Chapter 27
ARABELLA
A unt Julia’s arm was looped around mine, pinning me to her side. I would certainly have to remedy that situation as swiftly as possible.
If I was going to manage being alone with Sir William, I would have to create distance from my chaperone. Why had Sir William not given me any direction as to where and when to meet him? There were countless gentlemen in the gardens who looked similar in stature. He would be easily lost among them.
We passed a bench that led to a winding path, and Aunt Julia stopped abruptly. “This is much like the bench in Mr. Campbell’s garden, is it not?”
My heart pinched. Why must she continue speaking of him? Every mention of his name made me ill. “It looks much better than his.”
She scowled. “I thought his bench was very lovely.”
I exhaled the tension in my chest, my lashes fluttering closed. Snapping at Aunt Julia would not accomplish anything. It wasn’t her fault that I was on edge. Would it be best to sit on the bench and hope Sir William found me? I turned around, searching the crowd for him one more time.
I blinked fast, my heart jumping to my throat.
Both Mr. Campbells were here. The brothers stood together several yards away, but close enough for me to distinguish their differences. Clark, I knew, was the one with his hair falling over his forehead.
And he was looking straight at me.
My heart hammered so hard it hurt. Aunt Julia looked up from the bench in time to release a startling gasp. “Is that—Mr. Campbell? Who is that man beside him? Did you know he had a brother? I daresay he must be a twin.” Her grip tightened on my arm.
“I was recently made aware.” My voice barely escaped the tightness in my throat.
I needed to find Sir William. Now. I would have loved the opportunity to confront Colin Campbell for his part in their deception, but that was not my purpose that evening.
Sir William was here somewhere, and so were the viscount and viscountess.
Kate and I had a plan, and I couldn’t stray from it.
“Well, we must go make his acquaintance.” Aunt Julia’s voice jarred me back to my senses. I shook my head, trying to tug my arm away, but she held it tightly.
“No, we must not.” I held my ground even as Aunt Julia tried to pull me in Clark’s direction. “I came here to see Sir William. I should not be seen conversing with Mr. Campbell.”
Her eyes hardened. “You are being quite irrational. There is no harm in a short greeting. He has obviously brought his brother here in the hopes of introducing him to his acquaintances.”
I caught Clark’s gaze again as Aunt Julia tugged me forward.
This time I was too weak to stop her. Seeing the two brothers together confirmed what I had already pieced together in my mind, yet it was still an unsettling sight.
The two men were precisely the same height, their hair the same shade of brown, their eyes the same blue.
Every feature of their faces was identical, though seeing them together, I could easily tell them apart.
Perhaps it was less about their features and more about the expression behind them.
Clark watched my approach. The weight in his eyes seemed to anchor him to the grass. Colin, however, watched me with the disdain I had come to expect from him. Freddy had reminded me that Colin was my true rival, and I wholeheartedly agreed.
I remained silent while Aunt Julia received her introductions. She gaped at both men in awe. “What a remarkable resemblance. I confess myself rather surprised that you never mentioned your twin.”
Colin gave a faint smile. “I have not been made aware of your siblings either, Mrs. Cresswell.”
She laughed. “I suppose you are right. It never did come up in conversation.” Her gaze continued to dart between both their faces.
Being so near to Clark was a mistake, and I felt it deep in my stomach.
Butterflies stirred there, waiting patiently to betray me again.
His gaze captured mine, and I wondered if he was still hurt by my rejection.
Did he finally believe I was a fortune hunter?
Did he finally share his brother’s poor opinion of me?
I hoped so. Because soon I would be engaged to Sir William and he would have to face the truth.
The moment Aunt Julia concluded her conversation, I would leave his side and never look back.
“Mrs. Cresswell, I wondered if I might have a word with you?” Colin addressed Aunt Julia directly with a smile that was much too warm for his usual disposition.
Aunt Julia could not have looked more astonished—or honored. Her lips curved upward as she pressed a hand to her chest. “With me?”
Colin nodded. “It won’t take long.”
Aunt Julia’s gaze flickered in my direction. Panic seized my muscles. Was she truly going to leave me alone with Clark? What were the two brothers conspiring to do this time?
But Clark looked as confused as I was, shooting his brother a questioning look as he led a far-too-willing Aunt Julia away from my side. I looked down at my gloved fingers for several seconds, counting each one in my mind.
Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
I inhaled deeply enough to make my chest burn and finally dared to look up. “I am glad to finally have evidence that you both exist.”
Clark’s eyes softened. He must have been expecting something more cruel to come out of my mouth. “Colin insisted that I come with him this evening. He decided he finally wants to claim me.” His lips twitched on one side.
“How generous.”
Clark’s expression was far more serious than I was accustomed to as he searched my face.
He seemed torn between a certain decision, a battle evident in his features.
Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. “While your aunt is occupied…may I have a word with you?” He nodded toward the bench that Aunt Julia had been admiring.
I hesitated. Where on earth was Sir William? My success with him was partially dependent on his belief that there was no longer any attachment between Mr. Campbell and me. The real Colin would serve as a proper decoy if Sir William were to come looking for me.
My heart picked up speed, and I nodded against my better judgment.
Clark led the way toward the bench, and to my dismay, all the way into the dark path beyond it.
I stopped for a moment to ensure I was not being watched as I made my way past the bench and under the cover of the foliage.
Flower bushes and hedges stood tall around us.
I knew I should not have followed him, but my curiosity had always gotten me into trouble.
Clark turned to face me at the bend of the path.
In the moonlight, his eyes glowed a soft blue, his dark brows lowered in a look of concern.
My heart hammered fast as I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes.
I had hurt him. I told myself that he deserved it, because he had hurt me too, but I knew deep inside that neither one of us had meant to.
He was so different from Colin. How could I have ever missed it? He was gentle and kind and good, yet I could not have him. I reminded myself of that over and over as he looked into my eyes.
“I spoke with Mrs. Ollerton,” he said in a low voice. “I know why you are seeking a fortune.” His brow drew together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I wrapped my arms around myself as a sudden chill came over my body. Oh , Kate. How could she reveal the truth without my permission? I squeezed my eyes shut. What had she been hoping to accomplish?
“I didn’t trust you.” My voice broke. “How could I tell the man I was courting that I intended to use his money to hide my brother’s crime?” I laughed in my throat, even though it was not amusing at all. The sound faded from my lips. “But now you know why I cannot marry you.”
Clark’s eyes glistened, and I had to look away.
“Is that the only reason?” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it shook me to the center.
My eyes lifted to his face. He didn’t move, standing a few paces away from me on the path, but his features were tense as he awaited my answer.
I had already imagined what my life might have been like with him.
In a quiet, forbidden moment, I had dreamed of a small cottage with ducks and bees, tucked away just outside of Bath.
There had been a great deal of laughing and teasing and kissing, and far more happiness than I had ever imagined I deserved.
But I knew that Freddy’s life was far more precious than such a dream, and so I had tucked it away.
Living any part of that dream put Freddy at risk, and even pretending it was possible could be disastrous.
Clark moved a step closer when I didn’t reply, his eyes sparking dangerously.
“I am prepared to let you go, Arabella. I am prepared to help you secure Sir William if that is what it takes to protect Frederick from harm. But I need to know something. Please.” He had almost reached me on the path, his head tipping down as he looked in my eyes.
“If you were free to marry for love, am I the one you would choose?”
“That is unfair,” I whispered. I scowled up at him, my pulse racing past my ears. “You lied to me. I feel like I hardly know who you truly are.”
“The man you came to know during our courtship was real.” He pressed a hand over his heart, his brows drawing together.
“When I told you that all I want is to be known and loved for who I am, I meant every word. I believed that you were only courting me because you thought I was Colin. Because you thought I had a fortune. I never imagined your purposes for obtaining one would be so dire. I thought your only motivation was greed, and it broke my heart when I realized that I had fallen for you. Even if we cannot be together, I need to know if you wish we could be.”
The sincerity on his face formed a deep crevice in my heart. “We cannot, so it doesn’t matter,” I blurted. I found myself memorizing each of his features. I didn’t want to forget his face when I was married to a man I didn’t love.