An Accidental Affair (6 page)

When they looked down instead of answering, Merrick rose slowly and circled till he stood behind them. He reached out and caught them both about the neck and smacked their heads together.

“Ouch.”

“Hey, steady on.”

Sometimes being unpredictable proved very satisfying. “Idiots. You’re upsetting Holland with your nonsense. Very soon he’s going to request you be sent back home to Needham Hollow and two others brought up to replace you. You know how he hates disruptions in the midst of the season.”

“We’re sorry, milord,” they mumbled in unison.

“I do not want an apology. You owe that to Holland.” He sat again and folded his hands over his lap. “What I want is an explanation.”

Jimmy, the smallest of the pair, fidgeted. They glanced at each other guilty then at Holland. “James claimed a greater resemblance, sir. I don’t believe it.”

Merrick exchanged a glance with Holland, but the other man covered his eyes. “Resemblance to what? What the devil!”

Holland lifted his head and stared at their half brothers with annoyance twisting his lips. “Are you still debating which of you looks more like Lord Rothwell? I thought that was settled long ago.”

Merrick stood quickly. “You must be joking?”

“Forgive me. I thought this matter had been settled and would not recur.” Holland winced. “It seems there is a certain cache for owning a greater resemblance to yourself among those you’ve taken in. For some it is a point of pride and has led to some unfortunate behavior. This fight being a prime example of it all. I am sorry to have troubled you.”

Merrick stared at the men before him. They
wanted
to look like him? To be known as the bastard son of their scoundrel father? His mind couldn’t fathom why. He threw his hands up in the air. “This is ridiculous. Jimmy, your forehead is too wide; James, your nose is too squat. You look very little like me except for your brown eyes. I will acknowledge that at least.”

Both men perked up at his words. Jimmy nodded. “If you don’t mind having the final say, my lord, would you cast your vote on who out of all of us most resembles you?”

Merrick rolled his eyes. “Impertinent wretch. There is but one among you cursed with such a close likeness that it is obvious to any who observe. Holland, do send them back to their duties. I don’t want to hear of this matter ever again.”

Holland hustled the two men toward the door. “Yes, my lord. Forgive the interruption.”

“But he didn’t say,” Jimmy squawked, peering behind to where Merrick sat.

When they paused at the threshold, Merrick sighed. “Holland bears the closest resemblance. Any idiot, even you pair of clods, should be able to see that.”

Yes, Holland, though older by a few years, was the closest in appearance, and that was why Merrick would never return to Newberry Park and had no time for his Ford relations. They felt Holland should be sent away and forgotten for the sake of their reputation as upstanding members of society. However, Holland had proved himself a valuable man in Merrick’s service many times over including that awkward first discovery, which had given Merrick the pleasure of thwarting his grandfather and Aunt Pen by turning his back on them instead.

CHAPTER SIX

“I swear, Lady Farnsworth, you must be the worst chaperone in history,” Lord Farnsworth said. “Can you not keep track of a single girl for the length of time of one ball? Perhaps you’ve spent too much time on your own to know what’s acceptable behavior and what isn’t?”

Arabella flinched at the unfair accusation. If her brother-in-law hadn’t sired a devil in disguise, then they wouldn’t be in this predicament. After last night’s discovery, she’d reconsidered everything she knew about her niece and concluded she’d been duped. The girl was bound for trouble and by her own design, no less.

She held her tongue rather than speak out of spite. Farnsworth’s temper was never far away, and she depended on his good opinion to maintain her limited independence. Although she had done everything he’d demanded with regard to Cecily’s season, he continued to cast doubts on her return to Winslette House in Wiltshire in order to get his way.

She steeled herself to be agreeable but didn’t like her chances of Farnsworth retrieving his good humor any time soon. The morning had not gone well. Farnsworth had received several notes from important personages that raised questions about his daughter’s behavior at the festivities last night. Questions of where she may have disappeared to often led to answers. So far, there were no reports of Cecily being seen in Lieutenant Ford’s arms, but Arabella was counting down the minutes.

Farnsworth stood and paced behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back. “Given that Cecily and tragedy are determined to be constant companions, I’ve taken steps to ensure the future is secure.”

“What kind of steps?” But Arabella had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she already knew what his answer would be. He’d been very clear that Cecily had to marry this season and he would fund no further expeditions to London in future years.

His gaze sharpened until Arabella was near to squirming from his scrutiny. “All in good time, my dear. See that she behaves herself today and tomorrow, and if all goes to plan, we will have everything settled. By the end of the week, life could go on as it should.”

Arabella’s heart sank. She prayed Farnsworth hadn’t already signed marriage contracts behind their backs. Farnsworth was the most stubborn of men and hated any attempt to change his mind. He had hopefully not gone so far in his plans for Cecily’s future that he wouldn’t see reason if he’d made a bad choice for the girl. Arabella had little influence over Farnsworth, and Cecily’s tears would bring nothing but his bad temper. She just hoped if he’d made a match for the girl that the gentleman possessed a steady temperament. “Can you not offer a hint so that I may know in which direction to steer our attention? I would hate to work against your plans.”

Farnsworth pursed his lips. “You may be correct. We should be of one mind on this to ensure our mutual felicity. I never could say no to you, as my brother likely could not. It should not surprise you that Lord Parker has expressed an interest in an alliance with our family, and I consider the match an advantageous one.”

“Parker?” Arabella sank into the nearest chair as dismay smothered her. She had thought Parker more interested in
her,
not Cecily. How could she have been so wrong? Parker surely wouldn’t want Cecily. “But he’s so much older.”

Farnsworth turned, his face creased into a puzzled frown. “The gap in ages is less than it was between my late brother and yourself. A very sensible match.”

His response in no way comforted her. A twenty-year gap was not conducive to a happy marriage unless there were strong ties of affection. Cecily had met Parker several times that Arabella could recall, and she had detected no partiality on either side. Her niece had preferred to bestow her attention on prettier, younger gentlemen.

Farnsworth resettled behind his desk, leaning back as if his problems were already behind him. “Parker needs a wife of excellent breeding, well versed in the duties of a hostess, and one with energy and beauty to hang on his arm. He has impressed me with his enthusiasm for marriage.”

Cecily would have almost the same marriage as Arabella had lived. She wouldn’t wish it on her worst enemy. Women always had little choice in whom they married but still, her heart begged her to persuade him to reconsider the match. In time, the coldness and lack of affection would eat into Cecily’s soul until she was left a barren husk. Arabella had only found a measure of contentment after she’d been widowed. She’d been able to establish her own friendships and in some respects could be considered happy with her life. Even dealing with Cecily’s wild antics was better than her married life had been. “Are you sure about this? Shouldn’t we…”

Farnsworth waved his hands to halt her questions. “It’s decided. Reconcile yourself to this marriage so you may make plans for your change of location without distraction.”

She stared at her brother-in-law. The offhand remark about her leaving thrilled her. “Am I to return to Wiltshire?”

“I doubt it. You’ve endured the season quite well, but clearly your mind has not been fully on the task at hand. Why, even Lady Penelope Ford remarked on your performance as a chaperone just last evening. She suggested a sojourn in new surroundings was exactly what you needed, and I quite agree with her thinking.”

Her palms grew damp. She prayed he’d not presumed her invited to stay as a guest of Lady Penelope Ford’s and had said so out loud. He would have made a fool of them both. “What do you mean?”

“Depending on Lord Parker’s plans, you will come to Hinkley Park after Cecily is off my hands.” Farnsworth resumed his pacing, hands clasped behind his back. “Of course, I would expect you to act as my hostess on occasion and run the house again as you once did for my brother. You have not been back of your own accord since my wife died, have you?”

“No.” Ants crawled over her skin at the thought of going back to Hinkley. “There never seemed to be a need since Cecily returned to school so soon after.”

When Cecily married, there would be no one else at Hinkley Park but herself and her brother-in-law. There was no dower house to claim and even if there was, she doubted Farnsworth would endure the expense of the additional servants required to maintain it. She would be as trapped as she had been during her marriage. Arabella had no wish for such a retiring life. She had to prevent this. “I cannot imagine why Lady Penelope would take such an interest in me. I am perfectly happy in Wiltshire.”

“The Wiltshire property is superfluous to my needs, and I intend to sell it.”

“No, please.” Panic assailed her. “I will buy Winslette House. I don’t want to live anywhere else. Please do not make any hasty decisions.”

Farnsworth laughed immediately. “My dear, you could never afford to buy or manage such a property. Lord Parker has no interest in the Wiltshire estate, so I have already spoken to several gentlemen about the matter. I am sure it will be snapped up in no time. Think no more of Wiltshire. You are done with that locale.”

He dismissed her desire for Wiltshire as if she hadn’t spoken, another indication that her future was fast slipping from her control. She pressed her fingertips to her temple. Why was Farnsworth so set on what Lord Parker wanted? There were many more equally acceptable gentlemen in London. Surely Cecily wasn’t disagreeable to all.

Farnsworth tapped his finger to the tabletop, recalling her attention to him. “I’ll be at my club tonight, but tomorrow I am sure we can expect Lord Parker to call. I’ll speak to him tonight, in fact, to ensure he does. Please stress to Cecily the importance of pleasing her future husband. There will be no Lieutenant Ford in her future.”

Arabella’s mind raced. Had the lieutenant done what Rothwell had demanded of him and come to call? Had he proposed marriage rather than meet in secret again? If that were so, he had come too late to do any good, but Arabella’s opinion of Lieutenant Ford rose considerably. His intentions could be honorable after all.

Farnsworth snapped open a newssheet, signaling their interview was at an end. Although she’d like nothing better than to argue for Cecily’s freedom, Arabella stood and walked out slowly, mind racing. Being packed off to Surrey was disagreeable in the extreme. She had vowed never to return to that miserable place. She would miss visiting her friends in Wiltshire whenever she pleased and their calls to her in return. Farnsworth valued his peace, and she would never be free to invite Grayling and his wife and daughters to visit. She would be cut off from everything she knew and loved, and that was unacceptable.

Heart pounding, she closed the library door and leaned against it, drawing unsteady breaths as frustration gripped her. Her plans to find a lover this season were no longer a priority. What she needed was a way out of her dependency on Farnsworth. She wished she had someone to confide in, but her closest friends were still in Wiltshire and too far away to offer immediate aid.

A sniff drew her attention and she raised her eyes to the stairs. Cecily stood at the halfway point of the first flight, eyes filled with tears, the butler at her side holding out a handkerchief. Given their sorrowful expressions, they must have overheard her father’s plans for Cecily to marry immediately. Was a tantrum imminent? That really would seal the girl’s fate.

The butler backed away with a regretful smile, leaving Arabella to the task of comforting the girl on her own. She hurried to Cecily’s side, clasped her trembling hands, and led her back upstairs to her bedchamber before she did something rash like confront her father. She had a feeling that disobedience would not be tolerated. When the door closed behind them, Cecily gave in to her emotions with a loud sob. “I won’t let him do this to us.”

“Come now, Cecily. Surely you knew your father would have the final say in whom you married? In time, it is my hope that Lieutenant Ford will put this behind him and be happy. So will you, I’m sure.” Feeling uncharacteristically close to the girl, she pressed a kiss to Cecily’s hair. “We should prepare for Lord Parker’s visit.”

Cecily broke away. The girl could never bear to be coddled when she was upset. “I thought Father had some foolishness on his mind these past days, but it’s more important to decide how you are going to survive his plans for your life. You hate Surrey.”