Too Hot For A Rake Read online

  Jane, at ten the youngest Fairchild, loved to eat and to pry. These habits irritated everyone in the household from the lowliest servant to her autocratic father. “Don’t you dare hurt my Prince,” she said to the two footmen struggling to control the frisky pup. She grabbed two biscuits from the table. “Here, Prince,” she crooned in a singsong voice. “Look what your Jane has for you, love.” The obedient pup drooled, his eyes on the treats and bounded out of the room after her.

  “I’ll take my leave now,” muttered Darlington and withdrew, trying to maintain a shred of dignity in spite of his torn coat.

  “What’s happened to cause Chris to be in such a pelter?” asked Georgiana.

  The duchess put a finger to her lips to silence her when it became clear to her that the duke was on the verge of exploding, for the duke had reached the limit of his patience. Assaulted by the din of servants disturbing his ordered routine—his grace hadn’t even had time to finish his morning paper, for heaven’s sake. “Clear the room, Dunston! Georgie! Mary! Find some useful occupation at once.”

  Alert to the menace in his grace’s growl, Dunston shooed the servants out of the breakfast room, for they had dawdled in the hope of hearing more of the family gossip.

  The butler followed discreetly in their wake, just as Sebastian Brooks strode into the breakfast room, his eyes wide as he took in the chaotic scene.

  “What a mess! Was it the pup?” he asked, amused. “Morning, sir. How are you, ma’am?” He bent to kiss his mother-in-law’s cheek.

  The exasperated duke let out a sigh. “Morning, Sebastian. Prince made untidy love to Darlington when he came to tell us Helena had cried off their betrothal.”

  “I can’t believe Helena has cried off. After all these years,” said the duchess, shaking her head in sadness.

  “You’re right not to believe it, love. It’s the other way around, I’m afraid.”

  “What can you mean? How is this? Where is my daughter?”

  “Helena’s safe at home with my wife, ma’am. She arrived there early this morning.”

  The duchess began to rise. “I must go to Helena at once, then.”

  “Stay a moment, my dear,” said the duke. “Is Helena distraught?” He directed the question to his son-in-law.

  “Olivia finally persuaded her to rest, but it wasn’t easy. She cried for hours.”

  The duchess looked startled. “What is more important than my daughter’s unhappiness? She needs her mother.”

  “In due time, ma’am. We must first put our heads together and determine what’s to be done. The gossips in London will make Helena’s life a misery when the news gets out,” said the duke.

  The duchess looked thoughtful. “Oh dear, the ton. I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right, of course. Of all times for this to happen! Just before Georgie’s ball. What can we do?”

  Sebastian raised a hand. “If I may speak?”

  “Of course, son.”

  “Olivia and I think you ought to consider sending Helena out of London until the scandal plays itself out.”

  “I agree,” said the duke, for that thought had also occurred to him. “But where? Can’t be Bodmin, for we’ve lent the castle to relatives of my neighbor, old Tremayne, for the month. His grandson is to be married in the Heligan Gardens and he hasn’t enough room to house all his guests.”

  “What about Heatham House in Brighton?” asked the duchess.

  “Brighton is out of the question, my dear. There are many members of the ton living there year-round who would be only too happy to keep the London gossip alive.” He turned to his son-in-law. “We’ll all return to your home with you, Sebastian. We can’t discuss this without Helena. She should have a say in this matter. Besides, his grandparents want to see their grandson.”

  Sebastian grinned. “He’ll be delighted, I’m sure. Go on ahead without me, sir. I have an appointment at the home office. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

  “What shall I do with my life now, Livy?” asked Helena in a tragic voice for the fourth or possibly the fifth time. Her eyes were rimmed with red. “Don’t ask me the how and the why of it. Suffice it to say I tried to be bold like you, but I failed miserably.” She touched the back of her hand to her forehead. “My life is over.”

  “Nonsense, you goose. What you must do is leave London until the scandal dies down,” said her sister. “And while you are gone, we Fairchilds will do everything in our power to right the wrongs Chris has so unwisely saddled you with when he cried off.”

  Helena gave her sister’s words some serious thought. “You’re right, Livy. I won’t be able to bear facing up to the gossipmongers. Even the daughter of a duke can’t escape their scorn when she doesn’t behave properly. What must I do?”

  “The question is not what you must do, but where you must go. Any thoughts as to where you might like to hibernate for a spell? Pick a country, if you like.”

  “Oh, I don’t care. Just as long as it’s far enough away so I never have to see Darlington’s face again.” Helena dabbed at her eyes.

  “That’s right, love. Dry your tears. But…”

  “But what?”

  “You’re really going to have to develop a stiffer spine, dear. You’ve worn your heart on your sleeve for so long, it’s almost become a part of you. It won’t do if you’re ever going to convince people it was you who cried off and not that cad.” Olivia paused. “He never gave you any reason, you say? Extraordinary.”

  “No. He gave no reason,” she lied, and changed the subject. “Develop a stiffer spine, you say? How can I? I’m not like you, Livy. Not in the least.” She turned her face to the wall, too ashamed of her brazen act last night to confess the truth. “Why would I lie,” she lied, piling one falsehood upon another. “Chris said I wasn’t a proper wife for an aspiring diplomat.”

  Olivia raised her head at the sound of approaching horses. “A carriage is coming. Must be our parents. I’ve sent Sebastian to fetch them.”

  “Oh no. How could you, Livy? Must I see them? They’re the last people on earth I want to face just now.”

  “Yes, of course you must, you ninny. They’re not your enemies. They’re on your side in this business. Besides, you’ll need their help. Come. Dry your tears and we’ll go down to greet them.”

  Olivia had to grip Helena’s hand and drag her down the stairs.

  “Where’s my grandson?” the duke demanded.

  “I’ll send for him, Father, but you must play with him in the morning room where my busy little terror can’t destroy anything. We’ve removed all breakable objects within his reach there.” She took her father’s arm and led the way into a sunlit room overlooking the garden.

  As soon as the baby appeared with his nurse, the duke shed his waistcoat, neck cloth and silk vest. He sat on a blanket on the floor with his grandson, who giggled and gurgled while the otherwise dignified duke of the realm entertained his namesake by making a fool of himself.

  “I wouldn’t have had this happen to you for the world,” said the duchess, clasping Helena’s hand in sympathy. “But if it were meant to be, my darling, better by far for it to end before you wed Darlington.”

  “I think Helena would be better off if she left London for a while, Mother. Do you agree?”

  “Yes, I do. If she doesn’t, the ton will make her life a misery. Have you given any thought to where you might like to go, love?”

  Helena wished she were anywhere but in this roomful of loving relatives, for their pity served only to make her spirits sink lower. Appealing visions of a dungeon without a door or a storm-tossed shack sinking into quicksand invaded her thoughts.

  She tried to hide her resentment at their well-meaning concern. “India? America? A penal colony in Australia, perhaps? I don’t really care just as long as it’s as far away from London as possible.”

  “Don’t talk such nonsense, Helena. Land’s End is far enough,” said Olivia, annoyed.

  “Or the Isle of Scilly,” said Sebastian as he e
ntered the morning room. He stopped to chuck his son Tony under his pudgy chin. “Unfortunately, both places may well prove to be a dead bore.”

  “Oh, what difference does it make? My life is over anyway,” whined Helena between sniffs.

  “Nonsense, my girl,” put in her father. “You’re only twenty. Eligible suitors will be hounding me for your hand once the news is out.”

  “I’ll never marry,” said Helena, her voice tinged with tragedy.

  The duchess ignored this foolish remark, for her mind had been occupied with the more practical task of finding a solution. “You know, Livy, your mention of Land’s End has given me an idea. My godmother lives there.”

  Helena heaved an exasperated sigh. “I know you’re trying to help, Mother, but what has that to do with…with anything?”

  Her mother went on as if Helena hadn’t spoken. “I last saw her when I visited some twenty years ago with my dear mother, rest her soul, but we still exchange Christmas greetings. She lives alone in a castle overlooking the sea. She would no doubt welcome a visit from you.”

  “You can’t be sure she’d have me, Mother. What of the marquis? He might well object.”

  “Her only son died last year, but her grandson has just returned from his travels to assume his father’s duties,” put in Sebastian.

  “How do you know, darling?”

  Sebastian looked at his wife and shook his head slightly as a warning to her to hold her tongue. “I made his acquaintance just this morning. The home secretary introduced us.”

  “You won’t be in the way even if the new marquis is in residence, dear. It’s a very large castle. Besides, his grandmother will act as your chaperone,” persisted the duchess.

  “As you wish, Mother.” Helena showed little interest in the rest of the conversation.

  The duchess pressed on. “You’ll like it there, dearest. It’s near Sennen Cove, a charming little village where the English Channel meets St. George’s Channel.”

  Upon entering the drawing room, the duke heard this remark. “That area has a bad reputation. It’s known as a hotbed of smuggling activities.”

  “Not anymore, sir. There may be an occasional shipwreck in bad weather, but by and large, smuggling appears to have died out,” said Sebastian.

  The duke appeared to be satisfied with this answer.

  “If you crave anonymity, you couldn’t find a more suitable place to hide. No Londoner would be caught dead in such an out-of-the-way place, especially during the Season. But the decision is entirely yours,” said the duke.

  “It doesn’t matter to me where you send me, Father. One place is as good as another.”

  The duchess hastened to add, “I’ll write to the marchioness at once.”

  “Good idea, Mother.” Olivia rose to ring for the baby’s nurse. “You’ll have to give the lord of this manor to me, Father. It’s time for Tony to feed and then to nap, two of his favorite pastimes. And while he does, we can dine in peace.”

  Clinging to his grandfather, little Tony babbled in a language only he understood. “You’re welcome to the scamp, Livy. He’s had the audacity to wet my shirt.” But the duke didn’t seem to mind in the least, for he hugged the child and covered his face with kisses.

  Dinner was a somber affair, due to Helena’s lingering melancholy. Afterward, the women withdrew so that the duke and his son-in-law might enjoy their brandy.

  “What do you think of Land’s End, Sebastian? Is it a good idea to send Helena so far from her family?”

  “Assuming the dowager marchioness agrees to it, I believe it to be an ideal solution.”

  “I knew old Waverley,” the duke said. “A dour man. He held a seat in Parliament, but rarely made any speeches. He had a terrible row with his only son and the young fool ran away at an early age, I recall. Gossip had it that the lad led a wild life abroad.”

  “Wild lads grow up and often mend their ways, sir.”

  The duke chuckled. “I was a bit wild as a young whelp, too. Can’t fault a young ’un for that, can we? It’s how he behaves now that counts.”

  “I met the marquis this morning, sir,” Sebastian reminded his father-in-law.

  “What did you think of him?”

  “I liked him. He was reluctant to return to England, you know, but when he learned his grandmother was still alive, he was quick to agree. He’s ready to assume his responsibilities, he told me. ‘I’m determined to bury the past and start again. I have only myself to blame for the way I have lived since I left England, but now I crave a better life. One that will restore my reputation and make my grandmother proud of me,’ he said. His sincerity impressed me, sir.”

  The duke sipped his brandy. “Let us hope he really has outgrown his wild ways then.”

  My Lord did not take the news of Waverley’s return from exile well. After all these years! No matter. Harry Trasker will be as disappointed as I am. So much the better, for his mother’s all too eager for her son to become marquis. It may well work to my advantage. He wrote a brief note and rang for his secretary.

  “Sir?”

  “See to it that this reaches Smith and Isley today.”

  The dowager marchioness readily extended the invitation to Helena to visit and stay as long as she liked. In spite of this warm invitation, Helena drifted through her final week in London as though in a fog as thick as the one that habitually blanketed the city. She answered questions put to her with either a brief nod or a single word. Her abigail Amy saw to the packing of her clothing, but no amount of cajoling would engage her interest in the process of getting ready to embark on her journey.

  “I’ve arranged for an escort to accompany you, Helena,” said her brother-in-law at dinner the night before her departure.

  Helena acknowledged this with an indifferent nod.

  “Sebastian went through a great deal of trouble for you, Helena,” said the duke in exasperation. “You might at least show some gratitude.”

  “Thank you, Sebastian,” said Helena, her voice dull.

  “You’ll come back for my debut ball, won’t you?” pleaded Georgiana, in a vain attempt to lighten the dark mood. “Please say you will, Helena. I couldn’t bear it if you didn’t.”

  “I suppose I must, if it would please you, Georgie.”

  The duchess put an end to the funereal atmosphere when she rose and said, “Come, girls. We’ll leave the gentlemen to their brandy. Don’t be too long, you two.”

  “I’m bloody well damned if I know what to do for that ungrateful child,” exploded the duke after the women took their leave.

  Sebastian turned to the footman serving brandy. “Leave us.” He waited until they were alone before continuing. “It’s best you say nothing to upset her, sir. She’s in mourning for her lost love as it were, but that will pass. She needs time, but she’ll come about.”

  “The silly chit! I never liked Darlington for her, you know. Thought he wasn’t good enough for her. Turns out I was right. I only agreed to the match because she begged me for it. Women! Just wait till you have daughters of your own, Sebastian. When they grow up they’re bound to become a sore trial.”

  Sebastian buried his grin in his brandy snifter. His wife Olivia was the duke’s eldest daughter. If his future daughters were anything like his beautiful, spirited wife, then he’d never find the time to be bored, for they would certainly enrich his already lively life.

  “Helena will bounce back, sir. Mark my word. You are doing the right thing by sending her away for a time. She shouldn’t be subjected to the haughty stares and the cruel remarks of the London journals and the scandalmongers.”

  “I certainly hope it’s the right thing. At any rate, she’ll be back in time for Georgiana’s ball.”

  “Time enough for her to face the world with dignity once again. By then, the gossip will have shifted to a different scandal.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” The duke hesitated.

  “Something else on your mind, sir?”

  “I’m c
oncerned about Waverley’s reputation. Am I putting my daughter in another kind of danger?”

  “I can understand your worry, but the marquis assures me he has turned over a new leaf. He’s pledged his word to me, sir. He’ll see no harm comes to her. Word of a gentleman.”

  The duke drained his glass. “Word of a gentleman, eh? That’s good enough for me. Shall we join the ladies?”

  Chapter 4

  Thursday, the Ninth of April, 1818

  The rain added to the lingering chill of the April winds when Helena’s carriage arrived at the door. Her driver Casper nodded to milady from his perch while Dunston let down the steps and waited with an umbrella for her ladyship to enter, after she said good-bye to the family.

  Olivia squeezed her sister’s hand as if to instill some courage in her. She handed her a small package. “I’ve a gift for you.”

  “What is it?” asked Helena without a flicker of curiosity.

  Olivia laughed. “Don’t go overboard with your enthusiasm, you goose. It’s a journal to help you while away the tedious hours of your long journey.”

  “Sorry.” She hugged her sister. “Thanks, Livy. I’ll miss you.”

  “No tears, mind. Time to say your good-byes to the rest of the family.” She gripped her in a fierce hug and whispered in her ear, “Be strong.”

  “Make yourself useful to the marchioness,” admonished the duchess. She hugged her and stepped back to allow the duke to escort his daughter to her carriage.

  “Well, Helena,” he began, but the words caught in his throat. He withdrew his handkerchief, blew his nose and composed himself. “Safe journey, my dear. Write to us, won’t you?”

  “Of course, Father.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed her eyes to prevent the tears from escaping. “You have been the kindest, most understanding of fathers. You never once scolded me for having made the wrong choice. If nothing else, know that I’m proud to be your daughter.”