Page 34 of Lady Mariel’s Scandalous Love

Chapter Fourteen

The Earl of Kelsbrook stared at the letter in his hand.

He had been startled when it arrived, for he barely knew the Duke of Cockleigh, and could not imagine why the man might be writing to him. He had been no further enlightened by the letter’s contents. Cockleigh asked that he, with his wife, might come immediately to Longwood Peak, the residence of Cockleigh’s son and heir, the Marquess of Longwood, to discuss a ‘matter of great importance, with respect to their daughter, Lady Mariel’.

How Cockleigh might even know Mariel puzzled him – he did not think that she had ever been introduced to the man. And Mariel was currently staying with the Duke and Duchess of Southolton. Perhaps they might have some idea of why he had received this missive?

He had searched the maps in his library, and discovered that Longwood Peak was but a half hour’s travel from Fortescue Grange, so perhaps the clue was there.

But what was he to do? It seemed ridiculous to simply disrupt himself and Angelique to rush about the countryside.

Then again – how could he not go? Cockleigh was well respected, and unlikely to make such a request without good reason, after all. He sighed, and rose from the chair behind his desk to go in search of his wife, and make suitable arrangements.

His thought, as he left the room, was a consideration of what possible scandal Mariel might have managed to embroil herself in – she was prone to bold and rash actions, and he had always feared that, one day, those actions would lead to ruin.

~~~~~

Mariel spent the next two days in mental turmoil, all the while still working on the book each day. Dash seemed distracted, and spent much time with his father, who had unbent in his attitude at least enough to greet Mariel politely, even though he frowned ferociously when she sat down to work. That frowning presence made her even more aware of the arousing nature of the material that she was translating, and of how much she wanted Dash beside her, wanted his kisses, wanted, if she was completely honest, to receive a declaration of love from him.

She felt rather foolish, and rather lost – for she still had no idea of his true feelings, and of how he intended to respond to his father’s insistence that they marry – an insistence which she had to pretend to be unaware of, for Dash had not mentioned it to her. At the end of each day, when they returned to Fortescue Grange, she collapsed, exhausted, into sleep.

On the third day, she woke late, and they did not, therefore, arrive at Longwood Peak until an hour or two later than usual. When they approached the door, and Chalmers opened it, the butler seemed a little uncomfortable.

“Ah, good day, Lady Mariel, I aah… I must warn you that…”

His words were cut off by a rather strident voice.

“Mariel, what have you done! You promised me, when I allowed you to come to stay with Selina, that it would not end in scandal – you promised! Yet here we are, embroiled in scandal, with you at the very heart of it. You always were too forward, taking terrible risks, and now it ends like this, in ruination!”

The owner of the voice had come rushing out of the parlour upon hearing the front door open.

“Mother…? Why are you here?”

Mariel felt quite certain that there could only be one reason – someone had informed her parents of not only Dash’s collection, but of her role in translating the book – she could not imagine anything less bringing them here in haste. But who?

“I am here to make sure that you do the right thing, that Lord Longwood does the right thing, and that, as much as is possible, scandal is averted. I am not willing to allow you to ruin your brother and sister’s prospects because of your rash foolishness.”

“My foolishness? Do the right thing? What are you talking about mother?”

Mariel was almost shaking, and Selina took her arm, and squeezed gently in encouragement.

“Your foolishness, in actually looking at… at... that highly improper book, and even reading it! You must marry Lord Longwood, of course. It was he who showed it to you – reading such a thing, together – its tantamount to engaging in… physical intimacies!”

Her mother’s face was red with embarrassment as she spoke, and Mariel was torn between the urge to scream in frustration, and the urge to laugh hysterically at her mother’s struggle to speak about fornication and the erotic without saying any inappropriate words.

She went forward, determined to at least move the conversation elsewhere, where it would not be played out to an audience of servants. Her mother grasped her arm firmly, and all but dragged her into the parlour. Dash sat on a couch, and his father sat in a chair nearby, conversing with Mariel’s father. Her heart sank further – she suspected, in the instant, that she knew how her parents came to be there. The Duke must have written to them, demanding their presence, so that they could help him force Dash and Mariel to marry – had he not said, in his conversation with Dash the day of his arrival ‘I can bring pressure to bear’?

Her mother released her arm, and, defiant, she went to sit beside Dash on the couch. Her mother glared, but said nothing more. Dash met her eyes, and she saw apology there. She smiled at him, with a tiny shake of her head – she understood that he had not chosen to force her into this situation.

The Duke paused in his conversation with her father, and turned his gaze upon her. She felt rather like an insect, about to be squashed, or pinned to a naturalist’s board. Dash took her hand, and gently tightened his fingers on hers.

“Lady Mariel. About time you arrived, my dear. Now, let me get straight to the point – I have discussed the situation with your parents, and we are agreed – there is no option, given all of the circumstances, but for you and Longwood to marry. Nothing else will minimise the scandal effectively, for your family or mine. There will still be scandal, but we believe that we have come up with a way to limit that, with a clever approach to opening Longwood’s Museum in London. But without a marriage, there is no way to save your reputation, or his. I’ll not have my son labelled a depraved rake who ruins innocents. And neither I, nor your parents, would see you ruined, and your siblings’ lives blighted because of it. Do you understand?”

Mariel swallowed, unsure how to respond. As she hesitated, Dash spoke.

“Mariel, I would never force you to do anything you did not choose to do. I am more than willing to marry you, if you will accept me, for I care for you – but it must be your choice. I would not do anything to make you unhappy.”

Her heart beat faster at his words – but… was he simply being noble? Just how much did he care for her? His fingers tightened on hers again. Her mother spoke then, as she still hesitated.