A Very Romantic Christmas

by Lorraine Bartlett

  “Of course he did. He explained to me--as he asked me to be his mistress.”

  His mistress? The cad. “You didn’t.”

  Betsey put her hands on her hips and stared at Kate in challenge. “Why not?”

  Had she? No. Not Betsey. “You couldn’t.”

  “Why can’t I? I am no one of consequence. If I had been one of your sisters rather than your governess’s daughter, he would have ignored convention and his family’s wishes and married me.”

  “You are not just a governess’s daughter. The duke…”

  Betsey dismissed her words with a sharp wave of her hand. “He would let me stay on suffrage forever, he is that good a man. But I don’t want to be in a world where I am not good enough and never can be.”

  “You are my friend. Do you doubt it?”

  “No.” Betsey’s pent up fury burned to a quiet sorrow. “You have always been my friend, just as I have been yours. And your family has been good to my mother and I, but I cannot stay here a moment longer.”

  Kate sensed that Betsey was not in the mood to be convinced that her broken heart would heal. “Then you must let the duke help find you a place.”

  “A place.” Betsey laughed unhappily. “I do not wish to be a governess. I wish to have something of my own. A house. A family.”

  A husband. Betsey wanted a husband. That Kate could understand very well. “Battingston is not every man. I will find you a husband a thousand times better than that coward.”

  “Find me, a governess’s daughter, a husband?” Tears brimmed in Betsey’s blue eyes, but her voice was harsh with anger. “You cannot even hold tight to your own.”

  Kate answered sharply, “I hardly think that’s fair.”

  “You’re right, of course. I’m not being fair.” Betsey brushed away her tears, and nodded. “You might as well know. I’m leaving for America.”

  America? Surely she was joking? “Running away? Like Ros?”

  Betsey shook her head. “Not quite. I am not running from a marriage, I am running toward one.”

  “What?”

  “I have accepted a proposal of marriage from a very eager gentleman who tends a lighthouse in Maine.”

  Kate thought perhaps she was trapped in a very unpleasant dream—first the news that her husband wished to divorce her, and now this. “Maine? Where is Maine?”

  “Miles above Boston and far from civilized, I am happy to say. Which is why men such as my intended Mr. Laverdiere, who has two young children in need of a mother, must advertise far and wide for hardy brides.”

  Could it be true? But yes, she could see in Betsey’s unwavering gaze that it was. “You must be mad, to marry a stranger.”

  “No more than you.”

  Any protest died on her lips. A stranger. Yes. What else could one call a husband who had not set eyes on his bride since his wedding day five years before? “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You would have talked me out of it--and I cannot afford to be dissuaded. Not this time.”

  “What will I do without you?”

  Betsey wiped away her tears and smiled. “Make that coward of a husband of yours look you in the eye at last.”

  Kate hugged her friend. “I’d thought myself so clever, having him prove himself.”

  “Men can only prove themselves ignoble--never noble.”

  Kate might have argued if she didn’t agree so thoroughly with the sentiment. Because of one rotten viscount her best friend was heading to America. And because of Sean, Kate herself would miss her family’s Christmas celebration for the rough winter journey to Ireland.

  “Do not go to Maine. Go to Ireland with me and I promise to find you a husband much better than this Mr. Laverdiere, the Maine lighthouse keeper.” Kate could not bear the thought of being separated from her best friend.

  “I will not spend another moment as a charity case in the duke’s home, Kate. I will be married and have a home of my own--and I’ll thank you to say not one more word on the subject or I shall have to challenge you to a duel--and I might not blunt my tip.”

  Kate rocked back on her heels. “Do you hate me so much then? For isn’t that what I’ve done--let the duke take care of me instead of forcing my husband to tell me the truth.”

  “It is not the same.” But Kate saw that Betsey did not believe that. Not completely.

  “It is. And you are right. If Sean will not have me, then I should be on my own. Have my own household and my pride to keep me warm at night. Not false charity.”

  “You could not…”

  “I would not have expected you to argue with me, considering why you flee to America.”

  “I am not fleeing--there is every reason for me to go. I am not the sister of a duchess.”

  “That does not mean the man you loved had to abandon you for the daughter of an earl.”

  Resignation shuttered Betsey’s expression. “I am a daughter of a governess, Kate. I was not suitable for him.”

  “Suitable. I hate that word.” Kate had seen her friend’s heart. Battingston should be drawn and quartered for shattering it so thoroughly. He had led Betsey on for as long as Sean had done Kate.

  “So do I. Perhaps I shall never hear it again once I am in America.”

  “I shall miss you.”

  “No you will not—you will be too busy trying to make your stubborn husband see sense. How can he possibly believe that you would cuckold him with Niall?”

  “Do you think I can change Sean’s mind? Once he must look me in the eye? Can I make him see that I have not betrayed him?”

  Betsey laughed, and her expression lightened. “If you can’t, then no one can.”

  Kate hugged her tightly again, knowing that she must let her friend go, though she could hardly bear the pain of the thought. “And I hope you find the place of your own that you are in need of with this American lighthouse keeper.”

  “I’m not asking for much,” Betsey said softly, a far away look in her eye. “Just a home to keep neat, a small patch of ground to garden, and a family that is mine to claim.”

  A family. Yes. That was what Kate wanted, too. And it was high time she went to claim her due from her husband.

  Kate bent over her greenhouse workbench, carefully binding a tender shoot to the stem of her favorite grafting stock.

  She heard the maidservant enter, and clear her throat three times, but Kate did not look up until the binding work was secure.

  “His grace would like to see you in the study, Miss.”

  “Thank you, Alice.” Kate looked at the soil and clippings scattered across her work table as she stripped off her gloves. “Please ask Ceddie to clean up after me. I don’t think I’ll be back to the greenhouse today.” Perhaps, if things went well in Ireland, she would never be back. No doubt that was what the duke wished to lecture her about.

  Niall McCarthy, with a thundercloud expression, perched on a chair as if he were prepared to leap up and defend himself if she attacked him. She supposed he had hoped to enlist the duke in preventing her trip to Ireland. Foolish man. He should know enough about Fenster women by now to know that even a duke couldn’t stop her from doing what she thought was right.

  The duke’s expression was forbidding when he said with grave disapproval, “McCarthy tells me you have not given up your foolish plan to go to Ireland to confront your husband.”

  Gathering all her courage, Kate challenged him with a question. “How else might I turn him away from this foolish idea of divorce?”

  “The charge is absurd.” There was a hesitation, a question, in his voice. To his credit, he did not ask, but she still felt the sting of betrayal.

  If he doubted, even for a moment, what would those in the rest of London think? Had the blasted man she’d married foolishly five years ago no idea what his suit would do to her? She would not allow it. “It is absolutely a lie and he knows I can prove it.”

  “Prove it?” That assertion seemed to surprise him. Some of his stern certainty fled,
to be replaced by puzzlement.

  Niall cleared his throat gently. “Such allegations as my cousin makes are hard to prove, my lady, which is why the making is all that is needed. You and I may protest all we wish, there is no way to prove such a thing false.”

  Kate looked at him cooly, wondering if he had known the content of the papers he carried. If he played a part in this plan of her husband’s. “You are correct, in the most part, Mr. McCarthy.” Gossip usually did carry the day in such matters. But as she had contemplated her situation, thought she had come up with a solution that would satisfy them all as to the truth of the matter. Including Sean. She nodded, feeling slightly faint as she perched on the edge of revealing her most private secrets. “Fortunately, I have no need to rely on my word. I can prove my innocence.”

  “How?” Niall asked. Neither man seemed to take her meaning, both appeared puzzled, though the duke had had the sense not to speak his question aloud.

  Kate squirmed, too uncomfortable to speak the truth too bluntly. “Gentlemen, please. There is only one way to prove myself innocent, is there not?”

  The duke’s frown deepened for a moment and then cleared with a shocked exhalation. “But…”

  “He left too quickly to finish things between us,” she said bitterly. He’d wanted to, she was almost sure of that. But he hadn’t. And that omission would cost him the divorce. She’d see to that. “He should have taken the opportunity to do more than hasten the marriage--he should have sealed his devil’s bargain.”

  “If this is true--”

  “If?”

  At her angry interruption, he softened his tone. “Of course it is true, Kate. I do not doubt you for a moment. But surely you see this does not change anything.”

  “Of course it does. I must prove—“

  “And if he does not wish to know the truth?”

  “He will know it nonetheless.”

  “Think, Kate.” Simon leaned forward, urgently. “It may not be wise for you to travel to Ireland. You will be vulnerable to him there. Even if he is suing for divorce, until it is granted he is still your husband.”

  Vulnerable to Sean? Could she be any more vulnerable to him than she was now? She brushed aside the sense of his statement. “Once he knows the truth, he will not continue with the divorce.”

  “Kate--”

  “I can’t believe it until I see it in his eyes. Hear it from his lips. You can’t understand--”

  “I can.” He sighed and began to ink his pen. “How much will you need for your travels?”

  “Surely you will not allow her to pursue this foolishness, your grace?” Niall protested.

  Kate cut him a quick look that silenced him with a blush. “I can pay for them out of my funds.”

  Simon looked at her, as if he was reluctant to tell her more bad news. But, at last, he said gently, “Until the divorce suit is settled, the funds are frozen.”

  “What?”

  “They are your husband’s, by right of marriage.”

  Of course they were. Fury burned through her at the unfairness. She was his wife until he managed to free himself from her. Until then, all she owned was his to command.

  Niall McCarthy objected, “Surely, your grace, you will not allow her to go unaccompanied?”

  “She will have a maid.”

  “I will--”

  The duke raised his eyebrow and silenced the man. “I hardly think that would be appropriate, considering the circumstances.”

  “I cannot condone this--”

  “The charges are not true, and he owes her an explanation. As he’s said often enough, ‘Fair’s fair.’ Is it not?”

  Niall scowled. He did not insist on accompanying her again, though.

  There was something she needed to know. “Niall? Did you know what he intended?”

  “Of course not,” he protested.

  She did not believe him, but that was not important at the moment. “Then you must go ahead of me to tell Sean that we are not lovers. That I am a faithful wife. That I am coming to him, to prove it beyond all doubt.”

  She saw that he did not wish to oblige her. But there was little choice, and at last he stood and made a slight bow to her. “I’ll take your words of innocence with me when I leave tomorrow, my lady.”

  “Tomorrow?” She could never be ready that quickly. He must know he would have almost a week’s head start. But she would not show fear. “Very well. Please assure him that I will be following in your footsteps in very short order, Mr. McCarthy.”

  He frowned at her unhappily. “Surely you would not wish to miss Christmas with your family, my lady?”

  She smiled with false brightness, though it made her cheeks ache. “Of course not. I intend to celebrate the season with my husband—he is my family, after all.

  The duke said sharply, “You’ll not likely make the journey by Christmas, Kate. Perhaps you ought to wait—“

  “I’ll be there by Twelfth Night, surely? And we shall celebrate the end of the season as well as the anniversary of our marriage.”

  The men looked at her unhappily. But she was a Fenster woman. They knew better than to try to talk her out of her determination to face her husband and assure him his charges were unfounded.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Sean looked up from his paperwork and frowned at the man who had burst into his study unannounced. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Niall. Did the duke banish you from his sight?”

  Niall shook his head, an unsettling light in his eye. “Not so much banished, as sent to deliver a message.” His gaze caught Sean’s and communicated trouble.

  A sudden fear struck Sean, but he hid his weakness from his cousin, allowing himself to ask only casually, “There’s nothing wrong with Kate, is there?”

  Niall, not fooled by his cousin’s attempt at an indifferent tone, merely grinned at him as he settled into a chair with reckless care for the mended leg, which groaned under his weight. “You’ll see for yourself soon enough, cousin.”

  Connor shifted in his chair, and the fragile furnishing groaned under his weight, as he frowned at his son. “You’ve not brought her with you, have you? She’s best away from here, especially this night.”

  “I’ve not brought her. Although I offered, seeing as she feels I am somewhat to blame for your loss of faith in her.”

  Sean didn’t like the pleasure on his cousin’s face. He didn’t like that his cousin had seen Kate not that long ago. Or that he had given his cousin license to do what he could not. But that was unimportant. He had only done what was necessary. He waited just long enough to strip the impatience out of his question before he asked, “What do you mean?”

  Niall smoothed his sideburns in a nervous gesture that worried Sean even more, despite his cousin’s rather amused expression. “She’ll be here in under a week if the weather is with her.”

  Here? He suppressed the urge to kick out at the chair and splinter it to bits under his cousin. “Will she have her pistols with her?”

  Niall laughed. “Her sword, no doubt. She’ll want to see your blood run free, as angry as she is.”

  “You should have found a way to travel with her.” He did not want to say more than that, with his uncle present, but that would have been extra evidence to add credibility to his suit.

  “I’d have feared for my life.” Niall looked almost sincere.

  “Do you truly believe she’ll bring a weapon?” He’d not thought of her as so bloodthirsty. He’d been gone so long he’d thought the divorce might have brought a bit of relief to her.

  He sighed. How foolish of him to allow distance to persuade him she would take his blow without retaliation.

  Niall shook his head, his expression more rueful than amused, now that he had made his point. “Just her tongue, I suppose, though it is a sharp enough weapon, as I know all too well of late.”

  “That it is.” Especially when she was hurt or angry. “I take it she is incensed about the—“ He broke off for a moment with a gl
ance at his uncle. He had not told Connor about the divorce. He knew his uncle wouldn’t approve, but he was determined to free himself—and Kate—from the disastrous mistake they had made in marrying. “—the latest letter I sent?” He had simply told his uncle that he was informing Kate that he would not return to London, ever.

  For a moment Niall’s grin made him worry that his cousin would not be as discreet, but all he said was, “I would say so.”

  “Could you not persuade her that I was a jackass and better things await her elsewhere, as I instructed?”

  “I couldn’t persuade her snow is cold and white at this very moment, I’m afraid. She thinks me to blame for this ‘misunderstanding’ as she calls it.”

  “If you had handled her properly, as I asked…“ Sean didn’t finish his sentence. He had asked Niall to seduce Kate, to give him irrefutable grounds for the divorce, and the images that accompanied his words were too unpleasant.

  “Fair enough.” Niall laughed. “I’ve done a poor job at turning the lady’s thoughts from joining you. Your wife was not susceptible to my charms, despite my earnest efforts.” He glanced at his father, and added cautiously, “And she’s come to prove herself to you.”

  Prove herself? Niall was being cautious because of his father, but Sean wondered what Kate thought she might prove to him. He could not ask, not with his uncle in the room. He vowed to ask later.

  “Now that she’s taken matters into her own hands, perhaps you can use her to get additional funds from the duke?” His uncle seemed interested in the conversation at last.

  Sean lifted his hand to silence this train of argument. “Uncle, I have told you I will do no such thing. If we need money, we will get it some other way.”

  “You didn’t bring her here, providence did. Who are we to frown on providence?”

  Niall said, semi-piously, “Even providence could not bring the duke’s favor upon us at this moment, Father. Sean’s abandoned bride has understood her fate and has come to change it, with the duke’s blessing.”

  “The duke’s blessing?” Sean could not bring himself to believe that. Perhaps the man had decided he had no other choice than to let her travel to Ireland, but to give his blessing?