“Yes, if it means that I can keep you in check. Pray, tell me, were have you been?” she asked again.
Thomas’s face was unreadable as he replied, “I have been where I should have been a long time past.”
She studied her son’s face, “Thomas have you been with her?”
“Her… Mother?”
“You know very well to whom I am referring?” she said crossly.
“If you mean by ‘her’ as Miss Austin, then, yes, I have been with her.”
“Dear Lord!” she sighed. “Pray Thomas, what are you thinking?”
“What am I thinking mother?” he said sarcastically.
“You have gone quite mad! You are supposed to take a mistress once you are married, not before.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her words, “That’s not what I am led to believe; in fact, it is quite common with some of my close acquaintances to keep a mistress before, and after their marriages.”
She let out an agitated sigh, “You cannot be serious in thinking that you can do the same! You are the Lord of Nedgely I will not sit by and see you ruin our good name by your behaviour.”
“If I am discreet, I see no reason why I should not take a mistress. After all, as you say, I am the Lord.”
“Thomas, I will not stand for this. Sir John is family and my very good friend.”
“And, what is your point mother?”
“Do you honestly think that, after all the time, money and education he invested in Maria, he would see his only niece become your mistress? It would kill him. You are a fool to believe that he would just sit back and let you destroy all he has done to turn her into the most sought after maiden in Shropshire, with excellent marriage proposals ahead of her. It would ruin her completely, scandalise the Austin name!”
“I would never do that.”
“You might not think it at this moment, but I can assure you that, sooner or later, it would happen. No one can keep a secret forever. Think about what you are doing. Think of Miss Cartland.”
He looked at the woman who had raised him; did he even know her at this moment in time? His anger welled up from deep in the pit of his stomach and he could not avoid the hatred in his words.
“You may think that you can manipulate me into marriage with Miss Cartland, Mother, but you know full well that I never made any promises to her, for I have loved no other but Maria my whole life.” The bitterness shone through his words.
She was taken aback at the tone he took. Never, in all her years, had he spoken to her in the way that he did now.
“Oh Thomas, do you think that I have been blind all these years? I have been fully aware of your affections for her. At one time, both Sir John and I had hoped for a union between the two of you. Surely, you must know what society expects of us?”
“I really do not care what society expects. I wish to live my life how I choose, and I do not want to be forced into a loveless marriage.” He made his anger evident, “I love M, and there is nothing you or society can do to change that. What we choose to do is entirely up to us!”
He turned to leave, as his mother placed a hand upon his sleeve, “Thomas, please, I have only your best interests at heart.”
He looked down at her and she cringed at the fury in his eyes. “My best interests? You are Lady Bradley of Nedgely Hall. You have the say amongst the ton. If you wish it, this façade of a marriage would never have been arranged and I would have been free to marry M. But no, you chose to ignore your son’s wishes and bow down to the simple minds of society for no other reason than to keep your life as conveniently trouble-free as possible.”
“Thomas, please?” she called after him as he took the steps of the grand stairs. She watched him turn back to her.
“I will go ahead with this marriage only because you wish it, but I will never agree with it. I shall take my mistress and she shall bear my children. Be assured, mother, that you will never have a grandchild that will bear the Bradley name.”
She watched, as he departed, realising that she had broken the bond with her only son. “What have I done?” she cried.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Garth Lewis had decided that he would make an early call on Miss Austin this day. He was so confident in his welcome in Whitmore Manor that no letter had gone before him to announce that he would be arriving—he was so sure that Sir John would welcome him into his house without it. Thus, he set off on the hefty mare along the country path towards Whitmore.
He was rehearsing his little speech when the black stallion and its rider burst out over the nearby hedgerow at speed and he nearly tumble off his horse with surprise.
“Miss Austin,” he spoke to himself, “I wonder where you could be going in such haste?”
He watched her canter to the top of Upper Bank before disappearing from his view. He was intrigued and set off in pursuit of her. He came to the brow of the hill and, for a second, thought that she had vanished completely, for she was nowhere to be seen in the valley below. Just as he was about to turn his mare around, he spotted her coming out from the group of trees at the hill’s base. However, she was not alone. There, before his very eyes, she walked hand in hand with Mr Thomas Bradley. He jumped from his horse and came to lie on the hard ground as he watched in surprise. He did sense a bond between the two, but would have never imagined that they would behave so recklessly. Several minutes had gone by before he saw firsthand a confirmation that their friendship was more than it seemed. Now, he watched the pair embrace passionately, he was sure that they were lovers. What he chose to do with this piece of information he did not know yet, but he was certain that it would be very useful, indeed, as the plan started to form in his mind.
* * * * *
Alfred Grainger had made up his mind that he was going to approach Sir John for the hand of his niece. He had given it a great deal of thought, and by the way his friend Garth was behaving, he knew that he would have to broach the issue sooner rather than later, for he was almost certain that his friend had designs on Miss Austin for himself.
An invitation had arrived from Whitmore Manor, requesting his company for dinner the following evening. He was planning to use the opportunity to try strengthening his bond with Miss Austin prior to his proposal.
Unbeknownst to him, however, Garth Lewis had also just been in receipt of the invitation and he too was making plans, but whereas Alfred Grainger’s were honourable, the very angry Mr Lewis’ were quite the opposite.
That evening, Maria found herself once more in the company of Garth Lewis; she felt her skin crawl at his very nearness. Although, on the outside, he was a very amiable man, she was in no doubt that he was actually a rather ruthless individual, who only had his interests in mind. He held a look in his eye that she had only ever encountered from one other person before and that was Miss Cartland—it was burning resentment and hatred. She could understand the redhead’s feelings towards her, but she was at a loss to comprehend why this gentleman would reflect this sort of feelings towards her through the evil glint of his eyes.
And still she noticed that he always made a point of taking her hand when she would least expect it and bring it in contact with his wet lips, which made her recoil inside. She was sure that these advances were for the attention of her uncle, for he kept smiling over to them appreciatively.
Why was he making such a point of doing this if he held her in such little esteem? Finally, as she had come to the conclusion that he had very little regard for her, all that was left to consider was what other plans he might have had that involved her.
Sir John seemed oblivious to Garth’s behaviour towards Maria. In fact, he was enjoying the gentleman’s company. Maria, on the other hand, was more perceptive. It was obvious to her that something was very wrong with the man and that he was hiding his true intentions.
Mr Grainger, on the other hand, was his normal chatty self and always found something to say that would make her laugh into his warm brown eyes. He and Garth were like two com
pletely different characters and she wondered how they had ever managed to become friends.
After dinner, she found herself bullied into playing the harp for their entertainment. Still, she was quite happy to do so, for it meant that, at least for a while, she did not have to listen to yet another slime-covered word from Mr Lewis. Instead, she ended up having to suffer his penetrating stare, as she sat alone in front of them, playing her enchanting tunes.
Mr Grainger was sure that Sir John would accept his offer and had decided that tomorrow would be soon enough to make his affections known.
“Miss Austin, you play the harp magnificently. I do hope that you might honour us again very soon with your music?” he asked as soon as she had stood from her stool.
“You are too kind, Mr Grainger, for I fear that I still have a lot to learn where the art of music is concerned.”
“Surely not, for you play with such a passion. It is hard to believe that you are unaware of your talents.”
She blushed at his compliment and went to thank him again for his kind words, as Mr Lewis stepped into their private conversation.
“I too would like to congratulate you on your playing,” he said smoothly. “It is always a pleasure to see a young lady of such accomplishments. I would also like to say how very disappointed I am that we did not have the company of your good friend, Mr Bradley, at dinner. Was he otherwise engaged?”
There was an undertone to his words that baffled her. Why on earth would he mention Mr Bradley?
“I… I am not sure,” she stammered, “I believe that uncle only invited yourself and Mr Grainger.”
“What a pity. I thought that it might be amusing to discuss ancestral history with him,” Garth said snidely.
“Why on earth would you think that he would be interested in discussing that topic with you?” she asked, astonished.
“I thought that it might hold a mutual interest to all that were here, that was all.”
By mentioning Tom, he gave her the distinct impression that he was up to something. She was now sure that Mr Lewis new about her secret liaison with Tom. Still, she could not understand how or where he would come into possession of such information. She wondered if her uncle’s employees had said something that gave their secret away. She suspected that, bribed with the right amount of money, they would not hesitate to expose her and Tom’s entanglement. She chose not to entertain him on the matter any further and turned her attentions back to Mr Grainger.
Having been given the snub, Mr Lewis angrily turned to talk to Sir John. How dare she dismiss him as if he was nothing? She would pay for the embarrassment she caused him, he assured himself.
Maria was fully aware of the anger that radiated from his person. Why would he develop sudden interest in their heritage, she did not know. She could feel him watching her even as he discussed the politics of the country with her uncle and she was glad that Mr Grainger had been present so that she did not have to make polite conversation with the despicable man.
The evening was drawing to an end, and having quite enough unsettling conversation for one day, she excused herself, leaving the men to their cigars and port.
She had just stepped out into the great hall, heading towards the spiral stairs, when Mr Lewis’s voice sounded behind her.
“Miss Austin,” he drooled.
“Mr Lewis?” she turned to face him, shocked that he had quite evidently left the others so that he could seek her out.
He came towards her and, taking her hands in his yet again, he said, “If you would do me the honour of giving me an audience with you tomorrow, there is something particular I would like to speak to you about.”
She almost snatched her hand away in disgust. “Unfortunately, Mr Lewis, I have a prior engagement,” she informed him quickly. “So, if you will excuse me, I would like to go up to my room, for I am very tired.” With that, she turned her back on him and climbed the stairs to her room, leaving the very furious Mr Lewis standing open-mouthed as she retreated.
* * * * *
Although the sun was high in the sky, the gathering of grey clouds in the distance indicated that rain would soon come. She sat on the lemon-coloured blanket, her watercolour paints laid out to her side, as she attempted to paint the scene before her. In the flowerbed, near where she sat, Mr Smith, the head gardener, was pruning the once red roses, cutting off the crusted buds. He raised his tatty brown hat in her direction and she smiled to him.
The serenity of quietness that swept over the gardens was idyllic and the view breathtaking. She sighed as she studied her painting. Although it was the exact replica of the scene in front of her—with the long grass of the field waving gently in the breeze and the sun shadowed against the distant trees—it had not turned out quite how she would have liked. Still, it was her first attempt and she knew that she could only get better with time.
She had not seen or heard from Tom in two days and her heart ached terribly from his absence. Where had he been these last few days? What was keeping him from her? She had just made up her mind to pack her brushes away and take a walk when Bella came towards her from the house.
“Miss, there is a Mr Grainger to see you.”
“Mr Grainger?” What on earth would Mr Grainger be doing here unannounced?
“I have shown him into the drawing room, Miss,” her maid informed her.
“Thank you Bella, I shall be there in a moment.”
Upon entering, she noticed that Mr Grainger seemed agitated.
“Mr Grainger,” she called his name to make him aware of her presence.
“Miss Austin,” there was a nervousness in his voice.
“Well, it is very good to see you again so soon; to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Seeing him pacing back and forth, she could tell that something was bothering him.
“Pray, Mr Grainger, will you be seated? Shall I call for some tea?”
“No… No. Please forgive me, Miss Austin, I do not care for tea at this present time.”
She took her place upon the old leather sofa and looked up at the flushed gentleman.
“Please, Mr Grainger, whatever is the matter?” she enquired.
He turned his gaze upon her face, opening his mouth to speak, before closing it again, as if he suddenly had second thoughts.
“Mr Grainger?”
“Please, Miss Austin, I am so sorry for the intrusion, but there is something that I wish to speak to you about,” he finally managed to say.
A small knot had formed in the pit of her stomach. Having guessed what he was about to say, she stood up sharply.
“Mr Grainger, I am sorry but I do have a prior engagement,” she lied.
He suddenly came to stand before her as he realised that she was about to leave the room.
“Please Miss Austin…,” he paused, “you must know that I most ardently admire you. I believe that I have not kept my affections towards you a secret, as you are probably aware that a union between us is most definitely expected. I know for certain that Sir John looks favourably on our match.”
“Mr Grainger,” she tried to cut in.
“No… please, Miss Austin, let me finish,” he cut in nervously, as if he would lose the courage to speak if he did not blurt it all out right now. “As you are aware, I have come with a proposal and wish it… that is, if you would do me the great honour of accepting my hand in marriage?”
“Mr Grainger… Sir…,” was all she could say.
She watched him, as he went down on to one knee. She was scared; how could she tell the kind Mr Grainger his fate?
“Please Miss Austin, will you marry me?”
She was sure that she was holding her breath. She could not, would not accept his very kind offer.
“Pray, forgive me, Mr Grainger, for what I am about to say. Still, you have spoken your mind and I must honour you with a reply. As you are a very kind man, it breaks my heart to tell you that cannot accept your proposal.”
Mr Grainger rose to his f
eet, the shock evident on his face. He had been so sure that she would accept him. Maybe Garth had got to her before him, he wondered.
“Is it because of Mr Lewis?” he asked sharply.
“Pray, Mr Grainger, I assure you that my response has nothing to do with Mr Lewis. Moreover, you can be certain that, had he expressed the same wishes as yourself, my answer to him would be just the same.”
He looked confused. “Miss Austin, may I be so bold to ask if your refusal then has anything to do with Mr Bradley?” He saw that he had touched a raw nerve, for she looked quickly away. “I see from your reaction that this must be the case.”
Recovering herself, she turned to say, “Mr Grainger, as you are aware, Mr Bradley is shortly to be married to Miss Cartland. As I admire you greatly, I would not wish to accept your proposal under the false hope that I share your feelings. Thus, I have resigned myself to the fact that I cannot marry the one that I love, and I have chosen never to marry.” Again she lied.
“I offer you an honourable marriage of security and I would endeavour to make you happy.”
“Mr Grainger, please, I know that you would make a very fine husband, but unfortunately I would not make you a fine wife. I could never make you happy or you me; I have made up my mind.”
“Then, I assume that you have chosen to become the Heir of Nedgely’s mistress, as rumours have stated?” he suddenly asked.
“Mr Grainger!” she was shocked by his blunt remark.
“I am not so blind, Miss Austin, that I have not noticed the way the two of you act when in each other’s company. Then there are the rumours.”
“Mr Grainger, I am quite shocked that you would even think that of me!” she exclaimed, desperately trying to cover her tracks.
“Please, forgive me, Miss Austin, but I wish to save you from the falling grace of society that would inevitably happen if you were to continue down this path of becoming his mistress.” He spoke sincerely.
“Falling grace, Mr Grainger?”
“I know how you must be feeling and I offer you my hand as protection,” he continued.
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