Unveiled (Undone by Love Book 3) (8 page)

Her eyes visibly sparked
. “Yes, well, you’ll pardon the inconvenience.”  She cleared her throat and cast her gaze to the pebbled drive. “I’ve only come to ask for your assistance on behalf of Mrs. Tolland. The baby...ahem...her time has come and we were hoping you could be convinced to go into town and fetch Mr. Tolland at once. Mrs. Tolland is quite desirous of his presence at home.”

Devil take it, he hoped there weren’t complications
. “And Mrs. Tolland...she is well? No problems, I hope?”  Women were so damned close-mouthed about childbirth; he knew he’d never get a straight answer from her.

The color rose in her face at once
. “Oh, no, everything seems very well. She only wishes for her husband’s company.”

He hoped she spoke the truth
. He’d find out for himself soon enough. “And no servant could be spared to request my assistance?”

Her cheeks flushed a lovely pink
. “The household was in a bit of disarray. I volunteered to come myself.”

“Did you?” he asked, masking his surprise
. “How very charitable of you. Very well, I’ll try to locate him at once.” 

“Thank you, my lord.”  She curtsied politely, that same false smile of hers on her face
.

Hayden dismissed her with a bow and watched as she climbed back into the coach
. As the conveyance rattled off down the drive, his humor faded. He summoned his own carriage with trepidation, hoping he could locate Tolland without trouble. First he’d try the gaming hells, then the brothel. And then, he thought with a grimace, if worse came to worst, Adele’s house.

***

“A girl? Oh, how wonderful. Has Mr. Tolland seen her yet?”  Jane clapped her hands in delight.

“Yes, mum,” the midwife said with a satisfied smile
. “He’s just left ‘er bedside to pour himself a celebratory drink. Mrs. Tolland has asked for you.”

“Of course
. Thank you.”  Jane pushed open the door to Emily’s bedchamber, a smile slowly spreading across her face as she saw mother and child curled together on the bed. Jane hurried to Emily’s side and peered down at the tiny infant cradled in her arms.

“Oh, Emily, she’s beautiful
. What will you call her?”

“We were thinking we’d call her Amelia.”

“Amelia.”  Jane tested the name. “It’s lovely.”  She felt tears well in her eyes, joyful tears.

Jane saw a shadow pass across Emily’s features
. “Cecil’s angry I presented him with a daughter, no matter how beautiful. He was desperately hoping for a son.”

“Cecil’s disappointed, perhaps, but I’m certain he’s not angry
. It’s only natural for men to wish for sons. The next one will be a boy,” Jane reassured her.

“Perhaps,” Emily answered, pushing back the blanket from the babe’s forehead
. “Look at her hair. Isn’t it lovely?”

Downy hair the color and texture of cornsilk dusted the child’s head
. “It is, indeed. She’s perfect, Emily. I’m so very happy for you.”

“Thank you, Jane
. I hope one day soon you’ll be similarly blessed. Perhaps you’ll reconsider Lord Westfield’s–”

“There’s no possibility of that
. No, I’m perfectly content being everyone’s favorite aunt,” Jane lied, at once overwhelmed with the desire for a child of her own.

“I hope you’ll change your mind, Jane
. I...I cannot begin to describe the way I feel right now. So complete. I’ve risked...”  Emily shook her head. “I would risk anything for such a blessing,” she corrected, placing a kiss on the sleeping babe’s forehead.

A knife twisted in Jane’s heart
. Did Emily recognize the same risk she did, just refused to speak of it?
Please
, Jane pleaded silently,
please let Emily be spared
.

Chapter 7

“Emily, dear,” Jane called out, “are you almost ready
? The guests have all assembled in the drawing room.”  She peered anxiously around the door that stood ajar and saw Emily sitting motionless at her vanity, staring at her own reflection. “Emily?”

The seated woman didn’t move a muscle.

With a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth, Jane hurried to Emily’s side and laid a hand on her shoulder. Their eyes met in the glass, Emily’s at last flickering to life.

“Jane?”  Her voice wavered, sounding slightly disoriented.

“Your guests have arrived. Shall we go down together?”

“I’m just so very tired.”

“Of course you are. It’s only natural.”  Jane patted her shoulder. “With poor Amelia so colicky, you haven’t gotten much sleep these past weeks.”

Jane saw a shadow waver across her cousin’s eyes, and she felt her own muscles tense in response
. Her worries for her cousin increased daily. Emily seemed to go about in a daze, her brow furrowed and her mouth pinched. She’d grown paler each day since Amelia’s birth.

“It’s more than that,” Emily said, her hands shaking as she clutched the vanity’s marble top
. “My nerves... I’m so anxious, so irritable. Amelia does nothing but cry, no matter what I do for the child. I don’t...I don’t know what to do for her.”

“Many infants suffer so
. It will pass with time. Didn’t the apothecary say so?”

“I suppose.”  Emily sighed heavily
. “Has Lady Adele arrived?” she asked, her voice flat.

“I believe so
. You’ve quite a number of guests. Perhaps we should–”

“Cecil’s never forgiven me for presenting him with a daughter, you know
. He thinks it entirely my fault.”

Jane swallowed, unable to reply
.

“The day I gave birth to Amelia, he came to my bedside reeking of perfume
. Cheap perfume.”

“I’m sure you’re mistaken, Emily.”

“I’m not. No doubt Lord Westfield dragged him from some woman’s bed.”

Jane gasped
. “Emily, you shouldn’t say... We shouldn’t speak of such things.”

“Cecil has many lovers
. He thinks I don’t know, of course. Lady Adele is no doubt his latest conquest.”

Jane shuddered, remembering the night of the Ashbourne assembly
–recalling the ‘come hither’ look the woman had given Cecil, and then the following debacle in the maze. No doubt Emily was correct. But to speak of such matters...

“Ours was not a love match,” Emily continued, her voice hollow
. “Still, it pains me. There are times when I cannot get out of bed, so paralyzed am I by fear and despondency.”

Jane reached for her shoulder
. “But why did you not tell me this before? Perhaps there’s something to be done–”

“What’s there to be done
? I’m just like my mother, don’t you see?” Emily cried out vehemently. “Sometimes I fear that Amelia would be better off without me.”

“No, that’s not true, Emily.”  Jane shook her head.

“Other times I’ve listened to her inconsolable wailing, nothing I can do to comfort her, and I’ve...I’ve wished she had never been born.”

Jane’s hand rose to cover her mouth
. Emily’s gaze met hers once again in the glass, her eyes silently pleading for help.

Jane dropped her hand, resolved to conceal her fears, to show nothing but support
. She would help her cousin through this. “Emily, if you ever experience such doubts, such thoughts again, I implore you to come to me at once. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. Will you promise me this?”

A single tear escaped to trail down one cheek as Emily nodded her assent
. “Thank you,” she choked out. “I’m so frightened.”

“Don’t be frightened
. Perhaps a change in scene would do you good. Cecil spoke of going to London next month–perhaps we can convince him to bring us all along.”

“Perhaps,” Emily answered, a faint smile appearing at last
. “It’s been so very long since I’ve been to Town. My cousin Harriet is being presented this year. It would be lovely to attend her come-out.”

“I agree
. But what shall I tell your guests? Are you well enough to come down to dinner?”

“I believe I am.”  Emily allowed Jane to thread her arm through hers
. “I cannot tell you how much better I feel for having shared my fears. Thank you, Jane. I...I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.” 

“There’s no need to find out
. I’ll stay with you as long as you want my company.”

***

“At last, my lovely wife,” Tolland said.

Hayden looked up from his port as Emily and Jane appeared together in the doorway
. Tolland strode over to join them, taking Emily’s arm in his. Jane’s icy gaze met his, and he immediately looked away.

Hayden wished he were anywhere but there in Tolland’s drawing room
. And yet, this was meant as a celebratory dinner and he would not insult Emily by his absence, no matter his personal discomfort. It was bad enough that Adele was there, pretending to be Emily’s friend while shamelessly casting sultry glances at the woman’s husband every time her back was turned. But worse still was suffering Jane Rosemoor’s company. Hayden tipped back his port, draining the glass in one long draught.

Impertinent chit
. It wasn’t as if she had any other prospects, as far as he could tell. He turned to eye her coldly as she perched beside Emily on the sofa. Her butter-colored frock skimmed her figure enticingly, stretched taut across her bosom. Alabaster skin, flushed the palest pink, spilled from the deeply cut neckline, beckoning to his eyes. He forced his gaze up to her face, her dimpled cheek flushed, her blue eyes fringed by thick lashes. A band of cream-colored lace encircled her chestnut tresses, one lock brushing a perfectly curved shoulder. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, watching her curiously as she hovered protectively over an usually wan Emily.

“I hear Amelia is a darling,” Adele said, leaning toward Emily, her tone patronizing at best
. “Why, just last night Tolland was telling me–”

“Last night?” Emily interrupted, her brow furrowed.

“Yes, last night. I had the pleasure of meeting him in the village last night, isn’t that so?” Adele simpered, smiling seductively at Tolland.

“It’s true,” he answered curtly
. “A very unexpected surprise, of course.”

“Of course,” Adele murmured
.

Emily’s face went white.

Everyone in the room fidgeted visibly in discomfiture.

What the hell was Adele playing at
?

“As I was saying, Tolland was telling me what a dear she is
. Very disappointing not to have a son, of course, but–”

“Lady Adele, might I request a private word with you?”  Hayden crossed the room in several strides
.

The look of sheer delight that crossed Adele’s features sickened him as he reached for her arm
. In stone silence, the pair made their way across the room, every eye trained on them. Hayden could barely contain his rage that simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over before they reached a private spot.

As soon as they crossed the threshold and the door swung shut behind them, Hayden tightened his grip on Adele’s arm, practically dragging her down the hallway and into the first room they encountered
. Tolland’s library.

“Ouch,” Adele cried, wrenching her arm from his vise-like grip
. “You’re hurting me, Hayden.”

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” he barked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  Her cold eyes met his.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about
. Listen to me, Adele, and listen well. I want you to go back into that room, make your apologies to Mrs. Tolland, and take your leave at once. Make up some excuse–I don’t care what you say. But I want you out of this house within the half hour, do you understand? And if I ever see you again in Mrs. Tolland’s company, I’ll–”

“You’ll
what
, Hayden? Bring physical harm on me? I doubt it. Sully my reputation? Why, you’ve already done so. Your idle threats don’t frighten me. But I will promise to stay away from your precious Mrs. Tolland if you’ll admit that you’re jealous.”  She reached for his sleeve. “Admit it, Hayden. You miss me in your arms, in your bed. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, don’t you see? You’ll never find another woman so willing, so eager to please. No one has set your blood racing as I have. I know you’ll never forget that night in your carriage–me straddling you, riding you like–”

“You’re wrong, Adele
. I have forgotten. Your memory has been easily erased.”  It was the truth, as it had taken very little effort to remove the memories of their ill-considered affair from his consciousness. He wanted no reminders of his poor judgment where she was concerned.

“Do you mean to say that another woman...that you’ve...” Adele sputtered.

Hayden’s only response was silence. Yes, someone else had surely set his blood afire, far more than Adele ever had. Images of Jane flashed in his mind, her hands entwined in his hair, drawing his head toward hers, her warm, honeyed mouth so pliant, so welcoming.

“No, I don’t believe it
. You want me,” Adele said silkily, obviously misinterpreting the lustful look in his eyes. She advanced toward him like a cat stalking its prey, her sheathed claws enveloping his neck before he’d had the chance to react. Her hard, demanding mouth was on his before he knew it.

The door swung against the wall with a thump
.

Hayden roughly shoved Adele aside, stunned to see Jane standing in the doorway, one hand covering her mouth, her eyes round with surprise
.

“Why, Miss Rosemoor,” Adele called out sweetly
. “Did you come to see where the brutish Lord Westfield dragged me off to? I assure you no damage has been done.”  Her smile was a triumphant one.

“My...my shawl,” Jane stuttered, pointing to a square of lace lying across the back of one chair
.

Hayden strode over to the chair and lifted the shawl, inhaling the faint, spicy scent that wafted from its folds
. He handed it to Jane, who snatched it from him as if she were terrified of her hand meeting his. As if he were a leper. A monster.

“It’s not what you think, Miss Rosemoor,” he said, amazed by his words
. He owed her no explanation.

She met his gaze and held it for a moment, her eyes seeming to gather in intensity like sapphire storm clouds
. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and he could hear her quick breaths, could feel the heat from her cheeks across the distance that separated them.

Without another word, she spun on her heel and fled
.

“Jane,” he called out after her
. “Miss Rosemoor,” he corrected, just as the door banged shut.

Hayden’s blood turned cold as Adele threw back her head and laughed
.

“Badly done, Hayden
. Badly done, indeed.” 

He couldn’t agree more.

***

Jane hid behind the cards she held in her hand, fearing that the color in her cheeks would betray her emotions
. Try as she might, she could not erase the image of Lord Westfield and Lady Adele pressed together, joined in a passionate embrace. Of all the rooms in the house, why had they chosen the exact one where she’d left her shawl for their little tryst? She knew she shouldn’t care, that Lord Westfield’s amorous attentions were none of her concern, and yet she felt somehow...violated. It hadn’t been so many weeks since he’d offered her his hand in marriage, after all. Just what kind of man was he, she wondered? Was this some sort of game he played, toying with a woman and then quickly moving on to the next? Was Lady Adele his lover? She had addressed him by his given name the night of the assembly, after all. Could they not cool their ardor long enough to pass an evening in polite company without removing themselves for a romp?

And to think, she had allowed herself to believe that he’d dragged Lady Adele out of the drawing room in a rare act of gallantry
–that he would administer a severe dressing down to the woman. She’d thought it an almost heroic gesture.

But no, he’d only pulled Lady Adele out of their company to kiss her
. Clearly, it was something he made a habit of, despite his assertion to the contrary. An unfamiliar pang of jealousy shot through her heart as she tossed a card to the green-felt table. Thank goodness the loathsome woman had taken her leave so abruptly.

Jane sighed, glad she was not hanging out for a husband
. What if she’d been swayed by her indisputable attraction to the rakehell? For she could no longer deny the attraction existed. She longed for the return of her sensibilities. She wasn’t herself these days, and it frightened her.