Chapter 23

twenty-three

A NGELINE SHIVERED WITH anger and worry as she put a fresh, damp cloth on Royston's feverish forehead.

Thank goodness he'd stopped casting up his accounts and trembling. Whatever the physician had given him, it was working. Royston was sound asleep in his bedroom, covered by layers of thick quilts and warmed by a hot water bottle.

It had taken three people to carry him out of the parlour in Lady Redvers's house, lay him in a cab, and then tuck him in his bed.

After Mama had the horrible idea of drugging him, Angeline had found Royston lying on a sofa in the parlour and her mother whispering to him. Angeline had faced the most intense, albeit brief, argument of her life with her mother. Then Royston had started to convulse, his skin turning purple.

She'd left him for a handful of minutes, desperate to fetch a physician who could help him, only to return to the parlour and find Miss Taylor all over him in a promiscuous attitude.

Lady Redvers must have organised the whole scandalous scene. The viscountess had barged into the parlour with two other matrons and caught her daughter in a compromising situation with Royston. A delirious, almost-dying Royston, that is.

Chaos had ensued. No one had listened to Angeline when she'd said that he had been drugged, and she hadn't cared much at the moment, worried about him. But then again, she couldn't explain what had happened to Royston without exposing Mama and raising questions that might reveal she regularly drugged gentlemen to blackmail them later.

Royston casting up his accounts on Lady Redvers hadn't helped his case.

But no matter. The most important thing was that he was all right now and asleep.

"Miss Haywood." Enright, the butler, entered the bedroom, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea. The man had been a godsend, helping Angeline take care of Royston. "Your mother is here."

"I don't want to see her." She wrung the cloth in the basin before wiping Royston's forehead again.

"I apologise, but she's quite insistent. She won't leave until you see her."

Angeline sighed and sagged in the stuffed chair. "All right. Thank you, Enright."

He cast a worried glance at Royston before leaving.

Mama walked inside without her usual cockiness. Her cheeks were pale, and her capelet was askew.

She paused next to the bed. "How's Lord Wharton?"

"As if you cared about him."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I had no idea he would have that… what did the physician call it?"

Angeline placed a fresh cloth on Royston's forehead. "Adverse reaction. No, actually, the physician said that Royston had a severe adverse reaction, life-threatening. It's a miracle he's alive. If he hadn't cast up his accounts, he would have died from poisoning."

Mama shivered. "I tried the potion on many men, and none of them became so sick. It has always worked."

Angeline checked Royston's pulse. The physician had told her to check that his pulse remained strong and steady. "You almost killed him, and for what? To prove to me that he isn't a good man after I expressly told you not to give him anything. But did you listen? No, because that's what you do. You only do as you please without listening to anyone."

Mama had the decency to lower her gaze. "I apologise. I didn't want any of this. I just wanted to prove to you that he would leave you once he took you to bed."

"Well, you were late." She breathed hard. "I've already given myself to him, and he still wants to marry me."

Mama blushed. Angeline hoped it was shame.

"On top of that," Angeline said, "Lady Redvers demands he marry her daughter because she claimed he ruined her."

Mama held up a hand. "That wasn't my doing. I had no idea that awful woman had planned to throw Miss Taylor at Lord Wharton, only to force him to marry her. That was an unfortunate event."

"Unfortunate?" She tossed the cloth into the basin. "Lady Redvers acted desperately because she knew Royston meant to marry me. Someone must have told her the news, and you were the only one who knew about his proposal. You drug him and leave and she comes in with her daughter? It's too convenient."

Her eyes flared wide. "It wasn't me. I don't even like the woman. Why would I tell her about Lord Wharton's proposal?"

"Because you disapprove of him. You knew she would have done something reckless, like trapping him in a forced marriage." She barely suppressed her tears. "And now he can't marry me. Congratulations. You ruined everything."

"No, darling. I swear it." Mama took her hands. "I don't trust Lady Redvers. I would never associate with her. I have told her nothing."

Angeline didn't believe her, and she was too angry and upset to forgive her.

Miss Taylor will marry him because he won't allow a lady to be ruined. If he refused to marry her, he'd likely lose the seat in Parliament, and Georgiana would be marked as a trollop. He had no choice but to agree to marry her.

"I have nothing to do with this," Mama said.

"I've had enough." A sob escaped Angeline. "For the past years, I tried to convince you to stop, but I failed. Even worse, I covered your lies, and I shall take my responsibility. If I'd stopped you, Royston would be all right now. But no more. No more."

Mama caressed Angeline's head. "Darling."

"Please leave. I want to be alone."

"I really am sorry." Mama kissed her cheek. "I'll make amends. I promise."

"Go." She waited to be alone to hide her face.

Her betrothed had risked dying, and now he wasn't her betrothed anymore.

She'd barely lived her dream before it was snatched out of her reach.

Mama might not have meant to hurt Royston, but thanks to her, Lady Redvers's plan to force him to marry her daughter had been successful.

Royston must have had a case of brain fever because a massive headache battered his skull like a hammer, his throat was swollen, a foul taste filled his mouth, and his muscles were aching and sore.

He opened his heavy eyes, which required a ridiculous amount of strength. The sunlight glared at him, filtering through the window of his bedroom. At least he was home.

He groaned when he propped himself up on his elbows. The last thing he remembered was having a glass of wine with Mrs. Haywood. Then… confusion and fragments of events.

Angeline had been in the parlour, and there had been someone else. He'd kissed Angeline, but he wasn't sure of that. He wasn't even sure why he felt so sick.

He poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand and, with a tilt of his head, polished it off.

The door swung open and Angeline swept into view. He inhaled deeply, ignoring the burning in his throat.

"Angeline."

"Royston, you're awake." She turned towards the corridor. "He's awake!"

She rushed to him. Her simple afternoon dress was wrinkled in places as if she'd been sitting for hours. A few of her black curls had escaped her bun and whipped her worryingly pale face.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"What happened to me?"

"You're all right." Her lovely face was too gaunt. "We were so worried."

Enright walked over to him. His clothes were wrinkled, and his hair and beard were unkempt.

Mrs. Lawrence came in, as pale and tired looking like Angeline. "Your Lordship, finally. You've been mostly unconscious for three days."

"Three days?" Royston rubbed his aching forehead. "What happened to me?" he asked again.

Enright exchanged a glance with Angeline. "My lord, I'll have a light lunch prepared for you."

His stomach lurched at the idea of food. "I don't think I can eat anything."

"The physician said it's important that you eat something. I'll bring a fresh pot of tea as well." The butler bowed again and left the room with the housekeeper.

"Thank heavens, you're all right." Angeline held his hand with desperation.

He didn't have the energy to reassure. The headache was splitting his skull in two.

"Oh, Royston. I'm sorry." She brushed his hair from his face. "It was my mother. She put something in your drink, a potion she brews herself from mushroom powder and dried herbs. It is a hallucinogenic."

"Damn." He scrubbed the back of his neck.

He wanted to say something, but Enright entered carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and tea.

"My lord, please eat everything. It's very important you drink a lot of fluids. The physician was very clear." The butler stood there, giving him a pointed look.

"I will. I promise." Royston was so confused.

Enright left the room, casting glances at him as if worried he might collapse.

"Drink some tea." She poured and handed him the cup. "I'll tell you more once you drink the tea."

"I remember having a drink with your mother," he said among sips. "But then I dreamed… or maybe it was real. You came in a beautiful nightgown."

He finished the tea. Admittedly, the hot drink settled his stomach.

"No, darling." She helped him with the soup. "My mother's potion essentially helps fabricate false memories."

"Very vivid memories. I could swear you were real."

"Unfortunately, you reacted badly to the drug, and you were incredibly sick. I called a physician, but in the meantime, something else happened." She paused, lowering her gaze. "More soup."

He took a moment to savour the leek and potato soup, not too salty and with a dollop of soured cream. The more he ate, the better he felt.

"What happened?"

She took her time to answer. "Lady Redvers discovered your marriage proposal to me and decided to take action. She threw her daughter at you while you lay delirious on the sofa. Then she pretended to catch you and her daughter in a compromising situation. A few of her friends witnessed the scene."

He lowered the bowl. "Bloody hell. Now I remember Miss Taylor vaguely."

"Lady Redvers expects you to marry her daughter. I'd say everyone does. News of your supposed shameful behaviour towards Miss Taylor is all over town. You can't avoid a wedding." Her voice broke, and his heart broke as well because of her pain.

"Bollocks."

"It's a huge scandal. Lady Redvers took advantage of your state to trap you in a forced marriage. Miss Taylor claimed you confessed your love for her." She swallowed hard, her bottom lip quivering. "You must marry her. Your reputation and her reputation would be damaged forever. You'll never get that seat. Lord Redvers was horrified as well."

"To hell with that seat. I won't marry her."

Bloody hell. His stomach lurched, and his throat was on fire all over again. A coughing fit caught him. The more he coughed, the more his throat smarted.

No, he wouldn't marry anyone but Angeline. He'd find a way to protect her, too.

"Take deep breaths." Angeline rubbed his back and handed him another glass of water.

He was so angry that dark blotches pulsated in his field of vision. He had a vague memory of Lady Redvers mentioning something about his steel factory. He'd give it to her if that was what it took to be with Angeline. He'd renounce his title. He'd leave London. Anything to be with the woman he loved.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sagged into the pillow. "Is your mother involved in that incident as well?"

"No, she drugged you because she wanted to prove to me that you would have abandoned me after we'd shared a tumble. She was convinced that, once you believed we'd been together, you would have left me. The adverse reaction of your body and Lady Redvers's trick weren't part of her plan. She says she didn't tell Lady Redvers about your proposal. I know I shouldn't believe her but I think she was telling the truth."

"I ran into Lord Redvers at Garrard's Jewellery when I bought your ring , and told him I meant to marry you."

"Oh." She stroked the topaz. "Then it wasn't my mother."

"I was so happy I had to tell someone." He shook his head. "I couldn't have imagined a simple conversation would have led to this."

"You did nothing wrong."

Perhaps not, but he had to do something. He couldn't let his life be destroyed by people's machinations. He looked at Angeline, the woman he was meant to marry. Their love was too strong to forsake.

He pushed aside the covers and stood up. A moment of dizziness caught him, and he grabbed the bedpost.

Angeline stretched out her arms to steady him. "What are you doing?"

"I must fix this. I have no intention of marrying Miss Taylor."

"You're too weak. You must rest."

"Not a chance. I won't stay here and do nothing while Lady Redvers ruins my life, our lives. Are you giving up on us without a fight?"

"No, but I don't know what to do."

"Would you help me wash and change? I have a plan."