‘And she married my father,’ Thea said, firmly. While it was some comfort to think that her mother was as talented as she claimed, she had no wish to think of the men that might have come before her father in her mother’s affections.
‘Ahh. Yes.’ Jack finally recognised the awkwardness of the situation, staring contritely at Thea as though that would be enough to mollify her. But Spayne still chuckled in the background.
Thea continued her story. ‘Father’s family was less than approving of the match, although he has never regretted it. But at that time, Grandfather set the majority of Father’s inheritance aside until such time as he produced a son to carry on the family in what they hoped would be a more respectable fashion. Many provisions were made for the rearing and education of Father’s heir, and the money still sits, waiting, drawing interest for my brother.’
‘And do you have a sibling?’ Spayne asked.
‘Unfortunately, no. My parents have done their best to raise me in a way that would be sufficient to allay Grandfather’s concerns. I was educated in a boarding school of his choosing, so that I might have all the graces, skills and manners of a proper young lady.’
‘And a head just as empty,’ Jack added, availing himself of the brandy and pouring a drink far too generous for noon.
‘I was as far removed from my mother’s past as it was possible to be.’ She glared back at Jack. ‘Until recently.’
‘How nice for you,’ Jack said with no trace of apology for his true identity. ‘But it did your family no good. Your father still needs his inheritance?’
‘Unfortunately, Grandfather is in some degree right about my father’s profligacy. Over the years, he spent lavishly to be sure that my mother was welcomed into society. Their entertainments were grand and well attended. He spent even more on governesses and schools for me.’ And in the end, it had done her no good, for she had fallen into the same trap as her father. Perhaps it was some sort of genetic predisposition. ‘There was money enough left, of course,’ she added. ‘But they have always lived in the assumption that there would be more in the future. It has been twenty years since their marriage. While it is not impossible that my mother might have a child, with each passing year it becomes more unlikely. When Mr de Warde made his suggestion, Father was only too eager to believe him.’
‘And that suggestion was?’ Spayne prompted.
Thea winced. ‘A certain statue that was guaranteed to increase fertility and fecundity. It is an Indian god, I believe. Mr de Warde said that to possess it would most surely result in the birth of a male child.’
This time, it was Jack who laughed. ‘All this bother over an aphrodisiac?’
She could feel herself blushing from toes to hairline. ‘I know it sounds foolish. That is why I did not tell you before. It is intensely painful for me to admit...’ that my parents are such idiots. She hoped he understood. And then she added with more sympathy, ‘But considering present circumstances, you must understand the lengths that one might go to when moved by desperation.’
That, at least, silenced Jack’s mirth. She added, ‘Mr de Warde was most convincing.’
‘Oh, I have no doubt of that,’ Spayne said with narrowed eyes. ‘And I am quite sympathetic to your father’s need for a male child.’
‘I see. Is that why you need Jack to play your heir? Because you cannot provide one for yourself?’
Now there was another embarrassing silence. And Thea remembered Jack’s reticence to reveal the whole of Spayne’s story. Despite the manners and graces she thought she possessed, she had blundered badly in asking this powerful man to tell her what were probably embarrassing secrets. ‘I am sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘I did not mean to pry, for that is no concern of mine.’
‘That is all right,’ Spayne said with a kind voice that put her immediately at ease. ‘You are part of the family now and there is no need to keep the truth from you.’
Since Jack was not really his son, the earl owed her nothing at all. ‘But...’
The gentle-spirited man looked firm, younger and resolved. Though a mild manner might be deceiving, he was every bit as powerful as she had expected him to be and his look intimidated her to silence. ‘I will never think of you as anything less than a daughter, no matter what might happen in the next weeks. You married a man who I have claimed as a son. The rest is of no consequence.’
It would serve no purpose to argue her way out of the connection, no matter what the truth of the matter. She lowered her head in respect. ‘Thank you, my lord.’
Spayne smiled, as though happy to see the matter settled. ‘Now that we have established that you deserve to know the rest of my story and how I came to be hiring a son.’ He gave a fond smile to Jack, as though it might actually be possible to buy family. Then he continued. ‘It is not as if there has never been a Kenton. I provided one right enough, marrying when I was young, as was expected of me. Family and friends saw the boy when he was born and can attest to the fact that he existed.’ Spayne sighed. And now, along with the lines of age on his face, Thea could see a deep and old sadness. ‘The boy was never right. Weak of lung and weak of intellect as well. But a sweeter child you would not hope to find. My wife and I took him abroad to Italy for his health. But he sickened and died, as did his mother.’ Spayne stared into the fire. ‘I thought I’d lost everything that day. And I meant to give myself over to vice.’
‘Surely not, my lord.’ Although she could quite believe it of his brother, there was nothing about the man before her to indicate a taste for dissipation.
He gave her a fond smile. ‘Fear not, my dear. I was not nearly so wicked as I thought. After several years in Italy, I came to the conclusion that, when all was said and done, I simply prefered the company of men.’
‘My father often says that the company at his club is quite bracing and he can understand why some men spend so much time there,’ Thea responded, not quite sure why Spayne’s innocent admission would be delivered in such hushed tones.
There was yet another prolonged silence in the room. Then, Jack laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘That is not quite what Spayne means, Thea. He prefers men in the same way that I prefer the company of ladies.’
Now she was blushing again as she remembered some of her mother’s more inappropriate stories of her equally inappropriate friends. ‘But that is illegal. And immoral.’
‘So we are told,’ Jack agreed. ‘But then, so is cheating your father out of his money. And that is something that hurt you and your entire family. Any harm Spayne might cause is limited to the people participating. It is hardly fair, is it?’
She gave a hesitant shake of her head.
‘And that is why I did not immediately tell you the whole of Lord Spayne’s story. It was not my job to share the man’s secrets without his permission.’
‘Too many know them already,’ Spayne agreed.
‘But no one learned of the death of your son,’ Thea prodded. ‘Why did you keep such a secret as that? Were you ashamed of him?’
‘Do not think that by my change in behaviour, I mean to deny a moment of my marriage to my Catherine, for I loved her as best I could and was faithful while she lived. I loved my son as well.’ He said it hurriedly, as if he could not wait to reassure her. Then, there was another guilty pause before he began again. ‘But when I returned, it seemed easier to tell no one that I had lost my little boy, along with his mother. There had always been rumours about my habits and doubts about my commitment to the marriage. I knew I was obligated to provide an heir to carry on the name and title, and I had done so. But I had not the heart to do it twice.’
‘But you did not have to marry again, or to have another child.’ The ton would hardly be surprised to find that the child had died along with the mother. They had been halfway to convincing themselves that Spayne was a victim of tragedy. What would one more detail matter?
‘I could make Henry my heir,’ Spayne said with disgust. ‘He has always chafed under the unfairness of being
the second son. You cannot imagine what it is like to know that your own flesh and blood sees you not as a brother, but as an obstacle.’ Spayne frowned. ‘Things eased when he was removed one further step from the title. But then, I lost little Jack... I knew, when my brother heard of it, all the troubles would start again. But if people thought that I had a delicate child who was being educated abroad...’ He shrugged in embarrassment. ‘At the time, it seemed the lesser of two evils. It was foolish. I was wrong. The more time passed, the more difficult it was to admit the truth. And then Henry demanded to meet the man that stood between him and the title. He had become convinced that the real Kenton was dead. And he began to apply pressure to me.’
‘What sort of pressure?’ Thea asked, truly curious what there might be that could frighten a man with so much power.
‘At first, it was merely an exposure of my habits.’
‘It is a crime,’ Thea agreed. ‘You could hang for it.’
‘But that is not likely.’ Spayne gave her a knowing smile. ‘That part of my nature has been an open secret for some time. Since I know certain facts about others, we are all agreed to keep mum and look the other way. While Henry might think he could ruin me, he is mostly a nuisance. But it would be an embarrassment to have my own brother making accusations. So I paid to quiet him, increasing his monthly portion each time he threatened. Over the years, Henry’s silence has grown into one of my largest monthly expenses.’ Spayne frowned. ‘But of late, he would not stop asking about Kenton. And his insinuations have taken a much darker tone. He was hinting that my son was dead and that I was the cause of it. If I did not give him all I have, he would see me swing for murder.’
‘Blackmail?’ Thea said, shocked.
‘I was sure it would not be enough. He wants the title—and for that I must die.’
‘You owed him nothing,’ Thea insisted. ‘The accusations are false.’
‘I have been lying about so much for so long, it would be laughable to stand in court and reveal, on my word of honour, that the boy is dead, but I am innocent of it.’
‘And so you found Jack.’ Thea rubbed her temple, trying to organise her thoughts. It was a mad plan. But the more she listened to it, delivered in the patient voice of the Earl, the more sensible it seemed. All the more proof that Miss Pennyworth had been right. Honesty was the jewel in the crown of character if lying caused so much trouble. ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave,’ she muttered.
Jack made a face. ‘Leave off quoting Scott, my sweet, and go back to Shakespeare. “Assume a virtue, if you have it not.”’
‘And that is what you are doing?’ she said, eyeing Jack with suspicion. ‘It sounds more like deception to me.’
‘Either way, it has been quite effective,’ the earl said with a smile. ‘Henry can prove nothing now that I have produced the heir. There is little point in hounding me into my grave, only to see my son take my place.’
‘And I am just married,’ Jack said with a grin. ‘Perhaps there will be a child to put Uncle Henry one step further away. I expect the thought makes him livid.’
‘A child?’ If the truth had not been revealed on their wedding night, she might very well have... The shudder that resulted from the thought left her body with a strange, nervous energy. She firmly dismissed it. ‘You will certainly not get a son from me. Even if you did, he would not be the heir, because you are not really Kenton.’
‘Do not worry, my dear,’ Spayne said, reaching out to pat her hand. ‘Such extreme measures are not necessary. I could not hope for a better son than I have found in Jack.’ He smiled at the other man, and Thea wondered, for a moment, if the man had forgotten that he had no relationship to the actor. ‘He has performed admirably in all I have asked of him.’
‘All things save one,’ Jack reminded him. ‘I have not, as yet, repaired your fortune. Nor have I given de Warde the punishment he truly deserves.’
Spayne looked worried. ‘As I have explained to you, that is a difficult matter.’
‘It will not be solved by giving him more money,’ Jack replied. ‘For now, he is content with bleeding you. But he wants the title. He will not be satisfied until all who stand between him and it are gone. The only way you will be sure is to remove the threat permanently, just as he wishes to do with you.’
Spayne looked at him with the aristocratic coldness Thea had expected from the first. ‘You are still speaking of my brother. If I resort to, as you put it, permanently removing him, I am become the thing he threatens me with. I will not stoop to violence, nor do I wish you to do so on my behalf.’
‘Very well, my lord.’ Jack bowed his head in sincere respect. It was clearly an argument they’d had before that Jack did not expect to win. ‘But I have a suggestion that might remedy the fact. My wife...’
The look Thea gave him made him pause and correct himself. ‘Miss Banester has a score to settle with de Warde, just as you do. The source of all troubles is de Warde. Amputation is not an option, but all the same, we must treat the disease and not the symptoms of it. Your brother must be given a taste of his own medicine.’
‘And how do you mean to do that?’ Spayne looked interested.
‘We will trick him into giving us his money. And then we will discredit him, to remove the teeth from his accusations against you.’
‘And how will we do this?’ Spayne asked eagerly.
‘The first step will be to return to London and organise a ball to celebrate our recent marriage. You must come as well, Father. No begging off as you managed with our wedding.’ Jack grinned. ‘We must be as one big, happy family.’
Thea imagined the addition of her own family to the mess that had been created and gave a delicate shudder of horror. ‘Such a public display is unwise in the extreme and quite beyond our financial reach. Have you forgotten? We have no money.’
‘But we still have credit.’ Apparently, the state of their finances, though it worried her to no end, did nothing to render Jack any less cheerful. ‘It must be resplendent. Spare no expense, for we will be inviting my dear Uncle Henry. I think it is time that he got to know me.’
‘So we are to go further into debt, parade our sham marriage before the ton and invite the deplorable Mr de Warde into our home as we do it. What is the next step in this wonderful plan of yours?’ Although Thea was almost afraid to hear it.
‘I will tell you the day I know it,’ Jack said with a smile worthy of the stage. ‘For now, it is a work in progress. Little more than an improvisation.’ He gave a dramatic gesture, as though he was building castles in the air.
Thea groaned in exasperation, but Spayne gave a satisfied smile. ‘Well, do the best you can with it, boy. I am sure it will come to you after dinner and a good night’s sleep.’ Then he looked from Jack to Thea expectantly. ‘Now you must go and refresh yourselves. I am sure the journey from London was tiring, and you will have things to discuss between yourselves that do not concern an old man. I shall have the cook send something to your room.’ With that, he picked up the book upon his desk and settled himself into a chair by the fire, giving every indication that the interview was at an end.
Chapter Six
‘That went better than I’d hoped,’ Jack said, pushing his plate away and wiping his mouth on a napkin. They’d withdrawn to the rooms allotted to them by Spayne, which were adjoining suites in the master wing of the house. By the time Thea could be changed from her travelling dress, the servants had brought them an impressive display of cold meats and a wine that proved Spayne’s cellars were as old as his title. Then they’d arranged it neatly on a table in her sitting room and departed as quickly as they had come.
The single rose in the vase between them was most likely a commemoration of their recent wedding. It gave Thea a sick feeling to think that their complete privacy was given with the assumption that the newly married couple would be wishing an early bedtime and no help preparing for it. She could not decide which bothered her more, the false intimacy or the idea that Jack had been u
nsure of his welcome. If he had expected the earl to throw them both into the street, it was irksome to think that he had led her into it with no warning. ‘You anticipated trouble?’
‘Not really. But then, I am never sure of Spayne. His whole plan is so outlandish it is a continual shock that he chooses to stick to it.’ Jack looked back at the door, as though he could see through it, and back to the ground floor. ‘In fact, everything about him is a surprise.’ He seemed not so much frightened as honestly puzzled by the way things had gone. ‘I keep waiting for him to wake up and see things for what they are.’ He looked back at Thea and smiled. ‘Or to wake myself and find that it has all been a strange dream. It would make far more sense if I were to find myself back on the gallows, feeling the rope tighten as the stool was kicked out from under me.’
His expression was open and unguarded, almost innocent, compared to the worldly assurance she was used to seeing from Lord Kenton. It came upon her with the same sudden tug and loss of breath that he was describing, that she might be seeing the real Jack Briggs. For all his big talk and roguish threats, he did not seem to be such a bad fellow. He was just as handsome as Kenton, but with a vulnerability that she had not expected. And he displayed a sincere affection for his benefactor. ‘Spayne seems to allow you much latitude in your behaviour.’ She had expected to find something akin to servitude. But what she had witnessed in the library was closer to partnership between the two men. It might even have been considered friendship.
‘When he rescued me, I had not expected that, either. For weeks, I waited in apprehension, expecting to find the hidden trick that would land me in a worse spot than I’d occupied.’ He smiled at Thea. ‘Since I’d already faced the hangman, it took some doing to guess at a more grim scenario.’
‘You might still be hung, drawn and quartered,’ Thea offered. ‘That is the punishment for treason, is it not? Or perhaps they will only hang and behead you. I am not sure if it signifies. But impersonating the son of a peer must have some punishment more severe than death.’
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