Mary Brendan – The Virtuous Courtesan (страница 3)
‘The gist of it is that you, Miss Marchant, will henceforth be protected by Mr Gavin Stone.’ He turned a wary blinking eye on the dark face of the gentleman. ‘For you, sir, the gist of it is that you must continue to pay for Miss Marchant’s keep or you forfeit your inheritance.’ He swivelled the papers about. ‘Here…you may read it yourself,’ he offered. ‘If you refuse these terms and conditions, I’m afraid you will not receive a penny piece from your brother’s estate and in six months’ time the Crown may have it all.’
Further words of explanation from the lawyer were lost as Gavin sprang to his feet. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’ His eyes were fixed mercilessly on Sarah’s whitening face. ‘Did you know of this? Did you put this mischief in to my brother’s head?’
The accusation and disgust in his voice fired Sarah’s temper. Her head was flung back, sending blonde hair rippling about her shoulders. ‘I assure you, sir, had I known of this I would not have bothered turning up at all today, late or early.’ She jumped up, bristling with indignation. Barely a foot of space separated them. ‘I am as shocked and appalled as you are.’ She sent a look over his raw-boned face. Oh, he might have the veneer of quality, but close to she could tell a man who lived a debauched lifestyle. She had watched her papa drink and whore until he met his end in an ugly death. ‘In fact, I might ask whether you had some hand in this devilish strategy,’ she snapped out. ‘Is your indignation real or subterfuge?’ Sarah barely paused for breath before adding in a hiss, ‘I cannot believe that Eddie would have done this without much persuading.’
Gavin took a pace towards her. Just one. But something in that slow determined movement made Sarah shrink back. ‘You think I need to plot or use coercion to get a paramour?’ he enquired softly.
A frisson of fear raced through Sarah. Far from his previous expression of faint amusement, he now looked perilously enraged. She regretted having spoken so impetuously, but found it impossible to either retract the accusation or apologise for it. ‘I know you are a reprobate. Eddie told me,’ she said in a wobbly voice. ‘Will you deny it?’
‘Would that he had mentioned you, madam,’ Gavin drawled, ignoring the reference to his riotous reputation. ‘Had he done so, I might have come and given my opinion of you whilst he was still alive. Then he would have known better than to attempt to foist you on to me.’
Joseph sank back in his chair and compressed his lips to stop a smile. Oh, entertainment, indeed! This was exceeding every expectation he’d had of a diverting scene taking place here today. Things were so fraught between them that he quite expected Miss Marchant might slap the insolent rogue’s face. Her small hands were squeezed into fists at her side, and so tensely did she hold herself it seemed she might topple forwards.
Of course, Joseph had known for some while that Miss Marchant was Eddie Stone’s mistress, as did most people hereabouts. But it was a discreet liaison and, after the first months of scandalous chatter, interest about them had died away. Little was known of Miss Marchant for she kept herself to herself and lived on the very outskirts of town. She did not seek approval from the town’s
As for Eddie, he had been thought an upstanding and popular fellow who was known to live apart from his crippled wife. He cared for Janet Stone, which was all people expected he might do in the circumstances, and if he sought comfort elsewhere…who could blame him? The mystery was, of course, why a genteel beauty such as Sarah Marchant would abase herself to become a gentleman’s paramour when, clearly, she could have attracted offers of marriage before her reputation was irreparably sullied.
‘You may have no fear of having me foisted upon you, sir. I refuse the terms.’ That crisp statement was directed at the lawyer, jerking him from his musing. Sarah did not deign to give Gavin even a cursory glance. ‘I have no desire to benefit from Edward’s will and agree to sign whatever I must to make that final.’
‘Umm…I’m afraid that makes no difference to—’
‘Well, what does?’ thundered Gavin before the lawyer could finish.
‘Nothing, sir.’
‘So we’re stuck together in some unholy alliance?’
‘If you will, sir,’ Joseph said carefully and lowered his eyes.
Sarah flushed scarlet. The unfortunate choice of words elicited imagery that was clear to her and obviously was to the gentlemen, too. She heard a sound that could have been a coarse laugh, but was probably a snort of anger issuing from Gavin Stone. Gathering up her bonnet and gloves in shaking hands, she took her leave without a single word. Her steps towards the door were rapid although a rational part of her mind hoped it did not look as though she fled from him. Within thirty seconds she was down the stairs and out in the mellow September sun.
Chapter Two
‘Are you not going after her?’
Gavin levelled a narrowed gaze on the lawyer. The man had had the impertinence to sound quite disapproving. ‘To what purpose?’ he coolly enquired. ‘So we might argue in the street and provide not just you, but the whole town with diversion?’
Joseph had the grace to glow whilst gesturing his innocence. ‘Of course a scene would not be at all wise. But I imagined you hoped to come to some sort of arrangement with the young lady.’
‘I think Miss Marchant has made it clear she would not want to consider an arrangement with me.’
‘But you are not averse to an arrangement with her?’ the lawyer prompted with sharp inquisitiveness.
Gavin strolled away from the window, from which vantage point he had watched the chit rush off as though the hounds of hell were on her heels. Either she’d been genuinely innocent of any hand in the scheme, and had meant what she said about forgoing her meal ticket, or she was a damn fine actress. For a man who had never experienced any difficulty in the art of seduction, that notion brought with it a crushing conclusion. There was a courtesan who might seriously choose to starve rather than sleep with him. Whereas he, if he were to be honest and circumstances had been different, would have sought to proposition her. She was one of the most divine-looking women he had ever met. And Heaven only knew he had enjoyed the company of quite a few alluring females. Why such a jewel was not dazzling the
If Edward had wanted his mistress to continue living in comfort on his death, why on earth had he not simply left her a tidy sum? She might be young, but she’d looked and sounded intelligent enough to manage her money. Or had Edward known his mistress to be an incorrigible spendthrift who might quickly run through her pension?
A rueful twitch lifted a corner of Gavin’s mouth as he considered the possibility. Expensive mistresses were an enduring worry of which he had first-hand knowledge. Half his present financial problems had resulted from his current paramour’s profligacy. The amount Elizabeth frittered on shoes alone would keep a family in modest comfort for several months of the year. Charitably he allowed that the blame for the other half of the pecuniary crisis in which he found himself fell squarely on his own shoulders. Gaming, horseflesh, two new vehicles delivered to his mansion in Lansdowne Crescent in as many months.…
But even the memory of his luxury purchases, and his wanton lover, could not keep his mind long in Mayfair.
The knowledge that his brother had kept an exquisitely beautiful woman was stirring a very unwelcome feeling in Gavin. He had not imagined Edward lived like a monk simply because he resided in the sticks and liked to moralise, but neither would he have imagined Edward capable of attracting such a gem. He swiftly banished the ridiculous idea that he might be jealous. Sibling rivalry between them had died with childhood and scraps over toys. As adults they had always been too different in character to covet what the other had. Or so he’d thought.
‘Have you decided to return to London and give up your brother’s bequest?’ The lawyer interrupted Gavin’s concentration with a doleful tone and a cautionary shake of the head. ‘There is much at stake, you know: several fine properties and almost three thousand pounds annual income from the Willowdene estate. Then there is a not inconsiderable sum of cash in the bank and bonds—’
‘I know I stand to lose a lot,’ Gavin tetchily curtailed him.
‘Indeed so, sir! A terrible waste it would be if it is taken by the Crown.’ He tapped the document, inviting Gavin to check the threat. ‘And you could put the funds to good use, I’m sure.’
Gavin shot a look at the smug fellow. So Joseph Pratt knew he spent beyond his means. But then, as Edward’s man of business, he would naturally know that Edward had loaned him money, at an extortionate rate, once or twice.