Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) (2 page)

If Ainsworth could not be persuaded to do the right
thing, James hoped the threat of a scandal would do the trick. James was
prepared to take Ainsworth to court, since his name was on the deed the mining
company had shown him. He did not wish to embarrass Wallace’s family – nor was
he particularly anxious to give the gossips yet more fodder about the Emersons
– but if this was the only way to get his land back he would do it.

Once that was accomplished, he could return to
America.

He didn’t like to think of the pain that thought
gave him. It would be even more difficult to leave his family this time
around. But he had Anna now. She was everything to him and he couldn’t disappoint
her.

It was dark when the carriage pulled up to
Nicholas’s town house. His brother had sent word to let his staff know they
would be arriving, but James doubted they’d have a warm reception.

Because of Nicholas’s parentage, the longtime
family servants had always treated him with a certain disdain. It didn’t help
matters that Nicholas’s cousin Simon was becoming more and more vocal in his
grumblings that he was the late earl’s true heir. It would take an act of
Parliament to divest Nick of his title, but significant damage could be done
short of legal action. Simon had been making the rounds of social engagements,
complaining to anyone who would listen.

And since this was the
ton
, everyone
listened.

One of the coachmen opened the carriage door, then
let down the steps. James nodded his thanks, then helped Anna out. He held
her hand as they ascended the steps to the imposing stone manor.

The door opened just as they reached it. The
butler, Williams, stood there with as much disapproval on his face as James had
ever seen on a servant. He wondered how Nicholas could abide it.

“Good evening, Williams,” said James, as he escorted
Anna inside. “I trust Lord Layton’s letter arrived telling of our journey.”

“Yes,” said Williams.

James noted the lack of a “my lord,” at the end of
that statement. Frankly, he hadn’t used his title in years, but this man
should have enough respect for Nick to treat his guests well. A lack of deference
for James was a lack of respect for Nick. And that rankled. “This is my
daughter, Miss Anna Emerson. I would like to get her a hot meal and into a
warm bed as soon as possible.”

Williams stared at the girl as if unable to believe
she was standing in front of him.

“Williams,” said James, in a much less charitable
tone now that his daughter was coming under scrutiny. “I have been away from
England for several years, yet I do believe your response should have been in
the form of a bow to my daughter, a ‘my lord’ to myself and the assurance that
you would follow my directive straight away. We are the earl’s guests, after
all.”

Williams bowed a barely perceptible amount. “Yes,
my lord. I will see what can be done about a meal. And Mrs. Franklin will
show Miss Emerson to the nursery.”

“I do not wish to use the nursery. I would like to
have a suite where she can be in the next room.”

“That is most unusual,” said Williams with a raised
brow.

“Be that as it may, it is what I will have. And
here is Mrs. Franklin to escort us now.” He nodded to the dour-faced servant
who led them upstairs.

James wasn’t sure what Anna’s reaction would be to
the house, which showed the wealth of generations of Laytons. There was a
tapestry on the wall in the entryway, expensive marble flooring, and priceless
vases from the Orient. It was definitely the home of a wealthy earl, but it
didn’t seem to fit Nick. Though James didn’t know Nick as well as Colin, he’d
never appeared to be someone overly impressed by his wealth. Nor someone to
flaunt it. Yet the house had changed little over the years, as if Nick were
simply keeping it for the next Earl of Layton.

As if he didn’t believe he deserved the title.

James and Colin had never visited Nick at this house
while his father had been alive, and only once when his mother had lived
there. But James had visited often enough afterward that the senior servants
knew him, even if they didn’t like him. It was yet another reason to hope his
business could be concluded quickly.

“We did not know you wanted to share a suite, my
lord,” said Mrs. Franklin. “It may take a moment for the maid to ready your
daughter’s room. I trust you did not bring a governess with you.” From her
tone it was clear she knew he had not.

“We do not employ a governess,” said James, as he
squeezed Anna’s small hand. “Miss Emerson and I do well enough alone.”

And even as he said the words, he was pleased to
realize they were true. At least so far. Anna did need a mother. But since
that would necessitate his taking a wife, he began to wonder if perhaps a
governess wouldn’t be the worst idea after all.

They arrived in the suite that had been set aside for
him. He noted it was one of the smaller ones. He did not care. It was still
more luxurious than anywhere he’d stayed in America. James walked through the
adjoining sitting room to the bedchamber on the other side. It was cold and
dark, though Mrs. Franklin said a fire would soon be lit.

“This is your room for the next few days, Anna,” he
said. “Do you like it?”

The little girl looked around the room, while
standing close to her father. She took in the large tester bed, the chair by
the fire, the vanity near the window, the elegant settee. She looked up at her
father again. “Where will you be?”

“In the other bedchamber.”

Anna craned her neck to see the sitting room they
had just passed through, then the door to his bedchamber beyond. James had to
admit it looked to be a good distance away. As a small child, Anna had stayed
in the same room as her mother. When James and Anna had travelled, she’d
stayed on a small trundle bed next to him. In Wiltshire, she’d shared a room
with Letty. James realized this might be the first time in his daughter’s life
that she would sleep alone in her room. And this was a strange house with
unfriendly servants.

Yet she didn’t complain or ask him to stay. She
only looked up at him again with those trusting eyes.

“Anna,” he said. “Would you like it if I slept in
the room with you? I can bed down on that settee.”

He was rewarded with one of her rare, beautiful
smiles.

The next morning, James walked the four blocks from
Nicholas’s town house to the home of Viscount Ainsworth. He hadn’t wanted to
leave Anna in a strange house, so she was there with him, her small hand in
his.

She was wearing fur-lined boots, thick cotton
stockings and a long wool gown that had once been Letty’s. Before the journey
from America, he’d bought her the warmest bonnet and coat Philadelphia had to
offer. Yet, he was still worried she was cold, especially since she would
never complain if she were. Just to be safe, James picked her up and held her
as he studied the house across the street.

He’d stopped half a block away to study the
structure in front of him. It was a tactic he’d learned on the frontier. It
was always wise to study one’s opponent before meeting. And while he hoped
this would not become adversarial, he wanted to prepare himself, just in case.

From what he could see, it appeared Ainsworth’s
finances were in good order. James had seen any number of liveried footmen
pass by the windows. The half dozen stairs leading up to the door were clear
of snow, ice and refuse of any kind. The shutters were not in need of paint.

It was much like the other houses on the street.
Majestic, with an imposing knocker on the door. He was too far away to know
for certain, but he imagined it was the Ainsworth coat of arms. The old
Ridgeway town house had had something similar and James’s father had insisted
it be polished daily, regardless of whether it was actually dirty. James idly
wondered if the new owners of Ridgeway house had replaced it with something
else.

There was movement in a window on the second
storey. James’s attention was immediately focused on where it had come from.
He waited, motionless, to see if it might happen again. But it didn’t.

He crossed the street and took the stairs two at a
time, then rapped the knocker, which was, indeed, the Ainsworth coat of arms.

The door opened a moment later, revealing a butler
who stared at James and Anna. James could feel himself being evaluated and
found wanting.

“What is your business here?” asked the servant.

“I am Lord James Emerson, come to see Viscount
Ainsworth.”

The butler took another look at him. It was clear
he doubted the “lord” part of James’s previous sentence. “Do you have a card,
sir?”

James blinked. He’d forgotten about such niceties
since he’d been away. “No.”

The butler looked at Anna again, disapproval clear
on his face. “His lordship is not at home.”

“I am the Earl of Ridgeway’s brother and have come
on business concerning Mr. Cedric Wallace. His lordship will wish to see me.”

That seemed to surprise the butler and it was clear
he was torn between wanting to shut the door on James and desiring to learn
about Cedric. James was fairly certain the butler truly wanted to do both.

Finally, the insufferable man said “Wait here,”
before disappearing into the house, leaving James and Anna outside.

James held his daughter closer to him, then kissed
her cheek. He looked up in time to see the curtain in the second storey window
move again.

The butler reappeared. “His lordship will see you
now.”

“Thank you,” said James as he entered the house.

“You’re not going to bring that, are you?” the
butler asked, indicating Anna.

If James’s arms hadn’t been full and he hadn’t
needed to see Ainsworth quite so much, he would have planted the man a facer. Perhaps
he still could on the way out.

“This young lady is my daughter,” said James
quietly, in the tone of voice that made him feared in America. “Insult her
again at your peril.”

The butler turned a shade whiter, which was
impressive since he was rather pale to begin with. Then he escorted James and
Anna through the house to the study, where he pointedly kept the door open.

Viscount Ainsworth was at his desk writing. And he was
not what James had been expecting. He couldn’t have been older than sixty, yet
was thin to the point of being gaunt. His expensive jacket hung loosely on his
frame and he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His hand shook as he
put his pen down. His gaze, however, was sharp as he looked at James and Anna.

James put his daughter on her feet. “My lord.” He
bowed to the man.

Ainsworth nodded, but did not rise. “You’re Ridgeway’s
brother.”

“Yes, my lord.” James remained standing, holding
Anna’s hand.

“Carter said you have recently seen Cedric. I
assume you’ve been in America.” Here he looked at Anna.

James stiffened. Evidently Anna felt it for she
looked up at her father. He tried to make himself relax. “Might we have a
seat?”

Ainsworth nodded, then pointed to the two chairs in
front of his desk. James helped Anna into one then took the other.

“How do you know Cedric?”

“I met him in Philadelphia. I believe he’d only
arrived in America some six months earlier. He wanted to explore the west, but
was unfamiliar with the frontier.” That was the kindest way James could have
described Cedric Wallace’s complete ignorance of how to go about making his
living from the land. He couldn’t shoot, he couldn’t prepare his own meals, he
couldn’t even dress himself without his valet. He also had a knack for
insulting everyone he came in contact with, insisting on having them recognize
his position as a viscount’s heir.

James had only agreed to take him to the frontier
for two reasons. One was that Wallace was willing to pay well. And the other
was that James had missed England and when Cedric wasn’t being a complete pain
in the arse – which he almost always was – he was a source of the familiar.
They both knew England and it had meant a great deal back then.

“Was he well when you left him?” There was real
concern in the viscount’s eyes. His entire demeanor seemed to soften.

“He was in good health. But I cannot say I was best
pleased with his personal conduct.”

The viscount bristled. “So that’s it. You’ve come
here to extort money from me.”

James was taken aback by the accusation. Though,
given the illustrious reputation of the previous generation of Emersons, he
supposed it wasn’t all that surprising. “I am only here to get what is my
due.” James explained the circumstances under which Cedric had come to stay on
his land and the contract he’d entered into with the mining concern.

“So you’re calling my son a thief.” Ainsworth was
clearly agitated.

“I am not calling him anything. I am only
interested in taking back what is mine.”

“Why have you come to me with this?”

“Because I would like you to give up any claim to
the land and persuade your son to do so, as well.”

“What proof do you have that you are telling the
truth?”

“I have a sworn statement from the man who sold me
the land.”

“But how do I know you did not go into partnership
with my son after that? If the local magistrate did not find in your favor,
why should I?”

“Because I am a gentleman.”

“So is my son.”

“By birth, not by deed.”

The viscount said nothing in response. James
wondered if this was the first time Cedric had been accused of an unethical
act.

“Those are strong words, sir,” said a lady behind
him.

James turned to see a tall older woman approaching, walking
with a silver-tipped cane.

Viscount Ainsworth rose unsteadily from his seat.
“Mama, there is no need for you to involve yourself in this.”

“Is there not? This man, looking like a heathen,
has just made an accusation against your son and heir which should be met with
a challenge and pistols at dawn. Yet, you seem remarkably sanguine about it.
Explain yourself, Ainsworth.”

If possible, it seemed that Ainsworth shrank even as
he stood there. He turned his attention from his harridan of a mother to
James. “Emerson, I cannot believe my son is capable of such wicked deeds.”

“I can assure you that not only is he capable, but he
has done them. If you will not persuade your son to do what is right, I will
be forced to bring this matter to the courts.”

The dowager viscountess inhaled sharply. “You would
not dare.”

“I most assuredly will, though I hope we can settle
this amicably. But if not, I will not hesitate to take action. The mining
concern lists Lord Ainsworth as a shareholder. That gives me the right to
bring this before a magistrate in London.”

“You would not dare go up against Viscount Ainsworth,”
said the man’s mother.

“I’d go up against anyone in the empire if it meant
regaining what is rightfully mine.”

“You will not win,” she said. “Indeed, we will
bring a case against you for false prosecution. He is Viscount Ainsworth.”

“And my brother is the Earl of Ridgeway. I also
have the truth on my side.” Though that certainly hadn’t helped him in
Pennsylvania.

The dowager viscountess stepped closer to him. “But
we have the well-respected title of Ainsworth behind us whereas you have one
brother who is close to being hauled away to debtors’ prison and another who’s
the bastard interloper holding the title of Layton. And from what I understand
that shall soon be remedied.”

“My lady, I do not permit others to speak ill of my
family. I will ignore your comments this once, allowing that the shock of
hearing about your grandson’s misdeeds has overset you. I shan’t be so
forgiving a second time. I would also like to remind you that if these
accusations were to be aired in court, it would cast aspersions on your
family’s good name. Even if you were to win the case, damage would be done.”

“So now we come to your real purpose. You seek to
destroy our family name.” The old woman almost looked amused.

“No. I am simply telling you what I will do if this
cannot be settled privately. I worked very hard for my land. Your grandson
stole it from me. I will not give it up. If you wish to avoid a public fight,
I suggest you look for a way to settle this.”

“We will do no such thing. And if you even think of
bringing this to court, I promise I will ruin your entire family. It won’t
take much to make good on my promise. They’re already halfway there. As for
you and your….” Here she looked at Anna with disgust.

“Take care with your next words, Lady Ainsworth,”
said James. He would never strike a woman or an infirm old man. But he was
not beyond smashing a few priceless vases.

“Get out of this house, Emerson.”

“So you have chosen to fight this in court. Very
well, my lady. And it is Lord James. Good day, my lord.” It was no wonder
the man looked so shrunken with a mother like that and a son like Cedric.
James picked Anna up and walked out of the room.

There was no real reason to carry her, except it comforted
him. And he needed it after that spectacular failure.

He was so angry when he left the study that he almost
ran into a young lady. She had fair hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in a
gown that was more expensive than all of his possessions put together.
Admittedly, that wasn’t saying much in his current state. But it was yet
another example of Ainsworth’s wealth. He had no need to take James’s land.
He already had all the wealth he could possibly want.

“Pardon me,” he said, as he brushed past her. If
she responded, he did not hear. He was out the door and back on the street in
an instant. Which was just as well, since the idea of going back and smashing
those vases was a tempting one.

He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But he had no
choice but to make his private life public.

*

Irene Wallace watched the man she’d seen from her
upstairs bedchamber depart the house. He was clearly upset, but her
grandmother often had that effect on people. What was noteworthy was that he
was seething with anger, yet tenderly holding his daughter. He was, obviously,
a man of contradictions.

She’d watched him study their house from across the
street earlier. She’d been alarmed at first. His hair was long, his clothes
were rough and he was heavily muscled. If he’d been alone, she would have
warned Carter that a ruffian might attempt to break into the house.

But he hadn’t been alone. He’d been holding the
beautiful little girl. And she had leaned her head against him in such a
loving and trusting way that Irene’s view of the man had changed. Then when
they’d been waiting on the steps, the man had kissed her. Irene had found
herself with a lump in her throat. She could not ever remember her father
doing such a thing. Her grandmother certainly never had. Perhaps Irene’s
mother had done so, but she’d died so long ago that Irene had no distinct
memories of her.

She had not recognized the man and had been
surprised when he’d gained entrance. Carter could be exasperatingly particular
in whom he allowed admittance. Irene had been curious, so she’d gone to the grand
staircase, then overheard much of what had transpired.