Proper Secrets (36 page)

“Peace or chaos, you always look lovely,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Indeed, in chaos Miss Emily blossoms,” said Mr. Annesley, earning him a glare from his host.

“I hope to hear a duet tonight,” said Peter, “It as been a dreadful long time since I’ve heard one.”

“I may have forgotten how to play a duet,” said Emily, “I’ve practiced none of them since last summer.”

“I would be happy to hear you play anything,” said Mary.

“Anything I can do, to please my hostess,” said Emily.
 
They sat to dinner, and ate in relative silence.
 
The Wingraves and Mr. Annesley seemed preoccupied by something.
 
After dinner, instead of taking Peter to the study, Capt. Wingrave and he joined them in the sitting room.

“I thought we came so that you could work while I visited with Mary,” said Emily.

“I decided it would be best to enjoy our company instead of working.
 
We’ve been productive and consistent, allowing a bit of respite,” said Capt. Wingrave.

“I see.
 
So Mr. Annesley, what news did you have of Dunbarrow?” asked Emily.
 
A servant’s cries from the hall cut off his reply.
 
The party as a whole jumped to their feet, ready to help him.

“Master!
 
Master, I couldn’t stop him!” cried the butler, as the door nearly came off its hinges, and Jude Annesley strode into the room.
 
He took in the surprise with relish, happily counting Emily among the faces.

“What a gathering,” he said.

“Jude Annesley, it is my duty to inform you that you’re trespassing, and I will take action if you do not leave immediately,” said Capt. Wingrave.

“No, I’m afraid you won’t, because if you lay a hand on me, I will tell your guests here what I know, give them a little history lesson,” said Jude.

“No.
 
No…” said Mary, struggling to stay calm.

“State what you want, so you can be gone,” said Mr. Annesley.

“You should know, dear Edward.
 
I need money to go on living, and since you refused to provide it to me, I had to come here.
 
With the additional pleasure of seeing Miss Emily Worthing again.
 
She is ravishing, as always,” said Jude.
 
He walked forward, meeting all eyes in turn.

“You are a cad without honor,” said Emily.
 
Her response rattled him momentarily.

“Honor means nothing.
 
It’s but lines in the sand, drawn by a few insufferable men for the rest of us to follow.
 
Men who never enjoyed themselves like I would with Miss Emily,” said Jude.
 
Capt. Wingrave’s darkness rose to the surface at such talk.

“I hope to kill you one day, Jude.
 
I tried once already, and you were lucky others saved you,” he said.

“Perhaps eventually, you’ll get your wish, but for now…
 
Mary?
 
If you would be so kind as to write a cheque, I’ll be on my way,” said Jude.
 
Mary looked at the ground, tears dropping to the rug.

“Mary?” said Peter.
 
She met his eyes, the questions and the confusion.
 
She would have to pay Jude in front of him, engage in underhanded business right before Peter.
 
The shame of all the instances she had handed Jude a cheque fell on her.
 
Peter wanted her to be a better woman than that, thought her to be superior to satisfying a snake like Jude.
 
Proving him wrong was too much to bear.

“No,” she whispered.

“What?” said Jude, furrows of anger crossing his forehead.

“I won’t pay you,” said Mary.

“Then I shall start at the beginning, and you can tell me to stop, with money of course,” said Jude, “Do the lovely Worthings know that we were engaged to be married?”
 
Silence met his question as the five of them exchanged glances.

“I do,” said Emily, in the quiet.

“Oh, and what else does Miss Emily know?”

“I…” said Emily, looking at Peter and Mary.

“Emily knows that you manipulated me into believing that it was acceptable to lay with my betrothed before the wedding.
 
When I refused to continue with that behavior, you began mistreating me, and when I told you that I…” Mary stopped, tears soaking her gloves as she wiped her cheeks, “That I was with child a week before our wedding, you broke the engagement.
 
You didn’t tell your family why, you simply sent me away.
 
Edward only found out last year, and came to Tripton to offer me amends by settling a small fortune on the child.”
 
Emily watched Peter more carefully than she ever had.
 
His face went through several stages of shock, and ended with righteous anger focused directly at Jude Annesley.

“You’ve been practicing for the day when you’d have to admit it, haven’t you?” said Jude with a cruel grin.

“I have been practicing since I met Peter Worthing, hoping that one day I would have the courage to tell him,” said Mary.
 
Her eyes were fixed downward, her confession without hope.

“How charming.
 
And now the rest of it, Mary.
 
Tell them the rest,” said Jude.

“That’s enough.
 
You’ve already humiliated her for fourteen years,” said Capt. Wingrave.

“No, I’m not leaving without a cheque or a complete removal of Mary’s illusions.
 
The rest, Mary!” ordered Jude.

“I will pay you,” insisted Capt. Wingrave.
 
Jude chuckled.

“That is something, that you would pay the man you hate the most.
 
It’s delightful, actually.
 
All these years you’ve been coming to Mary’s defense, and here is the ultimate triumph,” said Jude.

“No, Elijah.
 
No more.
 
I cannot let this go on,” said Mary.

“But…”

“No, brother.
 
It’s time,” said Mary, “My child was placed with another family, and I thought never to see her again, but when Elijah came back from the border and wanted to take a house, I asked him to settle in Tripton, so that I might know her.
 
She is very well taken care of, and is called by the name I picked out for her—Genevieve.”

Emily would have fainted if she were that kind of person, but as such she could only stare.
 
Peter did not seem as surprised as she.
 
Into the sea of turmoil that Jude drank like expensive brandy, Emily spoke.

“Did you know?”

“I knew that Genevieve was adopted, not her lineage,” said Peter.

“Amazing, have I crushed two birds with one stone?
 
One fallen Mary, and one broken Emily,” said Jude.
 
Emily could not look at Capt. Wingrave for she now understood why he protected her from this last piece of the puzzle.
 
It would not be the ruin of her family because she loved Genevieve any less.
 
If it did permanent damage, it would be because her parents and brother had kept a secret from her, one that she felt need not be kept, exactly as Elijah Wingrave had done.

“Broken?
 
What a foolish man you are,” hissed Emily, “As if your sick ways could shatter me.
 
I’m no more broken than you are respectable.”
 
Her brazen speech drew ire from Jude and admiration from Mary, too used to being under his boot heel.
 
The cool relief of knowing quieted the embers of fury within Emily for the time being.
 
She met Jude with cold truth and it took away his words, all the words he used to take power over others.

Peter could stand it no longer, and went to comfort Mary.
 
He bent over so that their faces were level, but did not touch her without permission.

“Mary Wingrave, is this why you refused me?” he whispered.
 
Still, she could not look at him.

“Yes.
 
I am not what you should have,” she said.

“But you are what I desire,” said Peter.

“Still?
 
After hearing all this?”

“Absolutely.
 
The love I offer you is not contingent upon a mistake that you have atoned for.”

“How do you know I’ve atoned for it?
 
I had to give up my daughter,” said Mary, tortured face finally rising to see his.

“Because you’ve just told the truth when you could have continued hiding, and without your daughter, I would be short one lovely sister.
 
Please, accept my hand,” said Peter.
 
He held his hand out to her, beckoning an answer to his question.
 
With a smile that would have melted pure winter’s ice, Mary took it.

Every moment, Jude lost some of his enjoyment in tormenting Mary.
 
Until he started laughing, Emily hoped he would leave empty-handed.

“Well, isn’t that fine.
 
Without a cheque, my dear Mary, I’ll just have to go to town and begin spreading the news.
 
Farewell all,” said Jude.
 
Mary frowned again, accepting the inevitable outcome, yet guilt-ridden over the affect on everyone she loved.

“Jude Annesley, I challenge you to a duel.
 
Pistols, before light fades from the sky,” said Capt. Wingrave, “To the death.”

Enticed by the drama and chance to kill, Jude shouted, “I accept!”

Despite Peter and Mr. Annesley’s objections that they should be the ones to duel with Jude, Capt. Wingrave would not retract his challenge.

“It was my sister that was wronged, before you engaged her, or you knew of it.
 
I have been carrying this burden the longest, and were I the eldest I would have dispatched it fourteen years ago.
 
You will not dissuade me from this,” he said.
 
Peter shoved Emily into the room where Capt. Wingrave prepared his gun, separate from Jude to avoid “misfiring,” and told her to convince him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her own tears welling up.
 
He stopped and examined her face.

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I should have accepted you, last winter.
 
Please don’t do this,” said Emily.

“Would you allow me to ask you now, before I risk the beating heart that has been yours since the first?”

“Not if you are going through with this duel,” she said.
 
He laughed at her.

“Does it matter if I die, whether or not we are engaged?”

“No, I suppose not, but I wonder how you can treat it with so little concern,” she said.
 
Capt. Wingrave gave her a small smile.

“I am a good shot,” he said, “And I’ve been taking aim at Jude Annesley since I was thirteen.”

“He could kill you purely by luck.
 
I don’t know if I’d survive,” said Emily.

“Why is that, Miss Worthing?
 
Is there something you want to tell me?”

“You know very well why,” she said, heat burning her face.

“I seem to have forgotten, remind me.”

“If you want to know, you’ll have to come ask me tomorrow,” said Emily gruffly as she walked away.
 
He caught her, and kissed her again, long and slow this time, caressing her neck.

“That is the best incentive you could have offered me,” said Capt. Wingrave.

“Please, please, stay,” she said, kissing him again and drawing him closer than was excusable.
 
He pulled her away and held her there in front of him, both breathing heavily.

“Your persuasions are of the most alluring kind.
 
You give me what I have wanted all these months, just when victory over the demon of my family presents itself.
 
No, I cannot bend to you now.
 
I must finish this, so we can all live in peace,” said Capt. Wingrave.
 
He let go, and went on preparing his pistol.

“You never do as I ask!” said Emily.
 
It struck him through the heart to hear those words, but before he could turn, she was gone.

“Isn’t she right, Elijah,” he muttered to himself.

Cleaned and loaded, Peter took both pistols.
 
Capt. Wingrave faced Jude in front of everyone.

“Standard rules.
 
Ten paces, turn, and fire.
 
If either of us breaks the rules by turning early, he will be shot by the other’s second,” said Elijah.

“I have no second,” said Jude.

“Then don’t turn early,” said Capt. Wingrave, “I won’t forfeit my second because no one will vouch for you.”
 
Jude bared his teeth in contempt and spit at the Captain’s feet.

“Agreed.
 
I’ve waited a long time to get revenge for the beating you gave me.”