“Be that as it may, I still did as I was instructed. I signed what I believed was a relatively small vowel. My things were returned to me, and it was only when I managed to find my way home and met with all of you that I realized what had happened. The vowel was not for some small amount as I had allowed myself to believe. Instead, it was for a very large amount. An amount that I have not paid as yet, I might add. I have no doubt that if I do not do so soon, then it will cause me great difficulty – both legally and otherwise. But at present, I cannot bring myself to do so.”
“You have not paid it?” Lord Stoneleigh’s eyes widened. “And has anything occurred because of that?”
“I have received only reminders, requiring me to pay by the end of the Season at the very latest.” James rubbed out his eyes. “Mistakenly I thought returning to my estate would hide me. It did not. They know who I am and have written to make certain that I cannot do anything to escape them. They state that I must pay what is owed and what I agreed to, or else there will be all the more difficulty for me. There is nothing specific done as yet, but I am certain it will come. There could be legal matters and all of England will, no doubt, hear of it if they choose to make it so. I would be ruined completely.”
“I have no doubt of that,” Lord Wiltsham agreed softly. “I do not speak to injure you, but warn you that these people, these men, will do whatever they must to gain what they believe is now theirs. The men whom we have discovered thus far to be involved are very much of the callous and cruel sort. Whatever they want, they will take, regardless of how badly it will injure you.”
“Yes, I can well imagine,” James scowled. “After all that they have done thus far, it would not surprise me if they were to do more.”
“So what are your intentions?”
Lord Stoneleigh rose and made to pour brandy for them all, which James accepted with a smile of relief. It had been decidedly difficult to speak openly of all that had occurred, but he was now glad that he had done so.
“I am not yet certain. I returned to London because of the hope expressed in your letters.” Both gentlemen had written to him as well as Lord Foster. It had been on their encouragement alone that he had made his way back here. “My shame and anger had encouraged me to remain precisely where I was, but the more I have considered it, the more I have learned from you, the more I begin to realize that this situation is not of my doing.” Swirling the brandy in his glass, he fixed his gaze on it. “There is still a chance that I did not break my vow.”
“More than a chance, I would say,” Lord Wiltsham remarked, before taking a sip of his brandy. “You are a gentleman of honor. It would be most unlike you to do anything like that which you have described. You made that vow some five years ago and you have not slipped even once. I would be utterly astonished to hear if you had done so now.”
“Your confidence in me is encouraging.” James threw his friend a quick smile. “I myself... I am not so sure. Perhaps years of refusing to do such a thing led me to that weak moment when I had consumed a little too much brandy.”
“Brandy that contained something which ought not to have been there,” Lord Stoneleigh reminded him. “Well, you are returned to London at least, and we are here to be of aid to you – although Lord Wiltsham is soon to be married, so he may miss some of whatever takes place.”
Lord Wiltsham grinned.
“I believe my dear young lady’s brother was eager to push me away from the idea of marrying his sister and thus delayed our wedding for as long as he could. Now, however, he has been forced to accept that I will not be put off and therefore we are due to wed within the month. I believe we are to remain in London, however.”
“I am sure it will be a very happy occasion indeed.” Truly glad that his friends had found such happiness, James spread his hands wide, one hand still clutching the Brandy glass. “That may give me another reason to pursue this matter. Thus far, those of you who have done so have managed to find themselves very suitable and lovely young ladies, it seems.”
The lightheartedness was a relief from the previous heavy discussion.
“Yes, indeed we have.” Lord Stoneleigh shared a smile with Lord Wiltsham and James fought back the kick of a jealousy. He had thus far had plenty of opportunity to wed, but had chosen not to do so. Thetonknew of his suitability, of his fortune, of his title, and evidently that he had a genial character and yes, he had been pursued, but his refusal to consider a bride had seemed to make him all the more pleasing. Now, however, he felt himself a fool for not having married already. The chances of him finding a suitable bride when society learned of what had happened were very slim indeed. The sudden memory of a young lady with a dark gold crown of hair smiling back at him across the room flooded his mind and his frown grew all the more. That particular lady he now knew to be Miss Shaw, but how could he ever consider evencourtingher if he had no wealth? All of society would turn from him if he were to tell them all that had happened – and that would include Miss Shaw also.
“Perhaps society need not find out.”
“We will do all we can to hide it from them.” James lifted his head sharply, not realizing that he had spoken aloud. “And I am certain that you will find someone to marry you,” Lord Stoneleigh continued. “I have spoken to the proprietor of the red-doored gambling den where we first went. There was something about him and the way he spoke that could do with further questioning.”
James shook his head.
“There is very little point in me making my way there if I did not remain there. As embarrassed as I am, I must find my way back to that dark establishment where I awakened, and perhaps to the young lady with whom Isupposedlyspent time.”
“That is a wise consideration,” Lord Wiltsham agreed. “Do you know her name? Would you recognize her face?”
“No.” Shrugging, James threw his friends a small, rueful smile. “She would not give me her name, and because it was on the whole, almost entirely dark, I doubt I could recognize her even if she stood right beside me.”
“Then your intention is simply to make your way there and demand to speak with her?”
“Yes.” Clearing his throat, James fumbled in his pocket for a moment, then pulled out a small, delicate pendant. “I also have this. I did not realize until some minutes after the door had closed and the young lady and whoever was with her had taken their leave, but this must have been around her neck. I did not injure her in any way, nor seek to cause her pain. Rather, I simply reached out in the darkness for her.”
“Why? I would have thought you would have been eager to separate yourself from her and that situation.”
James pulled his mouth to one side as he considered Lord Wiltsham’s question.
“It was because she said something to me that I simply could not ignore. In fact, I believe that she was on the cusp of saying something even more substantive, for she spoke my name to me, only for this other fellow, whoever it was, to call her out of the room. As I reached for her, this must have caught in my hand. Under the guise of returning it to her, I will ask to speak with her again.”
“She said something to you?” Lord Wiltsham frowned as James nodded. “She spoke your name also?”
“Yes, she did both. I assumed that I had given her my name.”
“Mayhap you did, mayhap you did not.” Lord Stoneleigh murmured, looking suddenly interested, for his eyes had flared a little in surprise as James had continued speaking. “I might well be mistaken, but it is not common for gentlemen to give their names in such establishments. Not their true titles, at least.”
