Wicked Proposition (17 page)

Tears blurred her vision. She rubbed at her
burning eyes depressively. It wasn’t fair, what had been done.
Knowing her parents had taken her future husband away and given him
to Lilly tormented her. Her father did what he did to appease her
mother. Still, she was angry to know he should have been hers from
the start.

Catherine pushed away her troubled thoughts. He
could never be hers! That was seen too long ago. What was done was
irrevocable. He was married to Lilly now and was her guardian.
Should he discover her father’s duplicity, he would despise them
all and abandon them. She didn’t dare tell him the truth now. Her
eyes grew luminous as she realized why. These feelings had no place
here, merely got in the way of what she had to do.

Lilly had her letter by now. She would be
leaving soon.

Catherine returned to organizing and found
another stack of old documents. It was Giles St. Armand’s will. She
would have set it aside, but curiosity got the better of her. She
might as well know what was taken from her in order to truly
appreciate the loss.

Halfway through reading the document, she began
to feel a horrible sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. A
passage was within the will stated a large inheritance would pass
to the Countess. A male heir needed to be achieved before Gabriel
turned the age of thirty. The substantial amount made her eyes
widen.

She dropped the documents, her eyes
thoughtful.

Her heart thudded in her chest to know the power
she wielded over her sister now with this information. She wanted
to go home. Something told her she would not get what she wanted at
all.

Nicholas’s predictive warnings had sent a
terrible thought racing through her mind. She feared he was right
about her being betrayed for all her efforts, only by the wrong
person. What had she gotten herself embroiled in? She was pensive
when she got up from the desk. She left the study, her eyes
troubled.

When she arrived back at his room, she sought
out her trunk in the dressing room. At the bottom was a rip in the
lining. She shoved the papers inside, determined she would use them
if it became necessary.

Nicholas was surprised to see Gabriel arrive at
his residence. Thoughts of his behavior with Catherine made him
wary as he entered his study.

“Gabriel, what brings you here in the middle of
the day?” he asked as he saw the tense expression on his face.

“Did you hear that Clarice has died?”

“I learned of it yesterday. They say it was her
heart.”

“We both know the insufferable bitch didn’t have
one,” Gabriel replied tightly.

“Why are you so upset? It doesn’t appear you
mourn her,” Nicholas drawled, relaxing to know Gabriel wasn’t here
to thrash him for trying to get up his mistress’s skirts.

“Clarice has made me her beneficiary.”

Nicholas choked on his brandy then and coughed
violently.

“Yes, I felt that way too when her attorney sent
mine the papers after her death was known.”

“You own a brothel?” Nicholas recovered himself
with an amused grin. “Do I still have to pay, or is that to be one
of the benefits of being friends with the owner?”

“Nicholas, why would Clarice leave me her
business, it makes no sense?” Gabriel asked, ignoring his
impertinent question.

“Mayhap the old harridan liked you,” Nicholas
offered and shrugged. “Who can say? It seems odd she didn’t leave
it to Yvetta. Knowing what a rotten bitch she could be, I’m not
surprised.”

“What do you intend to do with it?”

“The brothel, you mean?” Gabriel shrugged.
“Selling it is an option.”

“Did Catherine tell you I came over a couple
weeks ago?” Nicholas inquired casually, avoiding Gabriel’s eyes. “I
dropped her off more tea. I assumed you were meeting with Chumley
that day. How is the little man working out?”

“Catherine said nothing of your visit,” Gabriel
answered and smiled in amusement. “The little man is getting one
very big bank draft if he is as good as you say.”

Nicholas knew she was hiding something now. She
hadn’t told Gabriel of his despicable actions because she was
guilty!

“Chumley is the best, my friend,” Nicholas
replied and raised his glass. “If there is anything to be found, he
will find it.”

###

Lilly was reading her correspondence when she
came across Catherine’s letter. She read it quickly and her eyes
darkened with rage.

Lilly became livid and crumpled the papers. She
rose from her writing desk and tossed it in the fire. She paced for
an eternity and brooded with irritation. Catherine was ruining
everything with her damned conscience.

Lilly didn’t trust Catherine not to confess all
to her husband and brave his considerable wrath. Gabriel could
never know the truth. She had to act quickly or all was lost. It
was time she pay her sister a visit.

Lilly sat at her writing desk and dipped the
quill in an inkpot. She finished and rang for Dunstan. The butler
arrived. She informed him she was going out. He had the coach
brought about in the back alley while she waited tensely.

Lilly called to the boy waiting on the stoop
outside Gabriel’s residence. She gave him a shilling and the note,
and waited. The boy took the letter and went to the door. Higgins
answered and looked down at the child dourly.

Lilly waited barely fifteen minutes and made her
way around the back of the house, by way of the alley. She hid
behind the fountain in the rear of the gardens and waited.

Catherine appeared moments later, looking tense
and anxious. She drew up short at the fountain, shooting her sister
a look of accusation before they walked the short distance out of
sight of the windows.

“Why has it taken you so long to come to me?”
Catherine demanded angrily, her emerald eyes simmering in
anger.

“I do not have to remind you I am being watched!
I am here now.”

“Clarice betrayed us! I told you not to trust
her.”

“I think you staying here with him now an
excellent idea. It works out even better, sister. You didn’t like
the idea of visiting him in the brothel, as I recall.”

“He isn’t seeing Mrs. Farrand anymore. I have
done as you ask. I wish to go home now!” Catherine said
adamantly.

“Matters have become dire, little sister.” Lilly
gazed at her coolly. “You must stay a bit longer. There are
documents I need as well.”

“What documents?”

“I need our marriage papers, all of them,” Lilly
said. “Whatever you can find, that should slow Edward down.”

“I have done as you asked, Lilly,” Catherine
argued.

“Be that as it may, you stay,” Lilly snapped,
her eyes growing feral. “You will remain for now. You leaving
suddenly will only make him suspicious.”

“I could tell him the truth, Lilly!” Catherine
threatened.

Lilly chuckled. “Do you think he will feel
fondly for you when he discovers the truth? He will toss you to the
streets for your trouble. Think of the children, my dear. Your
destiny hinges very much upon my own, and you know it. Do nothing
foolish.”

“This is wrong! I cannot even look at myself in
a mirror anymore.”

“Come now, you don’t begin to care for him, do
you? Really, Catherine, you cannot be so naïve anymore.”

Catherine composed her features into what she
hoped was a bland expression. Inwardly, she fought the urge to cry.
She had indeed begun to care for Gabriel, too much it appeared.

“I need to get back home to the children.”

“You will stay here for as long as it is
necessary, Catherine,” Lilly said coldly, no mercy in her blue
gaze. “Edward is stalling the petition once more. Just concentrate
on all you stand to gain from this little adventure, sister. I know
you will do nothing to jeopardize matters.”

Catherine said nothing more as Lilly pulled the
hood of the cloak over her head. She watched her sister disappear
into the rear of the gardens.

###

Nicholas sipped his brandy and regarded his
visitor with a raised eyebrow. Disbelief at his words soon turned
to grim reflection. He rose from his seat before the fire and
digested this news thoughtfully. Gabriel stood near the window of
his study, looking moody and agitated.

“How can you be so sure Catherine is involved?
How would she even know your wife?” Nicholas asked, shaking his
head in disbelief.

“I am sure of nothing at all. Chumley is in
Ireland right now. He is digging up dirt on the Countess, so I can
prove she is the lying, faithless little whore she is,” Gabriel
said through gritted teeth. “I bloody well know Thornton stalls the
petition on purpose. He is in league with my wife! It all makes
sense now. I don’t know how the girl is involved, if at all.
Vickers claims Clarice made two appearances at my former residence
before her death. We both know Clarice and Lady Iverleigh do not
travel in the same circles. And Clarice practically did throw
Catherine at me, Nick. Now she is dead, and I can learn
nothing.”

“Why would Clarice help your wife in such a
way?”

Gabriel frowned. “I have only my suspicions,
none of it good.”

“Have you asked Catherine about any of
this?”

Nicholas tensed just thinking of the lovely
dark-haired beauty he couldn’t stop thinking about. He was still
regretting his treatment of her. He was troubled by the stirrings
of jealousy he felt when he thought of her with his friend. The
bitter envy he felt made him wince inwardly.

The highly arousing scene in the gardens was
never far from his thoughts. It was a pity she had wound up with
Gabriel, but he had no say in it. If anyone could make him forget
Lilly it would have been her, but it was not meant to be.

“Let us say, talk is the last thing on my mind
when she is near,” Gabriel admitted with a fond smile and tossed
back his brandy. “She has bewitched me, my friend. It is no doubt
why my wife chose her. There are too many coincidences.”

“What do you think they are after?”

“My wife is obviously desperate to stay married
to me,” Gabriel speculated with a frown. “Catherine is merely a spy
she put in my bed. I have not figured out the rest. I mean to put
Chumley to the matter when he returns. That is where you come
in.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I have too many appointments each day with this
case and other matters to keep an eye upon my mistress’s movements.
I need her followed if she leaves, and watched. If she contacts my
wife or Thornton, it proves what I now suspect.”

“What will you do if you find out she is working
with them?” Nicholas was afraid to ask, seeing Gabriel’s dark
look.

“I don’t know. Let us hope I am wrong,” Gabriel
said darkly, his eyes grim.

“This isn’t like you to tolerate such suspicions
like these,” Nicholas noted in surprise. “I have seen you discard a
mistress for much less.”

Gabriel was determined to keep her, even if he
discovered she played him falsely. He set down his glass and met
his friend’s amused glance.

“This one is different, Nick. I know you will
think me an idiot, but I will be keeping Catherine with me.”

“Let us hope you are wrong about her then,”
Nicholas advised, hiding his disappointment.

Now Gabriel set him up to spy on Catherine, the
last place he needed to be. He could have refused. He sighed
dismally, knowing being anywhere near Catherine was torture.

###

Samuel Vickers sat forward on the seat of his
coach. His plain face lit up with interest to see Lady Iverleigh
leaving again this afternoon. The chase was on. He rapped on the
roof to alert his associate, Jasper, who was no doubt sleeping.
Their coach followed at a distance.

Samuel was excited when the coach stopped at a
street corner and Lady Iverleigh got out.

The noblewoman looked around and frowned,
hurrying up the steps to an abandoned rooming house. Her coach
continued on down the road. Samuel wanted to hoot with glee as his
coach drew up to the curb. He left his notebook on the seat as he
got out of the conveyance.

“I’m following her, Jasper,” he told the driver.
“Take the coach and stay out of sight.”

The driver nodded and clicked the reins.

Samuel stared up at the building and felt a
renewed sense of excitement as he followed Lady Iverleigh. He stole
up the stairs quietly. The building proved to be a rooming house,
but empty of tenants. White wash buckets, brooms, and cleaning rags
littered the hallways on the first level.

Samuel heard a noise on the second level and
smiled. This proved to be easier than he thought after weeks of
nothing to report. Lady Iverleigh had not known she was being
followed today.

Samuel was basking in his own cleverness for
changing positions on the street as he crept to the second floor.
He moved silently down the hall, listening at doors. Low moaning
was faint and coming from the room at the end of the hall. He crept
forward, his brown eyes filled with triumph.

He tried the knob of the door, finding it
open.

Samuel crept inside and looked around. The room
was in the process of being renovated. Wooden boxes and crates
lined the walls, and a pallet of wood sat in one corner. Tools were
left behind, scattered upon the floor of the apartment.

The noises came from a room within the
apartment. He smiled wanting to gloat, and enjoy the look of
respect he would see on Iverleigh’s face at last when he presented
him with proof his wife had a lover.

Thinking of his large bonus made him eager to
open the door. Samuel swung the door open and stood in the doorway.
His look of confusion to see nothing there but more boxes soon
turned to shock and pain.

His mouth opened but no sound came out. Blood
frothed at his lips. Then he fell forward, his brown eyes growing
vacant before he hit the floor, a pick axe imbedded in the back of
his head.