Fascination -and- Charmed (25 page)

A vague ache had begun behind his eyes. He would sleep soon.

The door, crashing shut, jarred him to his toes. The fault of a draft, no doubt. He must make sure it was shut next time. For a moment he stared across the room. Then it came to him.

He massaged his temple, and at the top of his new music, he wrote,
Grace.

Grace ran as fast as she could toward her mother’s rooms. There could be no question of remaining at Kirkcaldy a moment longer.

He thought her conniving.

He thought her wicked.

Her heart ached from the pain of knowing how he despised her. She’d tried to sleep for hours until she could no longer bear to stay there in the darkness. Every word he’d hurled at her played over and over in her head.

He’d thought she wanted to be bought, that she wanted beautiful jewels.

Niall, or
Stonehaven,
believed she would become his wife and bear his children after he’d hurt her more deeply than she could ever have imagined possible.

Mama’s room was on the floor below Grace’s and in the distant east wing. Tonight Grace’s mind was too busy to allow her to hear the castle’s strange singing noises.

She did hear the music Stonehaven had played. She’d gone to the gallery to retrieve her precious painting supplies, only to find that the reason for her misery sat between her and the window seat. When she’d released the handle and the door had slammed, she’d feared he would discover her, but he had not followed.

How could a man so cruel and deceitful play such beautiful music?

He was unfair! True, what she’d planned had not been entirely beyond reproach, but necessity had driven her, and she’d been honest with him from their first meeting.

His lordship felt affronted! His pride was bruised because, even while he’d encouraged her to care for him as Niall, she did
not
care for who he really was! Oh,
really,
it was all very confusing and horribly infuriating.

And he’d gone too far. She might not have learned the exact nature of everything that was supposed to happen between a man and a woman, but she knew well enough that Stonehaven’s actions toward her in his chamber had been reprehensible.

She’d told him she would have none of him. Now she must find a way to escape this wretched place as quickly as possible.

In the corridor leading to Mama’s Serpent Room, Grace slowed her pace and breathed deeply until she reached the door. Florence, whom Mama had somehow persuaded to become her maid, slept close by and should not be awakened. And it would not do at all to allow Mama to see how upset Grace was.

Saying a prayer that Mama would be reasonable, Grace tapped lightly and let herself in to the amazing reptilian creation her parent found delightful.

“Mama,” Grace whispered urgently, slipping across the room to light a candle beside the bed. “Mama, please wake up. It’s me, Grace.”

In sleep, her mother’s face was as smooth as a girl’s. Her frilled nightcap and lace-trimmed white nightrail added to an air of innocence that seemed absurd for a woman slumbering in a bed encrusted with many-headed gilt lizards.

Grace touched a soft shoulder. “Mama! You have to wake up now.”

“Mm?” Blanche Wren’s eyes opened a fraction. “What are you shouting about, Grace? Do go to sleep, there’s a good girl.”

Bracing for a tirade, Grace grasped the bedcovers and yanked them down.

“Oh!”

Grace pressed a hand over her mother’s mouth and whispered urgently, “Be quiet, Mama. Be quiet and listen to me carefully.”

Mama mumbled and shoved Grace’s hand away, but she kept her voice down. “It’s the middle of the night, you ungrateful girl. You know how I suffer if I don’t sleep long enough.”

“You will not be sleeping until noon today,” Grace said.

“I most certainly shall. Really, what would your dear papa say if he could see how you treat me? Nothing can be so important that it cannot wait until a civilized hour of the day.”

“Please get up and dress.”

“I shall do no such thing.” With that Blanche struggled to pull her covers back in place.

Grace held them where they were. “You are to do as I tell you—please, Mama.”

“Ooh, this is too much. I thought by now you’d be a marchioness and we’d be settled and confident of our position. Instead you behave like the featherbrained creature you are and cannot even manage to
see
your husband-to-be.”

Sleepiness invariably made Mama difficult.

“I know you are unhappy, Grace,” Mama said. “And I know you think you should be comforted. But
my
need for comfort is greater. I was left alone to raise a
daughter.
Something that should not happen to any delicate woman. A son would have been such a joy and a comfort, but—”

“We are leaving Kirkcaldy.”

“Do not interrupt me.”

“I am not marrying the marquess. We are packing immediately and leaving Kirkcaldy at the first sign of morning—which will be very soon.”

Mama slowly hoisted herself to sit up. Her blue eyes opened wide and she leaned toward Grace. “I think I’ve been having a nightmare. I’m definitely not thinking quite properly. I thought you said we were leaving the castle.”

“We are.”

“I thought ... No, we’re not. What can you be thinking of?” She swung her feet over the edge of the bed. “And where exactly were you last evening when you should have been meeting your new relatives?”

“I have no new relatives.”

“You most definitely do. They are Sir Mortimer Cuthbert and his wife, Lady Cuthbert. Her given name is Theodora and she is most impressive.”

“These people are of no interest to me.”

“Yes, they are,” Blanche said, her voice rising. “They are the marquess’s relatives. Sir Mortimer is his cousin. His
only
cousin. And then there is a rather flashy creature called Mrs. Melony Pincham. She’s a widow. I don’t suppose she’s really related to the marquess except that her sister is married to his cousin. She wears too many jewels and talks too much. And she expects everyone to listen to her but never to have to listen to anyone else herself. Most annoying.”

Grace had the fleeting thought that this Mrs. Pincham had things in common with Mama.

“And there’s Roger Cuthbert, a quiet boy of ten years. Nondescript really. He’s the Cuthberts’ son. And they are
all
of importance to us. You should have met them. They expected it.”

Grace folded her wrapper tightly around her chilled body. “Did you send someone for me, Mama?”

“I ... Well, I did not want to draw undue attention to your lack of social graces.”

“I do not lack social graces.”

“It was mentioned that your absence suggested as much.”

“And what did you say, Mama?” Grace asked quietly.

“I ... Nothing. I thought you were probably feeling a little indisposed and said as much.”

“But a moment ago you told me these people were expecting me to appear.”

“Did I?” Mama fiddled with the lace at her neck. “Well, perhaps they were, or perhaps they weren’t. I really cannot be expected to remember
everything under such circumstances.”

“If you thought I was indisposed, why didn’t you come to see for yourself?”

Mama straightened her back and looked haughtily upward at nothing in particular.
“
I
found the Cuthberts most entertaining. Sir Mortimer is exceedingly charming and was at great pains to ensure that I knew he found
me
charming also.”

“In other words, you were too busy and having too good a time to come to me.” She held up a hand to halt Mama’s denials. “Please, I understand. It is of no importance now. Come, I’ll help you pack.”

“We will
not
pack.”

“We
will
pack.”

“Grace Charlotte Wren! Kindly stop this nonsense.”

“I have met the marquess.”

“I promised the Cuthberts that they would meet you ... Grace! You met him?”

How long would it take her to forget the occasion? “I did. Get dressed.”

“
Tell
me about him. What did he say? When will the wedding take place? Did he
give
you anything? A token to seal the betrothal? Jewels? He should have spoken with me, really, but I will forgive him. Oh, Grace, do—”

“
Be quiet!
He is a man approximately in his thirties. Some ... Most would consider him exceedingly well favored. The man is wickedly handsome, in fact. He said I was to do as he wished in all things, and at all times. He said the wedding would take place on a day he appointed. He gave me a ruby and diamond girdle that would circle my waist and hang to the hem of my gowns. There, is that what you wished to know?”

Blanche clapped like a child. “Oh, I
knew
everything would be perfect. The day, Grace. Tell me the day. And where are the
jewels,
child?”

“I declined the offer of marriage and gave back the jewels.”

“You ...” Mama’s mouth hung slackly. “How can you tease me so when I have suffered so much?”

She could not bring herself to explain what had brought her to this debacle. At least if she left without a word to anyone, she could assume the marquess would not ruin her by revealing what had passed between them.

“Grace—”

“I do not care for him, Mama.”

“What does that matter? A girl doesn’t make up her own mind whom she shall marry and why.
I
told Mr. Innes we accepted the marquess’s offer. The decision has been made.”

“You cannot force me to the altar. Believe me when I say you must accept my decision.”

“Never!”

She took her mother’s cold hands in hers. “Mama, you aren’t listening to me. I have told his lordship that I will not marry him.”

“Oh,” Mama moaned. “Oh, Ichabod, how have I failed in raising your daughter? Grace, you did keep the jewels, though?”

“No. I gave them back, just as I’ve told you.” Admitting to throwing them wouldn’t be the thing, but Grace had relished that brief moment of triumph.

Mama pulled her hands away. “She gave them back,” she said, closing her eyes and squeezing two tears down her cheeks. “Never mind that we absolutely
have
to have money and we have to have it now!” Her eyes flew open, and the blazing light there shocked Grace.

“We can return to London and—”

“We can
never
return to London, you little sap-skull.”

While Grace looked on, Mama got to her feet and began to pace. “You know nothing.
Nothing.
All those afternoons I spent with the ladies, and you never, ever knew.”

“I knew you went to sew with your friends. And play cards.”

“
Did
I? I did no such thing. I met with a certain group of ladies, but we did not play cards, and if you had ever noticed,
I
can scarcely sew a stitch! I hate sewing. It
bores
me and it always did.”

“But—”

“We have to have money. A great deal of money. It is only the promise of your brilliant match that has kept disaster from our doors in the past few weeks.”

“Mama!”

“The man is wickedly handsome, you say. He wants you to marry on his demand, you say. He gave you a gift worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, you say. And you declined.
And now you will go to him and beg him to allow you to accept.
”

“I cannot.” Grace’s heart seemed determined to jump from her chest. “What is it? What is wrong?”

“Has the marquess accepted your refusal?”

“Yes ... No. I mean, he is too arrogant to believe that I will not have him.”

“Praise God!” Mama clasped her hands together and raised her eyes heavenward. “You will do as I say. First thing in the morning, greet the Cuthberts as I have promised them you will. Smile and do or say nothing to suggest there is anything amiss between you and the marquess.”

“I cannot,” Grace moaned.

“You have no choice.” Mama stopped pacing and held Grace’s shoulders. “As soon as he will agree to receive you, go to your
fiancé
and tell him you were bemused—overcome by his generosity and by the wonderful fortune that has come your way. Tell him he has only to appoint the day of the marriage and you will be forever grateful to prepare for the greatest event of your life.”

Grace began to shake. “You don’t understand. I
hate
him.”

“Foolish, headstrong girl. You are not listening to me. Whether or not you hate him is of no importance. If you do not marry him, we are
finished.
”

“That cannot be so.”

“
Listen.
That man’s money has to be ours. On the days when I
wasn
’
t
sewing fine seams, I was engaged in another occupation, one which I will one day master.
I was gambling.
”

“Mama!”

“Do you know what pugilism is?”

“Mama!”

“Fighting. A most exciting sport, so I’m told, although I have never actually seen it. There is a fortune to be made betting on the matches, only, naturally, a lady cannot go where bets are taken. No matter, my friends and I made the acquaintance of a gentleman who was more than happy to place bets in our name—for a fee.”

Grace felt sick.

“Unfortunately, I lost rather more bets than I won.”

“I s-suppose that can happen. I don’t see why it—”

“I spent almost every penny I had and then placed bets with money I did not have.”

“How could you do that?”

“You are such a ninny, Grace. Vowels, my child. Notes against money owed. Gentlemen issue them all the time. Why shouldn’t a lady?”

“What does all this mean?”

It means that there is a man in London, a very ruthless man, to whom I owe a vast amount of money. I was already deep in debt, but when I knew you were to make this marriage, I placed one last, outrageous wager and hoped to win enough to be free. I lost yet again. The promise of payment with handsome interest is the only reason everything we have wasn’t taken from us.”

Grace pulled her hands from her mother’s and sat on a little stool with dragon-footed legs.