Page 59 of A Countess Never Tells

“You don’t think it was a coincidence, Ash?” Kitty sat up from leaning on his shoulder.

“Not in the least. We didn’t know we were attending until yesterday, and Baltimore wasn’t invited at all. What are the chances we met up there by accident?”

“Almost non-existent.” Haxby shifted his gaze to Ash. “What are you saying?”

“That either your household or mine contains Baltimore’s spy.”

Chapter 26

“Do you really think so, Ash?” Judith sounded frightened, as well she should be. Servants were expected to be loyal. To have one in the household in the pay of Lord Baltimore, and therefore turning over all their secrets to their blackest enemy, was the worst of betrayals.

“I do fear it, Judith. Nothing else makes as much sense.” Although he might be a trifle more concerned than was necessary, something told Ash he wasn’t wrong. “Baltimore is completely out of control.”

“I’m afraid I agree with you, Ashwood.” Haxby sighed heavily, as though coming to a monumental decision. “I believe it will be most prudent if you go on Monday to the Archbishop and procure a special license so you and Kitty can be married immediately.”

“Oh, John, thank you.” Kitty threw her arms around her brother despite the rocking carriage. “Oh, I never thought I could be so happy tonight, after all this turmoil.” She settled back next to Ash, only to throw her arms around him as well. “We are to be married at last, my love.” Then her lips were on his, and he could not help but respond with enthusiasm.

“Ahem.”

Feeling her brother’s disapproving gaze on them, Ash reluctantly released Kitty. Now it would be a matter of a day and some hours before he could truly call her his.

“I only hope you are correct, and your marriage will make Baltimore cease his attentions to her.” Haxby peered at Ash, a glint in his eyes. “You’ve never told me why Baltimore is so set on revenging himself on you that he would attack my sister to do so.”

“I have not given that information to you, my lord, and I hesitate to do so now as it’s scarcely a tale for delicate ears.” Gazing from Kitty to Judith, Ash suddenly wished himself anywhere but here. This was not a tale to tell his soon-to-be wife. But Judith’s mouth had a pucker to it that spoke of amusement.

“I think Kitty and I are not such delicate flowers, Ash, that we cannot hear the story.” She reached across the carriage to squeeze Kitty’s hand. “A wife needs to know as much as possible about her husband before they are wed, don’t you think?”

Kitty shot a look at Ash then nodded. “No matter what you say, you can never persuade me not to marry you, my dear.”

Ash met Haxby’s cheerful gaze with a rueful smirk. “I suppose your wife knows everything about all your indiscretions before your marriage?”

Haxby chuckled. “Fortunately for me, my wife and I grew up together, so we know everything about our youthful follies. Then we married other people, so I truly have no indiscretions for her to discover.”

Shaking his head, Ash sighed. Of course, Kitty’s brother must be one of the rare gentlemen who’d never sowed a wild oat in his life. “It started well over a year ago, almost two years now, I suppose. Do you know Lady Farquar?”

Thankfully, all three of them shook their heads. This confession would be even worse torture had they known the lady. “Well, her husband died of a fever, oh, five or six years after they had married. And the lady was terribly distraught over his death, keeping up her full mourning for well over a year. Finally, she began to receive callers again, and I accompanied my mother to pay one such call.”

Even in the darkness of the carriage, Ash could see a darkened tinge in Judith’s cheeks. There was likely a similar one in Kitty’s. “I made the suggestion of taking the lady for a carriage ride, and once I took her home, she invited me in for tea, and well, one thing led to another…” Ash spoke slower and slower, not knowing what the hell to say. “In the end, I discovered a way to give her some comfort in her time of sorrow.”

“I’m certain you did, Ashwood.” The growl in Haxby’s voice said he wasn’t pleased with the way the story was unfolding. But the man had asked for the particulars of his feud with Baltimore.

“The upshot of it was I developed a warm connection with the lady for some weeks, after which time we experienced a disagreement about the permanence of that connection.” Louisa had been lovely to look at and very eager to please him in bed. However, despite his plainly stated intention for their association to be temporary at best, she’d decided she wished for more. At which point, he’d had to disappoint her and walk away.

“Our affair had been discreet, but no great secret to those who saw us together. And Lord Baltimore, then scenting a woman scorned who would agree to warm his bed to soothe her ruffled feathers, began paying calls on Louisa.” The next part of the tale might make him blush, so he leaned back into the darkest corner of the carriage. “Apparently, when he suggested ‘giving her comfort’ as I’d done, she informed him that I’d…done such a good job of comforting her, she didn’t think Baltimore could do a better one and flatly refused his advances.”

All three pairs of eyes were trained on Ash’s face, which he kept as well hidden as possible.

“Since that day, he’s sworn vengeance on me, for what was absolutely the lady’s decision, not mine.”

“I have to say, Ashwood, I fail to see why Baltimore would be in such a pet about a woman scorning him that he would hold that serious a grudge against you.” Haxby shook his head, a smile playing about his lips.

“It does seem petty, I know, but Baltimore not only has a temper, he has an unforgiving arrogance that simply won’t allow him to let an insult go until he’s repaid it the worst way he can.” He’d never have crossed the man of his own accord, but he’d had no control whatsoever over Louisa’s reaction to Baltimore’s advances. “Immediately afterward, I left to take care of family business in Italy, so now that I’ve returned, Baltimore is finally able to attempt revenge for the slight.” Ash sighed. “And now my soon-to-be wife and in-laws are privy to a most embarrassing episode in my life.”

“Well, it’s not as if I thought you were a saint or a celibate, Ash.” There was a hint of amusement in Kitty’s voice. Thank goodness for that. She took his arm and laid her head on his shoulder and whispered, “At least I know I’ve got something special to look forward to Monday night.”

****

Monday afternoon, Judith and Kitty had just finished interviewing the housekeeper regarding any suspicious behavior on the part of the servants—to which Mrs. Shelbridge had replied emphatically in the negative—when Ash was announced and entered the drawing room, looking more handsome than ever in an excellently cut ditto suit of teal blue silk with wide gold braid at the cuffs. Kitty’s mouth literally watered.