To Marry a Duke (5 page)

She bit her knuckles trying to still their trembling. She
knew what trades people were like. Had not Victor Bowers, who had bought up
estates locally, turned off half the tenants and squeezed the others almost to
bankruptcy?

A gentleman was born; buying up land was not the same as
being bred to own it. A gentleman without land was nothing. That was why her
father had killed himself. He had been unable to live without his birth-right.
She scowled. How long did she have before she had to go down for the meeting?
Over an hour - time enough to complete the long-walk around the Wilderness and
calm her agitation.

*

Tremayne could not remove the image of Lady Allegra from his
mind. His pulse quickened and he felt an uncomfortable tightness in his groin.
She was so fragile, so utterly desirable, her every move a line of poetry. He
swung back from his position at the window, angry with himself, and almost
snarled at Evans, who was scribbling away like a demented clerk at the desk.

‘How much longer, for God’s sake, man? You’ve been
scratching away for almost two hours. How long does is it take to write a
document?’

Mr Evans replaced his quill in the ink stand and rubbed his
wrist. ‘There, it is done, sir.
exactly
as you
requested. Now one document states Lord Witherton must marry Miss Tremayne and
the other that Lady Allegra must marry you, if they are to remain in control of
the Priory.

‘Good, thank you, Evans. I beg your pardon for speaking so
brusquely.’

‘No matter.
You have weighty
matters on your mind.’ The lawyer cleared his throat. ‘I must point out, Mr
Tremayne, as your legal adviser I don’t approve of the codicil, it’s asking for
trouble.’

Jago grinned. ‘It will give them both an illusion of choice.
Remember, I didn’t become a man of substance by being gullible. Whatever
scenario they come up with, I’ll have the answer and each time they fail, my
grip on the situation will tighten.’

‘Have you spoken to Miss Tremayne, sir?

He shook his head. ‘I wish Witherton to offer for her as
though it’s his own idea. It will make it easier.’

Yardley appeared at the door.
‘Yes, sir?
You rang?’

‘Please convey my compliments to the duke and Lady Allegra
and ask them to join me in the study.’

‘Yes, sir; I believe Lord Witherton is outside showing Miss
Tremayne the gatehouse. Her ladyship is walking in the rose garden. I will send
someone to fetch them immediately, sir.’

Jago turned to Evans. ‘Well, Evans, it would appear that my
daughter and Witherton are already attracted. All I have to do is give them a
nudge.’

*

Richard was watching Miss
Tremayne run lightly up the stairs, her new afternoon dress, in palest yellow
sprigged muslin, floating enticingly out around her brown kid half-boots and
white silk stockings. Allegra joined him.

‘I hardly knew her, what a difference a dress makes.’

‘Indeed it does,’ she replied dryly. ‘I was fetched inside.
Are we wanted?’

‘Yes, Tremayne requests our company in the study. Come
along,
Allegra,
let’s get this farce over with.’

Allegra stood rooted to the spot. ‘I cannot, Richard,
please, you know I cannot go into that room.’

Chapter Five

Richard failed to hear her plea. Allegra watched as he
vanished through the door leaving her no choice. She would have to follow him.
She forced her feet to walk towards the one room in the

Priory she no longer entered.

An attentive footman held open the study door and bowed her
through. ‘Lady Allegra Witherton.’

Tremayne stood behind the desk. The lawyer, no longer their
lawyer it seemed, stood beside him. Richard lounged against the window, his
long booted legs crossed at the ankles, his arms folded, apparently at ease.
Allegra knew how tense he was, what an effort he was making to appear calm. She
swallowed hard and clenched her fists. For his sake she would try to be strong,
to follow his lead and not reveal her inner turmoil.

‘If you will please be seated, Lady Allegra, we can get this
over with,’ Tremayne said.

He indicated a straight backed chair placed centrally,
directly in front of the hated desk. She almost refused; she would much prefer
to hide in the shadows by the window with her brother but she had not the
strength to argue. Obediently she sat, but unable to look ahead, lowered her
eyes and stared at her hands resting on her lap. The dark panelled walls began
to press in on her.

Tremayne and Evans took their places. ‘Lord Witherton,’
Tremayne began, his tone quiet but commanding. ‘I have a document which I’ll
read to you. Listen carefully; if you agree to the proposals contained therein
then you will be required to sign it. Is that clear?’

‘Perfectly, Tremayne.’

Allegra heard Tremayne reading but the meaning and content
of his words escaped her. She was aware the voice had stopped.

‘Lady Allegra, although this document is directed at Lord
Witherton it is essential you are fully cognizant of its contents as well.’

She raised her head slowly. She had no choice. He was
speaking directly to her. It would be unpardonable not to respond. But her eyes
did not travel as far as the man watching her closely from his vantage point
behind the desk; they froze on the expanse of polished oak in front of him.

She did not see the desk; she saw a pool of blood and the
shattered remains of her father’s noble face resting in it. Bile rose in her
throat and waves of blackness rolled over her.

‘
Oh please - I cannot - do not
make
me….’ Her words were no more than a whisper and she fell forward from her chair
in a swoon.

*

Jago was beside her before Richard had taken more than a
step. ‘God damn it! I had no wish to distress her.’ He slid his arms under her
body and scooped her up. He glared at Richard, only now

reacting
.
‘Is there a physician locally, Witherton?’

‘Yes, in the village.’

‘Have him fetched.
No, stay here.
I
shall take her to her chamber.’ He
glanced over his shoulder at Evans. ‘Read the rest to Witherton and have him
sign it. I’ll be down directly.’

With Allegra unconscious in his arms he followed a footman
back to the hall and up the stairs. He was led along another endless freezing
passageway. The servant halted before a solid, panelled

door
and
raised his fist to knock.

‘Open the door. I wish to get her ladyship into the warm
where she can be attended to by her maidservants.’

He carried his burden, who weighed no more than a child,
into an old-fashioned, but mercifully warm, parlour. The dresser, who had been
sitting mending by the window, dropped her sewing in dismay.

‘Sir, please bring Lady Allegra straight through to her
bedchamber.’

He was unimpressed by the heavy Dutch furniture, expensive French
carpets and massive four-poster bed; his eyes went to the log fire blazing in
the grate. ‘Thank God! At least it’s bearable in here.’ He gently placed
Allegra on the comforter, stepping back immediately to allow the maids to deal
with the patient.

‘We were in the study when your mistress swooned.’ The
woman’s shocked gasp alerted him. ‘Was it the room where her father killed
himself?’

‘Yes.
sir
. Lady Allegra hasn’t been
able to enter it since. She still has nightmares about it. Seeing her poor
father like that was not something any gently bred lady should have had to
see.’

‘I had no idea. But Witherton knew. What was he thinking of?
Why didn’t he tell me?’ He frowned. He would discuss the matter with the young
man when he returned to the study. ‘Does Lady Allegra have the wasting
sickness? She is too thin.’

The maid shook her head.
‘No, sir.
But she has little appetite and sleeps poorly.’

She hesitated and he waited for her to continue. He had a
shrewd idea what she was about to say and why she was reluctant to speak. ‘She
takes laudanum to help her sleep?’

‘Yes, sir.’

There was a slight noise from the bed. ‘I think Lady
Allegra’s rousing. I’ll leave you with her. Has she eaten anything today?’

‘I don’t believe so.’

‘I’ll have something sent up to her, see that she eats it.
I’ve also sent for the doctor. I wish her to be examined, just to be sure.’

He strode out. This changed nothing. Allegra
needed
 
someone
to
take care of her and he was determined
 
it would soon be him.

*

Allegra watched him go. Now she was out of
that
room her head was clear again. For
a common person he demonstrated a degree of sensitivity she found surprising.
She closed her eyes and tried to recall what he had been saying before she
fainted. She shook her head in frustration. She could remember nothing of
importance. She would have to wait until Richard came to see her. He could tell
all she needed to know.

‘Do you wish to undress, my lady? Remove that corset so you
can breathe properly?’

‘I rather think I do, Abbot. But I shall have to dress for
dinner later so my robe will suffice for the present.’

Her mouth curved. ‘You must make a special effort tonight,
Abbot. We might be unwanted guests at The Priory now but we are the true owners
whatever the legality of the matter.’

‘You rest on the day-bed, my lady, and I’ll have a bath
brought up for you. You will outshine those interlopers, my lady, you can be
sure of that.’

Allegra relaxed. Was she dressing to demonstrate superiority
or for another reason entirely?

*

Richard stared at Evans not quite believing what he had
heard. ‘Let me get this straight, Evans. If I agree to marry Miss Tremayne, I
have the Priory and all our estates restored to me, debt free, and things will
be as before?’

‘More or less, your grace.
But Mr
Tremayne is insistent that Miss Tremayne must be unaware of this arrangement or
there will be no deal. You have to win her. It must appear to be a love match
or there will be no match at all.’

Richard could hardly believe his luck. He had to marry some
time, set up his nursery, and if

Miss Tremayne was not exactly what
he would have chosen, she was a taking little thing and it would be no hardship
to take her to his bed, no hardship at all. He smiled at the lawyer.

‘I don’t anticipate any difficulty there. Miss Tremayne
fancies herself half in love with me already. Hand me the pen, I’ll sign, and
gladly. Marrying beneath me is a small price to pay to regain my heritage.’

‘How dare you speak of my daughter so disparagingly? Let me
tell you, she is worth ten of your kind.’

Richard’s quill sprayed blots across the document. He
recoiled at the fury on the other man’s face. ‘I beg your pardon, sir.
No offence intended, I do assure you.
I shall be honoured to
marry Miss Tremayne, I meant—’

‘Don’t bother to weasel your way out of it. You do yourself
no favours.’ Tremayne flicked his eyes over Richard disparagingly. ‘I chose
you, Witherton, because in spite of your gambling and whoring you do not appear
vicious. Also you have the blond looks
most young
women favour. This matter is not entirely settled. I now have serious
reservations about my decision.’

Richard could feel his life line slipping away. He would not
be the first, and certainly not the last, impoverished aristocrat to marry an heiress
of less than impeccable bloodlines in order to restore his fortunes. He could
not let a moment’s foolishness ruin his life.

He straightened and took one step closer to the intimidating
man who watched him through narrowed eyes. He bowed. ‘I appreciate your
generosity, sir, I beg your pardon if my thoughtless words offended you. I’ve
been raised to think myself as almost above princes; it has made me overly
proud. I can assure you in future I’ll be more considerate. I also promise you
I’ll treat Miss Tremayne with the utmost respect and consider myself a lucky
man indeed if she agrees to be my wife.’

Tremayne considered his words, his face impassive. He
nodded, but his expression remained grim. ‘Very well, Witherton, I shall say no
more on that subject. However, there’s something else I wish to bring to your
attention.’

Richard ran his finger round his stock which seemed overly
tight.

‘Why did you allow Lady Allegra to come in this room when
you know she has not set foot in here since your father killed himself?’

The colour drained from Richard’s
face and for a moment he thought he too would swoon.
‘Brandy,
Evans, quickly.’
Tremayne pushed Richard roughly onto the chair vacated
by his sister

earlier
and
handed him the glass. ‘Here, lad, drink this down in one swallow.’

Richard drank and the spirit flooded through his veins and
his colour returned. ‘I had forgotten, sir. How can I have been so stupid? Oh
God! I would never have deliberately caused her such distress – she’s my twin -
my other half. I would rather die than hurt her.’

To his astonishment Tremayne slapped him on the back and
laughed. ‘Cut me no Cheltenham tragedies, my boy. Hysterical females are one
thing - but young men?’

Richard found himself grinning back. ‘I cannot imagine what
has come over me today. You must think you are about to tie your daughter to a
complete booby.’

‘If I thought that, Witherton, I’d not be here. Now, do you
understand what’s required of you?’

‘Yes, sir, I do. I’m happy to sign. It’s more than this
family deserves. I’ll not let you down.’

‘See that you don’t. Give him the pen, Evans.’ Tremayne
watched a satisfied gleam in his eyes as the pen scratched across the paper.

Richard signed his name with a flourish, straightened and
nodded. ‘If you’ll excuse me, Mr Tremayne, I wish to go upstairs and apologize
to my sister. Has she recovered from her faint?’

‘She has. However, I have not cancelled the doctor’s visit;
it’s as well to be sure.’

*

The door closed softly leaving Jago and Evans together.
‘That went better than I could have anticipated, Evans. Are you sure he
understood all the clauses?’

‘Does it matter if he did not? He has signed it. He is bound
to do as you bid or forfeit his heritage.’ Evans sanded the parchment and
rolled it carefully before securing it with a silk ribbon. ‘Being obliged to
give up his mistress and cease gambling is a small price to pay for restoring
his home and fortune. He will not object
,
I am certain
of it. He is a decent young man; he has sowed plenty of wild oats and it is
time for him to take over the running of the estate and the responsibilities of
a wife and family.’

‘Leave Lady Allegra’s papers with me.
I’ll speak to her tomorrow morning when she’s fully recovered.

The lawyer’s brow wrinkled. ‘I must warn you, Lady Allegra
is not as biddable as Lord Witherton. She has always been the leader, the
strong one of the family. She nursed her mother through her illness, gave up
her chances of making a brilliant match without a qualm. And she ran the
estate, acted for her father and brother, whilst they were gallivanting in
Town.’

‘I had noticed the farms and cottages are in excellent
repair and the fields in good order. Is that down to her?’

‘It is, sir, very keen on looking
after
her own
is Lady Allegra. She believes it is part of her duty to protect
and nurture anyone who lives or works on Priory lands.’

Jago looked thoughtful. ‘Thank you, Evans. I believe that
information will prove useful in my

quest
to
win her hand. I’ll expect you here by 11 o’ clock to complete this business.’

*

Richard was relieved to leave the study – although he was
beginning to like Tremayne, the man unnerved him. He headed for Allegra’s
apartment anxious to put matters right between them.

‘Come in,
Richard,
do not look so
worried, I am perfectly well.’

He dropped to her side and clasped her hands. ‘My dear, I
should have remembered. I’m so sorry.’

‘Enough, I have forgotten it already. Now, tell me, what was
in that document? I took none of it in ’

He hesitated. Should he tell her the true contents or leave
her in ignorance of the bargain he’d stuck with Tremayne? ‘The papers were
confirming Tremayne’s ownership of the Priory. I signed them, of course.’

‘I suppose you had no option – we are all but paupers now;
beholden to that man for everything.’

‘Things could be far worse, my dear. He’s giving us the
Witherton jewels; we’ll be rich enough once we’ve sold them.’ He hated
deceiving her, but it would be better if Allegra believed his marriage to Miss Tremayne
was a love match. She might object to the plan otherwise on the grounds that
the agreement was unfair to his future bride.

She sighed and waved him back. ‘You know my feelings on that
score, Richard. Go away and let me read in peace. I shall see you this evening
for dinner.’