Proposals in Regency Society: Make-Believe Wife / The Homeless Heiress

‘Your grandfather suspects you of trying to fool him, did you know that?’ Roxanne said, keeping her gaze to the front. ‘If we were to break the engagement too soon, he would be certain that he had been right all along.’

‘We shall see whether his health improves. We might have to marry to satisfy him, but do not worry, Roxanne. I should give you your freedom afterwards. He can push us into marriage, but even he cannot hurry the arrival of an heir. It should content him to know that I am married—if you are still prepared to go so far?’

‘Yes, of course. I know that the last thing you want is a life of domesticity, Luke. You need not fear that I shall cling to you and beg you not to leave me. I will not ask for more than we agreed.’

‘No…’ A little pulse flicked at his temple. ‘Well, we shall see how things go, but you must tell me if the situation becomes too difficult for you here. I know Hartingdon is a past master at inflicting wounds.’

‘I think he is a lonely, unhappy man. He shut you out when you were younger, perhaps because he was grieving for your mother—but then, when he might have reached out to you, it was too late. You are very like him, you know.’

‘Like Hartingdon?’ Luke turned his head to look at her in astonishment. ‘What on earth makes you say that? I do not think I have given you cause to fear me?’

‘No, you have not—but neither has the earl. He may be grumpy and harsh at times, but I do not fear him. Indeed, I rather like him. I should not wish to be the source of pain to him.’

Luke made a face of disbelief. ‘If he appears to reciprocate, beware. He is probably trying to get beneath your guard to discover your secrets.’

‘You are unfair,’ Roxanne replied and gave him a look of reproach. ‘Why does neither of you trust the other? You say you wish to make his last months happy—yet you will not allow him to have a heart or a conscience.’

‘If he has a softer side, he has given no sign of it in my presence.’

‘You are so used to quarrelling with each other that neither of you can see how foolish it is. If you let down your guard, Luke, you might actually enjoy a pleasant relationship with him—become friends or at least respect one another.’

‘If I offered affection, he would throw it in my face. My advice to you is to be careful, Roxanne. Allow him to get inside your head and he will hurt you. Do not imagine that anything he has said of late means he is happy to accept you into the family. I have no doubt that from the moment I told him I was engaged, he instructed agents to discover who you are and where you came from.’

‘He is unlikely to do so.’ Roxanne kept her face turned from him as she said, ‘Since I am well aware that this is all a masquerade I am not likely to be hurt, whatever happens.’

‘That is as well,’ Luke said. ‘Neither of us is to be completely trusted, Roxanne, but you have my word that you will never want for money for the rest of your life. I intend to have the ruby valued when I am in town; I shall try to discover if it has a history—but regardless of what I discover, my promise to you holds true. When this is all over I shall set you up with a house and an income that will be more than adequate.’

Roxanne made no answer. He was merely reminding her of their arrangement. Luke Clarendon had never pretended to care for her. She ought not to feel disappointed or upset. Indeed, she would not allow herself to feel anything. She would simply make the most of her time here—and when it was over she would know what to do.

Chapter Six (#ulink_fd824f57-28b5-5555-99b1-e703ad2c2d04)

After Luke left for London the next day, Roxanne set her mind to the tasks she had taken on in the house. A list of guests for the ball was drawn up and the invitations written carefully in her best copperplate hand. She spent an hour with Tonkins and set the work in hand for the improvements to the kitchen, and, after speaking to the head gardener, arranged for fresh flowers to be brought to the house each day.

When she carried a bowl of yellow roses into the earl’s sitting room that evening he stared at her as if she had run mad.

‘What is that for, miss?’

‘To brighten your room and bring some sunshine indoors to you. The weather is so delightful, sir, and the gardens are glorious. We have so many lovely blooms it would be a shame not to enjoy some of them indoors.’

‘Like flowers, do you?’ His thick brows knit as he stared at the offering.

‘Yes, I love them. I think I should like to improve some parts of the garden—if I stay here for long enough, of course.’

‘What would you do?’

‘There are some unused areas at the back of the house that are merely grass. I would like to make a wild garden, with your permission, sir. I have spoken to the gardener and he says there were plans to make a garden of box hedges and herbs there once, but it never happened. I thought something similar, but less formal. I should like plants that invite butterflies and birds to visit often, and perhaps some running water—a fountain of some kind.’

‘The herb garden was my wife’s intention, but she died.’ The earl glared at her, seeming angry or at the mercy of some deep emotion. ‘I suppose you can do as you please—if you stay long enough.’

‘Luke says you will have instructed agents to discover who I am and where I come from, sir.’

‘And what if I have? Worried about what they will find, miss?’

‘I believe I have done nothing of which I ought to be ashamed, sir.’

‘There’s something, though. I’ve sensed it since the beginning. You are a mystery, Miss Roxanne—but I don’t dislike having you visit me, and the roses can stay.’

Roxanne smiled. Impulsively she bent and kissed his cheek. ‘Perhaps there is a mystery, sir—perhaps even I do not know its answer, but believe me when I say I would not harm you or Luke. Indeed, I would rather go away, disappear altogether, than bring shame on either of you.’

The earl grunted, making no other reply, but his eyes looked very bright as she glanced back from the doorway. Walking down to the hall, Roxanne felt at a loss. She had become acquainted with all parts of the house, including the disused wing. The tower was out of bounds so she had not attempted it, but, walking up to the stairway to look at the curving stone steps, she’d heard a screech and some fluttering that she took to be the rooks the earl had spoken of once.

The tower had no appeal for her and she decided to walk in the garden for a while. Perhaps she would have a talk to the gardener or the bailiff about the new wilderness. It could not hurt to make plans for her wild-flower plot, even if her stay here was only temporary. Walking round past the tower to the back of the house, something made her glance up. For one moment she saw something at a window about halfway up, but in an instant it had gone. She frowned, because it had looked like a face—a man’s face, dark-complexioned and strange—and yet she was sure that the earl had given orders no one was to go up the tower because it was unstable.

It must surely have been a trick of the light? Why would anyone be in the tower? The earl’s servants were all aware of his orders—and yet there might be good reason for someone to visit surreptitiously. When he spoke of putting the ruby somewhere safe, Luke had told Roxanne that the earl’s strong room was somewhere either in the tower or beneath it.

Would a thief try to find the entrance and break in? Roxanne did not know what to think, because it seemed so unlikely. If no one had ever attempted it before, why should it happen now?

Had Luke been at home, she would have told him immediately, but the earl was not to be made anxious or worried about something of this nature. It might be nothing more than imagination, but rather than simply leave it, she decided to speak to someone. Knowing that Tonkins had gone into town that day, she thought of the bailiff. She’d seen Higgins going into his office earlier and turned in the direction he’d been heading, which was towards the stable block.

Higgins was in conversation outside his office with a stout man who looked as if he might be one of the earl’s tenant farmers. He lifted his battered brown hat to Roxanne as she approached, nodded to Higgins and went off.

‘Forgive me for interrupting you, Mr Higgins,’ Roxanne said. ‘It is a small matter—but, since Lord Clarendon is away and Mr Tonkins has gone to the market, one I thought should be brought to your attention, sir.’

‘Nothing is too much trouble for you, miss. Was it about the plants for the wild garden?’

‘I was hoping to speak to Minty about that later,’ Roxanne agreed. ‘It may have been a trick of the light, Mr Higgins—but as I passed the tower just now I thought I saw a face at the window—not at the top, but at that little round window halfway up.’

‘You didn’t investigate yourself, miss?’

‘I know it isn’t safe, which is why I thought it curious that anyone should be there.’

‘Everyone knows it isn’t safe, miss. None of our people would dream of going there—unless ordered to by the earl and then we should send a party armed with ropes for safety’s sake.’

‘No one who knows that it is unsafe would go up the tower—but a stranger might. A stranger intent on robbery or some such thing.’

‘Lord Clarendon told you about the strong room,’ Higgins said and nodded. ‘Only a handful of us know the secret, miss. I’ve never known anyone to attempt a break in, but I suppose there is always a first time. His lordship may have been seen when he visited it recently—though I cannot think any of our people would consider doing such a thing. The door is solid iron. It would be impossible to break it down—but I’ll make sure the lock has not been tampered with. I’ll go there myself now, miss.’

‘Do you think someone should accompany you?’

‘I’ll take a pistol with me, but I doubt there’s much to worry about, miss. As you said, it will be a trick of the light.’

‘May I come with you?’

‘Now that I can’t allow, miss. I couldn’t live with myself if you were to fall and have an accident. You’ll find Minty in the hothouses. Go and have a talk with him, discover what he has to say about your wild garden, miss. I’ll let you know if I discover anything.’

Roxanne agreed and left him. She was almost sure that it must have been a trick of the light and half-wished that she had not put Mr Higgins to the trouble of investigating.

Returning to the house after a long and pleasant talk with the head gardener, Roxanne washed her hands and changed into a fresh gown for lunch. She had instructed Mrs Arlet that she would have just a little bread and butter and cold chicken in the small parlour. Her meal was finished and she was about to leave when the housekeeper came in.