‘How about some shortbread, dear?’ Ianthe’s aunt held out a plate of biscuits with a sympathetic smile. ‘Things always seem better after a little sugar, I find.’
‘No, thank you, Sophoria. I’m not hungry.’
Violet felt as though she were in some kind of trance. In all honesty, she probably was hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since supper at the ball and it was almost mid-morning. If she was, however, she didn’t feel it. She wasn’t sure she could feel anything any more. Her whole body seemed to be numb.
‘As you wish.’ Sophoria sighed and took a seat next to her on the sofa. ‘But are you quite certain that everything’s over between you and your husband, dear?’
‘Of course she is!’ Ianthe stopped pacing the length of the parlour long enough to answer for her. ‘She’s left him, hasn’t she?’
‘Yes, but she wouldn’t be the first woman to run away from her husband and then regret it, would she, dear?’
‘Aunt!’
Sophoria shrugged placidly. ‘It wasn’t a criticism. All I’m saying is that women leave their husbands for all sorts of reasons. Some are quite right to do so and some do it because of a misunderstanding.’
‘If you’re referring to what happened between Robert and me, then this is a completely different situation and you know it.’
‘Do I, dear? It seems to me that every situation is different. We should never presume to know what goes on between a married couple.’
‘Maybe not, but I know that Violet’s left hers for a good reason. He was a reprobate from the start. I can’t believe I was actually starting to like him.’
‘I’ve always been rather partial to a reprobate myself. They make life interesting.’
‘Be serious, Aunt.’
‘I am. Everyone’s tastes are different and I’m afraid you may be letting your prejudices colour your judgement a little.’
‘What prejudices?’
‘Against, shall we say, a certain type of man. Lance Amberton may have been a reprobate in the past, but from what I’ve heard he was simply young and foolish. Hardly on a level with Charles Lester.’
Ianthe’s hands fell to her hips. ‘How can you even mention that man’s name?’
‘Because I’m afraid you may be confusing one with the other.’
‘Lance Amberton’s reputation is appalling!’
‘Was appalling, dear. People can change.’
Violet twisted her head towards the parlour window, looking out over the promenade and past the edge of the cliff to the foam-flecked sea beyond. Had Lance really changed? She’d thought that he had. The night before she would have answered that question with certainty, whereas now...
Now she knew that Ianthe was right. He was as much of a reprobate as he’d ever been, only she’d deluded herself into thinking the opposite, into thinking he might truly care for her—into believing that someone she loved might actually love her back. But all he wanted—all he’d ever wanted—was her father’s fortune to save his family estate. He hadn’t lied to her—not exactly. He hadn’t needed to when she’d done such a good job of deceiving herself—but she’d only ever been a means to an end. He might have taken her to bed, too, but only after she’d as good as thrown herself at him. After she’d actually released him from his seven-year promise! No matter how wonderful it had felt at the time, it hadn’t meant anything to him, not really, and she’d been the worst kind of fool, letting her heart be broken by a fortune hunter, just as her father had said it would be.
At least she hadn’t told him she loved him.
She closed her eyes, trying to bury the pain, still as fresh as when he’d told her they ought to get a divorce. She could hardly believe that happiness could turn so quickly to despair. Everything that had happened since she’d woken up in his arms in the early hours felt like a bad dream. The remainder of the night and the morning too, although since she hadn’t gone back to bed, the two had merged into one. All she’d wanted to do was get away from Amberton Castle as quickly and quietly as possible, preferably without running into Lance again.
So she’d dressed and packed and then sat by her chamber window, watching the lightening sky and waiting until she heard sounds of activity downstairs before picking up her carpet bag and making her way down to the hall, calmly demanding that one of the stable hands take her back to Whitby.
On arrival, she’d gone straight to Ianthe’s house, interrupting her and Robert at breakfast. They’d sat and listened in stunned silence as she’d told them about Arthur’s return, calmly concluding with the fact that her marriage was over. Only the arrival of Sophoria on her weekly shopping trip had jolted them back to reality. Robert had tactfully excused himself while Ianthe and her aunt had set themselves the task of comforting her. She appreciated the effort, even if she knew it was hopeless—although at the moment they only seemed to be arguing.
‘People don’t change that much, Aunt.’ Ianthe’s hands were still braced on her hips.
‘I disagree. You should never expect anyone to change, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t sometimes do it by themselves. You said that Robert likes him.’
‘What does it matter who likes him?’ Violet interrupted finally. ‘He wants a divorce so that I can marry his brother. That’s all there is to say.’
‘Oh, dear, I’d forgotten that part.’ Sophoria patted her hand kindly. ‘What did he say exactly?’
‘Just that it would be best for everyone if we got a divorce and I married Arthur instead.’
‘What did he mean, best?’
‘I don’t know. He just said that his brother was the rightful heir and that we all ought to do what our fathers wanted in the first place. He’s worried about losing my inheritance and thinks that my marrying Arthur is the safest way to protect it.’
‘But Mr Rowlinson told you the money was safe.’
‘Yes, but Lance doesn’t know that, not yet.’ Fortunately, she added silently, or she might never have known the truth about him...
‘And what did Arthur have to say about the idea of you marrying him?’
‘He said that Lance must be mad.’
‘Yes...’ Sophoria tapped her chin thoughtfully ‘...I have to agree it does sound that way, but then, it was the middle of the night and he’d had a shock. His brother’s sudden reappearance must have been extremely disorientating.’
‘He was happy to see him.’
‘Yes, but it must have thrown his own position into some confusion. People say strange things under those sorts of circumstances.’
‘What are you talking about, Aunt?’ Ianthe came to a standstill in front of them.
‘It just seems a rather extreme reaction to me. Not to mention an ill-thought-out one. I doubt Violet would be legally permitted to marry Arthur when she’s already been married to his brother. Even with a divorce, it might not be allowed.’
‘What does it matter?’ Violet pressed her fingertips to her forehead. ‘I’ve no intention of marrying Arthur and he doesn’t care for me either. He doesn’t even want his inheritance. He wanted to leave again without anyone else ever knowing he was alive, but Lance said he’d go to the authorities if he tried to run away.’
‘But that sounds rather honourable to me, dear.’ Sophoria folded her hands decisively in her lap. ‘However, all in all, I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr Arthur Amberton and say that your husband has taken leave of his senses.’
‘That’s not helpful.’ Ianthe gave her aunt a pointed look.
‘I’m sure it was only temporary. When he comes back to his senses...’
‘No!’ Violet clasped her hands together fiercely. ‘It doesn’t matter why he said it! He still said it. He wants a divorce and now so do I. I should never have married him in the first place.’
‘Then why did you, dear?’
‘Because we had an agreement, or at least we did until I broke it. Now it’s all ruined.’
‘You know you can stay here for as long as you want.’ Ianthe put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
‘Thank you, but there’ll be a terrible scandal. I can’t stay. I need to go somewhere new and start again, maybe set up my own establishment.’
‘Where?’
Violet looked back out of the window at the sea. Where would she go? Perhaps she should take a leaf out of Arthur Amberton’s book and board a ship for some foreign clime, but even as she thought it, the answer became obvious. There was only one place she really wanted to go, the only other place where she might be welcome.
‘York. I’ll go and find my family.’
* * *
‘Ow!’ Lance growled as someone wrenched back the drawing-room curtains and a shaft of piercing yellow sunlight fell across his chair, startling him back to consciousness.
‘Good morning to you, too, Little Brother.’ Arthur loomed over him, wearing a distinctly unsympathetic expression. ‘Ready to talk yet?’
‘Shut the curtains!’ Lance glared ferociously. The pain in his head made every movement an effort, but the bright light was even worse. He felt as if there were a myriad tiny swords stabbing into his skull.
‘Not until you tell me what the hell you think you’re playing at.’
‘I’m trying to sleep and I don’t want to talk.’
‘That’s what you said last night—or this morning, I suppose. You told me to mind my own business, or words to that effect anyway.’
‘The statement stands.’
Arthur folded his arms. ‘Do I have to pummel the truth out of you like when we were boys?’
‘I always beat you at fighting.’
‘Most of the time, yes, but right now I’d say I have the advantage. What on earth have you done to yourself? You look green.’
‘I feel it.’ The pain in his head felt like ten ordinary hangovers put together. He hadn’t even drunk that much. ‘I must be getting old.’
‘Most people get older and wiser. Apparently you’re the exception.’
Lance peered through his fingers at his brother and scowled. ‘Is this why you came back to Yorkshire, to insult me?’
‘No. I came back to find out if you were still alive, although from the look of things I should have stayed away.’
‘Don’t say that.’ He felt a pang of regret for his bad temper. ‘You don’t know how wonderful it is to see you again.’
‘Which is why you’ve drunk yourself into a stupor, I suppose?’
‘That’s not the reason.’
‘Then tell me what is. I presume her name starts with a V.’
‘I’m trying to do the right thing, if you must know. It’s just not easy.’
Arthur unfolded his arms and took a seat opposite. ‘So explain to me how telling your wife to get a divorce so that I can marry her and have all her money is the right thing? For one thing, it sounds rather sordid. For another, I doubt it would be allowed. In the eyes of the law, she’s my sister now.’
‘We should still try.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I have to give it all up, Arthur. I don’t deserve any of it, Violet especially. I need to put things right, the way they ought to have been, the way Father wanted them.’
‘That’s another thing.’ Arthur sounded exasperated. ‘Since when did you care so much about what Father wanted?’
‘I do now.’
‘Why?’
‘I just do!’ Lance tried to jump to his feet and then dropped back again as pain seared through his leg and shot up his spine.
‘I’m not leaving until you tell me, Little Brother.’
He leaned forward, hanging his head. ‘Because Father was right about me. He said I was a reprobate and he was right. I’ve spent my life being selfish and reckless and thoughtless. I’ve hurt people. If Violet stays with me, I’ll probably hurt her, too. I can’t take that risk.’
‘You’re too hard on yourself, Lance.’
‘No, I haven’t been hard enough. That’s why I have to do this now. I married Violet because she was part of Father’s plan for this place, but she was supposed to marry you. Everything I have now was supposed to be yours. Now that you’re back it should be yours again. You can run the estate and be a better husband than I can. If Father was right about me, then he was right about that, too.’
‘He wasn’t right about you. I know you better than anyone, Lance. I know why you behaved the way you did.’
‘Don’t make excuses for me. I was a bad son from the start.’
‘Not from the start. Only since Mother died. You were grieving.’
‘It still doesn’t excuse anything. I missed her so much, but her death wasn’t Father’s fault. I knew that deep down, but I still blamed him. It was unfair of me.’
‘Maybe he deserved to be blamed. Not for that, but for the way he treated us afterwards. He shut himself away in his room and barely spoke to us, not for days or weeks, but for years. He was grieving, too, in his own way, but he never helped us come to terms with her loss. If you were a bad son, then he was a bad father as well.’
‘I still should have reached out to him.’
‘You did. Every time you argued with him, you were reaching out. So was he every time he argued back. Only the pair of you were too stubborn to admit what you were doing. I should have banged your heads together a long time ago.’
‘I thought you said you didn’t come here to insult me?’
‘I’d rather insult you than watch you wallow in self-pity.’
‘Then what about what I did to you? I failed you, too, Arthur. I should have come back when you asked me to.’
‘How could you? You were halfway across the world and a captain in the army. I wanted you to come home, I admit that, but it wasn’t your job to save me. I shouldn’t have asked. I should have stood up for myself instead of running away, but I knew Father would never budge.’
‘I still should have tried to do something. Then you wouldn’t have run away and he wouldn’t have collapsed.’
‘Or maybe he would have anyway. But what happened to him is on my conscience, not yours. It was because of the shock that I gave him. I won’t let you take the blame for it.’
‘I never even tried to be a good son.’
‘Well, I did and look where it got me.’
‘Did he ever speak of me after I went to Canada?’ Lance looked up hopefully.
‘Just once.’ Arthur heaved a sigh. ‘After you left, he shut himself away even more. So did I, mainly to avoid his ranting, but I found him one evening, in that very chair as it happens. He was holding two miniature portraits, the ones Mother commissioned of us when we were boys. He wasn’t angry, he was just sorry—for all of it—and we talked. He’d been drinking, of course, but we really talked, about Mother, and you and me, and the future. It was incredible. For those few hours I thought that everything was going to be all right.’
‘Then what happened?’
‘The next morning he’d forgotten about it. Either that or he pretended to. When I mentioned it at breakfast he looked at me as if I’d gone mad. So I went sailing.’
‘I’m sorry, Arthur.’
‘So am I. You know, despite everything, I think he really did love us and Mother as much as he was able.’
‘You think that he loved us?’ Lance felt a tightness in his throat.
‘Yes. He could just never show it. He never disinherited you, did he? But he could never back down either. And once he got an idea in his head...’
‘Are you making a point?’
‘I’m trying to. And I’m not going to marry the woman you love.’
‘Why not?’ Lance bristled indignantly. ‘She’s worth a thousand of Lydia Webster.’
‘I know that.’ Arthur’s voice sounded pained. ‘I knew that before I ran away.’
‘You did? How?’
‘It doesn’t matter. Suffice to say I found the truth out the hard way, but it’s all right. I barely think of her now.’
‘I’m still sorry I told you the way I did. I should have been subtler.’
‘That was never your style, Little Brother.’
‘At least it means you’re free to marry Violet.’
‘Oh, stop being so pig-headed.’ Arthur stretched out a foot to kick his good leg. ‘She’s your wife!’
‘Barely.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Meaning we only went to bed once.’ Lance cleared his throat self-consciously. ‘Last night, in fact.’
Arthur’s eyebrows arched upwards. ‘She said you’ve been married for two months.’
‘We have.’
‘But you only just took her to bed?’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t you find her attractive?’
‘Of course I do! But she’s not like all the others. She’s different. And I made her a promise. I wasn’t going to touch her for seven years, only...things changed. I changed. Last night, I told her everything about my past. I told her the worst things about myself and she didn’t hate me. She said she didn’t want to wait seven years and neither did I. For the first time since I was shot, I thought that maybe I could move on from the past and be happy again.’
‘And were you? Happy, that is, before I arrived?’
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy to see you, too.’
‘I know that, but let me get this clear. You were happy. She was happy. You slept together. But now you want her to get a divorce and marry me?’
‘It’s not about what I want.’
‘Just stop and think for a moment, Lance. Father wasn’t right about you and fulfilling his wishes now won’t fix the past. It’ll only ruin the future and make all three of us unhappy.’
‘She deserves somebody better.’
‘She deserves somebody who loves her—and don’t pretend that you don’t. I said so before and you didn’t deny it.’
Lance drew in a long breath and then released it through his teeth. ‘What if I do love her? I just as good as told her I didn’t. I made her think it was all about the money.’
‘Which is why you need to go upstairs and tell her how you really feel. Right now, before she goes back to Whitby and starts divorce proceedings. Don’t make the same mistake Father did, keeping your feelings to yourself. You won’t help anyone by turning into him. Tell her how you feel and get on with your life. Do it for me, if you won’t for yourself.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that I enjoyed my life at sea. It’s what I want, or something like it anyway. I’ve no intention of staying here, birthright or not, and I’m certainly not going to be bullied into marrying anyone. I might not have stood up to Father, but I can stand up to you.’
Lance climbed to his feet, facing his brother head-on. Arthur looked different, he realised—bigger, stronger and more resolute. For the first time in their lives, he made him feel like the younger brother.
‘I still won’t take your inheritance. The house is yours.’
‘Then look after it for me.’
‘Arthur...’
‘No. You didn’t do the last thing I asked of you. If you truly want to make amends, then you can do this instead. Look after the house and estate for me. Call yourself a steward if you like, but for pity’s sake, go and apologise to your wife.’
The sound of a gasp, followed by a distinctly unladylike exclamation of astonishment, made them both turn around. Mrs Gargrave was standing in the drawing-room doorway, looking between them with an expression of abject horror.
‘I’m not a ghost!’ Arthur raised his hands quickly.
‘You’re alive?’
‘Indeed I am, Mrs Gargrave. It’s good to see you again.’
‘Yes...’ The housekeeper raised a hand to her head as if she were struggling to remember something important. ‘I...came to tell you...about Mrs Amberton...’
‘What about her?’ Lance’s heart gave a painful lurch.
‘One of the grooms just came back from Whitby... She asked to be taken there first thing.’
‘She’s gone?’
‘Yes.’ Mrs Gargrave’s eyes settled on Arthur again before her whole body started to teeter unsteadily and then tumble to one side. Both brothers sprang forward, catching her a moment before she hit the floor.
‘I seem to be having a bad effect on women today.’ Arthur made a face. ‘They either run away or faint.’
‘Can you deal with this?’ Lance gave him a questioning look.
‘Of course.’ Arthur grabbed hold of his shoulder and then pushed him away. ‘Go and find your wife. Tell her you’re sorry and that you love her. Tell her to come home. Just don’t come back without her.’