A Winter Scandal (33 page)

“You mean, more than what you learned in the letter?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes. Not just that Jocelyn did not fear or hate him, not just that he isn’t Matthew’s father. He swore that he had never touched the woman whom I was sure he had hurt and compromised. He swore that he had never hit a woman or forced her, and … I believed him. I think … I think perhaps he loved Jocelyn more than I ever realized.”

“But what about the things he said to you when you confronted him? The callous disregard for where Jocelyn had gone?”

“A pretense.” Gabriel shrugged. “That rings true enough. Pride was always Alec’s besetting sin. He was never one to let anyone learn the extent of his injuries, whether they were to his body or his heart. I should have known it at the time. I should not have confronted him like that. He would never back down, never let his weakness show if he was attacked. He would lash out instead—and Rawdon always went for the jugular.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I.” Gabriel looked down at her, his face etched with regret. “I did a terrible thing, Thea. I think Jocelyn broke Rawdon’s heart when she left. And I … I turned on him, too. At a time when he needed a friend the most. I didn’t believe him, didn’t trust him. I assumed he was wicked, not even giving him a chance to explain.”

“You were in pain, as well,” Thea pointed out. “And he could have acted differently. He could have explained himself, answered your questions.”

“Yes. He was proud. I was furious. The result is our friendship was destroyed.”

“Perhaps it can be repaired.”

“I think not. Rawdon is colder, more bitter. And he was never a man who gave his friendship easily. Things change, and one can rarely return.”

Thea slipped her arms around Gabriel’s waist and leaned her head against his chest. The pain inside him, he realized with some surprise, felt eased by her touch. He bent and kissed the top of her head. She was warm and soft in his arms, and immeasurably precious. He wondered what he would feel if she suddenly disappeared, leaving only a note behind, and his insides tightened painfully.

He kissed her again, then stepped back, releasing her reluctantly. “There is something I have to do. Will you forgive me if I do not stay?”

“Of course. Where are you going?”

“To the Priory. I have a few questions I need answered.”

Gabriel found Ian in the
smoking room at the rear of the house. He was relieved to see that his friend was alone. Ian looked up as Gabriel entered, his expression wary, but he relaxed when he saw Gabriel.

“It’s you. Thank God.”

“Who were you expecting?”

“Emily. She has been after me to leave for the Park since Christmas. It was hard to convince her we needed to remain when our host had disappeared.”

“My apologies,” Gabriel answered drily. He closed the door behind him and walked over to where Ian sat.

His friend watched him approach. Ian set the drink he had been sipping down on the low table beside him. “What is it? You look—” Ian stiffened and rose to his feet. “Did you find Jocelyn?”

“No. I have no idea where she is, any more than I have for the last year. I wanted to ask you about something else. Do you remember what you told me, not long after Jocelyn left, about Miss Fortner and Rawdon?”

“Yes.” Ian frowned. “What about it?”

“Are you absolutely certain that it was true?”

Ian’s brows rose in surprise. “What? Of course it’s true. I would not make something like that up. Gabriel, what are you on about?”

“I talked to Rawdon this afternoon. He denied that anything happened between him and Grace Fortner.”

“Well, he would, wouldn’t he? He’s not going to admit that he tried to seduce her and, failing that, tried to force her.”

“I believe him.”

Ian stared at Gabriel. “No. He’s lying; he has to be. You know the kind of fellow he is. He hurt Miss Fortner. He hurt Jocelyn. That was why Jocelyn fled. It must be. Otherwise …” Ian’s voice trailed off.

“Otherwise we have been wrong in blaming Rawdon all this time,” Gabriel finished. “He showed me a letter from Jocelyn, Ian. She asked
him
for forgiveness.”

“What? What did she say?”

“That she wronged him. That she had been deceived. She thought herself in love. I can only assume she meant that she had given herself to this man she was in love with, that he is Matthew’s father.”

“Good God!” Ian stared at Gabriel, thunderstruck.

“Apparently she has been living on the Continent this whole time. But she decided to return. She said she was coming to me for help.”

“Then she
is
here? You said you had not found her.”

“I haven’t. I don’t know where she has gone. But that is what she said to Rawdon in the letter. That is why I have been out searching for her. After he showed me the letter, I was even more certain that Matthew is her child.”

“This is—I don’t know what to say.” Ian passed a hand over his face. “Are you certain the letter was from Jocelyn? Perhaps Rawdon made it up.”

“I read it. It was in her hand. I’ve received hundreds of letters from her; I know her writing well.”

“How can this be? I thought—” Ian’s voice dropped almost to a whisper. “I thought that he had killed her. He was always a cold, hard bastard when he chose. You know that. I thought he got angry with her and hit her, perhaps not even meaning to kill her, but … you know.”

Gabriel nodded. “I know. Sometimes I thought so, too, when she was nowhere to be found.”

Ian dropped heavily into his chair and picked up his glass again, taking a long drink of it.

“Did Miss Fortner herself tell you the story of what Rawdon did?” Gabriel asked.

Ian glanced at him, startled. “I—what does it matter?”

“It matters, Ian. You told me you knew it to be true. I received the impression that Miss Fortner revealed this to you herself. That it was not merely a rumor.”

“It was not a mere rumor!” Ian jumped to his feet, looking agitated. “No, she did not tell me herself, but I was told by someone who would have had no reason to lie.” He frowned. “It involved a woman’s honor; it was too important to have been mere gossip.”

Gabriel sighed. Whatever Ian said, the doubt was clear on his face. Ian had obviously believed what he had told Gabriel, but it had been no more than rumor and gossip. And Gabriel had believed it; he had jumped to believe that Rawdon had wronged his sister. To have believed otherwise, he realized now, would have been to admit that his beloved little sister had simply wanted to leave them. That she was not the innocent victim, but the one who had wronged those who trusted her.

“I can’t believe that Jocelyn—” Ian began, then stopped.

“I know. It is hard. We regarded Jocelyn too much as the little girl we had known and not a fully grown woman.”

Ian nodded and sat down again, picking up his now empty glass. “I think I’ll have another of these.”

“I believe I will join you.”

Thea went to Damaris’s house
the next afternoon to pick up her gown for the party. The snow from Christmas had all melted away, but a bitter chill was in the wind, and Thea was glad that she had left Matthew at home with his nursemaid. Damaris’s house was still a beehive of activity, though it was now aimed more at decorating than at cleaning. As Thea followed Damaris up the stairs to try on the dress the maid had altered, Thea noticed that the servants were all whispering to each other as they worked.

When she asked Damaris about the low buzz of chatter, Damaris glanced at Thea in surprise. “Have you not heard? I thought nothing got past Mrs. Brewster.”

“It rarely does, but I was busy at the church today, and I haven’t really talked to her. Has something happened?”

“Apparently a number of people have seen a strange man lurking about the village the last day or two. The apothecary’s wife said she saw a stranger in her garden two or three days ago, but …” Damaris shrugged.

“Mrs. Foster has an active imagination,” Thea supplied.

“Exactly. But Mr. Gilchrist also looked out the window as he went to bed and saw a stranger walking past. It created a bit of a stir, though my opinion was that the butcher was right in saying it was probably only a peddler passing through. But this morning, not one but two different people reported seeing a man last night. I would discount it as hysteria, frankly, except that my own housekeeper was one of those who saw him.”

“What? You mean here?” Thea felt a leap of alarm. She could not help but think of the man who had taken Matthew from his bed, and she had to fight back an urge to run back to the vicarage to make sure Matthew was safe. After all, it was daylight and several people were watching over the baby, including the sturdy guard supplied by Gabriel. Matthew would be fine.

“Yes. I did not see him, but Mrs. Clemmons did, and she is a most phlegmatic woman, not the sort given to fits and starts. She said he was in the back garden, and he slipped through the hedge and was gone when she came out of the house, shouting and wielding her broom.”

Thea had to chuckle. “I would have slipped away, too.”

As they talked, Thea had pulled off her dress, and Damaris’s maid had dropped the remade gown over Thea’s head. Now, the maid fastened it up the back, and Thea turned to look at herself.

“Oh.” She let out a quiet sigh of satisfaction. The ball gown was even lovelier than she had thought it would be. With the bodice taken in to suit her more modest curves and the hem lowered slightly to compensate for her extra inches of height, the dress suited her perfectly. She turned this way and that, admiring the way the jewel-like tones of the dress caught the light. “Damaris, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“The dress isn’t all that is beautiful,” Damaris assured her with a smile. “It looks much better on you than it ever did on me, and I am so happy to see you looking as you deserve.”

Thea did not linger long at Damaris’s house. She knew that Damaris doubtless had a number of things to do to prepare for the party the next day, and Thea was eager to get home and reassure herself that Matthew was all right. It was all very well to say that ample people were looking after him, but until she could look at him and hold him herself, she could not help but worry about the man who had been seen in the village. After the kidnapping incident, the presence of a stranger here seemed far too coincidental.

One of the maids folded the red ball gown and put it in a box for Thea to carry home, and she set out for her house, thoughts of the stranger occupying her mind. She wondered whether she should send the footman over to the Priory to tell Gabriel of the news from the village. Gabriel usually came to call at some point during the day, but she could not help but feel a sense of urgency.

“Lolly?” She walked into the house, and her sense of alarm heightened when she found the kitchen empty. “Lolly?”

Thea hurried into the hallway and stopped, letting out a sigh of relief as she saw Lolly coming down the stairs, holding Matthew. Peter sat at the foot of the steps, waiting for them. He popped up as soon as he saw Thea, offering her a bow.

“Miss.”

“Hello, Peter. Lolly. There’s my boy.” Thea smiled, setting the box down on the hall table and stretching out her hands to the baby. With a grin, Matthew dove into her arms, and Thea laughed. She glanced at Lolly. “How has he been?”

“A bit fussy. I think he’s starting to teethe, miss.”

“Really?”

“Aye. Look at his gums.” Lolly pulled down his lip, pointing to the lower gum, where a bit of white showed through.

“A tooth!” Thea grinned and lifted the baby’s chubby hand to kiss. “Well, aren’t you the little man?”

Lolly offered to take up the dress box to Thea’s room while Thea played with Matthew. Thea went into the sitting room, where she spent the next half hour sitting on the rug and entertaining Matthew with games of peekaboo, singing, and patty-cake. Later, after Lolly had returned and whisked Matthew off for a snack, Thea went upstairs to put away her dress. Lolly had taken the gown out of the box and spread it out on the bed. Thea smiled at the sight of it. She could not help but wonder what Gabriel would say when he saw her in it. Carefully, she folded it up and put it away in the dresser. Turning, she started toward her secretary, stopping when she almost stepped on a square of white on the floor. She bent down and picked up the piece of paper.

It was folded, with a red wax seal holding it closed. On the other side, in uneven block letters was written
LORD MORECOMBE
.

Thea stared at the writing, her heart slamming in her chest. Turning, she ran out into the hall. “Peter! Peter!”

The footman came running through the door to the kitchen while Thea was still on the stairs. “Miss! What is it?”

“Have you seen this? Did you see anyone leave this in my room?”

“No, miss.” Behind him, Lolly came out of the kitchen door. Her eyes big, she shook her head, as well.

“I’ll sit with Lolly and the baby,” Thea said, coming the rest of the way down the stairs and going over to lock the front door. “Peter, you run over to the Priory and tell Lord Morecombe that someone came into the house and left a note for him. Tell him I need him.”

Eighteen

T
hea locked the kitchen door,
as well, after Peter left and sat down across from Lolly and the baby, the sealed note on the table before her. It seemed an eternity before she heard the sound of a horse’s hooves on the road outside, but she knew it had been little more than thirty minutes. She ran to the door to look out, and seeing Gabriel tying his horse to the fence, she flung open the door and rushed out to meet him.

Gabriel vaulted lightly over the low iron fence and scooped Thea up in a hug, which she later realized would have been scandalous had there been anyone on the road to see it, but at that moment, she did not care for anything except that Gabriel was there.

“What is it? What happened?” He turned and walked with her to the kitchen, his arm still around her shoulders. “Peter said someone had come into the house?”

“Yes. I don’t know how or when, but they must have. I went to call on Damaris this afternoon, and when I returned, I found a letter on the floor of my bedroom. It was addressed to you. I am positive it was not there when I left.”

“Did you see anyone come in, Lolly?” Gabriel asked.

“No, sir.” The nursemaid shook her head. “I don’t know how anyone could come in without one of us seeing. I was up and down the stairs a lot with Master Matthew. And Peter was down here in the hall, sir, like he always is, where he can see anyone what comes in the kitchen or the front.”

Gabriel nodded. “That is what Peter said, as well.”

“I was only gone for an hour or so,” Thea said, thinking back. “I went to my room right before I left, and I would swear the note was not in the room then. But it was there when I went upstairs after I came home. Lolly, did you see it when you took the box up there?”

“Box? What box?” Gabriel asked.

Thea could not keep from smiling a little to herself. “Nothing important. Just something I brought back from Damaris’s house.”

“I didn’t see any note, miss. It was on the floor?”

Thea nodded. “It was between my bed and the window; you wouldn’t necessarily have noticed it unless you walked around the side of the bed.” She frowned and let out a sigh. “Perhaps it could have been there before I left. I cannot remember whether I was in that side of the room. But I
know
it was not there when I awoke this morning. It has to have been left there sometime today. Perhaps it was earlier when I was at the church.”

“Well, let’s see what it says.” Gabriel glanced toward the table. “Is that it?” He started forward.

“Do you think it’s that man, miss?” Lolly asked. “The one everybody’s talking about?”

“Man? What man?” Gabriel stopped and turned to look at the girl. “Why is everyone talking about him?”

Between them, Lolly and Thea related the various stories of the stranger seen by the residents of Chesley the past few days. Lolly’s version was somewhat more dramatic. Gabriel looked toward Thea, his brow raised, and she nodded.

“I know it sounds a bit … fanciful, perhaps, but Damaris said that her housekeeper had seen him, too, and that she is a most unfanciful person. Damaris has no doubt that the woman was telling the truth.”

“The devil!” Gabriel scowled. “Do you think it’s the kidnapper?”

“That is what I thought, as well. I don’t know. But it certainly seems suspicious.”

Gabriel picked up the square of paper from the table and examined the front. “It looks like a child wrote this. And it is in pencil, not ink.”

“Not a lettered person, I’d say,” Thea offered.

He broke open the seal and looked down at the signature, letting out a soft oath. “It’s from Hannah! Jocelyn’s maid.”

“That woman is like a ghost! She seems to appear and disappear at will.”

Gabriel nodded as he scanned the letter. “She wants me to come to Mrs. Howard’s party tomorrow evening.”

“What? How does she know about that?”

“I have no idea—no more so than how she manages to be everywhere and yet no one sees her.”

“Why would she sneak in here to urge you to come to the party?”

“There’s a bit more. She says that she must see me and ‘explain all,’ whatever that may mean. She says she is frightened and she begs my help. Then she asks me to come to the party, and she says she will meet me there.”

“Nothing about your sister? Or the baby?”

Gabriel shook his head and held out the letter to Thea. “See for yourself.”

She took the proffered note and read it. It was as disappointingly brief as Gabriel had said. “What will you do?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Go to the party and hope that she contacts me. I know of nothing else. Do you?”

Thea shook her head. “No. I fear not.”

“I hate that someone was able to get into your room unnoticed,” Gabriel went on. “I am going to send another servant over, in addition to Peter.”

“Gabriel, no, that isn’t necessary. I will make sure the doors remain locked during the day as well. We had been locking them only at night. I did not dream anyone would be bold enough to come in during the daylight hours, with several people in the house.”

“But someone was.”

“I know, but I will keep the doors locked now.”

“Good. I still want the men here. They can take shifts, so that one is awake at all times.” Gabriel stepped forward and placed his hands on Thea’s arms. “Please, Thea. Allow me to do this. I cannot take you and Matthew home where I can guard the two of you myself, so let me do what I can.”

Thea looked up at him, seeing the warmth and concern in his eyes. “Very well. Although what Daniel will say, I cannot imagine.”

“I am sure he will be happy to know his sister is protected.” Gabriel smiled, and she knew that he was thinking about kissing her.

Giving him a warning look, she stepped back, though she could not keep from smiling back at him. She cast a glance over at Lolly, who was watching them as though she were the audience at a play. Thea turned back to Gabriel, assuming a more formal role. “Thank you for your help, my lord.”

“You are most welcome.” Gabriel winked at her, but swept her an elegant bow. “Miss Bainbridge, may I have the pleasure of escorting you to Mrs. Howard’s party tomorrow evening?”

Thea gave him a regal nod. “You may.”

“You are as kind as you are lovely.” He took her hand and lightly kissed it. “I must leave. I have business to attend to. But I will look forward to tomorrow evening with great anticipation.”

Thea walked Gabriel to the door and locked it behind him. She turned back to Lolly, who grinned at her unabashedly. Thea had the feeling that their little charade of formality had not fooled the girl one bit.

The girl heaved a romantic sigh and said, “Your man’s a grand gentleman, miss.”

Thea started to point out that Gabriel was not her man, but she did not. She could allow herself to dream for a day or two, couldn’t she? “Yes. He is a very grand gentleman.”

Gabriel strode into the inn
a few minutes later. The proprietor hastened forward to greet him. “My lord. Good evening, good evening. Would you care for something to eat? A glass of brandy, perhaps?”

“Is Lord Rawdon in?”

The innkeeper stiffened apprehensively. “My lord, my inn is a very quiet establishment …”

“Don’t worry. I am not here to start a row. I want only a moment’s conversation.”

“Of course. Of course.” Hornsby did not look entirely certain, but he led Gabriel down the hall to a private sitting area. Opening the door, he spoke to someone inside, then stepped back and bowed to Gabriel, ushering him inside.

As the innkeeper backed out of the room, closing the door behind him, Rawdon rose from a chair by the fire. “Morecombe.”

Gabriel nodded. “Good of you to see me.” He paused, but could think of no easy way to broach the subject. “I am here to ask a favor of you.” Rawdon’s brows rose slightly, but Gabriel pressed on. “I realize I have no reason to expect such from you.” Gabriel smiled faintly. “I must pin my hopes on your good nature. Or perhaps upon your sense of curiosity.”

Rawdon did not smile, but something softened at the corners of his eyes. “Indeed. Well, you have already piqued that. What is the favor?”

“My sister had a maid named Hannah.”

“Yes, I recall. She accompanied Jocelyn when she went for a walk.”

“Do you remember how she looked?”

“Yes. Short, light brown hair, a bit rabbity.” Rawdon frowned slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“Apparently she is in Chesley.”

“The maid? Have you seen her? Talked to her?”

“I have seen her.” Briefly Gabriel described spotting Hannah on the street and giving chase, only to find she had disappeared. “And today, Miss Bainbridge found this letter in her house, addressed to me.” Gabriel pulled the note from his pocket and handed it to the other man.

Rawdon read the letter and looked up at Gabriel. “What is this about? Why is she here?”

“You know as much, or more accurately, as little as I do.” Gabriel refolded the note and stuck it in his pocket.

“Do you think Jocelyn is with her?”

“I don’t know. I still have not seen nor heard from her. This note is as close as I have come to her. I hope that if I can find Hannah and talk to her, I can at least find out where Jocelyn is.”

“What do you want from me?”

“To come to the Twelfth Night party tomorrow night at Mrs. Howard’s house. I believe she invited you.”

“She did.” One corner of Rawdon’s mouth curled up in wry amusement. “Not perhaps an entirely enthusiastic invitation, but she did indeed ask.”

“It’s a masque ball, so everyone’s face will be partly concealed. I would like an extra pair of eyes—and, perhaps, an extra pair of fists. She is frightened of someone. There have been rumors of a stranger loitering about the village.”

“The man who took the child?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Perhaps. I am walking into this whole affair blind.”

“Very well.”

If Gabriel was surprised by Rawdon’s easy agreement, he did not show it. He simply nodded. “Thank you. I will see you there tomorrow evening.”

“Tell me one thing,” Rawdon said as Gabriel turned to go, and Gabriel swung back to face him. “Why did you ask me? Why not one of your friends?”

“Because right now, you are the only man I am certain of.”

“Oh, miss!” Lolly let out
a long sigh as she stepped back from buttoning Thea’s gown. “You look beautiful, you do.”

Thea smiled as she took a slow turn around, examining herself in the mirror. With Lolly’s help, she had done her hair in an artful arrangement of curls, and her dress glowed against her skin in the candlelight.

Matthew, crawling on the floor, headed for the hem of Thea’s dress, and Lolly swooped down on him. “Oh, no, you don’t, Master Matthew.” She swung him up to a burst of giggles.

Thea turned and leaned forward to kiss the baby on the cheek and run her hand over his soft curls. “Promise you will watch him closely tonight, Lolly.”

“I won’t take my eyes off him, miss. Peter will check my room before bed, and after that, he promised to make his bed in the hall across the doorway. The new man is going to stand watch downstairs in the hall.”

“Good.” Thea smiled and murmured a good-bye to Matthew, giving him a final light kiss.

Lolly carried the baby out of the room and Thea returned for a last look in the mirror. It was perfect … well, almost perfect. She could not help but think how well the earrings Gabriel had given her would suit the dress. Opening the top drawer of her dresser, she pulled out the box. The golden earrings glowed against the black velvet background, the garnets twinkling in the candlelight. She pulled one out and held it up to her ear. And her internal argument was over.

She slipped the earrings into her earlobes and turned her head from side to side, studying the effect. They were the finishing touch, the last little bit of perfection. And, really, what did it matter if it was improper to accept them from Gabriel? She had done things with Gabriel that were a great deal more improper. The thought of the look in Gabriel’s eyes when he saw her wearing his gift was simply more than she could refuse.

No one need know, anyway, where the earrings had come from. She did not plan to volunteer the information, and hopefully no one would be rude enough to ask outright. If someone did, she would … well, she would simply lie. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t lied hundreds of times to the parishioners. After all, she had assured Mrs. Templeton that her singing voice was beautiful, and Thea had sworn that the Thompson baby was handsome; it would be hard to find two more egregious bouncers than those.

She heard the knock on the front door, and a moment later the deep timbre of Gabriel’s voice as he greeted Mrs. Brewster. Thea took a deep breath, picked up her mask, fan, and gloves, and started down the stairs. Gabriel was standing in the entry, chatting with Daniel, as Thea came down the stairs. He turned at the sound of her footsteps and looked up.

The expression on his face was everything she had hoped it would be.

“Thea.” The word was little more than a breath as he came to the bottom of the steps, gazing up at her.

Thea beamed, unaware of how her face lit up. Gabriel reached up his hand as she came to the last few steps, and Thea took it. His fingers tightened on hers, telling her, as did his eyes, the things he could not say in front of her brother.

“You are a vision,” he told her, bowing over her hand and lightly brushing his lips across it.

Thea caught sight of Daniel, behind Gabriel, goggling at her in amazement, and she let out a giggle of sheer happiness. “Thank you, Lord Morecombe.”

“Only one thing could make you even lovelier.” Gabriel held out a box. Nestled inside was a delicate corsage of mingled white and red rosebuds.

Thea took it with a gasp of delight. “But how—where—it is the middle of winter!”

“I had it brought from a florist in Cheltenham.” He chuckled at her expression. “Surely you did not think I would let you go to a ball without flowers. What sort of an admirer would I be?”

“Is that what you are? An admirer?”