Diane Gaston - Bound by Duty

The honourable thing to do.

Of all the reasons to marry, this must be the most foolish. Not out of passion. Not a love match. Not a well-considered decision.

So much for his pragmatic choice of marrying Doria. So much for paying the debt he owed to Charles. No comfortable life for him. Lost was the serenity marriage to Doria would offer. Lost was the respectability of her family. He, the son of the scandalous Lord and Lady Northdon, would marry the daughter of scandalous Sir Hollis and Lady Summerfield.

Tongues would wag.

He would not save her from gossip, after all. Perhaps he’d not done her so large a favour.

He must find her. Speak to her. Tell her what he’d done.

She needed to make the choice. The discredit of marrying him or the ruin of crying off.

But, if Tinmore made good his threat, she would also be impoverished.

A footman approached him. ‘I am to show you to your room, sir.’

‘Never mind my room,’ he responded. ‘I need to speak to Miss Tess Summerfield.’

The man’s eyes widened in alarm. ‘I cannot take you to Miss Summerfield.’

‘Deliver a message to her for me, then.’

The footman shook his head. ‘I do not think Lord Tinmore would approve.’

Marc gestured for him to lead the way. ‘Lord Tinmore will not mind. The lady and I are going to be married.’

* * *

Tess sat in Genna’s bedchamber again, like she had done only the day before, her two sisters with her.

It seemed an age ago.

Genna and Lorene had been waiting for her outside Lord Tinmore’s drawing room. They’d hugged and cried and Lorene scolded her for giving them such a fright. While they walked to her bedchamber she filled them in on what had happened to her.

In her room a bath awaited. Tess bathed and washed her hair quickly, before dressing in warm, dry clothes. Hot porridge, bread, cheese and tea were set before her and the mere scent of it made her stomach ache with hunger.

Her mind, though, was on Mr Glenville. Would he convince Lord Tinmore that nothing happened between them? Would Tinmore let him go? The whole experience had become like a dream. Would it fade from her memory?

She did not want to forget him.

The maids came to remove the bath and straighten the room. Tess and her sisters retired to Genna’s room and her sisters’ relief at finding her safe had worn off.

‘Tess, how could you have been so foolish?’ Lorene paced, as she had paced the previous morning. ‘It is one thing to seek shelter. Quite another to share a bed with a man.’

‘It was cold,’ Tess explained. She remembered Mr Glenville climbing on to the cot, covering them both with his blanket. She remembered the warmth of his body next to hers, both comforting and thrilling.

‘Do you know what the guests are saying?’ Genna offered. ‘They are saying you met by design. That you planned the tryst. Why else would you venture out on an obviously rainy day?’

Lord Attison must have been very busy telling tales.

‘That is ridiculous!’ Tess cried. ‘I told you how it happened. I never even met Mr Glenville before!’

‘You might have met him some other time.’ Genna settled herself on the window seat. ‘You are known to take walks alone.’

Tess glared at her. ‘Are you doubting my word, Genna? I went to the village to shop.’

Not to the nearby village, though. To Yardney. To see Mr Welton, had he been there.

‘No.’ Genna spoke as if this were some interesting problem happening to someone else. ‘But you did not bring any lace or ribbon, did you?’

The lace and ribbon. She’d forgotten her parcel. ‘I left the parcel at the cabin. We could send someone for it.’

‘It would not matter. What really happened does not matter.’ Lorene still paced. ‘Appearances. That is what matters.’ She shook her head. ‘I do not know what Lord Tinmore will do. This is such a trial for him and it has already put a strain on the house party.’

‘A trial for him? A strain on the house party?’ Tess rose off the bed. ‘Goodness, Lorene. I did not choose to have this happen. I simply walked to the village and became caught in a horrible storm. Perhaps I should have tried to cross the bridge or continued down the roads even though water was rushing over both. Then I would have drowned. Or perhaps Mr Glenville should have left me on the road to freeze to death. Either way would have been so much less trouble for Lord Tinmore!’

Lorene grabbed Tess and hugged her. ‘Do not say that. Never say that. That is what we all thought happened to you.’

Tess hugged her back. ‘I had hoped you’d think I stayed in the village.’

There was a knock at the door and a maid stuck her head in. ‘Pardon, my lady, but his lordship wishes to speak with Miss Summerfield immediately. In the library.’

Lorene released her. ‘You must go.’ She turned to the maid. ‘Tell Lord Tinmore she will be there directly.’

The maid rushed off.

‘I will accompany you,’ Lorene said.

Genna rose from the window seat. ‘I will come, too.’

‘No.’ Tess held them back with her arm. ‘It is best you stay out of it.’ Lord Tinmore would only become upset with them because of her.

Genna sat again and looked sulky. ‘Well, you had better come back right away and tell us all about it.’

‘I will walk with you, at least,’ Lorene said.

As they walked the distance to Lord Tinmore’s private sitting room, Tess tried to quiet her nerves. Would Mr Glenville still be there? Goodness, she hoped Lord Tinmore allowed him to dress in dry clothing and get something to eat.

Had he been able to convince Lord Tinmore to let the incident pass? She hoped so. She prayed so.

‘Tinmore is a reasonable man,’ Lorene said when they entered the long hallway leading to his private rooms.

Lord Tinmore had seemed fairly unreasonable to Tess. Unlike Glenville, who had come to her defence.

At the stairs, a footman approached and handed Tess a piece of paper. ‘A message for you, miss.’ He glanced warily at Lorene, the new lady of the house, and hurried away.

Tess unfolded the paper and read the note. ‘It is from Mr Glenville. He wishes to speak with me right away.’ She folded the paper again and put it in a pocket. ‘I should see him first.’

She turned around, but Lorene seized her arm. ‘You cannot see Mr Glenville!’

‘Why not?’ She tried to pull away. ‘He is waiting in the morning room. I can see him there.’

‘No!’ Lorene cried. ‘You must attend Lord Tinmore first!’ She pulled her along to Lord Tinmore’s sitting room. Another footman stood at the door and opened it when they approached.

‘Go to him.’ Lorene gave her a little push.

Tess entered the room.

Lord Tinmore was alone, seated in the same chair where he had been before. His demeanour had not softened.

Tess curtsied. ‘You asked to see me, my lord.’

His lips pursed. ‘I trust you are comfortable now.’

‘I am, sir. Thank you.’ She remembered what Glenville had said. Make no apologies. They had done nothing wrong. ‘I hope you allowed the same courtesy to my rescuer.’

‘You need not concern yourself with Mr Glenville,’ Tinmore snapped.

She straightened her spine.

He frowned. ‘You have created a great deal of trouble for yourself, for my wife and for your younger sister.’

She looked him directly in the face. ‘The rain caused a great deal of trouble for me. I was in danger and a gentleman rescued me. Surely you can make something sensible of that without a great deal of trouble.’

‘Such as what?’ He stiffened in his chair.

‘Such as nothing.’ Her heart pounded. Perhaps he could be convinced. ‘Declare Mr Glenville a hero and allow him to go on his way.’