London Temptations: Historical Regency Romance Collection

by Joyce Alec

  “You must forgive my rudeness, Lady Brunswick, but might I ask you a particularly sensitive question? You will think me very rude indeed, but I can assure you it is for good reason.” She did not wait for Lady Brunswick to agree but continued regardless. “Might I ask if Lord Brunswick has had any financial difficulties of late?”

  Instantly, Lady Brunswick’s expression changed. Her brows drew low over her eyes and her lips pulled thin.

  “The reason I ask,” Prudence said hastily, quickly forced to come up with some excuse, “is that my betrothed, one Lord Stoneleigh, has noticed that Lord Brunswick has been gambling heavily and despite his encouragements not to do so, Lord Brunswick seems determined to believe that his luck will soon change.”

  Lady Brunswick’s expression crumpled. Her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled. There was a pallor in her cheeks now that had not been there before and as Prudence watched, she felt such a deep sense of guilt rising up within her that she did not know what to do.

  “My husband has lost a good deal of money,” Lady Brunswick whispered, reaching for her tea as though that would fortify her. “He made some investments which have not come through. He has tried desperately to regain what was lost for the sake of the estate and for me but has not yet been able to do so.” Her eyes shut and she let out a ragged breath. “To know that he is now gambling with the little he has left—”

  “I think he has had some success,” Prudence interrupted quickly, in the hope of encouraging Lady Brunswick somewhat. “From what I remember, Lord Yardley told me that he made certain you had an expensive dowry.” She smiled warmly at Lady Brunswick, hating that she was lying yet again. “And diamonds to go with them.”

  Lady Brunswick smiled, a faraway look in her eyes. “That is so,” she answered, rather sadly. “My brother was a very wealthy gentleman, which surprised a good many people since he was only a baron. When the arrangement was made with Lord Brunswick, my brother made certain that I would be well taken care of. The dowry was great and the diamonds…” She shook her head. “I still recall seeing them. My brother gave me the most wonderful and astonishing of gifts on the occasion of my marriage. The kindness of him, I shall never forget.”

  “I should like to see them one day,” Prudence told her, and the lady nodded.

  “Then you must attend a ball or a dinner party here one day,” she told her. “For those are the only times I am permitted to wear such expensive items.” A quiet laugh escaped her. “My husband is very particular about such matters, but I do not mind. Just knowing that this was what my brother did is more than enough for me at present.”

  Feeling the atmosphere turn sorrowful once more, Prudence rose to her feet. The time for her visit was now at an end. “I am glad to have met you at last, Lady Brunswick,” she said honestly. “I am truly sorry for what you have lost. It must be a great pain to your soul.”

  Lady Brunswick rose also, holding out one hand to Prudence, and, when she gave it to her, pressing it gently.

  “Your visit has encouraged me, Lady Prudence,” she said, making Prudence’s guilt flare all the more. “Thank you for traveling such a long distance to speak to me. I am truly grateful.”

  “Thank you for receiving me,” Prudence replied, wondering if Lady Brunswick would still feel the same when the truth of Lord Brunswick’s actions and Prudence’s part in revealing them was shown to her. “Good afternoon, Lady Brunswick.”

  “Good afternoon, Lady Prudence.”

  12

  Despite knowing that Lady Prudence had returned from her short trip to visit Lady Brunswick, Felix now found himself forced to wait until his dear lady had rested and recovered enough to see him. However, the note she had sent him had told him everything he needed to know. Lady Brunswick was alive and well, with all of her faculties and only a frailness of health keeping her from London. Lady Prudence had also stated that the lady in question appeared to be very fond of her husband and had spoken well of him, leaving him in no doubt that Lord Brunswick had not revealed his true character to his wife. Lady Prudence had also written to inform him that the diamonds were those of Lady Brunswick’s, given to her by Lord Yardley as part of the betrothal agreement, and that Lady Brunswick had also stated that her husband was in financial constraints. Armed with this knowledge, Felix made his way to White’s, knowing that Lord Brunswick liked to frequent the place most evenings. Lord Claverhouse had assured him that he would be able to make certain that Lord Brunswick attended there this evening, given that they were both to be at the same soiree beforehand. Perhaps, Felix mused, it was now time to speak to Lord Brunswick a little more openly.

  “Stoneleigh, why did you not tell me about your betrothal?”

  Lord Claverhouse rose and came toward him the moment Felix set foot inside the establishment.

  “I confess that I quite forgot,” Felix told him airily, as Lord Claverhouse threw his head back and laughed. “In truth, Claverhouse, it was not as expected as you might think.” Seeing how the smile began to fade from his friend’s face, Felix allowed himself a broad smile. “It is not that I am not pleased, however, for I am truly delighted to have found myself engaged.” Taking a small step closer, he lowered his voice. “It is only that neither Lady Prudence nor I had ever even considered such a thing, nor even allowed ourselves to discuss it. She and I were in search of something, only for Lord Brunswick to appear in the distance.” His shoulders lifted into a shrug and he spread his hands. “What else could I do?”

  Lord Claverhouse gaped at him. “You mean to tell me that this was nothing more than a mistake?”

  “Not a mistake at all. It was a wonderful surprise,” Felix assured him. “I find myself in love with Lady Prudence, I confess—and she, I hope, with me, although we have not spoken in such open terms as yet.” Chuckling, he put one hand on his friend’s arm. “So you see, you were quite correct. I did find something remarkable in Lady Prudence. She is the only one who has ever truly caught my interest in the way I had always hoped. I am quite taken with her, Claverhouse. I look forward to making her my bride.”

  Lord Claverhouse lifted his brows in surprise, then grinned. “I am glad to hear it,” he said firmly. “And I shall wish you happy, Lord Stoneleigh, for it is the greatest gift a man can have to find a wife who not only intrigues him but who fills his heart with affection, compassion, and adoration.” Making his way back toward where he had come from, he looked at Felix over his shoulder. “When does the wedding take place?”

  Felix sat down with a contented sigh. “I cannot be certain as yet, for the lady was away on a short visit. I am to call upon her tomorrow so that preparations might begin.”

  Lord Claverhouse smiled and gestured to the footman, who nodded and stepped away. “I look forward to attending,” he said, and Felix thanked him. “Now, Lord Brunswick is not here as yet, but I am certain that he will attend soon. There is to be a game of cards tonight, it seems, and Lord Brunswick is eager to join them. It seems that his betrothed is to make her appearance in London tomorrow, in order to shop for her trousseau.” He tilted his head and looked at Felix. “It is odd that none in society know of Lord Brunswick’s marriage. I would have thought that someone might have heard of it.”

  “Lady Prudence wrote to me, stating that from what Lady Brunswick said, there appeared to be some sort of scandal around the time of their engagement.” He shrugged again. “I presume they were both caught in an indelicate position and plans were put in place almost at once.”

  “And Lord Brunswick has not had any eagerness to speak of it to anyone,” Lord Claverhouse mused. “And given that Lady Brunswick is nothing more than the sister of a baron, she will not have had any particularly lofty acquaintances to inform.”

  “Meaning that it is all quite unknown,” Felix answered with a shake of his head. “I have already decided what we must do next, however. I shall speak to Lord Brunswick myself this evening and tell him that I believe Lady Prudence has whatever it is he has been looking for.” A smal
l smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, although his brows furrowed. “The man shall know that Lady Prudence has the box, which will, no doubt, make him quite determined to retrieve it from her. I shall invite him to meet with us both, to convince him that I can fetch him the box and bring it with me, and the rest, I think, shall naturally follow.”

  “But what shall be the consequences for him?” Lord Claverhouse asked, frowning. “If you have only Lady Prudence present, then Lord Brunswick can continue just as he is at present. He will feel no urgency to speak of what he has done to anyone, and even if both you and Lady Prudence speak of it to others, Lord Brunswick might be able to convince his wife-to-be and her family that there is no truth in what you say. If you bring Lady Brunswick with you, however, that might force his hand.”

  Felix frowned but shook his head. “I cannot do so,” he said slowly, realizing what Lord Claverhouse meant and that, evidently, there was a good deal of merit to it. “His betrothed’s father is a Lord Haydock, I believe.”

  Lord Claverhouse nodded. “A very wealthy gentleman.”

  “Which might very well be why Lord Brunswick seeks to wed her,” Felix mused. “I shall have to meet with Lord Haydock privately. He will need to be present when we meet, else the whole situation might be for naught.” Making to say more, a sudden movement caught his eye and he shut his mouth tightly, seeing Lord Brunswick enter the room. His hat was pulled low over his eyes and, even when he removed it, the sense of shadow did not leave the gentleman’s expression. There was no happiness in his eyes, no smile upon his lips. Instead, there was nothing more than a sense of frustration, of anger, and perhaps, a little pain.

  “Good evening, Brunswick.”

  Lord Claverhouse’s cheery voice seemed to fill the room. “You have made it, then.”

  Lord Brunswick inclined his head. “I have,” he answered without intonation. “Good evening, Lord Stoneleigh. You are to join the game of cards also?” His eyes searched Felix’s face but Felix shook his head, unwilling to tie himself down to a game that would last the remainder of the evening and well into the following day.

  “I will not,” he said, with what he hoped was evident sorrow. “Although, when you have a moment, might I speak with you?” Picking up the glass the footman brought over on a tray, Felix turned his gaze back to Lord Brunswick. “It is a matter of some importance, I think.”

  This captured Lord Brunswick’s attention in a moment, for his eyes flared, his jaw set, and he gave a terse nod as though he already knew what Felix wanted to discuss.

  “I will gladly excuse myself and fetch another drink,” Lord Claverhouse said, rising from his chair with an easy smile on his face. “Can I bring you a brandy, Lord Brunswick?”

  Lord Brunswick murmured a word of thanks and then sat down in the vacated chair. He looked steadily at Felix, his gaze fixed and unmoving.

  “I think, Lord Brunswick, that I might know what Lord Yardley has given to Lady Prudence,” Felix began, keeping his voice low. “We are betrothed now, as you well know, and that has brought about a closer intimacy between myself and Lady Prudence. She has told me about Lord Yardley, about how he was rather dear to her since, I believe, she witnessed his great care toward Mary, his late wife.”

  “Who was Lady Prudence’s cousin, from what I understand,” Lord Brunswick muttered, his expression still much the same. “Do you mean to state that Lady Prudence had informed you that Lord Yardley gave her something of importance?”

  Felix nodded. “I believe so, yes. She told me that he asked her to keep something for him, for safekeeping.” He shrugged one shoulder in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. “She did not tell me what it was, however, and I am not at all certain that she herself knows, for she is not the sort of creature to simply open up a parcel for the sake of knowing what is within.”

  “And she has not given the box back to the estate?” Lord Brunswick asked, but Felix shook his head.

  “I think she is waiting for the new Lord Yardley to come to town—he is to make arrangements to do so shortly, I understand—and will then give the parcel to him instead, along with the explanation of how she came to receive it.”

  Lord Brunswick nodded slowly, his gaze darting away from Felix for a moment. “I see,” he said, speaking with such care that Felix could practically see the thoughts turning over one another. “And do you think, Lord Stoneleigh, that you might be able to convince Lady Prudence to return this box to me? Once she hears my explanation, I am sure that—”

  “I would be glad to have her meet with you, of course,” Felix interrupted as Lord Claverhouse came back toward them. “I think it would make a good deal more sense to her if you were to explain it all, Lord Brunswick. I fear that I would forget an important detail or be unable to give her the full explanation that she requires.”

  Lord Brunswick agreed in a moment. “Excellent. I should be glad to do so.”

  “Are you attending Lord Claverhouse’s ball in two days’ time?” Felix asked, glancing up at Lord Claverhouse, who had handed Lord Brunswick a drink. “Why not arrange to have a quiet discussion with her there? I am sure Lord Claverhouse would be glad to give us a small parlor so that we can talk over the matter. I am certain that once Lady Prudence hears what you have to say, she will completely understand.”

  This seemed to bring a great deal of relief to Lord Brunswick, for he nodded and let out a long breath, settling back into the chair a little more.

  “That would be very pleasing,” he said, and Lord Claverhouse quickly expressed that he would do whatever was required. “Thank you both. You do not know just how glad I am to hear such news. It is a great weight from my heart.”

  Felix smiled and rose. “I shall leave you both to your game of cards,” he said with a quick bow. “Until the ball, Lord Claverhouse, Lord Brunswick. I wish you both the very best of luck.”

  “It is very good to see you again, Lady Prudence.”

  She smiled up at him, a happiness in her eyes that he felt himself within the depths of his heart.

  “I am glad to be returned to you,” she said, her arm looped through his. “And Mama is quite contented to send the maid with us, now that we are betrothed.”

  Felix laughed, knowing just how relieved he was himself that Lady Devonshire was not with them this afternoon. “Indeed,” he chuckled as Lady Prudence blushed prettily. “And are you quite certain of the arrangements for this afternoon?”

  Lady Prudence nodded, her cheeks still holding a little color as one or two dark curls escaped from her bonnet and danced around her temples in the breeze. “As you are aware, I met Lady Josephine yesterday afternoon—by chance, I must say, for we both stepped into the bookshop at the same time and came into quite a discussion about our favorite novels of late.”

  “And she said she would be here this afternoon. With her parents.”

  “With her mother, at least,” Prudence replied, a trifle anxiously. “But you did say that Lord Claverhouse had made certain to introduce himself to Lord Haydock already?”

  Felix chuckled. “Yes, Lord Claverhouse has been very busy on our behalf, Lady Prudence. He made certain to greet Lord Haydock and quickly issued an invitation to his ball tomorrow evening.” Tilting his head, Felix looked down at his bride-to-be. “So long as I can garner an introduction today with either Lord Haydock or Lady Haydock, then all will be well, I am sure.”

  Lady Prudence let out a long breath, her smile fading slightly. “I confess to feeling rather anxious about the situation, Lord Stoneleigh. We are very close to bringing the truth to Lord Brunswick, to making certain that both Lord Haydock and the ton are aware of his marriage to Lady Brunswick, but in my heart, I feel a great sorrow for Lady Brunswick herself. I do not want to bring her any sort of distress, and yet I am certain that we will have to do so.”

  Taking a moment to consider his response, Felix reached across and settled his hand over Lady Prudence’s for a moment, as it rested on his arm. “It will not be either you or I that brings Lad
y Brunswick distress,” he told Lady Prudence. “Rather, it will be her husband. Her husband has been the one to do so thus far. Lord Brunswick’s lies and mistakes and cruel choices are what will bring Lady Brunswick distress, nothing else.”

  Lady Prudence let out a heavy sigh but gave him a brief nod, smiling up at him for just a moment before she returned her attention to Hyde Park. Felix said nothing more, allowing a comfortable silence to envelop them both. They were so very close to reaching the end of things, of bringing it all to a close. What happiness would be waiting for them once it had all come to a conclusion. They could begin to consider their own wedding day, to allow themselves to become buried in the details of what would be the most important and most treasured days of his life. They were so very close now. So close that Felix could almost feel the contentment that he knew was waiting for them both, just out of reach.

  “There!”

  The excitement in Lady Prudence’s voice pulled him back to the present at once.

  “She is walking toward us,” Lady Prudence half whispered, her hand tight on his arm. “I knew that she would be in the park this afternoon, but I did not think we would come across her so easily.”

  “It seems our intentions are blessed,” Felix remarked, narrowing his eyes just a fraction so that he might have a better look at the three people approaching. It appeared to be a young lady, walking alongside her mother, and, if he was correct, Lord Haydock was the gentleman walking behind. “Are you able to make introductions, Lady Prudence?”

  She beamed at him. “Of course.”

  Within a few minutes, Felix found himself being introduced first to Lady Josephine, who was, much to his surprise, a rather plain-looking young lady, with a soft-spoken voice and a very quiet manner. She showed no eagerness in being introduced to him but rather greeted him politely and asked him no questions thereafter. It was the job of Lady Haydock to do so, for she stepped in almost at once and asked a good many questions of him before he had the opportunity to be introduced to Lord Haydock.