The Promise (16 page)

Inevitably, her thoughts turned to a face from her past. She had not seen her tormentor for nearly eight years. How long would it take him to learn of her whereabouts after she wed Finn? Their paths were sure to cross at some point. Jane shivered with revulsion. As much as she would like to avoid Tom forever, she had been in hiding for far too long. It was time to step out into the sunshine. Once she was married, her cousin would never be able to hurt her again.

If Lord Wallace persuaded his family to accept this marriage, then she would tell them everything. If not, she would stay in hiding for a little while longer.

Chapter Twelve

All in all, Finn was quite pleased with himself. He had presented a clear, logical argument and she had accepted. True, it would have been gratifying if she had shown a little more enthusiasm… dove into his arms and kissed him, for example. The depth of his relief shocked him. At some point during the carriage ride the idea had stopped being something he was
willing
to do, and became something he
wanted
to do.

Quite desperately, in fact.

He closed his eyes and pictured her lying in his bed, her soft brown eyes filled with desire, slender arms reaching out for him. He craved her warm and willing beneath him. What was it about Jane that made him feel like a randy young buck? He hadn’t anticipated bedding a woman with so much eagerness in years.

Finn thought, somewhat arrogantly, that she was going to benefit greatly in every conceivable way from their marriage. He looked forward to buying her beautiful things, beginning with a room full of gowns.
And not a single one in brown.
He pictured her in lacy little bits of nothing, nestled in his big, luxurious four poster where she would while away the mornings… hopefully with her legs wrapped around him. How she chose to express her gratitude was up to her, however, that was but one suggestion he would make if the subject ever came up.

Finn wondered if she had any idea how much he desired her. She seemed so innocent. He was experienced enough to know she was not immune to him. All the signs were there… her pupils dilated when he was near and the little pulse at the base of her neck fluttered. She had difficulty making eye contact and leaned ever so slightly toward him, as if she felt the same strong pull of desire as he.

Even now he could barely restrain himself from reaching out for her. Only the fact that he might frighten her into changing her mind kept him on his side of the coach. He had assured her he would not place any “unwanted physical demands” on her, but he hadn’t said anything about
wanted
physical demands. He was confident he could seduce her with minimal effort and he savored the thought.

Simmons pulled the team to a halt in the mews. The door swung open and Finn leaned forward. Jane touched his forearm to stop him. He looked down at her hand, then back up into her eyes.

“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want, my lord? If you change your mind, I won’t hold it against you,” she said breathlessly.

Oh yes. It is what I want.
You
are what I want.

“I haven’t, have you?” he arched one thick black brow.

“No,” she whispered and released him.

They entered through the library doors and found Cameron looking over a stack of correspondence. He rose to his feet and bowed. “Good evening, Miss Gray. I understand you had a difficult time of it today.”

Jane curtsied and smiled ruefully. “Thank God Pip wasn’t there,” she said.

“Please have a seat…” Rutledge motioned toward the settee.

“Pip is waiting for Jane upstairs. I have something to discuss with you and mother. Alone,” Finn added in a determined voice.

His brother’s tone arrested Cameron’s attention. His eyes narrowed on Jane.

“I have something I’d like to say to both of you before…”

“I’d really like to speak with Cameron first,” Finn interrupted.

“But I…”

Finn took Jane’s arm and escorted her through the library into the hall. At the bottom of the stairs she turned and searched his eyes for regret or indecision. Instead she thought he looked… delighted. He cradled her face in his palms. All thoughts about her past flew from her mind.

“Promise me you won’t change your mind, Jane.” He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Promise.” He kissed her softly, an undemanding, feather light brush of his lips.

“I promise.”

Finn smiled broadly. If there was one thing he knew about Jane, she always kept her promises. He released her and she scurried up the stairs. He turned to find Peckham watching him with a strange expression. Finn winked. “Don’t worry about Miss Gray, old boy. My intentions toward her are strictly honorable. In fact, it appears my bachelor days are numbered.”

He walked back to the library, leaving an astonished Peckham to ponder God’s mysterious ways.

“YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS,” Cameron drawled.

“But I am,” Finn insisted. “Perfectly serious.”

He had spent the past hour explaining the rationale for his marriage to Jane. Those same reasons seemed far less logical after Cameron picked them apart. Finn had expected his mother to put up the fiercest resistance, but to his surprise his older brother had been vehemently opposed while the duchess had scarcely said a word. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap and watched him as if attempting to solve a particularly baffling puzzle.

“This is one of the most ridiculous… No! It is
the
most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Miss Gray is a pleasant enough woman, but you barely know her. To illustrate my point, I will review everything I’ve learned about her. She is a baker.” Cameron paused for effect. “There, I’m done. She is an unknown quantity. You don’t even know how old she is, Finn.”

“Twenty-four,” he smugly declared.

“You know nothing of her family.”

“She is an orphan, so you needn’t fear that her common relatives will invade your lofty ducal domain.”

“Are you calling me a snob yet again? I grow weary of it,” Cameron scowled fiercely.

“Then stop acting like one,” Finn taunted.

“I am Rutledge. As of this moment, you are my heir. If you have a son, sooner or later
he
would be my heir. Think of it… the next Duke could be the son of a baker. How auspicious.”

“Elitist claptrap!” Finn barked. “Where are all those progressive ideas you are forever spouting in the House of Lords? Do all your revolutionary principles about the equality of man only apply outside your front door? If you’re so concerned about your heir carrying the blood of a baker,
whatever the hell that means,
then you should get on with the business of begetting your own. It’s not my responsibility, am I right mother?”

The duchess wisely remained silent, but her eyes twinkled as if delighted by the turn of conversation.

Cameron gritted his teeth. “We can weather this storm. I’ll contact our lawyers and see what can be done to prevent this from spreading.”

“The cat is out of the sack, brother. You should have seen the mob outside of Miss Gray’s place of employment. All they needed were torches and pitchforks. The notion that Pip is your love child has taken root. Wouldn’t you rather they thought Pip was mine?” Finn asked.

“Men have children by their mistresses every day. While I may not delight in the gossip, it will have little long-term impact,” Cameron asserted.

“On you, perhaps, but what about Pip? I failed my sister; I will not fail her child. You seem to have no regard for how this will impact Pip, or Jane either, for that matter.”

“Marrying Miss Gray is like using a canon to kill a mouse. It is simply not necessary,” Cameron insisted.

“And I have explained, more than once, that there are a number of excellent reasons for the match, not the least of which is to provide a traditional family for Pip. This matter with the newspaper only highlights the need for a long-term solution to protect the child from the stain of illegitimacy. I am sacrificing nothing with this marriage. I never intended to marry, but I like Miss Gray tolerably well.”

“More than tolerably well, I think,” the duchess interjected.

Cameron absorbed her words then studied his brother. “Is this true? You’ve taken a fancy to Miss Gray?”

“A
fancy
? What am I, twelve? Don’t be ridiculous! I admit I do admire her… I’d even go so far as to say I’ve grown fond of her, but don’t delude yourself. This isn’t a fairy tale.”

The duchess snorted and gave him a dubious look.

Cameron rested his elbows on the table and massaged his forehead with his fingertips. After several moments he groaned then said, “Fine! You’ve worn me down… I give in. You’re nearly thirty, old enough to make your own mistakes and young enough to regret them for a very long time.”

“Thank you for those words of encouragement. Now, are you willing to help with the items I mentioned?” Finn asked.

Cameron nodded. “I’ll secure a special license by morning. Mother, will you go over the particulars with Miss Gray so I have the proper information to record with the archbishop? I’ll ask our parish priest to perform a quick ceremony tomorrow. Is that all you need from me?”

“That, and your love and support,” Finn said sarcastically.

The duchess laughed.

“I’ll find something for Jane to wear and write up the details for the
Times
. You realize that this may arrest gossip in the taverns of London, but it will set tongues wagging in the
ton
. The debutantes and their mothers will go into mourning when they learn Finn Wallace has gone off the marriage mart. Jane must have been ecstatic when you told her.”

“Surprisingly reticent, actually. I tried not to take affront. She only agreed on the condition that you have no objections. You have none, do you mother?”

“I should, I suppose,” she sighed. “Five years ago I almost certainly would have, but I grow philosophical in my old age. Everyone will assume you’ve fallen ankles over teakettle in love, Finn. Not only is the girl a commoner, she hasn’t two shillings to rub together.”

“The gossips are welcome to believe as they wish. To be clear, I have your blessing?”

“Yes, yes,” she murmured.

“And yours as well, Cam?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent!” Finn jumped to his feet. “I’ll have Peckham send Jane down.”

“WELCOME TO THE FAMILY,” Justine said with open arms. Jane stepped into an awkward embrace.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Justine.”

“Justine. I confess I’m surprised,” Jane stammered. “I expected you or His Grace to persuade him against the idea.”

“Finn can be very convincing. Are you having second thoughts?”

“No, but in all honesty, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lord Wallace changed his mind between now and tomorrow.”

Justine sat down at her desk and dipped her quill in a crystal inkwell. “He won’t.”

“How can you be certain?”

“I know my son… it’s that simple. Once he has fixed his mind upon something, he doesn’t waver. Now, Jane,” she set pen to paper, “Finn has asked me to compose an announcement. Let’s begin with your full Christian name.”

“First there is something important I’d like to tell you — all of you — at one time.”

“As soon as I get a few things from you. There isn’t much time and Cameron needs your name and parentage for the special license.”

“All right, but afterward I need a few moments.”

“Certainly. Your full name?”

“Jane Amarante Lavinia Gray. It’s an odd combination, but my parents wanted to name me after both their mothers. One side is French, hence Amarante, and the other English, which accounts for Lavinia. They added Jane for reasons of diplomacy.”

The duchess gave her a curious glance and Jane knew that five years of living in the shadows would soon come to an end. There was little doubt the duchess would recognize her parents’ names.

“And your mother’s full name?”

“Jacqueline Valere Moreau.”

“And her parents?”

“Her mother was Amarante Gaetane Dubois and her father’s name was Germain Landis Moreau.”

“And your father?”

“Robert Vaughan Gray.”

Justine’s pen grew still and her forehead creased. She wrote down the name.

“And his parents?”

“Spalding Vaughan Gray and Lavinia Rae Fitzwarren.”

The duchess put down her pen, gave Jane a measured look, then slowly rose and walked over to a bookcase. Her index finger skimmed several spines before coming to rest on a copy of Debrett’s Peerage & Baronetage. Back at her desk she checked the index then thumbed through several chapters until she found the entry she sought.

“Ah, well. This explains a great deal. I hope you will not take offense,
Lady
Jane, but I have long suspected you weren’t who you claimed to be.”

“I am Jane Gray. Have I ever claimed otherwise?”

The duchess considered Jane’s words and took a deep breath. “Is your estrangement from your family due to reasons that will cause my son embarrassment? To be more blunt, are there any embarrassing skeletons skulking about in your closet?”

“None,” Jane said without hesitation, but offered no further detail.

The duchess rested her hands on either side of the book and drummed her fingertips on the leather blotter.

“I met your father once, a charming man. There is a strong family resemblance,” Justine said softly. She tugged on a silk cord behind the desk. Peckham appeared moments later.