A Scandalous Past (Regency Romance, Book 4) (28 page)

Her mother shook her head with disapproval.
“You are too reckless and willful for your own good!”

Brendan tensed next to her. “Then think how
fortunate you are to have her off your hands, Lady Avery.”

“I would have expected better from you, my
lord,” she shot back. “You saw fit to send a letter to Lord
Astwick, but neither of you thought to send one to me? I was beside
myself with worry.”

“Haversham told us what happened,” Russell
offered quietly from his corner. “So we weren’t
that
worried.”

“I wrote a letter. In Stamford,” Cordie
protested. “And it was a very good letter. Clayworth read it
himself.”

“Indeed,” Brendan stiffly added from her
side. “We sent both letters from the inn. Cordie’s letter to you
and mine to Astwick.”

Her mother went on as if she hadn’t heard a
word. “Then we arrived here, and—” she humphed indignantly— “well,
my lord, if I’d had any inkling of the sort of household you run,
I’d have never let you near my daughter.”

“Mother!” Gregory hissed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Brendan
asked, sliding forward in his seat, leveling her with his iciest
glare.

“It means, sir,” Lady Avery began, her
shrill voice echoing off the walls, “that you have some bastard
child running around this place and that sister of yours is… Well,
I don’t even know
what
to call her.”

Cordie cringed. Her mother was the most
cruel of any person she’d ever met. Brendan didn’t deserve this
treatment. All he’d done was rescue her from her own folly.

The blood drained from Brendan’s face, and
Cordie placed her hand on his back, wishing them both away from her
family. “Madam,” he clipped out. “I’ll have your bags packed and
you can be on your way.”

Lady Avery leapt from her seat, glaring at
him. “The sooner, the better.” Then she turned her eyes on Cordie.
“I always knew you’d end up ruined. I take no pleasure from being
right.”

“Or you could leave now, and I’ll have your
bags sent after you,” Brendan suggested with a sneer.

His wife’s three brothers gaped at him, and
Brendan rubbed his brow, hoping to stave off a headache. He
probably should have held his temper better, but the acidic words
that spewed from the woman’s mouth made it impossible for him to
keep his control. For her to speak so disparagingly about Thomas
and Rose and then Cordie—he couldn’t sit back and listen to it. If
she was a man, he’d have throttled her.

The brother he’d never met before, which
meant he
had
to be Lord Avery, pushed his wire-rimmed
glasses up his nose. “Well, good for you, Clayworth. Someone should
have said that a long time ago.”

Then the two officers roared with laughter.
“I’ve never seen her turn quite that shade of purple,” Lieutenant
Avery chortled.

“Or speechless,” Captain Avery added, though
he tried to bring his merriment under control.

“It’s hardly a laughing matter,” Cordie
chastised her brothers, looking from one to the others. “How could
you bring her here?”

Lord Avery shook his head. “You don’t
honestly think
we
brought her here, do you? She’d already
trapped these two in her clutches before abducting me from
Pappelwick. I think my ears are still bleeding from her wailing the
whole journey.”

Captain Avery grinned. “Yes, we had to rush
out here, to make sure you were safe, Cordie.”

Brendan’s jaw clenched.
Make sure she was
safe
. Where were these big strapping men when Lady Avery was
taking her frustrations out on Cordie? So the captain and
lieutenant were abroad, but what was Gregory Avery’s excuse?

“Well, as you can see, I am perfectly safe
and
legally married,” she replied tartly. “So, love you all
as I do, there is no reason for you to stay. Do have a nice trip
back.”

Lieutenant Avery chuckled. “You do need to
work on your hostess skills, sis. I’m starting to feel
unwanted.”

“Are you saying I should be more cordial to
my
uninvited
guests?”

When her brothers dissolved into another
peal of laughter, Brendan calculated the odds of his wife being
furious with him if he murdered the trio. He somehow thought she
might be a bit miffed. Instead, he cleared his throat and leveled
Captain Avery with a firm stare. After all, the middle brother did
seem to be the most serious of the group. “If Cordie’s letter
didn’t make it to Avery House, what’s the word about Town?”

“Am I ruined?” Cordie asked quietly beside
him.

The captain shook his head. “Ah, well, Lord
Astwick has taken care of that situation. The fellow does have an
imagination. Every female in Town is enchanted by his flowery
version of your great love story, complete with a spontaneous
elopement. Of course, the men would like a word with you for making
them all look bad.”

Lieutenant Avery added, “And then there’s
Brookfield. He’s furious, says you stole Cordie from him.”

Captain Avery snorted. “Please. He’s an
opium eater. No one pays any attention to him.”

Brendan frowned at the statement. He hadn’t
heard that about the viscount, but now that the captain mentioned
it, the viscount did seem odd. He’d had the look of a desperate man
when he’d proposed to Cordie on the steps of Avery House, and his
eyes didn’t quite seem right. At the time, Brendan had only focused
on his outlandish behavior. It was indeed fortunate he’d come
across Cordie that particular day before Brookfield got his hands
on her. The man wasn’t even in his right mind.

“An opium eater?” Cordie asked, her green
eyes wide.

Captain Avery nodded.  “I’ve seen the
look on countless soldiers’ faces. They start on the stuff in army
hospitals for pain, and then it starts to become something else.
I’m not sure what started Brookfield on his course, but I know an
eater when I see one.”

“But everyone else is appeased?” Brendan
asked? He’d owe Astwick the rest of his life for pulling this
off.

“What about Haversham?” Cordie asked,
causing Brendan to scowl. What did she care what that bastard
thought? “Has he said anything?”

Her brothers’ smiles vanished instantly. At
least they were all of a mind about Haversham. The lieutenant sat
forward in his seat, glaring at his sister. “You’re lucky Clayworth
got to you first. I don’t even know what I would have done to
you.”

“He was right out of his mind,” the captain
confirmed. “Scared the devil out of poor Miss Greywood. I’ve never
seen Tris so furious. Poor girl was shaking like a leaf by the time
he was through with her.”

“What did you do to Phoebe?” Cordie
demanded.

Lieutenant Avery scoffed. “Nothing she
didn’t deserve. Annoying little twit. Helping you take off like
that. Her brother ought to keep a better eye on her.”

The room fell silent, as all three Avery men
realized
they
should have kept a better eye on their sister.
But for once, Brendan was glad they hadn’t. If things had been
different, he might never have convinced Cordie to marry him. The
ineptitude of the brothers Avery had been a blessing in
disguise.

Still there was the matter of the letters.
Lady Avery would probably not speak with him, so he’d have to deal
with the baron.  That was probably better anyway. He wasn’t
certain he could contain his fury with his mother-in-law for even
the smallest amount of time. “I am assuming you’re Lord Avery,” he
said to the dark haired fellow with green eyes hidden behind wire-
rimmed glasses.

The man blushed and rushed forward with his
hand outstretched. “My apologies, Clayworth. How unforgivably rude.
Gregory Avery, your humble servant. I can’t thank you enough
for…well, for saving Cordie from her own recklessness.”

His wife stiffened at his side, so Brendan
took her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. “It was my
pleasure. I would like a moment of your time however, Lord Avery. I
have something of a sensitive nature I need to discuss with
you.”

“Of course.”

Brendan stood, then eyed the two officers
with his sternest look. “If either of you leave my wife alone with
that
woman, I’ll have your heads.”

The two exchanged identical looks of
surprise. “Bit overprotective,” Captain Avery replied. “What do you
think mother’s going to do?”

He’d rather not think about the answer to
that question, and he darkened his scowl. “Do I have your word to
keep Cordie in your sight?”

“Brendan, that’s not necessary,” she
whispered.

But it was necessary. He hated leaving her
himself, but he’d rather deal with Lord Avery in private. Cordie
didn’t need to know the particulars. “Captain? Lieutenant?” He
waited until both officers answered in the affirmative before he
led Lord Avery to his study.

The baron tried to relieve the tension by
trying to explain that their mother meant well, and she’d just been
worried about Cordie’s wellbeing. Brendan barely paid attention to
the man’s words, though he did get the impression Lord Avery felt
his mother was harmless. Now was not the time to dispel his
thoughts on the subject. At the moment he’d rather not alienate the
man, since he needed his assistance. There would be plenty of time
in the future to go down that particular road.

He offered his brother-in-law a glass of
whiskey when they entered his study, then poured one for himself
before sliding into the seat behind his mahogany desk.

“This is about the dowry?” Gregory Avery
asked, before taking a swallow of whiskey.

Dowry? That hadn’t even crossed his mind
until now. He’d be glad to forgo that for his mother’s letters. He
had no need of her money. “No.” Brendan shook his head. “I know
you’re aware of my previous marriage,” he began.

Lord Avery blanched. “Oh, God.” He placed
his glass on the edge of Brendan’s desk, squeezed his eyes shut ran
a hand through his dark hair.

Well, it was obvious the baron was familiar
with the topic of conversation. The rest should be easy. Certainly
Avery wouldn’t want his sister’s life to be turned upside down from
the contents of the letters. Brendan slid forward in his seat.
“Well, about that—”

“I didn’t know you knew,” Lord Avery said
with a wince.

Of course he knew. His wife had taunted him
with their existence. “Marina didn’t exactly make a secret of
it.”

Apparently unable to remain seated, the
baron stood and paced around the room. “I-I… Oh, God!” The man
sounded positively tortured.

“There’s no reason for all this, Avery. I
just want what’s mine.”

The baron stopped in his tracks and the
color slowly drained from his face. “Are you going to make Cordie
suffer because of me?”

It was now obvious they weren’t talking
about the same thing, though Brendan wasn’t quite certain what the
topic was at the moment. He frowned at his brother-in-law. “Why
would I do that?”

“To punish me,” the baron answered quickly.
“But I’ve been suffering for years, Clayworth. I lost her, and I
lost my child for God’s sake. Isn’t that enough? Cordie shouldn’t
be made to pay the price for my indiscretions.”

Brendan’s mind raced, trying to make sense
of Gregory Avery’s blathering. Until he hit on the answer, or at
least suspected he had a fairly good idea of what the young baron
was talking about. He suddenly felt sick. Gregory Avery was the
father of Marina’s child, or at least he thought he was. The answer
was clear as day. Lord Avery thought he wanted to berate him for
his past with Marina. 

Brendan heaved a sigh. At least he was on
the right trail.
The lion holds your secrets
, Marina had
said. Gregory Avery was the head of his family. His crest was a
roaring lion. Marina had given the letters to her lover for
safe-keeping.
Gregory Avery was the lion
. “All I want,
Avery, are my mother’s letters. Return them to me and all is
forgiven.”

The man gaped at him. “What letters?”

What letters
?

Brendan shook his head as irritation flooded
him. Did this man intend to play him for a fool? More of a fool
than he’d already played him for? He clenched his jaw and slowly
rose from his seat, keeping his eyes leveled on his brother-in-law
all the while. “I’m in no mood for games, Avery. I know Marina gave
you letters that belonged to my mother and I want them back. Where
are they? London? Nottinghamshire?”

The man shook his head, staring at him in
bewilderment. “Marina never gave me any letters, Clayworth. She
never gave me anything,” he replied sadly.

Brendan clutched the corner of his desk.
Damn if the man didn’t look sincere. But it didn’t make any sense.
Avery was the lion
. Avery was her lover. Who else would she
have given the letters to? Had she hidden them somewhere? “Where
did your…liaisons take place with my wife?”

Gregory Avery gulped nervously. “I—We…
Marina always came to me at Rufford Hall. It started when she would
visit Eleanor, but over the years after Ellie was gone, she’d come
under the ruse of visiting mother and Cordie.”

Dear God! Brendan winced.
Not
Lady
Avery. “If she didn’t give the letters to you, then she gave them
to your mother. I need them.”

His brother-in-law narrowed his eyes. “Why?
What’s in them?”

Brendan stared at Gregory Avery and he
clamped his mouth shut. He’d never spoken the awful words aloud to
anyone, not his friends, not Cordie, not even to himself.  He
certainly couldn’t say it to one of the men who’d cuckolded
him.  “Because they’re mine,” he growled. “And I think you’ve
taken quite enough from me, don’t you?”

“I—I,” Lord Avery stuttered, then he squared
his shoulders. “Look, Clayworth, I know I was in the wrong. I’ve
told myself over the years that, because I loved her and you
didn’t, that it was all right. I suppose God will decide that in
the end. But putting my past indiscretions aside, if you’re
involved with something nefarious, something that could hurt my
sister, I have a right to know.”