Secluded with the Rogue

Chapter 2

Two

E lla was tired of being treated as though she were a fragile flower. Yes, she had been a weak child, always catching ill, but she hadn’t been ill in years.

“Mother, I really wish to go to Lady Amelia’s ball. She said that many handsome young men have been invited.” She didn’t add that she wasn’t interested in any of them, but her mother might believe that and be more inclined to let her go.

Her mother paused in her reading of the Morning Post and sighed thoughtfully. “Dancing too much tires you out, my dear. I don’t wish to put you at risk.”

“I’m not made of spun glass. One dance will not shatter me.”

“I distinctly remember that you had a coughing fit at the last one, only a month ago.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t my fault. Lady Casterly smothered her entire body in some overripe eau de cologne. More than one person succumbed to a coughing fit when they found themselves within breathing distance of her. Lord Evanston even knocked over a tray of ratafia when he started coughing.”

That particular moment had made her laugh and cough all the harder. Evanston was a handsome viscount and quite amusing. He’d been teasing her about Lady Casterly’s overpowering scent before they both succumbed to it.

Her mother made a little sound of skepticism, and Ella closed her book. If she was to win this argument, she would need to be fully focused. Violet Humphrey was not an easy opponent.

“Mother, please, just listen to?—”

The drawing room door burst open, and her eldest brother, Charles, strode inside. Her mother set her paper down so she could embrace her favorite child.

“Oh, Charles, my dear. What are you doing here?”

“I had to come see my mother and sister.” He shot Ella a wink, and she found her irritation at being interrupted with their mother already fading. It was nearly impossible to stay mad at Charles. As the Earl of Lonsdale, he was a powerful peer, but as her brother, he was a frequent confidant, a surrogate father, and a dear friend. She knew that all of London was abuzz with his romantic entanglements, including his most recent scandal at Lord Sanderson’s ball.

“Tell me the truth now,” their mother demanded. She fixed Charles with a sharp gaze honed by years of raising rogues for children.

“Truth? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Charles answered.

Ella could see quite plainly he was lying. She had gotten very good at reading her two older brothers, especially when they were hiding the truth.

“There’s a woman,” their mother insisted.

Ella opened her book again but didn’t turn any pages as she waited to hear how Charles would deflect her mother’s inquiry. He was a notorious rogue, and no woman yet had captured his attention the way rumors around town now suggested. Their mother produced one of her fans and waved it in front of her face.

“There are plenty of women. You…Ella…the cook…,” Charles teased their mother. Ella had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She knew she ought not to encourage Charles’s bad behavior.

“Plenty of women? Oh!” Violet snapped her fan shut and pointed the end at Charles the way a fencer would point a fencing foil.

“I believe London is full of women, or haven’t you noticed?”

“Ella, fetch my smelling salts. Your brother is trying to kill me.”

With a sigh, Ella set her book down and retrieved a tiny bottle from her reticule and held it out to her mother. Violet swatted her hand away.

“Not now. Wait until I actually faint,” her mother hissed dramatically.

Charles grinned deviously at Ella and their mother. Violet narrowed her eyes.

“The girl at the Sandersons’ ball. Who is she?” Violet demanded.

Ella perked up at the mention. She too wanted to know who the woman was. Charles had purposely caused all of the men on the young lady’s dance card to have unfortunate accidents, preventing her from dancing with anyone but him the entire evening. He had never done that for any woman before.

“A girl now? Not a woman? I thought we were speaking of women? What interest would I possibly have in girls?”

Charles’s words brought back a memory from a long-ago Christmas where she had foolishly thrown herself at Lord Kent. She had been a girl then, and he’d wanted nothing to do with her. The memory made her mind flood with disquieting thoughts of the past and the regrets she carried about that night. If only she hadn’t asked for a kiss, they might have continued to play billiards, and she wouldn’t have made such a fool of herself.

Their mother growled and chucked her fan at Charles, who deftly caught it.

“You know exactly what I mean, Charles Michael Edward Humphrey. Now talk.”

“Oh,” he sighed dramatically. “The girl from the Sandersons’ ball. You must mean Lily Wycliff.”

“Yes. That Wycliff girl. Who is she?”

Ella leaned closer. Whatever woman held his interest was certainly worth hearing about.

“Well, she’s a widow.” Charles’s teasing tone turned more serious.

Violet’s brows drew together. “A widow?”

“Her husband, Aaron Wycliff, was a favorite cousin of the Duchess of Essex.”

“A country gentleman, then?” Her mother tapped her fingers against her chin in thought.

“I believe so,” Charles answered, and Ella watched in fascination as her brother and mother seemed to have a silent conversation as well, spoken only in looks, as to how serious the situation was.

“And the widow? Where do her people hail from?”

Charles’s mouth opened, but then he looked slightly baffled. “I honestly have no idea.”

Ella set her book down and gave up all pretense of reading.

“You are falling in love with a woman, and you don’t even know who she is?” Violet continued.

Ella was tempted to cut in and tell her mother that sometimes love at first sight did exist. She had experienced that once, years ago. Kent’s soft eyes filled her mind before she banished the painful memory.

Charles frowned. “I didn’t say I was falling in love with her. We’ve only just met.”

Ella saw her brother’s brow twitch, a sure indication he was lying. He was smitten by this mysterious widow. It was no surprise. Ella had heard her friends gossiping over tea yesterday about Charles and Lily Wycliff at the ball.

“You’re in love, my dear boy,” Violet sighed. “I’ve heard from more than one friend at the ball about how you looked at her and how she looked at you.”

“Radiant, I believe someone said,” Ella cut in. Her friend Lysandra Russell had told her about it. “Radiant. Charming. Buoyant. Though one person did say ‘a couple of lovesick fools.’” That had also been from Lysandra, who had a rather negative view of love herself. Lysandra had no time for love, secretly pursuing a degree in the sciences at the moment with the help of the Society of Rebellious Ladies.

Her brother flushed and tugged at his neckcloth, and Ella bit her lip to hide a smile. It was always entertaining to provoke her brother.

“Yes, I heard that too,” Violet agreed.

“I heard she has a child.” This was also something of interest to Ella. Her brother had fallen for a woman with a child. Charles was good with children, but she never thought he would take to a woman who already had one.

“A child?” His mother’s expression hardened. “That may be a problem.”

Charles shot Ella an unamused expression. No doubt he had wanted to keep that bit of news a secret for a little while longer. She offered Charles an apologetic shrug while their mother was distracted.

“I don’t see it as such. I would welcome her child as my own. If she will have me.”

Her mother’s face softened. “Well, if you will welcome the child, then so shall I. So it seems you have decided then? After all these years, you’ve found a woman worthy of your affections?”

Charles answered without hesitation. “Yes.”

Joy blossomed in Ella’s chest. She had longed for her brother to marry so that she might have a sister to bond with. Now she would have a sister and a niece or nephew.

“When shall we meet her?” Ella asked Charles.

“Er…I am taking her to the opera tonight.”

Violet clapped her hands together. “Splendid! Ella and I shall accompany you and Mrs. Wycliff in your box. You shall meet us there.”

The thought of going to the opera made Ella brighten. She’d have a chance to get out and enjoy the evening.

“Very good,” Charles said, then cleared his throat. “Mother, has Graham written to you?”

“Graham? Not since last week. Why?”

The odd note of tension in Charles’s tone caught Ella and Violet’s attention.

“I must ask that you not overreact, Mother, but Graham was injured.” Charles then rushed to assure his mother. “I’ve been taking care of him.”

Ella clutched her closed book tightly in her hands. Something terrible had happened—she could see it in Charles’s face. How had he managed to hide this so long? Her two brothers hadn’t been close in years, and to hear that Charles was taking care of him only worried Ella further.

“Injured?” The word escaped from Violet’s lips.

“He’s healing and safe.”

Their mother leapt to her feet. “Safe? What do you mean? Is he in danger?”

Ella held the book now in a white-knuckled grip as her mother started to panic.

Charles grasped her by her hands. “Mother, you really must sit. I will explain everything if you let me.”

Their mother threw out a hand in Ella’s direction. “Smelling salts, now!” Ella desperately searched for the bottle again and pressed it into her mother’s hands. Rather than use the bottle, her mother tossed it against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest, glowering at Charles.

“You will talk, now , dear boy.”

Charles audibly swallowed and shot Ella a pleading look, but Ella was the last person to stand in between their mother and anyone. Violet was a fierce creature when provoked.

“Graham and Lord Kent were gambling. Kent had an unusually poor streak,” Charles began. Ella gasped at the mention of Lord Kent’s name.

“What happened?” Her heart leapt into her throat at the thought that Phillip was involved.

“Kent was given the chance to fight in a boxing ring to pay off his debts, but in the process, he was gravely injured. Graham tried to help him, but they beat him as well. But Graham is going to be fine.”

The world seemed to start to blur around Ella, and she heard a faint ringing in her ears. Phillip was hurt. She could see it in Charles’s eyes. Whatever had happened was bad, very, very bad.

“Thank God,” their mother said and brushed away a few tears.

“And Lord Kent?” Ella’s heart pounded hard deep within her chest.

“He will be all right…I hope. The doctor said if he can survive a few weeks, he will pull through.”

Charles’s words echoed dully inside her head. Phillip was hurt badly enough that he could die.

No. He couldn’t die. She wouldn’t let him. As foolish as it was, she’d never gotten over him, and she’d never forgotten that night in the billiard room so many years ago when he’d broken her heart. Nor had she forgotten the second kiss he’d stolen the night of her debut. The man seemed to mark the milestones in her life with kisses and heartache. But it didn’t change how she felt. She was still in love with him.

“May I go see him?” she asked, then realized she couldn’t let her brother know she meant Lord Kent. He might tell her no. “I mean Graham, of course. But also Lord Kent.”

Her brother raised one brow. “I suppose, if Mother doesn’t object.”

Ella looked pleadingly at her mother.

“As long as you aren’t underfoot while Charles is pursuing Mrs. Wycliff. Lord knows your brother will need every advantage to win this woman.”

Ella couldn’t believe her mother had brushed aside Lord Kent’s condition and even Graham’s so easily. But it was in her mother’s nature to bury worry and pain deep.

“I won’t,” Ella replied at the same time Charles said, “She won’t.”

“Then you must go,” Violet said. “Graham is truly well?”

“Yes, a bit bruised, but he will be fine,” Charles assured their mother, but Ella saw the lie. Graham was more than a bit bruised.

“But he came to you? Of all places? Does that mean…?” Violet’s eyes brightened with hope.

Ella looked at Charles as well. Graham and Charles rarely spoke, except during the holidays. She knew it was because Graham blamed Charles for their father’s death. But their father had died of a stroke. It wasn’t Charles’s fault.

Charles cupped Violet’s shoulders. “I think so, yes. He is still cautious, but that is only natural under the circumstances. I, for my part, will do all I can to make amends while he is under my roof.”

Violet wiped at her eyes. “That’s wonderful. You know how much it has broken my heart to see you two not speaking to each other.”

“I know. But it will still take time.”

Ella agreed. Charles and Graham’s division had hurt everyone. Graham had spent much time away from them. Lord Kent had been and still was Graham’s closest friend, and Ella was thankful that her brother had Lord Kent in his life—at least until today. They had both been reckless and foolish.

Violet wiped her eyes again. “Well, let’s focus on this evening. The opera and meeting your Mrs. Wycliff. We shall see you tonight then, dear boy.”

Ella stood frozen by her chair as Charles left. She didn’t want to go to the opera. She wanted to be with Phillip, to see him.

“Mother, may I go and visit Graham this afternoon?”

“Hmm?” Her mother was distracted too. “Oh…yes. Go on, my dear. I will visit Graham this evening before the opera.”

Ella slipped out of the room and rushed upstairs to change into a walking dress. She had no intention of waiting any longer than she had to. She would go at once.

“I’m coming, Phillip. Please hold on.”