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“I heard it was during childbirth,” Mandeville said. “The baby arrived too soon, or some such, as I recall. Two great losses, then. Truly, you have my condolences.”
“Gemma delivered a healthy baby girl, Mandeville,” Ben said. “For that small blessing, we may be grateful. On the other hand, while I had already discerned that my marriage was not of the affectionate nature for which I’d hoped, I learned much too late just how broken it really was, when my wife delivered a healthy, robust baby and thenasked for someone other than her husbandwhile she lay dying.”
Mandeville, his face turning gray, collapsed into a chair and stared blankly.
“And the person whom she wanted at her side while the life ebbed from her body paid his respects to her by doing . . . precisely nothing,” Ben said.
“I grieved!” Mandeville exclaimed. “I grieved,” he added quietly.
“Did you?” Ben said. “I am glad, for Gemma’s sake, if that is true.”
“We loved each other, in our own way, since childhood,” Mandeville said, apparently more willing to speak the truth now.
“And yet, you didn’t love each other enough to marry and make a life together, did you?” Ben said.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Winton, but life requires money, or haven’t you noticed? Neither she nor I had money, certainly not enough for our needs. Love was not enough. Marriage is a business transaction, a practicality of life. Pardon me for being so blunt, but you were merely a convenience to her,” Mandeville said.
Ah, good. The real Mandeville was beginning to show his colors. Ben deliberately looked Mandeville up and down, making it obvious he was evaluating the man’s appearance. “You are finely dressed for someone with no money, Mandeville. I will presume, then, that Gemma’s generous pin money during our marriage carried you through during that time, and I daresay that now that she is gone, you are living on credit and must feel the need to find another steady source of income. Undoubtedly, your creditors have been knocking at your door with more force as of late. Do you gamble as well?”
Mandeville’s face went bright red, and he gripped the arms of the chair in which he sat and leaned forward. “How dare you—”
“Oh,I dare,” Ben said. “Donotplay the insulted gentleman with me, sir. The scales weigh much more heavily towardmygrievances between us than any you could produce. In point of fact, I have every right to call you out, here and now, for the intimate relationship you carried on with my wife.”
Mandeville recoiled and shifted in his chair. “It is not as though affairs are not commonplace amongst thebeau monde,” he said. “Even the Prince Regent—”
“Icare not a whitwhat moral deficiencies our monarch has or doesn’t have,” Ben snapped. “I care aboutmy family, and I willnotallow the Winton name to become tarnished due to your indiscretions with my deceased wife. I willnotallow a former Countess of Winton’s name to be dragged through the mud, despite her complicity in those indiscretions. Are you listening carefully to my words?” Ben said.
Mandeville only scowled at him.
“I will take that as an answer in the affirmative,” Ben said. “Additionally, I have an infant daughter as a result of this marriage. She ismy daughter. She bears my name and the legal status of being mine by reason of my marriage to her mother, and she willneverbe given any reasonfrom anyoneto doubt this.”
Ben took a step forward. “Mark my words, Mandeville,” he said. “Should Ieverhear even themerest whisperfromanyoneregarding the matters I have mentioned, I will find you and we will deal with it, you and I, upon the point of a sword.” He uttered his last sentence slowly, with great emphasis, in case Mandeville had any difficulty understanding. “Are we clear?”
“Yes,” Mandeville snapped.
“Good. For there is one more thing I would say, and I want to be certain you are listening carefully.” He leaned over, forcing Mandeville back farther into his chair, and then grabbed the man by the knot in his neckcloth. Their faces were nose to nose. “As of this moment, any aspirations you may have had regarding winning Miss Jennings’s hand will end. They will cease. They will stop. She is not to be your latest pursuit in acquiring income for yourself.”
Mandeville only glared silently at him.
Ben gave Mandeville’s neckcloth a shake and then released the man and straightened. “I think it best you leave the premises now and make yourself scarce in London for the rest of the Season. Don’t you?”
Mandeville stood, scowling, and straightened his neckcloth.
“I am counting on whatever love you claim you had for Gemma to move you to adhere to what I’ve said,” Ben said. “You owe it to her and her family to keep her memory free of scandal. I hope you are enough of a gentleman to actually do it.”
“I have nothing more to say to you,” Mandeville said.
“As long as we understand each other,” Ben said.
Mandeville didn’t answer; he swept past Ben and left the room, shutting the door with an emphatic bang as he did so.
* * *
“What do you suppose they could be talking about?” Rebecca asked Papa. He’d practically dragged her back into the dining room after Ben and Hugh had disappeared into Aylesham’s study. If she’d had her preference, she would have stayed by the door with her ear pressed up to it.
“I couldn’t say,” Papa replied before taking another bite of ham. “But it is obviously something Winton doesn’t wish to have interfere with tonight’s festivities. Now, eat something and smile. People are beginning to wonder if you are enjoying your own ball.”
Rebecca dutifully smiled and stabbed a bite of chicken with her fork.
