by Tessa Candle
“The point is that in exchange for fifteen thousand pounds, you can give me very damning evidence regarding the misconduct of the guardian, and you and I can put the matter to rest. You will have the money, I will have the child, and everyone can go about their business.” He gave her the sort of smile that suggested, accurately, he would much rather strangle than bribe her.
“Well then,” she stood and walked to the door, “thank you for the honour of your visit, your grace. It will not go unreciprocated.”
And with that, he knew they had an understanding. Delville made to leave and then turned at the threshold. “One more thing. The Duke of Bartholmer wants his dog back.”
Her saccharine smile declared how pathetic she found this final demand. “Then I am sure I wish him Godspeed in finding it.”
Well, it was at least something to tell Rutherford. If she had killed Mack, surely she could not resist dropping some sadistic hint of it.
Delville was glad to quit the place. He preferred his evil to attire itself in horns and florid skin. A civil conversation in a lace-curtained room with comfortable chairs was entirely too homey a way to strike a bargain with the devil. It was unnerving.
But he was doing this for his future—for the safety of the people he cared about, and he had to keep his focus upon that goal. Eleanor’s face shone before him in his mind’s eye. They were one step closer to being wed.
He directed his driver to Frobisher’s London home, which was to be the base of operations. Notwithstanding his blissful future prospects, the whiff of moral corruption clung about him. He really needed a very hot bath to wash the residue of this meeting from his skin.
Chapter 35
“Alors nous sommes finis pour aujourd’hui!” Eleanor stood to stretch her shoulders and pointed to the mother-of-pearl inlaid clock that decorated the chamber used for Persephone’s school room. Rutherford had been most solicitous for their comfort at Blackwood, and no trouble had been spared in seeing that Persephone’s schedule was not interrupted. The whole house had been on watch since the violent invasion of that night, and everyone kept an eye on Persephone, but did so covertly so as not to alarm her.
Eleanor enjoyed every moment with the little girl, and the relative calm of a French lesson was a welcome relief from her usual occupations of pestering the servants about whether the mail had come, and worrying about Delville.
The serious face of Persephone broke into a smile. “And now may I go play with the dogs?”
It cheered Eleanor to witness this moment of happy anticipation. “As you have done so well today, you may. Uncle Rutherford says he is very happy to have someone else give them exercise, for he is so occupied with the new babe. Put away your things, and I will take you to them.”
Persephone closed her French book and tidied her papers away into her desk. She had very neat and polite habits, which was fine enough, but Eleanor loved to see her frolic and scamper regularly. It was good for children—especially a serious little girl like Persephone, who had experienced such a great deal of trouble in her young life.
When she had finished putting things away, Persephone looked up at Eleanor with those great dark eyes, and gave her a look that made Eleanor want to immediately grant her absolutely anything she asked for. “Lady Eleanor, do you suppose Uncle Rutherford will permit me to see the new babe someday?”
“I am sure he shall. He is terribly proud of her, and wishes to show her off to everyone. Only your Auntie Tilly needs to rest up for a while first.”
Persephone looked upward at some unspecified point in heaven for a few moments, as she did when she was caught up in a thought. “I suppose this new little baby is my cousin, then.”
Eleanor swallowed. The poor little creature so desperately needed family. And things were worse now that Delville was gone. Persephone had been in love with Delville since the day she discovered he was sent by her father, and her heart was broken to find he had left.
And there had been no word from Delville. What would the little girl do if he did not come back from London?
What would Eleanor do? She cleared her throat. “Yes, she is your cousin. I think you will be a wonderful big cousin, and help her a great deal.”
Persephone clasped her hands in front of her. “I will look out for her and assist her with French lessons.”
“And you can teach her the best places to play and pick wild strawberries, and help her host tea parties for her dolls.”
Persephone smiled and nodded, as though she were wisely accommodating the childish whim of another. “Oh yes. I will do all those things, and be a good cousin and very careful with her.”
She was still such a cautious little being. Ah well, her heart would mend and she would learn to feel safe soon enough. But where would she live? Eleanor had been building a secret hope that she might come to stay with her and Delville, though he had never mentioned his intentions. Was that also what he wanted? Was it too much, too fast for a young man who still had one foot in the intrigues of espionage, who could fly off to London of an evening without even taking leave of Eleanor in person?
“You look troubled, Lady Eleanor. Are you well?”
Eleanor shook her head and smiled encouragingly. “Oh yes, not to worry! I was just wool gathering.”
Persephone still looked concerned. “Perhaps you should come play with the whelps, too.”
Eleanor took her hand and led her to the door. “I have a letter to write. But come on, let us go see them now!”
When she was settled at the desk in her bed chamber, with the clean page before her and a pen in hand, she paused. What should she write? A part of her wanted to tear a strip off of Delville for running off like that, and for taking unnecessary risks.
Another part of her was desperate to know that he was well, and not embroiled in some perilous mess. She frowned. She should not have to write this letter at all. He should have sent news as soon as he arrived.
“What a face you are pulling. I do not envy the recipient of whatever venomous note you are about to inscribe.”
She flew to her feet and spun around to be sure it was him. There he stood, as handsome as ever, his gleaming white grin mocking her, his eyes full of his heart.
She tried to appear calm and collected. “I was going to write to you, but I see I need not have troubled myself. Think of the devil, and he shall appear.” She was still angry with him, but a smile kept trying to force its way through her scowl.
“Have you soured on me already? Inconstant woman. I suppose some other suitor has turned your head in the few days I have been gone.”
“I am quite justifiably unhappy about your risking life and limb to fly off in the middle of the night in pursuit of a vicious criminal.”
He drew her into his arms. “I am sorry, my darling. But it is all over now.”
“You did not even write.” Her voice was muffled by the fabric of his jacket.
“I did not spare the time, because I was trying to get the business finished so I could return to you as quickly as might be. And I know you are glad to see me.” He released her only to lift her chin and brush his lips against hers. “Admit it.”
She gave him a stern look, but the corners of her lips twitched. “Very well, I am happy to see you, irksome man.”
They held each other in silence for a few moments, as she listened to his heart and smelled the scent of citrus on his skin, so relieved to know he was safe. “Is it really all over then? What happened in London?”
“I had to make a deal with the devil, but I got the information that I needed to keep Persephone with us, and Red Martha will not come after her or you again.”
“Oh thank Heavens!” She kissed him. “But how?”
“In short, Persephone’s erstwhile guardian would prefer not to have his recent dealings with Red Martha subject to any legal scrutiny. He is consenting to a transfer of guardianship, and Persephone will stay here until the legal business is completed. After all the solicitors’ ink is dry, sh
e will be my ward.”
“I can scarcely believe it!” Eleanor’s heart was full of joy. Persephone would be safe, and she would be theirs! “Good, clever man!”
He straightened his arms to position her where he could examine her face. “And you are truly glad of it?”
“I am ecstatic! Everyone will be when they hear the news.” All was forgiven. Delville was restored to her as the noble hero of her heart.
“But,” his look was very serious, “this means that Persephone will be under my care—under our care when we marry. You will not resent being saddled with someone else’s child?”
“Resent? Saddled? I will only forgive you for talking such nonsense as you have made me so incredibly happy. Persephone is a darling! I had almost dared not hope I would get to keep her for my own.”
“Oh my God!” He crushed her to his chest again and kissed her hair. “Beautiful, wonderful, seraphim of a woman! I do not deserve you.”
“Humbug!” Eleanor extricated herself and smoothed her hair. “It is no virtue to love that little girl. The whole household adores her. We will have a fight on our hands to keep her.”
“Well, I am glad you feel that way, for I owe Frobisher a rather lot of money for her. You will be marrying a deeply indebted man.”
Eleanor lifted a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you know, I am not impoverished, but I have not quite come into my inheritance just yet, so someone had to front the money to buy Red Martha’s complicity. Frobisher’s purse was most readily to hand.” He laughed. “No, do not give me that look! I did not pick his pocket. I explained my plan to him, and he lent me the funds and gave a letter to his London household so I could set up my headquarters there. You know, his readiness to assist without question makes me feel what a fool I have been.”
“Oh? Do you mean you should have touched him up for more?” Eleanor could not resist teasing him.
“You will make me say it, will you? Hard, hard woman. I mean, that you, Frobisher and Rutherford were all right, and I was wrong. I should have trusted my friends long ago. I should never have pushed everyone out of my life and tried to go things alone.” His eyes were beginning to mist over, and Eleanor could scarcely recognize the look of contrition that played across the face she had been so accustomed to seeing in the aspect of a mocking rogue. “I am so thankful for you all.”
She took his hand and held it to her heart. “You have vindicated yourself in every way, shown yourself to be not just a good man, but a man capable of learning from his mistakes. Indeed, that latter point makes you a rare gem within the species. I am sorry to ever have doubted you.”
He kissed her deeply, and though she could feel his mounting passion, she also sensed in him a remaining twinge of sadness and self-reproach.
Eleanor decided to interrupt with a change of subject. “I only wish we did not have to bribe that horrid woman. One thing I have not yet puzzled out is how Red Martha knew enough to try to abduct me? How could she know that I meant anything to you?”
“Apparently it was your old flame, Auchdun. The idiot was spying on me and overheard my conversation with the—um—informant. You know, the one that I was meeting in the cellar at the village inn.”
She gave him an arch look. “How could I forget? And what did he overhear, pray tell?”
“Enough to know that Red Martha was an enemy of mine. So the fool went to London to find her and stir up what trouble for me he could manage. Red Martha knew something of you from the letter she had intercepted. She asked who you were, and Auchdun told her.”
“Ruddy little infidel!”
“And naturally he speculated that there was something between us—which there was of course. So in that one way he was cleverer than both of us.”
Eleanor had to concede this was true. “Well, we shall have to find a way to forgive ourselves for proving stupider than Auchdun on that head.” Then she was gripped by laughter. “That little turd!”
“What?”
“If Auchdun was motivated by jealousy, he certainly recovered quickly enough. His crying rope to Red Martha must have happened just before he returned to the countryside and fell in love with Miss Fitzpatrick—”
Delville gleefully interrupted, “Now Lady Benton. It has such a nice ring to it.”
“Quite. But can you believe that after he had done me such an ill turn with Red Martha, he then had the audacity to immediately come beg that I release him from any marital expectation he might have created?” She huffed in half-laughing disgust.
Delville shook his head. “Indeed I can believe it. What remains a mystery to me is how such a loathsome little self-important toad managed to evade being strangled by his relatives before he was out of short pants. I know some of the family, and they are not known to suffer fools.”
“Well, I know I would certainly like to give him a proper thrashing.”
“My money would be on you in the match, but calm yourself, my bloodthirsty little barbarian. Violence is unnecessary. I am sure Auchdun is already smarting mightily over losing his one true love to Benton. In the end, everyone in that little triangle ended up disappointed. Anyway, I am sure Auchdun already deeply regrets his involvement with Red Martha, if he has got wind of Screwe’s body being discovered lodged in the muddy banks of the Thames.”
Eleanor’s mouth hung open. “He is dead?” She sat down suddenly in her chair.
Delville was soothing her in an instant. “I am in idiot for announcing it without ceremony. Forgive me! I am so used to your being strong and brave that I took it for granted. But I see I have shocked you. Shall I fetch you some wine?”
“No. I am well. Only I feel responsible in some way. And I know he was not a good man, but it seems so horrid that he should be slain.”
“You are not responsible, and neither am I. He was a murderous criminal who made himself the enemy of other murderous criminals. The outcome was inevitable and not worth anyone’s tears. Indeed, I think by capturing him, I may have delayed the inevitable.”
He had a point. Eleanor consoled herself that Rosamond would be relieved to be certain Screwe was gone for good. It assuaged a little of Eleanor’s guilt that Rosamond still did not know Eleanor had concealed Screwe’s presence in the cave. She seemed to think Eleanor and Delville got trapped there during some sort of tryst, so she never asked any questions.
“It was Red Martha who did it, then?”
“The official understanding was that Screwe got utterly foxed and fell into the river, for he had been spotted drinking heavily at a gin house not far away the prior evening. But it is obvious she killed him, and that thought must have even occurred to the dim brain of Auchdun. So I imagine his nerves are a tad strained, at the moment.” He smirked. “Good enough for him.”
“Do you think she will kill Auchdun, too?”
“No, no. He knows nothing and cannot be any trouble to her. But he is not aware of that. I think he might lay low for a while, which is just as well. I do not want him grovelling his way back here to throw himself at your feet and beg you not to marry an unworthy moral reprobate like me.”
She laughed. “Are you afraid of the competition?”
“Not at all.” Delville lifted a tendril of hair from her neck and kissed her just below the ear. “You might tire of me, but you would never leave Persephone. I feel I am on solid ground.”
“Well just to firm up the deal, you must permit me to invite my sister to the wedding, and consent to her living with us thereafter.”
“Consider it done.” He nibbled her clavicle. “I cannot wait to meet her. Is that all that is required to secure you?”
“There may be other things. I do not wish you to get a false sense of assurance.”
“Oh I am secure, for I hold the trump card.” He lay a hand upon her abdomen, “You must consider the future of the heir you are probably carrying.”
She stood up again and faced him. “If there were any such trump, I am the one holding it, which I by no means co
ncede. It is mere wishful speculation on your part.”
“Oh really.” He bent down and hoisted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed. “Well, then, I had best take precautionary measures.”
Chapter 36
The church was luminous with the amber light of hundreds of tapers, and Delville’s head swam with the spiced scent of incense and the magnetism of the angel who approached him on the arm of her father. Eleanor was an ecstatic vision of beauty. Her cream dress skimmed the curve of her breasts and dropped in perfect cascades of silk that swayed and drifted around her hips, suggesting, but never quite revealing their contours.
It was a feat of superb couture, and Delville desperately wanted to tear it off of her. But, if he was honest, the feelings that most overwhelmed him were much more than mere lust, or even romantic love. This was an exquisite moment, almost too sweet to bear.
The eudaemonic presence of his friends was palpable—all filled with joy for him, all radiating the possibilities of family. He could even accept with equanimity the presence of his stepmother at the ceremony. Every ointment has its fly.
But the newest addition to Rutherford’s household, swaddled and nestled into Tilly’s arms beside her proud papa, the nosegay of the first spring flowers that Eleanor carried, the contented smile of Persephone, who had assembled the bouquet for her, the twinkle of mixed sentiment in the eye of Eleanor’s father, all these details danced about him declaring as one, You are surrounded by love!
This wedding was not the culmination of his passion for Eleanor—that had only just begun. But it was a final manifestation of his desire to live as a real person and leave behind the wretched half-life he had imposed upon himself. It was an initiation. From now on, he was Deville, Duke of Pallensley, unbelievably lucky husband to Eleanor, devoted cousin to Rosamond, second father to Persephone, and fortunate friend of so many wonderful people.
As Eleanor arrived at his side, and they turned to begin the ceremony, he whispered in her ear, “I do not deserve my good fortune, but I shall grasp it with both hands and never let go. You have brought me every good thing in my life, and I will spend all my days trying to make you as happy as you deserve.”
