Her Counterfeit Husband

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Has he made life difficult for me in the past?”

  “No,” Luke replied. “He didn’t do anything to you. You would have made his life worse because you had all the money, and Mason wasn’t about to let the money go.”

  “Doesn’t Mason have his own money?”

  “Not after he lost it to Lord Edon two years ago. You lost some money to him as well, but you had plenty left over and Mason didn’t.”

  “Mason’s indebted to me?”

  “I suppose you could say that,” Luke said. “You have the steward pay him a stipend every month.”

  Jason recalled the ledger and remembered seeing Mason’s name. “I thought it was standard for me to pay Mason something since I have the title.”

  “No. Mason has his own wealth. Or rather, he did. Without you there to boost him up, he’d be poor.”

  “Do you think that’s something he might resent?”

  “Resent? I don’t know how that could be since he’s the one who lost his money to Lord Edon after you warned him to stop gambling. He ought to be grateful. If Mason was my brother, I wouldn’t give him anything, but then, I don’t care for him. You ready to play chess?”

  Jason nodded, but his mind was still on what Luke had just told him. He rubbed his chin. Something was wrong. Mason did resent him, and this might be the reason why. But what would Mason do if he resented someone enough? Get him on a horse, knowing full well that he was scared of riding it, and then head for the trees? Jason didn’t like the way his thoughts were going, but the more he recalled that day and how fast he had to go to keep up with Mason, he had to wonder if Mason was hoping he’d fall.

  “Jason?” Luke asked.

  Forcing his mind off of Mason, he turned to the chessboard. “Anna explained how to play the game, but I’m afraid I don’t remember all the rules. Will you refresh my memory?”

  “Certainly.”

  Jason listened attentively as Luke gave him the rules. By the way Luke talked, Jason gathered that Luke loved this game. He probably played it any chance he got. But as Jason followed the instructions, he didn’t think he cared much for the game. He understood it had to do with strategy, but for some reason, it didn’t hold his attention as well as he expected.

  Halfway through the game, he turned his gaze to Luke who was studying the board, carefully plotting his next move. Clearing his throat, Jason asked, “I used to enjoy this game, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, but you enjoyed it much more if you could win,” Luke replied with a mischievous grin. “Should I do a better job of losing?”

  “No. You should do your best.” He shifted in the chair and sighed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t seem to like many of the things I used to. I don’t care for horses or gambling, and now I discover I don’t care if I win or lose this game of chess.”

  Luke sat back in his seat and chuckled. “Well, in that case, there’s no real challenge for me, is there? You’ll lose just to end the game.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Chess doesn’t interest every gentleman.”

  “It seems that few things interest me.”

  “What are you interested in?”

  Jason clasped his hands in front of him and thought over his cousin’s question. “I enjoyed dancing with Anna at the ball last night, I like listening to her play music on the piano, I have fun watching the balloon launch and walking through Hyde Park…”

  “All of these are things you do with Anna?”

  “Yes, I think so. But I didn’t spend much time with her before, did I?”

  Luke shook his head. “You said a wife was meant to give you an heir. Other than that, you had other ways to amuse yourself.”

  “That being the case, I can’t say losing my memory was a bad thing.”

  “The only thing we had in common before was chess. As much as I love the game, I’d rather spend time with you as you are now than play chess with the person you once were. We don’t have to play chess while we’re here. We can drink some brandy and have a conversation. We can play cards, and we don’t have to play for money. We can even catch up on current events if you wish.”

  “Current events?”

  “Sure. Napoleon’s now in exile on Elba. A lot of gentlemen here are glad to see that the usurper got what he deserved. Of course, there’s also the trouble we’re having with America. It seems it’s always one thing or another. Plenty to keep you occupied if you wish to learn more.”

  “Did those things interest me before?” Jason asked.

  “As long as you had your entertainment, you didn’t care what was going on,” Luke replied.

  With a chuckle, he said, “You’ll likely find this amusing, but I think I enjoyed playing on Anna’s piano. At the time, I tested it out because it was an excuse to sit close to her, but I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

  “Gentlemen have been known to play pianos.”

  “But it wasn’t something I liked before?”

  “No. You liked music enough, but I can’t recall you taking an interest in playing a musical piece.”

  Jason rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t understand how I can be so drastically different from before. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was a completely different person.”

  “Are you happy?” Luke asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Jason laughed and tapped the arms of his chair. “There isn’t one, is there?”

  “Not that I can see.” Luke stood up and gestured to the other room. “Why don’t I introduce you to the other gentlemen here so you can put some names with some faces?”

  Jason nodded and stood up. Feeling better, he followed Luke to the other room.

  ***

  When Jason returned to the townhouse, he asked the footman to get the steward. “Tell him to meet me in the library,” he added before the footman headed down the hallway.

  As he passed the drawing room, he heard the familiar sound of Anna playing on her piano. He smiled and went to the doorway, careful to remain out of sight. She never seemed to be able to play an entire piece when she knew he was nearby, so to hear her, he learned to stay hidden. She was playing a slow but happy tune. He’d come to learn that she had a tendency to play songs that mirrored her mood at the moment. So right now, she was in a good mood, though a bit thoughtful.

  He sighed. As much as he was enjoying London, he missed how carefree she’d been at their country home. He had no idea why she worried so much over whether or not he’d find a way to fit in with the friends they had here. Everyone they came across was more than understanding about his loss of memory. Perhaps in time, she would come to realize that, too, and then she could stop worrying.

  He caught sight of the steward who was heading for the library and decided he would see Anna after he talked to the steward. Once he reached the library, he had the steward shut the door and sit across from him.

  “I’d like to see the ledger again,” Jason said and pulled his chair up to his desk.

  The steward placed it in front of him. “I trust you’ll find everything is in order, Your Grace.”

  Jason nodded but didn’t say anything as he opened it. He ran through the list of expenses. “Good. I see you and the other servants are getting paid what you should.”

  “Yes, Your Grace, and we’re thankful for that.”

  “I don’t blame you. It’s a wonder you all didn’t quit.” Jason continued to study the expenses. “Are you budgeting for Lord Mason’s monthly allotment?”

  “I am, Your Grace. Should I stop?”

  With a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t remember why I had to begin his allotment. Where is it listed?”

  “They’re under M.A., Your Grace.”

  “M.A.?”

  “Monthly Allotment. I didn’t know what else to call it.”

  Finding the initials, Jason scanned the previous months an
d compared them to what Mason had received for that month. “That’s odd.”

  “What’s odd, Your Grace?”

  “Well, I notice that the amounts differ from month to month up until my fall down the stairs. Then it’s been the same every month.”

  The steward nodded. “You used to vary the amount depending on your…mood…at the time.”

  “Mood?” Jason asked, finding that an odd way of putting it.

  “You used to tell me what to pay your brother, and when you were in a good mood, he received more than if you were in a bad mood. Forgive me, Your Grace, but I don’t know any more than that. It wasn’t my place to question you. I simply followed your instructions.”

  “Of course.” Jason couldn’t have expected the steward to do anything more or less than that. “Is the amount he gets now sufficient for his needs?”

  “It’s more than enough, but whether your brother’s content with it is another matter.”

  “He’s not content with what he receives?”

  “He has come to me about getting more. I had to tell him no.”

  “Did you give him more than you reported in the past?” Jason asked, sensing there was more to the story than the steward wanted to tell him.

  He slowly exhaled. “I have, but only in the past. I haven’t budged from the allowed expense since you got well.”

  Jason’s gaze returned to the steward’s tense expression. He drummed his fingers on the desk as he debated the best way to proceed with his questions. “Does Lord Mason come by often to ask for more money?”

  “He has a tendency to spend more than he has.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He shut the ledger. “Isn’t there any way he can get an income that doesn’t involve my finances?”

  “The easiest way would be if he married into money.”

  “And the other way?” Jason asked.

  He shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. “I think we both know the answer to that one, Your Grace.”

  Right. Mason would have to become the duke. After a tense moment passed between them, he said, “I imagine he was disappointed when I got well.” He stood and handed the ledger back to him. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

  The steward rose to his feet. “Your Grace, far be it from me to advise you on your financial affairs, but if you wanted to stop those monthly allotments, I don’t think anyone would fault you for it.”

  No one but Mason, he thought. Things were already shaky between him and Mason. At the moment, it didn’t seem wise to press his luck. “I understand the situation with Lord Mason, and I’ll be careful where he’s concerned. In the meantime, we’ll let the allotment stand as it is. It might be that Lady Templeton will marry him and take him to British India.”

  “That would be a relief.”

  Jason wondered if there was something the steward wasn’t telling him but decided they’d discussed enough for one day. And perhaps with the way servants talked, the less said, the better. “I have nothing else to ask. You may go now.”

  The steward bowed and left the room.

  Jason sat back down so he could have a few minutes to clear his head. He didn’t wish to see Anna when he was facing some dark thoughts. Everything added up. There was no other possibility he could see in the midst of all he’d just learned. Mason had every motive to want him killed. Losing his money to Lord Edon, becoming dependent on him for his income, and wanting more money than he was allotted. It all made sense.

  So he hadn’t been imagining Mason’s ill will toward him. Mason might be pleasant to him on the surface, but underneath, he hated him. But what could he do about it? If he gave Mason more money, would Mason really be content with that or would he want more? He suspected Mason’s desire for money outweighed anything else. If he didn’t marry Lady Templeton, then Jason might be facing a very formidable opponent.

  Jason leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his fingers lightly brushing the edges of the chair’s arms. Something must happen, and it must happen soon because if Mason tried to make him fall off the horse last time he visited Camden, there was no telling what he’d try in the future.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next day, Anna couldn’t concentrate as her lady’s maid finished tying the ribbon in her hair. Her mind ran over so many things. The balloon launch, Hyde Park, the theatre, Lady Cadwalader’s ball... All of it had been wonderful, a dream come true, really. Jason hadn’t felt the need to slip out of the townhouse to seek entertainment with another lady.

  It relieved her to no end that he hadn’t accepted Lady Hausen’s offer to take her as a lover. The invitation occurred at Lady Cadwalader’s ball, and Anna had just returned from talking to Candace when she caught Lady Hausen speaking with Jason in the corner of the room. She came up behind them as they talked, and even if Lady Hausen wasn’t doing anything outright inappropriate, Anna heard her invite him to her townhouse sometime. He’d declined and left in favor of finding someone else to talk to, and while Anna hadn’t told him she overheard the conversation, her respect for him increased significantly. In many ways, it seemed as if he’d fallen right out of heaven when she’d needed him the most.

  “Your Grace?”

  Blinking, Anna turned her attention back to her lady’s maid. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I got distracted. What did you say?”

  “I only said I was done and that you look lovely this evening.”

  Anna turned her attention back to her reflection. “You do a wonderful job. The blue ribbons in my hair complement my dress very well.”

  “It’s more than the hair and dress, Your Grace. You are radiant because you’re in love. Nothing makes a lady more beautiful.”

  Her face grew warm. “Yes. His Grace is more than I could’ve ever hoped for.”

  She smiled. “Is there anything else you want me to do?”

  Anna shook her head. “No, and thank you.”

  As Anna left her bedchamber, Jason stepped out of his room. She was ready to call out to him when his valet emerged from the room and handed him a pocket watch.

  “Would you like to take this?” his valet asked.

  “Yes, I suppose it’s good to know what time it is,” Jason replied.

  Especially when you’re eager to leave some place, Anna thought, ever in dread of Lady Templeton’s ball. She couldn’t think of anything that was worse, except if it was Lord Mason’s dinner party. Knowing it was too late to feign an illness and cursing herself for not thinking of it sooner, she squared her shoulders back and headed for Jason.

  He turned and smiled. “Anna, you’re a breathtaking sight tonight.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” she replied.

  “I know you’re not looking forward to this ball, so I thought I’d keep a close eye on the time. We should agree on a time to leave.”

  “When the first couple guests start leaving, we will, too. That way we’ll blend in with everyone else.”

  “Hmm…” He glanced at the pocket watch and shrugged. “Then I suppose I don’t need it.”

  “I wouldn’t take it. If you do, you’ll end up looking at it all night, and when you do that, time passes much slower.”

  “I suppose you’re right. All right. I’ll leave it here.”

  He handed it back to the valet and turned to her, offering her his arm. “Are you ready?”

  “I suppose so.” She accepted his arm and went down the stairs.

  “Anna?”

  “What?”

  “Mason once asked me how I could have fallen down the stairs and not broken my neck. I can see how a fall doesn’t necessarily mean a broken neck, but I have wondered why I don’t have a fear of staircases. I mean, even now I don’t like horses, and I’ve spent considerable time with mine. I don’t understand why since I didn’t fall off a horse.”

  Anna debated what to say. Something probably happened with a horse, but she had no idea what that something was. “Jason, all I know is that I never saw you fall off a horse. It’s p
ossible that it happened.”

  He patted her hand and smiled. “It’s one of those great mysteries. Whatever the reason, I’m alive and here with you now, and that’s all that matters.”

  Relieved he wasn’t going to press her about the stairs, she nodded. “Yes, it is all that matters. I’m just glad you’re here with me.”

  They reached the bottom of the steps and he kissed her. “I am, too.”

  The footman opened the front door, and they went to their carriage. On the way there, she held Jason’s hand and prayed that the night would pass without any problems. She closed her eyes and wondered if Lord Mason would always be a thorn in her side. She wanted to have nothing to do with him. She didn’t suppose she’d be fortunate enough for him to marry Lady Templeton and shove off to British India with her and her father. It would take care of everything if he did. Then she could rest assured that her lie would never be exposed. So far, no one else seemed to suspect the truth. They understood that Jason had amnesia and accepted the new changes in him without any questions. It was just Lord Mason who posed the threat. And she had no idea how that would be resolved.

  When they arrived at the ball, she scanned the large room, hoping one of their friends might be there. Beside her, Jason touched her arm. She turned to him. “What is it?”

  “Candace is here.”

  Her gaze followed his and she relaxed. Good. The ball would be more bearable with her friend there. At the moment, Candace was dancing.

  “Splendid! I’m glad you could make it,” Lady Templeton called out.

  The two turned in time to see Lady Templeton and Lord Mason curtsy and bow. Anna and Jason returned the greeting, and Anna offered the most polite smile she could muster.

  “It’s a wonderful evening for a ball, isn’t it?” Lady Templeton asked.

  “Yes, it is,” Anna forced out, clasping her hands together. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Candace continued to dance.

  “It wouldn’t have been the same without you, dear brother,” Lord Mason told Jason. “In fact, I was wondering if I could have a word with you. You two ladies don’t mind if we scurry off to talk, do you?”