The Scandalous Adventures of the Sister of the Bride (17 page)

“That’s the problem with plans. The best laid plans and all.”

“Still . . .” She set her jaw in a stubborn manner. “They do give one something to
cling to in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.”

“Does your plan to marry someone with wealth and position give you something to cling
to now?”

“Yes, Sam, it does,” she said and turned her attention toward the streets passing
by.

Well, that was certainly stupid. He had pushed her entirely too far. Delilah’s lighthearted
manner had sobered. The least he could do now was try to brighten her spirits. After
all, she was introducing him to her husband’s associate, a Mr. Julian Tate if he recalled
correctly, for no other reason than to help him. Besides, they had agreed to be friends.
As her friend, he should do something.

“What is your favorite place in London?” It was the first thing that popped into his
mind.

“My favorite?” She studied him cautiously. “Why do you want to know?”

“I thought you might like to show me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why would I want to do that?”

“My God, you’re a stubborn woman.” He shook his head. “I’m trying to be friends.”

“Oh, well.” She waved her hand at him. “Go on then.”

“I want to see your favorite place in London because I’m a visitor and everyone else
has very definite opinions about what I should see. This is your city, you’re proud
of it, and you probably know it well. Besides, if we’re going to be friends, I’d like
to see what my friend likes. We are going to be friends, aren’t we?”

“Yes.” A slow smile creased her lips. “I believe we are.” She paused. “You’re certain
you want to see my favorite place?”

“I do,” he said staunchly.

“It’s not terribly exciting.”

“Some of my favorite places are not especially exciting but they have meaning to me.
Of course . . .” He heaved an overly dramatic sigh. “If you would prefer not to show
your friend . . .”

“Oh for goodness’ sake.” She leaned forward and called an address to the driver. “It’s
not far from Julian’s so it won’t take us out of the way.”

A few minutes later they pulled up before an imposing redbrick house. Tall and narrow,
it was a good five stories high.

“This is it,” she said with pride. “This is my house.” She glanced at him with a half-hearted
smile. “For the moment anyway.”

“Very nice.” He nodded. “Should we get out?”

“It’s not necessary.” She studied the building with obvious affection. “It’s closed
up and I’d prefer not to go inside right now. There are dustcovers over everything
and I find it altogether too melancholy. Besides we should be going.”

“Maybe another time, then?”

“Perhaps.” Her gaze stayed on her house. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“What am I thinking?”

“You’re surprised it isn’t as grand as you expected a house of mine to be. Given that
I am such a snob.”

“I would never think such a thing.” He grinned.

She cast him a skeptical look then returned her attention to the house. “Phillip’s
father bought this house as a future wedding gift for his son long before Phillip
and I actually met. He had died by the time we married. I love it. I have had a hand
in the decoration of each and every room. Of course Phillip had a say as well. He
had excellent taste. But this is, well, mine or I feel it’s mine. It’s as close to
a sanctuary as I have ever had. Unfortunately, Phillip preferred the country and solitude.
I preferred the city. So I spent much of my time here.”

“Alone?”

“Usually.”

He stared for a long moment. Gray was right. Hargate was an idiot.

“Stop staring at me. It’s rude you know, even for an ill-mannered American.”

“Sorry,” he murmured.

“What? No clever quip? No sarcastic barb? No response designed to put me in my place?”

“No,” he said simply. “You were right, I was rude.”

“I am usually right.” She slanted him a quick smile. “Well?”

“Not that I’ve noticed,” he said coolly.

She laughed. “Much better.”

Good. He had made her laugh. That was something anyway.

“We weren’t separated, we simply had different interests, that’s all. And we were
wise enough to accept those differences between us.” She paused. “Don’t think alone
is the same as lonely. It’s not, you know.”

“I would never think that.”

“I was never lonely. I have a great number of friends and acquaintances, aside from
Teddy. I entertained quite a lot, musical evenings and soirees and literary salons
and the like. I am—was—active in charitable endeavors. My husband gave me the freedom
to pursue my own path as it were. Our life together was quite—”

“Perfect?”

“Exactly.” She nodded. “And my life will be again.”

“With another perfect husband.”

She hesitated for no more than a fraction of a second. “That is the plan. Now then.”
She turned to him and smiled. “We should be off if you wish to meet with Julian. And
I have a great deal to accomplish today.”

“That’s right, you want to meet with your solicitor.”

“Among other things.” She gave the driver the address and they started off.

A few minutes later the cab pulled up in front of a grand mansion at least three times
the size of Delilah’s. He helped her out of the carriage and they approached the house.

“Julian’s family is quite well connected. He is the nephew of a marquess, although
dozens would have to perish before he inherited a title of any kind. Still, do try
not to be too American.”

He chuckled. “I shall do my best.”

“That will have to do I suppose.” She considered him with a critical eye. “I will
say one thing for you, Sam, you do know how to dress properly.”

“Is that a compliment, Lady Hargate?”

“No, Mr. Russell, it’s an observation.” She nodded and started toward the door.

“I would hate for you to be embarrassed.” He grinned.

“My dear, Mr. Russell, you’re quite an attractive man and you well know it. It’s not
your appearance clothed that I find embarrassing.” A wicked twinkle gleamed in her
eye. “It’s the most distracting memory of when you aren’t.”

“Delilah, my dear, it’s been entirely too long.” Julian Tate stepped into his library,
his eyes lit with apparent delight. But then Julian had always been good at appearances.
He took her hands and kissed her on each cheek. “I have missed you.”

“You needn’t have, you know,” Delilah said with a smile. “I am quite cross that you
have never accepted one of my invitations.”

She’d scarcely seen him at all in the three years since Phillip’s death even though
she had dutifully issued him invitations to various social and charitable functions.
He’d been Phillip’s lifelong friend but Delilah had never quite taken to him. Or he
to her for that matter. Still, they were always cordial to one another, even friendly.
It would have been difficult otherwise. In many ways, he had been the third person
in her marriage.

“Oh, I’ve become something of a hermit I’m afraid.” He chuckled. “Health problems
and that sort of thing.”

“You look well,” she lied. Julian had been quite a handsome man when she’d first met
him. Indeed, he and Phillip could have passed for brothers. He was the same age as
her husband, who would have been forty-six this past May, but Julian appeared far
older. These last years had not been kind to him.

He laughed. “You never did lie well.”

“Perhaps because I don’t lie at all.” She studied him closely. “You should get out
more, Julian. It would do you good.”

“Nonsense, I have everything I need right here and I can do everything I want to do
from right here. And what I can’t, can be arranged.” He leaned toward her and lowered
his voice. “One of the benefits of having a tidy fortune and a measure of financial
power is that I can hire people to do what I need done.”

“Of course.” She pulled her hands from his and nodded at Sam. “I was hoping you might
spare some time to have a few words with my friend, Mr. Russell.”

“Ah yes, the American.” Julian eyed Sam curiously. “My butler said you were accompanied
by an American. I found it most surprising.”

“Life is full of surprises, Julian.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tate.” Sam nodded a greeting. “I hope we haven’t
come at an inconvenient time.”

“Not at all. My schedule is my own.” He glanced at Delilah. “There’s something to
be said for living a solitary life.”

“Mr. Russell is engaged in a business pursuit with my sister Camille’s fiancé and
I thought perhaps you might give him the benefit of your wisdom. Phillip always said
no one had a better head for business than you.”

“I daresay Phillip said a lot of things about me and that might well have been the
kindest.” He smiled, took her arm, and led her to the sofa. “But first, let’s talk
about you, shall we? How are you, my dear?”

She took a seat on the sofa and Julian sat down beside her. Sam settled in a nearby
chair. The American was subtle enough, and Julian probably didn’t notice, but Delilah
did wish Sam would stop studying them as if he were trying to work out some sort of
puzzle. Given his observation about the undercurrents between her and Camille, he
was much more astute than one might expect.

“I am well enough. My life is rather uneventful really.”
Aside from the threat of losing all I have to an alleged heir.

“I doubt that.” His gaze met hers. “Phillip has been gone for three years now.”

“I am well aware of that.”

“It was Phillip’s wish that after no more than three years—”

“I am aware of that too,” she said in a sharper tone than she had intended. It had
never sat well with her that this man had always been closer to her husband than she
was. Julian was Phillip’s confidant. She was merely his wife. “However, I was not
aware that you knew of his wishes.”

“We discussed it when he had his will drawn up.” Julian paused, obviously choosing
his words. “We thought, rather, he thought, if he were to die while you were still
a young woman, it wouldn’t be at all fair for you to be tied to him for the rest of
your life.” He shook his head. “It seemed like such a waste.”

“And yet, as he is gone, shouldn’t what I do with the rest of my life be my decision?”

He ignored her and addressed Sam. “My apologies, Mr. Russell, for speaking of something
you know nothing about. I’m afraid my social skills have become rather rusty.”

“Understandable.” Sam’s pleasant smile did nothing to hide the curiosity in his eyes.

“This is really a private matter, Julian,” she said in a hard tone. “I’m certain Mr.
Russell has no interest in it.”

“You introduced him as your friend, Delilah. And you brought him to see me, which
indicates you do indeed consider him your friend. As your friend, I’m certain he has
only your best interests at heart.” He looked at Sam. “Am I wrong, Mr. Russell?”

“Not at all, Mr. Tate,” Sam said smoothly. “I haven’t known Lady Hargate for long
but, especially as she is soon to be related to one of my closest friends, I do indeed
want nothing but the best for her.”

“Fine.” Delilah shrugged in surrender. Apparently it didn’t matter what she wished;
Julian was determined to reveal Phillip’s
plan
for her future. For the first time she wondered whether it might not be better to
be poor but able to manage your own life than to be married. At the moment, poverty
did not seem quite as dreadful a fate as marriage. And she had never in her life thought
of marriage as dreadful. Indeed, Phillip’s last wishes hadn’t bothered her at all
until this moment.

“Good.” Julian nodded and addressed Sam. “Phillip—Lord Hargate—left a letter detailing
his wishes along with his will. It was his desire that his wife remarry after he had
been gone for no more than three years. He did not wish her to mourn for the rest
of her days. To that end, he instructed me to do what I could to ensure that his wishes
were carried out.”

Delilah stared in surprise. “What are you supposed to do? Find me a husband?”

Julian glanced at Sam then shook his head. “I’m afraid he was not that specific.”

“How thoughtful of him to encourage her to go on with her life.” Sam’s tone was as
neutral as if he had been discussing something of no importance rather than her dead
husband’s direction for the rest of her life. “That does lead one to wonder though
. . .”

Julian’s brow rose. “Yes?”

“Yes?” she snapped. What was it now?

“Well . . .” Sam’s brow furrowed. “This letter was not actually part of his will?”

Julian shook his head. “No.”

“Then it’s not legally binding? There is no penalty if she does not remarry in the
allocated amount of time? She does not lose her property or her fortune if she fails
to marry? No dire fate befalls her?”

“I fear you’ve been reading too many novels, Mr. Russell.” Julian chuckled. “It was
Phillip’s wish, not his command. So no, of course not.”

“Then I assume as well, there is no particular benefit to remarrying? She does not
stand to gain from it? There is no additional inheritance dependent upon her remarriage?”

“Other than the fact that she will be content and secure and fulfilled in her proper
role in life?” Julian asked as if the answer was obvious. “No.”

“Then it seems to me that, while it might have been considerate of Lord Hargate to
want his widow to move on with her life, she is under no obligation to adhere to his
wishes.” Sam smiled pleasantly. “And she can do as she damn well pleases.” He shot
an amused glance at Delilah. “Which I suspect she intends to do anyway.”

She stared at him. The loveliest feeling washed through her. Had the annoying man
just defended her right to live her life as she wished? How very . . .
American
of him.

“Quite right, Mr. Russell.” Julian laughed. “And clever of you to point that out.”
He smiled at Delilah. “He simply wanted you to be happy, you know.”

“I would be happy if this discussion was at an end,” she said. “Besides we are not
here to discuss me. We are here to discuss . . .” She paused in the manner of a master
storyteller. “Horseless carriages.”

“Are we now?” Julian’s gaze slid to Sam. “You know, some are saying they’re the way
of the future.”

“Good Lord,” she muttered.

“I think so.” Sam cast her a smug look. “I have recently come from a meeting in Germany
with a man who has developed a new internal combustion engine.”

“Ah yes, Mr. Benz.” Julian nodded.

Surprise colored Sam’s face. “You know of him?”

“I am not as stodgy or as old-fashioned as I may appear, Mr. Russell.” Julian smiled.
“Just because I prefer not to leave my house doesn’t mean I’m not well informed. So
you have seen his motorwagon?”

“Better than that.” Sam grinned. “I bought one.”

“I see.” Julian’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “And what do you intend to do with it?
I assume you have some sort of plan in mind.”

“I do indeed.” Sam leaned forward and addressed the other man. “Gray—Mr. Elliott—and
I are confident motorwagons can be . . .”

Delilah’s mind wandered almost at once. She had heard all this before and saw no need
to pay close attention now.

It was decidedly odd being once again in the room that had served more as an office
than a library for both Julian and Phillip when they were engaged in some sort of
financial enterprise. Phillip had said a true gentleman did not have an office outside
of his home, although apparently it was acceptable to have an office in another man’s
home. At least in the city. The library at Hargate Hall had served a similar purpose
for the two men.

Nothing had changed here since the last time she’d been in this room or the first
for that matter. She distinctly recalled Julian had hosted a small dinner party in
the first year of her marriage to Phillip in their honor. Then as now the same sofa
and chairs were positioned in front of the fireplace. Portraits of Julian’s father
and grandfather still hung over the mantel. An elaborately carved library table separated
the halves of the room. A partners’ desk, identical to the one at Hargate Hall, dominated
the far end of the room as it always had. No, nothing had changed, as if Phillip would
walk back into the room at any moment. She wondered what he would say to find her
here. She’d never felt particularly welcome in this room. Even though Julian had been
gracious and welcoming today, the feeling of being out of place remained.

Sam and Julian were deep in discussion and there was no need for her to stay. She
could probably call on her solicitor and be back before they were finished. Whether
or not she also called on the investigator Camille had recommended depended on what
she learned at her solicitor’s office.

“Gentlemen.” She rose to her feet. Sam stood at once, Julian a bit slower. “I do apologize
for the interruption, but I have a matter to attend to and if I stay much longer it
shall be too late. So if you will forgive me, I shall be off.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Sam’s gaze met hers.

“Thank you but I much prefer to go alone.” She smiled and nodded at Julian. “The two
of you are obviously nowhere near finished. I daresay I’ll be back before you even
notice I’m gone. Besides, if we are to catch the last train, it’s simply practical
for me to go alone.”

“If you’re sure.” Sam smiled and something odd happened in the pit of her stomach.
When had he become such a very nice man? Or more to the point, when had she finally
noticed?

“I am.” She nodded. “Julian, we must get you out of this house. Perhaps you can join
me for dinner one evening.”

Julian smiled. “Perhaps.”

“Excellent. Good day, gentlemen.” She smiled and took her leave.

A footman hailed a cab for her and she was on her way in a matter of moments. In spite
of the heavy traffic, she was soon at her solicitor’s. And had scarcely any time at
all to consider the ramifications of being friends with Sam but it was all she could
think of.

She liked the blasted man. It was shocking to realize but there you had it. He was,
well, a good man. A nice man. It wasn’t enough that she had wanted him in a purely
sinful way although that appetite had been sated.

For the moment
, an annoying voice that sounded suspiciously like his said in the back of her head.
She ignored it.

Sam was the sort of man one could possibly trust. Not with her heart, of course, but
with her friendship. She hadn’t lied when she’d told him she had a great many friends
but aside from Teddy she didn’t know how many, if any, of those she could turn to
if she were in dire need.

She could indeed be his friend but there it would end. He would go back to America
after the wedding. She would find a new husband. He would do whatever it was he was
doing with his horseless carriages and no doubt, vastly increase his wealth. They
would go on with their respective lives exactly as planned. For the first time, her
plans didn’t sound quite as perfect as they usually did.

Not that today’s plans were going well. Her solicitor was ill, his partners were otherwise
engaged and out of the offices. Annoying but no matter really. He probably had no
news for her anyway. She’d write to him tomorrow and arrange a specific appointment
for next week. For now, she’d return to Julian’s, collect Sam, and they would have
to hurry if they wanted to catch the last train back to the country.

“I’m afraid they are still closeted in the library, Lady Hargate,” Julian’s butler
said upon her return. “Shall I—” A crash sounded from the direction of the back stairs
and he winced. “Announce you?”

“Oh, that’s not necessary, Mr. Bender. I am more than capable of announcing myself
and I can certainly find the library. Besides, it appears you may have something else
you need to attend to.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Mr. Bender said with relief. “We’ve been in the midst of an
upheaval here. Half the staff is new and not as well trained as one would expect.”
He shook his head in despair at the lack of quality of today’s servants. “Good day
then, Lady Hargate.” He nodded, turned sharply, and hurried out of sight.