Page 38 of A Single Obsession

Taking a deep breath, he followed behind Dawson, who announced his arrival. Beau greeted his mother and stepfather with a cheerfulness he was far from feeling.

“How kind of you to find the time to wait upon us,” she said in clipped tones.

He tried to brush it off, answering with more diplomacy than truth. “Always a pleasure to see you. I didn’t realise you had gone out of town.”

The last part, at least, was true.

His mother cleared her throat and flashed her husband a pointed look.

He seemed to recollect his duty. “You must be perfectly aware of the anguish you have caused your mother, Beaumont.”

Beau tried, unsuccessfully, to look as though he did not know what his stepfather was talking about. “I have?”

“It has come to our attention,” the older man continued in a painfully slow voice, “that you have been foolish enough to wager that you can perform on horseback like one of Astley’s troupe. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Your mother feels”—he gave a brief cough—“as do I, that you treat your life with contempt to risk it so readily and demands that you forego the bet.”

Beau’s expression hardened. There were some things that were a point of honour. He would no more renege on a bet than he would cheat at cards. “I regret to say that is impossible.”

“I insist,” said Lady Harting, a steely look in her eyes that reminded Beau forcibly of the time he had been caught fighting with the gardener’s lad when he was a boy. He felt twelve years old again under that glare.

“I would not if I could, but I can’t. The wager has already taken place.”

Lord Harting’s face lit up. “Did you win?”

“I did.”

“Well, I never…” His stepfather sounded as if he were about to congratulate him, but his words hung in the air.

Beau turned back to his mother in time to catch the piercing look that had subdued her husband. He also noticed something else. His mother’s face had gone white, and it was wracked with pain.

What could it mean? Was she suffering from visions of him lying dead on the ground at Astley’s? Did she love him more than he’d always believed?

His eyes clouded over, and he was overcome with remorse, but before he could muster an apology, his mother dispelled the short-lived illusion.

“How dare you?” she hissed as her eyes bore into him, her chin quivering with rage.

His remorse vanished in an instant. She was more distressed he had flouted her wishes than that he might have killed himself. How stupid of him to think she cared.

Deep down, he wondered whether he acted recklessly to provoke her—to evoke some kind of reaction, to prove to himself he was wrong to believe she didn’t love him. Had she shown just a little genuine affection toward him…but as it was, he was on the defensive—again.

“I knew I could trust in my horses.”

She flared her nostrils in disgust. “You are missing the point, Beaumont. I thought I had impressed upon you the need to curb your recklessness, but it appears you have not taken my words seriously. Instead of finding a wife, you have risked your life fulfilling a ridiculous bet.”

Beau suppressed a sigh. As he had expected, it was the same old story, with his mother harping on again about her desire for him to get married.

He pursed his lips, struggling to spit out the words he felt she required. “I will try harder to find myself a wife.”

“That is no longer enough. I am tired of your half-hearted promises. You will marry before the season is out. I have given notice to your tenants, and on Midsummer’s Day, you take possession of Langcroft Park, with or without a bride. If you wed, you will have all the wealth of the estate at your disposal. If you refuse, I will reduce your allowance to such a level you will be forced to retire there and learn how to manage your property.”

She snorted with amusement. “No more racing. No more hunting. Nothing that could bring about your premature death. You will spend your days at a desk, poring over ledgers with Harris, learning all that your estate manager can teach you. I expect your progress will be slow, if indeed you are capable of learning anything at all.”

As his mother talked, Beau’s bottom jaw fell lower and lower, leaving his mouth wide open in shock. He was stunned. Lost for words. She had threatened him before, but he had never imagined it would come to this. It was nothing short of blackmail.

She had placed a noose around his neck, and he knew she would not hesitate to pull it tight if he did not do as she asked. If he did not marry, he would be cut off from everything that mattered to him. Banished.