“Darington, Lady Katherine, good to see you.” Wynbrook greeted them with benign pleasantries but his eyes shone.
She nodded and said nothing. Robert was similarly silent. This was not their world and Kate had never felt more out of place.
“Let us introduce you to a few people, shall we?” Wynbrook gave his winning smile.
She thought she had met quite enough people with Tristan, but even more people fell into the wake of the Earl of Wynbrook, the man everyone seemed to want to greet. She thought people would be interested only in Wynbrook and Tristan, but a surprising number of people expressed an interest in becoming better acquainted with her brother and even herself.
Wynbrook, for his part, was uniformly charming and witty, words never attributed to Kate or her brother. Contrary to her expectation, Wynbrook stayed by her side, which was an embarrassment, but since he and Tristan supplied the conversation, she came to appreciate his presence. She also recognized that his attendance at their sides gave society the message of his tacit approval of them.
Lady Jane returned on the arm of her betrothed with a wide smile and high color. “Lord Darington, Lady Kate, I wish to make you acquainted with Sir Richard.” Jane spoke with a bit more enthusiasm than an urbane sophisticate should muster. It was clear that Jane was quite in awe of her future husband.
Sir Richard was a distinguished man at least a decade older than Jane. He bowed before them with perfect form, yet his eyes swept over Kate with disdain. “Pleased to meet you, Lord Darington, Lady Katherine. I hope you had a pleasant journey to London.” He spoke with polished condescension.
“The voyage was a difficult one. It stormed the entire way,” said Kate, returning his bow with a small obligatory curtsy of her own.
“Hmmm? Indeed,” said Sir Richard, looking over Kate’s head. He smelled of brandy and perfume. But not Jane’s perfume.
“I am glad you were able to attend tonight so you could meet my friends,” said Jane, positively glowing at her future husband.
He smiled indulgently down at her. “Fortunately, my business did not take as long as I had anticipated.”
There was something in his manner, some bit of a smile about his mouth, as though he was enjoying some sort of secret joke, which Kate did not like. Of course it was not unusual for her to find something to dislike about most men she met. Or most women either. She had a knack for detecting the flaws in her fellow man. It was never much appreciated, so she generally kept her musings about the foibles of others to herself. But in this case, she decided to keep a close watch on the man who was contracted to be Jane’s husband.
Jane and her future husband went off to dance and he appeared to be attentive, smiling, and for the most part giving her his full attention. Only, once or twice, he made eye contact with another woman across the dance floor. There could have been a benign explanation for such behavior. But Kate, being Kate, doubted it.
The orchestra struck up a few chords, and Wynbrook turned to her with a polished smile. “Would you care to dance?” he asked politely.
“I never dance,” returned Kate not quite as politely.
Wynbrook did not look at all surprised by her reply. “Never learnt, did you? Been away awhile. Understandable.”
“I did not say I could not dance, only that I would not dance,” clarified Kate.
“Oh no, you ought not to have said that,” whispered Wynbrook, too close to her ear for comfort. “For now I will take it as a challenge to convince you to stand up with me.”
Her pulse pounded loudly in the ear where Wynbrook’s teasing words were whispered. Was he attempting some ill-advised flirtation? No, it was not possible. “I trust, then, that you will learn to live with disappointment,” replied Kate coldly.
“Ho, ho! Such a set down,” said Tristan with a laugh. “There’s a novelty for you—a young lady who doesn’t fall at your feet. Good for you!”
Wynbrook ignored his brother and changed the subject. “Bit flush of company tonight for this time of the year.”
“So it is. Early opening of Parliament has brought much company to London at this unseasonable time. The young ladies are out in full bloom,” said Tristan with a laugh, clapping Robert on the back. “You won’t escape their clutches, you know. You’re an earl, no hope for it. Must take a wife, produce an heir, and all that.”
Robert, who was already looking a bit stricken at having been dragged to a ball, grew a shade paler. His jaw tightened, but otherwise, he made no reply.
“I see a few mamas have broken with tradition and put out their girls early, before they are formally presented at court,” continued Tristan. “Don’t want the best men snagged before they even get out of the gate.” He gave Robert a sidewise glance. “Of course, you know having the title puts you in the line of fire.”
“Surely it can’t be as bad as all that,” said Kate, wanting to protect her brother from a fit of apoplexy. Robert had turned from pale to a greenish hue. Strange that he could look into the heart of a storm or the fiercest of enemies without flinching, but put him in the middle of a ballroom of teenage debutantes, and the man was likely to drop his colors and run.
“’Course it is!” countered Tristan without mercy. “Word’s getting ’round there’s another peer of the realm available for the taking. Sorry to put the fear in you, old man, but you are young, titled, and now have a bit of money to you. You’ll find the people who didn’t remember your name when you were poor now wish to be your best friend. Probably even find family members coming out of the woodwork that were never there when you were needful.”
“And they say I am the cynical one,” muttered Kate.
“Ah yes, but I say it in good humor, thus I am considered amusing and refreshing.” Tristan gave Kate a dashing smile and was promptly commandeered by some of his friends to the card room.
“You also may find yourself sought as a matrimonial prize,” Wynbrook commented to her in a benign tone, as if commenting about the weather.
Kate knew he must have been having a bit of fun at her expense. Who would ever consider her to be a bride? “You are a dreadful man.” It was perhaps not the wittiest of comebacks, but it was the best she could come up with in the moment.
“I will never deny it,” said Wynbrook with a laugh. He was too cheeky for his own good.
“No one would ever look to me to be a bride,” she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
“Is that so? Then, indeed, I have poor tidings for you.” His eyes sparkled with mischievous delight as he waited for Kate’s response.
“I know you wish for me to demand what horrible news you have for me, but I have decided to punish you and refuse to ask.” Kate turned away to watch the lovely dancing couples, remaining keenly aware of his presence beside her.
“Fine then, if you insist, I shall tell you. You also, my Lady Katherine, will be firmly on the marriage market rolls,” he commented in a smug tone.
Kate wished to dismiss the concept as absurd, but even worse than it being some cruel jest was the fear that he was not joking. Did he truly believe what he said? Kate gave Wynbrook an unladylike snort. She couldn’t help herself. Despite his superior knowledge of the haut ton, the very idea of her hand being sought was preposterous. “Have you gone mad?”
Far from being offended, Wynbrook continued. “You are a lady.”
Another snort.
“You are not unattractive.”
“Touched in the head, you are.” She refused to accept the growing heat of her cheeks to be a blush at such a backhanded compliment.
“And you are well dowered.”
Kate spun toward him. “What? There is no dowry!”
Wynbrook shrugged. “You have the scent of money about you.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
Wynbrook gave her a small half smile that was so common in society’s elite. “
Did you think your investors whose fortunes were made would be discreet? News of your good fortune has been splashed across Town.”
“But I have no dowry.” It was true. Any money her father had laid aside for her had been stolen long ago.
“I fear no one will believe your brother could regain his fortune without restoring yours as well. Truth is, I can’t see Dare not providing a dowry for you, especially since Tristan reminded him of the need.”
“No, Robert would not do that,” said Kate firmly.
Wynbrook tilted his head to the side, as if truly confused by her denial. The more she considered the matter, the more she feared she might be wrong. Robert might consider restoring her dowry, particularly if Tristan brought it to mind.
“Dare did tell Tristan you would be amply provided for,” added Wynbrook.
“What!” Kate stared at him. Robert was going to provide her an “ample” dowry? And without telling her? She looked around to confront Robert, but he had disappeared.
“Ah, I love the look of murder in your eye. Who will you do in first? Tristan or Dare?” Gone was Wynbrook’s slightly bored expression; he regarded her now with singular interest.
“First one I find.”
“Excellent. Can I witness?”
“Yes. No. But I’ll let you help me dispose of the body if you help me find them now.”
“That is an offer I can hardly refuse.” Wynbrook gave her the same half smile, but this time his eyes were gleaming. “Tristan went into the back rooms to play a bit of cards and Dare followed a few minutes after, presumably to do the same.”
“Robert doesn’t play cards.” Having once lost their entire fortune under mysterious circumstances, she had no intention of losing their hard-earned gains at the card table. If she ever discovered that Robert was gambling, she would have yet one more reason to kill her brother.
“Allow me to escort you.” Wynbrook was all gallantry, and she wished to know what he was about. Had the man been drinking? He walked sure enough and did not appear foxed, but one could never be sure with an Englishman.
Kate allowed him to escort her out of the ballroom and into a parlor in which ladies and gentlemen of society’s elite were winning and losing fortunes in a blink of an eye. Though she was certain Robert would not be among them, Kate was sufficiently rattled to look about the room just to make sure. It was with a certain relief that she noted that Robert was not among those addicted to chance and Tristan seemed more interested in talking than gambling.
“What now?” asked Wynbrook. “Shall you confront Tristan and demand he keep his newfound wealth a secret?”
Kate sighed. “I fear there is no hope Tristan would be able to comply with such a demand.”
“Too true! I wonder where Dare has gone off to.”
“Probably hiding. He has a morbid fear of young ladies.”
Wynbrook laughed outright at this, causing a few people to turn their heads in surprise. One did not expect such an outburst from a bastion of society. “Come, let us find him before you induce me to sink lower in these good people’s estimation. My, but you do say the oddest things.”
They walked out the far door and down a quiet corridor. There were several doors along the hall, most likely leading to a variety of sitting rooms and maybe a study, library, or billiards room.
One of the doors was slightly ajar. She and Wynbrook paused a moment and exchanged a glance. They wished to find Robert, not barge in on a couple seeking a private escape. Though candlelight came from the room, no sound emerged. They pushed the door ever so slightly and peeked into the room.
“Good evening, Wynbrook, Kate,” said Robert without putting down his newspaper.
“What are you doing here?” asked Kate, walking into the room with Wynbrook. She realized she still had her hand on his arm and quickly snatched it back.
Robert looked at them over his newspaper. “I thought it would be obvious. I’m reading a newspaper.”
Kate rolled her eyes at him. “It is expected for you to be out there, mingling with the guests or some such rot.”
“You make it sound so appealing,” said Robert in a dry tone. He turned the page of his newspaper and gave no impression of a man who was about to jump up and join a ball.
Kate turned to Wynbrook in a silent appeal for help getting her brother back into the ballroom, but the man turned traitor.
“Nice hideaway you found,” said Wynbrook. “What are you reading?”
“The latest on Wellington’s campaign in Lisbon.”
“Oh? What news?” asked Wynbrook, sitting beside Robert on the couch.
“Marshal Ney has proven an obstacle for Wellington and prevented our forces from routing the retreating French army.”
“Yes, this is all very interesting, but I know you already read that article this afternoon,” accused Kate.
Robert gave her a slight shrug as he handed the paper to Wynbrook, who was now more interested in the Peninsular Campaign than in her concerns with society.
“And another thing. Did you tell Tristan that I would have a dowry? An ‘ample’ dowry? I’m certain you would not have done such a thing without talking to me first.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” said Robert without a hint of apology, “but Tristan reminded me of the obligation, and I fear I must provide a dowry for you.”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
Dare shrugged. “I thought you would be pleased.”
“No, do you not see? By hinting at a large dowry, you have put me at risk for fortune hunters.”
“I have no fear you will succumb.”
“Of course not! But they will be a bother.”
“Yes, there may be some truth to that.” Robert did not sound at all remorseful. “But if I must face the unpleasantness of finding a marriage partner, it is probably time for you as well.” Kate could only shake her head. There were reasons she could not wed. Reasons Robert should know all too well, but she could not say them before Wynbrook. Some secrets could never be told.
“Never have I heard the marital state referred to with such affection.” Wynbrook chuckled. “It is marriage, not the gallows.”
“I do not see you rushing to the altar,” retorted Kate.
“Touché! Too true! I will divest myself from the conversation and make no further commentary. I was only here to play undertaker.”
“I have a better role,” said Kate. “Please take my brother back to the ball and introduce him to eligible young ladies.”
“Wouldn’t you rather kill me?” groaned Robert.
Wynbrook laughed again. “Come then, old man, back into the fray it is, and for you too, I fear.” He held out his arm for Kate.
“No, no, you both go ahead. I need to pay a visit to the ladies’ retiring room.” It was the one place she could be safe.
Wynbrook began to walk with Robert out the door and looked back, giving her a scandalous wink. “Well played.”
Kate left the room a few minutes after the gentlemen and was surprised to see the back of Sir Richard slipping into a room at the darkened far end of the hall. As Kate walked in the opposite direction down the hall, she passed a woman dressed in a sumptuous velvet gown of deep burgundy. The cut was low, her bosoms were high, and she floated past Kate as if fairies carried her hither and yon. Kate bit her lip as the woman swept by her. It was the same perfume she had smelled on Richard.
Kate walked through the doorway leading to the card room but stopped and peeked through the slight crack between the wall and the door. The woman entered the same room where Sir Richard had vanished.
More secrets. Now what was she going to tell Lady Jane?
Eight
Kate weighed her options carefully. Each one was fraught with unpleasantness. Trouble was, there was no clear choice. Even doing nothing, which seemed the easiest path, was not wit
hout peril. She could not imagine Jane would wish to marry someone so overtly unfaithful. Evidently the relationship, which had touched Jane’s heart, was far from touching Sir Richard’s. Apparently, Sir Richard had decided a connection to Lady Jane would be of benefit to him but did not feel the engagement should impede his pursuing other interests.
If she did nothing, Jane would marry him and would then be stuck living with such a husband for the rest of her life. Kate could think of no worse fate, and she rather thought Jane would not like it either. What could be worse than to fall in love with somebody who did not return your affection?
Kate knew what she must do. A few minutes later, Jane was following Kate down the hall.
“Why is it that you needed to speak with me so urgently?” asked Jane, innocent to the last.
“I do hate to do this,” Kate started, wondering how to break the unpleasant news. “But I fear that Sir Richard is not worthy of you and, worse, has feigned interest only to obtain your dowry and the societal benefit of association with your family.”
Jane’s nose scrunched, as if smelling something distasteful. “That is a cruel thing to say, Katherine. Even for you.”
Kate felt the sting of the barb but refused to comment. Jane was hurt, and hurt people said hurtful things.
“I am sorry, Lady Jane. I hope this is the right choice and you will forgive me one day.” Kate swung the door open.
There was a woman’s shriek, curses from Sir Richard, and the hasty grabbing of clothing. Kate gave the scrambling couple nothing but a fleeting glance. Her eyes were on Jane, for it was only Jane who mattered.
Jane’s eyes were wide and her mouth had dropped open in a perfect oval. How would she respond to such unwanted insight? Would she ever speak to Kate again?
“How could you?” Jane’s voice shook, though from fury or grief, it was hard to tell. Kate wasn’t sure if Jane was about to dissolve into tears or strangle the life from Sir Richard. She hoped for strangulation.
If the Earl Only Knew (The Daring Marriages) Page 6