Behind the Mask (House of Lords)

by Brooke, Meg

  She must have looked terrified at the prospect, because he laughed wryly. “Don’t scare me like that,” she said, trying to sound serious. But suddenly the whole situation seemed so funny that she could not resist laughing right along with him. Her shoulders shaking, she leaned into his embrace and gave herself over to the absurdity of the whole thing.

  “How on earth did we get ourselves into this mess?” she asked.

  He released her and smiled down into her eyes. “I think you’ll find that these sort of messes happen with alarming frequency in the Foreign Service,” he said. “But I have faith in you. If anyone can handle the daily round of disasters and fiascos, it’s you.”

  She gripped his arm. “Will we go to Brussels, then, when all this is over?” They had only been engaged for an hour. Still, she knew that sooner or later they would have to have a serious conversation about their future. In little more than forty-eight hours she would be married to this man who was not much more than a stranger. She did not know how or where he lived, where they would go once they were wed, what they would live on. She knew almost nothing about his habits and his foibles. There was so much uncertainty that suddenly her question seemed rather foolish. She ought to have started with something like, “Do you care for olives?” But she took her future rather more seriously than that.

  He blinked down at her. “I suppose we will, eventually. First I would like to take you to Townsley to meet my parents.”

  Her grip on his arm tightened. “Your parents,” she said softly. “What will they think of me?”

  He smiled. “They will like you a great deal, Eleanor.”

  “But you have barely been in the country a week. What will they think when you tell them you have married a woman you never met before last Wednesday?”

  “They will think you must be infinitely charming,” he said.

  “Be serious for a moment, Colin.”

  “You cannot imagine that I am not taking this seriously,” he said. “And much as I am quite content with the idea of being your husband, I know that the timing will seem...abrupt to some. But the fact remains that we must marry, and that it must be before the princess arrives.”

  Another thought struck her. “Won’t this be a great distraction for you? There are so many other things to do—”

  He hushed her, dropping his lips to hers for a reassuring kiss. “Don’t worry about that, Eleanor. We both have a long list of things that must be done before the princess and her party arrive, and we cannot allow ourselves to lose focus. But Tuesday will be a happy day for us both. I am confident that we will look back one day and think on it with pleasure.”

  She nodded, though she was not quite convinced. For a moment she considered telling him her secret, but the moment was too perfect; she could not bear to spoil it.

  “Let’s go upstairs and see my mother now,” she said at last. “I don’t think we can reasonably put it off.”

  He shook his head. “No, indeed.”

  She took his hand, and together they turned and started up the stairs.

  As they made their way to her mother’s private sitting room, Colin allowed himself to finally consider everything that had happened.

  This had all started out so simply. Was it only a week ago that he had been sitting the Duchess of Wittelsbach’s salon, thinking of nothing more than how he was going to secure his latest contact? Now the list of ways his life had changed was staggering. He had not even begun to think of what would happen after Tuesday until Eleanor had asked him, but now those questions were spinning through his head. Where would they live? He would certainly have to find someplace better than his bachelor lodgings in Brussels. Beyond that, he had no earthly idea what he would tell his parents, Viscount Palmerston, or Sir Robert.

  But he had no time to worry about those things now. Of more pressing concern were the militia arriving in the morning, the assassins still on the loose, and the princess who would be appearing on the doorstep in three days.

  They were certainly not the circumstances under which he would have wished to be wed. Colin had never really expected to marry at all. There was Miles to do that duty, to give his parents and Colin the heirs they needed. And it had always been his firm belief that a wife and family would make his work for the Foreign Office far more difficult.

  He still held to that belief. Eleanor would not make anything in Brussels simpler; indeed, with a wife in tow the Foreign Office might decide that he was no longer cut out for the work he had loved.

  These were problems he had not considered when he had thrown himself into the passion he felt for the woman now walking rather stiffly at his side. He glanced over, worried that she might look just as troubled as her rigid posture suggested. But she had a determined expression fixed on her face, as though she meant to face whatever lay ahead with grace. He admired her more in that moment than he had ever admired a woman before, and he knew that, whatever happened, the fates had arranged matters to give him a wife of whom he would be proud.

  Still, he was not looking forward to what lay on the other side of the door they were stopping at. Eleanor put her hand out and turned the knob. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  She pushed the door in, and he allowed her to precede him into the room.

  Lady Sidney was, thankfully, alone. She was seated at the small desk in the corner, her attention fixed on a letter. But she looked up when the entered, smiling. “Oh, Eleanor!” she cried, leaping up. “Thank goodness you’ve returned. I have just had a letter from Lady Pennethorne saying that she and her husband are in residence. Will we have to invite them to the festivities, do you think?”

  Colin suppressed a groan. If there was anyone he did not wish to see, it was Lord Pennethorne, especially not now.

  “Mama, we have something to tell you,” Eleanor said.

  “Oh?” After her prematurely exuberant reaction the other day, Lady Sidney sounded cautious.

  Eleanor nodded. Colin flattered himself that her smile was genuine as she said, “Lord Pierce has asked me to be his wife, and I have agreed.”

  Lady Sidney looked from Colin to her daughter and back. “Oh, Eleanor!” she said, and she flung her arms around her. “I am so happy. What wonderful news.” She released her daughter and smiled up at Colin. “Lord Pierce,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I could not be happier. We will start planning the wedding right away—perhaps Christmas, Eleanor?”

  “No, Mama,” Eleanor said, her voice sounding rather hollow. “We are to be married on Tuesday.”

  Lady Sidney looked confused for a moment. Then, as if understanding the situation, she said, “I see.” There was a pause, and then her expression brightened. “Well, we will have all our friends and neighbors here to celebrate, won’t we? And the Princess Victoria! How lovely that will be. You and I will have to begin making arrangements right away, dear. Lord Pierce, will you excuse us? There is so much to talk about.”

  “Of course,” Colin said, though he still clung to Eleanor’s hand.

  “It’s all right,” she mouthed as Lady Sidney bustled across the room.

  He squeezed her fingers and turned to go. As she closed the door behind him, Eleanor gave him a quick wink.

  Once he was out in the hall, Colin did not waste much time wondering what his fiancée and her mother were discussing. There were too many things to be done, and not a moment to waste.

  First, he must find Strathmore, who had hopefully returned from the village by now, and tell him what had happened.

  Eleanor stood for a long moment with her hand on the doorknob. But at last her mother cleared her throat, and she could delay no longer. She turned to face Lady Sidney, who had arrayed herself on the little sofa.

  “Eleanor,” her mother said, her expression suddenly serious, “what on earth have you done?”

  She crossed the little room and sat down beside her mother. “I am sorry to have disappointed you, mother,” she said woodenly. “But the fact is that
Leo has decided it would be best for Lord Pierce and I to marry right away, before the princess arrives.”

  Lady Sidney sighed. “I understand, Eleanor. But really, how could you be so foolish? Of all my daughters, I had always thought it would be Maris with whom I would be having this conversation. But not you, dear. Never you.”

  Eleanor felt hot tears stinging her eyes. She could not look at her mother. Though she had told herself she was not sorry for what had happened, she could still feel the shame of having to face her mother in this moment. She bit her lower lip. She would not cry. She refused to cry.

  “There, there,” her mother said, taking her hand. “He will be a good husband, Eleanor. You have chosen wisely in that regard, at least.”

  Eleanor nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  “And you know,” Lady Sidney said, “your father and I were wed rather hastily, and I would say that we were very fortunate in our marriage.”

  “You were?” Eleanor asked. She had never heard her mother say such a thing before.

  Smiling, Lady Sidney nodded. “It was when he was visiting Grandling,” she said, referring to her family’s country seat, a sprawling park in Cornwall. “We took a boat and rowed out to the island one afternoon. We meant to go just for an hour—it’s not far across the lake, as you know. But he forgot to tie up the boat, and we ended up getting stranded out there. It was nearly midnight before the boat drifted back to the dock and someone realized where we had gone, and by then my father was so furious that there was no other option but for your father to offer for me. I think he had meant to do so anyway, but still, I thought it was all rather romantic.”

  Eleanor had to smile at that. She knew that her parents had truly loved each other. Her father’s death seven years ago had been a great blow not only to Eleanor but also to the rest of her family. Even now Lady Sidney had not gotten over the loss. Leo had suffered too, Eleanor knew, having to become the head of his family when he was barely twenty-four. He had not been ready, and the grief and weight of his duties combined had overwhelmed him for a while. But he had come into his own. If he had been any other man, Eleanor might have rebelled, have insisted that she and Colin wait to marry until everything had blown over, but she trusted Leo’s judgment.

  “You will make the best of this, Eleanor,” her mother said now. “You are strong, stronger than I was when I found myself suddenly the bride of a man I barely knew. You will take this in stride. I have every confidence. Now, then, which dress do you think you will wear? We must plan your flowers to match.”

  Colin met Strathmore coming in from the stableyard. “Any news from the village?” he asked.

  “The what?” Strathmore asked absently. “Oh, the village. I—no.”

  Colin frowned. Had Yates’s death gotten the better of the man? He did not have time to worry about it now. “Come into the library,” he said. “There’s a great deal to talk about.”

  “What’s happened?” Strathmore asked as he closed the door behind them.

  Colin sighed and dropped into a chair. “It’s a long story, I’m afraid. I have a great deal to tell you. But perhaps you’d better tell me about Conroy first.”

  Strathmore nodded, though he looked curious. “We arrived at Hafeley quite close to supper,” he said. “Sir John kept us waiting all through the meal, which vexed Lord Sidney more than it did me, I suppose. But at last he came, and he was quite apologetic when he realized that he had made a viscount cool his heels in the study.”

  “Of course he was,” Colin said.

  “Anyway, I explained the situation and then Lord Pierce made the appeal. Sir John said he understood the situation and the danger, but that the Duchess of Kent would not be changing her plans.”

  “Did he consult with the duchess?”

  Strathmore shook his head with a resigned smile. “I suppose he knows her views well enough,” he said meaningfully. Colin did not have to ask what he meant. It was widely rumored that Conroy and the duchess were lovers, that it was because of their connection that she allowed him so much control over her daughter. But Colin thought it went deeper than that. Sir John had control not only over the princess, but over her mother as well. He would feel no need to consult the Duchess of Kent’s wishes because he had no reason to believe they would differ from his own.

  “We did our best,” Strathmore said.

  “I’m sure you did,” Colin assured him. “I thank you for it. Now we must turn our attention to our plan of action for the princess’s visit. But first I have some news for you.”

  Very concisely he explained to Strathmore what had happened between him and Eleanor. He left out most of the less salient details, but there could be no doubt that the man understood exactly why a wedding would be taking place. Still, Strathmore nodded thoughtfully when Colin had finished the tale. “Well, I suppose you could do much worse,” he said after a lengthy silence.

  Colin laughed. “Thank you for not throwing my warning upon our arrival back at me,” he said, remembering ruefully how he had cautioned Strathmore to be careful around the Chesney girls.

  “Would there be any point?” Strathmore asked. “It is what it is. There is nothing we can do to change the situation now, and we must make the best of it.”

  Grateful for the opportunity to turn the conversation back towards ground where he was more comfortable, Colin asked, “How early can we expect Colonel Taylor’s regiment?”

  “They were marching up from Stokesby yesterday. If they stop tonight in Filby they should be here shortly after ten tomorrow, I would think.”

  “Good. That will give us some time to prepare.”

  “And it will give Lord Sidney a good start to Norwich,” Strathmore added, grinning. When Colin glared at him he said, “Sorry, My Lord, the temptation was too great to resist.”

  “Don’t worry, Strathmore. I think I deserve to have a little fun poked at me. I have been quite the ass this last week, and Viscount Palmerston always says that an agent who cannot admit his failures is doomed to repeat them.”

  “I have heard him say that,” Strathmore said, “though I don’t think he had this sort of situation in mind.”

  “No, probably not,” Colin had to agree.

  “Where is Lady Sidney planning on putting the men?”

  Colin put a hand over his eyes. Suddenly he felt very tired, and a good deal older than his twenty-nine years. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they pitch tents behind the stables,” he groaned. “This situation is rapidly unraveling, Strathmore. I will be grateful for the men, who will likely make it all but impossible for the Serraray to approach the house unnoticed, but if I have to spend the next week listening to them complaining about the lack of conveniences, I think I will go mad.”

  “Crawley will help with that, My Lord. He’s a former enlisted man, you know, and he’ll be able to work with Colonel Taylor.”

  “Good. But there are still three days until he arrives with the princess’s party.”

  Strathmore nodded.

  “We’ll just have to get by without him,” Colin said.

  “Indeed. I’m sure we’ll manage, My Lord. Now, then, Mrs. Clarence has given me a list of the entertainments planned for the princess’s visit.” He retrieved three sheets of paper that had been laying at one end of the table and handed them over. Colin scanned the list. If this was Eleanor’s work, he was more fortunate to have her than he knew. The woman could be a drill sergeant with how carefully every minute of the princess’s visit was plotted out. There were timetables for breakfast, luncheon, tea and supper, musical evenings and riding parties and dinners. But when he reached the bottom of the last sheet Colin groaned. “A masquerade?”

  “I have already voiced my concerns,” Strathmore said, “but apparently the Duchess of Kent adores a masquerade, and made clear to Lady Sidney that she would love it above all things if there were one during their visit. There are guests lists here somewhere,” he added, picking up his folio and rifling through it. “Aha,” he said
, pulling out another sheet. There were three columns of names, printed in a tiny, crabbed hand.

  “There must be two hundred people here,” Colin said despairingly.

  “Yes, but Mrs. Clarence says they only expect about half that number to be able to attend. Some won’t come because the distance is too far to travel in one night, others are still in town or otherwise occupied, though who would pass up the chance at a masquerade attended by the heir to the throne I don’t rightly know.”

  “Indeed,” Colin said. “But this poses a considerable challenge. All the other events will have smaller guest lists. But for a masquerade ball in August all the entertaining rooms will have to be opened as well as the gardens. There will likely be a buffet supper and rather too much drinking. Things can get rapidly out of hand, and I have no desire to be distracted by drunken Greek gods and pirates.”

  “All the same, I don’t think there’s any possibility of changing the plan,” Strathmore said. “The invitations have been sent.”

  “And with the wedding,” Colin added, “my soon-to-be mother-in-law will want to take every opportunity to celebrate.”

  “This has all become rather complicated, hasn’t it?”

  “It was bound to, I’m afraid,” Colin sighed, “though even I didn’t imagine it would be quite this bad. I’m afraid that’s my fault.”

  “Well, if there’s one piece of good to come out of this, if the Serraray are watching the house, they won’t suspect you’re an agent. They’ll think you’re only here to get married.”

  Colin rose and went to the window. It was beginning to grow dark. Soon it would be time to dress for supper. “Do you think they’re out there right now, Strathmore?” he asked. Since they had discovered Yates’s body, there had been absolutely no sign of the Serraray. They might very well have vanished.

  “I know they are, My Lord,” Strathmore said with great confidence. “They have gone to ground, that’s all.”