Much was revealed to Mr Skelmersdale as he looked into her eyes. Now he knew the reason for her despairing manner. He took her hands in his.
‘Listen to me, my dear!’ he pleaded. ‘I can understand your worries about Sir James. I shared your concern from the moment we discovered that you were gone. It is one thing to deal with a man who curses and raves in anger, and quite another to see someone turn to stone before your eyes. Sir James is badly shocked. Even now, he dares not give way to his emotions, but the dam will burst. Will you be ready for that?’
‘He does not care for me!’ Amy cried bitterly. ‘I’ve thrown myself at his head and still he does not want me.’
Her companion threw his eyes to heaven. ‘Lord preserve us from the folly of the young,’ he said. ‘Now, miss, I intend to order brandy. You will take a glass with me, I hope?’
When Sir James returned he found them sitting by the fire in a companionable silence. Wisely, Mr Skelmersdale had made no further reference to Amy’s problems. Sipping at the golden liquor in his glass, he had given her time to muse upon his words.
Now he looked up as the door opened, a mute enquiry in his eyes.
‘Well, Amy, your friend is got clean away!’ James threw himself into a chair. ‘I hope you are satisfied.’
‘Yes, I am!’ Amy was all defiance. ‘And the Comte is not my friend, as you well know.’
‘I should not have guessed it from the way you pleaded for his life—’
‘To stop you from becoming a murderer? You are very quick to judge, even though you do not know the facts.’
‘I do not care to hear them.’
Mr Skelmersdale rose to his feet. ‘Begging your pardon, Sir James, but I believe that you should listen to Miss Wentworth. Now, if you will excuse me, I have left our two lovebirds alone for much too long.’ He bowed to Amy. ‘Sleep well, my dear, you will be much recovered by morning.’
Amy jumped up and kissed him. ‘Thank you!’ she said shyly. ‘I feel better already. You have been so kind.’
‘It wasn’t a hardship, Miss Amy. Until the morning, then.’ His eyes were twinkling as he tapped at the door of the adjoining room before he entered. ‘Mustn’t embarrass my girl!’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Though she seems to have lost her shyness.’
‘He’s such a dear!’ Amy cried impulsively as Mr Skelmersdale closed the door behind him.
‘At least your judgment is not at fault in that respect,’ James told her.
She looked at his unsmiling face and lost her temper.
‘Oh, you make me tired!’ she raged. ‘Won’t you give me credit for some good sense?’
‘You have given me no reason to do so.’
‘That’s because you won’t listen to reason.’ She glared at him out of her one good eye.
Suddenly, and unexpectedly, he laughed aloud. It did nothing to soothe her anger.
‘I wish you will tell me what you find so entertaining,’ she snapped. ‘I see nothing in the least amusing in this present situation.’
‘Ah, but then you are not sitting opposite a lady who appears to have gone thirty rounds with Gentleman Jackson.’
Amy’s hand flew to her cheek. The mirror in her chamber had shown her the full extent of the bruising, which now displayed half the colours of the rainbow. Worse, her eye was almost closed.
‘I may look a freak,’ she cried, ‘but, if you wish to know, it hurts.’
‘You look adorable!’ he replied.
‘Oh!’ Amy was startled but she ignored the compliment. ‘James, won’t you listen to me? When you know the full story you will understand why I could not let you kill the Comte.’
‘I don’t want to know!’ Suddenly he was on his knees beside her. ‘My darling, you were right to stop me. I’ve been behaving like a madman since you were spirited away from Bath. I was afraid even to hope that we would find you, but if we did I vowed that I would never let you go again.’
Amy’s heart began to pound, but she pretended to misunderstand him. ‘I don’t intend to repeat the experience, James. From now on I’ll accept no more offers to see me safely to my home, especially in a closed carriage.’
He slipped a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his. ‘Now who is teasing?’ he asked tenderly. ‘Will you repay me in my own coin when I am begging you to marry me?’
Amy looked at him in disbelief. ‘You can’t mean it…you said…you said—’
He stopped her with a kiss that took her breath away.
‘I said a lot of foolish things, my love. Ever since, I have cursed myself for every stupid word…’ He made as if to kiss her again, but then he drew back.
‘What is it?’ she asked uncertainly. ‘Am I not doing it right? I don’t know how, you see.’
He gave her a smile of the utmost tenderness. ‘Darling Amy, you are a joy! I stopped because I have no wish to hurt you. You told me that your cheek was painful.’
‘Then you must kiss it better!’ Amy closed her eyes and lifted her face to his. ‘That is, if you have no objection to saluting a one-eyed woman.’
His laugh was pure delight. ‘Shameless hussy!’ His mouth claimed hers and Amy was swept away in a world that she could never have imagined. Her battered face forgotten, she returned his kisses with her own, conscious of sensations that engulfed her. She clung to her lover ever more closely, but he held her away at last.
‘Oh, Amy, are you sure?’ he whispered. ‘I have not given you time to think…to consider that our union will be for life. This is a serious step to take for a young woman of your age.’
Amy hid a secret smile. For the first time she was aware of her own feminine power.
‘If you have doubts, I shall not hold you to your offer,’ she said wickedly. ‘But really, sir, you must unhand me.’
Instead he held her closer. ‘Witch!’ he said fondly. ‘I, to have doubts? I’ve always loved you, Amy, but I did not know how much until I returned to Bath after all these years. I want to spend the rest of my life with you… Say that you love me too!’
When she looked at him her heart was in her eyes. ‘I’ve loved you all my life,’ she told him simply. ‘There was never anyone but you, and there never will be.’
Still he did not embrace her again. ‘I should ask your father for permission to address you,’ he told her.
‘And do you think that he would refuse you? Oh, James, you have known my parents for this age. Our families are friends… Mamma and Papa will be delighted to get their errant daughter off their hands. Don’t you remember? In the past, when I was in disgrace, they applied to you to make me see the folly of my ways.’
‘I must have seemed a priggish bore—’
‘No, you didn’t. I knew that you were fond of me. That made all the difference.’
‘You fought me all the same.’
‘I know I did. I still do. It does not mean that I don’t think that you are right.’
He smiled at last. ‘I cannot follow that logic.’
‘Does it matter? Oh, James, I love you so. In these last few hours I have been in despair. I felt that you did not trust me.’
He took her hands in his. ‘I’d trust you with my life,’ he said, ‘but I could not understand you.’
‘You will,’ she promised. ‘Oh, James, shall I truly become your wife?’
Before he could reply there was a sharp tap at the door. As Mr Skelmersdale ushered in his daughter and Sir William, he glanced at Amy.
‘Well, miss, and what does Sir James say to your story?’
‘My story, sir?’ Amy looked bewildered.
‘Why, yes, my dear. Did you not explain to me about the Comte?’
‘I had forgot.’ Amy tried to gather her shattered wits. ‘I meant to tell James, but we were speaking of other things.’ A blush rose to her cheeks.
‘I see.’ Mr Skelmersdale bent a glance of mock severity upon them. ‘Sir James, since you have your arm about Miss Wentworth’s waist, I must ask you what you mean by indulging in such fam
iliarity?’
James helped Amy to her feet, but he did not remove his arm, and when he spoke his voice was warm with happiness.
‘I have just asked Amy to become my wife, and she has agreed. Will you wish us happy, sir?’
Charlotte gave a cry of pleasure. Radiant with joy herself, it was she who kissed Amy first. ‘Is it not wonderful to have gained one’s heart’s desire?’ she whispered. ‘We must be the luckiest girls alive.’
Amy hugged her close. Then she turned to Mr Skelmersdale. ‘Sir, I am very sorry to have given you such a shock. I realise that you could have had no idea—
‘None whatever!’ he replied with heavy irony. ‘Bless you, my dear, I must have been both blind and deaf not to see which way the wind was blowing. I wondered only what was taking two good people so long…’
His raillery brought hot colour to Amy’s cheeks, until James intervened to spare her blushes.
‘What was it that you wished to tell us, Amy?’ he asked quietly. ‘It can wait until tomorrow, if you wish… You are much in need of rest, my love.’
‘No…I wish to tell you now, so that you will understand.’ Still grasping his hand in her own, she sat down again and told the Comte’s story once more. When she had finished she gave James a pleading look. ‘Do you see now why he was so intent on vengeance?’ she asked. ‘He loved his mother and he was forced to watch her die.’
‘You are generous in your forgiveness, Miss Amy.’ Sir William was the first to speak. ‘Yet the Comte should not have tried to harm the innocent.’
James was thoughtful. ‘It explains so much,’ he said at last. ‘We have suspected him for years, thinking him an agent for certain foreign powers. He was always to be found in spheres of British influence. How he must have hated us!’
‘But you cannot regret that you did not kill him?’ Amy was dreading the reply.
‘No, my darling, but I can’t say that I wish him well. Let us hope that we shall hear no more of him. I doubt if he will return to England. From now on, he is a marked man.’
It was enough for Amy. From now on she would dismiss all thought of Philippe de Vionnet from her mind. There were other, happy matters to consider.
Lost in a daze of happiness she found it difficult to concentrate. The heat of the fire, the unaccustomed glass of brandy and, above all, the strain of the past hours had all conspired against her. Now she felt unutterably drowsy. Her head dropped and she sank back into James’s arms.
‘Now then, this won’t do!’ Mr Skelmersdale announced. ‘Miss Amy, you are dropping off before our eyes. It’s off to bed for you, and for Charlotte, too.’
‘But I feel so comfortable,’ Amy protested. ‘Besides, I could not walk another step…’
‘Then you shall not do so.’ James took her in his arms, and rose to his feet. ‘Mr Skelmersdale is right, my love. Charlotte, will you lead the way?’
‘That’s right!’ Charlotte’s father nodded his approval. ‘Sleep well, lass! We must be up betimes tomorrow if we are to get you back to Bath before the gossips are abroad.’
Amy gave a faint chuckle. ‘And my black eye? How will I explain that?’
‘Why, miss, it was all my fault. I left my walking-stick in the hall and you tripped over it and hit your head.’
Charlotte’s mouth fell open. ‘Father, since when have you needed a walking-stick?’
‘Only in this past few minutes. Now, Charlotte, must you quibble over trifles? Get off to bed with you or I’ll set you down in Boggart Hole Clough when we get home to Lancashire.’
Amy gave him a sleepy smile. ‘Sir, what is a boggart?’
‘Nothing you’d care to meet on a dark night, my dear. It’s a creature of mystery, but it serves to frighten disobedient girls. Now, gentlemen, you’ll take a final glass with me before we seek our beds?’
Whatever was said when the ladies had retired left all three gentlemen in charity with each other, and the return trip to Bath was accomplished without incident.
Both girls had slept well, but Amy was still exhausted and at her aunt’s insistence she spent the rest of the day in bed.
When she awoke at last it was to find that the last rays of an autumn sun were flooding into her room. She threw back the coverlet and rang for her servant.
‘Ellen, you should have awakened me,’ she reproached. ‘I seem to have slept all day.’
‘Miss Langrishe said as ’ow you were not to be disturbed, miss, and Sir James would not ’ear of it.’
‘Oh, is he here already?’ An overwhelming longing to see her love caused Amy to hurry into her gown and to wriggle with impatience as Ellen attempted to dress her hair.
‘Now sit still, miss, or it will be more haste less speed. Sir James ’as been with your aunt for hours. Another few minutes won’t make no difference to ’im.’
‘But it will to me!’ Amy jumped to her feet and hurried to the door.
‘Well, there’s them as will throw themselves at a gentleman’s ’ead and them as knows ’ow to behave like a lady,’ Ellen said darkly. ‘I don’t know what your mamma would say…’
‘She’ll be delighted, Ellen. Come now, won’t you wish me happy?’ She caught her old servant about the waist and began to dance about the room. ‘Tell me that you like Sir James!’
‘Yes, miss, but does he know what he is taking on? You’ll lead him a pretty dance, I make no doubt.’
‘Ellen, I intend to be a model wife.’ Amy skipped towards the door.
‘Hmm! I’ll believe that when I see it. You ain’t learned yet to keep your tongue between your teeth.’
Amy tossed her head, and rushed downstairs, but Ellen’s words had given her pause. She was no longer a child. Perhaps it was time that she learned to be more circumspect.
She found James in the study. He was alone and she guessed that her aunt had gone to change for dinner. Now he came towards her and took her hands.
‘Do you feel better, my dearest?’ he asked tenderly. ‘We have been worried about you.’
Amy’s fingers entwined in his. ‘I am quite recovered,’ she assured him. ‘James, will you tell me something?’
‘Anything!’ His loving look threatened to overset her.
‘Well, I have been wondering. Do you think me forward?’
To her annoyance his lips began to twitch.
‘Ah, I see that you do. I am very sorry, and I will try to improve.’
He looked mystified. ‘Whatever can you mean?’
Amy would not look at him. She studied her fingers carefully. ‘Oh, I just thought that perhaps I should be more…missish? I mean, young ladies are not supposed to speak out quite so openly when assuring gentlemen of their love.’
‘I fear that you are right!’ James was looking solemn. ‘There can’t be a woman in a thousand who would so far forget herself as to tell me the truth.’
‘You mean…? Well, I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Then let me tell you, Amy! What I love most about you is your openness and your honesty. Deception is unknown to you. Don’t change, I beg of you! But tell me…why do you feel that you must do so?’
Amy cleared her throat. ‘My old nurse has just been scolding me for wearing my heart on my sleeve.’
James laughed. ‘I see that I shall have to speak to Ellen. My darling, you may wear your heart on both sleeves in turn as long as I can be sure that it belongs to me.’
‘Oh, James, it always has. You could never have doubted that.’
‘Well, I’m not sure. I need a little more convincing.’ He took her in his arms and bent to kiss her. ‘It may take a lifetime,’ he said as his lips sought her own.
Amy threw her arms about his neck. ‘That won’t be long enough, my love.’ She lifted up her face to his and surrendered willingly to his embrace. Her body was afire when he released her. The strength of her own passion had amazed her and she could not meet his eyes.
James grinned down at her. ‘I suspect that I’ve found one way to end an argument,’ he said
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ISBN: 978-1-4592-2523-7
THE MATCHMAKER’S MARRIAGE
Copyright © 2003 by Meg Alexander
First North American Publication 2007
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The Matchmaker's Marriage Page 27
