Bound by a Scandalous Secret (The Scandalous Summerfields)

by Diane Gaston

  Ross inclined his head. ‘In any event, I wish to become betrothed to Miss Summerfield and I would like your permission to ask her to marry me.’

  ‘I would not refuse you.’ Tinmore shook his head. ‘But I feel an obligation to your father to advise you against this idea.’

  This man was intolerable. He ought to be looking after Genna’s best interests, not the best interests of a duke’s son.

  ‘Then I will be obliged to explain your reticence to my father, sir. I thought you would be pleased to unite our families.’ Let him ponder that. ‘What will he conclude but that you do not desire to be so closely connected?’

  Tinmore’s eyes bulged. ‘No. No. No. I do not mean that. I would not offend—Mustn’t think so. Mustn’t think so.’

  ‘Then I have your permission?’

  The Earl still looked reluctant, but he finally nodded his head. ‘Yes. Yes, my boy. If that is what you want.’

  ‘I want her,’ Ross said. Hearing his words, he could almost believe it himself, that he wanted Genna, to marry her.

  ‘She comes with a handsome dowry, my boy. Very respectable amount. I made certain of that.’

  Ross rubbed his chin. ‘About the dowry, sir.’

  ‘Is it not enough?’ Tinmore looked anxious. ‘We can negotiate the amount. Might be fitting for me to increase it for marrying the heir to a dukedom.’

  ‘I do not wish an increase,’ Ross said. ‘I do not want it at all.’

  ‘Do not want it?’ Tinmore’s voice rose.

  ‘I have no need for it,’ Ross responded. ‘I am wealthy in my own right and my wealth will increase when I inherit the title. Make some other use of the dowry. Gift it to the poor. God knows there are plenty of hungry people in England with these Corn Laws.’ Very likely Tinmore voted for the Corn Laws that made bread so expensive that many people could no longer afford it. ‘I can advise you on where the money might do the most good.’

  ‘If you insist,’ Tinmore said, like air leaking from a bellows. ‘Give it to the poor.’

  Ross raised his eyebrows. ‘May I see Miss Summerfield now?’

  ‘You want to speak with her?’ Tinmore seemed completely rattled.

  Ross straightened and looked down his nose as his father did when his father wanted to intimidate someone. ‘It is my wish to speak with her now.’ He made it sound like a command.

  ‘Yes. Yes.’ Tinmore’s head bobbed up and down. ‘I will make certain she sees you.’

  Ross felt quite certain Genna would need no pressure from Tinmore to receive him.

  ‘Now, if you please,’ Ross mimicked his father.

  Tinmore popped up from his chair so fast he needed to hop to get his balance. ‘Dixon!’ he cried. ‘Dixon!’

  The butler opened the door. ‘My lord?’

  Tinmore waved one hand. ‘Escort Lord Rossdale to the drawing room, then find my wife’s sister and send her to him.’

  The butler bowed.

  ‘Now, Dixon! Now,’ Tinmore cried.

  Ross followed the butler to the drawing room, but he wound up cooling his heels for several minutes before Genna entered the room.

  She grinned at him. ‘I waited ten minutes so I would not look too eager.’ She took his hands and led him to the sofa. ‘How was it? Did he faint away in shock?’

  ‘He was gratifyingly surprised.’ Ross would not tell her how Tinmore tried to talk him out of proposing to her.

  ‘Did he bring up the dowry?’ she asked eagerly.

  He nodded. ‘As you predicted.’

  ‘And did you refuse it?’ she pressed.

  ‘I refused it and told him to give the money to the poor.’

  Her eyes sparkled. ‘Oh, that is famous! He won’t do it, of course. It is not in his nature. Why waste good money on poor people?’

  ‘Are you ready for me to propose to you now?’ he asked.

  Her fingers fluttered. ‘You already did so yesterday.’

  ‘I think I must repeat the event.’ Ross glanced towards the door. ‘Is there a crack between the door and the doorjamb?’

  She looked startled. ‘I have no idea. What does it matter?’

  ‘Just in case there are curious eyes watching, I will do this right.’ He slid to the floor on one knee. ‘Will you become betrothed to me, Miss Summerfield?’ He lowered his voice. ‘Now you must act surprised. Slap your hands on your face. Cry out. Act as if you are being proposed to by a duke’s son.’

  She giggled. ‘I am being proposed to by a duke’s son.’ But she slapped her cheeks and squealed with pleasure. ‘Oh, Lord Rossdale,’ she said louder. ‘This is so sudden.’

  ‘Do not keep me in suspense.’ He put his fist to his heart. ‘Let me know if I will be the happiest man in all of Mayfair, or cast me down into the depths of despair.’

  ‘What should I do?’ she cried, playing along with his joke. ‘I cannot decide.’

  ‘Why, say yes, of course.’

  Her smile softened. ‘I will accept your proposal, Lord Rossdale. I will become betrothed to you.’

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  After Ross left, Genna danced around the drawing room, the way she’d danced in her bedchamber the day before. No one would guess that her happiness was not in anticipation of marriage to a duke’s heir. It was because he’d set her free to be herself for the whole Season and more.

  It would be impossible to keep her happiness a secret. It burst from her every pore. The source of it might need to be kept secret, but the emotion could not be held in. Still, it felt so precious to her she wanted to keep it to herself a little while longer, savour it alone in all its aspects. Unfortunately Tinmore would tell Lorene soon enough. Genna would rather her sister hear the news from her.

  She smoothed her skirt and tidied her hair and took a deep breath. She could pretend to be composed, at least for a little while. She left the room with her head held high and her step unhurried, when she really felt like skipping and taking the stairs two at a time.

  Lorene would probably be in her sitting room where she spent a great deal of her time practising on the pianoforte there. It was not as grand as the pianoforte in the drawing room, but it was the one she preferred.

  As she neared the room’s door, though, she did not hear music—except the joyous refrain inside her.

  Genna knocked anyway and heard Lorene say, ‘Come in.’

  Genna opened the door.

  Lorene stood. ‘Genna, I was just about to send for you. Look who is here.’

  Her sister Tess came up to her and bussed her cheek. ‘I thought I would call upon my sisters. I have not seen you since the opera. Lorene has been telling me all about the musicale you attended and the Duchess of Archester’s ball. Did you enjoy yourself?’

  Ross had engineered those invitations, Genna was sure. ‘I did.’

  She could hardly keep from hopping from one foot to the other. How fortunate that both of her sisters were here. She could tell them both at once.

  ‘I am glad you are here, Tess,’ she said, ‘because I have some news.’

  ‘That Lord Rossdale called upon Tinmore?’ Lorene broke in. ‘I told her of it.’

  Genna hesitated. Had Lorene been told why he called? Did they already know?

  Lorene turned to Tess. ‘Tinmore has lately become better acquainted with Rossdale’s father, the Duke of Kessington.’

  ‘Did you tell Tess that Rossdale took me for a ride in Hyde Park yesterday?’ she asked instead.

  Tess looked surprised. ‘He did?’

  ‘That is not all,’ Genna said. ‘He called upon me today after seeing Tinmore.’

  ‘He has been attentive to Genna, that is true.’ Lorene made it sound as if she’d forgotten such an unimportant event.

  ‘He had a reason for calling
upon me,’ she said.

  Genna looked from one sister to the other. ‘I am betrothed to him.’ The words sounded awkward to her ears, but she could not make herself say he’d asked her to marry him. He had not done that. The proposal was for a betrothal, not marriage.

  ‘What?’ Lorene cried.

  Tess gave a surprised laugh, but immediately seized Genna’s hands. ‘Do not say so! He asked you to marry him? Just now?’

  Genna nodded. ‘First he spoke to Lord Tinmore and then to me.’ She glanced at Lorene. ‘Yesterday he spoke to me about it a little. To see if I might be willing.’

  Lorene looked dazed. ‘I did not expect this—I—I feared his intentions were dishonourable.’

  ‘Dishonourable?’ Genna retorted. ‘Rossdale is an honourable man.’

  If you did not count his willingness to engage in a scandalous secret, that was.

  Tess pulled back and peered at Genna. ‘One moment—was this another of Tinmore’s machinations? Did he put pressure on Rossdale?’

  Tinmore had forced Tess and Marc to marry. Marc rescued Tess from a storm and the two were forced to take refuge overnight in a deserted cabin. Tinmore insisted Marc had compromised Tess.

  ‘No,’ Genna told her. ‘Rossdale really asked me. There was no pressure or any such thing. I believe he merely sought Tinmore’s approval before asking me.’

  ‘Not that you would want Tinmore’s approval,’ Lorene said sarcastically.

  Genna met her gaze. ‘You have the right of it, Lorene. I do not care a fig whether your husband approves or not, but it was a respectful thing for Rossdale to do.’

  Tess sat down on a sofa near Lorene. Genna was too excited to sit.

  ‘A duke’s son,’ Tess said breathlessly. Her voice changed to shock. ‘Oh, my stars. He is the heir, is he not? You will be a duchess some day!’

  No, I will not, Genna said to herself. But her sisters could not know that. Genna felt her insides squirm with guilt.

  ‘It makes no sense, does it?’ Lorene said. ‘A duke’s son and a penniless baronet’s daughter.’

  ‘We get on well together,’ Genna said defensively.

  ‘Of course you do,’ Tess said soothingly.

  ‘We must do something for a formal announcement.’ Lorene frowned. ‘A ball or something.’

  ‘I do not know—’ Genna plopped down next to Tess. This was becoming too big. A formal announcement seemed wrong when the betrothal was not real.

  ‘Of course you must do something,’ Tess agreed. ‘If not a ball, something. You will be marrying a man who will be a duke. You cannot go higher than that unless you married one of the royal princes.’

  Genna was as likely to marry one of them as to marry Ross.

  A small pang of disappointment struck her at that thought, but she pushed it away immediately. She did not wish to marry a duke. She did not wish to marry anyone and be trapped the way Lorene was trapped.

  ‘A ball.’ Lorene sounded stressed. ‘I do not know how to host a ball.’

  Genna had not thought that she would distress her sister. She felt as small as a bug. ‘A ball is too much fuss! I do not see why you should even think of it.’

  ‘Oh, it must be done,’ Tess said with decision. ‘It would cause more talk not to have some sort of event to announce your engagement.’ She laughed. ‘Do you realise this will be the only wedding in the family that adheres to propriety?’

  ‘The wedding,’ Lorene groaned. ‘What is proper for a future duke’s wedding?’

  This was all going too far. Genna felt miserable. ‘Do not talk of wedding plans. It will not be before next autumn at the earliest.’

  ‘So long a wait?’ Tess looked surprised. ‘Whatever for?’

  How could she explain? ‘Because that is what we’ve decided.’

  ‘Oh, but never mind that.’ Tess took Genna’s hands in hers again. ‘Tell us about Rossdale! He is very handsome, is he not?’

  Genna had to agree. ‘He is handsome.’ But that was not the half of it. They could laugh together. But he did not laugh at her plans or her ambitions.

  Lorene and Tess would never understand how important both those things were to her.

  Lorene leaned towards her. ‘Genna, do you have a genuine regard for him? Or do you feel obligated to marry him? Because you do not have to accept the first offer you receive. I will support you in waiting for a love match. It is all I’ve ever wanted for you.’

  Now Genna felt even worse. Lorene wanted her to be happy so much she’d defy her husband for it. And all Genna was doing was deceiving her.

  Genna softened her tone. ‘I do have a great regard for Rossdale. What is more, I believe he feels the same towards me.’

  They liked each other and that was the truth.

  ‘Oh!’ Tess had tears streaming down her cheeks. She hugged Genna. ‘You have found the dream! A husband you love who loves you!’

  Genna stiffened. ‘You found it as well, Tess.’

  ‘Yes, but mine was hard won. Luck was a big factor in it, too.’ She shuddered. ‘If I had been rescued by some wretched man my life would be a misery.’

  Like Lorene’s, Genna thought.

  ‘I care only that my sisters are happy,’ Lorene said, her voice catching.

  Tess gestured for her to join them on the sofa and the three sisters wrapped their arms around each other. Genna was filled with love for them.

  And consumed with guilt for deceiving them.

  * * *

  Dell sat at a desk in the bedchamber he used in the Kessington town house. He tried to make sense of a line of figures representing crop yields and estimates of the effect of allowing foreign grain and produce to undercut prices. He tried to make his own calculations based on the figures provided, but his results did not match the author of the material he’d been studying.

  He sat back and pinched his nose.

  A knock sounded at the door and a familiar face peeked in. ‘Do you need an interruption?’

  Dell glanced up and smiled. ‘Ross! An interruption would be most welcome.’

  Ross approached the desk and sat in a nearby chair. ‘What are you reading?’

  ‘Writings about grain prices. This author seems to have fabricated his results, however. I don’t know how one ever knows who to believe.’ Dell set the papers aside. ‘What do you wish to see me about?’

  Ross looked defensive. ‘What? I cannot simply knock on your door?’

  ‘I think you have a reason,’ Dell said. It was written all over Ross’s face.

  Ross stood again and paced. ‘I do have a reason. Something I want to talk over with you. Something I want to tell you.’

  Dell watched him and waited.

  Ross finally faced him. ‘I’ve become betrothed to Genna Summerfield.’

  Dell could not believe his ears. ‘What? You don’t want to marry. You’ve always said.’

  ‘I don’t want to marry,’ Ross agreed. ‘At least, not yet.’

  Dell felt alarmed. ‘Do not tell me you are being forced into this.’

  Ross held up his hand. ‘No. Not at all. Hear me out. I’ll explain the whole thing.’

  Dell crossed his arms over his chest.

  ‘It is not a real betrothal—’ Ross looked uncomfortable. ‘Genna does not wish to be married any more than I do. We are merely pretending to be betrothed so that my father will take the pressure off me and Tinmore will no longer plague her. I’ll take her all the places she wishes to go, to see what she wishes to see. We will have an enjoyable Season instead of one spent dodging suitors or matchmaking mamas.’

  Dell looked sceptical. ‘You never had difficulty resisting your father’s pressure before or dodging matchmaking mamas. Why take such an extreme step? It makes no sense.’

  Ross sat again.
‘You are correct. It is not for me, but for her. I want to help her.’

  ‘Help her resist pressure from Tinmore?’ Dell scoffed. ‘Genna seems strong-willed and self-assured. I’d wager she knows just how to resist whatever Tinmore wants her to do.’

  ‘That may be so, Dell.’ Ross rose again. ‘But why should we have to fight everyone when there is enjoyment to be had instead?’

  Dell frowned. ‘Enjoyment?’ Surely Ross did not intend to trifle with the young woman?

  ‘Nothing untoward, I assure you,’ Ross said.

  ‘You’ve told me over and over that you find no pleasure in a frivolous life any more. So do not tell me you do this for enjoyment.’

  ‘I like her company, Dell.’ He paced. ‘There are places to show her here in London that I could not show her unless we are betrothed.’

  Dell peered at him. ‘You will pretend to be betrothed so she can see the sights of London?’

  ‘It is more than that,’ Ross insisted. ‘I cannot explain. I cannot see the harm.’

  Dell raised his brows. ‘Can you not? I can think of all kinds of harm. People will be hurt over this; you mark my words.’

  ‘It is only for a few months,’ Ross added. ‘Next autumn she’ll cry off and that will be the end of it.’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ Dell spoke with sarcasm. ‘That will not cause harm. Nor gossip. Nor scandal.’

  Ross leaned across Dell’s desk. ‘It will not be that bad.’

  ‘I disagree,’ Dell said. ‘This is a mistake.’

  ‘I’ll prove you wrong,’ Ross challenged.

  ‘We’ll see,’ Dell said.

  They glared at each other, as they had done when they were boys and argued about something or another.

  Ross backed away. ‘No matter. It is done. I simply wanted you to know the truth of it all.’

  So he was burdened with the secret as well? He wouldn’t mention that bit to Ross, though.

  ‘Just take care,’ Dell said. ‘I’d not like to see either of you hurt.’

  Ross met Dell’s eyes again. ‘May I have your word you will keep this in confidence?’

  Dell nodded. ‘You have my word. I will keep your secret.’

  ‘Even if you believe it is a mistake?’ Ross pressed.