The Earl's Stolen Bride (Marriage by Deceit Book 4) (17 page)

Chapter Twenty

Chloe sat in the drawing room, absentmindedly nibbling on a strawberry while she waited for Orlando to return from White’s.  Her mother had sent a missive, and as she’d expected—as they’d all expected—Dr. Harvey had politely suggested Alexander find another physician.  Her mother added that she and her father would be searching for a new one right away. 
I’ll come by to see you once we find one,
her mother had concluded.

Chloe wasn’t sure if the last part was a good thing or not.  It depended on what mood her mother was in when she came by.  And Chloe wasn’t sure if she wanted to stick around to find out.

Chloe glanced over at the missive which was on the desk before turning her gaze to the window.  She hated sitting around when she could be doing something.  It seemed most of her life was spent sitting around while others did things for her.

She finally finished the rest of the strawberry then sipped the peppermint tea.  She had to do something.  She couldn’t just sit idly by anymore.  Since she was a grown lady, it was time for her to act like it.

After she pulled the cord to get the butler’s attention, she grabbed her mother’s missive and read it again, gathering strength from it.  She could do this.  She could go to Dr. Harvey and plead with him on her brother’s behalf.

“You summoned me, my lady?” the butler asked.

“Yes,” she said, folding the parchment and tucking it in her pocket.  “I need a carriage.”

“I’ll arrange for one at once.”

After he collected the tray of half-eaten food and drink, she went to her bedchamber to gather her black hat.  Though word of her marriage to Orlando was spreading through London like wildfire, she continued to wear black.  She wasn’t sure why she did it, really, except maybe it was enough she’d married so soon after Lord Hawkins’ death.  She didn’t see the need to add any more to the gossip.

She finished getting ready for leaving the townhouse and made it downstairs in time for the carriage to pull up front.  Taking a deep breath, she steadied her resolve, told the butler where she’d be in case Orlando returned while she was gone, and headed for the carriage.

The ride to Dr. Harvey’s residence was abnormally slow, a sensation she credited to the butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach.  She placed her hand over it and concentrated on her breathing.  In and out.  Slow and deliberate.  The exercise worked.  By the time the carriage came to a stop, she could concentrate on the mission at hand.

Somehow, she managed to walk up the steps to Dr. Harvey’s front door and knock with enough force to be heard.  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she took a step back and straightened her spine as Helena had taught her to do.  “A lady who exudes confidence is much more likely to get what she wants,” Helena had told her.  How she prayed Helena was right.

The door opened and Chloe asked to speak with Dr. Harvey.  The footman nodded and led her into the drawing room.  She could have sat, she supposed, but her legs were far too stiff to bend at the knees.  It was better to just stand and wait for the physician to come into the room.

An anxious minute passed before she heard Dr. Harvey in the hallway.  “I specifically told Mrs. Westmore I won’t see her until three.  If she can’t abide by my rules, then she’ll have to find someone else.” He came up to the doorway and stopped talking as soon as he saw her.  “Lady Reddington,” he said, his tone rigid.  “I didn’t expect to see you.”

“Dr. Harvey,” she greeted and curtsied.

The left side of his mouth twitched in irritation before he offered a slight bow.  Glancing at the butler, he said, “Leave us.”

As soon as the butler was out of sight, she spoke up.  “I know you’re upset about my marriage to Lord Reddington.” Noting the way he narrowed his eyes at her, she quickly continued so she wouldn’t lose her nerve. “I don’t expect you to do anything for me.  I know you feel my sudden marriage is a betrayal to your friend.  I-I got a missive from my mother.  She said you’ve refused to see my brother anymore because of my actions.  Please don’t punish Alexander.  He is innocent in all of this.”

She took a deep breath and released it, doing her best to ignore the increased beating of her heart.

“I’m not the one punishing him,” Dr. Harvey said, “you are.  You know full well that I don’t tolerate any kind of scandal.”

“This isn’t Alexander’s scandal.”

“But you are his sister.” He put his hands behind his back, his frown deepening.  “What you do reflects on him, and because of that, it reflects on me.  I pride myself on seeing only the most reputable people.  If you cared so much for your brother, you should have given your actions serious thought before you did them.”

“Please, Dr. Harvey, I’ll pay you twice as much as what you currently receive.”

“It’s not about money, my lady.” He motioned to the front door.  “I’ll have the footman show you out.”

He turned on his heel and left the room as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.  She stood in silence for a long moment, her heartbeat still loud in her ears, tears welling up in her eyes.

No.  She wouldn’t cry.  Not over him.  Not over someone who cared more about a person’s reputation than how sickly an innocent child was.

Strengthening her resolve, she marched out of his residence.  He might be one physician in London who excelled at what he did, but he couldn’t be the only one.  There had to be someone else.  Maybe Orlando would find one while he was at White’s.

Once she was back in the carriage, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat.  If she wasn’t careful, she’d start to feel sick again.  The nausea came and went, seemingly on its own accord, but it was worse when she was upset.  She needed to relax.

The carriage stopped.  Her eyes flew open and she straightened in her seat.  The door opened a few moments later and Melissa’s familiar face poked inside, and at once, Chloe’s mood brightened.

“Mind some company?” Melissa asked.

“Not at all.  Come on in.”

Chloe gestured to the spot next to her and moved over to allow her friend room to sit.  But it wasn’t just Melissa who climbed inside.  Helena came in, too.

“We were just on our way to see you,” Melissa said after the footman closed the door.

“You do know I’m at Lord Reddington’s now, don’t you?” Chloe asked.

“All of London knows.  I’m afraid there’s no keeping the secret anymore.  The
Tittletattle
featured it on the front page.”

“
Half
of the front page was dedicated to it,” Helena added as the carriage moved forward.

“Oh no,” Chloe said.

“I know it’s not something you want to hear,” Helena added, “but I can’t remember a time when anyone did something so newsworthy that it took up half a page in the
Tittletattle
.”

“No, that’s not something I want to hear,” Chloe replied, that sick feeling quickly returning.

No wonder Dr. Harvey was so angry.  He probably felt like a fool.  And her parents…  Who knew if they’d ever live down the shame?

“Logan was upset about it,” Melissa said, her lips curling up into a smile.  “But he was upset because we only got one sentence when the
Tittletattle
told everyone about the kiss he gave me.”

Despite the situation, Chloe chuckled.  “Why does your husband delight so much in scandals?”

“I think it’s because he has such a low opinion of the Ton’s rules,” Melissa replied.  “He thinks they are utter and complete nonsense.”

“I can’t argue with him,” Helena said.  “The rules can be ridiculous, and the Ton’s expectations are much too high.  People are people.  I have yet to come across the perfect person.  Everyone, in one way or another, has a flaw of some sort.”

Melissa gave Chloe a sympathetic smile.  “We don’t blame you for not wanting to create a scandal.  Those things aren’t pleasant.  But it’s not really as horrible as it seems.  The gossip does die down, and people find something else to talk about.” She laughed and shook her head.  “Just listen to me, telling you a scandal isn’t all that awful.  I spent so much time crying when I was in the middle of one I could have filled the Nile River with my tears.”

“No one can blame you for being upset,” Helena told her.  “You had to marry Logan, a gentleman who wasn’t even original enough to come up with a new scandal.  He had to imitate the one Camden thought up.”

Melissa only giggled harder.  “I was horrified at the time, but it’s silly when I think back on it. I should have had one good cry then been done with it.”

“It’s not the scandal that upsets me,” Chloe said.  “Being with Orlando is worth all the talk.  It’s just that Dr. Harvey has been tending to my brother, and he was good friends with Lord Hawkins.  When I say good friends, I mean it was akin to worship.  No one ever thought so highly of another person.  Francis did this and Francis did that,” she imitated in a high-pitched voice.  “We owe everything to great and wonderful Francis.”

Melissa and Helena stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Chloe, that was very well done,” Helena said between fits of laughter.  “Your talent is wasted.  You should be in the theatre.”

“Or at least be the king’s jester,” Melissa added.

“If only kings still had them,” Helena replied.

“That’s true.  I suppose we’ll stick with the theatre then.  They could put you in after the main act.”

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle at her friends’ comments.  “I have no desire to be in front of a large audience.  I’m much happier sitting in the crowd.”

“One would hardly know it with how well you performed the role of the desirable young lady last Season,” Helena said.  “You had gentlemen lining up to dance with you.”

“How nice that would have been if they’d been doing that for me,” Melissa replied.  “But I suppose that would’ve made it all the more difficult to choose a husband.”

“Yes, that would have been a burden,” Helena said with a playful roll of her eyes. She looked at Chloe in amusement.  “You were envied by many ladies last Season.  Some were relieved when you married because it meant they could finally have dance partners.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Chloe argued.

Helena shot her a pointed look.  “You weren’t listening to what they were saying.  But,” she cleared her throat, “you said Dr. Harvey was taking care of your brother, and he isn’t anymore?”

“No, he isn’t.  I just talked to him, and he refuses to see my brother anymore because of the scandal.  If it was just me and Orlando, it would be a simple matter, but it’s Alexander.  My parents are looking for another physician and Orlando’s at White’s hoping to find one.”

“Logan might know one,” Melissa said. “But this particular physician doesn’t have the best reputation in London.  I know physicians are supposed to be especially reputable, but this is someone Logan has a lot of respect for.” With a shrug, she added, “Logan respects those who aren’t afraid to snub their noses at the Ton.  This physician, though excellent, might not be the kind your parents will want.”

“Who is he?”

“Dr. Westward.  Would you like for Logan to arrange a meeting for you?”

“Let me talk to my parents first.  Then I’ll let you know.”

Melissa nodded, and the carriage came to a stop.

Chloe peered out the window and saw they’d already reached her new townhouse.  “Would you like to come in for some tea?”

“We’d love to,” Helena said.

Chloe led them into her townhouse, glad she had such wonderful friends.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Dr. Westward?” Chloe’s mother asked the next day when Chloe’s parents came to visit her.

At the moment, Orlando was speaking with her father in his den, leaving Chloe and her mother alone in the drawing room.  Chloe had been relieved when her parents came by.  She’d sent them a missive yesterday suggesting the physician Melissa recommended, hoping it would help ease the situation between them.  And since her parents were here, she took that as a sign it had done as she’d hoped.

“You really expect us to go from someone as notable as Dr. Harvey to someone as debased as Dr. Westward?” her mother asked, her tone incredulous.

“He’s not all that debased, Mother,” Chloe replied.  She set the tea on the tray and picked up a sliced apple.  She offered it to her mother, but her mother shook her head, apparently too distraught to eat.  With a shrug, Chloe took a bite of it.  After swallowing, she continued, “Melissa said he’s had a few minor scandals.  To be honest, I’m not even sure what they were about.”

“He told Lady Cadwalader she sang like a dying cat.  He told a group of gentlemen at Brooks’s they were gossiping worse than a bunch of old ladies who had nothing better to do than mind others’ businesses, and as a result, he got thrown out of the club.  Then he took his shirt off in the middle of the Duke of Rumsey’s ballroom and decried the hypocrisy of the Ton.”

Chloe bit her lower lip so she wouldn’t laugh.

“I find nothing humorous in his behavior,” her mother said, proving that Chloe’s efforts to keep her thoughts to herself had been in vain.

“Well, you can’t say he lied.  All of those things are true.”

Her mother gasped.

“Lady Cadwalader is nice when she approves of you,” Chloe allowed, “but I have heard others say similar things about her singing.  Lord Edon said she sang like an angel, but he didn’t mean that as a compliment.  What he really meant was that no creature on Earth could sing that badly.”

“When did you hear that?”

“At a ball last Season.”

“Well, there you have it.  Lord Edon cares nothing for the Ton either.  He does everything he can to keep the
Tittletattle
reporting his every scandalous activity.”

“He used to.  He hasn’t been in it since he married.”

She shrugged off the comment.  “That was probably because his father-in-law taught him something about respectability.  The Duke of Rumsey did a good deed in that situation.”

“Even so, Dr. Westward made some good points, Mother.  Gentlemen can gossip as much as ladies, and the Ton is hypocritical.  The Duchess of Aubrey has a husband but is reported to have had two lovers over the past year, and yet it’s wrong for me to marry Orlando so soon after Lord Hawkins’ death?  Between the two of us, I fail to see how my actions are worth being snubbed by her.”

Her mother pressed a hand to her cheek.  “Where did you hear this about the duchess?”

“Helena mentioned it.”

“Helena?  The Duchess of Ashbourne?”

“Yes, that Helena.”

“Why, I had no idea she engages in such idle talk.”

“That was Dr. Westward’s point.  We all do it.  It’s in our nature.  Some are just more open about it than others.  That is what makes the Ton reek of hypocrisy.  People are quick to condemn others’ behaviors, but they dismiss their own transgressions.”

Her mother let out a long sigh.  “I know you’re right, Chloe.  It’s just all of my life I’ve wanted to be a part of a distinguished group of ladies.  I’m not saying it’s worth my relationship to you.  You’re my daughter.  You need to be more important than them.” After a moment, she added, “I haven’t been good at making you feel like you matter more than the others by asking you to marry Lord Hawkins or asking you to keep your marriage to Orlando a secret.  But I’ve had time to think things through since that evening at Dr. Harvey’s, and if I had to lose something, I’d rather lose the good graces of Lady Cadwalader and her friends than lose you.”

Chloe’s eyes filled with tears, and this time she didn’t stop them from falling.

“Oh dear, I made you cry.” Her mother wiped her tears with a handkerchief.  “I must have done a poor job of making you feel loved.”

Chloe laughed.  “I notice ever since I’ve been with child, I cry easier.”

“Carrying a child can affect your moods.”

“I know.  We all tried to be careful not to make you cry while you were in the family way.”

“Did you?”

“Father kept reminding us to be mindful of what we said around you.”

“I’m sure I was never that bad.  He just doesn’t know how to handle tears.” Her mother smiled.  “I meant it when I said I was happy you and Orlando married.  I knew Lord Hawkins didn’t make you happy.  You married him for our sake.  And now all you’re asking is that your father and I accept Orlando.” She took Chloe’s hand in hers and squeezed it.  “You have our acceptance.  I’m still not sure about Dr. Westward, but I’m willing to see how well he can take care of Alexander.”

“Melissa says he excels at what he does,” Chloe assured her.  “And who knows?  He might even welcome Alexander all the more since I’ve upset the Ton.”

“I suppose there is that.  Chloe, your father and I love you.  I know we have a lot to make up for, but we will.”

“I love you and Father, too.” Tears filling up her eyes again, Chloe leaned forward and hugged her mother, glad everything was going to be all right.

***

“You’re working on this?” Chloe’s father asked Orlando, pointing to the canvas resting on the easel.

Orlando finished pouring brandy in their glasses and approached him.  “Actually, it’s Chloe’s.”

“Chloe’s?” Her father accepted the glass, and his gaze went back to the horseshoe she’d started painting.  “I didn’t realize she liked to paint.”

“She hasn’t made up her mind on whether she enjoys it or not.”

His eyebrows rose.  “She hasn’t?”

Orlando shook his head.  “I told her she might have to do a couple of paintings before she makes the decision.” He motioned to the inkwell resting on his desk.  “She mentioned an interest in painting it, so I brought it back to London with me.  I thought if she painted something she was interested in, she might enjoy it.  Only time will tell if I’m right.”

Her father sipped the brandy, his gaze still on the canvas.  “It’s not bad.”

“No, it’s not.” Orlando thought it was the best thing he’d ever seen, but he realized he had a bias when it came to Chloe.  She could probably paint horribly, and it’d be perfect to him.

After a long moment, her father finally faced him.  “You love her.”

“Yes, I do.  Very much so, in fact.”

“I can see the depth of your feelings by the way you talk about her.  Lord Hawkins didn’t talk about her the way you do.  He didn’t look at her with the same tenderness you do either.” Letting out a long sigh, he added, “And if I’m honest with myself, he never had any real interest in her.  He was only interested in what she could do for him.  She was a respectable young lady who was a virgin, and she knew how to please others.  She could have probably married anyone she wished, and I think that appealed to him most of all.” He set the glass on the table and touched the canvas.  “I didn’t realize that, as her father, my main concern should’ve been on giving her a husband who could appreciate her as she is.  Who knows?  She might develop a love for painting and go on to create something beautiful.”

“She might.  And if she doesn’t care for it, I’m sure there will be something else she’ll enjoy.”

Her father nodded.  “It would be nice to find out what that is.  I’m sorry to say I don’t have the slightest idea what that might be.”

“She told me how many children you have.  I’m sure it’s not easy finding out everyone’s interests while you’re busy earning a living.”

“That’s kind of you to say, but it’s a feeble excuse.  She’s my child.  I should’ve taken more time to learn who she was.  I don’t mind saying that the older I get, the more I realize time is fleeting.  You blink, and half your life is over.”

“Oh, surely, you have more than half your life left.”

“Maybe.  Or maybe not.  Lord Hawkins was twenty-three.  When someone that young dies so suddenly it makes you question your own mortality.  We’re only here for a short time when you consider how long eternity is.” He cleared his throat and added, “In the end, what really matters are the people in a person’s life.  It took Chloe running out of the carriage the night everyone learned about the scandal for me to realize that.  My first thought was that she might not ever talk to her mother or me again, that maybe we had pushed her too far.  All along we were so concerned about Alexander.  We didn’t stop to consider how we might be hurting her.”

“She was willing to keep our marriage a secret,” Orlando said.  “We were going to spend most of the year at Edmonstone.  We just didn’t think about preventing a pregnancy until after we returned to London.”

“There was no reason why you would have thought of it.  You didn’t know her mother and I would ask you both to keep the marriage a secret.”

“And you and her mother didn’t know I’d whisk her off to Gretna Green to marry her.”

Her father grinned.  “To be fair, you didn’t have much of a choice if you wanted to be with her, and considering how much you love her, I’d say you did the right thing.” His expression turned serious.  “I apologize for my behavior the day we met.”

“You were upset.  I couldn’t blame you.  If some gentleman does the same thing to my daughter, I don’t think I’ll be all that excited about meeting him either.”

“If I’m still alive when something like that happens, I’ll be the first one to tell you to give the poor bridegroom a reprieve.”

Orlando laughed.  “I hope you do.”

Her father joined in and laughed, too, and in that moment, Orlando knew everything was going to be all right.  Despite their shaky beginning, they’d found a common ground.  It was a relief to learn he’d misjudged her father.  Her father, as it turned out, was an admirable and caring gentleman, and he had no doubt they would enjoy many conversations in the years to come.

***

Dr. Westward leaned toward Alexander and studied him with a critical eye.  Chloe glanced from Orlando to her mother.  They all stood around Dr. Westward and her brother in her mother’s drawing room.

Already Chloe couldn’t help but think the physician was an odd gentleman.  As soon as he’d entered the room, he went straight over to the boy and inspected him, as if he could tell everything that had ever been wrong with Alexander just by walking around him.  From time to time, he murmured an “um hum” while stroking his clean-shaven jaw.

Then, with great flourish, he gave them all a bow, introduced himself as their humble physician and turned his attention back to her brother.  Had Chloe not been so startled by his odd mannerisms, she might have said something before now.  Her mother and Orlando chose to remain quiet as well.

“Hmm…” Dr. Westward finally said as he turned to them.  “I’ve noted one problem with this poor lad already.”

“Oh?” her mother asked.  “What’s that?”

“He’s carrying way too much money,” he replied, his tone solemn.

“He’s what?” Chloe asked, wondering if she’d heard him right.

“Money.  Let me demonstrate.” He reached behind Alexander’s ear and pulled out a coin.  “That’s just one.  The lad is full of them.” He proceeded to reach behind his other ear, then under his arm, behind his neck, and on the top of his head, producing a new coin each time.  “He’s a bank!”

Alexander gasped.  “I had all of those in me?”

Chloe, Orlando, and her mother chuckled.  The trick had come so unexpectedly, and he had done a marvelous job hiding exactly how he was able to produce so many coins all at once.

“Indeed, you did,” he said.  “Your pocket is a much better place for them, don’t you think?” He handed the coins to her brother then patted him on the shoulder.  “I can’t promise it’ll do much for that chronic cough of yours, though.”

“How did you know he has a cough?” her mother asked.  “You only looked at him.”

“I heard his breathing.  It’s a bit raspy,” he explained.  “Does he have trouble sleeping?”

“On occasion.”

“I will see if I can get some medicine to help him for it, but,” he looked at the boy, “it should only be taken when you can’t stop coughing, all right?  There’s some sugar in it to improve the taste.  Unfortunately, this makes it so sweet one of my patients uses it even when he doesn’t need it.” To her mother, he whispered, “No need to tell the lad this is a forty-year-old gentleman who should know better.”

Her mother put her hand up to her mouth and giggled.

“What is it, Mother?” Alexander asked.  “What did he say?”

“If you listen to your mother and only take the medicine when necessary, I’ll tell you,” he told the boy.  “But not unless you’re good.  So my lips are sealed until I see you next time.”

“I’ll be good!”

He chuckled.  “I have a feeling you’ll keep that promise.  You can go back to your brothers and sisters unless,” he glanced at Chloe’s mother, “your mother has anything else she’d like me to check while I’m here?”