Page 48 of The Seductive Love of a Lady
Mary stood. ‘He bought the house for her! He said, Caro. Caroline. His sister. I did not make the connection. He does not have a mistress, Kate! Oh, Kate, he made love to me and said he was sorry, that he would try to prove himself, and I left him.’
Mary looked at John. ‘You must take me back. I must go to him.’
John’s expression became uncertain. ‘You cannot. He has gone into hiding. Kilbride wants him hanged. Although as far as I know there is no charge against him yet.’
She shook her head. ‘He will not hide from them, that is not Andrew. He will not run. If they accuse him, he will look them in the eye and tell them all to go to hell, not hide.’
John’s lips twitched at one corner. ‘That is what he said to Uncle Richard.’
‘Then Mary is right, John, if she knows him so well.’ Kate pressed. ‘And if Mary cannot go to him, we ought to bring him here. If he loves Mary he will come and they can hide from these rumours and resolve the rift between them while the gossip dies down.’
Kate’s gaze caught Mary’s. ‘There is something else you ought to know, which I believe now indicates Lord Framlington’s innocence. John and I discussed it and we thought it better not to tell you. But now… Your father and mother know this too and agreed we should not tell you. But Mary, when you came back, it was the same day John and your father received cheques from Lord Framlington. He returned most of your dowry, with a letter that stated he could not keep it if he did not have you. He said it would only be a bitter reminder of what he had lost. John thought it a ploy to win you back, and yet we were not sure because he asked John not to tell you. At the time it made your father and John doubt their judgement. Yet knowing he had a mistress, we thought it would confuse things for you.’
‘Were we wrong, Mary?’ John touched her shoulder.
‘Yes.’ He understood at last. ‘Andrew never argued against the things you said, John. I think he thought it lowering to defend himself. Yet he told me he loved me a dozen times, and I did not always believe him because you told me he was lying to win my dowry. If it was not for my dowry, then it is true.’
‘What you felt was real, Mary. Andrew loved you.’ Kate looked at John. ‘Mary cannot go to London, so we must bring him here.’
‘I will have a carriage prepared.’
‘I will come with you,’ Kate said. ‘He may not be willing to speak with you, John.’
25
Peter threw a newspaper on to Drew’s lap. ‘Pembroke is back in town, and apparently he is turning over every stone in search of you.’
Drew had sat in Peter’s town house in Mayfair for two days, figuratively kicking his heels.
This morning, Peter went out early, scouting for news of how things stood, while Drew sat there twiddling his thumbs. He had tried playing solitaire with a pack of cards but his mind kept wondering what Mary thought of this latest rumour.
Incest.
It was immoral and illegal.
If she believed it… He pushed away the thought as too unbearable. She was the only one whose good opinion he cared for.
‘Pembroke is on the war path. He is visiting everywhere, demanding to know if you are there, or if anyone knows where you are.’ Peter walked over to his decanters. ‘While Kilbride has a rough-looking sort of man standing outside your rooms waiting for you to return. And Wiltshire… well, he has put a sumon your head to have you found. Kilbride, I believe, just wants you dead.’
‘He can kill me. Caro is safe, he will not find her.’ Drew had not taken a single risk. Even Peter did not know where Caro was.
‘I know you do not care.’ Peter held up a decanter by its neck, asking if Drew wanted a glass. ‘But I do, and I am not going to let anyone kill you.’
Drew nodded, accepting the offer of the drink.
Peter turned to pour. ‘I made it public in White’s that I, who happen to know you very well indeed, believe the whole story is a pile of horse dung. My brother-in-law is speaking for you in Brooke’s Gentlemen’s Club and Harry has raised it in Watier’s. Our version will be circulated too.’
‘Your version?’
A glass in each hand, Peter walked over. ‘We are spreading the truth, that Kilbride was beating Caro. It will grow like a snowball. People will have guessed it previously but will have been too cowed by Kilbride to say. Wait and see. The truth will out now.’
‘But a man may beat his wife, that is legal.’ Drew accepted a glass. ‘How long do you think it will take someone to guess I am here?’
‘I will go out again this evening, and Mark and Harry can stay with you. That will throw people off the scent, and to help, I am asking people if they have seen you too.’
This was a hell of a muddle.
‘My lords.’
