An Improper Proposal (The Distinguished Rogues Book 6) (23 page)

Iris held the babe a little closer against her chest and swept her fingers across the soft dark hair. No wonder Louth believed they wouldn’t suit. Why he didn’t want her to become pregnant with his child. He feared she’d not survive a birth. He blamed himself. “I never suspected he had a proper reason for his hesitation.”

Mrs. Hughes wrung her hands. “He has been very concerned for how this situation would impact his cousin’s chances of making a match.”

“Yes, of course.” But that wasn’t what she had meant. He’d said he didn’t want to lose her.

 
“Not to mention protecting his own reputation, I should think.” Esme held her hand out for the child. “Well, I think that settles that.”

Mrs. Hughes appeared embarrassed. “It wasn’t his fault. My mistress concealed the pregnancy from him. He would have married her I think.”

That explained a great deal of his behavior, especially his dislike of her intentions to become a mistress. He knew first hand the problems she might have faced. She was holding the one complication he’d harped on about the most. “You are wrong Esme.”

Her friend met her gaze, her expression startled. “You know what society will say of the girl’s existence better than anyone. If you thought your father’s bad decisions made your life difficult, imagine hers if you can when she is old enough to understand.”

“Yes,” Iris sighed and rocked the child, noting she was falling asleep in her arms. “She’ll be a pariah, sneered at behind her back.”

Mrs. Hughes clucked her tongue and stretched out her arms for the babe. “Her father will take care of her needs. I should return her to bed. She prefers a routine.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hughes.” She grazed the girl’s cheek with her fingertip before reluctantly handing her over to the housekeeper. “I mean her no harm, but I think it would be best if you did not mention my visit to Lord Louth for the time being.”

The housekeeper glanced at her suspiciously. “Why is that? Why shouldn’t he know?”

“It should have remained his secret to tell me when he was ready.”

When she met Esme’s gaze, her friend shrugged. “I wanted to protect you.”

She smiled sadly. Esme didn’t want her to be fooled but it was too late to spare her now. “I love you for it but this isn’t the way.”

Mrs. Hughes glanced between them and nodded slowly. “I will conceal your visit for the time being.”

“I appreciate that.” Iris watched the child go with a heavy heart. She’d never suspected Louth of having a child. She had actually begun to wonder if he disliked them. Either way the child would suffer. Children always did.

She turned for the door blindly as tears filled her eyes. “I’d like to leave if you don’t mind. I have to think.”

Eighteen

After only five minutes waiting inside the Marshalsea Prison, Martin’s skin crawled. This was no place for any man, woman or child to be for any length of time. He was appalled that Iris had come here every day to see her father. He was also furious that Alexander Hedley had allowed it.

Despite the likelihood of social ruin, he hadn’t been able to walk away from the woman he loved. They hadn’t spoken since the dinner at Ettington’s and the robbery had apparently gone off without a hitch. When he’d paid a call on her the next afternoon in the hope of discussing her part in the illegal activities, he’d been informed she was indisposed for callers and requested to return in a few days’ time. The time apart had made him impatient and equally worried about how she fared.

A whispery trail of fog and wood smoke clung to the eaves of the brick barracks before him where the indebted of London waited out their penance for making the mistake of having no funds to pay their way. A mean place, not one measure of elegance or beauty within the cobblestone yard he paced. He was sure that he’d made the correct decision to come here. It frustrated him to think he’d not heard of this travesty sooner.

He ignored the glances of the curious inmates while he waited for the turnkey to fetch Alexander Hedley from the room he shared high up the barracks block. It had taken him considerably more time than he’d first anticipated to settle Mr. Hedley’s debts in full to everyone’s satisfaction. Each debtor had to be found, negotiated with and appeased, and then forced to sign letters that extinguished Mr. Hedley’s debt to them.

The last one had proved almost unwilling to meet with him to discuss the matter of settlement, and for no good reason Martin could see. Only explaining his intention to marry Iris had secured Mr. Talbot’s untidy scrawl. The man had seemed very pleased to hear she would become a countess.

At his side, a groom fidgeted, clearly uneasy with his presence in the Marshalsea. “Shall I have the carriage take another turn, my lord?”

“No.” He wanted to make sure that when Hedley finally came to him, he could whisk the poor fellow out of here as soon as possible.

Voices grew louder as rushed footsteps echoed off the building around him and he sharpened his gaze on the far staircase. Martin had not attempted to meet with Mr. Hedley himself until this very moment. He hadn’t wanted to make the man anxious about his release in case the resolution of the debts proved protracted.

Mr. Fitzhugh, the turnkey of the prison, was followed by a small man Martin barely recognized as Alexander. Grayed, overlong hair, sideburns untrimmed, ill-fitting clothes that marked the man had lost weight since coming to live here. Martin had imagined incarceration would have changed Hedley, but not make him appear so much older. Despite his concern, he smiled broadly, stepped forward and extended his hand. “Mr. Hedley. So good to see you again.”

The little man looked up as he shook it. “It
is
you? I thought the turnkey was having a lark.”

“Not at all.” He glanced about for luggage. The turnkey’s assistant carried a single wooden trunk. Not even a hat on Hedley’s head and no gloves to be seen about him. Was that all Hedley possessed? Fearing it was so, he gestured the groom forward to collect the trunk and the man easily balanced it on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. The groom marched smartly for the gate and the waiting carriage.

“We can be on our way now.”

Hedley looked to the turnkey for permission leave. “You’ll give my best to the committee when you see them next?”

The turnkey, a man who had seemed genuinely puzzled to be rid of Hedley when Martin had first arrived, nodded. “Farewell, Mr. Hedley. Conversation will grow dull in your absence but that’s for the best now I’m sure. Say goodbye to your pretty daughter for me. Tell her to take care of herself.”

The assistant rushed for the gate and let the groom out.

When the door swung wide, Martin strode for freedom too. He had the overwhelming urge to return home to bathe. His skin prickled with an itch he didn’t like.

Hedley seemed slower to follow and by the time Martin was at the closed carriage doorway, the man was only just sticking his head out the portal. His eyes were a little wild as he glanced around the busy roadway. Perhaps the surprise hadn’t been such a grand idea after all.

Martin smiled again. “Come, Hedley. Your daughter is waiting.”

At the mention of Iris, the little man hurried forward. “Yes, my daughter. Is she well? I have not seen her for so long.”

“I believe so, but she will be happier once she knows you are far from here.” Hedley climbed in and Martin followed. “I never mentioned my errand. I thought surprise was best all around.”

Hedley licked his lips and glanced around the carriage interior. He carefully caressed the blue-velvet cushioned bench he sat on. “Why have you done this? What do you want?”

“Because it was the wise thing to do.” Martin tapped on the roof and had the driver move off. He placed his hat on his knee. “I had no idea you were incarcerated until the Duke of Exeter explained your situation.”

The old man rubbed his thigh. “I told my daughter not to mention me.”

“I wish she had. I thought something was wrong when she would not speak of you. I would have ensured your release much sooner had I known the truth.”

Hedley sucked in a sharp breath and glanced down. He seemed to shrink in size even further, and it wasn’t until his shoulders shook that Martin realized his emotions were overset. The man was crying and trying to hide it. Martin glanced out the window and did his best not to notice while Hedley collected himself. A few sniffs later, Martin dug into his pocket, retrieved a handkerchief and passed it to the other man as it appeared he had none about him. Next to Hedley’s yellowed linen shirt and dark hands, the handkerchief seemed shockingly clean and bright.

Martin glanced away. Hedley needed the help of a valet, and soon. A faint musty odor permeated the carriage. The scent of stale sweat and fear. “We should discuss your situation.”

“Yes, of course. I shall repay you, my lord. I promise. As soon as possible.”

“Think nothing of that for now.” Martin shrugged. “What I need most is your daughter, sir.”

The older man peeked at him through red-rimmed eyes. “Iris is a good girl.”

“And it is my intention to marry her.” He took in Hedley’s gaunt face and watery eyes. He would offer the man refuge for the foreseeable future. Hedley was too weak to be alone and unprotected until the robbery business was concluded. Iris would fret if her father lived anywhere else but close to her, and with good reason. He needed a month of tender care and more than a few solid meals under his belt before he would look healthy again. “I should like you to be my guest for what remains of your life, sir.”

Hedley’s mouth fell open. “A guest?”

Martin nodded. “There is plenty of room at Holly House that it shall be no trouble for anyone. Undoubtedly your daughter will want to see you every day, now that you have your freedom returned. Her happiness means the world to me. Staying as my guest will barely cause a ripple, I assure you.”

Hedley smoothed his hand down a muddy-brown waistcoat that had seen better days and did not immediately jump to accept. “I should discuss the matter with my daughter first. It will be strange to us for me to be your guest while she lives at home.”

He frowned. “Iris will make her home with me when we marry.”

“Yes, of course. You were going to marry her. That’s right.” Hedley nodded slowly but he looked confused. “She is young of course but that is beside the point.

“You’ll have to stay in my home tonight without her, of course. It’s far too late to disturb Mr. Manning to perform the marriage ceremony but I do have a license. I thought we could discuss her settlement in the morning after you’ve rested.” He peered through the window to check their location. “Not too long now. I sent a servant ahead to Holly House to have a bedchamber prepared for your arrival. Your daughter will be completely surprised at seeing you tomorrow.”

Hedley swallowed. “You go to too much trouble.”

“Nonsense. I am merely repaying my debt to you. Where would I be, if not for your wisdom?”

At that, the older man winced and glanced down. “Not so wise if I ended up where I did and my daughter forced to live without me.”

“Lady Heathcote was a suitable chaperone, I assure you.” Holly House loomed. Martin saw no point in addressing the issue of the robberies with Hedley. He would not broach the subject until Iris was his wife, and then only if she agreed and was present to defend herself. “As for your daughter, she has handled her reduced circumstances with a grace many ladies do not manage under less trying conditions.”

Hedley smiled but it seemed a touch wary to Martin. As the carriage stopped, he was grateful to step outside and escape to fresher air.

The front door opened and Martin chivvied Mr. Hedley inside past Gibbs before he was seen in his current state on the street. A bath was essential, and soon. A tailor would need to be summoned as well so he was better dressed for the wedding tomorrow.

Gibbs took Martin’s hat and addressed their guest. “Welcome to Holly House, Mr. Hedley. I am Gibbs, Lord Louth’s London butler. A room has been prepared for your arrival and if you’ve no objections, I shall act as your valet for the duration of your stay.”

Trust Gibbs to assume a role that required a delicate touch. Hedley likely hadn’t had a servant in years and given the small dimensions of his trunk, would require many things replaced. Gibbs, of similar age to Hedley, could also be counted on to make the man at home without being obvious about it.

“Thank you.” Hedley glanced around nervously. “Where is my daughter?”

Martin smiled. “I will send a note to Lady Heathcote this evening and ensure Iris comes here in the morning rather than to the Marshalsea, as has been her habit.”

“Thank you.”

Gibbs beamed. “This way, sir.”

Martin trailed behind the pair as they headed upstairs. As much as he wanted to see Iris’s face when she understood her father had been released from debtor’s prison, he was wary. Something about Alexander Hedley’s behavior seemed out of place to him, and it was not just the shock of surprise freedom.

When Hedley passed into the bedchamber prepared for his use, he made no comment about his surroundings, and when water was delivered for washing, stood quietly as Gibbs attended him. He’d never seen a man so compliant. The man was indeed painfully thin, but appeared unconcerned about it. He didn’t even protest when his hair was cut and he was dressed in a borrowed nightshirt then settled before the fireplace with a cup of tea and biscuits.