Her Counterfeit Husband

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I’d never dream of coming between you and your brother,” Lady Templeton replied. “Don’t mind us. We can take care of ourselves.”

  Anna hid her grimace. Just what she wanted to do: spend time with Lady Templeton. Her hands tightened as she glanced Candace’s way. The dance was done, but she had no way of going over to her friend as long as Lady Templeton wanted to talk to her.

  Lady Templeton led Anna to one of the chairs at the side of the room and sat next to her. “You and the Duke of Watkins make a good looking couple.”

  “Thank you.” Not knowing what else to say, she added, “So do you and Lord Mason.”

  “Yes, well, about that, I wanted to ask you something, and to get the information I want, I’m afraid I have to be bold. Would it bother you if I were to be bold?”

  Reluctant, Anna shook her head.

  “Good. My father fancies Lord Mason for a son-in-law, but with our money, it’s important we can be assured he’d be coming into our family with some assets. Now, I’m asking you as a lady who is interested in taking care of her financial affairs, would it behoove me to accept Lord Mason’s proposal?”

  “Has he proposed?”

  “Yes, but I told him I needed to think it over. I know your husband is well off, but is Lord Mason?”

  “To be honest, I don’t know his financial situation. I don’t even know my husband’s.”

  “But surely, you have some idea?”

  “I assume because he throws extravagant dinner parties and travels that he manages well.”

  Lady Templeton sighed in disappointment. “You mean to tell me you don’t take a peek at things from time to time or talk to the steward, just to make sure you’re secure?”

  “No, I don’t, but even if I did, it would have no bearing on Lord Mason. His financial affairs don’t affect me.”

  “Perhaps you can talk to your husband. He might know something.”

  That might have been true with her first husband, but it wouldn’t be true with her second. And even if her first husband was alive, she’d never ask him about the finances. “Lady Templeton, I don’t know how things are done from where you live, but in London, a lady’s place isn’t in her husband’s financial affairs.”

  “I understand.” Lady Templeton rose to her feet and offered her a strained smile. “Thank you for your time.”

  Anna nodded, sure that Lady Templeton was glad to get away from her. As she watched her weave her way through the crowd, Anna wondered if she should ask Jason about the financial affairs of the estate. She had assumed that the steward had everything under control and that he’d talk to Jason if anything was amiss. But would Jason know what to do if something was wrong? She knew he wouldn’t mind if she asked. He was nothing like her first husband.

  “Anna, I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Breaking out of her thoughts, Anna looked up and saw Candace. Relieved, she held her hands out to her friend and clasped them. “I was hoping Lady Templeton and her father would invite you here tonight,” Anna said.

  Candace sat next to her and squeezed her hands. “Considering how close Mason is to Ian, I think Lady Templeton and her father didn’t have much of a choice. But I wondered if you and Jason would come, especially with how tense things have been between them.”

  “Tense between them? You mean Jason and Lord Mason?”

  “I don’t understand why you call Lord Mason so formally when he’s your brother-in-law.”

  “It sickens me to think of him as anything more personal.”

  “But you are now referring to your husband as Jason?”

  “He’s not the same person he was before he lost his memory.”

  Candace smiled. “You’re happy. Really, truly happy.”

  Anna’s smile widened. “Yes, I am.”

  “I’m glad, Anna. You’ve been through so much.”

  “It’s a shame we can’t give Ian a memory loss.”

  “If he’d be anything like Jason, I’d love it, and then…”

  Surprised that her friend stopped talking, Anna pressed, “Then what, Candace?”

  Candace blinked back her tears and whispered, “Then I wouldn’t have to tell him I’m no longer expecting a child.”

  “What?”

  “It’s been two weeks since I lost the baby. I was in pain and had no idea what was happening until I saw the blood.”

  Anna’s grip tightened on Candace’s hands. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I don’t know how to tell him. He’ll be upset. You know how much he wants a son.”

  “All titled gentlemen want sons.”

  “Yes, and I hoped this would be it. I don’t know what’s worse: losing the baby or knowing he’ll be back in my bed to try for another one.”

  “They’re both equally terrible.”

  Candace wiped her eyes with the edge of her handkerchief. “I don’t know how I’m going to tell him. I don’t want to tell him at all, but I’m supposed to be showing soon and by then, I can’t hide the truth.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. At least you know it’s nothing you did. These things happen.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

  No, Anna supposed it didn’t. She gave her friend a hug and whispered, “If you ever feel like you’re not safe, you can stay at my home.”

  Candace pulled away from her and wiped the tears from her eyes again. “Ian’s not as bad as Jason was. He never raises a hand against me. The worst he does is ignore me unless it’s time to work on an heir.”

  “As long as you’re safe, that’s the main thing.”

  “I am. I just don’t know how to tell him.”

  “Give it a few days, think it through, and tell him. If you need to work out how you’re going to tell him, you can tell me how you want to tell him. Then we can work on the thing that sounds best.”

  Candace nodded. “Thank you, Anna. You’re a good friend.”

  She patted her back and sighed, wishing she could do more to help Candace but knowing there wasn’t anything else she could offer her friend. Together, they sat in silence and watched the others dance. And as they did, Anna’s thoughts wandered to Jason and what he and his brother were discussing.

  ***

  “You want me to go to the circus?” Jason asked. He stood in the middle of the den, studying the piece of paper Mason had given him with information about the circus.

  “It’s something you should do at least once,” Mason replied as he poured some brandy into his glass. “Do you want a drink?”

  Jason shook his head. “No.” The last thing he’d ever do was accept a drink from Mason.

  With a shrug, Mason returned the decanter to the shelf and sat in a chair. “It’s the finest brandy in London. Lady Templeton’s father spares no expense. Don’t be shy. Sit somewhere. God knows there’s enough chairs to choose from.”

  Jason put the paper on the desk and sat across from him, wondering when he could leave so he could be around other people. As it was, he and Mason were alone, and it wasn’t a scenario he particularly cared for. Trying to get as comfortable as he could in the leather chair, he asked, “Do you feel that I don’t give you sufficient funds each month?”

  Mason’s eyes widened. Running his finger along the top of his glass, he said, “I didn’t think you remembered that little arrangement we made.”

  “I don’t. I had a conversation with the steward.”

  “Ah. That explains it.”

  After a long moment of silence passed between them, Jason asked, “Are you going to answer my question?”

  “We’ve had this discussion often enough over the past two years. I don’t see what good rehashing the whole thing will do.”

  “Considering I don’t recall any of those discussions, it’s worth rehashing.”

  Mason chuckled and took a sip of his drink. “Why? Did you think you pay me too little?”

  “I’d like to know why I’m paying you at all. You’re a grown gentleman, not a ch
ild.”

  “Because you’re generous to a fault?”

  “Somehow I doubt that’s the reason.”

  A slight scowl crossed his face before he smiled. “I don’t see how it’s any of your concern since you’re not my real brother. The charade is well done. You look just like him, and you give a marvelous job of pretending you don’t remember anything. But you don’t fool me, Alastair.”

  Jason’s eyebrows furrowed. “Alastair?” He’d heard that name before, but he couldn’t recall where.

  “Yes, Alastair. That’s your name.” Mason swallowed the rest of his brandy and leaned forward so he could look Jason in the eye. “You lived in the circus your entire life, traveling from one town to another.”

  “You’re lying.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “My real brother is dead, and I’m being accused of lying. It was a very clever ploy. I don’t know how you and Anna did it, but you fooled everyone else. Bravo for a job well done!”

  Jason bolted to his feet. “I’ve heard enough.”

  “You won’t be able to leave the room.”

  Not to be deterred by the threat, Jason strode over to the door and tried to open it. Gritting his teeth, he turned toward Mason who was on his way back to the decanter to pour himself another glass of brandy.

  “I tire of this game. I insist you unlock this door at once.”

  “Not until we reach an agreement.”

  “What kind of agreement are you talking about?”

  “That’s much better.” Mason took another sip of his drink and grinned. “I’ll keep your secret if you give me half your money.”

  “What?” Jason snapped, unable to believe his brother would not only lie to him about his past but rob him as well.

  “I’m not a fool. Lady Templeton will never marry me if she finds out I don’t have any money. Her father is far wealthier than many gentlemen at this ball. I’ll live very well off her dowry, but I need to have some money going into the marriage. You understand my problem?” Mason walked over to him, and he stepped back until his back hit the door. “Wouldn’t you like to get rid of me? See me go to British India where I won’t bother you or Anna? Your secret will stay your secret, and I will be very happy. So everyone wins. Now, we’re reasonable gentlemen. Surely, you can agree to this. Give us both a happy ending.”

  Jason shook his head. “It sounds like a bribe to me.”

  “Bribe?” Mason scoffed. “I think bribe is much too strong of a word when I should be the duke. I was second in line, you know. If it weren’t for you, I’d be living very well right now. But as it is, you stole my inheritance. You and that whore you married owe me.”

  Jason shoved him away, not caring when Mason fell back against the chair and dropped his glass which shattered into several pieces. He grabbed Mason by his waistcoat and pulled him toward him so that their noses were almost touching. “Anna’s not a whore, you deplorable excuse for a gentleman. I don’t owe you anything. You should be grateful I give you anything at all. It was your stupidity that got you into this mess.”

  Mason tried to push back at him, but Jason maintained his hold on the waistcoat. “You’re stronger than you look,” Mason grunted and struck him as hard as he could across his face. “It’s a shame you won’t be getting that heir. Anna’s as barren as the desert. Sooner or later, you’ll die, and I’ll get the inheritance. You sold yourself to a whore for nothing.”

  Jason’s blood came to a boil, and he punched his brother. The bone in Mason’s nose cracked, and he fell back into a chair, his hand covering his bloody nose. To his surprise, Mason was laughing.

  “You didn’t know, did you?” Mason asked, laughing harder. “Oh, I don’t believe it! The little shrew tricked you. You really believe you’re Jason Merrill, the Duke of Watkins. I thought I’d been played for a fool, but you’re the biggest fool of all.”

  Jason clenched his hands at his sides, ignoring the pain in his right hand which had struck Mason. “Stop it!”

  Mason rose to his feet and pulled out a handkerchief so he could wipe his nose. “Ask her. Go on and ask her about Alastair and the circus. You want to know why you can swing on a branch? It’s because you’re an acrobat. You did that for a living.” He chuckled. “Ask her, Alastair. I think you’ll find her answers quite informative.” He reached into his pocket and threw the key at Jason, which bounced off his chest and hit the floor. “Go on! You’ll find out the truth, and when you do, we’ll discuss dividing my brother’s money in half.”

  Jason hesitated for a moment but grabbed the key off the floor and headed for the door. Mason was still laughing, but he was sure Anna would assure him that Mason was lying to him. He unlocked the door, swung it open, threw the key back at Mason, and hurried down the hallway to the ballroom.

  Chapter Twenty

  Anna just finished dancing with a gentleman when she saw Jason enter the ballroom. His hair was disheveled, and a bruise was forming on his cheek. She looked behind him, but Lord Mason was nowhere in sight. Her gaze returned to Jason who was searching the room. Something in the way he furrowed his eyebrows bothered her.

  She headed for him, and as soon as his eyes met hers, she knew something was wrong between them. When she reached him, she asked, “Jason, are you all right?”

  He glanced behind him then scanned the room before looking at her. “I don’t know. Can we go home?”

  Unsure of how serious this would be, she nodded. “Sure. The coach is waiting outside.”

  Since he waited for her to make the first move, she turned on her heel and went to Lady Templeton’s father so she could thank him for a lovely evening. She was aware that Jason followed her, not saying anything and seeming to be preoccupied with something. She scanned the room again but didn’t see Lord Mason anywhere. Whatever was bothering him had to involve Lord Mason. Before Lord Mason talked to him, he’d been in a good mood. And now… She dared a glance in Jason’s direction as they left the ballroom. He didn’t look happy. She’d gotten so used to him smiling and talking that his somber mood made her uneasy.

  She waited until they were in the carriage before she spoke. “Jason, what’s wrong?”

  Staring out the window, he sighed and set his hand on his knee. “I don’t know how to even ask. Lord Mason was lying. I know he was lying. He had to be lying. There’s no way you’d lie to me, especially not about something this important.”

  She didn’t like the sound of this. Shifting in the seat next to him, she cleared her throat. “What did Lord Mason say?”

  Even as she asked the question, she wanted to take it back. It’d be much easier to tell him that Lord Mason never told the truth about anything, that whatever it was that was bothering him wasn’t true. She had a sinking feeling that Lord Mason had successfully figured out what she and Appleton did. He’d been there to visit his brother earlier the day he died. He knew how ill his brother had been. He’d been suspicious all along, and something confirmed his suspicions. She had no idea what that something could be, but it was enough for him to go to Jason and confront him.

  She clutched her stomach and closed her eyes to settle the swell of nausea that threatened to make her lose her dinner. The moment she feared was here. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she was wrong and Lord Mason had cornered Jason about something else. Either way, she needed to resolve it.

  Clasping her hands in her lap, she asked, “What do you want to ask me?”

  Jason rubbed his eyes. “Not here. We should talk when we’re alone.”

  “The coachman can’t hear us.”

  “I’d still rather be in a place where no one is around.”

  She released a nervous breath and nodded. “All right. We can do that.” Maybe if she obliged him and did things his way, he’d be more receptive to hearing her side of the story. He wasn’t an unreasonable gentleman. He might understand.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced her attention on her gloved hands so she wouldn’t cry. She didn’t want to think of what
would happen if she lost everything she’d gained since her first husband died. Her stomach rolled again, so she took deep breaths to settle it. The ride to their townhouse was short, but being in the carriage and fearing what was to come made it seem abnormally long.

  By the time the coachman pulled to a stop, she jerked up in the seat and waited for the footman to open the door. Ignoring Jason’s curious stare, she left as soon as the door opened. She hurried up the steps to the townhouse and entered it, not bothering to wait for the footman to open the door for her. She knew running into the townhouse made things look worse, but she needed a moment to herself so she could gather her composure.

  When she entered the drawing room, she sat on the bench in front of the piano and closed her eyes. Maybe it had nothing to do with her first husband. Maybe Lord Mason had talked to him about something else. It was possible. Unlikely perhaps, but possible all the same.

  “Your Grace?”

  She opened her eyes and looked into Appleton’s caring eyes. Her gaze darted to the doorway which was clear. It wouldn’t be for long. Jason would be coming into the room soon. She swallowed the lump in her throat and gripped the bench. “I think he knows. I think Lord Mason told him.”

  Appleton’s eyebrows furrowed. “But how could Lord Mason know?”

  She shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know.” She took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm her racing heart. This was it. Everything was crashing in around her. She knew that’s what Lord Mason had told him. Deep down, she just knew it.

  They heard Jason approach the drawing room, and Appleton turned to face him. “Your Grace.” Appleton bowed. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “No,” Jason slowly replied. “I’d like to be alone with my wife.”

  Appleton glanced at her, and she gave him a slight nod. Jason waited until he left before he entered the room and shut the door. She braced herself for whatever would happen and faced him.

  “I take it that Appleton knows,” Jason softly said.