A Christmas Affair (36 page)

“You may consider whatever arrangement that existed between us at an end,” he said, flexing his hands as he stepped back from the desk. “I wouldn’t trust you to handle so much as the contents of a chamber pot!”

Teale licked his lips nervously. “Your Grace, please, this is all a dreadful misunderstanding,” he said, his tone conciliatory. “You are distraught. I’m sure you don’t mean —”

“Oh, I mean it, all right,” Justin assured him silkily, his smile chilling Teale with its promise of violence. “I mean every word of it. And if you dare repeat such remarks to anyone else, you have my word that I will see you ruined. You will wish yourself dead before I am done with you, and then I will grant you that wish. Remember that, Teale,” and he departed without another word.

The next twenty-four hours were among the bleakest Amanda had ever known. Edward’s death shocked London, as did the news that rather than squandering his inheritance with his imprudent investments, he had more than quadrupled it. Instead of inheriting an almost bankrupt estate, Justin found himself the stunned heir of a fortune said to be in excess of half a million pounds.

With Lady Lettita’s and Amelia’s assistance, Amanda was able to cancel the wedding with a minimum of fuss,
although there was little she could do about the gossip. Callers stopped by ostensibly to offer their condolences, but they seemed more interested in quizzing her than in paying their respects. One plump matron even went so far as to openly speculate what would become of Amanda now that Justin was a wealthy peer, and by day’s end Amanda’s head was pounding with pain.

On the morning of what was to have been her wedding day, she went down to breakfast to find another stack of cards waiting for her. She sipped her tea, picking through the pile disinterestedly until one card caught her eye.
Henry Teale,
she read, frowning as she turned it over. Wasn’t that the name of Justin’s solicitor? She had a vague memory of his mentioning the name.

The message written on the back was terse, requesting that she present herself in his office as soon as it was possible. The added request that she come alone raised her eyebrows, and she was frowning as she placed the card to one side.

“Anything wrong, dearest?” Amelia asked as she entered the dining room. “You look rather pensive. Is your poor head still bothering you?”

“What?” Amanda gazed up at her blankly, and then shook her head. “Oh, no, Amelia, I was just reading this.” She held up the card for her sister’s inspection. “It is from Justin’s solicitor. He wishes to see me as quickly as possible and he asks that I come alone.”

“Does he? How very odd.” Amelia helped herself to the pot of fresh tea the footman had just set out. “Well, perhaps it has to do with the will. Charles said it could be months yet before everything is set to rights.”

The thought of waiting months before marrying Justin was enough to effectively kill the little appetite Amanda had. She picked up the card again, tapping it on the table
as she gazed off into space. “Perhaps I should go,” she said reflectively. “He made it sound rather important, and I did promise Justin I would do all that I could to help him.”

“Naturally you must do what you think is best.” Amelia’s smile was gentle as she regarded her sister. “But are you certain you wish to go today? Lady Rayburne said we are sure to be flooded with callers, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss them.”

That was all the encouragement Amanda needed. “Oh, I’m sure I shouldn’t be gone above an hour,” she assured Amelia, studying the address printed on the card. She wasn’t overly familiar with London, but she was certain Harley Street couldn’t be far away. From what she had observed, the
ton
occupied a narrow section of the city, and its members seldom strayed beyond its narrowly defined borders.

“Well, if your certain that’s what you want, I’m sure Lady Rayburne and I shall manage somehow,” Amelia murmured, hiding a knowing smile. “And perhaps it would do you good to get out for a while. You’re rather pale.”

“Yes, a breath of fresh air does sound nice,” Amanda agreed, her mind on her escape. Both ladies ignored the fact the cold continued unabated and that it had been snowing most of the morning. Amanda set her napkin down and made to rise from the table.

“Well, now that that is decided, I suppose I should be going,” she said brightly. “Pray tell Lady Rayburne I —”

“You sit right back down, Amanda,” Amelia interrupted, pointing her fork at her threateningly. “You’re not going anywhere until you’ve had a decent breakfast.”

Amanda was so shocked by her sister’s stern order that she did as she was bid, dropping meekly onto her chair.

“That’s better.” Amelia nodded her blond head in approval before turning to the gaping footman. “My sister will have two boiled eggs and some ham,” she instructed in confident tones. “And pray bring some more tea out as well, this pot is tepid.” When he rushed to carry out her orders, she turned back to Amanda.

“That was easy. Perhaps being mistress of my own establishment won’t be so very difficult after all. More toast, dearest?”

“Ah Miss Lawrence, how good of you to come,” Mr. Teale said, his tone impeccably correct as he bowed over Amanda’s hand. “I trust you had a pleasant journey?”

Amanda thought of her harrowing ride from Wimpole Street through thoroughfares rendered all but impassable by the thick snow. Only her stern sense of duty and the knowledge of what awaited her at home kept her going when common sense dictated she should abandon the effort.

“Quite pleasant, Mr. Teale” she replied, pulling the gloves from her hands as she settled on the chair he indicated. “Now, might I ask what this about? Your note said it was important.”

“Yes, but first I must ask if you have paid your hackney driver. It wouldn’t do to keep him waiting, you know.”

Amanda paused in the act of removing her fur-lined cloak. “I came here by private coach,” she said, not caring for the man’s tone of voice. “Justin arranged for a carriage and driver to be placed at my disposal while we’re staying with Lady Rayburne. But had I come by hack, I am more than capable of paying the driver myself,” she added with a proud tilt of her chin.

“Of course, Miss Lawrence,” he murmured soothingly
as he took his place behind the massive desk. “And I assure you, I meant no insult. It is just that being aware as I am of your financial situation, I was anxious that you not incur any unnecessary expenditures on my behalf.”

Amanda’s back stiffened perceptibly. “What do you mean, my financial situation?” she demanded, shooting him a suspicious frown.

He didn’t reply at first, seeming more interested in polishing his glasses than in answering her. When they were clean enough for his satisfaction, he returned them to this thin nose and picked up a piece of paper from his desk. “According to Lord Stonebridge, your annual income is slightly over two hundred and fifty pounds. Is this figure correct?”

“Yes,” Amanda answered hesitantly, wondering why Justin had seen fit to inform him of her lack of fortune. She knew a marriage agreement was customary among their class, but she could not like that the facts of her personal life had been laid out before the neat little man regarding her with smug superiority.

“And you bring no wedding portion nor any kind of inheritance to the marriage?”

“No, sir, I do not,” she said, a faint note of defiance edging into her voice. “Might I ask what business this is of yours?”

He shuffled the papers in his hand, a thin smile touching his pursed lips. “Well, Miss Lawrence, you must own ’tis odd that such a wealthy and titled gentleman as Lord Stonebridge would seek such an alliance. Among the gentry it is customary that a man, or indeed a lady, marry a person of equal rank and fortune. One can not help but speculate as to the reasons behind so unusual a marriage, and so hasty a one. I believe you met a little over a fortnight ago?”

Amanda’s cheeks reddened at his veiled accusation. “Justin was not the duke when I accepted his offer,” she told him frostily. “And I resent what you are implying.”

He held up a well-shaped hand. “Please, Miss Lawrence, I have no wish to offend. I am only attempting to fulfill my obligations to my client. Now, is it true that you and the present duke of Stonebridge met for the first time some three weeks ago?”

“Yes.” Amanda saw no reason why she should deny the obvious. What the devil did he mean he was only attempting to fulfill his obligation to his client? she brooded. Had Justin asked him to speak to her? Her heart plummeted at the thought.

“And is it also true that he spent much of that time under your roof without benefit of a chaperone?”

Amanda’s head came snapping up in suspicion. She knew Justin would never have told him such a thing, and she wondered what he was up to. “Considering that my entire family and staff were in constant attendance, I should think that I was more than adequately chaperoned,” she informed him haughtily. “Again, I must ask how this matter concerns you?”

“You might consider a young lady barely out of the schoolroom and four young children “adequate” chaperones, but I fear not all of society would agree with you,” Teale continued mockingly. “Lord Stonebridge is a gentleman, and if he thought he had compromised you, I daresay he would feel obliged to do the honorable thing. Is that what happened?”

For a moment the man’s audacity left Amanda speechless with rage. He was actually accusing her of trapping Justin into marriage! She opened her mouth to administer a blistering retort when something made her hesitate. Again, she wondered what the solicitor was up to. If Jus
tin had wanted him to end their engagement, wouldn’t he have told him the real reasons behind it? Yes, Justin felt honor-bound to marry her, but not for the reason Mr. Teale was hinting at. What the devil was going on? She fixed him in a cold look.

“Did Justin ask you to speak to me?” she asked, knowing she would know the truth by how he answered. “Does he wish to end our engagement?”

“What do you mean Amanda’s not here?” Justin demanded, eyeing his aunt with mounting frustration. “Where the devil is she?”

“Really, Justin, how would I know?” Lady Lettita responded in a sulky voice, frowning at him in obvious disapproval. “And kindly lower your voice. You are supposed to be in mourning.”

Justin bit his tongue to hold back his temper. In the past two days he’d had less than six hours’ sleep, and he was in no mood to put up with his frivolous aunt’s foolishness. “Are you quite certain you don’t know where she is?” he asked in a strained voice.

“All I know is that Amelia said she had a note and had to leave,” Lady Lettita informed him with a long-suffering sigh. “She was gone when I came down for breakfast.”

“Then, let me talk to Amelia,” Justin said, his tone not as polite as it should have been.

“She’s
gone too!” The countess exclaimed, raising both hands in exasperation. “They’ve both shabbed off, leaving me alone with a parlorful of callers! What have I to say to all these people? I’m not even acquainted with half of them, and those I do know I can’t abide! I take leave to tell you, Justin, that that solicitor of yours is a most inconsiderate fellow. Couldn’t this emergency of his waited
for a more appropriate occasion?”

“What solicitor?” Justin’s ears pricked up in sudden interest.

Lady Lettita raised her eyes heavenward in a mute appeal for patience. “The man is your solicitor, Justin,” she informed him in tones that made it obvious she doubted his mental acuity. “If you don’t know his name, then how could I possibly know?”

Justin’s face darkened as his aunt’s words sank in. Teale! “That bastard!” he whispered, his voice hoarse with fury. “That bastard! I’ll kill him!”

“Let me be certain that I understand you,” Amanda said slowly, regarding Mr. Teale with carefully disguised loathing. “You are telling me that Justin feels that I have unjustly trapped him, and he is requesting that I release him from our engagement. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Miss Lawrence,” Teale responded, scarcely believing that taking his revenge would prove to be so easy. “He regrets any inconvenience he has caused you, and begs that you will find it in your heart to forgive him.”

“I see,” she murmured, and indeed she did. For whatever reasons of his own, the solicitor had apparently taken it upon himself to end her and Justin’s engagement. Thank heaven she loved Justin and had such faith in him, she thought, hiding a rueful smile, otherwise she might have been taken in by his farrago of nonsense.

“He also asks that you leave London immediately and make no attempt to ever see him again,” Mr. Teale interjected. Success was almost at hand, he was certain of it, and he squirmed with eagerness to taste its sweetness.

“Yes, ‘If ’tis done, then ’tis best done quickly,’” she agreed, quoting Shakespeare, tongue-in-cheek. A sudden
thought occurred to her and her eyes began sparkling with delight. It was really rather wicked of her, but considering the trick he was attempting to pull on her, it was no less than he deserved. She folded her hands in her lap and flashed him a demure smile.

“Ten thousand pounds.”

He frowned at her. “Miss Lawrence?”

“Ten thousand pounds,” she repeated, naming the biggest sum she could think of. “That is what I want to end my engagement to the duke.”

“But-but that is impossible! Preposterous! You can not be serious,” Teale blustered, seeing his dreams shattering before his eyes.

“Why not?” Amanda took perverse delight in his horrified expression. “You’ve told me Justin is far too rich and powerful a man to shackle himself to a nobody like me, and I am in complete agreement. But that doesn’t mean I intend coming out of this engagement empty-handed. I have my family to think of, you know.” She batted her lashes at him coquettishly.

“But ten thousand pounds,” Teale protested, his voice trailing off as he considered his options. Perhaps he could scrape together a few hundred pounds, just enough to satisfy the greedy bitch into leaving. It would be worth it if he succeeded in ending the engagement. He’d see how high and mighty Stonebridge was when he realized the woman he adored had sold him out, he thought, licking his lips in anticipation.