Heaven Bound (A Blakemore Family Book: Madame Lou Series Book 2) (14 page)

“If you want to hide something, Jackie boy, you hide it in plain sight.” He remembered the old earl saying.

That must be it Jackson thought, getting excited now as he started scanning the columns of numbers again. There it was again and again, the same entry with figures large enough to hide a fortune.

“You old rascal.” Jackson thought, leaning back and smiling. “You may have driven me away by being the worst sort of social snob, but you sure could come up with some interesting puzzles for me to solve.” Jack wanted to go tell his brothers what he had found immediately, but then thought better of it. Not with the house full and a potential threat still on the loose. He didn’t want to risk being overheard or observed until he was certain they knew who was targeting the family. But it was possible that whoever had decided that there were too many Bradley men had also discovered Father’s secret and they were setting the stage to take everything, from the title to the fortune.

* * *

There was a soft knock at the door and Emily went to answer it for her mistress.

“Good evening, Mr. James. Let me see if Miss James is feeling any better.” The lady’s maid was just giving Addie a moment to prepare for her father’s entrance, but there was no doubt she wouldn’t admit him to her room.

“Addie, dear, you were missed at supper. The earl was asking after you and I assured him that the journey, although short, had just worn you out.” Simon sat in a chair by the fireplace. Even though it was August, the servants had kindled a small fire to keep the evening chill at bay. The old stone mansion had a tendency to cool off quickly at night. “Why, I do believe you have the nicest guest room that the Bradleys could offer. Do you suppose the earl is really going to seek your hand? Or is he just being generous because we are old friends of his brother?”

“I’m sure this isn’t the nicest of the guest rooms, Father. After all, there is a duke here, along with many other noblemen.” Addie said, but still wondering the same thing as her father.

“Maybe, but it is quite elegant; and equipped with your own water closet, as well,” Mr. James noted, walking around the rooms. “I’ve noticed the place has been mostly modernized; electric lights throughout and water closets in about half the suites. I even think I saw a lift somewhere. Must have cost a fortune, so I don’t know what they would need with yours. Unless the old earl updated the place and put his heirs into debt in the process.”

“Father, you shouldn’t say such things.” Addie tried not to laugh. Simon James could be incorrigible at times.

“I ran into Jackson this evening.” Simon stated. “He’s still in mourning for that sweet wife of his, so I had a little talk with him about your mother. I think I managed to lift his spirits a bit.”

Adeline doubted that Jack would ever stop mourning Clara. He had been so devastated that day that she couldn’t imagine he would ever be able to recover. But she was glad that he had allowed her father to give him a perspective learned from time and distance, although even Simon still reminisced about her mother with great and enduring fondness.

All Addie could hope for was that Jack had been able to forgive her for tempting him that night on deck. She still couldn’t forget that moment when they had kissed. It affected her opinion of every other gentleman she had encountered since and not one of them held a candle to Jackson Bradley. He had completely ruined her for anyone else.

Sighing, she turned her thoughts away from that dim prospect. She had promised her father that she would pick her husband this weekend. Mr. James had insisted that she’d received multiple offers from some decent fellows and all of the gentlemen in question were attending the party. She just needed to pick one and then they could move on. Simon James was anxious to draw up the necessary documents so he could get back to New York and manage his businesses again. They had already been in England too long without any progress, and he was ready to have the matter of Adeline’s marriage, dowry, and inheritance settled once and for all.

“I’m glad you were able to lift his spirits, Papa.” Addie said out loud, and to herself she thought, maybe he has forgiven me as well.

“So, my dear,” Simon cleared his throat the way he did when he was about to deliver unpleasant news. “I expect your decision by next week. I would like to know who you have chosen to wed before we arrive back in London. Is that understood? Or I will decide for you.”

“Yes, Papa,” Adeline sighed, resigned to the fact that her choices were sorely limited. It really just came down to the least objectionable of the bunch. “I promised and I mean to honor that oath.” Even if means never finding love, she said to herself.

That night, after her father had left, finally satisfied that his mission was almost at a conclusion, and Emily had brushed her hair and turned down her bed, Adeline found herself pacing the luxurious room. Mulling over the decision of selecting one of the men from her possible choices of husband would allow her to find no rest, so she decided to weigh their qualities, one against the other.

First to consider would be the duke, Lord Grafton, of course. He certainly had the best pedigree and Addie was sure Father would be beside himself if she chose someone who was nearly royalty, not to mention he would have been the man that Mama would have preferred. She could almost hear her mother’s voice saying what a feather in her cap it would be to go home and tell her friends that her daughter was a duchess. The Astors and Vanderbilts would have to elevate the James’s position at their dinner parties if she could lay claim to such a conquest.

Adeline’s mind wandered momentarily from the task at hand to remember her mother, Margaret James, fondly. Her parents had been very much in love and married when Simon James had yet to make his fortune. But once her father had set his mind to the task, he’d quickly turned an investment in a silver mine into a prosperous business and from there it was as if he had the Midas touch. Everything the man touched or invested in became a wild success, and before Adeline’s third birthday they had moved to Fifth Avenue and were rubbing shoulders with some of the most affluent families in New York.

Mother had gone from a shopkeeper’s daughter to a woman to be reckoned with and she embraced the role with gusto. Her only goal was to pave the way for her daughter to enter society at the very highest levels. But Mama had fallen ill when Adeline was only ten and her health continued to worsen, until a few years later when she finally gave up the fight. Addie would never forget that day, sitting by her mother’s side and listening to her final wishes. Margaret James made her husband promise to make sure Adeline would have a title, even if Simon had to buy it. At the time, Addie had thought her mother truly meant for her father to go to England and walk into a shop and pick a title from a display case. It wasn’t until she’d turned sixteen that she realized her mother had meant that she should marry a nobleman from Europe.

At first Addie had been excited to think she might fall in love with a prince or a duke, but after she had met the Bradleys and seen how happy their marriage was without any titles or social pretension, she’d wondered what her chances for happiness would be with such a narrow focus.

Sighing with resignation for the path she had chosen in order to honor her parents, Adeline got back to the matter at hand. The duke was not especially handsome and he was just a tiny bit pudgy, probably a result of fine French chef at home. He wasn’t a bad sort, if not slightly dull. And although he didn’t seem like the type to be overly controlling, which would allow Addie to continue with her personal endeavors, she sensed that his familial obligations might become a hindrance for her good works; unfortunately, having to conduct herself at that highest level as the Duchess of Grafton would not allow Adeline the freedom that she would require in order to join rallies without raising eyebrows.

No, a duke would probably not do.

Next on her list was Lord Craven, the baron. Father had indicated that, although a baron would do in a pinch, that lower level of peerage would not be his first choice for his daughter. Adeline considered him anyway as he was a very nice man and seemed to have a kind heart. She wouldn’t mind being married to him as she felt she could manage him quite easily and possibly turn his mind to her way of thinking. And, of course, he was quite nice to look at with his thick, wavy, caramel-colored hair and smiling clear gray eyes. The baron had a good sense of humor and an infectious laugh as well, all of which had him currently at the top of her list.

The last gentleman in the running was Lord Townsend, who was a marquis; nearly as good as a duke, as far as titles went. Unfortunately, the marquis had quite a few flaws to overcome. First he was more than twice Adeline’s age. He was also a widow and, although he had no children, one could tell after just one casual conversation with the man that he rather enjoyed his new independent status; not that Addie wasn’t certain he did want to marry her in order to obtain her fortune, but it was obvious he wasn’t really interested in all that the institution entailed. But the more she thought about it the more she wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of a husband who would not want to involve himself with her on a day to day basis. Adeline had the feeling that once she was carrying a possible heir for the marquis, he would not be overly concerned with her activities, and that would suit her perfectly fine.

Pacing the suite, Addie just couldn’t decide. The only thing she was completely sure of was that Lord Denbigh was no longer under consideration for the role of her husband. He’d proven himself a disgraceful, untrustworthy rake and she wished she’d never have to see him again. But much to her chagrin, he would, in fact, be present this weekend, as would all her other prospects. It would be her priority to avoid the distasteful earl, but she knew it might not be completely feasible.

Adeline was nowhere close to feeling tired enough to go to bed, even though it was nearly one in the morning. Instead, she put on her wrapper and slippers and decided to go to the library to find a novel and maybe a small glass of sherry. Cautiously opening the door and looking up and down the hallway, Addie saw that no one was about at this late hour. Many of the guests wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, so she was relatively certain that she wouldn’t run into anyone on her little field trip out of her room. She found the library fairly easily and quietly closed the door behind her, not wanting to wake any of the servants by accident. There was just enough light from the half- moon that shone in through the large windows to allow Adeline to see well enough to navigate the room. She easily found the selection of the most current novels and, after picking one out and pouring herself a sherry, she made herself comfortable on one of the well-padded sofas.

It was too dark to read, but Adeline was enjoying the quiet regal atmosphere of the room while she sipped her drink. Slowly she felt herself relaxing as she leaned back into the inviting cushions of the couch. The sherry was having the desired effect, making Addie drowsy. She set the empty glass down and gazed out the window, allowing her mind to start to shut down. Without even realizing it was happening, Adeline’s eyelids started to droop heavily, closing for longer and longer moments until she fell fast asleep.

* * *

Jackson quietly opened the door to the library, not wanting to disturb the house. He was finally making progress on the account books and needed to check one of those old photograph collections in order to confirm his suspicions. He just couldn’t leave it until the next day, knowing the house would be full of guests. Jack hadn’t been sleeping much recently anyway, so it wasn’t as if he’d look any worse than usual in the morning.

He entered the spacious room and headed straight for the section in the library where the family’s personal books were kept. Along with the more recent photography section that his father had created, there were several volumes of books that had been written by Bradley ancestors. No diaries had ever been found in the house, even in the many hidden panels, at least the ones they knew about. As with most elite families in Europe, personal papers and letters were burned upon the death of the Lord in question in order to protect his political legacy. Instead, the books in the library were mostly scientific theses and philosophical texts written by Jackson’s ancestors.

But one of the Bradley brothers’ great, great-uncles had apparently considered himself a playwright and had penned a few theater productions that sadly had never been produced on a large scale. That, of course, never stopped the family from acting out the plays in the privacy of their own home. Jack remembered how, as boys, he and his brothers had put on productions for their parents during the long winters when there was little else to do besides play hide and seek in the many hidden passages and secret rooms in the old mansion.

A soft moan coming from one of the sofas made Jackson freeze in his footsteps. He sincerely hoped he had not come upon a lovers’ tryst. But instead of sounds of lovemaking, the noise sounded more like one of the ghosts he and his brothers had imagined haunted the old mansion when they were lads. Then he heard it again. Quietly approaching the divan from behind, Jack peered over the high back to see if the otherworldly noises were human or spiritual. At first, all he saw were the flowing white robes that were spread on the dark background of the sofa, and he allowed his tired mind to imagine he was seeing a spirit from the other side. But then his eyes traveled to where the woman’s head rested on a cushion, her golden curls escaping from the long braid that rested on her slowly rising bosom.