Page 32 of A Scandalous Proposition
‘Absolutely.’ Adam smiled his encouragement, but as her back was still turned towards him the gesture passed unnoticed by its intended recipient.
‘Much of what I hear is of a contradictory nature. That’s hardly surprising when one makes allowance for misinterpretation and exaggeration. However, one thing I heard over and over again immediately after you left to join your regiment was that Philippa was furious with you. She felt humiliated by your desertion, took it as a personal slight and made quite an exhibition of herself to cover up the fact.’
‘What form did her exhibitionism take?’
‘She was seen about with her brother in situations that aren’t at all suitable for a young unmarried lady. She was in London a great deal and seen at Vauxhall Gardens with a group of rather unsavoury individuals. But that’s not the worst of it.’ At last she turned to face Adam. ‘There was a masquerade held by Lord King a few months before her marriage, to which her brother was invited.’
‘Don’t tell me she persuaded Dennett to take her to that rake’s establishment?’ Adam was appalled but not entirely surprised. His friendship with Dennett had cooled because of the man’s wild behaviour but even he ought to know better than introduce his sister to such a viper’s den.
‘Several of my girls were there and they said the revelling was wild even by King’s standards.’
‘And they saw Philippa?’ Christine nodded. ‘How could they be sure it was her? Surely everyone was masked.’
‘In the public areas, yes, but when one of my girls was entertaining a gentleman in private she happened to see Lord King taking a young girl into his chamber. She was unmasked and Susanna is positive that it was Philippa.’
Adam reacted instinctively, slapping the back of a chair with his open palm. ‘Damn it, Christine, that can’t be right!’
‘If I had the slightest doubt about Susanna’s account, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.’
‘Of course you would not.’ Adam breathed deeply, attempting to bring his temper under control. ‘I believe what you tell me, much as I would prefer not to.’
‘What will you do about it?’
He shrugged. ‘What can I do? If Philippa found herself in a delicate situation following that tryst, it explains why she went to such lengths to trap James. The question is, how the devil am I supposed to prove that her baby isn’t his? He is completely smitten with her and depends upon her for everything. She has made sure of that.’
Christine shook her head. ‘I have no idea how you go about proving it, especially given the brittle nature of your relationship with your brother. He will take his wife’s side against you, if only to avoid being seen as a cuckold. A laughing stock.’
Adam nodded grimly. ‘You realise what this means. If she did become impregnated at that blasted masquerade, then King could be the father of the next Duke of Southsea.’
‘Yes.’ Christine closed her eyes. ‘The same thought had occurred to me. I just didn’t know how to tell you, or whether I should.’
Adam quietly fumed. ‘And wouldn’t King just love to have that secret hold over us all.’
Adam left Christine’s in a grim state of mind, his worst fears confirmed. James couldn’t have fathered Philippa’s baby, and she had used his bereavement as a means of preventing her own disgrace. Adam was in danger of exploding with an anger as impotent as James himself apparently was.
He might be almost certain, but how the deuce was he supposed to prove it? If James himself harboured doubts it would be one thing. But he was clearly not only enamoured of his new wife but delighted at the prospect of impending fatherhood. Given his incapability, Adam now understood why.
It was also clear why to Adam why he had hesitated to offer for Philippa before he left for the Peninsula. He must have subconsciously recognised the wild streak in her that had ultimately landed her in trouble. Bertram Dennett had become intoxicated by his father’s endless supply of money, which he frittered away without a second thought. His friendship with Adam gave him access to the top echelons of society. It was a world that would otherwise have been closed to him, in spite of all his money. It was then that he abandoned all attempts at self-control, culminating in his almost being called out by an outraged husband. Not content with that, he ran up enormous gambling debts and developed atendrefor a notorious actress.
Adam was so taken up with his thoughts that he almost failed to notice his mother’s gig half-hidden in one of Chamberleigh’s loose boxes. So, Florentina was here again. His curiosity piqued, he gave no indication that he had seen the conveyance. He took Rochester’s reins from the waiting groom, mounted up and rode away. Then he hid himself behind a nearby stand of trees and waited.
The gig appeared five minutes later, driven at a brisk trot by Florentina. Adam kept a long way behind but soon realised she was heading for the northern perimeter of the estate, a section that wasn’t in use at this time of the year. Just that morning he and Fowler had discussed the dilapidated cottages there. Before he left to join his regiment, Adam had left instructions for them to be restored for use by some of their tenants. Philippa had countermanded those orders and the work had yet to commence.
He halted Rochester and tied him to a strong branch. Florentina brought the gig to a halt in front of the cottages and climbed down. She reached back under the seat and extracted what appeared to be a hamper. It was obviously heavy and she struggled to lift it down.
Adam crept up behind the cottages and peered in through the half-boarded window of the establishment she had entered. He heard rapid Spanish being spoken, even before he observed the occupants. His suspicions on high alert, he looked through a crack and discerned Florentina crouching between three young girls and a lad of no more than eleven or twelve. He understood Spanish and easily followed their conversation.
‘It won’t be much longer now,’ Florentina assured them. ‘We’ll soon be able to move you somewhere more comfortable.’
‘This is a better than what that horrible man wanted us to do,’ one of the girls said.
‘Yes, indeed, you won’t be put in that position again.’ Florentina sounded resolutely determined as she handed out bundles of food wrapped in damp cloths. ‘Just remember not to venture out of this cottage before it’s full dark. And don’t go so far that you can’t get back here quickly if someone should pass by. Too many questions will be asked if you are seen, and that will put us all at risk.’
‘Yes, we understand.’
Adam had seen enough and returned to Rochester before there was any possibility of Florentina re-emerging. These people had obviously been rescued by Florentina and Christine and, presumably, others. But from what? And why was Florentina prepared to play the part of the courtesan in order to protect them?
Chapter Eight
