Augustus walked away from the cajoling pair. James gave Oscar a wink and whispered, “Don’t worry about him. He has learned his place.” James stepped back and held his arms out wide. “And I am so glad to be home. However, before I go and get myself a lovely Lady Daventry for a bride, shall we see what pleasures London has for us?”
Oscar looked interested now, and James waved for him to follow as he turned on his heel towards the seedier part of London. “You sure our bags will be safe?” Oscar asked as he hurried to catch up with James.
“I paid for the rooms and paid the boy inside to take our bags up. They will be fine. Now stop worrying, and let’s go have some fun. I think we deserve it after what we have been through,” James said with a dramatic sweep of his arm.
Oscar nodded. “If anyone deserves it then we definitely do. What about Emily, though? Do you really think she will just agree to marry you?”
“Please, she will have heard all about Edward and his misdeeds by now. She will probably be so happy to see me back home safe that she will probably fall straight into my arms.” James smiled. “She always was a sentimental one, and with her idolised vision of Edward shattered, she will finally see that I have always been there for her.”
***
Emily put on a lovely bonnet that she had kept just for Edward’s return. She had wanted to look nice for him. Now, though, she had to settle for looking nice for their childhood friends.
James and the others had returned to England. Emily knew this because her father had talked to James’ father who had confirmed his son’s return along with Augustus and Oscar. It would be sad to see them, but Emily knew it was also a necessary thing. She had to see her old friends, and surely it would be a comfort to talk of Edward with people who loved Edward as she loved him.
There was a cursory knock, and then Anne popped her head through the door. The chambermaid’s freckles were nearly invisible in the pinkness of her cheeks. “Miss, Captain Winchester is downstairs.”
“Thank you, Anne,” Emily said as she checked her reflection once more. “You look flushed, are you well?”
Anne bobbed her head. “Oh yes, I just ran up the stairs, Miss. I shall go tell your visitor that you will be there shortly, then shall I?”
“You best let Tomlin do it. It really is not proper for a young lady to do such things where it concerns gentlemen,” Emily said to the chambermaid.
Anne looked a bit disappointed but agreed, “Yes, Miss.”
Emily shook her head as the maid rushed out of the room. She liked Anne well enough but could not help thinking that her mother had failed to show the young woman how to properly respect herself around gentlemen. Anne was often overwhelmed when gentlemen, whether they were young or old, spoke to her.
Thankfully, Emily’s mother had instilled a healthy dose of dignity into Emily, and although she was quite excited to see her old friend, she did not rush off to see him. No, it would not do to be so eager. People would think that Emily had set her hat after the captain when that was just not the case.
When she was sure that she could be no more ready, Emily collected herself by taking a small breath and squaring her shoulders back. Good posture, her mother always said, was the hallmark of a fine lady. Emily went downstairs without any rushing or pomp.
James was waiting for her in the sunroom. “James,” Emily said with a warm smile. “It is so good to see you well.”
“Emily, you magnificent woman, how I have missed you!” James gushed the words as he stood up off the overstuffed chair and walked towards her with his arms open.
Emily smiled at him but shied away from the hug he tried to give her. She forgave him his forwardness. The man had been at war for years, and he was probably beside himself with joy at returning home, after all. Instead, Emily offered him her hand.
James took her hand gently and gave her gloved hand a light kiss. Instead of letting go of her hand, James held onto it as he said, “I thought I might never get to see you again.”
The statement made Emily’s smile falter. She pulled her hand back from James’ grasp. “Yes, well, you are here now. I am afraid that I might not be that much to see. I have not been myself for some time.”
“Are you ill?” James asked with a concerned expression.
Emily waved off the man’s question. “Not physically. My heart is just sick with grief. I find that every time I think it is better that I learn it is not.” She pulled a handkerchief out of a pocket in her skirt. “Forgive me,” Emily begged as she dabbed her eyes.
“There is nothing to forgive,” James assured her. Despite his words, James’ face settled into a frown.
Emily clasped the handkerchief in her hands. “I had thought I had gotten past this point, but seeing you and learning that all my wonderful friends returned home safe makes me realise that I am not. Your homecoming fills my heart with both happiness for those who are here and an ache for those that are not here.”
“You mean Edward then?” James asked as his frown deepened. “I am surprised you give him such homage as to still cry for him.”
Emily looked at James in confusion. “Of course, I still cry for him. He was my betrothed, and my friend.”
“You are far too kind a woman, Emily,” James said as he walked over to look at a planter full of daisies. The flowers were her mother’s favourite. Emily watched the man admire them and waited because it seemed as if there was something he was not saying.
At last Emily gave up on the man speaking further. She cleared her throat. “Are Oscar and Augustus well? I had hoped they would come to call on me, but I have not seen them.”
“That may be my fault,” James said with a smile that looked sincerely apologetic. “I mentioned to Oscar while we were still in France that I had always greatly admired you. Truth is that the longer I was away, the more I thought of you, Emily.”
Emily gave James a considering look. “I am afraid I must misunderstand you, James,” Emily said as she walked over to a chair and table set her father had requested be built as a present for her mother. “Do you mean to say that you have some affection for me beyond mere friendship?”
“That is exactly what I mean,” James said as he looked down at his hands almost bashfully. He spoke while his eyes were still downcast. “I do hope that you can attempt to see me as not only the boy you knew but the man that I have become.” He looked up at her with a hopeful smile.
Emily felt a deep pain in her heart. James had always been a good friend to her and to Edward and yet here she was hearing his confession of admiration for her. Emily drew a deep breath and calmed herself before she spoke. “I am sorry, James. My heart can never be for any other man than Edward.”
James stared at her for a moment with his mouth slightly agape. “You have pledged yourself to him, even if he is dead? You would tie your body and soul to that man?”
“He was your friend, James,” Emily said disapprovingly of the way James was talking. “You say you care for me, but you thought so little of me that you would think that I could bare my soul to another man. Oh, James, no, I could never.”
James clenched his fists at his side and said in a tight voice, “After all Edward did, you still love him more than me.”
The tremor in James’ voice scared Emily. It was not fear, but anger that Emily could not understand. “I have heard that he died in a time of war. The details were sparse.”
“Do you want to know how he died then? I was there. I can tell you all about it,” James said, and Emily looked at him with eager eyes.
Emily nodded. “Please tell me, James,” she pleaded as she clasped her hands in front of her chest. “I have wanted to know for so long, but no one seemed to know anything.”
James came over and guided her towards one of the sofas. Emily gave him a curious look as he helped her sit down. “You will want to prepare yourself. The details are not for the faint of heart, sweet lady.”
Steeling herself, Emily said, “I have to know.”
“And I think you should especially if you are going to bind yourself eternally to a murderer,” James said as he looked down at her with what Emily thought might be pity.
Emily repeated the word, “Murderer?” She shook her head. “We are talking about Edward. He could not harm anyone.”
“Saint Edward,” James said. “That is what the boys and I always called him. He was forever after us about our sinful ways.” James took a breath and continued, “Truth is Emily that Edward was not the man you thought he was. I had hoped that you would already know and I would not have to see the look on your face when you found out. It was a selfish thing to wish, but I wished it so.”
Emily grabbed James’ hand as he stood near her. “Please, James. Tell me what happened in France.”
“Edward changed,” James said in a quiet voice. “Maybe it was the blood or the stress of command, but he grew hard and cold. He took it out on Augustus and Oscar the most. I tried to intervene, but Edward would not hear it.” James cradled Emily’s hand between his two larger hands. “Are you certain that you want to hear it?”
Emily’s hand flexed inside of James’ grasp. “I have to hear it. How will I know the truth if no one speaks it?”
“Let it not be me, Dear Emily,” James begged as he knelt down still cradling her hand. “Please, get some other man, a man who does not care about the pain in your eyes to tell you these things.”
Emily put her free hand on James’ cheek. “You have always been a good friend to me, James. If you truly care for me, then end my suffering and tell me the truth.”
“We were stationed in a small town. Boredom and despair became normal. It affected some worse than others. Augustus took to the drink and Edward …” James cleared his throat before he continued. “Edward took to the local women.” Emily’s hand left James’ cheek and covered her mouth.
Emily shook her head. “That cannot be,” she denied.
“You asked for the truth, sweet Emily. I begged you not to make me utter the words, but there is worse to come,” James said with a frown. “In a fit of rage, Edward killed a young prostitute.”
Emily jerked her hand out of James’ grasp. “Lies,” Emily shouted before she could stop herself. “My Edward would never!”
“Calm yourself, dear one,” James said in a soothing voice. “You asked for the truth, and I gave it. Do not kill the messenger because of the message.”
Emily took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. “You are right,” she said in a voice that was tightly controlled. “Please, tell me the rest.”
James eyed her as if he were wary of another outburst, but Emily ignored the man and took her seat again. James nodded slowly and said, “We saw him leaving the room. We had heard her screams and the struggle. We came to make sure that Edward was alright. Although he had not been much of a friend to us in months, we still held loyalty to him.”
“You saw him,” Emily whispered.
James nodded again avoiding her eyes as if he were ashamed. Emily felt guilt stir in her for lashing out at James. “Please, go on,” Emily said with trepidation.
“We had no choice, Emily, but to tell the colonel. The girl’s uncle had seen Edward, and he was ready to file a complaint against him. We were caught between our love of our friend and the values we swore to uphold in the king’s army. Augustus was right, though, we had to. It was our moral obligation as much as we hated ourselves for it.” James turned away from Emily. “Give me a moment.”
Emily stood up and went to the man concerned for his well-being. “Are you well?” she asked as she touched him on the arm. She did not want to intrude too much; men were often fragile when it came to their egos. James was the type of man that would not want a lady to see him shedding tears, of that Emily was sure.
James nodded and took in a shaky breath before he turned towards Emily. “I am always well when you are near,” James said with obvious affection.
Emily turned from him and whispered, “What happened next, James? What happened to Edward?”
“There was a court-martial. We were under the threat of attack, so a field officer court-martial was held, that’s where the officers on hand hear the evidence and then vote to decide the fate of the man on trial.” James’ voice held sorrow as he continued, “They sentenced him to be hanged. They could do little else under the circumstances. We thought he might just be jailed when we spoke out, but we had condemned our friend to the gallows. I fear that we thought we might not deserve to live ourselves, Emily.”
Emily turned around and shook her head as she wiped away a tear from her cheek. “No,” she said bravely. “You did the right thing. You did the only thing you could. If he truly did what you say, then that was not my Edward at all.”
***
Oscar sat at a table with James in a tavern and eyed his friend with curiosity. “Hard to believe after all these months that she is still opposed to your match,” he said with a shake of his head.
“She seems so close to giving it at times, but she is too stubborn for her own good,” James said in disgust.
Oscar shrugged. “You got women aplenty,” he said as if it hardly mattered.
James slammed his hand down on the table causing other patrons to look over at them. James hissed through clenched teeth. “Other women are meaningless. Even dead Edward keeps Emily from me. He haunts me.”
“You are beginning to sound like Augustus,” Oscar said with a chuckle. “Surely Emily will come around now that you are an Earl.”
James frowned. “Yes, but it is tainted with my father’s passing,” James said in a sombre voice.
“I heard the way he died was a bit peculiar,” Oscar said in a light tone of voice.
James nodded and agreed, “He seemed so healthy. The doctors think it might have been something he ate. Father always was fond of eating those horrible pickled things that my aunt packed away for decades.”
“A foul way to go,” Oscar said with a frown. He picked up his mug of beer and drank a deep draught of it. “A drink to soothe our sorrows.”
James smiled at his old friend. “Here’s to the Earl and his love of pickling,” he said as he raised his mug.
“Here, here,” Oscar said as he clinked his mug against James’ mug. They both drank, and then Oscar enquired, “You are growing impatient, and I know that you are not one for waiting. What will you do to win Emily’s hand if she will not see reason?”
James said, “Oh, I have a few thoughts.”
***
Emily looked over at her mother. The woman had come into Emily’s room to speak with her which was unusual enough, but Emily watched her mother wring her hands. “Mother, what is the matter?”
“Emily,” her mother said as she came over to put her hands gently on either side of Emily’s face. “Do you remember when you were little and all you wanted to do was get married?”
Emily frowned. “Of course, Mother. I remember that quite well. What is wrong?”
“I am afraid that your father has had a few bad turns lately in his dealings,” her mother said. “We are badly in debt. We might lose the family home.”
Emily gasped. “This home has been in our family for generations.”
“Yes,” Emily’s mother said in a quiet voice. “We have few options open to us, Emily.”
The way her mother was talking made Emily’s stomach feel like lead. “What have you done?”
“Captain Winchester has offered a reverse dowry,” Lady Daventry said. “It is not unheard of, and marrying an Earl is better than most young ladies your age would accomplish.”
The Revenge of the Betrayed Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 10