Chapter 20 #2
Mr. Shelling puffed out his cheeks. “That’s damned unfriendly of you, Max. We came all this way to tell you we miss you, and that we want you to come back to London, and you won’t even offer us a drink?”
“There’s an inn down the road where you can drink to your hearts’ content, but you will not continue to disturb my household and my wife with your drunken behavior.”
Mr. Courtland nudged Mr. Shelling and whispered very loudly, “Seems that Max has got a stick up his arse about something. Maybe we should go. He’s no fun anymore.”
Brice escorted the two men out, and Landon was left, still staring at Max.
“Perhaps you should join your friends.” Max said. “Goodbye, Landon.”
“You can’t do this to me,” Landon said. “I’m your best friend. We’ve shared everything together.”
“We used to share everything, but that is no longer the case. Your refusal to accept any responsibility for what happened to my wife and myself in Suffolk convinced me that you are incapable of growing up.”
“You look pretty damn pleased with yourself, Max. Marriage obviously agrees with you, so perhaps you should be thanking me,” Landon said.
“Thanking you because my husband is a man of honor who refused to walk away from a lady whose reputation you helped ruin?” Allegra spoke up. “He is a hundred times the man you are, my lord.”
Landon looked down at Allegra. “I see you’re as plain and opinionated as ever.” He smiled. “I suppose that’s why Max is stuck down here doing your bidding.”
“Get out,” Max said.
Landon bowed extravagantly. “I can’t wait to get back to London to tell them how the great Max Devereux is now being led around by the nose by a bossy bluestocking.”
Allegra tensed, but Max smiled. “Be my guest. I’ve never been happier.”
Landon turned on his heel and stalked out of the front door, leaving Allegra and Max staring at each other.
“Are you all right?” Max asked.
“Yes. They were rather drunk, but I had Brice with me the whole time.” Allegra shuddered. “What a very unpleasant man Landon is.”
“He’s spoiled and always expects everyone to forgive him.” Max came over and put his arms around her. “He cannot comprehend that some of us have standards.”
“Will he make trouble for you in London?”
“He’ll try, but I doubt anyone will listen to him except his friends, and I can assure you that none of those gentlemen count for much.” Max frowned. “You’re shaking.”
Allegra buried her face against Max’s chest and let him hold her.
“I’ll be fine in a moment,” Allegra said. “It’s just the shock.”
He smoothed her hair and gently rocked her until she raised her head and stared at him. The mingled concern and anger in his eyes was hard to look away from.
“All right?” he asked gently.
She nodded and eased out of his arms. “Did Mr. Lake get away safely?”
“I hope so. I didn’t wait to see him board the coach, but he assured me that it was on time.”
“He seemed very competent.”
Max studied her. “Yes. He’s the son of one of my father’s land agents and didn’t have enough to do on the northern estates. I must write to my father and thank him for sending Mr. Lake to me.”
“Oh, it wasn’t your idea?”
“No, it was one of my father’s little surprises.” Max made a face. “But I’m not going to complain. The complexity of the estate business has surprised me. I need someone more competent to understand it all. Mr. Lake didn’t make me feel as stupid as my father generally does, which I appreciate.”
For once, Allegra was heartily glad that she hadn’t voiced her doubts to Max. Carenza had been completely right about Max’s motivation.
He took her hand. “Let’s go into the kitchen and ask Mrs. Smith for a cup of tea. You still look rather pale.”
“I’m fine,” Allegra said automatically, although it was far from the truth.
“Mrs. Smith?” Max called out to the cook as they entered the kitchen.
“Yes, my lord?” She came out of the pantry, her shrewd gaze on Allegra. “Oh, the poor lady looks quite shaken. You were very brave to confront those three drunks, my lady. Mr. Brice said you were magnificent.”
Allegra tried to smile as Max pulled a chair out for her and she sat down. “It was easy to be brave when I had Brice and the stable hands standing behind me.”
“You need some hot, sweet, tea and mayhap a piece of cake?” Mrs. Smith turned to Max. “I can get the maid to bring everything through to the drawing room, my lord.”
“If you don’t mind, I think we’d rather stay here,” Max said. “Just like the old days when it was the three of us battling the rat population.”
Mrs. Smith laughed as she took the kettle from the range, filled the teapot with boiling water, and stirred the tea leaves before she replaced the lid. “Things are very different now, my lord. We’ve a full house of staff, a stable full of horses, and a dry roof over our heads.”
Allegra had a sense that Max and Mrs. Smith were just talking to soothe her, but when had that ever been necessary?
She was a strong woman who didn’t need to be talked around, but she didn’t seem to have the energy to stop them.
When Mrs. Smith put a slice of lemon cake topped with curd in front of her, she immediately ate it.
“Did you have breakfast?” Max asked, as Mrs. Smith gave her a second slice.
“I wasn’t very hungry,” Allegra said. “I feel much better now.”
“Good.” Max poured the tea, and soon Allegra began to feel restored.
“Might I ask where your mother and sister were during all this confusion?” Max asked.
“They went out for a drive to view the autumn colors and perhaps paint some watercolors,” Allegra said. “They asked if I wanted to accompany them, but I declined. It’s a good thing I did; otherwise, you would’ve come back to find your friends had made themselves at home and drunk all your brandy.”
“They are no longer my friends,” Max said.
“Then who are you going to associate with when you return to London? Your father?”
“I’m sure I’ll find some more suitable candidates.” Max smiled at her. “I do have brothers, you know.”
“We should invite them to visit us here,” Allegra said.
“Yes, they’d probably come to see how badly I’m doing,” Max said. “It would be nice to surprise them.”
Allegra reached for his hand. “You will surprise them. You have become a surprisingly effective landowner.”
“It’s about time, too, considering how much I’ll have to inherit.” He made a face and raised his cup. “Here’s to the health and continued longevity of the current duke.”
Eventually, Max left to check that his drunken visitors had indeed left the property.
Allegra finished her third cup of tea with Mrs. Smith for company.
The kitchen maids were busy getting lunch ready, and Allegra knew she must be in the way.
She was just about to excuse herself when Mrs. Smith leaned in and spoke in hushed tones.
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of his lordship, my lady, but now that you’re eating for two, I’ll make sure to have lots of cakes to tempt your appetite during the day.”
“Eating for two?” Allegra stared at Mrs. Smith. “Oh, yes, of course. Thank you.” She rose to her feet in something of a panic. “I’ll just go and see if my mother has returned and whether she’ll be wanting luncheon.”
She practically ran all the way up to her bedchamber.
Then, as she sat at her dressing table, she studied her reflection and attempted some mathematical calculations.
She hadn’t had her monthly courses since arriving at Blanchard House.
She’d told herself it was due to the stress of her unexpected marriage and that things would revert to normal as soon as she was more settled. But perhaps it was more than that.
She placed a shaking hand over her stomach. Was Max’s child in there?
One thing was certain—she had to keep that knowledge to herself for as long as possible. Max might not care what society thought of him, but the idea stung that Landon would be telling everyone Max wouldn’t return to London because he was under her thumb.
She took a deep, trembling breath and attempted to set out all the reasons why revealing her pregnancy was a terrible idea. She knew from her mother that not all pregnancies were successful. This one might not take, which was a devastating thought, but a reality just the same.
And then there was Carenza. Her sister couldn’t have children, and though she claimed to be at peace with it, Allegra would never wish to cause her distress.
Announcing her pregnancy after three months of marriage would make all the London gossips think Max had only married her because he had no other choice. She could only hope that if the pregnancy did continue, the baby would be born a respectable nine months after the marriage.
So far, her symptoms had been an aversion to certain foods, a desire to sleep at the most inconvenient of moments, bursting into tears, and a liking for copious pieces of cake.
Max didn’t seem to have noticed, which was good.
Mrs. Smith would keep her secret, and her mother and sister were due to return home in less than a week, which meant she stood a good chance of deceiving them until they left.
Allegra raised her chin. She was a terrible liar.
Everyone knew that, including herself. But for the first time in her life, she was going to have to try to deceive everyone she loved for at least a little while.
And she did love Max, which was why she had to make sure that he still had the freedom to make his decisions without feeling bound to her because of the child.
“It’s time to be brave,” Allegra told her unconvinced reflection.
She patted her hair, adjusted some of the pins, and went back into the corridor. As she descended the stairs, she heard the carriage bearing her sister and mother arrive at the front door. When they came inside, she hurried down the stairs to greet them.
“You missed the most thrilling encounter. Three of Max’s old friends turned up completely drunk, demanding to see him because they thought I’d imprisoned him in a tower.”