Candice Hern (36 page)

Along with her pleasant conversation she had an engaging smile and pretty golden curls peeking from beneath her bonnet. She would be tolerable enough as a wife, Jack decided, until she became fat, which he had no doubt was her destiny. But by then perhaps she would have provided him with the necessary heir and a spare, and he could avoid sharing her bed.

After a few more minutes of polite conversation they encountered a group of gentlemen, some apparently known to Mary, who stopped to chat. Among them was Giles Hamilton, an acquaintance of Jack's from his days at Cambridge. As Hamilton was apparently unknown to either Mary or Miss Carstairs, Jack made the introductions. He stood back fascinated as he watched Mary probe the poor man for information about himself. Hamilton, normally reticent at best, was helpless against Mary's gregarious questioning. The odd thing was that she never came off as meddlesome, but rather as interested. And Jack knew instinctively that indeed she was. She really was a most remarkable woman.

In her indomitable way Mary had soon discovered not only Hamilton's acquaintance with Lord and Lady Bradleigh—to her obvious delight—but that while he and Lord Bradleigh had been at Cambridge together, both had been students of the classics.

"Does your interest in the classics extend to classical antiquities as well?" Mary asked.

"Indeed, it does," Hamilton replied. "In fact, I have a few small pieces of my own. A Hellenistic bronze figurine of Andromache is one of my most prized possessions. Do you have a special interest in antiquities, Lady Mary?"

"I regret that I have only a dilettante's understanding of the subject, Mr. Hamilton. But Miss Carstairs," she said taking that young lady's elbow and skillfully maneuvering her into the conversation, "is quite a scholar, I believe. You may be interested in her account of a visit to view Sir John Soane's collection."

Jack watched with some anxiety as Hamilton, eyes wide with interest, spoke at some length with Miss Carstairs. Even more troubling was the way she gazed in open admiration at Hamilton.

It came as a bit of a jolt to Jack that he might actually have serious competition for the girl, particularly from such as Hamilton, whom he had always considered a very dull dog. He had been so cocksure that he could seduce her with his looks and charm and grand title, that she would willingly and eagerly accept an offer from him. He must not become so complacent about his abilities. He could ill afford to lose this game. But he recognized that there were other things to attract a woman besides the obvious. Look at Hamilton. An unlikely competitor, he was nevertheless successfully wooing Miss Carstairs through mutual intellectual interests. Jack was very much afraid that the man had the advantage of him.

Jack looked over at Mary, who was in conversation with one of the other gentlemen. She met his eyes and arched a brow as if to ask why he was apparently giving in so easily to defeat. He nodded in understanding and deftly insinuated himself into the conversation between Hamilton and Miss Carstairs.

Chapter 5

"Rumor has it that you have seriously entered the Marriage Mart," Lord Sedgewick said as he followed Jack into a somewhat private corner of the subscription room at White's, away from the hubbub of the faro tables. Sedgewick lowered his lanky form into a wide leather-cushioned armchair, stretched his long legs out in front of him, and crossed his ankles. He swirled his glass of claret, took a swallow, then looked earnestly at Jack. "Tell me it ain't so."

"Can't do that, Sedge." Jack eased into a matching chair and reached for the wine decanter that had been placed on a small table between them." 'Fraid it is so."

"Good God!" Sedgewick stared openmouthed at Jack, then shook his head in disbelief. "You could have knocked me over with a feather when Skeffington told me you were dancing attendance on the latest crop of debs. Said you were shopping for a bride. Told him he must have got it wrong. Not the marrying type, I said."

"Things have changed, Sedge."

"Ah. Right." Sedgewick looked distressed, obviously not wanting to bring up the tragedy that had made Jack head of his family. But Jack and Sedgewick had been friends for too long for there to be any awkwardness between them. Jack caught his eye and nodded, a signal that Sedgewick should not feel constrained to discuss the matter.

Sedgewick took a deep breath and blew it out of puffed cheeks. "I suppose your poor mother is after you to secure the succession."

"Yes, and rightly so. I recognize that my carefree days as an insignificant younger son are over. Strange. I suppose there are many who envy me my title. For me it has brought nothing but grief and loss of a freedom which I never fully appreciated."

"Never thought of it like that, but I suppose you are right. Before ... all this," he said with a flutter of long fingers, "you were quite the solitary man, were you not? No one to please but yourself. No responsibilities. Beholden to no one. Devil-may-care—"

"Just so," Jack said, interrupting before Sedgewick could further inventory his selfish ways. "But now—"

"Now you must marry and produce an heir." Sedgewick sighed loudly and sank further into the leather seat cushion. "Well, I suppose there are worse fates. Might work out all right, after all. Look at Bradleigh."

"Indeed. He is disgustingly happy. It is almost sickening."

"Oh, I don't know," Sedgewick said. "I think it's rather nice."

Jack raised his brows in question, but Sedgewick ignored him and took another swallow of claret. Jack had not been terribly surprised when their friend Bradleigh had chosen to marry a little over a year ago. After all, the man was an earl and had responsibilities. But to imagine Sedgewick considering the same step was too incredible to contemplate. But he had surely not imagined that wistful tone of voice.

"At least your mother ain't in Town arranging things for you," Sedgewick said. "You can make your own choice and present it to her a
fait accompli
."

"Yes. Thank God for that," Jack said.

"Gad, man, with your title and estates and fortune, you must have them lining up at your door. You can have your pick of the lot."

"Er ... not exactly."

"What? Oh. You mean your reputation. Less than sterling, and all that. The gambling. The women. The—"

"There is that, of course," Jack said, quickly interrupting yet another list of iniquities. "But you would be amazed at how short memories can be when the title of marchioness is at stake."

Sedgewick smiled broadly. "No doubt. So, then, what is the problem?"

Jack took another long swallow of claret before speaking. He had decided to confide in Sedgewick—in fact he needed to confide in Sedgewick, or someone. Only Jessop was aware of the nature of his problems, but even he was unaware of the extent of them. It was becoming an oppressive burden to carry alone. He needed to talk about it. He wanted to talk about it. Sedgewick was one of his closest friends; he could rely on his discretion.

"I am afraid the field is not as wide as it could be," he said in a strained voice. He found that he was more than reluctant, that it was almost physically impossible to say what he needed to say. He was ashamed. "I am able to consider only ... an heiress." He almost choked on the word, then threw his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. He could not bear to look at his friend just yet.

"An heiress?" Sedgewick's voice reflected his surprise. Jack took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Sedgewick's brow was knotted in confusion.

"I don't understand," Sedgewick continued when Jack did not respond. "I always thought you were well to grass before. And now that you have inherited your father's estates and fortune, not to mention whatever you picked up from James and Frederick, I assumed you to be as rich as old Midas."

"If only that were true!" Jack leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. "The fact is," he said in a voice so quiet Sedgewick had to lean closer in order to hear, "what I inherited was a mountain of debts and six mortgaged and badly managed estates." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm bled dry, Sedge."

"Good Lord! I had no idea."

"Neither did I. I've led a somewhat reckless life, as you know. But I always kept my financial affairs in order and assumed that my father and brothers did the same." He gave a ragged sigh. "I was badly mistaken." He dropped his head into his hands, and his voice shook with suppressed emotion. "This last year has been a nightmare."

Sedgewick reached out and briefly squeezed Jack's shoulder.

"Why have you not said anything before?" he asked in a tone of such concern that Jack was almost undone.

"I wanted to try to put things right," he said, trying to maintain his composure, but unable to completely disguise the anguish in his voice. He lifted his head and reached for the wine decanter. He poured another glassful, but did not immediately take a drink. He simply held it in both hands, moving it in gentle circles as he watched the swirling red liquid illumined by the adjacent fire to a ruby glow. He did not look at Sedgewick.

"It's beyond me, Sedge," he said. "I cannot manage it. I will have to sell off at least two of the estates now, perhaps others later. But they are in such poor condition they will probably not bring enough even to pay off their mortgages. I have had to pour funds from Broadhurst into Pemworth just to keep it going, and have been juggling rents between Goodwyck and Crutchley to finance repairs. The tenant farms and cottages on all the estates are disgraceful. I have had to put new men in place of the bailiffs, who, I am convinced, were lax at best, and in some cases may even have embezzled revenues."

"God, Jack," Sedgewick said, running his fingers through longish blond hair, "I am so sorry."

"Yes. Well, the point is I need cash and lots of it and I need it now. I have just about depleted my own resources." He brought the wineglass to his lips at last and drained it in a single swallow. Placing the empty glass on the table, he looked at Sedgewick and offered a rueful smile. "Hence, the need for an heiress," he said.

"I can see that," Sedgewick said.

"But I had as soon not have my financial situation made public. I don't believe I could bear for people to know that I was ... that I was a... a ..."

"Fortune hunter?" Sedgewick gave a shudder that shook his entire lanky frame. "Don't blame you, old man. Ugly label, that. Not a pretty situation."

"Indeed," Jack said. "And so although I have in fact publicly entered the Marriage Mart for the Season, I am only truly considering those young women who can help me out of this dreadful coil. But I hope I have been circumspect enough so as not to reveal my true situation. Not only would I feel thoroughly humiliated, but I suspect my choices would suddenly become severely limited if it were known that I have little more than a title to offer. And," he said looking Sedgewick in the eye, "I am counting on your discretion, my friend. You are the only one who knows the truth."

Sedgewick placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. "You know you can trust me, old fellow," he said in a gentle voice. "Anyway, things will work out in the end, you'll see." Suddenly, his eyes widened. "I have it!" he said with a huge grin that split his face in half and caused his eyes to crinkle into slits. "I shall play matchmaker for you and find just the right girl to help you out of your troubles."

"God help me!" Jack said, and both men dissolved into laughter, slapping one another on the back.

"What's this? Don't tell me that congratulations are already in order, Jack?"

Jack looked up at the familiar voice to find Lord Bradleigh standing over them. "Rob!" he said, smiling with genuine pleasure. "Well met. I did not know you were in Town. Do not tell me that connubial bliss has finally palled?"

"Not in the least, my friend," the earl said, grabbing a nearby armchair and flopping down casually into it. "You two should try it. Fact is, Emily is in an interesting condition, and we have come to Town to have a special wardrobe made up for her."

"Congratulations, old man," Sedgewick said as he grabbed Bradleigh's hand and pumped it energetically.

Jack signaled to the waiter to bring an extra wineglass and turned to Lord Bradleigh. "That is wonderful news, Rob. Give my best wishes to your beautiful countess."

"Thank you," Bradleigh said. "But what was all that backslapping I witnessed as I came in? I heard you were in the market for a bride, Jack. Shall I wish you happy?"

"Eventually, I hope," Jack said in a light tone. "But not quite yet. I was just telling Sedge how eligible I have suddenly become now that I have a marchioness title to offer. Mothers who once dragged their daughters away if I so much as entered the same room are now fawning all over me."

Robert laughed. "I know the feeling. I had to overcome my reputation, too, you may recall. Although mine was not quite so ..."

"Sordid?" Sedgewick suggested. "Scandalous? Dissolute? Debauched?"

"Enough!" Jack held up both hands in a defensive posture and laughed. "Sedgewick has done nothing this evening but catalog my sins," he said to Bradleigh. "I really don't know why I abide the fellow."

"The man has no sensitivity," the earl said, grinning. "Never did have."

"Well!" Sedgewick said with mock outrage as he pulled himself out of his chair and stood. "I shall not remain here and be insulted. Besides, I have an engagement this evening and must be off." He turned to Bradleigh and flashed his famous grin. "Good to see you, Rob. Give my regards to Emily."

"I will. Perhaps you will join us for dinner one evening?"

"I would be delighted," Sedgewick replied.

"Good. I will send a note round."

Sedgewick turned to Jack and smiled warmly. "Good luck. Jack. I hope you may be as fortunate in your choice of brides as our friend Bradleigh has been."

"Thank you, Sedge," Jack said. "Thank you for.. . everything."

"Any time, old man." Sedgewick smiled and winked at Jack, then tugged at his waistcoat and straightened his cravat. "I'm off," he said and then wound his way through the many groups gathered in the subscription room, stopping to acknowledge acquaintances here and there, and was soon out the door.