‘New rumours percolated about the mysterious Comtesse de C. once more at Lady E.’s ball. Not only did the comtesse’s husband die suddenly, but she was considered suspect in the act. How is it that we did not know this sooner? What other lies has she foisted on us in a bid for acceptance?’
Channing threw the paper down in disgust. ‘There’s no proof, no truth to any of it.’
Alina was more sanguine. ‘I think we must be careful not to go on the defensive just yet. Perhaps this is a sign of something else. Seymour has come out strong. He thinks to protect himself by discrediting me with rumours. He wants to use those rumours to force me to retreat in order to save my family from scandal. The issue is, why does he want me to retreat? I think he’s scared; scared we know too much, scared we will not hesitate to come after him and expose him. He’s overreached himself this time and he knows it.’
Channing peeled an orange and broke off a section, thinking out loud. ‘He needs the rumours because he’s afraid to come forward about the deed. If he complains about the false deed, there may be questions about his own dealings and that’s too risky for him.’
Alina nodded, her words coming swiftly as her thoughts formed. ‘If I were him, I’d use the rumours to pressure me in to withdrawing. The deed looks much more damaging if my character is under fire.’
‘A sort of blackmail, if you will,’ Channing added, thinking it over. ‘Blackmail could be managed if one has the proper network. But we have to catch him at his trade, otherwise stopping the rumours won’t yield us much.’ He paused. ‘We could stop him with a simple solution.’
She looked up, hopeful. ‘What would that be?’
‘You could marry me. No one would challenge Mrs Deveril.’
‘No, Channing,’ she said softly. He wasn’t joking. He would really do it. She had to prevent that from happening. Easy solutions often had difficult repercussions.
Channing sighed. ‘Since you won’t marry me, we’re going to need a team of brilliant solicitors and a set of society ladies who carry some sway among the ton.’ Those were resources he had, but Alina wouldn’t like it. He decided to break it to her gently.
Channing leaned forward and popped a bit of orange in Alina’s mouth, dabbling at the dripping juice with a napkin while she chewed. ‘Since your mouth is full, this might be a good time to tell you, Nick and Jocelyn will be over shortly and they’re bringing their wives.’
* * *
‘It’s all over the scandal sheets this morning.’ Seymour tossed down a pile of papers on the table. He faced the syndicate with a victor’s confidence. ‘The rumours are successfully planted. By tomorrow, London’s rich will think a murderess walks among them. The comtesse will have no choice but to retreat the field. If she does, the rumours will slowly fade and she can work her way back into society’s good graces. If not, she’ll be finished. Even if she does come forward with any claims against us, no one will believe her.’ He paused for effect. ‘She’s already in retreat from what I hear. She left the Evert ball almost immediately after the rumours began.’
Eagleton, the old killjoy, spoke up. ‘The question is, where did she go? Do you know? I do.’ He gazed around at the group. ‘She went to Argosy House, a property owned by Channing Deveril, who showed up two hours later and the two did not emerge until morning.’
Seymour schooled his features into bland neutrality and waited. Was Eagleton going to reveal the last piece he had so judiciously withheld from the group?
‘Mr Channing Deveril’s brother,’ Eagleton said, ‘is Viscount Swale, his father is an earl. Their family is one of England’s oldest and, when they choose, most influential.’ The man sounded like a walking, talking version of Debrett’s Peerage.
‘That’s no good,’ Hugo Sefton bemoaned at the far end of the table, eliciting other nods of agreement. ‘We don’t deal with peers.’
‘We don’t know how involved he is. Perhaps he’s just a lover. A woman of her background is likely to keep one or two on a string,’ Seymour argued, trying desperately to keep his last faux pas from coming to light. He should not have believed the comtesse when she’d said Mr Deveril was of no account, not when proof to the contrary had been laid before his very eyes, quite literally, too.
‘You’ve become quite the liar, Seymour,’ Eagleton went on. ‘What he has failed to mention to all of you is that Mr Deveril was at the Lionel house party. Mr Deveril is not someone she has taken up with since her return to town. While it is true that I do not yet know the depths of their association, having only had a few hours’ knowledge of it—’ this last was said in obvious contempt for Seymour and his extended knowledge of the association ‘—I suspect we will find there is more here than meets the eye.’
Seymour stifled a sigh of relief. ‘Until then, there is nothing to do but wait and watch.’
Eagleton rounded on him. ‘Wrong. There is plenty to do. She knows about us and if we are exposed it means prison or transport for every one of us. We cannot afford to sit back and wait. We have drawn her out and she will fire back. That is certain. The comtesse cannot afford to do otherwise. We cannot merely wait for that to happen and then carelessly lob our next volley. We must gather information, we must get to know all there is to know about Mr Deveril.’
Seymour scoffed. ‘You make it sound like we’re at war.’
Eagleton pointed a long bony finger at him. ‘We are, my boy, and if you haven’t figured it out yet, the casualties are you or her.’
* * *
This was war and Alina was waging it on two fronts. On one front there was Seymour and his horrid rumours, threatening to bring her down. The other was right here in the drawing room of Argosy House. She had to conquer Channing’s friends. They were here to help him, even if that meant protecting him from her whether he wanted it or not. Alina was well aware she needed to pass muster before they gave their approval.
Alina preferred the battle with Seymour. He was an enemy she could see. She could think his thoughts, she knew how he operated. Channing’s friends were a different type of enemy. They were polite enough to keep their thoughts veiled, making it difficult to anticipate what might come next.
They were all gathered at Channing’s request. Across from her on the sofa sat Jocelyn Eisley and his bride, Cassandra. Nick D’Arcy’s wife, Annorah, poured tea from a heavy silver service set while Nick beamed at her from his chair. Ah, Alina thought. So that’s what love looked like. The group was impressive, all assembled, drinking their tea and chatting easily with one another.
It all served to remind her just how much of an outsider she was. She had to earn their respect, had to prove she was worthy of their dear friend’s attention. She would try to make herself agreeable for Channing’s sake, and for her own. She needed them if she was to fight Seymour. Her hand tightened on her tea cup as Channing moved the conversation towards the business they’d been assembled to discuss.
‘I am glad we could all meet today,’ Channing began. ‘The Season gets busy and we each get involved in our own schedules. There’s something I want to discuss with you before that happens. You all know the Comtesse de Charentes, Alina Marliss. She has told me of a terrible situation that I would like to see addressed before it goes any further.’ He went on to explain Roland Seymour’s land-and-loan syndicate, how her family had been one of Seymour’s targets, how she was attempting to expose Seymour and how Seymour had struck back with vicious attacks to her character. ‘Which I am sure you saw in the papers this morning,’ Channing concluded with a wry smile.
It had been difficult for her to sit quietly by and let Channing do all the talking, but these were his friends. What they’d do for him would be more than what they’d do for her on her own. On her own, she would never have got in the front door.
‘The rumours are absolutely vile,’ Cassandra offered sympathetically when Channing finished.
‘There have been rumours before,’ Alina reminded the group. ‘The difference is that those rumours were spawned from curiosity over a newcomer. These are spawned from strictly malicious intent and designed specifically to make me an outcast.’
‘Rumours can be quelled,’ Annorah said, offering a gentle smile. It wasn’t exactly a promise that she would fight to quell them. That would come later, Alina suspected, once the lovely, blonde woman worked out why she should spend some of her social currency on this dubious acquaintance.
‘We have to do more than stop rumours,’ Jocelyn pointed out. ‘Seymour must be stopped. Protecting the comtesse isn’t enough. We might save her, but what of the others he’s already taken advantage of and the ones to come? If we don’t expose him, he will simply move on to others.’
Channing nodded. ‘I already have our solicitors looking into the syndicate to see what they can discover. Although, in the end, we’ll have to look beyond the syndicate. We have to find victims and proof that there is an intent to defraud. I’ve already talked to David Grey.’
That news surprised Nick. He gave Channing a sharp, approving look. ‘You’ve been busy already.’ But Alina thought she read another message in Nick’s eyes about what might have prompted such haste. ‘Perhaps this would be an opportune time for the three of us to talk in more detail,’ Nick suggested with a quick look at Annorah.
Annorah took the cue and rose, signalling this was to be a male-only talk. She smiled at Alina. ‘Let me show you the gardens. I’ve brought up new roses from Hartshaven this year and I think they’ve taken well to the city dirt. I planted some here for Channing, too.’
Alina understood. This was a chance to divide and conquer. The Eisleys and D’Arcys would not think of committing to this effort without understanding it in full or of letting Channing move forward without understanding the relationship between her and Channing.
The day was sunny. The unseasonably warm spring had brought early blooms and bright colour to the small, private garden behind the town house. The group of women chatted casually, comfortably. Annorah talked about cross-breeding her roses, how she’d grown them in the hothouse at Hartshaven in Sussex and then transported them here. No one listening to them would guess so much was at stake or that they were all waiting for the other proverbial shoe to fall. Slowly, the conversation moved from flowers to men, to husbands and eventually to Channing.
‘Channing must care for you a great deal,’ Annorah said, her voice quiet, tinged even with a hint of admiration. It wasn’t what Alina had expected. She’d anticipated the words, but not the tone. Those same words could have easily been edged with disbelief and disapproval.
‘I’m sure you think we’re being nosy, but Channing is dear to us,’ Annorah said simply. ‘If it weren’t for him, I might not have gone after Nick.’ She gave a becoming blush.
‘He’s responsible for helping Jocelyn and me out of a tight spot as well. If not for him, we might have decided we couldn’t be together and given up. I was the niece of one of the League’s most ardent enemies.’ Cassandra laughed and looped an arm through Alina’s, her eyes dancing. ‘Don’t think poorly of us, it stands to reason we would want to know everything about someone he’s involved with. We want him to be happy just as we are.’
Alina couldn’t help but smile at the other woman’s warm intentions. She was not used to such openness. She was used to interrogation and deceit. She’d had few female friends in her life. Her marriage had not left room for friendships and she had not formed any friendships beyond acquaintances since her return to England. Still, it was a bit too soon to assume these fine women would be her friends. They might assist her for Channing’s sake, but that was all she should hope for. When the investigation was over and it became clear there was no future between her and Channing, these women might change their minds.
Alina thought of Channing’s offer that morning. If she were to marry Channing, his friends and family would work hard to make her socially acceptable. They wouldn’t tolerate him being ostracised over his choice of wife. She opted for honesty. ‘I did not ask Channing for all of you to come here today. This was his idea. In fact, his interference has been entirely his idea from the start. I had planned to manage Seymour on my own.’
She gave a wave of her hand. ‘But you know what Channing’s like when he sees someone in need.’ Maybe these women knew about the boys at Argosy House whom Channing had saved from the streets, about the young gentlemen he’d helped, like Annorah’s Nick, to pull their families out of genteel poverty with the agency.
Annorah smiled. ‘I know Channing has a soft heart.’
‘I wouldn’t hurt Channing for the world,’ Alina answered the unspoken challenge. ‘What should occur to you is that I don’t want him to risk anything more.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Cassandra said evenly, placing a hand on her arm. ‘Channing can take care of himself. He and Jocelyn once saved the League by pretending the League shipped Bibles to Africa.’
Cassandra regaled them with the story, since it had happened after Nick had left the League. The group finished their walk in laughter and rejoined the men inside. Everyone mingled in the hall briefly but it was clear the visit was over. His friends would meet now and decide what was to be done. Jocelyn and Nick shook Channing’s hand. ‘We’ll be at White’s tomorrow around three. Why don’t you stop in and have a drink?’
‘I would be delighted. It’s been a while since we’ve had a drink together.’ Channing laughed. ‘You’ve become old married men.’
Jocelyn glanced at his wife, his eyes filling with that indefinable something that made Alina’s heart ache. ‘It’s not the worst thing to be,’ he said. ‘Until tomorrow, Channing.’
Alina watched them go with trepidation. It would be a long twenty-four hours while she waited for the League to pass their verdict. It wasn’t only about helping her. She’d wade through the Seymour situation on her own if need be. This was a verdict about her, about whether or not she was worthy of Channing. She cast a quick glance at Channing and was suddenly overcome with the realisation of all he was willing to do for her.
‘Shall we drive through the park?’ Channing suggested. It was an effort to distract her and perhaps a declaration of his own that he would stand by her regardless of his friends’ decision.
‘Are you sure? We’ll be seen together.’ She didn’t want him to sacrifice himself needlessly.
He turned his head and smiled. ‘Maybe it’s time that happens. I meant what I said this morning.’ He nudged her with his elbow, his eyes lighting up with mischief. ‘Besides, it’s not the first time Channing Deveril has been seen driving a beautiful woman.’
Chapter Nineteen
White’s was a calculated move on Jocelyn’s part, an all-male club and a long-standing bastion of titled men for one hundred and fifty years. It also ensured Channing would come alone.
Jocelyn and Nick were waiting for him when he arrived, already settled at a quiet table in a far corner where they wouldn’t be disturbed. They rose and embraced him. There was no question of their loyalty to one another. Channing wondered how those values would play out now in the wake of Alina’s scandal. Would they opt to advise him to distance himself from her or would his friends take her into the fold?
Jocelyn poured each of them a glass from the bottle on the table. ‘A whole bottle?’ Channing teased. ‘We’ll be here all afternoon.’ He wasn’t sure what kind of sign that was. None of them was a heavy drinker and a bottle seemed quite ambitious.
‘We don’t have to drink it all.’ Jocelyn set the bottle down. ‘I didn’t want to be interrupted by a waiter. I thought a bottle would ensure our privacy.’ He smiled, but his eyes were serious. ‘It seems we have a lot to talk about.’
‘I explained everything yesterday, Seymour has made a habit of taking loans out against properties that aren’t his—’
‘No,’ Jocelyn interrupted. ‘That’s not what I was talking about. I was thinking of you and Alina. I want to know what your intentions are. Is this agency business or is it something else?’ Jocelyn fixed him with a serious, dark-eyed stare. ‘If it is agency business, I don’t think the ladies can help, if you understand? But of course, you can count on Nick and I.’
Channing took a sip of the brandy—he did understand. ‘It’s not about the agency,’ Channing assured him. ‘I won’t lie to you. It started as agency business. She hired Amery DeHart and he’s been squiring her around town since February. Amery was called out of town so I stepped in for him, not knowing she was his client.’
‘But it’s not that way now?’ Nick asked again. ‘What changed?’
How did he explain it? There were so many pieces to his association with Alina. It suddenly seemed extraordinarily complicated. He wasn’t sure where to start. ‘I don’t know that it’s ever been agency business with her.’
Jocelyn gave him a quizzing look as if he didn’t quite believe it. ‘I seem to recall she was your client at the Christmas party a while ago.’
‘She was, but I didn’t see her again until this business with Amery came up.’
Jocelyn turned his glass by the stem in thoughtful contemplation. ‘It seemed to me that she was rather angry over what transpired at the party for someone who had merely a working agreement with you to relaunch her back into society.’ Jocelyn looked up at the last. ‘Would you care to explain that? I have my guesses, but at this juncture, I don’t think guesses are enough.’
Channing gave a dry chuckle. ‘And all this time, I thought you only wrote bad poetry.’ Nick laughed with him.
Jocelyn smiled. ‘I do a lot more than that. When she showed up that Christmas I began to remember other things: how several years ago you went to Paris for your father and extended your stay; how you went back later that summer. When you came home you founded the agency. Something had changed in you.’ Jocelyn shrugged. ‘But there was nothing else for six long years. Then at last Alina Marliss arrived at the house party and I began to understand how all the little pieces fit.’
London's Most Wanted Rake Page 18