Simply Scandalous Read online

  Horatio intervened before his father's diatribe against the special license began in earnest. "When I confronted his lordship at Brisby's Farm, Sir Benedict, his lordship claimed the special license was for his manservant." Horatio's lips curled under his wellgroomed mustache. 'We are to believe that his lordship's valet and my cousin's maid were eloping. His lordship has even gone so far as to have his man carry off Juliet's maid. No one has seen either of them for nearly two days."

  "I confess I am amazed," Benedict said slowly. "To learn that Lord Swale has come into Hertfordshire is puzzling enough, but that he should be so fixed upon my poor sister-! I should tell you, Dr. Cary, that not five days ago, I received from his Grace of Auckland a communication proposing marriage between Juliet and his son Geoffrey."

  The Vicar regarded his guest with astonishment. "That is fortunate indeed, Sir Benedict," he said after a long moment, "for it is now imperative that the two young people marry. They were alone in Brisby's house for quite some time before my son arrived, you know. I don't doubt his lordship behaved as a gentleman," he added quickly. "Still, it is the appearance of the thing."

  Horatio frowned. "But if his father is in favor of the match, why should Lord Swale come into Hertfordshire with a special license? He is bizarre, I think."

  "I refused to give my consent to the match," said Benedict, frowning, "and Juliet is yet a minor."

  Dr. Cary goggled at him. "You did what? Good God, man, are you mad? It is the match of the century. Our little Juliet, Duchess of Auckland! She could do no better."

  "I do not like the man," said Benedict coldly. "I am convinced he would make my sister unhappy. He cannot control his temper, and his temper is very bad."

  "My dear Sir Benedict," said Dr. Cary, scandalized. "One does not refuse a marquess merely because one does not like him. The Aucklands are very rich, you know, and Lord Swale is the heir. His father's influence is felt in the very highest circles. His Grace of Auckland has raised mere younger sons to the Cabinet, mere country curates to bishoprics-"

  "Nonetheless, I have refused him," Benedict replied, unmoved. "Until Juliet comes into her majority, it is my duty to prevent her from making a foolish match."

  "Foolish!" Dr. Cary was incredulous. "Foolish, the man calls it."

  "We cannot agree, Dr. Cary," said Benedict with a small smile. "I would not see my sister wed to a violent, abusive man for twice the sum you have named. Lord Swale would be certain to make Juliet miserable. Naturally, if she wishes to sell herself to the Aucklands when she has reached the age of twenty-one, she will be within her rights to do so. But for now, I am her guardian, and I shan't sell her to anyone."

  Dr. Cary grew red in the face. "That is not at all what I meant, sir!" he said huffily. "It is not a question of selling-!"

  Horatio interrupted smoothly. "If it were Cynthia whom we were discussing, Sir Benedict, I'm sure my father would not be so ready to hand her over to this brute Swale!"

  "Cynthia? Marry Lord Swale!" Dr. Gary laughed bitterly. "His Grace of Auckland would not be so quick to favor the match. We are not as illustrious as the Wayborns, you understand."

  "Only consider what Lord Swale has done, Father," said Horatio quickly. `Juliet's guardian refused his consent, and what does the fellow do but run her to earth and press his suit anyway! Then, when Juliet refuses him, he has her maid carried off, knowing that Juliet will feel obligated to go after the silly thing and bring her back. I begin to suspect that his Grace of Auckland has threatened to cut off his lordship's allowance if he does not make the match."

  "Or, perhaps I offended his lordship's pride," Benedict said thoughtfully. "I did not hesitate to give my reasons for refusing my consent. Perhaps it was wrong of me to excoriate him so, but I had just seen him break the nose of Mr. Eustace Calverstock in St. James's Street, and my feelings were offended in every way."

  'Whatever the reason, his lordship obviously came into Hertfordshire to force Juliet to marry him," said Horatio angrily.

  "And he has succeeded very handsomely," said Dr. Cary with as much disapproval as pleasure. "They must marry now. There is nothing else for it. Dear Juliet will be ruined if they do not marry."

  Benedict smiled coldly. "And who knows what the Aucklands' influence may do for us in exchange? Perhaps I shall be raised to the Cabinet. Perhaps you will be raised to a bishopric."

  Dr. Gary nodded. "Exactly so, Sir Benedict. Exactly so. If I am to officiate at the wedding of the Duke of Auckland's heir, a bishopric would not be such a far-fetched thing."

  Benedict got to his feet. "I would like to see my sister now, if I may."

  Juliet was in bed, her injured leg propped up with feather pillows. "It isn't broken," she said quickly, setting aside her book as Benedict entered the room. "The splint is to keep me from bruising it again, that is all. Actually, the swelling has gone down a great deal, don't you agree, Cynthia?"

  Benedict had not seen Cynthia upon entering the room. "Miss Cary," he said now, bending over her hand. "I hope my sister has not distressed you too much."

  "No, indeed, sir," said Cynthia quickly. "Though I was very worried that her leg was broken. And her head was bleeding when they brought her home to us. Mr. Elliott put four stitches in her scalp, you know." She glanced at her cousin. "She's very worried, Sir Benedict, that you will make her marry Lord Swale. I-I wish you wouldn't! I daresay you think me impertinent, but I wish you wouldn't! His lordship has the most dreadful temper. In a fit of anger, he broke one of my father's cabinets."

  "Was that not an accident?" Benedict asked.

  Cynthia shook her head. "Indeed, it was not, sir! Though Juliet told my father it was-" She broke off unhappily. "I do not mean to say that she lied-"

  Benedict smiled at her. "I am glad you still regard my sister well enough to defend her, Miss Cary. Would you be good enough to grant me a private interview with her?"

  "Is she not the loveliest, sweetest, most divine creature you ever saw?" Juliet inquired brightly when Cynthia had left them alone. "She's an absolute angel. When are you going to declare yourself?"

  Benedict frowned at her. "Do not think to distract me, Juliet. This is the second time in a week you have escaped your guardians to go driving in the country with Lord Swale."

  Juliet was astonished. "How can you compare one thing with the other?" she cried angrily. "The race was completely different! I see now it was wrong of me to dress up like Cary and humiliate Ginger in that shabby manner. But you can not fault me for this! I thought my Fifi to be in the gravest danger. My intentions were good, Benedict, and really, it would have been all right if we hadn't overturned."

  "You're right, Juliet. By comparison to the present situation, the race was completely innocent! On that occasion, you stayed in your brother's curricle, and Lord Swale stayed in his. There was no contact between you. Have you no sense?"

  "I expect you think I don't," she answered sullenly. "I expect you have come to lecture me on the error of my ways. Well, I don't see what I have done that is so wrong. I was only trying to save my Fifi, and I won't apologize for that."

  Benedict sighed and sat down in a chair near the window. "My dear Juliet," he said, "if your maid has been carried off by a villain, there are things that can and should be done. You ought to have reported the incident to the authorities and left them to it."

  "I did not know she had been carried off when I went to see Ginger-Lord Swale," she corrected herself hastily. "Fifi told me that his lordship's man had been imposing on her. I went to make Swale put a stop to it, that's all. But when I was there, the boots brought his lordship a note from his Bowditch saying that he and my Fifi were eloping. We had to go after them, Benedict! I couldn't let my Fifi be carried off by his Bowditch." She sighed. "I am bound to say that I was never more deceived in my life! If Bowditch has married her, he is to be pitied."

  "You wanted a French maid," he reminded her. "Against my advice, you hired Mademoiselle. At Wayborn Hall, you will have a dependable English girl-"

&n
bsp; "Wayborn Hall!"

  "Yes, my girl," he told her curtly. "You didn't think I would continue to inflict your society upon the good people of Hertfordshire after this, your latest adventure?"

  "You can't take me away now, "she pointed out. "I can't even walk."

  "As soon as you are well enough to travel," he assured her, "I am taking you home myself. You are grown quite wild, Juliet! I don't know what I am to do with you. You have always been willful, but I never thought of you as bold and unmanageable. Your character, which I was always used to admire, is in need of a severe correction."

  "My God, Benedict," she cried weakly. "I had rather you beat me than say such terrible things! Indeed, I do not deserve it!"

  "Never mind," he said in a gentler tone. "I will say no more about it. You will want to know how Cary is recovering."

  "Oh, yes," she breathed, grateful for the change in subject. "How is he?"

  "Much vexed to be kept in bed while his bones knit," said Benedict. "Not best pleased that Lord Swale has broke young Calverstock's nose."

  "What?" cried Juliet, her eyes lighting with excite ment. "Ginger broke Stacy's nose? I expect it was at the boxing saloon?"

  "No, indeed," said Benedict. "It happened on the street in front of White's. And a more disgusting display of temper I have never seen. Anyone else would have been expelled permanently from the club, but he is a duke's son. They will allow him to return next year. Disgusting."

  "Was he provoked?"

  "I daresay he was," Benedict responded dryly. "I imagine that having one's nose broken can be quite provoking."

  "Not Stacy!" Juliet said scornfully. "Ginger. Stacy must have jolly well provoked him to get his nose broken. Was there a duel?"

  "Certainly not," said Benedict, appalled by her bloodthirstiness. "Mr. Calverstock quite rationally declined to issue a challenge."

  "Rather poor-spirited of him to be rational at such a time," Juliet observed scornfully. "But I expect Swale is the one they will condemn. It's so unfair! He says he did not hire anyone to break Gary's arm, and I believe him. He told me you believed him too. He says it was Lord Redfylde."

  He actually named Lord Redfylde as the guilty party?" Benedict shook his head. "That is very wrong of him when he has no proof. At best, he is a suspect."

  "No proof? Redfylde placed a wager of ten thousand pounds-on Ginger, if you please!"

  "That is singular," said Benedict, "but it is not proof he is behind the attack on our brother."

  "I think," she said stubbornly, "it was very clever of Ginger to put it all together."

  Sir Benedict's mouth twitched. "Yes, indeed. Very clever. His lordship is to be congratulated on his mental dexterity."

  "Then you don't believe my Lord Swale is guilty?" she asked eagerly, a great deal too eagerly for her brother's comfort.

  "I never thought he had anything to do with the attack on our brother," Benedict replied. "It is not in his lordship's character to hire mercenaries. He would enjoy the experience of breaking a man's arm, I think. Possibly even a woman's."

  Juliet laughed. "Come now, Benedict! That is absurd. I'm sure I have said things far more provoking than Stacy Calverstock, and my nose is intact. The worst he could do to a woman is grab her knitting basket and fling it across the room." She thought suddenly of his lordship's kiss, and her cheeks turned pink. Fortunately, her brother did not notice.

  A smile touched his lips. 'That is how Dr. Cary's cabinet was broken, I collect."

  "And several of those wretched shepherdesses of which he is so proud," said Juliet "You are quite wrong about Ginger if you think he would ever harm a woman. I admit his temper is very ill-governed, but I think it must be very hard to be accused falsely of a crime. Even you might lose your temper, Benedict, under such trying circumstances. To be called a coward and a cheat and a liar and then to be humiliated by aa girl-! Yes, I think it must be very hard for a proud man like Ginger."

  Benedict looked at her intently. "Then you're not afraid of him?"

  Juliet laughed. "Afraid of Ginger? Really, he's all thunder and no lightning. Practically an infant when it comes to women. In fact, I'm amazed some enterprising female didn't scoop him up long ago. Just look at the scrape he got into with me."

  "Yes, my dear. Let us look at it very carefully."

  Juliet gave him a hard look. "If I were an ambitious, designing female-if my excellent brother were greedy and unscrupulous, which of course, he isn't-Ginger would have to marry me, I suppose. Fortunately for him, I am not ambitious, and you're not greedy. We mayn't like him very well, but he doesn't deserve to be tricked into a marriage he doesn't want."

  Benedict appeared relieved. "Then you don't wish to marry him."

  "What a piece of nonsense anyway," Juliet said irritably. `Just because he kissed me!"

  Benedict turned pale. "Did he kiss you?"

  "It was not at all romantic! " she said hastily.

  "No?"

  "Not in the least," she assured him. "It was quite horrid-he'd been eating sausages. He only kissed me because I was saying something he didn't like. I expect if I had been Stacy Calverstock he might have broken my nose."

  "I expect he would have," said Benedict grimly. "God help me, for a moment when I was speaking to Dr. Cary, I wavered. I thought I might actually have no choice but to welcome him into the family. But it is impossible. I would not see you married to a man we can't respect, and a man who won't govern his passions can never be respected. I'm glad you dislike him, my dear."

  "Well, I don't dislike him," she said haltingly, "and I wish you would not hate him, Benedict. Not everyone has your marvelous self-control. I don't, anyway, and neither does Cary. Really, no one has it, but you! As for Ginger, do you know he carried me all the way to that farmhouse?"

  Benedict shrugged. "He could do no less-he was responsible for your injuries. That he would come here against my expressed wishes and make love to you is intolerable."

  "Make love to me! "Juliet cried. "I think perhaps my ears deceive me. Did you say that Ginger came here to make love to me?"

  Benedict frowned. "Did he not ask you to marry him?"

  "Certainly not! You have been listening too much to Horatio and Cousin Wilfred."

  "Do you know he came here with a special license?"

  "That wasn't his," she told him. "It really was Bowditch with designs upon Fifi. Lord Swale only came into Herts looking for a small, comfortable place within easy distance of London. I expect his inquiries about Tanglewood led him to the Vicarage, and to me."

  "He told you he was looking for a house in the country?"

  "Yes."

  "Then he is a liar!" said Benedict grimly. "I knew he was an ill-tempered brute when he broke Mr. Calverstock's nose-that is why I refused to consent to the marriage-but I didn't think him a liar."

  Juliet was bewildered. "Stacy asked for your consent, and you refused him because his nose was broken? This is intolerable. How dare he go behind my back and ask you when I refused him!"

  "Not Mr. Calverstock," Benedict told her. "Swale. More accurately, Swale's father."

  Juliet gasped. "The Duke of Auckland wants to marry me? Oh no!"

  Benedict chuckled softly. "His Grace was convinced that a marriage between our two families would quiet any scandal arising from Cary's injury and the curricle race, but he did not mean to sacrifice himself, my dear. The match his Grace proposed was between his son and my sister."

  "Ginger and me?" Juliet turned pale. "But that is impossible. He's fixed on Serena Calverstock. He told me so himself."

  Benedict frowned slightly. "I've seen no notice in the papers. I expect that is wishful thinking on his part. Undoubtedly, if you married the scapegrace, Society would conclude his innocence. That is the chief appeal of the marriage. I daresay his Grace made certain concessions that would make it still more attractive to his son."

  "Then you truly believe he came here to ask me to marry him? He did tell Mrs. Cary he had something particular he wished to say to
me,"Juliet said thoughtfully. "But I never dreamed ... Oh, Benedict, I made fun of him."

  "He came here after I told him I'd never consent to the marriage," said Benedict. "I call that underhanded and ungentlemanlike, thoroughly in keeping with what I know of Swale."

  "Oh, poor Ginger," she murmured. "I was really horrid to him. I wouldn't even milord him. What he must think of me."

  "What must he think of you! Juliet, you astonish me."

  "But he came all this way to ask me to marry him," she protested, "and I laughed in his face. I threw yarn at him, and I set his dinner on fire too, poor man. If I'd known his father had sent him here to solicit my hand, I should never have been so cruel. Especially when he didn't really want to ask me to marry him and was probably frightened to death I'd accept!"

  "Good God," Benedict murmured. "Would you have accepted him?"

  "Of course not," said Juliet. "No. But I ought to have listened to him politely, thanked him for the honor, and refused him with civility at least. Especially him. I've wronged him so much. If he is in disgrace, it's my fault. I publicly accused him. If I hadn't done that-"

  "If you hadn't, Mr. Calverstock undoubtedly would have."

  "Yes, but I did do it. It's no use dodging blame. You were absolutely right," she continued in bitter selfdeprecation. "It was stupid and rash. I can never show my face in Society again, and I've damaged the reputation of a man who did not deserve it. I'm so sorry, Benedict."

  Benedict climbed to his feet. "Don't dwell on it, my dear. Swale's reputation was pretty corroded at the start. I expect I must go down to the Tudor Rose and tell his lordship you do not wish to force him to marry you, after all."

  Juliet was startled. "Has he not gone back to London?" Her eyes widened in alarm. "His grayswere his horses very badly injured? Oh, God! How selfish of me not to inquire before! "

  "I'll ask him when I see him, if you like. Did you truly not know he was here?" Benedict frowned. "Dr. Cary tells me he called only this morning, anxious to be of assistance to you."

  "Did he? No one told me."

  "Do you wish to see him?"