A Scandalous Proposition

by Wendy Soliman

Adam threw off his borrowed garments and swung Florentina into his arms. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, not seriously.” She rotated her neck experimentally. “Just a few bruises, I think.”

  “You remembered what I told you,” he said, kissing her hair. “About the hat pin.”

  “Yes, but I couldn’t risk using it in the woods because the other girls were already so confused that they wouldn’t have known to run. Besides, there was the other man to think about.” Her explanation came out in a breathless rush. “He would have recaptured at least some of us. I was relying upon you to be here at the carriage and that my opportunity would come then.”

  He pulled her closer. “Your courage, you—”

  “Have a care,” she said, nodding at Reynolds. “He’s stirring.”

  Madison’s men stepped forward and this time they were taking no chances. They relieved Reynolds of his weapons and bound him tightly hand and foot, ignoring the stream of curses that fell from his lips. Madison instructed two of his men to drive Reynolds and his lackey back to his estate in one of his barouches. They would be incarcerated in the dungeons there until the following day, when they would be transported to Portsmouth gaol.

  Adam squeezed Florentina’s hand but she pulled away from him, intent upon reassuring the Spanish girls as Lord Madison helped them into Reynolds’s carriage. Only when she was sure they were comfortable and understood they were finally being taken to safety did she permit Adam to lead her away.

  “But Philippa’s body, we can’t just leave her there,” Dennett wailed.

  “Her body might never be found.” Adam spoke gently. “But even if it is, it might not be recognizable due to the rocky nature of the shoreline around these parts.” Dennett winced and Adam didn’t feel the need to elaborate. “Perhaps it would be better that way.”

  “Better for whom?” Dennett’s voice had adopted a sullen whine. “Save you explaining what you were doing there at night with your fancy woman, I suppose.”

  “Mind your tongue, Dennett.” Adam’s hand was tightly clutching Florentina’s. “I was thinking more along the lines that it might prevent you having to explain to my brother why you agreed to escort Philippa on such a ridiculous escapade in the first place.”

  “Well, I…of all the—”

  “Is it not enough that you introduced her to that dissolute King, allowed him to take her to Vauxhall Gardens without a chaperone and, worse, to one of his masquerades?”

  “She wanted to go. You know how persuasive she could be when she set her heart on something and I saw no harm in it.”

  “Then you’re a bigger fool than I took you for. But that still doesn’t explain why you agreed to follow us tonight.”

  “She was dead set on knowing what you were up to.”

  “Perhaps she was but you didn’t have to oblige her.”

  Dennett shuffled his feet, only now appearing to appreciate just how foolhardy he’d been. “I did if I wanted her to pay my gaming debts.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  And Adam rather supposed that he did. Dennett senior had finally run out of patience with his son and so he’d turned to his sister for help. And as always with Philippa, there was a price to be paid for her cooperation.

  Adam led them to the other barouche and helped Florentina inside, then climbed into it with her to settle her comfortably in one corner, followed by a morose Dennett.

  “How did she know we would be here tonight?” Florentina asked Dennett.

  “She overheard Fitzroy give instructions for two horses to be prepared for ten o’clock and wanted to know where he was going at such an hour.”

  “Why did she run out of the trees like that when the fighting started?” Adam asked.

  “We heard that man Reynolds talking. He told his men that the traitorous Spanish woman was bringing you here and that he’d enjoy killing you.”

  “Ah,” Adam said. “She misunderstood what he meant entirely. Florentina isn’t a traitor to England or Spain. Reynolds was talking from a personal standpoint.”

  “And that misunderstanding got her killed,” Florentina said, dropping her head.

  Satisfied that Florentina really wasn’t harmed, Adam made to leave, intent upon riding Rochester home. But Florentina’s eyes had already fluttered to a close. With her head resting on his shoulder, she was close to sleep. He couldn’t bear to disturb her, nor was he comfortable at the thought of being parted from her again. And so Rochester, fractious at the indignity of it all, was tied to the back of the barouche and pranced in its wake as the crowded conveyance made slow progress toward the Court.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Adam and Lord Madison between them took matters in hand, using their influence to ensure that the events at Langstone Harbour never became public knowledge. Lady Madison and the dowager were hard at work, using their joint influence to secure positions for the refugees. Adam’s prediction about Philippa’s body proved to be inaccurate, and it was washed ashore just two days later.

  When she’d disappeared, it was at first assumed that she’d gone to London. She’d been speaking about doing so for some days and was in the habit of taking herself off without telling anyone. But her maid knew nothing about this particular journey and was unable to account for her mistress’s abrupt departure. When she didn’t appear at the Fitzroy town house, the mild concerns expressed by the family became more pronounced. The dowager duchess already knew the truth but James couldn’t be told. His health had taken a turn for the worse, and his wife’s absence barely seemed to register with him. Several times, whilst slightly delirious, he was heard calling not for Philippa, but for Julia.

  “What the deuce was she doing at Langstone Harbour?” James was totally bewildered when Adam broke the news to him.

  “She may not actually have been at the harbour. You know how strong the currents are around this coast. She could have fallen in anywhere along this stretch.” Adam pretended to think about it. “Perhaps she’d been on her way to pay a surprise visit to her father. It’s just the sort of thing she would do.” James nodded. “Well, there you are then. There was a violent storm that night, which might have caused her to take shelter somewhere. But I suppose, unless someone saw her, we’ll never know for sure.”

  “But how did she get there alone?” James dug his fingers into his thinning hair and scratched vigorously, as though attempting to stimulate his brain. “No carriages were missing from here, you say.”

  “Perhaps one of her acquaintances drove her. She had a wide circle of friends in the district.”

  “Well, it’s damned odd, that’s all I can say.” James was inflicted with a protracted bout of coughing. “I seem to be cursed when it comes to matrimony,” he said in an aggrieved tone when he recovered. “Who knows what she was about. Women take some damned silly notions into their heads at times.” He let out a long sigh. “Still, she had a mind of her own and some queer sorts of friends.”

  “I’m sorry, James,” Adam said. “You don’t deserve this.” His brother was proving to be remarkably incurious about his wife’s activities. There was none of the genuine grief he’d expressed at Julia’s passing, and he seemed to want to wash his hands of the whole business as quickly as he could. Adam was anxious to oblige him in that respect.

  “Yes, well, I’ll not get myself leg-shackled again. It’ll be up to you to father the next heir, and to run the estate too. Damned if I have the energy to manage any of those things now.”

  “Yes, I shall be glad to. Manage the estate, I mean, if you’re serious about that.”

  “Well, of course I’m serious! Haven’t I told you often enough that it’s what you ought to be doing? But I don’t see how you can take it on and still play at soldiers.”

  Neither did Adam. There was only one way he could achieve that ambition and deal with the thorny question of the succession too. That prospect had once seemed decidedly unpalatable and had driven him to purchase a commission rather than commit to it with Philippa. But now i
t seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

  “Did you hear about King?” James asked as Adam was about to leave his chamber.

  Adam affected surprise. “What about him?”

  “He’s left England in a tearing hurry by all accounts for an undetermined amount of time. Closed his estate up and laid off half his long-serving staff so it don’t look like he intends to come back any time soon.”

  Adam knew very well that King didn’t. He couldn’t be allowed to get away with the trouble he’d caused, and so Adam, armed with information he’d squeezed out of Dennett, had called to see him. It seemed that Philippa’s visit to King’s masquerade hadn’t been entirely her idea. King had wanted her there and had put pressure on Dennett, whose vowels he held, to bring the meeting about. But Dennett had conditions of his own. He was in possession of certain details of a scam King pulled in the hells to enable him to be so successful at the gaming that supported his hedonistic lifestyle.

  Cheating at cards was the worst sin a gentleman could commit. King had been barred from many houses, due to his terrible reputation, but was still accepted in many more. Being branded a cheat would be the end of him, and they both knew it. King wouldn’t set foot in England again for a decade or more, Adam would see to that, and for such a man as he, that was punishment enough.

  Adam went in search of Florentina later that day and found her in the garden of the dower house, picking flowers to create a display for the dining table. She smiled when she saw him approaching, placed the blooms she’d just cut in the basket at her feet and wiped the dampness from her hands.

  “How is the duke?” she asked.

  “Taking Philippa’s loss remarkably calmly.”

  “I’m glad. It must be very hard for him to lose two wives in such quick succession.”

  “Yes, I dare say it will take a while for the news to sink in properly, and when it does I fear his health will suffer even more.”

  Adam picked up the basket, placed her hand on his sleeve and walked her toward the summerhouse.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I want to talk to you.” He looked down at her, nervous now the moment had arrived and unsure about his reception. “I have something I wish to tell you.”

  She offered him a sunny smile that revealed none of her inner thoughts. “This all sounds remarkably mysterious.”

  Adam opened the door and ushered her inside ahead of him.

  “It looks different in daylight,” she said, giggling.

  Adam resisted the urge to kiss her. It was an urge that had been growing in strength since the events at Langstone Harbour, where she’d displayed such feisty courage. But they’d not had any time alone since then. He seated her and took the chair opposite, just in case he couldn’t resist touching her. What he had to say required no such distractions.

  “James and I had a long discussion this morning, and he’s serious in his desire for me to take complete control of the estate.”

  Her face brightened. “But that’s good, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it’s what I’ve always wanted.”

  “But how can you do that and remain with your regiment? Surely the estate will require all your attention.”

  “Yes, it will.” He stood and paced to the western window, his back toward her, his shoulders rigid with tension. “James has also decided against marrying again so it’s up to me to sire the next heir.”

  “Oh, I see. He’s placing a vast amount of responsibility on your shoulders, but if he’s unwell he can’t help that, I suppose.”

  “I’ve always been aware that it might come to this one day.”

  “But how will you manage it? You have to return to your regiment soon.”

  “I shall have to resign my commission and dedicate myself to the Court. I can’t see any alternative to that.”

  “It does seem to be the only way. Shall you miss soldiering?”

  “In some respects. But there’s a greater need for me here.”

  “And greater need still for you to find a wife. You ought to launch yourself upon the ton as soon as the season commences, and set about finding someone suitable before all the best candidates are snapped up.”

  “There’s no need for that.” He was still staring at the view without seeing it, discouraged by her willingness to throw him in the path of other ladies with no discernible qualms.

  “Oh, I’d have thought it would be the most expedient course of action.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, positive he’d detected a slight catch in her otherwise bright tone. But her face gave nothing away so he returned his attention to the view. It was safer that way. “No, I’ve already selected the lady I wish to marry.”

  “Really! Is she someone known to me?”

  “Intimately.” He turned to look directly at her and smiled in a manner that ought to tell her everything she needed to know.

  “Someone your mother would approve of?”

  “Indubitably.” He took a long stride toward her.

  “Then I’m glad. When may I wish you joy?”

  “As soon as you agree to become my wife.”

  “Me!” Her expression was incredulous. “But I couldn’t possibly marry you.”

  “Why ever not? I flatter myself that you hold me in some regard.”

  “I do, I lo—that’s to say, I’ll always be grateful for what you’ve done for me. But I can’t repay you by bringing the duchy into disrepute.”

  “Nonsense, you’d do no such thing.”

  She looked so shocked, so endearingly vulnerable, that in spite of his best intentions he was unable to prevent himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

  “Besides,” he added, breaking the kiss and watching the swirling array of conflicting emotions clouding her eyes, “if you don’t agree to do so then some distant cousin in the wilds of Scotland will become the next duke, since I have no intention of marrying anyone else.”

  “Now you’re just being ridiculous. Oh, don’t do that, Adam.” She slapped his hand away from her breast. “You know very well that I can’t think straight when you touch me like that.”

  “What is there to think about?” His lips once again hovered mere inches away from hers, and he dropped his voice to a seductively persuasive level.

  “Everything. I’m a Spanish émigré who was almost sold into prostitution. How do you suppose that sort of information could remain secret? And what is it likely to do to your family when it becomes public knowledge? You’ll become a laughingstock.”

  “You don’t make sufficient allowance for my family’s social standing, and the lengths people will go to in order to ingratiate themselves with us. Besides, it’s not your fault you were deceived in such a manner and, crucially, you weren’t made to prostitute yourself. And instead of just escaping you then initiated a daring scheme to rescue others from a similar fate.” He smiled into her eyes. “Far from detracting from your charm, such a story can only enhance your reputation.”

  Florentina shook her head, clearly not about to be so easily persuaded. “No one will believe that I was not actually forced into whoring.”

  “I will, and I do, which is all that signifies. I happen to know that you’ve only been intimate with two men in your entire life. You were married to the first and will also be united in matrimony to the second just as soon as it can be arranged.” He smiled. “That is a claim that few ladies of the ton can boast.”

  She sighed, her expression regretful. “You make it all sound so simple.”

  His lips grazed hers. “It is, my darling.” He glanced at the bruises circling her wrist, inflicted when Reynolds had twisted it so viciously, and kissed each in turn. “Do they still hurt?”

  “Don’t change the subject.” She broke out of his arms and turned away from him. “I can’t marry you. I have Eduardo to consider. As soon as this accursed war is over, I mean to return to Spain and search for him.”

  “There’s no need for that.”

 
; “What do you mean?” Her eyes flashed with anger. “That’s precisely why I’m reluctant to marry you. There’s every need, but as your wife you would have the power to prevent me from doing what I know I must. He’s my brother and he doesn’t know what’s become of his family. Imagine how that will make him feel, if he’s still alive, that is.”

  “He is.”

  “What! How do you know that?” She twirled to face him so fast that she almost toppled over. Adam reached out a hand to steady her and didn’t let her go. Instead he pulled her back into his arms, and this time she didn’t try to break free.

  “I instigated enquiries through some contacts of mine at Horse Guards. I received word this morning that he’s still scouting for the British and is not currently in a dangerous area. That’s what I wished to tell you.”

  Her expression underwent several changes in quick succession. They ranged from disbelief, extreme astonishment and then slow understanding. The riotous smile that gradually invaded her features was all the reward he could have wished for.

  “I’ve arranged for word to be sent to him as to your whereabouts. I dare say he’ll write to you all as soon as he can.”

  She reached up and gently traced the outline of his face, as though committing his features to memory. “You are truly a good man, Lord Fitzroy.”

  He released her just long enough to offer her an elegant bow before greedily pulling her toward him again. “What’s more, when we’re married we can plan Sophia’s come-out for a few years’ time. She’s almost as beautiful as you, my darling, so she’s bound to cause a sensation.”

  “But, surely she can’t—”

  “And as for Ramon, I believe he desires a career in the military. I can be of some assistance to him in that respect.”

  “How do you know that?” She stared at him with suspicion in her eyes.

  “Because I called at Chamberleigh yesterday and had a long discussion with him about his aspirations.”

  She gasped. “Adam, I don’t know what to say. How can I possibly thank you?”

  “All you have to say is that you’ll marry me and that will be thanks enough. But only if it’s what your heart truly desires.” His voice was reduced to a gravelly purr as his tongue grazed the sensitive spot beneath her left ear. “I love you with a passion that won’t be denied. What we have, the feelings we engender in one another are unique. Most people lives their lives unaware that such deep emotion exists.”