EPISODE ONE HUNDRED AND THREE A SCENE OF DEBAUCHERY

EPISODE ONE HUNDRED AND THREE

A SCENE OF DEBAUCHERY

S lashes of crimson colored Regina s cheeks. Miss Wharton! she gasped. You-you-and Lord Devin-

Daisy panicked. Desperation churned in her gut. To this point she d lied by omission, but now It is not his baby! she cried. It is my baby!

Miles didn t respond, but Regina curled her lip.

My child, Daisy repeated, her voice croaking.

Regina fixed her with a basilisk s glare. Obviously. The resemblance is unmistakable. I am appalled that you disguised your debauched relationship by pretending that you and Lord Devin were merely old friends.

I had not anticipated a morning call from you, Lady Regina, Miles said.

And I thought you, Lord Devin, to be an honorable gentleman, despite your tawdry reputation, Regina retorted. It is salutary to know the truth. This situation is remarkably distasteful. I feel tarnished by proximity. My mother will be horrified.

She showed no sign of taking her outraged self out the door, though.

As if on cue, Belle let out a high screech that made Daisy jump.

Young woman, Miles said to Regina s maid, take this child downstairs and ask the cook to feed her some porridge. A vein was throbbing in his forehead.

After a nod from Regina, the woman walked out of the room, holding Belle at arm s length as if she were a cat fished from a rain barrel.

Please don t let us keep you, Lady Regina, Miles said with biting emphasis, since you feel so What do you feel? How precisely do you think that standing in this room will tarnish your person?

I rang the bell out of Christian charity, worried that Miss Wharton s reputation would be dented by spending time under your roof without a chaperone, Regina said righteously. Had I known that I was entering a scene of debauchery, I would have stayed far away.

I congratulate you on your benevolent instincts, Miles replied. However, I m afraid that you are de trop . Miss Wharton and I are in the midst of a significant discussion.

I imagine that you are, Regina said, looking as if her feet were glued to the floor. Very significant. That child is clearly yours, Lord Devin. It has its mother s eyes and its father s bone structure.

Daisy opened her mouth, but Miles glanced at her and snarled, No. Then he turned to Regina. I would like you to leave. No explanation is owed to you, nor shall any be given.

Regina sniffed. Her face had settled into lines of heavy disapproval, making her look several decades older than she was. That child is some months old, which suggests that you , Miss Wharton, formed an alliance with Lord Devin sometime last year, presumably after you were absent from polite society due to your uncle s misdemeanors or while in mourning for his death. To think that I was considering taking you , Lord Devin, for a husband. I was close to accepting your hand.

Perhaps Regina expected Miles to look dismayed? Daisy fancied she could see thunderclouds forming around his head.

I was not aware that I was being considered for such an honor, he said with searing directness. Your consideration does not align with my inclinations. I had no intention of proposing to you.

A ringing silence filled the room.

Regina had been red with indignation; now she paled, blinking rapidly.

You shouldn t make any rash judgments, Lord Devin, Daisy said impulsively. Lady Regina was shocked by the presence of a baby.

I wouldn t take your leavings, Miss Wharton, Regina said, regaining some of her fire.

Miles turned to Daisy. Really ? Are you encouraging me to propose to Lady Regina?

Another terrible silence.

No, she whispered.

Excellent, Miles said. Since you re marrying me, it would have been most disconcerting to have you foisting me onto another woman.

He has despoiled your innocence, Regina spat. I blame Lady Wharton for the scanty nature of your bodices, which necessarily drew male lust. I fear that society will not take this news well.

Lord Devin didn t know of the baby until today, Daisy said, trying desperately to think of a way out of the morass without bringing shame to her mother.

Some will excuse him on those grounds, Regina said. I shall ever fault him for his ungentlemanly behavior in seducing you in the first place, low bodices or no!

I will have to live with your opinion, Miles said grimly. His eyes weren t contemptuous. They were blank. Void of any feeling.

Daisy took a deep breath. Her mind was whirling, and she could scarcely think. The conversation was moving so quickly that it felt out of her control. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. Miles didn t want to marry her-he didn t even like her-but now he had announced their marriage to Regina, of all people.

If you, Lord Devin, had married Miss Wharton before the child was born, the situation might have been salvaged, Regina said, a near-gleeful tone in her voice. Your reputation, such as it is, will be ruined . My brother will be gravely disappointed in you. I shall write him at once.

Miles s eyes flared. I don t give a damn what you will or won t do. I m marrying Daisy, but my decision has nothing to do with you. If you would please return to your own domicile, Lady Regina, I intend to arrange for an immediate marriage.

My brother considers you his closest friend but even he will never forgive you. She laughed shrilly. I doubt that Lord Paget will wish for you to continue investigating the crimes of the aristocracy. The fox minding the henhouse!

Horror went down Daisy s spine. It was one thing to ruin her own reputation, although she couldn t bear to think about her mother at the moment. But Miles s as well? If it hadn t been for the stupid impulse that sent her to his house begging for help, he wouldn t be obligated to marry her.

Regina, if you tell anyone about Belle, I shall describe precisely what happened when you accosted my cousin s husband, Major FitzRoy, last year, she blurted out.

Regina opened her mouth, but Daisy raised a finger. Society has been allowed to think that you jilted Major FitzRoy, causing him to turn to my cousin Livie. That will no longer be the case. Frederick will confirm my account.

For a moment she thought that Regina would be unable to contain herself, but then a mask of civility fell over her face, only her eyes showing her stark rage. I fail to see how my silence will help your situation, but I shall certainly hold my tongue.

You will not only remain silent, but you will actively support our marriage, Miles said. In six months, society will be notified that one of my wife s distant relatives recently died in India, orphaning a child.

Regina looked as stunned as Daisy felt. India?

Haven t either of you noticed the preponderance of children who are supposedly orphaned and sent home from that country?

Daisy shook her head.

How distasteful, Regina said.

It s the child s only chance at a respectable future. When the time comes, she will debut with an extravagant dowry, supposedly the inheritance from her father s work for the East India Trading Company. We will tactfully acknowledge that the child s

father was illegitimate, which is why he doesn t appear in Debrett s, but she is the orphaned daughter of a wholesome marriage.

I had no idea you were so imaginative, Daisy said, stunned.

I am not imaginative, Miles said. I am merely well-acquainted with the sins of the aristocracy. We will marry tomorrow in the Duke of Lennox s private chapel, which will allow Lady Regina to spread the news that we are desperately in love.

I will? Regina asked.

The look on his face made her fall back a step. I suppose I could do that.

I will send footmen out to invite a select few to the ceremony tomorrow, Miles continued. You, Lady Regina, will cheerfully attest to nurturing our romance. Your enthusiasm for our love story-and the fact we are marrying in your family s chapel-will quell the pity you would otherwise receive.

Peevishness was replaced by horror as Regina s eyes rounded. Pity?

As yet another prospective bridegroom turns away, Miles said pointedly.

Regina s eyelashes fluttered but she recovered quickly. You certainly can t do a wedding breakfast here, given your ancient butler, so I shall host the event following the ceremony.

Daisy felt paralyzed. Her life had begun unraveling at the seams that morning, and now it was reshaping without her input. That would be very kind of you, Regina, she managed.

Yes, it would, Regina said petulantly. After all, I had quite decided to marry you myself, Lord Devin.

Miles groaned. Must we-

Regina cut him off. If you wish to persuade society that your marriage is a case of love and not scandal, you should keep all polite observances. Lady Wharton s feelings are quite likely disarranged, so I shall do this from the goodness of my heart.

She flounced from the room without another word.

Goodness of her heart my ass ! Miles snarled.