Almost a Countess by Jenna Jaxon
Chapter 13
“My dear, what is wrong?” Violet met her at the door to the drawing room, arms outstretched.
Dora went into them without hesitation. “Oh, Violet, I didn’t know what else to do. Who else I could turn to.”
“Come, sit down.” Arm around Dora’s shoulders, Violet led her to the same chaise as before, but this time sat beside her, holding her hand. “I’ve already rung for tea. Your note was most alarming, my dear. There was such urgency in the pen strokes I was beside myself wondering what had happened. Now tell me what has upset you so.”
Looking into Violet’s worried face, Dora had sudden grave doubts about the wisdom of confessing to her friend. Once she told Violet about Finn, and how he came to be living under her roof, Dora feared the first thing she would do was call for Tris. Yet what else could she do if she wanted guidance in wooing Lord Aberfoyle? This was not the time to be squeamish.
“It’s a gentleman, Violet. A gentleman I wish to have a better acquaintance with.”
“Indeed, my dear, you astonish me.” Her friend sat back on the chaise, looking at Dora as though she’d never seen her before. “You said nothing of this yesterday. Who is he? Where did you meet him, and when? The way you spoke, I believed you in need of the company of gentlemen. Are you saying this is not the case? That you have found a gentleman you believe you can love?”
“I do believe I have, Violet.” Lord, but it felt so good to say that aloud to someone. “He is a gentleman I have little acquaintance with. However, I think we may indeed suit. We seem to rub along together well. He’s a kind, brave soul who is currently seeking to right a wrong done to him.”
Violet’s brows took a downward turn. “And when did you meet this gentleman, Dora?”
“The day before yesterday. Out on the property while I was riding.” Of course Violet would want to know all the details of their meeting.
“Is he staying on a neighboring estate, then?” The concern had lifted, but Dora feared that reprieve would be brief.
“No, not with one of the neighbors. With me.”
“With you?” Violet cocked her head, frowning deeply. “What do you mean?”
“The gentleman is currently residing beneath my roof at Bromley.” In for a penny… “He’s the man Lieutenant Scarlet and his men are looking for.”
The stunned look on Violet’s face would have been comical had Dora not feared she would actually faint. The blood drained from her cheeks and her mouth dropped open. Frantically, Dora patted Violet’s wrists. “Violet. Violet. Breathe, my dear, or I shall be forced to use the smelling salts.”
Finally, her friend gasped in a breath and clutched her throat. “Dora! Dear lord, you cannot mean it.” She struggled to rise. “I must summon Tristan. He will know what to do.”
“What will Tris know to do?”
Dora jerked upright at the sight of Lord Trevor standing in the doorway, dressed in his elegant riding clothes—blue jacket and buckskin breeches—smiling as he took them both in.
“Oh, Tris.” Violet rose and grasped her husband’s hand. “Dora has just told me—” Her gaze swung back to Dora.
All she could do was stare at her friend and hold her breath.
“Dora told you what, my love?” Tris’s gaze darted from his wife to Dora, the inquisitive rise in his eyebrows tinged with concern.
“That she has found a gentleman she is becoming fond of.” Violet’s stare said she’d bought Dora some time, nothing more. Violet did not wish to lie to Tris, and in her heart, Dora could not blame her for that.
“Have you, Dora?” Tris smiled broadly and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Is he someone of our acquaintance here in Yorkshire? Violet gave me to believe you’d been all but entombed up here for the past months. Who have you come to admire?”
“I am certain he is not known to you, Tris.” Her mind raced. How could she tell Tris the truth without him bringing the wrath of God down on her head or turning Finn in to Scarlet? “I only met him myself the other day. An earl, somewhat younger than you.” Perhaps she could smooth the path a little by giving all Finn’s accolades. “A little over my age. You may have met his uncle who sits in Parliament, although I confess, I cannot remember the gentleman’s name.”
“There are rather a lot of members in Lords, Dora. I may well have met the gentleman but without a name, I won’t be able to tell you.” Tris settled himself beside Violet, still holding her hand. “Has the earl not taken his place there yet? Or is his father still alive?”
“No.” Could she bring Finn’s father up safely? “He died at the Battle of Prestonpans in ’45. Fighting for the British.”
“Well, of course he’d be fighting for England.” Tris’s smile slowly faded. “Why would you specify that, may I ask? Who else would he be fighting for? The Scots?”
“Lord Aberfoyle fought and died for the British crown, despite the fact that he was Scottish by birth.” Now she was at the crux. “His son, the current Lord Aberfoyle, is also Scottish.”
“Aberfoyle?” Tris’s frown had almost reached his nose. “I am not acquainted with any Lord Aberfoyle in the neighborhood. How did you meet him?”
Dora took a deep breath, ready to spin a tale, then stopped. Might as well pay the piper now as later. She needed both Violet’s and Tris’s help with Finn so they would have to know the truth. “I came upon him by the creek that runs alongside Hawkins’s farmland.” She stared directly into Tris’s face and sent a prayer heavenward. “He’s the escaped prisoner Lieutenant Scarlet is looking for.”
Tris’s expression was almost the mirror of Violet’s. His jaw dropped and his face turned bright red before darkening with unbridled anger. “What did you just say, Dora?”
Suddenly having had enough, Dora sat back, shoulders straight, her gaze unwavering. “I said the gentleman is Lord Aberfoyle, the man Lieutenant Scarlet has falsely accused of treason.” She leaned toward Tris. “And I intend to help him prove it false.”
Tris shot up off the chaise, heading for the sideboard. “You’ll do no such thing.”
Dora bounded up after him. “You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do, Lord Trevor. I am not married to you.”
“Good thing you’re not, by Christ.” Tris poured half a tumbler of brandy.
“Tristan.” Violet had risen as well and trailed them over to the sideboard. “You will not speak to a guest in our house in that manner. Dora is our friend to whom we owe a debt we can never repay.” She fixed her husband with a stern eye. “At the very least we will hear her out before making a rash judgment.” Violet turned to Dora. “Come back to the chaise, my dear. Let me ring for some fresh tea while Tris is settling his feathers, and you will start again.”
Grateful for her friend’s understanding, Dora allowed herself to be led back to her seat. When the tea had been served and Tris returned to the group, albeit across from Dora so he could stare mercilessly at her, she began her tale again. Taking the time to explain everything in the order in which it had happened, Dora thought she made more sense this time. Violet certainly looked more sympathetic toward Finn’s plight.
Tristan, however, remained belligerent.
“I simply cannot believe you have harbored a fugitive from the law, actively deceived the king’s soldiers, and perhaps worst of all, compromised your reputation by allowing a man unrelated to you to spend the night in your father’s house without any sort of chaperone present.” Tris’s hand tightened on his glass until the knuckles showed white. “I can scarcely believe this is you, Dora. You have never acted so recklessly before.”
“I never had the opportunity before.” She hated to sound impertinent, but she’d had enough of Lord Trevor’s superciliousness. “I’ve been under my father’s thumb my entire life. He’s the one who sent me here, without benefit of a chaperone, I might remind you.” She glared at Tris until he glanced away. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve had a taste of freedom I’d never have had otherwise. I’ve managed and run the household as I’ve seen fit, and it’s none the worse for it. It’s opened my eyes to what I’m capable of accomplishing on my own.”
“But Dora, you seem to be ignoring the very real dangers your actions have opened you to.” This was a stern Tristan Dora had never seen before. “First and foremost, you have broken the law. You have been complicit in aiding and abetting this man, which makes you an accessory after the fact.”
Dora bit her lip. She’d known there would be consequences for helping Finn, but she couldn’t, in good conscience have done anything different. “What does that mean? Will I be taken to jail if the authorities find out?”
Tris set his drink down and leaned back, arms crossed. “As I understand the law, it will depend on several things, such as whether or not the criminal had been tried and found guilty. However, in most cases, the accessory will receive the same sentence as the criminal himself.”
Closing her eyes, Dora swallowed hard against the gorge rising in her throat. These consequences were so much worse than any she might have imagined.
“If the man is convicted of treason, Dora, he will die a particularly horrible death.” Grim-faced, Tris continued to stare at her. “We will have to pray you can throw yourself on the court’s mercy.”
“Do you intend to turn me in then, Tris?” Her tone was flat, masking her fury at him. “Because no one knows I’ve aided him save you and the members of my household. I’m certain they will not breathe a word of it.”
“Of course we will say nothing.” Violet put her arm around Dora.
With a sigh, Tris sat forward, his face suddenly less forbidding. “Dora, I would never do anything to cause you harm. You must know that. However, I’m worried you may come to grief because of this.”
“I do know it, Tris, and I’m sorry to have made you unhappy.” At last, she could look at him without the profound hurt he’d just inflicted making her want to cast up her accounts. “But I will tell you that a bigger injustice has been done to Lord Aberfoyle, and no one seems to want to defend him save me. Lieutenant Scarlet has no reason to charge him with treason. Lord Aberfoyle may have broken a law, but it is not a treasonous offense.”
“Can you even be certain the man is who he says he is? That he’s not simply impersonating this Lord Aberfoyle?”
“That is who he told me he was, and I believe him.” Dora met his eyes evenly. “I have no proof, save his word, but I do believe him. He certainly acts as gentlemen do. His manners, his speech, the way he carries himself, everything he does tells me he is a gentleman.”
“That does not mean he is who he says he is.”
Stubborn man. She held Tris’s gaze as she pronounced, “If you met him, you’d believe it too.”
“Oh, I fully intend to meet this blackguard,” Tris bent forward to retrieve his drink, “and call him out for ruining your reputation.”
Fisting her hands to keep from strangling the man, Dora fixed her erstwhile fiancé with a deadly stare. “He could not do that which you have already done, my lord.”
“What?” Tristan’s face drained of blood. “What are you talking about?” He turned to his wife, looking guilty. “I never did more than kiss her, my dear.”
Violet shook her head. “Of all people, I’m sure you did nothing improper with Dora, Tris.” She dropped her voice to an amused whisper. “You were too busy being improper with me.”
“Lord Aberfoyle has not even kissed me, yet you accuse him of ruining me.” She had to make him see that Finn had done no more wrong than Tris. “Our broken engagement is what ruined me, Tris. All society believes we anticipated our wedding night, even though we did not. I must live with that stigma every day, not you.”
“But you said he spent the night in your house.” His outrage had begun to reassert itself. “Let society learn of that, and you won’t be received in any decent house in London.”
“Who will they learn it from, Tris? You? Violet?” She nodded to her friend, who simply shook her head. “We are well isolated here in the north. My father has made certain I have no contact with Polite Society, so no one will know unless one of us tells them.”
At last, Violet fixed her husband with a firm look. “No one will tell anyone about anything, my dear. Least of all Tristan or myself.” Her gaze sharpened. “You will refrain from terrorizing Dora, my dear. Also from suggesting you will engage in another duel.” Putting a hand on her belly, Violet scowled at her husband. “You will not put yourself in such danger again. And neither should you distress me in this manner.”
“Violet, my love. I beg your pardon.” He squeezed his wife’s hand then turned back to Dora. “If I cannot call him out, I should be allowed to make him marry you. If he is, as you say, a gentleman and a peer, he will at the least be considered an eligible suitor.”
“I will not have him forced him to marry me because he happened to spend the night under my roof, locked in his room.” Of course, that had only been true of the first night, however, Tris didn’t need to know that.
“You locked his bedroom door?” Violet nodded approvingly. “Well done, my dear.”
“It was Larkin’s idea.” Thank God for her maid. “And I agreed. Lord Aberfoyle also had a sprained ankle that incapacitated him, if that makes it easier to stomach.”
“Not really,” Tris drained his glass, “but having your maid lock the door keeps me from wishing to see his blood spilled. Still, it would be better if you married.”
“That is not your decision to make.” That must truly gall the man. Each time she stated it, his jaw seemed to clench tighter. “In my father’s absence, I am mistress of the house and have a say in my own destiny. If you wish to write to my father about the situation and request to be made my guardian, you are perfectly welcome to do so. Until then, I say who I will and will not marry…although I believe I’d be better off with Lord Aberfoyle as my husband than with most other men.”
“Do you have a particular regard for him, Dora?” Excitement in her voice, Violet took her hand once more.
“She’s only known the man for two days, Violet. How can she know if she does or does not?” Tris dismissed her question with a bark of laughter.
“I seem to recall you telling me that you fell in love with me the first night we met, my dear.” Her wide smile indicated Violet was not above making her husband squirm. “Are you saying that cannot happen to anyone else in the world?”
Unwilling to discuss that particular question with Tristan in the room, Dora shook her head. “I merely think he is an honorable gentleman who, should we have time to deepen our acquaintance, might prove as likely a match as any other I have considered.” And she’d considered no one else except Tris.
“Well, it is unlikely you will have the opportunity to ‘deepen your acquaintance’ with this Aberfoyle. Now that Scarlet and his men have left the county, the Scotsman can be sent on his merry way as well.” A look of relief came over Tris’s face.
“Actually, I’ve suggested that Lord Aberfoyle remain at Bromley until his ankle is completely healed.”
“What?” Tris came up out of the chair as though on a spring.
“He attempted to ride yesterday and reinjured his leg. He doubts he can ride for some days. So I offered to let him stay until he is able to join his uncle in London and get the mess regarding Lieutenant Scarlet resolved.”
“Dora, you cannot reside under the same roof as an unmarried man without a chaperone and remain unmarried.” At least Tris was trying to show some restraint this time. “You must come stay with us until this Aberfoyle has mended.”
“Leave him alone in my house with no hostess? Leave the staff with a guest and no mistress to manage the household? Come, Tris, you know that can never work.” Yet his argument was reasonable. She might flout convention for a night or two, but if Finn required a stay of five or six more days, not even the staff would see that as respectable.
“What will work is for me to repair to Bromley with you and act as your chaperone, my dear.” Violet sent a quick, silencing look to Tris. “Nothing could be simpler. Susan has not quite unpacked all my things. We can manage with one small trunk, I think. Lord Aberfoyle will likely be able to leave in a day or two.”
“No, my ladies, that will not work.” Tris stood and addressed them, his voice strained. “First, I will not allow my wife, who is carrying my child, to reside in the same house as this ‘gentleman’ of whom almost nothing is known other than that he is a fugitive from the law. No,” he stared hard at Violet until she dropped her gaze, “in order for this to be arranged to everyone’s satisfaction, both Violet and I will stay with you.” At last, Tris’s usual devilish smile broke out on his lips. “I believe this house party will be quite illuminating, don’t you, Dora?”