Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Joseph and Lydia were separated immediately following the incident in the stable, and would not be allowed to see each other again until they were wed. The wedding was to take place in two days, when the bridge was opened again to allow the vicar to attend.

But there were two men who might not survive Joseph's wrath by then—his brother Oliver and William Carter.

"Is everything arranged?" Joseph asked Henry as the two brothers stood together in the art gallery in front of an enormous painting of Winstone House.

"Yes, brother. Are you sure you want to do this in here? Seems like a terrible place to knock some heads together for the fun of it." Henry looked around at all the fragile fine art pieces and frowned.

"It's not for fun, brother. And we're meeting in here so as to avoid swinging at each other, since that's exactly what I want to do. It's self-preservation, you see. I want to kill them both with my bare hands, but I am told that murder puts a damper on a man's wedding plans." Joseph scowled and checked his pocket watch. He was happy that this confrontation was finally about to happen, but that didn't mean he wanted it to last for any longer than necessary.

Oliver and William had to face each other. And they both have to answer to me for their actions.

William arrived first. When he saw Henry and Joseph standing together, he smiled and reached out his hand. "Congratulations, my lord. We are excited to join our families with your marriage to my sister."

Joseph looked down at William's hand and ignored it. "I have invited you here to have a talk with my brother."

William raised an eyebrow and looked at Henry. "Is that so? Is there something we need to discuss before the nuptials?"

Joseph chuckled and crossed his arms. "Oh, there's plenty to discuss. But Henry's not the brother I meant. You are here to talk to Oliver."

William's eyes widened as he gulped. "Oh? May I ask what this is about?"

Henry patted him on the back and smiled. "Whatever you're willing to confess, my lord. That's what it's about. But if you don't reveal your secrets to Oliver, we will."

Henry stepped back and clasped his hands together behind his back. Joseph nodded at his brother and did the same.

"It's time, William. Oliver deserves the truth." Joseph stared at him with an intensity that he hoped would express how serious he was that Carter's confession had to happen.

His fierce glare was quickly interrupted by the arrival of another Penton family member, but it wasn't Oliver. His wife, Sophia, had shown up instead.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for meeting me here today." Sophia walked boldly up to where the three men stood and curtsied.

Joseph and Henry exchanged confused looks while William breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sophia, what are you talking about? We asked Oliver to meet us here," Henry said.

"I know you did. But Oliver and I talked about it and agreed that I would speak for us both. There are things I want to say and things you need to know before you judge us so harshly. For example, did you know that William and I were courting when my father promised my hand to Oliver?"

Joseph's brow furrowed. "I did not, but—"

"There is no protesting the fact, my lord. It was so. William and I had already confessed our love to each other. What's worse is that William found out that I was promised to Oliver, a man I'd never even met, before my father had the decency to tell me. It was finally revealed when William asked for permission to marry me, you see. And do you know what Oliver thought of that arrangement back then, gentlemen?"

Henry and Joseph shook their heads but didn't dare to interrupt Sophia. She spoke with more strength and command in her voice than either man had ever heard from her before.

"Your brother was as devastated about the arrangement as I was. Oliver had no idea that Lord Winstone had promised him to me. If the rumors are to be believed, our two fathers had made the marriage pact during a card game. A card game! Not only was I refused a marriage to the man I loved, but your brother wasn't given a choice, either. His dreams of a love match were just as lost as my own. So hold your judgment and your tongues until you know the full story next time."

Sophia gazed into William's eyes, took a deep breath, and continued trying to help Joseph and Henry understand. "Oliver and I tried, we really did. But he soon turned to drink to drown his unhappiness and I finally found my way back to love again. Improper or not, Oliver and I… and William… are all victims of a society that often does not allow us to choose our mates. And in this case, the men involved were just as trapped as I was. So I hope you will show all three of us some mercy and respect, for we have all been suffering from the decisions that others made for us long ago."

Sophia reached for William's hand and held it as she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Then she curtsied before the Winstone brothers and walked out of the art gallery with her head held high.

William watched her go with sad eyes as Joseph cleared his throat and tried to think of what to say in the awkward silence Sophia had left in her wake.

It was Henry who spoke first. "I believe an apology is in order, William. I'm sorry that I didn't know about your history with Sophia…"

Joseph cleared his throat again and interrupted his brother. "History or not, you are having an affair with our brother's wife. That is unacceptable and must stop. Surely you can see that there is no other option. Whether we like it or not, we are bound by society's rules."

William aimed his sad eyes at him and sighed. "Is that what you said to my sister when our parents gave her no choice but to marry you?"

Joseph clamped his mouth shut and felt his gut churn.

"Maybe take a long look in the mirror, my lord, before the cycle of trapping a woman in an unwanted marriage continues." William Carter bowed to him and then made his exit.

Joseph stood in stunned silence as he watched Lydia's brother leave the gallery. Henry patted him on the back and tried to ease his mind.

"Don't let that man get in your head, brother. You and Lydia care for each other. We have all witnessed it. Your marriage will be a loving one that you won't regret, I can feel it in my bones."

Joseph nodded and thanked Henry for his encouraging words.

"I hope you're right, brother. I dearly hope you're right."

***

During the final night before his wedding, Joseph tossed and turned, afraid that William Carter's words might be true.

Does Lydia feel trapped and unhappy about having to marry too soon? Were she given the chance, would she choose not to marry me at all?

He had to see her, but every request he made to speak with his fiancée was denied. Lydia's sisters avoided him altogether and both sets of parents refused to hear his reasoning.

Joseph didn't even know where Lydia's new bedchamber was at Winstone House, but Henry had heard that the countess herself had moved Lydia to somewhere secret to stay until the wedding.

And he wasn't allowed to take part his wedding plans. Everything was being arranged by his mother and Lady Briarwood very quickly for the simple ceremony.

So, Joseph suffered his thoughts alone when not pacing the halls and hoping to run into Lydia because of it.

***

Though the bridge had been operational for hours, many of the guests stayed to witness the Viscount Winstone's wedding to Lord Briarwood's daughter. And, thankfully, not a word had spread about the incident between Joseph and Lydia in the stable so the ton's respect for them all was still intact.

The only person in the family who wouldn't attend the wedding was Oliver, who had left for London that morning with two responsible male cousins as his companions to help keep him in line.

Oliver would stay in town for the next few months and start the process of petitioning Parliament for a divorce. It was a rare thing for couple to be allowed such an out, but wealthy noblemen were often made exceptions to many rules. Though Henry was against it at first, the family agreed that letting Oliver out of his marriage contract might be the only thing to save him from drinking his life away.

As Oliver had relayed it to Joseph, Sophia was the one who had encouraged her husband to seek help for alcoholism while in London. And to dare to believe he could find happiness someday with someone he truly loved.

When he'd embraced Oliver that morning before his departure, Joseph had been shocked by his brother's clear eyes and apologetic tone.

"I'm sorry again for everything, Joseph. When I woke up in that stable and saw you and Lydia crumpled in pain, I had a sudden desire to disappear as if I'd never existed at all. I crawled into one of the stalls and buried myself in the hay, and then wept silently as father did to you what he'd also done to me. He didn't let you choose. Marriage mart be damned, Joseph. We should always be able to choose."

He pulled Joseph in for a long hug, then released him and offered a weak smile. "I've been a sad and selfish fool, but I never meant you or Lydia any harm. I wish you the greatest happiness, I really do. But know that you have a choice, Joseph. And so should she." Oliver looked away and wiped his misty eyes with the back of his hand.

Joseph felt his own eyes grow watery, especially knowing now what his brother had been through since the moment his choices had been taken away. And now he had the responsibility of making sure that didn't happen to Lydia. He wasn't sure how, but he had to find a way.

"Take good care of yourself, Oliver. We are here for you and look forward to your return."

Hours after watching Oliver's carriage disappear, Joseph was nearly ready to make his last walk to the orangery as a bachelor. As reported by Benchley, all the guests were already seated inside and waiting for the wedding to begin.

"I haven't spoken to her in two days, Benchley. It's not normal to marry a woman you're not allowed to speak to until your wedding night. There are things we need to say."

Joseph suspected that his valet knew what happened in the stable, though he would never admit it. Benchley loved to behave as if he didn't care to meddle with aristocratic drama, but Joseph knew he secretly loved it and had his ways of knowing all.

"Oh, you'd be surprised, my lord. Many men go to the altar knowing very little about their bride-to-be." Benchley used a long brush with soft brown bristles to remove tiny bits of lint from Joseph's formal black jacket and waistcoat.

"Did you ever wish to get married, Benchley?" Joseph watched Benchley's reflection in the mirror as the older man standing behind him considered the question.

"Honestly, my lord, the answer is no. I decided long ago to be married to my work and that is good enough for me."

Joseph smiled. "So does that mean you're married to the Winstones?"

"I'm afraid so. For all eternity. Though the countess will surely banish me from the household if I don't get you to your wedding on time. Make haste, my lord. Your bride awaits."

But Joseph wasn't so sure that Benchley was right. He pictured Lydia with her hands bound and her eyes covered as her parents led her to the altar. His worry about her marrying him against her will was too much for him to bear.

He had to see her before she walked down that aisle, even if it meant causing a very public scandal to get it done.

"Benchley, we need a distraction to delay this wedding for a few hours. How convincing of an actor are you?"