Valerie Bowman - Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage

He threw open the door to his bedchamber. It cracked loudly against the wall. He called savagely for his valet. The younger man came nearly running down the hall, breathing heavily by the time he entered the bedchamber. “Yes, my lord?”

“Draw me a bath,” James commanded in a thunderous tone. “A cold one. Now!”

Lily came barreling at James through the front door of the estate, Annie close on her heels. “Medford, how are you?” She buzzed around him like a solicitous bee, checking him for any sign of damage.

Kate stopped short at the landing to the stairs. She couldn’t help but listen. After their interlude last night, she’d begun to feel close to James. So close. But now she was being detestable and eavesdropping. She should step out and greet Lily and Annie, but for the life of her she couldn’t force her feet into action. Instead, she remained hidden at the bottom of the stairs.

James laughed. “I’m fine. All in one piece as you can see.”

Kate surreptitiously leaned around the wall to see them.

Annie squeezed James’s hand. “I was so frightened when I heard, Medford. Thank God you all made it out safely.”

“The servants are fine,” Lily told him. “Half are staying with me and half with Annie until we can get your house repaired.”

James shook his head. “First of all, you didn’t have to come all the way out here to tell me that and, secondly, you didn’t have to take in the servants. You know I have several properties in London. They can take their pick. But I do appreciate your concern.”

Lily shook her head vigorously. “I wanted to take care of them, poor dears. Besides, Mrs. Hartsmeade has been a joy to have around the house. Though she says she misses Themis terribly. Bandit and Leo have attempted to cheer her.”

James laughed again. “I’m sure. Thank you for seeing to Mrs. Hartsmeade.”

“My pleasure, of course,” Lily replied.

“So, tell me, why have you come all this way?” James asked. “If I know the two of you, it’s because you’re up to something.”

Annie shrugged. “We’ve come to see how you’re doing, to visit.”

“And to warn you,” Lily added.

Kate sucked in her breath. Warn him? Warn him about what?

James shook his head. “I knew it was something. But a warning sounds quite dire.”

“It is dire,” Lily answered, plunking her hands on her hips.

“We’ve been to see your town house,” Annie announced.

James winced. “How bad is it?”

Lily shook her head. “It’s not good. Not good at all.”

“It’s not completely destroyed, however. They were able to stop the fire before it spread throughout the house. There is smoke damage but it’s not a complete loss,” Annie added.

James let out his breath. “That’s something.”

“James.” Lily placed her hand on his sleeve. “You’re frightening me. I’m worried for you, and Devon is too.”

James arched a brow. “I’m sure Colton is quite worried for me,” he said, his voice dripping sarcasm.

“Be serious. He is.”

Annie nodded. “Jordan is too. He said as much.”

Lily wrapped her arm around James’s, and the three began to walk toward one of the salons. Kate slipped back against the wall so they wouldn’t see her.

Lily’s voice carried down the corridor. “Your penchant for always trying to fix everything is getting you in real trouble this time.”

Kate pressed her hand to her chest. She couldn’t breathe.

“What am I trying to fix?” James asked.

Lily lowered her voice. “Why, Kate, of course. I mean, we believe she is innocent, but you cannot save her, Medford. You must leave it to the courts.”

James’s reply held an edge. “I’m under no false impressions that I’m a barrister if that’s what you mean.”

Annie piped up. “We just know you, Medford. And we know how kind you are. Yes, you may have started all of this for a pamphlet, but Jordan says you’ve hired a runner.”

James sighed. “Remind me to thank Ashbourne next time I see him for telling you that.”

“We’re serious, James,” Lily continued.

They paused outside the salon door. Kate struggled to regulate her breathing, but popped her head around the corner to continue to listen. She might as well hear the rest now that she’d already turned into the type of dreadful person who listened to private conversations.

“You are in real trouble this time,” Lily added. “Your town house is a shambles and your reputation is in danger. You should hear what they’re saying about you on the streets. Have you seen the papers?”

James nodded slowly. “Believe me. I know what they’re saying about me.”

“You’ve always prided yourself on your reputation,” Annie said. “Are you sure this entire affair is still worth it to you?”

James straightened his cravat. “I’m having the house repaired as we speak.”

Lily tossed a hand in the air. “Fine. But what about your reputation?”

He grinned at them. “If I was that worried about my reputation, I wouldn’t own a printing press.”

“Be serious,” Lily insisted.

“But it’s not just the house and your reputation, Medford,” Annie added. “It’s more than that. You’re placing yourself in real danger. Someone may try to hurt you, try to kill you. Perhaps the same person who killed the duke.”

James opened the door to the salon then, and the three of them filed inside. He called to the butler for tea. Kate slipped back around the wall as the butler made his way to the kitchens so he wouldn’t see her.

When the salon door shut behind them, Kate expelled her breath and let her hand slide down to her belly. She felt ill. Physically ill. Lily and Annie had just perfectly expressed every single fear she’d had since she and James had come to the country together. She was ruining his life. And not only that, she was putting it in danger. Yes, he may have wanted the pamphlet, may have started all this to make a profit, but he hadn’t expected things to turn out the way they had. He hadn’t known how much danger he’d been placing himself and his property in.

Kate had been selfish too. Taking so much time to write the pamphlet when she could have finished by now. If she’d been gone before the trip to the farm, James’s house and reputation might not have been destroyed. No. She had no right to stay. No right to be here any longer. Money or no. Pamphlet or no. It was time to leave. For James’s sake.

Kate pressed her fingertips to her temples. She would never spend the night with James now. She knew it. That had been a foolish dream. One that she’d cherished, but foolish nonetheless. It was never meant to be. She must go upstairs, pack the few belongings she still possessed, and leave. She would always be grateful to James for giving her these past days of freedom but she could not, would not, endanger him any longer.

James stood outside the towering heap of what had once been his town house. The freezing wind whipped along the street front. He pulled his cloak around him more tightly and pushed up his collar. The smell of burned wood and the lingering scent of smoke permeated the air. James expelled his breath. Yes. This mess had once been his home. Now it was half rubble. Lily had been right. The first floor was still relatively intact, but the top floors were burned out. All the windows were shattered and mud and debris had been tossed all over the structure. He stared at the building and shook his head.

His town house. His refuge. The place where every speck of dust mattered. He smiled wryly to himself. None of that mattered now, did it? There was far more than a speck of dirt involved here. He groaned. If someone had told him a fortnight ago that he’d be standing here now, staring at the burned-out remains of his house, why, he’d probably have had an attack of nerves. But now, a strange sense of calm came over him. It was just a house. Kate was facing down a death sentence. He couldn’t imagine that fear. In comparison, the idea of rebuilding his home was barely more than an inconvenience. What did a home matter, compared with one’s life?

Kate. She thought it was her fault that this had happened, but it was actually his. If he’d been more careful that afternoon when they’d returned from the farm, they wouldn’t have been seen. He’d let down his guard, and he had only himself to blame.

He kicked a piece of stone with his booted foot. It skipped off the mud in the roadway and settled with a decisive click on a pile of burned wood. He turned and hoisted himself into his waiting carriage. “Abernathy’s office,” he directed the coachman.

Twenty minutes later, James lowered himself into the seat in front of Mr. Abernathy’s desk.

“Give me some good news,” James said. “I’m exhausted. I traveled through the night to get back to town for this meeting today.”

“Have you seen it yet?” Abernathy asked with a strained look on his face.

“The town house? Yes.” James nodded. “But not to worry, my solicitor has already seen to it. The repairs will begin soon.”

“Glad to hear it.” Abernathy shuffled a mass of papers on his desk and pushed his spectacles up on his nose. “How is her grace?”

“As well as can be expected given the circumstances. What news from Mr. Horton?”

Abernathy frowned. “None, unfortunately. He canceled our meeting Friday, sending a note saying he had to return to Markingham Abbey for a bit more investigation. I hope he’ll have something solid by the time he returns.”

James sat back in his chair and crossed his heel over his knee. “And the court system?”