“Well, no, actually. But I certainly heard an earful about him this morning when I called on the duchess.”
“I can imagine. But there was nothing brave about my marrying him, I do assure you. He is, quite frankly, one of the most handsome men I’ve ever known. And charming. I really couldn’t help but fall in love with him.”
“Really? But what about Daniel Courtly? They say he’s shattered over this, that he was courting you himself before your trip to Europe, and now’s he’s gone off to London to nurse a broken heart.”
“Nonsense. Daniel and I were just friends. Any courtship involved was purely in his mind. He never once implied he had serious intentions.”
“Goodness, I’ll need to set a few ladies straight on that, then.”
Margaret smiled to herself. She hadn’t expected to find a good use for an avid gossip. But then she hadn’t expected to be accused of breaking Daniel’s heart, either.
The ladies stayed for lunch, of course. The hour was that late, they had to be invited. And they lingered afterward. Margaret had no doubt they were hoping for a look at the black sheep of the family, but he remained conspicuously absent.
Her suspicion was confirmed when Alberta said in parting, “I believe a party is in order. Marrying abroad as you did, we missed the prenuptial festivities. No, no, Maggie, you have your hands full here,” she added when Margaret started to look appalled. “I’ll see to everything. Say this Friday at my house? And no excuses. You and your husband will be the guests of honor.”
“This isn’t the best time for a party, because Douglas isn’t well enough to attend,” Margaret pointed out.
But Alberta was too used to getting her way to agree and simply said, “Nonsense, Douglas might be quite well by then, and if he isn’t, he certainly wouldn’t want to stand in the way of your new husband’s reintroduction to society.”
Margaret groaned. There was nothing she could say to that. Mentioning that Sebastian probably wouldn’t agree to come was out of the question. You just didn’t say things like that to Alberta Dorrien.
But the dowager duchess did surprise her with one final remark, which she whispered. “I haven’t seen Abbie look so perky in years. Obviously having her grandson home is responsible, so I do hope all works out well here when Douglas is on his feet again—for her sake.”
So did Margaret, with all her heart.
Margaret took a break later that afternoon from sitting at Douglas’s bedside. He still hadn’t awakened, though if he’d done so briefly she might not have noticed, she was so distracted by her own thoughts. Sebastian figured in those thoughts, too prominently.
It wasn’t the first time Margaret missed having a mother she could talk to about such things. But hers had died so long ago that she had no memories of her. Eleanor had tried to fill the role from time to time, but she’d been too young herself to know how, and anything of a “mature” nature that she’d tried to impart she’d merely picked up from her friends who didn’t know any better either.
So Margaret knew next to nothing about lovemaking that she could state clearly was a fact and not hearsay, other than what she’d gathered from nature. But she knew there was no comparison there. Animals were governed by a different set of rules or no rules, merely instincts. Yet people had choices, and aside from needing children to carry on lines, they still chose to make love regardless. So they must like it or they wouldn’t keep doing it.
Would she like it? She blushed, remembering how intrigued she’d been by Sebastian’s suggestion of a trade. But she shouldn’t even be thinking about it. She knew in her heart it was wrong to trade sex for money. She’d come up with that blasted money for him somehow!
Besides, she didn’t even like Sebastian, merely found him handsome. She was attracted by his looks. But she was repelled by his personality. And there were her old reasons for not liking him, a dislike that had been compounded since she’d met him again. And yet, what he made her feel…She couldn’t deny that those few minutes in his arms had been sublime and more exciting than anything she’d ever experienced.
Her dratted curiosity was urging her to find out more about those exciting feelings. That was the trouble.
Chapter 26
M ARGARET CAUGHT SEBASTIAN just as Mr. Hobbs let him in. She wasn’t sure how to break the news to him about Alberta’s party, but she did have better news to impart first. But then John followed him in, luggage in hand.
She raised a brow at Sebastian’s valet. “Moving in, when we might not be here another night?”
“Optimism, Lady Margaret. I’m full of it.”
She grinned, liking his attitude. With Mr. Hobbs taking John off to get him settled, she turned to Sebastian, to find him still standing in the open doorway. “We brought your mare with us from White Oaks. Care to go for a ride before dinner?”
What a wonderful idea! “Yes, actually. That was rather thoughtful of you, to bring Sweet Tooth.”
“I have my moments, I suppose.”
He said that so dryly she couldn’t help but laugh. “If we’re not going far, I won’t have to change.”
“Just out to the cliffs. Timothy has a hankering to see the view and will chaperone us.”
“Splendid. Shall we be off, then?”
The ride wasn’t long. It actually took only a few minutes since they ended up having a little friendly competition getting there. It was merely a raised brow on her part that started it, but Sebastian had understood perfectly and obliged her. A race to the cliffs, and she won! How exhilarating. She was laughing when he reached her.
“Well done, Maggie,” he said as he helped her dismount. “I see now why you ride a Thoroughbred. Of course I wasn’t really trying to win,” he added with a grin.
“Of course you weren’t.” She chuckled.
They had dismounted near the edge of the cliff and walked side by side now, leading their horses by the reins. A few hardy wildflowers were surviving the colder season, dotting the grassy area they traversed. Sebastian actually bent down and picked a few, lifted them to his nose, then made a face because they didn’t actually smell sweet, merely earthy. But then with a formal bow and a half grin, he presented the bouquet to her.
“Not as pretty as those you cultivate, but—” He ended with a shrug, even seemed a little embarrassed over his offering.
Margaret was charmed. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
They continued their walk, Sebastian glancing out to sea every so often, Margaret glancing at him surreptitiously. She’d never seen this side of him, relaxed and at ease. Well, actually, she had, when he was with his grandmother, but that was different, strictly for Abigail’s benefit, because he didn’t want to show her The Raven.
“I used to come here as a child and sit for hours watching for ships,” Sebastian said.
“Did you really?” She had to laugh. “So did I!”
“I know.”
She blinked. “What d’you mean, you know?”
“I saw you here once, scampering about just as our young friend here is doing. I was merely riding past. Don’t think you noticed.”
“No, I don’t recall it,” she replied.
They watched Timothy for a moment. The lad noticed and waved at them before tossing a few rocks over the cliff.
With Sebastian behaving so (dare she say it?) charming, she thought it was a good time to mention Alberta’s plans for them. “The duchess is going to give a party for us in a few days. I tried to dissuade her, but she was adamant.”
“Us?”
“Yes, a celebration of our marriage for the neighbors to enjoy.”
Sebastian didn’t even try to hide his groan. Margaret was surprised that was his only reaction. He could simply decide not to go.
She changed the subject before he gave the party too much thought. He was being entirely too—likable today. She really didn’t know what to make of it.
“By the by, this is where your father nearly fell off the cliff.”
“
You never explained the details of the other accidents,” Sebastian reminded her, “so you might tell me now.”
“Well, your father claimed he was riding along the cliff, as he often did during his morning outings, and the strap on his saddle came loose. The saddle started to slide and him with it. It would have been minor if he weren’t so close to the cliff’s edge. He went over, caught himself a few feet below on an outcropping, but there was nothing there to get a foothold on or pull himself up with. It wasn’t until a half hour later that someone came by and noticed his horse alone there and went to investigate.”
Sebastian was frowning now. “The strap came loose, or was it tampered with?”
“That was the first accident. Hearing about it after the fact made it seem not so alarming, since Douglas was found and was unhurt. He must have been terrified at the time, but once rescued, he brushed it off as bad luck so no one thought to check the saddle afterward.”
“What else?”
“You know that balcony up on the third floor that your mother had built so she could take her tea up there and enjoy the view? Your father still goes up there occasionally. I did too, for that matter, when I was up early enough to watch the sunrise.”
“You’re going to get to the point sometime today, correct?”
She could tell from his tone that he was teasing her, but she made a face at him anyway before continuing. “Douglas fell through the floor up there. It just gave way under him. He caught himself on the edge of the hole it made, thank heavens, and pulled himself back up. He could have died from that fall if he hadn’t.”
“And how did he fob off that near-death experience?” Sebastian asked.
“He said some of the floorboards must have rotted after so many years of being exposed to the elements. He now has a servant check the balcony floor regularly.”
“You realize that is a valid explanation?”
“Yes, of course. But I’d been up there just the day before and there was nothing wrong with the floor, no creaking, no odd-looking boards.”
“Anything else?”
“There were a couple of minor falls I’d thought nothing about. Mere bruises he blamed on tripping. Then he was almost run over on one of his trips to London. A passing carriage driving too fast, though the driver never stopped to apologize. Douglas didn’t even mention that one. His own driver brought back the news. But that was one accident too many for me. And Juliette and Denton had gone with him to London that time. That was when I finally began to suspect that some skulduggery was afoot and that Juliette and Denton might be involved.”
“Well, since nothing you’ve mentioned can be looked into after all this time, I’ll have to use other means to investigate. But enough about that. You really are too single-minded, m’dear. I invited you out here to relax and have a little fun, not to discuss unpleasantries.”
She was warmed by that “m’dear” when she shouldn’t be. This charming Sebastian really was much too likable.
Chapter 27
M ARGARET AND SEBASTIAN had just returned from their ride and were entering the parlor when she vaguely heard a coach pull up in front of the house. But neither of them could mistake hearing Mr. Hobbs say, “Welcome home, Lady Juliette.”
Margaret quickly moved out to the entryway. She certainly wasn’t going to warn Juliette that Sebastian had come home. She just wanted to witness the lady’s reaction when she first clapped eyes on Sebastian. If Juliette really was trying to get rid of Douglas so she and Denton could inherit their new titles, then the possibility that the elder son might patch things up with his father would definitely put a wrinkle in her plans.
“Hello, Juliette,” Margaret said.
Juliette turned and smiled. She was an extremely lovely looking woman. Her blond hair was artfully curled, her figure as trim as ever, her green eyes sparkled. She wore makeup, but only enough to enhance her beauty. She always dressed in the height of fashion, but then she frequently visited the seamstresses in London to assure that.
“Maggie! How good to see you back. I did not expect you to return so soon. If I had gone to Europe, I certainly would not have hurried home. But I would have hurried home from London if I had known you were here.”
Juliette hugged her. Margaret expected it. Juliette had actually taken to her during her time at Edgewood. She was aware that Juliette considered her a friend, quite possibly the only one she had in England. The other women in the neighborhood had never forgiven her for her part in The Tragedy. They might not shun her, because she was a Townshend, after all, but they’d never warmed to her. She wondered if Juliette thought that might change once she was an earl’s wife and enjoyed a higher rank than many of the neighbors.
Juliette stood back and eagerly asked, “So did you enjoy your trip? And visit all the places in Paris that I mentioned? Come now, I wish to hear…every—”
Her words trailed off. Sebastian had come to stand in the parlor doorway. Apparently Juliette had noticed him and had turned so pale that she could have been witnessing her own death—or seeing it in Sebastian’s expression. Margaret turned to glance at him and was taken aback. This was The Raven, cold and deadly. He looked even more menacing than when she’d first met him in those old ruins he called home. It was his eyes. There probably wasn’t anyone, with or without an active imagination, who would doubt there was murder in those golden eyes.
Mr. Hobbs must have thought so. Margaret had never seen him move as fast as he did just then, disappearing down the hall. She too felt a distinct urge to leave, and Sebastian wasn’t even looking at her. So she could imagine what Juliette must be feeling.
“Run along, Maggie,” Sebastian said, his tone even—until he chillingly added, “Denton’s wife and I have some unfinished business to discuss.”
“Stay, Maggie, please,” Juliette whispered urgently at her side.
“Maggie, go!” he bit out.
She bolted up the stairs and hurried to Denton’s room, where she pounded on the door.
When he opened it, she simply said, “You might want to go downstairs and prevent your brother from being charged with murder.”
“Murder?”
“Your wife is home.”
“Bloody hell!” was all he said as he rushed down the corridor.
Margaret followed, though she remained at the top of the stairs. Juliette, seeing her husband coming to rescue her, ran up them herself and into their room.
Margaret heard Denton tell his brother, “You can’t kill her.”
“Why don’t you divorce her, then?” Sebastian demanded.
“You think I don’t want to?”
“Well?”
“I can’t. So leave it alone, Seb. Please, just leave it alone.”
Denton said no more and returned to his room as well. He barely glanced at Margaret in passing. He looked like a defeated man. That was the first time she’d ever heard him say that he wanted quittance from his wife.
Margaret was reluctant to meet Sebastian’s gaze as he mounted the stairs. Now would be a good time for her to hide in her own room, but the trouble with that was he’d just follow her. She stared at her feet instead, feeling quite guilty now for calling Denton and cutting short Sebastian’s talk with Juliette.
He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Why did you do that?” he asked her.
She squirmed but told him honestly, “I was afraid you were going to kill her.”
“I wasn’t, but how in the bloody hell am I going to get the truth out of her if I can’t speak to her alone?”
“It’s not as if everyone here doesn’t know what you’ll be asking her. You don’t need privacy for it.”
“You’re missing the major part of that scenario, Maggie. Having others around will give her the courage to lie. She’ll feel safe doing so.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” she replied with some embarrassment.
“No, you were too busy thinking you’d hired a murderer,” he replied.
A lo
t of embarrassment now. “You did look like you had murder on your mind,” she said in her defense.
“Good to hear, since that was intentional,” he said dryly, then sighed. “Very well, a new tactic, then. If it’s all been about the bloody title, then let’s see how long it takes them to try to kill me.”
She didn’t like the sound of that, not one bit. “You’re going to set yourself up as a target?”
“That is the easiest course of action, since the lady will no doubt go to extremes to make sure I never find her alone now.”
“Do you really think your brother is part of this?” she asked him.
“Don’t you?”
“Well, yes, I did but that was before I learned that he’d like to divorce her but can’t. What d’you suppose is preventing him?”
“Blackmail would be the logical guess, though with that lady, anything is possible. However, you might as well know I never suspected my brother of having harmed our father. He may have harbored some resentments, but not against our father. I believe he resents me because he loves Douglas and felt I was the favored one. On the other hand, I doubt Juliette is alone in this.”
“Who, then?”
“Timothy mentioned that one of the grooms in the stable here speaks with a French accent. I checked into that with Hobbs. The chap was hired to work here at Juliette’s insistence, right after she married Denton. So he is definitely an acquaintance of hers.”
“Or accomplice.”
“Exactly. Which could explain how my father had another accident yesterday while Juliette was in London. Her accomplice could have been hiding behind one of the trees and thrown something out on the road to spook the horse, then removed the evidence.”
“People have been known to break their necks falling off horses,” she remarked.
“True, though the chance of that is rather bad odds, which leads me to wonder…”
“What?”
“If the intention is actually to kill him, or just make it appear so.”