A Gallant Gamble (10 page)

His mind was in turmoil at the sudden turn of events. He wouldn’t be escaping London and heading back to Ormond for at least another two weeks and that was only if the Prince allowed him to go then.

Geoffrey had attempted to explain away Olivia’s enthusiastic exaggeration of his abilities, but it appeared that the Prince was not a good listener and he now found himself about to ride one of the man’s finest stallions in Lord Davenport’s steeplechase. The five mile course would test the best of men and the Prince had insisted that if Prince Louis of Denmark relied on Geoffrey for his bloodstock, then that was a good enough reference for him. Refusal was impossible.

He ground his teeth together in frustration. He’d hoped that he would be rendered surplus to requirements after Giles and Anne arrived but it seemed that the Prince wanted him to go over his stables too. He would send his man to advise Geoffrey of the time and would collect him in his own carriage. Geoffrey’s mind boggled at the very thought of sitting in a carriage made for a king. That Olivia and Charlotte would be accompanying him for the tour hardly registered.

He didn’t know how many minutes had passed while the events of the evening tumbled over and over in his head. A man came to stand at his side and it was a few seconds before Geoffrey realized that Lord Charles Latham was speaking to him.

“You’re a lucky man to have received such an invitation. I wonder how Olivia managed it? You’ll have to look out that you’re not sabotaged while on the Prince’s prize stallion. The race is notorious for cheating and subterfuge.”

Geoffrey looked down at the man who had once attempted to ruin Charlotte. It appeared that he had grown in the eighteen months since he had been shown off Ormond land. The youth had aged into a broad shouldered if somewhat short man. There were wrinkles about his eyes and a haunted look that hadn’t been present on their previous meeting.

Geoffrey wanted to ignore the disgusting fellow, but Latham spoke up before he could turn his back.

“I know that you don’t want to speak to me, but I have something to say to you and I am hoping that you will hear me out.” The man waited until Geoffrey gave a short nod. There was something in Latham’s tone that made Geoffrey look down at him again. Latham cleared his throat and stared out over the dance floor. “She’s a beauty alright, always was.” He held up his hand as Geoffrey took a short step towards him. “Never fear, I mean her no harm. I shudder at the thought of what I attempted to do to her that night, but I was a different man back then. Nearly killing an innocent man opened my eyes to a lot of my misdeeds. Going along with Ellesworth’s vile plan was only one of them. It took me a few weeks and Lord Caithwell’s hanging, something I will never forgive myself for, to realize that I was on the road to utter ruin. I only hope is that I still have time to redeem myself. I will be apologising to Lady Charlotte for my disgusting behaviour and to Lord Caithwell for believing him capable of murder. I should have had the balls to speak out. Dear God! The man could have died and I would have been partly responsible.”

Geoffrey snorted in derision even though the man’s words had caught his interest. Latham sounded genuinely contrite and somewhat lost, but for all his fine words Geoffrey wasn’t about to forgive him too easily.

“I’m not so sure that I can believe your change of heart. I hear that you ruined another young lady recently. She has gone to stay with her aunt in the country, I believe.”

Latham shook his head while Geoffrey noticed him ball his hands into fists. His knuckles whitened before he replied angrily.

“So the rumour mill is still in full swing; it has to be if even you have heard the news.” He cleared his throat and looked Geoffrey in the eye. His gaze didn’t waver and Geoffrey could do nothing but stare back at him and wait for the story to be told. “I had nothing to do with it, I swear to you. Annabel and I had danced only twice before, and I had never been with her alone, but the charges against me were corroborated by her own brother!” The young Lord took a few breaths to calm himself before continuing his story.

“Miles Bellingham swore that he had come upon us together in the library when in actuality I was taking a few moments alone in the garden. It had been a very warm day in early spring and the oysters served at dinner had not agreed with me. After a lively reel with Miss Bellingham and feeling the need for some fresh air, rather than vomit on Mrs. Bellingham’s feted Persian carpets, I retreated to the flowerbeds beyond the terrace. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on which point of view you would rather take, I had no witness to the incidence of me spewing up my guts and when I attempted to rediscover the offending oysters to prove that I had been in the garden, they had mysteriously disappeared.

I discovered later that her entire family were in on the plan to fleece my family of a fortune. The oysters served to me at dinner had been deliberately left in the heat to spoil. When I was taken ill so suddenly they took their chance and bundled Annabel into the library. The room has a convenient door out into the gardens and Miles Bellingham told his father that he had seen me retreating from the room just before he discovered Annabel sitting rather dazed on the library floor with her dress torn at the shoulder. They used the poor girl as much as they did me. Annabel will suffer a stain on her character for the rest of her life, though she doesn’t deserve it. I never touched her and, knowing her as I do, I would swear that she is still as pure as the driven snow. Unfortunately there is always the risk of entrapment when your family has titles and money.”

Geoffrey stared out over the dancers and considered young Lord Latham’s tale. It didn’t sound like the sort of thing anyone would make up and Latham certainly appeared to be telling the truth. Another facet of the story niggled at him. The Latham’s were known to be fabulously important and wealthy. The Bellinghams would certainly have found a marriage into the family a most attractive arrangement. Geoffrey swallowed and prayed that Alexander never considered him more than a fawning money grabber. Latham’s words punched a hole in his gut at the thought and he took a few moments before he answered the man at his side.

“If what you say is true, why have you not used your influence to ensure the lady’s reputation is restored? There must be some way that it is possible. Is there no one who could confirm that you had no part in her ruin.”

Latham let out a cold laugh.

“It’s clear that you have no idea what London’s rumour mill can do in just a few hours. She could be carried through the streets with her legs spread for all to see with the Prince’s own doctor proclaiming her virginity intact and the wagging tongues would still find her at fault. It is a truth that I am ashamed to admit, but women have a hard time of it once their reputation is lost. I doubt that she will ever return to polite society. It’s a pity, for though untitled, she is a lovely woman who had great expectations. I cannot believe that the money my father paid to stop her family’s demands for a wedding was enough to keep the Bellinghams in their chosen lifestyle for long.”

Geoffrey took two glasses of wine from a passing servant and handed one to Latham.

“If you liked her you should have married her anyway. Being the wife of a Lord must count for something, especially one so rich.”

Latham drank his wine down in one swallow.

“Do you think that I didn’t ask her? It was what the Bellinghams wanted in the first place and would have been the easiest option, but the dear girl refused me. I certainly would never have left her in that terrible situation but Annabel was stalwart in her protestations of innocence and simply refused to have anything to do with perpetrating a lie. She also said that she could never marry me as we did not love one another. She said that we would have been unhappy together and I confess that she would have been right. I didn’t love her, but at least if she had taken my name she could still hold her head up with some pride and given time I am sure that we would have become closer.”

Geoffrey narrowed his eyes and wondered if he were being played for a fool. Could the contrite and sad young man beside him be the same arrogant pig who had attacked Charlotte and been unceremoniously escorted from Ormond only eighteen months previously.

“So do you intend doing anything else for this lady, who if nothing else has suffered for being associated with your former bad name?”

Latham nodded firmly.

“I was going to enter the steeplechase. If I won it, I would send Annabel the winnings. As her close family have abandoned her at least she could then make a home for herself rather than having to depend on her aunt, who I understand is a harsh and unforgiving woman.”

Geoffrey frowned in confusion.

“But you are already rich? Why can you not send her money now?”

The young Lord laughed bitterly again. He looked utterly miserable and defeated.

“Being the eldest son doesn’t give me the key to the door of the vault. My father still hangs on tightly to the purse strings and only seldom loosens the ribbons enough to sprinkle around a thin layer of gold. My own allowance is such that I am forced to account for every penny. If I do not present the proper receipts, the exact same amount as the difference in accounting is deducted from my next quarter’s draft, however, it is fortunate that I am generally lucky at the gaming tables and can supplement my income with a small amount each quarter. Though not necessarily the most noble way to carry on, I absolve myself by sending all of my winnings to Annabel. I’ve not spent a penny on anything frivolous such as clothes and the like for over a year.”

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Geoffrey glanced down at Latham’s apparel. Sure enough, his coat was a little frayed at the cuff and not of the same cut as Geoffrey’s own. The style must have been at least a year out of date and fitted the young Lord ill where the man had lost so much weight. It appeared that Charles Latham was telling the truth. He turned the subject back to the forthcoming horse race.

“But however lucky you are, you could not be assured of winning the steeplechase. From what I have heard, the course is of a most difficult nature. Only the best horses and riders ever complete it.”

Latham nodded.

“I know, but it was a chance I was willing to take until I heard that you will be riding the Prince’s prize stallion. I had hoped that I would catch the Prince’s eye, not necessarily riding Vanquish but maybe one of his other mounts. The course is long and the going unpredictable. Every horse stands as much chance as another so long as they stay on their feet and the riders remain in their saddles. My own horse is nowhere near the calibre to complete such an undertaking and I have no other recourse to the family stables. My father would never allow it, fearing some injury to one of his animals.”

Geoffrey snorted into the last of his wine.

“I am rather surprised that the Prince is so keen to have me race his favoured horse without having seen me ride so much as a donkey. I have a horrible feeling that if I lose the race, I might also lose my head.” He ran his finger between his cravat and his neck as the cloth felt as though it was about to strangle him.

It was Latham’s turn to snort with stifled laughter.

“I believe his previous stable master was sent to Ireland after last year’s debacle. I understand that the man now grows potatoes and lives in a straw hut, though I have no idea if the rumours are true.”

The music had stopped again and dancers began to leave the floor. A flushed cheeked and smiling Charlotte came towards Geoffrey, but she hesitated when she saw his companion. Latham immediately gave her a deep bow and reiterated the apology he had voiced to Geoffrey earlier. Charlotte glanced at Geoffrey who after taking another hard look at Latham, gave her a slight nod.

She dipped a quick curtsey as Latham took her hand and brushed his lips against the back of it.

“Thank you for your forgiveness. It is more than I deserve.”

Charlotte faced him.

“I am pleased that you have seen fit to make amends, however your treatment of me was depraved. I am not sure that we will ever be able to be friends.”

Latham looked down sorrowfully.

“That would be more than I can ever hope for, but I will strive to make sure that I will always be there for you should you ever need my assistance. Never hesitate to ask. If it is within my power to help you I am only too willing to aid you.” He gave her a deep bow, nodded to Geoffrey and walked with sagging shoulders, away from them.

Geoffrey watched the man as he made his way out of the ballroom. He never once looked up and spoke to no one as he traversed the wide hallway and began to mount the stairs.

“He appears to be genuine in his remorse. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone more miserable.”

Charlotte nodded.

“I wonder what happened to make such a transformation. I don’t think that Lord Rookwood has had the same epiphany.”

Geoffrey shook his head.

“No, probably not. Latham said that it stemmed from the realization that a man was hung due to his own lack of morals. Even though Giles survived, he knows that his actions contributed to the arrest of an innocent man and he cannot forgive himself. He’s battling with his own reputation though. Rumours are rife about his misdemeanours. Even Coalport had heard some of them, though it now appears that they were much exaggerated. Latham says that he is trying to make reparations for his previous behaviour, but his lack of money isn’t helping him salve his conscience. His father sounds as though he is a complete miser. The elder Lord Latham is keeping his heir on very short purse strings. If it hadn’t been for what he did to you and Giles, I would almost feel sorry for the man.”