“He does not know what is said about him, does he?” asked Enid.
“No,” replied Olympia, glancing at young Merry and knowing, by the sad look upon the girl’s face, that she knew at least some of the rumors about the earl. “Do you think I should have told him?”
“No, he had had enough shocks, I am thinking. Needs a rest from it for a bit. He will find out soon enough. But, you cannot be letting him stay at the Warren with you.”
“Enid, who is the baroness here?”
“Do not get all up in the boughs with me. You know I am right. If he moved into the Warren when you are there alone, there would be nothing left of your reputation by week’s end, if not sooner.”
“I still do not believe I have a reputation of any sort. I just am. And part of what I am is a Wherlocke and our reputations are not so grand.”
“Good enough that you get invited to a lot of things and are welcome in most of the better houses. That would soon come to an end.” Enid held up her hand when Olympia started to speak. “And do not say that would not bother you. It might not do so as much as it would some other lady of breeding but it would hurt and I will not believe it if ye tell me otherwise.”
“No, you are right. Depending on who did the shunning it could hurt a great deal. More importantly, it could hurt others in the family. Howbeit, the man is about to discover that he is not welcome anywhere. What is one to do? He can hardly stay out on the street or even in some inn for all the time it might take to save poor Agatha.”
“Then we shall just have to think of some solution as we make our way home. There is an answer to it all. We just have to find it.”
“You have changed your opinion of him.”
“Some. Merry tells me there is no meanness in the man, even when he is deep in his cups. There is a sadness in him though. A deep hurt. He is trying to drown it in women and drink. Fool man.” Enid shook her head. “I have never understood why they think that will work.”
“It clouds the memory and dulls the pain for a while and sometimes that is good enough. If all Penelope told me is true, I think there is also a lot of guilt in the man. I could feel it at times. I fear the trouble with Agatha and the discovery that his father has filled the staff at his homes with his illegitimate offspring has only added to that. Now he will be facing the consequences of trying to dull that pain.”
“So you think he will be drinking again.”
“No, because he has the wit to know he needs his head clear to help his sister and his need to help Agatha is strong. Very strong. But as soon as he begins his search for a place to stay in London and the doors are shut on him again and again, he will need to be watched.”
“But you just said you did not think he would be drinking like a sot again.”
“And I am sure of that, but he will be angry and we both know who that anger will be aimed at. We will have to make certain he does not do anything particularly foolish until he gets that anger under control.”
Neither of the other women argued her opinion and Olympia sighed, closing her eyes against the looks of understanding on their faces. Brant was about to walk into a dark truth that had been hidden from him for too long. He might know that he had been behaving badly for two years but he had obviously been kept utterly ignorant of how his mother had used his behavior to further destroy him in the eyes of society. His pride was about to be eviscerated.
Chapter 5
Humiliation was no stranger to Brant. It was not usually delivered at the hands of a sneering butler, however. He was, after all, the Earl of Fieldgate, a man with centuries of history and breeding behind him and, due to some clever investments, quite a lot of money. Not long ago many a mother would have plotted long and hard in an attempt to get him to marry her daughter. Now no one wanted him within a mile of their women.
He stared down at the shreds of his calling card the butler had torn up in his face and thrown at his feet, all the while reciting Lady Anabelle Tottenham’s sincere wish that Lord Fieldgate curl up and die. There had been a reference to an overdue journey to the fires of hell as well. Brant could not recall insulting the woman at any time but then there was a lot he could not recall from the last few years. Nor could he recall insulting her somewhat oafish son who had been side by side with Brant in many a round of dissipation. He would be extremely surprised, however, to discover he had attempted or succeeded in seducing the lady as she was sixty if she was a day and she had not aged well.