Scandal

by Heather Cullman

  Mr. English smiled and bowed. "The pleasure is all mine, Lady Julia. Please allow me to congratulate you on your marriage, and to wish you much joy in your union." He was a handsome man, almost sinfully so, with his sculpted features and thickly lashed dark eyes. Even his hair was extraordinary, black as ebony and falling almost to his shoulders in a glorious mane of silky waves and fat, gleaming curls. From the glances Bethany kept darting him, it was obvious that his remarkable looks were not lost on her.

  "You are most kind, Mr. English, but please, I am simply Julia to my friends and family. Since you are said to be a bit of both, it is only right that we should put aside the formality of titles," she replied, not missing the admiring gazes he shot Bethany in return. And why should he not admire her? With her glossy, chocolate-brown ringlets, stunning sapphire eyes, and angelic face, she more than matched him in beauty.

  His smile broadened at her cordial speech, revealing teeth every bit as excellent as Gideon's. "In that instance, you must call me Christian."

  "Christian," Julia acknowledged, smiling back.

  "Christian has just returned from Liverpool," Bethany explained, smiling as well as she glanced back and forth between her companions. "As Gideon probably told you, his Bow Street Runners found several witnesses who claim to have seen a man fitting Caleb's description at an inn there around the time of his disappearance."

  "And Christian went to further investigate the claims," Julia easily surmised.

  Bethany nodded. "Since the innkeeper harbors some sort of prejudice against runners and would not speak with them, it was decided that someone from our family must interview him. Of course Gideon could not go. He had just arrived from London with you when we received word, and could not leave his new bride. So Christian was kind enough to offer to go in his stead. He-" She broke off with a short, lilting laugh. "But how silly of me to ramble on so. Surely my brother told you all of this?"

  For a moment Julia considered responding with a noncommittal murmur, her pride urging her to foster her sister-in-law's belief that all was well with her marriage. Then her curiosity about the outcome of the interview got the better of her, and she shook her head. "No. I am afraid not." Feeling obligated to supply an explanation for why her husband had neglected to mention such an important matter, she weakly added, "You must understand that Gideon has been terribly preoccupied with estate business of late."

  "He has been having a rather bad time with his tenants, poor man," Bethany concurred, readily accepting her excuse. She sighed and shook her head. "Who would have guessed that a disagreement over weaving could cause such a hullabaloo?"

  "Yes," Julia agreed. Though she knew nothing about the controversy to which Bethany alluded, she was aware that the majority of their cottagers were weavers by trade. She had managed to learn at least that much about the estate during her frequent visits to Bethany's sickbed.

  Bethany sighed again. "Ah, well. Perhaps matters will improve after tonight."

  "What is happening tonight?" This was from Christian, who Julia silently blessed for saving her from having to make the inquiry herself.

  Bethany flashed him an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, Christian. I am so accustomed to you knowing everything about village affairs, that I quite forgot that you have not heard Gideon's plan." He smiled back in pardon, and she explained, "Gideon has arranged a meeting with the weavers tonight to discuss their differences. He hopes that doing so will smooth whatever lies between them, and stop their constant bickering. After that terrible fight on the village green-" She broke off, shaking her head. "Well, if anyone can right matters, it is Gideon. I daresay that he will want you there, Christian, just in case there is trouble. The meeting is at seven o'clock, in the tithe barn." She finished by favoring him with another smile, this one so radiant that it lit her entire face.

  His answering one was equally dazzling. "You may be certain that I will be there."

  Though Julia knew that she should be interested in the villagers' woes-after all, as mistress, it was her duty to be concerned about her tenants-she was far more intrigued to hear what Christian had found out about Caleb. Aware that the conversation had strayed too far from the subject to return on its own, she urged it back by saying, "I am sure that my husband will appreciate your presence there tonight, Christian, and that he will be just as eager as I am to hear what you discovered in Liverpool. I do hope that your mission met with success?"

  Christian's gaze was still on Bethany, his handsome face a poignant study of tenderness and yearning. Politely tearing it away to look at Julia while he answered her question, he replied, "A bit of success, yes. It seems that the innkeeper rented a room to a man who not only fit Caleb's description, but was wounded as well, which Caleb was said to have been, if it was indeed he who was shot during that robbery a year and a half ago."

  "If he was able to travel as far as Liverpool, then he could not have been too gravely injured," Julia commented, choosing to view the news with optimism.

  Christian shook his head, his expression grim. "I only wish that that were the case. According to the innkeeper the man was in a very bad way, so bad that he most certainly would not have made it there without the aid of his companions. He also said that the man refused to summon a surgeon, in spite of the fact that he was in terrible pain. The reason the innkeeper remembered him so well was because he half expected him to die while under his roof."

  "Do you suppose that his companions were highwaymen?" asked Bethany, her eyes troubled as she stared up at Christian.

  "Perhaps, though they did not sound much like highwaymen to me. They were described as being a genteel woman of middle years and a male servant. The innkeeper said that the woman was quite lovely and obviously-wealthy." He seemed about to continue in that same vein, then shook his head, as if changing his mind. "In any case, they spent only one night there, so he suspects that they sailed on one of the ships that left the following day. After two weeks of inquiry, I managed to ascertain that there were three ships to sail that day: one to Jamaica, another to Portugal, and the last to Brazil."

  "Is there any way of knowing if Caleb was aboard one of them?" Julia inquired.

  "There are passenger lists and such. However, since it is doubtful that he would have used his real name, I searched for groups of travelers with two men and one woman. I found four. Two of the groups sailed for Jamaica, one to Brazil, and the other to Portugal. Since all the ships are currently out to sea on other voyages, I shall be unable to interview the captains and crews until they return. I left several liberal bribes at the wharf to ensure that we are notified the instant they dock."

  There was a pause of silence, as each contemplated the news. At length, Bethany sighed and said, "I suppose that we should view all this as encouraging, but I must confess to being worried. Ocean voyages are perilous enough for a person in health. I can only imagine the danger to a wounded man."

  "From what I have heard, Caleb is very strong. He is also young, which makes him resilient to illness and wounds," Julia pointed out, determined that the Harwood family should foster this new hope. After all they had suffered, they deserved the luxury of hope.

  Christian nodded. "Add those facts to the ones that he had two companions to nurse him, and a ship's surgeon at his disposal, and I would say that there is a very good chance indeed that he is alive and well."

  Bethany seemed to consider their encouraging words for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I suppose you are right, both of you."

  "Of course we are right," Julia declared, reaching down to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Looking back up at Christian, she asked, "By chance, was anyone able to say when the ships might return?"

  "The ones that sailed to Portugal and Brazil are expected in a few weeks. It will be a bit longer for the other, but-" He broke off abruptly, frowning. "Pray do forgive me, Julia. How very rude of me to keep you standing all this time. Please sit." He indicated the chair he had vacated.

  Julia shook her head. "As much as
I am enjoying our conversation, I really must find Bliss. She-" She paused, hesitant to mention the brat's bad behavior in front of Christian.

  "She had a tantrum and has run out here to hide," Bethany finished for her.

  "Yes,'" Julia admitted, slanting Christian an abashed look.

  Bethany laughed. "It is quite all right. Christian knows all about Bliss's wicked ways."

  Christian made a droll face. "As you will soon discover, Julia, the Harwood women view me as a pet, and thus feel no need to guard their tongues when in my presence."

  "We have made you our pet because we find you so very pleasing and enjoy spoiling you," Bethany countered, laughing again. Judging from the smitten look she gave him as she delivered her remark. Julia ventured to guess that he might exchange the station of pet for that of husband in the very near future.

  Christian grinned, displaying his even white teeth in all their stunning glory. "If you like, Julia, I will find Bliss and bring her to you. As her pet, I am privy to her hiding places."

  "I really do not wish to trouble you with such a thing," Julia demurred, loath to take him from Bethany's company.

  He shrugged. "It is no bother. I had intended to find her anyway, and let her know that I have returned."

  "Well. . ." She glanced with uncertainty at Bethany, who nodded her approval. Looking back at Christian, she smiled and finished, "In that instance, please do, and thank you."

  "Then I am off." Stealing one last, worshipful look at Bethany, he disappeared down the path at the opposite end of the flowering knot garden.

  "What a delightful man," Julia commented, claiming his abandoned chair. "And kind. Not many men would take an interest in a child Bliss's age."

  Bethany smiled, a sweet, pensive smile. "They are very alike, Bliss and he, kindred souls."

  "Bliss and Christian? Alike?" Julia frowned, taken aback by the concept. For the life of her, she could not even begin to see any similarities between the two.

  "They are alike in that they both feel lost, which creates a bond of sorts between them," Bethany said. "That bond makes them understand each other in ways that other people cannot. Sometimes when I watch them together, I have the feeling that they find comfort in each other's company."

  Julia's frown deepened. "Why ever would they feel lost?"

  "Christian feels lost because he has no identity, and Bliss because-"

  "How can Christian not have an identity?" Julia interrupted.

  "Because he has no memory of his past."

  "What!"

  "He does not know who he is, or even how he came to be captured. You see, Christian was a slave when Gideon found him, the captive of a great Mogul leader. He-"

  "A captive!" Julia gasped in shock. "How very awful for him! I once read an account written by a man who was captured by Moguls, and he suffered a most hideous ordeal."

  Bethany nodded, her beautiful face growing grave. "I suspect that it was exceedingly terrible for Christian as well. However, since neither he nor Gideon have shared the details with me, I know little about his captivity. All I really know for certain is that his captors always addressed him as either Christian or English, which is why he has chosen to be called Christian English now. He is accustomed to answering to the names."

  "Poor man. Are there no clues at all to his identity?" Julia inquired softly, moved by Christian's plight.

  "Judging from his skill with a sword, Gideon at first suspected him to be a soldier, captured during some sort of battle. For a short while he even thought that he might be the younger son of a nobleman, given his cultured speech and manner. However, since we have thus far been unable to find military records to confirm the former, and no noble family in England has reported missing a son matching Christian's age and description, both theories now seem highly unlikely."

  "How sad," Julia murmured. "It appears that he truly is lost."

  "His past is lost, yes. Fortunately he was found by Gideon and given a new place in life." Bethany smiled then, as if struck by a sudden, pleasurable thought. "I must say that Gideon is equally fortunate in that he has gained a steadfast friend in Christian, as have we all. Something that you will learn soon enough for yourself, Julia, is that if a family member is missing from the manor, they are most probably at the dowager's cottage near the edge of the property, visiting Christian."

  "Then that is where he lives?" Julia asked, forgetting that she was supposed to know such things.

  Bethany eyed her queerly, but replied without commenting upon her ignorance. "Yes. For all that Christian can afford to purchase his own estate, he prefers to live in the cottage and help Gideon oversee his."

  "Christian is wealthy?" Julia stared at her in surprise, incredulous that a man without either an identity or a past could possess the funds to purchase something as dreadfully expensive as an estate.

  "Not as wealthy as Gideon, but yes." Bethany nodded. "Christian can most certainly be counted as plump in the pockets."

  "But how? I mean, if he was a slave . . ." Julia let her voice trail off, finishing the sentence with a helpless hand gesture and a puzzled frown.

  "It was Gideon's doing," Bethany replied, her pride in her brother evident in her voice. "Though he is far too modest to tell you of his kindness himself, Gideon helped Christian make a fortune of his own after he freed him. With all the poor man had suffered, he felt that the least he could do was make certain that Christian had the funds to search for his identity, or build a new one, if he so preferred."

  "From what I have seen and heard, Christian seems more disposed toward the latter," Julia observed with a smile.

  "He does, which I must confess to finding exceedingly odd," Bethany said, her expression growing troubled. "You would think that he would be eager to find out who he is, to discover his past. Yet, he has made no effort whatsoever to do so since returning to England." She sighed. "I sometimes wonder if he refrains from searching out of fear of what he will find."

  "Or maybe there is something holding him here . . . perhaps the promise of a wonderful future that he wishes to explore," Julia countered meaningfully, hinting at Christian and Bethany's obvious affection for each other.

  Bethany frowned and shook her head. "But that makes no sense. No matter where he goes, how long he is absent, or who he proves to be, he will always have a future with us and be welcomed as part of our family. He knows that."

  "It could be that he does not wish to postpone his future here while he searches for his past. After all, there are some moments that must be seized and nurtured the instant they arrive, if they are to grow into something enduring," Julia tried hinting again.

  Bethany merely looked at her, her frown deepening, as if she truly did not understand the intimation.

  "I am speaking of love, dear," Julia clarified when it became apparent that Bethany was not going to grasp her meaning. "I have seen the way you and Christian look at each other. It is clear that you care for each other a great deal, and not just as friends."

  Rather than blushing and looking pleased, as most women did at the mention of a burgeoning romance, Bethany recoiled, as if taken aback. Then she laughed, a tense, forced-sounding trill. "Christian and I? In love?" she exclaimed, as if such a thing were the silliest notion in the world. "Nonsense! We are just friends-like brother and sister. I have never thought of him as anything more, nor he me."

  "Are you so certain that that is all he feels for you?" Julia persisted, far too familiar with the signs of infatuation to miss them when they were worn with such transparency.

  "Very certain, yes."

  "But-"

  "We are friends. Nothing more," Bethany interrupted, her firm voice ringing with finality. "It is all we will ever be to each other. Even if Christian did have stronger feelings for me, which he most assuredly does not, I would not marry him. I could not."

  "But why?" Julia demanded to know, perplexed that Bethany would turn away from the man she so obviously desired.

  "How can you even ask such
a question when you know what I have done, what I have been?" Bethany flung back, her face contorting into an expression of wounded reproach. "Surely you can see that I am unfit to be a wife? Especially to a man as fine as Christian."

  "Bethany-" Julia began, wanting to make her see reason.

  "No, Julia! Enough!" Bethany shook her head once, violently. "I do not wish to discuss the matter any further." By the glint in her eyes and the firm set of her delicate jaw, it was evident that she would brook no argument.

  As much as Julia would have liked to pursue the subject, she refrained from doing so, not wishing to cause Bethany further distress. Also not wishing to leave matters as they were, she said, "Please forgive me, Bethany. I did not mean to upset you. It is just that I care about you and wish to see you happy." She was about to add the promise that she would not broach the subject again, but stopped herself from doing so, aware that it was a vow she might not be able to keep.

  "Of course I forgive you, Julia. I know that you meant well." For all that Bethany's smile was wan, her words sounded genuine enough.

  Now searching for a new topic of conversation to fill the leaden silence that had fallen between them, Julia murmured, "I do hope that Christian is not having any difficulty with Bliss."

  "Oh, you have nothing to fear on that account," Bethany replied, her frail smile gaining strength. "She is never any trouble for him. As I said, they are very special friends."

  "You also said that they are both lost, though you have yet to tell me why Bliss should feel so." It seemed a harmless enough topic to pursue.

  Apparently it was, for Bethany promptly replied, "She does not feel safe."

  Julia frowned, taken aback by her response. "But why? Surely she knows that she can trust Gideon to take care of her? Can she not see how devoted he is to her-to your entire family?"

  "It is not Gideon she does not trust, but life. The poor dear has suffered so many changes, so much terrible tragedy in her short life. It has made her wary of happiness and of feeling secure, for experience has taught her that all good things can vanish in the blink of an eye."