Bound by Duty

The maid rushed off.

‘I will accompany you,’ Lorene said.

Genna rose from the window seat. ‘I will come, too.’

‘No.’ Tess held them back with her arm. ‘It is best you stay out of it.’ Lord Tinmore would only become upset with them because of her.

Genna sat again and looked sulky. ‘Well, you had better come back right away and tell us all about it.’

‘I will walk with you, at least,’ Lorene said.

As they walked the distance to Lord Tinmore’s private sitting room, Tess tried to quiet her nerves. Would Mr Glenville still be there? Goodness, she hoped Lord Tinmore allowed him to dress in dry clothing and get something to eat.

Had he been able to convince Lord Tinmore to let the incident pass? She hoped so. She prayed so.

‘Tinmore is a reasonable man,’ Lorene said when they entered the long hallway leading to his private rooms.

Lord Tinmore had seemed fairly unreasonable to Tess. Unlike Glenville, who had come to her defence.

At the stairs, a footman approached and handed Tess a piece of paper. ‘A message for you, miss.’ He glanced warily at Lorene, the new lady of the house, and hurried away.

Tess unfolded the paper and read the note. ‘It is from Mr Glenville. He wishes to speak with me right away.’ She folded the paper again and put it in a pocket. ‘I should see him first.’

She turned around, but Lorene seized her arm. ‘You cannot see Mr Glenville!’

‘Why not?’ She tried to pull away. ‘He is waiting in the morning room. I can see him there.’

‘No!’ Lorene cried. ‘You must attend Lord Tinmore first!’ She pulled her along to Lord Tinmore’s sitting room. Another footman stood at the door and opened it when they approached.

‘Go to him.’ Lorene gave her a little push.

Tess entered the room.

Lord Tinmore was alone, seated in the same chair where he had been before. His demeanour had not softened.

Tess curtsied. ‘You asked to see me, my lord.’

His lips pursed. ‘I trust you are comfortable now.’

‘I am, sir. Thank you.’ She remembered what Glenville had said. Make no apologies. They had done nothing wrong. ‘I hope you allowed the same courtesy to my rescuer.’

‘You need not concern yourself with Mr Glenville,’ Tinmore snapped.

She straightened her spine.

He frowned. ‘You have created a great deal of trouble for yourself, for my wife and for your younger sister.’

She looked him directly in the face. ‘The rain caused a great deal of trouble for me. I was in danger and a gentleman rescued me. Surely you can make something sensible of that without a great deal of trouble.’

‘Such as what?’ He stiffened in his chair.

‘Such as nothing.’ Her heart pounded. Perhaps he could be convinced. ‘Declare Mr Glenville a hero and allow him to go on his way.’

‘A hero?’ His expression turned shrewd. ‘You seem immoderately concerned about Mr Glenville.’

Her hopes were shaken. ‘Do not try to make something of that, sir. He saved my life and I am not so much a simpleton as to miss the fact that you are trying to punish him for it.’

‘Punish him?’ Lord Tinmore’s rheumy eyes flashed. ‘He was caught in bed with you. That cannot be ignored.’

‘It can be ignored if you wish it,’ she shot back. ‘The world will believe what you, sir, wish it to believe.’

He stared at her before continuing. ‘You have bedded a man and been caught at it. At least your paramour understands you must pay the consequences.’

Her heart pounded. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He will marry you.’

‘No!’ she cried. ‘He will not.’

He half-rose from his chair. ‘He will and that is that.’

Fear exploded inside her, but she could not allow it to show. Instead she moved closer to him and leaned down into his face. ‘You know, sir,’ she said in a low voice. ‘You know that Mr Glenville and I did nothing wrong, nothing to truly compromise me. You know he rescued me. Saved my life. You know all you have to do is tell your friends the truth. Tell everyone the truth.’

‘No.’ He sat back in his chair. ‘Glenville said he’d marry you and that will resolve matters nicely, with the minimum of scandal tainting my marriage.’

‘Your marriage? Why should what happened to me taint your marriage?’ she countered.

‘It adds scandal to my wife’s name,’ he said. ‘Your mother and father’s carnal excesses are bad enough. I’ll not tolerate more...’ He shook his head. ‘Stranded in a storm! Hmmph!’

She glared at him. ‘You know it is true, sir.’

He waved her words away. ‘You will marry Glenville and that is the final word.’

Her insides felt shredded, but she made herself lift her chin. ‘What has Mr Glenville to say to this?’

Tinmore’s mouth moved against his gums, an old man’s gesture. ‘Mr Glenville knows his duty. He made the offer.’

‘No.’ Her entire body began to shake. ‘He does not wish to marry me. I cannot marry a man who does not wish to marry me.’

‘He may not wish it.’ Lord Tinmore smirked. ‘But he’ll do it. As will you.’

‘You cannot force this marriage on him. Or on me!’ she cried.

‘Glenville made the offer. It is up to you to accept or not.’ He leaned forward. ‘But understand this. For you there will be no dowry, no Season.’

His words were a blow.

She swallowed the pain. And loss.