Page 54 of His Scandalous Viscountess
“My lord, there is a gentleman here to see you.”
“Send him in, please.”
Wolf refrained from rushing out to meet the man, despite the urge to hurry things along. Not only did he want to know what he had discovered, but he couldn’t stifle the need to return to Jules so he could ensure she was safe. It seemed without her where he could see her, he constantly worried about her wellbeing.
The nondescript man shook his hand, and then they sat down. Getting right down to business, he handed over a folio. “The report contains all the details of the Marquess of Wallthorpe’s current financial situation. You will see that he is deeply in debt. In fact, he is in jeopardy of losing his family seat.”
The man paused, giving Wolf a moment to peruse the specifics.
“While that would not strip him of his title, as I am sure you are aware, there is a certain amount of embarrassment that would accompany such an event. In fact, I would think he might find it nearly impossible to marry well if his situation was discovered. He has gone to great lengths to hide the state of his affairs. I am also concerned about a letter I came across from his father.”
Wolf frowned. “Go on.”
“It seems that part of the reason his aged father took his bride off on a world tour was because his son had an unhealthy fixation with her. The father feared his son might attempt to lure his new wife astray—or worse.” The man shook his head. “You fancy types are an odd lot.”
Wolf sighed. Wonderful. Wallthorpe was desperateandobsessed. Not a comforting combination. “And what have you found out about the sheik?”
“He was certainly more difficult to trace, but I did find that he will be departing London in three days’ time. His traveling party is in an uproar, since his first wife—another strange lot, I might add—seems to have acquired some Western habits. She has taken to wearing ladies’ gowns and fancying herself up, much to the man’s consternation. According to the maids, he has been steaming mad and is dragging her home by her hair. By all accounts, she is fighting him every step of the way.”
That bit of news made Wolf smile. The sheikh was clearly far too occupied to be attempting to abduct Julia now. “Anything else of interest? Any more visits to Lucifer’s by Lady Wallthorpe, or other men who may be of concern?”
“No, my lord. It seems she has not been back to Lucifer’s, nor are there other admirers lurking in the background.”
Wolf nodded, satisfied. “Thank you. You’ve done excellent work.”
“Always a pleasure, my lord. You can find my bill for services under the report.” The man stood. “I’ll bid you a good day.”
Wolf stood as well. “Good day to you.”
And then the man departed, leaving Wolf to sort out his next steps. He knew that the only way to protect Jules was to marry her. Wallthorpe was many things, but as of yet, he’d not proven to be a killer. If she was married, the man would find another solution to his problem…or not.
For once, Wolf wished he could go to his father for assistance. With his help, he could have easily offered Wallthorpe enough money to simply go away. But that was not a practical plan, as he was painfully aware of his father’s stance on helping him in any capacity. Upon graduation from school, he’d received a courtesy title to offer legitimacy and three thousand pounds. His father then informed him that he was to make do on his own. His obligation had been fulfilled.
It had been a decade since he and his father had said more than a polite hello when they met unexpectedly in public. Other than that, he ensured he visited his mother when he knew his father would be unavailable or out of the house. The arrangement seemed to work well for everyone.
That said, he was still left with his original problem. How did he convince Jules that marrying him was not just the better option, but theonlyoption? He was too practical to rely on love to sway her. That was too risky a proposition. No, he supposed he’d have to lay the facts out for her, and let her see that marriage was the only way to ensure her safety.
He shuffled through the papers included in the report, and was pleased to find a handwritten copy of the letter the investigator had mentioned. He read through it once himself.
Herbert,
Considering the circumstances I so recently ascertained, in particular your unhealthy fixation with my new bride, I have decided to extend my honeymoon.
You should know I have sealed up the entrances to the hidey-holes you discovered, so there will be no further opportunities to spy on her. I can also assure you that the letter you recently sent professing your undying love has not been delivered, and is, in fact, a pile of ashes in my fireplace as I write this letter. It is for your own good that I have married this woman. She was not suitable to bear the future of our line. She is a wild girl with wild ways, and it will be all that I can manage at this late hour of life to bring her to heel.
It is my great hope that while we are away, you will find your interests drawn to new quarters. I am an aging man. You will one day be the Marquess of Wallthorpe and you will require a poised and elegant wife at your side to bear our next generation. It is your duty to the family name to carry on the line, and I shall brook no more of this business with my wife.
—Wallthorpe
It took every ounce of self-control Wolf possessed not to burn the offensive missive. It explained much of the insanity that had occurred a decade ago, and some of the more current activity. But knowing Julia would need to see the words for herself, he tucked the page back into the report and shuffled through the remainder of the notes. Most of them documented a series of poor decisions on the younger Wallthorpe’s part, since his father had passed.
The man had invested in some harebrained scheme to mine gold from the Americas. It would seem the man who had convinced Wallthorpe to give him a large sum of money had disappeared en route. Whether that was due to an unfortunate accident or a carefully laid plan didn’t really matter, as the result was the same in the end. Wallthorpe was out nearly one hundred thousand pounds. Wolf’s stomach lurched at the exorbitant sum.
Without further delay, he knew it was time to discuss his findings with Jules and get her to see reason. They must marry immediately, in order to ensure her safety.
~
Julia stared out the window of the hackney, watching as London’s denizens spilled into the gaslit streets. Wallthorpe was becoming a rather greater pain in her backside than she had anticipated. Nothing she’d tried so far had worked to deter him, which worried her. Soon she would have only one option left, and while there were parts of the solution she wouldn’t mind, she struggled with the notion of shackling herself to another man—even one so handsome as Wolf. Even one she called a friend.
