Chapter 31

The Charity Gala

Lindham House, Outskirts of London

Three Days Later

“Where is your beautiful wife?” Lady Beecham asked.

“She will be here soon,” the Duke replied, trying not to look around. “How is your husband doing? I heard he has been taken ill recently?”

“Oh, the old blowhard is likely overreacting, as he always does. I am sure he will be on his feet again soon.”

Edwin could see that the woman was in pain as she thought about her husband. From what he had heard, Lord Beecham was very poorly but was receiving the best care in England.

“I am sure you are right,” Edwin assured her. “I look forward to having a cognac with him soon.”

“Bless you, Your Grace,” Lady Beecham said.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” the Master of Ceremonies boomed. “Please welcome the Right Honorable the Earl of Lindham.”

“I wish to thank you all for being here today,” the Earl announced after some light applause. “And especially for a cause very close to my heart. I expect you all to open your pocketbooks and donate—no, invest in our future. By helping London’s orphans, you…”

The Duke tuned out the rest of the Earl’s speech. He would give handsomely, even though the money could be better spent elsewhere at a time when money was still tight. Still, he had a much better life than any orphan, and a little could go a long way in improving the lives of the needy.

He didn’t listen to the rest of the speech because he was looking for his wife. She had not arrived yet. Now that the speeches were being given, it was unlikely she would come.

It was a perfect day in a perfect part of the countryside, but he felt anything but perfectly happy. The sun shone down upon them all, but his ray of sunshine was not in his life. He was still angry, but he missed her terribly, and that trumped all.

He didn’t care what he felt—he only wanted her back. His feelings and emotions had gotten him into this mess, and now they were driving him to remedy the situation. Once he had her back, he could lock his emotions away again and deal with real life.

Edwin put his hand to his heart when he spotted her across the garden. He gasped at how beautiful she looked. He knew she had done it for him.

Get a hold of yourself. She is likely showing me what I am missing!

She had not seen him yet. He stared at her in her new flowing pink summer dress and wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms. The host continued to speak loudly, but the Duke could hear nothing except the ringing in his ears.

His legs moved before he could stop them, and he strode across the garden toward his wife. He would not take no for an answer.

Beatrice spotted him on his way over, and her face immediately lit up before she looked down at her feet and tried to compose herself. She stood with a woman he did not recognize—perhaps one of Charlotte’s maids.

Edwin did not know what he would say to her when he came face to face with her, but he did not stop to talk. He took her by the arm and dragged her away, not unwillingly, to talk in private. He led her past a hedgerow and a large rhododendron bush. The air was filled with a sweet, floral scent.

“We need to talk,” he said when he stopped.

“Yes,” Beatrice agreed.

She did not immediately apologize, and he could not bring himself to either.

“You must come home,” Edwin said. “Enough is enough.”

“Should I?” Beatrice asked.

She was hesitant and guarded, and he did not know at all where he stood.

“Yes, you should,” Edwin stated. “You are my wife, and we should not be living apart. I demand that you return to the estate, so we can go back to how it was.”

“I don’t know if we can go back to how it was,” Beatrice countered. “Not after?—”

She did not get a chance to finish. Edwin grabbed her and did what he had been aching to do since he saw her arrive—he kissed her. He had been aching to do it, but it was a good way to stop them from arguing, too.

Beatrice was stunned and did not do anything, and then she kissed him back with fervor. She wrapped her arms around him and clawed at his back, moaning deeply.

Edwin stuck his tongue straight into her mouth, pushing hers back as if it was blocking what he needed to get to. He felt his member stiffen, and he wanted to do a lot more than kiss her. He ran his fingers through her hair, groaning and biting her bottom lip. He pressed himself against her, needing to feel her body against his.

They had been apart for far too long, and he had missed many things about her, including how she felt pressed against him. He wanted to rip her dress off and take her in the middle of the gardens, but one scandal was enough.

When they came apart, Beatrice was breathing heavily, and the look in her eyes made him want to rip her dress off even more. They stared at each other, not knowing what would come next. They might have gone further than the kiss if they had not heard voices close by. They would unlikely be found, but neither of them wanted to risk it.

“Come home?” the Duke said softly. It was a question, not a demand.

“I will,” Beatrice replied. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Edwin admitted. “I have not been myself this past week. It is not only me who needs you, but Mother and Elizabeth too.”

“I would have come back,” Beatrice told him. “I would not have let Elizabeth down.”

“I know you would not have. I should have come to you earlier.”

“Yes, you should have,” Beatrice agreed.

“You must fix your hair,” the Duke said.

Beatrice touched a hand to her hair and laughed. She did her best to smooth it. When the voices got closer, the two of them laughed together. If they had done more than only kiss, they might have been caught.

“We should return to the event,” the Duke urged. “We can show that we are a united front and make a generous donation, and then we can go home. There, we can continue what we started here.”

“I would like that,” Beatrice agreed. “Shall I take your arm?”

The Duke shook his head. “Go on ahead. I need a moment to cool off.”

Beatrice’s eyes flicked to his crotch, and she giggled. “I shall be waiting for you.”

Edwin watched her go. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. He felt pleased with himself for being a man of action, even if it had taken a week.

“That went far better than I had hoped,” he muttered.

He smoothed down his clothes, took a deep breath, and headed back inside. He had only just stepped out from behind the hedgerow when he almost bumped into Agnes, who had obviously been waiting for him.

She stood with one hand on her hip and a cocky smile.

“Miss Jennings, what do you want?” Edwin asked.

“Is that any way to treat a lady?” Agnes drawled. “Especially considering our history. Can you believe we were once betrothed? How is married life treating you, Your Grace?”

“That is none of your business, Miss Jennings. I know you have your heart set on ruining my marriage, but I will not let you.”

“Oh, are you talking about the article in the scandal sheets? You are not suggesting that I had anything to do with it, are you? If you are, I hope you have proof, because from where I stand, you have a reputation, and so does your lovely wife. When it comes down to it, who do you think people will believe?”

“So, you admit it?” Edwin asked.

He wished there were others around, but Agnes was too careful for that.

“I admit to nothing,” she replied. “I have not done anything untoward, so there is nothing to admit to. Now, what were you and Her Grace doing alone out here? You weren’t getting up to no good, were you? I know it can be hard to be apart from someone.”

“My wife was visiting her sister,” Edwin clarified.

“Yes, of course, she was. I know how hard it can be to be without someone. When you first broke off our engagement, I was desolate, Your Grace. I missed you terribly, even though we had not spent much time together. The heart wants what it wants.”

“Oh, stop it, Miss Jennings! Don’t pretend we had any feelings for each other. It was to be a marriage of convenience and nothing more. The only thing you were set to gain from it was more power, and I see now that would have been a very dangerous thing.”

Agnes’s eyes widened, and she placed a hand over her heart. “Is that what you think of me?”

It is what I know of you.

“I am offended,” she continued. “And here I am, out here alone with you. Can you imagine what people might say if they caught us?” She moved closer to him. “They might catch us doing anything,” she whispered. “You could do whatever you want to me, and I would be powerless to resist you. And I mean anything. I am yours to enjoy as you please.”

That sort of thing might have worked before, but the Duke had no intention of engaging in any acts with Miss Jennings, especially when he had only just gained his wife back.

He looked around to make sure no one could see them, before he leaned in close to Agnes. She closed her eyes, expecting something that was not coming.

“I am married,” Edwin whispered.

“Aw,” Agnes complained. “Still, that hasn’t ever stopped you before, has it? We have always had a connection, haven’t we? How about we have some fun? No one ever has to know.”

“I am leaving, Miss Jennings. Stop interfering in my life. Apologize publicly for what you have done, and there will be no repercussions. All I want is to live my life.”

“You are no fun anymore.” Agnes pouted. “Oh, well, you have me beat on this occasion. If you must go, then go.”

Edwin waited for more, not fully trusting that she would let him walk away, but nothing came. He nodded to her and turned on his heel to make his way back inside.

“Of course, that means I will not have a chance to tell you what I know about your wife,” Agnes called.

Edwin sighed. He wanted to continue walking and go back to his life, but he needed to hear what she had to say. He was playing into her hands by listening to her, but he would hear about it sooner or later.

He turned around to face her. “She has run away from previous betrothals, and I don’t care,” he stated. “And I know she was not with child, so you can retract that from the scandal sheets. Soon, everyone will realize you are lying, and they will forget all about it. Take shots at me all you want, but you are fighting a losing battle.”

“Do you know that she sneaks out at night?” Agnes asked.

The anger came flooding back, but he did not show it. He could not show any weakness in front of her, especially when she had finally hit the nail on the head.

“Dressed as a man,” Agnes continued.

Beatrice suspected she was being followed, and she must have been.

“What are you talking about?” Edwin asked, trying to feign confusion. “Yes, publish another story about it in the scandal sheets. You are becoming desperate, Miss Jennings.”

“I am, but that does not mean it is a lie. I have proof that your wife has been sneaking out at night, and I can only imagine what she might be getting up to. Is it to visit other men? Perhaps she was visiting her lost child.”

“She does not have a child,” the Duke ground out.

“Does she not? No, probably not, but she has been sneaking out at night, and I have proof.”

“Proof!” he scoffed. “What proof do you have?”

“As if I would reveal that to you. No, I shall keep that to myself, and you can speak to your wife about it. Then, we will talk again.”

“I am done talking to you,” Edwin spat. “You will leave us alone, or else you will face the consequences.”

“No, you will face the consequences!” Agnes snapped. “I will reveal my proof in good time, and you will be caught in another scandal. How many scandals can you deal with, Your Grace? How many betrayals can you handle? I have a more than fair proposition for you. I will give you the chance to divorce your wife, bringing her great shame. Then, we will immediately marry, and you will save face. We can tell everyone that she trapped you into marriage with the intent of having a second child, but you got wise to her lies. We will wed and start a family, and we will become the most powerful couple in London. Those are my terms.”

“You have gone insane,” Edwin scoffed.

Agnes took a step closer to him, madness in her eyes. “Have I? I want to be with you, and it will happen, and I will step on Beatrice to get there. You can keep her dowry, and you will also get my dowry. You can pay off any debts, and you can continue to make fools of all those who stand against you. We will take down anyone who stands in our way, and everyone will remember your name and the woman who brought you to power. What do you say to that?”

“I still say you are insane,” Edwin stated.

“Speak to your wife and ask her about sneaking out at night. I don’t care whether you believe me or not. The truth will be revealed in due time if you do not give in to my demands, and it is not only your wife who will be ruined. You have no idea how far I am willing to go to get what I deserve.”

Agnes looked like a wild animal, and she was breathing heavily. She glared at the Duke, staring him down, and he only turned away because he wanted to get away from her. She did not scare or intimidate him, but she did have a way of getting what she wanted.

“My parents will host a ball soon. It is not the biggest event on the calendar, but it will be,” Agnes called after him. “Your sister and her sister are debuting soon. They are two of the most eligible young ladies in London. Their formal debut will be announced at the ball, and then another announcement will be made. That announcement will come from you, and it will dictate the course of your life, Your Grace.”

Edwin walked away from her.

“Think about this very carefully,” Agnes warned loudly. “I look forward to your attendance.”