Page 17 of Falling for a Forsaken Marquess
“Catherine Mountjoy,” Mrs Mellors revealed. “She is now married, although I doubt she is as happy as Juliet. I hope the same does not happen to your daughters.”
The baroness crossed herself, a habit she had picked up as a girl when she spent holidays with her Italian Catholic grandmother. She seldom did it, but some situations seemed to call for extra protection, and the sign of the cross was a powerful weapon in her eyes.
Agnes also said a silent prayer, asking for a good outcome with only a few hurdles to overcome. Nothing was without any challenges, but she couldn’t afford anything but a good ending in her pursuit of marriage.
Chapter 5
William rolled his neck back and forth, releasing the tension at the nape of his neck. England could do with dozens ofhammamsspread across the country instead of these spa wells that could do nothing for his bunched-up muscles.
William had frequented the baths while in Turkey many years ago and had enjoyed the vigorous scrubbing and massages offered by the attendants. His dark hair, time spent in the sun, and near fluency in Turkish had made him look and sound like a local, so no one had batted an eyelid when he took up residence in Constantinople and made use of theirhammams.
“My Lord, you are needed in the parlour,” said Stevens from the library doorway.
“Do you think I could leave and return to Turkey?” he asked the man.
“My Lord?”
The poor man seemed confused and a little worried, but he was hiding most of his reaction remarkably well.
William shook his head. “Pay me no mind, Stevens. These are merely the ramblings of a drowning man. Is anyone with my mother?”
“No, My Lord.”
“Good. That means Mrs Mellors has not found my jail keeper.”
“If you do not mind me asking, but are you in trouble, My Lord?” the butler asked. “I am ready to lend my assistance if so needed.”
“If you can persuade my mother that I do not want a wife, you shall be doing me a great service.”
Understanding dawned in the older man’s eyes. “I see, My Lord. I would certainly help if I were in the position to do so, but perhaps this course is the best. A woman’s touch brings great joy to a man’s life.”
“I beg to differ on that,” said William rising to his feet as memories of Charlotte briefly flooded his mind. She had once been his joy, but that hadn’t lasted. “Where is my brother? I hope he is not getting himself into any trouble.”
William had warned his brother against his usual gambling halls and friends who would only support his old behaviour. So far, Jacob had kept his word and indeed appeared to have turned over a new leaf, but William had his reservations.
A few days was not enough time to prove that his brother had changed for the better. The man could be biding his time and waiting for the next big opportunity to ruin William’s life or bring shame to the family, but this time Jacob would fail.
“He is out riding on the estate, My Lord,” said Stevens.
“My brother never does anything without reason. Are you certain he is still on the estate?”
“As far as I can tell, My Lord. Shall I send a servant to look for him?”
William didn’t want to be accused of not giving his brother a chance, so he shook his head, pushing back a dark curl that had fallen across his brow.
“That is not necessary,” he told the older man. “He shall eventually return, and I’ll be able to determine if he was telling the truth. Please tell my mother I will be down shortly.”
William sat down after the butler bowed and left. He had been about to go down right away, but he was tired of running around his family. It seemed his needs and requests were being denied while everyone else got to do as they pleased.
If Jacob had been a responsible man, William might have walked away from this life and given his brother the right to become duke one day. Jacob would have been forced to marry and produce an heir while taking care of the estate. William would have gladly taken up honest work and lived his life away from the world he had been born in.
His brief years abroad had taught him there was more to life than wealth, extravagance, theton, and parties. Other people lived colourful lives, and although they experienced hardships, they still found a reason to smile and enjoy their world. Of course, some had more challenging lives and could find nothing to be happy about, but the world beyond still held more appeal to William.
After ten minutes or so, William eventually made his way to the second floor, greeting his mother with a kiss on the cheek before taking a seat.
“You took a rather long time to come, dear,” his mother accused.
“I had something to do, but I am here now. What did you wish to talk about?”
