She picked absently at the arm of the chair. “Yes, well, I suppose that’s part and parcel of being an adult, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“Why, doing what’s best.” She met her Father’s gaze and raised her chin. “Whether one wants to or not.”
“I don’t know what to do, Warren.” Daniel paced the width of the office.
“That’s not exactly accurate,” Warren said mildly.
Daniel stopped and stared at his friend. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that you know exactly what to do, what you have to do.” Warren shrugged. “You just don’t want to do it.”
“Of course I don’t want to do it.” Daniel resumed pacing. He had always thought better on his feet and he had some serious thinking to do now. “I have no desire to marry at all, let alone to a woman not of my choosing, to facilitate a business deal for my father, to assure financing—”
“To save our respective futures, our reputations as well as all of your money and the money of our investors, which includes a fair number of men you call ‘friend’.”
Daniel ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t seem to have a choice do I?”
“You have any number of choices, Daniel, you always have. One, you can continue to try to convince Lady Cordelia she doesn’t want to marry you and hope her father will nonetheless go through with his merger with your father, thus freeing up your father’s funds to help us, although by then it will be too late and we’ll be ruined, impoverished.” Warren’s brow furrowed. “No, I’ll be the only one impoverished. You’ll still be the son of a wealthy man although you will be an abject failure and have to turn to your father for support.” Warren shuddered. “There’s a nasty prospect for your pride.”
“You won’t be impoverished,” Daniel said with an absent wave of his hand. “My father will jump at the chance to hire you. He thinks very highly of you. Nor will he think of either of us as failures.”
Warren raised a brow. “I would say that he’s changed but I suspect the change has been in you.”
“In both of us, I think.” Daniel sighed and dropped into the nearest chair. “He has seen the error of his ways regarding his interference in my life, thanks to Daisy. And I now understand his intentions were well meant. I also see that our similarities are greater than our differences and that we are lucky to have one another.”
Warren stared. “Apparently your meeting this morning produced far greater results than you’ve mentioned thus far.”
“It’s hard to admit, even to an old friend, that you’ve behaved badly in regards to a parent.”
“Especially as this particular old friend already knew and has not hesitated to—”
“Yes, yes, and admittedly I should have listened.”
“To my advice about your father and so many other words of wisdom. Although I have to admit, you’re right about one thing.” Warren grimaced. “You don’t really have a choice other than to marry Lady Cordelia. Well.” Warren shrugged. “It can’t be helped I suppose.”
“I’m glad you’re taking this so well.”
“I’m not taking it at all well. I feel dreadful about it, and yet I am willing to set aside my personal feelings and bravely sacrifice you on the altar of holy matrimony.”
“How selfless of you.”
“I think so.” Warren studied his friend for a moment. “It could be worse you know.”
“Worse than marrying a woman I’ve never met to satisfy a promise I didn’t make and acquire money I haven’t earned?” Daniel snorted. “How?”
“You could be in love.” Warren paused. “With Miss Palmer that is.”
Daniel started to deny it, then shrugged as if Warren’s charge was of no consequence.
Warren opened his bottom desk drawer, drew out a bottle and two glasses, filled them and got to his feet, crossed the room, and handed one to Daniel.
Daniel glanced skeptically from the glass in his hand to the other man. “When did you begin keeping whisky in your desk?”
“Shortly after you left to meet your father this morning. It seemed like a good idea.”
“It’s an excellent idea.”
Warren pulled up a chair, sat down, and considered his friend. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t ask a question.”
“Then I’ll ask one now.” He met Daniel’s gaze. “Are you in love with Miss Palmer?”
“No, of course not.” Daniel tossed back the contents of the glass, scarcely noting the burn of the liquor in his throat. “That would be the height of stupidity.”
“And your actions of late have been the epitome of intelligence?”
“Apparently not. I admit that I like her. I like her a lot.” Now that he’d said it aloud, Daniel was shocked to realize just how much he did like her and liked as well the pleasure of her company. Walking with her, talking to her—he wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever really talked to a woman before in anything but the depth required of casual conversation at a party or in passing. And when he’d kissed her…It was entirely possible he more than merely liked her. “The more I’m with her, the more I like her.”
“And therein lies the biggest flaw,” Warren said softly and refilled Daniel’s glass.
“The flaw?” Daniel stared at the other man and abruptly saw exactly what Warren had warned him of all along. “That I would come to care for her?”
Warren nodded. “And worse.”
“That she would come to care for me,” Daniel said slowly. Good God, what had he done?
“Do you think she does?”
“No, no, of course not,” Daniel said quickly. “She’s far too sensible for that. Certainly she kissed me—”
“You kissed her?”
“No, she kissed me, although I admit I kissed her back.”
Warren’s eyes widened in disbelief. “And you don’t think that’s an indication of her feelings? Sensible young women don’t kiss gentlemen they don’t have some feeling for.”
“But she refused to let me call on her,” Daniel added quickly.
“You asked to call on her?”
“A momentary lapse in judgment.”
Warren scoffed. “Scarcely momentary.”
“Yes, yes, well I’ve made a mess of all this, haven’t I?” Daniel stood and resumed pacing, glass in hand. “Sarah’s going to despise me and I can’t say that I blame her. As for Lady Cordelia—”
“If Miss Palmer tells Lady Cordelia that you kissed her—”
“She kissed me,” Daniel said firmly, “and with a great deal of enthusiasm I might add.”
“Regardless of who kissed whom and the degree of enthusiasm involved, I can’t imagine Lady Cordelia would take it at all well.” Warren raised his glass pointedly. “She might even see it as a reason to reject your suit altogether.”
“Wouldn’t that be ironic?” Daniel swirled the liquor in his glass. “Just when I realize I have to marry her, I’ve come up with the perfect way to avoid it.” He downed his whisky, moved to Warren’s desk, and sloshed more liquor into his glass. “Not that my plan wasn’t proceeding nicely. Based on our correspondence, I think Lady Cordelia would have soon decided she wants nothing whatsover to do with me. I found her Achilles heel and she now considers me pompous, arrogant, narrow-minded and, no doubt, irritating as well.”
“A match made in heaven.”
“Or somewhere considerably lower.” Daniel sank back into his chair.
“And what do you think of her?”
At once Daniel’s original impression of a sturdy Amazonian traveler complete with walking stick, compass, and chastising expression popped back into his head. “She writes a fine letter.”
Warren laughed. “She writes more than that.” He got up, stepped to his desk, picked up a pile of bound papers, and dropped them on Daniel’s desk in front of him. “You should read these.”
Daniel eyed the stack. “What are they?”
“Ladies’ magazines.”
Warren retook his seat and refilled his glass.
Daniel glanced at the top copy of Cadwallender’s Monthly Lady’s Cabinet. “As much as I appreciate the gesture, I’m not overly interested in the latest style of frocks.”
“The magazines have articles written by your,” Warren cleared his throat, “fiancée.”
Daniel flipped open the cover. “Why do you have these?”
“I thought they would come in handy.” Warren paused. “I’ve read them.”
Daniel cast his gaze over Warren. “And yet you are as unfashionable as ever.”
“I beg to differ, however that is beside the point. I didn’t read everything.” He rolled his gaze toward the ceiling. “Just those articles written by Lady Cordelia. While they’re obviously directed toward a female readership, her observances and descriptions are quite acute. I have to admit, I found her writing most amusing.” Warren chuckled. “She has a dry wit and a lively style. Indeed, her account of an Italian countess’ first ride on a camel made me laugh aloud.”
“Wonderful,” Daniel muttered. The Amazon in his head smiled smugly.
“Although I have never known a writer, I would imagine you could learn a great deal about a person from their work.” Warren sipped his whisky. “From what I’ve read, I like her.”
“Excellent. Then you can marry her.” Daniel aimed his glass at his friend. “As I’ve been pretending to be you, you can be me.”
“For the rest of my life?” Warren shook his head. “Thank you, but no. I have plans for the rest of my life, especially when it comes to whom I might or might not marry at some time in the far distant future. And I should point out that when that time comes, I would much prefer to call her Mrs. Lewis rather than Mrs. Sinclair, although again, I do appreciate the offer.”
Daniel shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea to me.”
“I can see where it would,” Warren said under his breath.
For a long moment neither man said a word. Daniel stared into his glass as if the solutions to all his problems could be found there. Although past experience had taught him there was a price to be paid for the respite from his troubles to be found in the bottom of a glass. Still, at the moment drowning his sorrows seemed like an excellent idea. He emptied the rest of his glass and held it out for Warren to refill.
How could he have been so stupid? No matter how much he denied it to Warren, he had feelings for Sarah he had no business feeling. Unintentional of course, but there it was.
Shouldn’t he have expected something like this? Wasn’t this just one of those things life liked to throw at you unawares? Why was it that at the very moment you thought everything was going along quite nicely in your life, all of your business matters were in order, you were inches away from escaping marriage to an Amazon, and a lovely green-eyed girl looked at you with a look that seemed quite remarkable, something had to happen to muck it up. Certainly in this case an argument could be made that that particular something was him. Even so, he didn’t deserve this. Still, there were Eastern religions that believed in reincarnation of the soul and that the circumstances of your new life were the result of the sins of the past. “I must have done something very, very bad in a previous life.”
Warren snorted. “I’m not sure it’s fair to blame a previous life.”
“Probably not.” Daniel heaved a resigned sigh and for the first time seriously considered the prospect of marriage to a stout-hearted Amazon. While the vision in his head wasn’t at all the type of woman he thought he’d marry, she probably wasn’t nearly as bad as the female his imagination had produced. A female who relished travel and its accompanying discomforts with the enthusiasm Lady Cordelia apparently did was probably a decent enough sort. Still, did she have flashing green eyes and a smile that warmed even the coldest hearts?
“You have to tell her the truth now, you know,” Warren said casually. “Miss Palmer that is. You can no longer avoid it.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“You wouldn’t want her to come face–to-face with Lady Cordelia’s new fiancé—”
“No, no, of course not.” Just the thought of the look of disbelief and betrayal and hurt in Sarah’s green eyes stabbed his heart. And there was no doubt in his mind she would indeed feel betrayed and hurt. Wouldn’t he if the situation were reversed?
“When?”
“As soon as the bottle is empty,” Daniel muttered. It was going to take a fair amount of courage to face Sarah. He wasn’t even ready to think about his inevitable first meeting with Lady Cordelia. He drew a deep breath and grabbed the bottle. “Tomorrow. I’ll talk to Sarah tomorrow.”
“You certainly won’t be in any condition to speak with her tonight,” Warren said wryly.
“Or think about her.” Daniel peered at the other man. “And that, Warren, old friend, is precisely the idea.”
Travel is fraught with surprise and revelation. Much of it quite wonderful although on occasion it can be somewhat bothersome and even unpleasant.
An English Lady’s Traveling Companion
Chapter 10
Dear Lady Cordelia,
Upon further reflection, I fear my previous missive might have seemed somewhat pompous, even arrogant. I assure you that was not my intent. However, I am extremely proud of my country and its people. It was a mere seventy-three years ago that we threw off the bonds of tyranny imposed upon us by a government that had grown unresponsive and intolerable. And in this century, we were again forced to protect our people and our homes against the excesses of that same foreign power. Not once but twice we have faced what you describe one of the greatest countries on earth and have emerged strong and victorious. Perhaps my view is not arrogant as much as realistic…
Daniel stood in the foyer of Lord Marsham’s grand London house and resisted the urge to pace impatiently. Still, every moment he was kept waiting was another moment put toward trying to find the right words. The butler who had commanded him to wait while Sarah was fetched now eyed him with obvious suspicion. It was apparent that the servant saw himself as guardian of the household and its occupants, the unflappable, undefeatable protector of his charges. The man probably had a bias against Americans as well or perhaps he just didn’t like Daniel. Given the ache in his head and the strange, heavy weight in the vicinity of his heart, Daniel wasn’t especially fond of himself at the moment.
Without warning the front door flew open and a tall, fair-haired man strode into the house.
“My lord.” The butler gasped. “We were not expecting you. We had no idea. We—”
The man laughed. “I do so enjoy it when I can surprise you, Hodges.”
“You always have, my lord.” The butler—Hodges—stared for another moment, then regained his composure. “The family is in Brighton, sir.”
“As is to be expected at this time of year.” The man chuckled. “I thought I would stop at the house first then proceed on to Brighton.”
“Lord Marsham was here yesterday. He returned to Brighton this morning, but Lady Cordelia and Miss Palmer are still in residence. Your aunt is expected to join them today. Lady Cordelia is at her dressmaker’s and is not expected back for several hours.” Hodges paused in a significant manner. “However, Miss Palmer is here.”
“A stroke of luck then.” The man grinned. “Send for Miss Palmer if you would, Hodges.”
Send for Miss Palmer?
“I already have, sir.” Hodges slanted a pointed look at Daniel and the newcomer noticed him for the first time.
“Good day.” Daniel stepped forward.
“Good day,” the man said in a pleasant if cool manner. “Forgive me for being abrupt but have we met?”
“I doubt it.” He extended his hand. “Daniel Sinclair.”
“Viscount Creswell.” The viscount shook Daniel’s hand. “Daniel Sinclair did you say?”
Daniel nodded.
Creswell’s brow furrowed, then his expression cleared. “The American?”
“I am an American,” Danie
l said slowly.
“I have heard of you.”
Daniel’s brows drew together. “You have?”
“Indeed I have. Lord Norcroft is an old friend of mine and we correspond regularly. I’ve been out of the country for more than a year.” His lordship chuckled. “Damn interesting wager you and Norcroft and the others have.”
“The tontine?” Daniel smiled reluctantly. “I think the thing is cursed. Only Norcroft and I are left.”
“I knew about Warton but Cavendish comes as something of a shock.” Creswell shook his head. “I would have placed my money on him.” He studied Daniel with an admiring eye. “I understand Norcroft and the others have invested in a venture of yours involving railroads in America. He seems to think it will be quite profitable.”
“It will.” Daniel raised a brow. “Are you interested?”
“I would be, but my personal funds are limited and the family coffers are a bit strained at the moment.” Creswell blew a long breath. “It’s a bloody shame really. I would like nothing better than to—”
“Will?” A shocked female voice sounded from the stairway.
Both men looked up. A vaguely familiar blond woman hobbled down the stairs.
“Sarah!”
Sarah?
The newcomer stepped forward eagerly and the woman stumbled into his arms. Hodges discretely averted his eyes, but there was a definite hint of a smile on his lips. Daniel and a footman stared openly.
At last Daniel cleared his throat and the couple reluctantly broke apart.
“Dear Lord.” This Miss Palmer stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to call on Miss Palmer,” Daniel said slowly. “Miss Sarah Palmer.”
“This is Miss Sarah Palmer,” Creswell said. “Sarah, do you know this man?”
“No,” Daniel said quickly.
“Not exactly,” this Miss Palmer said far more slowly.
Creswell stared at the woman. “What do you mean not exactly?”
She shrugged in a helpless manner. “It’s hard to explain.”
Secrets of a Proper Lady Page 16