Chapter Fifteen
Christopher took off his skates and strode toward the house.
Despite a sleepless night and a longer time on the ice, he still felt restless.
Discovering his feelings for Sophie was a problem he couldn’t solve.
He felt as if he walked in a vanilla cloud, her scent still so strong a memory.
He wished Lord Harewood were visiting. The man never judged him and kept his confidences from Andrew if Christopher asked him to. This would be one of those.
Once inside the house, he left his skates and coat with Harrison.
“Did you finish your timeline, my lord?”
It took him a moment to remember what the man referred to. “No, I didn’t. There were a couple of books I couldn’t find, but I did get a good start.”
“And you avoided stepping on any more books?”
“Barely. I think the next time I decide to line so many books out on the floor, I will do it in daylight and in a bigger space.”
“A good plan, sir. Your brother has also risen early.”
“Has he?”
“Yes. He’s in the faculty study. He was searching for more paper, I believe.”
Christopher had just taken a step down the corridor toward the faculty dining room, planning to break his fast, when he halted. Paper? He changed direction. “I’ll go see if I can help him in his search.” He ignored the butler’s raised brow and strode to the faculty study.
When he opened the door, his gut tightened.
Andrew sat at the desk with the books from Stoneleigh House spread out before him, reading the letter from Mr. Morton about the condition of the estate.
Taking a deep breath, Christopher closed the door behind him loudly.
Andrew’s head jerked up. He held the letter aloft. “What is this? I hope you haven’t promised some wanton you’ll save her home.”
Offended, Christopher crossed his arms over his chest. “Your words make clear what you think of me.”
His brother dropped the letter onto the desk and sat back. “What else am I supposed to think? Who is this Mr. Morton?”
“He’s my solicitor.”
Andrew’s brows rose. “Your solicitor? Why would you need a solicitor? What’s wrong with Mr. Anders?”
“If I used Mr. Anders, you’d try to dissuade me.”
Andrew’s eyes narrowed. “Dissuade you from what? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of moving in with your mistress. I can tell you from these books that she’ll be lucky to have a roof over her head in two months’ time.”
Christopher uncrossed his arms and strode to the desk.
He closed the ledgers and stuffed Mr. Morton’s letter inside.
Then he picked them up and put them on a shelf and stood in front of them.
“This is exactly why I haven’t told you.
You assume the worst of me, just because I don’t want to join the military.
Your focus is so narrow, you can’t even see the possibilities.
Just because Father was a libertine, doesn’t mean I’m following in his footsteps.
You think you’re the only one who can learn from his pathetic life? ”
“Father did not live a pathetic life. He had a full life with friends, family, and many hobbies.”
“Yes. He lived it despite his family, hurting Mother, and running through the family money until you had to marry just to save the house over our heads.”
Andrew stood. “I married Amelia because I love her.”
“And to save the estate, though you could have sold Sommerset House in Town. Does Mother know? Am I the only one you kept it a secret from?”
“You were content to play at being a scholar and enjoying your mistress. It wasn’t a difficult secret to keep from you.
Keeping it from Mother was much more difficult.
She doesn’t know, and you don’t need to tell her.
She’s been through enough heartache.” Andrew ran his hand through his hair.
“How did you find out about our circumstances?”
An age-old hurt built in Christopher’s chest. “I read the ledgers. I’m not as na?ve as you want me to be.
I know Father died of syphilis. He bought so many horses and paintings that there was barely money enough to pay our creditors.
But instead of telling me, asking for my ideas, my advice, you kept it all hidden, as if I was of no use. ”
“That’s what I’m supposed to do!” Andrew walked past a settee and two tables before turning around to face him.
“I’m the oldest. When Father died, it was my responsibility to ensure you and Mother had a home and a life you were accustomed to.
I knew one day you would choose either the law or the military.
That was all you needed to worry about, but instead you stayed at Oxford mentoring students.
That is when you weren’t drinking and whoring. ”
Christopher took a deep breath, the urge to pummel his brother far too strong. They were equally built and evenly matched. The effort wouldn’t accomplish anything. “You’re wrong. I was doing neither.”
Andrew’s hand came down hard on the closest table. “I had to pay a bill for the lodgings of your mistress.”
“Is that what Harewood told you?”
“I saw the bill,” Andrew ground out between gritted teeth.
Christopher smirked, now enjoying his brother’s anger far too much.
“The bill was for the Fortune’s Fate, a ship, not an inn.
It was for my investment in cargo, which, by the way, tripled my money.
You see, brother, if you had confided in me, I could have helped improve our circumstances long before you had to marry Lady Amelia.
But you insisted on treating me as if I were a child.
When I realized you planned to marry to improve the estate coffers, I decided to take advantage of what little was left, in case you failed. ”
Andrew stared at him, his brown eyes emotionless. “You knew our difficulties, and instead of helping, you took more from us.”
“I did. I needed to be sure we could at least rent a home in Town for Mother in the event you had to sell Sommerset House because you couldn’t charm anyone into marrying you.
Town was Mother’s escape from Father’s infidelity.
She deserved to keep her friends and activities.
After all, you did wait until the last possible moment. ”
“What do you know of Father’s infidelity?”
“Much. You were abroad buying artwork. I was with Mother trying to keep her occupied while Father went roaming from bed to bed. I swore then that I would never do what he did.”
As if all the air in his lungs left him, Andrew sat in the chair closest to where he stood. “You knew.”
Christopher nodded. Though a part of him felt guilty for not advising his older brother, he was also absolutely sure Andrew would have never listened to him.
Andrew had been raised to take over the estate, as every firstborn was meant to do.
Meanwhile, Christopher felt as if he wasn’t important enough to be told anything.
It wasn’t in him to sit back and allow fate to rule his life.
“Then I failed.” Andrew’s shoulders hunched as he stared at the table’s surface.
Exasperated, Christopher cracked his knuckles on one hand, then the other. His brother still didn’t understand, at least not completely. Maybe he never would. “You didn’t fail. You not only saved the estate, but you found the perfect lady for your wife.”
Andrew looked up at him. “That’s true. But I also was trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. I never did.”
Andrew’s gaze moved past Christopher to where he’d placed the ledgers. “And that estate?”
Christopher hesitated. Only one person knew about Stoneleigh House. Then again, maybe it was time to reveal all. “It’s mine.”
“Yours?”
“Yes. I purchased it with funds from my investments and a few well-placed bets.”
“Your bet with Harewood.”
“Yes. That was the last of the funding I needed. The estate is run-down, but I plan to bring it back. It will take a couple of years.”
Andrew rose. “That’s why you don’t wish to marry until after you’re thirty. You’ve been planning to own your own estate, and as a titled peer, you could have your choice of women.”
“I will only need one woman.”
Andrew walked back to the desk, frowning. “From what little I saw, it’s going to need a lot. There aren’t even any servants.”
“I’ve already taken care of that. My solicitor is quite good, and I purchased the property for far less than I expected.”
“Still…”
Christopher uncrossed his arms and held up one hand. “I’ve been successful in my endeavors so far. If you would, allow me to continue under my own counsel.”
Andrew opened his mouth then closed it and nodded.
“Thank you. I do have one boon to ask of you.”
“What? If it’s funds, I don’t have any to spare yet.”
Forcing himself not to get angry again, Christopher took a deep breath. “No. I ask that you not tell anyone, not even Harewood, and especially not Mother.”
“I can do that. But eventually, you will have to divulge your new status.”
“I know, but not yet. Not until I’m successful.”
Andrew’s face split into a grin. “But I heard you are marrying into royalty.”
Christopher groaned. “Hardly. That’s not the rumor you spread, is it?”
“No. That is the imaginations of fourteen unmarried ladies.”
There was only one unmarried lady that he was concerned with, but he wasn’t about to discuss her with his brother. “That’s better than their imagining me as their future husband, so I thank you for that.”
“Come, Chris. Let us break our fast. Those ladies will be up and about soon enough, so we’d best be prepared for them.”
Christopher gave his brother a nod and followed him out of the study and into the faculty dining room. Mrs. Kingman, Sophie’s instructor, was already there and greeted them.
Fortunately, he had time to solve the dilemma of Lady Sophie. He still had a number of days at Silver Meadows and the term wouldn’t end for another seven weeks. That was when she would meet Lord Wilford. That should be plenty of time to decide on a plan of action.
*