Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

“ B ertram.”

Samuel’s voice was loud and firm inside one of the rooms at White’s, and he did not care much if others noticed. Several gentlemen paused and glanced at him before continuing their conversations as Samuel approached Lord Bertram.

Samuel did not frequent White’s very much, but he had heard from Lord Timothy that Lord Bertram was known for spending his evenings at that gentlemen’s club. Lord Timothy had been of great assistance in locating Lord Bertram for him since Lord Timothy knew London and its people much better than Samuel did. Samuel had expected that his absence from Town would have left him at a disadvantage, but thankfully, Lord Timothy was on his side.

Lord Bertram’s gaze shifted from the drink in his hand to Samuel, and despite his attempts to hide his fear, his eyes widened significantly. Samuel smiled smugly and approached the table where Lord Bertram was seated.

“You are just the person I wish to speak with, Bertram,” Samuel grinned and pulled up a chair.

Lord Bertram gazed nervously at him and swallowed hard.

“And why is that, Your Grace?”

Samuel leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes at Lord Bertram.

“I am certain that you are well aware of my reasons.”

“You have me at a loss, Your Grace,” Lord Bertram shrugged and rose to his feet.

“Sit down, Bertram.” Samuel’s voice was firm and filled with authority, which caused Lord Bertram to sit once again. “I am aware that it was you, Bertram, who wrote those things of me in the newspaper.”

Lord Bertram scoffed.

“I know not what you speak of.”

“Allow me to refresh your memory,” Samuel uttered, retrieving the article from his breast pocket and placing it before Lord Bertram on the table. “I will refrain from reading the entire article for you, as you are well aware of what you wrote.”

Lord Bertram shifted in his seat and glanced at Samuel.

“Your Grace-”

“Please, you have said enough. And I am not in the least bit interested in your excuses.”

“You ruined my social standing when we were at Oxford. I merely wished to return the favor,” Lord Bertram stated.

“You admit it? You wrote the article?”

“Indeed, I did. And I would gladly do it again. Your fall from grace was rather satisfying. Hearing my fabricated lies spread through the gossip of the ton was most pleasing to me. And knowing that I have finally managed to ruin your reputation, hence causing you to be shunned the way that I was shunned all those years ago, brings me great delight.”

“The rumor I started of your-”

“Please,” Lord Bertram raised his hand and shook his head. “I do not wish to hear your apology. I did not accept it back then, and I certainly do not accept it now.”

“I was not planning on apologizing, Bertram.”

“Now that the tables have turned, you still remain stubborn. Why is that?”

“Because I am not the man you are. I admit that I may not have been sensitive to your fragile ego, or the possible effects of my words, and may have said things which were not true, but I did so when in my cups, as part of a students’ game which called for making things up! It was done without ill intent. It was merely an innocent comment where I was none the wiser to its full impact.”

“My fragile ego,” Lord Bertram muttered and turned away.

“Indeed. Your attack on me was deliberate, with not only the intent of ruining my reputation and good name, but also that of everyone I came in contact with.”

Lord Bertram chuckled.

“I assume you speak of Lady Lillian.”

“Indeed I do.”

“I was not intent on ruining her reputation, Your Grace. I merely wished her to stop spending time in your company. I am well aware of how important her, and her family’s, reputations are to them, as Lady Welsford had made that abundantly clear to me. I knew that if I sent that threatening letter to Welsford House, and Lady Welsford became aware of it, she would have ceased all interactions with you.”

“But it did not work for a while, as Lady Lillian did not inform her mother straight away.”

“Indeed. I realized as much. The young woman is rather defiant in many ways. I quite admire that about her. She is certainly unlike any other young woman I have ever encountered.”

“I doubt very much that Lady Welsford will allow you anywhere near her daughter, or her home after they find out that it was you who sullied my good name.”

“Good name, ha. You are rather amusing,” Lord Bertram laughed bitterly. “Your father had a good name in Cornwall, but here in London, there was always the echo of old rumors about his tastes, in gambling and other areas. I see no reason to expect that you are any different – men learn their ways from their fathers, don’t they?”

“That is why you lured me here, where my name could easily be dragged through the mud, and where your lies would reach many more people.”

“I knew that you would come. Your pride has been your vice, as well as your loyalty to your father, regardless of whether he showed you any affection or attention while he was alive, or whether he deserved that loyalty at all,” Lord Bertram sneered.

“You will not speak of my father in such a derogatory manner. He was a great man.”

“So I have heard,” Lord Bertram rolled his eyes. “Have you finished?”

“Not in the least, Bertram. I have many questions, but the most pressing of all is, why did you set your sights on Lady Lillian?”

“Why her? If I recall correctly, I set my sights on her long before your return. It was merely unfortunate that the young lady gravitated towards you. She must have a liking for wounded and stray animals.”

Samuel’s anger bubbled to the surface, and he grabbed Lord Bertram’s cravat and pulled him closer.

“Choose your words carefully, Bertram.”

“Perhaps you two gentlemen should take whatever this strife is outside,” a gentleman suggested from beside them.

Samuel released Lord Bertram and rose from the table.

“My apologies,” Samuel told the gentleman, then turned back to Lord Bertram. “I will be waiting outside.”

Samuel did not pause for a response from Lord Bertram; he simply left White’s and proceeded to wait outside. It was not long until the door opened, and Lord Bertram approached him.

“I can tolerate many things, Bertram, but you certainly crossed a line when you broke into my home,” Samuel stated. “I am still unsure of how you managed to enter my home without anyone seeing you.”

“It was rather easy. I created a diversion a short distance away. It is incredible what people will do if you offer them a few coins.”

“What did you do?”

“I merely paid two men to create a diversion that was loud enough for your footmen to hear. They were on the scene rather speedily, attempting to restore the peace. I broke the window and climbed inside, then threw things around, creating a mess.”

“You certainly did make a mess of things, Bertram – care to inform me of just what you hoped to find in my home? Because it certainly looked like you’d been searching for something.”

Lord Bertram laughed – a bitter, ragged sound.

“Indeed I did make a great mess of the place - but there is no proof that it was me. And as far as what I was looking for? Given that Lady Lillian was still persisting with placing herself in your company, I thought to find something more to sully your reputation with. I reasoned that I might find evidence, either of your father’s peccadilloes, or of your own, if you had inherited his ‘tastes’. That would have given me material for further articles, to ensure that the ton never allowed your face to be seen in polite society again.”

Samuel looked at Lord Bertram with some amazement, shaking his head.

“You were never going to find anything of that nature, because there was nothing to find. My father was meticulous with his records, and while he had some questionable tastes, they did not extend to anything easily documented – he was no fool. And I most definitely did not inherit such tastes from him – quite the opposite – the example he provided was enough to make certain that I never indulged in any of the things he had enjoyed. You damaged my house for a foolish reason, which just goes to show how little you know about me.”

Bertram almost snarled at Samuel and waved his hand dismissively.

“Regardless of that, now that your name is tarnished and Lady Welsford will not allow Lady Lillian anywhere near you, I am free to court the young woman. It will bring me much joy when I marry her, knowing that you will never have her.” Samuel’s nostrils flared as he grabbed Lord Bertram by the collar and pushed him against a wall, but Bertram continued to speak, despite it. “There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that.”

“That is where you are mistaken, Bertram. The writing on the threatening letter that you sent me on the day that I arrived, as well as the letter that you sent to Lady Lillian, matches a note that was attached to a bouquet that you sent to Lady Lillian at her home.”

Lord Bertram’s face paled, and his eyes widened.

“What?”

“I will not repeat myself. There is clear proof that you are the culprit. You were intent on ruining me and scaring Lady Lillian, with the aim of ensuring a courtship and a possible marriage for you. Simply as revenge for what I did to you, unintentionally, over ten years ago. Is that not rather extreme?”

“You do not know what that ‘innocent comment’ did to my reputation and my family.”

“I can assure you that I do. And I do not take threats lightly. If you do not cease all contact with Lady Lillian, I assure you, a ruined reputation will be the least of your concerns,” Samuel hissed.

“Now you resort to threats, Your Grace?” Lord Bertram sneered.

“Indeed. The Constables will be rather intrigued to hear of your threatening letters to both myself and the innocent Lady Lillian, not to mention how you damaged my home. And I am certain that Lady Lillian, Lord Timothy, and the maids at my home would have much to say regarding your involvement in the matter. Jail time will certainly be a much worse fate than that which you initially anticipated by writing that article, is that not true?”

“You are blackmailing me.”

“I am. My father may have been not at all affectionate and starved me of attention, but he taught me a very valuable thing before he passed. He told me something I would never forget, and it is this: Fight fire with fire, and one challenge with another. I would never normally resort to threats, but you have left me little choice. I will not allow you to sully my name, nor that of the Colbornes.”

Lord Bertram’s jaw tightened, and he nodded in defeat.

“I will leave Lady Lillian be. You have my word. She is certainly not worth all of this trouble.”

“Watch your tongue, Bertram,” Samuel growled. “You will also print a public apology in the newspaper, admitting that you fabricated lies about me for your own personal gain.”

“Are you daft? That would ruin me entirely,” Lord Bertram exclaimed in disbelief.

“I do not recall saying that you would walk away from this unscathed, Bertram. And I doubt that the constables will be very forgiving of you in prison. Not to mention the prisoners themselves. A nobleman who threatened an innocent young lady is unlikely to be received well.”

“Alright,” Lord Bertram agreed, defeated. “I will do what you say.”

Samuel grinned in satisfaction and loosened his grip on Lord Bertram’s collar. Lord Bertram stumbled backward, lost his footing on the uneven cobblestones, and tumbled onto the ground into a large puddle of water. The Marquess was instantly drenched, but he did not attempt to scramble to his feet. Perhaps it was the menacing glare that Samuel gave him which made his knees weak. Or perhaps he realized that Samuel would not be bullied into leaving London without restoring his reputation first. Either way, Samuel had the upper hand, and Lord Bertram was well aware of it.

Much to Lord Bertram’s surprise, Samuel held out his hand to Lord Bertram. Lord Bertram hesitated for a moment before grabbing Samuel’s arm, allowing himself to be assisted off the ground.

“I am glad that we have come to an agreement, Bertram,” Samuel stated with a tight jaw, and stepped away from Lord Bertram.”

“Your Grace did not give me much of a choice.”

“That is where you are wrong, Bertram,” Samuel spoke slowly, careful not to provoke Lord Bertram, as Samuel was exhausted and did not wish to further the spectacle that he had already created here. “We are all given a choice in how we react to a situation. It does not matter what the situation is; it is how we decide to deal with the repercussions of our decisions that matter. You have made your choice; now, you must face the consequences. As must I face mine.”

“And what would that be?”

Samuel’s jaw tightened, and he straightened his coat.

“I shall be expecting that public announcement in the newspaper tomorrow, or two constables will be knocking on your door, Bertram.”

Bertram nodded nervously, wiping the water from his hands.

“And Bertram?”

“Your Grace?”

“Do not force my hand,” Samuel uttered before turning on his heel and making his way to his carriage. “Homeward,” he called to the coachman.

“As you wish, your Grace.”

As the carriage began to move, Samuel stared out of the window. He smiled to himself, but his bravery and courage wavered slightly, as Lady Lillian’s face entered his mind. Was there still any hope for him there?