Catch a Falling Heiress: An American Heiress in London (16 page)

“You mean, now that I’ve been sullied by him,” Linnet put in, “no other worthy man will want me?”

“Linnet,” her mother remonstrated at this blunt speaking, “don’t be indelicate.”

“It’s not quite as bad as that,” Belinda said. “But a girl with a tarnished reputation—however it came about—would not be a worthy gentleman’s first choice to marry. These men will wonder what part you might have played in the events. They might also feel that vying for your hand given Jack’s interest is not quite playing the game. Like it or not, Jack has an obligation to you that cannot just be brushed aside.”

He felt keen relief at this show of support, and he flashed his sister-in-law a grin. “I’m glad you’re on my side, Belinda.”

She frowned at this impudence. “I never take sides. I am offering Miss Holland my perspective, and that is all.”

“And I do appreciate that, Lady Trubridge,” Linnet put in. “I do. But you can tell everyone I have discharged him from any obligation. And I realize the gentlemen who considered me before might feel differently about me now because of what’s happened, but I can’t help that. I can only hope I might be able to marry an honorable gentleman and salvage my reputation.”

“Saving your reputation isn’t another man’s office,” Jack said, feeling as if he were pounding his head into a wall. “It’s mine.”

“How many times must I refuse you before—” She broke off, lifting her hands in a gesture of frustration as she turned away. “I give up,” she said, stalked to the settee, and resumed her seat. “It’s like talking to a stone wall.”

“Rather what I was thinking,” he said, and walked back to his place by the mantel. “Although it’s clear we disagree on which of us is the stone wall in question.”

She glared at him, he glared back, but neither of them spoke, and it was Belinda who broke the silence with a cough.

“It seems we have an impasse.” She glanced at him, then at Linnet and back again. “I’m not sure I see a way to breach it.”

“There is no way,” Linnet said at once.

Mrs. Holland sighed, shaking her head, but Jack wasn’t sure if that was her opinion of the situation, a response to her daughter’s intransigence, or her disappointment at his failure to fulfill the promise he’d made to her in Mrs. Dewey’s garden.

To his mind, however, nothing had changed. And though Linnet might be able to provoke his temper more quickly than any woman he’d ever known, she also had the unerring ability to provoke his desire.

Ah, but that could work both ways. A torrid hint or two on his part a few moments ago had quickened her breathing, heated her cheeks, and impelled her to fling accusations of force in his face. He was sure she’d felt a stirring of attraction at that moment, perhaps even arousal, and he knew what he had to do was stoke her desire, feed it until it burned hot enough to overcome her resistance and her resentment. But building a fire like that in a woman couldn’t be rushed. It required patience, strategy, and time.

Time.

“As a rule,” Belinda said, breaking the silence, “I don’t arrange marriages of convenience, but in this case, I feel I must do what I can to help. A pity the season is over, but—”

“There might be a way past the impasse,” Jack interrupted, straightening away from the mantel. “A way to compromise.”

All three women looked at him, but he knew which woman he needed to convince. He turned to his sister-in-law. “Belinda, as Miss Holland has said, she and I are strangers to each other. That seems to be one of her main objections to marrying me.”

Linnet started to speak, but Belinda held up one hand to stop her. “What of it?”

“Invite us both to Kent. She and I can spend time together at Honeywood to become acquainted. A fortnight, perhaps?”

“Absolutely not,” Linnet said before Belinda could respond. “I can’t afford to waste time in this man’s company when I already know I won’t have him. My reputation is in tatters as it is, and any delay will just make things worse.”

“A fortnight won’t matter all that much,” he argued. “The news will be in the scandal sheets here within days, and you won’t be able to hush it up even if you’re engaged to someone else by the end of the week. Well, Belinda?” He returned his attention to his sister-in-law. “What is your opinion of my plan?”

“You seem quite determined on this course, Jack.” She gave him a searching glance, then she nodded. “Very well, you may have one week to make your case.”

“Lady Trubridge, please—” Linnet began, but again, Belinda stifled her protest with a gesture.

“One moment, Miss Holland, if you will indulge me?” She looked again at Jack. “I will allow you to spend time with Miss Holland and give you the chance to win her over, but I have certain conditions to the arrangement.”

“I daresay.” He braced himself for all manner of courtship rules and proprieties. “What are these conditions?”

“This week will encompass a house party, and you will not be the only single man invited. I shall invite the gentlemen Miss Holland has in mind, as well as one or two other men I think might suit her—”

He interrupted with a groan. “You’re joking.”

“What’s wrong, Lord Featherstone?” Linnet asked with deceptive sweetness. “Are you alarmed by a little competition?”

Jack knew he could not afford to underestimate her resentment. He would have preferred to overcome it, as well as fire her passion, by having her all to himself, but it wasn’t meant to be, so he worked to don a carefree air. “Belinda can invite whomever she pleases. It doesn’t alter my course.”

“If these gentlemen ask me about Newport, I shall have to confirm what happened,” Belinda said, “but I don’t think we need mention the part Van Hausen played. That would only muddy the waters and could reflect unfavorably on Miss Holland.”

Jack was relieved by that bit of news. Linnet, however, didn’t seem as inclined toward the version of events he preferred to paint. “But if no one knows about Frederick, won’t people think I went to the pagoda to meet Featherstone?”

“Not at all.” Belinda spread her hands in a self-evident gesture. “Any girl might go out for a bit of air during a party. If she is intercepted by a man behaving in a boorish fashion . . .” She paused for a glance at Jack, then she returned her attention to Linnet. “It’s hardly her fault. If asked, I will mention that you refused Jack’s intemperate proposal and spurned his inappropriate advance.” She paused, tapping her finger against her chin. “I might venture a guess that Jack was drunk. After all, what other explanation could there be for such conduct? You
were
drunk, weren’t you, Jack?” she added smoothly without looking at him.

“Absolutely sodding,” he lied, straight-faced, lost in admiration for the skill with which Belinda could form palatable stories from unpalatable facts.

“Good. You’ll be forgiven, of course; the English have an incomprehensible tolerance for a gentleman’s alcoholic excesses. When it’s discovered I’m sponsoring Miss Holland, I’ll be besieged by the society papers as well, so I might whisper a word or two to them about what happened. I’m sure that Linnet, if she is asked, will offer no more than a delicate blush and allow her mother and me to provide any explanations necessary.”

Linnet nodded. “I understand, and there’s no point in denying the story anyway. Not when the principal witness is one of Knickerbocker society’s leading matrons.”

“I’m glad we all agree. And I promise that in my version of events, it will be quite clear Jack is wholly to blame.”

“I will accept full responsibility,” he assured her.

“Damned straight, you will,” Belinda countered at once. “This house party will have to commence straightaway—say, this Thursday? We’ve no time for subtlety, so I will arrange the social activities so that each man is assured of a certain amount of Miss Holland’s time each day.”

It was Linnet’s turn to groan. “Do I really have to spend time with him? Every single day?”

“What’s wrong, Linnet?” he asked. “I thought you weren’t afraid of me.”

“If she were afraid of you, Jack,” Belinda cut in before the girl could answer, “I wouldn’t blame her, given your past conduct. However, each gentleman, even Jack, ought to be given a chance to prove himself, unfettered by the presence of other suitors. No man shall have a monopoly on your attentions.”

“Oh, very well.” Linnet sighed. “I suppose I’ve no choice but to put up with him, but if he does anything untoward—”

“I’m sure Jack will behave in a much more gentlemanlike fashion in Kent than he did in Newport.”

Jack doubted behaving himself would achieve the desired result, but it wouldn’t do to tell Belinda that. “I think I can be trusted to behave like a gentleman . . . when the situation warrants it.”

A slight frown marred his sister-in-law’s brow, showing his careful answer didn’t quite satisfy her, but she didn’t pursue it. Instead, she rose to her feet, indicating this meeting was at an end, and as he watched the other ladies stand, he decided he’d best take what advantage he could while he had the chance. “Since we’ll all be having engagements with Miss Holland each day, I’d like to set my first one now, if that’s all right. Tea on Thursday afternoon?”

Linnet made a sound of protest, but he spoke again before she could voice any actual objections. “The evenings should prove quite a donnybrook, Belinda. Are you up to keeping a slew of clamoring bachelors in line?”

“I shall invite some single ladies to balance the numbers. And Miss Holland is free to spend her evenings conversing with any man she chooses.”

“Of course, and I’m sure I shall spend the majority of my time glowering in a corner while she ignores me, but I shall use that as an opportunity to study my competition.”

“Very wise of you,” Belinda replied, “for that competition will be stiff. I intend to ensure that she is offered a choice between men of good character, men not interested in just her fortune but who would appreciate her for her own sake. Men who do not think less of her because of your actions. You’ll have your work cut out to convince her you are more worthy than they.”

He accepted that with a nod. “If I want her, I’ll have to fight for her, is that it?”

He looked at Linnet, who smiled back at him, a melting, pasted-on smile that confirmed it wouldn’t only be her other suitors with whom he’d have to do battle. Still, whatever it took, he was determined to win.

“A fight it is,” he said, and bowed, smiling back at her. “And may the best man win.”

Chapter 9

As Belinda showed the ladies out, Jack could see that artificial smile still lingering on Linnet’s lips, and he vowed that the next time he kissed her, there’d be no accusation of pawing thrown in his face afterward. No, he’d have to be sure she wanted it as much as he did, that she’d welcome it when it came and need it so much she’d fling her arms around his neck, press that luscious body up against his, and kiss him right back.

Just now, that delicious scenario seemed rather akin to melting glaciers with matches or digging one’s way to China. But there was no other course possible, not because honor was at stake, or even because for the first time in his life, he had a promising future ahead of him. No, he feared he was far more shallow than that. He was determined to succeed because he wasn’t giving up on the most ripping kiss he’d ever had from the most challenging woman he’d ever met without one hell of a fight.

Still, Linnet had a strong sense of feminine pride, and he’d offended that, not an easy thing to make up for. He knew he had to arouse her curiosity before he could arouse her body. He had to engage her mind before he could engage her desire. Most of all, he had to build her anticipation. And he had to accomplish all that while keeping his own desire in check. That, he appreciated with some chagrin, was going to be the hardest part. Alone with her ten minutes, one or two erotic imaginings going through his head, and he’d found the desire to haul her back into his arms and kiss her again almost irresistible.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Belinda’s urgent voice forced him out of these delicious contemplations. “Sorry,” he said with a shake of his head as his sister-in-law reentered the drawing room. “What did you say?”

“I was questioning your sanity. I suppose I should know better than to do that by now, for I cannot even count the number of scrapes you’ve gotten into over the years, but this passes all bounds, Jack. Kissing a respectable young lady in front of her mother and Abigail Dewey, two of the pillars of Knickerbocker society? What in heaven’s name were you thinking?”

He gave her a wry look. “I’m not sure thinking had much to do with it.”

“I imagine not. But why did you do it?”

“Van Hausen had to be stopped. I stopped him.”

“Yes, this Van Hausen fellow was a thorough-paced villain, from what I gather, but nonetheless—” She broke off, her blue eyes going wide and indicating to Jack that the fat might be in the fire. “Oh, my God. Frederick Van Hausen. I thought the name sounded familiar when Miss Holland mentioned him, but I couldn’t place it until now. That’s the man who ruined Edie’s reputation years ago, then wouldn’t marry her.”

He pasted an expression of bewilderment on his face. “Who?”

“Edie. The Duchess of Margrave,” she added when he continued to give her the pretense of an uncomprehending stare. “The wife of your best friend.”

“Van Hausen ruined the Duchess of Margrave’s reputation?” He hoped he sounded sufficiently ignorant of the topic, but from Belinda’s face, he could tell it was pointless.

“As if you didn’t know. Stop prevaricating, John James Featherstone. Does what you did have anything to do with his having compromised Edie? Was this some sort of . . . of revenge?”

He didn’t have to think how to answer. Ever since he’d discovered Linnet was on her way to see Belinda, he’d been rehearsing the reply he’d have to give her in answer to this question. “I swear to you, Belinda, what I did to Van Hausen was not in retaliation for his ruin of the duchess’s reputation.”

Her reputation
had nothing to do with it.

“Then why, Jack?”

He drew a deep breath, knowing he was going to be uttering the same tiresome phrase quite often from now on, but there was nothing to be done about that. “I cannot say.”

“If saving the girl from the man’s dishonorable intentions was your aim, there were ways other than dishonoring her yourself. I can think of several right off the top of my head.”

“I daresay. It’s too bad you weren’t there to advise me at the time. As it was, I did the only thing I could think of.”

“Miss Holland suspects that you compromised her on purpose, to marry her and gain her dowry. You do realize that?”

“Of course I do. She made no bones about telling me her opinion on that score. Do you think the same?”

“If I did,” she countered with asperity, “I’d never invite you to a house party or allow you anywhere near a client of mine. In fact, you’d never darken my door again.”

“I’m glad to know that you do not put me in the same classification as my brother, Belinda. Very glad, indeed.”

“I know you well enough by now to discern the difference. But this girl doesn’t know you at all, and she has every reason to suspect your motives. And refusing to turn down the money makes it appear . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she sighed, lifting her hands and letting them fall as she gave him a helpless look.

“Yes, I’m quite aware how it appears. But that does not negate the fact that Van Hausen had to be stopped. It was a matter of honor. I realize,” he added at the lifting of her brows, “that a dishonorable act cannot be excused because it furthered an honorable purpose, but as I say, my brains took rather a holiday that night. Still, my intentions were honorable, if not the actions I took. If you don’t believe me, ask Nick. I expect he’ll be arriving within a few days.”

“Yes, yes, he cabled me that he’ll be in Kent by Thursday evening. But what does Nick have to do with your actions? He told me,” she added when Jack remained silent, “that he was going to New York to see you about an investment the two of you were involved in. And Miss Holland mentioned that you and Van Hausen were in some investment scheme. Are the two the same?”

“Yes. Nick lost a good deal of money, I’m afraid. We both did.”

She waved that aside with an impatient gesture and thankfully didn’t ask where he’d gotten the capital to invest. “But if all you wanted was to regain your investment—”

“It’s complicated,” he cut her off. “But you can read all about how he defrauded us in the papers. I’m sure the British press will be taking up the story any day now.”

“I don’t care about the stories printed in the papers. What I care about is the truth. Was Nick involved in your ruin of Miss Holland?”

“No. He knew nothing of that part.”

“That part?” she echoed, and Jack knew he was once again in deep waters. “What parts did he know of?”

Jack gave her a look of apology. “I cannot say.”

“You cannot say. You cannot say.” She gave a sigh. “I’m beginning to appreciate why Miss Holland finds you so vexing.”

“Nonetheless, save your breath to cool your porridge, Belinda, because I can offer you no more information.”

“Then I shall be asking Nick for the details of his involvement in this affair and your actions, you may be sure.”

He didn’t point out the futility of that course. “Do what you must. By the way,” he added, hoping to turn the conversation, “I want to thank you for supporting me earlier.”

“Under the circumstances, I could hardly do otherwise. You ruined her, and the ideal solution is for you to marry her.”

“She doesn’t see it that way.”

“You can’t blame her for that.”

“I don’t, but when I found out she was on her way to you, I rather feared the worst. You’re so staunchly proper, Belinda, and I know you’ve always rather disapproved of me.”

“Yes, because you are a wild and undisciplined rogue, an opinion borne out by this most recent escapade.”

He grimaced at the condemnation, but he was in no position to deny it.

“But then,” she added before he could reply, “Nick was a rogue, too, in his day, and every bit as wild as you. And, of course, there’s my own father, who’s the worst of all your lot.” She sighed. “I fear I’ve got a soft spot for rogues.”

He grinned. “Does that mean you’ll use your influence to steer Miss Holland in my direction?”

Belinda’s answering look was rueful. “Somehow, I don’t think Miss Holland is the sort of girl to be steered by anyone.”

He laughed at that. “She does chart her own course, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, and that rather worries me.”

“Why should it?”

“A ship usually has one captain. I cannot envision either of you ceding the role and becoming first mate.”

“Well, I shan’t.”

“Oh?” Belinda countered with spirit, folding her arms in a manner that rather reminded him of Linnet. “So she’ll have to, is that it?”

“No need to ruffle up your suffragist feathers, Belinda. I’d like to think she and I will find a way to row our boat together.”

“Only if the two of you can stop arguing long enough to agree which direction to go,” Belinda countered dryly.

Jack could have replied that there were some very delicious ways to stop an argument, but he decided he’d best keep mum on that topic. Belinda was such a stickler for the proprieties.

A
LL IN ALL,
Linnet was both pleased and relieved by how her appointment with Lady Trubridge had turned out, despite Lord Featherstone’s unexpected appearance on the scene.

When that man had walked into the marchioness’s drawing room, the fact that he’d caught her in the midst of a most unflattering opinion of him hadn’t caused him to turn a hair. But for her part, after her emphatic refusal to marry him, she thought he’d go away, plague some other unfortunate heiress, and leave her in peace. She hadn’t expected him to come sailing through the door of his sister-in-law’s drawing room in hot pursuit. And if attempting to right his earlier wrong was his intent, how was it necessary for him to insult her and infuriate her and commandeer her time for an engagement for tea without so much as a by-your-leave?

During the week that followed, Linnet had plenty of time to review the entire baffling episode, and though that didn’t do much to alleviate her indignation or her bafflement, by the time she and her mother were on the train to Kent for the house party, she had come to understand there was a simple explanation for everything Jack Featherstone said and did.

The man was insane.

He was also obstinate, maddening, and—quite obviously—a very poor judge of character.

The logical conclusion is that you couldn’t tolerate the idea that otherwise you’d have to marry beneath you.

Even now, those words made her mad enough to spit nails. She turned her attention to the view out the window, but she found it impossible to appreciate the pretty countryside, for in her mind’s eye, the only view was Featherstone’s dark eyes daring her to contradict his preposterous notions even as he’d given her no chance to do so. The result was that she’d been contradicting them in her mind ever since.

For one thing, she was not a snob. She didn’t care two bits for titles, but other people did. And since a marriage of love was out the window thanks to him, marriage to a man with a title could at least give her a life with purpose, as her mother had pointed out. It took gall for Jack Featherstone to deem her a snob for trying to regain her footing after he’d been the one to pull the rug out from under her in the first place.

But then, gall was something that man had plenty of.

A bright young man with promise in one of his city offices who would have jumped at the chance to marry into the powerful, wealthy Holland family . . .

Linnet stirred in her seat and wished, not for the first time, that she’d been able to get a word in at that point. If she had, she’d have said that as far as husbands go, any man of any station, even a pimple-faced errand boy from the corner grocery, would be
vastly
superior to him. But she’d been too angry to think of a speech like that, not until it was too late. Why did the best answers to unfounded criticism always come to a person while stewing about the situation afterward?

Her consolation—if there was such a thing to be found in anything to do with that man—was that whatever reply she’d offered, however fitting or satisfying, probably wouldn’t have made the least impression. In addition to his other faults, Jack also seemed to be deaf, at least to anything she had to say.

He, on the other hand, had managed to say plenty.

You are an imperious woman, strong-willed, and—let’s be frank—a bit spoiled.

Imperious? She wasn’t the one who interfered in other people’s lives, rode roughshod over their wishes, and deemed it for their own good. That would be him.

Spoiled? She wasn’t the one who thought money was just handed over to a husband as a matter of course. That distinction belonged to the fortune hunters, a breed of men she ought to be quite familiar with by now.

It’s clear your own judgment in regard to men is sadly lacking.

Even now, those words had the power to sting, for as much as she hated to admit he could be right about anything, there was truth in at least that much of what he’d said. Her judgment regarding Frederick had been nonexistent. And Conrath hadn’t been much of a testament to her ability to weed out fortune hunters. But it wasn’t as if she was prepared to defy her own judgment to the extent that she’d fall into Jack’s arms, even if her mother and Lady Trubridge thought marrying him was the safest course. Safe? Jack Featherstone was as safe as dynamite.