“Yes. I have little doubt that Rotham wished to earn your respect, much as Richard did.”
Tess shook her head in disbelief. “You cannot be right, my lady.”
“Why can I not? Rotham has looked after you all this time.”
“Because I was betrothed to his cousin. He felt it was his duty.”
“It was not his duty to support your charities. I kept him informed about your various endeavors, true, but when he learned about the causes you were championing, he bolstered your efforts with absolutely no prodding from me.”
“That is rather puzzling,” Tess conceded.
“Rotham is a much better man than most people realize,” the baroness said firmly. “Consider his young ward, for instance. I helped a small measure by finding the child a nurse, but it was the duke who insisted on providing the boy a home, even against my advice and protestations. Rotham certainly did not have to take responsibility for raising his cousin’s by-blow. Furthermore, he allowed everyone to think he was the child’s father. He took all the blame solely for your sake, Tess, to keep you from learning of Richard’s transgression.”
“He admitted as much this afternoon,” Tess commented.
Her godmother went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “When you wed him, I wanted to tell you about young Jamie then, because I didn’t want you to think Rotham a complete rake, but he refused because he did not want you to be hurt.”
“I know,” she admitted.
“I was never happy with how you were led to view Rotham. In my opinion, Richard was jealous of his cousin and feared you would favor a duke over him. He wanted to court you himself without any competition, so he painted Rotham much blacker than he was in order to turn you away from him.”
Tess frowned. Much of her unfavorable opinion of Ian had been spurred by Richard. And since his own cousin had deemed the duke wicked, she had read
ily believed it. Yet she’d been greatly mistaken.
“Perhaps,” Lady Wingate added, “I should not have been so insistent that you marry Rotham, Tess, but honestly, I don’t believe my adamancy was the deciding factor. He could have refused to offer for you, and I could not have forced him if he truly objected. Rotham saw the virtue in saving your reputation, unquestionably, but I think his reasons were much more complicated than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think he cares for you, Tess. The moment you enter a room, his countenance changes. It is a subtle difference, but he becomes more alert, on edge. His eyes follow you—although as soon as you look his way, he averts his gaze. That is certainly not a sign of indifference.”
Tess suspected her skepticism showed in her expression. “I never thought him indifferent to me, but we have always been adversaries, if not enemies.”
“I know you are constantly at loggerheads, but that does not mean he wishes to continue as such. He attended my recent house party because it was your birthday. I am positive he would never have come otherwise.”
When Tess remained silent, Lady Wingate searched her face. “Is it not possible that given time, your feelings for him might soften just a little?”
“Yes, it is possible,” Tess answered faintly, knowing the baroness had already gotten her wish. “But our marriage is only a legal contract.”
“I know it began that way, but will you at least consider accepting Rotham as your husband in truth? For my sake, if not for your own?”
Tess returned a wan smile. Lady Wingate was playing her trump card, knowing her loyal goddaughter would always strive to please her whenever possible.
Surprisingly then, the noblewoman leaned closer and kissed Tess’s cheek in an uncustomary outward display of affection. “I will leave you now to finish your tea alone, my dear. I expect you have a good deal to think about.”
Rising from the sofa, the baroness exited the parlor as promised. Tess could not find it in her heart to object, for she did indeed have much to ponder.
A kind of bemused numbness settled over her as she considered what she had just learned about Ian. How could appearances be so deceiving? She had been wrong about him all along. He wasn’t nearly as wicked as she and the world believed.
It seemed a bitter irony, though, that the wicked duke she had wed to avert scandal was truly a good man, whereas her late betrothed wasn’t nearly as good as she’d always thought him.
Granted, she had always been too idealistic, but now she was forced to see Richard in shades of gray.
Tess gazed off in the distance as memories of their youth and courtship flashed through her mind. Falling in love with Richard had been so easy. They’d been friends since childhood, and their mutual affection had only deepened with maturity. Despite having to face disillusionment now, she knew he was not a bad man. He’d made a detestable error and tried to atone for it, even giving his life for his country. That had to count for something.
A renewed wave of sadness and remembered grief swept over Tess, yet it was tempered by her newfound knowledge of Richard. Still, he had asked for her forgiveness … although the pain was too fresh for her to grant it just yet.
And then there was Ian. Apparently she hadn’t known him at all, Tess acknowledged. Had he actually considered competing for her hand at one time? Or was it merely wishful thinking on her godmother’s part?