Improper Pleasures (The Pleasure Series #1) (36 page)

“Oh, it’s not far. Melva is at a place where she and James
met on Eastlan’s grounds. It’s a bit overgrown. You’d miss it if you weren’t
looking for it.”

Astra immediately envisioned the gazebo and her heart
froze.

She nodded, then followed Wesley, fearing she knew exactly
where he was taking her. She felt a crack in her heart and feared the worst. Perhaps
it was indeed time to open her eyes.

***

James finally broke the seal on the letter from
Bainbridge, unable to put it off a moment longer. The correspondence
accumulated at his brief absence had taken him all day to go through. At least
Wesley had done something for his pay. He probably sorted through the posts
before he did anything else and snagged any incriminating evidence.

James figured Wesley could have taken Bainbridge’s letter
as well, apparently penned before James’s signature on the parish books had
dried. James scanned the letter, skipping over the congratulations on his nuptials
and honed in on the passage beginning with: “It is with much regret…” Bainbridge
had suddenly discovered that he had diversified his interests too widely and
would have to withdraw his support from the shipping venture.

James balled the letter and tossed it on top of the rest
of the discarded correspondence. Of course, he could take Astra’s twenty
thousand pounds and start his own shipping venture, but with a baby on the way,
all that seemed too risky. The Americans had yet to have luck in convincing the
British to unrestricted trade with their former colony despite the mutual
benefits. James thought having a foot in both worlds would allow him to bypass
the restrictions. Perhaps his wishful thinking simply proved him to be a fool,
and that he had no head for business. Maybe his father had been right about him
all along.

His plans to establish himself in England had succeeded
too well, it seemed. Now he could not just sail off to America leaving a wife
and child at home. Things were more complicated—for one, he had to make Eastlan
strong for his heir. Astra suspected she carried a boy and the idea both
frightened and awed him. James would do everything in his power to build a
strong holding to hand down to his son. Never could he have imagined that a
plot of dirt, a substantial one mind you, could have so much pull on his
wandering spirit. He had a home now and there was nowhere else to go.

Glancing out the window he was surprised to discover that
the bright afternoon had started to dim. Astra had promised to bring tea and
scones to his study to keep him from drowning in correspondence. In fact, he’d
been looking forward to the encounter all day. What had happened? His heartbeat
began to quicken.

James stood, needing to find Astra. Though he justified
his reasons, he still felt guilty for being so harsh to her these last few
days. If he’d known of her condition—well, if he’d known of her condition he
would have felt even more blindsided and trapped. Now that he had accepted his
fate, he was determined to see that Astra remained calm and rested during the
length of her pregnancy. His eldest sister had miscarried her first child and
almost lost her life. James had been home from a voyage and had been the one to
find her soaked in blood. The idea of discovering Astra in that state terrified
him.

He paused at the closed door. A folded note blocked his
exit. He had instructed both Mr. Rudd and the butler that he was not to be
disturbed for the entirety of the afternoon, especially by tradesmen delivering
unpaid bills. The note was addressed to Lord Keane in an awkward, almost
childish script he did not recognize. The note was sealed with red wax absent
of a personal insignia.

“Excuse me, James. Do you have a moment?”

James looked up to see Lady Phillina making her way down
the hall without the use of her cane. James stuffed the note in his pocket.
He’d dealt with enough correspondence for one day.

He rushed to Lady Phillina’s side and took her arm to
support her, saying, “Have you seen Astra? I fear she isn’t feeling well.”

James had the sudden urge to blurt out that he was to be a
father, but he sensed the news should come from Astra. The idea of announcing
that he, James Keane, was to become a father gave him a surprising surge of
pride and joy. The feeling overwhelmed him.

Lady Phillina gasped. “You know about the baby! I can tell
by the look on your face. Oh, James, you seem happy. Are you?”

James shrugged letting his grin break past his recently
forced restraint. His dreams of a fleet of ships had been small in comparison
to what he now possessed. He might not have as much coin as he’d hoped, but he
was richer than he ever expected to be. He had a wife, a child on the way, and
an estate that he had grown to love despite the tremendous amount of care it
needed. He had a family. A home. A safe haven that no one could capture or
destroy.

“How could I not be?” James narrowed his gaze, giving his
aunt a playfully scolding look. “I just wish I wasn’t the last to know.”

“Astra wanted to be sure and… Oh dear, I am intruding
again. Forgive me. Still, I feel I must speak with you in private about a very
delicate matter.”

“Of course, Aunt Phillina, you may speak with me about
anything.” James guided Lady Phillina to the sitting room to a chair near a
window overlooking Eastlan’s grand front lawn. He wondered how many delicate
matters this woman had. She settled in the overstuffed chair, clasped her hands
in her lap, then bowed her head in serious contemplation of what she intended to
say.

James collapsed in the matching chair opposite the one
where she sat. He was definitely not in the mood for any more complications.
His heavy sigh caught her attention.

“Oh dear, it’s not that bad. I hope my confessions will
set everything right.”

“Confession?” James tensed. Not another one.

“Well, I’m pleased Astra told you about the baby. I did
not want to be the one to spoil her surprise, but I am no fool. It is clear she
has been upset since the wedding and blaming herself unfairly for things that
were beyond her control. I feared for not only her health but that of the
child’s.”

“I can assure you, she’ll not be further troubled if I
have anything to do with it. I admit I was upset at first, but I wasn’t
expecting to be dragged to the altar.” James cleared his throat, hating that he
sounded defensive.

“You two were having marital relations, were you not? What
did
you expect?”

James was sure he blushed. “Point taken. I would have
liked to propose to her by myself in my own good time. Considering the current
circumstance, I can see why that wasn’t possible.”

“And would you have proposed? I was unaware of the
extenuating circumstance when I agreed to Lynette’s scheme, as were you.”

“You were in bed with Lady Seabrook!” James bolted to his
feet, shocked at the manipulation of the two older women. Well, perhaps not
Lady Seabrook… But dear, sweet, Lady Phillina?

“Well, we would not have been successful if you also were
not in bed with someone you should not have been.” Lady Phillina gripped her
shawl and pulled it snuggly around her.

James slowly sat back down. “Perhaps, but I was not
plotting the downfall—” Lady Phillina’s sharp gaze forced James to swallow his
words and change his course. “I like to think I would have done the right thing
by Astra eventually. I do love her, you know.”

Lady Phillina pressed her hand to her heart and appeared
to almost swoon in her relief. “I did not know, but I so hoped you did. I have
been wrong about these things before.”

“You mean Astra’s relationship with Lowell.” James forged
ahead, hoping he might have an opportunity to discuss what exactly did happen
to Lowell. With Astra’s condition, a murder trial seemed out of the question.
He couldn’t and wouldn’t drag those painful memories up for public consumption
when Astra was so vulnerable.

“No, Lowell and Astra did love each other, though not with
the same passion you two have. I was talking about Astra’s relationship with my
other son, Trent.”

James shifted. Astra would be devastated if he
accidentally revealed her secret to Lady Phillina, but he was interested to
discover what the elder Lady Keane already knew.

“Yes, I think I heard Astra had a girlish infatuation with
him at one time.”

Lady Phillina stared at James, her light brown eyes alight
with a directness that made them clear and bright. “I know Lark is my elder
son’s child. And I could not love my granddaughter more. I fear I always had a
soft spot for Trent. Unfortunately, it took my breaking Astra’s heart to
discover that I also had a blind spot where my first born was concerned as
well.”

“You didn’t break Astra’s heart, that bas—” James shook
his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t wish to speak ill of the dead but Trent was the
one who hurt Astra.”

“Perhaps, but he had a helping hand. I wish I could lay
the blame solely on Lady Seabrook but I was the one who devised the plan to
catch Trent with Astra in his townhouse in London. I even financed her journey
and her wardrobe. I hadn’t an inkling that Trent could be so cruel.” Lady
Phillina gasped and clutched her mouth. She closed her eyes and James could see
tears in the corners. “That is a lie. You see, I cannot even tell the truth
about Trent even when I desperately want to.”

James frantically searched his pockets for a handkerchief
but came up empty. With a household full of women, he’d better ask Mr. Rudd to make
that a part of his daily wardrobe.

“My eldest son was always spoiled.” Lady Phillina sniffed
and clenched her jaw in obvious determination to speak her mind. “When my
husband passed away unexpectedly, I was eager for Trent to settle down and take
the reins of the family holdings. Instead, he just used his title and power to
amuse himself with debauchery in London. Outlandish spending, gambling. The
rumors reached me all the way in Cornwall. I hoped a wife would settle him
down.”

“So you chose Astra.”

“She was in love with him, my dear. Or, she had been as a
child and I so hoped he would live up to her expectations. I was terribly wrong.
Trent is the biggest disappointment in my life.” Her smile wobbled. “And you are
my most treasured surprise. Thank you for rescuing us all from our grief and
loneliness. And most especially for loving Astra. It has eased my guilt
considerably to see her so happy. Rather, was happy. I hope my eagerness and
Lady Seabrook’s determination to see you two together have not spoiled
everything. Please tell me we haven’t.”

“From this day forward, I hope you shall only see Astra
happy for many years to come.” James made it a personal vow. He finally
realized that if Astra wasn’t happy, James wouldn’t be happy. Ever. “Where is
she by the way?”

“She went into the garden earlier but I have not seen her
since. And she did appear to glow. Perhaps, I need not have intruded after all,
but my selfish nature won’t be quelled no matter how much damage it does. I had
to be reassured. So, I did not make the same mistake twice by forcing you two
into wedded bliss?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You won’t tell Astra what I have done, will you?”

James stared out the window, peering at the lawn, hoping
to catch a glimpse of Astra. “Perhaps you should tell her yourself.”

“No, I think it best if we all keep up our pretenses. Lark
is Lowell’s daughter and I never want that to change. He was so proud of her.
Besides, Astra might never forgive me for what I did to her. I don’t think I
could bear that.”

James leaned on his armrest. Wait. Was that Mr. Rudd
pointing a musket at a man? James stood. Mr. Rudd was indeed pointing a musket
at a dark-haired man that looked a hell of a lot like Darien Blackmore.
Blackmore was walking backwards, his hands in the air while shaking his head.
Apparently, Lord Blackmore had recovered from his suicidal tendencies because
he appeared to be pleading for his life.

“Lady Phillina, I need to see to something outside. I
won’t say a word to Astra, if that’s your wish.” James grabbed Phillina’s arm,
hauled her out of the chair and walked her to the door, not giving her the
chance to witness the drama unfolding on Eastlan’s lawn. “Would you check on
Astra for me? She was feeling a bit weak this morning.”

“Certainly, James.”

Lady Phillina wandered in the opposite direction while
James ran to the front door. He swung it open without pause, forcing the
waiting footman to jump out of his way.

“Just give me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you on the
spot. At least I’ll be looking into your face while I do it. What did you think
to do sneaking around the house like that?” Mr. Rudd yelled, then shoved Lord
Blackmore with the barrel of his musket.

“I came down the driveway herding a dozen sheep and two
rams,” said Blackmore, his tone rivaling Rudd’s. “That’s hardly sneaking.
There’s Lord Keane. Just let me speak to him and we shall clear all this up.”

James ran down the steps. “Lower your weapon and let him
speak, Mr. Rudd. I don’t want bloodshed on Eastlan’s grounds.”

“Tell that to the man who tried to shoot you in the back,
and when that didn’t work tried to shoot you off your mount.”

“I did not do that.” Blackmore kept his hands in the air
and his gaze on Rudd. “I would not ambush a man nor shoot him in the back. I
aimed for the trees. And I sure as bloody hell didn’t try to shoot him while
hiding in the bushes. I’m a surly drunk, not a murderer.”

Rudd didn’t lower his weapon, forcing James to get between
them.

“You shall get no argument from me.” James wedged a forearm
against Rudd’s chest and blocked Blackmore with his shoulder. “I told the
sheriff who I thought tried to ambush me and it wasn’t you.”

“Get back, my lord. He’s dangerous.” Rudd tried to
reposition the musket around James’s superior height and weight.