What a Reckless Rogue Needs Read online

  But it wasn’t her decision alone. How would she feel if he told her that he had reconsidered and could not marry her? Dear God, what had they gotten themselves into?

  Chapter Nine

  Wycoff was in better spirits after having bagged a bird. At dinner earlier, Colin had noted that Angeline had focused her attention on her father. When her father proposed a game of chess after his port, Angeline’s face lit up like a dozen candles. He was glad to see her happiness and hoped it would last.

  When the ladies withdrew, Wycoff and the marquess talked endlessly about the shooting today. Colin said nothing, as his thoughts were elsewhere. He wondered why so many had believed Brentmoor’s ugly words about Angeline. Then he realized her mother’s friends had given her bad advice. When the duchess had taken her daughter to the Continent, she’d inadvertently signaled that her daughter had been guilty of Brentmoor’s coarse accusations. However, Colin realized that Brentmoor’s return could well be advantageous. If enough high-ranking friends spread the word that she’d been falsely accused of something that had never happened, her good name could be restored. He could not be sure that others would champion her, but it was worth the effort.

  He would say nothing for now, but it was important. The first time they had spoken about a marriage of convenience, she’d said that she felt obliged to accept his offer for the sake of her family, but she ought to have a choice. If she declined his offer of marriage, however, he would probably lose Sommerall. He wanted the property badly, but he was in danger of losing it. He remembered her words: We’re doing this for all the wrong reasons. It was too easy to imagine the marriage souring, because it was based on his motivation to keep the property and her wish to help her family. But he could not let Sommerall fall into a stranger’s hands. Damn it all, he had to figure out a way to ensure he gained possession.

  “You are uncharacteristically silent,” the marquess said to him.

  “Just thinking.”

  “How to outwit me for Sommerall?”

  Wycoff laughed. “Doesn’t every bachelor have cold feet?”

  “Right.” Colin finished his port.

  “You are in the doldrums,” the marquess said. “By the by, how did you find things at Sommerall?”

  Wycoff rose. “Finish your port, Chadwick. I promised Angeline a game of chess. She will no doubt trounce me.”

  “Tell my wife we’ll be along shortly.”

  After Wycoff departed, the marquess poured both of them another port. “He is a shell of the man he used to be.”

  “Has he ever told you what happened?”

  “He told me very little, but I suspect you know.”

  “Angeline told me in confidence.” He sighed. “I figured she had no one to confide in, so I listened.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Did Margaret ever speak to the duchess?” he asked.

  “When it happened, she told Margaret how the vile man deceived them all, but the duchess was understandably vexed at the time. I think their journey to Paris was a mistake. It only made it appear that Angeline was guilty of something.”

  “I agree.” Colin sipped his port and set it aside. “It was very bad. She told me in confidence, but I will say this much. She’s innocent of the disgusting claims that Brentmoor made.”

  “Son, what did he claim? I only ask because I’ve been racking my brains how to help her, but I can’t if I don’t know what I’m up against.”

  He told his father how Brentmoor had pressed her for intimacies and how they’d been seen kissing out of doors in a dark area. “He probably wanted to make sure she felt guilty enough to marry him. She admitted that she’d had doubts. After she cried off, he must have been bent on revenge. Her friend’s brother revealed that Brentmoor claimed he’d lain with her multiple times.”

  “Hell,” the marquess said.

  “Others believed it because she’d been spotted in a compromising embrace with him in the unlit area of a garden. I might add he pressed her constantly. Of course she was seen, something he probably planned, to ensure she would feel too guilty not to marry him. She’s innocent of everything.”

  “When the house party ends, I will contact friends,” the marquess said. “We need supporters.”

  “I’ll write to Harry. His mother is famous for her at-homes.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve heard it’s nothing but tittle-tattle,” the marquess said.

  “Harry would do anything for me,” he said. “As I recall, his mother is fond of Angeline. I’ll see if I can pull in Bellingham. He’s got more influence than anyone, except for you.”

  “Hah. But I agree. Bellingham is a brilliant politician. Ruthless son of a bitch, but he’s loyal to those he respects. I’ve half a mind to start straightaway, but that would only raise questions.”

  “Agreed,” Colin said. “After the house party, we can get support from friends. By the time the season begins, we will hopefully clear her name. Then we’ll see the bastard drummed out of every club and blacken his name.”

  The marquess narrowed his eyes. “No offense, but why are you so hell bent on this mission? The two of you have never been on the best of terms.”

  “It’s a point of honor,” he said. “And Brentmoor has none.”

  Colin and his father returned to the drawing room. When Colin saw Angeline putting away the chess pieces, he poured himself a brandy and waited for her to finish before approaching her. He needed to speak to her about Sommerall and ensure she knew what to expect. It had become a daily journey for them, but he had to be realistic about the time they were spending there. As much as he enjoyed her company and the privacy Sommerall afforded them, he had to think about her first and foremost. She’d been through hell, and the last thing they both needed was for their families to discover that they were spending time at Sommerall when there was nothing more they could do until and unless the marquess granted the property to Colin.

  After she put the game away, he made himself wait for a moment so that he wouldn’t appear so anxious. That was a very real issue for them. They had to be careful and make sure that they were not inadvertently creating expectations with their families.

  He caught her eye, and then he walked over to the window seat that the twins and Penny had recently vacated. He swirled his brandy and stretched out his legs. A few minutes later, Angeline stopped to look at Margaret’s needlework. Obviously she was commenting about it. He took a slow drink of brandy and waited. Not long after, she joined him on the window seat. “I assume you wish to speak to me,” she said.

  “Clever of you, but I’m not surprised.”

  “Do you wish to play backgammon?”

  “No, I wish to talk without distractions.”

  She frowned. “This sounds ominous.”

  “It isn’t, but we have no more business at Sommerall.”

  “What do you mean? There is much work to be done. It needs new carpets, new shutters, updated furnishings, painting, paper hangings, and a new runner for the stairs.”

  “I’ve no doubt that all you’ve mentioned needs attention,” he said, “but I cannot spend a farthing on a property that I do not own and may never own. We have reached the limits of what can be done.”

  She looked at her clasped hands in her lap. “Well, I am disappointed, but I ought to have seen this coming. I’ve known all along about your father’s decree. I still think he ought to cede the property to you, but I know it is none of my affair.”

  “I appreciate all that you’ve done so far, Angeline. I enjoyed your company there, but we will simply have to find other ways to talk about our engagement.”

  “We will have almost no privacy,” she said. “If we go for a walk, the others will join us. If we decide to ride, everyone else will decide to come along. If we play a game indoors, others will stop to watch and comment. Even now we must speak under our breath so that no one hears us.”

  “We are fortunate to have had time alone. Now we must become inventiv
e without appearing furtive.”

  “How are we to do that?”

  “We have to rise very early. I’m no lark, but we will arrange to meet at six o’clock in the morning. It is the only time we can ensure privacy.”

  “It is better than nothing,” she said. “I am disappointed about Sommerall. There is so much I wanted to accomplish there.”

  “Do you want to meet tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yes, but where?” she said. “Never mind. I forgot Penny asked to stay with me tonight.”

  “Why does she want to sleep with you?”

  “She likes to be near me. It started after we returned from Paris. She has begun to relax, now that she knows we will not leave England again, but when she grows anxious, she wants to sleep near me.”

  “Day after tomorrow, then, at six o’clock. No one will stir at that hour. I’ll meet you at the back door. Then we’ll walk out together.”

  “It feels as if we’re sneaking off,” she said.

  “Don’t think of it that way,” he said. “We are just seeking privacy to talk.”

  After breakfast the next morning, the marquess turned to Colin. “You are not planning to journey to Sommerall today, are you?”

  “No, I believe we have gone as far as we can at this point.”

  “I have a business issue I wish to discuss with you. Meet me in my study in a quarter of an hour,” the marquess said.

  “I will,” Colin said. He wasn’t sure what his father wanted, but he’d find out soon enough.

  “We have yet to see your sketches, Angeline,” Margaret said. “You must show us your plans.”

  “They are not really plans. The sketches are rather whimsical and impractical.” She bit her lip.

  Colin remembered her excitement and felt a bit badly about it.

  Everyone rose and started filing out, but Colin held back with Angeline. “I wish we could spend time alone, but I have a duty.”

  “I’ll take the girls and Hercules for a walk. We might as well enjoy the sunshine while it lasts,” Angeline said.

  Colin briefly touched her hand. “Perhaps we can ride this afternoon if you wish.”

  “I would be delighted,” she said.

  He hoped that they would not be shadowed by everyone else, but he resigned himself to the fact that their ride would likely be a group activity. They couldn’t even go off by themselves without raising suspicion about their relationship. He wanted to keep it as private as possible, but it was far more difficult now that they no longer had Sommerall as their refuge.

  Fifteen minutes later, Colin walked into his father’s study and closed the door.

  “Be seated,” the marquess said.

  “I expect you wish to discuss who we should contact to gain support for Angeline.”

  “Not at this time,” he said. “Faraday wishes to see Sommerall again. He has another prospect in mind, but he wants to look over Sommerall once more. I plan to meet him there in one hour, and I want you to attend.”

  Colin gripped the arms of the chair. “I don’t see the point in my presence. I have nothing to add. My wishes haven’t changed, and I know yours have not changed, either.”

  “I want you to see it from his perspective.”

  “Why?”

  “I have my reasons. I requested Ames to have the carriage ready. We will depart now.”

  He almost refused, but his father had something up his sleeve. Colin nodded and followed his father to the carriage.

  The marquess walked about the ground floor and headed into the anteroom. “It’s immaculate, but the carpet is faded badly.”

  “The shutters were left open,” Colin said. “The ones in the breakfast parlor are also faded.”

  “Otherwise, the room is immaculate.”

  “Angeline directed Agnes to clean all the rooms.”

  “I mentioned to Margaret that the scullery maid ought to be promoted.” He tramped into the breakfast parlor. “I see what you mean about the rugs.”

  “I imagine the tenants might want them,” Colin said. “There are also crates of items that are of no use to us. They are stored properly in the attic. I imagine the servants and the tenants might make use of them.”

  “I’m surprised you thought of it,” the marquess said.

  “It was Angeline’s suggestion.”

  The marquess wandered into the study. “Another faded rug.” He walked to the desk. “I forgot all about this inkstand. Clever design.”

  “You should take it,” Colin said.

  The marquess shook his head. “I think not.”

  Colin supposed his father associated it with his first marriage.

  “Do you want to survey the kitchen? It’s in good working order according to the maid, Agnes.”

  “God, no. Why would I care about it?”

  “Faraday might.”

  “Hopefully he won’t think of it. Let’s have a look upstairs.”

  Colin took him into the drawing room. “Angeline said it needs something. I think she called it paperings or some such.”

  “Don’t look to me for help,” the marquess said. “The ceiling is in good order. The carpet is in decent shape here.”

  “That’s because the shutters were closed in here,” Colin said.

  “Let’s see the bedchambers,” the marquess said.

  He walked into the second one. “My old shaving mirror. I used to put a dab of soap on your cheek when you watched the valet shave me. You would use your finger like a razor.”

  Colin huffed. “I remember.”

  The marquess sighed. “It was long ago.” He gazed about the room and walked to the connecting door. Then he paused. “Is it in good order?”

  “Yes.” His father evidently did not want to walk into his mother’s room. “There is nothing of a personal nature in there—or in any of the other chambers.”

  The marquess walked out into the corridor, and then he paused at the closed door of the nursery. He started to reach for the door and dropped his hand. “Did you go inside?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Yes, but I do not advise it.”

  The marquess inhaled. Then he opened the door, strode inside, and halted abruptly.

  Colin swallowed hard. They’d forgotten to cover the cradle.

  “Ah, hell.” His father took out a handkerchief and blotted his eyes.

  Colin set his hand on his father’s shoulder. He could feel his father shaking.

  The marquess blew his nose and exhaled. “After all these years, I didn’t expect it would still have the power to wound me.”

  “I understand,” Colin said.

  “I’ve seen enough. Faraday can explore on his own when he arrives.”

  They went downstairs and waited more than an hour in the study.

  “I expect he isn’t interested enough,” the marquess said. “We might as well depart.”

  Colin pulled the drapes closed over the window. They walked out into the great hall just as the clatter of wheels and horse hooves sounded.

  “Seems he saw fit to make an appearance.” The marquess folded his handkerchief and put it away.

  The knocker rapped. “I’ll see him in,” Colin said.

  He expected a vulgar bumped up chit, but the man before him was young and well dressed. Faraday was clearly a gentleman.

  “Please come in,” he said. “I’m Ravenshire.”

  The marquess met him. “Faraday.”

  “I beg your pardon,” Faraday said. “I was delayed by the unexpected arrival of the doctor. My wife is in expectation of a happy event, and I grew concerned when she complained of pains, but the doctor said it wasn’t unusual. It is too early…Well, that’s probably more than you wanted to know, but I do apologize for the delay. First-time father jitters.”

  “I understand,” the marquess said, walking through the hall again. “I’ll leave you to have a look over the house again. The study is just off that corridor,” he said, pointing. “Meet my son and me there when you’re done.”


  Faraday bowed and went off to explore.

  Colin sat in a chair before the desk. His father took the chair beside him. “Faraday is having trouble making up his mind. I suggested he bring his wife this time. Women always know what they want, but obviously she wasn’t well enough to attend him.”

  “The second visit probably means he will choose this one over the other,” Colin said.

  “We shall see,” the marquess said. “Of course, you still have time to choose a bride and make the property yours.”

  Colin said nothing, but he was dispirited. In a short time, he’d become attached to Sommerall. He would probably always associate the time he’d spent here with Angeline. He wished that they could spend one more day here, but they couldn’t. It had ended all too soon.

  Feeling restless, he rose and walked over to the tall bookshelves, but he wasn’t in the mood to read.

  “You are welcome to any that interest you,” the marquess said.

  “I’ll look them over before Faraday takes possession.”

  “It’s not an inevitable conclusion,” the marquess said.

  Colin figured the man had already decided to make the purchase and was only having one more look before making his decision. Then he would have to either persuade Angeline to marry him or his father would sell the property when the six weeks were up.

  Fifteen minutes later, he rose again, walked to the window, and nudged the drapes open. It was a clear day, but he couldn’t see the mausoleum from this vantage point.

  Footsteps alerted him. He turned as Faraday stepped inside and bowed.

  The marquess rose. “Well, have you decided?”

  Colin’s heart raced, knowing what was to come, but he held his breath anyway.

  “I’ll have one more look at the other property,” Faraday said. “You will have my decision soon.” He paused and said, “I understand that it will not be available for six weeks.”

  The marquess cleared his throat. “Very well, Faraday. I hope this is the last delay.”