Page 51 of To Tame the Wild Rake
Beauclair had come down to the stable to see him off, and had given him an odd parting message. “Remember Samuel and John the Baptist,” he said, and gave another of his charming smiles. “I don’t know what that means, Anthony, but I woke up with the remark in my mind and the thought I should tell you.”
Very Delphic. Aldridge wasted little time thinking about, instead wavering from joy to despair as he imagined what awaited him in London.
Richards met him at the door to the heir’s wing. “Welcome home, my lord. Mr Markinson was here a few minutes ago to say he is sending an urgent dispatch to you this morning, my lord. Lady Charlotte called and asked to speak with you. And Her Grace has asked to be notified as soon as you arrive.”
Aldridge regarded his butler, his brows raised. “Trouble, Richards?”
Richards sniffed. “Foolish gossip, my lord. I have said it will not be tolerated, but I fear that my influence is limited to this household.”
Aldridge handed over his gloves, hat, and coat. “I will go and find Markinson. Send to my mother and tell her I will do myself the honour of waiting on her in an hour. Have a bath prepared in my room, and tell my valet to lay out appropriate wear for a call on the Duke of Winshire.” Or, at least, on his niece, which Richards could probably work out for himself.
Charlotte had called. But there was trouble, so probably she needed his help. Still, it was a good sign that she turned to him, was it not?
All three secretaries got to their feet when he entered the room, and Edmund said, “Thank God. I was about to send you a message, my lord.”
“So Richards tells me. Gossip, he says. About me, I assume. How bad?”
“About…” Edmund took a deep breath and let it out again. “Read my report, my lord. All three of us collaborated on it. When we heard about the first rumours, we thought it best to find out exactly what was being said. So, we went out into the coffee shops and clubs, where people like us gathered, and”—he waved a thick package that he lifted from his desk—“this is the result.”
Aldridge’s brows shot up again. Bad indeed, if it affected his personal life, his estates, and his business interests. He took the package Edmund passed him and quickly scanned it, breathing more rapidly as he turned the pages. The temper he had spent a lifetime learning to control was on a very short leash indeed by the time he reached the end.
With difficulty, he kept his voice calm. “Thank you, gentlemen. These allegations are scurrilous, and will be addressed. However, I am conscious that the reputation of the master reflects on that of his secretaries. If any of you wish to tender your resignation…?”
“No, sir!” The denial exploded from Edmund. “Whoever is behind this—my lord, I want a hand in bringing him down.”
The other two agreed, just as fervently. “Excellent. And you have made a good start with this report. I agree it is an attack, and much like those the man Wharton has waged against the Duke of Winshire and his family before. I see more coffee in your future, Rook. Hawk, perhaps you might do me the favour of looking over some horses at Tattersalls? No need to say who you are representing. Edmund, I feel sure the arrangements for the duchess’s ball require a visit to a number of merchants?”
The secretaries nodded, but as he turned away, Aldridge had another thought. “Her Grace has asked to see me. I think we might assume that this nonsense has reached Society’s drawing rooms. It is foolish, I am sure you will agree, to think to use social approval and disapproval to fight the Duchess of Haverford on her own ground.”
They returned his smile. Rook even laughed. But as Aldridge returned to his own wing and his bath, he was not amused. How dare that scum malign Charlotte! And what of the accusation that she was Aldridge’s mistress? Was it a shot in the dark? Or did he know about that night?
Mama was waiting for him, pacing back and forth, every fractious movement conveying anxiety, though as he entered, she was telling Jessica and Frances that they had nothing to worry about; that she and Aldridge were going to fix it.
“Of course, we are,” Aldridge agreed. Whereupon his mother destroyed the effect of her calming remarks by casting herself into his arms and bursting into tears. Alarmed, he patted her back while sending a questioning glance at his sisters.
After a moment, she pulled away and dabbed at her eyes with a small lace-trimmed square of embroidered linen.
“I apologise, Aldridge. So embarrassing for you, and your cravat—such a nice knot, dear, and now all wet. I was so worried about you, dear. You left no word, and Mr Markinson would not say where you were, and I heard you had been seen on Westminster Bridge at night, and I was so frightened, because I knew you were unhappy, and it is all my fault, and now these horrid stories, and I am so glad you are home!”
“I am sorry you were concerned, Mama. I was perfectly safe.” His conscience gave him a kick. “I should have let you know where I was going, but it was a spur of the moment impulse.”
She was shaking her head. “You are an adult, Aldridge. You have every right to make your own decisions.” And she burst into tears again.
Aldridge hovered, helplessly, while Jessica helped her to a chair, and Frances poured her a cup of tea. “I am glad you are here,” Jessica told him. “Some awful stories are going around. Aunt Eleanor has been really upset. Frances and I don’t know what to do.”
Mama had composed herself again. “I am perfectly well, dearest Jessica. You need not be concerned for me.”
“I know about the stories,” Aldridge said. “Markinson has given me a report. Lady Charlotte called for me yesterday, presumably about the gossip. I’ve sent a message to say Mama and I will visit this morning. You and Frances had better come too. I’ve ordered the carriage, so go and fetch your bonnets.”
Mama put her cup down and half rose from her chair. “You will have to go without me, Aldridge. I will not be welcome there.” The tears rose again and she blinked them back. “You both look well enough for visiting, girls. Run and get your coats and bonnets. Do not forget gloves, Frances.”
That was a rather transparent move to get his sisters out of the way. What could be wrong? It could not be that silly feud. Mama had been meeting the Duke of Winshire since just after he arrived back in England. In secret, she fondly thought. “Have you had a disagreement with the Duke of Winshire, Mama?” Aldridge asked.
She swallowed hard, and stood erect, her chin raised and her lip trembling. “He is angry with me, and you will be, too. I told Charlotte that she must not marry you.”
Aldridge couldn’t believe his ears. “You what?”
“I had reasons, but...” She took a deep breath that shuddered on a sob. “I was wrong, Aldridge. I still think my reasons are good, but the decision was not mine to make, and so I will tell Charlotte. I am very sorry, Aldridge.”
