Fate's Intervention (44 page)

“
If I know my
Elizabeth
, she
’
ll make the rest of his life a living hell.
”

“
Mark isn
’
t going to be a picnic for her either. Sounds like they deserve each other.
”

“
Without a doubt. Now how about that drink.
”
Stanharbor said, approaching the bar.

“
I
’
m going to make mine a double.
”

“
I knew this would happen one day,
”
Lilith Daragh said, pacing the drawing room floor.

“
His actions have been nefarious since before the age of fourteen, so why this hadn
’
t happened before now, is beyond me,
”
Matthew said, anger at his brother rising again as he watched his mother
’
s pacing. He had tried to make Mark come to Daragh Manor and inform their mother of his nuptials, but he
’
d refused. In fact, he told Matthew that he could cut off every single part of his body, but that still wouldn
’
t persuade him to face their mother in his humiliation.
“
Just how many
father
s did Dad pay off over the years, Mom? One a month, I
’
d wager.
”

“
Don
’
t be so hard on your
father
, Matthew,
”
Lilith said with a sigh.
“
He thought he was doing the right thing
; t
hought he was protecting the Daragh name from disgrace.
”

“
Well, it didn
’
t work.
”

“
What do you mean?
”

“
When I was here a few years ago, I attended a party given by a dear friend of mine. If you had heard the comments circulating about Mark and
Father
, it would have turned your hair
gray. Don
’
t you realize that by paying off those
father
s, Dad was besmirching our good name?
Those who thought
D
ad
was
blinded by love for his
son
,
pitied him
.
Others
thought that Dad was making the payments, not because he believed the accusations, but to silence what he considered unfounded rumors. Like it would stop those rumors and restore his good name.

As
for Mark
–
the rumor mill started
demolishing
whatever good name he
began
life with
. I got the impression that they would gladly hang him in the town square as an example if
Dad
’
s wealth hadn
’
t prevented them; wasn
’
t
so willing to spread the
prosperity
. You don
’
t even want to know what was said about you and me.
”

“
Perhaps it would be best if I didn
’
t know.
”

“
I
’
m sorry, Mother, but I can
’
t keep up the ruse. Someone needs to call a spade a spade. Mark is nothing more than a male harlot, and if he persists in bedding everything in a skirt, then someone is going to take offense and shoot the no-good snake.
Especially since Dad isn
’
t here to pay off any further offenses. Case in point, the Stanharbor twit. If I hadn
’
t been there to intervene and see the two of them wed, Mark would have ended with a rifle shot to his private region. Make no mistake, however, I won
’
t intervene again. Mark is on his own from now on. Marriage isn
’
t going to stop his promiscuity, only death will.
”

“
I understand, dearest,
”
Lilith sighed.
“
Where is he now?
”

“
He
’
s taken up residence in his apartment.
As
far as I know, he
’
s still there stewing.
”

“
A
nd
the girl? What
’
s her name again?
”

“
Elizabeth, Mother.
”

“
Yes, Elizabeth,
”
Lilith said thoughtfully.
“
Where is she?
”

“
Well, I suppose she
’
s at their apartment sobbing her eyes out.
”

“
M
m
m, I
’
d better arrange to pay them a visit before the week is out,
”
Lilith said, and then returned to her rocking chair. She sat and studied her son
’
s tanned and
weathered
face. It had been three years since his last visit and it still saddened her heart that he
’
d always arranged his visits around his
father
’
s absences. Now that Edward was dead, however, he was free to come home whenever he liked, or stay if he pleased.
S
he wished there had been an opportunity for peace between them before his
father
passed away.

If only Edward had shown more discretion regarding that servant girl fourteen years ago.
She was well aware that
Mark had raped her
. T
hen
for her to lose
her baby boy nine months later
. . . the poor girl
. If Edward had disciplined Mark appropriately
,
instead of sweeping the whole affair away with mounds of money, then perhaps Matthew would have stayed with the family and taken over the
business,
as
he should have done when he turned eighteen. Instead, the business has gone to Mark when
he
’
d
reached eighteen, leaving her and Edward to travel at their leisure.
T
hey rarely did
, of course; and s
he wondered
to this day
if
Mark w
as
the
reason why Edward refused to take her on vacations
.

Had Edward truly spent a large portion of their wealth over the years paying off disgruntled
father
s, as Matthew suggested? She simply didn
’
t know. Edward didn
’
t include her in their son
’
s raising and never mentioned anything about him after that one incident. Maybe if she
’
d taken a hand sooner, stood against Edward
’
s decision to leave his son
’
s rearing to him as the boy
’
s
father
; he may have turned out
a better man
–
o
r not. Whatever he was, it was too late for him to change. Matthew was right about that, as well. Only a bullet would stop him now.

Well, she always believed that things happened for a
reason
, and if Matthew had stayed at the manor then he probably would have ended up being the same selfish brat
as
Mark. The fact that he was a man of honor restored her pride and her hope that perhaps the Daragh name would not be totally disgraced.

“
Well, at least you look healthy, although not entirely happy. Do tell me, what
’
s been happening in your life that you haven
’
t discussed with your mother in your letters?
”

Matthew smiled
.
“
I
f
I don
’
t look overly pleased at the moment, Mother, it has to do with your youngest son. For if not for his shenanigans, I would be content with my life.
”

“
What
’
s her name?
”

“
I never could put one over on you, could I?
”
Matthew said.

“
I
’
m your mother,
”
Lilith responded,
“
a
nd
you
’
re not supposed to put things over on me. You also didn
’
t answer my question.
A
re
you smitten with the young lady who employed you, by chance? The one you wrote to your
father
and me about?
”

“
Very astute, Mother,
”
Matthew smiled.
“
Her name is Marcelle and I plan
to propose
when I get back to
Wisconsin
. If she
’
ll have me.
”

“
You
’
re a Daragh, son. Of course she
’
ll have you,
”
Lilith said, without a trace of arrogance. She was merely stating a simple fact
–
women flocked to her sons because they saw dollar signs. Most
times,
she wished that they
’
d been born less fortunate, so that women could see the real person.
W
omen would seek Matthew out
, she determined, gazing into his clear
cerulean
eyes. Yes, she admitted to herself, he was a f
ine man of good moral character; a
nd
if women had been able to see Mark in his true character, instead of those dollar signs, then they
may
have
avoided him altogether instead of ending up in situations that usually proved unfortunate for them.

“
Well, this is one time that my name means nothing,
”
Matthew said, his tone full of pride.
“
S
he wasn
’
t even aware that there was a Daragh Steel until Mark told her.
”

“
Really
? Well, if she managed to capture your heart without concern for your wealth, then it will be a treat to meet her,
”
Lilith said.
“
I will be able to meet her, won
’
t I?
”

“
If you can arrange to make a trip to
Wisconsin
, then you
’
ll meet her.
”

“
You
’
re not bringing her to
New York
?
”
The pain on his mother
’
s face made Matthew
’
s heart lurch.

“
Mother,
New York
is no longer my home. Hasn
’
t been for quite some time.
Wisconsin
is the place for me, now,
”
he said softly, pulling his chair to sit closer to her side.

“
But your
father
’
s gone now, so there
’
s no
reason
for you to go away anymore. You can stay and take your rightful place as heir to Daragh Steel. Surely your new wife would approve of the move.
”

“
I like my life the way it is, Mother. I
’
m truly happy in Wisconsin, raising and training horses
;
and
, in all honesty, I can
’
t see myself living in the city, running a multi-million dollar corporation. I don
’
t think Marcelle would be happy here either. She
’
s not suited for city life
, b
ut as you so eloquently put it, Edward is gone now, so at least you can rest assured that we
’
ll be paying you visits more regularly. I
’
m not trying to hurt you. I would never do that, Mother.
”