Brushed by Scandal (27 page)

‘Dear God,’ the earl whispered. ‘What did I do to deserve such hatred from my own son?’

‘He didn’t hate you, Papa,’ Anna said sadly. ‘He was just eaten up by jealousy.’

‘And by his fears, irrational as they were,’ Barrington said. ‘Perhaps he was afraid you might have made Peregrine your heir.’

‘No,’ the earl said firmly. ‘Whatever my feelings for
Peregrine, Edward is my legitimate heir. The title must devolve to him.’

‘But what of his future now, Papa?’ Anna said. ‘He cannot stay here. Not after what he did to you and Peregrine. To say nothing of the fact that he tried to kill Barrington tonight.’

‘My lord, if I may…?’ Barrington interjected.

The earl nodded. ‘Of course.’

‘It might be in everyone’s best interests if Edward were to…go away for a while.’

The earl frowned. ‘Go away?’

‘To the Americas, perhaps. Or Australia. A man can do well in such places if he applies himself and your son is far from stupid. He is simply a victim of his own insecurities. This could be a chance for him to make something of himself. More importantly, it would get him away from London and give the rest of you time to work matters through. And, hopefully, to put all of this behind you.’

Anna nodded. ‘I think it’s an excellent idea. I don’t see how any of us would be able to carry on as normal, given what’s happened.’

‘No, I don’t suppose we would. But what about you, Parker?’ the earl asked, his voice laced with regret. ‘There’s no getting around the fact that my son would have killed you. You would be perfectly within your rights to have him brought up on charges.’

‘Perhaps, but I have no intention of doing so. I would never wish that kind of grief on your family. Your son acted out of jealousy and fear. He is tortured enough by his demons. There is no need for me to add to his suffering,’ Barrington said.

All eyes turned to the earl, who seemed to be considering the suggestion. ‘Are you sure you would be amenable to
seeing him walk away? You may never wield a sword with that arm again.’

Barrington shrugged. ‘Since I am able to fence with either hand, it is of no real consequence. It is enough that Edward experience life elsewhere. Perhaps it will force him to take a closer look at his life and to rethink his priorities.’

‘I sincerely hope so,’ the earl said heavily. ‘A man’s son is said to be a reflection of himself. I hate to think that in some way I inspired that kind of belief system in him.’ He glanced at Peregrine, who was sitting quietly in the corner, and said, ‘And what about you, sir? What have you to say about all this?’

Peregrine looked up, still clearly in shock. ‘What
can
one say upon learning that the man he has always believed to be his father is not, and that a man he never knew existed until a few weeks ago is.’

‘A shocking revelation indeed,’ the earl agreed.

‘Also, that I have a half-brother and half-sister I never knew, and that one of them hated me enough to wish his own father grievous harm.’ Peregrine shook his head, his eyes troubled. ‘It is a great deal to come to terms with.’

‘Indeed it is,’ the earl said quietly. ‘But it is my sincere hope that you will stay here and get to know us better while you are endeavouring to do so. However, if you feel you cannot stay under the present circumstances, you are free to leave. Perhaps you will wish to return to the family you left behind.’

‘Actually, I would rather stay in London,’ Peregrine said slowly. ‘One of the reasons my father…that is, the man I thought was my father wrote asking you to take me, was so that I might have a chance to experience life beyond the farm. I think he knew I wasn’t cut out to be a farmer. And while
they were good to me, I doubt going back there now would be in anyone’s best interests.’

‘Then you are welcome to stay,’ the earl said. ‘If Anna has no objections?’

‘None whatsoever,’ Anna said immediately. ‘I don’t like Peregrine any the less for having found out he’s my half-brother. In fact,’ she added with a smile, ‘I like him a great deal more.’

‘Good. Then the decision is yours, Peregrine. If you wish to stay in London, we will be happy to have you. And if you do not wish to live in this house, you may choose another,’ the earl said. ‘I shall see to it that you
are
taken care of and that you are acknowledged as my son.’

Peregrine stared. ‘You would do that?’

‘Why not? I’m not ashamed of you. Far from it,’ the earl said softly. ‘You are all I have left of Olivia and I loved her with all my heart. I see so much of her in you and I deeply regret that you did not have a chance to know her. She was…an exceptional woman.’

‘Perhaps you could tell me about her,’ Peregrine said slowly. ‘I would like to know who she was.’

‘I would be honoured,’ the earl said. Then, roughly clearing his throat, he got to his feet. ‘Well, it’s late and I think enough’s been said for now. Parker, my carriage is at your disposal. Or, you are welcome to stay here if your injuries are such that you would rather not travel.’

‘Thank you, my Lord, but I would like to return home.’ Barrington stood up, wincing slightly. It was one thing to pretend his injuries weren’t serious; it was quite another to believe it. ‘You have enough to contend with here, I think.’

‘I’ll see you out,’ Anna said, quickly getting to her feet.

They walked to the front door in silence. Barrington was very aware of Anna beside him, but the situation was too
fraught with emotion to speak of important matters now. The embrace they had shared in the park, the passionate words they had exchanged, would all have to be addressed, but not tonight. ‘May I call upon you in a few days’ time?’ he asked as they stood together at the door. ‘There are things that need to be said.’

‘Of course,’ she said, her expression faltering ever so slightly. ‘Are you sure you’re well enough to drive home, Barrington? You’ve been through so much tonight.’

He gave her a weak smile. ‘We all have. Given that I won’t be the one driving, I’ll be fine. But I am in need of rest.’

‘Yes, of course.’ She looked at him then, and to his surprise she stood on her toes and kissed him full on the mouth in a long, intimate kiss that left his head spinning. ‘Sleep well, my love,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘And thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did tonight.’

Incredible. As much as his body ached, the touch of her mouth instantly aroused him. ‘I did nothing.’

‘You let my brother live,’ she said. ‘But, more importantly,
you
lived. I wouldn’t have liked having my brother’s death on my hands, but I fear that’s what would have happened had you died at his tonight.’

Barrington wanted to believe she was joking, but the look in her eyes told him otherwise. ‘You would have destroyed your life.’

‘It wouldn’t have mattered,’ she told him. ‘If he had killed you, it would already have been destroyed beyond all hope of repair.’

* * *

As expected, over the next few days, Peregrine and the earl spent a great deal of time talking through their unusual situation. There were twenty-seven years to make up for and a lot of ground to cover. And though, at first, the words were
slow in coming, it wasn’t long before they were flowing freely, bringing the two back on an even keel. Peregrine was anxious to hear about his mother and Cambermere was delighted to talk about her. Given that he’d had to keep the truth about Olivia bottled up for so many years, it was a relief to finally be able to talk to someone about her—especially when that someone happened to be her son. And in learning of his true parentage, Peregrine seemed to mature into the man Anna knew he wanted to be. Lady Yew was never mentioned again.

As for Edward, he had been happy to go away. Aware that his future in London was in jeopardy, both because his family knew what he had tried to do and because it was quite likely society would find out at some point, he elected to go to California, where he’d heard stories that it was possible for a man with a good head on his shoulders to acquire vast tracts of land and make a fortune into the bargain. If there was one thing Edward wasn’t lacking, Anna acknowledged wryly, it was confidence in his own ability to succeed.

As for Julia, she was thrilled at having her necklace safely returned to her. So much so that, when she learned the truth about what happened, she decided not to press charges against Miss Paisley and even offered the girl her position back.

‘Why ever would she do such a thing?’ Lydia asked as she and Anna walked their horses along Rotten Row a few days later. ‘Miss Paisley has proven herself anything but trustworthy.’

‘I know, but if you could have seen Eliza’s face when Barrington told her she wasn’t going to be charged and that the baroness was willing to take her back, you would understand. Eliza hasn’t had an easy life,’ Anna said. ‘She told me the happiest she’s ever been was during her brief time with the baroness and she apologised to Julia so sincerely that I
actually saw tears in Julia’s eyes. Eliza said she was willing to do whatever the baroness asked and that she could check her jewellery every night to make sure it was all there. She was just that happy to have a second chance.’

‘Well, I’m glad it all worked out for Eliza, but what about Justine?’

Anna laughed. ‘I was able to find a position for her and you will never guess with whom.’

Lydia looked blank. ‘Who?’

‘Miss Mercy Banks. Or, as she will shortly become, Mrs Giles Blokker. I think they will suit admirably.’

‘How marvellous! And your father? This must have been a very trying time for him.’

‘It has been dreadful,’ Anna admitted. ‘Learning about the existence of a son he never knew he had and finding out what kind of man Edward was were very hard on him. But some wonderful things have come out of it, too. He has acknowledged Peregrine as his son and Peregrine is delighted that he doesn’t have to go back to the country. He’s promised us all that he’ll forget about sowing wild oats and stick to his papers and archaeological investigations.’

‘And what of your father’s hopes with regard to Julia?’

Anna slowly began to smile. ‘In spite of my brother’s best efforts, Julia never believed that my father was guilty of stealing her necklace. She didn’t understand Edward’s sudden interest in her and says she found it rather sad, since it was obvious he didn’t love her the same way Papa did. I believe he will ask her to marry him once a suitable time has passed and the memory of all this has faded.’

‘So,’ Lydia said with a smile, ‘your father and Peregrine are settled and Edward has been banished to the Americas. It would appear that matters have worked out splendidly for everyone…except you.’

‘Nonsense, I am perfectly happy.’

‘Has Sir Barrington spoken to you?’

Anna felt her cheeks grow warm. ‘Not yet, but he did say we had things to talk about.’

‘And do you wish to talk to him about these matters?’

‘Yes, though there really is no hurry,’ Anna said, knowing it for the lie it was.

But Lydia just smiled. ‘Perhaps not on your part, but I believe the gentleman is quite anxious in that regard. No doubt that is why he is approaching us now with such a determined look on his face.’

Anna gasped and, lifting her head, saw that Barrington was indeed riding towards them. ‘Oh, no, I’m not ready!’

‘I don’t think we ever are for moments like this,’ Lydia said with a wink, ‘but they come along regardless. And in case you’re wondering, this isn’t a chance meeting. Sir Barrington sent a note asking me if we would be riding in the park this morning. I told him we would.’

Anna felt her pulse begin to race. He had planned this? He’d wanted to see her that badly?

‘Good morning, Lady Annabelle. Lady Lydia,’ he greeted them, resting his hands on the pommel. ‘Lovely morning for a ride.’

‘It is indeed, Sir Barrington, and I think I shall take advantage of it,’ Lydia said, gathering her reins and smiling at Anna. ‘I shall return in a little while.’

In the silence that followed, Anna turned to study the face of the man watching her and realised her heart was beating so hard she could barely speak. ‘I could say this is a surprise but I understand it was planned.’

Barrington gave her a wry, fleeting smile. ‘It has been my experience that important matters are best not left to chance. I wished to speak to you in private, which meant not at your
house or at a society gathering. So, I had to arrange for some other meeting place and I thought this the most suitable. I did ask Lady Lydia to stay close by so there could be no question of impropriety.’

Anna looked up and saw that Lydia was still within sight, having stopped under the shade of a large tree just beyond. ‘You appear to have thought of everything.’

‘I try,’ he said quietly. ‘Though when it comes to you, I find myself constantly falling short of the mark.’

Anna bit her lip so as not to smile. ‘I can’t imagine why you would say that. You always seem so completely in control of yourself, no matter what the situation.’

‘Because I am used to dealing in logic and reason. Yet all of my dealings with you involve emotions, and rather strong ones at that,’ he admitted.

‘And emotion clouds judgement so as to totally obscure the truth,’ she teased.

‘I should have known you would use that against me,’ he said wryly.

‘It wasn’t intended as a slight. I would never knowingly hurt you, Barrington.’ Anna’s smile faded, her fingers tightening convulsively on the reins. ‘You look…much better than you did when last I saw you.’

Clearly intent on setting her mind at rest, Barrington grinned. ‘I have fully regained my strength and the surgeon is very pleased with my shoulder, though my valet has been heard to complain that I have, at times, been a rather difficult patient.’

Anna laughed, a welcome relief from the tension she’d been carrying for too many days. ‘I was so afraid, Barrington. That night, when I ran across the park and saw you and Edward fighting…when I saw all the blood…I was terrified I was going to lose you.’

‘There was really never any danger of that,’ he said quietly. ‘Your brother was too far under the influence of the opium to be a real threat.’