Stranger in My Arms(12)

The area surrounding the double curving staircases was filled with at least fifty servants: housemaids, underbutlers, footmen, kitchen staff, haliboys and odd-job men. The servants greeted them with wondering exclamations, realizing that Lara’s presence beside Lord Hawksworth was a positive confirmation of his identity.

No doubt they were thrilled at the prospect of getting rid of Arthur and Janet, who were demanding and impossible to please.

The housekeeper stepped forward with a smile.

“Lord Hawksworth,” she said, her round, middle aged face glowing, “I suspect we’ll all need second and third glances to assure ourselves that it’s really you. I find it nearly impossible to believe my own eyes. Welcome home, sir.”

Her sentiments were echoed by the other servants, and Hunter smiled.

“Thank you, Mrs. Gorst. After being away for so long, I doubt I’ll ever want to leave England again.” He glanced over the crowd inquiringly. “Where is Mr. Townley?” he asked, naming a butler who had been in the Hawksworth service for at least a dozen years.

“I’m afraid he has engaged himself with another household, sir,” came the housekeeper’s cautious reply. “He didn’t wish to remain in the employ of the current earl.”

Hunter scowled and remained silent, while Mrs. Gorst continued hastily.

“I hope you don’t blame Townley overmuch, my lord. He was quite distressed at your death… that is-” “I don’t blame Townley,” Hunter assured her, and guided Lara to the family receiving rooms. “Come, sweet It’s time I set my house in order.”

“There he is!” a voice exclaimed as they entered the upstairs receiving room, and there was a chorus of excited cries. Arthur and Janet were there, of course, as well as Mr. Young, Dr. Slade, and some Crossland relatives who had come to see the stranger for themselves.

Arthur came forward before anyone else, regarding Hunter with contempt.

“It seems you’ve gotten Lara to side with you.” He turned his attention to her and sneered. “An ill-advised move, my dear. I’m surprised that you would be so easily convinced to help this scoundrel in his charade. You’ve revealed a weakness of character I hadn’t suspected until now.”

Lara returned his gaze without blinking. “It is no charade, my lord.”

Mr. Young interceded calmly. “I assure you, Lord Arthur, in my opinion this man is indeed Hunter Cameron Crossland, Lord Hawksworth.”

“No doubt he is paying for your support,” Arthur snapped. “Well, I intend to take up the matter with the courts. I will not allow an impostor to come forth and proclaim himself as the Earl of Hawksworth.

To begin with, he bears only a passing resemblance to Hawksworth, who would have outweighed him by at least three stone!”

The man at Lara’s side smiled. “It’s no crime for a man to lose weight, Arthur.”

Arthur gave him a derisive stare. “It must have been damned convenient for you to suddenly ‘remember’ that you were the inheritor of a large fortune.”

Mr. Young interceded calmly. “All the evidence confirms this man’s identity, Lord Arthur. We have tested his memory and found it to be accurate. We have identified special marks on his body, including the shoulder wound from a hunting accident when he was a boy. We have even examined samples of his handwriting, which closely resembles Lord Hawksworth’s. His appearance, though altered, is consistent with the late earl’s, and that, combined with the recognition of everyone who has seen him so far, proves that he is Hawksworth.”

“I do not recognize him,” Arthur said hotly. “Nor does my wife.”

“But then, you have the most to lose if he is the earl,” Dr. Slade pointed out, a cynical smile appearing on his leathery face. “Besides, his own wife accepts him, and a woman as honorable as the countess would never accept a stranger as her husband.”

“Unless she stands to profit by it,” Janet sneered, pointing a bony finger at Lara. “She would bed down with the first man available if it meant regaining the Hawksworth fortune.”

Lara gasped in outrage. “I don’t deserve such an accusation-” “A young, pretty widow, starved for a man’s attention,” Janet continued sharply. “You’ve fooled a great many people with all your noble prattle about the orphanage, but I know what you really are” “Enough,” Hunter said. There was a murderous gleam in his eyes that unnerved them all. He stared at Arthur with a vengeful gaze that caused the man to sweat visibly. “Get out of my sight,” Hunter said.

“Your belongings will be sent to you, unless you dare set foot on the estate. In that case, they’ll be burned.

Now leave-and count yourselves fortunate that I don’t pay you back in full for what you’ve done to my wife.”

“We’ve been nothing but generous to Lara!” Janet burst out “What lies has she been spouting?”

“Out.” Hunter took one step toward Janet, his hands raised as if to throttle her.

Janet hurried to the door, her eyes bulging with fear. “You have the manners of an animal,” she spat.

“Don’t think your ruse will fool anyone, you’re no more the Earl of Hawksworth than one of the dogs in the kennel is!” Arthur joined her in the doorway and they both left while excited murmurs rippled through the assemblage.