Her Officer and Gentleman (6 page)

Christian cocked a brow at the butler. “Are you done?”

Reeves pursed his lips. “No.”

“I didn’t think so. What is it that has you in such a lather?”

The butler sighed heavily. “Very well, my lord. But only because you insist—”

Christian snorted.

“—it is simply this. I cannot decide which I dislike more, your plan to seduce a virgin or”—Reeves closed his eyes and turned away—“that waistcoat.”

“What’s wrong with my waistcoat? Black silk is—Hold one moment. I have no plans to seduce a virgin!”

“Ah, what a relief! I must have misheard you, then. In the coach on the way here, I thought you said you were going to attempt to ingratiate yourself with Lady Elizabeth, the Duke of Massingale’s granddaughter. I am quite sorry, my lord. My hearing is not as good as it once—”

“I
am
going to ingratiate myself with Lady Elizabeth, as you so succinctly put it. But that does not qualify as a seduction.”

Reeves appeared perplexed. “Is this the same Lady Elizabeth just entering society this season?”

“Yes, but do not think she’s a chit of seventeen. She’s twenty-five. Her uncle died the year she was to come out, and her entry into society was delayed.”

Reeves met his gaze steadily.

Christian set down his glass. “Do not look at me like that. She is no green girl. In fact, she is the most self-assured woman I’ve yet to meet.”

“Indeed?”

“Indeed. Not that it matters, because I have no intentions of actually seducing anyone.” Not unless he had to. He glanced back at Reeves. “I am only going to pretend to be her suitor.”

“What if Lady Elizabeth succumbs to your pretend blandishments?”

“She won’t; she has a dragon-faced cousin standing guard. My lady’s virtue is well protected. Even from me.”

“I am glad the lady’s grandfather understands the dangers involved in launching a delicate young lady in a town where there are so many”—Reeves’s gaze flickered over Christian—“wolves.”

Christian quirked a grin. “Are you calling me a wolf, Reeves?”

“I wouldn’t dare, my lord. It would be presumptuous.”

“That has never stopped you before.” Christian eyed the butler for a long moment, and then sighed. “I suppose I should tell you my plan lest you think worse of me than you already do, if that is possible.”

“Oh, it is possible,” Reeves said, bringing the decanter to Christian’s chair to refill the glass, “though highly unlikely.”

“Thank you,” Christian snapped.

“You’re welcome, my lord. If you find honesty too taxing, I can, of course, continue to gather information through my usual means.”

“Usual means?”

“Bits of information you drop, actions reported by the other servants who witness your movements, eavesdropping.”

“
You
eavesdrop?”

“Not I, my lord,” Reeves said, clearly offended. “The footmen.”

Christian took the cigar out of his mouth. “The footmen eavesdrop.”

“They all do, my lord. I even did it myself, when I was a footman, though that was years and years ago.”

“Now that you’re a butler, I suppose you leave such odious work to your underlings.”

Reeves bowed. “You are indeed quick, my lord.”

“Thank you,” Christian said with a sardonic glint. He shook his head. “You are incorrigible. I do
not know how my father stood to have you about.”

“Oh, that was quite simple, my lord. I have a wretched memory. Your father would dismiss me quite frequently but, alas, I always forgot to pack. Within a day or two, he would be back in good fettle and glad to have me about. I do have a way with providing the little luxuries, you know. His Lordship found that very comforting.”

Christian looked at the unlit cigar. “Is that what this is all about, the port and the cigar? An attempt to become irreplaceable?”

“Yes,” Reeves said in an apologetic tone.

Christian had to laugh. “You are a complete hand, Reeves.”

“Thank you, my lord. Coming from a onetime highwayman, that is quite a compliment indeed.” Reeves cleared his throat. “Now, my lord. About your plan?”

“Ah yes.” Christian stood and crossed to the desk. He opened the top drawer. “It is quite simple. As you already know, my mother died in Newgate prison.”

“I am aware of that sad fact, my lord. Your brother explained what happened to the two of you when you were but ten—how your mother was thrown into gaol, accused of treason.”

“Yes. For a while, Tristan and I were together, but then—” Memories of that day crept to the fore—of the cold hard earth that had broken his fall from the inn window. Of the sound of Tristan’s cry as he’d attempted to fight his way to freedom and failed. Then, later, not knowing his brother’s
fate, of the drenched and freezing nights during the frantic trip to London to find Mother. And on reaching London—

Christian closed his eyes and refused to listen to the painful echoes of his past. Slowly, the memories faded. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Reeves quietly regarded him from across the room. “I am sorry, my lord.”

“It’s nothing,” Christian said shortly, embarrassed. He pulled an old box from the drawer and set it on the desk. “My brother and I were sold by our tutor, who had an addiction to gaming. Tristan sacrificed himself to give me time to escape. He was impressed into the navy.”

“While you disappeared.”

Christian managed a bitter smile. “I suppose that is what I did do in a way; I disappeared into the bowels of London.”

“I do not know what happened during those years, but I am certain they could not have been pleasant.”

“Pleasant?” Christian had to laugh at that. “You are indeed the master of understatement, Reeves.”

“A necessary gift in my occupation, my lord, I am happy to see that whatever befell you as a child, you made it through with considerable aplomb.”

Christian shrugged, as much to loosen the tightness in his shoulders as to agree with Reeves. “So I did. And now I plan to prove Mother’s innocence. She was imprisoned as a traitor on charges
that she’d had commerce with the French. The charges were later dismissed, but only after she’d already died, alone and locked away. Someone had to put forth those charges. Whoever that was, I believe they wished her dead and found a convenient way to do it without sullying their hands.”

“May I ask how you plan on finding this person?”

“Of course.” Christian opened the box. Inside lay an enameled snuffbox, a packet of letters tied with a pink ribbon, and a broken watch fob. “This is all my mother had left when she died.”

Christian ran his fingers over the letter. “When I arrived in London after my brother’s capture, I immediately traveled to Newgate. She was already dead, gaol fever having stolen her life two weeks before.” If Christian placed a hand upon the box and closed his eyes, he could still feel his despair at that moment, taste the bitterness of death and defeat. “One of the gaolers remembered her well. He had this box and he sold it to me.”

The box had been his for ten pence, a laughable sum now. But to a starving boy of ten, it might have well been a thousand pounds. Desperate for some part of Mother, he’d set out to get the money. It had taken all his effort, all his cunning, and a loss of his morals and innocence to procure the funds before the gaoler sold off the box and the treasures it contained.

“I feel certain,” Reeves said into the quiet, “that your mother would be glad her possessions are now in your hands.”

“She was in Newgate, Reeves. And no one would
help her. Not her supposed friends. Not her lover. Not even the man who sired me and Tristan.” Christian threw up a hand. “I know, I know. My father—if you could indeed call him that—might have wished to help, but he had so removed himself from her life that he was not available.”

Reeves nodded.

“However it happened, she was left alone. She sold her jewels to pay for a cell that was reasonably dry. When that was gone, she sold her clothing. Even her shoes. She was left in rags with nothing—” A wave of emotion swallowed him whole.

He knew from experience that he could do nothing but feel, accept, let the pain course through him. He took a deep breath and traced his fingers over the letters, over the ribbon she’d once tied herself, the small gesture soothing him somehow.

Reeves cleared his throat. “Are there clues to her predicament in her letters?”

Christian collected himself. “There is one letter from someone named Sinclair. It is a code name of some sort, for the wording is quite stilted. The letter is almost a confession. This Sinclair admits they provided false information to the Crown against Mother.”

“Someone put her in gaol and then apologized?”

“It was not an apology. The tone of the missive is taunting. I suppose it was the ultimate irony for Mother; the letter is proof, but since the author disguised his hand, she could not use it to free herself.”

“Then it is not much of a clue.”

“Ah, but it is. That missive led me to the Duke of Massingale, Lady Elizabeth’s grandfather.”

“How so?”

“I took the letter to a friend of mine who specializes in missives.”

Reeves frowned. “My lord?”

Christian chuckled. “My friend is a forger, one of the best.”

“Ah.”

“He used a powder to dust the surface, and we found a faint bleed from another letter. It was a franking mark. From the Duke of Massingale’s own ring. The letter originated from Massingale House.”

“I see. And what is the evidence from Master William?”

“I sent him to find the priest who attended Mother on her deathbed. Willie is on his way back. He says he has found something of import. That my suspicions of the duke are correct.”

Reeves pursed his lips. “I suppose I cannot convince you to find another way into the duke’s home other than using Lady Elizabeth?”

“No. The duke is a recluse. Lady Elizabeth is the only way.” Christian closed the box and carefully replaced it in the drawer. “I do not yet have conclusive proof. I know that. But the more I sift through the layers, the more I find myself on Massingale’s doorstep.” Christian looked hard at the butler. “He had something to do with Mother’s death. I just don’t know the details.”

“It is a very difficult and delicate matter, my lord.”

“You don’t know the half of it. But I will not cease digging until I uncover the entire truth. All of it.” He traced the ragged edge of the box thoughtfully. So close to the truth, yet time and deceit hid it from sight. Christian would find a way to expose it. He owed it to Mother. Aware of the butler’s considering gaze, Christian forced himself to smile. “I should retire now. Lady Elizabeth rides in the park every Thursday.”

“You are watching her house?”

“Me and every other determined suitor. The lady is quite wealthy. I hadn’t planned on her being launched into society.” Christian shrugged. “But what good is a plan if one cannot adapt?”

“Yes, my lord. I can see where your ability to adapt has stood you in good stead throughout your life. However, I can’t help but wonder…my lord, what if, during the process of your pretending to be a suitor, Lady Elizabeth develops feelings for you? Will you break off all contact?”

“Had you met her yesterday, you would know she is not likely to become mindlessly enamored of anyone, regardless of my intentions.”

“I shall hope that is true, my lord,” Reeves said. He made his way to the door. “I shall have your bedchamber readied, since you have such an early appointment in the morning.” With a quiet bow, Reeves left.

Christian waited until the door had closed behind Reeves before he shut the drawer, running
his fingers over the box one last time. His mother’s betrayer was within his grasp. He could feel the power of vanquishing the man who had trampled Christian’s life and left him and his family in the dust. Sighing, he turned away.

Christian trimmed the cigar and found the striking box. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table before him, contemplating the weeks to come. It seemed as if his entire life from the time he was ten had been planned for this one moment. This was one battle of wits he would enjoy, one contretemps he would throw himself into, body and soul.

He blew a gentle circle of smoke into the air, watching the ghostly ring climb and fade. It was late, but he was wide awake, his soul thrumming. It was the same excitement he felt while riding the heath, horse thundering beneath him, sword and pistol at his side, a juicy, fat nobleman in the carriage just ahead. Only this time, his weapons would be neither sword nor pistol, but his intelligence and the unknowing help of one very beautiful lady.

To Christian’s surprise, he found himself smiling. Leaning his head back against the high back of the chair, he blew another smoke ring, this one larger. The silvered circle rose slowly and engulfed its twin, rising to the ceiling and lingering a moment against the dull mustard paint before disappearing into the air.

Christian nodded with satisfaction. He was ready. Now was the time—his time.

Let the fight begin.

“J
ust look at this one!” Beth twirled so that her skirts rustled out. She smiled over her shoulder at her maid. “I adore the new gowns!” She especially loved the many hues—soft blues and lacy whites, rich pinks and muted greens. They set off her coloring and made her feel as fresh as the spring air.

Annie sniffed. “Ye’ve enough clothes fer a trousseau, which ye don’t want.”

“I do want a trousseau. Just not yet.”

“I can’t imagine why ye wouldn’t want to get married as soon as ye can,” Annie said. “A good man is hard to find. I take ’em wherever I finds ’em.”

“Which is why you’ve been married four times.”

“Five, if ye count the Dane I met in Shrevesport.” Annie pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I don’t always put him on the list, seeing as how he died the very next day.”

Beth’s lips quirked with amusement. She’d hired the dour Annie against her stepmama’s wishes and had never regretted it. Charlotte had not liked that Annie was so forthright and, at times, quite depressing. The maid was also very free-speaking according to the common dictates of society, and she was certainly an oddity. Tall and gangly, with her square, mannish face encircled with rows and rows of improbably red curls, the woman was still a wonder with a needle and had a flair for putting Beth’s long blond tresses into a variety of fashionable styles that was simply unequaled. All in all, she was a divine find as a lady’s maid, no matter her manners.

“Annie, you are quite right not to count the Dane on your list of husbands. I would have left the scoundrel off, too. A man should be a husband at least a week if he wishes to receive credit for it.”

“So I think, my lady.” Annie handed Beth her bonnet and gloves, a suspicious look in her gimlet eyes. “Just who is the man ye’re planning on meetin’ in the park today?”

Beth became very busy pulling on her gloves. “I
don’t know what you are talking about. Beatrice and I are going for a ride in her new cabriolet. That is all.”

“Hm. Ye look a mite too excited to just be jauntin’ about in a new carriage.” Annie stood back and eyed Beth up and down and then nodded fiercely, her red curls bobbing. “And ye put on yer best ridin’ gown, too. ’Tis a man. I’m certain of it.”

“You can be certain if you wish, but you would be wrong. I have no desire to meet any man in the park today, or any other day.” Which was a patent falsehood; Beth had been thinking about the dark-haired, green-eyed viscount all morning, ever since she’d awakened to a rather disturbing dream that had him bending over her, as if to kiss her. Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could see his handsome face moving toward hers, feel the warmth of his breath, taste the excitement of being so close, so very close to him that—

“Ye can’t tell me that look is fer a ride with yer own cousin,” Annie said with a smug nod. “’Tis a man.”

“It is not,” Beth said pleasantly, looking Annie right in the eye. “And I do not wish to hear otherwise.”

Annie threw up her hands. “Very well, my lady! Hsst it is, then. But take my word on it, if Annie Brice don’t know a woman on crusade, no one does.”

There were times having such a discerning woman as a maid was a true annoyance, Beth decided. She pulled on her gloves and bonnet.

“Grandfather needs me too much right now for such silliness.”

“That’s not what he’d call it.” Annie straightened the top of the dresser. “How is your grandfather?”

“Charlotte wrote and said he’d taken a turn for the worse this last week.” Beth met Annie’s gaze in the mirror. “I worry about him.”

“Ye’re wastin’ yer time, my lady. The old duke is as tough as nails. He won’t nab up his dusters until he’s ready.”

Beth had to smile. “I wish that was true.”

“What’s to say it isn’t?” The maid picked up a reticule from the bed and held it out. “Off with ye now! No more mumblin’ about what might or might not happen. ’Tis a powerful pretty day, full of nip in the air. Could be ye might meet a handsome lad in the park that catches yer fancy and makes yer grandfather happy as a lark. At least, ye might if ye weren’t already on yer way to meet one now.”

Beth took the reticule and pulled it over her wrist. “I won’t deign to answer that. Please have the pink silk ready for the ball this evening. The hem is a little loose on one side.”

“I’ll have it done afore ye return,” Annie said, opening the door and standing to one side. “Ye just go and enjoy yer jaunt in the park.
And
yer man.”

Beth sailed by her maid. “I shall, Annie. Just for you.” As she ran down the stairs, Beth wondered if Westerville would indeed be in the park. It was possible, as the day was uncommonly beautiful. Such weather brought people out in droves.

Her heart thudded a little faster at the thought.

The viscount interested her. Not as a potential mate, of course. He was definitely not the sort of man one settled down with. No, he was more the dangerous break-your-heart type. Beatrice had been right about that. Fortunately Beth had no desire to settle down just yet, and a pleasant flirtation would certainly be more fun than having to play the stuttering fool to a group of moneygrubbing and dull lords. The problem was, she could not do both—flirt with the viscount
and
frighten off her other suitors. Which meant that a flirtation simply could not happen.

Some of the brightness went out of the day. Beth found her feet slowing as she crossed the foyer to where a footman held open the door. Outside, she could see Beatrice and her groom beside a beautiful new cabriolet, but Beth could muster no excitement.

She suddenly hoped she wouldn’t see the viscount in the park after all. Mustering a fading smile, she made her way to where Beatrice was waiting.

The door to Christian’s bedchamber closed firmly. He opened his eyes and threw a hand over his face as the sun splintered through the crack in the curtain. Good God, what time was it, anyway? Squinting, he peered at the clock on the mantel, cursed loudly, and threw back the covers.

“Good morning,” Reeves said from the wardrobe where he was placing some stiffly
starched cravats. “Your robe is on the foot of the bed. I would appreciate it if you would wear
something.
”

“I don’t need my robe. Just give me my breeches.”

Reeves sighed but handed the article of clothing to Christian.

Christian pulled them on. “You may look now.”

“Thank you, my lord. Your valet, Walters, is unable to assist you this morning. He is suffering from a toothache.”

Reeves opened the wardrobe door. “Shall you wear the black waistcoat, the black waistcoat, or the black waistcoat?”

“I like black.”

“From the looks of things, I’d say you quite adore it, my lord. Passionately. With all of your soul. Your heart. Your every breath—”

“Give me my damned waistcoat!”

“Yes, my lord.” Reeves pulled a waistcoat from the wardrobe and eyed it for a long moment. “I wonder if I have wronged you, my lord. Instead of an unfortunate and inexplicable passion for black, perhaps you sustained an unmentionable loss of some sort, say, of a favorite racehorse or a hound that did well at the hunt—and you feel the need to mourn it for the next fourteen years.”

“Reeves—”

“Or are you perchance allergic to color staining dyes?”

Christian found himself grinning. “I’ve always favored black. It’s a powerful color.”

Reeves held up a black waistcoat and then placed it against yet another. “It is rather powerful. As are all mourning clothes.”

“I wanted to arrive in London with some fanfare. It is important that I stand out.”

“Ah. I see.” Reeves placed one of the black waistcoats on the bed. “You would be a lump of coal among the jewels. A fat, black pigeon in the face of so many brilliant peacocks. A—”

“Bloody hell, were you this annoying with my father?”

“I fear I was more so, my lord. I was younger then and could go on and on and on—”

“Good. The old bastard deserved a difficult time.”

“So many people believe.” The butler handed a fresh shirt to Christian, then placed a heavily starched cravat on the bed. After Christian had donned the shirt, he took the cravat and carefully wound it about his neck, then tied it in an intricate pattern.

He examined himself in the mirror and dipped his chin just the slightest bit to adjust the cravat folds to perfection.

Reeves waited in respectful silence, then handed the waistcoat to Christian. “Black or not, your waistcoats are quite well made. That brocade is most wondrous.”

Christian slipped on the waistcoat, sliding his fingers over the silky surface. “For a long time, I had so little. A bit of luxury does not seem amiss now.”

“No, my lord. Now is indeed the time for you to spoil yourself.” Reeve opened a pin box and held it out to Christian.

Christian selected a large ruby cravat pin and carefully placed it in the creation he’d tied at his throat.

“I don’t believe I’ve seen that particular cravat design before,” Reeves noted once this delicate operation was completed.

“It’s one of my own,” Christian said, admiring it himself. “I call it Vengeance.”

“You will set a trend, my lord.” Reeves smiled a bit. “It is odd to think how very different you are from your twin brother, not only in looks, but in attitude.”

“Tristan does not care for fashion. He prefers to dress as if he was still on board ship.”

“He is also quite satisfied not seeking vengeance for your mother’s death.”

“He is more focused on the future,” Christian said with a shrug. “He was ever that way.” Besides, Tristan had never understood Mother quite the way Christian had. Christian possessed not only her leaf green eyes and golden-hued skin, but also her appreciation for the finer things in life.

She had relished the silk sheets and heavy lace-trimmed coverlet that had decorated her bed. He could still remember how she’d run her fingers over the smooth surface of a fine piece of furniture, a look of deep pleasure on her face. She’d lived as fully as she could, enjoying every moment, every experience. He wanted to do that. Perhaps once this situation was settled, he would—

He frowned. Odd, but he’d never really thought of what he’d do once he’d brought his mother’s murderer to justice. Perhaps because for so long, it had been such a far-off goal. Now…now it was but weeks away. A trill of determination squared his shoulders.

Reeves picked up the black coat from the bed. “Your father thought quite highly of your mother. I heard him say so on more than one occasion.”

Christian met the valet’s gaze in the mirror. “Don’t try to make me think more of my father than I do.”

Reeves held out the coat for Christian. “I wouldn’t dare do such a thing. In fact, I do not blame you for being angry.”

Christian shrugged into the coat. “I’m not angry. My mother and father are both gone. Anger would be a wasted emotion.”

“I would still be angry, my lord. Very.”

Christian regarded himself in the mirror. He was dressed head to foot in unrelenting black, with the exception of the snowy white cravat at his throat. Only the heat from the ruby at his throat and the vivid green of his own eyes marred the black and white picture.

He caught Reeves’s gaze in the mirror.

The butler raised his brows. “Primping, my lord?”

“I’ve never had such a finely starched cravat. Do not tell me Walters did this.”

“He took ill last night before he could complete the starching. I took it upon myself to finish the job.” Reeves soberly studied Christian’s
appearance in the mirror and nodded. “I hate to admit it, but the black does seem to lend you a certain rakish air.”

Christian grinned. “It’s good to know that all those years on the High Toby weren’t for nothing.”

Reeves winced. “Please, my lord. I have asked that you do not mention your former profession, although…You do remember what you told me about killing people?”

“That I have never killed a single soul.”

The butler heaved a relieved sigh. “I do love hearing you say that, my lord.”

“You are quite safe with me, Reeves. Unless, of course, you continue to critique my choice of clothing. I am not responsible for my actions then.”

Reeves smiled faintly. “When you smile like that, you look remarkably like the portrait of your mother, my lord.”

“Her—” Christian looked at the valet. “There is a portrait of my mother?”

“At Rochester House, your father’s chief residence. It now belongs to your brother, should you wish to see it.”

Tristan would not part with it, and Christian did not blame him. “I wonder why Father had a portrait of a woman he refused to even so much as acknowledge?”

“He commissioned the portrait after her death. The artist used a miniature, though you would never know it to see the results.” Reeves sighed. “I’m sorry, my lord. Your father was a bit tight.”

“Tight?”

“Yes, my lord. Tight with both his funds and his heart, except when it came to things of fashion. A fact I think he came to regret.”

“Too little, too late.”

“Yes. In many things. Before he died, he said that of all the women he’d known, your mother was the loveliest both in body and spirit.”

“She was lovely,” Christian said harshly, “until she caught the ague in gaol and began to waste away.”

“He always felt guilty he was not here to protect her.”

Christian, putting on his riding boots, turned to look at the butler. “He was remorseful? You really believe that?”

“Very. He was out of the country when she was imprisoned. In Italy. He did not receive word about your mother until two entire months had passed. Because of the situation on the continent, it then took him a while to reach London.”

Christian turned to face the butler. “Father came to London to save her?”

“As quickly as he could, though he arrived too late.” Reeves quietly closed the wardrobe door. “It was at that time that he commissioned the portrait.”

For a long moment, Christian stared down at his riding boots, a question trembling on his tongue. It was a question that had trembled on his tongue more than once, but he’d never had the courage to say it aloud. “Did he…did he try to find Tristan and me?”