Chapter 15
The dreaded meeting with Lady Warwick did not go nearly as badly as Fiona had anticipated. For so many months Fiona had been so possessed of a crippling jealousy and animosity toward the countess that she was not sure she could let go of those violent feelings. But as the hour of their reunion came, a peace settled over Fiona, and she wanted nothing so much as to thank the countess for taking Warwick away from her. Theirs would not have been a good marriage. Her fate was with Nick; Edward's with his Countess Maggie.
When Lady Warwick and her sister arrived at Menger House, Fiona swept to the door in her invalid's chair to greet them. “I'm so very glad you could come,” she said. “Would you like to see the house?”
“Are you sure you're up to it?” the countess asked, casting a troubled glance at Fiona's invalid chair.
“It would give me great pleasure to show you our new houseâbut for obvious reasons, our tour will have to be confined to the first floor.”
The countess subsequently made the obligatory exclamations over the celestial ceilings, and the soaring Palladian windows, and the gleaming Carrara and Sienna marble of the floors. She had inquired about the cabinetmaker and nearly swooned over the beautiful and abundant silks, the fine Sevres porcelain, and the broadloom carpets that had been specially made for Menger House.
The last room they came to was Nick's library, the darkest room in the house but also the coziest because of the rich walnut wainscoting and the tranquil greens of its decor. That morning the servants had hung Nick's portrait over the mantle. He had not changed since it had been painted two years previously. The painter had done a masterful job of conveying Nick's innate power with dark colors: Nick's deep brown hair, pensive near-black eyes, olive skin that complemented the rich chocolate-colored frock coat he wore. Contrasting with all the varying shades of brown was the stark white of his eyes and teeth. Gazing affectionately at the portrait, Fiona said with pride, “ That handsome man is my husband, Nicholas.”
The countess's face softened as she looked at the portrait. “You've married well. He's incredibly handsome.”
Even Miss Peabody, who seldom noticed those of the opposite sex, pushed her spectacles up the bridge of her nose and stared at Nick's picture. “If he has a brother, I'll take him.”
Fiona and Maggie broke out laughing. “As a matter of fact,” Fiona said, “he has a brother who looks enough like him to be a twin.”
“Then I shall very much look forward to my come-out,” Miss Peabody said.
Returning to the blue saloon, Fiona said, “That's the very reason I've asked you here today. Remember, I promised to sponsor you, and I'm greatly looking forward to your come-out. It will be the first grand fete in our new house.”
Maggie stiffened. “Are you sure you still wish to do that?”
There would never be a better time than the present to clear the air between her and the countess. “My lady,” Fiona began, looking earnestly into the countess's beautiful face, “by coming here today you've taken the first step toward restoring the friendship we once shared, and I'm indebted to you.”
Maggie's head inclined, her huge black eyes softening.
“I cannot deny,” Fiona continued, “that at one time I was extremely jealous of you, but I assure you that is no longer the case.” She sank back in her invalid's chair. “Do you believe in destiny?”
“I do,” Maggie whispered.
“I do, too. And I believe you were Edward's fate, not I.” She drew a deep breath. “I now believe that Edward's meeting you was the best thing that could ever have happened to me.”
A slow smile came over the countess's face. “Because Nicholas Birmingham was your fate?”
Fiona nodded. “Most definitely.”
“I cannot tell you how happy I am to learn that,” Lady Warwick said.
“I only wish Warwick could understand,” Fiona said. “I know he feels beastly guilty about how everything happened.”
“I'll try to convey all this to him,” Maggie said.
Staring at the beautiful countess, Fiona wondered if Lord and Lady Warwick were as close as she and Nick. It seemed almost inconceivable that anyone else could ever experience the unity she and her husband shared.
As she beheld the countess, Fiona could well understand why Warwick had fallen in love with her. Was there a lovelier creature on the entire earth? The countess was possessed of a head of rich, dark brown hair and huge almond-shaped eyes so dark a brown they looked black. Her milky skin was highlighted with deep pink cheeks and a luscious rose-colored mouth, and her figure was statuesqueâwith a large bosom. If one looked especially close, one could see the swell of the Warwick's second babe. No woman with child had ever looked lovelier.
Fiona had once observed that every color Maggie wore became peculiarly her own. Today she wore a dress the color of salmon, and once again Fiona could not believe anyone else could be so lovely wearing that shade. The gods had indeed blessed Maggie in every way. And now she had a husband who adored her and a babe of her own, Fiona thought with a stab of jealousy.
It would give Fiona great pleasure if she could bear Nick a son. “How are you and Warwick enjoying being parents?”
The countess instantly turned from gracious beauty to gushing mother. “Oh, we adore him! He looks just like Edward, and he's such a joy.”
“Now
that
I'm jealous of,” Fiona said with a smile. She eyed Miss Peabody, who pulled a slender volume from her reticule.
Her sister instantly chastised her. “You will not read when you're a guest at someone's house!” Turning to Fiona, she said, “Please forgive my sister's shameful manners.”
Her cheeks red, Miss Peabody shoved the book back into her reticule. Fiona thought perhaps Rebecca Peabody was not yet ready for the Marriage Mart. Even her manner of dressingâtoday in a sprigged muslin, high-necked gownâwas more like something a younger girl, not a girl of marriageable age, would wear. “You are nineteen now, Miss Peabody?” Fiona asked.
“I am.”
“I suppose it's time you give thought to getting married.”
“If I should get married,” Miss Peabody responded wistfully, “it would be to get a little boy as delightful as my nephew.”
“Becky dotes on Eddie,” the countess said.
“How fortunate you all are to have a little one to dote upon. I shall be glad when I'm in your shoes. For now, though, I'm happy that my family is enlarged. At long last, I finally have a sister.”
“Birmingham's sister?” the countess asked.
“Yes, her name is Verity, and she's the same age as Miss Peabody. We expect a visit from her in the next few weeks. I'm trying to persuade her to come out with Miss Peabody.”
“I should be delighted to have someone with whom to share such a frightening event,” Rebecca said.
“Have you decided when you'd like to have the ball?” Maggie asked.
“I thought perhaps in early June.”
“Splendid,” the countess said.
“But don't let us wait until then to rekindle the friendship I so desire,” Fiona said.
“I won't,” Maggie said, visibly moved by Fiona's olive branch.
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As Nick sat across the ale house's wooden table from Lord Warwick, his last decade of unparalleled power was suddenly stripped away. He was once more the outsider he'd been at Cambridge. Despite his immense wealth and despite that he was one of the few lads at Christ's who had the luxury of his own valet, he had never been accepted by the likes of Warwick and Randolph Hollingsworth and their set. Today he was once again the recipient of Warwick's condescending arrogance.
He detested the man. The earl's presence would have been much easier to accept if he'd been less handsome, if Fiona had not loved him, if Nick was confident Fiona no longer loved the man. But Nick had no such confidence.
“I was surprised, my lord,” Nick said, meeting the earl's amber eyes, “that you were familiar with this public house since it's in the financial district and far removed from Whitehall.” It was Warwick who, via a note delivered to Nick that morning, had suggested they meet here.
“I'm less well known here,” the earl replied. “It's especially important to me that our meeting appears to be of a social nature rather than an official encounter. I do thank you for seeing me today.”
If Warwick weren't the foreign secretary, Nick would not have come, but because of the earl's vital work Nick could not refuse him. “You will no doubt be pleased to learn that my brother purchased all the francs in Portugal during his recent visit there,” Nick said.
Warwick nodded. “About that visit . . . I've only just learned from Agar about his captivity. Forgive me for not acting upon it in an official capacity. We thought he had been killed.”
Nick glared at him. “And you neglected to tell his sister?”
“I wished to wait for confirmation before imparting such sad news to Lady Fiona.”
Nick detested hearing his wife's name on Warwick's lips.
“She should have come to me when the bandits made their demands,” Warwick said.
“So that she wouldn't have soiled herself by marrying me?”
Anger flashed in Warwick's eyes. “I didn't mean that. It's only that I feel it was the government's responsibility to rescue one of its distinguished officers.”
“I daresay Agar wishes you had.”
The earl said nothing.
Nick lifted his bumper and took a long drink. “I've decided to help my country.” It rankled him to say he would help Warwick. “My brother leaves tomorrow for Prussia, where he'll buy up a hundred thousand guineas' worth of francs.”
Warwick's eyes rounded. “I had no idea you were possessed of such a large amount of discretionary funds.”
The Birminghams might not have pedigree, but they had staggering wealth, and this once he wished to brag, to show Warwick that Fiona had not married so very badly. “We're the richest family in England.”
“Then I'm very happy I selected you for this mission.”
Did the pompous bastard wish to take credit for what Nick's father, his brothers, and Nick himself had built? It was all Nick could do not to slam a fist into Warwick's smug face. “You should be happier still that I accepted.”
“I'm very grateful.” Lord Warwick sipped on his ale. “You do realize the necessity for complete secrecy?”
“I do, and I realize that's why you did not come to my establishment this time.”
“In the future, if you would be so kind, our meetings need to take place at night.”
Nick nodded. “A wise choice.”
“I'll be bloody glad when all this is over with, and you'll be able to reap the credit for all you're doing.”
Nick's anger flared. “I'm not doing this for personal recognition.”
“Forgive me if I implied otherwise.” Warwick's gaze traveled to the fire in the dimly lit room of the low-ceilinged tavern. He had selected well. No one shared this room with them. “I'm told your wife suffered a broken leg.”
Hearing Fiona referred to as his wife filled Nick with pride. “It's been beastly rough on her, but we're hoping the surgeon will remove the cast today.” He had arranged his schedule so that he could be there to talk with the surgeon.
“Then I hope she has a full recovery.”
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Nick stood at her bedside, his back to the bank of windows, his handsome face brooding with concern as the surgeon saw Fiona in her bedchamber. First the surgeon removed the leather sheath from her leg, then he peeled off the linen that held the waxed cast in place, and when he began to cut at the cast, Nick's warm hand clasped hers. Surprisingly, she felt no pain whatsoever. She supposed the surgeon had been right to have her wear it two more weeks than the originally proposed six weeks.
Once the leg was free of all the wretched bindings, the surgeon asked her to lift it up and down and from side to side. She was frightfully embarrassed for Nick to see her leg looking so dirty and puckered. Then the surgeon instructed her to put her weight upon it. Nick helped her from the bed and, leaning on him, she began to walk, but her gait was not without a limp. “I vow, it doesn't really hurt,” she said, “I don't know why I'm limping.”
“That's perfectly normal,” the surgeon assured her. “It will take a few weeks before you're back to your old self.”
“You're sure it's healed properly?” Nick asked. “Is she really ready to put her weight on it?”
The bespectacled surgeon turned to address Nick. “Your wife is a healthy young woman who's perfectly capable of growing new bone. I'd say she's had an excellent recovery, and you, sir, are to be commended for ensuring that she stayed off the leg during the healing process.”