‘You didn’t relate all of it in front of Houndsmere?’ Robin had turned ashen.
‘Of course not. But he did me a good turn and now believes he has the right to question why I risked being out late at night. He’s shown more interest than is normal for a man in his position.’
‘God in heaven! He knows! I’m done for! I’ve returned to England just for him to kill me.’
‘Don’t be so melodramatic!’ Emma sounded cross, although her twin’s reaction had greatly alarmed her. ‘Why would an earl be interested in you if you’ve never even met?’
‘Because I’ve been living with his stepsister as man and wife,’ Robin croaked out.
Dumbfounded, Emma stared at her brother, then sank down to sit on the grass. He immediately kneeled beside her.
‘Augusta told me she was a shopkeeper’s daughter. I’d never have got involved with her if I’d known she’d also got connections in the aristocracy. Such people are too powerful for me to tangle with.’ He swung his head in despair. ‘Her mother was a milliner and the old Earl’s mistress. He went on to marry her and they lived at Houndsmere Hall in Hertfordshire. Augusta truly is the Earl’s stepsister. It’s not a fantasy she has concocted.’
Emma pushed back her bonnet to hang on its strings, then raked her fingers through her dusky hair. ‘This can’t be true! Are we so beset by bad luck that such a bizarre coincidence can really be?’ she wailed.
‘It seems so,’ Robin replied bleakly. ‘Her stepbrother will search for her to take her home. I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts her in a convent. She has run away so often that he threatened to severely punish her next time. God knows what he’ll do to me. I didn’t seduce her...if anything, she chased after me. But if he finds us together that’ll count for nought. There’ll be an uproar. I’ll be exposed, Em. What then? I think I’d sooner Houndsmere put me out of my misery with a clean bullet than risk a noose round my neck.’
‘Don’t talk rot!’ Emma cried. ‘Would you break our father’s heart all over again?’
Robin appeared not to have heard that emotional plea. He leapt up, enlightenment straining his features. ‘Houndsmere is closing in on us. He was out searching for her last night when he happened upon you. Did he state his business there?’
‘Lance Harley isn’t the sort of man to explain himself,’ Emma replied tartly. ‘He was not searching for you, I’m sure of it,’ she reassured. ‘He had been drinking although he wasn’t drunk. He seemed to be on his way home after a night of revelry.’
Robin looked a mite relieved as he prowled about on the turf. ‘Augusta said she believed the same. He has a chère amie living in the district. He must have visited her.’
Emma couldn’t understand why hearing her brother confirm something the Earl himself had half-admitted should niggle at her. Lance Harley was nothing to her and neither was the woman who left a hint of rose perfume clinging to his clothes. She put him from her mind, noticing that a couple were strolling their way. ‘You should go now, Robin, before we arouse suspicion.’
Robin hastily turned his back to the onlookers.
‘Will you give me a message to pass to Papa?’ Emma got to her feet, brushing down her skirts. ‘I know he will ask me if I’ve seen you. He is so happy to know you are back. Please don’t do anything to hurt him again.’
‘I imagine our father knows I need some money if you have told him how I am living.’
‘He has bankrupted himself once for you, Robin. He mustn’t get deeper into debt or he will end up in the Fleet again.’
Robin looked disappointed. ‘What about you? Why haven’t you married? A brother-in-law might have been of help to me.’
‘A dowry might have been of help to me,’ Emma returned shortly. ‘Gentlemen who fancy a wife who is poor, ruined and past her prime are few and far between.’
Robin had the grace to blush. ‘Well, don’t blame me for everything. It’s not my fault your portion has been spent. You started all the trouble in any case.’
‘I pleaded with you not to call Simon out!’ Emma felt hurt by her brother’s attitude, but knew it wasn’t the time or place for bickering and apportioning blame. What was done was done and, if not forgotten, was best left alone. ‘I have to go now. Papa will be wondering where I am.’ After a few steps she turned back to him. ‘You said you came after me last night because you had something important to tell me. What was it? To say you had a woman in your life?’
He strode closer. ‘Partly it was about Augusta. Also I had changed my mind about you not telling our father. I cannot stay in that hovel. Augusta is increasing. She is constantly crying and saying we must move somewhere nice.’ He paused to make a hopeless gesture. ‘I do love her, you know, and don’t want to see her suffer. We should marry or the child will be born a bastard. Our father will want to assist me in finding a decent home, for his first grandchild’s sake.’
Dismayed by that news, Emma swallowed her questions and quickly took her leave of her brother as the strolling couple looked their way. ‘I will do what I can and get word to you at your lodgings,’ she rattled off.
‘Worse and worse...’ she groaned to herself as she hurried on towards home. But something else had occurred to her. Augusta hadn’t shown herself last night, but must have been close by to send Robin after her. Now Emma knew who her brother’s woman was she felt a rather vulgar desire to meet Augusta and get to know a bit about Lance Harley’s family, just as he seemed keen to know all about hers.
‘Get dressed and meet me downstairs. I’ll wait no more than ten minutes before I head back to London.’
The Earl of Houndsmere had spoken dispassionately while surveying rumpled bedding and entangled limbs. The chamber occupied space in a tavern that was situated far too close to his Hertfordshire estates for his comfort. The blonde had received the brunt of his flint-eyed contempt. She extricated herself from the covers and her lover and levered herself up on an elbow.
‘Who do you think you are, ordering me about? I’m your father’s widow and you can show me respect, Houndsmere.’
‘It’ll be a cold day in hell before I do,’ Lance drawled.
He was lounging against a door through which he had moments before inconspicuously entered the room. The woman gulped an indignant breath, but of shame at having been so discovered she displayed not a jot.
‘Once again I have been greatly inconvenienced by you and your daughter. If you wish my help in finding the tiresome chit, make haste and meet me downstairs. I’ll listen to whatever tale you have to tell, but know this: I have far more important things to attend to than searching out hostelries where you might be found fornicating.’ His eyes wandered on, prompting her beau to swing his legs over the side of the bed. Swiftly, the youth snatched at his breeches discarded on the floor and jumped into them. ‘Who’s this? The latest recruit to my stables?’
The young man turned florid.
‘Introduce yourself?’ the Earl suggested, thinking he had seen him somewhere before.
‘Peter Rathbone,’ came the barked reply.
‘God almighty...’ Lance said in genuine surprise. Now he recognised his neighbour’s son. The last time he’d clapped eyes on him the boy had been attending Eton and his voice hadn’t properly broken.
‘How old is he? Eighteen?’
‘I’m twenty,’ the fellow interjected,