The Lady and the Earl (37 page)

“
Perhaps, perhaps not.
  But I wonder. 
What
did
you believe?”

“That you knew all
of what we have just discussed
and were simply marrying
the
her
for her dowry,” he confessed.  “
Land, money…what more could a man
want
when he has women at his
disposal
?
”
t
he man shrugged.

“I sound like a bastard
,
”
Declan said with a frown.

Thomson chuckled.  “You sound like you know what you want
.  You
suffered far
worse
speculation because of Lady Rebecca.
  At least with
Lady Allana
, you
know what you
’
re getting, and you
receive a worthwhile dowry.” 

Declan shook his head and said nothing.
  These rumors were
very
disturbing, but what
disturbed him most
was not knowing
if they were true.
  They made sense.  Alla
na was not a fool.  She wouldn’
t ride out into the middle of the night without purpose, and she would
n’t
risk Lancelot’s life carelessly.  She had to have been under distress, and she had to have been somewhere unfamiliar. 
The accident would
n’t
have occurred otherwise.  Declan was certain of that.
 

“What
actions will you take
now?”
Thomson asked.

“
No
ne
.
  I will go on as before.
  I will marry her
because b
reaking off the engagement would only prove the truth of these speculations, and I believe them to be false,” Declan answered.
  He prayed they were false.
  His heart told him they were, but his mind said otherwise.

“
Of course
, what better way to douse a rumor,” Thomson agreed.

“Yes
.
  Well, Thomson, I
really do need to be going
,” Declan said.

“
Then I bid you farewell. 
Enjoy the rest of your stay in London, Cunningham.”

The rest of
Declan’s
stay in London was racked with torment and further rumors about him, Allana, and Lucas Hoffman.  More and more people seemed to be looking at him and analyzing his motives.  It bothered
Declan
to no end
.  N
ot necessarily the fact he was the brunt of conversation, but more importantly, Allana was.  He hoped the best of her. 
A woman did not kiss a man the way she had him and not mean it.  And the way she looked at
him
.  She saw him and nobody else.  He was almost certain she loved him.  Why would she run to be with Lucas?  Could
the man
have taken her maidenhood?  Could she be carrying his child? 
Is that why the
Tananguards
had arranged this wedding so quickly, to hide what had truly happened? 
Or perhaps Allana truly was
that good at disguising and portraying
her
feelings. 
Perhaps she
really
was in love with Lucas, but she was being forced to marry Declan because her family disapproved of Lucas. 
No, Declan had to have faith in Allana. 
She’d
given him no reason to
distrust her. 

He
needed
to stop listening to the
rumors.  They were poisoning his mind against the one woman
he actually cared for.
 

When his business in London was finally concluded
and
he
was preparing
to leave
,
he received a strange invitation to tea with the Duchess, Lady Catherine Burgundy. 

“Her Ladyship will see you now,
my
Lord
,” a scrawny, pale servant girl said, motioning for
Declan
to follow.  He followed the girl through the large, spacious home to a dining area where Lady Burgundy sat at the end of a large, rectangular table, waiting patiently.
 

“Ah,
Lord
Cunningham.
  It is a pleasure to have you in my home,” she said politely.  She motioned him to a seat
close to
her
.

“Thank you for inviting me,” he replied, bowing to her graciously before sitting.
  “Is there no one else joining us?”

“No, it will
be
just
the two of us
,” she answered pleasantly.

Declan did not like this. 
He’d
assumed he was coming to a small social gathering, not a private one.  Private ones were never good.  Most private gatherings he unwittingly accepted in the past had been married women who
desired
his company.
However, this was Lady Burgundy, which meant there was another purpose to her invitation. 
S
till
,
nothing good could come of it.
 

They proceeded to chat about simple, trivial things.  He inquired after her health and her family, while she in turn did the same.  The entire time they talked he wondered why
she’d
invited him here. 
He’d
met her a few times at
other
social
events
.  He knew she was the one who had introduced Lilly to Marcus, but what did she
want
with him now?  She was an older lady, who was well respected among the nobles.  Her husband had been a prosperous Duke, who died several years ago, leaving Lady Burgundy alone with nothing to do but gossip about whomever
she
pleased
. 

“Now that the pleasantries are over, I
a
m sure you are wondering why I have invited you to my home today,” she said, seemingly reading his thoughts. 

He nodded, waiting for her to continue. 

“I know of your betrothal to La
dy Allana Tananguard, and I wish
to ask you to reconsider.” 

Declan
looked at her in surprise. 
This
he
hadn’t expected.
  “Pardon
?” he
asked not
certain
he had heard her right.

“
Lord
Hoffman is my nephew and like a son to me, and I have recently discovered he has spoken for her hand.  Surely there are plenty of well-bred
young women
who would suit you much better than Allana Tananguard.”  She said it as though she were talking about a piece of property.  “I know her father endowed her with a hefty amount of land and finances, but if you would reconsider, I would be happy to compensate
you
for your loss.  Then you would
not
have to burden yourself with a new wife, and
my nephew
will wed her instead.
  It is the logical and gentlemanly thing to do.” 

Logical?
  Had this woman lost her mind? 
Declan
was beginning to fume.  He breathed deeply, trying to calm h
is anger before speaking.  “My L
ady, I do not know who you
’
ve been speaking to, but I can assure you, there is more to this engagement than land and money.
”

“Oh dear, you have invested feelings in her,” she said sadly.
 

Invest
ed feelings in her?  As if he’
d had a choice.  “More importantly, she has invested feelings in me,”
Declan
said.

“Impossible.  I was led to believe she was in love with my nephew.  He spoke as if she
was
,” the Duchess argued. 

“
Lord
Hoffman may have
said as much, but her hea
rt does not belong to him.”

“I believe you are mistaken, Cunningham.  She loves him, and he loves her. 
But even if this is not true, surely you have heard of her scandalous behavior with
him
.  When I learned of it myself, I had him ushered to me immediately and demanded he wed the girl.  That is when I discovered your engagement to her.  You must relinquish your attachment to her, and allow my nephew to wed her properly,” Lady Burgundy demanded.
“It would be a dishonor to you if you wed her under such circumstances.”

“I do not believe this rumor, my Lady,” Declan said simply.
  “It is hearsay.”

“No, Lucas confirmed it,” she argued.

Declan was beginning to
disliked this conversation very much.
  “How long has Lucas been in London?”

“What does that have to do with your engagement to Lady Tananguard?”

“Very much.
  I believe he started these rumors. 
Why would a man who claims to love such a magnificent woman, disrespect her in such a way as to take her virtue and tell about it?
  Why would he slander her name
thusly
?
  I do not believe her the type to allow it
.  Hence
, I will still marry he
r.”  Allana had told him
she had
n’t
bedded Lucas.  He was certain she
was not
lying.

“But her feelings are for
—
”

“Her feelings are for me.  They died for him the day she found him with another woman,”
Declan
said matter-of-fact
.
 

“How dare you slander his name with such lies,” Lady Burgundy said heatedly.

“I assure you,
my Lady
, they are very true.” 
Declan
began to rise from his chair.  This discussion was over. 

“Where do you think you are going?  I am not finished.  Will you or will you not withdraw your request for Allana’s hand in marriage
?” she
demanded.

Was the woman daft?  “I thought I made it clear already.  I have every intention of marrying Lady Allana Tananguard, especially now.  So if you will excuse me, I am leaving London today.  I have a wedding to prepare for, and I do not have the time or the desire to speak to you further.  Good day, Madam,”
Declan
finished coldly.  He bowed crisply and left her in stunned silence.  He was furious.  He was tired of hearing he was a cold-hearted man who only wanted Allana for her dowry.  He was tired of hearing she was being forced into this marriage, and she was in love with Lucas Hoffman.  Finally, he was tired of doubting her feelings and intentions.   

Surely these were just rumors.
  Lucas had started them.  He was a man who hated losing, and he hated losing to
Declan
most of all. 
Years ago
Lucas had claimed Declan had taken Connor from him.  The man was intensely competitive, and he did not take rejection well.  Somehow Lucas had heard of Allana’s accident and had twisted the truth in his favor.  Surely that
’s
what was happening
now
.  Lucas was interfering, causing Declan doubts.  Allana
cared for him just as he did her, didn’t she?  Or would she run away from him once she felt she could?  She would have to wait until after they were
wed
since Connor and her father were probably keeping a close eye on her now.  No, she wouldn’t run.  She had strong feelings for him.  Th
e day in the rose garden
proved she did
…o
r had she just been that manipulative?
 

Declan
let out a deep, drawn-out sigh. 
His thoughts were getting him nowhere.  They were going in circles.  He wanted to believe in Allana, but then he remember
ed
how his first wife had been. 
She’d
been manipulative and disloyal
.  W
hy was he so
certain
Allana was
not
?
  Women were good at showing a man what he wanted to see and hiding what she did
n’
t want him
to see. 
Declan
knew this. 
But Allana was
different.  She was honest
,
straightforward
…
pure in her actions.
 
Wasn’t she
?