AmandaQuick-Affair.txt

by Affair (lit)

  few objections. The notion of Charlotte in another man's arms, even the arms of a man who was old enough to be her grandfather, -was It'

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  .,stonishlngly Unpleasant one. But he saw 'the gleam in Charlotte's and knew lie had better keep his opinions to himself.

  have a f-eellng my fianc6e would enjoy a little exercise." Bax-

  ,er ad) -Listed his spectacles. "Is that correct, Charlotte?" "I WOLdd be very pleased to darice with you, Lord Lennox." Charlotte placed her hand delicately on his sleeve.

  "Excellent." Lennox led her gallantly toward the dance floor. .-Let's be off, shall we?"

  Baxter watched as the pair was absorbed into the crowd of

  dancers. "Do stop scowling so, Baxter," Rosalind murmured. "People will think that you're preparing to call out poor Lennox." "The day I challenge any man to a duel over a woman will be

  the day I cease studying chemistry and take up alchemy." "Sometimes I quite despair of you. Where is your passion? Your sensibilities? Your emotions? No, do not bother to answer that question." Rosalind peered intently at the crowd. "Do you really believe that Lennox could have murdered poor Drusilla?" "I doubt it. He does not have a financial motive, for one thing. And in my opinion, he lacks the temperament for murder."

  Rosalind glanced at him in surprise. "Then why are we wasting time with this little drama tonight?"

  A explained that Charlotte is convinced that Drusilla Heskett's note implicated one of her most recently rejected suitors. Lennox was one of those men. We must proceed in a logical manner." "I suppose that makes sense. Well, Lennox is all we have to work with for the moment. I discovered that Randeleigh and Esly are in the country for several days. They are not expected back until the end of the month." "I shall have my man-of-affairs make some inquiries in that direction. 11

  "I cannot picture either of them as murderers, either." "Neither can I," Baxter admitted.

  Rosalind gave him a considering look. "You know, speaking of

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  logic, it would appear perfectly reasonable if you were to dance wit I, your own fianc6e." "I haven't danced in years. Never was much good at it."

  "That is not the point, Baxter, I merely-" Rosalind broke off to gaze at someone coming up behind him. She smiled coolly. "Speaking of people who believe that they have a motive for murder, here comes Lady Esherton."

  He glanced around and saw Maryann coming toward them. He abruptly recalled the three notes he had tossed into the fire during the previous fortnight. "Bloody hell." "She cannot have any reason to speak to me," Rosalind said, "so it must be you she wishes to corner. If you will excuse me, I believe I see a dear friend on the other side of the room." She turned and swept off into the crowd. "Coward."

  He was left to face his father's widow alone. Maryann was fifty-two years of age. She had been eighteen when she had married Baxter's father. The earl had been forty-three. It was his second marriage. His first had been childless and he w

  desperate for an heir.

  The reigning belle of her Season, Maryann had had her pick of the eligible men of the ton but, at the prodding of her ambitious parents, she had set her cap for Esherton. He, in turn, had needed a

  virgin wife with an unblemished reputation and an impeccable family background. Their wedding had been the match of the Season. Everyone, including the earl's long-standing mistress, Emma, Lady Sultenham, had attended the festivities.

  With her petite figure, gray eyes, and honey-colored hair, Ltaryann was Emma's opposite in almost every way. Baxter sometimes

  I @n t

  wondered if his father had selected her to be his countess because she did not resemble his dashing dark-haired, dark-eyed mistress Or

  simply because he liked the variety.

  Two years after the marriage, Emma, who was thirty-seven and considered herself safely past childbearing age, gave birth to the

  ill

  Carl's first son' Fsherton had been very pleased with Baxter. He had chroW a hL,,('(' party to celebrate the event. Unfortunately, nothing 'OUld alter thc fact that Baxter was a bastard and therefore unable to

  inherit the title.

  Another tell years had passed before Maryann had finally man- ,ged to produce an heir for her lord. Baxter was well aware that

  those years had not been easy for her. The earl had never bothered to conceal his affection for his illegitimate son or his intense passion

  for Emma.

  Baxter did not like the grim determination in Maryann's expression tonight. it d'd not bode well. As always when he was obliged to meet with her, he recalled the deathbed vows that had ensured

  that they could never ignore each other no matter how fervently each wished to do so.

  His father had bound them together until Hamilton turned twenty-five. The scene was as vivid in his mind tonight as if the events had transpired yesterday. He had stood on one side of the massive four-poster bed. Maryann and Hamilton had stood on

  the opposite side. "The time has come for me to say farewell to my two fine sons.' Arthur, the fourth Earl of Esherton, had gripped both Baxter's and Hamilton's hands. "I'm proud of both of you. You're as different as night and day but you each carry my blood in your veins. Do you hear me, Hamilton?" "Yes, Father." Hamilton looked at Baxter, his eyes simmering with resentment.

  The earl's eyes switched to Baxter. "You're Hamilton's older brother. Never forget that." "I'm not likely to forget the fact that I'm related to him, sir." Balter was overcome by a strange sense of unreality. It was impossihle to believe that the big, vital, larger-than-life man who had sired h,

  Im was dying.

  Esherton's trembling hand tightened briefly on Baxter's. "you've got a responsibility to him and his mother."

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  "I doubt they'll need anything from me." Baxter felt the we,,,kness in his father's once-powerful fingers and had to blink back the dampness that threatened to film his eyes. "You're wrong," Arthur whispered hoarsely. "Set 'It out ]I] illy will. You've got the sort of steady temperament it takes to hail(_lle money, Baxter. Damnation, son, you were born steady and retiable. Hamilton's too young to handle the estates. You'll have to deal with things until he's twenty-five." "No." Maryann was the first to realize the full significance of what her husband had said. Her hand went to her throat. "My lord, what have you done?"

  Arthur turned his head on the pillow to took up at her. In splite of his weakened state he managed to produce a shadow of th

  wicked Esherton grin. "You're prettier now than the day I marri you, m'dear. "Esherton, please. What have you done?" "No need to fret, Maryann. I've put Baxter in charge of family finances until Hamilton gets a bit older."

  Maryann's shocked gaze met Baxter's. "There is no need for su

  an arrangement. "Afraid there is. Hamilton's got my hot blood in him, sweet. He needs time to learn how to control it. Don't know h my two sons turned out so damned different, but there you are.

  Esherton broke off on a racking cough.

  Baxter felt his father slip a little further away into the waiting

  darkness. "Sir-"

  Arthur recovered from the coughing fit and fell back, exhausted, against the pillows. "I know what I'm doing. Hamilton's going to need your guidance and advice for a few years, Baxter." "Father, please," Hamilton whispered. "I don't need Baxter to

  handle my money and make decisions for me. I'm old enough to

  take care of the Esherton lands."

  "Just for a few more years." Arthur gave a hoarse chuckle. "Give

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  yourself a chance to sow your wild oats. Who better to keep an eye of, you than @ouf older brother, eh?" "But hc', not really my brother," Hamilton insisted. "He's just Mv half brotber." ,,You're brothers, by God." For a moment a measure of the earl's

  old strength burned in his amber eyes. He looked fiercely at Baxter.

  'Do you understand me, son? Y
ou're Hamilton's brother. You have a responsIbIlItY to look after him. I want your oath on it."

  Baxter gripped his father's hand. "I understand. Please, calm yourself, sir." "Your oath, by God." "You have It," Baxter said quietly.

  The earl relaxed. "Steady and clearheaded. Reliable as the sun-

  rise." He closed his eyes. "Knew I could depend on you to look after the family."

  Baxter shook himself free of the memories as Maryann came to a

  halt in front of him.

  "Good evening, Baxter." "Maryann. " "You have not responded to my requests for a meeting. I have sent three notes."

  "I've been occupied with other matters," Baxter said with the icy politeness he had cultivated years ago for just such occasions. "If this Is about money, you know I gave the bankers instructions to honor any reasonable request for funds." "This has nothing to do with money. If you don't mind, I would prefer to discuss the matter in private. Shall we go out into the gardens?" "Some other time, perhaps. I intend to dance the next waltz lith my fianc6e."

  Maryann frowned. "It's true that you are engaged, then?" "yes." Baxter caught sight of Charlotte in Lennox's arms. They Arere both moving very briskly around the floor. Stamina.

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  "I see. I suppose I should congratulate YOU." "There's no need for you to go out of your way." Maryann's lips tightened. "Baxter, please, I must speak @ I th you about Hamilton. I am extremely concerned. You know ,ry well that your father told me that if I ever needed your help, y()u would assist me."

  Baxter turned his head slowly to meet Maryann's desperate (,yes and knew that he had no choice in the matter. He had given his father his oath.

  He inclined his head a bare half inch in acceptance of the table. "I believe you are correct, madam. It would no doubt be best if we held this conversation out in the gardens."

  fco(

  "I have heard that you were well acquainted with poor Mrs. Heskett." Charlotte realized to her chagrin that she sounded a trifle breathless. It was not easy keeping up with Lord Lennox. He set a

  demanding pace on the dance floor and she was definitely out of practice. "Dreadful thing, her murder. Makes one wonder what the

  world is coming to, does it not?" "It certainly does. A shocking incident." Lennox whipped Charlotte around in a grand, gliding turn that took them halfway across

  the floor. "You knew her also, did you?" "We were not terribly close, but we had several conversations.

  She, uh, mentioned you, my lord." "Very fond of her, I was. Wanted to marry her, doncha know. But, alas, she turned down my offer. Couldn't believe it when I heard she'd been felled by a damned villain. Quite chilling." "Indeed. You said you were fond of her?" "Drusilla? Lord, yes. Enjoyed her company immensely. A real Per, Drusilla was. That woman had stamina, if y'know what I mean.,,

  "She used to say much the same about you, my lord." "Did she now?" Lennox looked briefly pleased. "Glad to hear it.

  M going to miss the lady, even if she did reject my offer of mar-

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  riage." He winked. "Dru made it clear that she wouldn't be to the occasional bounce in bed after she settled on the busine! a

  husband, doncha know."

  see."

  was to call on her that very night, you know." Charlotte looked up quickly. "You went to see her the night she was killed?" "No, no. I was supposed to pay a visit that evening. Got a

  message at the last minute informing me that she was ill and would not be able to receive me. Often wondered what would have happened if I'd gone to her house that evening." "Indeed." Charlotte saw that Lennox had her on a collision

  course with an elderly man in a blue coat and a woman gowned in' pale lavender silk. "Lord Lennox, perhaps we should-"

  Dru had a head on her shoulders." Lennox executed a nimble

  move that narrowly avoided the other dancers. "Understood that marriage didn't have to interfere with a spot of fun now and again." "Indeed." Charlotte caught a flash of lavender silk out of the

  corner of her eye. She gave Lennox a smile of relief and tried to

  think of how best to pursue her inquiries.

  The problem was that Lennox gave every appearance of being exactly what her earlier investigations had indicated, good-natured and financially stable. She could not envision him as a murderer. Yet

  Drusilla had specifically mentioned his name in her last note. "I see your fianc6 headed toward the gardens with Lady Esherton," Lennox announced as he swung Charlotte Into another galloping turn. "Don't envy him. The old man left St. Ives in a

  devil of a fix when he put him in charge of the family purse

  strings.

  Charlotte recalled what Baxter had said about managing his half brother's income as well as his own. She had assumed the situation

  existed simply because Baxter was good at finances. "You me,,in the old earl actually stipulated in his will that Mr. St. Ives was to

  control the fortune?"

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  ,,It,s no ,-,! @at secret that old Esherton made Baxter his executor

  L111til Hamilo,ri. is five-and-twenty. Sound thinking on Esherton's

  if You ask me. Anyone can see that young Hamilton needs

  1,iri, isome time to settle. Takes after his father, he does. The old earl was

  3 neck-or-nothing rakehell in his youth." Lennox paused. "Come to

  think of it, he didn't change much over the years. He was a rakehell

  Lintil the day he died."

  see.

  "But he wasn't foolish when it came to the fortune," Lennox continued. "By the time he he was nearly thirty and he rnanaged the estates nicely, indeed. Baxter's got his father's head for that sort of thing and the old man knew it. But it does put St. Ives into an uncomfortable spot. Bound to be a lot of resentment in a

  situation such as that." "Indeed."

  Lennox's expression grew unexpectedly troubled. "Hamilton ain't the only young man who's runnin' a bit wild these days. Seems as if the whole lot of the young bloods are feeling their oats. Don't

  mind telling 1 1

  1 . you that my own son, Norris, has given me a few

  shudders of late. He and Hamilton are friends, doncha know."

  A suppose they're both Into the usual bloody-minded occupations of young males," Charlotte said carefully. "Driving too fast, dr'nk* I I I I

  I ing too much, risking their necks in silly dares?" "Wish that were the whole of it," Lennox said. "Mind you, I'm all in favor of a young man sowing his wild oats early in life. The devil knows, I got into my share of trouble when I was that age. Nearly got myself killed in a duel over a little high-flyer of an opera dancer on one occasion. Went a few rounds with a bruiser named Bull Keeley. Smuggled a bit of French brandy. That sort of thing." "I see." "Just the old-fashioned, innocent pleasures of youth." Lennox sent them whirling into another turn. "But these days becoming a rrian seems to be a riskier business than it was when I was a lad." "What do you mean?"

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  "The gaming hells are more dangerous for one thing," Lennox said very seriously. "Friend of Norris's lost his estates in a place called The Green Table the other night. Young Crossmore went

  home and put a bullet in his head."

  "How terrible." "Warned Norris that if he didn't watch his step, I'd send him on

  an extended tour of the Continent." "Has your threat worked?" "Norris knows I won't tolerate any nonsense. Unfortunately for young Hamilton, his father ain't around to pull in the reins. Left the job to St. Ives along with the responsibility for the fortune."

  With a final flourish, the music stopped. Charlotte was panting. She gave Lennox another curtsy and a bright smile. "Thank you, my lord, I needed the exercise." "Builds stamina," he assured her as he led her off the floor. "Can I fetch you a glass of lemonade or champagne?" "No, thank you, I believe I'll go find Lady Trengloss." "Ah, yes, the lov
ely Rosalind. Charming woman." Lennox looked briefly wistful. "Imagine she misses her sister." "Mr. St. Ives's mother?"

  "Yes. Emma died four years ago. In their younger days, she and Rosalind kept things lively in Society. Never a dull moment. Emma was always the wilder of the two, though. Her affair with Esherton lasted until the day she died. I tell you, it's damned hard to believe

  that St. Ives is the offspring of that pair." "Why do you say that?" "Young Baxter's temperament is the complete opposite of his parents'. Oh, he takes after Esherton in some ways. No mistaking those eyes, of course. And he got his mother's dark hair. But he tacks Emma's sense of humor and dash and he didn't get even a

  modicum of the St. Ives style, sad to say." "The St. Ives style?" "You know what they say about the men of the St. Ives line. They do everything with style. Hamilton's living up to the family

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  heritage but, I vow, Baxter looks as if he makes his livin' as someone's man-of-affairs." "Looks can be deceiving, sir. Please excuse me." "Of course, of course. Enjoyed the dance."

  Charlotte turned and walked toward the French doors, which stood open to admit the evening air into the overheated ballroom.

  Outside she found the wide terrace lit with colorful lanterns. Here and there couples murmured and laughed discreetly In the shadows, Beyond lay the night-darkened expanse of the gardens.

  There was no sign of Baxter in the immediate vicinity but Charlotte was almost certain that he had not come back into the ballroom.

  There was just enough moonlight to make out the looming shapes of clipped hedges and thickly clustered bushes. Baxter was out there somewhere. He had no taste for Society. It would be just like him to retreat to the solitude of the gardens until it was time to leave.

  She went down the stone steps and started along the path that wound into the heart of the gardens. Her soft kid slippers made no sound on the old bricks. The night was crisp. She folded her arms and hugged herself a little to ward off the chill. She would not be able to stay out there long without her cloak.

  A woman's low, anxious voice brought Charlotte to a halt. There was another couple on the far side of the high hedge on her left. She was about to continue on her way when she heard Baxter's characteristically brusque response. "I do not know what the devil you expect me to do about the matter, madam. Hamilton is two-and-twenty." Baxter hesitated briefly before adding very dryly, "And he is the Earl of Esherton, after all." "He is still a boy in so many ways." The woman's words were faced with desperation. "And so like his father. You must do something, Baxter. Ever since his lordship died, Hamilton has grown increasingly headstrong. I thought it was a stage that would pass