Why Earls Fall in Love (18 page)

“That’s a likely scenario,” McGilloway agreed. “And one that very neatly removes the two of you from suspicion. Even so, I’d like to ask you both to remain here in Bath for the next few weeks. Just until we figure out who it is that killed our young investigator.”

Con clenched his teeth. He hated being trapped anywhere. Even somewhere as large as Bath. Still, he’d stay here if it meant keeping Georgina safe.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” she said, raising a brow, and once more Con was awed by her ability to remain calm under the circumstances. “I am, after all, the companion to an elderly lady who lives in Bath. I’m hardly likely to go jaunting off to Scotland or the Continent. My home is here.”

“And you, my lord?” McGilloway asked Con.

It was difficult to respond without giving away any of his interior thoughts on the matter. He did, however, manage it, shrugging with a nonchalance he did not feel, and saying, “Of course. I’ll remain in the general area. For now.”

As if he knew how much emphasis Con had placed on those two little words, “for now,” McGilloway gave him a small smile, and nodded. “That’s all I can ask,” he said. “For now.”

With that, the man excused himself, and Georgina, Con, Perdita, and Lord Archer were left alone.

The room was quiet for a few moments as they each reviewed the man’s words on their own. Finally, Perdita gave her friend another hug and said, “My poor dear, you must be so devastated to learn of the accusations against Robert. I remember you being worried that he seemed to be getting money from somewhere other than his salary, but this is beyond awful. It only seems to confirm your suspicions.”

Georgina, however, was having none of it. “Do not treat me like a poor martyred heroine, Perdita,” she said firmly. “I was never that, even when Robert was at his very worst. I am simply a widow who has learned her husband—like any number of other husbands—was capable of more deceit than she’d imagined. It’s hardly worthy of sympathy. If anything, I should be chastised for being so blind. Can you imagine how you might have felt if the situations were reversed?” She shook her head. “I already knew that Robert was a scoundrel. One more crime added to his roster is hardly enough news to inspire gasps of horror.”

Her mouth twisting, Perdita nodded, though Con could see there were tears in her eyes. He thought perhaps Georgina should be left alone to contemplate the news she’d just learned, but he dared not speak the words aloud.

Seeing how overset her friend was, Georgina seemed to make a mental decision. “Perdita, I am sorry. I know you mean well, but it simply does not bother me as much as you might think.”

Nodding, Perdita lifted her handkerchief to her nose and sniffed. “I know what you mean. I wouldn’t have been surprised in the least to hear the same thing about Ormond. I sometimes forget how much stronger you are than me.”

“Only on the outside,” Georgie assured her with a half-armed hug. “I think none of us know what things are like inside a marriage. Even happy ones. And you are right on one score. I was worried about where he was getting the extra money. It’s too bad it didn’t occur to me what he was doing until just now.”

“So, ladies,” Lord Archer said, clapping his hands together. “What’s to be our next adventure?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m even more determined than ever to catch our man in the garden tonight,” Con said with some degree of relish. “Here’s hoping that he is prepared to reveal the reasons behind his nocturnal visitations.”

Eleven

While Con and Archer settled into Lady Russell’s library to talk strategy for that night’s ambush of the Robert look-alike, Georgie and Perdita walked the short distance to Perdita’s house in Laura Place. Because the Duke of Ormond’s family didn’t keep a permanent residence in the spa town, the current duke, who also happened to be married to Perdita’s sister, had instructed her to rent whatever she thought suitable.

“For all that he’s a duke,” Perdita said, sipping the cup of tea the housemaid had just brought them along with a plate of sandwiches and biscuits, “The new Ormond is certainly reluctant to spend like one. You can take the man out of the country, and all that nonsense.”

Georgie bit back a laugh. “You are too hard on him,” she told her friend. “I daresay he’s not been accustomed to living on so lavish a scale as the rest of the family has done. And from what Con says he’s rather lenient with you.”

Perdita shrugged. “I daresay you’re right. And I am excessively pleased that my sister has found someone who will care for her better than Wharton did. It’s just difficult to adjust to having someone else in charge of things, now. I knew of course that it was always supposed to be Trevor’s, but I grew rather accustomed to making my own decisions—with Archer’s assistance of course. I’ll get over it soon enough, I suppose.”

“So, Isabella does still seem happy, then?” Georgina asked cautiously. She knew as well as anyone that marriage could sometimes start out blissfully only to dissolve into misery weeks later. “I quite liked the new duke when I met him in London. He seemed a sensible sort of man.”

“Oh, quite,” Perdita said with a laugh that didn’t quite ring true. “My sister is fairly bursting with happiness. Before long she’ll be increasing and her bliss will be complete.”

Ah, Georgina thought, that was what was bothering her friend. It was only known to a few people, but when the former Duke of Ormond—Perdita’s husband—had died, Perdita had been increasing. The stress of his passing, along with the violent way he’d treated her during their last encounter, had proved too much for Perdita to handle. And like so many women in that situation she’d blamed herself. Isabella and Georgina had tried to comfort her as best they could, but for many months the young duchess had been inconsolable.

“That’s wonderful news,” Georgina said despite her worry for Perdita. “I am so happy for her. Truly.”

“So am I,” Perdita said despite the tears in her eyes. “Truly, I am. I know you must think me a beast for even a twinge of jealousy, but I find it so hard not to feel it.”

Georgina reached out and took her friend’s hand in hers. “I think nothing of the sort,” she said firmly. “What you went through was horrible. And I wouldn’t wish that sort of thing on anyone. I truly ache for you, Perdita, no matter how happy I am for Isabella and Trevor.”

Perdita swallowed and squeezed Georgie’s hand back. “You’re a dear, Georgie,” she said, “really you are. I don’t know of anyone else of my acquaintance I could ever admit such feelings to.”

“Just because you are envious of someone doesn’t mean you cannot also be happy for them,” Georgie said practically. “We are complex creatures, are we not?”

“Indeed,” Perdita said with a sad smile. “And the thing of it is that I cannot wait until Isabella has a child. It’s just that I wish I had a child as well. When I think of those last few weeks with Ormond, I cannot help but feel hurt and angry all over again. It’s as if he weren’t satisfied with attacking me in person, but he also tried to find a way to hurt me after he was gone.”

“Dearest, I know it’s difficult to contemplate,” Georgie said. “Especially so soon after the dissolution of your engagement to Lord Coniston—”

Perdita held up a staying hand. “Stop right there, Georgina,” she said. “First of all, you must know that the business with Coniston had nothing to do with love or power or any of that other nonsense that surrounds marriage among the
ton
. It was purely a business arrangement. An arrangement I found myself completely opposed to after I’d given the thing some thought.”

“What’s the second thing?” Georgie asked, her brows raised.

“The second thing is that if you are about to tell me that I should consider marrying someone else in the hopes that he will give me a child,” Perdita said with a frown, “then you should save your breath. I have no reason to believe that I can have children at all. Remember that I had two pregnancies with Ormond, neither of which proved to be viable. Why don’t I simply give up while I can?”

Georgie had heard the argument from her friend before. “But surely the reason those pregnancies didn’t work out was because you were so miserable while you were married to Ormond. I haven’t heard physicians say as much, but does it not make sense that a mother’s happiness and well-being will affect the health of her child?”

“Dearest Georgie,” Perdita said, patting her friend on the hand. “You are a far better friend than I deserve. Here I am nattering on about Ormond and Isabella and my own unhappy circumstances, while you are sitting there patient as ever letting me run roughshod over you.”

Her contrition apparent on her face, Perdita poured her friend another cup of tea and continued. “Since you seem so interested in Lord Coniston,” she said, “perhaps you will tell me about the undercurrent of electricity I’m feeling between the two of you. I haven’t seen him look this intrigued since he was dangling after that awful Mrs. Pettibone. You remember her, don’t you? She had enormous…” Perdita cupped her hands before her own modest breasts.

Georgina nearly choked on her tea. “That must have been before we met,” she told her friend, curious despite herself at the information her friend was revealing about Lord Coniston. As a
ton
outsider, Georgie would only have known about Lord Coniston’s past amours if they’d appeared in the gossip sheets. And even then she wasn’t much for reading up on the comings and goings of the upper ten thousand.

“Well,” Perdita said, spooning sugar into her tea, “I won’t sully your ears with details but it was a rather amusing time given Mrs. Pettibone’s inability to rub two thoughts together. Actually, come to think of it, it was a rather dull time. I always found myself seated next to her at dinner. I suppose because I’ve got a reputation for being kind. What a nuisance.”

“You’re a goose,” Georgie said with a shake of her head. “An utter goose.”

“You won’t wriggle out of the question all that easily,” Perdita said fiercely. “Now tell me how it is that you’ve ended up sharing a house in Bath with one of England’s most eligible bachelors.”

“For heaven’s sake,” Georgie argued. “You make it sound as if we live there alone. Lady Russell and countless of her other relatives are there too, you know.”

“You’re evading the question,” Perdita said, wagging her finger. “Let me guess. You were here in Bath, minding your own business, caring for Lady Russell to the best of your ability, when who should turn up on Lady R’s doorstep but the ever-so-handsome Lord Coniston?”

“Something like that,” Georgie said with a surprised laugh. “And there’s nothing going on between us. We’re merely friends. And besides, I’m not even of his station. I’m a glorified servant girl, if you must know. That hardly means that we are destined for great happiness together.”

“Hmmm,” Perdita said thoughtfully. “I think you protest too much, but there is no way I’m going to convince you in a few moments. I do wish you’d give the fellow a chance though. It’s obvious from the way he looks at you when you aren’t aware of it that he adores you.”

“Purdy,” Georgina said, giving her friend a half hug, “I have missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, dearest,” her friend replied. “And I cannot wait for tonight when we will capture this look-alike fellow. What right does he have to go about spying on private citizens? It’s outrageous!”

Georgie bit back a laugh. She might have known Perdita would react that way—like a mother hen with an endangered chick. “I’m rather more concerned about the jewels the dead man was looking for. It must have something to do with the legacy Mary was telling me about at the Pump Room. But why would Robert have told Kendrick about it?”

“I don’t know unless Kendrick was involved with the theft as well,” Perdita said with a shrug. “And who knows why your follower continues to stalk you. He might be mad, or worse, simply determined to ruin you. But don’t worry. All of us—Lord Coniston, Lord Archer, and myself—are determined to see to it that you are kept out of harm’s way.”

Their conversation turned to other things and without further discussion about their plans for the evening, Georgie and Perdita finally parted company so that Georgina might return to Lady Russell’s to dress for dinner.

*   *   *

Later that evening, having declined Clara and her family’s invitation to a musical evening, and having seen Lady Russell to her bedchamber for an early evening, Georgie and Con slipped out the French doors from the study to the back garden where they met Archer and Perdita. They all wore dark clothing so that they wouldn’t be easily seen in the night.

They had considered how best to split up in order to maximize both safety for the ladies and the likelihood that they’d actually be able to catch their quarry. As a result, the idea of Georgie and Perdita lying in wait together was dismissed almost out of hand. Con had argued—and rather effectively, he thought—that if both ladies were to hide together it would make them more vulnerable. Even, he’d argued, if Georgie brought along her pistol. Similarly, having the four of them secrete themselves in four different locations had also been dismissed. There was safety in numbers, even if the number was only two. So eventually they’d decided that Perdita and Archer, Georgina and Con would hide in either corner of the garden—the former behind a small potting shed on the far left corner of the garden, and the latter in the shadows behind a trellis covered with climbing roses and wisteria.

“Don’t forget that if either of us sees him alone, we’re to make a call like a dove,” Archer said as the four of them huddled together near the back wall of shrubbery.

“And if we see him with someone else,” Con said in a low voice, “we’re to make the sound of a crow.”

Perdita and Georgina exchanged an amused glance, which Con and Archer chose to ignore.

With a nod to Archer, Con took Georgina by the hand and led her toward their hiding place, trying to ignore the zing of awareness that he felt in such close proximity to her. This was not the time for his libido to awaken, he told himself firmly.

“If this weren’t so treacherous, I’d actually be enjoying the experience of the garden at night,” Georgina whispered as they settled into their positions. “It’s rather lovely. Especially in the moonlight.”