Chapter 2

Two

H ayes Brooks, the Earl of Thornton, lounged against the billiards table and considered his next shot. He’d been playing terribly, but he had never been good at the game. It was not a skill he had cared to learn and still didn’t. But Castlebury had wanted to play and as he was fond of the duke, Hayes had conceded. He positioned the cue stick on the table and took his shot and missed. He almost always missed. “Admit it,” he said as he met Castlebury’s gaze. “You wanted me to play this infernal game because you knew I’d lose.”

“Not at all,” the duke said nonchalantly. “Well. No. I did know you’d likely lose, but that’s not why I thought to ask you to play.” Castlebury did not miss the shot he’d lined up. In fact, that last shot meant the duke had won the blasted game.

“Then explain it to me as if I am a half-wit,” Hayes said. “What do you get from this?”

The duke sighed and put his cue stick away. Hayes did the same and wandered over to the bar. One thing the Marquess of Ardmore did right was keep a well-stocked selection of spirits. He poured himself a snifter of brandy and then one for Castlebury. He brought both over to where the duke stood and handed one to him. “I asked you to play because if I left it up to you, then you’d do nothing.”

“And what is wrong with that?” Hayes did not enjoy socializing. He never did it well. Most thought him cold and arrogant. He was neither. He just had trouble talking to people and instead of fumbling over words, he remained silent. It was much easier and less embarrassing. “I can’t offend anyone if I remain at home.”

“That’s my point exactly.” The duke took a sip of his brandy. “You wouldn’t even have come to this wedding if I didn’t browbeat you into it.”

Hayes narrowed his gaze. “On that you are wrong.” He may not like socializing, but he did have a few good friends. The Earl of Foxcroft was one of them. “I wouldn’t have missed this wedding. Foxcroft is getting married. That is something one must witness to believe.”

Castlebury laughed. “I suppose that is true enough. Though he has been tame for a number of years now. It was likely he’d want to wed, eventually.”

“I’m just surprised that Ardmore gave him permission to marry his sister.” Hayes took a sip of his brandy. “If I had a sister, I don’t know if I would have agreed to allow one of the ton’s most infamous rakes, reformed or otherwise, wed her.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t have a sister,” the duke said. “Because this fictional lady would never find a husband, rake or otherwise, because you would not socialize long enough for her to have a debut.”

Hayes nodded. “You’re right.” Not to mention any sister he may have had wouldn’t have survived his brute of a father. Hell, Hayes had barely survived it. If he hadn’t spent so much time at the Earl of Farrington’s, he might not have. The irony there is that Farrington had considered Hayes’ father a friend. He treated Hayes like an honored guest, and while he was at Farrington Abbey, he felt safe. Even protected. It had been more of a home than he’d ever had. The only sore spot for him was when he had disagreements with Cora. Her spirit and beauty drew him but he never knew how to speak to her. Instead of saying what he truly wanted to, he found himself uttering truly abysmal things. That was why she dubbed him Lord Beast, and he did not blame her for that. He had deserved that and more. All the while, he fell in love with her a little bit more with each interaction and she grew to hate him.

“Of course I am,” The duke said smugly. “I am usually right in most things.”

“Debatable,” Hayes retorted, then laughed. “As entertaining as this was.” He motioned toward the billiards table. “Surely there is something else we can do. When will the rest of the guests arrive?”

“I suspect they are all here already. Foxcroft is here, as you know. Harcrest is traveling with his wife and her sister, and I cannot recall the other ladies’ names. A couple of other wallflowers that Ardmore’s sister is fond of.”

He frowned. “I think one of them is Harcrest’s sister.” Not that he cared. The only lady that he wanted to avoid was Cora. She would make him miserable. In more ways than one… They would argue and he didn’t want to do anything to disrupt the wedding.

“I believe you’re correct.” The duke stood and refilled his brandy. “They’re inconsequential either way. They’re no concern of ours.”

“Pardon me, Your Grace,” the butler said. He turned toward Hayes. “My lord,” he began. “There is someone here that wishes to see you.”

“Me?” he asked in confusion. “Are you certain?” No one ever asked to see him. The only person who ever truly did was already in the room with him, and Cora sure as hell wouldn’t ask after him. She would likely avoid him as much as he would her.

“I am, my lord,” the butler said. “She asked specifically for you.”

Hayes prayed it wasn’t Cora then. He’d definitely muck that up as he always did. He may love the woman to distraction, but he’d never learned how to have a cordial conversation with her. She’d never know how he truly felt about her. Which was for the best. He didn’t want to taint her with the stain of his life. “Who is it?” he asked.

“I’m not certain, my lord.” The butler frowned. “I put them in the front drawing room. Would you like me to have refreshments sent there?”

Considering he did not even know this lady’s identity; he wasn’t certain he wanted to encourage her to remain at Ardmore. “Not yet,” he told the butler. “I will let a maid know if I change my mind.”

“Very well, my lord.” He bowed, then left them alone.

Hayes turned toward Castlebury. “Care to join me?”

“Who do you think it is?” the duke asked.

“I wish I knew.” He didn’t like surprises. They had never gone well or Hayes, and he doubted that had changed. It was another reason he didn’t socialize. Fewer chances for things to shock him into becoming a lack wit.

“I must admit, I am curious.” The duke finished his brandy and set his glass down. “Let’s go see who your visitor is.”

They walked in silence as they headed toward the drawing room. When they entered, they found two women there sitting on a settee. One was had hair a pale shade of blonde that was almost white, and the other had mousy brown hair. The fair-haired one made Hayes frown. He hadn’t seen his mother in years. His father hadn’t allowed her to have any contact with him, and she hadn’t bothered to come to see him even after the old bastard died. “Hello, mother,” he said stiffly. “Why are you here?”

She glanced up at him. Her lips trembled a little as she fought to speak. What had his father done to her? If he had treated Hayes so badly, he must have been a brute to his mother. Clarissa Brooks, the Dowager Countess of Thornton, had been a beauty. Now she was so timid she was a shell of the vibrant woman she’d once been.. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have come.” She stood to leave and he almost allowed her to run away.

“Don’t go,” he told her. “You came for a reason. Tell me.”

Slowly, she turned toward him. “I needed to see you.”

“I gathered as much. Why now?” Hayes probably should have been kinder to her, but he had trouble letting go of the pain that he’d carried all these years. He knew what people thought. They believed that his mother had an affair with Castlebury’s father. That would make Hayes and Castlebury brothers. “Have you come to tell me the truth?” He was not certain he wanted to know if he was truly a bastard or not.

She sighed and then sat back on the settee. The woman with her hadn’t moved. She had a stern countenance to his mother’s panicked one. She looked mousy, but his mother was the one truly afraid of her own shadow. “Yes,” she said. “I think it is time.”

Hayes laughed. It was almost ridiculous. “Is it now?” How utterly ridiculous this was. He wished he had more brandy. He might need it to hear this tale of his mother’s.

“It’s not so long a story,” she said. “But I’ll tell you everything.” His mother glanced at Castlebury and frowned. “I suppose it is good you’re here as well.”

The duke lifted a brow. “And why is that, Lady Thornton?”

She smiled softly. “Not for the reasons I’m sure you are thinking.” She sighed. “I did not have an affair with your father. Bertrand thought I had. It’s why he…” She swallowed hard and turned toward Hayes. “I tried to tell him he was wrong, but he… Well, he hit me.” She trembled. “He sent me away and never let me be alone with you. After a while, I stopped trying. It was better for both of us that I stayed away. He hit me less and allowed you to go to Farrington.”

“If you didn’t have an affair with the former duke,” Hayes began. “Why do I look so much like him?” He motioned toward Castlebury.

“Because you are cousins,” she said.

“Cousins?” The duke lifted a brow. “My father did not have any siblings.”

“Not that you’re aware of,” she said. “But he knew of me.”

“You’re his sister?” Castlebury frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“My mother had an affair with your grandfather,” she said. His mother turned to Hayes. “I’m the bastard. But no one would believe me. I look nothing like the Rowe family. I look more like my mother. No one questioned my birth. Why would they? I was a female and would never inherit any titles.” She sighed. “I should have told you sooner. But some habits are hard to let go of. I had to stay away and coming to you…”

“How did you know where to find me?” Hayes said. It wasn’t as if many knew he’d be attending this wedding.

She was quiet for a few moments. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I went to see the duke.” She gestured toward Castlebury. “I had hoped he’d help me to see you. I didn’t think you’d allow a visit.”

“But Castlebury was here,” Hayes said, the situation dawning on him. “And his servants told you he was away for a wedding.”

“They didn’t tell me where the wedding was being held,” she said. “But I was able to discover everything from there, and I thought perhaps you would be here as well.”

“Now that you have unloaded your secrets, are you going to go back to the dower house and ignore me again?” Hayes didn’t know how he felt about his mother. He didn’t even know how he felt about her truth. He didn’t care that she was a bastard or that Castlebury was his cousin. None of that mattered. Hayes didn’t blame any of what had happened to him on his mother. It was all his father’s fault for being an ignorant sod.

“I…” She drew in a deep breath. “I would like to stay if that is all right.”

Hayes nodded. “That’s not my call to make. This isn’t my house or my wedding.” He would likely never marry, but he left that part out. “But I’ll ask Ardmore if it is all right for you to remain.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I think—that is…I’d like for us to talk. I would like a chance to know my son.”

Hayes sighed. “We will see. I don’t know what I want.”

“I understand,” she said demurely.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll locate Ardmore and if he is all right with you remaining, I’ll have a servant tell you. I need…” He swallowed hard. “I need to be alone right now.”

With that, he left them alone. He didn’t even look back to see if Castlebury followed him. The duke knew his moods well and probably realized he wouldn’t help by coming along with him. They would talk later. The information his mother had revealed to them… That would need to be discussed. Hayes just wasn’t ready for it yet.