A Marriage Deal with the Viscount
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Bronwyn Scott
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"I can protect you." But she must accept his ring! An Allied at the Altar story: after an abusive marriage, Sofia is struggling to find acceptance in Society. So when dashing Viscount Taunton needs her investment for his business, she's surprised by his strong, supportive nature. In Conall's arms she discovers true pleasure. Yet to fully leave her past behind, Sofia must consider Conall's offer of his full protection — in the form of wedding vows!
Chapter One
Men reveal themselves the most in the least of their actions. In this case, it was the failure to offer a drink. On that omission alone, Conall Everard knew he was going to be refused. He’d learned to look for meaning in the smallest of gestures—or the lack of them. Today, he’d been in the Duke of Cowden’s study for precisely one and a half minutes and he already knew the interview would go poorly. This afternoon, the Duke had not offered him a drink, only a seat in a maroon, Moroccan-leather chair designed for style over comfort, a sign he was fortunate to get an appointment with the Duke at all no matter how short the audience. Longer audiences got more comfortable chairs. It affirmed his earlier assumption of bad news. The Duke was a busy man. Most of tonnish London wanted a moment of the man’s time, a place in his deep pockets or a whisper of his wisdom. This audience had been granted out of remembrance for the Duke’s friendship with Conall’s father rather than any desire to do business with his late friend’s son. Unless...
Unless Conall could change the conversation. The Duke might intend to refuse him, but Conall had persuaded hard hearts before, usually of the feminine variety and usually for business of a different sort, but, none the less, persuasion was persuasion and Conall Everard, the newly inherited Viscount Taunton, was as persuasive as they came. Conall leaned forward, as if he were oblivious to the Duke’s oversight on the drink. ‘I appreciate your time today, your Grace, the alpaca has much to recommend it: the waterproof layering of its wool, even the feel of the wool, which is far softer than our sheep.’
The Duke cut him off with a wave of his hand and the tired sigh of a man much beset. ‘I read the report, Taunton.’
‘Alpacas can be raised in England,’ Conall pushed on, ignoring the pain that still stabbed at him whenever someone called him that. Taunton. The title was his now and with it went the reminder that his beloved father was dead. After a year, he was starting to think he might never recover from the blow. He might not have if it had been up to him. But it wasn’t up to him. Nothing would ever just be about him again. A viscount had to put his family first, his people first, all of whom who were counting on him to make the Viscountcy viable again. He’d had to shelve his grief and shoulder his responsibilities. He could not fail today. ‘Imagine what it would mean, your Grace, if we had direct access to the wool source without the complications of importing.’
‘We know what it would mean.’ Cowden’s patience was thin. ‘The board read the report, all seventy-two pages of it.’ The board being the Prometheus Club, a group of wealthy, titled gentlemen with a knack for profitable investments—such a knack, in fact, that a single word from them could make or break an entire venture. A word would be nice, as long as it was the right word, Conall thought. A word would be imperative, even. But today he was here for much more than garnering verbal endorsements. Before words could matter he needed money and a lot of it. Soon. His alpacas were already here. It was a gamble he’d had to take to have them here before the summer shearing. But it had cost him the liquidation of every asset he’d been able to lay his hands on. Now there were no funds to develop the project. What good would the alpaca be to him if he could not buy the mill? He pressed on, ignoring the warning signs from Cowden.
‘Then you already know how immediate access to the wool could reduce costs by having the supply for our mills on our own land.’
The Duke’s greying eyebrows lifted as his gaze flicked to the long wall of windows revealing the outside, no doubt imagining alpacas with their shaggy coats trotting around his immaculate gardens. Conall stopped, recognising his mistake. It was a poor choice of words. ‘Figuratively speaking, of course, your Grace,’ Conall hastily amended. ‘Americans dominate the cotton market at present and, by doing so, they hold us hostage. We have to pay their prices in order to meet our mills’ needs.’ He shook his head. ‘That situation can’t go on for ever. The slavery issue will tear that country apart in a few years, mark my words, and then where will we be? Our supply will be cut off. But if we had alpacas, now that would be real leverage, real control.’
Cowden was not impressed. ‘We have Scottish sheep and we are developing cotton in our other colonies like Egypt. I think we will survive if the American market goes under.’
‘We should strive to do more than survive, your Grace. Alpaca wool is better quality in all ways.’ Warmer and softer, it lacked the itchiness of sheep’s wool. Surely, the Duke saw the benefit in that? Women would go wild for it. It would make beautiful scarves, blankets, and shawls, to say nothing of its practical uses. As a luxury item alone it would command a certain market.
The Duke leaned forward and fixed him with a warning stare that said the time for argument was over and had been over before he’d even walked into the room. ‘Taunton, I do appreciate you coming to me and to my club first. However, on a majority vote, we have decided to pass on investing in your alpaca syndicate.’
He was sunk, then. His great gamble had failed before it had even really begun. Conall let the full import of that rejection sink in. He had not just come to the club first. He’d come to the club first and last. There was nowhere else to go. Banks had turned him down. Did Cowden know that? No lender had been willing to loan him money on the risky venture of shipping alpacas from Peru to England for fear the cargo would die on the voyage or wouldn’t acclimate to England as well as Conall proposed, especially with the cloud of debt hanging over the Viscountcy already. He had no collateral should the venture fail. He had no other avenues to pursue besides banks and the Prometheus Club. No other investment club had ties with him that obligated them to hear him out on his father’s behalf.
And yet, up until this moment, Conall had been so certain it wouldn’t matter. He’d been sure the Prometheus Club, named for the Titan god of foresight, would see the opportunity behind this, if not the genius. Now, by a majority vote, his one hope had been cut, his one grand plan for resurrecting the failing coffers of the Taunton Viscountcy.
His mind tripped back to that one word and what it meant. Majority. The vote had not been unanimous. There had not been consensus. Hope surged, once more. Maybe surged was too optimistic. It flickered, a last ember among the ashes.
‘I do wish I had better news for you.’ The Duke was a shrewd man, sharp-minded and blunt when needed, but he was not an unkind man. Conall had known Cowden most of his life, had grown up with his sons, and he knew the Duke believed the moment of crisis had passed, the bad news delivered, the rejection accepted, the dirty work of refusing the son of an old friend done. Conall smiled. That was the Duke’s mistake. This wasn’t over, not yet. This was where he’d take his advantage. He waited patiently for the expression of sympathy sure to follow.
‘I understand your father’s passing revealed some difficult circumstances. I am sorry for it. If I had known there was such distress...’ He spread his hands in an expansive but helpless gesture as if the words ‘difficult circumstances’ or ‘distress’ adequately encompassed the amount of debt Conall had discovered after his father’s death. Indeed, none of them had known. Conall’s father had kept the shocking financial reality of their lives well-hidden from even those closest to him.
‘I appreciate the sentiment, your Grace. Perhaps there is something you could do? You mentioned the decision was not unanimous. Might I ask for the names of those who are interested in investing? I would like to contact them on my own. Perhaps they would like to invest privately, outside the club.’ If there were three or even four men who’d expressed an interest it would be enough. His blood started to thrum with possibility, his mind already running the numbers. ‘And yourself, of course. I would entertain a private partnership with you.’ It was a bold move to put the question directly to Cowden, to call out his vote explicitly with the assumption that Cowden had voted affirmatively.
Cowden steepled his hands, his hazel eyes soft with something akin to pity, and Conall felt his stomach plummet. ‘I am too old for such adventure, Taunton. I want to bask in my profits and let the club work for me after all the years I’ve worked for it. I want to enjoy my grandchildren and my sons while I have the vigour left to do it.’
Conall supplied the requisite chuckle, masking his own disappointment. One did need a certain amount of vigour to keep up with Cowden’s family. The Duke had managed three sons, his eldest had married seven years ago and seen to it that his wife, Helena, promptly produced four sons, one every two years like clockwork. Now, Cowden’s second son was set to marry and there was no doubt in society’s mind the Cowden cradle would be full this time next year and the year after that. The Cowden males knew how to do their duty. Except for Fortis, the third, the one closest to Conall’s own age. But despite his wildness, Fortis had still managed a brilliant military career, as youngest sons should, and an acceptable society marriage, even if he hadn’t seen his bride since the honeymoon six years ago.
Conall cleared his throat. ‘I certainly understand, your Grace. But the other members, perhaps?’ He knew he was pressing, but he could not let the opportunity go.
‘There was only one, Taunton.’ Ah. The Duke had meant to spare his feelings with the rather liberal use of the term majority. A minority of one was not much to go on. The Duke blew out a breath, debating with himself. ‘I’m not sure I do you any favours by revealing the name to you. The investor is not a “usual” member. I originally had misgivings about allowing them to join, but they have proven reliable thus far even if they are a bit of a phantom.’ The Duke speared him with a sharp hazel gaze. ‘I want the very best of investors for you. I would not want to set you up for failure.’
Dear Lord, the Duke had withheld a drink and now he was withholding a name. Today was definitely not his day. ‘I am already set up for failure. In fact, failure is a surety if I maintain my present course,’ Conall said bluntly. The Viscountcy could not last more than a few years at the given rate before it gave into genteel poverty. There was his sister, Cecilia’s, Season to manage next year and hopefully her dowry the following, his brother, Freddie’s, schooling and an endless list of repairs for the estate. He could not leave this room without a name, without hope that he might be able to meet those obligations. ‘Give me the name and let me assess the quality of the investor myself.’
Nothing persuaded like a direct order. Usually people didn’t refuse if not given the option. Although the Duke’s warning was making him uneasy—an investor who never attended meetings, who voted by correspondence, who only had the quality of their name and the depth of their bank account to recommend them. It was not like the Prometheus Club to be so lax in their standards. This member must be a paragon of investment intuition to have his eccentricities tolerated.
The Duke’s hazel eyes showed another debate. ‘It’s not only for you that I hesitate.’ He took a small piece of notepaper from his desk, reached for a fountain pen and wrote four words. He pushed the paper across the desk. Conall read the name: La Marchesa di Cremona. ‘A woman?’ And a foreigner at that. No wonder the Duke was hesitant to reveal the potential investor. ‘I thought the Prometheus Club was only open to titled men?’
‘Yes.’ The Duke gave an elegant shrug. ‘She does business under the name of Phillip Barnham.’
‘And you keep her secret?’ Conall probed, understanding the depth of trust the Duke displayed in telling him. It was the kind of confidence entrusted to family.
‘She is a woman who has led a gilded but unfortunate life. Society has not judged her kindly for it. If I do not keep her secret, if you do not keep her secret, she would have no honourable recourse for supporting herself.’ In other words, the board didn’t know.
‘The Great Exhibition owes its success to the efforts of many, not the least of which were her contributions, under her alias, in bringing certain key inventions from the Continent to be displayed here,’ the Duke explained, perhaps to build her credibility with him. Conall knew Cowden had been heavily involved in the Great Exhibition. No doubt he’d been impressed. La Marchesa’s connections and business acumen had been recommendation enough to take her on as a secret partner to the club. ‘I would not want her exposed, Taunton, nor would I want you misled. You see why I hesitate on both your behalves?’
And yet, Conall could not do the same. He did not have the luxury of hesitation, not with seventy-five head of alpaca and his people waiting on him. If Cowden trusted La Marchesa, that would have to be good enough for him. He had no choice but to go forward. ‘How shall I contact her?’
Cowden smiled broadly. ‘You’re in luck. She is here for tea today. She’s in the drawing room with my wife and daughter-in-law.’ Conall wondered how much luck had to do with it. The Duke cleared his throat, perhaps sensing the question of coincidence. ‘She’s here for Ferris’s wedding, nothing more, as a favour to my daughter-in-law.’ The daughter-in-law with four sons, Conall reminded himself.
The Duke dropped his voice. ‘There’s something else you should know. La Marchesa has something of a reputation. But the two of them go way back to finishing-school days.’ He splayed his hands in a gesture of happy surrender that Conall surmised to mean daughters-in-law who’d birthed four grandsons and ensured the succession deserved to be indulged, especially when it came to their friends who made the Duke money.
Well, the woman’s reputation was nothing he could afford to be concerned about either. Nor was it his business. His business was to secure a loan for his mill. When he’d come to London he’d promised himself to use any and all means possible. He’d just not imagined such drastic measures. Conall rose and took his leave, shaking hands with the Duke. ‘Thank you for your assistance. I’ll look in on the ladies before I go.’ That was his first rule of any persuasive encounter: he never left until he got what he came for. He might have been rejected by Cowden and the club, but he had been offered a consolation prize. He was not leaving here today until he had the next meeting secured.
‘Of course, her Grace would scold me if she knew you hadn’t stopped in.’ The Duke was more jovial now that business was truly done. ‘I hope we’ll see you at the wedding?’
‘I plan to be there. Will Fortis get leave to come home for it?’ Conall enquired. It would be good to see his old friend again. The wedding was at the end of the week. Fortis might already be en route.
The Duke gave a short shake of his head. ‘He’s with the allied forces in the Danube, headed for Sevastopol the last I heard.’ He smiled, but Conall detected the worry behind the Duke’s eyes, a reminder that for all his wealth and power, Cowden was just a man, a father worried about his son. And with Fortis there was always a reason to worry. Fortis Tresham was far too brave, far too reckless for his own good. It was what made him a good friend, one of the best Conall had ever had, and what made him a brilliant officer. But perhaps not the best of husbands. He hadn’t been home for years. Conall wondered how Avaline was holding up under her husband’s prolonged absence, but he didn’t dare ask. A man’s marriage was far too personal to discuss between third parties as small talk, even when those third parties were fathers and best friends.
‘Fortis is a good soldier, your Grace. I am sure all will go well.’ Conall smiled. ‘Besides, Camden Lithgow is with him. Cam is cool-headed enough for both of them.’ Lithgow was another friend, the grandson of an earl looking to make a name for himself that went beyond resting on the laurels of his family’s antecedents. ‘Again, thank you for your assistance.’ Conall took his leave and found his way down the hall, family enough not to need a footman’s announcement or direction.
Conall didn’t kid himself that circumstances were ideal. The possible investor was an unorthodox choice—a woman, who apparently operated on the fringes of the ton except for her connections to the Duke’s family. She was not what he would have chosen, but a lot had happened in this past year that he would not have chosen either. Feminine laughter met him at the drawing-room door, each laugh distinct, indicating the smallness of the gathering. This was not a large tea, but a quiet, intimate affair for three. Two of whom he knew. The other was riveting. Conall’s gaze lit on the stranger immediately. How could it not?
She was the sort of woman a man noticed even in a room full of people. Her blonde hair carried the sheen of platinum mixed with gold, a striking complement to the alabaster cream of her skin which was tinged with the faintest shades of pink. That tinge gave her the appearance of youth, of freshness, as did the crisp lavender muslin of her gown.
She might have been springtime personified if not for her eyes which were blue and hard as sapphires. They told a different story. This was a woman of some worldly experience. Those cool blue pools of knowledge held his with a boldness not often encountered at an English tea. Had she been expecting him? Was she prepared for this meeting? Perhaps she’d even asked for it? Conall had the unnerving sensation that she knew him. He didn’t know her. He was certain of it. He would remember her even if he’d seen her only once. She was not a woman a man forgot, more the sort other women remembered with jealousy. No wonder society had judged her harshly.
The Duchess came forward, taking his arm. ‘Taunton, what a pleasant surprise.’ Was it, though? He felt as if he was the only one surprised by his arrival, that they had been anticipating him all along, the tea a mere ploy in order for La Marchesa and he to meet. ‘Come, let me introduce you to our guest. You already know Helena, Frederick’s wife.’
Helena rose to kiss him affectionately on the cheek and Conall saw the reason for the intimacy of the gathering and for the Duke’s permission to bring Helena’s special but potentially scandalous friend to tea. The future Duchess of Cowden was pregnant again. It was a good thing Ferris’s wedding was this week. Any later and she’d be too obviously enceinte to attend. ‘You look beautiful,’ Conall assured her. And she did. Pregnancy agreed with Helena as much as family agreed with Frederick. Frederick was a lucky man. A stab of sad envy went through Conall. Frederick had everything to offer a wife, to offer a family. Conall could offer none of that security, only a debt-ridden title and a failing estate. He had nothing to pass on to one son, let alone four.
Helena turned to the other woman with a soft, warm smile. ‘Sofia, let me present Viscount Taunton, a friend of the family. Viscount Taunton, my dear friend, La Marchesa di Cremona.’
‘Buongiorno, Marchesa.’ Conall bent formally over her hand, careful not to take his eyes from her face. The use of her title brought a shadow to her eyes for the fleetest of moments. Had he been looking down he would have missed it. Did she prefer not to use her title? A wry smile twisted at his mouth, struggling to get out. He knew a little something about that.
She gave a light laugh at his Italian. ‘There’s no need for that. I am as English as you.’ Her smile deepened. ‘I can see you are surprised, which is all the more reason to dispense with the title. It only serves to confuse people.’ She slanted a playful but scolding look at Helena. ‘I would be Sofia here, dear friend, just plain Sofia.’ Her voice elongated the ‘I’ with exquisite precision. ‘Just as you are Helena and not Lady Brixton when you are among friends.’
Conall doubted this woman could be plain anything. He cast a swift, hopefully surreptitious glance at her hands. There was only one way an English woman acquired an Italian title. They were long, slender hands. Elegant. And empty. Devoid of a ring. But she was not devoid of a title. It did make for a bit of mystery and perhaps therein lay the whiff of scandal the Duke alluded to: an Englishwoman married to a foreign marquess.
She folded her hands, covering her empty finger as she spoke. He hadn’t been as circumspect as he had hoped. ‘I am told, Lord Taunton, you are interested in importing alpacas.’ Her eyes were steady on him as he took his seat and accepted a cup of tea. She was assessing, studying, her gaze as bold as her question. What did she see in that raking inquisition of a gaze? A man she could trust with her money? A man with an enterprise worth investing in?
Well, two could play that game. Conall returned her gaze with an inspection of his own. He would make it clear from the start he would not be intimidated. He might need investment money, but that didn’t mean he’d play the sycophant. Nor did it mean he’d take funds from just anyone. This had to be a good fit for him. His reputation and that of his family were on the line.
They finished their tea and the conversation flagged for the slightest of moments. The Marchesa smiled expectantly at him, a hint of challenge in her blue eyes. ‘Perhaps you would care to take a turn about the gardens with me and explain your venture further? We can spare the Duchess and Lady Brixton our boring business talk.’ She rose, her confidence in his acceptance obvious. She knew he wouldn’t or couldn’t refuse the request. It was the whole purpose he’d come down the hall, after all, and they both knew it.
‘I would be delighted.’ Conall understood perfectly well this was his audition. What he said and did in the next few minutes would determine the future of Taunton. He offered the Marchesa his arm. ‘Shall we?’
