***
Andrew and Michael rode through the rain in silence. Thankfully the main roads were not yet flooded, and they made it back to London before nightfall. Andrew instructed the driver to take them straight to Elizabeth’s townhouse. It was best to get it over with as soon as possible. The wedding was in less than fourteen hours, after all.
The butler begrudgingly let them in and bid them wait in the foyer until he could speak with Elizabeth and fetch them towels. The rain was so fierce that they had gotten drenched in the short walk from the carriage. No doubt, the butler was not pleased that they were dripping on the tile floor of the entryway. Or that they smelled like wet dogs.
After several minutes, he reappeared with the promised towels and waited while they dried themselves sufficiently. Then he led them to the drawing room.
“Lady Elizabeth will be along momentarily,” he assured them before closing the door behind him.
Silence ensued. Clearly Michael was as nervous as he was, if not more. He had a great deal to lose in this situation. If Elizabeth did not accept him, he would be heartbroken, Andrew was sure of it. Though she had just as much to lose in not accepting him, for Andrew had no other choice but to break the engagement now. Chloe carried his child, and he was determined to marry her no matter what.
The door creaked open then and Elizabeth stepped through, her brow etched with concern.
“Andrew?” she said tentatively. “What is the matter?”
She stepped further into the room as he and Michael stood and then gestured that they should all sit. Once they’d settled, she asked again, “Has something happened?”
Andrew nodded. “Indeed, it has,” he said gravely. “We’ve just been to Essex. We paid a visit to your kin there.”
“Chloe?” She reached out and grabbed Andrew’s hand. “Oh, dear, has something happened? Is it the baby?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” he assured her. “Everyone is fine and in good health. But there is another matter we must discuss.”
Andrew tossed a glance to his brother and Elizabeth followed with her gaze.
“You see, Elizabeth,” Andrew said, drawing her attention back to him, “Michael and I have been masquerading as something other than we are.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed once more with confusion. Damn, but this was hard to say. He supposed he ought to just come right out and say it, rather than try to circumvent the issue.
“We’ve been switching places...often.”
No one made a sound as they waited for the implication of his words to sink in. But after nearly a minute of silence Andrew couldn’t take it anymore.
“Aren’t you going to say something?”
“I...I’m not sure what to say. I don’t know that I understand.”
“It was me,” Michael finally spoke. “It was me who kissed you in the garden at the masquerade ball. And it was Andrew who was in the country with your cousin.”
“You?” Elizabeth looked at Michael, seemingly unable to comprehend what he had said. “You were the one who kissed me? Who...” A blush came to her cheeks. “Good Lord,” she whispered.
A few more moments of silence passed before Andrew spoke again. “Elizabeth, it was me in the country. With your cousin.”
“With my...” Realization seemed to dawn and her mouth gaped open. “Oh, Lord,” she said again. “The baby...it’s not...Lord, have mercy.”
Panic settled on Elizabeth’s features and Andrew cast a glance at his brother. What were they to do now? She was about to dissolve into hysterics.
“But the wedding!” she shrieked all of a sudden. “What about the wedding?” She glanced at the clock. “Oh, Lord, thirteen hours! In thirteen hours three hundred guests will arrive at St. George’s to find that I’ve been jilted!”
Andrew and Michael both leapt from their seats and crossed to where Elizabeth had begun to pace in front of the fireplace.
“Not at all,” Andrew said. “I never planned to jilt you and if there were not a perfectly acceptable solution, I would never have even broached the subject.”
Elizabeth turned her gaze on him, an incredulous frown in her blue eyes. “Really? So you would have married me, knowing my cousin’s child was yours, and lived unhappily ever after with me? Well, thank you, but I would never want that. And you’re a fool-² she poked his chest with one bony finger “—if you think—” she poked again “—that I would ever want that!” Poke, poke, poke.
He fought the urge to grab her wrists. He deserved whatever derision she threw his way, but her finger was bloody bony!
“Elizabeth,” Michael said, drawing her attention away from Andrew. “I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be, but if you will just hear us out...”
She seemed to calm somewhat at Michael’s request, but that didn’t stop her pouting.
“Fine,” she said, sticking out her bottom lip. “Go ahead.”
Michael gestured to the seating area once again. He needed to sit for this. Once they settled though, he jumped from his chair, unable to keep still.
He paced in much the same manner as Elizabeth had as he started to speak. “I know that this all comes as quite a shock, but well...I am willing to take my brother’s place and marry you in the morning.”
There. He’d said it. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling better already.
“Why?”
“Why?” He turned an incredulous gaze on Elizabeth. “To preserve your reputation of course!”
She shook her head and Michael’s blood began to boil. Was she really going to question him at a time like this? She should be bloody grateful for his offer, not make inane inquiries.
“That can’t be all, Michael. I mean, you do realize what marriage means, don’t you? It is for life. This is not just some game-²
“Game?” His temper snapped. He stalked to her chair and glowered down at her. “Do you think I was playing a game when I kissed you in the garden?”
“Yes!” she cried, coming out of her seat. “What else am I to think? You were parading about as your brother, kissing me at liberty, lying to me about your identity so that he could have an affair with my cousin. If it wasn’t a game, then what, pray tell, would you call it?”
Michael seethed in silence. She had a point. It had certainly started out as a game, but it didn’t feel like one anymore. Games were fun, and this was anything but.
Perhaps he should take a different approach—tell her that he’d developed feelings for her and that he truly wanted to marry her. That he wasn’t just doing it for his brother’s sake. But he wasn’t about to reveal his true motives. Not with Andrew looking on, and not until he was sure she reciprocated.
And what if she never reciprocates? He tamped down the little voice in his head that drove doubts into his thoughts. He couldn’t think about that right now. She simply needed time. At least that’s what he hoped.
Resigned, he sat down and rubbed his thumb and forefinger along his brows to relieve the tension that had built there.
“I don’t think this is a game,” he finally answered. “But the truth is, had my brother not offered for you when he did, I would have. I care about you as a friend, and I care about your reputation. Furthermore, I think, if nothing else, we could have a peaceful marriage, based on our long-standing friendship.”
Elizabeth listened intently, and it appeared she might soften and accept his suit, but when she opened her mouth, her words were cold as ice.
“How do you plan to pull this off? What of the marriage license? And how will we trick the ton into thinking this is what we wanted, and not something that was forced upon us?”
Michael procured the piece of parchment from his breast pocket and held it out for Elizabeth. She took it and read it.
“What if I say no?” she wondered as she stared at the special license.
“Then you will face ruin,” Andrew offered. “This way, it will look as if I’ve stepped aside in the name of love. I will be there tomorrow to off
er my support of your union and then I will go away and marry Chloe as discreetly as possible so as not to arouse suspicions. We will stay away until well after the baby is born. No one will suspect a thing, I assure you.”
Elizabeth nodded her head, clearly trying to come to grips with her fate. Michael hated that he had to strong-arm her into marriage to him. He would have preferred to woo her, to tell her that he loved her, and have her agree to marry him based on a mutual love. But things didn’t always go as planned.
“Well, then,” Michael said solemnly as he stood, “I will see you at the altar.”
Twenty-Eight
Andrew stood at the front of St. George’s Cathedral the next morning with a beaming smile on his face. It was a lovely day for a wedding. The sun was bright in the sky, birds could be heard chirping away just beyond the stained glass windows, and a light breeze blew in from the back, carrying whispers from curious attendees.
“I thought she was marrying the other one...” was the most common of statements today, but Andrew didn’t care. They could talk all they wanted about him giving up his bride for Michael. All he cared about was that ultimately, their crisis had been averted and Chloe would finally be his.
Elizabeth walked down the aisle toward Michael, but her veil was too thick to determine if she was happy or not. Andrew wondered if they had done the right thing, but only briefly. His elation at his own luck was too overwhelming for him to get down for too long.
He tried to be patient during the vows, but he was itching to just be done with all of it. He had a great many things to tend to before he could run off to Essex to retrieve his bride. He wished he could go straight there, but if they were to disappear until after the baby was born, he would have to tie up his loose ends in the city. Furthermore, he wouldn’t be able to meet with his solicitor until tomorrow, and absolutely nothing could go forward without meeting with his solicitor.
So, he stopped his fidgeting and tried to relax through the rest of the ceremony. When the reverend announced that Michael could kiss his bride, Andrew finally got a good look at Elizabeth’s face.
She looked neither happy nor sad—simply indifferent to the events. Guilt stabbed at his gut, but there was nothing to be done now. What would he do anyway? They were already married. He could only hope for the best, for Michael's sake.
It wasn’t until the wedding breakfast that all the questions began to pile in from his family, or more specifically, from the Lionesses.
“What on earth happened, Andrew?” Katherine asked, clearly eager to hear every last juicy detail.
Andrew shrugged nonchalantly. “When Michael told me that he was in love with her, well...what could I do? I wasn’t in love with her. And she wasn’t in love with me either,” he added. “We look alike and are of equal station, so it didn't seem to matter to Elizabeth either way.”
“Yes, but, are you not the least bit worried about your own reputation?” Phoebe put in. “People are already starting to whisper of how heartbroken you must be.”
Andrew only chuckled. “The ton may say whatever they wish. The truth is that I couldn’t be happier for myself, or for my brother.”
His sisters regarded him curiously. Clearly they were confused as to how he could be so very happy under such circumstances. But now was not the time to tell them about Chloe. Too many people were about, and he couldn’t risk any more gossip. He would tell Benjamin when they were alone and garner the support of his family in private.
For now, he would continue to evade his family’s inquiries.
As he circulated the ballroom, it became evident that the Lionesses were not the only ones talking about the situation. The whispering would cease whenever someone thought he was in earshot of their conversation. Pitying glances followed him wherever he went. Good God, he had to get out of there.
He found his brother and Elizabeth tucked into an alcove of the ballroom, clearly carrying on a private conversation. If he had not been looking, he wouldn't have even noticed them there.
Andrew approached cautiously, not meaning to eavesdrop, but eavesdropping nonetheless.
“I will not discuss this now. The matter is closed. Now I would very much like to return to the party.”
“Elizabeth, please. She only wants to apologize. Just come to Essex so we can all talk about this.”
“What on earth is there to talk about?” she asked, and her voice cracked a bit.
“Will you not give her your forgiveness?”
There was a pause and then Elizabeth finally said, “I do forgive her, and you may send that message along with Andrew. But I will not go to Essex. I do not wish to see her yet.”
“Pardon me.” Andrew stepped into the alcove to join them. They both turned, seemingly not surprised to see him there. “I will certainly pass along your message, Elizabeth. And, thank you. However, I do believe the two of you will wish to go somewhere.”
“What do you mean?” Elizabeth seemed alarmed at the prospect of leaving London, but Andrew knew neither of them would be happy if they stayed.
“The rumors are already in full swing, even here, amongst your friends and family. I dare say an extended honeymoon would be a good idea.”
“And where do you suggest we go on such short notice?”
Andrew tossed a glance at his brother. “Scotland. The estate was being prepared for...for you and I, Elizabeth.”
“Good,” Michael said with a note of finality. “We'll leave first thing tomorrow, then. Thank you, Andrew.”
With a nod of his head, Andrew muttered, “Many felicitations,” and then disappeared out the nearest door of Eastleigh Manor.
***
“Are they gone?” Andrew asked, poking his head into his older brother’s study.
“They left hours ago. You’re safe.” Benjamin signed off on a document and then finally looked up at Andrew. “I suppose you’re here to tell me what happened.”
Andrew took a seat across from his brother after pouring himself a glass of scotch. “Yes, but there is a great deal more to the story than you might think. Have you got the time?”
“I’m all ears, Drew.”
Andrew nosed his whisky, garnering courage from its potent smell, and with a deep breath, launched into the whole, sordid tale of how Michael came to be the one married to Elizabeth. And how Chloe came to be pregnant with his baby. Benjamin remained quiet and never once passed judgment on Andrew for what had transpired. How could he? He had certainly met with his own bit of scandal in the past.
When Andrew finished the story, Benjamin sat back in his chair and exhaled. “So, what now?” he asked.
“Well, I’ve met with my solicitor this morning. I have money enough to buy us a home, and her parents as well, but the problem is finding one on such short notice. I could bring her to London, but under the circumstances that’s probably not the best idea.”
“No, certainly not.”
“I would accept one of the family estates, but the empty ones are in the north. I hate to take her family so far from home. So, you see, I need your help.”
“Well,” Benjamin said, standing to his feet, “it’s not me you need, really. But I do know someone who can help you.”
Andrew looked up at his brother, not daring to dream. Benjamin said nothing. He simply walked from the room.
“Well, are you coming?” he asked, popping his head back around the door. “I was under the impression this was a time sensitive situation.”
Andrew needed no further prodding. He jumped from his chair and followed his brother from Eastleigh House.
***
Tuesday morning a letter arrived for Chloe. She tore it open, eager for news from Andrew. She was somewhat disappointed as the note was brief and very to the point.
My dearest Chloe,
I regret that I haven’t time to explain yesterday’s festivities in detail, but rest assured everything went as planned. I will be there by the week’s end. Please tell your family to begin packing their things.
With all my love,
Andrew
Pack their things? What on earth was he talking about? She reread the note to make sure she hadn’t missed something, and went so far as to turn it over as well. Nothing. It was still just the few short lines, detailing very little.
Just the same, she did as he said and told her family to begin packing their personal belongings.
“Why on earth would we need to pack?” her mother asked. “It’s not as if the whole lot of us can go on your wedding trip.”
Good Lord, was that what he was planning? No. He would never do such a thing.
“I don’t know, mama, but we should pack just in case.”
***
The following afternoon, Chloe received yet another minuscule piece of correspondence from Andrew.
Dearest Chloe,
Secure the vicar for Sunday and prepare a bouquet of forget-me-nots. I will see you on Friday.
Yours,
Andrew
“May I come in?”
Chloe quickly folded the letter and shoved it in her pocket before looking up to greet Louis, who stood in the doorway of the cottage. She couldn’t say she was entirely surprised to see him. Somehow she’d known he would come back, if for no other reason than to make sure she wasn’t permanently damaged from his blow three days ago.
“Oh, Louis, do come in,” she said as she moved to clear the mess from luncheon.
“I just wanted to make sure you were all right.” He moved into the room and Chloe backed away. “I won’t do it again,” he said with a sheepish grin.
Chloe laughed in spite of herself. “I know, Louis.” She plopped into a kitchen chair and gestured for Louis to do the same.
“Please say you don’t hate me, Chloe. I don’t know that I could live without your forgiveness. I can’t imagine what came over me.”
“I know.” Chloe nodded. “And I do forgive you. But that doesn’t change things.”
“I saw him leave here shortly after I did,” he said. “I assumed perhaps you had sent him away as well.”
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