The Heiress's Convenient Husband Read online

  She turned her back on them and went to talk to Mrs. Inchley about keeping the purple bunting from the columns. The longer she dallied, the sooner the earl might grow impatient and leave.

  Her approach must have worked, for he and his carriage were gone when Eva and James finally exited the assembly rooms.

  “At least we don’t have to sit across from him as he gloats,” Eva said.

  “Oh, I have no doubt he’s letting us know of his displeasure,” James said. “He likely sent your carriage with the servants and baggage, and he’s taken his own. We’re expected to walk like the penitents we are.”

  “The penitents we were,” Eva corrected him. “We don’t dance to his tune anymore.” At least, that’s what she hoped.

  James offered her his hand, and they strolled down High Street to where it met Castle Walk, then started up the path to the headland. He seemed as loath as she was to rejoin the earl, so she wasn’t surprised when he stopped at the first turning with its little stone bench. Together they stood, gazing out over the sea. The day was advancing, the sunlight skipping across the waves, turning them to turquoise.

  “Our lives will be different now, Eva,” he said. “I promise.” His arm moved around her waist, and she fit herself against him, warm, safe.

  “I want to believe that,” she said.

  He turned his head to meet her gaze. “I would never lie to you.”

  Every line of that firm face attested to the truth of the statement. She ached to agree.

  “Perhaps not intentionally,” she allowed, dropping her gaze to the silver buttons on his waistcoat. “But it’s becoming clear to me that you’ve spent your life dissembling to the earl. I begin to wonder if you know how to do anything else.”

  “I wonder too, sometimes.”

  The sadness in the quiet words cut through her. Oh, but the Earl of Howland had much to atone for. A shame he showed no signs of wishing to change.

  She pressed a hand to James’s chest and raised her gaze to his. “We have the right and ability to choose our own actions. I must believe that. I ask only that you believe we are partners in this venture, from beginning to end. You can share your feelings with me.”

  He sighed. “I will, Eva. Once we know he’s out of our lives.”

  She frowned. “Why must we wait? Surely the more we are aligned in our thoughts, the stronger we will be against him.”

  “And the more easily he can tear at us,” he said. “I have lived through it to my sorrow, Eva. I will not see him harm you because of me.”

  She lay a hand to his cheek. “Yet the distance you put between us is just as harmful. Perhaps I’m as impatient as he is. I told you love could grow between us. It won’t unless you allow yourself to feel.”

  His eyes were dark, troubled. “I feel, Eva. Sometimes too much.” As if to prove it, he bent his head and touched his lips to hers.

  And everything in her rose to meet his kiss: her longings, her dreams, her hopes. The love that was growing inside her for this marvelous, maddening man. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.

  A chittering pierced the cloud of emotion surrounding her. Eva pulled back and stared at him. “Did you hear that?”

  “Do not,” he said, “claim that was fairies.”

  She bent to look under the bench. The sun was at the proper angle to brighten the shadows below. A small, brown shape scampered into the bushes lining the cliff.

  “A vole,” she marveled, straightening. “I cannot tell you what a relief that is. Maudie’s fairies remain unknown to anyone but her.”

  “Alas, I cannot say the same for the trolls,” James said, offering her his hand. “I fear we are about to face one at the castle.”

  Eva clung to his hand, preventing him from continuing up the path. “Do not shut me out, James. We have a chance for a future together.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I feel it too, Eva. Give me time. I need to know you and Mother are safe.”

  And how could she argue with that? Always he thought of others: the villagers, his mother, her. She nodded, and they continued up the path to the castle.

  “His lordship is sitting in the withdrawing room neat as you please,” Yeager confirmed when they entered the great hall a short time later. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s been pacing a hole in the carpet. You have him that worried, Miss Eva.”

  “It’s Mrs. Howland now,” Eva reminded him. “Make sure you use it as often as possible in his hearing.”

  Yeager grinned. “That I will.” His smile faded. “Are we staying, then? I wasn’t sure whether to believe him when he gave Mr. Pym the order.”

  “For now,” Eva said. “But don’t unpack.”

  “Again,” he muttered, but he nodded agreement.

  James ran a hand up her arm, warmth trailing. “You needn’t face him. I can make your excuses.”

  “We do this together,” she insisted, latching onto his arm. “It is our wedding night. Surely he would not expect us to entertain him. We will bid him good evening and retire to fight another day.”

  “Aye, captain,” he said with a smile.

  The earl glanced up from studying the fire as they entered. His face seemed more lined than she remembered, but perhaps she was hoping to see any sort of weakness.

  “Ah, back so soon?” he asked.

  “Back and fatigued,” James said. “It has been a busy day.”

  “Your mother said the same thing,” he mused. “Am I to be left alone this evening, then?”

  The question sounded melancholy, particularly for him.

  “I fear so,” Eva said with a bright smile. “We intend to retire.”

  “We will see you in the morning, my lord,” James added as if to ward off any argument.

  He merely smiled. “Sleep well.”

  “What, has he put snakes in the bed?” Eva whispered as they left him. “Or do even the castle ghosts obey him? Has he ordered them to haunt us?”

  “There are no ghosts,” James assured her as they started up the stairs. “But have Patsy check the bed carefully for any sign of snakes before you retire.”

  They reached the landing, and he kissed her hand before turning for the room he’d been using. She wanted more: his thoughts, his heart. With a sigh, Eva made for her own room.

  But the space was dark, the hearth cold, and holland covers once more draped the furniture. She stepped back into the corridor and glanced across the landing.

  James was retreating from his room as well. He met her gaze. “Where is everyone?”

  She shook her head and raised her voice. “Patsy! Answer me.”

  A door opened at the end of the corridor, and Patsy poked her head out. “In here, miss, that is, madam.”

  From the very farthest end of the opposite corridor, Mr. Pym waved a hand and called, “Master James!”

  James glanced from his servant to Eva, frowning.

  Eva threw up her hands. “He’s put us as far apart as he can! Is he determined to be annoying?”

  James strode to her side. “Not annoying. He’s dividing us to conquer.”

  “Why does he care?” she demanded. “I’m married. He can’t get his hands on my money.”

  “He can’t force you to marry Thorgood,” James clarified. “He likely assumes I have control of your fortune. He’ll attempt to maneuver one of us into a difficult position, then demand money to settle the matter.”

  “That’s blackmail,” Eva protested.

  “And only one of his tricks,” James told her. “His favorite is to find something you care about and either hold it over you or destroy it in punishment.”

  “My harp,” she said.

  James nodded. “I hope I saved it, Eva, but I won’t know until I hear from Thorgood. The earl threatened to sell it when I questioned his judgment over you. I asked the viscount to purchase it anonymously.”

  “That was very good of you, James,” she said, her heart warming. “So, what do you advise now? Do we accept this inconvenience? T
urn the other cheek and keep an eye on him?”

  His gaze narrowed as he thought. “No. Call Patsy.” As Eva did as he bid, he turned and waved to Pym, who hurried down to meet them.

  “Find us two interconnecting rooms,” he told his man. “Set up only what you need for us to sleep there tonight. We’ll make other arrangements in the morning.”

  Patsy slumped. “More packing and unpacking.”

  “Not much longer,” Eva promised.

  “He’ll notice,” Pym predicted.

  “Let him notice,” James said. “It will only tell him we are determined in our course. He couldn’t stop the wedding, and we will not allow him to interfere in our marriage.”

  Eva blinked as realization hit. “Wait, James. That’s exactly what he tried to do—rush here from London to stop the wedding. How did he know we were marrying and where? We were so careful. Who told him early enough that he could reach the church nearly in time?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  He should have thought of that. “You’re right,” James told Eva. He turned to Pym. “Do you know anyone who would have alerted the earl?”

  Pym’s eyes rounded. “No, Master James. All of us on your staff have cause to dislike him. We’re loyal.” He looked pointedly at Patsy.

  Eva’s maid stiffened. “Well, we’re all loyal to Miss Eva,” she declared. “The earl treated us shabbily as well. We’ve no love for him.”

  “But perhaps a little fear,” James reasoned.

  “A healthy fear,” Eva insisted. “It must be someone in the village. That horrid Mrs. Greer, perhaps.”

  James shook his head. “She would never presume to write to the earl directly. No one in the village would.”

  Pym cleared his throat. “You have Mr. Priestly write the earl on a regular basis, sir.”

  Priestly? He and his father had always been in the earl’s pay, but James had thought he chafed under it as much as James did. Did the secretary have more love for the earl than they’d thought?

  “I doubt Priestly would go behind my back that way,” James said, “but I’ll speak to him in the morning. Between the two of us, we should be able to determine who’s passing word to the earl. In the meantime, see about those rooms, if you will.”

  “I know just the ones,” Pym said. He motioned to Patsy, who suffered herself to follow. Eva and James brought up the rear.

  They settled on a suite of rooms with a sitting room in the middle. James uncovered the settee so Eva could sit, while Pym and Patsy went about making the two beds and bringing in nightclothes.

  “So, you’ve been dealing with the earl all your life,” Eva said as James came to sit beside her. “Any advice on how best to behave in his presence? I obviously didn’t manage it well, or I wouldn’t have been exiled here.”

  He was suddenly very glad she’d ended up in Grace-by-the-Sea. “My father thought he had the way of it. Keep your head down, speak only of obedience, and hide.”

  She shuddered. “Wretched way to live.”

  “I agree. I spent my childhood watching him fawn and grovel and complaining bitterly to my mother when he thought no one would hear. I never understood his attitude.”

  “So you decided to fight instead,” she said.

  He wasn’t sure why he was telling the tale, but something urged him to continue. “I did indeed. My father took me to London after I graduated university. I went intending to show the earl this Howland wasn’t about to bow. But the earl was cordial, encouraging. He welcomed me as if I was his own son. I couldn’t understand it. All I could think was that Father must have done something terrible to be treated so badly.”

  “I take it you learned otherwise,” she said.

  He nodded. “Father’s health was already fading. The earl was grooming me to take his place. He wanted me to see what obedience might bring me. Thorgood was courting then, so I was even allowed to join him on his social rounds. We had known each other since we were lads. Many have remarked how much we resemble each other.”

  Eva cocked his head. “Perhaps in coloring and physical features, but Thorgood doesn’t fight like you do.”

  “He doesn’t fight in the same way I do,” James countered. “His is a quieter revolt. He is the heir, you see. He can only do so much without jeopardizing the reputation of the House of Howland. I understand. We’ve always gotten along well. I suppose it wasn’t surprising that we would both take a liking to the same lady.”

  Her brows went up. “Oh, I can imagine how that went.”

  “Not the way you suppose, at least at first,” James admitted. “Thorgood was very gracious when she showed a preference for me. The earl was not. His attitude went from benevolent to bullying overnight. He ordered me to stand down. She wasn’t meant for the son of a second son, you see.”

  Eva shook her head. “I hope she had something to say to that.”

  “She did.” Remembering didn’t hurt as much as it once had. “Her parents were of a similar mind. Better a husband who would one day be earl than a husband who might never amount to anything, especially when he was out of favor. Like me, she knew her duty.”

  “Duty.” Eva sniffed. “It sounds as if she decided not to take a risk. Her heart cannot have been involved.”

  “So I tried to tell myself.”

  She cocked her head and studied him a moment, as if she saw more than he had let on. “So, I’m your comeuppance.”

  He reared back. “What?”

  She straightened with a nod, as if satisfied by her assessment. “The earl wanted me for Viscount Thorgood as well. You wished to steal a march on him. I wouldn’t blame you if it was true, but I’d like to know.”

  “It’s not the same,” James protested. “I asked Thorgood about his intentions toward you. He doesn’t love you. You said you didn’t love him.”

  “I don’t,” she agreed, “and I’m glad to hear I was right about his feelings as well. But you must admit, marrying me allowed you to stick your thumb in the earl’s eye.”

  “You as well,” he said.

  She smiled. “Quite right. Well, aren’t we a pair?” She schooled her face. “I’m sorry he treated you so poorly. That’s not how family should act.”

  “Oh, he long ago disabused me of the notion we are family,” James assured her. “I’m a tool, to be used and discarded at his will. Thanks to you, no more.”

  “No more, soon,” she amended. “First we must convince him his power is broken. We’ll deal with that tomorrow.”

  Just then Patsy came out of the lady’s bedchamber and dropped a curtsey. “The bed is ready, Mrs. Howland.”

  Eva rose. “That’s my cue to retire. Sleep well, James. Tomorrow we fight in the arena.”

  She was as brave as the gladiators she intimated. “Good night, Eva,” he said, getting up as well. Once more his feelings gathered, demanded action. He bent and brushed his lips to hers.

  And, for a moment, the world fell away, until there was only her.

  He pulled back, legs a bit shaky. Her tremulous smile said she’d been as affected. He watched her walk unsteadily to her room. Only when the door closed did he wander into his, thinking.

  ~~~

  Every inch of Eva was weary, but sleep refused to come. Patsy had helped her change for bed, dressing her in a fancy white lawn nightgown festooned with ribbons and lace.

  “For your wedding night,” she’d said when Eva had asked about the gown.

  Some wedding night. Then again, she and James hadn’t intended to pass the night together. But that kiss, and the one coming up from the village! How was she to forget them and pretend a marriage of convenience still satisfied?

  She tossed to one side and then the other. Listened to the coals settle in the grate. This bedchamber was closer to the rear of the castle. Perhaps if she tried, she could hear the waves.

  Instead, she heard the floor creak as someone crossed the sitting room. Eva sat up in bed. Surely the earl wasn’t still awake and spying on them. No, he’d send a servant. B
ut even they must have retired by now. Their mysterious visitor wouldn’t attempt entry to the chamber story with so many people in residence. Then who could be about?

  She slid from the bed, thrust her feet into her slippers, and hurried out of her room to the sitting room door. Cracking it open, she glanced left, right.

  Just in time to see James disappearing down the stairs.

  Why? Where was he going? He was still dressed in his wedding finery, so he hadn’t even attempted to go to bed. Once more fears poked at her. Just when she thought she had the ledger balanced, he did something to add to the debit column. Could she truly trust him?

  She must, or this marriage stood no chance. But even if she gave him her trust, she didn’t have to sit idly by. She could help him in whatever he planned. She slipped out the door. At least the servants had left a few lamps burning in the night. Perhaps they too feared who might be prowling the corridors.

  She reached the landing and peered cautiously down into the great hall. He had reached the bottom of the stairs and had turned for the kitchen. Was he hungry? She felt as if she wouldn’t eat for days after that feast.

  She crept down the stairs after him, careful to keep to the edges to avoid any loose treads. When she reached the main floor, she slid around the corner to look down the short corridor that led toward the kitchen. Though the castle was of recent origin, the designer had taken pains to make this part of the building resembled a fortress, with rough stone walls and narrow windows that now showed the inky black of night. She might well have been on her way to the dungeon.

  She took a hesitant step forward, and a hand came down on her shoulder. She gasped and jerked out of the grip.

  Moving away from the wall, James put his finger to his lips, then tipped his head to the left. She followed him to the kitchen.

  No lamps burned here, but there was a slight glow from a fire that had been banked in the massive hearth, and a little moonlight trickled in through the windows at the back of the room. She made out a long worktable down the center, the gleam of pots hanging along one wall.