The Convenient Bride (20 page)

“I didn’t trust him, that was all I knew.”

Lucy shook her head. “I can’t believe I invited him into our home. Our home, Max!”

“You mustn’t blame yourself, he’s very charming, Lucy. Everyone else here liked him as well.”

Lucy didn’t seem comforted by that so
Max retrieved the letter from his pocket. “Here, I didn’t finish reading it but maybe Mr Pennington discovered something that can put your mind at ease.”

Lucy nodded and accepted the letter, though she held it in such a way that Max could read the contents too.

He saw her knuckles turn white as she read the first paragraph but the story only got worse as he read on. It seemed that Giles had essentially been disowned by his family, for attempting to defraud friends and family of vast amounts of money, for a fictitious gold mine in America. He had fled when his ruse was discovered but the money was never recovered. His family had covered most of his debts, to save themselves the scandal of an arrest and trial.

Since arriving in London, Giles
had lived extravagantly for a few months, staying at the best hotels, buying the best clothes, wine and spirits, and gambling frequently. The detective suspected that he had spent all of his ill-gotten gains.

Giles was currently speaking to a few gentlemen who weren’t acquainted with his family, and
he seemed to be laying the groundwork for another swindle, using a similar story, this time investing in an American railroad venture. Until that came to fruition, he seemed content to stay with Marie, in her opulent apartments.

The detective couldn’t say for certain but he suspected that in return for accommodation and the use of her exclusive address
, Giles had offered her a share in the profits of his latest ploy. Mr Pennington had so far discovered nine individuals who had had one or more conversations about the American railroad investment, either with Giles directly or Marie, who told her amours about her friend, Giles, who had just made a small fortune from a similar investment.

When she had finished the letter, Lucy let o
ut a long sigh. “I’m suddenly only surprised that he didn’t try to talk us into this too.”

“If Marie was bankrolling him, she
may have told him not to, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he had discussed it with some of the other guests.”

“We’ll have to warn them.”

“We will,” he assured her. “And now will you believe that this wasn’t your fault? He’s obviously a skilled liar and a professional swindler.”

Lucy gave him a weak smile. “Let’s just hope that this is an end to it.”

“Agreed.” He kissed her tenderly and gently took her right hand in his left, bringing it to his lips and kissing her bruised knuckles. “Would you like some ice for this?”

“I’ve had worse falling from horseback,” she assured him, gently flexing her fingers.

“You have a mean right hook,” he told her, unable to keep the smile from his lips. “And that is not something that I ever thought I would say to a Countess.”

Lucy smiled. “I thought you might be upset with me.”

“Whatever for?”

“Well, punching someone is hardly ladylike.
It wasn’t even a slap but a closed fisted punch! I will be the talk of the ton for such behaviour.”

“Well, after careful consideration, I rather think he deserved it. Besides, I’m pleased to know that you can defend yourself and very well aware that should I now upset you, I might be on the receiving end of another such glorious blow.”

“You do seem to enjoy teasing me,” she remarked, though her expression showed that she enjoyed every second of it.

“I do, my love, I really and truly do.” He raised
her knuckles again and placed a series of lingering kisses over the injured flesh. He knew that if he continued, his thoughts would soon become more carnal in nature and Lucy wasn’t yet sufficiently recovered from her shock for him to contemplate that, so he lowered her hand. “Now I don’t know about you but I feel like getting away from our guests for a while. How about if I ask May and Donald to preside over lunch and the afternoon’s activities, then we can take a picnic and ride the estate; find a quiet place for lunch.”

Lucy’s smile widened. “That sounds lovely. I’ll go and get changed.”

***

Giles arrived back in London feeling more than a little disgruntled. With little money, he had been forced to take a public stagecoach back to London, riding with the masses. He didn’t even have so much as a change of clothes.

He stormed into Marie’s rooms, only to be greeted with her screams of passion coming from the bedroom. Biting back his urge to throw the fellow out, he poured himself a large brandy and downed it in one go, then he called for hot water to wash with and made his way into his bedroom to change.

The blushes of the young maid when she heard the sou
nds of sex cheered him slightly, but he always wondered why people couldn’t tell that Marie was acting. She often used sex to get what she wanted, such as his help with the Starks, but if she wasn’t being paid, she just lay there, with no pretence of enjoyment.

Giles didn’t much care if she enjoyed it or not but she explained that most
of her gentlemen friends liked to feel that they were pleasing her, even if they were paying her as well. Giles didn’t understand it but he accepted that some men felt that way. How they fell for her over the top shrieks of supposed ecstasy though, was beyond him.

By the time he was washed, shaved and changed, Marie’s guest had left and he wandered into her bedroom, hoping for his turn.

“What the hell are you doing here!” she demanded. “And what happened to your face?”

This was going to be harder than he thought.

“Later. Right now, I need a little love.” He reached out for her but she pushed his hand away.

“You w
ere supposed to be seducing Lady Stark. Go and get her to give you some love, as you were supposed to.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “Your plan hit a small hitch when they discovered that I live with you.”

“What!” Her cry actually hurt his ears. “How did they find out? Did you tell them?”

“Give me some credit, I'm not an idiot. I have no idea how they found out and they didn’t exactly let me stick around to ask questions.”

“They did that to you?” she indicated his bruised jaw, black eye and swollen lip.

“Well I didn’t do it to myself, did I?” he asked, h
is voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Tell me everything!” she demanded.

“There isn’t much more to tell!” he snapped. “Your plan failed, end of story.”

“Oh no, this is not the end, Giles.”

“Now see here, Marie, I know you have feelings for this chap, but he’s obviously in love with his wife and your hopes are in vain. Let it go and move on with your life; it’s over.”

“It is
not
over! If I can’t drive a wedge between them the old fashioned way, I’ll just have to be more creative.”

“In
two months we are going to be filthy rich, remember? We’re heading off to America to start a new life.”

“You want to go to America, I'm not going anywhere.”

“You can’t stay here, they’ll drag you before the Courts.”

“What for? I’m the one supporting you, remember? So what
if I fell for your lies and your charm, just like your investors did, that doesn’t make me a criminal!”

She might be able to pull off that lie, as long as she hid her share of the proceeds well. Still, he liked having her around, well, having a prostitute around. She was easy sex for him and her skills could be utilised to earn a little extra cash when he needed.
She wasn’t the only doxy in London though, so he could soon find himself another, one who would jump at the chance of starting a new life.

“All right, you do what you wa
nt but I am done playing your games,” he told her.

“Oh, are you,” she said, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. “Then I'm done
financing your lifestyle.”

In the blink of an eye, Marie found herself pinned up against the wall by her throat.

“Don’t you dare threaten me!” he told her. “I’ll leave when I'm good and ready to leave and not a moment before!”

Then he kissed her hard, tearing at her clothing
at the same time. Still holding her throat, he pulled her away from the wall and roughly threw her onto the bed, pouncing on her a second later. He fumbled with his breeches, trying to free his member, when something cold pressed into his neck. Instinct told him to be careful.

Slowly he backed away from Marie b
ut she moved with him, until it was his back pressed against the wall, her knife pressed against his throat.

“You think you can use me like some kind of whore?” she demanded. “Now listen closely
, Giles; you are either with me or you are against me. If you’re against me you can either leave, or I will slit your throat right now.”

“I’m with you,” he tried to assure her, feeling a line of blood trickle down his neck.

Marie pressed the knife a little harder then finally stepped away. Her dress was torn, her breasts exposed and her hair a mess but she carried herself like a queen.

“
Good. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get ready to go to the gentlemans’ club.”

Giles left, hating that she had bested him but admiring her spirit. It wasn’t the first time things had become violent between them and she had obviously learned to carry a knife.

No matter. He would humour her until he began getting investments, then he would leave her high and dry, taking her share with him. It was really best that he didn’t pay her if she was staying, that way her pleas of innocence would be easier to believe.

***

Marie suspected that Giles intended to double cross her, possibly even allowing her to take the blame for his crimes but she was prepared for that. She had collected ample proof of his actions and could claim to be simply another victim.

Obviously he no longer intended to help her with Max and Lucy but Marie’s real
talent wasn’t in the bedroom, it was in knowing what people wanted most.

With some men that was sex, with others it was a friendly ear to listen to their problems, still others wanted to be dominated, to not have
to make a decision for a time. Then some wanted to be flattered and appreciated, and still more men just wanted some easy companionship with a pretty lady.

Max had fallen into the last category, with a smidge of wanting easy sex
as well. 

Giles liked sex too but his real desire was for money. Lucy’s pretty face and the thrill of the chase had been enough to interest Giles
in seducing her, but no pretty face was worth those bruises to him. Perhaps if she were still unmarried, her fortune would have held his interest, but it was too late to change that now.

No amount of money would ever sate Giles’ desire
for it though, because he burned through it as quickly as lightening, gambling most of it away before he knew it. Since she had been supporting him, Marie had kept him on a very tight leash, financially speaking, refusing to allow any gambling. However, she knew that she could use his love of money to her own advantage in this situation, for both Lucy and Max were more than just rich, they had money coming out of their ears. She was certain that she could convince Giles to help her part them from some of it.

Marie cared little for money; to her, money was
simply a tool. Money, and lots of it, could be worked into her plans though, extorting vast sums from Max or Lucy, amounts that would surely have Giles salivating at the idea.

In mid-September, t
wo weeks after their last guest left, Max, Lucy, May, Donald and their children, had all decamped to the Starks’ home, just outside of Rochester.

The earliest building dated to 1230 and unlike Lucy’s estate, Stark Hall had been altered and added to
over the years, rather than rebuilt. Although it happened over a number of centuries, each new wing was in sympathy with the original medieval architecture, including mock battlements, giving the Hall the feel of a castle rather than a country house. Somehow the mix of buildings gave the place a homey sort of feel, rather than the more imposing look that real castles were designed for.

May had been told of their
father’s illness and obviously wanted to spend some time with him before she and Donald returned to Scotland, so they had accompanied Max and Lucy.

Although they had planned to return to Scotland at the end of September, they had extended their stay for at least another month so that May could spend more time with her father. Th
ey were now nearing the end of the extra month however, and May was beginning to think about leaving again, although it was clear that she didn’t want to.

“I wish we didn’t live so far away,” May sighed as she walked the gardens with Lucy and her children. “I feel so cut off up there, so far from London and all of you.”

“But you are happy, aren’t you?” Lucy asked.