He had walked, first down to the Thames, then he had circled back toward the Strand and Whitehall, toying for a moment with stopping at the Lyon’s Den. But he could not entirely decide what he wanted to ask Mrs. Dove-Lyon about the Kirkstone clan—and he remained reluctant to meet with George again—so Thad kept going, heading steadily west.
George had expected Thad to be angry, as angry as he had been at the web of deceit the Caudales had woven. That Lady Mary had acted as if she were being honest with Thad, but she had confirmed only the rumors and not the facts that lay behind them. Combined with Thad’s own misdirection about how much money he owed, George had reached the end of his patience with the whole situation. For all that George thumbed his nose at the vagaries of Society, he still clung to them in ways that not even Thad did as the son of an earl. George had been angry at Lady Mary’s lies but enraged that she had had a child out of wedlock and now used Thad’s debt to trap him into marriage.
Thad, however, had felt strangely calm about it. He had already known that some dark secret had sent the duke and his sister to seek the help of Mrs. Dove-Lyon, but he felt neither appalled nor scandalized. In some ways, he felt amused, as if this entire situation had been a confirmation of his belief that mostof Society existed behind a fragile façade—that even the most elite of families existed one human mistake, one human frailty from ostracization and humiliation.
But Thad did need to decide what, if anything, he should do next. In an unexpected realization that happened as he strode by St. James’s Park, Thad understood clearly Kirkstone’s actions, if not Lady Mary’s. Perhaps because of Thad’s own sisters.
He had watched them grow, become excited about their debuts, heard their dreams about husbands, friends, and children. So few paths lay open to women in Society, and if anything—such as an unexpected child—had derailed those dreams and desires, they would have been devastated. And outcasts. Society did not allow women to make minor mistakes, much less one of that magnitude, even if most of those missteps were made by impossibly young and naïve women and often caused by the men who pursued them with lies and promises they never intended to keep. Society would—like some wild animals—eat their own.
His parents certainly would have. He had heard his mother threaten her daughters more than once, assuring them they would be exiled and disowned for disobeying the expectations of Society. But Thad had bristled at such words. If one of his sisters had found themselves with such a secret, Thad knew he would have done anything possible to protect them. Lie, steal, even take shame upon his own head. Anything.
So Thad understood Kirkstone. But he needed to understand Lady Mary.
Entering Hyde Park from the southeast, Thad knew he needed to hear Lady Mary’s words. Give her the opportunity to explain why she had chosen a path that had landed her and her family on the doorstep of the Lyon’s Den. What had happened that had driven her to such desperation as to involve her entire family in an agreement with a man such as himself. Who wasalso a liar. A gambler. A fool, who would agree to marry in order to settle a debt. A man who had few prospects for supporting a wife and family.
That’s when he had seen her in the park, sitting peacefully on a blanket with two babies, reading a book. Reading instead of taking note of who else paraded in the park, what they wore, and who they were with. Reading instead of scheming about who in Society she could use for her benefit.
Reading.
Thad turned in that direction, then noticed Lady Elspeth and her friend returning for a renewed attack. Thad heard the first words... and saw the fire building in Lady Mary’s eyes as she stood, fists clinched, chin down, as if she were a veteran boxer preparing for a new round. He half expected her to throw a punch.
But words flew instead. Glorious words. Words in defense of her family. Complex phrases with not-so-subtle threats that clearly hit home. As Lady Mary’s face reddened, Elspeth’s paled, fear finding light in her eyes. If he had been merely calm before, now he became enthused, his heart soaring.
But he had surprised even himself as he stepped forward, taking her side and declaring her to be his betrothed. Reiterating his own implied threat to Lady Elspeth. Enjoying Lady Mary’s amusement at that and her surprise at young Mattie’s declaration.
A declaration Lady Mary neither denied nor claimed. And as Thad thought about her words to Lady Elspeth, he realized that Lady Mary had not denied it then either. Nor had she lied about little Mina’s parentage, saying only that the duke and duchess had taken intwochildren who had no home. Nor had she claimed, as they had previously, that Mina had been born to the duchess.
This time, she had not lied. Obfuscated, perhaps. But she had spoken no falsehood.
The parlor door opened, and the peace of the room ended as a stream of people filed in, starting with a butler and two footmen carrying a tea service, a tray of cups and saucers, and a platter of biscuits. As they set up the service on the table between the settees, Lady Mary entered, followed by the tall, willowy duchess and the walking boulder that was the duke.
Thad straightened his coat and bowed to the three of them as the ladies sat on one of the settees and the duke took up a stance behind them, a lion guarding his pride, much as he had appeared in the portrait over the fireplace. They greeted Thad, then fell silent as the servants finished arranging the tea. Finally, with a nod to the duke, the butler escorted the footmen out and closed the door.
After another moment of silence, Thad took a breath and began. “Your Grace—”
Kirkstone held up a hand. “Your pardon, Lord Thaddeus. My sister tells us that she invited you here this afternoon to hear an explanation of a few items in our background. She feels she cannot proceed with the agreement for marriage unless you are more fully informed.”
Thad’s eyebrows arched as he looked from the duke to Lady Mary, whose cheeks had grown rather pink as she studied her fingers. “I appreciate your—and her—forthrightness, Your Grace, but do know that I am fully aware that an arrangement of this type would by its nature involve any number of secrets. One does not resort to the services of Mrs. Dove-Lyon unless there is some desperation involved.”
Lady Mary gave a small laugh-snort, which she hid behind one gloved hand, but she said nothing.
Thad felt oddly pleased by that, even as the duchess shot her a scolding glare. He continued. “Likewise, although you knowalready that I tend to be an inveterate gambler who struggles to pay his debts, I am sure I have other detrimental habits that Lady Mary will find frustrating in the extreme. But it is my understanding that most marriages among the aristocracy occur before all cards are on the table, do they not?”
The duchess turned and looked up at her husband, one eyebrow cocked. The duke cleared his throat. “So they do.” He nodded to Lady Mary. “But we are here so that my sister can give you a fuller account of why we turned to Mrs. Dove-Lyon.”
Thad waited, and in hearing her tale, Thad felt his earlier understanding of Kirkstone’s actions underscored and emphasized, and the fury he had not felt early began to build—not at Mary, but at all those around her who had failed to honor and protect this beautiful soul.
His perfect, slightly fallen angel.
Mary’s words came slowly, starting with an affectionate glance at her brother. “After our father died, Kit’s—the duke’s—responsibilities became overwhelming. Business with the government and the estate drew him and our mother here to London. Everyone, including me, thought it best for me to stay at Kirkstone Abbey. We did not realize how alone I would feel—I never had before—or lost without Father. I found myself going to the church more and more, and the vicar there began consoling me.”
I bet he did.Thad’s heart ached but he kept silent, aware that his own cynicism about the church had no place in this.
“He had always seemed like a father to me in the years before, but now he began to try to... comfort me... in other ways.” Lady Mary’s voice broke, and she looked down at her fingers again, watching as they clutched and released her skirt in a rhythmic motion. “Before long, he promised marriage, a family, a new life away from Kirkstone. He had children... grown children... but claimed he wanted many more. A truefamily. It sounded sweet and kind at first, but when I realized I was... with child... everything turned sour. He denied it—” She stopped, her lips pressed together, her hands now tight, trembling fists. After a moment, she inhaled deeply and released it slowly. “And accused me of being with another.” She looked up at Thad, her eyes glistening. “I had not—”
“I believe you.” His words came quickly, even as his fury roiled within.
She blinked. “You do?”
