To Tempt an Irish Rogue (19 page)

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Authors: Kaitlin O'Riley

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Historical, #Fiction

BOOK: To Tempt an Irish Rogue
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“I’m sorry,” Yvette whispered in the darkness. “I can only imagine how you feel right now.”
The lump in her throat kept Paulette from responding and tears threatened, stinging, like pin pricks behind her eyes.
Her sister’s imagination wouldn’t even come close to knowing how Paulette felt. Frightened. Embarrassed. Confused. Overwhelmed. Heartbroken. Worried. Dizzy. Faint. Foolish. Nauseous. The list went on and on. Only one word was not on her list of feelings. And that was regretful. She could not for one single minute regret any of the nights she spent with Declan Reeves. In spite of the consequences she now faced, she looked back on those times together with only joy and love. She had never been happier or felt more alive than when she was with him. Did she wish the precautions they had taken had worked? Yes. But she did not regret one moment of being in Declan’s arms.
Under the warmth of the quilt that covered her she laced her fingers over her abdomen. The smooth cotton of her nightgown covered her, but she rubbed her hands gently across her stomach. One would never guess by looking at her that a tiny person was growing within her. A baby. Her baby. Their baby. Her heart fluttered with a strange excitement. A glimmer of hope.
“Do you know the terrible irony of this whole situation ?” Yvette asked, settling back into the pillows.
“What?” At the moment Paulette could not think of anything more ironic than the fact that of all her sisters, she, the most practical and reliable one, was the one to find herself in the most irresponsible of all situations.
“Lisette.”
Paulette’s tears came full force then. “Oh, it’s not fair.” How could it be that her married sister, who wanted a baby so desperately, could not seem to have one and there was Paulette, not married and with child?
Yvette whispered, “We can’t tell her about this.”
“It would break her heart if we did.” Paulette wiped at the hot tears that spilled down her cheeks and into her ears as she lay there in the dark.
Chapter 22
Dilemma
Yvette Hamilton knew she had to tell someone what was happening, but she was not quite sure whom to tell. Paulette had sworn her to secrecy, and Yvette couldn’t break a promise like that to her sister. Not to Paulette of all people. After the confirmation from the doctor in Brighton, Paulette’s plan to have the baby in America could work, but Yvette disagreed with it completely. In her heart she believed that this mysterious Lord Cashelmore simply had to marry her sister. It was the right and proper course of action for a gentleman. As if anything about this situation was right or proper.
This was the biggest problem that she had ever dealt with before. Riddled with fear and worry over her sister’s situation, she knew that she and Paulette could not handle this on their own.
Which is why she chose to tell Jeffrey Eddington.
It wasn’t really breaking a confidence, Yvette reasoned, since Jeffrey already knew about Paulette and Lord Cashelmore.
After Colette and Paulette left to go to the bookshop one morning after their little trip to Brighton, Yvette ventured to Lord Eddington’s townhouse.
Just as his butler had opened the door, Jeffrey had been descending the stairs and saw her.
“Yvette! What in God’s name are you doing here?” Jeffrey could not hide the astonishment on his handsome face upon seeing Yvette Hamilton standing upon his doorstep.
“Is that any way to greet a lady?” she remarked, a bit put out by his curt welcome. Jeffrey was usually more gallant than that. His butler stood there dumbfounded, not sure what to do.
“Let her in, Dennings. It’s all right,” Jeffrey said to the older man who seemed at sixes and sevens. Jeffrey turned his attention to Yvette. Taking her arm and leading her from the grand foyer, he said, “Ladies do not come calling upon gentlemen at this hour of the morning without an escort, Miss Hamilton.”
“They do when it’s important and they need to speak with that gentleman privately,” she said as she glanced around her with interest.
Yvette had never been to Jeffrey’s townhouse before and found herself quite curious about it. As he ushered her through the house, she took note of the masculine feel of the place. Surprisingly, there was nothing surprising at all about it. The house was tasteful and understated in its décor. There was none of the fashionable knick-knacks and curios and heavily patterned wallpapers that were all the rage. Feeling a bit disappointed, she had expected something more . . . more . . . well, decadent about Jeffrey’s home.
She had known Jeffrey Eddington since she was thirteen years old and he had become a part of their family when Colette married Lucien Sinclair. Aside from his acting as a protective older brother to all of them, Yvette had always liked him for treating her as if she were a lady. Even when she wasn’t.
“What is the matter, Yvette? Has something happened to your sisters? Is one of them hurt?” he asked once they were in the privacy of his study, his blue eyes filled with worry.
“No, not exactly,” she said, taking a seat on a leather chair, facing him. She arranged the long train of her satin damask bustle gown neatly around her. She loved the way the floral sprig pattern on the golden yellow satin caught the light, making it her favorite brand-new dress.
Jeffrey leaned against his large oak desk, watching her, his expression puzzled. “What is going on then, Yvette? What are you doing here? Aside from looking quite beautiful in that gown.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, feeling a bit flustered. That was another reason why she liked Jeffrey. He always noticed her and complimented her prettily, although this time she blushed a little under his regard. “Well . . .”
“Well?” he urged.
Suddenly feeling foolish for coming to his house to tell him what she had intended to tell him, she hesitated. Now she was not sure if she should confide in him. “I thought . . . that is . . . I came here to ask your advice on a matter of a very personal nature.”
“Who is he?”
“I beg your pardon?” she asked, taken aback by his question.
He crossed his arms in front of him, eyeing her with keen interest. “Who is he? I assume that’s why you’re here. To find out more about your newest conquest. Hasn’t he fallen in love with you yet?”
“Oh, no! It’s nothing like that!” Yvette exclaimed, with a giggle and a dismissive wave of her hand. “How funny! As if I needed your assistance with my romantic life! I’m not here on my own account!”
He cast her an odd look at her words. “Well, what is it then?”
She hesitated, patting her blond curls in place. “Now I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
“You came all this way, Yvette. It was obviously important enough for you to seek me out. I can tell you’re harboring some kind of secret, so you may as well tell me now.”
He was right. She had come here for help, which she needed. Which her sister needed. She paused for a moment. “It’s about Paulette.”
Jeffrey immediately stood straighter, a look of anger clouding his handsome features. “Is it Lord Cashelmore? Has he done something to hurt her?”
That gave Yvette pause. Had Lord Cashelmore hurt her sister? “I’m not sure if hurt is the correct term I would use.”
“Yvette, just say it.” His voice was filled with determination and not a little anxiety.
“The reason I came to see you is only because Paulette told me that you knew of her . . .
friendship
. . . with Lord Cashelmore, so I knew you would be understanding.”
“I won’t be understanding for much longer,” he growled, growing impatient. “The man has a dark reputation. I warned Paulette about him in the first place, but I was under the impression that they were no longer seeing each other.”
Yvette hesitated again, a flicker of fear in her chest. “It seems there has been a bit of a complication that adds to the seriousness of the situation.”
His expression darkened. “Damn it, Yvette.”
Yvette just blurted it out. “Paulette’s going to have a baby and someone is threatening to kill her!”
“Good God. You’re not jesting.” His eyes widened at the news, then he grew terribly somber. He shook his head in disgust. “I should have stopped it from the beginning. I knew no good would come of their association. I blame myself for this.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Jeffrey. They’ve been meeting in secret. No one even knows about them. She only told me two weeks ago.”
“Is she sure? Has she been to a—”
“Yes, we visited with a doctor in Brighton last week.”
“Who else knows about this?”
“Just me. And now you.”
“Well, she’s just going to have to marry him, that’s all.”
Yvette shook her head. “That’s the problem. She won’t marry him.”
“What?” Jeffrey was incredulous.
“She says neither of them wishes to marry and she wants to go stay with Juliette in America and have the baby there,” Yvette explained, beginning to feel like she made the right decision in coming to see Lord Eddington.
Jeffrey whistled low. “She’s completely lost her mind.”
“I know and it has me very worried. That’s why I’m here. We can’t let her run away to America. Lord Cashelmore needs to marry her. As soon as possible.”
“He certainly does. Although I’m not sure I like the idea of your sister marrying a man suspected of murdering his first wife.”
“Paulette swears by his innocence.” Yvette looked at Jeffrey. “And I believe her.”
Jeffrey paused, thoughtful. “She said the same to me, and as much as I would love to believe Paulette, I don’t trust the man himself. She’s in love with him and a woman in love will believe anything the man she’s in love with has to say.”
Now that was interesting. Yvette arched an inquisitive brow in Jeffrey’s direction. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” he responded matter-of-factly. “So Cashelmore knows nothing about the baby?”
“No. And she had no plans to tell him. Perhaps you can talk some sense into Paulette. Or even speak with Lord Cashelmore. I feel that if he knew about the baby, he would want to do the honorable thing and marry Paulette, as he should.”
“Perhaps,” Jeffrey said.
“She’s in love with him, just as you said. She shouldn’t have to flee to America and have her baby alone. It will break her heart, Jeffrey.”
“Does he love her?”
“I don’t know for sure, but who wouldn’t love Paulette? He’d be a fool not to marry her.”
“You have a point there.”
“Paulette is already planning to leave with Juliette when she gets here and you know Juliette will do anything to help her. We have to stop Paulette from ruining her life. And the baby’s.”
Jeffrey remained quiet. A lengthy silence ensued and Yvette grew worried. Finally she asked, “You’ll help her, won’t you, Jeffrey? Please?”
“Yes.”
“What will you do?” Yvette’s heart pounded, wondering how Jeffrey would address the problem.
“I’m not quite sure yet.” He flashed her his signature, charming grin and winked at her. “Aside from getting you home posthaste before we have another scandal.”
Smiling, Yvette rose from her seat and took the arm that Jeffrey offered her. In spite of his flirty ways, she knew he would take care of Paulette’s problem. “Thank you, Jeffrey. I knew I could count on you.”
“You can always count on me, Yvette.” Jeffrey paused as if something just occurred to him. His brows furrowed and he stared at her incredulously. “Did you say someone was threatening to kill her?”
Pausing to look at him, Yvette grimaced. “Oh, yes. About that . . .” She had almost forgotten the other part of Paulette’s dilemma. Now she had to explain to Jeffrey what she knew about the threats.
He wasn’t going to be happy at all.
Chapter 23
Family
As they arrived at the site of new bookshop for the grand opening, Paulette struggled to contain the terrible nausea that had been plaguing her day and night. Today it seemed worse than ever. On a day when she should be overjoyed and full of satisfaction, she could not bear even the smell of food, let alone eat any of her breakfast.
Unable to sleep, she knew she appeared weary and gaunt that morning. Tossing and turning in her bed each night as she wrestled with the decision she had to make sooner rather than later did her appearance no favors. She still had not told Declan about the baby although she knew that she should. Part of her yearned to tell him, but something held her back from doing so.
She had hoped against hope that Juliette would have arrived by now. Juliette had written that she and her husband and daughter would return to London in time for the opening, yet here it was the day of the event and there was no sign of them. Paulette longed to confide in Juliette and know what her thoughts were. She also planned on leaving with her sister on her return voyage to America. If Juliette ever got there, that was.
Paulette waited impatiently as the new shop filled with family and friends. Lucien and Colette were there with their two little boys along with Lisette and Quinton Roxbury, Yvette and their mother, Genevieve Hamilton. Even their estranged uncle and aunt, Randall and Cecilia Hamilton, had surprised them by arriving for the opening of the new store, along with their son, Nigel. Tom Alcott and his mother, Anna, and her fiancé, Jack Harris, were there as well.
Touched by everyone who made a point to share in their special day, Paulette glanced around the beautiful shop with pride. Feeling eyes on her, she saw Lord Jeffrey Eddington. She did not like the look he gave her. As if he knew she was in trouble. Guiltily she averted her eyes from his intense gaze.
Filled with the hum of voices and activity, the shop was crowded with guests who had been invited to the opening. Many were friends of Lucien and Colette. As the Marquis and Marchioness of Stancliff, they had a wide social circle. Quinton and Lisette Roxbury too had invited a number of his political friends. And surprisingly, a rather large crowd had gathered outside the store as well, much more than they had expected. But it barely mattered to Paulette, because the person she wanted to be there more than anyone in the world would not be there that day.
Raising his hand in her direction, Quinton motioned to her. “Come, Paulette. It’s time. We’re ready for the unveiling.”
Paulette was the one who was to pull down the drapes revealing the sign bearing the name of the new bookshop. Everyone was looking forward to learning the name, which she and Colette had kept as a secret. She moved toward Quinton, and a dizzying wave of nausea washed over her. She willed herself not to be sick right there in front of everyone as she walked unsteadily toward her brother-in-law.
“Are you feeling all right?” Quinton asked in her in a discreet whisper. “You look a little green.”
Swallowing, she barely nodded her head, grateful she did not have to be the one to give a speech this day. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”
They made their way out of the store and joined the gathering crowd on the street. Colette, Lucien, and the rest of the Hamilton family joined them as they climbed the steps to the small dais that had been built outside the shop and they took their seats. Colette stepped to the podium to begin her speech. Paulette pressed her fingers to her forehead, fighting another wave of dizziness, and breathed in the cool autumn air.
Paulette’s eyes scanned the crowd, wondering at all the people who had come out on this crisp October day for the opening of a new bookstore in London. It was quite a spectacle. There were men and women of all classes in the crowd as well as children.
It was then she spotted him and a little thrill raced through her.
Standing amidst the spectators and holding his daughter in his arms so she could see over the crowd, was Declan Reeves, the Earl of Cashelmore. He looked even handsomer than she remembered in his dark suit and tall black hat. Her heart skittered in her chest and she could not help but smile at him. Had over a month really passed since she last saw him? Oh, how she missed him!
Declan acknowledged her with a warm grin and nodded at her, their gazes holding for a long moment.
A feeling of euphoria filled her at the nearness of him and she felt the nauseous feeling almost fade away. Declan knew how important this day was to her and he had come to share in it. Seated beside her, Yvette followed her gaze and gave her a little nudge. “That’s him, isn’t?” she whispered.
Paulette nodded with pride, still smiling at him, for Declan Reeves was truly a sight to behold.
“Oh, he is very handsome,” Yvette said in her ear.
At that moment a large carriage made its way through the crowded street, stopping as close to the shop as it could get. Everyone turned to look. The door swung open and out stepped Juliette Hamilton Fleming, dressed in an elegant gown of stripped navy and white, a pert hat with a white feather perched upon her head.
“Wait!” Juliette called, waving her hand frantically. “Don’t start without me!”
Then her husband, Captain Harrison Fleming, stepped down behind her, carrying their young daughter, Sara. Juliette came hurrying through the throng of people and up to the dais to join them.
“Juliette! You’re finally here!” Colette cried with happiness, throwing her arms around her sister.
“I’m so sorry, but better late than never! We planned to be here sooner, but our ship ran into some bad weather. We only docked this morning and we raced across town, just in time I see!” Juliette laughed, as she was embraced by each of her sisters and her mother in turn. Another round of hugs was given to their brother-in-law, Harrison, and little niece, Sara.
No one was happier to see Juliette return than Paulette. She could barely wait to get her sister alone and confide in her.
“My daughter has come home at last!” Genevieve La Brecque Hamilton’s beaming face expressed her joy at having all five of her daughters together again for the first time in over a year. “Oh, this is a wonderful day for our family!
C’est une journée fantastique pour notre famille.”
As they all took their seats once more, Colette made a brief speech about the bookshop and the history of Hamilton’s, mentioning their father’s years of hard work and dedication to providing quality books to the community.
“My sister, Miss Paulette Hamilton, who has been instrumental in every aspect of the design and installation of our new location, will now reveal the name of our newest bookshop,” she announced.
Paulette stood on shaky legs and Quinton handed her the silk cord. Momentarily forgetting her sickness, she glanced at Colette in excitement. All their years of hard work at their father’s dusty shop where they had to pinch pennies and scrimp to make the needed changes had come to this momentous occasion. “Are we ready?”
Colette flashed her joyful smile. “Ready!”
With a forceful tug, Paulette pulled the rope, releasing the coverings that draped over the sign. The elegantly scripted words were etched in wood above the front window. In gold lettering on a black background was:
T
HE
H
AMILTON
S
ISTERS
’ B
OOK
S
HOPPE
As the crowd applauded, Juliette, Lisette, and Yvette exclaimed over the new name.
“Oh, that’s just wonderful!”
“The Hamilton sisters!”
“Oh, how marvelous!
Oh, mes filles, la librairie est magnifique!”
“It’s perfect, just perfect!”
Paulette turned to the crowd and met Declan’s gaze and recognized the look of approval in his eyes. A thrill went through her. She wished he could stand beside her on the dais with her family. She wished he could hold her hand and share in her joy.
Everyone stood admiring the impressive new storefront, exclaiming over its beauty and its ideal name.
Pleased beyond words with the name of the shop, their mother dabbed at the tears in her eyes. “I am so proud and happy.
Je suis tellement heureuse et tellement fière.”
Caught off guard by their mother’s unexpectedly emotional response to the new bookshop, the five sisters exchanged surprised glances.
“It is true!” Genevieve Hamilton declared. “You are even more successful than your father!
Je suis si fière de vous, mes filles. Vous avez réussi là où votre père n’avait pas pu le faire.”
Filled with wonder, Paulette hugged her mother, grateful that she was there.
The whole group then filed back into the store where refreshments were served and people milled about the bookshop, commenting on its superior design and layout and congratulating the sisters on their accomplishment. Their newly trained female employees stood behind the counter in their neat green aprons, ready to assist customers in purchasing books.
The day become a blur of activity, so busy was Paulette greeting guests, giving little tours around the shop, and assisting customers with books. She was in her element, doing what she loved best and what made her happy.
Carrying a plate of Mrs. Alcott’s shortbread biscuits, Paulette went to the large and brightly colored children’s section of the shop, where she knew her niece and nephews were playing together. Phillip and Simon, handsome in their new suits, were seated at one of the small tables with their cousin Sara, their laughter filling the air. At three years old, Sara Fleming was an exact replica of her mother, Juliette. With long dark hair and mischievous blue eyes, she had an impish smile and an exuberant personality to match.
Paulette was stunned to see Mara Reeves standing beside her little niece. Sara was talking a mile a minute, not caring in the least that her newfound friend was not responding. Yet Mara listened to Sara with rapt attention, as Sara counted the books in front of her. The two young girls were a study in contrasts, one dark haired and talkative, the other fair and calm.
Glancing around, Paulette knew Declan was in the shop somewhere but she did not see him. The last time she spied him was after the unveiling outside the store. She assumed he had gone home then, for she had not seen him again. Now her heart raced at the thought of being so close to him. However, it worried her that Mara was unattended, for it was not usual for Declan to leave her alone. Yet Mara did not appear anxious. In fact she seemed most comfortable as she played with the other children, a bright smile on her sweet face.
Paulette moved to the little group, placing the plate of biscuits on the table, which was greeted with joyous cries from Phillip and Simon. She knelt down beside the two girls.
“Hello, Auntie Paulette,” Sara said with a little grin.
“Are you having fun?” Paulette asked her niece.
“Yes. These books are all mine. All of them,” she announced, possessively placing her small hand on top of the stack of children’s books on the table in front of her. “I’ll let Phillip and Simon each have one. Just one. And she can have two,” she said, pointing a chubby finger at Mara. “But she won’t tell me her name.”
“Her name is Mara Reeves,” Paulette explained, glad that the two girls had unexpectedly become acquainted. “Mara sounds just like your name. They rhyme!”
“Well, Mara can have two books, because I like her,” Sara declared, taking Mara’s hand in hers. She giggled in delight. “Mara. Sara. Mara. Sara.”
Paulette turned her attention to Declan’s daughter. “Hello, Mara. This is my niece, Sara Fleming. And these are my nephews, Phillip and Simon Sinclair. Are you having fun here with them?”
Mara grinned and nodded, her face beaming.
“I’m so happy to see you today,” Paulette said. “Do you know where your father is? Is he here in the shop?”
Mara looked up with her green eyes, so much like her father’s, and nodded her little head. Raising her hand she pointed toward the small reading room, which was designated to hold book-club meetings and discussion groups. The door was closed. Paulette wondered what on earth Declan could be doing in there. Perhaps he was waiting for her in there, where they could have a moment alone together? Filled with an excitement she hadn’t felt in weeks, Paulette smiled in anticipation.
“Thank you, Mara.” She glanced at the children happily eating their shortbread biscuits. “Now you all play nicely together.”
With a sense of nervous delight, Paulette stood and went directly to the reading room. Declan had come to see her, to support her and share in her special day. She was touched by his thoughtfulness. He must have good news about the letters and he was waiting for her. She wanted to throw her arms around him, to feel his lips on hers once more. She would tell him about the baby. She would introduce him to her mother and sisters this very afternoon. Suddenly filled with hope that everything would work out the way she wanted it to, she couldn’t wait to see him.
Placing her hand on the handle, she heard voices on the other side of the door. Male voices. Curious, she paused a moment, listening. Who was in there with Declan? Definitely two male voices. If only the children were not giggling and chattering so loudly she would be able to hear what they were saying! She debated whether she should knock first, but reasoned that it was her shop and she could enter her own reading room if she wanted to. However, she waited another minute, straining to make out what was being said, sure she heard her name mentioned once, before she flung open the door. Paulette did not know what or who she expected to see when she opened the door, but she was sure the scene that greeted her had not been in her realm of possibility.

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