An Innocent Little Scandal Read online

  In truth, Marlington Hall was just another place he could hide out from the rest of the world.

  And, if he had to guess, that was her intention as well. While his mother had spoken of the Bevelstroke sisters, and Miles had actually conversed with Araminta himself, he could tell that they were infinitely more comfortable with ton life than this slip of a girl who was barely out of the schoolroom.

  If only her recent brush with death didn’t remind him so much of Marian…

  He quickly shoved that unwanted thought aside and addressed the coachman, who was holding the mares’ bridles and waiting patiently for their conversation to come to an end. “Would you mind tying up my mount to the back?” He withdrew a coin and handed it to him.

  The coachman inclined his head. “O’ course.”

  Miles led Lady Olivia to the coach and opened the door for her. He noticed that she was glancing at him curiously. “I didn’t think that commoners carried that sort of coin around.”

  He smiled easily. “I’ve been saving up my wages for quite some time, hoping to make a fresh start.”

  “I see.”

  She climbed inside, foolishly taking him at his word.

  Miles shoved back his conscience as the carriage dipped with his weight and he settled himself across from her. He saw the warming brick on the floor and the blanket beside it. He settled the brick next to her booted feet and gathered up the blanket and shook it slightly, and then handed it to her.

  She eyed him with only a slight hesitation, and then accepted the offering. She placed it across her lap, and without looking back at him, said quietly, “Thank you.”

  The carriage rocked slightly as the coachman took up his position, and then the vehicle set into motion. Miles knew that their pace would be terribly slow in this dreadful weather, but perhaps it would give him a chance to get to know the lady a bit better. After all, it sounded as though they would be spending some time together at Marlington Hall.

  As the closest male relation to inherit, a distant second cousin, four times removed or some such nonsense, it was hardly any sort of bloodline to be recommended, and yet, once Lady Olivia realized that he was the reason she had been forced out of her beloved home, her demeanor toward him was bound to become rather aloof, if not downright hostile. It was why he decided it would be best if she didn’t know his tie to the estate until he’d had a chance to break it to her gently.

  It wasn’t as though he wanted to be the villain in this piece, he just had no other choice. It was either accept the title, or it would become defunct, which would be a shame. Too many English titles were falling away with no male heirs to carry them on and Marlington had been around for centuries. Surely Lady Olivia wouldn’t fault him for wanting to expand her father’s legacy? But he had no doubt she would feel betrayed, no matter what he chose, for it would only remind her of all she’d lost.

  As they sat in silence across from one another, Miles wondered what the lady was thinking. She kept her face averted, although it gave him time to study her profile and wonder what sort of woman she was.

  It wasn’t until she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, effectively blocking him out, that his lips twitched slightly. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought it was a smile trying to break through the tough, outer shell he’d built around himself.

  Since she had taken the incentive to keep things distant between them, he decided he wasn’t one to argue. He took off his hat and set it beside him, and then he leaned his head back against the seat to mirror her pose, as he closed his eyes. A slight repose would certainly not be unwelcome, for it had been a long day.

  Something told him that it would be the same for the ensuing days to come.

  It could be a very interesting experience at Marlington Hall, indeed.

  Chapter Two

  Olivia peeked at the stranger—Mr. Miles Stone—through a single, slitted lid. She didn’t dare open her eyes completely yet, until she knew for certain that he was asleep. She had only pretended to be in dreamland, so that she wouldn’t have to converse any further with him. Social interaction wasn’t one of her strong suits, and it wouldn’t do to reveal any more about her. He already seemed to know entirely too much, a fact she wasn’t comfortable with at all, since she didn’t need some sort of personal spy sending messages back and forth to her sisters. While Olivia had told them where she was going in her letter, she wanted to ensure that any further information came directly from her.

  After a time, the deep and even rise and fall of his broad chest told her he was in a contented slumber, and she released a relieved breath. She tilted her head slightly to the side and observed him unabashedly.

  Without his hat she could clearly see that his hair was just as dark as she’d first imagined. He had a strong jawline and there was even a slight shadow dusting the lower half of his face. He had an aquiline nose and full, masculine lips.

  In truth, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a man quite so… handsome before. Certainly not one that was so fearsome without even trying. Even in sleep he was as intimidating as he’d been standing in the middle of the road with snow swirling all around his towering figure. If circumstances were different, and he wasn’t a commoner, and she was the type of woman who inspired the poets to write an ode about her hair, then perhaps…

  Olivia turned her head to look out the window. While the darkness outside prohibited her from seeing much of anything except for the white snow beyond the pane, she was able to steel her emotions and put such dangerous and tumultuous thoughts from her mind.

  Nevertheless, Mr. Stone wouldn’t be of any consequence as soon as they reached Marlington Hall. He didn’t even matter now. What concerned her wasn’t the approval of a commoner, but the new Duke of Marlington. That might make her sound like a prude, but circumstances had brought her to this point.

  She didn’t know if her father’s new heir had even taken up residence. She certainly didn’t intend to be cowed into going back to London. Grosvenor Square might be a lovely part of the city, but it would never mean so much to her as the estate. It was the place of her birth, where the mother she had never had the opportunity to know was buried, and where her dear father was laid to rest. She had spent the most wonderful days of her life there and while her sisters might have been able to say farewell at the drop of a hat, her heart was more engaged. If Olivia would have stayed in London, she had no doubt that they would have argued that she could find equal happiness in the city, and perhaps even a suitor, but thus far the only thing she’d managed to do was panic amid the larger crowds and nearly drown in the Thames.

  “That’s a rather pensive look.”

  Olivia started, her gaze darting across the carriage at the sound of that raspy voice. She’d never heard anything like it. It was rather unsettling … but not in a completely undesirable way. It made her pulse want to race and her heart to pound in her chest when she was doing nothing more than sitting still.

  Nevertheless, she could have sworn that he was asleep earlier, but now, his direct, obsidian gaze was steady and alert. “I was woolgathering,” she murmured, hoping that was the end of the exchange.

  “If something is bothering you, perhaps it might be helpful to talk about it.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  He shrugged. “It’s up to you, of course. I was just giving you the opportunity to unburden yourself to a neutral party who will pass no judgement.”

  She lifted a wary brow. “How can I believe that? You said you knew who I was, and also who my sisters were. Who is to say you won’t rush back to London and recant our chance meeting on the road?”

  He lifted a dark brow. “You seem very distrusting for one so young.”

  She squared her shoulders at that. She was tired of everyone believing she had no worthy opinions simply because of her age. “Perhaps I have good cause.”

  He paused, his eyes roaming over her face with entirely too much inner knowledge. “I a
dmit that the Bevelstroke sisters are known to me,” he returned smoothly. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t offer discretion when the occasion calls for it.” He glanced toward the roof of the carriage. “And considering the fact your trunk is sitting atop this hired hack, it leads me to the obvious conclusion. You’re running away. The question is why?”

  Olivia’s eyes began to well up with tears, but then the guilt of deceiving her sisters was a difficult cross to bear. Not only that, but Minty’s words came back to haunt her. Dearest, you’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve. “I suppose you think I’m a horrible person for acting like a fleeing coward with simply a brief missive to explain my whereabouts. And on Christmas Eve of all nights.”

  “I told you I’m not one to judge,” he returned gently. “I would be the pot calling the kettle black if I said I wasn’t departing the city at a rather inopportune time myself, and yet—” He spread his arms wide. “—here I am.”

  She blinked away her emotion. “Then perhaps it is I who should be asking why you decided to venture out on this night.”

  He toyed with the edge of his greatcoat, as if she’d actually unsettled him. “I fear it’s a rather boring tale, not one of woe like I imagine yours to be.”

  “Not particularly.” Olivia shrugged. “To be honest, I merely prefer the company of a book rather than others, thus I decided that London isn’t for me.” This time, she was the one to fidget with a fold in her cloak. “All of those people… bother me.”

  Instead of chiding her for her ‘intelligent’ mind, as she’d expected, his deep voice rasped, “What have you read recently?”

  “’The Canterbury Tales’ by Geoffrey Chaucer.” Her lips curved upward slightly at the mere mention of the title. “It’s one of my favorites. I’ve read it several times because it makes me think of Marlington Hall, which is also situated in Canterbury.”

  “It’s a wonderful piece of literature, to be sure,” he agreed. “I can tell that it is very important to you.”

  “It is.” She decided there was no use lying, as it was the truth. “Being forced to leave everything behind to a usurper with no compunctions about taking over a wonderful estate like Marlington Hall is what upsets me the most. My father’s heir will arrive, if he isn’t already there, and won’t see the beauty he has been gifted.”

  He studied her intently for a moment, and then said, “And what makes you so confident that this new gentleman will not care for the estate the same as you have?”

  “He cannot, because he has not experienced any of the memories there.” She continued speaking, but her thoughts were far off in the distance. “He doesn’t know that there is a chip in the wooden banister from the time Callie accidently struck it with a cricket bat, or the glass pane that had to be replaced when we had a terrible storm, and a tree branch broke through it. Isa stayed up with me all night because I was so distraught. And then there was—” She abruptly stopped. She realized she’d allowed herself to get carried away by the powerful nostalgia of her memories. She lifted her chin slightly. “So, now you know why I had to leave. Marlington Hall means more to me than any voucher from Almack’s.” She blinked back the emotion that threatened to return. “The day I walked out that front door, it was the first time I wish I had been born male so that I wouldn’t be forced to give it up.”

  I’m very glad you weren’t.

  Miles just stopped himself from saying the bold statement regarding her sex aloud. “I will agree that it’s unfair that ladies have such disadvantages when it comes to inheriting,” he said gently. “But at least your sisters are trying to do something about that, to show society that it can be possible to live independently without the confines of marriage. Since you appear to feel so strongly about the same issues, I’m surprised you weren’t more determined to stay in London and make your own stand.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “You don’t disagree with what they are doing? I daresay most of society is quite aghast at the thought of any sort of independence in women, and it isn’t just our male counterparts that feel this way.”

  He noted that she didn’t include herself in the role of her sisters. “Not at all. In fact, I commend them. The only way things will change for the better is if someone takes control of the present situation. If it wasn’t for people daring to push past boundaries, we should have no sort of future at all. The world is moving and shifting around us all the time. I have no doubt that the actions of the Bevelstroke sisters will begin to gain more notice and they will soon have the support they might currently be lacking.”

  “I hope so,” she murmured in return. “But something tells me it will be left up to Isadora and Calliope to absorb that responsibility on their own.”

  “You think that Lady Araminta will be offered for soon?”

  “I do,” she concurred. “I should think the Earl of Somers will ask for her hand, if he hasn’t already, and I see no reason why she shouldn’t accept. She loves him and I am extremely happy for the union.” She dropped her eyes to her gown once more, and he lamented the loss of that enchanting gaze. “Whatever you might think, Mr. Stone, none of us are against marriage. We just thought we should get a say in our future without society planning it out for us. My mother died on the birthing bed, and I can’t say I wish to suffer the same fate.” She shivered.

  “And you think history will repeat itself if you marry?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t say, but I’m not sure I wish to take the chance.” She lifted her gaze back to his. “It doesn’t matter now. Once word reaches the ton that I’ve set out on my own without a proper escort, my reputation will be ruined, but I don’t care. The only thing of interest to me is returning home.”

  Miles tapped his finger against his thigh. “You don’t imagine the new heir might have issue with that?”

  “It doesn’t matter if he does. He will have to toss me out in the snow before I’ll leave.”

  “You sound quite determined.”

  Those green eyes glittered, hardening like chips of icy emerald. “On this, I most certainly am.”

  He raised a hand to his chin and scratched the stubble that was already starting to make an appearance, and he had shaved just that morning. “I have no doubt that you will give the old codger a lot to consider.” Good God. Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?

  Miles pushed aside his inner chiding and concentrated instead on how he might dissuade the lady from lingering at Marlington Hall for long. He wasn’t completely cold hearted, so he would humor her for a time. He was also sympathetic to her plight, but there would no longer be a permanent residence for her there. If it was as grand as he had always heard, he would be inclined to assume the dukedom permanently, whereas the estate would be his primary home. Having this particular female underfoot would not do, especially when he found himself admiring, not just her tenacity to achieve her current ends, but her beauty as well.

  Not for the first time since he’d met the lady, a flash of another face, from another time, passed through his memory.

  Marian…

  That was long ago—long before he’d become a scarred duke, intent on living out the rest of his days as a secluded recluse.

  But that was a story he preferred not to tell. Or remember, for the pain was too severe to ever revisit.

  Instead, he posed a question to his traveling companion. “How might you introduce yourself when you arrive at the estate, your trunk in tow? If you announce your intentions from the beginning, he might not be willing to even let you inside.”

  She worried her lower lip and for some reason, the innocent action caused his cock to twitch with sudden interest. He shifted slightly. It had been some time since he’d been struck with any sort of sensation south of his waistline. The idea that he would feel a stirring of desire after all these months made his brow furrow.

  “I honestly hadn’t thought of that,” she returned. “I had hoped that I might appeal to his good nature.”

  He snorted.
“And here I was under the impression you were distrusting of most.”

  She seemed to consider his words. “I admit that the chances are slim that he will greet such a distant relative with open arms, but at least I’m willing to try.” She turned her head to look out the window. “Although I am distrusting, it doesn’t mean that I can keep myself at a distance at all times. I care a great deal for my sisters, even though we only have a common father. The previous Duke of Marlington was known as the Black Widower, because he had buried four wives. I can tell you that he was a good man and I know that he truly cared for each of them. Do I think he loved them all?” She shook her head. “I can’t say what was in his heart, but he always spoke of each of them with a particular fondness and with great emotion.” She faced him once more. “That, Mr. Stone, is why I’m really going back to Marlington Hall. Not only is it where I felt safe, but I hope to experience that deep and abiding love again.”

  Miles wasn’t sure how to reply to that. He had never actually believed in love, had imagined himself to have fallen prey to it once before, but it had been a shallow endeavor that had ended in disaster. But since he didn’t wish to dash her hopes against the rocks of reality just yet, he decided it was best to put an end to this conversation. “I shall do my best to ensure you succeed in your endeavors, my lady.” He leaned his head back against the squabs of the carriage seat. “Now, I think I shall try and get some rest. Canterbury is about two days’ ride from here in good weather. It will not look good on us if we are travel weary.”

  Olivia was grateful for the reprieve. She hadn’t intended to share that much of her life with him, but she had found it rather easy to unburden herself to Mr. Stone. He seemed like a genuine sort of fellow, but the less time she spent in his company would be infinitely better for her peace of mind.

  Following his lead, she laid her head back against the seat. There was a lot to think about before she arrived at the estate, but either way, she vowed that she would be victorious, for failure was not an option.