She had expected Elliot to look triumphant, at least at first. Instead, he looked surprised and even disappointed. Because she had come?
But that lasted only for the briefest of moments. Then he smiled and made a mocking bow. “Why, I am honored, Lady Hester,” he said.
“I am not,” she replied softly, coming farther inside the room and closing the door.
“Come, now! You should be flattered. Surely it isn’t every day a man of my attributes wants you.”
“I do not take it as a compliment that a man of your ’attributes,’ as you call them, wants me now.”
Elliot’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to stay if I repel you so.”
“If I don’t, you say you will ruin your brother.”
Elliot’s only response was a slow nod as he came closer.
Hester crossed her arms as she regarded him steadily. “Tell me, my lord, do you honestly believe that because I am homely, I am stupid and friendless, too?”
“It is not your intelligence or your society that I seek”.
“Nor I, yours. However, I thought this would be the best, most private opportunity I might have to speak with you, to give you an ultimatum, my lord.”
Elliot halted and stared at her. “You?” he scoffed. “You will give me an ultimatum?”
“Indeed.”
“This should prove interesting.”
Hester raised her chin defiantly. “You are not the only one who can ruin a reputation with a few wellchosen rumors, my lord. I, too, have friends—influential people who move in the highest circles.” Elliot looked about to protest, but she held up her hand to silence him. “For instance, the wife of Lord Paris Mulholland is a very dear friend of mine. Perhaps you know them?”
She watched as Elliot’s expression became a scowl, for Lord Paris Mulholland was extremely well-known in London. Then Elliot smiled sarcastically. “He was quite popular, until he married that little nobody.”
“Perhaps he will not have the influence of the past, but there are many people who will listen to what he has to say. I am also fairly well acquainted with the family of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Radcliffe-Bellings of the East India Company, and one of my mother’s oldest friends is a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Oh, and of course, my sister, Helena, has several friends who dearly love to talk. So, you see, Lord Elliot, you are not the only one with the power of gossip at your command. I have simply never chosen to exert my influence.” Hester’s expression grew stern and firm. “But I shall, if I must, and I fear I have not the patience of your brother. I shall begin writing letters the moment I leave here. If necessary.”
“You stupid—”
“I am not stupid.”
“I have friends, and so does my mother, if it is a battle of words you want.”
“What type of friends do you possess, my lord? Ones whose opinions are valued? I think not. As for your mother, she has been quite on the fringe of society for the past ten years, as you should realize. Any influence she might have wielded has been diminishing steadily.
“And how is she known?” Hester pressed. “As a doting mother who spoils her son. I have heard her described so more than once, by my mother and others.” Hester drew herself up and smiled. “How am I known? As a sweet, retiring, honest young woman. As your mother has been so kind to note, I am homely, my lord, so no one would believe I could have any personal motive for discrediting you.”
“They will if I say you came into my room at night with the intention of—”
“What?” Hester demanded scornfully. “Seducing Lord Elliot Fitzwalter? Timid, shy, reserved Hester Pimblett intending to seduce the bold and dashing Lord Elliot Fitzwalter? The idea will be considered completely ridiculous. Or will you say that you seduced me? That would hardly be a credit to you.”
“You must care for Adrian a great deal” Elliot replied sarcastically, “if you are willing to put your word against mine.”
“I love him.”
He reached out, grabbed her by the arms and said, “Maybe I can’t ruin Adrian, but I can ruin you.”
Hester did not move. “No, you will not.”
“Oh, yes, I will. I will take your honor. I will make you unfit to be any man’s wife.”
“What would that get you?” she asked quietly.
“Satisfaction, although no other soul need ever know. You will know, and I will know, and with your sweet honesty, you will not wish to go to any husband when you are no longer a virgin.” He yanked her against him. “I will destroy Adrian’s life as he has ruined mine!”
“You won’t,” she said firmly. “You are not that evil.”
His grip loosened slightly and a look of surprise and sudden understanding flickered across his face, followed again by malice. “I can see why Adrian fell in love with you,” he growled. “So much forgiveness, so much faith—it is a heady mix!” Then his hands tightened upon her again, his strong fingers bruising her flesh. “But I cannot have your love, so I will take what I can, if my only satisfaction can be to pay Adrian back for some of the pain he has caused me.
“After all he’s done for you—”
“After all the guilt he made me feel,” Elliot demanded fiercely, “when I did no more than my friends? Tell me, Hester, do you know what it’s like to have a martyr for a brother? Waiting for him to rush in to save you, whether you wanted him to or not? Seeing that condescending look on his face? Wanting to wipe it out forever, to do something so awful that for once, he would lose that damn self-control and react like a man and not a saint? Well, maybe this time I will finally succeed.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Let her go, or by God, I’ll kill you!”
Adrian’s words rang out in the night. Elliot and Hester both turned toward the door, to see Adrian standing there, his fists clenched and on his face an expression of absolute fury.
Elliot pushed Hester away so hard she fell on the floor. “Did you hear me, Adrian, you self-righteous prig” he demanded, glaring at his half brother. “I am sick to death of your interference in my life!”
Adrian ignored Elliot and hurried to help Hester to her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered, taking hold of his hand and never wanting to let go.
“Oh, yes, she’s fine. She’s well and happy. She loves you. You two can marry and raise a brood of sanctimonious brats!”
“Shut up, Elliot. You’ll wake the house.”
“What do I care? Let them come! Then you can poison them against me, as you did her.”
“Poisoned me against you?” Hester asked incredulously. “You did that yourself.”
“I was going to ask you to be my wife.”
“I would have refused, absolutely and unequivocally, whether I loved your brother or not. Lord Elliot, I could never care for you.”
For one very short moment, Elliot resembled his brother as pain flashed in his eyes. Yet it was but a short moment, the fleeting emotion replaced by one of malignant hatred.
“For your sake, I’m glad you didn’t hurt her,” Adrian said very slowly and very deliberately.
“What would you have done if I had?” his half brother said scornfully. “Told me to go stand in the corner? Treated me like a child, as you always do?”
“As you deserve!” Adrian said sternly.
“You should be grateful that he cared enough to take your sins for his own,” Hester said, rubbing her arms where Elliot had grabbed her.
“Grateful?” Elliot cried. “Are you grateful for the offer I made you?”
Hester turned to Adrian, regarding him with love, and yet aware that he was not blameless, either. “He resents you for being too protective.”
“Did you never stop to think that I might not appreciate your watching me like a nanny all the time?” Elliot charged.
“If you had acted like a man, I would have treated you like one.”
“Listen to him!” he jeered. “This man who has spent many pleasant hours
in whorehouses, or taverns, or gambling dens. Who nearly killed his best friend in a drunken brawl. Where were you all day today, Saint Adrian? Sally Newcombe’s? Such a paragon!”
“I went to see Mr. Mapleton and met a…mutual acquaintance. Elliot, I have never claimed to be perfect. I know full well my own sins.”
“Well, to think I should live to hear you say so,” Elliot replied sarcastically.
“Nevertheless, he has taken the blame for many of yours” Hester pointed out.
“Did I ever once ask him to?” Elliot demanded. “Did I?”
“No. But I promised Father—”
“Did I ask you to?”
“Is that what you would have preferred, to suffer for your many misdeeds?” Adrian demanded coldly. “You dare to criticize me for protecting you?”
“Yes, I do, if what you have done could always be called protection.”
“What are you talking about?” Adrian asked scornfully.
“That little whore, Daphne—you think I threatened her for no good reason, don’t you? Just because I’m a vicious brute.
“Well, I’m not, and she was not so innocent. She was going through my pockets, and when I saw her, she started to shout and cry and accuse me of attacking her.
“Did you ever think to ask me what had happened? No. You only listened to those whores. Would you even have believed me if you had? No! You would have taken the word of a whore over mine!”
Adrian looked stunned. “But you always—” he began in a whisper.
“You have never given me a chance to explain!” Elliot continued forcefully. “I assure you, Adrian, I can change if I want to, and if you’ll let me.”
As the two men, who were alike in some ways and so very different in others, regarded each other, Hester softly asked, “Do you truly want to, Elliot?”
“Of course I want to,” Elliot said. “But I cannot do it alone. If I had a wife to help me…”
“Not Hester,” Adrian said sternly.
“Please, Hester,” Elliot pleaded. “I…I’ve behaved badly, I know, especially today. It’s just that I’m so unused to doing things properly, in the right way. I saw you come out of Adrian’s room, and I have been mad with jealousy ever since. You must believe me.” He went down on his knees and clasped his hands together in a gesture of supplication. “I want you to be my wife, and help me to reform!”
Hester could scarcely believe what was happening as she looked from the pleading Lord Elliot to the duke, who had lowered his head and was gazing thoughtfully at the floor. When she was a young girl she had often imagined having two suitors asking for her hand. It had been a delightful and quite impossible fantasy, she had thought.
This was no delightful fantasy. This was terrible.
Because she knew that she might hold the key to the redemption of one and the happiness of the other. She, plain Hester Pimblett!
“Adrian, you know I’m right,” Elliot pleaded. “I’ll just ask this one thing and I’ll never trouble you again. Let me have her.”
The duke raised his head. “No. You can have money and horses, but I will not let you have the woman I love. I could never let her go. I need her too much. I love her too deeply. This is one sacrifice I cannot make, not to save your life, or my family’s honor, or even to fulfill my promise to our father.”
As Elliot got to his feet, Hester stared at them both, incredulous. “Have you forgotten that it is for me to decide whom I marry, if anyone at all?” she demanded. “You both are the most selfish men it has ever been my misfortune to meet. Maybe I should not marry at all!”
Adrian stared at her, aghast. Elliot reddened, and genuine disappointment appeared on his face.
Then Adrian sighed and looked away. “I think you may be right, Hester,” he admitted quietly. “Perhaps you would be better off without me, no matter how much I want you. Or need you. Or love you…” His voice trailed away into a hopeless sigh.
“Oh, Adrian!” Hester cried, running around him and taking his shoulders in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “I would be a fool to leave you. You may be noble enough to sacrifice yourself for love, but I am not. I love you, and I need you as much as you need me!”
Hope kindled in his dark eyes and a self-deprecating smile played about his lips. “You’re crying,” he whispered.
“It’s not from soot, either,” she replied, sniffling and smiling at the same time as she embraced him. “I’m crying because I’m so happy.”
“Well, isn’t this a charming little love scene,” Elliot said mockingly, rage burning in his hard blue eyes. “Down curtain, applause, end of show.”
As Hester and Adrian moved apart, the duchess marched into the room, her robe askew and her hair in curlpapers. “What is going on here? Have you all gone mad? Hester, what are you doing in my son’s bedroom? Explain yourself.”
“Lord Elliot invited me here,” Hester said staunchly, unmoved by the duchess’s condemning eye.
The duchess looked at her son, who smiled winningly, all trace of anger apparently dissipated like mist on a sunny day. “I didn’t think she’d really come, Mama,” he said, spreading his hands in a gesture of wonderment. “I was simply teasing her. Apparently she took me seriously. The poor girl is under the impression that I am in love with her. I must say she was extremely eager to find out just how I might express this love. I confess I was as shocked as you are to find her here.”
Hester stepped forward, prepared to upbraid him to his face, but Adrian held her back. “You had better be careful what you imply, Elliot,” he said quite calmly.
“This is ridiculous,” the duchess answered with her usual charm. “I’ve never heard anything so silly in my life. Hester Pimblett and you?”
“Perhaps you would prefer it if I were to accept your son’s proposal?” Hester asked.
The duchess snorted as she turned to Elliot. “This girl is mad.”
“No, she isn’t,” Adrian said, “but I know another who may very well be. Elliot knows her better than I, however. You recall I mentioned meeting a mutual acquaintance in Barroughby today? Her name is Elizabeth Howell.”
“I have never heard of her,” the duchess declared with outraged majesty.
“I never said you did,” Adrian responded.
Elliot’s gaze darted from Adrian to his mother as if he was a cornered rat “I don’t know who you’re talking about!”
“Allow me to refresh your memory. You saw me dance with her at the Pump Room in Bath, when she was just out. A pretty, pale young woman you then deemed worthy of pursuit, as you have pursued and seduced so many others. What was it that attracted you, Elliot? Her delicate features, or the fact that I danced with her?”
“You’re the one who’s gone mad,” Elliot declared.
“No.” Adrian shook his head. “You seduced her, and when you found out she was with child, you -abandoned her. She bore your child a few weeks ago.
“So this woman says her child is mine. Anyone could make such claims.”
“I found her in the filthy back room of a workhouse, half-starved and feverish.”
“All the more reason to believe that she was mad when you found her. I won’t be held responsible for the claims of an insane woman.”
Adrian regarded his half brother with a mixture of condemnation and pity. “Aren’t you curious about your child, Elliot?”
For a brief moment a keen and questioning look flashed across Elliot’s face, but then it was gone. He looked at his mother and frowned. “I told you, she’s lying.”
“He looked very like you, Elliot.”
“Looked?” the duchess demanded warily.
“He is dead.”
“Elliot!” the duchess cried sharply. “Can it be true, what Adrian is saying?”
“You know he’s simply trying to discredit me,” Elliot snapped. “He’s never liked me. He’s always been jealous of me.”
His mother nodded, and turned to Adrian with cold loathing. “I will not listen to your fals
ehoods.”
“Don’t you want to know how I am aware of Elizabeth’s current condition, or do you intend to blot out all memory of the poor creature you abandoned?” Adrian demanded, ignoring the duchess.
Elliot straightened. “I don’t have to listen to these wild tales.”
“You’ll both listen to what I have to say tonight,” Adrian said warmly, “or you’ll never get another penny!”
“This is blackmail,” Elliot replied.
“Something with which I take it you are not totally unfamiliar,” Adrian noted, glancing at Hester. “Elizabeth Howell is in the village right now. She came here believing that your mother was holding you prisoner. The poor woman wants to set you free.”
“Come, Mama, let us leave this place at once!”
“If you go now, not a farthing more!” Adrian warned.
“Elliot, he can do it,” the duchess protested. “He can cut us off without a cent!”
“Mama, either leave this house with me, or I shall go without you and never see you again!”
The duchess held out her hands submissively, suddenly nothing more than a pathetic old woman. “Elliot, don’t ask me to do such a thing. I won’t believe him, but I cannot be penniless!”
“You will choose his money over me?”
“Elliot!”
“Very well,” Elliot growled, his glare traveling over all of them. “I don’t need you. I don’t need—” he jabbed his finger at Hester “—her. And I don’t need—” he jabbed his finger at Adrian “—you or your money! I don’t need your help or your condemnation or your bloody interference. I am leaving this house, and I hope to God I never set eyes on any of you again!” He ran from the room, slamming the door behind him.
“Elliot!” the duchess cried, taking a step after him, then sinking to her knees. “Adrian, go after him,” she begged pitiably. “Please!”
Adrian shook his head, his mouth firm, his hands bunched into fists, although his eyes were full of pity. “Not this time, Your Grace. Not this time.”
Hester went to the sobbing woman. Kneeling beside her, she cradled her gently in her arms and looked beseechingly at Adrian. “He is still your brother,” she said softly.
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