The Countess Page 0,24

idea if he took anything else off but his shoes, but it didn't seem to me he had time to disrobe further between putting out the candle and climbing on top of me."

"You were under the blankets?" Langley asked sharply. When she nodded, he asked, "And he was on top?"

Christiana bit her lip at the growing excitement in his expression. "That was wrong, wasn't it? I did wonder, but Dicky said it was consummated, and I had no one to ask, so . . ."

"Dicky," he muttered with disgust. "It's no wonder Richard hated that name. I do as wel ." He let his breath out on a little huff and then suddenly smiled.

"That doesn't matter. However, what does is the fact that, from your description, the marriage certainly hasn't been consummated. We can take you to a doctor now this very night. He can examine you, proclaim you stil a virgin, and we can have the marriage annul ed at once. There would stil be a scandal, but not much of one compared to the alternative."

"The alternative being proving he doesn't have the birthmark and is real y George masquerading as his brother, which would mean the wedding wasn't valid and I have been living with him without benefit of marriage?" she asked quietly.

Langley's smile faded, but he nodded.

"You do realize that if he is George and has taken his brother's place . . . Wel , we simply can't al ow him to get away with it," she pointed out gently. "We would have to tel someone."

"At the expense of you, Suzie and Lisa suffering a maelstrom of scandal?"

Langley asked grimly.

She hesitated, but then nodded.

"You always did have an implacable belief in justice," Langley muttered with frustration.

Christiana smiled faintly, but then sighed. An annulment would certainly be less scandalous than possible murder, stealing a man's name and living in sin. But if the man she thought she married real y was George Fairgrave, he was even more dastardly than she'd thought, and should be stopped and brought to justice. Stil , she would rather do so with as little damage to herself and her family as possible and there was real y no rush for justice.

"Why do we not find out what is what before we worry about anything else," she suggested quietly. "I shal see if he has the birthmark or not. If he does, he is Richard, I wil be examined, be proven a virgin, and I wil simply go for an annulment.

If he doesn't and he is George, I wil stil be examined, be proven a virgin, and go for the annulment, but then, once the dust has settled, we can see about reporting him to the authorities," she suggested. "That little bit of distance might be enough to protect Suzie and Lisa, or it would at least give them the chance to find husbands before the scandal hits . . . husbands who hopeful y have powerful families who can before the scandal hits . . . husbands who hopeful y have powerful families who can help protect them."

Langley was silent for a moment, and then nodded reluctantly. "I would prefer you were away from him at once. However, doing it your way may cause the least damage al the way around."

"I think it's for the best."

"Aye, wel , be as quick as you can about seeing if he has the birthmark, Chrissy.

Do it tonight if you can manage it. I have a bad feeling that you might be in danger and the sooner you are away from him the better I wil feel."

Christiana smiled gently and squeezed the hand holding hers as they danced.

"You always were a good friend, Robert. I have missed you this last year."

He nodded acknowledgment of the praise, then drew them both to a halt as the music ended. They both took a moment to survey the people in the room. Christiana had just assured herself that her husband was not back when Langley murmured,

"Your husband hasn't returned, more's the pity. If he had I would do my best to get him drunk so that he passed out the moment he returned home. Then you would merely have to take a quick look and rush out while he snored off the drink."

"Dicky rarely does things in a convenient manner," she said dryly as he led her to an empty seat along the wal . Christiana was grateful to drop into it. She had been dancing nonstop for some time