by Darcy Burke
“When we return next year, I’ll get you a box and put money in it.” His fingers brushed her cheek and he kissed her. “It’s all right.” With a chuckle, he added, “Stop worrying about it.”
She should be relieved. She got the money and did it with him knowing about it. But she wasn’t. Deep in her gut, she still knew what she was doing was wrong. And there didn’t seem to be any way that she could make it right.
EIGHTEEN
The following evening, Perry’s valet helped him put on his double-breasted wool frock coat then handed him his gloves and hat. “Will there be anything else, my lord?”
“No, thank you. You may retire for the evening.”
After his valet left, Perry checked his reflection in the mirror and thought over what he was going to say at the ball. Nate’s advice was the best recourse. He had to lure Stewart to his country estate somehow.
Clearing his throat, he stared at his reflection, pretending he was looking at Stewart. “Would you delight Paula and me by coming to Blackburn?”
No. That sounded awful.
He took a deep breath and tried again. “Since you’re Paula’s brother, it’s only right you stay for a while at Blackburn.”
No. That didn’t sound good either.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them, he said, “Stewart, I’d be remiss if I didn’t invite you to visit Blackburn for a couple weeks. I’d like a chance to get to know my wife’s brother better without the distractions found in London.”
That was better.
With a nod, he took his cane and left his bedchamber. Just as he turned to head for the stairs, Paula’s bedchamber door opened. This evening she wore a blue gown that seemed to shimmer in the candlelight. “You’re beautiful in your new dress,” he said.
She looked up from the doorknob as she closed the door. “Anyone would be beautiful in this dress. It’s gorgeous.”
“Don’t be so modest, Paula. You’re the one who makes the dress worth looking at. But I didn’t expect you to be ready so soon. I thought I’d be waiting for a half hour for you in the drawing room.”
“I started getting ready early.”
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to take a nice ride through town before we go to the ball since we’ll be on our way to Blackburn tomorrow.”
She strolled up to him and slipped her arm around his. “I can’t wait.”
Chances were, she wouldn’t be thinking that when she realized he invited her brother to their estate, but he’d deal with that if her brother agreed to come out. If not, then there was no point in telling her.
After he reassured her that everything would be all right, he escorted her to the carriage and they took a nice, leisurely ride. He held her hand, thinking that his touch would comfort her as it had in the past. But she kept fidgeting and glancing at her finger purse.
It didn’t occur to him why the finger purse was so important to her until he recalled the twenty pounds. As much as he wanted to open it and find out if she was carrying that money with her, he stood a greater advantage by pretending to be oblivious to everything.
They arrived at the ball in due time, and he offered to dance with her. Though she accepted, he sensed her mind was on other things. She kept scanning the large ballroom. He was tempted to follow her gaze but managed to refrain.
When the dance ended, she waved to someone. This time, he did look over his shoulder, but he couldn’t figure out who she was waving to. “I should talk to an old friend while I have the chance,” she said, turning back to him. “Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t mind.” This friend was probably her brother, and since he didn’t see her brother where she’d been looking, he guessed she was going to search for him. Maybe he’d find Stewart first. “Go on and talk to your friend. I’ll see who else is here.”
Though she seemed relieved he hadn’t put up an argument, he sensed her reluctance to leave him. He watched her as she walked away until she passed enough people so that he couldn’t see her anymore. Turning his attention to the gentlemen in the room, he searched for her brother. But within a minute, someone was calling out his name.
Even before he looked at the gentleman, he knew it was Lord Pennella. Hiding his grimace, he stopped, leaning on his cane so he wouldn’t hurry off to get away from him. He had thought by now Pennella had left London, but here he was, still slithering around to annoy as many people as possible.
Forcing his tone to remain polite, he said, “I already told you Christopher didn’t tell someone who works at the Tittletattle about the wager you and Davenport made at White’s. Christopher might be guilty of many things, but he wouldn’t betray a secret.”
“I know he did it, and I know who he told.”
“Then all your problems have been resolved.”
Perry made a move to leave, but Pennella stepped in front of him. “That ward of yours has caused me a lot of difficulty, and this wasn’t the first time.”
“He’s no longer my ward. He’s a married gentleman now.”
“But he is still your cousin and will inherit your title if you don’t get an heir.”
With a sigh, he glanced around the room. At this rate, he’d never get to talk to Paula’s brother.
Once Paula reached the corner of the large room, she opened her finger purse and took out the folded missive her brother had sent that morning. Now that she was here, she could follow his instructions. He told her to go down the corridor off the east side of the room, pass three doors and take the fourth one, saying it was small enough where no one would find them. How he could know no one would find them, she didn’t know, but even if someone did, all she had to do was find another way to give him the money.
She folded the paper back up and put it back in her finger purse. All right. Now that she was here, she could find the east corridor. Her gaze went to it and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She could do it. This would be the last time she’d have to see her brother before she left for Blackburn. And next year… Well, she’d deal with it when the time came.
Her gaze traveled the room, making sure no one was watching her as she wove her way through the guests. Perry was on the other side of the room. From the looks of it, he didn’t seem to be enjoying his conversation with a gentleman she didn’t recognize. Whatever the matter was, she hoped the gentleman wasn’t giving him a difficult time.
She had to find her brother. Nothing was going to get done until she took care of business. Gripping her finger purse, she hurried over to the corridor and rushed down it. She found the little room he mentioned and slipped into it, surprised by how dim it was when the others were so bright with all the candles that decorated the place.
“Stewart?” she whispered.
All she had to do was give him the money she’d tucked into her finger purse and this horrible ordeal would be over.
“Stewart?”
She jerked when someone touched her arm. “Stewart,” she hissed and spun around. But instead of her brother, Daniel stood before her.
“You can’t intimidate me into giving you money,” Perry finally told Pennella when he’d had enough. “Whatever qualms you have with my cousin, you’ll have to work it out with him. I’m no longer responsible for anything he does. If you bother me about this in the future, I’ll have you removed from White’s.” When Pennella opened his mouth to protest, he added, “Don’t doubt for a minute that I don’t have enough leverage with the other gentlemen to make it happen.”
Pennella closed his mouth, a silent acknowledgment that Perry did, indeed, have more influence among the members than he did.
Tapping his cane on Pennella’s leg, Perry said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have something worthwhile to do.”
Pennella moved aside, so Perry passed him. Few times had anyone pushed him to the point of making such a threat regarding White’s, and he had a nagging suspicion Paula’s brother wouldn’t be any more pleasant to deal with once he figured out what was going
on.
He found Stewart dancing with a lady and remained still, patiently waiting for the music to end. He glanced around the room but didn’t see Paula. She could be anywhere in such a large room with so many people enjoying their last ball before they left for the country. Turning his attention back to Stewart, he focused on him. Based on outward appearances, one would never suspect he needed careful watching.
As the music came to an end, Perry hurried over to him. When he reached him, he offered him a smile, hoping it’d let the other gentleman’s guard down. “Mister Leighton, what a pleasure it is to see you again.”
If Perry judged right, Stewart’s gaze darted from one end of the room to the other. Finally, he looked at Perry and gave him a wide smile. “Lord Clement, I didn’t realize you and my sister would be here.”
The gentleman was as bad at lying as Paula was. Well, that only made his task easier. “She insisted we come tonight. She heard the music was the best in London and wanted to see the grand chandelier.” Though unnecessary, he motioned to the beautiful object hanging from the ceiling. “The least I could do was oblige her since after this we’ll be heading out to the country where she’ll likely grow bored. There’s not much to do there, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about Paula. She grew up in the country. She learned to find ways to pass the time.”
He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Stewart gave a light smirk. “Perhaps. There are horses to ride. She might take delight in the gazebo or lake since she enjoys taking long walks. Of course, she’s likely to spend most of her time exploring the east and west wings of the manor. There’s so much room, a person could get lost if they wanted.”
Stewart’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Oh?”
“Yes.” Then to gauge his reaction further, Perry added, “Maybe she’ll enjoy spending hours going through the many possessions out there. Lots of valuable things.”
As he suspected, Stewart seemed even more intrigued. Now things were beginning to make sense. The missing inkwell, the twenty pounds… Stewart was greedy. That being the case, it shouldn’t be too hard to set the bait.
“I just had a thought,” Perry began. “Why don’t you come to the estate for a few days? Maybe even a couple weeks?”
“Oh, I couldn’t impose.” Though he protested, the tone in his voice suggested he’d love nothing more.
“It’s not an imposition. You’re Paula’s brother. She’d be disappointed if you didn’t go.”
“Is that what she said?”
“She didn’t have to. I was there that day she went to your townhouse. You heard her tell me she wanted to see you.”
“Yes, she did say something to that effect.”
“I insist you be our guest. She would never forgive me if you didn’t come out. There’s no use in arguing with me, Stewart. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I can’t say yes until I make sure I’m not needed in London. I’m a busy gentleman.”
Perry gripped the head of his cane. So he wasn’t going to jump at the opportunity as he hoped. But he hadn’t said no either. He relaxed his grip and forced himself to relax. If he didn’t find out what was going on this winter, there was always next year. “Send a missive to Blackburn if you’re able to make it.”
He turned to leave but Stewart called out, “Before you leave, I thought I might tell you a few amusing stories from Paula’s childhood. We never did have that brother-in-law discussion yet,” he said in a teasing tone with an underlying edge of panic.
Was Stewart distracting him on purpose? Perry glanced around the room, still not seeing Paula anywhere. No, Stewart couldn’t be distracting him. Perry had been the one seeking him out, not the other way around. He was trying so hard to pick up clues that he was starting to see things that weren’t there. Paula would find him soon enough and since she wanted to give her brother the money, it wouldn’t be long before she found them.
“Sounds interesting,” Perry told her brother. “Go on and tell me some of the amusing things she did as a child.”
NINETEEN
Paula bolted for the door.
Daniel darted in front of her and shut it. “It’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough. Get out of my way. I must go to my husband at once.”
“And I must get to my wife…eventually.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. She struggled to get away from him, but he pinned her against the door and shot her that devilish smile that used to make her weak in the knees. “It’s all right. No one will interrupt us.” He reached behind her waist and clicked the lock. Then he lowered his head and kissed her neck.
“I’m not interested.” Her cheeks burned with a mixture of rage and humiliation. No one had the right to kiss or touch her but Perry.
“Oh, Paulie, don’t be like that,” Daniel whispered in a soothing voice that had once sent chills of delight running up and down her spine.
“I told you I hate that nickname. My name is Paula.” She swatted his hand away when he reached out to touch her cheek. “Leave me alone.” She glanced around the room to make sure no one could see them. If anyone caught them together, she’d never live it down.
“If you’re worried someone will catch us, you have no need to worry. I chose a very discrete place.”
“I don’t want to be with you. How hard is that for you to understand?”
She tried to push him away, but he used his body to hold her in place. “I remember a time when you sought me out. You remember that, don’t you? Four years ago, I’d come to that little cottage you and your mother lived in, and I’d sneak in to your room at night. Then there was that time in my carriage when I slipped my hand beneath your dress and realized you weren’t wearing anything. We found many pleasant ways to be together.”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to remember any of it. Even now, it made her sick to her stomach to think of how often she’d blindly gave herself to him, not realizing the heartache she’d endure when she woke up one morning to find a note telling her he decided to marry the Duchess of Breckman because he needed the money. She’d been so devastated all she could do was cry in bed for two months, refusing to let anyone console her. At that time, her mother had sent for her brother and it was up to him to cover up her sins so that he could take her to London to find a suitable husband.
“You can’t tell me that you don’t think of me and how much we meant to each other,” Daniel continued.
“I was young and stupid. I should have known a titled gentleman would never marry someone who had no money or a family name. You knew that and you took advantage of it.”
“Yes, I did know that, but I loved you and wanted to be with you. I still want to be with you. There’s no reason we can’t be lovers. We’ll be discrete. No one has to know. Paula, I never stopped loving you. In all these years, I’ve often dreamt of being with you again. I only married my wife because she was wealthy.” He traced the curve of her back and cupped her behind in his hands, pressing her intimately against him so that she could feel his erection. “I didn’t want to leave you that morning we were supposed to get married.”
“But you did,” she hissed and finally succeeded in pushing him far enough so that there was some space between them. “You used me and threw me away when you were through.” She shoved him away again and he finally relented. Relieved, she unlocked the door. “If you had really loved me, you would have given up whatever it took to be with me.”
“It wasn’t that easy.”
“For you, it wasn’t. But for me, it is. I love Perry, and I will never share my bed with anyone but him.”
She hurried out of the room before he could respond and rushed down the corridor until she found the ballroom. She stopped outside the door and scanned the room to be sure no one would notice her slip into it. The last thing she needed was for someone to see her and start rumors that would hurt Perry.
Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Daniel hadn’t followed her, she sl
ipped into the room, edging her way along the wall. Once she found a group of people who were too busy talking to each other to notice her, she bypassed them and stepped further into the room.
When she found Perry, he was talking to her brother. Her steps slowed. What was her brother doing? He promised her that he wouldn’t tell Perry anything about her past as long as she gave him whatever he wanted, and up to now, she’d been diligent about meeting his demands. She’d even snuck off to another room to give him the money he asked for. And how did he repay her? Did he know that Daniel would be waiting for her? Were the two of them conspiring against her?
Perry glanced in her direction, and she hesitated to proceed further until he smiled in that way of his that let her know he still loved her. Relieved, she picked up her pace.
When she reached his side, he gently touched her elbow in a reassuring manner that further relaxed her. “Your brother was telling me you used to play the piano when you were a child.”
She glanced at Stewart who, if she understood right, was smirking at her. So he had arranged for her and Daniel to be alone together. Did it really please him to see her in such a perilous situation where she could have been caught? No one would believe nothing happened between her and Daniel if they’d caught them. Her brother had to have known that.
“If you enjoy the piano, I can get one,” Perry told her.
She shifted closer to him. “No. I didn’t like it. My mother insisted I play it.”
“Really? You didn’t enjoy it?” her brother asked. “I thought you did since every time I came by for a visit, you were playing it.”
“There was little else to do in the country,” she replied.
“Ah, I understand. It’s a good thing you and Mother received a visitor from time to time to ease away the boredom.”
She stiffened at his meaning. They both knew exactly which visitor he was referring to. “I don’t miss receiving a visitor,” she told him, hoping he’d understand that he was to never arrange it so that she and Daniel were alone again. She turned her attention back to Perry. “Can we go home now?”