The duke pinched Perry’s chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“You will fulfill your duty, my boy. There is no other option. The girl is as good as dead; I’ve heard it from my own sources. Let her go. It is time for you to take your place in society as an earl. You have no idea what I have done to secure you this bride. Do not waste my efforts.” Rufus Spencer shook his head, watching Perry wither at his words.
A hollow pit formed in his gut as he absorbed his father’s words. He had ruined Charlotte and would never be given the opportunity to make things right. Even worse, he cared deeply for her in a way he could never care for his future wife. Though both he and Charlotte understood the terms of their relationship, he struggled against the reality once it came to pass. Marrying another would be the ultimate betrayal to the affection that had grown between them. He was lower than the dirt beneath her shoes. Despair wrapped itself around his heart as a sob tore from his throat.
The elder Spencer laughed. “Now you dare weep like a weak woman? What an utter embarrassment you are. Have you no pride? It is time to be a man and wear the mantle of your responsibilities as the blessings they are. You are to be an earl. A second son could never hope to achieve so much in his lifetime. I have saved you frombecoming cannon fodder and this is how you show your gratitude?” he seethed, his fists curling at his sides. “You are lucky if Eliza will even look at you after such a demonstration of weakness. Get up!” His final words were spoken through clenched teeth.
“I can’t.” Perry shook his head, his breath shuddering in his chest.
“You will,” his father warned, his tone dripping with contempt. Taking Perry up by the scruff of his jacket, he dragged him into the wooden chair next to his desk and shoved a quill in his hand. “Sign it.”
As the tip of the quill scratched over the cream-colored vellum, Perry realized he was weak. He was a failure. Nothing mattered anymore as his pen moved over the paper, the loops and swirls of his signature sealing his fate. His body was numb, and he questioned whether being cannon fodder might perhaps have been the best destiny for him.
The memories ate at his very soul. Signing those papers had made Perry live a hollow existence for so long. Flicking the paper in his hand, Perry let it drift back to the desk, the memories haunting. His heart stuttered in his chest, knowing it had all been a lie. His father had conspired to keep them apart, his greed motivating him to do anything to achieve his goals. Though Charlotte’s father had played a role, Perry wondered how far the former duke had gone to secure this match.
Perry had swallowed the lies that kept Charlotte hidden from society when all he would have wanted was to be her husband. To be the father to their child. Guilt gnawed at his conscience. He had been kept in ignorance of so much back then.
If only he had known.
With a heavy sigh, he pushed away the memories. They only strengthened his resolve to solve this mystery. What lengths did the duke go to secure Eliza as his bride? Giving his head a shake, Perryturned to Mr. Winthrop. He needed to focus on finding a evidence, something to save the new life he had found. His father’s lies may have won out in the past, but the truth had saved them. Saved him. He wouldn’t waste this gift dwelling on his mistakes. His wife and his daughter depended on him not to throw away their second chance at happiness.
Chapter Forty-Seven
“My lord?” Mr. Winthrop asked, his watery blue eyes wide and fixed on Perry.
“Yes?” The earl looked up from his contemplation, trying his best to quell the sensation of regret, the bitterness tasting sour in his mouth. So many things he could have done differently had he known.
“Perhaps this will be of interest. Your betrothal agreement, here,” the solicitor said as he handed Perry the papers.
He took them and examined the words closely. His stomach grew queasy at the memories these documents brought to the surface. A marriage to a woman who was indifferent to him. Awkward marital relations that felt forced on both sides. Few joys to recall besides the time they spent apart, when he could pretend he was living his old life in the city with his brother and his friends. Silent hallways, brief smiles, stilted conversations with little depth. None of it matched the friendship and even…the love he experienced with Charlotte.
Though he forced himself to ignore the pangs of longing and became quite adept at suppressing them, the scent of roses or the feel of a soft petal on his skin always revived the pain of his loss. Hewould laugh to himself when funny situations arose, a particularly stuffy duke at a ball that Lottie would have found amusing. He truly mourned for the loss, the pain etching itself deep into his soul. So deep it became a part of him.
And yet, all that time…she lived. The truth was a dagger in the heart.
Giving his head a shake, Perry rifled through the documents, looking for anything that might be of importance. Wildwood was his after the death of his wife, a part of the earldom he inherited when her father passed.
All seemed in order; nothing leaped out at him.
“I remember when your father had me draft up those documents,” Mr. Winthrop mused. “We were in quite the rush, which was unusual, but he wanted the papers signed as quickly as possible. The duke was always very demanding, of course, and it was an honor to serve him, but I had never seen him like this. He threatened to dismiss me and ruin my practice should I take too long in fulfilling his request.”
The older man tapped at his lip thoughtfully. “I believe there were other candidates for the late countess’s hand. She was a popular young debutante with an earldom, if I may say. Quite the prize. One such man was extremely keen; his family had negotiated on his behalf. A very old, influential family.”
Perry’s eyes narrowed. “I find that unsurprising. My father was highly motivated to see to the match. Whoever married Eliza stood to benefit greatly.”
No one knew better than him the greed which inspired his father to force him into a quick marriage. Of course, the late duke was driven by his desire to add to the family wealth and property, but Perry saw it as more than that. Rufus Spencer demanded obedience, even to the point of hurting his own children to achieve it.
Beauregard seemed pleased enough with his betrothed. His brother had benefited from his father’s machinations,though being engaged to a ten-year-old was quite unseemly early on. Now that time had passed, the woman was of age and seemed eager enough for the match. At least one of them had the possibility of ending up happy from the elder duke’s interference. If Beau had been unhappy with the match, he could have broken it once their father died, and no one would question him. But his brother was steadfast and true. He would never stoop to ruining a young woman like Perry had.
“That one family was quite aggressive in their pursuit. They even had their lawyer contact me and plead on their behalf. Their son was quite overset when the duke challenged his offer. He threatened me, if you can imagine. How could I retract your father’s generous offer when I was working for the duke? Once I told your father, the problem seemed to go away.” Mr. Winthrop shook his head. “I understand the family wanting to get their hands on the earldom for their son, of course, but there was no competing with your father’s offer. The late countess’s family wanted the best for their daughter. This other suitor would not have been much of an advantage to her ladyship. Especially when the rumors of his family being quite underwater began. It was an upset among the finer set. The family was forced to hide to weather the scandal. Some members of thetonmask their true financial situations very well, as I’m sure you know. Eliza’s family recoiled at the idea of their daughter marrying a fortune hunter.”
“How interesting,” Perry said as his eyes narrowed on the man.
Mr. Winthrop gave a nervous laugh. “Who would want that for their daughter?”
Perry gave a slow nod. “Quite right. Who would, indeed.”
As Perry’s eyes returned to the paper, he scanned the lines revealing the details of the generous dowry he had received upon marrying Eliza. He could see how the staggering amount of money and the luxurious property would be plenty of motivation. Seeing how much he had gained from his marriage only increased his pain at thinking of what Lottie had lost upon their separation. She wascondemned to hide in shame, to suffer pregnancy and grave illness alone, while he grew more wealthy and powerful. The truth sickened him.
