One Night Scandal (20 page)
He poured a large glass and drank it in one large sip before pouring another. He paced the room with the glass in his hand. “Why did you do it, Sophie?”
He was blaming her? “Why did I do what? Warn you that something dreadful would happen if you went to that damned ball? I did but you didn’t want to hear me.”
Nicholas sipped his brandy in a casual way that belied the underlying anger she knew he felt. “Why did you try to tell me my life was in danger when you knew for a fact that Miss Littlebury was going to compromise herself?”
“I did not know for a fact that compromising you was her intention. Only that I thought she was involved.”
He stopped his pacing by the fireplace and glared at her. The heat from his brown eyes burned her. “Of course you would know that since you told her she was my match!”
“I did no such thing!” No wonder he was so angry.
“Why would she lie about that?”
Sophie laughed coarsely. “Why would she lie? She compromised herself to ring a proposal out of you. And yet you believe her.”
He blew out a long breath and dropped to a chair. He leaned forward and raked his fingers through his hair. “You’re right,” he whispered.
“I did talk with her,” she admitted softly. “But I never told her you were her match. In fact, just the opposite.” She explained what she saw when she read Miss Littlebury.
“Why would you see me when reading her?”
“It might have been due to her plan to compromise you,” she answered with a shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know everything about this intuition of mine. I can only tell people what I see. I don’t always know what it means.”
Like the blackness she saw with him. He was still alive so what did it mean?
“What am I to do, Sophie?”
“You know what you must do.”
He stood and stared at her. His brown eyes shone with the pain of his conflict. She wanted to reach up and caress his cheek with her hand, touch his hair one more time, kiss his lips and tell him everything would be all right.
But it wouldn’t be all right.
And she would never be able to touch him intimately again.
“I have been thinking about this all day,” he said. “I want you to know that I never touched her. She kissed me.”
Sophie stared at the rug. “I know. Somerton told me that, too. And that he believed you when you said her dress was undone before she even entered the room.”
“It’s true, Sophie.”
She nodded.
He sipped the rest of his brandy and then knelt before her chair. He clasped her hands and brought them to his warm lips.
She tried not to look at him but she couldn’t stop herself. Seeing the tortured look on his face, she almost relented. But that would be wrong. She couldn’t harm him. She couldn’t be responsible for ruining his and Emma’s life.
She had to be strong. No matter how much it hurt. And it hurt more than any pain she’d ever felt.
“Sophie,” he whispered against her hands. “I want to marry you.”
“No,” she mumbled. “We cannot. It would only ruin us all.”
“We can tell people who your father is. Everyone would understand.”
She closed her eyes to keep her tears from falling. “No one would understand, Nicholas. Besides, unless my father admits to it, nothing will change. No one will believe us. And my father will never let the truth out.”
Because doing so might open a much bigger round of gossip. So large that he would look like a fool, and Somerton and his sisters would be ruined.
“You must do the right thing by Miss Littlebury,” she whispered.
He rose from his knees and stared down at her. Anger clenched his fists. “You
want
me to marry Miss Littlebury?”
want
me to marry Miss Littlebury?”
No!
“Yes. She will be ruined by her actions. While it’s not fair, unfortunately, it does happen.”
“Yes. She will be ruined by her actions. While it’s not fair, unfortunately, it does happen.”
Nicholas reached down and yanked her to her feet. “You want me to marry a woman you know is not my match?”
“Nicholas, I could not determine who your match is. Maybe it is Miss Littlebury.” She tried to keep her voice calm in order to soothe his anger.
“It’s not Miss Littlebury but apparently everyone wants to believe it is.”
“What do you mean?”
He pulled her close enough that his breath heated her cheeks. “If I don’t marry her my father will release a scandalous rumor about my daughter.”
“Then why are you even here?” she cried. “You would never let anyone hurt your daughter.”
He inched closer to her lips. “Tell me you want to marry me. I will move heaven and earth and damn the consequences.”
Oh, God, how she wanted to say those words to him. “No,” she said, pushing him away. “I cannot marry you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “So you want me to marry Miss Littlebury?”
Sophie fought back the tears. She didn’t want him to marry Miss Littlebury, but she knew it was the right thing to do for him. “Yes.”
“Very well, then.”
Chapter 20
Victoria took her seat next to Avis on the sofa. All her friends were in Avis’s salon, except Sophie. Victoria waited to tell her friends of the awful news until Avis finished pouring the tea. “We have a very large problem, ladies,” she finally announced.
“What is wrong now?” Avis asked, handing a cup to Jennette.
“Ancroft is proposing to Miss Littlebury this afternoon.” Victoria took the next cup of tea from her friend.
“What?” Elizabeth exclaimed. “How did this happen?”
Victoria explained what happened at the Middleton ball. “Anthony believes Miss Littlebury compromised Ancroft on purpose to get the proposal.”
“You mean become the next duchess,” Jennette commented with a shake of her head. “That little bitch.”
“So what do we do now?” Victoria asked.
Avis leaned back against the velvet sofa. “There is not much we can do. If they are officially betrothed, Ancroft is bound by the contract to marry her. Miss Littlebury’s father would most likely sue for breach if Ancroft breaks the engagement.”
“There has to be something we can do,” Elizabeth cried. “I cannot let her marry Nicholas. Not when Sophie is so perfect for him.”
“And she is carrying his child,” Victoria whispered.
“Oh, my,” the other women said with a gasp.
“Are you certain?” Jennette asked softly.
Victoria nodded. She could not tell the ladies that her husband had told her that information without disclosing Anthony’s relationship with Sophie.
A loud commotion from the hall forced all their heads to turn. Victoria smiled seeing Anthony surrounded by the husbands of her friends. Even after five months of marriage, just seeing her husband enter the room caused her heart to leap.
“I believe we may have figured a way out of this mess for Nicholas,” Anthony announced as the men walked into the room.
Avis laughed. “So, now that you all have been matched by Sophie you are determined to see Ancroft properly matched, too?”
Selby kissed Avis on the forehead and then sat on the arm of the sofa. “No, it’s just that Nicholas would be far better off with Miss Reynard than Miss Littlebury. The poor girl would never be able to handle tea with you four.”
“Very true, Banning,” Jennette replied before leaning against her husband.
“So what is your way to help my cousin?” Elizabeth asked.
“Mr. Edmund Heston,” Anthony said.
Victoria glanced about the room to see if any of her friends recognized the unfamiliar name. Only Elizabeth seemed to nod.
“He is the second son of Viscount Ellington, is he not?” Elizabeth questioned.
Anthony smiled at her. “Yes, he is. He fought with Wellington. And received a scar on his chin.”
“Oh,” Victoria said, then related the information Sophie had given Anthony about the other man in Miss Littlebury’s life.
“So, all we have to do is get them together,” Jennette commented. “It shouldn’t be that difficult. If they are meant to be together, they won’t be able to keep their hands off each other.”
“Are you certain?” Blackburn asked his wife.
All the women laughed.
Jennette patted her husband’s hand. “My darling, I don’t believe any of us made it to our marriages as innocents. That is the power of a perfect match.”
Elizabeth’s husband looked over at her. “You seriously believe Miss Reynard was responsible for our courtship?”
Anthony smirked. “Without a doubt. But in order for this to succeed, Miss Littlebury will need to break the engagement.”
Avis leaned forward in her seat. “Then we need a plan.”
Nicholas waited in the small receiving salon at Lord Witham’s house. The nauseating pea green color of the walls seemed to match his feelings about being here. After his talk with Sophie this morning, he felt defeated. But he had an idea to give her plenty of time to change her mind.
“Lord Ancroft, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
Nicholas turned at the sound of Lord Witham’s voice. “Hardly a pleasure, Witham. Let’s get this over with.”
Witham’s plump face reddened. “As you wish. Let us convene to my study and discuss the terms.”
As they walked by the music room, Nicholas noticed Miss Littlebury sitting at the piano, looking extremely pale. She did not even smile as he passed the room. He briefly wondered if she was not as much at fault as he previously thought. Perhaps they were both pawns in their fathers’ schemes.
“When we are finished, I would like to speak with you, your daughter, and wife.”
Witham stopped and looked at him. “Why?”
“I do believe some clarifications are in order.”
“Very well, then.” Witham opened the door to his study and waited for Nicholas to enter the room. Walking to his desk, Witham said, “I think you will find everything in order, my lord. Justine comes to you as a wealthy bride with a rather large dowry.”
Nicholas took a seat in the burgundy leather chair on the other side of the cherry desk. He reached for the documents Witham held out to him. As he perused the documents, he noticed everything was in order. There was no need for a solicitor to review it.
“This is fine.” Nicholas signed his name at the bottom of the paper.
“Excellent, my lord. Congratulations.” Witham came around the desk with his hand out. “Justine will make you a perfect duchess.”
“I am not the duke yet,” he reminded Witham.
Witham smiled. “But soon. I talked to your father only last week. I assume he will be bedridden before the month is out.”
He scowled. The man sounded excited by the prospect of Nicholas’s father’s demise. “You talked to my father?”
Again, Witham’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment. “Of course, we had some business arrangements to review.”
Business arrangements, Nicholas scoffed. More like marriage arrangements. “Of course.”
“Come along, we shall announce the news to the family.”
Nicholas followed Witham back into the salon where Lady Witham sat with Justine at her side. Two younger girls sat together on a large chair.
“Lord Ancroft, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our home,” Lady Witham said with a deep curtsy.
Nicholas strode toward them and bowed over both ladies’ hands. “It is lovely to see you both again.”
“It is done,” Witham said. “Now you both need to set a date.”
“Quickly,” Lady Witham commented. “We cannot have Justine’s reputation suffer any further damage.”
“No,” Nicholas interjected. “I have decided a longer engagement is necessary.”
“Oh?” Lady Witham said.
“You see,” Nicholas folded his arms over his chest. “I know for a fact that I never touched your daughter. Therefore, the wedding will take place after Christmas. I will not make some other man’s child my heir.”
“But, my lord,” Lady Witham said with a cat-like smile. “How do we know that you won’t touch her before the wedding?”
Nicholas stared down at the woman. “Because I shall retire to my estate in a fortnight. Between now and then, Miss Littlebury and I will only be seen with a chaperone in tow.”
“Isn’t that a tad extreme, my lord?” Lady Witham asked softly. “There is bound to be more talk if you retire to the country, leaving your betrothed in town.”
“I do not believe it is, Lady Witham. I have a duty to ensure that my progeny inherit the title. In addition to a seven month engagement, I will have your daughter watched. If she is seen in the company of a man without a proper chaperone, the engagement shall be broken. Does everyone understand this?”
Miss Littlebury’s face went pallid as she nodded slowly. “I understand, my lord. I shall be exactly the type of woman you are looking for in a wife.”
Nicholas glanced down at the girl and said, “I sincerely doubt that, Miss Littlebury. Good day.”
He now had seven months to find out more about Miss Littlebury. The more he’d watched her today, the more he realized that she didn’t seem especially excited about the idea of marrying him.
Perhaps Somerton might be able to find out who she may have been seen with before the night of the Middletons’ ball.
Sophie stared down at the numbers in her expense book. Without more funds, she could never leave and live on her own. Her father paid for the rent and so many of her expenses, she had never realized how expensive it was to live here. Perhaps Venice would be cheaper.
Although, she remembered the cost of just a few weeks in the city. She would need more money in order to leave. She supposed she could go elsewhere, but being in Venice meant she would at least have her mother there. While Angelina wasn’t the best mother, she was family. And she would understand Sophie’s predicament.
The possible answer to her money issues seemed to be asking her father for assistance. Perhaps he would be pleased to get her out of the country so his secret would be kept safe. She quickly penned a letter requesting permission to call on him tomorrow.
She asked Hendricks to have a footman deliver the message then resumed her pondering. If her father refused, there was one other she could go to, but she hated the idea. But she would not think of that unless she had no choice.
“Your carriage is ready, ma’am,” Hendricks announced.
Elizabeth had invited her to dinner with their friends. Sophie assumed it was because they had heard the news about Nicholas and hoped to cheer her up. She hoped they would have the good sense not to mention his name since she could not stop her tears every time she thought of him.
Arriving at her friend’s home, she walked up the steps and the door opened before her. The elegance of the hall established her presence in the ducal home.
“Good evening, Miss Reynard,” Elizabeth’s butler said. “They are in the salon. I shall have Kenneth announce you.”
Sophie followed Kenneth up the white marble steps to the large salon. She breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the room and found only her dearest friends. None of their husbands were present.
“Sophie,” Elizabeth said, greeting her with a hug. “Are you all right?”
“I am well.” She pulled away from Elizabeth and took a seat next to Avis. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”
“Of course.”
“Where are all your husbands tonight?” Sophie asked.
“White’s,” Avis replied. “We figured it would be a good night for us to get together.”
Sophie frowned, hearing the strange tone of Avis’s voice. It almost sounded like she was hiding something. Sophie shook her head slightly. Now she was becoming suspicious of her friends. Perhaps pregnancy had addled her mind.
Thankfully, none of the women spoke of Nicholas or his engagement. Their conversation centered on their families and touched on some gossip. The sound of male voices coming from the entrance caused Avis to laugh.
“I believe the gentlemen decided the food would be far better here than at White’s,” Elizabeth said with a forced sounding laugh.
Oh, her friends were definitely up to something. From her vantage point, Sophie watched the gentlemen as they entered the room. Kendal entered followed by Lords Selby, Blackburn, Somerton, and . . .
Sophie stiffened as Nicholas walked into the room. His face grew dark as he stared over at her. Obviously he hadn’t expected to see her any more than she had thought to see him.
“Nicholas, don’t stand at the doorway,” Elizabeth said. “Come into the room.”
“I should be leaving,” he said in a low voice. His brown eyes seared her with heat.
“Of course you shouldn’t,” Jennette chimed in. “We are only having dinner.”
Avis reached over and clasped Sophie’s hand for support. Before Sophie could think of a decent excuse for leaving, the footman announced dinner.
“See,” Elizabeth said. “You cannot leave us now, Nicholas.”
Each woman paired up with her husband as an escort into the dining room. Sophie stood, unable to move past Nicholas and unwilling to accept his arm. Everyone left, save them.
“Sophie, may I escort you into the dining room?”
“I believe you should be escorting your betrothed, not me.”
Nicholas frowned. “But she is not here tonight.”
“Then you should not be either,” she replied stiffly.
“Take my arm before everyone becomes suspicious of our behavior.”
She reluctantly linked arms with him, trying to ignore the sensual aroma of his sandalwood soap. As they walked down the steps, she could feel the strength of his arm under the wool of his waistcoat. Being near him was such a dreadful thing. It brought back memories of lying in his arms, naked and satisfied.
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