Art of Temptation (Regency Chase Family Series, Book 3)

by Royal, Lauren

  Mr. Lawless was a very tall, very serious-looking man. Over a sea of chattering heads, Corinna could see him from where she was stuck in the back. "Ladies and gentlemen," he called. "I beg your attention! Will the following individuals please make their way to the front row. John Hamilton, the ninth Earl of Lincolnshire. His wife, Deirdre, the ninth Countess of Lincolnshire. Lady Corinna Chase. And Mr. Sean Delaney."

  The crowd suddenly parted like the Red Sea, letting Corinna through. Griffin followed and went to stand at the left end of the front row, against the wall. Corinna noticed that the rest of her family already waited there. Four chairs at the front sat empty save for small signs set upon them that said RESERVED. Corinna dropped gratefully onto one of them, and a moment later the new Lord Lincolnshire lowered himself to the chair on her left, and Sean took the seat to her right.

  Deirdre sat beside Sean rather than her husband.

  "Why were you asked here?" Corinna whispered to Sean.

  He looked pale. "I wish I knew. I assumed—"

  "Ladies and gentlemen," the solicitor interrupted. "Although the eighth Lord Lincolnshire requested your presence, I feel compelled to inform you at the outset that you did not all receive bequests. Alas, while he was well-known for his generosity, Lord Lincolnshire's largesse did not extend quite that far." He paused while an amused titter ran through the room. "Rather, Lord Lincolnshire asked you here to stand as witnesses to his final wishes."

  Now a speculative murmur circulated the room instead. Mr. Lawless waited for that to die down before continuing.

  "Let us begin." A suspenseful hush fell as he raised a large document. "'I, Samuel Hamilton, eighth Earl of Lincolnshire, being of sound mind and failing body, declare that this is my last will and testament. I revoke all prior wills and codicils. I wish to thank everyone who has assembled to bear witness to my wishes. I have instructed Mr. Lawrence Lawless not to schedule the reading of this will until my nephew, John Hamilton, has arrived in London and presented himself as my heir, which I hope will prove to be sooner rather than later. I assume that doubtless scandalous event has by now taken place.'"

  Shocked whispers buzzed around the room, accompanied by a few more titters. Corinna and Sean exchanged wary glances.

  "'I imagine it came as a surprise that an impostor has been posing as my nephew. It certainly came as a surprise to me. What may come as a larger surprise indeed is that I also discovered my true nephew, John Hamilton, was responsible for the deceit. He demanded another man impersonate him and made certain said man did so by means of blackmail.'"

  Gasps filled the room, and John Hamilton jumped from his seat. "I object to that slander!"

  Griffin stepped forward. "This isn't a trial. You have no right to object to anything." He shoved the man back down. "Stay, Lincolnshire," he ordered as though the new Lord Lincolnshire were a misbehaving dog.

  Which he was, of a sort.

  Mr. Lawless cleared his throat and continued. "'Needless to say, I was disappointed to learn my nephew is as immoral as the reputation that precedes him. For him I wish all the censure he deserves. Contrarily, I wish everyone to know that his impostor, whom I am now identifying as Mr. Sean Delaney, proved one of the best men I've ever had the privilege to meet. He treated me better than an uncle—indeed, better than a father—and were I to be granted one impossible wish, it would be to have had such a man for my son.'"

  Corinna's heart had stuttered when Sean's name was read off, and it was racing now. An expectant silence filled the room as Mr. Lawless lowered the document and looked around as though making sure everyone had heard his words. He nodded slowly before raising the will once more.

  "'And so, my dear friends, I have summoned you to this event in order to beseech you to treat Mr. Delaney as I believe he deserves to be treated. Rather than persecuting the man, I beg you to accept him into our circle. I will remind you that you've all claimed numerous times that you'd do anything for me, and this is my most fervent request.'"

  The solicitor glanced up again, this time looking directly at Corinna and Sean.

  "'In addition…'"

  At the significant pause, everyone sat up straighter.

  "'In addition, although I will not put any conditions in this will stipulating the matter, as I believe such decisions are best left to those whose hearts are involved, I wish to publicly convey my hopes that Mr. Delaney will propose marriage to Lady Corinna Chase.'"

  If Corinna thought everyone's gasps were loud before, the ones they emitted now sounded like nothing less than a roar. And the loudest gasps of all came from her family. Meeting Griffin's eyes first and then those of her sisters, she reached for Sean's hand.

  "And now, for the bequests…"

  She hardly heard what came next, at least not at first. She felt faint. Her blood was thundering in her ears. Sean's hand felt warm in hers, and when she squeezed it and he squeezed back, she feared her heart might burst.

  She glanced back to her family. Griffin's mouth was open in shock, Alexandra nodded approvingly, and Juliana's grin was smug beyond belief.

  The last, at least, was no surprise.

  And the reading wasn't yet finished.

  "'… only my title as required by law and the small amount of entailed property that goes along with it,'" Mr. Lawless was saying. Given the indignant huff to Corinna's left, she guessed that was the new Lord Lincolnshire's punishment. "'The balance of my fortune will be held in trust, the income to go to charity. I name Mr. Sean Delaney as trustee to oversee all investments and distribution, because I know him to be a man who has no need for the income himself, a man with an excellent head for business, and most important, a man who is eminently fair and makes decisions for the right reasons.'" The solicitor paused for effect. "'Unless…'"

  Skirts rustled and shoes shuffled. Everyone sat on the edge of their seats.

  "'Unless,'" he repeated, "'my errant nephew, John Hamilton, grants Deirdre Hamilton a divorce, in which case he shall receive half the income of the trust in perpetuity.'"

  John Hamilton stalked out of the room as Deirdre collapsed in a swoon.

  FIFTY-SEVEN

  STILL HOLDING Corinna's hand, Sean walked with her and Deirdre toward Mr. Lawless, who stood by the door where he'd been busy ushering everyone out. Although Sean's little party was the last to leave the chamber, excited chatter could be heard from the corridor. The reading of Lord Lincolnshire's will would doubtless be talked about for weeks.

  "I'll be setting up the trust in the next few days," the solicitor said. "I'll need to meet with you to go over the details. Shall we say next Monday, at the same time?"

  Sean nodded. "Agreed. But I've one question I'd like answered today."

  "I have lots of questions," Corinna said.

  "I'm thinking your brother can answer most of them," Sean told her, and looked back to Lawless. "Why did the letter I received requesting my presence here come from your partner rather than yourself?"

  "Those were Lord Lincolnshire's instructions. He didn't want my name on the letter. He thought you might not show, fearing arrest."

  "Lincolnshire was a clever man," Sean said, as arrest was exactly what he'd feared on seeing Lawless's name. "My thanks." He held out his free hand, and the solicitor gave it a firm shake. "I shall return a week from today."

  As Sean, Corinna, and Deirdre stepped into the corridor, the chatter ceased. Apparently a nosy lot, most of the people followed them outside, where Corinna's family waited bunched together on the pavement.

  Sean tried to drop Corinna's hand as they approached, but she tightened her grip. Lady Stafford, Corinna's middle sister, elbowed their brother when she noticed the two of them walk up.

  Cainewood turned. "Ah, there you are, Corinna. Due to the atmosphere here on Queen Street"—he waved a hand, indicating all the busybodies—"we've decided to discuss these developments at home." He looked to Sean. "If you could follow us there, I'd appreciate your participation in the discussion."

  "I'm riding home with
Sean," Corinna announced.

  "Sean? Since when do you call the man Sean?" Glancing down to their clasped hands, her brother's eyes widened. "It isn't proper for you to ride alone with an unmarried man."

  "Sean has an open curricle, so I can assure you nothing improper will happen."

  Snickers came from all around them, this sort of exchange being exactly what nosy busybodies loved to overhear. Cainewood's jaw seemed to be clenched. Suspecting none of this boded well for the man's approval of his suit, Sean looked to Corinna. "I need to take Deirdre with me, a rún," he told her apologetically. "The curricle seats only two."

  "Your sister is welcome to ride with my husband and myself," Lady Stafford piped up at the same time Cainewood said, "What did you just call my sister?"

  Deirdre smiled. "A rún. It means 'my love.'" She didn't seem to notice Cainewood's reaction as she turned to his middle sister. "And I would be pleased to ride with you, Lady Stafford. Thank you for the offer."

  "I think you should call me Juliana," Lady Stafford told her. "I've a feeling we'll be related soon."

  The buzz around their little group was becoming deafening. Cainewood's next words came from between his teeth. "I think—"

  "Oh, let them ride together, Griffin," Corinna's eldest sister interrupted, wheeling a squeaky perambulator back and forth. "My goodness, what do you think could happen in an open curricle? There's my carriage now." A large vehicle crept to a stop in the snarl of traffic. "Let's all go," she said, pushing the perambulator toward it.

  Her husband followed. Lady Stafford took her own husband's arm and smiled at Deirdre. "Our carriage is this way, Lady Lincolnshire."

  "Call me Deirdre," Deirdre said. "I won't be Lady Lincolnshire for long."

  As the three of them walked off, a lovely young woman moved to stand squarely before Corinna's fuming brother. "It seems your sister may be getting married a lot sooner than you expected, hmm?" she all but purred.

  "Good God," Cainewood said, and walked off, too.

  A delighted smile on her face, the woman joined three other young adults that looked like they might be her sisters and brother. "I want you to drop me off at Griffin's house," she said as they all departed.

  Leaving Sean and Corinna alone.

  Well, except for the dozens of buzzing busybodies.

  "Who was that?" Sean asked.

  "My cousin Rachael. I think Juliana is about to get even more smug. Where is your curricle?"

  "In a mews about two blocks from here." Still holding her hand, he drew her in the right direction. The crowd parted to let them through, but Sean felt at least a hundred eyes on his back.

  "Am I dreaming?" Corinna asked, seemingly oblivious to all the curious gazes. "Just an hour ago, all was lost. Now suddenly your reputation is restored—no, more than that, it's golden—and we can get…"

  Her voice trailed off, as though she were afraid to say what came next.

  "Married?" Sean supplied.

  "You never actually asked me." They turned a corner, and she threw herself into his arms. "Oh, Sean, I've never been so happy!"

  He held her tight and risked a short kiss, since they'd escaped the prying eyes. She tasted better than forbidden sin, and she felt divine pressed against him. But he couldn't bring himself to share in her happiness quite yet.

  "Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched," he advised, remembering Cainewood's clenched jaw. "Lincolnshire's endorsement notwithstanding, your brother may not approve."

  "Oh, don't worry about Griffin," she said gaily, rising to her toes for another quick kiss. He obliged her, of course. "I have a plan to persuade him."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Never mind." A bounce in her step, she turned and resumed walking. "We're all going to live happily ever after, just like in Minerva Press novels."

  "Not all of us," he pointed out. "Not Hamilton."

  "No one will buy his paintings now, will they? He's going to need half the income from his uncle's trust."

  "Very clever, that stipulation." They turned into the mews where his curricle was waiting. "Lincolnshire knew it would get him to free Deirdre."

  "She looked so happy, Sean."

  "Believe me, she is." Digging a coin from his pocket, he handed it to one groom as another helped Corinna climb up. Sean walked around to the driver's side and swung up beside her. "And I'm relieved to know she won't be living in sin," he added as he lifted the reins. "Or at least, not for long."

  As the horses clip-clopped out of the mews, Corinna snuggled against him. "What do you mean?"

  "Deirdre won't be waiting for the divorce to come through before she moves in with Raleigh," he said with a sigh, turning onto the street. "That will take a long while, and she won't be patient. Impulsive, my sister is, not to mention a wee bit wild."

  "I guess that wildness runs in your family," Corinna said, grinning up at him. "Her brother posed naked for an artist."

  FIFTY-EIGHT

  A SHORT TIME later, Griffin found himself seated on a sofa in his drawing room, surrounded by members of his family and a couple of near strangers with Irish accents. And each and every one of them—except for the baby—wanted something.

  His two brothers-in-law wanted to go home. That he could understand. If he weren't already home, he would want to go home now, too.

  Alexandra wanted to know how Lincolnshire had come to learn everything his will had revealed. He couldn't blame her for that, as he'd be clamoring for the information himself if he didn't already have it.

  Juliana wanted Corinna to marry Delaney. Corinna wanted to marry Delaney. Delaney's sister wanted Delaney to marry Corinna. And Delaney wanted to marry Corinna.

  These four people were responsible for half of the new cracks in his teeth.

  And then there was Rachael, sitting beside him on the sofa, enveloping him in her come-hither scent. She wanted to marry him.

  Which made her responsible for the rest of the cracks.

  The beginnings of a headache pulsed in his temples. Alexandra wasn't seated. Holding little Harry, she was bouncing him unceasingly in a rather frantic, rhythmic fashion. While it worked to keep the baby from crying, Griffin's headache escalated just watching her.

  "How on earth did Lord Lincolnshire learn everything?" she asked for the third time.

  He decided to give her what she wanted first.

  But before he could unclench his jaw to do so, Delaney answered. "I'm thinking Lincolnshire got the facts from your brother," the man told her. "A mere two days before he died." Sitting on a sofa across the drawing room, with Corinna beside him—right beside him—he looked to Griffin for confirmation. "That morning he summoned you…it wasn't to say good-bye, was it?"

  "No, it wasn't," Griffin said. "He wanted information. I take it he asked you to find future employment for all of his staff?"

  "He asked me to continue employing them all at Lincolnshire House, which I knew Hamilton wouldn't do. So I offered to find alternative employment for them instead."

  "Well, you did too good a job of it, raising his suspicions. He subsequently requested that Mr. Lawless hire someone to investigate the various concerns where his servants would eventually work, to make certain they all existed and his people would be treated well. In the process, Lawless discovered all of the establishments were owned by a single man, a certain Mr. Sean Delaney." Griffin paused, feeling rather awed despite his suspicions that this man had kissed his sister. "You own a lot of property, Delaney."

  "Among other things. You needn't worry that your sister might ever want for anything."

  Griffin snorted. "You'll keep her in dresses, I expect—should I agree to let you have her." When Corinna opened her mouth to protest, he forged ahead. "From there, Lawless made further inquiries and learned you were posing as Hamilton, and furthermore, that Hamilton was your brother-in-law. Feeling you were a good man"—this uttered with more than a little irony—"Lincolnshire summoned me to ask if I knew why you might have done such a thing."
r />   "And you confirmed his suspicions?" Corinna asked.

  "He was close enough to confirming them for himself. I told him Delaney agreed to the hoax for his sister's sake and attested that Hamilton was quite deserving of his less-than-stellar reputation. Lincolnshire seemed especially incensed that his nephew had refused Mrs. Hamilton the divorce she wanted." He looked to Delaney's sister. "He was quite taken with you, if you didn't know."

  "I loved him, too," she whispered, tears in her eyes.

  "He considered your brother a saint, and he compared you to the angels. He wanted you happy. And he requested that I not reveal what he knew. He wanted to settle everything his own way. I expect his will was rewritten that very afternoon."

  "Didn't you think we'd have wanted to know?" Corinna asked rather indignantly. "I was devastated, and Sean thought he was being set up to take a fall—"

  "I agreed to keep Lincolnshire's secret in order to make the old man happy. The exact reason you kept secrets, if you'll recall. I followed through after his death because I like to think I'm a man of my word. I felt Lincolnshire deserved to resolve the matter as he wished. And furthermore"—he glared daggers at her—"I had no knowledge the two of you were involved, so I had no reason to worry for your happiness should Delaney be discredited. You denied any interest in him, and you told me you were saddened over the loss of Lord Lincolnshire and because your painting isn't likely to be accepted for the Summer Exhibition."

  That tirade rendered his youngest sister speechless, a rare state for Corinna. Griffin found a measure of satisfaction in that.

  He was going to allow her to marry Delaney, of course. He was thinking a late summer wedding at Cainewood Castle, after the season ended, would be perfect. While he wished he knew Delaney better, he liked what he'd learned of the man thus far. Lincolnshire had considered him worthy, and Griffin trusted the earl's judgment. Most important, Corinna was in love, and Griffin wanted to see her happy.

  But he was sick and tired of being manipulated by all the people he loved.