Unveiled (Undone by Love Book 3) (24 page)

***

My dearest Miss Rosemoor,

Word has reached my ears that you remain in residence with Mrs. Tolland, and I hope this letter finds you well
. Although I have no right to make such a request, I find that I must discuss an urgent matter of importance with you, and in due haste. As you must know, the morrow brings Ashbourne’s annual Feast of St. Mary’s fair, and everyone for miles about will gather on the village green for the festivities. I write in hopes that you will forgo the merriment and remain at home to grant me an audience. I pray that this can be accomplished without overmuch difficulty.

With my highest esteem,

Westfield

Jane looked up as the page fluttered to the bed beside her. Whatever could this mean? Why would he wish to meet with her, and so furtively? Had he somehow learned her secret? No. She shook her head. He could not know. No one knew besides her mother, not even dear Emily.

Believing her weakened by emotional strain and besieged by a gastronomical malaise, Emily fretted about her like a mother hen, insisting she remain abed and refusing to tolerate any talk of their departure
. Jane had agreed to remain in Derbyshire for a sennight, no more, as she regained her strength for the journey home to Essex. Yet only a single day had passed before Hayden’s manservant had arrived, bearing the missive that now lay beside her on the coverlet.

Emily had brought it to her discreetly
–and reluctantly. Her fury at Hayden had not yet dissipated.

Jane had held it in her palm, her unfocused eyes staring at his seal, for more than hour before she’d gathered the courage to break the wax and open it
.

She closed her eyes and released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding
. At last the words sunk into her consciousness, and a flame of anger seared her breast. Her eyes snapped open at once, her cheeks burning with emotion. He was a married man. What was he thinking, ordering her to remain home and receive his call while everyone else set out to enjoy the day?

What matter could be so urgent as to require him to leave his new bride’s side and seek out the company of another, one he’d known in an intimate way
? Had his estimation of her sunk so low that he thought perhaps they could enjoy one last romp before she removed to Essex?
With his highest esteem, indeed
, she huffed, worked now to a fit of pique.

Before now, she had no intention, none whatsoever, of going to the fair
. She had planned to remain abed, refusing to venture out in public where she might encounter the earl and his new countess.

But now she must go
. She must insist that she felt much improved, claim that the fresh air and merriment afforded by the fair would improve both her mood and her health. She would not sit home awaiting his call as he requested.

She smiled a bitter smile, proud of her own fortitude as she straightened her spine and rose from the bed, reaching for the treacherous page
. She dropped it into her washbasin and reached for her candle, tipping it toward the edge of the paper. She pulled back her hand as it lit, curling inwards as the orange flame licked at the words, erasing them, reducing them to nothing more than a pile of ashes.

Chapter 21

Jane wrapped her lace shawl tightly about her shoulders, watching as Emily stood beside her in the front hall, wringing her hands in obvious agitation
.

“Are you certain you’re well enough to go, Jane
? I don’t mind staying home and keeping you company. Cecil can go on to the fair with Auntie Eliza.”

“Dearest Emily, I promise you I am well enough
. The fresh air will do wonders for my health, I assure you.”

“Of course,” Jane’s mother added with a nod
. “The sunlight and festive mood will surely help restore the bloom to her cheeks.”

“Are you certain?”  Emily’s eyes darted to Jane’s mother, then back again to Jane
. “Perhaps you’ll find the crowd tiresome. Everyone from the district will be in attendance, you know. Everyone,” she repeated, and Jane knew full well her meaning.

“I know,” Jane said softly, wishing she could put her cousin’s troubled mind at ease
. “But truly I shall be happy to spend some time outdoors, and a fair sounds like a wonderful diversion.”  She tied her bonnet’s ribbons beneath her chin as Cecil sauntered into the front hall, an ebony walking stick tucked beneath his arm.

“Come now, ladies
. I’ve had the carriage sent around. Shall we be off?”

Emily nodded, her brow still puckered with concern
. “I suppose so.” 

Their party descended the front stairs as the carriage clattered to a halt before them
. The warm, scented breeze stirred the hem of Jane’s gown as a liveried footman handed her up. She settled into her seat, Emily and her mama joining her, but Cecil remained on the drive.

“I’ll ride behind as I’m likely to stay past dusk,” he called out
. “Certainly a fair is no place for ladies after sundown.”

Emily nodded in agreement, and the conveyance set off with a lurch at Cecil’s signal
. Jane leaned back against the squabs, smoothing down her skirt’s soft lawn fabric. Her bodice was stretched taut against her sensitive breasts, the band of fabric beneath them uncomfortably tight. Her waistline hadn’t yet begun to thicken, but even if it had, her gowns’ high waists would effectively camouflage it for many weeks. How long could she hide such a secret? Her heart rate accelerated at the thought, and she forced herself to take a few deep, calming breaths. She looked up at her mother and Emily, both gazing out the carriage’s dusty window, lost in their own thoughts as they turned into the lane.

What would Hayden do when he arrived at the Tollands’ home and found her gone
? Would he accept that she did not wish to see him again, or would he continue to press for a meeting? Jane’s fingers rose to her temples, attempting to gently massage away the tension that remained there despite her efforts as the carriage rolled briskly towards the village.  

She dropped her hands to her lap and lowered her gaze to her slippers as she crossed one ankle over the other
. She could barely sit still. Shifting in her seat, it took every inch of her reserve to remain there in the carriage, headed away from Emily’s home, when she knew Hayden would no doubt arrive there shortly. Dear Lord, but she wanted to see him again. Like the pull of the tide, she felt physically drawn back–toward Hayden–despite all rational thoughts to the contrary.

He was a married man, her mind repeated
. He might not have given Miss Upshaw his heart, but he’d given her his name. Someday the woman would bear him a child–his heir–while her own child would not know him, would not know the protection of his name. What kind of life would her child have–an outcast, never accepted into society, unable to make an advantageous match? Of course, Lucy had also been born on the wrong side of the blanket and things had turned out well for her–she was married to a marquess, accepted into the
ton
.

Oh, they thought she didn’t know, Colin and Lucy, guarding their secret from her all these years
. But she’d always known that Lucy was her sister–half sister, she corrected, and it was clear that Colin had learned the truth the year of Lucy’s come-out. Only her mother and Susanna remained shielded from the truth, and Jane would make certain it stayed that way. Indeed, secrets could be kept if carefully guarded. But who would save her from ruin, as Oliver Abbington had saved Lucy’s mother?

William Nickerson’s handsome face immediately came to mind
. Years ago he’d pleaded for her hand, offered her his life’s devotion if she’d accept his suit. Now he loved Miss Adare instead. But if the girl’s family truly opposed the match, he hadn’t much hope of marrying her.

Besides, Jane knew there were things she could do
–female ploys she could utilize–if she truly wanted Nickerson to marry her and not Miss Adare. Would it take much effort to seduce him? He was a gentleman, after all, and Jane had no doubt that, once lured into anything more than a chaste kiss, he’d marry her without the slightest hesitation. Jane sighed. She’d never do it. She couldn’t. It went against her very nature to cruelly and manipulatively use a friend in such a fashion. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself, and they’d all be miserable. No, there was no one to save her.

Her mama had suggested that she and Susanna should leave at once for the continent and return after the child’s birth, allowing Susanna to claim the child as her own
. Perhaps it was for the best. No doubt Susanna would agree to the plan, effectively saving her sister’s reputation. At least Jane would see her child raised in a happy, secure home.

Her hand involuntarily moved to her abdomen as her breath hitched in her chest
. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“Sorry?” Emily asked, her worried gaze immediately flitting to Jane across the width of the carriage
.

Jane dropped her hand at once
. “I didn’t realize I spoke aloud. I was only woolgathering.”  Her mama reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze and Jane returned the pressure. She must convince them that she was well enough to return to Essex post-haste. She could not risk seeing
him
again. Her fragile resolve simply could not sustain such temptation. No, she must leave before the sennight passed. There was nothing more to be done. And then she would submit to her mother’s plan, as distasteful as the notion seemed. She simply had no other choice.

***

Hayden stepped out of the still-steaming tub and into his dressing gown, shaking the excess water from his head as he did so. Droplets fell onto the marble-tiled floor at his feet, glistening in the midday sunlight that streamed in through the open window.

As soon as he helped Hayden shrug into a dressing gown, the valet reached over to close the sashes with a frown
. Phillips possessed an almost maniacal fear of drafts around his bathing master, even when the draft in question was nothing more than the warm, late-summer breeze. Hayden couldn’t resist a chuckle.

He strode into his dressing room, not bothering to cinch the belt around his waist
. In minutes, he’d stepped into a pair of fawn pantaloons, pulled on his stockings, and shoved his still damp arms into his shirt, fastening the buttons that ran halfway down the front with quick, precise motions. He tucked the shirttails into the waistband of his pantaloons and reached for his dark-gray waistcoat. The valet put his cravat around his neck and Hayden watched his reflection in the cheval glass as the man deftly knotted it and smoothed down the starched folds before holding out Hayden’s dark blue coat.

“Thank you, Phillips.”  Hayden shrugged into the proffered coat
.

“Very well, my lord.”  Phillips nodded toward the window, the heavy drapes pulled back to reveal the glorious day
. “A fine day for the fair. Will you be adding to your stables today?”

“I’m afraid not,” Hayden answered, pulling on a gleaming pair of Hessians
. “I’ve already sent the new governess ahead with Madeline, but I shan’t be going to the fair myself.”

Phillips’ bushy gray brows drew together but he said nothing
.

“No,” Hayden continued, his heart singing gaily in anticipation, “not this year
. I thought instead to secure a mistress for Richmond Park. It’s time these halls saw a countess again, don’t you think, Phillips?”

He almost laughed aloud at the manservant’s stunned expression
.

“Indeed?” was all the stone-faced valet said.

“If only I can convince the lady in question, that is.”

Phillips arched one brow
. “I wouldn’t suppose you’d encounter any resistance, my lord.”

“Ah, but you do not know the lady in question
. Yes, I’m likely to have a rough time of it.”  Hayden smoothed his hands down one sleeve, then the other, adjusting his cuffs and then straightening his coat. In three long strides he went to his dressing table and opened the lid of the mahogany box that held his most precious possessions–his mother’s and sister’s jewels. Reaching into the velvet-lined chest, he retrieved the ring that he knew belonged on Jane’s finger–a single, oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds. A Moreland family heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next. His mother had worn it faithfully right up until her death.

He had not given Dorothea one of his mother’s jewels as a token of their betrothal agreement
. Instead he’d purchased a ring for her in London–a simple ruby, which Lord Pemberton had sheepishly returned to him before Hayden had left Surrey.

He had chosen another of his mother’s jewels for Katherine, a cluster of aquamarines in delicate gold
. She had been buried in it–he had made certain of it. The fragile ring had been lovely, yes, and well suited to Katherine. But, he thought, slipping the heavy sapphire into his pocket, this particular jewel was more befitting a countess.
His
countess. His jaw tightened as he closed the box’s lid and turned to face Phillips.

“Wish me luck,” he said, clapping the valet on the shoulder
.

“As you wish, my lord,” Phillips muttered, unable to conceal his astonishment beneath his usual mask of decorum
.

Hayden grinned as he headed toward the door in long strides and hastened down two flights of stairs to the front hall
. He donned the hat that Mrs. Pierce handed him, pulling the curved brim low over his eyes as he stepped out into the bright August sun. A groom stood in the drive, Hayden’s favorite mount saddled and waiting beside him.

“Vlad, old boy,” Hayden called out as the white dog loped to his side
. He reached down and scratched behind one ear, his chest tightening as he remembered the dog’s role in saving Madeline’s life. He turned back to the door. “Mrs. Pierce, have Cook find Vlad a meaty bone.”

“Of course, my lord,” the housekeeper replied
. “Come, Vlad.”  She motioned for the dog to follow, and Hayden reached down to ruffle his thick coat before the animal dashed off into the house.

Hayden took his crop from the groom and swung up onto the enormous bay’s back
. With a nod, he touched the horse’s sides with his heels and set off. As he reached the end of the drive, he lightly tapped his mount’s flanks with his crop and the beast responded with a bound, breaking into a graceful gallop.

Only when the Tollands’ house came into view, its yellow stone façade rising up between the treetops, did he heed the knot of tension that bunched the muscles in his neck
. This time, he realized, she
must
accept his suit. He would not take ‘no’ for an answer; he would not leave her side till she allowed him to slip the sapphire on her finger. He patted his pocket, reassured by the jewel’s outline against his coat’s fabric.

Minutes later, he confidently strode up to the door, which swung open at his knock
.

“My lord,” the housekeeper said as she bobbed a curtsey
. “I’m afraid Mr. and Mrs. Tolland have gone to the Feast of St. Mary’s fair in the village.”

“I thought as much
. It’s actually Miss Rosemoor I’ve come to see. Will you tell her I’m here? I believe she is expecting me.”

The housekeeper shook her head with a frown
. “But, my lord, Miss Rosemoor has gone to the fair with them.”

The blood rose in his face
. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, my lord
. She left almost an hour ago, along with Mr. and Mrs. Tolland and Lady Rosemoor.”

“Lady Rosemoor?”  Who the hell was Lady Rosemoor
? Jane’s mother? Sister-in-law?

“Yes, we’ve had the pleasure of Miss Rosemoor’s mother’s company these past two days
. But I’m afraid there’s no one at home today, Lord Westfield.”

“Very well, Mrs. Smythe.”  He reached up to tip his hat
. “Good day.” 

“Good day, my lord.”

He spun around in frustration.
Damn it
. She was going to make this as difficult as possible, wasn’t she? He should have expected it. Well, he could be equally difficult. He would not make it so easy for her to avoid him.

He called for his horse with a grimace
. If she had gone to the fair, then he would go to the fair too. If she refused to face him in private, then, by God, she’d be forced to face in public.