A Reason to Rebel (13 page)

“Do not distress yourself, my dear. We have neither of us behaved as we ought but it is not too late to right that situation, if you could just bring yourself to trust me.”

“I do trust you, sir—now.” She smiled briefly, a gesture which lit up her whole face and enhanced her aesthetic beauty. “But I have learned, through necessity, to be cautious about whom I place my trust in.”

“I knew of your late husband by reputation,” he said when her words appeared to have stalled again, “but I collect he did not make your happy.”

“He had to be persuaded to marry me, apparently. My father will tell anyone who asks that it cost him a fortune to marry me well. Mr. Travis only reluctantly took me even then, not because he was desirous of another wife but because he so badly needed the blunt.”

“Good God!” said Alex, surprise taking precedence over good manners.

“I did not actually know that until my father was kind enough to inform me when he called on me a week ago. But it should have been obvious by the way my husband treated me. I was never made to feel a part of his world, and it was clear that he resented my presence in his house. He did little to ease my path into society and nothing at all to abuse his acquaintances of their belief that he had married beneath his station. I have never been more lonely in my entire life.”

Her quiet dignity made him want to dispel the hurt in her eyes by pulling her into his arms and kissing her witless. “Iniquitous behaviour!” Travis clearly had not resented her sufficiently to exclude her from his bed, any more than it had prevented him from impregnating her. Alex clenched his fists. He would like to bring the bounder back to life. Then he could enjoy the satisfaction of inflicting excessive physical damage upon him before dispatching him back to his grave.

“Indeed, and my father filled the house with his spies. My maid has always reported my every activity to him—”

“You should have dismissed her.”

“It would not have served. He would have found another way to keep abreast of my activities. That much became apparent as soon as Mr. Travis died and he sent others to keep watch over me.”

“But why?”

“That is what I did not understand at first but since my father’s visit last week it has all become so much clearer. He did not trust me, you see, to keep faith with Mr. Travis or to resist…well, to resist…”

“I perfectly understand, Estelle. Please continue.”

“My sister Marianne also knew she would not be permitted to follow her heart when it came to matrimony. When my father told her she was to be engaged to a business acquaintance of his, a Mr. Cowper, she agreed at first but then took fright and ran away.”

“And you fear for her safety as a consequence.”

“Yes, you see my brother also escaped from Papa’s tyranny. My father comes originally from the north of England, from Leeds. His father was a bricklayer who set himself up in business by winning contracts to construct cheap cottages for mill workers. My father inherited that business but cast his net wider, making a vast amount of money through his construction projects. But he was always ambitious and never intended to remain a member of the lower classes.” Estelle paused to take a sip of water. “His most obvious means of bettering himself was to use his money to marry well. My mother is the youngest child of the Earl of Dorchester and he thought that by marrying her, society’s doors would be opened to him as a matter of course.”

“But they were not?”

“No. My father is not without intelligence but he has a northerner’s blunt manner of expressing himself deeply ingrained. He sees nothing wrong with the fact that he has achieved his wealth through hard work and his own ingenuity, and discusses the particulars with anyone who will lend him an ear. That sort of language, as you can imagine, does not go down well in the best salons.”

“To have made his money through trade is one thing but to even hint at it, much less flaunt the fact, is simply not done.”

“Precisely. My mother hides her disappointments at the direction her life has taken by being totally self-absorbed. She only sees that which she wishes to see and accepts my father’s complete dominance without question.” Estelle sighed. “I do not know how things were between them when they were first married, but I have not known her to strive for any sort of independence.”

“I see.” And Alex rather suspected that he did. He had been wondering why Estelle’s mother had not come to her daughters’ aid. Now he understood. The mother was clearly as cold and disinterested in her family as the father was determined to exploit its members for his own ends. “Pray continue.”

“Well, when society proved to be less than enamoured with my father he chose another path. By using his wealth he developed a reputation as a patron of the arts. He holds regular soirees in Hampshire, encouraging all up-and-coming artists, writers and musicians to attend his salons, and offers patronage to those whom he considers to have the most potential. He has an uncanny knack of knowing what the latest trend will be before it has become fashionable and exploits the appropriate protégées in order to be seen as a forward-thinking philanthropist.”

“Which is why he encouraged your musical ability, presumably.”

“Yes. I was made to play at all of his gatherings, simply to show him in a good light and make it appear as though he knew what he was about.”

“And your brother’s role in this?”

“Well, papa’s ultimate aim was, of course, to enhance his reputation by exploiting Matthew’s artistic knowledge. He did not entirely trust anyone else to advise him.”

“And your brother fell in with that scheme?”

“Yes, he was miserable but had no choice, other than to be cut off without a penny. But no sooner had he graduated than Papa told him he was arranging for him to marry a Lady Isobel Bruton—”

“Lord Bruton’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Ahh, I see!”

“You know her?”

“Indeed.” Alex shuddered at the memory of the outspoken woman whom he had met on several occasions. She made little effort to make the best of herself, or conform to the dictates of society. “And I suspect that was when Matthew decided he had been pushed too far.”

“Yes, it was. Lady Isobel had nothing whatsoever to recommend her. She had no personality, no accomplishments, not even a passing beauty or a pleasing figure. But of course it was her title that interested my father. Because her family were not only in such straightened circumstances but also despairing of ever getting Isobel off their hands, he knew they would eventually accept an offer from Matthew.”

“The offer was made?”

“Negotiations had commenced and I had never seen Matthew so distraught. He came to me one night, the last occasion upon which I spoke to him,” she said, her voice filled with a combination of guilt and regret, “telling me he simply could not do it and would run away rather than endure marriage to such a girl. He had such romantic notions, you see, but to my eternal regret I told him not to be so melodramatic. I knew he had little choice in the matter and suggested that Father would let up on him if he did what he wanted. I assured him it would all work out for the best in the end.” She sighed. “The next time I heard from him was a letter sent from Jamaica. He had a close friend at school whose family has a plantation out there and he accepted a position as a bookkeeper.”

“And he is still there?”

“I thought so, but apparently he wrote just before my husband died and the letter was sent from Dover.”

“Do you think your missing sister might be with him now?”

“If it were so, it would be the answer to my most fervent prayer.”

“Have you any idea where they might be?”

“No, Susanna and I were to search for them together. But that is no longer possible because of her condition.”

“Her condition?”

Estelle smiled. “She has only just found out.”

“Ah, I see.” Alex too was now smiling. “Michael has not wasted any time.”

“Indeed, but Susanna is disgusted that he will not now let her out of his sight.”

“I daresay.” Alex doubted his friend would have taken too kindly to his new wife traipsing all over the country in a well-meaning search for displaced siblings. It was just as well that she was now confined to Fairlands. “But tell me, who is this Cowper whom your sister took such violent exception to?”

“Well, that is the strangest thing. Lady Isobel and Mr. Travis were both of the upper classes. I did not approve of either of them but understood why my father was so desirous to ally our family to theirs. But Mr. Cowper is just an agent of my father’s, employed to oversee his business dealings in Leeds.”

“He still handles construction work in that county?”

“Yes, it is still the bedrock of his business empire.”

“Then I do not understand why he wished for your sister to marry such a man.”

“No more do I. But then I had always been the dutiful sibling who never questioned his decisions. I told Marianne that at least Mr. Cowper was young and that she ought to count her blessings.” She dropped her voice to a hoarse whisper. “That is the last time I saw her and I fear more and more for her safety as each day passes.”

“But you do not feel able to return to your father’s establishment and persuade him to instigate a search for your missing siblings?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Well, since I am being so frank, there is more you should be made aware of.” She paused for so long that he was on the verge of prompting her when she spoke again. As her tale slowly unfolded he was obliged to conceal his abhorrence at her father’s callous attempt to manipulate her. She blushed as she related the problems inherent to living beneath the same roof as Travis Junior. That blush told him a great deal, not least why she had misinterpreted his earlier offer of assistance. A fresh surge of anger ricocheted through him as he contemplated the number of inappropriate proposals she must have received since her unlikely union with Travis.

“But that is not all. My father also told me he has given up his search for Marianne.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “All that had kept me going these past months was the belief that he would be throwing his resources behind the search for my sister. To think she is out there somewhere, with no one to protect her and no one to turn to for advice, makes me sick with apprehension.”

“Calm yourself, m’dear, we will work something out.” Alex took her hand and stroked the palm with his long fingers, soothing her as though she was a skittish filly. “Now, if you feel able, please tell me the rest. I believe there is still more.”

“Indeed there is. My father also told me that when I was out of mourning I was to marry Mr. Cowper in my sister’s stead…”

“Good God!”

“I feel God has little part to play in the scheme,” she said with a wistful smile.

“No wonder you felt compelled to escape. You are what, no more than three months a widow?” Estelle nodded. “And already he is marrying you off again to further his own ends.” Alex ran his hand through his rebellious curls, his eyes narrowing as a succession of unsavoury thoughts tumbled through his brain. “I would give a lot to know what is so special about Cowper that your father is determined to tie one of his daughters to him.”

“I wondered about that too. He said I had been Mr. Cowper’s first choice but I was already promised to Mr. Travis when the question of him marrying one of us came up.”

“Travis’s demise came at a convenient time then, just after your sister disappeared and Cowper might have looked elsewhere for a bride.”

“Yes, I suppose it did. I had not considered the matter in that light before. My father said that if I married Mr. Cowper he would make me his sole heir, thinking that would persuade me.”

“Then he cannot know you as well as he supposes.” Alex stroked the hand he was still holding in his. “Not if he thinks you will be persuaded by material considerations.”

“He probably believes that if he can entice me back to Hampshire he will soon be able to talk me round. That is why he is so anxious for my return. It has nothing to do with my happiness and everything to do with his ambition.”

“And so when he found you gone he would have been greatly vexed.”

“Yes, and blaming Susanna, no doubt. But she would not hear of me returning home. She told me of your mother’s need for a companion and, well…” She raised her eyes to his face, making no attempt to reclaim her hand from his grasp. “I regret deceiving your mother, Lord Crawley. She has been prodigiously kind to me. But you must understand that I was desperate and did not stop to consider the consequences of my actions any more than I appreciated how agreeable I would find Lady Crawley’s company. I also did not anticipate that my father would find me so quickly and cause you so much trouble.”