A Loving Scoundrel

  “So her father actually went all the way to Haverston to pay you a visit?” James asked next.

  “Yes, and I don’t mind telling you, that was a very embarrassing conversation, particularly since I had no prior warning about these scandalous rumors that have been making the rounds.”

  “Rumors the lady started herself, and all lies,” James assured him.

  “Be that as it may, you know very well the damage a few rumors can do, lies or not. The girl’s reputation is quite ruined now.”

  James actually laughed at that point. “When she ruined it, and deliberately, mind you? Since when do we dig strangers out of the holes they dig for themselves? This is her father’s problem, not yours, not mine, and certainly not Jeremy’s, who’s barely even spoken two words to the chit.”

  “It became our problem when it’s simply her word against his.”

  “Then why don’t you let me see to this?” James suggested mildly.

  “How? By shooting the chap?”

  “Think you have me pigeonholed, do you?”

  “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  James nodded, accepting the apology. Danny caught that as she moved a few more inches toward the door. But then Jeremy burst into the room, having been fetched by Henry. He managed to notice her first with no difficulty and even gave her a smile that she hoped his relatives didn’t notice.

  But then he said, “Hell’s bells, I hope this visit ain’t what it looks like, Uncle Jason.”

  Jason Malory cleared his throat. “Albert Bascomb came to Haverston yesterday.”

  Jeremy groaned and dropped down on the nearest sofa. “Whatever he told you, it’s all lies.”

  “So your father has informed me,” Jason replied.

  James added for Jeremy’s benefit, “The chit has played her last card and painted the foulest picture of you, youngun, that you seduced her, promised her marriage, then tossed her aside as soon as you got what you wanted from her—and that she’s now pregnant with your child.”

  “I knew she was already hinting at that. But if she is pregnant, it ain’t mine. I never touched the wench, never even thought about touching her. Not that it matters, when she’s obviously convinced her father.”

  “I see you already understand the gravity of the situation,” Jason replied. “And to make matters worse, Albert Bascomb was a school chum of mine. Wasn’t well liked. Full of himself, if you know what I mean. He made a remarkable marriage, though. Courted a beauty in his neighborhood before she had a chance for a London season and got her to marry him. They had only the one child.”

  “And spoiled her rotten. I already know most of that. Reggie’s good at ferreting out that sort of information and passing it on.”

  “Well, what you may not know is Bascomb, through his wife, has some very high connections.”

  “So what you’re saying is I’ll have to marry the wench?” Jeremy said.

  “As a temporary measure. After it’s proven that she isn’t pregnant, we’ll get it annulled, of course. So you will have to ‘continue’ to keep your hands off of her.”

  Considering the turn the conversation had taken, Danny couldn’t help but turn and stare at Jeremy. He looked despondent, as if he had already accepted his fate. She looked despondent as well, though she didn’t know it. Jeremy married was Jeremy out of her reach, and she hadn’t gotten nearly enough of him yet to satisfy her craving. Whether it was a marriage in name only or not, it still meant he’d be off-limits to her. And she wasn’t about to stick around and deal with his wife, either.

  James Malory didn’t look despondent, he looked like hell warmed over. “You really should have mentioned these were your thoughts on the matter before we got here, Jason. You know bloody well I won’t allow my son to be thrown to the wolves, as it were. Bascomb never should have gone to you in the first place. You ain’t the boy’s father.”

  “He probably came to me because of our prior association. And he knows your reputation. Frankly, the idea of his bringing this matter to you probably scared him to death.”

  James snorted. Jeremy sighed and said, “The problem is that Lord Bascomb is quite convinced I’m the culprit here. And he’s convinced because he believes his daughter. Which is understandable. Why wouldn’t he, after all?”

  Danny took the moment of silence that followed that remark to blurt out, “Then he’ll just have to be unconvinced, won’t he?”

  “How?” Jeremy asked her, having no trouble including her in the conversation as if she’d been in it from the start. “I’ve already disputed it. Fat lot of good that did.”

  “The lady has based her scheme on a lie, so why don’t you counter it with some lies o’ your own, eh?” Danny suggested logically.

  As if he’d also known she was there all along, James replied, “How’s that going to help? It’s still her word against Jeremy’s.”

  Danny was even more nervous, having to speak to James directly, particularly since he was still frowning. But for Jeremy’s sake, she got out, “Weren’t thinking o’ having Jeremy do the countering. No, that wouldn’t do a’tall. It’s her lie against his truth, after all. But what if it were her one lie against two others—hmmm, no, make that three others for good measure?”

  “What the deuce is she talking about?” Jason demanded of no one in particular.

  Danny had no trouble answering the elder Malory. “Well, it’s a matter of a child now, aye? She says it’s his. You know it ain’t. But I’m guessing there’s no child a’tall. There’s no way to prove that though, is there, least not for four or five months down the road, and she wouldn’t be waiting for the wedding that long, would she now? And she could always lie again later and say she’d lost the babe—after she’s married to Jeremy, of course.”

  “So where do these other ‘three’ come into play?” Jason asked.

  “Three other men who claim they’ve bedded her. She’ll deny it, but even she will see that three to one ain’t good odds. Can you think of three men who would lie for you, mate?” she asked Jeremy directly.

  “Certainly, but—damn me, that just might work,” he said with a wide grin.

  James started chuckling. “Indeed, dear boy, especially if all three confront her at the same time, with her father present to hear it. Brilliant solution, indeed it is. Surprised I didn’t think of it m’self.”

  “I believe I shouldn’t be hearing any of this,” Jason said with a stern look, but then gave his younger brother a barely discernible nod of approval and added, “I’ll leave it in your capable hands, James.”

  “Thought you might.” James grinned.

  Jason prepared to leave, but he stopped by Danny on the way out. He studied her face for a few moments, a frown growing on his brow.

  He couldn’t have helped notice the duster in her hand, yet he said to her, “You are familiar to me, though I can’t seem to figure out why. Have we met before?”

  “Not that I recall, m’lord.”

  “Worked at Edward’s house, did you? Or Reggie’s? Is that where I’ve seen you?”

  “No, this is m’first time working as a maid, anywhere.”

  “Odd. It’s going to bother me now, till I recall where I’ve seen you.”

  Danny was starting to get uncomfortable. She hoped she’d never robbed the bloke, but it was possible. She doubted it, though. When she used to pick pockets, she’d rarely picked men of his size, who would have had an easy time keeping up with her if she’d had to flee. And he had a presence she wasn’t likely to forget.

  James must have been having the same thoughts because as soon as Jason left, he said to her, and in a most derogatory manner, “Lightened his pocket at some point in your previous career, did you?”

  She blushed. Jeremy came quickly to her defense though. “Don’t start in on her. She just saved me from a marriage made in hell. I’m bloody well pleased with her at the moment.”

  James rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “You’ve been bloody well pleased with her si
nce you found her. Be that as it may, her contribution to saving your arse does deserve some praise, but you ain’t saved yet. So round up your three liars and bring them to me. I’ll drill them on what they’re to say, and what will happen if they muck it up.” And then on his way out the door: “But for God’s sake, don’t pick Percy for one of them.”

  Danny was able to relax immediately after James left, even grinned at Jeremy. “Does your whole family distrust your friend Percy?”

  “Not a’tall. They love Percy, ’deed they do, they just know him. I’ve no doubt had he been at the ball last week, he would have blurted out, ‘Good God, Jeremy, what’s your maid doing here!’ ”

  She giggled. “He wouldn’t have.”

  “Oh, he would, you may depend upon it. So we were damned lucky he was off in Cornwall for a couple days buying new horse-flesh and missed that ball.”

  “Not that our performance that night did much good,” she reminded him with a sigh.

  He shrugged, but he also grinned. “Don’t worry about it, luv. We might not have accomplished the original goal, but we had fun trying.”

  And a lot more fun afterward, but she didn’t point that out because he was already looking as if he had some of that fun on his mind now, when he should only be thinking about collecting some friends who were willing to lie for him. She hoped her suggestion would work, she really did. Jeremy would end up getting married if it didn’t work. And she’d be looking for a new job.

  Chapter 33

  DANNY WAITED ANXIOUSLY to find out how Jeremy’s search had gone. When he came home that day, he didn’t look discouraged, but he hadn’t had much luck in rounding up three friends, at least, not on the spur of the moment. Most of his old school chums apparently didn’t live in London and didn’t visit often either. And he’d had only one thing to say about the young rakehells that he and Percy chummed about with who did live in London.

  “Wouldn’t trust a single one of them to keep his mouth shut about this matter after it’s resolved.”

  And that would ruin the entire scheme if Lord Bascomb heard about it later. Which was why Danny suggested, “Then maybe you shouldn’t be looking for friends, but some men who lie for a living.”

  “I hope you don’t mean of the criminal variety?”

  She gave him a disgusted look that he’d think of that before anything else. “No, I meant actors, of course. It’s their job to be convincing in the roles they play, ain’t it? So they’re good at lying—well, that is, if they’re any good at acting.”

  “Damn me, they are, aren’t they? Think I’ll pay a visit to the theater district. And we should celebrate tonight, maybe a night on the town. I owe you for all these splendid ideas you’ve been coming up with, luv, ’deed I do.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she replied doubtfully, but he was already back out the door, so she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her or not.

  A night on the town? She had no idea exactly what that entailed, but she had a good idea she wouldn’t have the proper clothes for going out with a nabob. The ball gown had been returned to Regina, only to have it returned back to her since it no longer fit the petite lady. But still, that was an outfit for only a grand occasion, not for a night of gallivanting around London.

  She finished her work early that day. Nervous anticipation helped to speed her along. With nothing else to do, she offered to help Claire with her chores in the kitchen. She hoped it would improve the girl’s attitude as well, since Claire had been decidedly frosty to her lately. Not that she’d ever been chummy, but still, there’d been a noticeable difference. It didn’t help, though she did finally find out why Claire was displaying such dislike for her now.

  As soon as Mrs. Appleton left the room for a short break, after she got dinner started, Claire hissed at Danny, “You’re such a slut. I knew you’d end up in his bed. You’re just too pretty.”

  Danny was stunned, but only for a moment. She was too pretty? She gave Claire a critical look and finally replied, “You’re not a slouch yourself, Claire. Well, you are, but I think you try to be. Why is that?”

  Not surprisingly, Claire took offense and slammed down the knife she’d been paring the potatoes with. “None of your damn business.”

  Danny shrugged and continued cutting her share of the potatoes. “Course it ain’t, but neither is what I do your business, so why’d you remark on it, eh?”

  “It’s wicked what you’re doing.”

  Danny laughed. “In whose opinion? So I’ve been having a little fun with the nabob. In my opinion that ain’t wicked as long as it’s only with him. Might ’ave took me a while to figure that out, but I finally did. And it’s only my opinion that counts. ’Sides, he ain’t married. I ain’t married. So who’s getting hurt by it?”

  “You will,” Claire said simply.

  That sobered Danny real quick. She’d already figured out that much for herself. He’d get tired of her eventually. She hoped she’d get tired of him about the same time, but the way she felt about him, she seriously doubted she would. But she was going to leave in a few months, to get on with her life and to find a man who would want to marry her, not one who never wanted to get married at all.

  With a sigh she said, “I pro’bly will. But that’s my concern, not yers.”

  “Yours,” Claire corrected.

  Danny stiffened. She’d made so many mistakes with her speech in the parlor today that having it mentioned now had been bound to set her off. “Is every bleedin’ person in this house going to correct me now?”

  Claire assumed an offended stance again. “I thought you wanted to learn proper?”

  “I do, but it ain’t easy, thinking every word out o’ my head, you know.”

  “Which is why reminders are necessary, so it becomes habit, rather than a chore.”

  The logic of that was too accurate to dispute. Danny even vaguely recalled Lucy doing the same thing when she’d taught her to talk like her all those years ago. Danny just wished she didn’t mess up when she got nervous or upset, but Lucy had done a good job of drumming that “fancy talk,” as she’d called it, out of her.

  “I’m sorry,” Claire added. “I didn’t mean to change the subject.”

  Danny couldn’t help laughing at that, considering the subject that had been changed had been what Claire called Danny’s “wicked” behavior. “You should try being so wicked. It improves the disposition greatly.”

  She’d been joking, to show there were no hard feelings, but Claire amazed her with the reply “I did.”

  “And?”

  Such a long silence followed, Danny was sure Claire wasn’t going to explain. But then she said, “I got to know my last employer well, too well. It led to the worst grief imaginable.”

  Danny wasn’t sure what to say. Worst grief imaginable was an odd way to describe a broken heart, so maybe…

  “Did he die?” she asked hesitantly.

  Claire snorted at that. “Don’t I wish.”

  Danny frowned. “So you hate him now?”

  “No, I can’t really say that I do. I’m not even surprised by what he did. If I want to be completely unselfish, then I can’t even say I’m sorry for what he did.”

  “Blimy, what’d he do?”

  Another long silence followed. Claire seemed to be fighting with herself, on whether to say any more. And the subject was obviously painful to her. Moisture had gathered in her eyes.

  Danny was about to say forget it when Claire said, “It was just one time. A mistake. It shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t even like it—well, not all of it. And I shouldn’t have got a child from just one time, but I did.”

  Good God, she’d had a baby and it died. No wonder she’d mentioned grief.

  “Claire, you don’t need to—”

  “I was happy about the child,” Claire continued, as if Danny hadn’t spoken. “I didn’t think I would be, but my life was an end less round of work and sleep, with nothing out of the ordinary ever happening to me. The child
could have changed that, would have, too, if—if—”

  Claire was crying in earnest now, though silently, large tears rolling down her cheeks. Danny didn’t know whether to try to hug her, when they weren’t close at all, or leave for now, so Claire could work on composing herself. Her urge was to hug her when so much grief was just pouring out of her.

  Danny started to, then thought better of it again. They really weren’t close, and Claire might take it the wrong way, might be completely offended if Danny offered sympathy. After all, the girl had given every indication of disliking her from the very beginning.

  She opted instead to press more, thinking Claire might feel better if she talked about it. Maybe she’d never had anyone to grieve with her, to help her share her loss. It did seem as if she’d kept all this grief to herself.

  “How did it die?” Danny finally asked.

  Claire blinked and stared at her, a frown forming. “Die? He didn’t die. They stole him from me.”

  Danny stared now. “Eh?”

  “His lordship didn’t believe the child was his, at first. He’d scoffed and said some really nasty things that boiled down to ‘one time doesn’t make babies.’ That’s what I’d thought, too, but I’d found out differently firsthand. But I wasn’t going to try to convince him. I didn’t want him to acknowledge the child or anything like that. I was mostly worried I was going to lose my job over it. And the rest of the staff did scorn me for getting with child without a husband to show for it.”

  “So you left?”

  “No, I wish I had. But my aunt was still there. She’d gotten me the job, just like she did here.”

  “Here?”

  “Didn’t you know?” Claire asked. “Mrs. Appleton, she’s my aunt.”

  Danny didn’t know, and the two women bore no resemblance at all, so she wouldn’t have guessed. But she was more interested in the girl’s story and asked, “What happened after the child was born?”