Chapter 18
Nora paused at the door of the morning room and smoothed her skirts before going in.
“Miss Longleat is asking for me, Mama,” she said, glancing back into the hall. “Lord Hampshire has sent word that he and Lord Broadford will call this afternoon to speak with her, and she has asked particularly that I be present. I should not like her to face it alone.”
“Of course, my dear,” Lady Somerset replied, with a softness that suggested she had understood more of the situation than she had said aloud. “Tell the housekeeper to send up tea when the gentlemen arrive.”
Nora nodded her thanks and hurried to the morning room, where Frederica was already waiting. The colour had begun to return to her cheeks, but there was still a thinness about her face that spoke of broken sleep.
“Nora.” In an instant, Frederica rose to her feet, hurried across the room and embraced her tightly, surprising her with the strength of her welcome. “Oh, how glad I am that you are come down.”
“Frederica.” Stepping back, Nora caught the young lady’s hands. “Are you well?”
“I am,” came the reply, with Nora glad to see the colour returning to the lady’s cheeks. “Your housekeeper was very kind to me. I slept more soundly than I had thought possible.”
“I am very glad to hear it.” Frederica gestured to the chairs by the window. “Please, sit with me. Lord Hampshire and Lord Broadford are expected within the hour.”
They had not been seated long when the butler announced the gentlemen. Both entered, and Hampshire’s eyes went directly to Nora before settling on Frederica.
To her very great astonishment, he came to her first and wrapped her in his arms, despite Frederica’s presence. Did that mean there had been some discussion between them? That there might be hope for the ending of their engagement?
“How do you fare, Hampshire?” she asked, looking up at him. “Are you still in significant pain?”
“I will not pretend that it is not agony to move,” he replied, with a rueful smile. “However, given that I was saved from a most painful death, I am determined not to complain in the least.” His eyes searched hers. “Are you well, Nora?”
She nodded and smiled. “I am. To know that both yourself and Frederica are saved from Rathbone’s dark intentions has brought me very great relief.”
Lord Broadford stepped forward and greeted Frederica warmly, then settled into a chair near the fire.
Nora sat down in the chair nearest to Lord Hampshire, seeing how Frederica smiled at her as she did so.
Might it be that the lady had changed her mind?
That she would now be glad for Nora and Lord Hampshire to join in matrimony?
“You look very well, Miss Longleat,” Lord Broadford smiled as he sat down.
“You have recovered from your ordeal, yes?”
“I have.” Frederica took in a deep breath, then spread out her hands. “However, I see now that I have not been honest about Rathbone. I fear now that I was foolish in that endeavour, choosing to keep the secret, just as my father had begged of me.”
“Your father?” Lord Hampshire’s eyebrows lifted. “You mean to say that my uncle kept something to himself with such secrecy, he told you not to speak to me of it, even though we were to wed?”
Frederica dropped her gaze to her hands as Nora watched on, wondering what this great secret was. Evidently, the lady believed that she ought to know of it, and Nora could not help her curiosity. “This secret involved Rathbone, yes?”
With a nod and a sigh, Frederica lifted her head and looked directly at Lord Hampshire.
“Rathbone and my father had a pact. It was not one that I was aware of, not until much later.” Her eyes grew damp.
“It seems that Rathbone became aware of one of my father’s youthful indiscretions. There was — there was a child.”
Nora sucked in a breath, trying to keep her astonishment out of her expression. Frederica dropped her gaze to her hands as Lord Hampshire shifted in his chair, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“You did not know of this, then?” Frederica asked, as Lord Hampshire shook his head.
“It was many years before I was born, when my father was a young man. The mother was a woman of no particular standing, and when she discovered who he was, she demanded coin to keep the matter quiet. From what I understand, the demands grew over the years and threatened to ruin him. Rathbone assisted my father — providing a settlement and a living for the child, and subsequently making certain that no further demands were asked for.”
Nora tugged her lips to one side. “I presume that you did not know how those demands were silenced?”
“Nor do I want to even think about such a thing,” Frederica replied, closing her eyes and shuddering lightly. “Not now that I know precisely the sort of person that Rathbone is.”
“So your father was helped by Rathbone,” Lord Broadford said slowly, clearly taking in all that had been said thus far, “but then Rathbone threatened him? He used what he had done as a way to manipulate your father in some way?”
“Precisely.”
For a moment, Nora feared that Frederica was, once more, about to break down into tears of sorrow and sadness, only for her to draw in a long, steadying breath and lift her chin, her gaze steadying once more on Lord Hampshire.
“He told my father that he wanted not only to marry me but also to be given a substantial amount of wealth, land, and a suitable house so that he might lift his station in the world. If he did not do as was demanded, then Rathbone had every intention of telling all of society all that my father had done in his past.”
Lord Hampshire began to nod slowly. “Thus, he used the codicil as a way to force not only my hand but to prevent Rathbone from being able to marry you.”
“Yes, that is what he told me.” Frederica pulled out her handkerchief and began to dab at her eyes.
“It was a sorrowful situation indeed, I confess, for I did not want him to injure you in all of this, Hampshire. At the very same time, however, I could see how he was doing his utmost to protect me.”
“He was a man who thought only of you and your safety,” Nora said, gently as Frederica returned that remark with a wobbly, grateful smile. “He wanted to protect you in any way he could.”
“I do believe that to be true. He told Rathbone that he could not permit the marriage, as I was already to be engaged to Lord Hampshire. At the very same time, he stated that the land and coin would be given to him once I had married and not before.” Her smile slipped.
“I think he hoped Rathbone would be satisfied with land and wealth. Rathbone was not, however, since my father then became ill and subsequently… ” She sniffed, her words catching in her throat.
“There was nothing Rathbone could do once my father was gone from this earth. Save to threaten me.”
Lord Hampshire blew out a long breath and dragged his hands down his face, one after the other. “Why did you not tell me of this, Frederica?”
Frederica’s throat bobbed, and Nora leaned forward, looking Lord Hampshire straight in the eye. “Rathbone threatened her also, I think. When he could not threaten your father, he instead went to you.”
“Yes, he did.” Frederica’s voice was a whisper now.
“He told me that I had to break the engagement and marry him instead. He demanded it; he threatened all manner of things when I continually refused. I dared not be at the estate alone for fear that he would do something quite dreadful to force my hand, so I came to London, never expecting that he would follow me.”
“I was your safety,” Lord Hampshire said, as Frederica wiped at her eyes again.
“He threatened you also,” she said, worrying her handkerchief.
“If I told you of what I was enduring, then all manner of harm would come not only to you but to anyone that you were close to. I was much too afraid to go against that – yet I clung to our engagement for it was the only way I could see that kept me away from him.”
Nora’s heart broke for the lady. She did not feel any sort of upset, anger, or frustration at all that she had endured, held nothing against her for the silence that had been the barrier between them, all knowing the truth.
She could not imagine what it must have been like for Frederica to suffer through such trouble and fear.
“He stole you away, but then sent a demand to Hampshire.” Lord Broadford spoke gently, no doubt seeing the torment and upset on Frederica’s face.
“He did not think to take you to Scotland, then? He did not try to force your hand in that way?”
Frederica’s smile was wry. “I believe that might have been his intention. However, by the time he had me secured – or so he believed – in that little cottage, he had become convinced that he did not need to make me his wife. All he had to do was use my presence with him to manipulate Lord Hampshire into giving him what he desired – namely, money, land, and standing.”
Nora let her lips curve. “You convinced him to push away the idea of him taking you as a wife. That was very well done, Frederica.”
The lady let out a broken laugh, her eyes still glistening with tears.
“Strangely, my tears turned to a steadiness that I did not know I possessed. My fear turned to determination, telling myself that I had to find a way to escape him. My father had done so much to protect me; I did not want to have all of his endeavours fail. Thus, I used as many harsh words as I could, telling him all that I would be to him as his wife, which, it seemed, did all that I had anticipated.”
“And then you escaped and returned to the safety of London,” Lord Hampshire said, his voice filled with pride. “You are safe now, Frederica. I am sure that – ”
“But I am not.” Frederica clasped her hands tightly in her lap, her gaze darting from one face to the next. “Rathbone is still in London, I am sure of it. He will try all the harder to garner what he believes he is owed. What then? What are we to do?”
Nora pressed her lips together, looking from Frederica to Lord Hampshire. Thus far, Frederica had not spoken of ending her engagement to Hampshire so that Nora might take her place. Now, seeing the lady’s dread concern, she feared that she might still cling to him.