The Viscount's Salvation (Honorable Rogue Book 3)

by Vikki Vaught

  A few minutes passed, then Kathleen appeared. “Good morning. I’m so glad to see you. Please, let us go to the morning room so we can have a nice chat. I have so much to tell you.”

  Her friend had left town at the end of May, and while they had corresponded through the summer, she was relieved Kathleen had returned. She had met her friend this past spring when she, the then unmarried Miss Hawks, had come to town for the season. The charming American girl had befriended her when the rest of society shunned her. The ton never forgot a scandal such as the one involving her mother, although it happened ten years ago.

  After a whirlwind courtship, Kathleen had married Lord Billingsley. While the baron had a reputation for wild ways and society had referred to him as the scandalous baron, from the letters she had received from her friend, he’d become a devoted husband. They seemed to be deeply in love.

  Once they were settled in Kathleen’s morning room, Mary asked, “Has your brother and his wife arrived yet?” Kathleen had explained in her missive that their impending arrival had brought her to town. Alex Hawks had married the widowed marchioness, Lady Overton. Kathleen’s brother and his wife had gone to America to take care of some family business.

  “Not yet,” Kathleen replied, “but their ship is expected any day. I can’t wait to see them. I’ve missed them so much, especially the children. I’m sure my new nephew has changed a great deal in the past four months. Now tell me what you have been up to since we saw each other last.”

  Mary hesitated. Should she dive right in with her problem, or wait until they had shared what they had done throughout the summer? Deciding to do that first, she said, “As you know from my letters, Aunt Mildred and I spent the summer in Brighton. Since my father returned from the country last month, we joined him here.”

  Kathleen leaned forward, “Did you meet anyone interesting?”

  She loved her friend’s exuberant attitude, so different from her own. “No, I didn’t. My aunt only had time for her friends, and none of them ever invited young men to any of their parties. It was actually dreadfully dull, but I did read several entertaining books. Now, tell me about Arianna. When can I meet her?”

  Shortly after Kathleen’s marriage, her husband found out he’d fathered an illegitimate child. Her friend evidently did not hold it against him and had embraced the child as her own. A scandalous turn of events, but not all together surprising, considering her husband’s past.

  In the time she’d known Kathleen, she had observed on several occasions her friend’s compassion toward anyone, be it a small child or an animal needing her love. She was not shocked to hear that Kathleen had accepted the child.

  “Her nurse should be bringing her to me any minute.” Her friend’s enthusiasm for the little girl bubbled over. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s such a little darlin’.” While most of the time Kathleen spoke proper English, she occasionally slipped and her charming American accent slipped in.

  The door opened and a young woman entered, carrying an adorable toddler with a riot of red-gold curls floating around her head. Lord Billingsley could never deny his paternity; the little girl resembled him to an astonishing degree.

  “Oh my, Kathleen, she’s beautiful. Can I hold her?” she asked.

  Kathleen laughed. “If you can get her to sit still long enough. Since she learned to walk two weeks ago, she’s too busy exploring to calmly sit on someone’s lap, but you can try. Matilda bring her to me.” The nurse came forward and handed the child to her friend. Kathleen kissed Arianna’s cheek. “Good morning, darlin’. This is my friend Lady Mary. Can she hold you?”

  The child looked over at Mary, her startling blue eyes—so like her father’s—wide and curious. The child nodded and held out her dainty arms toward her. Mary took the little girl and placed her on her lap. Arianna grabbed her locket and pulled.

  Kathleen reached over to untangle the little one’s tight grasp on the shiny object. “Arianna. It’s not nice to grab my friend’s necklace.” The toddler screwed up her adorable face and wailed. “Oh, dear, I’d better take her.”

  Mary pulled the locket from around her neck and handed it to the toddler. “It’s all right. I’m sure she can’t hurt it.” Arianna immediately tried to put it in her mouth. “Goodness. Perhaps I was wrong.”

  Kathleen giggled. “I should have warned you. She’s teething and puts anything she can find in her mouth.” Her friend pulled a bright red, wooden rattle from the basket at her feet and dangled it in front of Arianna. The child dropped the necklace and grabbed the new object. Mary placed her locket back around her neck and tucked it inside her dress out of sight, lest the toddler go after it again.

  Kathleen scooped the little girl from Mary’s lap and sat her on the Aubusson carpet next to a basket of toys, and Arianna contentedly explored the horde of treasures. “Now, tell me the real reason for this early call. I can see something is troubling you.”

  Mary should have known she could not hide her distress. Twisting her handkerchief, she met her friend’s eyes. “Oh, Kathleen. I don’t know what to do. My father has offered my hand in marriage to Lord Worthington.”

  “What?” she exclaimed. “That man is even older than your father. Why would he do that?”

  Mary clasped her hands to keep them from shaking. “Evidently, he’s owes the marquess a sizable gambling debt. He wants the man to accept me as his bride to avoid having to pay it.” While her father was as rich as Croesus, he was also miserly. He never willingly parted with money.

  Kathleen’s worried expression let Mary know of her friend’s concern. “I overheard Andrew discussing the marquess with his friends. The man is a terrible rogue. Since you are unmarried, I probably should not say this. From what I understand, the man has deviant…uh, urges.”

  Recalling what she had heard the maids saying, Mary thought she knew what those urges involved. “I may be innocent, but I am not naïve. It’s because of this that I can’t abide the thought of marrying the man. At least the marquess didn’t immediately accept my father’s proposal. Lord Worthington told him he would give his answer when he returns in a month.”

  Kathleen tapped her finger against her pursed lips. “Then we have time to find a solution to your dilemma. I will talk to my husband and see if he can help. The best possible thing that could happen would be to find someone else for you to marry. If that happened, perhaps it would stop your father. I would think that as long as someone pays off his voucher, he will not insist you marry Lord Worthington.”

  Mary sighed. “But Kathleen, I don’t even have a suitor. I’ve never had one. Who would want me? I’m not even passably pretty. My hair is a mousy brown, and I’m too pale. I’m also too thin and short to be fashionable.”

  “Mary. Do not say that. You are too, pretty. You’re graceful and slender. You have an ethereal quality that many men find appealing. We need to work on your self-confidence. If you wore different colors, men would swarm around you. We need to go shopping. New dresses are just the thing. I shall take you to Madame Clarisse. Her styles will enhance your unique beauty.”

  That would be all well and good, but her aunt would never sanction new gowns and certainly not in pretty colors. Her father would never agree to pay for a new wardrobe, even if Aunt Mildred asked him for the funds, which she never would. Her aunt was too scared of her brother to do that.

  “It’s hopeless, Kathleen. Neither my aunt nor my father would ever agree. Besides, it would not do any good.”

  “I’ll use my pin money. Lord Billingsley is very generous, and since he has all my bills sent to him, I never have any reason to spend it. A few day dresses and a new ball gown would not make a dent in my allowance.”

  It was so like her friend to want to help. Kathleen had a heart as big as the ocean. “Your generosity is appreciated, but I cannot accept. It would not be right.”

  They continued to argue, but her quiet and unassuming ways were no match for her friend’s stubborn determination to have her own way. B
efore she could stop her, Kathleen had called for her carriage and insisted they go to her modiste.

  When they arrived at Madame Clarisse’s establishment, Kathleen took charge. Before Mary could protest, her friend had ordered three day dresses and two ball gowns in an array of colors. Mary had to admit, the pale aqua silk did bring out her blue-green eyes, and the rose-colored muslin turned her complexion a becoming pale pink. The drab grays and stark whites her aunt always chose for her made her appear washed out.

  With their shopping expedition complete, Kathleen had her driver take them to Gunter’s for a light repast. Mary had not had such an enjoyable time since the past spring when she and Kathleen had spent time together.

  “Since Parliament is holding a special session to discuss the French issue, most of the ton has descended on London. I’m holding a ball Saturday to welcome Alex and Anissa home. That will be the perfect opportunity to present your new look to society. The men will quickly fill your dance card when they see you in that aqua gown.”

  Mary twisted the handkerchief in her hands. “I don’t know, Kathleen. I very much doubt a new wardrobe will attract a bevy of admirers. I should not have allowed you to order those dresses.”

  “Never you fear. I’ll have you engaged before the night is over.” Mary just shook her head at her friend’s optimism. She prayed it would work out the way Kathleen expected, but that would take a miracle, and fate rarely seemed to be on her side.

  When Mary returned from her outing with Kathleen, she grew frantic again. She could not marry that horrible marquess. The very thought of that man touching her made her skin crawl and sent cold chills up and down her spine. She had to find a way to stop this nightmare.

  Perhaps Kathleen’s ball would be the answer. The beautiful aqua silk would change her appearance dramatically. Possibly she could attract a gentleman who would be kind. While she would like to fall in love, she did not have the luxury to wait for that to happen.

  Not only did she need to change the way she looked, she also needed to ruthlessly push her quiet, unassuming side deep inside and try to emulate Kathleen’s vivacious, fun-loving attitude. Could she do it?

  When she arrived at Lady Martin’s musicale later that evening, Mary attempted to come out of her shell. It helped that Kathleen was in attendance as well. During the intermission, several of Lord Billingsley’s friends came over, and Kathleen introduced them to her. “Lady Mary, this is Lord Renwick, Lord Blythe, and Mr. Effinger.”

  Lord Renwick bowed and took her hand, then raised it to his lips and kissed the air above her gloved fingers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Mary. Would you allow me a place on your dance card at the ball on Saturday evening?”

  Mary stammered, “I-I would be delighted, my lord.”

  Then the other two gentleman introduced themselves and asked if she would save a dance for them as well. While all three men were unfailingly polite to her, she did not believe she had engaged their interest. At least she would not be a complete wallflower on Saturday.

  The rest of the evening progressed in the same fashion. For the first time in her life, her dance card was almost full before the dance even started. Kathleen was certainly setting the stage for Mary’s unveiling at her ball. She prayed it would accomplish their objective.

  When she arrived home after the musicale, her maid helped her don her nightclothes and left her alone. Mary went back over the night. Obviously, Kathleen had solicited her husband’s assistance. While she appreciated her friend’s efforts, now that she was alone again, all her fears returned. She did not see how their plan could be successful. Mary buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep as despair ate at her soul.

  The following afternoon, Mary received a missive from Kathleen letting her know her brother Alex and his wife had arrived, along with her other brother John. All of them would be attending the ball on Saturday.

  Mary managed to avoid her father over the next couple of days. When her aunt saw the gowns Kathleen had purchased for her, she flatly told her that if she insisted on wearing the scandalously low-cut ball gown on Saturday evening, she would not act as her chaperone.

  Mary, determined to not give in, blurted out, “I do not need you. Kathleen will be happy to do it. In fact, she has asked me to stay with her this coming weekend, and I accepted her invitation.”

  Her aunt’s gray eyes bore a hole in her. “You do not have my permission. Your father will never approve, even if I gave you leave.”

  Mary wanted to crawl under a rock, but she had to stand up to her aunt and convince her, or all their careful planning would be for naught. At that moment, Mary remembered an important detail about the upcoming weekend. She did her best to keep herself from grinning as she reminded her, “Aunt, remember you wanted to attend Lady Rossell’s house party this weekend. If you give me your permission to spend the weekend with Lady Billingsley, you can attend without me.”

  Her aunt appeared to be considering this, and then she said, “Hmm, I would like to go to that house party. I suppose it will not hurt anything if I allow you to attend, but you may not wear that appalling gown. You must return all of them.” Crossing her arms over her plump breasts, her aunt looked down her long nose, then stated, “All right, you may go.”

  “I shall have my maid return the dresses this afternoon.” Ella was such a dear and had been so concerned when she learned of the earl’s devious plan. Her maid would be more than willing to take the gowns to Kathleen’s townhouse, instead. Aunt Mildred did not need to know that. Ecstatic over gaining her approval, Mary wanted to jump up and down, but knowing it could cause her aunt to change her mind, she held in her excitement. “Thank you, Aunt. Please go to your party and enjoy yourself. I shall behave as if you were present at my friend’s ball.”

  She harrumphed, “See that you do.” Then she marched away.

  Once Mary made it to her room and closed her door, she twirled around on her toes and hugged her waist. For the first time in her life, she’d stood up to her aunt and won. Perhaps, Kathleen’s plan could work. Feeling optimistic, she dashed off a note to her friend and had her maid deliver it when she dropped off the divine aqua silk ball gown, along with the other dresses.

  Mary would do whatever she must to circumvent her father’s offer. She would find a suitor and bring him up to scratch all on the evening of the ball if it was the last thing she ever did.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Calais, France

  Mid-October 1803

  After a grueling trip, Cortland and the children arrived in Calais on the fifteenth of October. It had rained every day since they set out on their journey, turning what he had hoped would be a five-day trip into ten. He gave all the credit to Gerrard for getting them to their destination. Without his quick-wittedness, they would have never made it.

  Somehow the resourceful young lad managed to forage for food without using any of their funds, so they still had enough coin to pay for passage over the English Channel, and cover the costs of getting to London. The bigger problem would be finding a ship willing to make the journey. Napoleon had amassed a large army and had a huge fleet of ships on the ready with plans to invade England. This was information the emperor would not want the English to know.

  Cortland spent much of the day and well into the evening before he located the captain of a small ship anchored off shore. The captain told him to be at the dinghy by three in the morning if he wanted to go with him. The seas would be rough due to the rains and wind, so he warned Cortland it would be a dangerous crossing. Of course, at this time of year, it was always dangerous.

  When he returned to the stables where he had hidden the children, he told them of the arrangements he had made for their passage. “I must let you know the crossing will be precarious. Although, no more dangerous than remaining here with Napoleon’s army milling around.”

  Gerrard’s determined face awed Cortland. This was by far the bravest young lad he had ever known, and little Aimee followed her brothe
r’s lead. “We shall brave the crossing, Capitaine. Have no fears, we will survive. We are anxious to arrive in England and at last feel safe again.”

  “Then let us sleep for a few hours before we depart.” Gerrard and Aimee curled up together and promptly fell asleep. It took Cortland a while longer to settle down. If they made it across, he would soon be reunited with his beloved sister and nephew. His heart raced when he thought of the joy of at last seeing both of them. His eyes closed, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

  As conditioned from his years in the army, Cortland awoke in plenty of time to get to the beach to meet the dinghy. Thank the good Lord, he had not had a nightmare. Gerrard awoke at the same time and had their belongings ready as Aimee sat quietly waiting to leave. The clever lad had managed to find Cortland a pair of breeches to replace the ones he’d been wearing when they rescued him. Those would have alerted anyone looking close of his military status.

  To keep the children safe, Gerrard carried most of the coins that remained to cover their expenses. Cortland only kept enough funds for his passage. He gave Gerrard the directions to the rendezvous point on the beach. The youngsters left the safety of the stables and headed toward their destination. Once Gerrard and Aimee were out of sight, Cortland exited the stables and turned in the opposite direction the children took.

  Staying in the shadows of the buildings, he circled around. At last, he turned toward the beach, avoiding any soldiers patrolling the area. When he made it to the edge of town, he spied Gerrard and Aimee. They were already in the dinghy, and the captain and a few crew members were pushing away from shore. Cortland set off at a full run.

  Halfway to the boat, the sound of guns firing echoed in the pre-dawn. A musket ball whizzed by, barely missing him, but another one found its intended target. His left arm dangled at his side. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. Splashing through the water, he dove into the dinghy as the crew pushed it far enough away from the beach. The men climbed in and rowed toward the ship anchored offshore.