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Chapter Four
If you glare at her any harder she's like to burst into flames. "
Richard glanced to the side at that comment from Daniel and scowled. "She is avoiding me by dancing with seemingly every man in the room. "
"Not every man," Daniel said with amusement, and then proved he was aware of what had been going on by adding, "Just Langley and his chums. Langley is apparently a longtime family friend. No doubt he has enlisted his friends and associates to keep her away from you. "
"Why? I am her husband," Richard pointed out dryly, and then added, "Or at least I am as far as they know. "
"That's apparently why," he explained wryly. "According to her sisters, I should be ashamed of claiming you as friend as you have treated her horribly. "
Richard raised his eyebrows and Daniel nodded.
"Apparently the best thing you have done for her was to drop dead. Both sisters bemoan your unexpected resurrection. "
"Hmmm. " Richard peered back to his "wife. " The music had ended and her present partner was leading her off the floor. He could see her tensing as she neared the edge of the dance floor and then she suddenly relaxed, a smile curving her lips as Langley stepped up to claim her for another dance. Apparently, he had run out of friends and was risking raised eyebrows by dancing with her for a second time. Gaze narrowing, Richard asked, "A family friend, huh?"
"Like a brother according to Suzette. "
Richard grunted and turned his attention back to his wife and Langley. The man was holding her at a respectable distance, but his protectiveness of her was obvious in the way he peered down at her and the gentleness of his hold. Like a brother or not, Langley was far too proprietary with another man's wife. "Did you find out anything else?"
"You mean other than the fact that your brother apparently col apsed in his office this morning and is most likely dead?" Daniel asked dryly. "I should think that would be enough to concern you at the moment. If he is dead it complicates things somewhat. "
Richard managed to drag his attention away from "his wife" again as he considered the ramifications. He'd been rather looking forward to confronting his brother, forcing a confession from him and plowing a fist into his face. Actual y, he'd planned to beat the man senseless for al he'd put him through, but that would be out of the question if he was dead.
"There may be some difficulty proving who you are if he's dead," Daniel pointed out, drawing a sharp look from Richard.
"What do you mean?"
"Wel , this last year everyone has thought it was George who died in the townhouse fire. The man now apparently lying packed in ice in your room has been pretending to be you al that time. There wil definitely be some confusion. They might think you are George, survived the fire, and are merely trying to claim to be Richard to ensure you inherit al without the necessity of waiting for his wil to be validated. Or they might even decide you are merely your father's byblow, fortunate enough to look like the twins, and greedily trying to claim their wealth and title now they are both dead. After al , George was supposedly buried over a year ago. "
Richard grimaced. The man buried in the family vault was one of the criminals who had been sent to kil him. The man had been about his height and size. Found on his bed and charred to a cinder, no one had been able to tel any different. They'd al just assumed it was him, but Richard knew different and removing the vermin from the family vault was only one of many things he wanted to do once instal ed safely back in his rightful place. If he managed to get there, he thought grimly.
"We shal have to prove your identity . . . somehow," Daniel said in a tone that suggested he was concerned about their ability to do it. "And then there is the scandal that shal befal everyone. Lady Christiana married who she thought was Richard Fairgrave, the Earl of Radnor, over a year ago and has been living with him since that time. "
"But it wasn't me," Richard pointed out quietly.
"No. It was George, but he signed your name on the license and contract. "
Richard frowned. "The marriage wouldn't be legal. She is married neither to myself nor George. "
"Exactly. The scandal shal surely be the ruin of her . . . as wel as her sisters.
They won't escape it either . . . which is a true shame when they are already working so hard to avoid the scandal their father has tipped them into with his gambling. "
"Christiana mentioned something about that," Richard said on a sigh, his gaze sliding back to the woman in Langley's arms. "Suzette needs to find a husband quickly so she can claim her dower and save them from their father's gaming debts.
Christiana seemed to think I, or George, real y, caused it al by taking their father to a gaming hel . "
"Hmmm. "
Something in his tone made Richard glance Daniel's way again and he raised an eyebrow at his sour expression. "What?"
"After leaving the women, I took a moment to ask around before returning to you and there is some interesting gossip floating about. "
Richard narrowed his eyes. "What kind of gossip?"
"Apparently the Earl of Radnor has become quite chummy with a few unsavory characters about town; the owner of a certain gaming hel , for instance, one that is suspected of drugging the drinks of certain unwary lords and fleecing them of al that they own. "
"Christiana's father?"
"That would be my guess. And it wouldn't have been the first time. I suspect George was behind the first supposed losses as wel , and did it deliberately to force the man to the edge of ruin so that he could offer for Christiana's hand," Daniel said grimly, and then explained. "Christiana and her sisters are the granddaughters of Lord Sefton. "
"Old moneybags?" Richard asked with surprise. The Baron had been rumored to be richer than the King. Daniel nodded. "He apparently divided his estate into three parts and put it in trusts for the girls, to be turned over on their marriage. However, he arranged it al so that it would be a secret. He had no desire to have his granddaughters hunted by fortune seekers. "
"Then how do you know about it?" Richard asked dryly.
"Because Suzette just explained it to me," he admitted with wry amusement.
Richard narrowed his eyes. "Why on earth would she do that when the two of you just met?"
"I'l explain that later," Daniel muttered, glancing away. "Right now, the important thing is that Suzette thinks Dicky somehow found out about the dower and married Christiana to get it. "
"I could see that being the case," Richard said dryly.
"Real y?" Daniel asked with a frown. "I did wonder, but he gained so much wealth when he got rid of you and took your place that he shouldn't have needed to marry for more. "
"Al the money in the world would not be enough for George," Richard said grimly.
"He always wanted more of everything. It was like he was trying to fil the hole where his soul should have been with things. " He scowled at the thought of his brother and then glanced back to Daniel and said, "I can see him having taken Christiana's father to this shady gaming hel the first time to force him to the edge of ruin and gain her fortune, but why would he take him there again now? He had already married one sister. He couldn't claim the dower of either of the others, and al he accomplished was possibly bringing scandal down on everyone. Christiana would not have avoided the scandal, which meant it would taint him as wel . What profit is there in that?"
Daniel frowned and shook his head. "I have been wondering that myself, but have not yet come up with anything. He must have had some plan in mind, but I cannot see what it might have been. "
Richard scowled with displeasure at the mystery and glanced back to the woman in Langley's arms. "So to reclaim my name and birthright I shal have to ruin a woman who has already been sorely mistreated by my brother. "
"And probably battle in court for months or even years to prove you are Richard Fairgrave, or a Fairgrave at al ," Daniel said quietly. "And then even if the courts eventual y decide
in your favor, there wil stil be those in the ton who think you an imposter. "
"Damn George," Richard breathed wearily. "As usual, he has made one hel of a mess. "
"There is an alternative," Daniel said tentatively.
Richard glanced at him narrowly. "Do not even suggest I forsake everything and slink back to America. While I have no desire to ruin Lady Christiana and her family, I also have no desire to give up my rightful title and place. It is al I have. "
"I wasn't going to suggest that," Daniel assured him.
"Then what is the alternative?"
"You could simply take up your place again as if you'd never been away," he said quietly.
"What?" Richard asked with amazement.
"Wel , you cannot gain justice from George, he is apparently dead," Daniel pointed out. "So, revealing what he did wil only succeed in hurting innocents. Besides, by merely stepping in and taking up your position again, you can avoid a long drawn-out battle to prove you are who you are. It wil be as if your stay in America never happened . . . except that it did and you would now have a wife. "
"A wife who hates me," Richard muttered, his gaze returning to the woman in question. She was laughing at something Langley had said. With her face alight and softened by amusement she almost looked pretty, he decided, and recal ed their dance. She hadn't seemed to hate him by the end of the dance. In fact, he was quite sure if he'd managed to get her out on the balcony she wouldn't have fought off his kisses.
"She hates George not you," Daniel corrected quietly. "And who could blame her.
The man was a bastard as we both wel know. But you are a different kettle of fish.
With a little time I suspect she wil let go of that anger and come to trust you. The two of you might even make a good match of it. " He was silent for a moment and then added, "Whatever the case, it would make reclaiming your title and position that much easier and would prevent Christiana and her sisters from further hurt by your brother's actions. "
Richard frowned. The suggestion was not without merit. He had no desire to destroy Christiana, nor did he wish a long drawn-out court battle simply to claim his own name. However, while there was a bit of hope in their response to each other on the dance floor, it was little to gamble his future on. He didn't know the woman and was reluctant to take such a step blindly.
"What if it turns out she is a shrew?" he asked quietly. "Or a bitter ice maiden?
Or a spoiled brat with whom I cannot bear to deal?"
"Hmm. " Daniel peered at the woman in question. "She does not seem to be any of those things, but then few reveal their true faces in public. " He considered the matter for a moment and then suggested. "Wel , we could keep George's body for a couple of days while you find out her true nature and if you find you cannot stomach the idea of being married to her, we can just drop George back in your bed to be found dead, and go the legal route after al
. "
"George's body. " Richard's eyes widened as he recal ed that little problem.
Oddly enough, he hadn't considered it when Daniel had first made the suggestion.
"Yes," Daniel said dryly. "If you decide to take a day or two to find out, we shal have to be sure to leave before the ladies, make our way to your townhouse, and snatch his body from the bed before they see it is stil there. "
"We should get it done now," Richard announced and began making his way around the bal room toward the doors.
"So, you're going to give it a try?" Daniel asked, hurrying after him.
"What choice do I have? I would prefer not to ruin an innocent if I can help it, but I also don't want to land myself in a miserable marriage just to make up for George's sins. We'l do as you suggested, and remove the body for the next day or two while I see if I could stomach being married to her. If not, we wil replace him and go to the courts. "
"And if you find you are wil ing to be married to her?" Daniel asked. "What wil we do with the body then?"
"I haven't the foggiest notion," Richard admitted dryly. "But we wil worry about that if and when the time comes. "
"He just left with Woodrow. "
Christiana gave up searching the bal room for Dicky and glanced back to Langley. "Did he?"
He nodded solemnly and then asked, "Wil you be very upset if it turns out that Dicky is George?"
Christiana glanced away with a frown, those few moments in her husband's arms on the dance floor the first thing to come into her mind. Any other memory of this last year would have had her saying, no she wouldn't be upset at al , but that one
. . . Sighing, she simply said, "The scandal wil be horrendous. "
"Yes, wel , we might be able to mitigate that," Langley murmured as he turned her around the dance floor.
"How do you mean?"
Robert was silent for so long that she began to think that he wouldn't answer, but apparently deciding it was unavoidable, he said reluctantly, "I knew one of George's old mistresses and she said he could not . . . " He paused and looked embarrassed, but then said, "I am sorry to ask this, Chrissy, but was the marriage properly consummated?"
Christiana's eyes widened incredulously at the question and he grimaced and began to speak quickly.
"I real y am sorry to ask it, but if George was incapable of the task as his mistress suggested, then it makes al the difference in the world. "
Christiana stared at him blankly. "Wel . . . I - he - I think it - I don't know," she admitted, now scarlet herself. She shrugged helplessly and confessed,
"I'm not quite sure what the consummation includes. Father simply said 'Just do what he says and your husband wil manage the rest. ' I did as he said and assumed what Dicky did was the consummation. "
"Of course," he muttered, avoiding her eyes briefly, then cleared his throat. "You said he didn't even take off his cravat on your wedding night, but did he take off anything else?"
She considered the question briefly, and then offered, "I think he took off his shoes. "
Langley grimaced impatiently. "What about his pants? Did he take them off or at least open them or pul them down?"
