by Cheryl Bolen
Glee sighed. "An excellent choice since my brother-in-law is here. Blanks would not at all like me to dress flamboyantly in front of his brother. Where, by the way, is my dear husband?" She shrugged out of the night rail.
Patty slid the rose muslin gown over her mistress's head. "His valet said the master left at dawn to go riding."
Glee's brows lowered. "And he hasn't returned yet?"
"I daresay he's off with that solicitor of his again." Patty handed Glee's stockings to her.
Leaving me to entertain Jonathan. Glee sat down to put on her stockings and shoes. "And what of his brother?"
"He's at the breakfast table as we speak."
"Then I'd best hurry down and make him feel at home."
Once dressed, Glee sped from the chamber and raced down the stairs without even glancing into the looking glass.
"Good morning, Jonathan," she cheerfully called to him as she strolled into the bright morning room. "What poor hosts you must find us!"
"Not at all. I'm rather slow to start in the morning myself." His glance skimmed her, then over her shoulder. "Where's your husband?"
She caught her breath as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "The servants tell me he left dreadfully early this morning. I never heard him leave myself." She especially liked telling him that part. "I daresay he's gone to Mr. Willowby's. You'll learn I did not exaggerate when I told you how seriously Blanks takes his responsibilities as head of the family. He's a completely changed man. If you like, we can drive by Mr. Willowby's office when we take our drive in the phaeton."
He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't want Gregory to think I don't trust him—although I don't."
She peered at him through narrowed eyes. "While I admire your candor, I abhor your sentiments."
He blotted his lips against his serviette. "Which I find admirable. It's never been a secret to me that you're deeply in love with my brother."
She laughed. "I suppose not, since the first time I met you I blathered about having loved Blanks all my life, which is quite true, though I try to pretend otherwise to Blanks. You must know how fleetingly his affections have been engaged in the past. I believe his interest wanes upon conquest." She leveled a stern glance at Jonathan. "I mean to keep him a satisfied lover until the end of our days."
"A noble—though impossible—goal, my dear sister."
"Obviously you cannot begin to understand what great maturity has come over your brother," she said, rising from the table. "Are you ready?"
He stood up and proffered his arm.
As they strolled from the house, she lifted a smiling face to Jonathan. "You must know I want to dislike you because you mean to undermine my beloved husband, but I find I cannot. Because you're his brother, Blanks love you. And if my husband loves you, I must."
The phaeton was waiting for them as they left the house.
Jonathan stood back and squinted at it, shielding his eyes with a flat hand as if the bright hue would blind him with its brilliance. "'Twould be rather difficult to go unnoticed in this." An amused smile on his face, he turned to assist her in climbing on the box before he hopped up and took the ribbons.
"You sound exactly like your brother," she said with feigned displeasure. "In fact, you'll find that Blanks becomes more like you—and your father—with each passing day."
"So you keep telling me," Jonathan said with a frown. "I fail to see how a leopard can change its spots." He drove toward the Royal Crescent.
"Has it never occurred to you, the spots were merely acquired as an armor to shield him from the abuse your mother so readily administered?"
Jonathan laughed. "I cannot believe my brother has need to possess armor. A more confident person than my brother I have never known. He's been blessed with extraordinary good looks—and certainly received all the height in the family. He's bright and athletic and loved by all who know him. I assure you, my brother has no Achilles heel."
Now she laughed. "How little you know him if you believe that. What you say is true when Blanks is away from Sutton Hall, but throughout most of his life—at Sutton Hall—he was needled by a step-mother who perpetually complained about him, converting her husband to her way of thinking. Which left Blanks feeling that nothing he could do would ever please either of them. So why not be a thorn in their sides?"
Jonathan looked incredulous. "Gregory told you this?"
"Of course not! I've figured it out on my own, but I know I'm on target."
"I think you're daft!"
"How much, my dear brother, you sound like Blanks."
"Good. Then we're in agreement on at least one thing."
"I don't mean to be mean-spirited toward your mother, as I'm sure you could not have a mother more devoted than Aurora is to you. It's just that she has absolutely no affection toward Blanks, and you cannot deny it."
Swallowing, Jonathan refused to meet her gaze. "I cannot deny it."
"I dare you to analyze it from Blank's perspective. All those years he heard nothing but how worthless he was. Was it no wonder he began to believe it himself?"
"You make a most convincing point," he conceded as he drove around a stopped delivery cart. His voice grew soft. "I envy my brother the champion he's got in you."
"I am persuaded you, too, will find a woman who will love you as I love Blanks."
"You may be confident, but I'm not. In fact, I'm not at all ready for marriage."
She thought of how similar Blanks had felt—until she forced him into marriage. "I daresay most young men are of your thinking—until Cupid's arrow snags them as it did my brother—and Blanks."
He drove past the fine townhouses on the crescent, commenting on them, but Glee's thoughts were elsewhere. Her heart raced as she tenderly remembered the feel of Blanks within her, the agonized sound of his voice as he huskily whispered his satisfaction into her ear.
Mixed with her overwhelming desire to renew what was begun last night, was a deep, retching disappointment that she had not seen Blanks's face when she awakened in the morning. Why had he left her? Was he not as delighted as she? Her heart began to drum low and menacing. Was Blanks not as full of bliss as she? Surely he was. He had to be.
A somberness came over her as they continued their ride, Jonathan commenting on the unity of Bath's classical Georgian architecture. "Yes, you're so right," she would say. Or, "I have often thought the very same thing myself." Or, "I do so agree with you."
This continued until they reached the foot of the city and she cast a glance down Broad Quay to see if Blanks could be at Mr. Willowby's office. If he had gone riding, he'd be on his magnificent bay, not in a carriage or phaeton. With great relief, she saw Archie holding the reins to Blanks's bay in front of Mr. Willowby's office.
The thought of being so near Blanks sent her heart racing. "Oh, look, Jonathan! Blanks is at Mr. Willowby's. Let's stop and say hello to them."
He reined in and rounded the corner, pulling to a stop in front of the office building.
Her heart stampeded at the thought of facing Blanks for the first time since he had taken such thorough possession of her. She blushed as Jonathan helped her down. Then she bent down to Archie's level. His cheeks were pink from the sun. "Good afternoon, Archie. Can you manage caring for my husband's horse as well as my phaeton?"
He puffed out his slender chest. "Ye can count on me."
"Good," she said, patting his blond head. "We shan't be long."
In Mr. Willowby's office, Glee introduced herself and Jonathan to the clerk and asked him to inform her husband of their presence.
The clerk passed into the interior office where his employer was conversing with Blanks, then Blanks came bounding from the office, a smile on his face. His glance flicked to Jonathan first and he bowed, then, with unbelievable softness in his dark eyes, he met Glee's gaze. "Hello, my dear."
She stepped forward and gave him her hand. He kissed it tenderly. "I trust you are well today, dearest?"
How she loved it when he called her
that! A smile broadened on her face. "I've never been better," she said softly.
Blanks dropped her hand and looked away from her quickly. He cleared his throat. "So what do you think of the scarlet phaeton?" he asked his brother.
"It has a very fine ride," Jonathan said.
"And the appearance?"
"Your wife tells me my opinion of it exactly matches your own."
Blanks laughed. "It must be as Glee says. The older I get, the more I resemble Father."
"So she keeps telling me," answered Jonathan, a martyred expression on his face.
Blanks met Glee's gaze again, this time with no nervousness. "Have you talked to Mrs. A. today?"
"Not yet. Should you like for me to?"
"There's no harm in trying," Blanks said.
She moved away.
"Wait!" he cried.
She turned back, a quizzing look on her face.
"I'll come with you." He turned to Jonathan. "We won't be a moment."
It took some time to locate Mrs. A. because she was cleaning inside a suite of offices on the first floor. Glee walked up to her as she was dusting a desk top. "Do you remember me, Mildred?"
Her eyes distrustful, Mildred glanced from Glee to Blanks. "What do ye want with me?"
"You know," Glee said softly.
Blanks stepped forward. "We're not free from worry over the life you provide for your son. Do you not think the boy deserves a full belly and his own bed to lie in every night?"
She smirked. "Yer the nob what pays for our supper every day?"
Blanks nodded.
"I thank ye for me son, but don't waste yer money on me."
"Food lacks the allure of liquor, I perceive," Blanks said.
She nodded.
"Then Archie may come to live with us in the not-too-distant future—since you have so little regard for preserving your own life," Blanks said to the lad's frail mother.
Glee gasped. How could Blanks be so insensitive? She raked her eyes over the thin woman with gaunt face. His words, unfortunately, were likely true. Though lean of years, Mrs. A. looked to be at death's door.
"I've talked to 'im about comin' to live with ye," Mrs. A. said. "As much as I 'ated the idea of me lad leavin', I urged 'im to go live with ye, but 'e won't leave 'is mum. I'm all me boy's ever 'ad."
Glee's heart went out to Mrs. A. What a sacrifice she had been willing to make for the sake of her son. A pity she was not strong enough to make the ultimate, life-saving sacrifice of giving up her gin.
Glee's gaze settled on Blanks. He swallowed, and the muscle of his cheek tightened. The woman's words, oddly, must have had a profound impact on him. There was sadness on his face, but there was something else too, something Glee was unable to understand.
"And you're still not willing to come into service with us?" Glee asked. Even from two feet away, she caught the stench of stale gin.
Mrs. A. turned cold eyes on Glee. "If. . .if I was a stronger person, I would. But I cannot and nevermore will be able to walk a straight and narrow line."
Blanks took Glee's hand. "Then it seems we've nothing more to say to you, Mrs. A."
Glee shot her husband a worried glance. He squeezed her hand before climbing back up to Willowby's floor.
In Willowby's office, Blanks apologized to his brother. "You must pardon my ill manners. I've been a dreadful host, but I shall make it up to you. Should you like to go to the Pump Room?"
Glee slipped her arm into Jonathan's. "Yes, really Jonathan, you must sign the book."
"Of course, I should be pleased to go there," he said, "but I lack my brother's facility for making and keeping friends. I fear no one will care one way or the other if I'm in Bath."
"Pooh!" Glee said. "I don't believe you for a moment. You have far too many good qualities to recommend you."
As they left the building, Glee was struck over the fact that though Jonathan was coddled by loving parents, his confidence did not extend beyond Sutton Hall; whereas, Blanks had absolutely no confidence at Sutton Hall but a great deal of it away from there.
She watched with some degree of sadness as Blanks mounted his bay for the trip to the Pump Room, wishing he and Jonathan had changed places.
Chapter 29
Once at the Pump Room, Glee basked in the thrill of Blanks's possession. She was unable to remove herself from his side or to prevent herself from gazing wondrously into his beloved face while touching, feeling him in every way she could.
The twins, dressed identically in buff breeches and chocolate-colored coats, happened into the lofty chamber while they were there and joined their little circle, bowing and issuing greetings to Jonathan.
"I must tell you our dear brother shall bring us a great deal of pride," Glee said to the twins. "Jonathan's an author! Very soon we shall be able to read his treatise in the Edinburgh Review."
"You don't say!" Melvin said, turning to Jonathan. "What's the article on?"
"This first one's on primogeniture."
"Then there's to be more?" Glee queried happily.
Jonathan looked painfully self conscious. "I've one under consideration on compulsory education."
"Can't say that I agree with that," Elvin protested. "Too devilishly expensive, and I daresay our class would be the one to foot the bill."
"I can't agree with you," his twin countered.
At this point Melvin and Jonathan struck up an animated conversation with one another.
It was also at this point Glee glimpsed Carlotta enter the Pump Room alone. Glee edged even closer to Blanks, compelled to watch her rival. Dressed in regal purple velvet, Carlotta glanced at Blanks, colored, then strode to the other side of the chamber from him. Oddly, this was the first time Glee had seen Blanks’s mistress since they had wed. Had the widow left town in order to avoid meeting Blanks in public? She had been neither at the Pump Room nor the Assembly Rooms these three weeks.
Glee wondered if Carlotta were terribly in love with him, but she had only to see the pained look on Carlotta's face to know how keenly the woman still loved him. And despite that she despised Carlotta Ennis, Glee felt a unique empathy for her. After knowing the pleasure of being bedded by him, Glee realized it would be no easy thing to purge Blanks from her—or Carlotta's—mind and body.
Assured that Jonathan was engrossed in conversation with Melvin, Glee looked up and met her husband's intense gaze. "Come, darling, I should love to take a spin about the room with you."
They walked some little distance, with Blanks making no effort to engage her in conversation. His face stern, he seemed as distant as the moon.
"A pity about Archie," Glee began.
He nodded, no expression evident on his inscrutable face save for his perpetual half smile. "It's quite odd, really," he said, more as if he were thinking aloud. "I believe I'm actually learning from Archie."
"How so?" she asked, caressing Blank's handsome face with her eyes.
"In some ways I find the lad far richer than I."
Glee's brows shot up. Whatever could her husband be talking about? How could the wretched little boy be wealthy when he had nothing save the few shillings he earned from Blanks? Then, the realization struck her. Archie was richer than poor Blanks. For Archie possessed something Blanks never had: a mother. A mother he loved and who loved him. Glee could have wept for the lonely boy her poor Blanks had been.
On the other hand, she rejoiced that he had shared such a deeply personal revelation with her.
She squeezed his hand. "Yes, I see it. He is." Changing her tone, she continued. "I expect we shouldn't force ourselves on the lad. He really is vastly fortunate."
"We'll keep a watch over him and be there if the need arises."
"You really think his mother will drink herself into the grave?"
A muscle in Blanks's jaw twitched. "I'm certain of it. As much as it pains me to say it, she's one foot in there already."
Glee's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Blanks, can we not persuade her to change?"
>
He patted her hand. "I'm afraid not, my dear. We can force nothing on her. Any change has to come from her, and I'm convinced she would rather feel her life slipping away than change its course."
Glee lowered her moist lashes.
Blanks smiled at her. "It appears you've made a conquest of my brother. I daresay he appreciates you touting his literary celebrity."
She shrugged. "I'm a bit out of charity with Jonathan, if you must know. After all, his sole reason for being in Bath is to find a means to strip you of your fortune."
"That's as may be, but I value his honesty. It’s more than his mother ever owned. Her great defense when maligning me was that she was only interested in my good."
"Please don't talk about that horrid woman! I vow, Blanks, I detest her."
He laughed and lifted Glee's hand for kiss.
Glee's glance caught Carlotta's as her face went white and she looked away. She had seen Blanks affectionately kiss Glee's hand. Warmth suffused Glee. She might not own Blanks's heart, but she possessed something very close to it. Color stung her cheeks as she thought of the closeness they had shared the night before. She could hardly wait for tonight!
* * *
Gregory, on the other hand, was trying to think of how he could prevent himself from tasting of Glee's pleasures that night. Not that he did not want to partake. Glee's very touch stirred him as no other woman had ever done. He told himself he should be content with strolling with her, feeling the pleasure of her arm touching his, hearing her sweet voice, drinking in the love he now believed she felt toward him. And though he returned her affection tenfold, he must deny himself her physical pleasures.
During his long ride in the country this morning, he had thought that becoming estranged from Glee would make it easier for him to deny her. But to cut himself off from her would be to rip out his heart. Even if he could never allow himself the luxury of making love to Glee, he could never deprive himself of her company.
She leaned into him, lifting her smiling face. "Do you think Jonathan heard us last night?"
When she had called out his name? The evocative memory had the power to rob him of breath. Gregory had never sounded so sweet.