Love's Justice (Entangled Scandalous)

by Joan Avery

  She continued on cheerfully,“I’m afraid very soon I will no longer be able to put myself out in society.” She pressed a hand against her womb. “But I would so hate to miss the holiday parties.” She laughed. “Thank goodness for corsets.”

  Victoria offered a weak smile in return.

  Edith turned more serious. “Henry was up early. He mentioned Lord Stanford had already left and he thought Hugh had left as well. I do hope there wasn’t a second altercation after the scene in the ballroom.”

  Victoria said nothing. She tried to smile but found it difficult.

  “I haven’t seen Hugh so attentive in many years. He rarely accepts my in-laws’ Christmas invitation.”

  “Lord Montgomery has been very kind to me,” Victoria said. “I am sure he is generally kind to all those of his acquaintance.”

  “Yes, that’s true. Very true. Hugh is a remarkable man. He has overcome a terrible childhood to bring honor to the family name, which his father had destroyed. He and Henry are extremely close, as are we all. I would hate to see his kindness abused.”

  “I assure you, my lady…” Victoria stammered, unsure what she could say to allay the woman’s fears.

  “Ah, there you are!” Lord Percy entered the room, full of energy.

  He went to the sideboard and filled a plate with the breakfast offerings, grilled tomatoes, thick country bacon, and eggs. As he did, he glanced at Victoria.

  “Have you eaten, Miss Westwood?”

  “No, I—”

  “Then you must. It won’t do to have my father and mother’s guests starving.”

  Victoria rose slowly and joined him at the sideboard. She picked at the food, but she wasn’t hungry. “So you went off with Monty last evening? I found it surprising. But I can guess where he took you.”

  “I don’t think he meant it to be secret, my lord.” Victoria blushed. Their departure from the ball evidently hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Still, it was remarkable. I don’t think he’s shared his secret place with many others. Not since he was a boy and took me there one night when we snuck out of bed. It was a safe place for him. A place where he could escape all the pain he suffered at the hands of his father.” He studied her closely again. “It’s not the type of place he shares with just anyone.”

  How much did Lord Percy know about last night’s events? She wasn’t sure if he approved or disapproved of her. Certainly, she wasn’t a proper Englishwoman. Thanks to Lord Stanford’s gossiping, she wasn’t even a respectable American. She was being dragged through the English courts like some street harlot.

  Victoria looked up. “I won’t betray his feelings, my lord, if that is your concern.”

  “No, I didn’t think you would.”

  He was thoughtful for a moment as they approached the table. Once there, he looked to his wife, as if for permission, and then spoke.

  “Edith and I are having some friends over on Christmas Eve. I invited Monty again this morning. He has agreed to come. He did ask if I was extending the invitation to anyone else.” He laughed softly. “I believe you are the someone else he would like invited. Edith and I would be pleased if you joined us. It will be chaotic. The children will be roaming the house at will. But I promise Monty will protect you from the little heathens. And we must not be so formal. We are simply Henry and Edith.”

  “We would be pleased if you came,” Edith said in support of her husband.

  Victoria’s heart soared. What had begun as such a hopeless day had suddenly become filled with joy. “I would be honored to come.”

  “Fine, it’s settled then. We shall see you Christmas Eve at six.”

  “You’ll forgive us if we don’t extend the invitation in writing, my dear. It will only be the four of us…and of course the children.” Edith once more patted her belly.

  Victoria envied them their large family. She envied them their shared confidences. She envied them their long friendship with Hugh Worth, the Earl of Montgomery and Lord Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  “Will you be attending the Duke and Duchess of Westminster’s party next week?” Henry asked. “It will be the last before Christmas.”

  “No, I haven’t received an invitation.”

  “Well, I shall have to speak to the duchess. Do promise me that if you receive an invitation, you will come. Their home, Grosvenor House, is very near where you live. Have you seen it?”

  “Yes, I have seen it.” It was hard to miss one of the largest private town houses on Park Lane across from Hyde Park. It had a long, classical-style colonnade entrance over one hundred feet in length on Upper Grosvenor Street. It was a home of much renown and status.

  Victoria couldn’t help but be a little excited about seeing such a beautiful home. There was only one complication. She dreaded running into Lord Stanford yet again.

  “Do you think Lord Stanford has been invited?”

  “That I think unlikely. I believe the Duke of Westminster wouldn’t dream of inviting such a scoundrel.”

  “Perhaps my presence wouldn’t be tolerated as well?”

  “I will vouch for you. The duke is not a naive man. He knows only too well how one word from a schemer can create a world of gossip in the newspapers.”

  There was only one other thing that mattered to her. “Will the Earl of Montgomery be there as well?”

  Henry smiled kindly. “We shall have to see, won’t we?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Monty! I thought you had left.” Henry rose from the breakfast table and greeted his friend.

  Victoria gasped. He appeared as if she had conjured him. She wasn’t prepared to face him.

  “I was planning on leaving early, but then I remembered some correspondence I needed to finish and decided to stay. I had another more nefarious goal in mind. It would also allow me to say good-bye to your beautiful wife.” He made a small nod of acknowledgement toward Edith.

  Henry and his wife shared a look.

  “Why do I suspect ulterior motives?” Henry quizzed before turning his attentions to Victoria.

  She flushed uncontrollably. She would have objected, except the assertion was never made outright.

  “Miss Westwood was just wondering if you would be attending the ball at the Duke and Duchess of Westminster’s,” Henry said.

  Victoria wanted to slide down under the table, her embarrassment was so great.

  Hugh looked toward her. “Does the lady wish me present or absent?”

  “The lady wishes you to please yourself,” she answered barely above a whisper.

  “Ah, then I will.”

  He walked over to the sideboard and helped himself to a selection of the tempting possibilities. When he finished, he took a seat opposite her. If he found the events of last night the least bit embarrassing, he didn’t show it. He seemed perfectly at ease. As unreadable as ever.

  Victoria couldn’t help but notice they were under the scrutiny of both the Percys, who stared at Hugh as if waiting for some explanation for his presence.

  “Have I missed something?” Hugh turned his attention to Henry and then Edith.

  Edith was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. “No, not really. We just invited Miss Westwood to join us for Christmas Eve. We didn’t want her to spend it alone.”

  Hugh attacked his food and didn’t react in any way to the information.

  Victoria decided she wasn’t about to be cowed by this man. “Does the gentleman wish me absent or present?”

  “Touché,” Henry blurted out.

  Hugh was not to be outdone. “The gentleman wishes you to please yourself.”

  “And I will.” Two could play this game.

  The hint of a smile crossed Hugh’s face.

  “Do I amuse you, my lord?”

  “No, you mystify me, Miss Westwood.”

  Victoria lunged as if attacking in a fencing match. “I understand you had an unpleasant encounter with Lord Stanford yesterday.”

  “While we were hunting, h
e made some churlish remarks. I simply reminded him of good manners,” Hugh parried.

  “If the remarks were about any of the ladies, we are all grateful for your intervention,” Victoria said, still trying to decipher the man.

  “There is no need to thank me; any gentleman would have done the same.”

  “I would like to think that is true, but recent events have led me to believe otherwise,” Victoria added.

  “You must not give up on all of our ilk.”

  Victoria smiled. “I haven’t, my lord, I haven’t.”

  “What are you talking about?” Henry said. “And don’t tell me it was just about Monty hitting Stanford yesterday.”

  Victoria laughed. “What else could it be about?”

  “So you are going to be as difficult as Hugh? And do stop calling me my lord. We are all friends here.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Victoria laughed and Hugh smiled.

  “How are the children, Percy?” Hugh asked.

  “Insufferable as ever,” Henry replied.

  Hugh actually laughed.

  Victoria was caught off guard by the laughter. It must have shown on her face.

  Edith reacted. “Oh, don’t be put off, my dear. Hugh knows very well my husband would have you believe the children are an unbearable burden while in truth he is a remarkable father and the children, in fact, have him wrapped around their little fingers. He dotes on them.”

  “You have given away my secret, Edith,” Henry said.

  Emily and Edward appeared at the doorway of the breakfast room.

  “Ah, there you are.” Emily sighed in relief.

  She quickly approached Victoria. “Are you all right? You left the ball so suddenly. After Lord Sanford accosted you in the hall yesterday, we were afraid he might repeat his unwanted advances.”

  Victoria didn’t feel she needed to enlighten them on the more recent attack.

  “What’s this?” Henry asked.

  “It was nothing. He simply approached me yesterday afternoon to once more plead his case, and I once more refused him. Think no more of it.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad that was the end of it.” Emily smiled. “The man is so vile.”

  …

  Hugh stared at Victoria. Evidently something else of which he was unaware had occurred. As he attempted to read her moods and understand her mind, his admiration for her only grew. Most women of his acquaintance would have remained sequestered in their room after the events of last night and then left in the morning before the other guests. But not Victoria Westwood.

  He admired her courage and envied her bravado. It couldn’t be easy for her. He was still shaken by the viciousness of Stanford’s attack. With this new revelation, he regretted he hadn’t called the police and had the man arrested. But that probably would only have ended badly for this intriguing woman.

  What had his clerk, Dennison, said about American women? That there was something different about them.

  After spending the weekend in her company, he certainly had to agree.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Several days later, Victoria rested her head on the tufted leather back of the carriage seat. She was on her way to see Emily. Someone needed to alert the poor woman her husband’s gambling was threatening her lifestyle.

  The night she learned about it had been at the forefront of Victoria’s thoughts all week. Something had happened that night. Something she couldn’t put a name to, but something important nonetheless. Her feeling about Hugh had changed yet again and intensified.

  The heavy fog made her restless. Was she trapped here in London forever? She didn’t like the feeling. It made her uncomfortable in the same way Hugh made her uneasy.

  It was so tempting to think he actually liked her, but there were so many other possible reasons for his behavior. For the first time in her life, what she wanted conflicted with what she needed.

  She needed to be apart from him. She needed to use her head rather than her heart. If she failed, she would destroy not just her own future but the future of someone who had done nothing to deserve such an attack. She was afraid to think of him in any other way. To do so was simply too painful.

  The carriage stopped. She stepped down to the pavement in front of Emily’s house. A knock on the door brought the housekeeper.

  “Miss Westwood, I’ll tell the mistress you’re here.”

  The house seemed a beehive of activity. Servants were scurrying through the reception room on their way to and fro. Victoria was removing her fine kid gloves and hat when Emily appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Oh, Victoria.”

  Emily seemed more excited than usual. “What’s happening, Emily?”

  “It’s so wonderful! My parents have arrived to surprise me for the holidays. Can you believe it?”

  For a moment, she envied Emily. The fact that her parents had bargained her away to a peer didn’t change the fact they loved her and only wished the best for her.

  “Give me just a moment. Make yourself comfortable in the sitting room. I shall be down directly.”

  The fire in the sitting room had been laid, and it burned brightly. She stood beside it and captured its heat. The lovely room spoke of warmth and family. It did much to break her melancholy. Surely, Edward wouldn’t risk all this by gambling away his wife’s fortune. It didn’t make any sense. Perhaps Hugh was wrong.

  “There you are. I’ve been in such a flurry since they arrived I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I’ve sent word to Edward, but he’s at the manor house dealing with business. I’m afraid it will take a day or two more before he is home.”

  Emily was so elated. Did she have enough proof to destroy her friend’s happiness? Hugh had said Edward lied to his wife about being in the countryside. Victoria couldn’t imagine such a breach of trust between a husband and wife.

  Victoria tried to figure out whether the appearance of Emily’s parents was a godsend. If what Hugh said was true, Emily needed all the support she could get. Divorce was possible, although not desirable. Only recently, divorce in England had become a civil matter rather than a church one, making it much easier to procure.

  “Oh, Victoria, I am the happiest woman on earth right now. Come and sit down.”

  “Where are your parents?”

  “Mama was tired from the trip and is lying down. Papa has gone to Edward’s club on the off chance he may have returned to town early.”

  Perhaps Emily’s father knew more about his son-in-law’s proclivities than she imagined.

  Emily’s cook stuck her head into the room. “Shall I prepare the leg of lamb for supper, my lady?”

  “Yes, Martha. And you must prepare something special for dessert.”

  Emily turned back to Victoria. “I can’t believe they are really here! But I have even more news. I have almost burst with it, but I couldn’t tell you until I told Mama and Papa. Guess!”

  Victoria looked at the young woman, a smile turning into a laugh. “I’m sure I don’t know.” And then she did know. It sobered her up immediately. And a prayer crossed her lips.

  “I am going to have a baby!”

  Victoria forced a smile. “I’m so happy for you, Emily.”

  “Mama and Papa are as excited as I am, I think.” Emily’s hand went to cover her womb. “When Edward is away, I shall have a little one to console me.”

  Victoria forced her doubts out of her mind. She leaned forward and embraced her friend. “I am envious of you.”

  Emily moved back out of the embrace. “Really? I never expected you to be caught up in such a mundane thing as children. Surely you will be a fighter and campaign for women’s rights and even women’s suffrage. How could you possibly do all that if you had children?”

  Emily was so sincere in her praise Victoria was taken aback. Her desires for women’s rights didn’t mean she had to abandon home and hearth, a husband and a family. There had to be some way to combine them. To have to give up love to gain respect seemed exceedingly
harsh.

  “Perhaps there is a way to have both. The world is changing, Emily.” But perhaps not fast enough.

  She couldn’t tell Emily about her husband now. It seemed an unnecessary burden to put on her friend’s slender shoulders. Perhaps it wasn’t true. She prayed that was the case, even as her heart sank for Emily.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  As the maid helped put the finishing touches to her ball gown, Victoria began to dread the evening. Why had she promised Henry and Edith she would come? They had arranged the invitation, and she was obligated to go.

  For entirely different reasons, she dreaded seeing Hugh and quite possibly Lord Stanford again. Even the beautiful new Emile Pingat dress she donned for the party didn’t raise her spirits.

  “Oh, miss, this is the most beautiful yet.”

  Her maid was more than enthusiastic about the black-and-gold gown. The underskirt was gold embroidery on fine black silk voile. The gold pattern suggested roses rather than depicting them. Irregular concentric circles shimmered against the dark voile. The overskirt was shaped like a long sleeveless coat of rich black velvet. It fell to the floor with similar roses embroidered on its hem and small train.

  Black was a unique choice for a young woman, but it matched her mood tonight.

  Her dark hair had been piled high with gold ribbon entwined among the carefully fashioned curls. She looked at herself in the mirror, but her mind was elsewhere.

  The maid offered Victoria her evening jacket. This one was no less artful than the others she had worn. It was made of embroidered brocade in a feather pattern. The inside was machine quilted satin and the trim was black fur at the neck and sleeves. She slipped it on. Despite its weight and warmth, she shivered.

  “Are you feeling well, miss?”

  “Yes, Mary, I’m fine. I think a draft just chilled me for a moment.”

  “You shall be the belle of the ball.”

  “Thank you. I shall try to remember everything about Grosvenor House so I can describe it to you and Mrs. McCreery tomorrow.”

  “Oh, would you? We would be ever so grateful.”