Page 1 of A Devious Secret

Chapter One

England, 1813

Mr. Stephen Wycomb had the terrible misfortune of being alive. He should have died alongside his crew on his ship, but instead he was forced to relive the agony of his past failures, over and over. He had no peace, only wretched torment.

He reached for his drink and brought the glass up to his lips. When it was quiet like this, he could practically hear the sounds of the cannons’ blasts as they bombarded his ship and the panicked screams of his men as they were boarded. His crew had trusted him with their lives, and he had let them down. He couldn’t save them all, despite his best efforts.

Placing the glass down onto the table, he reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and read the names on it. These were the officers that had died on his ship, and he felt it was his duty to speak to their families and to offer his condolences. He had visited all of the families on the list but one. His first lieutenant, his friend. He knew this visit would be the most difficult of all.

Stephen returned the paper to his pocket and reached for his drink, hoping to numb his pain. He couldn’t abide being left alone with his own thoughts. They were unrelenting, causing him to take every piece of joy that he possessed.

He had been so distracted in his misery that he had failed to notice his brother-in-law, Lord Hugh, and Lord Hawthorne until they came to a stop at his table.

Hugh smiled and it grated on his nerves. “I thought I might find you at the club,” he said.

There was a time that just the thought of Hugh would make his blood boil, but now he found the man to be somewhat tolerable. He seemed to make his sister, Marielle, very happy. But that didn’t mean he had to be nice to the man.

Stephen lowered his glass to the table, not bothering to look up. “It is too early to be dealing with the likes of you,” he grumbled.

Hugh didn’t appear bothered by his lackluster response. “I see that you are in a pleasant enough mood,” he joked as he pulled out a chair. “My brother and I couldn’t help but notice that you were sitting alone, and we wanted to keep you company.”

“I prefer to be alone. It is much easier that way.” Stephen tipped his head at Lord Hawthorne. “My lord,” he greeted.

Hawthorne pulled out a chair and sat down. “I do believe I asked you to call me Hawthorne and forego formalities between us.” He caught the eye of a passing servant and indicated they wanted drinks.

Hugh leaned forward in his seat. “I wish you would come to live at our townhouse for the duration of the Season and leave that ramshackle place that you call home.”

“There is nothing wrong with the place that I rented,” Stephen defended. “It is in Westminster and is perfectly respectable.”

“Marielle would rather have you close,” Hugh attempted.

At the mention of his sister’s name, Stephen’s tone softened. “I visit her nearly every day. Is that not sufficient enough for her?”

Hugh glanced over his shoulder before he lowered his voice. “She is worried about you.”

“There is no reason to be worried about me,” Stephen said, dismissing the man’s concern. It was warranted on his sister’s part, but she couldn’t help him. No one could help him now. His misery was too deep.

“I don’t think that to be true,” Hugh responded. “You have seemed rather despondent as of late, and I know it must have been hard on you when Haddington married Evie.”

Stephen stiffened at the mention of Evie’s name. “Lady Haddington made her choice, and I have no choice but to respect it. Besides, I do believe it was a fool’s errand to try to court her anyways. She was clearly in love with Lord Haddington the entire time. I was just too blind, or stupid, to see that.”

Hawthorne spoke up. “There is no shame in following the dictates of your heart.”

“I said nothing about love,” Stephen said. “I cared for her, deeply, but that is a far cry from love.”

“Yet you offered for her?” Hawthorne asked.

“I did, because I knew I could grow to love her,” Stephen explained. “She was unlike any woman I have ever known, and she intrigued me.”

A server placed two drinks onto the table and asked, “Will there be anything else?”

Hugh shook his head. “Not at this time,” he replied, reaching for one of the drinks. “But do keep them coming.”

The server acknowledged his words before walking away.

After Hugh took a sip of his drink, he lowered it to the table and asked, “Do you intend to stay for the duration of the Season?”

“I do,” Stephen replied. “I am staying for Marielle’s sake, nothing more.”