She gripped her hands tightly together to prevent them from shaking and bent her head over them, saying nothing.
‘Adeline … you can’t go on dealing with this yourself. You need help.’ Again, Jack waited in vain for a reply and finally, when none was forthcoming, ‘What exactly is Horton threatening you with?’
A tremor ran through her and very slowly she raised her head to look bleakly back at him.
‘The skeleton in the family cupboard,’ she said, ‘Only, ironically enough, the whole problem is that there isn’t one.’
Jack blinked and sat down beside her.
‘I think you’d better start at the beginning. And, before you refuse, allow me to remind you that I’ve some right to know. I’m about to become part of the family myself, remember?’
Adeline stared at him and gave a tiny, sobbing laugh.
‘Oh God. Althea. You’re marrying Althea.’
‘Yes. I am. And if her uncle is the ugly customer I’m beginning to think he is, I’d rather like to know about it,’ he returned flatly. ‘So tell me. And then we’ll see what can be done.’
Her defences were broken and she was at her wits’ end. Also, there was undeniable justice in what he’d said. Clinically and without elaboration, she told him.
There was a long silence when she had finished speaking and at length she steeled herself to look into his face. He was frowning a little but more with concentration than shock. Then he said calmly, ‘Yes. I can see why all this has frightened you into playing your uncle’s game … but I doubt it’s as bad as you think.’ He gave her a faint, encouraging smile. ‘And two things are crystal clear. You must stop paying Horton to keep quiet … and you’ve got to tell Rock. You should have done so in the first place you know.’
‘Yes. I do know.’ Her voice was low and bitter. ‘But when it first started I never guessed that Richard would come back again and again. As for Tracy, I had the wild idea that I could protect him … and then later, when I realised I couldn’t, I didn’t know how to explain it all to him – or to prevent the kind of scandal he didn’t deserve to be part of. Also … to be truthful … I suppose I was afraid it would kill any – any affection he might have for me.’
‘My dear – you underestimate him.’
‘No. Never that. But you don’t understand, Jack. Tracy’s reasons for marrying me were not … not what you might suppose. And, as a result, our marriage is … precarious.’ She looked at him out of stark aquamarine eyes. ‘So many secrets spinning out of each other until one is trapped. But I never meant it to happen. I just thought that, since one of us must silence Richard, it had better be me.’
‘Yes. I believe I can understand that. But it was a mistake, Adeline. If you’d told Rock in the first place, it would never have got to this stage. He may give the impression of indolence but I assure you that it’s only skin-deep … and he’d have annihilated Horton between breakfast and lunch.’ Jack took her hands in a comforting clasp. ‘So this is where it stops. You must see that. Tell Rock the truth; now – tonight.’
‘I can’t. Not just yet. We’re … we’re barely speaking to each other as it is and I don’t think either of us could cope with this as well.’ She hesitated and then said, doggedly, ‘I have to buy time – and make one last attempt to make Richard let go.’
‘You’ll never do it. Once a leech, always a leech,’ he said flatly. And then, sighing, ‘All right. I must be mad – because I think you’re making a colossal error of judgement - but, if you’re truly set on this, you’d better let me handle it.’
This shook her. ‘You?’
‘Yes. But only on one condition,’ came the firm reply. ‘That, on the morning after the Queensberry ball and no matter what the circumstances, you tell Rock everything. Agreed?’
‘Yes.’ She managed a crooked smile. ‘I promise. And thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me – just do what I ask. Because if you don’t, I will. I can’t say I’m comfortable going behind his back in this way and -- ’
‘Do you think I am?’
‘No.’ He grinned ruefully. ‘But he’ll forgive you quicker than he’ll forgive me.’
‘Not necessarily,’ murmured Adeline miserably.
‘Of course he will. Once he knows how frightened and upset you’ve been, how can he not?’ said Jack, rising. ‘I’ll see your uncle as soon as I’m able and do what I can. In the meantime, stop worrying and try to mend matters with Rock. I don’t know what the two of you have quarrelled about and I don’t want to know – but the sooner you make it up, the better for all of us.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘You may not have realised it, but you’re not the only sufferer. It’s making him extremely touchy and putting a nasty edge on his tongue.’
‘Dear me,’ drawled a soft, mocking voice, ‘Who can you mean, I wonder?’
The pit of Adeline’s stomach fell away and she flushed hotly. Framed in the doorway, one white hand holding back the heavy curtain, Rockliffe regarded her with lethal urbanity.
‘You,’ replied Mr Ingram calmly. ‘You know perfectly well we’re all tired of walking on broken glass – and I thought Adeline might be able to help. The only trouble is, she’s as stubborn as you are.’
‘I see.’ The Duke let fall the curtain and advanced slowly. ‘How busy you all are about my concerns. It is beginning to weary me. And you must, surely, have other interests?’
‘We have. But --’
‘Then pray attend to them. I find I object … rather strongly … to both curiosity and interference. And – much though I may regret it – I am quite willing to press the point, if necessary.’ He paused, meeting Jack’s gaze with cold amusement. ‘I’m sure you understand me.’
‘Oh for God’s sake, stop being so damned ridiculous,’ came the irritable and largely unexcited retort. ‘I’ve told you before – it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you provoke me into crossing swords with you. And particularly over something like this.’
Against all expectation, a glimmer of humour dawned in the veiled gaze.
‘Still craven, Jack?’
‘No. Still sensible.’
‘Ah. And do you consider it sensible to closet yourself away with my wife for a full fifteen minutes?’ asked his Grace sweetly. ‘For, if so, I believe I must acquaint you with your mistake.’
*
In another quiet corner, Harry Caversham was reprehensibly instructing Nell in the art of throwing dice.
‘Beginner’s luck!’ he taunted when she won for the third time. ‘No doubt you’re sorry now that you wouldn’t name a stake.’
Flushed with pleasure, Nell nodded and said, ‘That’s easily mended, though. What do you want to play for?’
‘Anything you like. A flower from your corsage?’
‘Done!’ She cast the dice enthusiastically, causing one of the small ivory cubes to bounce towards the edge of the table. ‘Oh!’
Seeing it about to fall, she dived forward to catch it … only to find herself almost nose to nose with Harry as he did the same. And then, without warning, the inevitable happened. The laughter faded from the blue eyes, leaving an expression that set her nerves tingling; and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, they moved slowly into each other’s arms.
Aeons of time later, Harry said hazily, ‘Are you going to marry me, you witch?’
And Nell, with a tiny gurgle of delicious laughter said, ‘Yes. I suppose I’d better, hadn’t I?’
‘Minx.’ He indulged in the absorbing pastime of feathering her neck with kisses. Then, ‘Of course, you know what this means, don’t you?’
‘Yes,’ said Nell, finding it difficult to speak. ‘What?’
‘I’m going to have to call on Rock. Again.’ His shoulders shook a little. ‘Only this time he’ll be so glad to see me, he’ll probably fall on my neck.’
*
If, on the following morning, Rockliffe did not actually fulfil this prophecy, he was at least pleased enough to send down for a bottle of the bes
t Chambertin. And when Nell – who, since seeing Harry arrive, had been prowling excitedly around Adeline upstairs – decided she could wait no longer and put her head round the library door, he did not even object to the damage her raptures inflicted on his coat.
Once Adeline had also joined them and toasts had been drunk, his Grace said blandly, ‘It seems, my dear, that you will have to revise your plans a little.’
‘What plans?’ asked Adeline. And then, ‘Oh. You mean our party.’
‘Just so. I think your small reception had better become a dress-ball in honour of the betrothal. Will that suit you, Nell?’
‘Yes, please!’ she beamed, one hand tucked into Harry’s. ‘Only … do we have to wait till then before letting it be known?’
‘Do you think you can?’
‘No,’ grinned his lordship.
‘No. I thought not.’ Rockliffe smiled faintly. ‘I shall therefore have a notice inserted in the Morning Chronicle … the day after tomorrow, I think.’
‘The Queensberry ball,’ said Nell promptly. ‘Wonderful!’
‘Quite. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty keeping your secret till then … and I see no reason why we should not steal some of the duchess’s thunder.’
Adeline’s mind wandered again. It began to seem that there was nothing left which did not hinge upon the Queensberry ball – and she was getting sick of the very sound of it. Nervily, she wondered how soon she could expect to hear from Jack or whether it would be more sensible to just send him a message telling him to stay out of it. During the course of a sleepless night and with her wits functioning properly again, it had become abundantly clear that, in involving Jack rather than her husband, she was making exactly the same mistake she’d made with Harry and Nell. And if Tracy had been angry before, this time he was likely to be incandescent.
She became aware that Harry was taking his leave, escorted by a radiant Nell. Suddenly and alarmingly alone with Rockliffe, Adeline kept her eyes fixed on her hands – half-expecting some sarcastic remark about the previous evening.
It did not come. Instead, sounding rather tired, he said, ‘This can’t go on, Adeline. We need to get past it … but I don’t know what I can do. I’m not blaming you – I’m aware of just how many of the faults are mine – but you don’t leave me with many options.’
‘I know.’ Slowly, she looked up at him, for once not bothering to veil her expression. ‘I know … and I’m sorry. But, like you, I don’t know how to mend it.’
He absorbed the unhappiness in her eyes and thought, I could mend it. I could mend it right now… but you won’t let me. And if you push me away again, we’ll be worse off than we are now because I don’t think I could stand it. He said, ‘Then perhaps you should take a little time to think about what you want. And then, when you are ready, we can talk.’
She nodded and then, as if the words were being torn from her, ‘But it isn’t your fault. None of it is. You never did anything to deserve ….’ She stopped, trying to steady her voice. ‘I hate this as much as you do.’
‘Well, that’s a start, I suppose.’ Rockliffe’s mouth curled in something not quite a smile. ‘Perhaps we can build on that. And, in the meantime, I’ll try to be less … difficult.’ He walked to the door and then, turning back, said so softly that she almost did not hear it, ‘I miss you.’
And left her grimly holding back the tears she wouldn’t shed – along with the terrible urge to run after him and tell him everything. Instead, she fled up to her room and started writing a note to Jack, only to realise that – after paying Phanie for that extravagant gown, she had no way of finding five hundred guineas before tomorrow.
*
It was not until the following afternoon that Mr Ingram finally found Mr Horton at home – and, by then, he had paid no less than three calls in South Street, where he’d been forced to make laborious conversation with Althea’s mother and sister. Consequently, when he was at last alone with his quarry, he was too intent on accomplishing his task to notice that one of the doors of the parlour had been left very slightly ajar.
‘I’ll come straight to the point,’ he said crisply. ‘I’m here on behalf of the Duchess of Rockliffe. I imagine you know why?’
Mr Horton’s eyes narrowed a fraction and then he said smoothly, ‘I am not at all sure that I do. Suppose you tell me.’
‘As you wish. You told Adeline that her mother did not die but, in fact, eloped with her lover. You showed her a letter confirming this and further suggested that her own birth was … questionable. You then demanded money from her under the threat of making these things known – first to the Duke and then to the world.’ Jack paused, smiling grimly. ‘I have come to inform you that the game is over.’
There was a long silence. Then Richard said, ‘And just what leads you to suppose that you can stop it?’
‘The draft I have in my pocket for five hundred guineas – which you won’t get without first handing me your sister’s letter and also writing a few lines of your own, indicating your family’s solid belief in her Grace’s legitimacy,’ came the cool reply. ‘It all depends on how much you need the money. But I think we both know the answer to that, don’t we? I imagine you’ve had some difficulty finding suitable partners at the card table recently.’
‘Damnable lies.’ Mr Horton lost a little of his polish and his smile vanished. ‘However, you can’t be surprised that - thanks to whoever began them - the price of what you want is far in excess of a paltry five hundred.’
‘You may think so. But the buyer sets the price.’
‘I doubt if the Duke would agree with you. I’m sure he would consider the purity of the Wynstanton name to be worth … shall we say two thousand?’
‘You can say it, by all means,’ Jack retorted easily. ‘But the truth is he’s more likely to spit you on the end of his sword. And if it wasn’t for Adeline and Thea, I’d be more than happy to let him.’
‘If Rockliffe knew,’ said Richard, ‘you wouldn’t be here. So it seems I still hold an ace or two.’
‘Not for long. You have roughly thirty-six hours in which to either accept my offer or risk being filleted.’ Jack smiled again and added conversationally, ‘He’s quite good, you know.’
Mr Horton did know and it was the very reason he had hoped to continue threatening his niece. He was not particularly well-acquainted with Rockliffe but he had a feeling that he was not the man to submit tamely to being squeezed – and that therefore, once he knew what was afoot, the game would indeed be up. Richard did not consider himself a fool and he was perfectly well aware that there was little point in proceeding once his bluff was called – for Rockliffe’s credit with the world was great enough to withstand a twenty-year-old scandal. His own – and that of his family, on the other hand – was not; and it was he and Miriam and Diana who would suffer most from disclosure. Adeline, luckily, had been too shaken too realise that … but Rockliffe would see it immediately. And Mr Horton had no desire to measure blades with one who was generally held to be an expert.
He smiled and said composedly, ‘Very well. I take your point. But the price of what you want is still two thousand.’
Jack thought quickly, debating the odds and reluctantly coming to the conclusion that time was not on his side. He said, ‘A thousand. And that’s my last word. Take it or leave it.’
‘I’ll take it,’ came the unruffled reply. ‘Naturally. And you can tell Adeline that I hope she spends the rest of her life wondering. Because unless she finds Joanna, she’ll never know.’
‘Hold your tongue and write,’ snapped Jack. ‘Or I may forget you are Thea’s uncle and lay hands on you myself.’
Mr Horton’s eyes sneered but he had no intention of risking his person. Pulling Joanna’s letter from his pocket, he tossed it on the table. Then, crossing languidly to the bureau, he sat down and began to write at Mr Ingram’s brisk dictation.
Silent and unseen behind the partly open door, Diana flexed her cramped muscles and smil
ed to herself. It had been a surprisingly interesting half-hour and what she had learned was undoubtedly valuable. The only question now, was how best to use it.
*
On learning that Nell and Adeline had resolved upon a quiet evening at home in order to conserve their energies for the morrow, Rockliffe stated his intention of dining at White’s and left the house. He drank a couple of glasses of wine, played a hand of cards with Charles Fox and ate a meal he didn’t enjoy. And all the time, his mind was on Adeline.
‘I hate this as much as you do,’ she’d said. And it was evident in the bleak, almost despairing look in her eyes and the emerging shadows beneath them, lying stark against the flat pallor of her face. He thought, Am I responsible for that? Because if I am … or if, as I suspect, something is frightening her – why am I not doing something about it instead of making it worse?
The business with Harry and Nell had made him angry – and justifiably so. But he ought to have been able to put it behind him before now - and the fact that he’d come back from Paris with a ring in his pocket and the hope that, this time, he would be able to tell Adeline that he loved her, was no excuse. It was becoming obvious that neither of them could stand much more of this … and if he didn’t do something about it soon, there would be nothing left to salvage.
Which left him with what? The only thing he hadn’t tried yet because he’d hoped he wouldn’t need to. Unfortunately, it was also the only thing that he could be fairly sure would work. Pushing aside his wine glass, he rose from the table, bade Mr Fox a pleasant, if brief, goodnight … and went home to seduce his wife.
*
Back in St James’ Square, Adeline had spent two hours trying to listen to Nell’s prattle without fidgeting unduly. Then, as the clock struck ten, salvation appeared in the unlikely guise of the butler.
‘Mr Ingram has called, your Grace,’ announced Symonds with the merest hint of disapproval. ‘Do you wish me to admit him?’
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