days; it might even be weeks. What I do know is that you cannot be in all this state for even just a few minutes, never mind days. Now sit.” Adeline’s suddenly forceful tone seemed to bring Imogen back to her senses.
“Please forgive me,” Imogen said with a great sigh. “I do not think I have ever been quite so shocked in my life. Not shocked on my own personal account, at any rate. But that one person should despise me so would be quite enough, and yet there are at least four. How on earth could I have provided such great offence to so many?”
“There is nothing in the slightest offensive about you, my dear. You really must waste not another moment wondering what you have done. You have done nothing except be yourself. You have done nothing but add to this world in a positive way. People are drawn to you quite naturally and others, perhaps equally naturally, find themselves incredibly envious, however much they do not care to admit it. In the end, this boils down to nothing more than good old-fashioned jealousy. The Ravenswoods and the Countess of Reddington are eaten alive with jealousy because it is very clear to them that the Earl is in love with you. And that ridiculous excuse for a Duke is eaten alive with jealousy because it is very clear to him that you are in love with the Earl. There, is it now not all so very simple?”
“I am not in love with the Earl,” Imogen protested instantly.
“The very speed of your denial confirms my suspicions. And now is not the time to discuss it, my dear.”
“But I …”
“I shall just check to see where the tea is. Sit.” Adeline rose to her feet and bustled across the drawing room just in time to meet the maid coming in with yet another tray of tea. “Oh, you are an utter lamb. You have come just when our need is the greatest.” Adeline beamed at the young maid who was used to her mistress’ curious and somewhat eccentric turn of phrase.
“I’ll just place it on the table for you, My Lady,” the maid said when it looked as if Adeline might snatch the tray out of her hand.
“Yes, yes. Thank you, my dear.” Adeline was a little pink in the face, and the maid looked at her curiously for just a few moments before curtsying and darting out of the room.
“There now, you have the maid terrified as well as me,” Imogen said sulkily.
“Violet is not terrified of me, Imogen. None of my staff are. They all adore me, as do you.”
“Oh, Adeline,” Imogen said and finally felt a great pressure released from the middle of her chest. “How wonderful of you to be ridiculous at this moment and make me laugh. What would I do in this world without you?”
“Well, ordinarily I would say to you that you would cope very well indeed. However, looking at you at this moment, I am not so sure.” Adeline chuckled and seemed pleased to have calmed her young friend to almost normality.
“Quite so,” Imogen conceded, holding her palms forward. “But I am calm now.”
“So, you have come to terms with the thing?”
“Yes, I believe so. Although I do wish that we would not have to see the whole thing through. I must admit, when the Earl said that his first thought had been to nip the whole thing in the bud before it had even begun, I felt myself relieved. I truly thought that he would have done that.”
“But I believe that between him and that dear little sister of his, they have explained very adequately the sense of seeing it through. Not only for Lord Reddington but for yourself also.”
Imogen reached out to take the cup and saucer that Adeline handed her and leaned back in the comfortable armchair as she tried to think about the whole thing. In truth, she could hardly think about the details of the dreadful plan without her cheeks setting off aflame once again. Even Heath had faltered a little in the final explanation of not only the plan, but the dreadful motives behind it, and Imogen had blushed violently from that moment onwards. Even Prudence had looked a little pink, and she had already been aware of the thing for a full day and night.
“What do you mean we must see it through?” Imogen had heard the fear in her own voice. “Surely there is a great risk that the Duke and all concerned will get exactly what they plan to get in the first place. I would not care to be ruined in such a way by scurrilous gossip when I have done nothing to deserve it.”
“But my dear Lady Pennington, we would see to it that they did not succeed. I have planned the whole thing through very thoroughly,” Prudence had said and moved from her own seat to sit closely at Imogen’s side. “I have realized that there is a way for both you and my brother to turn this to your own advantage. From my brother’s part, it will quash any idea that he is in some way obligated to Miss Ravenswood and her father. In truth, they would be so embarrassed, one would hope, by the uncovering of their plan that they would simply disappear into the sunset never to reappear in our lives again. And my mother, of course, could be left in no doubt that my brother’s future choices are absolutely none of her concern.”
“I understand that entirely and believe me I would help in any way I could but …” Imogen began to protest.
“But it would also put a very determined end to any unwanted attentions you are receiving from the Duke of Dalton. I am sure that you have already perceived that he is not a man to be put off; in truth, I believe him to be something of a bully. And he is not a man who likes to be beaten on any point. If you turn him down with the explanation that you just do not wish to marry him or do not have the requisite feelings for him, I believe that he will simply redouble his efforts. And I cannot help thinking that he is so determined that he might attempt something which would upend the very real work that you and Lady Redmond have achieved here these last months.”
“Oh goodness, I could not bear that either.” Imogen had felt her world tumbling all around her at that moment. She was a dreadful mixture of rage and fear, and she had never felt that way in all her life.
“We cannot let that happen, Lady Pennington,” Heath said, and she was relieved that he had chosen not to address her by her Christian name. It had been wonderful in private, but it would have added yet more confusion to an already confusing afternoon. “I must admit when my sister first told me of her plan, I was dubious. But then I had a chance to think about it, and I could see that all she had worked out was right. If we can thwart the attempt as they make it, we have a good deal of power over them. There would be many witnesses to the Duke’s intended crime, and even he would not weather the storm of such scandal. It would certainly be a very high card to hold up one’s sleeve if it was ever needed to put an end to any ideas of revenge he might have, especially concerning the charity.”
“You are both right, of course,” Imogen said and felt suddenly exhausted.
She had been so shocked and terrified by what she had been told that she had almost forgotten what high regard she now held Heath in. She had almost forgotten how it had felt to walk at his side, her arm through his, in those wonderful moments when they had grown a little closer. Almost, but not quite.
As she looked from Heath to Prudence and back again, silently studying their beautiful pale skin, blue eyes, and dark hair, she knew that she could never have imagined the two of them coming to her rescue on that first day she had seen them stepping out of their carriage and striding to the front of the queue
at Lady Rossington’s ball. She had thought them both so haughty and self-entitled, and yet she had been so very wrong. The Earl had sported with her in a way which had been too familiar and too abrasive, but surely, he had learned from his mistakes. And now there they both sat, both dreadfully worried, having come up with the most detailed plan to save not only her reputation but the very charity that the Earl had scoffed at in the beginning.
“Let us not dwell any more on dreadful motivations and selfish wants of others. Let us get straight to the details of the plan so that Imogen and I are completely familiar with it all and ready for whatever comes,” Adeline said, almost as if she were bringing the room to attention.
“Quite so, Lady Redmond,” Heath said and nodded vigorously. “Since it is Prudence’s plan, I ought really to let her tell all of the details to you herself.” Heath turned to look at his sister.
“Fortunately, we know that the party is going to send a fraudulent message purporting to be from Lady Rossington, allegedly requesting some most private and discreet assistance from Lady Redmond and Lady Redmond alone. That is the very basis of my plan and a most fortunate piece of information, for I have been able to build everything else on its foundation,” Prudence began and Imogen, despite not yet hearing the full details of the plan, already felt a little reassured. There was something very organized and competent about the Earl’s younger sister. “We shall station a member of our own staff here, most likely our driver from today until this thing is over so that we have an open line of communication. The moment that Lady Redmond receives the fraudulent message, our driver will return to Belgravia immediately and be able to give us the full details of the message in minutes.” Prudence seemed suddenly excited and was clearly very sure of the plan she had devised. “My brother and I shall be ready to leave immediately, with our driver bringing us back in the carriage but leaving us at least a street away so that we can come into the building through the servants’ entrance unseen.”
“I say, this is exciting,” Adeline said, and Imogen looked at her in amazement. “Sorry, do go on.”
“Then, Lady Redmond leaves the house as if to make her way to Lady Rossington. It would be best to make a show of leaving in your carriage because your home will undoubtedly be watched, very likely by the Duke himself as he awaits his opportunity to come into the house. But you really must not look about to see if you can see him, Lady Redmond or the entire thing will be exposed.”
“Have no fear, Lady Montgomery. You may rely on me, my dear,” Adeline said enthusiastically.
“Oh dear,” Imogen said with a sigh which brought a general round of light laughter to the room.
“Oh, now I can be very discreet when I need to be,” Adeline defended herself in the most comical fashion.
“And then I believe that the Duke will make his approach. Your staff will show him in, as you might well expect them to. After all, he is the Duke of Dalton, is he not? And then, when he is shown into the drawing room, Lady Pennington ought to receive him with a certain amount of surprise. As the Duke makes himself comfortable, he will be entirely unaware that my brother and I shall be in the corridor outside ready to come in at any moment. In truth, I do not know exactly how it would go from here, for I do not know if he will say anything at all or threaten in any way, or if he will simply bide his time until it is dark and he can be assured that he has enough time that his rumour would look true.”
“Oh dear,” Imogen said again.
“But it will not get that far, Lady Pennington. It will last a matter of minutes, whatever he says. If he chooses to say nothing but simply play for time, my brother and I will come in within a matter of minutes and make him well aware that we know all of the plan. Not only that, but that we shall make his rotten intentions public if he does not take his leave and say nothing more of it,” Prudence spoke with confidence.
“And then, when Lady Redmond is returned, my sister and I shall return to Belgravia and have the whole thing out with our mother. I have no doubt that the Ravenswoods will be there with her or, at the very least, they will get to hear of it very shortly thereafter. And so, in a matter of an hour or two, we ought to have them entirely thwarted,” Heath said encouragingly. “What do you say?” He lowered his voice and directed his question to Imogen. He looked into her eyes, and she knew that he would only do whatever it was she asked of him at that moment.
“I think that it is a very good plan indeed. As terrified as I am about the whole thing, as upset as I am, I still can see that it is the only way to stop them coming up with something similar in the future. We must catch them in the act, must not we?”
“I really think that we must,” Prudence said and reached out to take her hand. “I am so sorry that it has come to this, but at least we are not blind to it all.”
“Yes, at least my sister is the most determined eavesdropper; otherwise, we should know none of it,” he said and laughed, returning to his mischievous and inappropriate self.
Prudence shook her head and began to laugh, highly amused by her brother. Imogen and Adeline, despite their shock, took the opportunity for a moment of light relief.
“So, it is settled then?” Adeline said, looking at each of them in turn.
“It is settled,” Imogen said and let out a great sigh.
Chapter 29
“My lady, this has just arrived for you,” Simmons said as he walked into the drawing room and handed Adeline a sealed letter.
“Thank you kindly, Simmons,” Adeline said, smiling broadly at him as Imogen felt her heart drop into her stomach. Surely this must be it.
They had waited for a further day for any sign that the Duke and his accomplices did intend to put their plan into operation. In all that time, Imogen had not managed more than ten minutes sleep together as she tortured herself imagining any number of ways that the plan might fail.
“Would you like me to wait for a reply, My Lady?” Simmons said and hovered.
“Let me see,” Adeline said, and Imogen thought she was already doing a marvelous job of acting her part.
Adeline broke the small wax seal and unfolded the paper, hurriedly reading its contents.
“No, it is only a note from Lady Rossington. She is simply reminding me that I was due to call on her in the early evening. No, there is no need to send a reply, thank you, Simmons.”
“Very well, My Lady,” he said and bowed before leaving the room.
“I can hardly bear it; what does it say?”
“In handwriting which does not even begin to resemble Lady Rossington’s, I am asked to see her this evening at six o’clock in her own home in Belgravia. It is very brief; brief enough I assume to engender a certain amount of concern and curiosity within me. She allegedly asks that I come alone because she has a matter of some delicacy which she would wish to discuss with me. Oh, and she allegedly asks me not to mention it to anybody.”
“Right up until this moment, I had never believed that they would go through with it. But this letter is the start of things, and it shows me how very much they all despise me.”
“I have told you before to waste no time at all upsetting yourself on the likes and dislikes of people who are neither here nor there to you. Just remember, you do not like them either.”
“Yes, that is very true. But I truly believe myself to have reason.”
“Oh yes, you most definitely do have a very good reason.” Adeline rose to her feet and handed the letter to Imogen. “Now, put that in the top drawer of my bureau, for it is evidence.”
“Evidence?”
“Yes, it is something that you can show to the Duke later when all is known, just so that he knows you have something against him that you can show others. Evidence.”
“You really are so clever.”
“Yes, I am,” Adeline said and smiled in a way that Imogen knew was designed to soothe her a little. “And now I must make haste. I shall dispatch the Earl’s driver immediately. And we do have at least an hour before I need to leave,
so, there is no need for any hurry or any panic.”
“Quite so,” Imogen said with a good deal more confidence than she felt.
In the minutes that Adeline was away dealing with the Earl’s driver, Imogen had felt suddenly hot and dizzy. It was not so much the fear of failure, but rather that she was suddenly overcome with anger at the injustice of it all.
After all, she had certainly not gone out of her way to secure the affections of Heath Montgomery; quite the reverse, in fact. And that would have been quite plain for all to see, despite Heath’s own determined efforts to continually engage her in conversation.
And yet the spite of the thing was directed at her, not the Earl. In order to punish him, the Ravenswoods and Countess of Reddington were all too ready to sacrifice her in the worst way imaginable. It was not a simple thing to pass such gossip, but something that would last a lifetime if they had succeeded. Had Prudence not overheard their plan, Imogen’s life could have changed irrevocably. And that, above all things, made her furious.
A Lady for the Brazen Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 23