Page 27 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess (Wallflower Season #3)
Chapter Seventeen
A ndrew whistled as he hurried away from the window.
Kate had been eager to accept his touch.
Her words denied him, but her body spoke of untamed desire.
He felt rather pleased that he had extracted a promise from her to meet him tonight.
Despite Lady Uxbridge’s annoying interruption of their lovemaking, perhaps it had turned out to be the best. Alone in his bedchamber, they would have no chance of being interrupted.
He strolled along the garden path, his hands clasped behind him.
He had already had his morning walk, but he wasn’t quite ready to return to Renwood Castle.
His eagerness to kiss Kate had distracted him from another purpose.
What to do about Harry and his dastardly behavior?
Fortune smiled upon him when he spotted Lord Pembrooke sitting on a bench in the garden.
“Pembrooke, it is most fortunate that I’ve found you here,” Andrew said, striding across the stone path until he was abreast with Nicholas. “I think there is something you should know.”
Startled, Nicholas looked up. “I didn’t hear you coming. I was rather distracted.” His expression changed as it dawned on him who was standing before him. He scowled. “I have nothing to say to you.”
Andrew held up a hand. “Wait. Come walk with me. I think you’ll be interested in what I have to say. It is imperative that you hear this.”
Nicholas’s face was wary, but he joined Andrew on the path. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming to my family home after all of the harm you’ve done.”
“It wasn’t me. I’ve discovered that the scoundrel was my very own cousin.” Andrew told Nicholas of Harry’s deceit, and his insistence that the wedding to Julia move forward.
“Julia agreed to this?” Nicholas’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “I cannot let this stand. Dash it all, I’ll thrash the man.” His jaw jutted forward. He clenched his fists by his side, then Nicholas spun on his heel to go find Harry.
Andrew put a restraining hand on his arm. “Do you trust me?”
Nicholas didn’t answer right away. His muscles were tight and the thunderous expression on his face said he wanted to engage in fisticuffs with Harry rather than talk. But when Andrew didn’t remove his hand from his arm, he finally calmed and nodded his head.
“It appears we have both been damaged by the Earl.” Nicholas held out his hand. “I'm sorry.”
Andrew clasped it in his own and they shook. His spirit lightened with this newly forged alliance with Kate’s brother. “You have nothing to apologize for as you were the victim of my cousin’s scurrilous tongue.” He laid a hand on Nicholas’s shoulder and said, “Let me tell you my plan.”
Kate sighed with exasperation. She had looked for Nicholas all morning, but he was nowhere to be found.
Now, she was trapped in the ladies’ sitting room stitching and gossiping while the men went on a shoot.
Really, was there nothing else that they could do besides embroider and gossip about the latest fashion?
What about the latest theatre performances or the latest novel released by Sir Walter Scott?
She stifled a yawn. Viola DeClancy gave her a sharp look. “Do we bore you, Miss Avery?”
Kate gave her a wan smile. “I apologize, Miss DeClancy. I haven’t had much sleep these past few weeks. I fear it is catching up with me.”
Julia gave her a look akin to a frightened rabbit, then quickly added. “I slept quite well. Snug as a dormouse in a church.”
Lady Uxbridge arched a brow. “Perhaps if one doesn’t roam the halls at all hours of the night, one would feel more rested.”
The Dowager Duchess coughed and said, “I meant to speak to you, Miss Avery. The mouse that frightened you so last night made its way into my bedchamber. My servant girl managed to trap it and take it out to a field to release it this morning. You should have no more sleepless nights.” She never looked up from her needlework, but Kate caught the hint of a smile.
“Thank goodness. I fear with the wheat harvest it has driven the poor things inside.” She waved her hand. “Renwood Castle is quite beautiful with all of its surrounding fields, but we are on nature’s doorstep and sometimes she likes to visit.”
The women all laughed daintily and went back to their needlework. Julia scooted her chair over closer to Kate and whispered, “Has any talk reached your ears?”
Kate shook her head causing one of her curls to escape from its confines.
She pushed it back with a finger. She glanced at Julia with her perfectly coifed hair, lovely green eyes, and her beautiful, pale complexion.
For years, Kate had suffered from a hint of jealousy of her friend’s beautiful golden looks and sunny disposition.
Now, she realized that Julia had her own problems.
She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “What were you doing in Lord Radford’s bedchamber last night? You are to be married tomorrow.”
Julia’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked away from Kate. When she turned back, her face was composed, and her voice was cold. “I could ask you why you were spying upon me. Is your life so void of joy that you must listen at doorways?”
Kate’s eyes widened at the venom in Julia’s voice.
She blinked and felt her own tears rising.
Julia’s haughty expression collapsed, and she grabbed Kate’s hand.
“I’m sorry. That was simply horrid of me to say.
I have behaved awfully, and you have been nothing but the dearest of friends to me. Forgive me.”
In an instant, Kate knew that her friend had struck out in haste and had not meant the unkind words. Yet in their own way, they struck a chord of truth. Her life had been devoid of joy as of late. The only brightness had been her sparring matches and stolen kisses with Andrew.
“May I tell you a secret, Julia?” Kate leaned closer to Julia. Their heads almost touched they were so close.
“Of course. And I should have told you mine.”
“I think I’m in love,” Kate whispered. There. The words were out before she had time to think about it.
Julia blinked. “With whom? Surely not the Viscount of Surry. Odious toad of a man. Unless it is him. If it is, please forgive the slip of my tongue.” She hastened to add.
Kate laughed, causing the other women in the room to stop their conversations and turn to them. Kate straightened and bent over her needlework until the others returned to their gossip. She turned slightly and said, “No. It is the Duke of Devonport. Andrew.”
Julia’s mouth dropped open and for a moment, she didn’t speak. Then, a smile lit up her face. “Ah. It is what I had hoped for.”
Kate wrinkled her nose in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Julia gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Do you really think I would send you into the Lavender Room with Lord Radford? I sent the note to the Duke of Devonport making it look as if it was in error. I always doubted he was the source of the gossip about Nicholas.”
“How?” Kate frowned.
“The duke has never been one to gossip. At the time, I believed Harry’s lies about Nicholas, but I never believed they came from the duke.
” Julia’s green eyes filled with tears once more, but she wiped them away.
“It doesn’t matter. I have made terrible choices, and marriage to Harry is the penance for my sins. ”
Kate clutched Julia’s hand. “You don’t have to marry him.” She straightened. “You could stay here with me. We can be two spinsters in the castle. We shall grow quite mad, and all the gossip will be about us wearing unfashionable gowns and riding horses at midnight. It will be marvelous.”
“You are a dear friend, Kate, and as much as I long to take you up on your offer, I have a duty to my family. No, I shall marry Harry tomorrow.” Julia stood abruptly before Kate had a chance to protest and said, “Pardon me, ladies. I just forgot that I wanted to add a bit of lace along the edge of my handkerchief that I will carry with my posy of flowers tomorrow. I shall just go and grab it.”
Julia could have sent one of the servants to fetch the handkerchief for her.
Kate suspected she simply wanted to escape the curious looks from Lady Uxbridge and the darted glances from the DeClancy sisters.
Kate longed to follow her friend and assure herself that she was fine, but Eliza Chambers, the lady Nicholas was courting, came and sat down next to her.
“Miss Avery, I had hoped to speak with you,” Eliza said.
“Miss Chambers, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m afraid we did not have the opportunity to be formally introduced.” Kate smiled. None of the things that had transpired were Eliza’s fault. It would be unhospitable to be unkind to her.
Eliza leaned forward, and her expression was eager.
“Yes. I told Nicholas that he should properly introduce us, but he has been quite out of sorts since our arrival. As you know, he has been courting me for some time, and I believe an announcement will be forthcoming. I have always wanted a sister!”
Kate’s smile faltered. This is an even bigger disaster than I thought. Nicholas didn’t tell me that he had called upon Eliza Chambers. “I was unaware, Miss Chambers. I have been quite busy with Julia’s wedding and have had little opportunity to speak with my brother. This is surprising news.”
Eliza’s cheeks grew pink and added to her charm. “I am being bold, but your brother is the most dashing and honorable man I’ve ever met. Mother is beside herself with happiness over our prospect of marriage.”
“And what of the rumors that have swirled about my brother’s name? Does this not give you cause for concern?”
“Not at all. Mother hates gossip. She was acquainted with your father and mother and said any son of the Viscount of Pembrooke is a man of honor. She dismissed the rumors about Nicholas immediately.” Eliza’s eyes sparkled.
At that moment, Kate felt trapped between two choices, and neither would be easy for her to accept.
She could let Julia and Harry’s marriage move forward without protest, or she could tell Nicholas of Harry’s deceit and her brother would break Eliza’s heart in his pursuit of Julia. Would either choice be right?
Kate set her needlework aside and stood. “I apologize, Miss Chambers. I must speak with my servants. I still have a few more items to see to before the wedding tomorrow.”
Eliza’s smile faltered, but then she nodded. “Of course. Everything has been marvelous so far. Tomorrow’s wedding should be spectacular.”
As she hurried away, Kate hoped that she would be forgiven for her small lie.
Julia’s revelation that she had meant to send the note to Andrew had startled her.
Even more startling was the news that her brother had been calling on Miss Chambers so much that she expected an engagement soon.
She slipped into her library and made sure it was empty before she collapsed onto her chaise, glad of a moment’s respite and chance to think.
Andrew hadn’t gone shooting with the rest of the gentlemen. Instead, he had secreted himself away in his bedchamber and taken a much-needed nap. If he were to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning with Kate, he wanted to be rested and prepared.
Earlier, he and Nicholas had spent a long time in conversation. When he had informed the viscount that it was his cousin Harry, not he, who had spread scandalous gossip, Andrew had to restrain Nicholas to keep him from finding Harry and thrashing him.
“The earl and I have been acquaintances for years. To have him betray our friendship is disturbing. To know that he wanted Julia for himself is something I never expected,” Nicholas said, pacing across the stable.
He and Andrew had walked down to the stables in order to have privacy from the prying ears of other guests.
“Miss Roves is a beautiful woman filled with intelligence. I understand from your sister that you have known her since you were children,” Andrew reached out and patted one of the horses.
Nicholas’s face brightened. “She and I played with Julia here at Renwood.” His expression darkened.
“It was to be us married here at the castle. It had long been Julia’s wish.
I never dreamt it would be to a man like the Earl of Winfield.
Dash it all to hell, man! I’m going to lose the woman I love in less than twenty-four hours. ”
Andrew rested his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “I think I can help.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. As he spoke, Nicholas’s dark expression faded and was replaced with determination.