Page 3 of A Suitable New Year’s Revenge (Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society #42)

Helena didn’t get a wink of sleep that night. Round and round in her mind went Mr. Teviot’s preposterous idea.

When he’d first proposed it, Lady Welles had burst out laughing and clapping her hands. She claimed he was brilliant.

But Helena had reservations. It would be sly and deceitful. On the other hand, she could completely understand why Mr. Teviot wanted to get revenge on his father—to keep a man away from his family was simply cruel. And goodness knew she didn’t owe Baron Hazelton any allegiance, not to mention if this plan worked, she would get exactly what she wanted.

But a false engagement? Could she even do that? She had always excelled in the few theatrics she’d participated in as a girl. She had no idea if she was capable of lying to Mr. Teviot’s whole family, though. They would need to keep up the ruse for them as well as his father—the fewer people who knew, the less likely it was that someone would let the truth slip.

Helena didn’t know if it was simply exhaustion, but the longer she thought about it, the more appealing the idea become. Lady Welles had been so kind as to offer to keep an eye on Helena’s father, and she was certain she could get Dr. Colburne to pay him a short visit every day.

It wouldn’t be that she was leaving him entirely alone—there was the housekeeper and her father’s valet who both already looked after him whenever Helena was unable. And Dr. Colburne would inform her if her father declined to a dangerous point. She could be back here in six hours at the most—less if she rode, but it was really too cold for that.

By morning, Helena had made up her mind. She would do this. It was an enormous risk, but truly, Lord Hazelton had given her no choice.

She quickly penned a note to Mr. Teviot, telling him she would be ready to leave no later than ten. It didn’t take her long to pack a small satchel—it was unlikely that she would be gone for no more than a week.

Her father was awake and sitting up in bed, reading, when she went in to tell him. As she’d been packing, she’d decided she’d follow Mr. Teviot’s lead and not divulge the truth to him.

“He-Helena,” her father wheezed.

She came forward and placed a kiss on his leathery cheek. He had aged in these past two years—more than a man should.

“Should you be sitting up like this, Papa?” she asked, fussing a little with his covers.

He gave her a lopsided little smile. “I will while I can.”

She nodded her understanding, taking his hand. “I have some incredible news, Papa, but I don’t want you to become overexcited. Can you promise me that you will try not to?”

He gave a wheezing cough that might have been a laugh, but it sent him into a true coughing fit for a moment.

She grabbed the handkerchief that sat on the table next to his bed. “Don’t swallow it, spit it out,” she told him as she’d done so many times before.

He spit a clump of mucus into the cloth. “Good,” she soothed, wiping his lips.

“What-what is this news?” he finally asked.

“A gentleman has proposed to me,” she said quickly before she thought too much about it or changed her mind about telling him.

“What?” He tried to sit up further and lean toward her, but she placed her hands on his shoulders, stopping him.

“I met him some time ago, and we have met a few times since. I didn’t want to tell you earlier for fear that you would get your hopes up.”

He frowned at her, drawing his bushy gray eyebrow down.

“I met him again last night at Lady Ayres Christmas party and he asked me then.”

“Why-why has he not come and spoken to me?”

“Because you’ve been so ill, I imagine. Anyway, I have not said yes just yet. He is very close to his family and asked if I might go and meet them. Would you mind very much if I left you for a few days, Papa? Lady Welles and Dr. Colburne both said they’d come and visit every day.”

“But who is he?” Her father’s voice was so rough and quiet Helena could barely hear him.

She knew he would ask this and now was grateful her father had been too ill this past two weeks to take any interest in his correspondence. Helena had gone through it to be sure there wasn’t anything urgent and so had learned who her father’s heir was, but she had not yet told him—nor that she’d corresponded with the man.

“His name is Pine Teviot, and he is the son and heir to Baron Hazelton,” she told her father truthfully.

He continued to frown. “I do not know him,” he admitted. That was not at all surprising. Her father only knew a nobleman if he was also a scholar.

“He is quite well off. The family seat is not too far from London, so should you need me while I’m gone, I can be home within a day.”

He nodded.

“I am taking Lucy, my maid, with me, and Mr. Teviot’s mother, father, two sisters and his younger brother will all be there, so you have no need to worry about me being properly chaperoned,” she told him. He would never have thought of it on his own, but it was best to head it off should he think of it later.

“I shall have my-my solicitor here to draw up marriage settlements for when you both return.” His words were beginning to slur, and Helena could tell he was becoming tired.

“That would be wonderful, Papa, but please don’t overtax yourself.”

He lifted a hand slightly to wave away her concerns. His eyes fluttered closed and his hand dropped back onto the counterpane. His breathing slowed and deepened. Helena just stood for a moment watching him, before turning and leaving.

It was a very long, very awkward journey to Hazelton. They chatted for the first half hour or so—simply the social niceties. Mr. Teviot then closed his eyes and Helena pulled out a book she’d brought along—thank goodness she could read in a moving coach. Her father always became ill if he tried to do so.

They stopped for luncheon and for a change of horses. Mr. Teviot was standing and looking up at the sky when Helena joined him at the coach after making use of the necessary.

She looked up as well. It looked like an ordinary December day to her. The sky was just white with bits of gray in the clouds here and there. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“Er, no. I’m just hoping the snow holds off until after we get there,” he told her.

“Do you think it will snow?”

“Yes, you see over there? The clouds have more gray. They look like they’re just about ready to drop a good amount of snow on us.”

“But that’s all the way over there,” she pointed out.

“And that is the direction we’re headed.”

“Oh.”

“Indeed. Let’s be on our way and with any luck, it will hold off.”

He handed her into the coach and gave the coachman the signal to go.

A few hours later, just as Helena was beginning to miss her tea, Mr. Teviot leaned forward and began watching out the window.

“It isn’t snowing is it?” she asked. She had no idea whether the horses would be able to continue if it was, or if they would be hampered by the snow.

“It’s just beginning. A little flake here and there, but so far nothing to worry about. And we should be there in about an hour,” he said. “Perhaps we should discuss our ruse.”

“Oh, yes. What do you think we should know about each other to make it convincing?” she asked, putting away her book.

He just stared at her for a moment. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“What were you thinking of?”

“Well, to be honest? I was thinking of the best way for you to annoy my father, so he refuses to allow me to marry you.” He gave her a sheepish grin.

Helena laughed. “Sadly, I’m rather good at either annoying gentlemen or boring them so completely they never want to lay eyes on me again.”

Mr. Teviot started to laugh, but perhaps realized that would be polite and quickly turned it into a cough. “I’m certain that can’t be true.”

She gave him a sad smile. “Try me.”

His lips quirked. “How about if we just get to know each other better so we can convincingly present ourselves as a couple in love?”

Helena tilted her head a touch. “Love? What an interesting notion. Do you hope to marry for love—when you do eventually marry, I mean?”

“I do. I believe very strongly that love, or at the very least, a strong friendship, is necessary to a happy marriage.” He paused and looked out the window once again. “My parents have provided me with an excellent example of an unhappy marriage—you will never meet two people less alike. My friends, however, I’ve seen fall in love and marry. Their marriages are very happy ones.”

Helena nodded, thinking about this. “I suppose you’re right. A couple, at the very least, should have common interests. My parents were both scholars. They understood the desire of the other to sit quietly with their studies.”

“Are you that way? Do you prefer to sit quietly with a book?”

Helena gave a little laugh. “Much to my mother’s delight and confusion, I actually enjoyed going to parties and dancing. Sadly, when I did so, I had no idea how to speak to a man about anything other than academics, so I invariably chased them off. I did, however, spend many happy evenings just watching everyone around me.”

Mr. Teviot frowned. “But you’re an intelligent woman. Couldn’t you learn how to make small talk?”

“Oh! I did, certainly. But invariably, we’d run out of things to say, or the gentleman would be speaking to me about something, and it would remind me of a play, so I’d quote it to him.”

Mr. Teviot smiled. “Nothing wrong with that. Not really.”

“In the original Greek,” she added.

“Oh.” He laughed. “Yes, well...” He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “I actually did rather well learning Greek and Latin in school.” He shrugged. “I’ve got a knack for languages. I was never any good at mathematics, though.”

“Αεηπου ο ? δ ? ν, π ? ντα δ’ εηπ ? ζειυ χρωετ, 1 ” she quoted.

“Nothing is…” he thought for a moment. “Unhoped?”

She nodded. “‘Nothing is hopeless, we must hope for everything.’ Euripides.”

He shook his head. “I never heard that one, but I think the only play I’ve read of his was Electra.”

She nodded. “His most famous. A wonderful play. There are so many allusions to—” She stopped herself, pressing her lips together.

He just smiled. “Miss Lawson, if you speak like that in front of my father, we will have no difficulties whatsoever.”

She gave him a confused smile. “Does your father not like Euripides? Or perhaps he doesn’t like someone starting to say something and then not finishing?”

Mr. Teviot barked out a laugh. “To be honest, I don’t know what he thinks of either. But one thing I am certain of is that he doesn’t believe women are capable of any sort of analytical thought, or really any thought at all beyond what should be served for dinner.”

That sobered Helena a great deal. “I have heard there are men like that. I have never had the mis-” she stopped herself. “You aren’t like that, are you?”

“Good God, no! I learned young how my mother used to hide from my father the fact that she had to correct his calculations of the household accounts. She would submit receipts to him, he would tally them, and then she would correct his mistakes. I think that’s where I get my inability with numbers—from my father,” he said, with a chuckle.

Helena smiled. “Goodness, well, I hope whoever you marry is better than you or else your steward may rob you blind and you’ll never know.”

He shook his head with a smile twinkling in his eyes. “You are absolutely correct.”

The carriage slowed to make the turn into a long drive.

“Ah, we’re here,” he said, peering out the window again. He turned back to her with true warmth in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Miss Lawson, you are going to do brilliantly. Just be yourself and my father will dislike you immediately.”

Pine descended from the coach first. From the moment his feet touched the ground, he was swamped with emotion at being home again.

The place hadn’t changed. Then again, it probably hadn’t changed in over fifty years since his grandfather had added the wing onto the south side of the building—to match the one built a generation before on the north side. The house was now shaped like a U with the additions jutting out in front of it. It was an unusual arrangement, but it was home.

“Mr. Teviot?” Miss Lawson said, standing in the doorway of the coach waiting for him to either help her down or move out of the way.

“I do beg your pardon,” he said quickly, turning around and holding out his hand for her.

She was looking up at the house with wide eyes. “It’s very large,” she said quietly.

Pine looked at the house and gave a shrug. “It’s just home to me.”

“How long has it been since you’ve been here?” she asked.

“Too long—over two years.”

She gave him an understanding smile.

“I do hope you won’t think me too forward, but if we are to come across as a happy couple, perhaps you should call me by my given name. And may I use yours?” he asked.

“Oh, yes! Of course.” She seemed perfectly content with this, so he turned back toward the house.

“Ready?”

She took in a deep breath. “Not in the least. Shall we?”

He gave a little laugh and tucked her gloved hand around his arm. He gave a quick rap on the door and was a little surprised when it was opened immediately by Jones, their butler.

Never one to hide his feelings, despite the fact that butlers were supposed to remain stoic at all times, he greeted Pine with a broad, welcoming smile. “Welcome home, Master Pine.”

Pine entered, giving Jones a friendly pat on his shoulder. “Thank you, Jones. It has been too long.”

“Indeed, it has, sir. The family has just gone in to their Christmas dinner. I shall announce you.”

“Thank you.”

At the mention of dinner, Pine could hear Helena’s stomach give a little growl. She put a hand to her abdomen.

“Excuse me!”

Pine just laughed. “I’m rather hungry myself. I’m glad we arrived in time for dinner.”

They both shed their coats, handing them to a footman who had materialized from somewhere.

Jones led the way to the dining room. “Mr. Teviot has arrived, my lord.”

Pine walked in with Helena just one step behind him. His entire family was sitting around the table covered in plates of ham, roast, vegetables, and all manner of other special Christmas dinner treats.

There was a moment of stunned silence as Pine’s family stopped speaking to stare at him. Two breaths later, all but his father were on their feet, hugging him and pulling at his hand.

“Pine! I can’t believe it,” his mother said, tears glistening in her eyes.

“This is the best Christmas present ever!” Daisy, his youngest sister exclaimed.

“Helena, this is my mother, Lady Hazelton. Daisy and Marigold, as I’ve told you, are five and three years younger, and Ash is one year my junior.”

Helena gave a curtsy to Lady Hazelton and a nod to the others.

His father stood and cleared his throat loudly enough to catch the attention of everyone. They all fell silent. “Well?” he said, glowering at his son and heir.

Pine straightened his back and then gestured to Helena. “Father, may I introduce Miss Helena Lawson—” he waited a beat and then added, “my fiancée?”

His mother let out a sob, but quickly put her hand to her mouth to stifle it.

Lord Hazelton narrowed his eyes. “Miss Lawson? As in Lord Cumnor’s daughter?” he ground out. “Well, aren’t you a tricky little...” he paused, perhaps to modify his language, “piece of work. I deny you the right to stay in my house and then you show up on my son’s arm, claiming to be his fiancée.”

Pine’s brother, Ash, gasped and his mother let out a little squeak.

“It is my house, my lord, while my father still lives,” she said, drawing herself up to her full height. “And one thing has nothing to do with the other. In fact, when I requested my father’s solicitor to write you, I considered asking him to include the fact that Pine and I were close, hoping that might sway you, but then decided against doing so as I didn’t believe that to be proper—and I hadn’t asked Pine if I might tell you of our association.”

Pine’s father turned to him for confirmation of this. Pine was proud of Helena for coming up with that on the spur of the moment, but quickly gave a nod of his head. “In fact, Helena didn’t even tell me of the relationship until our journey here. I was never so embarrassed, Father, and wondered that she didn’t refuse my proposal on that basis alone.”

“Oh, no, Pine,” Helena said, putting her hand on his arm. “I love you too much to allow something like that to come between us.” She gazed up into his eyes so tenderly even he forgot it was all a ruse for a moment.

“And I love you too, my sweet.” He ran his thumb down her soft cheek and returned her gaze, hoping his own was as convincing as hers.

His father just huffed and sat back down. The moment he did so, Pine and Helena, both, were engulfed in a hug from his mother. Tears were running down her face as she looked at them. “I am so happy!”

Pine gave his mother an extra little squeeze. “Then you must stop crying, Mama.”

She sniffed and wiped away her tears. “Yes, yes, of course. Come, come and sit down. Oh, yes, John, thank you,” she added as she noticed the footman laying two more place settings on the table next to where Ash had been sitting.

They all sat down again, and Pine and Helena were immediately bombarded with questions from his sisters: how did they meet? How long have they known each other? How did Pine propose? Had he knelt before her as he did so?

Pine put his hand over Helena’s and gave it a little squeeze before he started weaving tales for his demanding little sisters

Oh, but it was so wonderful to be home!

1 See Author’s Note for an explanation of this quote.