Chapter 1
March 1815, London
* * *
Constantine Westbrook, Earl of Aldington, slid the key into the lock. Apprehension overwhelmed any anticipation he might have possessed. He glanced over at the beautiful woman he’d hired for the evening and doubted his actions.
Don’t. Plenty of gentlemen take a mistress.
Constantine, however, was not plenty of men, and his arguments for tonight’s activity were not entirely persuasive. He prided himself on being a man of integrity and principle. He was also a man of needs, and he was weary of being alone every night, despite having a wife. If one could even call her that when she avoided his presence and behaved as if he were either repulsive or terrifying. Or both.
Barbara slid her hand beneath his coat and curled her arm around his waist. Sidling closer, she brushed her large, round breast against him. “Come on then, love.”
His body reacted, quieting the doubts. The key clicked, and Barbara pushed the door open with her hip, giving him a saucy smile.
She turned from him and sucked in a breath. “What in the devil is going on here?”
Constantine immediately took in the scene. The Earl of Overton stood close to a young woman—his bloody ward, whom Constantine had met and who was a close friend of his sister’s—and both were undressed. Overton scrambled to pull on a shirt and responded to Barbara, though Constantine didn’t hear what he said over the cacophony of distress in his head. This was supposed to be a private assignation—secret.
Horrified at being seen, and seeing Overton with his ward, Constantine pivoted. His feet were somehow rooted to the floor despite his brain screaming at him to leave as quickly as possible. Damn, Overton was coming toward him. Constantine glanced in the man’s direction before stalking away from the room, quickly retracing his steps to the back staircase that he and Barbara had used to ascend to the second floor of the Phoenix Club.
Apparently, they should have gone to her lodgings instead. But Constantine had asked his younger brother for assistance with carrying out his scheme in a more discreet location so as not to be seen entering or leaving Barbara’s. As the owner of the Phoenix Club, Lucien had enthusiastically provided Constantine with a key to a bedchamber on the second floor of the club, saying he and Barbara would be completely undisturbed.
Not only had that been untrue, but Constantine now found himself in the infuriating position of having his behavior known. Hopefully, Overton and his ward would say nothing. That seemed likely since they wouldn’t want their assignation to become public knowledge either.
Then he heard Overton coming after him. “Aldington, wait! Why are you here?”
Constantine did not turn as he gritted his teeth. In fact, he hastened his pace. “This was a mistake. Please don’t follow me out.” He opened the door to the backstairs and slipped through, closing it firmly behind him.
Thankfully, Overton did not continue his pursuit. Still, Constantine hurried down to the ground floor and made his way out of the back of the club into the garden. Sounds from the club’s assembly, the first of the Season, carried to him from the ballroom. Constantine had never been to an assembly at the club because he wasn’t a member. His brother and his mysterious membership committee hadn’t invited him.
Tonight’s scheme had been ill-planned. Lucien should have warned him that both the gentlemen’s and ladies’ sides of the club would be teeming with ball-goers.
Eager to put this entire event behind him, he found the almost unidentifiable door in the wall along Bury Street where he and his companion had come in. He opened it just enough to slip outside and made sure it was latched before he rushed away, head down, toward St. James where he would be far more comfortable.
The thought nearly made him laugh. Was he ever comfortable? Yes, when he worked on the matters that he was most passionate about in the House of Commons, despite the fact that his seat there was yet another duty his father had insisted upon, like his marriage. But while his service in the House of Commons had actually brought satisfaction and even given him a sense of purpose, his marriage was another story entirely.
As he approached the entrance to White’s, Constantine cast his head back and took a deep breath, inhaling London’s scent of coal smoke and horses. Sometimes he envied his wife and the time she spent at Hampton Lodge, the home they’d chosen as their country residence about fifteen miles outside London, with its country air and open spaces.
Residence? Hers, certainly, but not his. Constantine visited twice a year—in the summer for a few weeks and over the holidays. Yes, he envied Lady Aldington and the fact that she had a place where she felt at home. Since moving there after they’d wed, she’d refurbished several rooms and planned to redesign the gardens. Her enthusiasm and dedication were impressive. Inspiring even. It seemed to be her passion, just as his work in the Commons was his. Notably, they had no passion for each other.
“Good evening, Lord Aldington.” The footman greeted Constantine as he entered the familiar space.
“Evening,” Constantine said as he walked into the main room where Brummel sat in the bow window with his acolytes surrounding him.
Constantine strode past without pausing and was immediately intercepted by one of his colleagues, Mr. Horace Brightly. Short and fit, Brightly was a fellow member of the Gentlemen’s Phaeton Racing Club.
“Evening, Aldington. May I have a word?” Brightly asked pleasantly.
Relieved to turn his mind to something other than the mistake he’d nearly committed and would surely have regretted, Constantine inclined his head. “Certainly.”
They moved to a relatively quiet table in the corner where a footman brought them glasses of port. Brightly took a sip before setting his glass down and fixing Constantine with an intense stare. The man was tireless in his work and saw the gentlemen’s clubs as an extension of Westminster—places where he could present his arguments and hopefully persuade others to his side. Like Constantine, he had no interest in gaming, placing wagers in the betting book, or drinking to excess.
“The Importation Act is gaining ground,” Brightly noted with grave concern. “I’m hoping we can count you among our supporters. To oppose the law, that is.”
Constantine tensed. “I haven’t yet decided, but I promise I am giving it careful consideration.”
“Without your father’s input, I pray.” Brightly gave him a direct, sincere look before abruptly changing the subject. “Has Lady Aldington arrived in town yet?”
“No. I don’t expect her for a few weeks.” That was a lie. Constantine didn’t know when to expect her, if at all. She’d written a few letters since he’d returned to London in mid-January, all of them about the newly refurbished drawing room and the spring plans for the garden. He’d responded in kind, discussing his activities here in London. Their correspondence was polite and respectful and utterly devoid of anything personal. Once upon a time, he’d hoped that would change, but after nearly two years, he accepted their marriage was one of extreme convenience.
He supposed she’d probably come sometime this month. Last year, she’d arrived in mid-March. Really, he should write to her and ask. Perhaps he’d do that tomorrow.