Alexandra sat quietly staring at the teapot. It was true, things often had materialized when they needed it. If they did not have money for firewood, her mother would soon discover that Holmes or another neighbor had an abundance. If they had no money for food, a vendor at the market would give them extra for free, always by accident. Sometimes they would find coins on the street near their house.
She was beginning to understand that these were not acts of good luck as she’d always believed. Still, it did not absolve Lord Alderth, not in her eyes.
“You know that she suffered every day of her life, do you not? After you left? Her life was misery. She may have lied when she said you died, but to her, it was the truth. You were dead. As you were to me.”
She saw tears spring into the man’s blue eyes and felt badly about the sharpness of her tongue. It was clear that he loved her mother as much as she loved him. His voice was thick when he spoke once again.
“I know how she felt, for I felt the same. I might have had a life full of riches and fortunes, but the one thing I truly wanted I never could have. Lily. And you. It was always my desire to be in your life.”
“But why now? Why have you come forward now?”
He shrugged. “My wife passed away last year, and the business can run itself. The truth is I have grown lonely, never having had children. I have wanted to find a way to be in your life. However, I was fearful. I was a coward. I was afraid that you would not forgive me.”
“I do not know if I can forgive you since I did not know there was anything to forgive until moments ago. I must have time to think, to understand.” She fell silent.
I have a father. I never knew I had anyone in the world and yet here is this man who wants to be in my life, to care for me. Have I not longed for a father all my life? Still, can I forget the pain he caused my mother? Or forgive it at least?
“The reason I have revealed it all to you now is because of the circumstances surrounding your abduction. It left me no choice. But that is something we will discuss with the Duke when he arrives.”
“The Duke? He is coming here? Mr. Holmes informed me he was searching for me, but I did not know he was here.”
Lord Alderth poured himself a cup of tea. Without asking, he did so for her as well. The water was still steaming as it splashed into the cup.
“I was informed of his arrival when I ordered your food. I was made aware he was seen at the tavern you were held, so my men kept an eye out for him. Lucky it was as well, for he got himself deep in the suds. He is quite well however and will join us in no time. For now, though, eat, drink – I have a change of clothes ready for you, should you so desire.”
He handed her the cup of tea and once she’d taken it, arranged food on a plate for her. Then, as though nothing unusual at all had transpired, he leaned back and sipped from his cup, a smile upon his face.
Chapter 36
Maxwell awoke, his head aching. He found himself on a sofa in an office. He pushed himself up and blinked as the world came into focus. He recalled being hit upon the head from behind by someone as he attempted to assist a woman in distress, but after that he had no memory of anything.
Had the rogues taken him into an office? To what end? Certainly, they would want money.
Fortunately, of that I have much. I shall find the ringleader and buy my way out of here. Then I shall resume my search for Miss Evans.
He pushed himself up and felt faint. He fell back onto the couch when a voice startled him.
“Better take it slow. I hear you took quite a knock on the head.”
He turned and saw a man sitting in a chair. He was well dressed, though Maxwell was certain he was not a noble. He had a knack of knowing when he was in the presence of a fellow lord, and this man was not that. A merchant perhaps, or a barrister.
“Where are we?” Maxwell inquired.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Sufficient to say, Your Grace has put himself in a bad situation. To be out in St. Giles in the dark of night, and to get on the bad side of Lord Cladborough all in one night, you must be eager to cock your toes up.” He shifted in his chair. Maxwell noticed the strange way he was sitting, tilted slightly.
“Cladborough? What does he have to do with it?” Suddenly he knew exactly what it was. “It was him who was behind Miss Evans abduction, was it not? What does he want with her? And what are you planning to do with me?"
“Enough already. You are mixed up in things far beyond your comprehension.”
“What do you…?”
Maxwell could say no more. The door opened and another man appeared. This one tall, dressed in tattered trousers and a shirt that may once upon a time been white.
“The boss wants to see you, now that you’re awake.” The man said and nodded for Maxwell to get up. Seeing that Maxwell swayed more than walked, the man grabbed his arm. He smelled of ale, and sewer, causing Maxwell to rumple his nose.
“What about me?” The other man asked and attempted to get up. It was then that Maxwell noticed just what had caused the man’s odd, tilted position. He was tied to the chair!
“By Jove! I had taken you for an abductor, yet it looks as though you are prisoner as much as I!”
“You are no prisoner, Your Grace. You are an honored guest. And don’t you tell the boss you’ve been mistreated now. We saved you from those rogues on the street tonight. They would have taken you for all you are worth, had we not spotted you.”
Maxwell frowned. Who are these people? Who is their boss? Cladborough? No, certainly not. I hope whoever their boss is can provide answers. Above all, I must find Miss Evans!
The man led him down a carpeted hallway lined with paintings on either side and toward a heavy oak door. He knocked and a voice called for them to enter.
* * *
He entered the room and there, to his utter surprise and delight, was Miss Evans—completely unharmed. She was sitting on a sofa, a cup of tea in one hand. A man sat next to her, gently patting her free hand. He frowned, jealous for one moment. Then he recognized the man. It was Lord Alderth.
Maxwell knew him from the House of Lords and he occasionally saw him out on the social scene, though he was not known to mingle much with society. What was he doing here?
When Miss Evans saw him, she let go of his hand and jumped up.
“Your Grace! Are you well?”
“I should be asking you!” They walked toward one another and stopped just short of embracing.
“I was out of my mind with worry about you, Miss Evans. Have your captors hurt you?”
“Only a few scrapes and bumps. Your Grace looks as though there was a scrap, however.”
He rubbed the back of his head.
“I found myself in the suds somewhat, but I was rescued in time before any real damage was done.” Miss Evans turned toward Lord Alderth before speaking again.
“It appears we both have been rescued by the most unexpected of parties.”
Lord Alderth rose and indicated toward the sofa. “If it pleases Your Grace to join me and my daughter, I will be happy to answer any questions you have.”
His daughter? What is going on? Who is this man, beyond a fellow Lord? What I am in his keep and why is he claiming parentage of Miss Evans?
Miss Evans took her seat and Maxwell joined her. They sat quite close to one another. Their legs touched slightly, a feeling that brought him immense joy. Just being so close to her was a comfort, knowing she was safe and unharmed. She turned to him and confirmed that Lord Alderth was indeed her father.
“I have come upon a wealth of information tonight which I shall share with Your Grace in detail, when we have a quiet moment. For now, there is much I have not yet learned. Lord Alderth promised he would reveal more just as soon as you arrived.”
“And so, I shall, dear Miss Evans. Your Grace, would you care for a cup of tea?” The Earl poured him a cup of tea, which he took. The warm liquid felt lovely and invigorating.
“I must say, Lord Alderth, I am
rather surprised to find you here, entangled in all of this. I still do not understand how you were able to locate Miss Evans at such speed and free her.”
The older man nodded. “I was made aware of the incident at Miss Evans’s house last week and began my investigations. I had a strong indication that the culprit behind the assault upon my daughter was none other than Thomas Steward, The Earl of Cladborough.”
Maxwell sneered and sat down the cup. “The man in the other room made a comment about my being on Lord Cladborough’s bad side, which led me to the same conclusion. Who is he, anyhow?”
Lord Alderth rubbed his hands together. “Ah, yes. The unfortunate fellow is Mr. DeBargh, Lord Cladborough’s steward. Although he does a great deal more for Cladborough than any steward I’ve ever known. We apprehended him along with the other rogues who had abducted my daughter. Evidently, he was to transport Miss Evans to Dover and then to the continent to hold her there until Your Grace’s marriage to Lady Frances.”
Beside him, Miss Evans sat upright. Maxwell could not believe what he was hearing. He’d known Lord Cladborough was eager for the marriage to occur, but to resort to such measures as to abduct the matchmaker?
“If Lord Alderth does not mind, I should like to borrow a horse and ride to Thuxbury House immediately and confront the man. This simply will not stand.”
“Your Grace may wish to wait until he knows the entire circumstance, for there is more than just the abduction of Miss Evans Lord Cladborough is guilty of.”
Maxwell sighed. It should not surprise him that the Earl had a multitude of misdeeds to his name. Perhaps it was wise to learn of them all before confronting him.
“I gather there is much more for us to learn about the good Earl.”
Alderth nodded. His gaze fell upon Miss Evans and he briefly closed his eyes before speaking again.
“Miss Evans, I hope what I am about to say will not shock you. I have just found you and I do not wish to scare you away. But what I have to say must be said, otherwise the Earl’s actions will be difficult to comprehend.”
“It is quite alright. I do not imagine there is much else I can hear today that would shock me as much as the revelation that I have a living, breathing father. One who is of noble birth at that.”
“Very well. Then I should let you know that I am not simply a connoisseur of fine wines. I run a rather successful business on the side, which supplies funds for those who have no pockets left to let, so to speak. Mostly members of the aristocracy and the gentry, such as Lord Cladborough.”
Miss Evans inhaled sharply, shocked at the revelation. For his part, Maxwell was not terribly surprised. The warehouse in St. Giles, the expensive furnishings, the large staff, and considerable amount of rogues that appeared to be in Lord Alderth’s employ had led him to figure out that there was more to the man that met the eye.
“I take it Lord Cladborough is one of you clients?”
“Indeed. And I can say that he is entirely cleaned out. So much so that he cannot pay what he owes and will be bankrupt in no time, unless he can find a source of income.”
“Such as a wealthy son-in-law,” Miss Evans inserted into the conversation. She shook her head, her fair hair moved about her face in a charming fashion, mesmerizing Maxwell momentarily.
“This is why he was so intent to have the courtship move along. Why he was so desperate for a wedding almost at once. He was hoping I would bail him out.”
Miss Evans shook her head.
“I believe he would have negotiated an outrageous bride price first. Knowing how keen the Dowager Duchess is for a wedding as well, I’m sure he would have achieved it.”
Lord Alderth sipped some of his tea before setting the cup back down.
“Believe me, dear Miss Evans, even a substantial bride price would not have eradicated even a small portion of what the Earl owes. No. I believe the Duke is quite right. He would have attempted to drain the Duke’s fortunes once the marriage had taken place, one way or the other. And he was not going to be stopped by a mere matchmaker.”
Maxwell felt ill. He had not realized how far Cladborough would go to enforce the marriage. He had endangered Miss Evans by his careless display of affection for her.
“He must have known of my affection for you. And when, even after you removed yourself from the courtship, I showed no signs of making an offer, he sought to remove you for my presence entirely. Though he could not have known that it would only make me more determined to win your heart and to be with you. I am sorry that my actions have placed you in such peril."
She looked up at him, her eyes showing a tenderness he had not seen before.
“You did not mean to endanger me, Your Grace. Had I only told you the first time those rogues sought me out perhaps all this could have been avoided. I am sorry I did not. I am sorry I hid from you when you came to see me.”
“We have both made many mistakes. Now, with the truth out in the air, perhaps we shall have a chance to make things right. I know it is what my heart desires.”
She broke into a wide smile and gave him a gentle nod of the head.
“So does mine.”
He reached for her hand and they looked one another in the eye, a smile on their faces. It wasn’t until Lord Alderth cleared his throat in a rather noisy fashion that both were jolted from their moment of enchantment.
“I will give you time to be alone to talk in a moment, for I can see I am keeping you from reuniting properly. Alas, I fear that Lord Cladborough is still a threat. The courtship has not yet been cancelled and until it is, he will continue to see Miss Evans as a threat that must be removed.”
“So then lend me a horse, so I may go at once and resolve the issue once and for all,” Maxwell again demanded.
Lord Alderth shook his head. “I do not believe that is a good idea, Your Grace. I believe it would serve us all better to resolve the matter in a quieter fashion. Confronting the Earl would only cause a scandal. There will already be plenty of that when the courtship between yourself and Lady Frances is cancelled, and when your new courtship with my daughter becomes public knowledge. You know as well as I what a courtship with a commoner will do to one's reputation in our society.”
Miss Evans looked at the older man and Maxwell saw something in the glance they exchanged. Some knowledge, some prior conversation that was of significance, although he was not yet sure what that was. In any case, he was right. There would be much scandal. But how to avoid more?
“Certainly, I can withstand any scandal.”
Lord Alderth snarled. “It is not you I am worried about, but my daughter. She is the commoner. She is the one who stands to lose her business and reputation.” He turned to her. “You understand a courtship, even if it ends in a marriage, would be very difficult to maintain alongside your business.”
“I do. I hope that in time, I may be able to rebuild the business. But I must admit, I have come to understand that there are other things in life. Other priorities. Speaking with you today has only reinforced that understanding.”
“I am glad to hear it, since I would want my daughter to be happy. And I see the Duke appears to have a great desire to ensure your happiness.”
“It is my genuine desire. It has been since the day we met.”
She smiled at him, “Since the very day we met? If I recall, our first meeting was marred by a verbal sparring match.”
“And it was that, the fire you possess and the sharpness of your tongue that first made me realize it was the matchmaker, not the match, I should be with.”
“Well then,” Lord Alderth said. He returned to his seat and tilted his head in thought. “We shall make it so.”
“Make it so how?” Miss Evans asked, a frown on her beautiful face.
Lord Alderth face broke into a wide smile. “If His Grace agrees, I shall have a word with Lord Cladborough. As he owes me a great amount of money, I have some power I can wield. And if I can’t wield it for family, who for?”
Maxwell pu
rsed his lips. “Even if Cladborough agrees to end the courtship based on your intervention, what will keep him from attempting the same scheme again with another Lord?”
“His Grace is right. I am not the only matchmaker in London. Certainly, he will attempt to find another poor soul to take for all he’s worth to pay his own debts. And poor Lady Frances. She shall be wed to a most horrid man, just as long as he has money.”
Maxwell sighed. “It is true. While I never could picture myself wed to her, Lady Frances is a lovely young woman and I shall not like to see her come to harm. I have done quite enough damage to her confidence with my actions.”
Perfectly Mismatched With The Duke (Historical Regency Romance) Page 25