Cry of the Baroness: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 9

by Jennifer Monroe

  She had no doubt he would do just that, so she stifled a heavy sigh and rose from her seat. After all the time she had spent with this man, it would be foolish to lose the bit of ground she had gained by making him angry now.

  As they made their way to the drawing room, Harmony glanced about for Forbes, who would typically be lurking nearby. However, he was not there. Perhaps he was with Eleanor. The man spent a great deal of time with her mother-in-law, although he spoke little of it.

  They entered the drawing room and Isaac went straight to the decanters. “I had Forbes select the finest bottle of wine for us to share.”

  Harmony pulled her hand away from her lip to keep herself from tugging at it. “Oh? And may I ask to what occasion we will be drinking?”

  “I will tell you soon enough,” he replied, his back to her. “But I assure you that what I have to say will make you very happy.”

  He walked over and handed her a glass of red wine. She went to thank him and sit, but he placed a hand on her arm. “Wait.”

  Her heart jumped to her throat as his eyes lingered on her and he caressed her skin. What if Lydia and Nathaniel had been right all along? Did this man have some sort of romantic affection for her?

  “Isaac,” she said, glancing at his hand.

  “I have a single favor to ask of you,” he interrupted. “It may be the last one I will ever ask.” He gave her a smile. “This afternoon, I was in the company of a gentleman at the local public house. Are you acquainted with Lord Hallewell?”

  Harmony shook her head. “I have yet to be acquainted with anyone in Rumsbury,” she replied tartly. His intimate touch made her stomach churn. “Nathaniel and I have not had much time for socializing since we returned from Cornwall.”

  Isaac frowned. “Well, that fault lies with Nathaniel, not me,” he snapped. And he had yet to remove his hand. “But that does not matter. You see, the man is hosting a party tomorrow evening and has invited me to attend. I do not wish to go alone, most certainly not to my first party, and therefore would like to invite you to accompany me.”

  “I am pleased you have received your first invitation,” Harmony said, choosing her words carefully. “But Nathaniel will be returning tomorrow evening and it is important that I am here to greet him.” She could not have a repeat of what had happened on the day of the picnic.

  Finally and to her relief, Isaac removed his hand from her arm and sipped at his wine, but she did not miss the smile that lifted at the corners of his mouth. “To await news of whether or not his solicitors were successful in having me thrown out of Scarlett Hall?” Harmony could not hide her shock, and he laughed. “Come now, do not play innocent. Do you believe I am such a fool that I did not know?”

  “It is not that I believe you are a fool,” she replied, smoothing her features once more. “I am simply surprised that you are aware that he was meeting his solicitors.”

  He returned to the decanters, set the wine glass on the table, and poured himself a brandy. “All I ever wanted was a family,” he said. “And behind my back, my brother seeks to destroy me. And his wife, a woman I had thought a friend, does the same. Am I that unworthy of a brother to be treated in such a way?” When Harmony did not respond, he gave a sad sigh. “I merely request, as a friend, that you lend me your aid, but I understand if you decline. Your allegiance lies with your husband, does it not?”

  “Of course it does!” she said heatedly as she grasped her skirts in her fists. “He is my husband, after all, the man I love, so why would it not?” Her worst fears had come to pass; her brother-in-law, her husband’s enemy, was attracted to her. “I warned you that we could not share more than a friendship with one another, but you seem to have developed an interest in me that is well beyond that stage. No gentleman would be so forward with the wife of his brother!”

  He took a step back as if she had slapped him. “That is what you think?” he asked. “That I would look at my brother’s wife in such a way?”

  “You inquired as to my allegiance as if I should choose a side. And the way you touched me…well, it was quite inappropriate!”

  “That touch was one of caring, not as a means to woo you.” He sighed. “I suppose that no matter what I say, you will not believe me. To believe I would…toward you…” He shook his head. “I asked about your allegiance for one reason only. I have no doubt that I have caused strife in this family, but I never wanted that.” He reached into his coat and produced a parchment. “It was important to me that you stood beside Nathaniel no matter what happened. A blind man can see that your marriage is in trouble, and I needed to make certain that you would stand strong in the years to come.”

  Harmony clenched her skirts tighter to keep from rubbing at her temples. “I do not understand.”

  “Read this and you will.” He took the still full wine glass from her and placed it on a nearby table. Then he handed her the letter.

  “What is this?”

  “Just read it,” he replied.

  She started at the harshness in his voice but nodded as she slid her finger beneath the wax seal. Reading the letter to herself, her eyes grew wider with each passing phrase. Yet, it was the last that left her in utter shock.

  Although we are able to draw up the appropriate contract relinquishing any future claim to your inheritance, we strongly advise against it. We would request that you take some time to consider such a significant decision. Once you have made a final decision, please contact us, and we shall proceed as you request.

  Guilt washed over her. “I…I did not think…”

  “That a man who says he is your friend can be only that?” he asked. “That a man you suspected of attempting to romance you was in fact just being kind? Nathaniel struck me and made accusations against me, but not once have I retaliated in kind. And to think you believe I would somehow hurt you, that hurts worst of all.”

  Harmony was overcome with emotion. “Oh, Isaac, I am so sorry. I will attend this party with you and we will have an enjoyable time together.”

  He looked down at her. “Do you do this because you pity me? Or is it because I will write to them and ask the contract to be drawn up?”

  She opened her eyes wide in shock. “Neither, I assure you. I do so because you are my friend.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I have doubted your intentions and feel the need to make amends, but I shall never doubt them again.”

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “It warms my heart to know how close we have become,” he said with a grin. “And I believe we will only grow closer in the days ahead.”

  Harmony returned his smile. “As do I. I now see you for the man you truly are.”

  And she could not wait for Nathaniel to return so he could see it, as well.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The well-furnished office of the solicitors was located three streets from Parliament. Nathaniel gazed out the window onto a small park as he considered what Mr. Barnesworthy had told him.

  “Then, there is no hope,” he said with a resigned sigh. “After all these years, this man can simply appear out of nowhere and take everything from me? The estate that has been in my family for all these years, all my mother has kept from falling to ruin, can be pulled out from under us without so much as the slightest possibility of stopping him?”

  “I am sorry, my lord,” the solicitor replied gravely. “There is nothing more I can do. Unless the man suddenly becomes ill and dies, he has every right to take the estate.”

  Nathaniel did all he could to keep his composure. Harmony had tried to warn him, but he had not listened. If he had, perhaps the impact of this man’s words would not have been as excruciating.

  “We were told that he would take the estate by Christmas,” Nathaniel said. “Six months. No, five now. Is this true?”

  Mr. Barnesworthy shook his head. “I cannot imagine it would happen that quickly. I think a year would be more probable. It takes quite some time to get issues such as these docketed, not to mention the clerical work involved.
” He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “You said the man is living with you? May I ask why?”

  Nathaniel sighed, for he could have asked the same question. “My mother thought that if we kept him nearby, it would not only allow us to learn more about him, but would also keep him from exposing the truth to everyone in the area before the final decision is made. If I were to win the dispute, there would be no reason for anyone to learn about it. No one wants their name spread around with the latest gossip.” He frowned. “Why do you ask?”

  “It is an unusual reaction to such a matter, but it is not unheard of. Have you considered offering the man payment in exchange for the abandonment of his claim? If he comes from a poorer upbringing, that may appease him.”

  “I have considered it,” Nathaniel replied. “But to be honest, I did not believe it would come to that. Do you believe I should make an offer?”

  Mr. Barnesworthy rubbed his chin. “It depends on what you want, my lord. If you truly want to retain your title, as well as Scarlett Hall, I would advise you to do so. It cannot hurt.”

  For a moment, Nathaniel considered what he truly wanted. Since his return from Cornwall, he had been focused on Isaac and his claim to the barony. In that, he had forgotten what truly mattered — Harmony. He no longer wanted to argue with her, to feel the separation between them. He longed to be near her once again, to hold her tightly in his embrace. He trusted her judgment and would seek her wisdom in the matter.

  “I will return home and think on it,” he replied. “Once I have reached a decision, I will send a letter.”

  The solicitor rose from his chair. “Very good, my lord,” he replied. He offered Nathaniel his hand, which Nathaniel shook. “I shall await your instruction.”

  ***

  A butler and not a baron as a father. A brother who he did not trust. A wife who, even when they were beside one another, he never felt further from.

  All these things ran through Nathaniel’s mind as he walked the church grounds where Reverend Creassey lectured every Sunday morning. He had not planned to call but his uncertainty as to what to do next led him to make the unscheduled stop.

  Of course, the good reverend had welcomed him without hesitation and listened intently as Nathaniel explained his concerns.

  “You have said on more than one occasion that I have every right to use my power to convince others to follow my lead,” Nathaniel said. “And I have given some thought as to how I can use my power to get what I want when it comes to Isaac. Unfortunately, I do not believe I can coerce him in any way. I have nothing with which to blackmail him, although even if I had something, the thought of doing something so drastic sickens me. Even Forbes went to the village from where he came and returned with nothing of use. Apparently his story is true and he has done nothing that I can use against him.”

  “Then you have but two options,” the reverend replied gravely. “Take the advice your solicitor gave and offer the man a sizable payment to convince him that relinquishing the title is the best course of action.”

  They turned the corner at the back of the gray-stoned church. Just beyond the tall building was a graveyard, and past that an empty field. Two servant women were gathering clothes from a long line at the back of the cottage that belonged to Reverend Creassey just past a low stone wall that divided the two properties.

  “And the other?” Nathaniel asked when the vicar did not offer the second option.

  “We have spoken about the blessings that have been afforded you in life, have we not?”

  Nathaniel nodded. “We have. I have been quite blessed up until the point my brother arrived at Scarlett Hall.”

  “At the moment, great power and wealth are yours, but the addition of the title passed down from your father allows for even more power.”

  “Of course,” Nathaniel replied and then stopped to turn to the vicar. “Are you saying, then, that if I were to lose my title, I am just another man from the Landed Gentry? A man without power?”

  The reverend chuckled. “Of course not. However, you must prepare yourself for the result of losing your place amongst the ton, for this will not only affect you. You are a man who will be plagued by accusations of being a bastard. Your sisters, though married, will face shame, and their husbands and children will suffer because of the farce that had been the marriage between your parents. Then there is your mother….” He gave Nathaniel a stern gaze. “Do you love your family?”

  “Why would you even ask such a question?” Nathaniel asked. “Of course I love them. Is there any doubt?”

  “Your mother has always been willing to do whatever it took to protect those she loved,” Reverend Creassey said with a smile. “And I do mean whatever.”

  For a moment, Nathaniel’s heart skipped a beat. What was the man trying to say? Did he dare to insinuate that his mother had broken any laws or did heinous deeds to keep her family safe? Surely that cannot be!

  “Although Eleanor is a rare breed, especially more so as a woman, her dedication to those she loves is unmatched. That is why Scarlett Hall has remained standing under her watch.”

  “As it will under mine,” Nathaniel intoned. “Tell me, Reverend, what must I do to save what is mine? I can see you have an idea, so please, just say it.”

  Reverend Creassey sighed and clasped Nathaniel on the shoulder. “Your father would have been proud of the man you have become,” he said. “You have a clear dedication to your family, and that is what you want, is it not? To make the man proud?”

  “What you say is true,” Nathaniel replied. “It is all I have ever wanted.”

  Yet, as he thought of Charles Lambert, the desire that had once been there to do just that was now gone, not because the man was not his real father but rather for the horrible acts he had done to his mother.

  Yet, he could not get himself to admit as much aloud, and so he added, “I do want to make him proud.”

  As if expecting no other answer, the reverend gave a single nod. “Then I shall tell you what you must do. This will not be easy to hear, and I want you to think hard before deciding.”

  Nathaniel nodded. “Whatever it takes, Reverend, I will do it.”

  “You must dispose of the man.”

  For a moment, Nathaniel gaped at Reverend Creassey. Had he misunderstood the man’s meaning? Surely he did not mean…

  He took a step back. “You mean to say I should have him killed?” he asked in shock. “But I cannot…How can you suggest such a thing? Is that not one of the gravest sins?”

  “To protect the blessings given to you?” Reverend Creassey asked. “Remember in the first letter to Timothy it says, ‘But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel’. You are no infidel, are you, my son? Did you not say you would do whatever possible to stop the man from taking your home and your wife?”

  “Harmony?” Nathaniel asked. “I do not believe…”

  “She will see you as a failure, Nathaniel,” the reverend said. “Even if she remains with you, she will always wonder why the other brother is the greater man.”

  “I…I am confused,” Nathaniel said, his head spinning. This was not the advice he sought! He may not like Isaac, but he could not kill him or hire someone to do so just to keep his title.

  Reverend Creassey placed a kind hand on Nathaniel’s arm. “Return home,” he said in a soft voice. “Think on what we have discussed. But do not wait too long or it will be too late.”

  Swallowing hard, Nathaniel nodded, and they walked toward the stables, the horizon pink with the setting sun.

  As he reached for his horse, the reverend caught his arm. “What I have shared has surprised you, I know. You may be asking yourself why a man of the Church would make such a suggestion.”

  “Yes, I admit that is true.”

  The vicar nodded. “Isaac is a blemish on what is pure. You have been given the means to stop him.”

  “Thank you, Reverend,” Nath
aniel replied. “I will do as you suggest and think on this matter.”

  “Good. Now, send your wife to me. She has not come to seek my guidance as she had promised she would.”

  Nathaniel nodded and mounted the horse. “I will.”

  With a flick of the reins, he trotted away, his mind playing over the conversation. The reverend’s words had shocked him beyond belief. Of course, Nathaniel could not even consider taking the life of another man. Yet, as his mind went to his wife and sisters, he realized he could not allow them to suffer because of what Isaac intended.

  Letting out a groan of frustration, his thoughts returned to Harmony. Tonight he would tell her what she had learned at the office of the solicitor, what the man had suggested. That was the path he should take. Isaac had grown up poor and had never had wealth. If Nathaniel could offer him a goodly amount, Isaac would likely accept it readily.

  Once he explained his plan to his wife, he would take her into his arms and never let her go.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It was astonishing what one can accomplish if he or she is willing to play a role, or so thought Isaac as he stood in the home of Lord Maxwell Hallewell, Harmony on his arm. How easily manipulated the young woman could be, for his role as the once lost brother coming home in search of acceptance of his family had proven as much.

  Certainly, the old woman did not believe him, but with her declining health, he hoped she would soon be dead and out of his way. Just this morning, he had overheard her informing the butler that she had sent letters asking for her daughters’ attendance. Soon, the house would be filled with Charles Lambert’s children, and all would recognize the true heir!

  Yet, it was not enough to see them suffer at the realization that they were the true bastards. What they needed was to witness the dissolution of Nathaniel’s marriage. He chuckled. Now that would put a bee in their bonnet!