One Sinful Night (25 page)

Vivienne could not believe it. This man—this man she had known for only a week—had more faith in her character and morals, than Aidan ever did. Jackson wanted to marry her. Whereas Aidan, who had been her friend since she was nine years old, had no faith in her at all. “Why would you want to marry
me
?” she asked incredulously.

“Because I think you are the most exquisite woman I have ever had the pleasure to know. I respect you and I appreciate your intelligence. I enjoy your company and think we get along well. I would be proud to have you as my wife.”

Again an awkward silence ensued.

“You don't have to answer me right away,” he continued soothingly, patting her hand. “Please take some time to consider my offer.”

Vivienne could not help but say, “I only have until Saturday. Aidan and I are to be married on Saturday.”

“Well, then, you'll have to answer me before then.” A smile played faintly at the corners of his sensuous mouth.

“Thank you. I am honored by your very kind offer, Jackson, but really—”

“I'm not being kind. I'm being completely selfish.” He squeezed her hand tightly. “I know it has only been a short amount of time that we have been acquainted with each other, but I believe I've fallen in love with you.”

Fallen in love?
She blinked at the handsome blond man who held her and asked her to marry him. Did she want to marry Jackson Harlow? Would that save her from the hopeless fate of an artificial marriage to a man who did not love or trust her? Attractive, charming, and prosperous, Jackson had much to recommend him as a husband. He offered her a respectable escape from her impossible situation with Aidan. Dare she take it?

At that moment raised voices, followed by angered shouts, could be heard outside and suddenly the door to Jackson's office burst wide open. An unkempt and obviously upset man stalked toward Jackson, while Francis, the assistant, yelled frantic apologies. “I'm sorry, sir! I tried to stop him!”

Startled, Vivienne watched in confusion as Francis scurried back out of the room and Jackson released her hand and abruptly stood, clearly outraged by the intrusion. He turned to face the boisterous ruffian who had stormed uninvited into his office. “How dare you interrupt me?” he cried indignantly.

“Ye 'ave to pay wot ye owe me!” the man in the tattered cap demanded, becoming more irate, if such a thing were possible. “I set tha' fire like ye said! I kep my end o' the bargain, but ye ain't kep yours! I need my money!”

“Travers, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this—”

The man named Travers interrupted, “If not now, when?! I did my 'alf. I set the fire a fortnigh' ago. And ye owe me. I've already talked to Kavanaugh and if ye don' pay up right now, I'll go to tha police! I got nothin' to lose if ye don' pay me!”

Jackson's face darkened as he advanced on the man, causing Vivienne to intake her breath sharply at the sight. Confused by all that was happening, she instantly sensed the explosiveness of the situation and that Jackson was more than incensed by the man's interruption, although he attempted to remain cool and unruffled.

“I don't know what you are talking about. Now get out of my office,” Jackson ordered through clenched teeth.

“Pay me first and I'll go!” the man persisted with mounting agitation, crossing his arms across his chest. “I ain't leavin' til ye pay me!”

Jackson's voice turned silky smooth as he told the man, “Why don't you come back tomorrow and we'll discuss your dilemma then.”

Francis re-entered the room with two enormous guards following him. The beefy guards grabbed the irate man by his arms and proceeded to drag him kicking and screaming from the office.

“Yer a cheat, Harlow! Ye know ye owe me! Damn ye! Ye'll be sorry you didn' pay me. Ye'll be sorry!” His filthy curses and screams of dire retribution continued as he disappeared from view.

Jackson turned to face her with a regretful air and patted her arm soothingly. “I cannot apologize enough that you had to witness such a vulgar display, Vivienne. The man is quite delusional. Apparently he is under the erroneous impression that I owe him money. Can you imagine such a tale? Please eradicate the entire scene from your mind.”

Jackson's actions upset her. As well as the strange man's ominous words. A fire. The name Kavanaugh. Payment. Something underhanded had happened, of that she was certain. How much of the man's incoherent ramblings was true was anyone's guess. She wished she could erase it all from her head as Jackson suggested, but an odd memory niggled at the back of her brain. Something she ought to remember, but couldn't.

“I've erased it already.” Vivienne forced a quick smile at him. “I should be going home now.” She rose abruptly from her seat and grabbed her reticule. “My aunt will be wondering where I've been all afternoon.”

Jackson stepped toward her, placing his hand upon her upper arm, his brown eyes glittering. “Vivienne, please consider my offer of marriage. I meant all that I said. I would be a good husband and I would take excellent care of you, of that you should have no doubt.”

Avoiding the fervent look in his eyes, she merely nodded her head.

He flashed her a heart melting grin that set off his golden handsomeness to perfection. “Send me a message tomorrow. In the meantime, look through your father's letters.”

Before she knew what he was about, Jackson leaned close to her. For a split second she thought he meant to place a light kiss on her cheek, but he moved slightly, cupping his hand behind her head, forcing her face next to his, and his lips covered hers possessively. Astonished at his boldness, she held her breath as he pressed his mouth against hers in a hungry kiss. He felt warm and soft and he smelled nice enough, yet for some reason she shuddered. He released her just as abruptly as he had kissed her, leaving her off balance.

“And let me know your answer as soon as you can,” he said urgently. “I'll be waiting.”

Surprised, she took a step back, blinking at him. “I really must be going,” she murmured as she hurried from the elegant office, knowing she appeared ridiculous.

She fled down the stairs, flustered by all that had happened during her visit. The incredible information about her father and the diamond mines. The unsavory characters of the Harlow brothers. The strange encounter between that angry man and Jackson. Jackson's declaration of love for her and his proposal of marriage. His mention of a note she supposedly sent to him. And then his kiss! She had not had enough time to absorb it all or make sense of any of it. She just knew she had been in his office too long and that Lizzie must be frantic with worry by now. She didn't dare risk upsetting Aunt Gwen and Uncle Gilbert again, after everything she had already put them through.

Hurriedly, Vivienne exited the front door. As she felt the fresh air touch her face, she stopped short and her heart sank to the tips of her stylish leather walking boots. Lizzie had vanished and Gregory Cardwell stood in her place at the bottom of the front steps, a stern look on his freckled face and his arms crossed over his chest. Obviously her cousin was quite displeased with her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, flustered at the change of events and still breathless from her mad dash from Jackson's office on the second floor.

“That's the question I need to ask you,” he said stonily, eyeing her quizzically as she stood above him on the top of the steps.

Vivienne attempted to act nonchalant, casually adjusting her rose-colored gloves. “Where is Lizzie?”

“I sent her home. The poor, innocent thing. How could you make her an accomplice in your misadventures?” he scolded.

“I assure you that I'm not having any misadventures, Greg. Just taking care of some family business.” She continued down the steps toward the sidewalk, brushing past him. “There's no need for you to get protective of me now.”

Gregory grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her. “Maybe you could use a little protection, Vivvy. We need to talk, you and I. It's high time you cleared some things up for me. You have to tell me everything that happened between you and Aidan from the beginning. And what you were doing in Jackson Harlow's office just now.”

“Thank you for joining us,” Lord Gilbert Cardwell said warmly as he welcomed the guests seated around the magnificent dinner table of his London townhouse. “I thought it would be nice for our two families to spend time together in a more relaxed manner before the wedding on Saturday.”

The families assembled consisted of the Earl of Whitlock, his mother, and the entire Cardwell clan. Aidan glanced around the table and could not help but notice that his mother, who sat rigidly to the right of Lord Cardwell, appeared as ill at ease as she certainly felt. She was barely feigning politeness and the strain of doing that much was apparent in the pinched frown marring her face.

His gaze then rested on Vivienne. He had not seen her since that infamous night in her bedroom. She sat calmly across the table from him. But of course she would be calm. Aidan wouldn't have expected anything less of her. He had to admit that she looked extraordinarily lovely. Wearing a gown of a deep lavender, the simple but tasteful cut of the dress showed off her figure to perfection and the color brought out the startling blue of her eyes. An involuntary rush of desire had flooded him at the sight of her and he steeled himself against it. He wondered what Vivienne was thinking as she sat with an unreadable expression on her face. More than likely she despised him for coming to her room uninvited that night. Lord knew, he despised himself for his unmitigated stupidity.

“Before we begin supper, I would like to say one thing,” Lord Cardwell continued with a grand hand gesture, his auburn beard bobbing as he spoke. “I realize this is not a set of circumstances that any of us would have chosen, but the die has been cast, so to speak. We must make the best of a rather awkward situation. Our two families will be joined by marriage as of Saturday.” Gilbert's broad round face smiled benevolently. “Two fine families united by fate.”

“Here, here,” Lady Cardwell chimed in sweetly.

Susana cleared her throat loudly, and began coughing as if choking on something she could not bear to swallow. Heads turned to stare at her as she then sipped water from the glass in front of her, ostensibly to calm her cough. Aidan watched Vivienne lower her eyes at the incident and he cringed in embarrassment. His mother's blatant disapproval of his marriage to Vivienne had been made quite clear to the Cardwells.

“I agree,” Aidan made a point to say, nodding his assent to Lord Cardwell's statement. Aidan cast a stern glance in his mother's direction. Though she was biting her tongue, her hard eyes betrayed her seething anger and bitter disappointment at this sudden turn of events. At first she had refused to attend the dinner, but she feared offending the Duchess of Bingham too much to turn down an invitation from the duchess's brother. Aidan almost wanted to laugh at her impotent rage at his marrying Vivienne and not Helene Winston. The only saving grace in the entire sordid ordeal was that he had honestly broken things off with Helene and spoken to her parents about it
before
he was found with Vivienne later that night. For that bit of good foresight on his part he would be eternally thankful.

As supper was served, Aidan realized he had no reservations about marrying into the Cardwell family. They were warm, friendly, and infinitely likeable, and he had known them all for years. Gilbert and Gwen Cardwell were kind and decent people. George and Gregory were more like brothers than friends to him and, although he rarely saw them, their older brother Gerald and his wife, who had come to town for the wedding on Saturday, were wonderful as well. Aidan could even tolerate their petulant sister Glenda, where most people could not. No, the Cardwell family had much to recommend them. Coming from the perspective of an only child, Aidan welcomed being part of the large and boisterous Cardwell family.

On the other hand, marrying Vivienne was an entirely different matter. He did not thrill at the prospect of being her husband. Although they might enjoy each other in the bedroom, he could never trust her. There were too many years of resentment and hurt feelings to overcome. And he was still reeling from the shocking news that he received from Grayson regarding Vivienne's whereabouts that afternoon.

Aidan managed to sit through supper without having to speak to Vivienne directly. Luckily the Cardwells were an animated group and the conversation never lagged. They even managed to snare his dour mother into cracking a smile at one point. Even so, Aidan was grateful when supper had concluded and the men were invited into the library for cigars.

As Gilbert, George, and Gerald Cardwell sat drinking brandy and discussing the latest political news, Aidan and Gregory ventured outside to smoke on the patio. Between the twins, he had always been a little closer to Gregory than George. Perhaps because he met Gregory first.

“I know you don't see it this way, but I, for one, am very happy that you are marrying Vivienne,” Gregory began in his usual blithe manner, leaning against the balustrade overlooking the Cardwell's rose garden.

“This is not something I wish to discuss,” Aidan said wearily, exhaling on his cigar. “But since we're on the subject, I happen to be in need of a best man on Saturday.”

Gregory laughed good-naturedly. “Happy to oblige, if that's what you were asking me.”

Aidan nodded his head, with a rueful grin. “That's what I was asking.”

“I'd be honored to be your best man.” Gregory's voice lowered and his ruddy face turned thoughtful. “You know that Vivienne is a very special woman.”

“You don't know the half of it,” Aidan muttered bitterly.

“Oh, but you see, I do.” Gregory smiled with a gleeful gleam in his eyes. “I had a lovely little chat with Vivienne this afternoon. I finally know all about Galway and what happened between the two of you ten years ago.” At Aidan's hard look, Gregory continued in a serious tone, quite unlike his usual self, “You're absolutely wrong about her.”

Again that vivid image sprang unbidden into Aidan's head. Vivienne and Nicky Foster, arms entwined. It hadn't faded in the least over time. “I know what I saw, Greg. I saw her with him with my own eyes.”

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“Not that time.”

“Give her a second chance. You loved her enough once to want to marry her,” Gregory persisted. “And she still loves you.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“She didn't have to,” Gregory stated. “I can tell by looking at her face when you walk in the room.”

“Then tell me, what was she doing at Jackson Harlow's office this afternoon?” Aidan countered with mounting skepticism. Then he added sarcastically, “Looking to book passage on a ship before Saturday?”

“How did you know she was there?” Gregory asked in surprise, his eyes narrowed.

“I just do,” Aidan retorted. He was still surprised by Grayson's report that his man Jones followed Jimmy Travers to Harlow's office and saw Vivienne there. “And you can't tell me there's anything platonic in that relationship. Harlow is obviously after her. I'm marrying her on Saturday and today she's visiting another man, unchaperoned.”

“She was not unchaperoned,” Gregory defended her. “I was with her. And she only went there to find out what happened to her father. He was sailing on one of their ships when he disappeared. She thinks there might have been some other cause involved, perhaps even foul play. Harlow is just helping her investigate the matter.”

Gregory's words gave him pause, but Aidan still snorted, “Oh, I bet he's helping her.”

“If you think Vivienne is so faithless,” Gregory challenged him, “then call off the wedding.”

“Your father caught me in bed with her. He's obtained a special license. I can hardly back out now.”

“You certainly could if you really thought she was two-timing you again. Only this time with Harlow,” Gregory persisted.

Aidan was silent. Although he didn't like the idea of Vivienne visiting Harlow for any reason, if he were completely honest with himself, there was a part of him that deep down really did not believe she was two-timing him with Harlow. Gregory's reason was very believable. If Vivienne thought there was a chance her father was still alive or that his cause of death was suspicious and that there was actually something she could do to change the situation, it would be just like her to go charging off with a man like Harlow, believing he could help her. He felt a pang of regret that he could not help her find the truth about her father himself.

Still, he had seen the looks Harlow cast at Vivienne. And he had not imagined the looks Vivienne had returned to Harlow either. The man was consumed with lust for her and his interest was not merely to help Vivienne find out what happened to her father. Vivienne, just like that idiot Travers, had no idea what type of man she was really dealing with. Harlow's charm blinded her. Aidan supposed he was worried for her more than anything else. He knew better than to trust Harlow to be decent or chivalrous.

Aidan inhaled deeply on his cigar, blowing the smoke out slowly. “No, I can't back out now.”

“Well, for what it's worth, I'm really happy you're marrying my cousin,” Gregory stated with satisfaction. “In the end, I think it is going to work out well between the two of you.”

“You're just relieved I'm not marrying Helene,” Aidan quipped dryly.

“About that…” Gregory began hesitantly, with a sheepish look on his freckled face. “I…uh…I was wondering how you would feel if—”

“If you proposed to Helene?” Aidan finished his question. He had been expecting this from his friend and truly had no issue with Gregory and Helene being together.

“How did you know?” Gregory gaped in surprise.

“I'm not blind,” Aidan said affably. “I think she preferred you to me all along, my friend.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said quietly, yet he could not contain his happiness. “I wasn't sure what you would think of me with Helene.”

“I'm fine with it. I ended things amicably with her the night of the masked ball. You have my blessings if that's what you want.”

“I do.”

“Then you have them,” Aidan said with a grin. He could not think of two more deserving souls than Gregory and Helene. “Be happy with her.”

“Thank you, Aidan,” Gregory uttered earnestly.

“Hello,” a familiar feminine voice interrupted them. He and Gregory turned to see Vivienne before them, looking lovely in her lavender gown.

“Vivvy, we were just talking about you,” Gregory called to her as she stepped closer to them, and they both extinguished their cigars.

“Were you, now?” she questioned skeptically. “I can only imagine what that conversation entailed.”

Aidan remained silent. Whenever Vivienne came near him, it seemed he lost the ability to think coherently. He nodded to her in greeting. She merely nodded back.

“Was I interrupting?” she asked them hesitantly after a moment. “Shall I leave you?”

“Please stay. We were just discussing the wedding,” Gregory explained in his jovial manner. “Aidan asked me to be his best man on Saturday.”

“That's wonderful,” she replied, avoiding looking in Aidan's direction.

“Who have you asked to attend you?” Gregory inquired.

“Aunt Gwen,” she paused and then explained, “I asked Glenda first but she said no, and I'm not yet close enough to any other girls here in London…” Her voice trailed off.

“I'm sure my mother is thrilled to do it,” Gregory answered with a grin.

Vivienne nodded. “I think she is.”

“I shall go and refresh my drink. I'm sure the two of you would like a moment of privacy. You must have some things to discuss before your wedding,” Gregory began, knowing that to be the farthest thing from the truth. “If you will excuse me…” Then he fled the scene before either Aidan or Vivienne could utter a protest.

They stood uncomfortably together on the patio. In three days they would be man and wife, and now he could barely think of a civil word to say to her. An awkward silence ensued as Aidan stared at Vivienne. She looked enticing in the flickering light from the gas lamps illuminating the patio. Desire ran rampant through him, in spite of the anger that consumed him, and his body reacted physically to her presence. He wanted to touch her, to smell her hair, to kiss her, to pull her into his arms. He wanted to lift her skirts and have her.

“You don't have to marry me, Aidan.” Her voice was low.

Startled by her remark, he responded instinctively, “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don't. That night was my fault just as much as yours.”

“I came to your room in the middle of the night, Vivienne. I take full responsibility and accept the consequences.”

“I don't wish to marry someone who sees me only as the consequence of his actions. As a terrible sentence he must endure.”

“You have no choice in the matter now. I'm marrying you on Saturday.”

She looked up at him, her expression dark and accusing. “So you can punish me for the rest of my life?”

“What do you mean?” he asked incredulously. He was the one who would be tortured forever by that day in Galway, not her.

“You know exactly what I'm talking about. You will make me miserable, make us miserable. You will never trust me or believe in me again. You will hold Nicky Foster over my head and torment us both with what you think happened. You can never forget what you think you saw, and because of that, you will never give us a chance. We can never be at peace together. Are you ready for that?”

Aidan felt a twinge of remorse, but could not help but agree with her silently. Yet he managed to say through clenched teeth, “It will be fine.”

She shook her head and said softly, “This marriage is a mistake. I know my family is making you do this, but you really don't have to marry me.”

“I'm afraid that I do. I've given my word to your uncle.”

“Correct me if I'm wrong, but you gave your word to me ten years ago yet that didn't stop you from breaking it then.”