Sophia blushed and giggled.
Temia felt so happy to see the old family carriage outside the hotel that she almost wept. “How is Papa?” asked Temia, as they set off.
“Very eager to see you, my dearest. When I told him what we discovered in Hanwell, he was delighted. But first, we need you to help trap Lord Alphonse. You will, won’t you, after how shabbily you have been treated?”
Temia’s eyes filled with tears.
“Of course, Mama! You must not think that I have stopped loving you both because of what happened. I will help in any way I can.”
“I think it best to wait until Lord Alphonse is fully removed from the scene before we should introduce your father to Sophia, however.” “I agree, Mama. We have plenty of time to do so. Sophia will not mind. She has waited all these years and a few more days will not make any difference!”
By the time they reached Bovendon Hall, Temia was feeling nervous at the prospect of seeing her father again after all that had happened.
But she need not have worried. As soon as he saw her, he took her into his arms and held her fast.
“Darling! Can you forgive me for being so weak?” he said with a tremor of emotion in his voice.
“Papa, you must not even think of it. We have an important task ahead. Is Mr. Burleigh here yet?”
“He is now in the library with two Police Officers who have just arrived. He will outline the plan of action when you see him. You must be brave, Temia.”
“Don’t worry. I fear nothing from Lord Alphonse!”
Mr. Burleigh shook her hand warmly as she entered the library. The two Police Officers jumped to their feet as he introduced them.
“This is the Chief Constable and Sergeant Mills. They will hide in the room next to the library when Lord Alphonse arrives,” he explained. “We shall leave the door ajar and, once he has incriminated himself – as he will surely do – we will jump out and present him, first with the affidavit and then these two Officers will arrest him.”
“And the Duke?”
“He wanted to come, but I persuaded him that he would not be required. Between ourselves, His Grace has a filthy temper and I do not trust him not to lash out.”
“Quite, we don’t wish for our case to be diminished by a hot-tempered Duke!” remarked Lady Brandon. “Now, shall I ring for tea? We have something of a wait until the appointed hour arrives.”
*
Lord Alphonse was very punctual. As the clock in the hall struck half-past three, Ridley came into the library and announced his arrival.
“Everyone to their places!” urged Lady Brandon.
As she passed Temia, she squeezed her hand.
“Be brave, darling,” she whispered.
Temia took her place in the next room. The plan was that she was to come in a little after Lord Alphonse. Mr. Burleigh popped his head around the door and smiled.
Lord Alphonse then swaggered into the room as if he owned it. Without waiting to be asked, he sat down on a comfortable chair and looked at Sir Arthur expectantly.
“Well? Are the horses ready for me?”
“No, they are not,” answered Sir Arthur quietly.
“Then you leave me no alternative,” he snarled with a self-satisfied smile. “Either you give me the two horses I requested or, when I leave here, I will pay a call upon my friend who works for the Westminster Review. I am certain that he will be interested to hear how one of the respected gentlemen of the County has an illegitimate daughter by a common dancer!”
Sir Arthur paused, as if considering.
“I refuse,” he declared firmly. “So, not only do you not honour your bargain, but, also, you now deny me what is mine?”
“They are not yours. They belong to this family!”
Just then Temia entered the room. Lord Alphonse’s expression changed from one of anger to amusement.
“Well, well, what do have we here? The runaway bride herself! This time, madam, you will not escape me!”
He rose from his chair in a flash and grabbed Temia by the arm. Twisting the tender flesh, he brought his face level with hers.
“And this time, my very fine lady, you will not run away! I shall make certain of it. Sir Arthur, your daughter has unwittingly provided you with a reprieve. Of course, I shall require compensation for your refusal to give me the horses, but no matter, I shall return once I have made this woman my wife.”
“Let go, you are hurting me!” cried Temia, hoping that the Police Officers would not stay in the next room for much longer.
“And I will hurt you even more if you try to escape! I can see you need a firm hand. I shall not be sparing the rod with you, Temia!” An evil smile spread across his face as Temia stared into his cold eyes and shuddered.
Just as he was about to drag her from the room, Mr. Burleigh rushed in with the Police Officers.
“Hold on one moment, Lord Alphonse!”
Taking the affidavit from his pocket, he brandished it at the astonished Lord.
“You are in no position to marry again with a wife still very much alive!”
Lord Alphonse looked so shocked that he almost let go of Temia.
“What is this nonsense?” he sneered with a defiant curl of his lip. “My wife is dead – everyone knows that.”
“She lives still,” answered Mr. Burleigh, “and this affidavit is proof. Chief Constable, Lord Alphonse’s wife is an inmate of Hanwell asylum. Arrest him!”
The two Police Officers sprang forward and caught hold of Lord Alphonse. Temia wrenched herself free from his grip and ran to her father’s side.
“Lord Alphonse, I am arresting you on suspicion of attempted blackmail, extortion and bigamy on two counts,” intoned the Chief Constable with relish.
“Preposterous! Unhand me!”
But the Sergeant had already clamped the handcuffs around his wrists and was busy locking them.
“Let me go!” shouted Lord Alphonse. “I will sue for wrongful arrest! What occurs in this room is a private matter. It’s Sir Arthur you should be arresting for agreeing to my marrying his daughter and, then, encouraging her to run away! I am the injured party here and not him!”
“And His Grace, the Duke of Weybridge? Do you deny that two weeks ago you went to him and attempted the very same blackmail and demanded, in return for your silence, the hand of his sister?”
Lord Alphonse turned pale. He hung his head and refused to look at either Mr. Burleigh or the Chief Constable. “Mr. Burleigh here is his Solicitor and His Grace brought the matter to his attention. Now, if you will come with me, my Lord.”
“Whore!” spat Lord Alphonse at Temia, as he was forcibly taken from the room.
“He is no gentleman!” commented Mr. Burleigh, shaking his head. “My dear, are you all right?”
Temia felt a little shaken by the vitriolic way Lord Alphonse had cursed her.
“I am all right, thank you. If all he has are spiteful words, then, as you say, he is not a gentleman.”
Sir Arthur beamed and put his arm around her. “It is all thanks to you that this awful matter has been concluded. How can I ever thank you, Temia?”
“There is one thing, I would ask, Papa. It concerns Sophia.”
Sir Arthur looked a little shaken, but he nodded his head in agreement.
“What would you ask of me?”
“She is all alone in the world. Could she not come and live here with us? That is, if Mama will allow it.”
“Two daughters! Although no one can ever replace Jasper in my heart, another daughter I would welcome with open arms. This house is far too empty!”
Sir Arthur sat down and thought for a moment. He was not a man given to impulsive action.
“Let me meet her first and then I shall decide.”
“Thank you, Papa. “Excuse me, miss, but there’s a driver outside who says that the Earl of Wentworth has sent him. He requests that you come at once.”
Ridley stood there waiting for her reply.
�
��Go to him, darling,” urged her Mama. “I shall take the carriage to your hotel and bring Sophia back to The Hall. That is with your permission, Arthur.”
“Of course, I would like to meet her and the sooner, the better!”
Temia smiled as Ridley brought out her bonnet and coat and her heart was beating wildly as she climbed into the carriage. What lay in wait for her at Yardley Manor?
An hour later she felt sick as the carriage stopped. The Earl was waiting for her in the hall and he took her in his arms and kissed her gently.
“Come, Temia, Thomas is waiting. Don’t worry, he is much better. He is sitting up in bed and has eaten a great deal at luncheon.”
Temia wondered what had passed between the two men. She gave the Earl a puzzled look.
“There are matters that still require resolution,” he murmured, as he opened the door of Sir Thomas’s room.
“Temia!”
He was sitting up in bed and on seeing Temia, he shooed the nurse away.
“What was it you wanted to say to me, Thomas?”
Temia sat down on the bed and he gently took her hand and looked deep into her eyes.
“Dearest Temia, you know that I love you and wish to make you my wife, but Richard has said that it is he whom you love. If this is so, I need to hear it from your own lips. Don’t spare me. If you really love Richard, then I cannot stand in your way. I love you enough to want you to be happy and, if that means you marrying him and not me, then so be it. So tell me, Temia, who do you love?”
Temia felt startled. In spite of herself, tears sprang to her eyes. She knew that the time had come to be honest with him.
“I love Richard, Thomas – I do not love you. I am very fond of you and I am deeply flattered that you asked me to marry you, but you know I cannot.”
“Then, go and be happy with him. I have decided that once I am recovered, I will go on a Grand Tour. I will not attend your wedding, but you have my blessing. Now, go. Next time I see you, you will be Lady Wentworth!” “Thomas – ”
“No, don’t say anything more. You are a wonderful woman, Temia. You are beautiful as you are brave. Now you have to go. Wentworth is waiting for you. Don't keep him in suspense as he loves you so very much.”
Temia rose and kissed him on the cheek. She was crying so much she could hardly see his face.
Wiping away the tears, she left the room, her heart aching profoundly.
‘Never did a man give up so much – in the name of friendship,’ she mumbled, as she went back downstairs.
*
A servant came and asked her to go straight to the drawing room, where the Earl was standing by a blazing fire.
On seeing her, his eyes lit up and he raced to her.
“Temia!”
“Oh, Richard!” she cried, as he enfolded her in his strong arms. She could feel his heartbeat beneath his waistcoat, matching her own. He took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. She felt herself overwhelmed by love that seemed to spring from Heaven itself and she felt that she was about to enter the Gates of Paradise.
Breathlessly, she pulled away from him. Her eyes full of emotion.
“Richard – he has set us free! He is going away.”
“I know, he told me. As soon as he is well again. There is no obstacle now. And Lord Alphonse?”
“Locked up in jail. He will not trouble me or my family again.”
“Then, my darling, are you free to marry me as soon as possible? Say you that will, Temia. I love you so much and cannot wait another minute for us to be together as one for ever. Man and wife!”
Temia thought that she had touched Heaven as she saw the love in his dark eyes, radiating out to enfold her. He stroked her face and waited for her reply.
“Yes,” she whispered, “I will.”
He kissed her again. And time stood still. Temia soared up to the clouds and felt certain that Jasper was looking down on her and smiling. What he had told her through Mrs. Sebright had come true, even though she had not believed it.
Nestling in the Earl’s sturdy chest, she felt as if they were already one. Their love was so strong! She could almost reach out and hold it. It pulsated between them and bound them together.
“I did not believe we could ever be together,” she sighed. “I felt our love was doomed.”
“And I did not know if I could bear it to see you marry my best friend.”
She put her fingers to his lips as if to silence him.
“Hush!” she whispered, “you must not have any recriminations. Our love has won through and Thomas will love again.”
“He says not, but I know there is someone out there for him. Someone almost as wonderful as you!”
Temia smiled as he nuzzled her neck.
“I never dreamed I could be so happy! And now it has happened, I never want it to end.”
The Earl moved back and looked at her. His expression was serious and yet searching.
“It will never end, my darling,” he said, with a voice full of emotion, kissing her shoulder as he spoke.
“God has blessed us with the greatest gift He can bestow. Love such as ours will last for ever.” “Yes,” she sighed, as his lips met hers once more. “For ever!”
* * *
Where to buy other titles in this series
The Barbara Cartland Pink collection is available for download at the following online bookshops :-
www.barnesandnoble.com - epub format for the Nook eReader
www.whsmith.co.uk - epub format for the Smiths/Kobo eReader
www.firstyfish.com - epub format
ebookstore.sony.com - epub format for Sony eReaders
www.amazon.co.uk - For UK Kindle users
www.amazon.com - For international Kindle users
itunes.apple.com - for Apple iOS users
www.barbaracartland.com - Printed paperbacks
They Touched Heaven Page 14
