Chapter Six
Stacey gripped the teacup in her hand as Piers slammed the front door. She’d come into the drawing room as soon as she found out he was in the den with her father. She thought he might want to talk to her afterwards, but he didn’t even look in her direction when he stormed past the drawing room. He’d just walked right on by and left the townhouse.
Did her father say no? Did her father refuse to let the two be married? She closed her eyes and willed away the tears. She’d been so certain her father would say yes. He had talked of little else but getting her a husband for the past two years. What could have gone wrong?
Footsteps approached the drawing room, so she quickly brushed the tears away. Under no circumstance must she let her father see her crying.
Her father thundered into the room. Since her hands trembled, she set the cup down. Bracing herself, she turned toward him.
“Lord Whitney is an insolent bore,” her father said, his tone cold. “He lacks good graces, and he doesn’t have a bit of common sense.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Just how was she supposed to respond to that?
“He is, however, a gentleman with a title and money,” he continued. “And considering the fact that you’ve managed to dissuade every other gentleman in London from asking for your hand, I had no choice but to grant him permission to marry you.”
She blinked in surprise. Had she heard him right? Did he actually say Lord Whitney could marry her?
“This wedding will be done the right way,” he said. “The banns will be read. There will be a wedding ceremony and a wedding breakfast. There will be no elopement, and there won’t be a special license. I’ve made that very clear to him. If he happens to forget, you must remind him.” He straightened his waistcoat. “I never thought I’d say this, but I trust you to be sensible in this regard. You must keep him from doing something foolish.”
Then, without another word, he spun on his heel and headed back down the hallway, probably going back to his den.
Overwhelmed with relief, she put her face in her hands and exhaled. It worked. Her father had agreed to the match.
She remained there, letting the reality of the situation sink in for a good five minutes before she could trust her legs not to give out on her when she stood up. She took a deep breath and went to the doorway.
Everything was quiet. Her father wasn’t walking through the townhouse. It might be safe to go see her mother. When he was preoccupied in the den, he could stay there for hours.
Mindful to keep her steps quiet, she hurried up the stairs and went to her mother’s bedchamber. With a look behind her to make sure her father wasn’t there, she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.
Her mother was sitting by the window, her gaze turned to the London landscape, as if doing so would whisk her away from this place. Though she sat in a rocking chair, she remained perfectly still. She never rocked herself in the chair. Ever since she had given up on life, she hadn’t budged from that spot unless Mrs. Bridgerton, her maid, or another servant made her get up.
Up to now, Stacey hadn’t been able to give her mother any reason to live, but now—thanks to Lord Whitney—she could finally do that. She ran over to her mother and knelt in front of her. As usual, her mother didn’t look at her. She kept her gaze fixed to the window.
“Mother,” Stacey began, keeping her voice low, “I have good news. I found someone. A gentleman. Father has agreed to let me marry him.”
Since her mother didn’t look at her, she took her mother’s hand, hoping the contact would do something—anything—to make her mother react to her.
But her mother didn’t react. She just sat still, keeping her focus on the window.
“I can’t explain everything,” Stacy said, “but when I leave, I’m going to take you with me. You won’t have to live here anymore.”
Stacey waited for her mother to give her some sign that her mother understood, but her mother remained absolutely still. She didn’t move her fingers. She didn’t rock in the chair. She kept her gaze fixed on the window. All she did was blink. And she blinked regardless of what was happening around her.
“Mother,” Stacey whispered, her eyes filling with tears, “won’t you give me some indication that you know I’m here?”
Her mother didn’t respond.
Stacey bowed her head and pressed her forehead to her mother’s hand. The tears fell down her cheeks. She thought for sure her mother would respond to her once she told her she could finally free them both from this awful place. She thought hope would break through the wall her mother had kept around herself for the past ten years.
Maybe it was too late. Maybe her mother had been trapped inside herself for too long. Maybe there was nothing Stacey could do to get her back.
More tears slid down Stacey’s cheeks, and before she knew it, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
She should have secured a marriage before now. She shouldn’t have been so insistent on a love match. But what if she had picked someone like her father? What if she had picked someone worse? She shivered. Could there be anyone who was worse?
“I’m sorry,” Stacey whispered. “I tried to find someone who could help us sooner, but no one wanted me. I did everything I was expected to.” She’d even subjected herself to Lady Eloise and that awful group. “Nothing worked. There’s nothing in me that anyone wants. Even the ability to give someone an heir isn’t enough. All I could do was make a deal with the only person I could find who has the means to help us.”
But still…what if it was too late? What if there was no bringing her mother back? She couldn’t leave her mother here. She had to take her mother with her. But what kind of life would her mother have once they left this place? Would Stacey ever get back the lady who used to take care of her when she was a child? Or would her mother always be lost to her?
***
Piers was too upset to go home. Home was the one place he could go to in London to be at peace. And he didn’t want to ruin that by going there when he was in a bad mood.
If he wanted to be treated like a child, he would hire a tutor to teach him the basics. Never in his life had he come across anyone so obnoxiously impressed with himself. Piers liked to think he was a gentleman who never let emotions get the best of him, but there was something about the Duke of Cathorn that brought out the worst in him.
After taking a walk, he ended up going to White’s only because he had no other place to go. Plus, they had brandy there, and he could use a glass or two of it right now. How was it possible Stacey had managed as well as she had under her father’s thumb? Last evening, he wouldn’t have guessed she was living, day after day, with someone like that.
Now the tears and her desire to get away from home made sense. Being a lady, it wasn’t like she had many options available to her. If she’d been a son, she could have left that townhouse as soon as she came of age. She could have made her own money and run off to another country. She wouldn’t have needed someone else’s assistance.
He hadn’t realized how vulnerable ladies were until now. He had assumed the gentlemen in their lives treated them with the same care and tenderness that his father had treated his mother. She’d been very well loved. She had died when he was sixteen, and his father joined her soon after, probably of a broken heart, though the doctor had said such a thing wasn’t medically possible.
All Piers knew was that his father wasn’t the same person after she died. He’d been happy and talkative while she was alive. His mother, though more of a listener than a talker, had been just as happy. The two complemented each other perfectly. Piers hadn’t appreciated their relationship until now. He’d taken it for granted that all husbands and wives had that kind of marriage.
Which just went to show how naïve he was to how things really were. But how could he be otherwise when he’d spent most of his life with his nose in a book?
Upon entering White’s, Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson ran up to him. He halted in mid-step. They’d never done that before. In fact, no one had ever run up to him simply because he entered a room.
“You’re to marry Lady Stacey,” Lord Edon said. “There’s no sense in denying it at this point. Not only did I see how happy you two were at the ball last evening, but he let it slip.” He gestured to Mr. Robinson.
Mr. Robinson offered a helpless shrug. “He guessed that I figured it out and kept after me about it until I told him.”
“To be fair, it did take me until this morning to get the information out of him,” Lord Edon added. “He was very reluctant in sharing your secret.”
Piers held up his hand before they felt the need to further explain things. “It’s all right. Her father officially gave me permission to marry her today, so it doesn’t matter if the secret is out.”
Mr. Robinson let out an audible sigh of relief. “That’s good because a group of other gentlemen happened to be in the room when I told my friend.”
“It’s ironic how quiet a room gets when someone is about to tell a secret,” Lord Edon added.
Piers shouldn’t be surprised. As much as the gentlemen complained that the Tittletattle spread far too much gossip, they had their share of doing it, too. It was why he mentioned having a betrothal in the first place. He knew it was only a matter of time before it spread through the establishment like wildfire.
One thing White’s had over the Tittletattle, however, was the fact that all of the gossip that took place within the establishment stayed there. It didn’t get past the front door, and if it ever did, the gentleman responsible would be thrown out of White’s if he was ever discovered.
Looking back, he realized only telling the gentlemen at White’s about his betrothal was the best move he’d made. Imagine if Lady Stacey’s father thought Piers had made up a betrothal to his daughter when Piers came up with the lie. The duke would really get a swelled head then. He’d assumed that Piers had been thinking of him the entire time and had created the rumor in order to get that so-called precious connection to him.
Just the reminder of his conversation with the duke compelled Piers to hurry over to the decanter and pour himself a drink. Usually, he only filled the glass a third of the way, but this time, he filled it all the way to the top.
“If the betrothal is now public, does it matter that everyone here knows?” Lord Edon asked.
Unaware anyone had followed him, Piers glanced over at Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson. The other gentlemen in the room were talking amongst themselves, though a couple of them did shoot Piers a knowing smile.
Ignoring the others, Piers directed his attention to Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson. “No, it’s not that.”
Piers paused. How much did he want to tell them? If someone here knew the duke, they would be bound to keep silent. But he didn’t make it a habit of discussing things that irritated him. He tapped the edge of the glass. He’d keep it short and simple. The method had worked up to now. He saw no reason why it shouldn’t work this time.
“I don’t care much for Lady Stacey’s father,” Piers finally said. “He and I have nothing in common.”
“You have Lady Stacey in common,” Mr. Robinson replied.
“That’s all we have in common,” Piers said.
Mr. Robinson shrugged. “You don’t have to be his friend. He’ll only be your father-in-law.”
Lord Edon snorted. “You’d be surprised by how much a father-in-law can impact your life,” he told Mr. Robinson. “You’re fortunate. Your wife’s father is dead.”
Interest piqued, Piers studied Lord Edon. “Does your father-in-law give you problems?”
“Does he ever! He’s threatened to kill me on several occasions,” Lord Edon replied.
“The Duke of Rumsey wouldn’t actually hurt you,” Mr. Robinson said.
“You haven’t been fencing with him.” Lord Edon turned his gaze back to Piers. “Granted, it has been years since he made the threats, but that first year of my marriage was rough. I fully expected him to take me fencing, bury my dead body, and claim I ran off to another country.”
Mr. Robinson rolled his eyes. “That’s absurd. Your father-in-law is an honorable gentleman. He wouldn’t dare sully his reputation like that. Too many people would find out the truth.”
“I think he could have gotten away with it because no one believes he’s capable of murder,” Lord Edon replied. When his friend shook his head, he gave Piers a pointed look. “See what I mean? Everyone thinks my father-in-law is a wonderful gentleman. They think he’s incapable of doing anything bad. I’m the only one who knows the truth. Beneath the surface lies a beast.”
“That’s how Lady Stacey’s father is,” Piers said before Mr. Robinson could come back with some clever retort. “I can’t think of a single bad thing anyone’s ever said about the Duke of Cathorn.”
“No scandal’s ever touched him,” Lord Edon replied. “I keep up on the gossip, and he’s never been the object of it. In fact, I can’t think of a single rumor that’s touched his family.”
“If pride was a scandal, that would be his sin,” Piers said. “His entire den is a museum dedicated to himself.”
Mr. Robinson chuckled. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I wish I was.” Piers took a sip of the brandy. “He has every single award, notable missive, and book he’s ever written in his den. Oh, and he has this large portrait of himself behind his desk.” After a moment, he added, “He even has his chair set up on a higher platform so that he has to look down at his guests.”
Lord Edon’s eyes widened in surprise. “You think he did that on purpose?”
“I don’t think it,” Piers replied. “I know it. Everything he does is to intimidate others around him.”
“Did it work?” Mr. Robinson asked. “Were you intimidated?”
“I was at first,” Piers said. “But when he started speaking, I got so angry that I was no longer afraid of him. I’ve never come across a gentleman so in love with himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he thinks the sun rose up this morning just so that it could shine down on him.”
Mr. Robinson laughed. “I never knew you had a sense of humor. That was a splendid joke.”
It hadn’t been Piers’ intention of humoring the gentleman, but he had to admit it felt good. Some of the tension eased from his body. He took a drink of the brandy.
“Well,” Lord Edon began, “I know all about having to contend with a horrible father-in-law.” With a glance at Mr. Robinson, he quickly added, “I’ll admit that things have been better between us since I stood up to him, but he still likes to bother me over every little thing I do. If I so much as take a step in the wrong direction, he makes some snide comment about it. If I didn’t love my wife so much, I don’t think I could bear it.”
Mr. Robinson glanced at Piers. “When Ethan married Catherine, we thought she was a wallflower. Imagine our surprise when we found out she was an exciting person.”
“I think she was afraid to be herself while she was living in her father’s house,” Ethan said. “Her father is overbearing.”
“Yes, but he does it out of love,” Mr. Robinson replied. “And given what a rake you were before you married her, you can’t blame him for worrying that you’ll revert back to your old ways.”
Though Ethan sighed, he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned his attention back to Piers. “It’s nice to know someone who understands what I go through. Christopher has no idea what it’s like to have a father-in-law hovering over your shoulder just waiting for you to do something wrong.”
Piers grimaced. “Or one who finds fault with everything you’ve already done.”
“Exactly!” Ethan gave him an emphatic nod. “You do understand. So that’s why it took so long for her father to let you go public with the betrothal.” He picked up the decanter and poured brandy into two glasses. “We need to have a dinner party. It’d be nice to spend an evening with someone who has to endure the same thing I do.” He handed a glass to Christopher and thought for a moment. “Catherine and I don’t have anything going on this Wednesday. Why don’t you bring Lady Stacey over? We’ll,” he gestured to the three of them, “have a good time. I think our wives will get along well. From what I heard about Lady Stacey, she seems like she’d be a pleasant guest.” He took a drink and paused. “Though, now that I think about it, I don’t recall much about her except that she’s a member of Ladies of Grace. Catherine is a member of Enduring Friendships, and it sounds like they have a slight competition. Christopher’s wife, Agatha, is a member of Enduring Friendships, too. You don’t think that will be a problem for Lady Stacey, do you?”
Piers hadn’t even been aware that Lady Stacey was in that group. He’d heard about it, but he hadn’t paid much attention to who was in it since it was only for ladies. Up to recently, he hadn’t bothered with any of the activities ladies participated in since his aim was to fit in with the gentlemen at White’s.
“Lady Stacey is a sweet lady,” Piers said. Granted, he didn’t know her all that well, but that was one thing he was confident about. Who else would agree to go along with his plan but a sweet person? “I don’t think she’ll mind spending an evening with your wives.”
“Great!” Ethan smiled. “What is your Christian name?”
Surprised he should ask, he replied, “Piers.”
“Now that we are well acquainted, there’s no reason to stand on formalities, especially since you and I have so much in common,” Ethan said. “I’m Ethan, and this is Christopher. He gestured to another room. “Lord Erandon should be here in a few minutes. You can refer to him as Sebastian. You want to play cards with us?”
Piers nodded, and the last of his tension eased. Perhaps all of the aggravation he’d faced this afternoon with the Duke of Cathorn was worth it. It had secured him an invitation to a dinner party, something that had never happened before. “It would be a nice distraction from my conversation with Lady Stacey’s father,” he told Ethan.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Ethan said. “You and I have to stick together. Our sanity depends on it.”
Ethan gave him a pat on the shoulder before he headed for the other room, Christopher following behind. Piers remained still for a moment. For the first time in his life, he knew, without a doubt, that he had a couple of friends. With a smile, he hurried after them.