“And the debt you demanded cannot be fulfilled,” Lord Enfield stated, sounding, Richard thought, a little amused. “This, I am sure, is not something that you ever expected?”
Lord Fulham said nothing for a moment, his gaze swiveling from Mr. Markham to Lord Enfield before going to Lady Burroughs. His face began to go a deep shade of red, but when he spoke, there was a control there that Richard had not expected.
“You know the consequences then, Markham,” he said, looking directly at his son. “I have been keeping my gambling to a very few evenings, but I shall no longer do so.” Turning a little, he pointed one hand out towards Lord Enfield. “And there shall be a duel between us, Lord Enfield. As a consequence of your lack of eagerness to push this marriage into fulfillment.
Richard chuckled despite himself, feeling a desperate eagerness to tell Lord Fulham precisely why such things could not occur. As he chuckled, he saw Lord Fulham move slowly towards him, anger practically spitting from his eyes, but Richard merely grinned.
“You think that you have succeeded, do you not?” he said as Lord Fulham glared at him, his lips twisted in a furious snarl. “But what you have threatened, Lord Fulham, shall not come to pass.”
“And why ever not?” Lord Fulham roared, no longer in control of his anger. “If you think that you can—”
“I believe, Lord Fulham, that if you remained silent for even a few moments, you might gain some understanding,” Lady Newfield interrupted briskly. “Do be silent.”
For whatever reason, this appeared to prevent Lord Fulham from saying more—although whether or not it was from the shock of being spoken to in such a way by Lady Newfield or a desire to do as he had been asked, Richard did not know. Regardless, the man fell silent, and Richard grasped the opportunity to say more.
“I shall tell you why your plans will not succeed,” Richard said. “I am aware of your intentions, Lord Fulham. I am aware that you bring in great debts and then throw the responsibility towards your son. I know that you are uncaring about your estate, eager to pull your family line higher in status and yet behaving in a manner that speaks of only lowliness.” He saw the crimson rise in Lord Fulham’s cheeks but continued to speak quickly, not allowing him to begin to defend himself. “And I am also aware of what you have done to Lord Enfield, in forcing this situation upon him. Threatening him with a duel, should he not comply, which would only leave his daughter in an even worse situation than she is at present!” He shook his head, holding back his anger with force. “You have brought great distress to the lady that I love, and it is for her sake that I have done all I can to bring you low, Lord Fulham.” Taking a purposeful step forward, he held Lord Fulham’s furious gaze. “And I can tell you now, Lord Fulham, that I have succeeded.”
It was as though the air around them shattered into a thousand pieces, even though no one spoke. Richard could hear his own breathing, could almost feel the tension radiating from Lord Fulham and hear the questions being poured out towards him from everyone else in the room. Victory was already in his grasp, and it was now that he needed to take it.
“You have accumulated a good many debts, it seems,” he continued, his voice steady, but his eyes narrowed. “You give them to your son, place his name upon the vowels and expect him, somehow, to deal with them as best he can.” His lip curled. “But no more.”
Mr. Markham made to take a step forward, but Richard shook his head, and the man stopped.
“I do not understand, Lord Harlow,” Mr. Markham said slowly. “How can you force my father not to continue as he has been doing for so long?”
“Because,” Richard replied, returning his gaze to the baron, “having discovered from you the list of men to whom Lord Fulham owes money at present, I have gone to each and every one of them and paid what is owed.” Hearing the swift intake of breath from Lady Christina, he fought the urge to look at her, knowing that he had to fix his attention entirely upon Lord Fulham.
“Thus,” he continued, keeping his voice low, “it is now only to me that you owe a debt, Lord Fulham. And I shall accept it from none but you.”
Such was the shock on Lord Fulham’s face that Richard needed to do nothing more but step back and place his hands behind his back, feeling fully in control. It had taken a great deal of effort to find and speak to each gentleman—and whilst he had still to hear from the few he had been forced to write to, given they were not in London for the Season, Richard felt quite certain that they would accept his offer. After all, which gentleman did not want the repayment of a debt, even if they did not fully understand the circumstances that such a repayment came about?
Sensing Lady Christina’s eyes upon his face, he glanced down at her and smiled, aware of the glittering tears in her eyes and the way that her lip trembled. No doubt, she would have a good many questions, but, for the moment, she was doing as he had asked and remaining quite silent.
“You cannot do such a thing,” Lord Fulham hissed, his brow knotted and his eyes filled with fury. “You cannot expect that such behavior will be tolerated!”
Richard lifted one shoulder and tilted his head. “What is it I have done wrong, Lord Fulham?” he asked quietly. “I am perfectly within my rights to do such a thing, and thus, I have done it. Knowing now that Mr. Markham wishes to be free of your torturous reign over his life, I have found great delight in speaking to each gentleman and hearing their assurance that they hold you entirely responsible for the debts. Thus, in taking on their vowels, I give the responsibility to you.” His shoulder fell in a shrug. “And, should you accumulate more debts, I fully intend to take them on also.”
Lord Fulham said nothing for a moment, his jaw working furiously, and then he shrugged as if he were trying to push aside all the aggravation that came with what Richard had said.
“It means nothing,” he said. “I shall give the debts to my son to manage, as he has done before.” With a laugh, he looked at Mr. Markham, who had gone very pale. “You shall not be able to prevent that, Lord Harlow.”
Richard glanced at Mr. Markham before lifting one shoulder. “I believe, Lord Fulham, that I can.” Seeing how Mr. Markham’s shoulders slumped in evident relief, he continued quickly so as not to keep the fellow in suspense. “I will not accept any debts that come via Mr. Markham, Lord Fulham,” he said firmly. “Should they do so, they will be returned at once as entirely unacceptable, for the debts are your responsibility and not that of your son’s. In addition, should you insist on giving such a thing to Mr. Markham, then I shall have no other choice but to call you out, for you will have behaved in a most dishonorable fashion—and I can assure you, Lord Fulham, that I am very highly skilled with the foil and, should it come to it, an excellent marksman.”
He let his words hang in the air as he waited for Lord Fulham’s reaction. There was no fear in Richard’s heart as he laid out his ultimatum, fully determined to do as he had stated, should it be required of him. There was always a risk with such duels, but Richard had very little expectation that it would ever come to such a thing. Lord Fulham, he was certain, was nothing more than a coward underneath all his bravado.
Lord Fulham lifted his chin, but Richard could see the defeat in his eyes.
“And if I refuse to pay your debts?” he stated with coldness wrapped around his words. “What then?” He laughed harshly, but the sound did nothing to provoke Richard’s fear. “I shall leave you in debt for the rest of my days!”
“You shall not,” Richard replied firmly, having expected Lord Fulham to have considered such a thing. “You are not too much of a gentleman to go to debtor’s prison, Lord Fulham. If the debt is paid in installments—regularly and without fail—then you have nothing to fear. But, if you refuse to do so or if you are late with such payments, then I can assure you that I will have no hesitation but to insist that you are placed there until such a debt can be paid.”
The color slowly drained from Lord Fulham’s face, and Richard knew the victory was his. There was nothing more that Lord Ful
ham could say, nothing more that he could do to encourage—or force—Richard’s hand. This was all now at an end, which meant that both Richard and Mr. Markham could find happiness with the ladies their hearts held close.
“It is at an end, Father,” Mr. Markham said gravely. “There is nothing more that can be done. Your manipulations have come to naught. Your attempts to control me are now defunct. From this day forward, I intend to take my bride to my own establishment and remain there with her, never again to be in your company.” The strength in his voice grew with every word, and Richard felt himself begin to relax. Lord Fulham was trapped on every side, and now all that waited for him was despair.
“I still shall have my money from Lord Enfield!” Lord Fulham cried, turning around to point at Lord Enfield, who startled violently in his chair. “In fact, I shall have my duel, Lord Enfield, for you have been unable to pay me what you promised—the hand of your daughter in marriage to my son.”
Lord Enfield’s mouth fell open, his eyes wide and a color creeping into his cheeks that spoke of fear.
“Enough, Father!” Mr. Markham exclaimed, but Lord Fulham was still quite determined, eager to seek even the smallest victory from this dire situation.
“I shall have my duel, Enfield,” Lord Fulham spat. “You shall not refuse me in this.”
“No,” Richard interrupted mildly. “No, he shall not refuse you—but given he will have to defer to his second due to his weakness brought about by the difficulty placed upon him of late, I suggest you reconsider your demand, Lord Fulham.”
For what was now the second time, Lord Fulham deflated slowly. His shoulders slumped, and he appeared to shrink slightly, dropping his head as he spoke in a dull, tired voice.
“You are to be his second, I presume, Lord Harlow.”
“Given I am soon to be his son-in-law, of course, I am to be his second,” Richard answered cheerfully. “But it is entirely your choice, Lord Fulham. Either you can seek a repayment of a debt—the money, of course, which will come to me, given what you owe—or you can choose to duel with Lord Enfield, knowing that I will be the one standing in his place.” Meandering towards his chair, he sat down and shrugged. “The choice is entirely your own.”
Lord Fulham let out a groan of frustration but did not lift his head. Richard saw that the man’s hands were curled into tight fists, so tight that the skin was white around the knuckles, but he remained precisely where he was. There was nothing to fear from Lord Fulham now. All that there was remaining was Lord Fulham’s choice.
“Give the money to Lord Harlow,” Lord Fulham muttered, not even looking towards Lord Enfield but merely gesturing to him with one hand. “And now, if you will excuse me.” He said nothing more but walked to the door, his steps dragging. With his head low, he threw open the door in evident anger before making his way through it, leaving a bemused footman to close the door behind his master.
Richard expected the room to erupt at any moment, but for a long time, no one said a single word. Lord Enfield was staring across the room, whilst Lady Christina was dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. Lady Newfield had rested her head back and closed her eyes, whilst Lady Burroughs was crying quietly into Mr. Markham’s shoulder, having risen to her feet to step into his embrace. Richard sat quietly, savoring the joy that filled him as he looked about the room and knew that everything had worked out well. Of course, his greatest joy came from knowing that he could now marry Lady Christina, the lady who had captured his heart and to whom he owed so much.
“You have been very generous, Lord Harlow.”
Lord Enfield’s voice was quiet, rippling with unspoken emotion, and yet there was a haggard look about him. “I can never expect to repay you.”
Richard rose to his feet at once and came to stand by Lady Christina’s chair, putting his hand gently on her shoulder as she clutched at his arm.
“You owe me nothing, Lord Enfield,” he said firmly. “To have your permission to wed Lady Christina is my only hope.”
“You have it,” Lord Enfield said at once, as Lady Christina leaned against Richard’s arm. “You have it, my dear fellow. I could not ask for anyone better for her. I can never thank you enough for what you have done.”
“Nor I,” Lady Christina whispered, looking up at him. “That must have cost you a great deal of coin, Harlow.”
Richard shrugged and smiled. “I had an investment come through,” he told her, recalling how, only a few days ago, he had been informed that his investment in shipping had done very well indeed. “And even if it had not, I would have spent every last penny I had ensuring that you were free from Lord Fulham, Lady Christina. For I love you desperately.”
Had it not been for the others in the room, Richard would have pulled her to her feet and kissed her, hard, but as things stood, he knew he could not. Seeing the brightness of her smile and the joy in her eyes was enough for him for the moment, and he reached down to brush her cheek, knowing just how much he loved her.
“We must all thank you,” Mr. Markham said a little gruffly. “I would never have had the courage nor the insight to do as has been done, Lord Harlow. To know that I can call Lady Burroughs my wife is more wonderful to me than anything I have ever experienced before.”
“I thank you also,” Lady Burroughs whispered, clearly too overcome to speak with any strength. “My joy is complete.”
Richard waved their thanks away. “My only hope is that you find happiness together and contentment that will run through the rest of your lives,” he said honestly. “For it is precisely what I hope for both myself and Lady Christina.”
Epilogue
Christina could hardly believe that it was all over. Even now, as she stood in her father’s drawing-room with Lord Harlow in the next room speaking to her father, it felt as though she was in some sort of dream. She remembered the moment Lord Fulham had walked into the room, felt the same sting of tension snaking over her skin and sending shivers down her spine. There had been so much at stake, so much she had been uncertain about, and yet, she had planted her trust solely in Lord Harlow, and had not been disappointed.
Her heart was filled with overwhelming joy at the outcome, however. To see her father freed of his guilt and shame, to see how Lady Burroughs had found the same happiness that Christina now felt, and to witness Mr. Markham standing up to his father in a way that Christina was certain he had never done before had made this particular afternoon one she would never forget. Through it all, she had felt herself all the more drawn to Lord Harlow, seeing him almost in a new light even though she knew him very well indeed. There was a resoluteness about his character, a quiet strength and a determination that she could not help but admire. Had he not had the force of will to pull her from Lord Fulham’s grip, then she might now be facing her wedding day to Mr. Markham, and her future would have been nothing other than bleak.
She shuddered.
“Christina?”
Lord Harlow’s voice was gentle, and she turned towards him, reaching out to hold his hand as he stepped towards her. Her thoughts of what could have been faded away at once as she looked up into the eyes of the gentleman who had now become her secure and certain future.
“My dear Christina,” he said, speaking with such tenderness that a flush ran into Christina’s cheeks. “I have spoken to your father at length, for there were some matters that he did not fully comprehend.” His smile grew, and the light in his eyes shone brightly. “However, now he fully understands everything and, should you be willing, the first banns will be called this Sunday.” A laugh escaped him, his eyes crinkling gently at the corners. “There will be a great deal of scandal and rumor, however. I should warn you of that, in case you have any doubts about what you ought to do next.”
Christina laughed softly and stepped closer into his embrace. His smile faded just a little as his arms clasped around her waist, his breath whispering gently across her cheek. “Surely, you know what my answer is already,” she said eagerly. “This is all I ha
ve ever wanted. All I shall ever want.” His lips touched hers gently. “I could never refuse you, my love.”
“I was foolish to ignore my feelings for so long,” he told her as she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. “Had I done so before, then mayhap I—”
“That is of no importance,” she replied, interrupting him. “All that matters is where we are now.” Her throat began to ache as she recalled just how close they had come to being separated forever. “Should you not have succeeded, then I do not know what we would have done.”
“I would have stopped at nothing,” he told her, his fingers brushing down her cheek before sweeping down her neck. “But now we are to wed, and nothing can prevent our happiness.”
Christina swallowed hard, her heart filling with a renewed love for the gentleman before her. He had done so much, had led her forward with such determination and had given her hope when she had none. How much she owed him!
“You have given away so much for my sake,” she told him, her eyes glistening with soft tears. “Your time, your wealth—and even your very self.” A single tear tracked down her cheek as she remembered how he had promised to duel with Lord Fulham in place of her father. “And for you to seek Mr. Markham’s happiness also was more than I could have ever expected.”
Lord Harlow chuckled softly. “I would not have done so at the first,” he answered honestly, “but when I saw the affection between himself and Lady Burroughs, my heart resonated with all that they felt. I could not allow their sorrow, not when I knew all too well what such feelings did to my own heart.”
Christina nodded, knowing precisely what he meant. “Lady Newfield intends to give Lady Burroughs a very generous gift for her wedding,” she said, smiling. “It will be more than enough to help establish both herself and Mr. Markham as he waits to claim the title.”
“Then I am all the more glad for them,” he told her, his arms back about her waist. “I mean every word that I say, Christina. I love you most ardently.”
Betrayal and Lies: Convenient Arrangements (Book 4) Page 15
