Chapter Twenty-Four

"I should call him out."

James shook his head as his friend marched up and down the drawing room, his teeth gritted. "That would do no good, my friend, though I quite understand the sentiment."

"My poor, dear Temperance," Lady Thurston breathed, her face rather pale. "I cannot believe she has endured so much!"

"It seems that the Duchess is quite contented with it all, though I do not think that she is aware of the Marquess' threats," James replied, finding his anger burning hot as he thought of what the Duchess had done, albeit unwittingly. "She is so determined for her daughter to marry the very highest title that she has not realized the darkness of his character."

"Then what are we to do?" Lord Thurston demanded, stopping for a moment and throwing up his hands. "If we call him out, then we have a chance of putting this to an end… permanently."

Again, James shook his head. "I would surmise that the gentleman would make his escape and then go directly to London, where he would do as he has threatened."

"And all would be lost." Lady Thurston passed one hand over her eyes. "Goodness, the man is very wickedness itself!"

"I would agree. Therefore, it is imperative that we find a way to prove that to all who know him. A way where we can take what we have learned and pass it to the ton so that he is rejected – and so that anything he says thereafter will be ignored, thereby wiping his threats of strength." He eyed his friend carefully, relieved when Lord Thurston finally began to nod. "I think that we must ask Sir Jeffries."

Lord Thurston's eyes flared. "The knight?"

"Yes, recall that we saw him in conversation with Lord Barlington," James reminded him. "We did not know what they were arguing about but it was clear that there was some sort of altercation there."

Slowly, Lord Thurston began to nod. "Yes, that is a wise idea. "

"Lady Temperance told me that the only reason Lord Barlington seeks to marry her is, as he stated himself, because of her dowry and the income she will bring to the marriage. Does that mean that he is not financially sound?"

"It may be," Lady Thurston agreed. "But you will have to have evidence of that. Saying anything to him is much too risky."

"So we will find Sir Jeffries and speak to him," Lord Thurston said, gesturing to James to rise. "Now?"

James nodded. "Now, if that pleases you. I know it is a little late in the evening but I could not wait until the morrow. Once Lady Temperance returned home, I thought only about coming here and telling you both all that I knew."

"Of course, you must both go at once and with the greatest urgency." Lady Thurston took her husband's hand and looked straight into his eyes. "Do be careful, however. It is clear that Lord Barlington is a very evil man."

"I will be." Lord Thurston kissed his wife's hand and, after a moment, stepped away. James followed quickly after him and, in only a few minutes, both gentlemen were on their horses, riding across the moor to Lord Jeffries' house.

***

"The tavern is not where I expected a knight of the realm to be residing!" James jumped down from his horse, grimacing at the noise and jocularity which came from the tavern. "I thought he might be a little more respectable than to be present at this hour!"

Lord Thurston offered him a small, wry smile. "You would be surprised, my friend. There is very little by way of expectation in this small, quiet part of England. Though I myself would not spend time here in the evenings, it is understandable to me that a Knight or a Baron might do so."

James pulled his mouth to one side, a little frustrated that they had been directed here. To his mind, he was sure that Sir Jeffries would be already well into his cups and would be unable to give them any sort of aid, though Lord Thurston seemed to be a little more hopeful.

"Even if he is a little tipsy, it may be that the liquor will loosen his tongue a little more," Lord Thurston suggested, seemingly able to read James' thoughts as they tied up their horses. "Come now, let us go inside without too much pomp. Those within the tavern are bound to notice our presence and we do not want them to react by falling into silence now, do we?" So saying, he took off his jacket and his hat and set his jacket on top of his saddle, his hat on the gate beside them. Looking to James to do the same, he lifted an eyebrow but without question or hesitation, James followed suit, eschewing his gloves also. No doubt his hat would be a little dusty – or mayhap disappeared entirely by some ragamuffin with sticky fingers – but he did not have time nor the inclination to care about that. The only person on his mind was Lady Temperance and the happiness he wanted to restore her to.

"Come, then." With a set of his shoulders, James cleared his throat and made his way towards the tavern. Pushing open the door, he and Lord Thurston stepped inside but, much to his relief, only a few of those within looked at them. There were a good many bodies present, the air thick and warm as the candles and lamps flickered a dull light across the room. There was a great deal of raucous laughter and, as James' eyes adjusted, he caught sight of the very man they were looking for. Sir Jeffries was seated at the back of the room, sitting at a table with a few cards in his hand. Evidently, he was in the middle of a card game.

"Look. There." James made to step forward, only for Lord Thurston to let out a hiss of breath and catch his arm. About to question what his friend was doing, James caught sight of a familiar face and the words died on his lips.

Lord Barlington was present.

"Whatever is he doing here?" James muttered, as he and Lord Thurston watched the gentleman closely. "Is he playing cards with Sir Jeffries?" He frowned, hard. "A Marquess playing cards with a Knight, in a dull, dark village tavern?"

"He wants Lady Temperance's dowry and income, does he not?" Lord Thurston gestured to the man. "Mayhap this is why."

Anger began to burn in the pit of James' stomach, his lip curling and his stomach twisting hard as he glared at the fellow, though Lord Barlington did not so much as glance in his direction.

"Wait, my friend." Again, Lord Thurston held him back. "Why do we not simply watch and wait?"

"Because I do not want to!" James exclaimed. "I want to go to Sir Jeffries, demand to speak with him and mayhap, in doing so, demand to know what the Marquess is doing here also! "

"But he will not tell you and you will only raise his suspicions if you do such a thing," his friend warned. "Listen to me. First, we must send a note to the Duke himself, asking him to come to join us. Thereafter, we must wait until Lord Barlington has imbibed a little more, until the liquor has dulled his mind a little. That way, he will be more than willing to tell us all that we need to know. The Marquess will tell us of his guilt without our use of force, I am sure of it."

"And if he does not?"

Lord Thurston smiled ruefully. "At least we will have tried the gentler way. Recall, we must be cautious. Our questions must not be laden with anger, our voices must be calm and even jovial. Anything else could arouse his suspicions, despite the brandy in his veins!"

As much as James wanted to rush forward, sit down at the table and start throwing questions at both the gentlemen, he slowly began to realize that his friend was right. Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, he took in a long, slow breath to steady himself, and then nodded.

"Very well."

Lord Thurston nodded. "Good. Now, let us go and get ourselves a drink and sit down so we may watch the game from a distance." He slapped James on the shoulder. "Do not worry, my friend. It will not be long now."

***

"Lord Barlington? Is that you?" James sat down in a chair just behind the Marquess, forcing the gentleman to look over his shoulder. The man was so addled, however, he swayed heavily in his seat, clutching at the table so as to right himself.

"It is," he said, a jovial tone to his voice which told James that he had not yet been recognized. With a nod, he watched as the Duke of Danfield and Lord Thurston came to join him, though they made certain to stand behind the Marquess also, keeping their presence hidden from him as best they could. The arrival of the Duke had caused something of a stir within the tavern itself but given that Lord Barlington had imbibed a good deal more brandy than when James had first arrived, he had not even noticed. That had been of great relief to James and all he needed now was for Lord Barlington to confess the truth so that this great and terrible nightmare might come to an end.

"How good to see you again," James continued, his tone as warm and as friendly as he could muster. "It has been a very pleasant evening, has it not? Tell me, have you had any success this evening?"

Sir Jeffries snorted, before Lord Barlington had a chance to answer. "Certainly, he has not! It is just the same as before."

"Before?" Lord Thurston asked, making Lord Barlington swivel around in his chair, though he then swayed so heavily, he had to grip onto the table with great force so as to steady himself.

"Yes, just as before," Sir Jeffries said loudly, catching Lord Barlington's attention again. "The gentleman has been in this tavern almost every evening since he arrived, attempting to regain the coin he has lost." He made a face. "Alas, he proves time and again that he is not the sort of gentleman who is able to play cards well, given the amount he imbibes!"

James threw a glance to Lord Thurston and the Duke of Danfield but said nothing more. Lord Thurston lifted an eyebrow as the Duke's expression grew rather dark. Evidently, this display of drunkenness from Lord Barlington was less than impressive.

"I have not lost too much," Lord Barlington laughed, though his voice grew a little whiny. "And I have said I will repay it all."

"With what coin?" Sir Jeffries asked, sounding as though he did not believe a word of what Lord Barlington had said. "You have already told me that you lack coin at the present moment. How are you going to repay your debt to me? Though," he continued, with a roll of his eyes, "I myself am foolish for continuing to play with you when you have not yet paid what you already owe me!"

James hesitated, wondering if he dared be bold and ask Lord Barlington something a little more personal. Considering, he then chose to redirect his question to Sir Jeffries, hoping it might encourage Lord Barlington to interject. "How much are you owed, Sir Jeffries? I am sure it cannot be too great for a Marquess to pay!"

Lord Barlington snorted, his lip curling. "I am sure it will not be."

"I have heard you say that before and yet, you are still unable to pay me!" Sir Jeffries exclaimed, as Lord Barlington rolled his eyes. "I have no assurances. "

"Well, you may have one now." Lord Barlington's fist thumped down onto the table, making James jump in surprise. "I am to marry very soon and once I have received her dowry and the income she will bring, then I will be more than able to pay whatever debts I have incurred. There, now, does that satisfy you?"

A coldness wrapped around James' heart as he looked back at the Duke of Danfield, seeing a red flush begin to creep up the Duke's face. He himself had very little thought as to what he ought to say next, though he certainly felt the very same anger that he was sure was in the Duke's heart.

Attempting to keep his tone light, James spoke again. "Goodness, a Marquess who is a little impoverished! Whatever did you do to lose so much of your fortune?"

Lord Barlington did not answer, his shoulders dropping.

"It must have been something very grave indeed," Sir Jeffries chimed in, a heavy expression settling on his face. "Though you have not spoken to me of it as yet. I personally believe that the Marquess of Barlington is much too inclined towards cards and the like."

"That is the same as many a gentleman!" Lord Barlington exclaimed, speaking with a great fervency. "I am not the only one who enjoys such a thing, despite the fact that I have lost almost every game we have played."

"You have lost every game," Sir Jeffries corrected, with yet another roll of his eyes. "And yet you continue to play?"

"As I have said, I will be able to pay for all my debts very soon, once I have wed."

James scowled, rubbing one hand over his face to chase his thoughts away from Lord Barlington's selfish words. He knew now why the gentleman wanted to marry Lady Temperance: he was impoverished; a fact he had managed to hide from everyone. No doubt some of the ton knew of it – or would know of it, should he go to London – and news of that impoverished state would mean that no young lady would ever even be permitted to consider him! Thus, he had decided that the best thing for him to do was to wed Lady Temperance and, in doing so, be given her dowry and whatever income she would bring into the marriage. That was his answer to his present difficulties, it seemed, and the way he was using Lady Temperance made James' anger burn hot .

"I did not know you were to marry." Sir Jeffries tilted his head, placing a card out on the table and then arching an eyebrow at Lord Barlington. "Might I ask who the lady is? She must be very refined, I am sure, if she is to bring in such a substantial dowry."

Lord Barlington, rather than smile and agree, let out a long, heavy sigh as though even the thought of marrying the lady was a disappointing one. "The young lady may be refined but I confess, I struggle even to look at her for any length of time."

Anger sent shards of fury right into James' heart and he dropped his head, taking slow breaths so that he would not react and give himself away.

"Whatever do you mean?" Again, Sir Jeffries spoke, encouraging Lord Barlington to say more as James, Lord Thurston and the Duke simply listened. "I cannot imagine that you would tie yourself to someone such as that!"

"Oh, her face would frighten a horse!" Lord Barlington exclaimed, and in that instant, James found himself on his feet, a loud buzzing in his ears, his heart screaming at him as his hands curled into tight fists.

Lord Thurston's hand on his arm forced him to sit back down.

"I have told her plainly that she will live in a separate part of my manor house, for I do not want to look upon her countenance every day!" Lord Barlington laughed, throwing down a card seemingly without even looking at it. "She will be set away from me though I will have to do something about the heir. It will be best to do such a thing when it is dark, I suppose, for then I will not see her."

The heat in James' heart burned all the hotter and he closed his eyes for fear that, if he so much as looked at Lord Barlington for even a second longer, he would most certainly deliver him a proper thrashing.

"She knows full well that I only desire her wealth," Lord Barlington continued with a shrug. "There is nothing I am keeping from her in that."

"I am surprised that she still wishes to marry you!" Sir Jeffries shook his head and threw down another card, eyeing Lord Barlington's hand carefully. "I would have thought any young lady would have been rather displeased to marry a gentleman of such opinions. "

Lord Barlington laughed and put another card out on the table. "You are quite correct there, Sir Jeffries! But there are ways and means of… encouraging such a connection, you understand?"

"Encouraging?"

James opened his eyes as Sir Jeffries continued to question Lord Barlington, clearly not realizing that he was helping James with his questions.

"Yes, encouragements, let us call them that." Lord Barlington laughed again and James gritted his teeth, hating the sound. "It is a very useful tool, Sir Jeffries. Stating exactly what you will do if the young lady does not accept you means that you are bound to gain exactly what you desire: namely, her hand in marriage, her dowry, her yearly income and relief from your present financial difficulties. Yes, it does mean that I have to have this scarred, rather ugly young lady as my wife but there are many distractions that a gentleman can have besides his wife! I think I shall do very well out of all of this, I must say."

If it had not been for Lord Thurston reaching out to restrain him yet again, James was quite certain he would have planted both hands around Lord Barlington's throat and squeezed. Instead, he rose from his chair and, somewhat blindly, made his way out of the tavern. His chest was tight, his breathing growing quick and fast as he fought hard to keep control. The cool evening air helped to quieten him a little but still, James began to pace, his hands squeezing tight, his breathing ragged, his whole body burning.

"Are you quite all right?" Lord Thurston hurried over to him, his hand going to James' shoulder. "The Duke is coming momentarily. He too is furious."

James nodded, coming to a stop. "I cannot believe the cruel words which came from his lips."

"He does not care for anyone aside from himself, it seems. To threaten the lady so is… repugnant."

"He will not be permitted to do such a thing."

James turned just as the Duke of Danfield came to join them; the dim lantern light illuminating his features a little and letting James see just how furious the man was.

"No wonder Temperance was too afraid to tell me what he had said," the Duke continued, rubbing one hand over his face. "From what Lord Barlington said, it seems that he threatened someone if she did not do as he asked. "

"He threatened to ruin everyone she cares for, including her sisters, Lord and Lady Thurston, my mother and myself" James told him, seeing how the shadow on the Duke's face grew ever stronger. "She was afraid to even speak of what he had said, for I believe his threats were very severe indeed."

The Duke closed his eyes, his breathing harsh. "The scoundrel! How dare he think that he can force my daughter's hand – and all because he wants her dowry? He has brought his own poverty upon himself and yet he thinks that she must be the one to rescue him from it? He does not care one iota for her and seems more than happy to leave her to suffer for the rest of her days at his hand." The Duke's gaze fell to James. "I know you will not let that happen, Lord Calverton."

It took James a moment to realize what the Duke was asking him. A slight swell of joy lifted his heart, only for a frown to settle across his feature. "What if Lady Temperance is not ready to consider matrimony?"

"Speak with her," the Duke encouraged. "I will have a Special License procured in only a few days' time. It will mean I must travel to London but that is of no difficulty to me."

"But what of Lord Barlington? Even if Lord Calverton weds your daughter, he will still have his threats. He will still carry them out, I am sure of it."

James quickly shook his head. "Not if we act quickly. If the ton knows of Lord Barlington's impoverished state then he will be rejected there entirely. Recall that this is precisely what he does not want! I am sure that is part of the reason he did not make his way to London, for he wants to hide the truth of his situation. But if word was to spread of what he has done and the sort of gentleman he has become, then he would not be able to lift his head up in society."

"And no-one would believe a word that he says thereafter," Lord Thurston finished, as James nodded.

"It sounds like we have a plan, gentlemen, for during my visit to London for the license, I will be able to say a good many things about Lord Barlington," the Duke said, clapping one hand on James' shoulder and the other onto Lord Thurston's. "Thanks to you both, my daughter is safe."

James managed a small smile. "And so she shall always be, Your Grace. I assure you of that."