The Viscount's Vendetta (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (7 page)

“They have cleared the floor for dancing, my lord.”

“So they have. Would you care to dance?”

Lady Marguerite walked out onto the floor eagerly. They were soon dancing a set of brisk dances. She moved gracefully along the line and looked delighted every time the steps returned her to his side.

Damon had a glimpse of Caroline in the set next to them. He noted each time she smiled at her partner. A flash of jealousy surprised him. Tonight didn’t matter. Soon he would be the only man in her life. He’d take her to his new home, where she’d be in his control. When he thought about this afternoon, his body burned with desire. So far he’d gotten everything he had ever put his mind to, and this was something he wanted very much. Halsford needed to be in desperate straits, though, for his plan to work, and Damon knew that with a little patience, he’d win.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he smiled at his dance partner. Perhaps a little jealousy might help his cause in wooing Lady Icicle.

He smiled when he thought of her nickname. He planned to spend the rest of the evening dancing with other women and especially Lady Ferrier. It might be just the thing to melt Lady Icicle’s heart.

* * * *

Caroline tried to ignore him. This was what she wanted. Wasn’t it? He seemed to be having a good time. Women were hanging on his every word, and Marguerite stood close to him every chance she had.

Marguerite and Caroline came out the same year. Two years ago, Marguerite had married an older man, an earl. Her husband seldom came to the social events with her, leaving her brother as her escort.

Caroline’s mother moved to her side and said, “Your father and I are ready to go. I see Lord Royston has not had any difficulty finding other ladies to pay attention to him. See, you had nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, Mama.” Caroline glanced back at the dancers as she followed her parents out.

“Mark my words,” her mother warned as they settled into their coach, ”Lord Royston will find someone to marry this season.”

“She is not to show any interest in that man!”

Caroline and her mother looked across at her father in astonishment.

“He is not for her, and that is my final word,” her father said angrily. Silence filled the coach the rest of the way home.

* * * *

“Whatever has gotten into you, James?” his wife asked as she followed him into his study. “What is it about Lord Royston that you hold him in such aversion?”

Lord Halsford sat at his desk with his head in his hands. A sense of doom and darkness surrounded him. His wife came to his side.

“Tell me, James. You’re frightening me.”

He looked at her kneeling by him. Reaching out, he touched her face. “There is something I haven’t told you. Many years ago, I was young and foolish. I never thought it might come back to haunt me.”

“Whatever can it be?” Lady Halsford’s face reflected her worry and concern.

“Here, my dear. Get up and sit by the fire.” He led her to a chair.

She pulled her shawl closer around her, as though chilled even with the heat reflected from the crackling fire. He pulled his coattails aside and sat opposite her.

“I was responsible for Lord Royston’s father’s financial ruin and, indirectly, perhaps his death.” His wife gasped. “I believe his son knows it. I believe he is going to force me into financial ruin.”

“How could you be responsible?”

“It happened long ago. This is a story I am ashamed to have to tell you.” He stood and stared into the flames. “We played cards one night. I was winning. I needed a lot of money to invest and make my fortune, as my own father had lost most of his before his death.” He glanced at his wife. “My excuse, the one I told myself, was that I had you and Caroline to provide for. I had to succeed.”

He paced around the room. “Lord Royston’s father was losing, something he did often. We all knew he had turned to gambling and drinking after his wife’s death during childbirth. At some level I was aware he didn’t have much left to lose and that I should stop the game. We were the last two playing.” He lifted his shoulders and took a deep breath. “But I kept encouraging him to stay for one more hand. Usually, his friends stopped him before he went too far. But they weren’t around that night.”

He strode back to the fireplace and stood with one foot up on the base. “I saw the defeat in his face. He seemed to shrink before my eyes. The last hand I had bad cards. Both he and I had bet everything on that one hand. For the first and only time in my life, I cheated.” He bent his head and looked at the floor. “I’ve lived with that guilt for years. Never more than since his son came back to London. I took his father’s paper that night, which said I would be paid the next day at his bank, and I walked away.” He looked across at his wife’s white face.

“Oh, James. Does Lord Royston know you cheated?” she asked.

“I’m certain he suspects. The worst part, Lord Royston’s father shot himself a few days later. His son found him. He left home shortly afterward to go to sea and has regained more than his father ever lost to me or anyone else. Still, he obviously blames me for his father’s death.”

“Oh my, the poor boy.”

“My losses began when he returned to England.” The Earl of Halsford spoke softly. “A coincidence? I doubt it.”

“Can’t you have the law stop him?” Lady Halsford asked.

“He is clever. Nothing he has done is illegal, nor would the
ton
look askance at him for it,” her husband replied.

“What do you think he hopes to accomplish?”

“My dear, he is planning to ruin me and perhaps take our daughter away from us. He will want complete revenge. I see deep coldness in his eyes when he looks at me.”

“Whatever can we do to stop him?” Lady Halsford’s face reflected her dismay.

“Nothing. I must be very careful with my investments and expenditures. You must warn Caroline to stay away from him, and to curtail her spending on the needy.”

“I will tell her.”

“Don’t tell her all of it. Just warn her to stay away from him as much as possible. I don’t want her to know what has happened in the past. I’m so ashamed. The irony is that I was planning to go see his father and admit what I had done. I wanted to give him back his note. The day I planned to travel to his estate, I heard of his death. I’ll talk with Lord Royston. He might reconsider, and perhaps we’ll reach an agreement,” Lord Halsford said.

He smiled warmly at his wife. He did not really believe anything would change the course of events that were snowballing down the hill in their direction, but he didn’t want his wife or Caroline to be frightened. He would contact Lord Royston early tomorrow.

* * * *

Caroline backed into the next room when she heard her mother coming out of her father’s study. She never eavesdropped until this one time. But she’d been worried about her father and concerned about why her parents were acting so strangely. Her mother had left the door ajar, or she’d never have heard papa’s confession.

He’d cheated. The man she knew as the most honest person in her life cheated and indirectly caused the death of another person. No wonder Lord Royston wanted to hurt him and their family. As much as she loved her father, she had to admit Lord Royston had reasons for his behavior.

Still, she didn’t understand why he’d involved her. If she married him, did he plan to keep her prisoner in his house and abuse her? A cold shiver went down her back and her stomach rolled.

She waited until she heard her mother, and then her father, go up the stairs. Then she tiptoed to her room. Once inside, everything she’d heard overwhelmed her. Her throat tightened and cold sweat covered her brow. Any moment she’d be sick. She tried desperately to regain control. She’d told Mary not to wait up, thankfully.

Caroline slipped out of her dress and managed to get her corset undone enough to take it off, and then she collapsed on her bed. She had difficulty believing all of the things she’d heard her father say. How could her world be turned upside down in such a short time? Ever since Lord Royston had arrived on the scene, things began to change. And his life had changed irrevocably on the day his father died.

She remembered the coldness in his eyes that first night. He had toyed with them at the dance and every day since. No wonder her father looked thin and pale.

Lord Royston had lost his father and his mother. At eighteen, he’d been on his own and he blamed her father. How angry would she be if someone caused her father harm?

This type of revenge was difficult to understand. She had luckily grown up in a home with love and protection. She tried to picture how she’d have reacted to having nothing at eighteen. Hannah must have been around six.

Was revenge the reason he wanted to marry her? Of course it must be. Would he hurt her? Caroline pulled her knees up and curled into a ball. For the first time in her life, she was truly frightened.

What must she do to save her parents and hopefully herself?

* * * *

The request had been by Damon’s plate at breakfast. He had slid the business card out and stared at the written note. Lord Halsford wished to meet with him at eleven o’clock that morning in Halsford’s office. Damon had slashed his answer on paper, stamped with his letterhead, and sent it right away.

They would meet because he was ready. Meetings between him and Lord Halsford would be at his discretion and solely in his control. And they’d meet at Damon’s office, nowhere else.

He stared out the window at the passing traffic. It hadn’t taken long for Halsford to send his agreement about meeting at Damon’s office. It was almost eleven. Damon had waited a long time for this. Many long, cold, lonely nights, he’d imagined Lord Halsford at his mercy.

Clouds began to gather in the distance and shadows flowed across the room and the darkness into him. He’d expected to be filled with satisfaction on this day. Instead, he found himself clenching his hands and gritting his teeth as a mixture of emotions churned inside him.

“Lord Royston,” his assistant said from the doorway. “Lord Halsford is here for his appointment.”

“Send him in in ten minutes. I have letters to sign first.” Damon wasn’t sure if he wanted the time to annoy Halsford, or to give him more time to focus and remember the reason why he wanted to do this.

Damon studied Halsford as he entered his office. The earl was dressed impeccably in blue pantaloons and a dark blue coat. He’d aged years over the past few days. A pasty gray colored his face and his shoulders stooped. Damon felt another flash of misgivings. What was the matter with him? Annoyed with himself, he frowned as Halsford sat across from him.

Both men waited for the other to make the first move. Finally, Lord Halsford sighed and sat straighter. “What do you want from me?”

“Everything.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t there anything I can do to convince you to stop this attack on my family? Can’t we come to some sort of an agreement? My daughter and wife should not suffer for my past.”

“My sister and I suffered because of your actions when you took everything from my father.”

“Dash it, man, your father lost his fortune, but you have earned back that much and more. Why destroy me?”

“I heard you encouraged and taunted my father to continue to play until you knew he had nothing left. Rumors say you also cheated. Did you?”

The Earl of Halsford’s face paled. “I was young and stupid. Everyone was doing the same,” the earl said.

Damon leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, his elbows on the desktop. “Is that the answer to my question? You did cheat.”

Halsford wiped his brow and moved his gaze to the window. Damon saw him take a deep breath, and then he looked directly at Damon.

“God forgive me. I did. Once is all, but I did. I’ve lived with that guilt ever since.”

“My life changed forever,” Damon said. His hands curled into fists. “I no longer had the money for the normal activities of a young man in town.” He gave a harsh laugh. “But more important, I lost my father and there were no funds to take care of my estate and the people who depended on me.” He glared at the older man. “I held my dead father in my arms.” Damon’s cold voice rang out.

“Your father was consumed with grief after your mother died. Losing to me was not the only reason he shot himself,” the earl countered.

Damon stood and leaned across his desk. “You were responsible. Your greediness to get his money and set yourself and your family up in a richer lifestyle led to the crumbling of my family and its resources. I hold you directly responsible.”

“Again, I ask what you want, specifically.”

“To start with you will allow me to court your daughter with the understanding that she will marry me. Soon,” Damon added.

“No.” The Earl of Halsford shook his head. “I cannot force my daughter to wed you. Nor do I want to.”

“When you explain that you and your wife will be faced with complete financial ruin unless she complies, then I think she will agree.”

“Obviously, you do not know my daughter. I will not compound the wrong I have done by selling my daughter to you. Also, rushing a courtship and suddenly announcing a betrothal would bring on the type of speculation that I would think you preferred to avoid. You do have a sister just coming out this season.”