Goodrich/ Sordid Secrets/ Chapter 1/ Page 1

Goodrich/ Sordid Secrets/ Chapter 1/ Page 1

Chapter One

Atlantic Ocean, January 1808

“How could she do this to you?” Marcus hollered.

Colin leaned back against the ship’s railing and noticed the other passengers were staring at them. He sighed at the sight of his typically rational friend, mainly to cover up the fact he wanted to laugh at Marcus’s hysterics. “Calm yourself, Marc.”

“How dare she!” He spit, without taking notice of his friend’s composed words.

The waters of the vast ocean around them were calm, but Colin felt as if a storm was closing in—but not from the weather. Colin’s closest friend Marcus had been pacing in front of him for twenty minutes without pause. The twodevoted friends had decided to take a walk around the deck of the large passenger ship when Colin impulsivelyconfided in Marcus about his longtime courtship of London heiress, MissTessa Gray. Tessa had recently been caught walking unescorted in the park with one of her former suitors, Mr. Douglas. Colin knew he should have kept his mouth shut—though the thought of keeping quiet was more for his own ego than because of Marcus’s reaction.

Marcus increased the speed of his pacing as he ranted on. “But why? Why would she deceive you and risk a scandal? She comes from one of the most notable and well bred families in London. She must have known that this public move was indecent. Especially since she is a merefour months until the wedding—”

“I postponed the wedding.”

Marcus halted as if he hit a stone wall. Slowly turning to Colin’s downcast eyes, Marcus leaned closer as if to keep others from hearing such shocking news. Very slowly and pointedly, he asked, “what do you mean you postponed the wedding?”

Colin dared not look up at him. He had been dreading telling his friend, though the two shared every confidence. Marcus had never judged Colin in the past decade of their friendship, save one time when Colin had decided to court Marcus’ younger sister Lady Sara. Marcus had watched Colin for years court countless women and could not stand for his beloved sister to fall into those numbers. Colin understood this and with too much respect for both Marcus and Sarah, it had ended amicably. The two friends had since ceased to speak of the affair. But Colin knew that Marc had tacitly hoped once the marriage to MissGray—the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Blackenly— took place that Colin would finally settle back from his brazen ways. Colin knew his closest ally would not understand his decision. Keeping his eyes cast away, Colin slowly sighed. “Marc… I… I just can’t. Not yet.”

“Is it someone else?”

The question could have been scripted by Colin himself, for he knew this was the next to come. Colin had long been loathe to settle down, especially to an icy heiress like Miss Tessa Gray. She may have been one of the most beautiful and well-connected heiresses in London, but she was one of the most superficial and boring as well.Colin and Tessa had been intended for each other for nearly three years, which had placed pressure on both Colin and Tessa to marry whether they liked each other or not. Colin had long sabotaged the match, though nothing seemed to work. Now it seemed that Tessa was making a move to either force Colin to finally marry her or end the match – he wasn’t sure which.

Marcus continued without an answer. “For that is what all of society is saying as you well know—”

He broke off when Colin raised his stark blue eyes sharply, warning his friend to not continue on with this train of questioning. Throughout London society, stories of Colin’s conquests and affairs had been slandered and exaggerated into an infamous reputation. Colin despised society gossip. He knew the fabricators of his infamy were only the elitists looking for fresh excitement themselves, but unable to risk having their own indiscretions. This was not to say Colin hadn’t enjoyed the women who came across his path, but that they weren’t exactly affairs, but explorations… yes, explorations to make sure he knew what was out there—at least, this was how Colin justified it.

It wasn’t that Colin didn’t want to be in love or marry. Contrary to the men in his family, he actually believed in such sentiments. It must have come from his mother, who had repeatedly sworn to him that real love and happiness were out there, though Colin never saw his mother have this— especially with his father. His mother had been the compass in his life until her long, drawn out death from a blood disease four years earlier. Since then he had fallen into the trap of his brother and father, and was pushed to marry in order to elevate their family’s standing. Without his mother reminding him how miserable both his father and brother were in their loveless marriages, Colin agreed to the match with Tessa.

The pair did not match each other’s disposition or temper, but through a growing tolerance, Colin and Tessa had grown use to the other over the past year. They were a couple through habits only. Colin was impatient with her proper view of society. Secretly, he considered her passionless and inane. Tessa wished only for him to attend the galas of the upper class, shunning any one of low class or dishonor. She clung to Colin, for he was reputed as one of the most remarkable bachelors in London—which in turn thrust her into a class of women who could ensnare such a man. Colin was considered unattainable in every sphere of society with his extraordinarily good looks, illustrious lineage and hefty wealth. But Tessa had landed him—a sad day for most debutants in London.

Rare social elite for London, Tessa prided herself on playing quite well the role of heiress, debutante and now fiancé of Colin Avenry. She cringed over Colin’s indifference towards society and his uncommon intensity over his emotions. The term ‘love’ certainly didn’t pertain to what the promised pair had. Not that Colin really needed love in marriage, as long as he had something true, honest and consequential somewhere in his life. But Tessa offered neither love nor lust. Moreover, she was the jealous sort which could prove to be a problem when Colin wanted to find enjoyment outside of their relationship.

The afternoon Tessa was seen out with her former suitor, Lawrence Douglas, in a very staged and deliberate afternoon stroll, Colin had explained that morning to her that he needed a little more time before the wedding. Their meeting had not gone well as Tessa simply shut down and refused to accept his decision. Her formal training kept any emotion distant during his visit— typical for a girl in high society to not show her true feelings. Though for a moment after he first told her of his intention to postpone their marriage, her breathing quickened and a hint of anger flashing red in her usually pale white cheeks. Colin had actually liked seeing some fire and hoped it would lead to an open and honest conversation between the two for once. But she kept her composure through it and dismissed him without as much as a harsh word. Of course, he later found out that her mind had been concocting a plan to embarrass him and their relationship during that time with her tinyimprudence.

Colin knew his family would protest if not disown him for the wedding postponement, but he had boarded the boat to Portugal with his friend, Marc, within hours of his meeting with Tessa and her preposterous scheme. At least now he would have time to think.

“Oh, Colin… my poor, sad fool of a friend.”

“Just because I haven’t let society blacken my heart like yours—”

“You’re a fool because you have one of London society’s most illustrious matches in years and you continually postpone the wedding.” Marcus had joined him in leading back against the ship’s railing, letting the ocean wind also whip up behind him.

Colin closed his eyes as he raised his face up to the sun that beat down on the first class deck. The ship had just passed from the frigid waters of Great Britain and France and they were nearing the warmer waters of Portugal. It wasn’t exactly warm outside, since it was still January, but the sun made him feel warmth after the ice he felt back home. Colin knew they should step into the shade before the sun set in an unfashionable tan, but Colin didn’t want to move from their position. He liked feeling parted from the other first class guests who shunned the sun, staying in their comfortable lounges. Colin just couldn’t stand making himself endure any more chatter back in the gentlemen’s lounge. But he also liked feeling the powerful and unpredictable ocean next to him—it was how he preferred his women. He wanted fire, passion, honesty, integrity and recklessness.

Marcus raised a hand to shield hislight brown eyes as he turned his face to ask. “Have you heard from your brother on the matter?”

“Of course. Elliot was sure to be the first at my townhouse while I packed for Portugal to tell me of the situation, though he had not known of my postponement. Elliot thinks that she and the Grays may be reconsidering me as Tessa’s fiancé and that is why she was seen with Mr. Douglas. As if that ass could truly steal Tessa from me. Douglas is a joke. But you know how Elliot has to ‘reign me in’, as my father says,” Colin said with an ugly sarcasm lying beneath his explanation. He turned his face out to the sea as he fought to not continue to rant about his elder brother.

Elliot Avenry – the heir to Baron Dornfield’s title and the family’s shipping enterprise—always kept his little brother aware of scandal and gossip, especially when it involved their family. Usually, it was as a warning to Colin. Elliot took it as his duty to keep their respected family name out of all gossip circles—of course Colin’s reputation kept Elliot constantly occupied. But to be fair, Elliot did have reason to constantly be watching his younger brother, for it was to keep their father from discovering Colin’sprovocative lifestyle. If their father knew of any small instability, he would take it into his own hands—which typically meant the harshest of reactions. Elliot never understood that Colin’s preoccupation with looking beyond his match with Tessa. That morning, Elliot had demandedthat Colin keep control in his lengthy, public courtship to Miss Gray or he would go straight to father. Colin had always felt his brother was a snitch and rarely trusted him with private affairs. He knew the family name and reputation meant more to Elliot than brotherly affinity.

Colin’s family only held expectations for him. They wanted him to be a notable member of society thus arranging for him to marry a distinguished heiress from a prominent—higher titled—family in London. Similarly, Tessa’s father was more interested in the business prospects of the marriage than his youngest daughter’s happiness. Having never been delighted in the prospect of having Tessa for a wife, Colin understood it merely as a foregone conclusion.Albeit their courtship was quite public, which made for a delicious bit of gossip at every function they attended. This was the marriage that would set a new standard in elitism, between the first business family of London, the Avenrys, and one of the older and wealthier families of name, the Grays. It fit the business objectives of their fathers, along with the expectations of society. But to Colin, he felt as if he was being buried in his future and one without love, passion or most of all, choice.

Though they had both been quiet while contemplating the absurdity of Colin’s situation, Marcus turned to also face the sea and sighed. “Why did she choose Lawrence Douglas to be seen with? I know he courted her, but still, that was a bold move even for Miss Gray. To be honest with you, I didn’t know Miss Gray had it in her.”

“I sure as hell did. You have never heard Tessa speak with her family about their ambitions. It is one thing neither she nor her family is shy or proper in. As far as Lawrence, you and I both know that Lawrence has plotted against me ever since I bedded that tart of a debutante he had taken a liking to. Oh, what was her name?”

Overlooking the question, Marcus folded his arms over his chest as he scoffed, “Lawerence is a simpleton. He’s desperately tried to best you in every way, but has always been outmatched until now.”

“My family would love if I challenged him. A good respectable—but illegal – duel for Tessa’s honor.”

“No, Colin, he’s not worth the paper to post the challenge with.”

Colin chuckled for a moment and then took a deep breath to calm himself, slowly running his hands through his sun-flecked brown hair. Breathing in the thick salty air and running his hands down the double breasted lapels of his tailored navy jacket, he finally looked at his best mate. Marc was the one to keep Colin in line through business and personal affairs, as well as the only man Colin depended on. “Thank you, Marc, for allowing me to join you on such short notice. I was beginning to think I may go mad in London.”

“No thanks is needed,” he returned. Then drawing his friend's sleeve from the railing, they began to walk down the side of the ship. “I was already leaving for Lisbon. I’m glad you could join me.”

“Well, I’ve always meant to see Portugal.”

“There’s nothing extraordinary about the country. I’m just going to look at the ports in both Lisbon and Oporto for a future expansion of our families’ shipping ventures. But I admit that I was hastening our departure, for I can’t have Noble steal another investment opportunity from our families’ joint venture.”

Colin saw out of the corner of his eye that Marcus roll his hands tightly into fists, but there was nothing he could offer his friend when it concerned their families’ business rival, theNobles. Colin Avenry’s hatred of the Noble family was far deeper than Lord Marcus Garrison or his family’s and went further than just business. For the Noble family had affronted the Avenrys so deeply that all was unforgivable. The head of the family, Theodore Noble, had stolen a large piece of theAvenry’s family wealth. If it wasn’t for Marcus’s father, the Marquis of Lamont, then the Avenrys would have been ruined and bankrupt. Then Theodore Noble’s sons, Alexander and Asher, had set up a series of businesses in order to compete with the Avenry’s shipping companies – now in joint venture with Marcus’s family.

It was the scandal of the decade – if not beyond – in London. Just recently, many of the transgressions – though heinous – had been forgotten since the Nobles were now one of the richest families in the country, rivaling the Avenrys. But the traitorous Noble family would forever be stained and blackened, even if they were now a part of society. It was ludicrous.

Without any concern to who could overhear, Colin said with a frosty tone, “How dare Alexander Noble. It makes me ill when I think of my family’s money being used to support his family’s business ventures. Now they want to compete with our joint investments abroad? I’m glad I now joined you, Marc. Beyond hiding away from London, I want to have us head off Mr. Noble from undermining our families’ investments.”

Marcus tagged onto Colin’s rant with his own. “With as much money the Nobles stole, just be comforted in the fact that it can’t buy the Noble family a good standing in society. They may have become one of the wealthiest families in the United Kingdom—”

“Or Europe.” Colin miserably corrected.

“But no respectable family will ever extend any invitation to them or stand up for them. They will forever be shadowed by Theodore Noble betraying your family and stealing your wealth.Dirty thieves.”

“Except for my Aunt Camilla.”

“Your aunt can only get away with it because she married the Duke of Wendall who is in line for the throne. I adore your aunt and you know this, but I still do not understand her eccentricities, especially how she can get away with fraternizing with the Noble family.” Marcus lowered his voice when speaking of Colin’s aunt, knowing that it was unthinkable to badmouth the much beloved Duchess of Wendall.