She’d met more than a few rakes in the years since her debut, but had never been attracted to any of them. She’d found their practiced ways laughable and could not imagine how ladies forgot themselves around them.
But she feared if she spent too much more time with Lord James she would forget why forgetting herself with him was a bad idea.
Had it just been his words and rugged good looks, she likely would not have been affected to this extreme. But his moment of vulnerability when speaking of his father had struck a chord with her. She knew very well what it felt like to grow up as a disappointment to her father. To never be good enough, no matter how hard she tried.
She loved her father and certainly did not want his health to suffer because of this land business, but she was not close to him. She’d never spoken of her problems with her father to anyone. She had few real friends. But somehow she felt that if she were to speak of it to Lord James he would understand.
Which was ridiculous, of course. This man was accusing her brother of stealing. They could not be friends. She should leave the house immediately. And she would do that very thing, were it not for the girl.
Irene’s first instinct was to take Miss Emerson’s hand. But Lord James had just told her to leave. Irene was at a loss as to how to obey his directive without hurting the little girl’s feelings. And she had a feeling that no matter what Lord James thought of Irene and her family, he would not want Miss Emerson to feel slighted. Irene looked at Lord James, only to find him studying her intently. Then he nodded just the slightest amount.
She gently took the girl’s hand.
“Will you come show me?” Miss Emerson asked her.
“Of course. What would you like to know?”
The little girl led her back to the volume of artwork, lying open on the table. Lord James helped Miss Emerson climb into the chair.
“You can sit here,” said the girl to Irene, pointing to the chair next to her. “And Papa, you can sit there.” Miss Emerson indicated the chair opposite Irene.
Lord James helped Irene take a seat, accidentally brushing his fingers across her shoulders as he did so. The accompanying sensation was most unwelcome. And she was most irritated when it appeared he was unaffected.
“What is this?” Miss Emerson asked, pointing to a painting of a city.
“It’s a city in France called Paris,” said Irene.
The girl studied the painting, taking everything in.
“It’s across the ocean,” said Irene, “but not in the same direction as America.”
The girl nodded, as if that made sense.
“Have you been to Paris?” Lord James asked Irene.
“Once. A few years after the war ended. Papa had business there and Grandmama convinced him to take us. It was beautiful. Have you been there?”
“The war was still raging when I left for America.”
“I see.”
Miss Emerson turned the page to a painting of a man and woman on a picnic in the park. She looked at Irene again.
“It looks like they’re having a lovely time, doesn’t it? Has your papa taken you for luncheon in a park?”
Miss Emerson shook her head.
“Lord James! You should remedy that immediately.”
“Winter is hardly the season for outdoor dining, Miss Wallace.”
“But what about last summer or the summer before that?”
Lord James stiffened and Irene did not know what she’d said to offend him. She certainly hadn’t meant to. She was making an effort to be polite in front of his daughter. She was on the verge of apologizing – though she wasn’t quite sure why – when he spoke again.
“I was unaware of Anna’s existence until six months ago,” he said quietly, even as he reached over to gently tug one of his daughter’s braids.
It was an endearing gesture that Irene felt to her soul.
“It is the greatest regret of my life that I did not know of her birth sooner,” he said. “Fortunately, her mother told me before she passed away.”
“I am so sorry,” said Irene. “So terribly sorry.” She reached out and squeezed Anna’s hand. The little girl simply looked at her with soulful eyes.
They were interrupted by someone knocking loudly on the front door, followed a moment later by the visitor’s appearance in the library. Irene recognized him as Simon Chilcott, a cousin of the current Earl of Layton. Chilcott was in his early thirties, of medium height, with sandy brown hair. He had a round face that was currently scowling. Irene knew him only slightly, but had never found him particularly pleasant. The current expression on his face did nothing to raise him in her esteem.
“What are you doing here?” he said accusingly to Lord James, before turning his scowl on Anna.
Without thinking, Irene put her arm protectively around Anna’s shoulders, as Lord James rose to his rather impressive height. The two men might be matched for weight, but Simon Chilcott carried most of his about the middle and Lord James’s was sheer muscle distributed quite pleasingly throughout his frame.
“Chilcott,” said Lord James in a level voice. “I did not hear you announced.” Then he turned his gaze to Williams who was hovering in the doorway. At least the butler had the good grace to look embarrassed.
“I don’t need to be announced,” said Simon. “This is my home.”
“Actually, this is the Earl of Layton’s home. And my daughter and I are his guests.”
“So the rumors are true. That is your daughter.”
“It is odd that there are rumors already floating about since we only arrived in town last night.” Here James looked at Williams again and this time the butler departed the room as quickly as possible.
“I never would have believed it, had I not seen it with my own eyes,” said Simon. “Of course, it’s exactly something an Emerson would do.”
Fearing that violence could break out at any moment since Lord James looked murderous, Irene stepped into the fray. “Mr. Chilcott, is it not customary to not only have yourself announced, but then to greet everyone on admittance? I do not believe you did either of those things.”
Simon studied her. “Pray forgive me, Miss Wallace. I did not mean to appear to be a savage.” Here he looked at Anna again, a small sneer on his lips.
“Lord James,” said Irene quickly. “The Earl of Ridgeway has recently wed, has he not?”
“Yes,” he said curtly, as if upset that she had stopped him from proceeding to thrash Simon for all but calling Anna a savage.
“I am sure he must have disappointed many of the ton’s mamas.”
“Disappointed?” asked Simon. “Or relieved them of their worries, since their daughters would no longer be in danger of having their fortunes siphoned off by the impoverished Ridgeway.”
Irene wondered how long she could keep Lord James from planting the odious man a facer. She rather wanted to strike him herself. But she rose to stand between the two men because she wanted to prevent a brawl for Miss Emerson’s sake. “I quite liked Lord Ridgeway on the few occasions we met.”
Lord James frowned just the slightest. Did he not like his brother?
She continued. “And I imagine a title would be nice to have. However, I believe the Earl of Layton would have no trouble securing a bride, even if he were an impoverished mister. In the last season alone, there were any number of ladies who had to reach for their smelling salts any time he was near. And you would know that best of all, would you not, Mr. Chilcott?”
It was no secret in ton circles that Simon Chilcott had never had much success with the ladies, in direct contrast to his cousin’s ease with them.
Simon Chilcott had a legendary temper. Irene knew she’d scored a direct hit for his face flooded with color and he turned toward her with enough force that for a moment she thought she might be struck.
Until a large muscled male quickly stepped between them. “Why have you come, Chilcott?”
Simon took a deep breath. Irene couldn’t see him – Lord
James was rather like a human eclipse – but she could tell he was calming just a bit. “I wanted to make sure everything was set to rights with the house. I do that when Nicholas is away.”
“I shan’t steal the silver if that is what worries you. And I shall make sure Layton knows of your secret visits the next time I see him.”
“There is no need for that.”
“Yet I shall be doing it just the same.”
Irene could sense that Chilcott wanted to say more, but didn’t.
“Perhaps I should leave,” he said.
“That is the most sensible thing you’ve said since your arrival,” said Lord James, who still hadn’t removed himself from between Irene and Simon.
It wasn’t until Simon had made good on his promise and left the house that Lord James turned to face Irene.
Miss Emerson must have sensed something was amiss during the confrontation between Lord James and Chilcott, for she’d leaned into Irene, who’d held her close without even realizing it. She was still there, Irene was surprised to see.
It rather surprised Lord James, as well, by the odd look on his face.
Irene carefully removed her arm from the girl, who then went to her father. He picked her up easily. “I regret you had to see that,” he said to Irene. “Chilcott has been making Nick’s life difficult these past several months.”
“I am surprised it has only been for that short a time,” said Irene. “He seems to take great pleasure in making himself a nuisance.”
“Indeed. What was it you said about Nick and the ladies that angered Chilcott so much?”
“I suppose it wasn’t very nice of me to bring it up, but Simon had been pursuing Lady Gwendolyn Bossert as a bride, but the lady herself had eyes for no one but the Earl of Layton.”
“That must have irritated Simon.”
“Very much so. I might feel sorry for him if it had been a love match, but I think he was more interested in the lady’s dowry than her person. I do not believe Layton encouraged her. From what I observe, Layton is continually pursued, whether he encourages it or not. I believe that was the case for both your brothers.” She stopped and her face immediately flooded with color. While it was all but common knowledge that the Earl of Layton was the half brother of the Emersons, it was still a rumor. And certainly not spoken of in polite company. “Pray forgive me, Lord James. I did not mean to imply anything.”
He smiled wryly, even as he kissed his daughter on her cheek. “Do not distress yourself, Miss Wallace. I am well aware of the rumors.”
“Yes, but given our adversarial positions, I do not want you to think I meant to insult you in any way.”
“Are we adversaries? I rather thought we were getting past that.”
“Perhaps we are. I believe we have Miss Emerson to thank for that.”
“Her name is Anna.”
Irene smiled. “Anna. It fits her nicely.”
“It is an Algonquin name, as well as Anglican. Her mother chose well.”
“She did. She must have respected you a great deal to entrust Anna to you.”
“Does that make a difference in your opinion of me?”
Irene was afraid to admit just how much her opinion of Lord James had changed in the past half hour. “I do think it less likely that you are trying to defraud my father,” she said slowly. “Though I also cannot believe that my brother behaved so dishonorably. It must be a misunderstanding.”
Her answer did not entirely please him. He simply shook his head, resigned to the impasse.
“What will you do now?” she asked.
“I must find evidence to support my claim. I have a solicitor looking into it – discreetly, I assure you. I have no desire to cause your father anguish. I only wish to have this matter resolved justly. What do you plan to do?”
“I shall write to Cedric straightaway, though even if my letter were to reach him as soon as possible, I would not receive a response sooner than two months from now.”
“Two months from now I hope to be underway for America.”
“I will go through Cedric’s old papers to see if I can find anything of use. Shall we meet in the park in two days to discuss this further?”
For a moment it looked like he would refuse. Irene was surprised by how much the thought disappointed her. But then he said, “Thank you, Miss Wallace. You are most kind.”
“How can I not be cooperative for Anna’s sake?” She gently tugged one of the girl’s braids and was rewarded with a smile.
“So you would not cooperate if it were I alone?” Lord James asked with an aggravatingly attractive smile.
“Never, my lord. I would set the dogs on you.”
“You said you don’t have dogs.”
“I would acquire some.”
After agreeing on the exact place to meet and Lord James insisting that both a maid and a footman accompany her home, Irene left the house. Though she hadn’t accomplished what she’d set out to do, she was pleased to have a purpose – too many days passed without one. If possible, she would like to help Lord James and his adorable daughter. Though she wasn’t certain what she could do since this was bound to be a misunderstanding.
Wasn’t it?
*
James hadn’t felt this unsettled in ages.
He’d had Cedric’s family neatly pegged. They were peers born into money and privilege who did not respect a man’s hard work. And, indeed, the viscount and the dragon had fit that description perfectly. But the sister.
The sister.
Irene Wallace was a conundrum. Beautiful, but kind to a shy little girl. A lady with exquisite manners who did not balk when Anna touched her hair. She’d also stood up to that arse Simon Chilcott and placed her arm around Anna protectively. Something happened to him when he’d seen that. The gesture was so tender. So sincere. So sweet.
James couldn’t believe how close he’d come to planting Chilcott a facer. He would have, if Anna hadn’t been there to witness it.
He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to meet Miss Wallace again. Perhaps it was because she was the only person he knew in London. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Most of the men he’d gone to school with probably lived in London. They could be found fairly easily. Yet he had no desire to seek them out.
After all, he had Anna to consider. There was no one he could leave her with, not that he wanted to, anyway. He was still getting to know her. They were slowly building a bond and he didn’t want to leave her in someone’s care so he could go off for a night with friends.
He wasn’t the same man he’d been at school. He’d seen too much of the world – the good and the terrible – to remain unaffected. He had no desire to waste money gaming and whoring.
Well, he wouldn’t mind the physical release of a visit to a brothel. But it was unseemly now that he was a father.
Good Lord, he was becoming a boring old sot.
Or maybe he was just growing up.
He did have one other important mission in London. He wanted to see his sister Win. He’d had few letters from her through the years, which was in keeping with what Colin and Nick had been telling him earlier. They suspected her husband limited her contact with the family. With the way marriage laws were written, a wife was her husband’s property and he could treat her as he liked. Given the abuse that existed within so many marriages, it was barbaric that husbands would be given so much power. But, unfortunately, it was the law of the land.
Nick had said she’d been travelling. James hoped she was back. He was determined to see for himself if his sister was well. And if Pierce had mistreated her, James would remove her from the house. She could accompany him back to America. With divorce an extreme rarity, it wouldn’t be the first time that a husband and wife parted ways, never to see each other again.
If Pierce objected, well, it could be the last thing he ever did.
So he would check on Win, then he would meet Miss Wallace the following day and try not to think of her overly much in the meantime.
He had no great confidence that he would succeed.
CHAPTER SIX
As usual, Irene breakfasted alone the next day. Her father was so weakened by Lord James’s visit that he’d taken to his bed and had not been seen since, except by the dowager. When Irene had tried to check on him the previous evening, he’d curtly told her to leave. She’d tried again that morning, but had been waved away by his valet.
The dowager always took her chocolate on a tray in bed and had a standing order that she did not wish to be disturbed until noon unless it was an emergency. Irene had often wondered just how urgent the emergency would have to be in order to interrupt her grandmother without being punished for the infraction. As a child, Irene had once badly bruised her arm after falling from a tree. She’d sought solace from her grandmother at ten of the clock and had her ears boxed as a result.
It was a mistake Irene had never repeated.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the previous day. They were extraordinary in many ways and the most excitement she’d had in years, if not ever.
Her life was made up of a series of social calls and duty, much of which was dictated by the dowager. Her grandmother had a list of scheduled visits and events for each day, depending on which hostess was either in her good graces or deserved a snub. But as the dowager became more and more cantankerous, it seemed that Irene’s social life became even more curtailed. There were days when Irene didn’t attend any events at all because someone had said something that offended the dowager.
The dragon.
She had to laugh at how Lord James had described her. It was impolite to the extreme, of course, but thoroughly accurate. She had a feeling he was often blunt yet insightful. And not for the first time did she wonder whether he might be right about Cedric.
She didn’t believe her brother would ever do anything as dishonorable as stealing from a man. But Cedric was known to cut the occasional corner, though Irene could not recall a time when he’d done so to the extent detailed by Lord James. Most of his transgressions involved overspending his allowance, then racking up gaming debts.
Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) Page 5