A maid had been sent up to her room to tell her that her uncle wanted to speak with her.
She’d been dreading this moment since she knew her card had been played. This was the moment when everything in her life was about to slip through her fingers and rush downhill faster than she could recover.
With her hands folded neatly in her lap to stop her from fidgeting, her foot tapped restlessly against the carpeted floor.
She’d waited nearly an hour now.
Did her uncle intentionally make her wait, expecting her nerves to wear her down with every minute that passed? Did he want her to feel terrible about her actions and mull over everything that had gone wrong? Why couldn’t he just come into the parlor and get it over with?
She couldn’t abide the waiting. It was awful. She wanted to scream her frustration. Pound her fists into the cushions beside her. Anything to assuage her need to … run.
The absence of sleep did not help this situation. Goodness, she hadn’t even seen her cousin since yesterday afternoon.
Genny heaved a sigh and rubbed her forehead and temples. She felt a headache coming on; this was all too much stress. Too much to deal with. Though she’d known this was a possibility when she’d started her liaison with Leo, she’d never expected to actually be caught.
When the door opened, she got quickly to her feet, keeping her head downcast. There was a long pause of silence before the door clicked shut and heeled boots approached her.
She felt her lip quiver and had to bite it to still her outward emotions. Like a drop of water in the bucket of time, she slowly raised her eyes, knowing that this was the end of her comfortable life as a companion.
Lord Ponsley’s expression was dour. There was no pity present when he scowled at her as though she were the lowest of life forms. She almost expected a growl to pass his lips where it was kicked up on the left in a vicious sneer.
Even though she wanted nothing more than to be strong and brave and pull back her shoulders and face him head-on, she couldn’t. It would do her no good to defend such an indiscretion as the one she’d committed. She lowered her gaze like any good servant and slumped her shoulders forward as she waited for a thorough set down from her uncle.
“You have disgraced my family.” His voice reverberated around the room.
“I’m sorry, my lord.” What else was there to say? How else could she apologize and make up for her wrongs?
“Not to mention that you have shamed my daughter with this indiscretion.” Lord Ponsley leaned up against the mantel, a severe look of disdain settled into the wrinkles lining his face. “How did you ever think you could play the whore and not be found out?”
She gasped. “Whore” was such a vile, dirty word. And she’d done everything in her power to protect Charlotte. She’d even turned Leo away after his confession to her. Tears fell copiously from her eyes. She went to where he stood, fell to her knees, and pulled his hand toward her; intent on kissing the heavy gold signet ring he always wore. The tears wouldn’t let up.
“I cannot apologize enough for what I have done.” Her voice broke, and the tears didn’t let up. “Please take some mercy on me; I am of your blood.”
Because she held his hand, she was forced to wipe her running nose on the shoulder of her dress.
He pried his hand away from hers and rubbed it on his trousers as though she were a filthy street urchin covered in grime. “I begin to wonder if your mother was a whore, too. You are no blood of a vicar. You are nothing but a harlot. You are no blood of mine.”
“Please.” She tried to grasp his hand again but he moved it out of her reach. “Let me prove otherwise. You are the last of my family. How can I possibly go on without your help?”
“You are no longer my problem.”
Genny looked up at Lord Ponsley from where she knelt on the floor. His expression was severe. Hard. He had no love for her. There was nothing for him to lose in denying their relation.
“What am I to do?” she cried.
“I do not care.” He slapped his gloves in the palm of his hand. “You’d be best suited for a whorehouse. You are familiar with spreading your legs for any man that will take you in your unmarriageable state.”
She had to cover her mouth to keep the bile down that viciously rose in her throat. “How dare you suggest such a thing!”
“I’m taking Charlotte home tomorrow.” He continued to speak as if she had not spoken at all. “You, on the other hand, I want to leave immediately.”
How could anyone be as unkind as he was being? Yes, she’d made a bad choice, but did she deserve this callousness and cruelty? No one did. “Lady Carleton—”
“She cannot protect you. You’ve brought this upon yourself.”
“You—you don’t care what happens to me?”
His eyes narrowed in disgust. “No. I don’t. Make sure you stay away from my daughter.”
And with that, he walked away from her. She sank down onto the floor. She shook so badly that she couldn’t find the ability to stand. Lady Hargrove and a couple of the other houseguests must have been listening at the door because they apologized to Lord Ponsley when he exited the room. Then the door slammed in his wake and she was left alone once again.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat on the floor, crying silent tears, but someone eventually came into the room and sat next to her. Genny could barely see through her swollen eyes, and she didn’t know who it was until she spoke.
“Lord Ponsley was always a pompous ass, dear.” Lady Carleton put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her to her side in a tender embrace. “I’ll get you back to London and help you find accommodations.”
“You’re being far too kind.” Genny hoped that her tears had started to dry up and that her voice wouldn’t catch on another sob as she spoke. “I’ve made a terrible mistake and I’ve not only brought shame on Lord Ponsley and his daughter but on this household.”
“I’m sure I’ll fare better than everyone.” Lady Carleton gave her a hug and rubbed Genny’s back. “I’ve had far worse scandals during these parties. They’ve always worked out for the better.”
She and Leo would be the first guests involved in a scandal to not marry, then. But she hadn’t the energy to explain that to Lady Carleton. Genny closed her eyes and rested her head on the countess’s shoulder for a while. She felt completely defeated and lost.
“Let’s get you back up to your room.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stay down here so long.” She let Lady Carleton help her back to her feet. “I should go pack my things.”
“Hush, this is my house and what I say goes. You’ll stay and get some food in you. I can’t imagine you’ve eaten much in the last day.”
Genny pulled away from Lady Carleton so she could look the older woman in the eyes. “Why are you being so kind to me? Shouldn’t you be on their side?” Genny nodded toward the door, where she was sure some of the other houseguests were still listening.
“Never you mind them.” Lady Carleton brushed the hair away that stuck to Genny’s face. “I’ll send a maid up to help you with your things. But I’m not letting you leave until you eat something.”
“Can I leave in the dead of night?” Genny looked down at her disheveled dress. “I don’t want anyone to witness my departure. I already feel dreadful.”
“Of course. I’d say you can stay here indefinitely, but we both know that not even my name can stand up to the gossips’ lashing tongues for acting against society.”
“Thank you, Lady Carleton. I know I don’t deserve such kindness, but I can’t refuse your help.”
“Think nothing of it.” Lady Carleton wrapped her arms around her back and led her toward the door. “Now, let me walk you up to your room.”
Genny was thankful for that because she needed someone to lean on as they passed nearly everyone in the house on their way up to her room. Most of the ladies cut Genny on sight. The gentlemen snickered and turned their backs. The only person she
did not see was her cousin. She wished she could convey how sorry she was to Charlotte. Would she ever see her cousin again? The thought saddened her as much as Ponsley’s words had.
* * *
Lady Carleton had generously offered her a carriage to take her wherever she needed to go. Genny knew she had to leave sooner rather than later.
After a day of dealing with the repercussions of being discovered with Barrington, she’d hidden in her room and plotted the rest of her life. There wasn’t much to plot, for she had few options open to her.
The only certainty she had was that she would never play the role of companion again. She couldn’t even show her face in society after this.
She needed to talk to the woman who had started all of this.
She’d chosen the quiet of midnight to leave her comfortable, meek existence behind so no one could further witness her humiliation, aside from Lady Carleton.
Though she’d saved over the years, and received a small inheritance from her great-aunt Hilda on her passing, it wasn’t enough to live on for the rest of her days. If she no longer had any relatives she could rely upon, she would start with the Dowager Countess Fallon. She was the cause of all this. Not that Genny hadn’t been a willing participant in her affair, but she had to wonder if Leo would have pursued her if his friend hadn’t insisted on her game of ruin.
The one good thing in all this was that Charlotte’s reputation was spared. She’d grown fond of her cousin in the last few months and wanted her to do well in life. Wanted her to have the comforts that Genny would never have.
She rapped her knuckles lightly on Lady Carleton’s bedchamber door.
A maid opened the door in a trice. “That will be Miss Camden, Irene. Tell her to come in.”
The door swung open, and Genny slipped through. Lady Carleton was at her boudoir, her hair half down from the updo she’d had it in. The maid returned to her mistress’s side and removed the remaining pins.
Genny approached, feeling a fresh wave of embarrassment infuse her cheeks and speed up her heart.
Lady Carleton met Genny’s gaze in the looking glass. “You wish to take me up on my offer?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Do come closer, dear, and stop bowing and scraping. You knew perfectly well the danger of your activities. At least have the gall to face me like a grown woman and not a simpering miss. I never thought you missish.”
“I can’t express how sorry I am for my untoward behavior, my lady.”
“I doubt you’d have changed your actions any had you known you would be caught.” At Genny’s blank expression, Lady Carleton said, “Sit down, dear. Let us speak frankly.”
There was a tasseled velvet stool next to the countess, so Genny pulled it away from the wall and perched herself on the edge. Would the woman Genny respected as she did her own mother reprimand her? Or offer sage advice on the next steps she should take in life?
“You know I am almost twice your age.”
She gave a slight nod of her head, though she’d assumed only a dozen or so years separated them in age.
“You remind me of me when I was younger. When you first came to stay with us five years ago, I wanted nothing more than for you to make a good match. I naïvely thought Barrington would offer for your hand on your second summer here since he was smitten with you.”
“My lady, he was no more than a friend.”
The countess arched one eyebrow in disbelief. “Don’t think I don’t know everything that happens under my roof.” She pointed at her in the mirror with the silver brush she’d been using. “I was no more blind to your affair with Barrington four years ago than I am this time around.”
Genny’s brows furrowed. Leo had told her that a friend had figured out their affair. “Why did you never say anything?”
“It wasn’t my place.” The countess gave a deep sigh filled with remorse. “You are the daughter I would have wanted had God ever gifted me with children. You were always a bright girl, and I knew that the decisions you made were ones you would be able to live with, even if you couldn’t get that stubborn man to marry you.”
“I feel undeserving, but thank you for your high regard.” Genny ducked her head, feeling like a bigger disappointment knowing Lady Carleton thought of her like a daughter. “I was naïve enough to believe that I could change him.”
Lady Carleton turned in her seat and reached her hand out to pat her affectionately on the cheek. “Oh, you’ve definitely changed him.”
Genny couldn’t explain the whole sordid tale so she gave the countess a weak smile.
“You’ve hit a patch in your life that is sure to try your patience at every turn. Just remember that you will always have a friend in me.”
“I don’t want to damage your standing in society by associating with you.”
“I’m too old, child, to care what my peers think. While I cannot allow you to stay on for as long as you wish right now due to the other guests in residence, know that my home is open to you at any other time.”
Tears leaked from Genny’s eyes. She couldn’t stop them this time, and she didn’t care to.
“I can’t thank you enough.” This was singlehandedly the kindest thing anyone had ever done for her.
“Thank me by promising to visit after you marry that rascal.”
She did weep then but not terrible wrenching sobs, just a quiet sound of heartbreak passing her lips. Lady Carleton offered up a folded and pressed handkerchief, which Genny took to mop up her leaking eyes and blow out her nose in the most unladylike fashion imaginable. When she was done she looked up to the older woman. The countess’s expression was sincere, not dismissive.
“I’m sad to say that my circumstance with Barrington doesn’t lend itself to a happy ending.”
“I have every bit of faith that he’ll not let you languish in ruin for long. And should he be foolish enough a man to hold out for any length of time, you should go to him, and demand he do the right thing.”
If only life were as simple as that. Genny would not go back to him so he could stitch the remnants of her reputation back together.
“He did not take advantage of me. What we had was something mutually agreeable for the time we were together.”
“I never took you for a fool, Genevieve Camden.”
She could only shake her head in disagreement because she was the greatest fool there ever was.
Pulling herself together, she took in a deep breath and composed her wayward emotions. She had but one goal in mind. “Might I borrow your carriage as far as the next posting inn?”
“You may take my carriage to whatever location you need to in London.”
“You’ve been so kind to me that I wouldn’t wish anyone to see your emblem emblazed on the side of the carriage with me inside.”
Lady Carleton stood from her gilded velvet chair and took Genny’s hands to lead her from the room. “Did I ever tell you how Lord Carleton came to be my husband?”
She shook her head, not sure why Lady Carleton was asking such an odd question.
“He kidnapped—for lack of a better term—me right out of my bed and we traveled in an unmarked carriage all the way to Gretna Green.”
Genny gasped. “I had no idea.” They wound their way down the servants’ stairs that Genny had become familiar with over the past couple of weeks.
Opening the door at the bottom landing, the countess ushered her through the kitchen and out the back door. “While he had never put me in a compromising position, he was intent on marrying me. But what a scandal it made! Of course it wasn’t nearly as disastrous as yours and Barrington’s.”
“Has it been all but forgotten?”
“No one seems to remember. It’s a miracle what an elevated position in society will do for you. My husband is a well-connected man.”
As was Leo, she thought. But still, how could she ever trust him again after his betrayal?
They walked at a slow pace over the lawn and toward the stables
.
“Lord Barrington won’t let you languish long.” The countess gave her a grin that was full of wickedness and Genny felt her tear-stiffened face reciprocate the gesture.
“Lord Carleton and I took an extended honeymoon on the Continent immediately after our marriage. Two months to be precise, and enough time to let the gossip die down.”
Genny sighed wistfully. Lady Carleton was simply offering up advice should Genny ever reconcile with Leo. “It’s a rather romantic story.”
“Yes, quite. And he tells me often that there isn’t a day that goes by where he can’t imagine not having married me.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because, dearest, I already told you, you are the daughter I would have wanted, and I’ll do everything in my power to help you overcome this scandal.” The countess pushed open the door to the stables.
There was a lamp on and someone stood to attention on seeing her ladyship. “My lady,” he said.
“Good evening, Oliver. Have the blacks readied for a trip to Town.”
“Right away, my lady.” He bowed and went to do the countess’s bidding.
“You know, the sentimentality of that unmarked carriage resides in the farthest stall in this stable. My husband and I travel to Scotland in it once a year.” Lady Carleton brushed some of the hair away from Genny’s face. “It’s in excellent working order. More importantly, no one will know that I was the one who aided you if that is your worry.”
Genny threw her arms around the woman, more tears welling in her eyes. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’re doing for me.”
Lady Carleton rubbed her back in a motherly fashion, saying, “Tut, tut, let’s get you on the road before anyone notices your absence.”
Genny squeezed her in a hug a while longer, then reluctantly released the older woman.
“Irene has prepared your bags and will no doubt be down shortly. The carriage I had pulled out yesterday and readied for a journey.”
Genny was so shocked by her hostess’s generosity that she stood there dumbfounded. Lady Carleton turned to her and said, “Though I cannot offer more assistance than this right now, if you need anything, simply get the message to Oliver and it will be done. Do you understand me?”
Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady Page 25