Mistaken for a Rake: A Regency Romance (Landon House Book 1) Page 13
And yet, he would protect her. He would do as Lady Kensington asked without hesitation so she would not injure Lady Rebecca in any way.
Lifting his head, Jeffery followed after Lady Rebecca back into the hubbub of guests, although, by now, he had very little idea where she had gone. His shoulders slumped as he meandered forward, not looking to the right or left but making his way through the crowd, a broken man. It was time for him to leave this place, time for him to return home where he might nurse his broken spirit in peace.
“Richmond!”
Lord Swinton’s bright voice was nothing more than a fresh agony to Jeffery’s soul.
“Where have you been?” Lord Swinton exclaimed loudly, his face a little red from dancing. “I have danced every dance thus far, and I am sure that there would be some here willing to dance with you also, if you would wish it?”
Jeffery lifted his head and looked at his friend, seeing how his smile began to fade away at Jeffery’s expression.
“I am returning home,” Jeffery said heavily. “And then, once tomorrow comes and the responsibility towards Lady Kensington comes to an end, I will make my way back to my estate.”
Lord Swinton blinked in surprise. “Your estate?” he repeated, all the more astonished. “Why ever should you do so?”
Jeffery shook his head and raked one hand through his hair, his spirits lower than ever before. “Lady Rebecca came upon Lady Kensington and I conversing,” he said, each word seeming to bruise his lips as he spoke. “There is nothing left for me here. It is all at an end.”
Lord Swinton made to stop him, but Jeffery ignored him entirely, walking on towards the door, desperate to escape. Once outside, the darkness of the night wrapped him in a shroud and added its heavy weight to his soul, leaving him feeling weary and entirely broken. There was not even a single modicum of hope remaining. Everything was at an end, and he would never see Lady Rebecca again.
“You will write to Lord Bellingham, meet with him, and will give him the box you purchased from Sturrock and Sons as well as the other items that you have kept in your care. He is expecting you to do so. Thereafter, you will write a short note to me and inform me that all has been done as you intended.”
The note from Lady Kensington made very little sense to Jeffery, but given that he had no hope, no flicker of happiness nor murmur of content in his soul, it made very little difference. He would do as he had been asked and then would remove himself back to his estate. Lady Kensington would have no further part in his life. But neither, it seemed, would Lady Rebecca.
The box Lady Kensington had referred to was one he had purchased from Sturrock and Sons. He had been informed some days ago that a small item had been set aside for him and that he was to pay for it and return home. Why now he was to give it to Lord Bellingham—a quiet and staid gentleman that Jeffery had met only once before—he could not even imagine.
Not that such a thing mattered.
With a sigh, Jeffery rose from his study chair and made his way to the window, pressing his hands down on the windowsill as he looked out below him. Nothing in his view was of any interest. Nothing there intrigued him. His spirit was low. His heart was broken. And he felt nothing but regret.
“Richmond!”
Jeffery turned, startled, as Lord Swinton threw back the door and hurried into the room.
“For heaven’s sake, man, whatever are you doing here?” he demanded as Jeffery turned slowly back towards the window, having no eagerness to discuss the matter with his friend. “Why are you not at Lady Hayward’s? Or at the duke’s townhouse, seeking out Lady Rebecca?”
“Do not torment me with such suggestions!” Jeffery rounded on him, his hands curling into tight fists, fury slamming through him all at once. “It is over! It is done! Lady Kensington has achieved her great victory despite my attempts to bring her low.”
Lord Swinton stared at him, his mouth agape, before he strode towards Jeffery purposefully, slamming his hands onto either side of Jeffery’s arms. “Whatever are you talking of, Richmond?” he said fiercely. “I spoke to Lady Rebecca and Lady Hayward last evening. I told them everything. Everything that you had kept from them in the hope of protecting Lady Rebecca from Lady Kensington. Did you not receive my note? And did they not write to you also?”
Jeffery stared at his friend, his eyes widening as he realized what Lord Swinton meant. “I—I received letters this morning,” he murmured, his anger beginning to fade away. “I have not yet opened them. My…my torment has been too great.”
Lord Swinton dropped his hands. “Lady Rebecca was deeply upset last evening, as you must know,” he began. “I could not permit her to continue believing the worst of you. I told her the truth. I begged her to believe me, and, much to my astonishment, Lady Hayward was the one to encourage her to do so.” He turned on his heel. “I said you would explain it all to them today also so that she could be thoroughly assured that I had told her the truth.”
“Then I must go,” Jeffery breathed, his heart beginning to hammer furiously as he realized what Lord Swinton had done. “Thank you, Swinton. I—” He did not know what to say, how to express his thanks to his friend, but Lord Swinton only grinned.
“You care about Lady Rebecca,” he said. “I believe she cares for you. I cannot see both of you so sorrowful and troubled without speaking up. But I should suggest that you hurry. The lady will be waiting.”
Jeffery nodded, hurrying to his desk and snatching up the letters he had received earlier that day. Flicking through them, he quickly found the one that bore the correct seal and broke it open.
“‘My dear Lord Richmond,’” he read aloud, his heart pounding. “‘I have been utterly astonished to hear what Lord Swinton has said. Please, if it is true, then call upon me at Lady Hayward’s this afternoon. I must hear it from your lips. Yours, Lady Rebecca.’”
Clenching his jaw so that he would not give in to the shattering emotions threatened now to plague him, Jeffery took a few moments to regain his composure before he turned back to his friend.
“Let us depart,” he said a little hoarsely. “She is waiting for me at Lady Hayward’s.”
Lord Swinton nodded. “I have the carriage waiting,” he said as Jeffery let out a long breath, setting his shoulders and walking to the door. “We will be there within the hour.”
Walking into Lady Hayward’s drawing-room felt like some sort of dream. Jeffery had believed that he would never be able to do so again, would never let his gaze settle on Lady Rebecca’s beautiful face, and yet both things were occurring at the very same moment.
Lady Rebecca rose to her feet the instant he came into the room, and Jeffery could not take his eyes from her. Her face was a little paler than usual, and her eyes lacked their sparkle, her hands held in front of her, her fingers twisting together.
He wanted desperately to go to her, to take her hands in his and to plead her forgiveness, but he knew he could not. Instead, he bowed towards her and then to Lady Hayward, who was watching him with something of a severe look.
“Thank you for permitting me to call upon you, Lady Rebecca,” Jeffery began as he was waved to a chair by Lady Hayward. “I am sorry for the pain and suffering you have endured since last evening. It must have come as a very great shock to you.”
“Yes, it did,” Lady Rebecca told him without hesitation. “However, from what Lord Swinton has told me, it is not as I believed it to be.” Her eyes held his, no flicker of embarrassment in her features as she spoke. “You did not do as the rumors state, and, despite what I heard last evening, you are not continuing a warm acquaintance with Lady Kensington.”
“No,” Jeffery said quickly, his whole body filled with a determination to prove to her that she was mistaken. “No, I am not, Lady Rebecca. I cannot abide the lady’s company, and yet she insists on seeking me out. The reason she does so now is because she wishes me to do something for her, to use me as her pawn simply because she knows that she has the power with which to do so.”
Lady Rebecca nodded slowly, glancing towards Lord Swinton, who now looked grave indeed.
“Lord Swinton informed me that it was for my sake that you continued on with Lady Kensington,” she said, leaning forward in her chair and looking at Jeffery intently. “Is that true?”
Jeffery nodded, prevented from speaking for a few short minutes as the maids entered with trays laden with refreshments. Jeffery’s stomach growled, and he flushed with embarrassment.
“I did not think you would have eaten, Lord Richmond,” Lady Hayward explained with a small, knowing smile. “Please, do go on.”
Jeffery expressed his thanks quickly but did not reach for anything, wanting instead to finish his explanation. “Lady Kensington warned me that if I did not do as she asked, then there would be consequences,” he said quietly. “But they would not be brought down upon my head. Instead, they would touch all those that were in my life. Lord and Lady Merrick, Lord Swinton...and you, Lady Rebecca.”
“I told him that there was no great concern when it came to me,” Lord Swinton interrupted, gruffly, “and Lord and Lady Merrick were, of course, on their guard, but there was a vulnerability about you, Lady Rebecca, that could not be ignored.”
Seeing the frown on Lady Rebecca’s face, Jeffery quickly tried to explain. “Lord and Lady Merrick are already wed, and, as such, whilst scandal might attempt to shame them, they felt quite sure they would be able to endure it. Lord Swinton here said the same, although I confess that, having borne the brunt of society’s dislike, I am not as certain as he that such a thing would be as easy as he believes it to be.” A wry smile touched his lips as he glanced at his friend before returning his gaze to Lady Rebecca. “As for you, Lady Rebecca, you could have become a pariah in society in a moment. The rumors would affect you and your sisters. Your father’s good name would be tarnished. I—I could not let such a thing happen, not for my sake.”
“And so you did whatever it was that Lady Kensington demanded of you,” Lady Hayward interrupted as Jeffery nodded. “To ensure that Lady Rebecca was protected.”
Tears began to shimmer in Lady Rebecca’s eyes, and Jeffery felt his heart tear, his brow furrowing as he watched her. He wanted to say more, wanted to apologize for pulling her into such a situation, but found that his lips would not move. There appeared to be nothing more to say.
“You could have spoken to me of it, Lord Richmond,” Lady Rebecca whispered, one hand now pressed to her heart. “You could have told me the truth of Lady Kensington.”
He shook his head. “I was doing all I could to protect you,” he replied by way of explanation. “You had already risked a great deal even in acquainting yourself with me, Lady Rebecca. I could not add to your burden.”
Silence ran around the room as they sat quietly for some minutes, allowing what had been said to fall into their hearts. Lady Rebecca quickly regained her composure, the tears gone from her eyes as she looked back at Jeffery, her lips still flat and no smile brightening her expression.
“I am sorry,” Jeffery found himself saying, the silence became too much for him to bear. “I did not mean to harm you, Lady Rebecca. Nor bring you any great distress. And yet, it seems I have done so.”
“Inadvertently,” Lady Hayward added firmly. “I can see what you were attempting to do, Lord Richmond, and whilst I will not condone it, I will say that I understand your reasons for it.” She leaned forward and poured some tea before gesturing behind her. “There is brandy if you would prefer it to tea.”
Lord Swinton rose in an instant, making Lady Rebecca smile. Jeffery felt his heart lift just a little, daring to hope that all would be restored between them, before he accepted a glass from Lord Swinton and, finally, reached for something to eat.
“Might I ask, Lord Richmond,” Lady Rebecca began once they had all taken a few minutes to eat, “what it is that Lady Kensington has been having you do?”
Jeffery frowned. “I should not like to speak of her too much, Lady Rebecca, but if you are insistent upon it, then I will tell you all.”
“I think it would be interesting to know,” Lady Hayward interjected. “There must be a purpose in her doing such a thing.”
Jeffery shrugged one shoulder. “I have always thought that her purpose was to humiliate me,” he told her. “She stated that she blames me entirely for what occurred the night Lord Kensington discovered her, for evidently, he has refused to allow her from his sight, although, of course, she has found means to escape from him.” A sigh left him. “A punishment of sorts, I suppose.”
Lady Rebecca sipped her tea thoughtfully and then set down her teacup. “What have you been required to do?”
A knot of unease tied itself in his stomach, but Jeffery continued on, determinedly. “Initially, it was of very little importance, it seemed. First, I was to give Lord Bellingham instructions—and an item from Lady Kensington herself—so that he would meet with her when her husband was absent. Thereafter, every instruction I was given meant very little to me. I was to visit a particular shop at a particular time and make certain to greet a gentleman present there. I was to inform her which gentleman I had greeted, however.”
“Why?” Lady Hayward asked, but Jeffery could only shrug.
“I do not know,” he said honestly. “I believe it was so she might ensure I had done as she asked.” He shook his head in frustration. “Of course, I thought nothing of it at first, but every time I did as she bade me, Lord Kensington was present also. It felt as though she was deliberately humiliating me by placing me in the vicinity of the gentleman who believed me to have taken liberties with his wife.”
“But you had to do as she asked?”
Jeffery spread his hands. “I had to protect you, Lady Rebecca. As well as the others in my acquaintance. Yes, I did as she asked, even though I hated every moment of it.”
“And that is all?” Lady Hayward asked, sounding confused. “You have simply been in a certain place at a certain time?”
Shaking his head, Jeffery reached for his brandy glass. “Recently, I have had to purchase one or two items,” he said slowly. “I have never known what these items are, but they have been waiting for me in the shop she directs me to. This last one was from Sturrock and Sons, and I am to meet with Lord Bellingham and give the item to him.”
Another murmur of quiet ran around the room.
“How very odd,” Lady Hayward said slowly. “And you are certain that you do not know what it was you have purchased?”
“I have only been asked to do so thus far on two occasions,” he told her. “The first was at another establishment. I had to collect and pay for two items, although both were very well wrapped and then placed inside a small box. The second is a very small parcel indeed, but, again, has been very well wrapped.”
“And you have not thought to unwrap and look inside?”
Jeffery hesitated, then shook his head. “I had thought to do so but fearing that Lady Kensington would be aware of my actions, I chose not to. Besides which,” he continued, seeing how Lady Rebecca frowned hard, “it seems that Lady Kensington is quite done with me.”
This seemed to bring such a sense of astonishment to the group that for a moment, Jeffery was struck dumb by the immediate response that came from the three of them. All of them began to question him, leaving the air about him seemingly filled with curiosity, confusion, and uncertainty.
“I—I do not know why she has chosen to end the matter, but I am only relieved that she has done so,” Jeffery stammered, speaking as loudly as he dared. “Perhaps she has grown weary of me. Mayhap, because of what occurred with you, Lady Rebecca, she realizes that I am less inclined to do as she tells me.”
“But that cannot be so,” Lord Swinton interrupted. “She knows that you care for Lady Rebecca, and just because she believes that Lady Rebecca is now quite finished with you, Richmond, does not mean that her hold on the situation has changed in any way. She could still easily shame Lady Rebecca within society, just as she has always threatened.”
A ripple of unease ran over Jeffery’s frame. “That is true enough, I suppose,” he said slowly as Lady Rebecca rose to her feet, standing tall in the midst of them all. His eyes rose to hers, seeing a fire burn deep within her eyes, aware of the sudden sense of determination that rose from around her. He felt almost unnerved in her presence, unsure of what she was now to say.
“Then shall we depart?” she asked, astonishing him. “Come, Lord Richmond, there is no time to waste!”
“Time?” he repeated as she nodded fervently, her tea now cooling and forgotten on the small table before her. “Where are we to go, Lady Rebecca?”
She looked at him in surprise as though astonished he had not realized such a thing himself. “Why, we are to return to your townhouse, Lord Richmond,” she said, plainly. “We are to look at these parcels and see what is within.”
He stared at her for a moment, only to rise to his feet also, seeing Lady Hayward do the same with what appeared to be a very satisfied look on her face. Evidently, she had no real concern over what Lady Rebecca had announced and was quite contented to do as her charge suggested.
“Very well,” Jeffery replied as Lady Rebecca smiled at him, her features lighting up. “If you think it will be of benefit, Lady Rebecca.”
“I think it will be a great benefit, Lord Richmond,” she told him decisively. “You may have been so eager to do all that you can to protect me that you have missed the truth of what Lady Kensington is attempting to do.”
This did not make a great deal of sense to him, and he frowned, looking back at her in confusion.
“You mean to say,” Lord Swinton interrupted, setting down his now empty brandy glass, “that you believe Lady Kensington has drawn Lord Richmond into her web and now plans to attack him in some way?”
Lady Rebecca drew in a long breath, lifting her chin as she spoke. “I believe that Lady Kensington is a manipulative, determined lady who will do whatever she can to gain what she desires,” she said, her words certain and sure. “And I believe that she does intend to punish Lord Richmond for his actions in refusing her advances and having her husband discover her true nature. To state that she now intends to let him free when she could continue as she is at present does not make sense. Unless,” she finished, sending a shudder of awareness through Jeffery, “she has gained what it is that she has long desired.”