Chapter 34
CAROLINE
When I couldn’t think of a way to distract myself from worrying about my brother and Lord Kendrick, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed.
I remained like that for some time, trying to quiet my racing thoughts.
But instead of falling asleep, I kept replaying Henry’s parting words.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when a maid knocked at the door to tell me I had a caller.
I stood and smoothed out my skirts. A quick glance at the dressing table mirror told me my hair didn’t need to be redone. I took a deep breath and made my way downstairs.
I was hoping Kendrick had called, but to my disappointment, Henry and Penham were waiting in the drawing room.
I’d hoped losing the duel to Kendrick would have kept Penham away.
But aside from his right arm being cradled against his chest in a sling, he didn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects.
I hesitated in the doorway, but when they both turned to look at me, I knew it was too late to escape. “I was told that I had a caller.” I turned to look at my brother. “Perhaps Aunt Augusta should be here for this meeting.”
Henry stood with his hands on his hips. “She’s gone out. But don’t worry, I’m here to guard your virtue.”
There was an odd note in his voice when he said that last word, and I wondered whether he suspected what had happened when I’d left the dueling field with Kendrick.
I couldn’t help but feel a thread of alarm at this confrontation, but I refused to give them the upper hand.
I walked into the room, hands folded at my waist, and waited for them to speak.
We stood like that for an uncomfortably long time before Penham spoke.
“Weston and I have come to an agreement,” he said. “I am having my solicitors draw up the marriage agreement, and we will be married shortly.”
I froze in place, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Henry added, “I thought it best to let you know what was happening so you could have a little bit of time to get used to the idea. But this is going to happen, Caroline.”
I shook my head. “I don’t agree to this. You can’t force me.”
Henry’s eyes narrowed. “What are you going to do if I decide to cut you off? You can’t marry anyone else without my permission, and you have no money.”
“I can stay with Auntie.”
He made a small dismissive snort. “Who do you think has been paying her bills?”
That information surprised me. “But she is a widow. She has money that was settled upon her, and the dower house at Lord Fredricks’s estate.”
Henry shook his head. “The dower house is hers, yes, but it is currently undergoing repairs. Apparently, her husband let it fall into an abysmal state. I have been paying her living expenses until that is done. And since money is tight, I’ve decided to stop doing that.”
“That is cruel, even for you, Henry.”
He shrugged. “It is not actually my responsibility to see to her living expenses. The new Lord Fredricks should be doing that, but he is a miserly fellow who has all but washed his hands of her.”
Holding out for my own independence was one thing. I knew I would have an adequate amount of money settled upon me when the money set aside for my dowry came to me. But I’d had no idea my refusal to marry could hurt Aunt Augusta.
I stared at Henry. “How could you do this?”
“You’ve left me no choice. You could have married a wealthy man. You could have married Penham last year. But instead, you decided to indulge a man who is known to keep mistresses and who will never marry you.”
I latched onto the anger that sparked within me at his dismissive words. “Lord Kendrick is far more honorable than the two of you. He would never force a woman to do something that she didn’t want to do.”
Penham snorted at that. “I’m sure all the women he’s bedded wouldn’t agree.”
I laughed. “I can assure you, my lord, that every woman who has been with Kendrick has been fully satisfied with their arrangement.”
Penham froze, his mouth tightening and his face mottling with rage. “What do you know about it?” He took a menacing step forward, and I held my ground.
“Caroline,” Henry said, “tell me that you are not one of those women.”
I hesitated, the truth warring with my sense of self-preservation.
Then Penham turned to Henry. “This wasn’t part of our agreement. You assured me that she would be untouched.”
A spark of hope flared to life within me. But I chose to remain silent since the two men were now facing each other.
“She’s lying.” Henry glanced over at me but then turned back to look at Penham.
“She is only saying this because she’s hoping that you’ll change your mind.
” Penham stared silently at me, and Henry continued.
“I think it’s time that we quit London. She has spent far too much time in Kendrick’s company.
I’ll take her home, and you can marry her there. ”
I shook my head and took a step backward, surprised when my body collided with another. I whirled around to find Kendrick standing in the doorway. I hadn’t even heard him knock on the front door. Baron Moreland moved into place next to him, and the two of them made a formidable pair.
I looked between them and my brother and Lord Penham, who were standing in the middle of the drawing room, and decided to stay with the two Legends. How ironic that I felt safer with these two men—whom society had renounced as irreparable rogues—than with my own brother and his closest friend.
Kendrick looked down at me. “It seems you have a decision to make, Caroline. Are you returning to the country with your brother and his friend?” His voice dripped with scorn on that last word. “Or would you rather remain in London with me?”
I had only one answer to that. “I’m going to stay.”
Henry stepped forward. “Not without my permission, you’re not.”
Kendrick moved to stand in front of me, and Moreland winked at me before taking his place at Kendrick’s side. Together, they formed a very effective wall between my brother and me.
“I have a promissory note that says otherwise,” Kendrick said. “You gave her into my care, and I have witnesses who can corroborate that.”
“Tell me,” Moreland said, “do you want to be known as the man who gave away his sister in a card game?”
Henry was shaking his head. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Kendrick laughed. “Of course I would.”
“But she’ll be ruined,” Penham said.
Kendrick and Moreland looked at one another, and Kendrick smiled. “Like Moreland’s wife was ruined?”
We’d all heard the rumors about what had happened at the beginning of the season. I knew that those rumors were true, but society had forgiven everything when Moreland and Victoria wed.
They’d quickly moved on to other topics. Right now, the gossip was the scandal surrounding me. But in a month’s time, another scandal would take its place, and people would forget about me. I would still be ruined, but since I hadn’t wanted to marry anyway, I didn’t care.
Kendrick examined his nails. “How many duels do I have to win? Maybe next time my aim will be truer.”
Penham’s hands went up in the air, and he turned to my brother.
“I’m done with this. Your sister is not worth this trouble.
There are more than enough beautiful young women who are amenable to being told what they should do.
You’ll have to find someone else to fix the mess you’ve made of your finances. ”
“That sounds about right,” Kendrick said as Penham brushed past him. “You always were one to give up when faced with a challenge.”
Penham said nothing as he stormed from the house.
Henry stood there, staring at us. Then muttering a curse, he went after his friend.
Silence settled in the room. Kendrick and I were staring at one another, and I had almost forgotten that Moreland was there until he murmured something about waiting for Kendrick outside to make sure we weren’t interrupted. Then he was gone, and it was just the two of us.