His mouth curved in a bitter smile. “He never told me any of this.”
“Why should he?” expostulated Kennybrook. “He wasn’t one to brag on his generosity. You are just fortunate he thought to make me and Burton executors.” He glanced around to make sure they were alone before whispering loudly, “The rest of ’em are the biggest bunch of bores I’ve ever seen.”
“Heavens, yes,” agreed Burton. “We had the devil of a time trying to keep them from tossing Alec out on his ear.”
Kennybrook clamped the unlit cigar between his teeth. “It was close, but we pulled through. It was a sheer stroke of genius to have Wexford bring Lady Birlington and the Dowager Duchess to proclaim your innocence.”
“Lucien was here?” asked Alec, startled.
Burton folded his hands across his waistcoat. “He was waiting on the steps when we arrived. Marie helped, too.”
Julia blinked. “Did she?”
Burton beamed, his face softening. “Marie may not be as genteel as some would wish, but she has a big heart. Once she found out it was bellows to mend with the two of you, she went out and collected Therese—practically dragged the silly chit all the way here.”
Kennybrook grimaced. “Of course, then we had to listen to the shrillest caterwauling I’ve ever heard. She cried and bleated about how Nick had told her he would marry her if she helped him trick you out of the funds. When she got to the part where she’d led young Bentham into painting that portrait, it was all I could do to keep a civil tongue in my head.”
Burton grunted his agreement. “Silly wench. Made me sick to even look at her. It was all going swimmingly, but that newspaperman sealed it all.”
“I wondered if Mr. Everard had made his appearance,” Alec said, his mouth curving in a slight smile.
“Oh, yes,” Kennybrook said. “He explained the whole story about the article and how Nick had finagled him into printing it. Burton and I vouched for the integrity of the Society, of course, and that put an end to that.” He sighed happily. “All in all, it went rather well.”
Julia rubbed her forehead. “Are you saying the fortune is still Alec’s?”
“No,” Alec said quickly, turning her to face him. His eyes gleamed with warmth. “It is ours, Julia. Yours and mine.”
“By Jove,” Kennybrook chuckled, “you’ve something of your grandfather in you, after all. Mind, I had my doubts, especially when you colored up like a rose when I told you to begin your family and put an end to this scandal nonsense.”
Julia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “That was you?”
Kennybrook beamed. “Who else?”
Burton patted his friend’s shoulder. “We are both anxious to be named godfathers. Much more to our liking than this executor nonsense.”
“Yes, fewer meetings.” Kennybrook waggled his shaggy brows. “So what’s next, Lady Hunterston?”
Julia rested her head against her husband’s shoulder and sighed happily. The whole world seemed brighter, more lovely than she’d ever thought possible. “I thought perhaps we might expand the Society to include men, as well as women. And children, too.”
Alec’s arm settled about her shoulders. “I, sir, plan to keep the books from now on.”
“Well,” blustered Kennybrook, looking pleased. “That is quite a thought.”
Lord Burton’s brow lowered. “Speaking of children—”
“Yes, sir,” replied Alec, his hand warm on Julia’s elbow. “We will start working on that right away. In fact, if you don’t mind, we’ll take our leave of you now.”
“Alec,” Julia gasped, her cheeks heating.
Kennybrook gave a sharp crack of laughter. “Take her away, my boy! But see to it she moves those damnable meetings back to a normal time. I’m too old to see the dawn.” With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
Alec bundled Julia into the chaise. He settled her against him and urged the horses to a swift trot. Once they were home, he would have Mrs. Winston draw them a bath while Chilton packed his wife’s clothes for the move across the hallway. Julia would be right where she belonged, in his arms night after night. Alec grinned and glanced at his bride.
Julia sat, her hands twisting about the folds of the coat, a frown resting on her brow.
Concern tightened his chest. “What’s wrong, my love?”
“I thought you hated children.”
“Who said that?” he said, astounded.
“Mrs. Winston. She said you haven’t liked children since you were seventeen and the maid—”
“One day,” he interrupted with as great an amount of dignity as he could muster. “I am going to have a long talk with that woman.”
“Take my advice.” Julia patted his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Be sure you have a comfortable chair.”
Chuckling, he wrapped an arm around her and took her home.
Epilogue
London, 1815
Sunlight warmed the early spring grass at Hyde Park, warming the new buds, and filling the air with the scent of dozens of fresh blooms.
A large, grand carriage creaked down one of the wider, more sedate paths. Inside, Lady Birlington thunked her cane on the floor. “Edmund, stop gawking!”
“I wasn’t gawking! I was trying to see how many—that’s two, three.” He leaned out the window, counting on his fingers. “And another—Good God!” He fell back into his seat, a bemused expression on his face. “There are four!”
“I know there are four! I can count ’em as well as you. Now order the coachman to stop. I’m not getting any younger and Lady Hunterston will be gone before I can speak with her. I need her to send me a new housekeeper from her Society. Poor Mrs. Beel fell down the stairs last week and will be out of service for weeks. Meanwhile, Julia sent a woman to the Duchess of Devonshire for just that purpose and she is impeccable. Even I was impressed.”
Edmund knocked on the roof and the coachman immediately pulled up beside a walkway where a short line of fresh-faced children and starched maids walked up a wide, sunny path, the wind stirring ribbons and bows. In the front strode a handsome couple, the man tall and dark, the woman slender with golden brown hair. In the woman’s arms was yet another infant, this one tinier than the other.
Lady Birlington leaned out the window. “Lord and Lady Hunterston! Just the people I most wished to see.”
Alec, who’d been walking at the front of the line, his arm solicitously tucked through Julia’s, looked surprised. “Lady Birlington, how are you? Julia and I just returned from—”
“Yes, yes.” Lady Birlington pinned her gaze on Julia. “Lady Hunterston, pray hand that mewling infant to someone and come and speak to me. I’ve a favor to ask.”
Julia smiled and then handed the gurgling baby to Alec, saying in a low voice, “Here. I suppose you’ll have to hold her now.”
“It’s about time,” he said gravely, taking the child with practiced confidence. “I thought I’d have to trip you to get my turn.”
“I’m not that bad.”
He merely raised his brows.
She laughed. “Enjoy it while you can; I’ll want her back after I finish speaking with Mad Maddie.” Julia slid a finger over the baby’s soft cheek. “Marianne, do not let your father get too used to carrying you. That’s a mother’s privilege.”
Lady Birlington knocked on the carriage door with her cane. “Julia, I am getting sun burned! Leave that child and come here. You may return to moon over her as soon as we’re through.”
“Coming!” Julia called. She gave her husband a droll look and made her way to the carriage.
Alec watched her go, admiring the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. As she reached the carriage, Edmund appeared around the back. He sent a harried glance at Lady Birlington and then, apparently satisfied he’d escaped undetected, scampered to Alec’s side, hiding behind some foliage on the off chance she might catch sight of him.
“Whew! Thank God we ran into you!” Edmund said, looking much
happier now that he was away from Lady Birlington. “I couldn’t take another moment. Was thinking of slitting my own throat but this is much easier.” He peered at the infant in Alec’s arms. “Is that one yours?”
“Julia and I just adopted her.”
Edmund shook his head and frowned. “Not saying she’s not a pretty little thing, for she is, but why would you wish to adopt her? People bound to say she’s your by-blow.”
“I don’t care what people say. Marianne needed a family and we needed children. Seemed a good match. As Julia says, there are all those bed chambers at Bridgeton House—”
Edmund made a choking noise. “You’re going to fill all of them?”
Alec laughed. “Perhaps.” Smiling, he touched the baby’s nose. Little Marianne gurgled a laugh that sent a grin straight to Alec’s heart.
Edmund bent closer. “She’s a merry one.”
Marianne’s wide blue gaze locked onto Edmund’s face. She stared at him intently, then slowly, her lip began to tremble, her eyes began to water, and her face turned red.
Edmund looked so alarmed that Alec had to laugh. He shifted Marianne so that her gaze settled on him once more and her smile returned instantly. “Easy, Edmund. She’s not old enough yet to value your charm as she ought.”
“I never was any good with children. Don’t think I’ll have any of my own.”
“That’s a pity. We are quite happy with the two we’ve chosen so far.” He smiled as Marianne’s tiny fist closed over his finger.
“Two?” Edmund looked down the line of nannies and children. “I see four.”
“This babe and John, who you see at the end of the line, are ours.”
“John, eh? After your grandfather?”
Alec nodded. He caught John’s attention where the young boy stood beside his governess, and winked. The boy smiled and winked back, all with an air of solemnity that made Alec chuckle.
Edmund looked impressed. “He’s a composed one. How old is he?”
“Seven.”
“And yet he acts as if he’s ready to have his own establishment! Who are the other two?” Edmund gestured to the babies sitting snug in the arms of two maids. “Just trying them on for size?”
“No, those are Lucien’s sons.”
“Arabella had twins?”
Alec nodded.
“I must take him some cheroots to celebrate. I take it they’re in town?”
“They arrived last week with her brother in tow. I hear Robert and Liza have had a falling out of some sort and the two barely speak.”
Edmund scrunched his nose. “Must make for awkward suppers.”
“Perhaps they will come around. People sometimes do.” Marianne cooed loudly and Alec shifted the baby to his shoulder.
Edmund watched, fascinated. “I never thought of you as a family man.”
“I didn’t, either.” He hadn’t thought of himself as many things until Julia had come into his life. “It took me a while, I’ll admit. At first, I was just trying to help Julia, but then…” He leaned his cheek against Marianne’s fine hair and the sweet scent of lavender rose from the baby’s skin.
Across from him, Julia caught his gaze and for a long moment, they shared a smile.
Life with Julia had been far more gratifying than he’d expected. And more exciting, too. He never knew what might happen from one day to the next, yet every day had been both filled and fulfilling. “Ever hear anything from that villain, Bridgeton? I suppose he’s still traveling the continent.”
Alec hesitated, then shrugged. He’d heard a rumor that Nick had returned to England and was even now residing in Bath. Alec didn’t know if there was any truth to the rumor, but he didn’t care enough to find out.
Whenever he thought of his cousin, it was with an uncomfortable combination of disdain and regret. Alec only hoped that one day Nick might find someone to love, someone who would give him the strength to turn back into the man he used to be.
Julia finished speaking to Lady Birlington and reached up to shake the old woman’s hand through the carriage window. The wind lifted the edges of Julia’s skirts and swirled them playfully around her ankles, then traveled over Alec, wisping Marianne’s fine hair, and on down the line of children. Lucien’s sons gurgled with laughter and opened their hands wide as the wind swept by, as if to catch it. John watched the little ones with a faint smile, his brown hair ruffled.
Alec’s heart swelled. This was what life with Julia was about—family and happiness, comfort and love. All things he’d never really known before.
“Edmund!” Lady Birlington called. “What on earth are you doing with Hunterston? And don’t pretend you’re not there, hiding in the shrubbery, for I can see your shoes!”
“Coming, Aunt Maddie!” Edmund answered. He cast an exasperated glance at Alec. “Wish I could walk with you. Much more fun than sharing a seat with Aunt Maddie’s pug. That evil wretch bit me twice last week and all she did was tell me not to tease him. As if I didn’t have better things to do!”
Still muttering, Edmund scampered back to Lady Birlington’s carriage, pausing to say something to Julia on the way.
Julia laughed and joined Alec on the walkway. She held out her arms and he dutifully deposited Marianne into them, then glanced back and beckoned John. Seconds later, the little boy’s hand clasped in his, Julia tucked against his side, they continued their walk. “What did Edmund say?”
“He begged that we think twice about filling all of the rooms at Bridgeton House as he still needs a few places to hide from his aunt and we’re one of his last bastions.”
“How selfish of him!”
“So I told him. Then he said that he supposed he wouldn’t mind sharing a room with John, but no one else. Apparently, Marianne rattled him too much.”
Alec laughed. “Yes, but John probably won’t want to share a room with Edmund. The man is two shoes shy of a pair.”
Julia smiled and tilted her head to rest it on her husband’s shoulder. “Fortunately for everyone concerned, I’m willing to leave one guest room unoccupied at Bridgeton House.”
“Only one?”
She smiled up into his eyes, cradling a fat and sleepy Marianne. “We owe it to your grandfather to fill his house with laughter. Can you think of a better way?”
Laughing softly, he hugged her. No, he couldn’t think of a better way. Life with Julia was all he wanted, now and forever. Smiling, he rested his chin on her hair as they continued their walk, the sun lighting the way.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author KAREN HAWKINS recently moved to sunny Orlando, Florida, so she could take her afternoon writer’s nap on a lounge chair on her lanai beneath gently waving palm fronds. A fervent believer in the benefits of Extra Sleep (as well as the cathartic effects of Krispy Kreme donuts), Karen loves her job and enjoys hearing from readers! Please check out her website for her release schedule at www.karenhawkins.com or write to her at P.O. Box 149924, Orlando, FL 32814-9924.
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Avon Books by
Karen Hawkins
HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN
HER MASTER AND COMMANDER
LADY IN RED
AND THE BRIDE WORE PLAID
HOW TO TREAT A LADY
CONFESSIONS OF A SCOUNDREL
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
THE SEDUCTION OF SARA
A BELATED BRIDE
THE ABDUCTION OF JULIA
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE ABDUCTION OF JULIA. Copyright © 2000 by Karen Hawkins. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to ac
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EPub © Edition JANUARY 2009 ISBN: 9780061974687
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