Danice Allen (26 page)

“Is that the unfinished business you referred to, Jack?” the marquess inquired mildly.

“It is. But Amanda …
Miss Darlington
… is not telling the truth about her trip to Thorney Island.”

“What?” Amanda exclaimed, laughing nervously.

“Are you calling me a liar, Jack … er …
Lord Durham?”

“You might as well empty your budget, m’dear,” said Jack, pushing back from the table with a huff of exasperation. “And we might as well call each other by our Christian names, particularly since you now know my
real
name, Amanda!”

Jack turned to the marquess. “Julian, Amanda and I have become very good friends over the course of the last three days. After I wandered, dead drunk, into the path of her coach-and-four and hit my head on a rock in a clumsy attempt to get out of the way, Amanda went to considerable trouble and effort to nurse me through a fever and undertake sundry other unpleasant tasks to restore my health. If not for her, I might be dead.”

“Ah. You’re as beholden to her, then, as you are to Robert, eh?”

“Yes.” Jack looked confused, then said, “I mean … that is …
who
is Robert?”

Julian watched Jack closely. “He claims to be your best friend. He saved your life in Oporto.”

“Ah, I see. Not very good of me to forget something like that, eh?” He chuckled uncertainly. “Well, as I was saying, I feel I owe Amanda a debt of gratitude. And as she is so shatter-brained as to have undertaken a journey from Surrey to remote Thorney Island entirely without escort and with only three servants in attendance, none of whom are female, she has already placed herself in unspeakable danger.”

Amanda felt the color rise in her cheeks as the marquess bent his keen gaze on her. “Yes, indeed,” he answered, frowning thoughtfully.

“Add to that the fact that Amanda is
not
going to Thorney Island to pick up her nephew, as she told me, but … forgive me, Amanda, for speaking plainly … to find an illegitimate child somehow related to her.”

Amanda sprang to her feet. “Jack! How did you ever get such an idea! I’ve never been so—”

“Settle down, m’dear,” Jack said soothingly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her seat again. “Theo told me. Only he didn’t tell me who the child belongs to. He just said Mr. and Mrs. Darlington would not allow the child on the premises at Edenbridge, but since their death you have taken a notion to restore the child to its rightful heritage. Am I correct so far?”

Feeling defeated, Amanda sighed and said, “Yes. So far you are absolutely correct.”

Jack looked satisfied. “So why don’t you tell me the rest, m’dear?”

Amanda searched Jack’s face. “You thought the child was mine, didn’t you?”

Jack looked chagrined. He bent near her and whispered. “I did, until—”

“Oh,” said Amanda, growing flustered and confused as she understood his meaning. Last night he’d discovered that she was a virgin when they’d made love, and virgins weren’t likely to have illegitimate children stashed away on remote islands. She hoped the marquess wasn’t reading between the lines. Darting a quick, embarrassed glance his way, she could not imagine, such a regal, masterful gentleman giving in to passion. He’d probably never understand why
she
had done so and would immediately label her a loose woman if he knew how wantonly she’d behaved last night in his brother’s arms.

Despite all the judgmental opinions Amanda was attributing to the marquess, he did not appear disgusted or even particularly interested when he prompted, “If the child’s not yours, Miss Darlington, whose is it?”

Amanda bit her lip and averted her gaze. “The child belongs to my father.” She gathered her composure and turned back to Jack and Lord Serling. She found herself directing her conversation to Jack, in whose dark eyes she could detect some sympathy. Not pity, thank goodness. Just honestly felt and offered sympathy.

“Although my parents both died in a carriage accident months ago,” she continued, “I didn’t find out about this sibling of mine till three days ago, the very day I nearly ran down Jack with my coach.”

She explained how the letter had been misfiled, the substance of it, and her concern for the child’s wellbeing after several months had passed without the usual funds being sent to the caretaker.

Jack took Amanda’s hand. “This is worse than I thought, Amanda! You don’t have the slightest idea what you’ll find when you get to Thornfield Cottage. You don’t even know the sex or age of the child! My dear, you haven’t the slightest notion what a responsibility you’ve undertaken!”

“Jack, how could I in good conscience do anything other than what I’m doing? I can’t bear to think that my brother or sister has been so neglected when I’ve had every material comfort. I know what it’s like to want for affection, too, and I’m determined to give this child everything it needs in the way of financial and emotional support. I want to make things right!”

“You are a very brave, right-thinking … and a very
foolish
young woman,” Lord Serling said sternly. “Jack is right. You need an escort to Thorney Island and, particularly in view of the fact that you’ll have a child with you, you should be escorted home, as well. Where
is
your home, Miss Darlington?”

“It’s in Surrey, my lord. But I can’t allow Jack to keep his friends in suspense any longer. He needs to return to
his
home!”

“He does indeed,” the marquess said with grim determination. “And he will … after we have assisted you in locating your sibling and then returned you and your party safely to Surrey.”

Amanda’s eyes grew wide. “You mean you and Jack are
both
going with me?”

Jack frowned. “Julian, shouldn’t you go back to London and tell the others that you’ve found me?”

Lord Serling gave Jack a bland look and rose to his feet. “As you suggested yourself, Jack, I will send word of your safety by messenger. Surely two escorts for Miss Darlington are even better than one?”

Amanda laughed sadly and shook her head. “But you are
just
the sort of fashionable people I had hoped to keep my family secret from. I wanted my little brother or sister to grow up without the stigma of illegitimacy!”

“You don’t imagine, Miss Darlington,” the marquess began in an aloof tone, “that either Jack or I would divulge any information about your family you did not wish to have divulged, do you?”

Mortified, Amanda was about to apologize for having offended him, when she discerned a gleam of understanding in the marquess’s eyes. Instead she softly said, “Thank you, Lord Serling.” She turned to Jack, who was still holding her hand and said, softer still, “And thank
you
, Jack.”

She wasn’t just thanking him for helping her or for understanding her need to go to Thorney Island. She was thanking him for last night … for all the love and warmth and memories he’d given her … memories that would help her get through the rest of her life without him.

Julian arranged for one of his servants to ride directly on horseback to London with a letter for Charlotte. Then he gave orders for his remaining servants to await him at the Charleston Arms, and to stable his horses and coach there, while he rode with Jack and Miss Darlington in her carriage to Thorney Island. The trip was hampered by heavy rain showers and took the better part of the day, therefore Julian had more than sufficient time to think and come to some interesting conclusions.

There were two facts about which he was quite convinced. The first was that Jack knew perfectly well who he was. There had a been a spark of awareness in those gypsy eyes of his when they first fell on Julian as he entered the parlor at the Angel Inn. Yes, it was obvious that Jack recognized him and was relieved to see him … which wasn’t surprising considering what a pickle he’d got himself into. After all, Miss Darlington had been ready to give him over to the authorities! Julian could only guess her motivation in doing so, but he suspected that she was trying to protect the child on Thorney Island, and she was trying to protect herself as well.

That brought Julian to the second fact he was so very sure of. He was sure Jack was in love with Miss Darlington. This would not be such a bad thing under other circumstances because, from what he’d gathered during the course of the day’s conversation, Miss Darlington was a respectable female from good Surrey stock. And as he fleshed out the sketchy details he’d been given earlier about the accident and Miss Darlington’s nursing endeavors in Jack’s behalf, Julian was convinced that she had saved his ramshackle brother’s life.

The question was, had Jack repaid this kindness by compromising the young lady? Their behavior toward each other hinted at intimacies. There was a tender consciousness between them. Jack behaved very properly toward her, and she didn’t in the least flirt or play the coquette, but an aura of sheer erotic sensibility hung in the air. It was enough to make Julian want to loosen his necktie, for Christ’s sake!

But regardless of what
may
have happened between Jack and Miss Darlington, the fact remained that his brother had made a commitment to Charlotte Batsford. Obviously Miss Darlington could know nothing of Jack’s betrothal, so did she expect Jack to make an honest woman of her … so to speak … if in fact he
had
compromised her?

And did she love him as he appeared to love her? To unfamiliar eyes, Jack might not act like he was in love, but Julian knew his brother, and he could read the emotions behind the charming, devil-may-care facade. But could anyone truly form a lasting attachment for another after just three days together?

Julian sighed. Leave it to Jack to find just the right sort of circumstances and just the right kind of girl to fall in love with in three days … but at the absolute worst possible time! Jack was engaged. He was promised to another. And there was no honorable way around it.

So when had Jack got his memory back? Or had he ever really lost it at all? Was he pretending amnesia now to stay with Amanda and ensure her safety… or had he decided that marriage was not for him and therefore avoiding Charlotte?

Despite all these natural speculations, Julian couldn’t help but give his brother the benefit of the doubt. He believed that Jack had indeed been afflicted with amnesia as a result of the head injury and the fever. And while he was keeping his recovery to himself, Julian believed Jack was doing it for the sake of staying with Miss Darlington and not as a way of avoiding Charlotte. Julian believed Jack had every intention of returning to London to marry Charlotte, but at what cost to him … and to Miss Darlington?

Julian frowned. And, ultimately, at what cost to Charlotte?

Julian knew Jack was not in love with Charlotte, that he had
never
been in love with Charlotte. But then Jack had never been truly in love with anyone. Julian had been happy enough to discern a certain fondness Jack had for Charlotte; he was not so romantic and naive to expect more from his jaded brother. But Charlotte was too good a girl to be married to a man who was actually head over heels in love with someone else.

Better she should marry
him
, Julian thought grimly. Better to be married to someone who had never been in love in his life. The only passion Julian was familiar with was the physical kind he enjoyed in the discreet and elegant confines of his current mistress’s abode in town.

He thought of Pauline and grimaced, an unwilling reaction that came frequently these days whenever he thought of his mistress. He’d leased the house for her for a year, and after six months he was already tired of her. She was so artificial, so practiced. He longed for innocence, naturalness.

Julian studied Miss Darlington and realized that she possessed the qualities of innocence and naturalness, and those qualities had helped capture Jack’s affections.

Julian scowled at his boots. Charlotte had the same qualities. And Jack was going to have to forget Miss Darlington and pledge himself for life to another. It was that simple.

He wished he could discuss all these concerns with Jack, ask all the questions that nagged at him and be sure of a straight answer, but Jack was being skittish. He made sure he and Julian were never alone, never in a position to enjoy a private conversation. Obviously Jack wasn’t ready to confide in him. Although his patience was sorely tried, Julian was resigned to waiting till his brother was prepared to talk.

Chapter 14

It was late afternoon by the time they reached the turnoff to Thorney Island, which was actually a small pouch-shaped peninsula of land jutting out into a large natural harbor. From the north it appeared heavily wooded and very secluded from the mainland.

The sense of privacy about the place was abetted by the rocky, rutted roads that led into what looked like a labyrinth of trees. The rain had finally ceased and the ceiling of dark clouds had broken up somewhat, but with dusk coming on and the fog creeping in, the prospect of venturing into such a dark maze of vegetation was still not altogether agreeable to Amanda.

They had made inquiries at the Bull and Bush Inn at Prinstead, the last village before the Thorney Island exit from the main road. The innkeep told them that the entire island was private property belonging to an absentee landlord. He also told them that he only knew of one structure on the land called Thornfield Cottage, which was lived in by an old woman by the name of Grimshaw.

Amanda was already aware of these facts, of course, but she was hoping the innkeeper knew something more. However, when she inquired if Mrs. Grimshaw lived alone on the island, the innkeeper declared that he’d never known Mrs. Grimshaw to keep company with anyone. She was a loner, an odd ’un, as the locals called her.

“She must come to town periodically for supplies,” Jack suggested.

“Aye,” said the innkeeper, nodding his head. “Every few weeks or so she comes out in her rickety gig pulled by that old piebald nag of hers and stocks up.” He paused and scratched his head. “Can’t say I’ve seen her for quite some time, though. You folks goin’ up to the cottage, then?” he inquired as they were about to leave.