Chapter 26
CLARK
“ G et up, you sluggard.”
I had barely managed to open my eyes when the blankets were torn off me. I sat up, groaning as Colin held his bright candle close to my face.
“What the devil…” I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
“You are coming with me.” Colin’s voice was demanding, as usual.
I blinked, staring up at him in dismay. I hadn’t slept at all the night before, and so I had retired quite early that evening. I had finally silenced my emotions enough to drift off, only to be awakened so harshly. Colin might as well have dumped a bucket of water over my head.
Ever since I had returned from my conversation with Arabella at Pulteney Bridge the night before, Colin had been acting strangely sympathetic, watching me with uncharacteristic concern. He hadn’t bothered me, though. Until now.
“I don’t believe I have to do anything you ask,” I said in a hoarse voice. I was still too drowsy and emotionally spent to think clearly. “My debt is repaid.” I turned to fall back into my pillow, but Colin snatched it out from under me.
I whirled around with a burst of anger. “What are you?—”
“I am going to the fireworks at Sydney Gardens, and you are coming with me.”
The reality of his words caught up to me. “Are you mad?”
“No. I am fully sane, and I wish to introduce you to society.”
I studied his stern features. He was serious.
Dressed in his tight jacket and overly starched cravat, he seemed prepared to drag me out of bed and put me at the mercy of Morris.
I shook myself free of my confusion, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“You do realize the absolute chaos that will ensue if there are suddenly two of you strutting about in public.”
“I look forward to it.” Colin’s lips quirked upward before falling flat again. “At any rate, it will distract society from gossiping about Miss Sharp. I still don’t like her, but I will honor your wishes to protect her reputation from further harm.”
At the mention of Arabella, my heart stirred with longing.
And a great deal of pain. I had returned home the night before and told Colin about my proposal.
To his credit, he had refrained from gloating about how right he was about Arabella’s intentions.
My timing had been poor, but that didn’t change the words she had spoken before leaving me there at the bridge.
She had made it clear that she was still seeking a fortune.
That I was not enough for her.
I had been trying to accept the truth, but I couldn’t shake the image of her face when I had held it between my hands.
She had seemed uncertain—afraid—and I wondered if she had meant those words at all.
If there was any hope that I could still change her mind, I would never be able to forget her.
She had told me to tell Colin that she was still a fortune hunter, but I hadn’t been able to repeat those words.
Deep in my bones, I knew she hadn’t meant it.
There was more to her story that she hadn’t told me.
The hesitancy in her eyes, the fear, surely it hadn’t been in my imagination. She cared for me—she might have even loved me—but something besides ambition was stopping her.
“I-I think I would rather stay here.” My voice was firm.
I wasn’t in the mood to be gawked at. And I had no idea if Arabella would be in attendance.
The thought of seeing her made my pulse quicken.
I was embarrassed for how freely I had spoken and how swiftly I had expected her to forgive my deception.
My brother had already derided me mercilessly for it.
Colin shook his head. “This is an opportunity for you. I will begin introducing you to my acquaintances. How else will you obtain clients?”
I rubbed a circle over my forehead. He was right. Colin and I had made great strides toward mending our relationship, and refusing his generosity wouldn’t help matters. I took a deep breath, already imagining the whispers and gasps that would ensue the moment Colin and I stepped out the door.
Fireworks were the spectacle that people thought they had come to see, but I suspected we would be the greatest spectacle of the evening.
“Very well,” I muttered. “Let us give society something new to gossip about.”
Colin smiled before tugging the bell pull. Morris arrived with shocking speed. The idea of stepping outside as myself and not as Colin caused more nerves than I would have expected. I had grown accustomed to borrowing the respectability of his name.
But now I would have to build something of my own.
Morris helped me dress and arranged my hair in my usual style, and by the time I stood in front of the mirror beside Colin, we still looked alike, but distinctly individual, just the way I liked it.
We set off in the carriage, and a few minutes later, in the dim light of Sydney Gardens, we strode across the grass toward the bulk of the crowd.
Music and laughter filled the cool evening air.
It had rained lightly earlier in the day, and the smell of damp earth and flowers drifted up to my nose.
Lanterns illuminated the faces we passed, and I searched them for Arabella.
Colin and I had already captured the attention of many promenaders who glanced twice in our direction.
The attention was already stirring up anxiousness in my chest, a tightness that made breathing difficult.
My gaze settled on one particular old woman, and I quickly steered Colin in the opposite direction. “Wickerton.”
Colin followed my gaze.
I didn’t dare speak with that woman tonight. Her wide eyes were already scrutinizing the crowd, and I knew she carried a tiny book of gossip in that reticule on her arm.
“She is bound to see us eventually.” Colin straightened his jacket. “So long as I am better dressed than you, I have no objection to being noticed by anyone.”
My gaze froze on another familiar face. In a circle of ladies across the lawn, a young woman stared at me with one of the most venomous glares I had ever seen.
Even Miss Sharp’s glare had not compared to this one.
Mrs. Kate Ollerton’s eyes flickered between Colin and me, and I felt the daggers she was throwing prickling against my skin.
Though she was young, her marriage to Mr. Ollerton had granted her power in society.
She was respected and wealthy, and apparently very defensive of her friends.
She must have known everything about my impersonation of Colin, and she clearly thought the worst of me.
“There is something I must do,” I said. “I’ll return shortly.”
Colin shot me a confused look, but I squared my shoulders and started in Mrs. Ollerton’s direction.
As intimidating as she was, she might be able to lead me to Arabella. If all I could do was apologize, that would be enough. But I couldn’t bear the thought of never speaking to her again.
Mrs. Ollerton lifted her chin at my approach, politely stepping aside from the circle of ladies she had been conversing with. All five of them stared in my direction as I bowed.
Mrs. Ollerton curtsied, but it was shallow and obviously done grudgingly. Her eyes swept over my face with disdain. “Which one are you?”
I walked closer to the nearest bushes, creating more distance from her companions. “Clark.” I kept my voice calm. I had no intention of being defensive or denying accountability for what I had done. “My brother, Colin, invited me here this evening.”
Mrs. Ollerton interlocked her fingers in front of her, her eyes never leaving my face. “I hope you have not come looking for Arabella.”
“Is she here?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why on earth would I tell you that?”
I released a slow breath, lifting my hands in surrender. “I understand what you must think of me. I know the harm I have caused your friend, but I assure you, my intentions toward her are genuine. I wish to apologize to her.”
She laughed under her breath, looking down at the grass before raising her eyes back to mine. “I’m afraid I must ask that you stay away from her. You have caused her enough distress already. She was invited here this evening by Sir William.”
A thorn of disappointment twisted into my heart.
“Are you the one convincing her that she needs a fortune to be happy?” I hadn’t meant to sound so accusatory, but Mrs. Ollerton was not treating me with any mercy of her own.
“I’m afraid I can’t respect your wishes.
I am going to find a way to speak with Arabella tonight if she is here. ”
She sighed, a frustrated crease appearing in her forehead. “She wishes to be left alone.”
I shook my head, my jaw tight. “Until I know for certain that she does not care for me, I cannot.”
“It doesn’t matter if she cares for you.” Mrs. Ollerton glared at me in the dim light. “She requires a fortune.”
“Why?”
The combative nature of our conversation drew the glances of a few people on the grass. Mrs. Ollerton hesitated for a long moment before taking a deep breath. “If I tell you, will you promise not to approach her this evening or breathe a word of it to anyone?”
I held my breath. How could I make such a promise? Mrs. Ollerton stared at me, waiting for my response. Finally, I nodded. “Very well. I will not approach her, and I won’t repeat a word of our conversation.”
Mrs. Ollerton tossed a curl from the side of her forehead, casting her gaze heavenward. “I should not trust a word you say. But if you truly care for her, you will keep this in the utmost confidence. It may finally help you understand why she refused your proposal.”
My heart pounded, but I nodded again.
“Her younger brother, Frederick, accumulated a devastating gambling debt upon his first week here in Bath. In order to keep the matter a secret, he foolishly obtained a loan from a man by the name of Mr. Russell using a promissory note with the forged signature of his elder brother. As you can imagine, the consequences of forgery are as severe as they come.”
Her voice sent a chill over my shoulders. I had studied enough law to know what the consequences were for forging a bank note.
“Her family could never afford to repay the loan in enough time to avoid discovery.” Mrs. Ollerton’s features were heavy with sorrow.
She lowered her voice even more, her faint whisper barely carrying above the music.
“Since the moment Arabella learned what had happened, she has been trying to secure a husband with enough money to easily afford the demands of the loan.” She paused to take a breath.
“I don’t imagine you have an additional two thousand pounds at your disposal. ”
Two thousand? My heart sank. “Why did Mr. Russell agree to loan him such a large sum?”
She shook her head. “The forgery must have been quite convincing, and he must have promised a great deal of interest.”
I took a deep breath, raking a hand over my hair. I had once been young and foolish like Frederick Sharp, but even I couldn’t imagine doing something so reckless.
A gleam of distaste returned to Mrs. Ollerton’s expression. “Perhaps now you understand how precious her time was, and how carelessly you wasted it with your ridiculous sham. Now she must resort to drastic measures.”
Guilt swirled around my stomach. “What do you mean?”
She clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head as she backed away. “I have told you more than I should have already. This is no longer any business of yours. The further you stay away from Arabella, the better.”
Desperation clawed at my skin. How could I help her?
What could I do? I didn’t have two thousand pounds—not even close.
I thought of the hesitation on Arabella’s face when I had proposed to her, and the tears in her eyes.
She carried the burden of Freddy’s life in her hands.
How heavy and painful that must have been.
It was clear to me now that her words had been meant to drive me away for good.
I had never felt so helpless in my life. My promise to not approach Arabella that evening was already hanging by a thread, but I had to be true to my word to Mrs. Ollerton. Coming between Arabella and Sir William would only do more harm, and I had already wasted so much of her time.
“What can I do to help her?” My voice was weaker than I intended.
Mrs. Ollerton stepped forward, drawing my eyes back to her face. “If you wish to help, then you will do all you can to ensure she marries Sir William.”
I couldn’t imagine a more painful endeavor, but I nodded faintly. All my hopes of speaking to Arabella that evening, of changing her mind, were gone. I struggled to draw a breath as Mrs. Ollerton bid her silent farewell and returned to her circle of acquaintances.
My heart was numb as I found Colin where I had left him, my head still spinning with all that I had just discovered.
“You look pale,” Colin said as I stopped beside him. I knew that was his way of expressing his concern, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain. “Were you thoroughly scolded by Mrs. Ollerton for how you treated her friend?” he asked.
The amusement in his tone was nearly enough to put me over the edge of civility.
I doubted throwing a fist into his face in public was the best way to introduce myself to society.
I felt his gaze on the side of my face, and I sensed the shift in his expression.
Had he finally realized that this wasn’t all a game to me?
I drew a steadying breath as I tried to calm the turmoil in my chest.
And then I saw her.
Arabella stepped tentatively onto the lawn in the distance. She was shadowed by the darkness, but her hair and skin still shone in the moonlight. The silk of her gown draped over the curves of her figure, a pair of matching gloves pulled up to her elbows.
Her eyes searched the crowd, and I knew that they would eventually find me.
My promise to Mrs. Ollerton burned in the back of my mind, keeping my feet rooted where I stood.
Surely she was looking for Sir William—not me.
The entire point of Colin’s plan had been to protect men like Sir William from her fortune hunting, but now that I knew the cause behind it, I was entirely on her side.
I did not pity Sir William. In fact, I had never been more jealous of anyone.