Page 72 of The Forbidden Lord
“Lady Emma, shall I tell you a bit about my friend? It might help you to understand his strange behavior.”
“Nothing could make me understand him.”
“All the same, come with me to my study. I think you’ll want to hear this.”
She nodded, allowing him to lead her down the hall. She might as well hear him out, though he could say nothing to change her mind. Jordan was just one of those men who were empty inside. The sooner she accepted that, the better.
Chapter Fourteen
The best way to get the better of temptation is just to yield to it.
— CLEMENTINA STIRLING GRAHAM, SCOTTISH WRITER,MYSTIFICATIONS
Hours later, Emily stared out the window of the carriage, thinking of what Lord St. Clair had told her about Jordan. So much heartache, so much pain for a child. It was no wonder he prevented himself from feeling. In his place, she might have done the same.
“You’re very quiet this evening, my dear,” said Lady Dundee. “Didn’t you think the dinner went well?”
“I suppose.” A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Were you able to learn anything from Lord St. Clair? I’m eager to end my masquerade.” If Lady Dundee had discovered anything conclusive, then they could tell Lord Nesfield. Lord Nesfield would take action, and then it would be too late for Jordan to interfere.
Yes, Lord Nesfield would take action: to ruin Lord St. Clair. She bit her lip. Then Jordan would truly hate her, wouldn’t he? She was helping Lord Nesfield destroy his friend’s hopes.
“I’m afraid I didn’t learn much,” Lady Dundee said, her eyes sparkling with an irritating merriment. “We shall just have to go on a bit longer.”
Emily wanted to scream. “But we can’t. Lord Blackmore has figured out that this concerns Mr. Pollock, and now he’s threatened to tell Mr. Pollock everything.”
The woman looked maddeningly nonchalant about the entire matter. “Really? Blackmore said that?”
“Yes. He said he’d give me tonight to make up my mind. In the morning, he’s calling for me, and if I still won’t tell him the truth, he’ll reveal my identity to Mr. Pollock. The wretch! You know Mr. Pollock will delight in tearing us all down publicly. What’s more, it will put Lord St. Clair on his guard and effectively end our chances to find out if he’s the one.”
Lady Dundee waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, Blackmore won’t do such a thing, depend upon it. He’ll threaten, but he won’t act. Not as long asyouare involved.”
“I fear you’re wrong. Especially after what I learned tonight.” She turned in her seat to face Lady Dundee. “Tell me something. You must be about the same age that Jordan’s mother would have been if she’d lived. Did you know her? What was she like?”
“Lavinia? She was a flirt. She enjoyed men and balls and never paid any attention to what her parents said. But then, I was a bit like that myself.”
“And Jordan’s father?”
“Oh, he was nothing like her at all. That was certainly a mismatch. He was the sober sort. Unlike his son, he didn’t spend his time with … ladies of the evening. In other respects, however, they’re very much alike. He was earnestly devoted to reform and rarely attended social functions. Everyone was quite surprised when Lavinia, of all people, captivated him so much that he married her.”
Emily hesitated a moment, wondering if she should reveal what Lord St. Clair had told her. But she so badly needed advice, and she knew she could trust Lady Dundee to keep quiet. Besides, she needed to impress upon the countess the gravity of the situation. “Actually, Jordan’s fatherhadto marry Jordan’s mother. One day when they happened to be alone, the earl became overcome by his desire for her and they … well … you know. Then she found herselfenceinte, so she was forced to marry the earl.”
“Poppycock.”
“It’s true! Lord St. Clair says so. Jordan told him about it when they were boys. According to Lord St. Clair, Lady Blackmore hated her forced marriage so much that she drank a great deal and made Jordan’s life a misery.”
“Oh, I don’t deny that Blackmore’s father probably impregnated Lavinia. She was a pretty girl and very fast. Nor do I doubt she was the kind of mother you describe. Married to a man who preferred to spend his evenings discussing Horace’s poetry and who probably wouldn’t humor her whims, Laviniawasthe sort to turn to drink. The poor girl had few resources within herself to create her own entertainment.”
Her voice grew grim. “But I’d wager a fortuneshewas the one to seduce the earl, and not the other way around. Lavinia’s father was a mere baronet and had little money besides. The earl would have been quite a catch for her. I imagine she thought it would be grand fun to be married to an earl … until she actually was.”
Emily considered that a moment, the creaking of the springs the only sound in the carriage. Then she sighed. “If that’s true, it only makes it more awful. Lord St. Clair says she always blamed her unhappy life on Jordan and his untimely conception. She used to tell him that he’d ruined her life, that she was in hell because of him.”
Lady Dundee pursed her lips. “What a dreadful thing to say to an innocent child. Lavinia never could take responsibility for her own actions.”
“That’s why he won’t trust his heart to anyone. In his experience, opening your heart to someone is dangerous, if not disastrous.” He must find her masquerade very suspicious. It probably looked like the sort of scheming his mother had engaged in. In a way, it was. “So he won’t hesitate to make good on his threats.”
“But he’s already opened his heart to you a little, hasn’t he? He has yet to reveal your secret. And I don’t think he will.” She cast Emily that mysterious smile again. “Even if he does, it won’t be so bad. It might hasten matters.”
“You don’t understand. I tried to tell him I didn’t care if he told Mr. Pollock, but he said he’d also try to get the truth from your brother. He’s very persistent.”
