Dorothea Trevalian Rayburn, the only sibling of the late Sebastian Trevalian, had been born at Courtland Priory, had grown up there, and married from there. She considered it to be her home and had always had her own full suite on the bedroom floor.
Since Sebastian’s death she had become head of the family, although she did not intrude on Claudia or the role she played as the chatelaine. Her niece had run the stately home ever since her mother’s death some years ago.
Now, as Thea walked down the grand central staircase and went into the blue-and-white room, created by Sebastian when he had inherited the house, she wondered for the umpteenth time why Marmaduke Gordon had sent a note yesterday. He was asking to come an hour earlier to the supper party. He needed to speak to her privately, the note had said.
The carriage clock on the mantelpiece struck six as Thea walked into the room, glancing around, thinking how beautiful it was this afternoon. Like her late brother, she loved this room with its play of different blues against the white and, in the late-afternoon sunlight, it seemed to sparkle. French doors led to the terrace. She opened them, went out, and stood staring at the lush gardens, a smile of pleasure touching her face. Her favorite pink roses, which opened their buds in June, were in full bloom. Suddenly hearing voices behind her, she swung around and went inside.
The head butler was showing Marmaduke into the room. Inclining his head, he said, “Mr. Gordon has arrived, madam.”
“Thank you, Kingsley,” she replied, and smiled at Marmaduke, who was striding toward her. He did not smile back. She understood at once that this most remarkable tycoon, undoubtedly one of the most successful in England, revered by some, feared by others, was not here on a social call. He needed her help.
Although he moved elegantly and was as usual in control of himself, she instantly saw anxiety in his light blue eyes, stress reflected on his face.
When the door clicked behind the butler, Marmaduke took her hand and raised it to his lips. Straightening up, he said in a low voice full of tension, “We’ve got trouble, you and I, Thea. Bloody awful trouble.”
Stepping away from him, staring hard, she asked, “You and I? Are you finally leaving me? Is that it?”
A hollow laugh escaped, and he shook his head. “You’ll never get rid of me, and one day you will marry me. No, this is not about us. If only it were.”
“What’s wrong, Dukey? I know you’re keeping yourself in check, but inside I believe you are full of agitation. Please tell me.”
He did not answer her. He simply took hold of her hand and led her out onto the terrace. “Let’s sit over there in the corner where it’s quiet, secluded.”
Once they were settled in chairs facing each other, Marmaduke said, “How’re things in this house? Everything all right, is it?”
Slightly puzzled by the question, Thea gave him a hard stare. “Why yes, of course. When I arrived yesterday I received a warm welcome. I believe all is well, but why are you asking? Do you know something I don’t?”
“I think I do.” There was a moment’s silence, and then he plunged in. “As you are aware, my son and your niece have always been in each other’s pockets. Seemingly they are now in bed together.”
For a split second Thea thought she was not hearing him correctly, and then, aware of his grim expression, she felt a cold chill flowing through her. She turned ashen as she assumed the worst. “You’re not telling me Marietta is—that they have been intimate, are you?”
“I am.”
“Oh no, that can’t be!”
“It is. They slept together. And have been doing so for several months. Since February, in fact. This new development in their relationship started the night of Connie’s birthday party, apparently. Here in this very house. In her bedroom, actually.”
“Oh my God! This is scandalous. Whatever were they thinking?”
“They were overcome by desire. So Anthony told me.” Marmaduke shook his head. “And there’s worse.”
“You’re not telling me she’s … expecting?”
He nodded. “I’ve drilled it into him to be careful, to protect the women he sees. I told him not to go anywhere near prostitutes. I thought he might get entangled with an eager married woman, or a lonely widow. It never occurred to me it would be Marietta. After all, they grew up together, are like brother and sister. Or so I thought.”
“He told you this?” she asked, her mouth dry.
“Indeed he did, and at great length.” Duke sighed, rubbed his face with one hand.
“When?” she managed to ask, her voice now shaking. She felt slightly dizzy, completely taken aback, and certainly at a loss about what to do.
“He came to see me on Monday,” Duke told her. “Late in the afternoon. Actually, he said he had come to let me know he couldn’t go to India with me, as we’d planned, that he had to remain in London. When I asked him why he had to stay behind, he said to get married. I suppose I looked so staggered he quickly added he was marrying Marietta because she was carrying his child.”
Thea blew out air, shaking her head. Sudden tears blurred her vision; she blinked, went on, “What an appalling situation we have on our hands. But at least he told you truthfully, openly.” She pursed her lips. “And he is being honorable.”
“He’s my son,” Duke said in a clipped tone.
“And he’s very like you, Duke.”
“Sebastian used to say that Marietta resembled you, Thea … if that’s the case I suppose they were bound to end up with each other, just as you and I have.”
“Whatever are we going to do? How do we solve this?” she asked urgently.
“There will be no sending her away. Or, worse, consulting some quack to get rid of it. I don’t approve of that and he doesn’t either … he wants their child.”
A ghost of a smile played around Duke’s generous mouth. “My grandchild,” he added. “And your great-niece or -nephew.”
Leaning forward, pulling herself together, gathering her swimming senses, Thea said, “We can’t let them do this now. Get married, I mean. They’re terribly young. And it could be ruinous to both our families. A scandal. Everyone will think it’s a shotgun wedding. There’s been no courtship.”
“I agree with you. On the other hand, they do have to get married, you know. And I’m glad it’s Marietta, aren’t you?” He actually gave her a real smile for the first time since his arrival.
“I have to admit, I am, because I’ve always loved Tony … but they just can’t get married quickly. We can’t let the world know. Sebastian hated a scandal.”
“I know, and I think I might have a halfway decent plan. I came down to the country on Tuesday night, with the two boys, and we talked everything through. I’ve got an idea which might work. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to see you, to tell you about it and hopefully get your approval.”
“You know I trust your judgment implicitly. So explain things to me, darling.”
“I will.” He reached out, took hold of her hand, and squeezed it. “Just being with you, talking to you about this problem has helped ease the burden, Thea.” He dipped into his jacket pocket and took out a blue leather box, opened it, and showed her the large diamond ring inside. “This was his mother’s engagement ring which I gave to Helen. Tonight Tony is going to put this ring on Marietta’s finger. I want Claudia to announce their engagement this evening, to explain that the supper is a celebration for them. She wanted to surprise us by not telling us in advance. Will she do it?”
“Of course she will. She has no option really. If not, I will announce it.”
“The second step is The Times. The announcement of their engagement will be in the paper early next week. I also aim to ask Reggie to have one of his journalists do a special story on the two of them for The Chronicle. It will be a story of a family romance, childhood sweethearts. That kind of story validates them, in a sense, and makes it seem that the sudden engagement is not really sudden at all. I call it saving face. What do you think?”
“It’s extremely clever, Duke, and The Chronicle is a very respected newspaper.”
“I don’t want anyone to think this is a rushed engagement.” Taking a deep breath, Marmaduke continued, “Next week, let’s say the end of next week, we must all go to Scotland, where Marietta and Tony will be married in the little church on my property. I trust the vicar who comes to us from the village church. It will be a secret marriage, one which only our two families will know about. And the vicar, who is discreet.”
“But I don’t understand why you want that. They can be engaged for a while surely. And then they can retreat to the country, lead a quiet life until next year. We can have a big wedding a couple of months before the baby is born. Gowns can be made that hide a pregnancy. She’s not the only woman who has been in this predicament.”
“I understand that, Thea, and that is also part of my plan, but there is an important reason behind my thinking. Hear me out, please.”
“Yes, of course. Tell me everything.”
“We live in a dangerous world these days, and Tony and I travel to France and various other European countries for business. We might have to go to India. What if something happened to him? Or to both of us? Where would Marietta be if anything happened to my son and they weren’t married? Just look what happened to Sebastian a week before he was due to marry.”
“You want the secret marriage now so that she’s protected in the event of any … tragedy.”
“Correct. I want her legally married to my son as soon as possible so that she’s safe no matter what. And my grandchild is safe also.”
“When you travel to India, how long will you be gone?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure. That’s why I’m seriously considering a trip next year instead. I might be able to get my Indian partner to come to London.” Duke nodded, as if making a decision. He said, “Perhaps you’d better work out with Marietta when we could have the public wedding, find out when she’s due.”
“I will do that … so you mean they would have a proper white wedding here at Courtland, a little later?”
“Exactly.”
“Where is Tony?” Thea asked, her gaze quizzical. “Did he drive over with you this afternoon?”
“Yes, my dear Thea. He is waiting with his brother in the breakfast room.”
“Perhaps you ought to bring them here, and I will go upstairs to find Claudia so that you can explain everything to her and Connie.”
“We should do that, darling.” Rising, Marmaduke went over to Thea and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up.
As they crossed the blue-and-white room together, Marmaduke suddenly stopped, stood stock-still, and turned Thea to face him. A half smile played around his mouth and, leaning closer, he said, “We could have a double wedding. Once again, will you marry me, Dorothea?”
She couldn’t help laughing. “I will. One day, Duke, when I’m ready. But not the same day as Marietta and Tony. Certainly not. A bride needs to be the star.”
“But a double wedding would distract everyone, don’t you know? Everyone would be looking at us, not them.”
Laughing again, Thea led him out into the entrance hall, telling him not to be so silly, as she headed to the staircase.
Claudia stood near the window in the yellow drawing room, her eyes sweeping around her family and guests.
Naturally, all of the men were herded together, making a little clique near the door. Her husband, Cornelius, was in a deep conversation with Marmaduke Gordon, whose sons Anthony and Mark were engaged with Lord Reggie, obviously also in a serious discussion.
A few steps away from her, close to the French doors to the terrace, Aunt Thea and Lady Jane were chatting, whilst Claudia’s sisters, Marietta and Lavinia, were listening to Alexis, who was holding forth about something or other.
For a moment her eyes rested on Marmaduke Gordon, Duke or Dukey to his friends. He had been very close to her father and still was with Reggie.
They had been a threesome, always together in their free time. Marmaduke wasn’t an Old Etonian like her father and Reggie, although most people would perhaps think he was. Certainly he had all the right standards, mannerisms, and habits, and he was a gentleman.
Marmaduke Gordon, businessman par excellence, considered the greatest tycoon in the country at the moment, came from humble beginnings. He was a self-made man who had reached extremely high and now held the world in his arms. And because he had brought his sons up with discipline and love, and given them proper standards to live by, they were honorable young men.
Anthony had stood by Marietta, gone to his father and given him the facts. What a relief it was to Claudia that he wanted to marry her, would marry her without being forced. And the brilliant Marmaduke had come up with the proper solution. One which would work.
Claudia was sure that Alexis would be relieved she didn’t have to question Marietta, probe her about her private life. She was well aware that Alexis had been dreading it, especially since she had failed to bring it up earlier in the week.
Now walking toward the center of the yellow drawing room, Claudia cleared her throat several times and then clapped her hands lightly, endeavoring to get everyone’s attention.
“Please, all of you, I have something special to tell you,” Claudia announced, raising her voice slightly.
Instantly everyone stopped talking and turned to look at her.
“Thank you,” she said, and beckoned to Aunt Thea and Cornelius.
They both joined her, stood on each side of her. With a huge smile, Claudia said, “I didn’t explain the reason for the supper tonight, because I wanted to make it a surprise. We all did.”
Turning to her aunt, she slipped her arm through hers, and did the same with Cornelius, drawing him closer to her. “We would like you to know that this afternoon Marietta and Anthony became engaged to be married.”
There was a collective gasp of surprise and, before anyone could utter a word, Claudia exclaimed, “Marietta and Tony, please, come and join us.”
As the engaged couple moved forward, Claudia beckoned to Kingsley, who was standing to one side, accompanied by two footmen. All three came forward, carrying trays of crystal flutes filled with champagne.
“We thought a toast would be most appropriate,” Cornelius said. “Before we go in to dinner.”
Aunt Thea added, “Now that Marietta has Tony’s beautiful ring on her finger, there will be an announcement in The Times next week … but we did want to celebrate tonight before the public announcement.”
Everyone raised their flutes and then they slowly walked to the middle of the room to join the engaged couple. Smiles, loving words, kisses, and handshakes. And all of the women were admiring Marietta’s diamond engagement ring.
Standing slightly away, watching her family and friends, Claudia experienced a rush of emotion, and wished her father were present. But then she let that thought slide away. Instead, she focused on the solution to a huge problem, a scandal averted, and walked over to Marmaduke to whisper her gratitude to him.
She didn’t notice Alexis, standing, shocked, her face stricken. Nothing could make it clearer to her that she was no longer central to this family. The engagement was a complete shock to her. The role she had been entrusted with—to talk to Marietta, and encourage her confidence—was now redundant. The Trevalians had taken care of their own—and without intending to, had made clear she was not one of them. Turning, she excused herself. Where, now, did she really belong?