Read Online One Night in London by Caroline Linden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Caroline Linden
Tags: Fiction, Historical Romance
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anything right now. Unbidden, the thought of Lady Gordon popped into his mind, all flashing eyes and exuberant gestures. That woman was the very last thing he needed, even aside from her outrageous demand that he drop everything and leap to her assistance. He hoped she had hired a new solicitor already, just so she wouldn’t be back to plague him again with her passionate entreaties and alluring voice, to say nothing of that gleaming hair and magnificent bosom— He stopped his thoughts with a slight shake of his head. He was mad to find anything about that woman alluring, particularly when he had a woman like Louisa at his side.
“You know I am always here when you wish to see me,” Louisa told him now. “As any good wife ought to be.” Then a shadow fell over her face. “We must put off the wedding again, mustn’t we?”
Edward sighed. On his honor, he had to do just that—not only to observe some mourning for his father, but to clear away this messy problem before it could become a real scandal. “We must, unfortunately.”
Louisa’s expression fell, but then she rallied a smile for him, although less brightly than before. “I understand. Next fall will be a fine time to marry. Mama will have no more concerns about my trousseau not being ready in time.”
“I knew you would understand.” Edward laid his hand over hers. Their engagement had lasted over a year already, and never once had she pressed him on the matter. A model of peace and tranquility, his Louisa.
They walked along the path in companionable silence. “Do you have a great deal to do?” she asked. “His Grace was always so thorough in his planning.”
“Indeed. I suppose most of it is rather routine.” Edward paused, debating. He hardly wanted his father’s shameful secret to become common knowledge, and it made him angry all over again to speak of it at all. But Louisa was his fiancée, his future wife and mother of his future children. If he couldn’t confide in her, in whom could he confide? He brushed aside the echo of Gerard’s warning. Her brother had never warmed to Louisa, although he readily conceded all her advantages. He thought her too meek and mild; Gerard admired a woman with high spirits and a ready wit, and had no appreciation for Louisa’s quiet dignity. Fortunately, she was marrying him, not his brother, and she suited him perfectly. They were two of a kind, he and Louisa.
And in all fairness, he owed her the truth. On the slim chance he and his brothers were unable to tidy away his father’s mess, it was only fair that Louisa know his new circumstances.
“There is only one issue that concerns me,” he said, making up his mind. Louisa would stand by him, at least until he discovered the truth. “It seems my father kept one rather large secret from us all, and it will cause us some trouble to sort out.”
“Oh dear.” Her face filled with concern. “How dreadful.”
It certainly was. “I cannot believe Durham could do such a thing,” he said, suddenly finding he wanted to tell her. She would understand, as Gerard and Charlie couldn’t possibly understand, how it felt to be kept in the dark. “Not the act itself, perhaps, but that he could keep it secret for so long—from me . I never failed to do my duty as his son, and then to learn—”
Louisa stopped walking and took his hand in hers as Edward closed his mouth, aware that his voice was rising in temper. “What is it?” she asked. “Surely it cannot be so bad that you and His Grace cannot work it out.” She smiled at him. “I have tremendous confidence in you, Edward.”
He stared at her hands, so small and soft on his clenched fist. “It is disgraceful,” he said in a low tone. “My father was married before my mother—decades ago, to a woman whom no one has seen in almost sixty years. But they were never divorced, and Durham didn’t know what happened to her when they parted. He assumed she was dead when he married again, but he was
“You know I am always here when you wish to see me,” Louisa told him now. “As any good wife ought to be.” Then a shadow fell over her face. “We must put off the wedding again, mustn’t we?”
Edward sighed. On his honor, he had to do just that—not only to observe some mourning for his father, but to clear away this messy problem before it could become a real scandal. “We must, unfortunately.”
Louisa’s expression fell, but then she rallied a smile for him, although less brightly than before. “I understand. Next fall will be a fine time to marry. Mama will have no more concerns about my trousseau not being ready in time.”
“I knew you would understand.” Edward laid his hand over hers. Their engagement had lasted over a year already, and never once had she pressed him on the matter. A model of peace and tranquility, his Louisa.
They walked along the path in companionable silence. “Do you have a great deal to do?” she asked. “His Grace was always so thorough in his planning.”
“Indeed. I suppose most of it is rather routine.” Edward paused, debating. He hardly wanted his father’s shameful secret to become common knowledge, and it made him angry all over again to speak of it at all. But Louisa was his fiancée, his future wife and mother of his future children. If he couldn’t confide in her, in whom could he confide? He brushed aside the echo of Gerard’s warning. Her brother had never warmed to Louisa, although he readily conceded all her advantages. He thought her too meek and mild; Gerard admired a woman with high spirits and a ready wit, and had no appreciation for Louisa’s quiet dignity. Fortunately, she was marrying him, not his brother, and she suited him perfectly. They were two of a kind, he and Louisa.
And in all fairness, he owed her the truth. On the slim chance he and his brothers were unable to tidy away his father’s mess, it was only fair that Louisa know his new circumstances.
“There is only one issue that concerns me,” he said, making up his mind. Louisa would stand by him, at least until he discovered the truth. “It seems my father kept one rather large secret from us all, and it will cause us some trouble to sort out.”
“Oh dear.” Her face filled with concern. “How dreadful.”
It certainly was. “I cannot believe Durham could do such a thing,” he said, suddenly finding he wanted to tell her. She would understand, as Gerard and Charlie couldn’t possibly understand, how it felt to be kept in the dark. “Not the act itself, perhaps, but that he could keep it secret for so long—from me . I never failed to do my duty as his son, and then to learn—”
Louisa stopped walking and took his hand in hers as Edward closed his mouth, aware that his voice was rising in temper. “What is it?” she asked. “Surely it cannot be so bad that you and His Grace cannot work it out.” She smiled at him. “I have tremendous confidence in you, Edward.”
He stared at her hands, so small and soft on his clenched fist. “It is disgraceful,” he said in a low tone. “My father was married before my mother—decades ago, to a woman whom no one has seen in almost sixty years. But they were never divorced, and Durham didn’t know what happened to her when they parted. He assumed she was dead when he married again, but he was
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