“When have you ever worried about the repercussions of a legal matter?” Thomas demanded. “You simply snap your finger, and any trouble will vanish.”
“It is not quite so simple,” Eammon argued.
“It is almost as simple as that,” Thomas replied. “In any case, should he discover it, you will handle the legal repercussions like you always do, and in society, you can say that you and Lady Charity—who she was at the time—could not resist each other, so in an effort to protect her virtue, you faked a wedding date. You would not be the first to do so. In fact, you might be seen as quite noble in wanting to protect her.”
“I would not have been protecting her virtue if I had to resort to that,” Eammon replied, though he understood Thomas's point. “But it is not only that. What if the Book of Confidences falls into Markham’s hands or somebody else's before I do?”
Thomas drank down his brandy and poured another. “Drink, Eammon. It will steady your nerves.”
Eammon sighed, yet downed the drink as it warmed him through.
“What has your solicitor said? When do you receive the inheritance?”
“In another fortnight. I have received a long list of items—things in the safe at Pembroke. The solicitor will arrange with Lord Pembroke's solicitor to get everything and have it shipped to me. There are numerous other items, like paintings and statues, that the current Lord Pembroke has put into storage. The only things not stored, as far as the solicitor knows, are the books in the library and the papers in the study's safe; the new Lord Pembroke hasn’t wanted to touch anything before the will was properly read and everything in order.”
“Well, then, the Book of Confidences will be there safely, and you will receive it with the inheritance,” Thomas assured him. “When you do, I advise you to burn anything that relates to you and your parents.” Lowering his voice.
“I know, I understand…But Charity...”
“What about her?” Thomas asked, curious. “What has you fretting in such a manner?”
Eammon took a deep breath. “She thinks she has uncovered the truth of my past. What she found is only the same tale we’ve told everyone. But I fear she is far more intelligent than I gave her credit for. I fear she may figure it all out.”
“So tell her,” Thomas urged. “I have always told you that you ought to tell her the truth.”
“How can I?” Eammon's incredulity was evident. “At first, I could not tell her as I did not know if I could trust her. Now I know I can and yet I cannot bring myself to tell her because she may very well....she may very well grow to hate me for keeping this secret, for using her in such a way.”
“Well, there we have it,” Thomas said, feigning innocence. “You are fond of her. More than fond I dare say?—”
Eammon protested, but the weight of his growing emotions was difficult to dismiss.
“You are falling for her,” Thomas repeated, this time with a more serious tone. “Trust me, if she finds out later, it will not be nearly as well-received. If you tell her now, you can at least stir things, make her understand. If you conceal it and it comes out at some point later, it will be harder.”
“I cannot involve her in this burden,” Eammon insisted. “How does burdening her with the secret protect her?”
“The more you speak, the more you argue, the more convinced I am that I am right,” Thomas replied. “You care for her. It is far more than a mere desire to protect her.”
A sudden knock at the door interrupted their conversation, prompting Thomas to rush and open it to find a group of gentlemen standing outside. “This room is occupied,” he said curtly before shutting the door and pushing a chair against it for extra support.
“I do not think that I can, in good conscience, keep hungry people from their food for very long,” Eammon lamented. “They shall cause a ruckus if we keep them out of the room.”
“So you had better tell me the truth. What is keeping you from telling her now?”
Eammon sighed heavily, raking a hand through his hair. “I shall not deny you are right. I believe she is beginning to care for me. She hasn't looked at me with as much disdain as she did before. I fear that telling her the truth will ruin her estimation of me.”
“Ah, so I was right.” Thomas nudged him playfully.“Well, what can I say? You will do as you please, as you always have done. But since you will not take my advice related to Charity, perhaps take my advice for your current predicament. Forget it all. Live for tonight. You are here to show the ton you are newlyweds who are madly in love. So, show them that. And most importantly, drink. I am not a proponent of the notion that alcohol will solve everything, but you ought to know that at least in the short term, it will relieve your troubles.”
With that, he handed Eammon another glass, and the cousins drank together, steeling themselves for whatever lay ahead. They stepped back into the ballroom, where music filled the space and couples danced, the atmosphere charged with liveliness. The alcohol Eammon had consumed was beginning to take effect, its warmth loosening his anxieties. Perhaps, he thought, he should take his cousin's advice and simply enjoy this one evening.
CHAPTER25
Charity
Charity wandered around the ballroom when Eammon and his cousin emerged from the smoking room, his cheeks flushed. It became evident that the two of them had engaged in more than mere smoking. As she made her way towards him, she slowed her pace on noticing the evident apprehension in his eyes. He rubbed his lips together at the sight of her approach, and she could not quite discern whether he was displeased, if the alcohol had muddled his mind, or if something else vexed him.
“Charity,” he said, acknowledging her presence.
“You were gone for an inordinate length of time,” she replied.
