“You think that she is in London, then,” he said, slowly, wondering now whether his brother had ever been involved in Lady Alderton’s schemes, and beginning to doubt whether such a thing could be.
“I do not know.” Lord Alderton’s voice cracked. “I have searched all through Bath, written to almost everyone I know, and she is still absent! In desperation, I came to London in the hope that you might help me, though I am fully aware that I ask a great deal in such a thing.”
Hugh put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.
“The truth is, Alderton, that I know your wife is present here in London. I have seen her, though I have not been introduced to her, so have not had a single conversation as yet. However, if your wife has fair hair and brown eyes, then I believe it is one and the same person that I have seen.”
In that one moment, everything about his brother seemed to change. Lord Alderton’s hair stood on end, his eyes rounded, his face paled and the hand which gripped his glass began to shake.
“I thought that you would be pleased to know that you have found her.”
“But what… what is she doing here in London?” Lord Alderton asked, ignoring Hugh’s remark entirely. “There must be a purpose, areasonbehind it. She has been away from my side for a long period and, before that, complained incessantly about how much she wished she had been a Countess rather than a Viscountess.”
All that Hugh had considered finally drew to one, clarifying conclusion and he nodded slowly, looking back at his brother.
“Might I ask if she was absent from you last Season also?”
Lord Alderton frowned.
“Yes, but she wished to go to London for a short while and, given how strained things had been during the first few weeksof our marriage, I saw no difficulty in permitting her to depart. She returned to the estate a short while thereafter, though the following months were very difficult indeed. I suggested that we take some time in Bath – though I also wanted to come to London so that she might meet you – and she was amenable to the idea. However, once we arrived, she promptly disappeared, and I have looked for her ever since!” Running one hand over his forehead, he let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. “She is conniving, Blackmore. Whatever she is doing here, it will be for a purpose. I do not doubt that.”
Lord Elmsford cleared his throat, glancing at Hugh.
“And you do not know as to what that purpose might be?”
Hugh watched his brother carefully as, with a shrug, he flung out both hands, one either side and then let them fall, by way of answer to Lord Elmsford. He knew his brother well, and one thing Alderton could not do was lie. He was much too honest – brutally so – about everything, and did not hold the truth back from anyone. That was why their father had despaired of him, why Hugh had given up on giving a single iota of his time to wondering what his brother was doing. Lord Alderton had always been quite happy to inform him of what he was currently engaged in, no matter what it was, and looking at him now, Hugh was quite certain that his brother spoke honestly.
He had no knowledge of any of this.
“Sit down, Alderton.” Waiting until his brother had taken his seat, Hugh took his now empty glass from him and went to refill it. “There is a reason that I was looking for you, a reason that is both grave and of the utmost concern.” Turning back, he handed the glass to his brother but, rather than standing and talking down to him, chose to sit back down himself. Seeing Lord Alderton’s eyes fixed on his, worry etched into the gentle lines on his face, Hugh closed his eyes and fought to find the right words. “Since I came to Town, there have been rumors sweepingthrough London about me. Someone attempted to push me into a situation with a rather tenacious widow, and thereafter, there came a rumor that I was insolvent and had a great deal of debt owed to a gambling den. I acted against this by throwing a lavish ball but still, the rumors came! They involved one Miss Simmons also, which was most unfortunate. I came to her defense, and we are now betrothed… though that is a story for another time.” Seeing his brother’s eyes widen all the more, Hugh let out a slightly rueful laugh. “The most recent rumor is one that I am battling at present. It states that I am not the legitimate heir, that I am, in fact, not the true son of our father.”
“But that is quite dreadful!” Wide eyes stared back at Hugh as he nodded slowly. “Who would say such a thing, and what purpose would they have behind it?”
“The purpose, I cannot speak to,” Hugh replied, choosing his words with great care and speaking slowly as he thought. “The person who has been spreading rumors, I believe, is none other than Lady Alderton, your wife.”
He watched as understanding of this news spread across his brother’s face, the shock only halted by the brandy that Lord Alderton threw down his throat.
“Where is she?” he asked, though Hugh merely shrugged. “I must find her. I know why she is doing this.”
“Why?” Lord Elmsford rose to pour yet more brandy into Lord Alderton’s glass. “What possible reason could she have for doing something like this to your brother?”
Lord Alderton closed his eyes and shuddered violently.
“Because she wants the title,” he said, hoarsely. “If she can push you into a place of such desperation that you feel the only way to salvage the family name is to give up the title, to kill yourself, so that it passes to me, then that is what she will do. I do not doubt that she would have been eager to make her way to your estate and to comfort you, should her rumorshave succeeded in their endeavors. That comfort would have come by way of whispers and dark encouragements, however. Encouragements to give up what is already rightfully yours, to give up your life. And she would, most likely, have encouraged you to do something rash, so that your death might seem an accident, thus preventing the scandal of a definite suicide.” Sitting a little further forward in his chair, Alderton’s eyes widened. “I did not ever want such a thing, Blackmore! I would never seek a way to steal from you, and I most certainly would not ever wish your death!”
“I will admit to, for a short while at least, wondering if this was your action - and for that I apologize. I should have trusted you,” Hugh admitted, with a small smile. “The only question now is what it is that we are to do!”
Lord Elmsford got to his feet.
“We must find Lady Alderton.” Making his way to the door, he stopped and gestured to it. “And we must hurry.”
With a frown, Hugh rose also but did not hurry over to the door.
“Why?”
“Because she may say something more,” Lord Elmsford replied, with a touch of impatience in his voice. “I fully expect her to be at the ball and, with Miss Simmons there also, it would be best for us to make our way there as quickly as we can.”
Agreeing with this, and seeing the truth in Lord Elmsford’s worry about what could occur, Hugh looked to his brother.
