by Laura Landon
But looking at him made her recall seeing him at various social events. How could anyone fail to be in awe of his handsome features? He was stunning to look at—but he was aware of his attraction. And his conceit negated the effect of his startling good looks. If only the rest of the female population would have found his confidence as repulsive.
He stood when she entered, along with her father and the duke. He watched as she came closer, and he evaluated her as if assessing a piece of property he’d just purchased.
Rachael met his gaze, held it, then turned away, as if she was evaluating him as closely as he evaluated her. And found him lacking.
His eyebrows shot up a fraction and he cocked his head to the side.
“Your Grace,” her father said, moving to stand beside her. “May I present my daughter, Lady Rachael Newton.”
The duke lowered his head as he greeted her. “Lady Rachael.”
Rachael curtsied. “Your Grace.”
“I’d like you to make the acquaintance of my son, Lord Benjamin Waverley.”
Rachael curtsied again, only not as deeply as she had when greeting the duke. “Lord Benjamin.”
The duke’s son’s eyebrows rose a fraction higher. “Lady Rachael.”
“Please, everyone,” Rachael’s father said, pointing to the chair where he wanted Rachael to sit. “Sit.”
Rachael took her seat and placed her hands in her lap.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Lord Benjamin asked, glancing at the tea set on the table in front of her. “I’m afraid we started without you.”
Rachael tried to ignore his deep, rich voice, just as she tried to ignore his concern for her. She couldn’t allow anything to affect what she needed to do. “Thank you, no.”
“Yes, well,” her father said, taking charge of the conversation, “I think we can dispense with polite conversation and get right to the point.” Her father cleared his throat. “Rachael, the Duke of Townsend has come with an offer both your mother and I feel is in your best interest to hear.”
Rachael looked at the two lines on either side of her. Her mother and father on her right. The duke and his son on her left. In a military skirmish, they would be two flanks of an opposing army. She felt as if she was surrounded by the enemy. But in the battle in which she was about to engage, it was best to face one’s enemies. That was the best way to defeat them.
“Yes, my lady,” His Grace said, taking over the explanation of his offer. “Your father has indicated his desire to find an acceptable match for you. He very much wants your future to include a home of your own, and a husband who will care for you. I have the same desires for my son. I would very much like to arrange a marriage between you and Lord Benjamin.”
Rachael’s fingers went numb and her cheeks tingled. She’d known this was the purpose of the duke’s visit, but there was something very surreal about hearing what should be the most special time in a woman’s life reduced to something basic and matter-of-fact. A time when her hopes and dreams were discussed in business-like terms.
She opened her mouth to begin the speech she’d composed, but something made her shift her gaze to where Lord Benjamin sat. She changed her tactic. “What about you, my lord?” she asked. She was daring him to declare his pleasure at taking her for his wife. Daring him to say words they both knew would be lies.
“I would be honored to have you as my wife, my lady.”
She tilted her head. “And why is that, my lord?”
“Rachael,” her mother said sharply.
“No, Mother. Since this is undoubtedly a business arrangement with high stakes, I think it is essential that Lord Benjamin and I know what we are getting with our…purchases.”
She locked her gaze with that of the stranger with whom she was expected to spend the rest of her life. A shaft of panic stabbed her. His gaze hardened. The friendly expression on his face flattened. He no longer seemed the charming rake he was rumored to be, but a man who was as angry about having this marriage forced on him as she was.
“Very well,” Lord Benjamin said, turning his full attention on her. “I would be honored to take you as my wife, Lady Rachael, because if I don’t, I will find myself penniless. I will be cut off financially, and find myself unable to live the life I have become accustomed to living.”
“Benjamin!” His Grace hissed.
“No, Father. Lady Rachael is correct. If we are expected to go through with this arrangement, it’s best that there are no misunderstandings between us.” He moved his gaze to where she sat. “And what about you, my lady? Why are you being forced into this marriage?”
She raised her chin. “As you already know, my lord. I am a ruined woman. Rumors that circulated about my questionable behavior have made me a pariah. I, too, have been cut off. But not financially. Only socially. Since I am no longer invited to attend any social functions, my parents fear I will never marry and shall always be a burden to them.”
“Rachael!” her mother said again. “That’s enough.”
“It’s all right, Mother. I understand. I appreciate what you and father are doing to save me. Truly I do. But I’m afraid I cannot accept your help.” She shifted her gaze to where Lord Benjamin sat. “Nor can I accept your offer, my lord. Although I’m sure I should fall on my knees in gratitude that you have agreed to this proposal, I’m afraid I cannot. I don’t want to marry you, and I am old enough that I cannot be forced.”
Rachael rose. “If you will excuse me,” she said, then walked away from her only chance to marry and have a family. Even though a home and family were what she wanted most. But the secret she kept was too serious to risk anyone discovering it.
A painful weight settled against her chest and she fought to keep it from destroying her.
She walked toward the door even though her father’s voice demanded she return. She reached for the knob that would allow her to escape, then turned it with a hand that trembled so violently she could barely grasp her fingers around the knob.
Rachael opened the door, then closed it behind her and walked across the marble foyer. She needed to escape to her room. Needed to be someplace where she could be alone. Her hands shook and she wiped her damp palms against her skirt.
She’d done it. She’d accomplished her goal. Now her parents would have no choice but to send her to live on one of her father’s estates far from London, far enough away that she would never have to be heard from again. That was what she wanted. That was the only option available to her.
She lifted her foot to the first step then stopped when her mother’s voice called from behind her.
“You are not allowed to leave yet, Rachael. Not until you and I have spoken.”
Rachael turned to argue with her mother, but wasn’t given the chance. The Countess of Kendrick had already turned away from her.
Her mother walked away from the study where her father and the Duke of Townsend and his son waited, and stopped in front of one of the smaller salons three doors from the study. A footman opened the door and her mother entered. Rachael had no choice but to follow.
When she entered the room, her mother wasn’t seated on the sofa where she usually sat, but stood at the window with her back to Rachael.
“Sit down,” her mother ordered. Her voice might have been as soft as Rachael was used to hearing from her, but the demand was just as forceful.
Rachael took a seat.
Her mother turned to face her. “You will consider the offer Lord Benjamin has made and you will accept it.”
“I—”
“Whether you want to marry, or you don’t, is not open for discussion. Your wishes in this matter were forfeited when you allowed yourself to be compromised.”
Rachael wanted to argue. She wanted to disagree with her mother, but she couldn’t. What happened had been her fault.
“Enough damage has been done. We have an opportunity to repair what you have done.”
“Let me leave London,” Rachael argued for the hundredth time.
Her mother took a step toward her. The look in her eyes was one of cold determination. “That would spare you from facing Society because of what you have done. But what about the rest of us? What about your sisters?”
Rachael couldn’t hide her surprise. “What about them? What I did hasn’t affected them that I can see.”
“Are you so self-absorbed that you can’t see how your ruination has affected them?”
Rachael stood to face her mother. “I’m not being self-absorbed. Mags and Livy still receive a number of invitations. I’m the one society has turned their backs on. My sisters are still invited to several functions each week.”
Her mother took an angry step toward her. “Only because I have made sure that their names haven’t been omitted from the guest list. Only because I have called in every favor I can, and have begged every acquaintance your father and I have had dealings with to plead that your sisters are not cut from their guest lists.”
Rachael sank down onto her chair.
“All that has saved your scandal from doing irreparable damage to Margaret and Olivia is that there wasn’t a male accomplice linked to your ruination. All Society knows is that you were discovered in a strange room while attending Lady Julia’s house party, and there was evidence that you’d… that you were no longer pure.”
“I know—”
“You know nothing!” her mother said with a great deal of anger. “You can deny being aware of who you were with until your dying breath, but that only makes matters worse. If we knew who the man was, then your father could have demanded satisfaction and you’d be a married woman now. And your sisters wouldn’t have to pay for your mistake.”
Rachael couldn’t find words to make what she’d done go away. This was her fault. She couldn’t allow Megs and Livy to suffer for what she’d done. But how could she marry a man she didn’t know? Didn’t even like?
How could she agree to marry a man who didn’t want her?
Yet what choice did she have? She couldn’t let Mags and Livy pay for her mistake. She couldn’t let them end up as outcasts in Society because of her indiscretion. It was time for her to take ownership for her actions.
“How can we be certain that if I … married Lord Benjamin, Mags and Livy would be accepted back into Society?”
“You would be marrying the son of the Duke of Townsend. No one would dare slight him, or you, or Margaret or Olivia.”
Rachael’s mother moved to sit beside her, then reached for her hands. “I know how difficult this is for you, Rachael. You’re being asked to marry a stranger. But this arrangement is an answer to our prayers. If you marry Lord Benjamin, Margaret and Olivia have a chance to make good matches. They will have a chance at happiness.”
The silence in the room screamed inside her head. What happened that week at the house party was her fault. She couldn’t allow Mags and Livy to pay the consequences for what she’d done.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and wiped away an errant tear from her cheek, then rose. Her mother stood beside her, then followed her to the study where they’d left the Duke of Townsend and his son. The man she would soon marry.
When they reached the study, a footman opened the door. Her mind told her feet to move, but they refused to take the first step in the journey that would affect the rest of her life. Her mother’s hand at her back left her no choice.
Rachael entered the room. She walked on trembling legs to where Lord Benjamin stood on the far side of her father’s study looking out the window onto the garden beyond. His broad shoulders and towering height caused her a moment of hesitation. The serious expression on his face struck her in warning of the barriers they would have to hurdle to make their marriage work.
She stepped before him and his shoulders stiffened as an indication that their future together would not be easy.
She wanted to turn and run from the room, but thoughts of Mags and Livy never being happy stopped her. She held their futures in her hands. She could not ruin their lives as hers had been ruined—at her own hands.
“Lord Benjamin,” she began on a voice she feared gave her away. “I would be greatly honored to become your wife. I know I am not your choice, but I promise you that I will do everything in my power so that you never regret having me as your wife.”
With those words, her fate was sealed.
And the secret she’d kept all these months was at greater risk of being discovered than ever before.
CHAPTER THREE
Benjamin looked around Lord Kendrick’s large drawing room with a shocking sense of disbelief. An impressive gathering of guests had come to celebrate his wedding.
His half-brother Gideon, heir and future Duke of Townsend, was here with his wife, Eve. Their twin sons were upstairs with their nurses. His sisters Winnie and Anne were here, too, and of course, his father.
“I have to tell you,” a familiar voice said from beside him. “Getting an invitation to your wedding totally knocked me on my arse. Hearing who you were marrying kept me on my backside even longer.”
Ben turned to see his best friend Baron Covington holding a glass of champagne in his hand. There was a broad smile on his face as he lifted his drink in mock salute.
“I’m glad to see you’re so amused.”
“I am, but something tells me that you’re not the happy bridegroom.”
Ben cast his friend a glowering look. “What makes you think that?” he asked, bringing his drink to his lips and taking another swallow.
“Perhaps it’s because you haven’t smiled once since you’ve said, ‘I do.’ I doubt that I’m the only one in the room who’s noticed. Including your bride.”
“Perhaps that’s because I haven’t found anything to smile about.” Ben scanned the room. His gaze halted when he found his bride. She didn’t look any happier than he felt. The fact that neither of them wanted this marriage didn’t bode well for their future.
Ben focused on a group of women that included his mother-in-law, and several of her friends and acquaintances. At least she looked happy.
Then he shifted his gaze to the opposite side of the room where his father, father-in-law, brother Gideon, and several other invited guests stood. There were broad smiles on their faces, and in the short time he watched them, more than one toast had been given, no doubt in celebration of his marriage.
He felt his temper rise. “I need to speak with you,” he said, then made his way to the door. He knew Covey would follow.
He walked out of the large drawing room, and down the hall, to the room where he and his father had met with Lady Rachael and her parents. The room where they’d agreed to the wedding.
Ben entered the room and Covey followed. Ben closed the door behind them.
“What’s the secrecy, Wave?” Covey asked, using the name his friends had given him when he first went to school. “If you want my help getting you out of this situation, I’m afraid it’s too late. You said your vows in front of God and your father. I’m afraid there’s no way to take the words back.”
“I know that,” Ben said, fighting the knot that clenched in his gut. He walked across the room to stand before the fireplace. The fire in the hearth had nearly burned out, but there was still enough flame to put out heat. “I have a question, Covey. Something I don’t want overheard or repeated.”
“You can trust me, Wave. You know that.”
Ben threw the last of his drink to the back of his throat and swallowed. The liquor burned going down. He set down his glass, then spread out his arms and gripped the edge of the mantel. He couldn’t face Covey. He didn’t want his friend to know how much the answer to his question bothered him.
“I know my…bride was involved in a scandal. What do you know about it?”
“Listen, Wave,” Covey stuttered. “If you’re worried I’ll hold what the lady did against her, you don’t need to. She’s your wife now. What happened in the past won’t be repeated by me.”
Ben gripped the mantel harder
. “I’m not worried about you bringing up what happened.”
“What is it, then?” Covey asked. “What do you want?”
Ben took a deep breath. “I want to know if you know the details of the scandal.”
“Of course I know. No doubt everyone does, but no one would dare mention it now that you’re married. Your name protects her. You know that.”
“I—” Ben stopped. Bloody hell, but this was harder than he thought it would be. “I need to know what the scandal was.”
“You don’t know?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I did,” Ben said with more anger than he could tamp down.
“I don’t believe this.”
The disbelief in Covey’s voice was like a second blow to his gut.
“Very well,” Covey said, “but this is only hearsay.”
“Just tell me what you know,” Ben said.
“Very well.” Covey walked to the nearest chair and sat. “It happened at Julia Bentley’s house party. You were there. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember very little of that party. I spent most of my time playing cards with Hensley and Smithson.”
“You mean helping Hensley and Smithson drink Lord Comston’s liquor cellar dry, and losing every pound you had at your disposal. As well as a great deal more that you didn’t have.”
Ben raked his fingers through his hair. Covey was right. He wasn’t proud of his actions that week. He didn’t remember much of the Bentley house party because he hadn’t been sober one day the entire time. He’d had an argument with his father shortly before he’d left London. He’d started drinking on his way to the party, and by the time he arrived, he was deep in his cups. He stayed that way the whole week. “I think I was called away before the scandal,” Ben said, “because I don’t remember hearing about a scandal. But that shouldn’t come as a great shock to you.”