The Wicked Game (A Wicked Game Novel) (17 page)

***

The funeral lasted for nearly an entire day and Andrew was completely emotionally exhausted. The only family he had ever known was now underneath the earth. He wanted to cry but at the moment, no emotion was flowing from his body. He was stoic and composed, exactly how a man should act in public but he knew that later he would break down; tears would flow and he would dissolve into despair. But where would he find comfort? Normally a man can find support and comfort in his wife and life companion, but right now the standing of his marriage was in debate.

As they walked into the main room for the reading of the wills, Andrew clasped his hand with his wife and tried desperately to receive strength from her. But he felt nothing. Why? Why? Was it because of her fear or because of his emotionally unstable state? He wanted to understand every bit of this but right now he had no real time to think.

At the bidding of Lady Dillard, Andrew and Angela sat next to her in the front row of the room. Andrew was confused. He had somewhat found a way to justify his invitation to the funeral; blood or not he had grown up with the Dillards and his invitation to the funeral had been justified. But attending the reading of the will? Exactly what purpose did that serve? It wasn’t as if he would receive anything. As close and loyal as he had been to the family, when it got right down to it he had been nothing more than a servant. He wasn’t going to get anything in this reading but he had attended to make Lady Dillard happy. Perhaps she needed comfort herself, a familiar and friendly face who understood her pain.

Andrew hadn’t paid much attention through the reading of the will and when it finally came to an end he was more than ready to leave. But as he stood up to exit the room, Lady Dillard gently reached out her arm and took hold of him.

“Please wait. There is more.”

Angela flashed a look of confusion at her husband and he reflected her emotions. They both sat down again and waited for what was coming. Andrew looked at Lady Dillard and tried to figure out what she was telling him. There had to be a reason she had requested his presence and he prayed desperately that she wanted him to be her family. He no longer knew what to think or do. His emotions and thoughts began to swim wildly through his head. They were a mix of sounds and colors that he couldn’t distinguish, all fighting for his attention.

Then the executor of the will cleared his throat. “There is one last section of the will to read.” The man flashed Lady Dillard a nervous look and the entire room took notice. Lady Dillard was calm and collected but a sense of question filled the room.

And then the man began to speak. “The Earl drafted a portion of his will that he requested only to be read if his son died before producing an heir.”

The entire room perked up and both Andrew and his wife moved to the edge of their seats.

“The Earl wrote a letter that he wanted to be read.” The executor pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, cleared his throat again and began to read.

“I have made many mistakes in my life but my greatest mistake is being untruthful and putting my own pride over the well-being of my family.”

Everyone in the room began to murmur and had no idea what to expect next. Andrew’s eyes widened.

The man continued on, a slight quiver in his voice. “I am a coward for not admitting this before but I will be even more of a coward to keep this secret in death and let the earldom pass from my family when there is still a living relative.”

Andrew’s eyes widened even more and voices continued to chatter within the crowd.

The executor forced the last lines of the letter from his lips before hurrying from the room.

There were gasps and screams, women swooned and men yelled in anger.

The words were ringing in his ears and Andrew slowly repeated them within his mind.

“I hereby acknowledge Andrew Wilson as my legitimate son and the rightful heir to the Earldom of Dillard.”

Time was all he wanted but there was none to be had.

No sooner had the words left the mouth of the executor than the entire room broke into a riot. There were several cries of “Outrage!” and “Scandal!” before Andrew swiftly became acquainted with the fist of one Lord Abbott, whom he soon discovered was a distant cousin set to inherit the Earldom. Instinctively he fought back and the two were soon rolling around the floor of the sitting room like two unruly school children. Andrew had just landed a solid punch to Lord Abbott’s groin when two unbiased parties pulled the men apart.

Andrew wiped blood from his lip and then shook his hand, sending the drops flying to the far reaches of the room. Everything was moving in slow motion now. Everything was out of focus. The voices in the room were muffled as if coming from the other end of a lengthy tunnel. Andrew thought he heard someone calling his name but that just wasn’t important enough to break through the fog of scenes running through his head.

The words passed through his mind again.

“My legitimate son… rightful heir to the Earldom of Dillard.”

How could it be true? How could it be possible?

How could his own father ignore him, make him a bond servant?

Then Lord Abbott’s voice pierced through the room. “He is nothing more than a servant! He cannot be the Earl of Dillard!” He motioned to the room and then continued, “How do we even know that it is true? Of course the late Earl would want his line to pass on. He might say anything for that to happen!”

And then Lady Dillard chimed in. “You dare to question my son? The late Earl?”

“Well—I—”

“You dare to question
me
?”

This time Lord Abbott did not speak and just clenched his fists tightly at his sides.

“Yes. I thought as much.” She then turned her face to Andrew and looked at him in the same caring way she always had. This time Andrew understood why? “And what say you… grandson?”

Grandson.

The word felt amazing to his ears but at the same time he felt an intense pain in his body. How many years had he been denied this pleasure?

Without thinking the words flowed from his mouth, and Andrew, who had never backed down from an obligation in his life was not prepared to do so now.

“I take this on with full honor and understanding.”

***

Angela followed her husband, unsure exactly where he was headed. At this moment there was no time for anger and no time for fear. It didn’t matter what her own feelings were or what her husband might think of her at the moment. Whether he knew it or accepted it, her husband needed her right now. It was her duty, her right, as his wife to stand by his side in this time of need. She would follow him to the ends of the earth, to his depths of despair and confusion…to the servant’s quarters?

Angela had not been sure where Andrew was heading when he left the room. Many places had sifted through her mind but the servant’s quarters were not one of them. He turned to look at her. She opened her mouth to ask but no words came out.

It didn’t matter. As always Andrew understood her every word and thought. As always he saw deep into her soul and mind.

“This was my room; where I slept for 25 years of my life.” He cleared his throat and it was clear to Angela that he was trying desperately to keep his composure. These past few days had undoubtedly been the most trying of his life. Angela was greatly impressed that he was able to keep from crying.

But deep inside, there was a part of her that wanted him to break down and cry. She wanted tears to pour from his eyes as he let down his guard. How strange that she would want this type of emotion from him when she was unwilling to give it of herself.

Andrew lay down in the bed and pulled the blanket around him. Without even having to think Angela laid down next to him, ready to offer him whatever comfort he might need.

But as he had done earlier, her husband shivered and pulled away.

Angela fell asleep alone on the bed.

Andrew fell asleep alone on the floor.

***

Despite spending most of his life in the company of nobility, Andrew was very ignorant to their inner workings. Though he had had nearly an entire day to contemplate what had just happened, he could not even fathom what might lie before him. So when Lady Dillard came to Andrew the next day and informed him that there would be a ball held in his honor to commemorate his new title he did not question her. She brought him elegant clothes to wear and he was afraid. Everything he had ever owned in his entire life did not add up to this.

He put the clothes on and stood in front of the mirror in his new room, in awe at his appearance. In his entire life he had never given much time to his looks. He had never had a reason to. Despite his social status Andrew had always been content with himself and his life. He might not have worn the most fashionable or expensive clothes but he felt content about himself and that was reflected in what other people saw.

Right now he stood in front of the mirror gazing up and down at his reflection. He didn’t recognize himself. He didn’t know who the man was that was looking back at him. In his wildest dreams he had never thought that this would happen to him; that he would be here, dressed in the best clothes, an Earl.

And where was Angela? Where was his wife? He expected that she must be getting ready for this social event. What he had not expected was for her to look as beautiful as she did now.

Andrew had always looked at his wife as the most beautiful person in the world. To him she was. To many others he was sure that she was too. But he had never even imagined that she could look as ravishing as she did in this very moment. When Angela finally came around the corner and into his sight, the very breath was stripped from his body. In this moment he forgot all about the pain he had felt in the past few days. He forgot all about the heartaches he had faced. He forgot that his wife did not love him. Right now all that mattered was this warm feeling that was rising inside of his body. He lost all sense of everything as this fiery emotion swelled within him and pushed all other things out. At this moment, this emotion was all that was keeping him alive and sane.

He could feel his cheeks begin to heat up and diverted his eyes, but a moment was all he could stand before he looked back again. Her gown clung to her body as if it had been made exactly for her. He could see every pleasurable curve and wonderful bit of roundness of her body. He was so proud that she was his wife. Right now he didn’t care if she loved him or not. When you got right down to it none of it mattered. She was
his
wife, HIS, and no other man could ever claim the same. No man could ever gaze at her as he did and have every right in the world to do so.

And so dressed in the finest clothes they had ever seen, let alone been privileged to wear, the Wilson-Dillard family entered the expansive ballroom as nobility.

Andrew gently took hold of Angela’s arm and slipped it through his own, before proudly leading her into the ballroom.

***

The past few days had been so surreal but this moment right now, as she was about to enter the ballroom with her husband, was the most surreal moment she had ever faced in her life. Growing up Angela had always expected to live a life in the spotlight. She had been groomed and trained to understand the life of a noble woman. That was, after all, the life she had been born into. She was the daughter of a Baron, the only daughter of a Baron, destined to marry and become something more, but she had never expected her life to turn out like this.

When she married Andrew she had gladly said good bye to any life of nobility and social status she might have had. He was a servant for God’s sake! How could she have ever expected something like this? But it didn’t matter what she expected or even wanted. Andrew was her husband, he would always be her husband, and their lives were forever entwined. So this was the reason why, right now, Angela was reentering society.

It was making her sick to her stomach. She was nervous and scared. This life should have been second nature to her but she had never wanted it even when it was hers. She had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she would never be in this situation again, but she was in it right now. Ironically, her life now was exactly what she had been raised for. She was the wife of an Earl, a Countess, and even more prepared for the role than he was.

Her stomach heaved and she barely kept down its contents. Was it the nervousness? No perhaps not. She smiled secretly to herself. While alone in her room she had taken a few swigs of Mary’s remedy, strong alcohol. It had gotten her in trouble before, she knew that well enough, but she couldn’t deny that it worked. She couldn’t deny that it calmed her mind and made the entire situation more manageable.

Angela took a deep breath and looked into her husband’s eyes. Despite the time they had spent together she still could not penetrate them. What was really taking place behind those baby blues? She clenched her jaw. She could guess. With all that had happened to him the past three days she was surprised that he was still sane. No, now that she thought about it she was not surprised. Andrew was a strong man, the strongest she had ever met, and truth be told she felt butterflies when she thought of his power.

So with her body light and tingly, she took one last deep breath and let her husband take her hand. Together they walked arm and arm into their new life.

***

To any other man this moment of noble acknowledgement would have been the epitome of his life. But to Andrew this was not so. He had never imagined rising in social status as most men dream to do. He grew up as a bond servant and no matter what he might have dreamed; he knew that he would never be anything more than that. However, here he was, and all eyes were on him… and his wife.

At the beginning of the ball he had been proud and excited that so many eyes were on her. Of course by now everyone knew who she was, and so whether she had been beautiful or not, and no one could deny that she was, every person in the room was focused on her. Men of nobility were clamoring to talk with her and dance with her, and initially Andrew was pleased to oblige.