by Cheryl Holt
“I am foreclosing on your home and property,” Sebastian announced.
“What?” Apparently, Sebastian had captured his attention. “You can’t foreclose! It’s outrageous! How could it be allowed?”
“It’s explained in the documents.”
“But…but…where will we live? I have a wife, Sinclair. This was her grandmother’s house. You can’t take it from her.”
“I can and I have. You have one month to be out.”
“A month! You’re mad if you think we’ll depart.”
“I’ll be sending some guards to keep an eye on the place to ensure you don’t wreck it or steal from me. Every item in it is mine: the furniture, the drapes and rugs, the figurines on the mantle, the silver in the drawers. It’s all mine.”
Maudsen looked confused. “It can’t possibly be.”
“You’ve wagered it all away, Maudsen, and the men who previously carried your debt were willing to twiddle their thumbs and let you dig a deeper financial hole. I, however, am not willing to delay.”
“This isn’t right.” Maudsen shook his head. “I’ve never even met you before. You can’t just waltz in and seize what belongs to me.”
“I repeat: I can and I have.”
A woman entered the room, and Noah was with her. She said to Maudsen, “Cuthbert, who is this boy? I found him wandering upstairs.”
“Temperance,” Maudsen replied, “come in at once.”
On her being referred to as Temperance, Sebastian realized she was Sarah’s sister. She was mousy and plain, and as with her husband, Sebastian loathed her on sight.
He ignored her to ask Noah, “What is your opinion of the residence?”
“It will be smashing,” Noah said.
“How many bedchambers are there?”
“Six that I saw. I believe we could lodge twenty-four children in fine style.”
“Wonderful.” Sebastian shifted his irate gaze to Mrs. Maudsen. “I am Mr. Sebastian Sinclair.”
“Yes, Mr. Sinclair! Cuthbert notified me he was having you as our guest, and I’m honored to host such a stellar dignitary.”
“Don’t gush, Temperance,” her husband snapped. “Wait until he informs you of what’s occurred.”
“Why? What’s occurred?” she asked.
“I’m foreclosing on you,” Sebastian told her.
She chuckled, but wanly. “You can’t be serious.”
“Mr. Maudsen had extensive debts, and he signed promissory notes with each of his lenders. I purchased them.”
“Why would you?”
“I wished to deliberately ruin him. I’ve requested full reparation, but your husband insists he doesn’t have the necessary amount.”
She frowned. “I’m certain this is just a misunderstanding. Mr. Maudsen will visit the bank in the morning. We’ll make payment tomorrow.”
“He could work for a thousand lifetimes,” Sebastian pointed out, “and never earn the money I am owed.”
She appeared alarmed, and she urged her husband, “Tell him, Cuthbert. Tell him he’s mistaken.”
“Don’t look at me like that, Temperance,” Mr. Maudsen fumed. “Don’t you dare look at me!”
The little toad leapt up and stomped out, leaving his poor wife to deal with the mess. Sebastian might have pitied her, but he couldn’t forget what she’d done to Sarah.
“Mr. Maudsen is a tad high-strung,” she said as his footsteps faded up the stairs. “When he’s upset, he flies off the handle. I apologize.”
“I don’t care about your precious Cuthbert—or you.”
“Well! I never!” she huffed.
He picked up the papers her husband had dropped and put them on the table by the sofa. “The appropriate legal documents are there. You can read them at your leisure.”
“I don’t need to read them. Mr. Maudsen manages our business affairs.”
“Good luck with that arrangement,” Noah muttered from behind her.
Sebastian cast a scolding glower at him, and Noah grinned and bit his tongue.
“You have to be out one month from today,” Sebastian advised her.
“Be out of where?”
“Focus please, Mrs. Maudsen. You have to be out of this house and off this property. I’ve foreclosed on you.”
“My grandmother gave me this house. I inherited it, and it was passed to my husband as part of my dowry.”
“I’m sorry to report that he gambled it away.”
“He wouldn’t have!” she loyally stated.
“Regrettably for you, he did.”
“Where are we to live instead?”
“That’s not my problem, is it?” He peered over at his brother. “Let’s go. I can’t abide it here another second.”
They started out, and they were out in the driveway before she bestirred herself and caught up with them.
“Why are you treating us like this?” she demanded. “You seem to hate Mr. Maudsen, but we don’t even know you. Why would you act this way?”
“Oh, didn’t I mention? I’m about to be engaged to your sister.”
“To…to…Sarah?”
“Yes, and this house is my wedding gift to her.”
“It is not! I absolutely refuse to allow it!”
“It’s not for her specifically. I’m turning it into an orphanage for her. Since you shut down the facility your father had built, I thought it only fitting that you supply the space for a new one.”
Noah added, “I was one of her orphans. Remember me? I’m predicting the children she helps in the future will love this place.”
They’d ridden to the country on horseback, with Sebastian delighted to learn that Noah was an experienced equestrian, his grandfather having provided him with all the lessons a gentleman required. They went over to the animals and mounted.
Mrs. Maudsen was gaping at them, her mouth opening and closing like a fish that had been tossed onto a riverbank.
“You’re giving my house to Sarah?” she said when she could finally speak. “You’ll have orphans living here?”
“In my view, it’s a perfect ending,” Sebastian said.
“Why pursue this drastic conclusion? You still haven’t explained.”
“I’m merely doing to you what you did to your sister. I have yanked your lodging out from under you.”
“We have nowhere to go. What will become of us?”
“I’m sure Sarah must have once made a similar comment to you.” He nodded to her. “Be out in thirty days. Isn’t that the period you gave Sarah to move? It’s a suitable length of time for you as well. Don’t take anything. Even your clothes belong to me.”
“You can’t have my clothes! What a ludicrous notion.”
“I suggest you discuss it with your husband.”
“We can’t find other accommodations in thirty days!”
“I’m positive your sister would have said that to you too. If you’re in residence in a month, I’ll kick you out on the road.”
He tugged on the reins and trotted down the lane. Noah followed, and they didn’t glance back.
* * * *
Temperance watched Mr. Sinclair ride away. When she’d heard he would visit, she’d been so excited, but he’d scarcely noticed her. Nor had he bothered to introduce the boy who’d been snooping through their bedrooms.
He’d foreclosed on them? He was stealing her home? How could such a heinous event occur?
Yes, she understood Cuthbert spent more than he should. Yes, they had some debts, but on the rare occasions she’d pestered him about them, he’d promised her he had their finances under control.
He liked to gamble and gambol in town, but every gentleman had those same interests. It wasn’t a crime, and it certainly wasn’t the sort of endeavor that should cause a person to grow bankrupt.
They had a month to leave? It was simply incomprehensible.
She spun away and staggered inside. Cuthbert was stomping down the stairs, and he’d donned his coat and hat.
“Where are you goi
ng?” she asked.
“To town. Where would you suppose?”
“But you can’t depart. We have to talk about Mr. Sinclair. You have to hire a lawyer and stop him.”
“How would I do that precisely?” he sneered. “Lawyers cost money, and I don’t have any.”
“We have plenty. You’ve always told me that.”
“If we’re a bit short, whose fault is that? Your dowry was never sufficient to cover our expenses. If we’re in a fiscal jam, you should look in the mirror. Don’t blame me.”
He constantly managed to garble her words so she was in the wrong. She mustered the courage to say, “My dowry was very big.”
“I should have held out for a real heiress, not some shrew who filled her bank account with pennies.”
She hated it when he called her names. “You used to assume I was worth having.”
“Clearly, I was duped. We’ve never had enough to pay our daily bills, let alone enjoy a few frivolities. You should have warned me my life with you would be naught but misery and woe.”
“Mr. Sinclair plans to take our house!”
“Weren’t you listening? He’s already taken it.”
“There must be a way to prevent him,” she said.
“How can two ordinary people fight such a famous fellow and win? It’s not possible.”
“Will you permit him to get away with it? What then? He’s ordered us to vacate the premises in thirty days.”
“How can I guess what we should do?”
“He claims he’s about to marry Sarah.”
“Your sister?” He scoffed with derision. “Trust me, Mrs. Maudsen. Sebastian Sinclair is the premier prize on the Marriage Market. He will not wed your rude, bossy sister.”
“He’s giving her our home so she can turn it into an orphanage!”
He scoffed again, with even more derision. “I find it completely typical that this would be our end. Your sister has ruined us forever!”
“How has Sarah ruined us?”
“She’ll wind up living here with her urchins. Ooh, the infamy! Ooh, the gall! I can just imagine how she’ll laugh.”
“She wouldn’t laugh.”
She’s not cruel like you, she nearly added, but she didn’t.
“I suggest you contact her,” he said. “If this monstrosity is about to be hers, then she’s the only one who can help us. You’d best write her immediately.”
He slammed his hat on his head and stormed out the door. She lurched after him, observing as he walked to the stables. Several minutes later, he cantered by on his horse. He would have left in his carriage, but it had been seized by creditors.
If she could yank him back with the power of her thoughts, she’d finally tell him what a disappointment he was, what an awful husband he’d been.
He’d received everything he’d demanded to have. She’d even schemed on her elderly father for him so he changed his Will. She’d handed over every portion of her life and her sister’s life to him. Then she’d stood idly by, watching as he’d wrecked what her family had provided.
She’d even acquiesced to his insisting they sell the orphanage, that they shutter what her father had built, that they kick Sarah out on the streets.
Here she was now, on a cliff of calamity, and Sarah was the sole kind person she knew. Might Sarah forgive the hideous crimes Temperance’s husband had committed?
If Sarah was really marrying Mr. Sinclair, then she could save Temperance. Could Temperance convince her of her duty to her only sibling? Could she remind Sarah that they shouldn’t bicker? She had to try, didn’t she?
She jerked away from the door and stumbled into the parlor to sit at the writing desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper and dipped a quill in the ink jar, then she paused. She had no idea where Sarah might be, and she gazed out the window at the autumn afternoon.
The road was empty, the sun drifting toward the western horizon. Cuthbert would never rescue Temperance, and Sarah was gone for good. The house was very quiet, and she was alone and on her own.
* * * *
Nathan was seated in the library, once again grumbling over the paperwork that constantly piled up. Ever since he was ten, he’d traveled to Africa with Sir Sidney. How was it, exactly, that he’d abandoned that thrilling existence to become a sort of glorified clerk?
As the question flitted through his head, he shoved it away. When he’d persuaded Nell to wed him, he’d promised her he’d never stare at the horizon and wonder what was over the next hill.
If he was having trouble concentrating, it wasn’t wanderlust plaguing him. It was Wednesday afternoon, which was when he’d ordered Sebastian to show up and propose to Sarah. What if he failed to appear? What then?
He was tired of fighting with Sebastian, and he’d never been the type who remained angry for long. He didn’t carry grudges. Plus, with his marrying Nell, the tragedy had ceased to consume his every waking moment.
With the incident fading in the distance, he had to recognize that he’d never doubted Sebastian’s word in the past, and he’d never liked or trusted Judah. He had to accept that his memory of the event might not be accurate.
Sebastian would never have left him behind.
There! He’d admitted it. It was the mature way to view it, and if he took that outlook to heart, there would be an opening to mend their rift.
If Sebastian wed Sarah, it would mean he and his old friend would be bound by marriage, and he couldn’t continue to feud with his brother-in-law. Oh, how he hoped the stubborn ass arrived! If he didn’t, Nathan would have to let his temper flare again, and he’d rather not.
He reached for another letter in the stack, and it was from his investigator. The man was out on the coast, searching for Rebecca, and he sent regular reports. So far, there had been no news.
Except this time, when he flicked the seal, the message was stunning: I may have picked up her trail.
Nathan’s pulse raced, and he might have jumped up to locate Sarah, but his butler, Mr. Dobbs, poked his nose in the door.
“I need you outside, my lord,” he said. “You have to see what’s occurring.”
“I’m busy, so it better be good.”
Dobbs scoffed. “I know you, my lord. You’re glad for any excuse to be dragged away from your chores.”
Nathan smirked. “You have always been a master of understatement.”
He tossed the note about Rebecca onto the desk, and he followed Dobbs out to the driveway. To his great relief and amusement, Sebastian was coming, and he’d assembled such an ostentatious caravan that it might have been the King and Queen popping in for a visit.
The lead carriage was the family’s fancy coach-and-four, and a second, smaller carriage lagged behind. It would hold maids and servants, and it was loaded down with luggage. Both vehicles had outriders hanging from the corners, and there was a contingent of men on horseback in between. They displayed flags and banners, as if it was a parade.
The group was a mix of retainers in Sinclair livery, but it also included most of the men from the expedition team. Nathan hadn’t seen any of them since he’d staggered home, and he hadn’t realized he’d missed them. On observing them, he beamed with pleasure.
Nell bustled out and hurried over to stand beside him.
“What on earth is happening?” she asked.
“I believe Sebastian Sinclair intends to propose to my sister.”
“Why all the pomp and circumstance?”
“I’m betting he assumes she’ll be obstinate, so he’ll have to work hard to impress her.”
Nell laughed. “She’s a Blake, so he’d bet correctly.”
“He’s not taking any chances on what her answer will be. With him prancing up in full regalia, she’ll never be able to refuse him. It would be too embarrassing.”
“Where is she?” Nell inquired.
“I have no idea. She’s been hiding all morning.”
“Maybe she caught one glimpse of this procession and bolted out th
e rear door.”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
“Don’t you fight with him.”
“I will be an absolute model of propriety.”
She chuckled. “You’ve never been a model of anything.”
“I wonder if he found his half-siblings,” Nathan said. “If he can deliver them to Sarah, she’s doomed to be his bride.”
“I was thinking the very same.” Nell turned to Dobbs and whispered hasty instructions that would send the staff scurrying, then she said to Nathan, “It looks as if we’re about to host a large party.”
“Perhaps he’s brought along a Special License. Let’s hope it’s a wedding party.”
“Yes, let’s do.”
The cavalcade rattled to a halt, and Selby servants rushed out to help with luggage and horses. The outriders leapt down to open the door of the main coach, and Sebastian emerged first. To Nathan’s incredible surprise, his sister, Ophelia, climbed out after him. Nathan hadn’t expected her to come and decided it was another nail in Sarah’s coffin.
His grin widened, and he said to Nell, “That’s your old nemesis, Ophelia Sinclair.”
Nell elbowed him. “She wasn’t my nemesis, and I shall be delighted to meet her.”
Nell had once thought Nathan was engaged to Ophelia, and that notion had nearly kept them from marrying, but Ophelia couldn’t abide him. The fact that she’d travel to Selby with her brother was an interesting development.
A boy and a girl jumped out next, and with their blond hair and blue eyes, they could only be Sir Sidney’s children.
“It appears he located Sarah’s wards,” Nathan said.
“My goodness but that family has strong bloodlines. I’d recognize those children anywhere.”
The four Sinclairs marched over, and they stopped in front of Nathan and Nell. They exchanged typical greetings, and it was all very formal, very ceremonial.
Then Sebastian said, “Lord Selby, Lady Selby, I’d like to introduce my half-siblings, Noah and Petunia Sinclair. And of course, Lord Selby, you know my sister, Ophelia.”
More greetings were exchanged, and Nell gazed at little Petunia and charmed her by saying, “Aren’t you the cutest thing ever!”
Petunia smiled at her as if she hung the moon.
Sebastian reached into his coat, and he pulled out a leather sheath and presented it to Nathan. Initially, Nathan couldn’t discern what it was, then he noticed the jeweled hilt sticking out, and he blanched with astonishment.
