The Regency Season: Ruined Reputations

Chapter Ten

‘You will do as your uncle wished!’

‘I don’t see why I must.’ Stella Rawlings had been pouting at her reflection while fixing a garnet to a small earlobe. Now she swivelled on the dressing stool to give her aunt a sulky look. ‘I’m becoming popular and I’d sooner have my pick of the bachelors than have a husband chosen for me.’ She stood up and approached the mantelpiece to sort through invitations, selecting one. ‘See...the Rutherfords want us to join them in their box at the opera.’

Idly, she waved the parchment. The Rutherfords were close to the heart of the ton and every chaperon wanted her ward to have their patronage.

Apart from Maggie Monk.

The woman stomped closer, snatching the card from Stella’s fingers and tossing it back whence it came. ‘The only reason you’re in demand, my girl, is because you’ve drawn attention from every randy fellow in Mayfair. Bertram Rutherford is rumoured to have at least five bastards.’

Stella flounced to sit on the stool, head tilted to one side while she playfully flicked the eardrop. She’d sooner have had rubies, but at least Colin had bought her a gift to mark the announcement of their betrothal. She twisted the garnet ring on her finger. She’d sooner have had a ruby engagement ring too...but mostly she craved a magnificent diamond...from Hugh Kendrick...

Her grey eyes lifted to her reflection, assessing her features. She knew she wasn’t a conventional beauty: her small snub nose was littered with freckles and her full mouth had a natural droop that made her look dissatisfied even when she wasn’t. She twirled a ringlet about a finger, wishing her hair were golden-blonde rather than flame-red, but gentlemen liked her generous bosom and curvy hips; they also appreciated her brazenness, even if their wives didn’t.

So, in all, Stella Rawlings was satisfied with her looks and the way things were going since she’d arrived in town. She just wished her aunt would accept that Sir Colin should be kept dangling in reserve...just in case she failed to hook a gentleman with a good deal more to offer than a minor title and a modest country estate.

‘Did you hear what I said, miss?’ Maggie exploded when Stella continued simpering at her reflection. ‘You are making a fool of yourself, flirting with every gentleman who ogles you. Lord Whitley is over sixty and yet I thought at one point you were about to sit on his knee, so close did you get to his chair.’

‘The old goat would have liked that,’ Stella snorted, planting her hands on the dresser and pushing herself to her feet once more.

‘Maybe...but his wife would not. You do not irk somebody as important as Lady Whitley at her own soirée.’

‘Why ever not?’ Stella piped up. ‘Her husband will ensure she asks me again.’

‘How do you know that?’ Maggie snapped.

‘Because he assured me of it.’

‘I imagine Lord Whitley’s assured plenty of girls of plenty of things, and none of it came to pass.’

‘Oh...hush, Auntie.’ Stella changed tack, embracing Maggie to sweeten her temper. ‘I’m just enjoying myself and I wish you’d be happy for me.’

Maggie gave a mollified sniff. ‘I’ll be happy when your fiancé adds a gold band to that garnet ring. Your uncle Donald wanted you to be quickly wed to Sir Colin so your future would be secure and you’d be a titled lady. We must set the date without delay.’

‘I don’t want to just yet,’ Stella insisted sulkily. ‘There are better titles going begging than his.’ She noticed her aunt’s expression darkening so added, ‘But if I do want Sir Colin I’ll keep him...don’t worry your head about that.’

Stella felt confident she had her fiancé wound about her little finger, and all it had taken was a sly glimpse of her shapely calves. She’d schemed to give him a taste of what she could offer but hadn’t wanted Sir Colin to think her a little trollop, so had pretended to be unaware of him entering the parlour at the very moment she’d been adjusting a garter.

His fulsome apology for intruding had not been able to disguise the burst of lust in his eyes. The following day Sir Colin had presented her with the gift of garnet eardrops. Stella’s lips knotted in ruefulness. She should have raised her skirts higher that afternoon...she might then have got the rubies she wanted.

Maggie shook her head in a mix of despair and appreciation, watching Stella sorting through her jewellery box. The eardrops were removed and a different set, bought by a previous admirer, tried on. She’d received that gift of oval amethysts from a besotted old coal merchant in York.

Maggie knew Stella was still a virgin, so Sir Colin had no quibble there. But the girl was adept at getting cash spent on her while preserving the goods. She could understand why Stella wanted more than Colin Burnett could give. But only he could give what Maggie Monk was determined Stella would get...so the girl was marrying him and no other.

* * *

‘You must come and stay with us in London and let Hugh see that you don’t care a fig for him and he’ll never force you to be his mistress.’

Before joining her husband in town Elise had decided to have a final attempt at persuading Bea to fight her corner. She had packed up and left Blackthorne Hall and was en route to Mayfair via her childhood home, where she had stayed the night with her family.

‘I’m sure Mr Kendrick knows he can’t intimidate me.’ Bea smiled, despite feeling a fraud. The dratted man’s name, even an annoying phantom feeling of his body still pressing against hers, was enough to dry her mouth. But she continued with the task of folding clean linen brought in from the washing line as though undisturbed by the nature of their conversation.

‘Well, even if you don’t mind Hugh Kendrick bothering you, you must be worried that the gossips in town are having a field-day at your expense.’

Elise hated being so brutal but hoped that resorting to bald facts might galvanise Beatrice into preserving her pride and dignity. Elise was sure that beneath that brave face her sister was understandably deeply wounded by her run of bad luck. She didn’t want Beatrice to become a recluse because of two gentlemen who’d proved they weren’t worthy of her.

It saddened Elise that Hugh’s upturn in fortune seemed to have turned him into a heartless Lothario. She felt a fool for having cherished a hope that Hugh might honourably pursue her sister. But now another problem had gone into the mixing pot: their father had received a lengthy missive from his sister.

Aunt Dolly had reported that tongues were wagging following publication of the doctor’s engagement notice. Inquisitive people had been asking why Sir Colin Burnett favoured a bold hussy, half his age, over her niece. Dolly had made it clear she’d given short shrift to anybody suggesting Beatrice must be distraught by his defection. Dolly had further written that she strongly advised Walter to send Bea to town to scotch such damaging rumours once and for all or his elder girl would be forever pitied and avoided.

‘Aunt Dolly is right, you know.’ Elise pushed the letter across the table so her sister could not help but look at it. Their father had insisted they both read it and discuss if action needed to be taken. ‘Are you going to quash these rumours that you’re hiding away, desolate? Come to Mayfair with me and hold your head high at the best places. That will show them all!’

‘You have not even discussed with your husband about inviting me to stay with you,’ Bea pointed out mildly.

‘Alex always loves to see you, and besides he is quite furious with that rakish—’ Elise bit her tongue. In her enthusiasm to get Bea to London she had almost let slip that her husband’s rage was directed at his best friend rather than Sir Colin Burnett.

Bea frowned. Her sister was now keen to escape her gaze and she could guess why that might be. ‘Oh, please say you haven’t told the viscount that Hugh propositioned me.’ After a tiny silence Bea angrily threw onto the table a half-folded pillowcase.

‘Really, Elise!’ She pushed to her feet. ‘You promised you would not—’

‘I swear I did not betray you!’ Elise interrupted anxiously. ‘Alex could tell I was dreadfully upset after you went home following the funeral and he kept on and on at me for a reason. He thought I might have lost the babe, and that made me even more tearful, so I admitted I was fretting about you. I swear I did not mention Hugh’s name, or the nature of your problem...but Alex guessed in the end, and I confirmed it for I could not lie to him.’

Beatrice pivoted about, white fingers flying to cover her gasp. ‘That’s why Alex went off to London without waiting for you to accompany him!’ she breathed. ‘He’s gone to challenge Hugh over it.’ She could tell from her sister’s forlorn expression that she’d hit on the truth.

‘I honestly did not ask him to, Bea; in fact I tried to make Alex see the sense in calming down before setting off.’

Bea thrust two hands into her silky hair, cupping her scalp. ‘He will think that I acted like a whining child, running to my brother-in-law to complain about him.’

‘Do you care what he thinks?’ Elise asked pithily.

‘Of course not!’ Bea fumed beneath her sister’s arch expression. ‘Well...naturally I do not want him to think me incapable of putting pen to paper to tell him my opinion of him. Neither do I want him believing me cowed. I intended to give the impression that his offer of carte blanche was not worthy of any further attention.’

‘Well, if you don’t want Alex to stand up for you it only remains for you to tell Hugh yourself that his pursuit is most unwelcome and in vain.’ Elise crossed her arms over her middle and sighed. ‘It’ll be sad if Alex and Hugh have fallen out. Hugh can’t be an incorrigible rogue or Alex wouldn’t have been friends with him for so long.’

Bea felt guilty that her brother-in-law might have suffered an unpleasant argument because of her, but she was also exasperated because she’d not asked Alex to champion her.

‘Hugh is probably embarrassed to have overstepped the mark with you, yet won’t admit it. I’ll wager he’s already lined up a more suitable candidate.’

‘If that is supposed to make me feel better, Elise...’ Bea was torn between laughter and annoyance.

‘It is supposed to make you feel like damning the lot of them!’ Elise fell silent as their father entered the room.

‘For a lady, you cuss like a navvy.’ Walter was not averse to chastising his daughters, no matter their ages or the fact that the younger outranked him.

‘Sorry, Papa,’ Viscountess Blackthorne said meekly.

Walter pointed to his sister’s letter, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. ‘So, this woman Sir Colin must marry is a cheap flirt! Hah! Just what he deserves! I’ve a mind to go to town and tell him so!’

‘Why do you not, Papa?’ Elise suggested. She had not thought her father would undertake the journey, but he seemed fired up enough to do it.

‘I might...yes, I might...and while I’m at it I’ll ask the skinflint where my compensation has got to.’

‘Colin has not returned the money you spent on our wedding arrangements?’ Beatrice sat down on the chair opposite her father, looking shocked and concerned.

‘Not all of it,’ Walter confirmed. ‘I would remind the fellow of his promise face to face, as he has ignored my letter.’

* * *

‘So she told you, then...?’ Having voiced this sour response to being hit in the mouth, Hugh touched his bleeding lip. As he picked himself up off his hallway floor he sent his assailant a baleful look

‘She? Are you talking about my wife?’ It was an icy demand.

‘I wasn’t...no...I was talking about Beatrice.’

Alex Blackthorne stalked closer, flexing his sore fingers. He halted on seeing Hugh’s stance altering: his friend was balancing aggressively, preparing to defend himself. Alex might have got in one lucky punch and sent his opponent reeling, but he was certain he wouldn’t manage another. The two men were evenly matched in combat skills and had sparred, fenced and shot at targets together since the age of about twelve.

‘I haven’t seen Beatrice since she went home after the funeral. Elise told me what you’d done. You said you’d leave my sister-in-law alone.’

‘I can’t...’

‘You damn well will!’ Alex thundered. ‘If her father finds out you’ve propositioned her he’ll crawl to town, if necessary, just to shoot you.’

Hugh used the back of his thumb to smear away the blood trickling towards his chin. ‘Don’t tell him, then,’ he said bluntly.

‘That’s it, is it? Don’t tell him?’ Alex mimicked in disgust. He strode to and fro over the marble slabs in Hugh’s palatial hallway. ‘What in damnation’s up with you? You’ve got two willing women set up in London; you’ve got attachments in India you’re not willing to forgo. Still you’re not satisfied!’ Alex roared. ‘How dare you treat Beatrice as though she’s some cheap strumpet—?’

‘I’ve not,’ Hugh coolly interrupted. ‘She can have everything she wants—including all the discretion money can buy.’

‘She can have everything from you but a wedding ring?’

Hugh displayed even white teeth in a soundless laugh. ‘She doesn’t want one.’

That took the wind out of Alex’s sails. He stopped prowling and shot Hugh a dark look. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘She told me she’d sooner be Burnett’s mistress than my wife.’

Alex continued glaring at Hugh but inwardly his attitude altered. If what Hugh had just said were true it put a whole different light on things. Ruining a virgin spinster was one thing; bidding against somebody else for a self-confessed paramour was another matter entirely. He’d done so himself on many occasions before he’d met Elise.

Alex thrust his fingers through his hair in exasperation, unsure now how to proceed. It was none of his business if Beatrice and the doctor had been lovers, or indeed if she’d succumbed to Hugh all those years ago when they’d been besotted with one another. His sister-in-law had made no complaint of having been ravished at any time.

Alex realised he probably owed his friend an apology, and beneath his breath he groaned at the mess of it all.

‘Actually, if we’re going to come to blows over grievances...’ Hugh approached in a single athletic stride and knocked Alex onto his back with an efficient jab. ‘It was my job to tell Beatrice about Rani. How much does she know about my time in India?’

Alex levered himself up onto an elbow. ‘I haven’t even told my wife about that damned web of deceit!’ he bawled out in his defence.

‘If it wasn’t you or Elise who mentioned a foreign liaison—’

‘It’s bound to have got out,’ Alex interrupted harshly. Your brother knows, after all, and so does Lord Mornington.’ Alex dragged himself upright. ‘You got yourself into the confounded mess so you’ll have to suffer the consequences of being so blasted noble...’

‘Drink?’ Hugh invited acidly. A thumb pointing over his shoulder indicated his study, situated along the corridor. He knew they were both feeling foolish for having swung first and asked questions second.

Hugh knew he was wrong for wanting Beatrice in his bed, but if necessary he’d fight his best friend to have her—because just a single memory of her silky lips slipping beneath his, and her moaning response to his ardour, was enough to send tormenting heat to his loins.

‘Promise me you’ll stay away from my sister-in-law and I’ll take a drink with you.’ Alex feared his terms and his olive branch would be rejected.

‘I can’t do that.’ Hugh turned away from his best friend, calling over his shoulder to a footman, who’d remained stoically seated in a shadowy alcove during the fracas, ‘The viscount’s leaving; show him out.’

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