Chuckling, Mary nodded. “It is true. Can you imagine? I daresay that must be quite a sight to behold.”
“As are you,” he said, releasing her hand. It cooled with the absence of his touch—a sensation she did not like in the least—but they had reached the first floor landing and she knew as well as he that it was time for them to part.
“You flatter me.”
“Not nearly enough.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Write your letter to Mr.Taylor, Mary, and I promise you that everything will be all right in the end.”
After watching Mary disappear around a corner, Richard went in the opposite direction, returning to his own bedchamber shortly after. Once inside and with the door closed, he expelled a deep breath, hoping that he would be right in the assurance he’d given her.
His eyes dropped to the floor where another missive lay, recently delivered while he’d been out. Snatching it up, he tore it open and read the information that his secretary had sent him. As always, it was brief and to the point:
The Earl of Rotridge is a very wealthy man. He does not need to marry for money. Indeed, there is little that he desires. After some investigation, however, I have discovered that there is a property that he would like to acquire since it adjoins his own. The land is presently owned by the Marquess of Richmond, his son being the Earl of Harrodsburg. Curiously, however, the earl will not be inheriting this land since it is not entailed. Instead, the marquess has chosen to will it to his granddaughter, Mary Bourneville.
Setting the letter aside, Richard crossed to the window and looked out, his jaw clenching with anger. Evidently, Rotridge didn’t care about Mary, but to try and blackmail her into marriage so that he could increase the size of his property was unconscionable.
His brother’s discernible knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” Richard said as he crossed to the sideboard and selected two tumblers. Behind him, he heard the door open and close. “Brandy?” he asked.
“Thank you. I would appreciate that,” Spencer said. His footsteps were measured as he went to take a seat in one of the armchairs. “I thought you should know that however unorthodox your courtship with Lady Mary has been, I am happy with your success, even if you did risk ruining her.”
Snorting, Richard turned toward his brother with the two full tumblers in his hands. “You took a similar risk with Sarah, according to what you have told me,” he said as he offered Spencer his drink.
“I will admit that she and I were alone a few times and that I was... tempted to take advantage of those situations. But I refrained.”
Hesitating a moment, Richard lowered himself into the opposite chair. “I hope you are not implying that I have taken liberties.”
Spencer studied him for a long drawn out moment while Richard stared straight back at him. If his brother knew about the kisses he’d shared with Mary a lengthy reprimand would surely follow. “You were always popular with the ladies, Richard, but you were never a scoundrel. I have no reason to believe that your conduct with Lady Mary has been anything but gentlemanly.” Tilting his glass in Richard’s direction, he took a sip of his drink.
Richard wouldn’t go so far as to call himself a gentleman where Mary was concerned. His thoughts about her had certainly been of the more scandalous variety. Shifting, he followed his brother’s example and drank. “Then let us refrain from discussing the matter any further.”
“Mama is thrilled,” Spencer added, ignoring Richard’s remark. “So are Papa and the rest of our siblings, by the way. There is no doubt that Lady Mary will make an excellent addition to our family.” He paused for a second before saying, “It must have taken a great deal of courage for you to reveal yourself to her.”
Leaning his head back, Richard looked up at the ceiling while the memory of that important moment when Mary had first laid eyes on his face, passed before his eyes. “You have no idea.”
“You care for her a great deal.”
Lowering his gaze, Richard met Spencer’s. “Of course I do.”
Nodding, Spencer set his glass aside on the table that stood between them. “In that case, I would advise you to be completely honest with her.”
The comment was so unexpected that Richard felt his entire body stiffen in response to it. Frowning, he leaned forward. “What are you saying?”
“That I think there may be more than one reason for your prolonged absence from Society and that your appearance is not entirely to blame.”
Gritting his teeth, Richard felt his pulse rise. “Then you would be wrong, Spencer.”
“And yet, it took only a couple of weeks for you to abandon five years of solitary confinement for the sake of a woman.” Spencer shook his head. “I may not understand why, but I know that there must have been more to it than Lady Mary’s compelling personality to sway such resolve.”
“I love her.”
“Not when you first laid eyes on her. What happened, Richard? What caused you to realize that the life you have always dreamed of could finally be yours? None of my assurances in that regard seemed to have made a difference. Neither did Sarah’s.”
Looking askance, Richard stared into the empty fireplace. His hand tightened around his glass. “Suffice it to say that I recently completed a business transaction that has given me some peace of mind.”
Spencer grunted. “Good. You deserve some peace of mind after all that you have suffered. Still, you ought to tell Lady Mary about it.”
“It is in the past now. I would like for it to remain there so that I may move forward with my life.” For five long years his very existence had depended on getting revenge. He’d finally accomplished that goal and was happy to have found a more positive purpose.
A long moment of silence followed. Eventually Spencer said, “Secrets generally have a way of surfacing, Richard. Just be sure that if you choose to keep this one to yourself, that Lady Mary will not think less of you for it, or worse, be hurt by it if she happens to find out what it is. In my experience, people do eventually discover the things that you would most like to keep from them.”
