∫ ∫ ∫
epilogue
* * *
One Week Later
“Do you think your father will like me?” Remy asked as they lay in bed.
Vita laughed and slipped her arm over his chest. “At this point, does it matter?” She rubbed her leg against his and watched her husband’s eyes turn a hungry black.
“I want to say no, but it does,” he said quietly.
Remy was the strongest man she knew, but she was learning just how soft he was on the inside and loved how vulnerable he became with her.
She crawled up his chest until their noses were touching. She played with the gray at his temples as she stared into his eyes. “When I look at you, I see everything I’ve ever wanted in life. And while my father will see a titled gentleman who worked his way up the ranks in the military and is more than capable of providing for his daughter… what he’ll see the most is the man who makes me happy.”
She kissed him and pulled away. “All my father has ever wanted for me was happiness, and I have that.”
“I’ll try my best to make certain you always have it.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“And thank you for not giving up on me.” In the face of much resistance, he’d stood and helped them both win.
He touched her cheek. “You should rest. We have Belle’s wedding tomorrow.” Remy tucked her against him. Her head touched his chest just as he said, “I got her a special gift by the way.”
“What?” Vita looked up at him.
“A blade.”
“Oh, she has plenty of those.”
Remy lifted a brow. Then he settled. “Well then, I suppose we’ve little to worry about.” He kissed her. “Goodnight, my love. Let us dream good dreams.”
She sighed. “Yes. Dreams of gods and poets.”
“And fat babies far too big for tossing.”
They laughed.
She snuggled closer.
Vita dreamed of happiness. No longer haunted by her past, she dreamed of a bright future.
∫ ∫ ∫
Keep Reading
From: Deborah Wilson
To: Beloved Readers
Subject: Next book in the series
Hi lovelies!
Thank you for reading A Knight To Dare, which is book 13 in the Valiant Love series.
The next book is targeted to release on 11th Nov.
While waiting for the next breathtaking book in the series…
I believe you will love to read the previous book in the series, which I had such a good time writing it.
Flip the page for a special first look at the previous book.
Thank you for reading my books and letting me serve you doing what I love!
xx Love,
Deborah Wilson
Author of Valiant Love series
CHAPTER 01
1824
“Are you listening to me?”
Lord Nicholas Childs turned from the window to look toward the gentleman who’d spoken. He sat in the ornate chair behind his desk. Dark wood from the Orient had been carved to reflect the power of various beasts from around the world. They protruded from the legs of his massive desk with terrible teeth and wings. Their vicious eyes watched from the high-back chair that may as well been a throne for all the power the man who sat in it held.
The Duke of Van Dero.
Young and nothing like the savage man who’d once held the title, Lord Cassius Hiller stared over at Nicholas with all the patience in the world. He could be callous when he wished to be. His golden eyes took a shine at the sight of violence, but at the moment, he was asking a favor of Nick. A favor of a friend.
A favor Nick wanted no part of.
Nick crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Ask someone else. I don’t do that sort of work anymore.”
Cass frowned. “It isn’t as though you’re being asked to kill anyone or spy on anyone. You’re neither Forager nor Dispatcher on this matter.” Van Dero ran an organization whose main goal was to stop as much injustice in England as possible. While the organization itself hadn’t been created by Cassius, he’d changed the purpose from the terror the old duke, Lord Gregory, had originally intended it for.
But that didn’t mean they didn’t engage in activities any good magistrate wouldn’t frown upon. Often, in the fight for the freedom of others, there were gentlemen who could not be reasoned with. Mercy only made them crueler, and Cass put those men down.
Death was always a final act and was usually carried out by a Dispatcher, the assassins whose message was always death. Foragers were quite different. They followed gossip to the source and gathered secrets.
As a young man, Nick had been a Forager for Lord Gregory. Never in his life had he thought he’d worked for the Duke of Van Dero again, yet he was Cassius’ man of business, and often the duke’s business included things that could not be placed into the usual account book.
“We should hear whatever it is the Marquess of Goldstone has to say to us,” Cassius said. “It could be a simple matter, something that takes you no more than a few days. All he wants you to do is retrieve someone out of Bedlam.”
The very name of the asylum made Nick shiver. He could only imagine the man Goldstone wanted to be freed.
Goldstone had excused himself and would return to the room shortly.
Nick tilted his head and a blond curl fell into his eye. Threading his fingers through the locks and pushing it back, he said, “I find it strange that just a few weeks ago, we were planning to kill the marquess. Now, we’re doing him favors.”
There had been an ambush at Van Dero’s home. A small band of fools had shot through the duke’s window while his friends and family had been gathered. No one on Cassius’ side had died. A few of the men who’d come to kill him and his pregnant wife had. They’d captured one man, one who had been bloodied and beaten by Cassius’ watchmen.
Goldstone had been unrecognizable, and Cassius had decided to keep him alive in order to gain information. A week later, the identity of their captive had been revealed. Avery Seyes, the current Marquess of Goldstone and the future Duke of Reddington.
He’d been set up by his own brother. After an inspection of Goldstone’s weapons, it was revealed that he’d never shot a single bullet at Cassius’ home. Therefore, he’d been given permission to live… if he was useful.
He’d proven himself to be just that, giving Cassius the names of men in his own organization who couldn’t be trusted. Yet, Cass wanted more. The Duke of Van Dero was a Collector and Goldstone had offered Cass something he couldn’t refuse.
Anything.
For this single favor, Goldstone would owe Cassius a debt without limits, one whose value could not be calculated.
Anything.
It was a dangerous thing to owe a man, which made Nick wonder just who Goldstone wanted out of Bedlam and why he couldn’t go get this person himself.
Nick wanted the details. It was an intriguing situation, but what he didn’t want was the responsibility. He’d handled a crazy person before. He wanted nothing to do with it again.
“Goldstone will one day be a duke,” Cassius said. “Do you know how rare it is to be owed by a duke? Much less one with political ambitions? I must have his debt. I should also like his loyalty.”
Nick knew nothing about the House of Lords and could care less. “You have the entire Equerry to ask this favor of,” Nick said, referring to Cassius’ army, a team of former soldiers and men who were little better than highwaymen. “Ask one of them to do this. Ask Astger.” General Astger, who’d once been a general in the fight against Napoleon, now led Cass’ team of fighters.
“Astger has the tendency to intimidate even when trying not to. It doesn’t help that he has a wicked scar that only enhances the danger he projects. He might frighten whomever it is Goldstone needs us to retrieve.” Cass was never one to mince words. Astger, or Viscount Bowland, did have a scar. It wasn’t too terrible, but combined
with his size and menacing bone structure, he did tend to frighten most.
Nick, on the other hand, was known to be charming. It had always worked to his advantage in the past. One never thought him capable of violence until they tested him.
“Do you remember that anklet you used to wear? The one with the coins?” Cassius asked out of the blue.
Nick couldn’t understand what his question had to do with anything, but he recalled the anklet. “I lost it long ago. I’m not surprised. I wasn’t the most responsible child.” His father had given it to him to wear in his boots as a lad and told Nick to wear it at all time, just in case he was ever without money.
His socks cushioned the sound so no one could hear the metal coins hit against one another. “What does that have to do with anything?” Nick asked.
Cassius shrugged. “Just wondering. Always thought it was a strange gift.”
“My father wasn’t right in the head, as you know, but that means nothing. I don’t know how to deal with madmen,” Nick said with what he hoped was finality.
“You were married to a madwoman,” Cass countered. “I imagine you’ll do well.”
Nick lifted a brow. “Are we simply going to forget that Maria killed herself three days into our marriage?”
“It was an accident,” Cass replied. “Think of this as a chance to redeem your confidence.”
Nick straightened. “Is that what this is about? My confidence? You think I still mourn Maria?” He had loved her. Maria had been mad, but every moment with her had been exciting. When she’d died, a part of him had died as well. The roaring fire of life had diminished significantly, not enough that Nick wished to put the fire out entirely, but it was low.
“I’m all right,” Nick answered.
“You’re not.” Cassius leaned forward on the desk. “Milly and I have been speaking. We’re concerned.”
“Now you and your wife are speaking about me?” Nick scoffed. “You tell Milly she has enough to be concerned about with you.” Milly was Cassius’ softest part. She brought out the best in him. She brought out the mercy in him. Without her, England would likely return to the Dark Ages.
As Cass’ man of business, Nick knew exactly what the duke was capable of. He not only had a military, but he had investments, support of other powerful gentlemen, and most importantly, the Book of Affairs, a detailed journal of every secret in England. The secrets controlled society and thus, Cassius controlled society.
“She understands her purpose in my life,” Cassius said. “Her love keeps me from going over the edge, but she wishes all the men around me to be happy as well. She thinks having families of our own will keep us in line.”
“I’ve been keeping you and Sirius in line. I am happy. I have my friends. I have my brothers…” When he could find his brothers. All the Childs men had the tendency to disappear without notice.
“You’re not happy,” Cass said.
“You mean, I’m not married like you and Sirius,” Nick countered. “I’ll survive.”
Cassius stood. “The moment Goldstone made his proposal, you came to mind, Nicholas.”
“So, you’re doing this for me?” Nick asked.
“There’s nothing wrong with having more than one reason for doing something,” Cass said. “Also, I’ve been sensing some tension between you two.”
“Have you?” Nick had sensed it as well. Goldstone had started it. The marquess didn’t like any of them, really, but for some reason, he despised Nick the most.
Nick didn’t like him any better, knowing him to be a pompous little nothing who had never experienced a hard moment in his life… until recently.
Their conversation was cut off by Goldstone’s return.
“Thank you for waiting,” Goldstone said. Blond with blue eyes, the marquess was built like a fighter as well and secretly, Nick hoped he challenged him. Usually, Nick was a very humble man, but something about the marquess irritated him. It was likely the current situation and how Nick was being placed in the middle of it.
“Before we get to the details, you understand that the favor you will owe will be called upon one day,” Cass said. “I’ll expect to see whatever task I give you completed without hesitation.”
Goldstone nodded. “So long as you’re not coming after my firstborn son, we have a deal.”
The words were not said in jest. Just a few weeks ago, Cassius had thought to steal the children of his enemies and hold them in an effort to correct their parents. He’d never have hurt the children themselves, though. Cassius lived to protect the innocent.
Cassius leaned forward on the desk and looked up into the marquess’ eyes. “I agree to bring no harm to your family… so long as none of them offend me.”
Goldstone narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means that one day your theoretical boy will become a theoretical man. This man could upset me. If that should happen, our agreement holds no weight.” Cassius was a very thorough man.
The marquess rolled his eyes. He had little respect for the duke. “I highly doubt you’ll wait to call your debt in two or three decades from now.”
Cassius shrugged. “I like to plan ahead, just in case. You should understand that I will require the same amount of obedience to my request whether it be tomorrow or ninety-nine years from now while you’re on your deathbed.”
The marquess took a step back and finally it looked as though he were thinking.
Nick thought that good. He’d been calling the man a fool for the last hour, telling himself nothing was worth a debt to the duke. Nick had seen men severely punished for their betrayal.
He had hope that Goldstone would change his mind, then Nick would be free to conduct normal business… or as normal as the business of the Duke of Van Dero could get.
“I accept,” Goldstone said.
Nick cursed under his breath.
Cassius asked, “Who is this man you need to be freed?”
“Not a man. A woman. My sister.”
Nick lifted his eyes to the heavens. “Perhaps the man is mad. Perhaps the entire family is mad,” he said aloud. When he brought his gaze back down, he found Goldstone glowering at him.
“You’re one to talk. I heard about your father, the Mad Marquess. Your brother isn’t far behind him. I’ve even heard whispers about you. Men talk when they think you’re close to death and can’t hear.”
Nick stepped forward. “Say another word.” Nick hadn’t fought in years, but his body knew the moves. He’d been fighting to the death since he was seven, a fact only a few were aware of.
Nick had lost the anklet Cassius spoke of during one of his last fights. He and his brothers had all been given one by their father, in case they had to run and needed something to trade with.
There had never come an occasion to run. Nick doubted he’d run from anything.
Goldstone grinned deviously, but then that smile fell. “My sister is... different but not mad. She was placed there for her own good. It was… safe. My uncle ran the facility. He died recently. Bedlam is no longer safe.”
“And you can’t ask your father to get her out?” Nick asked. “I can only imagine he was the one to put her there unless she wed.”
“She isn’t wed,” Goldstone said. “He did put her there.”
“Why?” Cassius asked.
“I’d… rather not say,” Goldstone said. “All I can say is that my brother planned to kill her before he died, and I’ve got word that his plan is still in effect.” Goldstone stepped closer to Cass’ desk. “If I don’t get my sister out and hidden… she could die.”
Nick felt a tightening in his chest. He loved his brothers. He’d do anything for them.
“Did you tell your father this?” Cassius asked.
“My father is old and weak. He grieves not only his brother’s death but my brother’s death as well. He knows nothing about all Luke had planned for my family and yours. He had no idea of the murderer his own son had become or the greed that ha
d taken over his life. I would go for my sister myself, but I am off to my father now. He needs me. He’s been alone too long with his grief.”
“Maybe you can tell him that someone else plans to kill your sister,” Nick offered. “He’s the Duke of Reddington. He’ll stop it.”
Goldstone sighed. “No, I won’t do that to my father. As I said… he doesn’t have the strength he once had. I can’t have this matter being the thing to bring him down.”
“Tell me the whole plan,” Cassius asked. “What’s to stop these men from going after your sister once she’s out?”
“She’s to be wed this Season,” Goldstone said. “Once wed, she should be safe.”
Cassius stared at him. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“Much, I’m afraid,” Goldstone said. “I am willing to share no more. I know how you thrive off secrets, Your Grace. I don’t plan on giving up my sister’s.”
Cass folded his hands on the desk. “There are only so many reasons someone would go after a woman and then stop once she was wed.”
Goldstone shrugged. “Guess if you must, but I doubt you’ll turn down my deal just because you’re missing details.”
Cassius blinked. “You’re right. You have a deal. Nick will get your sister and bring her here.”
Nick cursed again. “I haven’t agreed to this.”
Goldstone looked at Nick and then lifted a brow. “Can you even get it done?”
The challenge cut like a blade across Nick’s chest. Could he get it done? The man clearly had no idea who he was. “Any man who’s underestimated me in the past has been proven wrong.”
Goldstone turned back to Cass. “Surely, you’ve someone better suited for this sort of thing? Like one of the soldiers you had beat me to an inch of my life?”
“I could snap your neck,” Nick told him. “Would that make me better suited?”
Goldstone growled. “Pretty words for a fancy man.”
“Enough,” Cass said. He looked at Nick. “Are you doing this or am I hiring someone… else?”
Nick could feel the pressure. Cass had almost asked if he should hire someone ‘better suited.’ Clenching his fists, Nick thought quickly.
A Knight to Dare: (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book) Page 31
