Jason felt like a fool. He was lying naked in bed—his bed—minding his own business, and she tracked him down, and now her father was looking at him with a good deal of understanding and determination. He said slowly, “Perhaps we could speak in the morning, sir? Make decisions, settlements, that sort of thing.”
“Yes,” Alec said. “That would be fine.” He took his daughter’s hand and dragged her from Jason’s bedchamber.
“Wait! What is going on here? What do you mean, decisions? Listen, just because Jason leaves the house a lot, you want to talk about settlements? No, I won’t do it. I don’t wish to marry, I’ve told you that again and again, Papa. Look at Lord Renfrew. I shudder to think of him. Can you begin to imagine what his children would have been like? Papa, I won’t do this! Didn’t Jason tell you he didn’t want to wed either? He was really hurt, Papa, burned to his feet, not singed like I was. This can’t happen.”
Alec Carrick quietly closed the bedchamber door.
Jason, wide awake, knowing he was facing his doom and seeing no hope for it, jumped out of bed, dressed quickly, and within five minutes, was riding Dodger away from Lyon’s Gate. Hallie sat at her window and wondered again where he was going.
CHAPTER 31
Corrie was dreaming about the day she finally gave her grandmother-in-law her comeuppance, a loud, thoroughly satisfactory comeuppance it was. In her dream she was standing there, her hands on her hips, staring down the old besom, who, for the very first time in her life, had nothing to say. Something skittered along the back of her brain. The dream folded itself away in an instant. Something skittered again.
Corrie’s eyes flew open. She’d heard something that didn’t belong in her bedchamber. What was it? She saw a shadow in the window. Oh God, someone was trying to get in. James grunted in his sleep as she eased out of bed. She saw another movement. She grabbed the poker from the fireplace and yelled as she ran toward the window, “Bloody hell! A woman lets her guard down, even dreams a lovely dream, and look what happens—a bloody man is climbing into her bedchamber, uninvited. Come in and make it fast else I’ll clout your head!”
James jerked awake. “Corrie, what the devil is wrong?”
“Shush, Corrie, it’s just me, Jason. Don’t crack my head open with that damned thing.”
Corrie lowered the poker, her heart still pounding wildly. “Jason? It’s you? We have doors. What are you doing coming in through our window?”
“I want to speak to James. I didn’t want to wake the household.”
Corrie helped Jason into the bedchamber, and tossed her husband his dressing gown. She stood back, eyeing her brother-in-law. “What’s happened, Jason?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Listen, Corrie, I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to speak with James.”
“But you haven’t told me anything—”
James studied his brother’s shadowed face, his look of desperation. He felt horrible alarm.
“Sweetheart, Jason and I will go down to the estate room. Get back into bed.”
With James carrying one lit candle, the twins made their way down the wide staircase, down the long corridor, to the eastern side of the house, and into the estate room. James poured them each a brandy.
Jason took a sip and set his glass down. “Hallie’s father is at Lyon’s Gate.”
James said, “Yes, he visited with us here first, said he wanted to surprise Hallie. He’s very charming, and a man I’ll wager has few go against him.”
“He certainly did surprise his daughter. And me. He came into the stable and saw his daughter all over me. I’d taken off my shirt to work.”
“Ah, well, that’s that, isn’t it? When is the wedding to be?”
“Probably as soon as the baron can manage it. We did nothing, James. I, in particular—”
“You’re saying Hallie attacked you? Just because you didn’t have your shirt on? I thought she barely liked you—”
“Dammit, James, she doesn’t have a clue about sex and she wants it. She wants me.”
“And you? Do you like her?”
“Most of the time. If I like her too much, I simply leave, and visit the three charming ladies I know in Eastbourne.”
“That could exhaust a man’s resources, all those nights spent away from home.”
“You know better than that. She’s so bright, James, and stubborn.”
James said, “Father thinks she’s got grit and backbone, said she’s the image of her father, who is very handsome indeed.”
“What does how you look have to say to anything? What’s important is what you’re made of inside. Well, yes, sometimes I look at her and I ache. I want to touch her hair, maybe wallow in it, there’s so much of it and it’s this marvelous mixture of shades, from the lightest blond to a rich wheat color.”
James marveled at his brother. He didn’t appear to realize what was coming out of his mouth. He sipped at his brandy, leaned his hip against the mahogany desk.
“She makes me laugh, James. She makes me feel important—no, it’s more than that. She makes me feel that what I do is important.” Jason paused, took a sip of brandy. “She makes me feel like I have value.”
“You do. You always have.”
Jason shook his head, began to pace the estate room. “A man who’s a blind idiot can’t have much value,” he said over his shoulder.
“She makes you feel important to her.”
“Yes. Then that fool Lord Renfrew comes back and I truly wanted to kill him for her, but then, James, it was all so funny, particularly the way she looks at him now, that it was all I could do not to laugh. Do you know the idiot lied to her about his age?”
“No, I didn’t know that. Hallie laughs at him too now?”
“For the most part. I’ve determined to keep her from all weapons when he’s anywhere near, though. Then Charles Grandison came over to plead Renfrew’s case. Kept asking her to call him Charles, and she kept saying no.”
“Ah, Jason, it sounds to me like you’re a happy man.”
“No, certainly not, at least not in the way you’re thinking. It’s just that I’m where I’m supposed to be and doing what I want to do. I don’t wish to wed, James, and neither does Hallie. Renfrew stomped her into the dirt.”
“Well, Judith burned you to your soul. It seems to me the two of you will do well together.”
“No, I’d be no good for a woman, no good at all. There’s nothing deep inside me. I’m empty there. Lust is something a man must bear. But the sort of sharing you and Corrie have, it’s impossible for me, James.”
“Well then, perhaps it’s impossible for Hallie as well.”
Jason paused in his pacing. He gave his twin a sharp look. “No, it’s not impossible for her. Lord Renfrew was a dolt, a greedy man, but there’s no evil in him, not like there was in Judith.”
“Judith’s been dead for five years, Jason. You can’t continue to let her control your life. Don’t give her that sort of power.”
“If she’d murdered Father, if her damned brother had murdered you, then what would you expect me to think?”
“It was you who saved Father’s life, you who nearly died, and I survived. It’s long in the past. It’s over.”
“I don’t want to marry her. She deserves a man who can give her more than I can. Damn, but she does say the funniest things, words just pop out of her mouth and you want to hold your belly you’re laughing so hard. You should have seen how she was arranging our furniture—the sofa facing the window. What the hell am I to do?”
Jason slammed out of the estate room through the French doors that gave onto the garden, leaving his brother to stare after him, tapping his fingertips thoughtfully on the desktop.
His father said quietly from the doorway, “We will see, James. You did well.”
“He is so very hurt, like there’s this deep wound that won’t heal.”
“He won’t let it heal,” Douglas said. “I think he’s so used to the pain, to the infe
rnal guilt, that he would feel bereft without it.”
James handed his father a snifter of brandy.
The earl said thoughtfully as he swirled the brandy about, “I think the day you and Jason met Hallie Carrick at Lyon’s Gate was the day that might bring your brother back to you, and my son back to me.”
Late the following morning, Hallie paused outside the drawing room door when she heard a familiar female voice say, “I had it from my own maid, Angela, and a maid always knows exactly what’s true and what isn’t. She had it from her cousin who’s a stable lad here. It’s true, and I can tell from the look on your face that you know it’s true. Oh dear me, dear me.”
“Nonsense. Would you care for some tea?”
Lady Grimsby said, “No, I want to know what you’re going to do about this, Angela. You’re her chaperone. This has got to stop.”
Angela said, “Have a nice cup of oolong.”
Hallie stood nailed to the spot. Angela had been right, things like this oozed through cracks in the wall.
Hallie heard the rattle of teacups. Then silence, then Lady Grimsby said, her voice now louder, “I have a solution that should please everyone. It’s said that Jason Sherbrooke will never wed. And that leaves Hallie with a reputation in ruins.” She drew a deep breath. “My dear Elgin. He’s the answer.”
“Lord Renfrew? You don’t mean the dishonorable fellow who—”
“No, no, don’t say it, Angela. Elgin has changed, both Lord Grimsby and I agree on that. Charles also insists he’s changed. Elgin loves Hallie. He would make her a fine husband.”
“Lord Renfrew doesn’t assume that Hallie has been bedded by Jason Sherbrooke?”
“Surely Miss Carrick hasn’t gone that far! It was just that single embrace.”
“How can Lord Renfrew know that for sure?”
“As I said, my dear Elgin loves her. He’s willing to overlook certain matters. He’s willing to mend her reputation, give her the protection of his name.”
Dead silence, then Hallie heard the rustle of skirts. She quickly walked toward the back of the house. She heard Angela say, “I shall certainly speak to Hallie about this, Lady Grimsby. But she was very overset when she learned Lord Renfrew had lied about his age.”
“Lied about his age? Why would a gentleman do that? It’s absurd, only ladies lie about their age. A man is supposed to be a girl’s senior by a number of years and proud of it since he is the one who must provide his young wife with proper guidance, a firm hand, wise counsel—”
“So I may assure Hallie that Lord Renfrew plans to hunker down in front of his own hearth, not avail himself of her money and begin to celebrate birthdays again?”
“You are treating this as a joke, Angela. You know that a woman’s money becomes her husband’s upon her marriage. It is always the way things are done. You must know that as soon as this news gets out, Miss Carrick won’t be invited anywhere.
“Jason Sherbrooke won’t marry her. Lord Grimsby assures me that he won’t. If she has a brain, she’s to thank the good Lord for sending Elgin here to save the day. As for her ridiculous partnership here at Lyon’s Gate, everyone knows it’s Jason Sherbrooke who runs things, it’s—”
Hallie said, “Good morning, Lady Grimsby. How very lovely of you to visit. Ah, if you would be so kind to tell Lord Renfrew I will be by at precisely midnight with my ladder. I will climb up to his bedchamber and rap smartly on his window. I will take him to Gretna Green. What do you think of that?”
Lady Grimsby looked her up and down. “I don’t care if your boots are shiny, Miss Carrick, you cannot continue living in this house with a man who isn’t your husband.”
“So if I were to wed Lord Renfrew, he would move in here too?”
“Why, as to that, I don’t know. Perhaps he would simply have Jason Sherbrooke leave and take over the management of the stud.”
“Jason won’t sell out, Lady Grimsby. If I were Lord Renfrew, I would think seriously about sitting across from Jason Sherbrooke’s beautiful face every morning at the breakfast table.”
“Elgin will see that that doesn’t happen. He’s older than Jason Sherbrooke, he will take care of him, you’ll see.”
“Elgin and who else?”
“I do not find you amusing. Good day, Miss Carrick. Good day, Angela. I shall tell Elgin you’re ready to hear his suit now.”
“A moment, Lady Grimsby,” Hallie said. “Did you know my father, Baron Sherard, is staying here with us? If Elgin wishes, he can certainly speak to my father.”
“Your father is here? How long has your father been here, Miss Carrick?”
“Why don’t you ask your maid. She can ask her cousin. If he isn’t certain, why he can come to the house and I will give him the straight facts. Good day, Lady Grimsby. Oh goodness, which is Lord Renfrew’s bedchamber? I should hate to rap on your window by mistake.”
Lady Grimsby turned back as her footman prepared to hand her into her carriage. “You will come to a bad end, Miss Carrick. This levity, it doesn’t bode well for a lady’s future.” Lady Grimsby swept into her carriage. The driver gave Hallie a mournful look as he gently closed his mistress’s door.
Hallie heard Jason’s whistle coming from the stables, and heard her father’s voice. She called out, “Jason, do we have a nice tall ladder?”
CHAPTER 32
Jason caught Hallie eavesdropping, her ear pressed to the drawing room door. She didn’t act embarrassed at being caught, rather she smiled, motioned him to her and whispered, “I can’t believe he actually screwed his nerve to the sticking point and came here to face my father.” She gave Jason a sideways look. “Hmm. Perhaps I’ve misjudged poor Elgin.”
“He came again?” Jason said. “Lord Renfrew must need money very badly.”
“Ah, so you don’t believe his courage is because he’s lost himself in love for me?”
“No.”
She sighed. “At least in his case the truth doesn’t hurt.”
Seven minutes later, Hallie jumped back from the door. Three seconds later, Lord Renfrew, looking both pale and philosophical, preceded Baron Sherard out of the drawing room. He saw Hallie standing beside Jason Sherbrooke, the bastard with his angel’s face that he didn’t deserve, and a male form he didn’t deserve either. Elgin knew he ruthlessly used both to his advantage, because it would be the reasonable thing to do. As for Hallie, this girl he’d tried yet again to secure as his wife—He nearly shuddered. She was wearing those ridiculous boots that were so shiny he could see the sweat on his own brow. Her hair was windblown, and there was a dirt stain on the side of her nose. She looked frowzy. He said to her, “I don’t know why you’re standing there holding a bridle.”
“It’s broken. I’m going to fix it.”
“You’re a female despite those shiny boots of yours. You can fix a cup of tea but you can’t fix anything important, certainly not a bridle.”
“Tea isn’t important?” said Alec Carrick, a brow shooting upward. “I find nothing so inspiring as a bracing cup of tea. A dollop of milk, nothing else.”
“Oh no. One must add lemon so that the tea obtains the most select depth of flavor, not milk. Very well, tea is important, but for her to fix a bridle? No, girls don’t do that sort of thing.”
Hallie said, “You may be right. I certainly couldn’t fix you, could I?”
“You never tried. You never asked me to explain, never showed me a moment’s compassion, you just booted me out the door. And now I understand from your father that you will marry this man who doesn’t want you, this man who compromised you only because you are here and willing, and that makes him worse than me.”
Jason asked, “How could I be worse than you?”
“I never tried to seduce her so she would be compromised.”
Hallie wished she could whirl that bridle about in her hands and aim for Lord Renfrew’s head. “You didn’t have to compromise me. I swam right into your net.”
“Well, yes you did, but that’s not what’s im
portant here. What’s important here is manhood and the use of it. I would have done all those things he probably did to you, but only after you became my wife, when it would be proper to do so. You could have had me, Hallie, and all my devotion and all my skills as a renowned lover.”
“Jason did not compromise me,” Hallie said.
“Ha. He’s a man, isn’t he? It’s obvious he wanted to enjoy your fair person without having to sit across the dinner table from you for the rest of his life.”
“Since we are partners, my presence at the dinner table is a regular occurrence. Nothing would change there.”
“I would have wanted to sit across the dinner table from you, Hallie, perhaps feed you bits of my dinner roll. He doesn’t want to. He is trapped only because your father is here and would kill him if he didn’t marry you.”
“Maiming might have been an alternative,” Alec said.
But Lord Renfrew ignored him. “I can’t imagine being your partner; it doesn’t bear thinking about. Having to put up with your impertinence without enjoying the benefits of your womanly self at night—perhaps, were I he, I’d flee back to Baltimore. As for his marrying you, it is to gain your money, all know that. You are not wise, Hallie. You could have had me with my heart in my hand.”
“That is a thought that stirs the hairs on my neck. Good-bye, Lord Renfrew. Whenever I think of what I could have had, I shall doubtless be saddened, for the rest of my life.”
“Your father is right. You would have not made me happy.”
“I didn’t say exactly that,” said Baron Sherard.
“No, Papa, probably not,” she said. “Consider yourself a lucky man, Lord Renfrew. Good day to you.”
He shook his head, said to himself as he clamped his hat down upon his head, “I cannot believe I let Charles talk me into wasting my time here,” and he was gone.
Jason frowned after Lord Renfrew: Charles Grandison wanted that dolt to marry Hallie? Charles never did anything without a reason. Jason wanted to know what that reason was.
Alec Carrick said, “There goes a man who will have a rich wife by the end of the year, maybe even by fall. He’s really quite believable when he sets his mind to it. I can see how you were taken in, my dear.”
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