Chapter 22
"Worthington, thank you for coming."
"I would not have missed it." Lord Worthington came into the drawing room and shook Josiah's hand firmly. "Though I confess, I slept very poorly. I have been thinking a great deal about what lies ahead today."
"As have I." Josiah gestured to a chair and went to pour them both a measure of brandy, despite the early hour. His hands, he noticed, were not entirely steady. "I appreciate your willingness to stand with us in this. Clara and I both do."
"You know I would do a great deal more than simply stand in a room." Lord Worthington accepted the glass with a grateful nod. "Has there been any word from Lady Clara this morning?"
Josiah shook his head. "Not yet. Thomas was expected yesterday or today, so I imagine we will hear from her as soon as he arrives." He took a drink of the brandy, feeling it burn a steadying path to his stomach. "When the note comes, we must go at once."
Lord Worthington regarded him over the rim of his glass. "I have been meaning to ask you something, if I may."
"Of course."
"You are now engaged to Lady Clara. Whatever Lord Tyrone's objections, they have been publicly overridden. You could simply marry her and leave his secrets in the past." He tilted his head. "What does it matter, at this stage, why he held you apart?"
Josiah considered this for a moment, then shook his head.
"I cannot set it aside," he replied, quietly.
"I know Clara could not either. We must know the truth.
I must know the sort of gentlemen my soon to be brothers-in-law are.
" He paused, thinking of the small cottage on the outskirts of London, of Miss Jennings sitting in her threadbare chair with tears on her cheeks.
"And if there is anything more to be done for Miss Jennings, then I believe that must be agreed upon also. "
His friend nodded slowly, his eyes assessing. "You have a good heart, my friend," he said, as Josiah smiled ruefully. "Come, then. Let us follow this tale to its very end."
They had barely set down their glasses when a knock came at the door. Within a few minutes, Josiah had a note in his hands and, unfolding it, saw that Lady Clara now begged him to come to the house just as soon as he could.
Anticipation sent his heart racing.
"Come, we must go."
Lord Worthington was on his feet in an instant. "Thomas has arrived?"
"It would seem so." Josiah grasped his friend's arm and made for the door. "I will explain the rest in the carriage. And I must send your carriage to collect Lady Alice --- Clara insisted she be present." He met Worthington's eye. "You will come with me."
"Just as you wish." Lord Worthington followed without hesitation, his trust and acceptance of Josiah's word a relief to Josiah's heart.
Within a few minutes, they were ensconced in the carriage and Josiah gave Worthington the essentials --- Miss Jennings's account, the name she had given them, Clara's belief about Thomas.
His friend listened in silence, his expression growing graver with each detail.
"Though I confess," Josiah added, looking out of the window, "something does not sit entirely well with me. Thomas wrote to Clara of being made to carry another man's sins. If he were simply guilty, why risk coming back to London to face it?"
Lord Worthington frowned. "You think there is more to the story."
"I think we are about to find out."
The carriage arrived at the Tyrone residence and it did not take more than a few minutes for them to be shown into the drawing room. With every step, Josiah's heart quickened, his awareness of what he was walking into sending darts of both worry and anticipation through him.
"Lord Rutland!"
Josiah's nervousness faded in an instant as his betrothed rushed towards him from across the drawing room, gripping his hands and looking up at him with shining eyes.
"Clara," he murmured, wishing that he could lower his head and kiss her.
"I have done as you asked. Lord Worthington is here with me and the carriage has gone to collect Alice. "
"Lord Worthington?"
Before Clara could answer, Lord Tyrone pushed himself out of his chair and came towards them both, although he completely ignored Josiah's presence. "This is an... unexpected visit."
"I invited him to join us," Clara replied, as her brother scowled at her. "In fact, there are one or two others who are yet to appear." She returned her gaze to Josiah. "They will be here very soon."
"Whatever are you talking about?" Lord Tyrone asked, his eyes narrowing. "I do hope you have not decided to have some sort of soiree here without consulting me, I ---"
The door behind them all opened again and Josiah walked into the room a little more, leaving Lord Tyrone to greet the next guest.
"Thomas has already arrived," Clara whispered, as he bent his head to hear her speak. "But he will not make his presence known to David until we are all here."
Josiah searched her face as Lord Tyrone greeted Lady Alice with as much warmth as he could muster which, from the sounds of it, was not a great deal. "How did you feel upon seeing him?"
"I have had barely any conversation with him," she answered, her eyes troubled. "But I have so many questions in my mind, I can hardly wait to ask him." Her jaw set. "He has disappointed me and I will make that very clear to him."
Josiah nodded, making to say more only for an exclamation to catch his attention.
Turning, he saw Lady Tyrone walk into the room, her eyes darting from one face to the next.
He smiled and greeted the lady warmly, thinking very well of her indeed.
Her response to her daughter's unexpected engagement to him had been one of sheer joy and that had brought Josiah happiness also.
"Lady Tyrone," he said, bowing. "How good to see you. "
"And you, Lord Rutland," she smiled. "And you also, Lord Worthington! I was going to say that I was a little surprised at your presence but now that my niece is here, I can understand it completely."
Lord Worthington flushed red but did not have anything to say in response for Lady Alice came to join them at that very same moment.
She smiled at them all but Josiah noted the high colour in her cheeks also.
His heart lifted as he considered her. Mayhap it would be that both himself and Lord Worthington would find happiness in matrimony by the end of the Season after all.
"We must all sit down," Lady Tyrone said, gesturing to them all. "Please, if you might, then ---"
"What?"
The single word was practically a shout, making everyone spin towards Lord Tyrone.
He was standing, his hands curled into fists by his sides, his back straight and his shoulders slightly lifted.
But it was not he that everyone then looked to.
Instead, they turned their attention to the figure that was standing in the doorway, looking into the room back at them all.
Josiah felt Clara's hand on his arm and, reaching across, set his free hand on hers by means of expressing comfort.
Lord Thomas came slowly into the room, his hands clasped behind his back and his chin lifted as he gazed directly into his brother's face.
"Tyrone," he said, his voice steady. "Good afternoon."
"What are you doing here?" Lord Tyrone hissed, as Lady Tyrone, her hands at her heart, moved towards her sons. "You know that ---"
"I will not have your threats bite at me any longer," Lord Thomas stated, turning to embrace his mother. "I refuse to allow you to continue on as you have been, Tyrone. It is not fitting for a gentleman of your standing to behave in this way."
Josiah had very little understanding as to what this meant and, looking down at Lady Clara, he saw the frown pulling at her forehead.
"Sister." Lord Thomas moved towards Clara then and Josiah made to step back so that brother and sister could greet each other, but Clara dug her fingers into his arm and kept him exactly where he was.
"Clara?" Lord Thomas frowned, looking at her and then up to Josiah. "Is there something the matter that you will not greet me with any warmth?"
She tilted her head and looked at him. Her mouth opened and then closed again, her brow furrowing as if she had thought to say something but had then gone on to change her mind. "There is the matter of Miss Jennings."
Lord Thomas's eyebrows lifted, just as Lord Tyrone snatched in a breath. "Then you read my letter."
"It was ruined before I could read it all," she explained, as Josiah took in the gentleman's expression. He did not appear to be in the least bit upset or troubled by the mention of Miss Jennings' name. "I only knew that Miss Jennings held some importance."
"To our brother, yes," Lord Thomas stated, making Josiah frown in confusion. "Have you found her? Do you know where she is?"
When Clara looked up at him, giving him a tiny shake of her head, he understood at once what she meant.
"At the present moment, we are trying to ascertain why the lady holds such importance to this family," he said, speaking carefully, following Clara's lead on what to reveal.
"We wondered if your connection to the lady ---"
"My connection?" Lord Thomas interrupted, his brows furrowing as Lady Tyrone sat down heavily in a chair, confusion written into every line of her forehead. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"We know that you had a dalliance with her," Lady Clara said, without stating how they knew such a thing. Her eyes went to her mother, just as Lady Tyrone let out a gasp and covered her hand with her mouth. "We presume that Tyrone must have discovered it and sent you from the house."
Lord Thomas shook his head fervently, colour building in his face. "Is that what he has told you?" he said, turning around and glaring at Lord Tyrone who, in turn, only shrugged and looked away. "Oh no, my dear sister, it is not I who had the connection with Miss Jennings. It is Tyrone himself."