Chapter 15
“Good morning, brother.” Aragon came into Julian’s bedroom with the newspapers in his hand.
“You again? What in God’s name makes you get up so early?” Julian complained.
“My horses.” Aragon gave him a reproachful stare. “I have to exercise them before it gets busy in the park.”
“How admirable.” Julian, who at least had finished his breakfast and was almost awake, held out his hand. “Are those my newspapers?”
“Yes. I picked them up from the butler as I came in and said I’d save him a trip up the stairs.” Aragon hesitated. “There’s something I wanted to ask you about in there.”
“In the newspapers?”
Aragon paced Julian’s bedroom, his expression unusually worried. He bent down to pick up something.
“Have you lost an earring?”
“I don’t tend to wear them, Aragon.”
“Must belong to one of your paramours, then.” Aragon walked over to Julian and dropped the earring in his hand. It was one of Carenza’s emerald-and-diamond pair.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure it is reunited with its owner.” Julian waited tensely to see if his brother would put two and two together about the events of the past evening.
“Right, you are.” Aragon pointed at the newspaper. “There’s a whole column of gossip about you in there. Mother drew it to my attention over breakfast this morning. She insisted that as the head of the household I ask you what is going on.”
“If there is gossip about me in the society pages, I doubt it is true,” Julian said as Aragon found the offending page for him. “You are aware that they make things up?”
“I’m not stupid,” Aragon said. “But even I didn’t like the tone of this piece.”
Julian located his name and began to read. “‘It has come to the notice of this correspondent that a certain gentleman Mr. L_nt—’”
“That’s you,” Aragon said helpfully.
“‘Has been engaged in various nefarious schemes not befitting a gentleman of birth and that several of his acquaintances are now expressing concern as to his motives and objectives.’” Julian looked over at his brother. “What in God’s name are they on about?”
He carried on reading. “‘This gentleman has been observed frequenting several establishments where young minds and hearts might be corrupted or led away from the path of hard work and righteousness. Why he is visiting these places is open to conjecture, but one does have to wonder if they have anything to do with his recently found wealth and his well-known reputation as a lady’s man.’”
Julian set the newspaper aside and looked at his brother. “What exactly are they accusing me of? Setting up schools to funnel children into my own brothels and financially benefiting off them?”
“Is that what you’re doing?” Aragon sat back. “Good Lord, Julian, why?”
“Of course I’m not,” Julian snapped.
“Well, that’s a relief. I’ll tell Mother she has nothing to worry about.” Aragon paused. “Why do they think you are doing that?”
“Because someone wants to blacken my reputation,” Julian said grimly. “And I’m fairly certain I know who it is.”
Aragon stood up, his expression suddenly as formidable as their father’s. “Then perhaps we should pay that person a visit.”
“Not quite yet.” Julian got out of bed and rang the bell. “I need to understand exactly what is going on first.”
“Fair enough.” Aragon nodded.
Julian glanced at his brother as Proctor came in. “You don’t have to wait for me, Aragon. You have done your part and I thank you for that.”
“I think I’ll stay.” Aragon sat back down again and opened the paper. “If you don’t mind.”
“I will be visiting several places this morning to warn them of what might come.” Julian pulled off his nightshirt, washed quickly, and put on the clean shirt Proctor handed him.
“Jolly good,” Aragon said.
Realizing he wasn’t going to shake off his brother, Julian resigned himself to Aragon’s presence.
In truth, having his big brother by his side might prove useful in the long run.
Writing dangerous nonsense in a newspaper about him was one thing.
Writing about a peer of the realm like his brother was quite another.
Men had been imprisoned for less. It was also something of a revelation that Aragon wanted to help him and wasn’t there merely as their mother’s mouthpiece.
Julian gave Proctor his orders. “Please ask my groom to bring round my carriage and ask Mr. Benson to join us in the hall so that I can brief him on my activities. We will be out for most of the morning. Tell Cook not to worry about luncheon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Julian turned to Aragon. “Do you need to send a note to Mother as to your whereabouts?”
“Not particularly,” Aragon said as he carefully ripped out the offending article and handed it to Julian. “Will we be visiting the newspaper offices as well?”
Olivia came into the drawing room of Tavistock Square with a large parcel under her arm that she placed on the table beside Carenza.
“We have more applicants for the position of your lover.”
Carenza gazed at the stack of letters. “How on earth?”
“I assume some of the regional newspapers reprinted the story in their own editions and this is the result,” Olivia said. “Mr. Cox is not very pleased about it because some of the letters are addressed directly to him.”
“Has he continued to threaten you with exposure?” Carenza asked.
“Not yet.” Olivia sat down. “Perhaps Mr. Laurent’s promise to deal with the matter has been effective after all.”
Allegra cleared her throat. “You do realize this means Father might have seen the story in his local newspaper, Carenza?”
“He’ll never connect it with us,” Carenza said.
“Doesn’t that depend on what the new articles revealed? We don’t know what details Mr. Cox might have let slip to a new journalist.”
“There’s one way of seeing if the news has reached Norfolk yet.” Olivia pointed at the letters. “We can tell where they are from by the return addresses.”
“As if anyone writing to offer their stud services to a lady would volunteer their real name and location,” Carenza said.
“You’d be surprised,” Olivia said. “Some of the men are very open about where they live and exactly who they are.”
“You’ve been reading the letters?” Carenza asked.
“Why not?” Olivia shrugged. “I’m always bored, and I’ve discovered some very interesting people.”
Allegra fixed her with an anxious stare. “I do hope you haven’t been answering them.”
“I have entered into correspondence with some of the gentlemen,” Olivia admitted. “I thought I’d already mentioned that.”
“But isn’t that rather dangerous?” Allegra asked.
“Far less dangerous than meeting a man in person, dearest,” Olivia said. “Which is, by the way, what your own sister recently did.”
“Only because you made me,” Carenza said.
“That’s not quite true, is it?” Olivia met Carenza’s pointed stare with one of her own. “You didn’t have to go. No one forced you.”
“Olivia’s right,” Allegra said.
Olivia didn’t take her attention away from Carenza. “It’s far easier to blame me than admit your own culpability in this endeavor. Although why I am surprised, I do not know, because you constantly allow others to dictate the course of your life, don’t you, Carenza?”
“That’s hardly fair,” Carenza said.
“I disagree.” Olivia raised her chin. “You let Hector walk all over you.”
“I was not responsible for Hector’s behavior,” Carenza snapped. “And I will not be blamed for his choices, including his flirtation with you, which, by the way, hurt me immeasurably.”
“I flirted with him to make you do something!” Olivia said. “I thought—”
“You flirted with him because you wanted to,” Carenza said firmly. “Please do not try to justify your behavior by yet again holding me responsible for your conduct. I am no more responsible for your choices than for Hector’s.”
Olivia shot to her feet. “I think I should go.”
“Yes. Perhaps you should.” Carenza rose as well. “Good morning, ma’am.”
Olivia left, slamming the door behind her.
Allegra looked at Carenza. “Good Lord, what on earth just happened? You never argue with anyone.”
“Perhaps it is time that I started,” Carenza said. “Olivia loves to complain I am too biddable while simultaneously demanding I do whatever she says.”
“I admire you for standing up to her,” Allegra said. “I have often mentioned she can be a little condescending toward you.”
Carenza walked over to the window to see that Olivia’s carriage was just pulling away. Allegra joined her.
“The thing is …,” Allegra said carefully. “Although you did the right thing, I am worried about whether it was the right thing to do at this present moment.”
“You mean when Olivia holds my reputation in her hands because of the stupid advertisement?” Carenza asked. “Yes,” Allegra said. “That.”
“Miss Cartwright.” Julian bowed. “May I introduce you to my brother, the Earl of Landon?”
“A pleasure, I’m sure.” Aragon stepped forward and shook Miss Cartwright’s hand with great enthusiasm. “What a wonderful establishment. Reminds me very much of my days at Harrow.”
“Indeed.” Her startled gaze fixed on Aragon, Miss Cartwright stepped back and almost collided with her brother.
“You should both be bloody proud of yourselves,” Aragon continued. “And Julian’s your treasurer! You couldn’t have a better man for the job.”
“Perhaps Mr. Cartwright could show you around the classrooms, brother,” Julian suggested. “While I have a quick word with Miss Cartwright.”
“Or Miss Cartwright can take me.” Aragon offered her his arm. “I’d prefer that.”
Julian was surprised when Miss Cartwright agreed, leaving him alone with Mr. Cartwright.
“How may I help you today, sir?” Mr. Cartwright asked as he led Julian into the office.
“You’ll forgive me if I dispense with the usual small talk, sir, I wanted to warn you that there has been some press interest in my activities here and, as you might imagine, none of it portrays me or this place in a good light.”