by Abigail Agar
She looked frustrated by him. “How can you presume you know me? I’ve lived in Paris my entire life, yet you have me moving to London. You don’t even know if I speak English.” Her forearms were resting on the table, hands fisted. Eyes still locked.
Phin tried to diffuse the situation. “Subject off the table. Our food is about to be served.” Phin leaned back to let the waiter place his plate on the table. Neither Marielle nor Silas leaned back. Why did Phin think this was Silas and Marielle’s first argument, of many to come?
He picked up his fork. “Let’s eat before it gets cold,” he said looking one to the other. Neither had picked up a fork.
Long silent minutes went by where Marielle and Silas stared at one another. Any attempt to have a conversation with either of them was met with stony silence.
Silas was thrilled. Never once did Marielle say no when he proposed marriage. She came up with a few things they needed to sort out, all easily sorted.
She wouldn’t break eye contact with him. He was ecstatic. Those beautiful pale blue eyes were sparkling like the sun hitting moving water. He could watch them all day.
He thought about telling her why he was in love with her and why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he didn’t know why. He only knew that he did with a certainty he never felt about anything before.
Time to get the pesky details of this situation out of the way. Marielle wouldn’t be happy until all was settled. How did he know that about her?
In a voice no one would mistake for conversational, Silas asked, “How is your English.”
She breathed deep looking like someone had just hit her in the gut. “It’s very good, about as good as your French.”
Silas gave a sharp nod. Phin noticed neither had picked up a fork. He realized there would be no food consumed by either one of them.
With a piercing look, Silas asked, “Have you a family?”
She squinted her eyes at him, but he didn’t so much as flinch. “I have a sister who lives near Calais.” Her voice had a hard edge to it.
It occurred to Silas that he had no idea how much Phin might have told her about his family. How much did she know of him?
Phin’s conversations with her would have been casual, only touching on family. She could converse about a lot of interesting subjects so it may not have come up at all. Another good sign – she wasn’t too interested in his background. She wasn’t collecting information about him to use as objections to marriage.
Silas leaned forward a little, and Phin wondered about his brother. He had never seen this side of him. He wasn’t charming her into marriage. Phin was confused.
Silas leaned forward another inch. There was a muscle in his jaw that showed his irritation. “Anyone else?”
“No,” came the quick answer.
Silas leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “So, you’ve lived in Paris your whole life.” He shrugged. “I’ll move to Paris.”
Marielle leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She growled, “What if I want to live in London?”
Victory. She wanted to live in London. The fact that she was talking to him about where to live meant the battle was won. Now they were talking details. Silas didn’t care if she wanted to live at the North Pole.
Silas shrugged, no longer speaking with a hard edge to his voice. “So we’ll live in London. That’s not important to me. I’ll live wherever you want.”
Phin’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth. If he was not mistaken, Silas and Marielle just decided to get married. He looked from one to the other. The frost had melted and both had smiles.
Silas put on that Mr Charming face Phin always laughed at. “May I kiss you?”
She nodded. Silas and Marielle had a most inappropriate kiss in the middle of the bistro. Phin signalled for more wine.
Chapter 30
Silas decided to stay in Paris and help Marielle navigate the process of closing her shop and packing up her life. He gave her the option of marrying in Paris or London. She chose Paris. There were five people at the ceremony, Silas, Marielle, two witnesses, and the priest.
Silas had to check out of the men’s club and move in with Marielle. Both were giddy with the idea. Marielle had a number of dresses in different stages of completion, and she wouldn’t think of leaving her patrons without a finished dress.
He laughed when she said they would have to spend another few weeks in Paris. He was overjoyed. They just needed to make it back for Everett and Mercy’s wedding.
When they reached London, she could find a shop front and continue to work if she wanted. After the honeymoon.
Phin checked out of the men’s club and, with trunks on the roof of the carriage, took the ride to the Loire Valley alone. He missed Silas already. He shook his head and smiled. Phin didn’t think Silas had ever been in a challenging relationship. He didn’t think Silas would get bored.
The Loire went fine; Phin had his trunks loaded onto a boat in Nantes, and he boarded. His trip going to France seemed a long time ago. Would anything be different? Phin doubted it. Silas continued to assure him he wouldn’t have to deal with Bennett’s accusations any longer, but Phin found that hard to believe.
He leaned on the railing as the boat pushed off from the dock and started its journey. He thought of Charlotte, but he thought of her differently than before. Yes, he still loved her. He probably always would.
But he thought of her with disappointment too. After all those weeks in France, with time to think while traveling alone, his perspective had changed. She should have received him and told him why she could no longer see him. He had been tossed aside. Phin knew she was young, and she was taking guidance from others. But still, he felt like he had been thrown out with the garbage.
No use dwelling on it. Nothing had changed. For all he knew, she could be married. Look at Silas.
***
Phin landed and disembarked the boat onto the dirty, smelly docks of London. Ah, to be home. The stench of sailors and dead, rotting fish was more pungent today due to the lack of a breeze and full sunshine heating the ground.
He was just about to flag down a hack when he heard his name. He looked up to see Everett standing only metres away, big grin on his face. They hugged each other’s shoulders, and Everett directed his footman to load the trunks.
They climbed into his carriage and headed for home. “Your letters indicated a successful trip,” Everett said.
“Yes, very. We’ll go over it, but I think we can make a go of importing wine. And you were right. It was great for me to get away. The quiet and peace in the French countryside was what I needed.
“You sent Silas over?”
Everett was surprised. “Did he tell you that?”
Phin shook his head and laughed, “He didn’t have to. He closed one of the winery deals after watching me on the first two. He was very good. I’m going to talk him into working with us one of these days.
“And there is news. Ev, you are not going to believe it. Silas is married.”
Everett gave a full-blown belly laugh, “You’re right; I don’t believe it. Why would you say such a thing, Phin? Is his constant jesting rubbing off on you?”
Phin put his hands out and shrugged. “Don’t believe me. They’ll be here within the fortnight. He’ll be at the townhouse full-time, which means you’ll see more of me, and he will need to cut his mistress loose and get rid of that apartment. I will insist he get rid of her. Marielle doesn’t deserve that kind of behaviour out of …”
“Wait, wait. Did you say, Marielle? The Marielle you’ve been writing me about?”
“Yeh, Ev, you wouldn’t have believed it if you saw it. I introduced them to each other, and Silas became silent. By the way, thanks for sending the bolts. I see a big opportunity in opening wholesale in Paris.”
Everett huffed and shook Phin, “Get back to the Marielle story. I thought you had an interest in Marielle.”
Phin
looked behind Everett to the wall of the carriage. “I did. Minor interest. Ev, this was love at first sight. He proposed to her two hours after they met.”
Everett leaned back in the carriage and put one booted foot on the opposite seat next to Phin. “I can’t wait to meet her.
“But we need to talk about you. I gave you some updates about your reputation in the letters I sent you, but I want to give you a full a picture.
“Silas was having a great time accompanying Elizabeth to every ton function, making sure she spread the good news to the ladies. Her acting skills are top-notch.
“Silas was actually disappointed when Merritt took over for him. He appreciated the help you gave Bernard.”
Phin nodded but stayed silent. Everett took that as a cue to continue. “We had a Duke meeting at John’s estate. There was a lot of business accomplished. At the end of each day, I took notes. I’ll share them with you when next we meet for business. Each and every one of them read the journal and pledged to use every opportunity to promote the truth about your father.”
Phin put up his hand. “Stop, Ev. I don’t want to hear any more. I am grateful for the lengths you have gone to, but I can’t bear to imagine a room full of Dukes reading my father’s words. They were very hurtful and very personal to me.” He turned to Everett, “Did you give the journal to White’s to pass around?”
Everett nodded.
Phin hung his head. “I can’t say which is worse. The ton thinking I stole from my father or the ton thinking my father stole from me. Some of the things my father said about me . . . Phin shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his finger and his thumb.
“We are almost at your townhouse. Let’s continue in your study with a drink in hand.”
“Welcome home, Your Grace.” Foster greeted Phin and bowed.
“Your Grace.” He bowed to Everett.
“Foster, my trunks are coming in. Please arrange for tea and cake in my study. Then see me in there right away.”
“Your Grace,” Foster said and was gone.
Everett raised an eyebrow as he and Phin walked into Phin’s study, “Tea?”
Phin laughed. “Spiked tea, Ev, spiked tea.”
“Ah.”
Foster knocked on the open door and entered. He bowed, “Your Grace, you wished to see me?”
Phin breathed deep. “Silas has married in Paris.” Foster’s usual stoic composure slipped for the briefest of time. “She is a wonderful French woman named Marielle. I need you to prepare a suite of rooms on the third floor for them. Mercy will be married in a month,” Phin turned to Everett, he nodded, “so you may use her room if need be to make our new sister as comfortable as possible. Mercy can move elsewhere temporarily. Marielle will need a sitting room off the bedchamber and a large wardrobe. If we do not have one large enough, let me know, and I will procure one immediately.
“They are now in the process of packing her things and should be here within a fortnight. You have any questions?”
“Do you want the sitting room and the bedchamber adjoined, Your Grace?”
Phin looked at Everett. Everett nodded.
“Yes, Foster. Let me know how the rooms will be configured, and I will hire workers for the job.
“Thank you, Foster.”
He bowed and was gone. “That’s set him on his ear,” Everett said. “I’ve never seen him lose his composure before.”
They were both laughing when the teacart arrived. Phin rose from his chair by the fireplace and went to the decanter. He placed it on the teacart between him and Everett.
Everett started, “You might want to reconsider your plans upstairs, Phin.”
Phin was taken aback. “Silas wants to live here. We discussed it.”
“You may marry soon. Your wife may have ideas of her own,” Everett said, slowly. He watched Phin as he said it.
They hadn’t discussed Charlotte since Phin arrived home. He was avoiding the subject. Did he love Charlotte? Yes. Did he want her in his life? Yes. But she rejected him, not giving him the courtesy of telling him. She caused him hurt and anguish. She also made him feel ashamed of himself for being born into that family.
Phin came out of his reverie and took the stopper off the decanter. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m skipping the tea. You?”
Everett didn’t take his eyes off Phin, “Whisky sounds good.”
When Phin came back with real glasses because he didn’t really want to drink whisky out of a teacup, he poured for himself and Everett.
They both took a sip and fell back into their chairs. Phin found a piece of cake to his liking and put it on a plate, took a fork, and sat back.
Everett looked into the fireplace. He wouldn’t look at Phin. “How long do you want to avoid the subject?”
Phin breathed out. “A while longer.”
Still staring into the fire, Everett asked, “May I inquire why? I thought you’d be halfway there by now.”
Phin looked at the ceiling, his untouched cake on his lap. “Not too long ago I would have been. It’s different for me now. I went there every day begging to see her, not knowing why she turned her back on me. It hurt. She should have seen me, just once, and explained herself. I think I deserved better than that. She made me feel so, so, oh, I don’t know, so small.
“I don’t want to feel that way again.” Phin took his eyes off the ceiling and looked at Everett. “Do you understand?”
Everett nodded. “I do.”
“You know me, Ev. If she loved me, she would have taken me reputation and all. I wasn’t good enough for her when there was a cloud over my head, but I’m good enough for her now?”
Everett shook his head. “I’m surprised you have such a bite behind your words. You know she was counselled about what her life would be with a problem like that. For God’s sake, Phin. She’s 18 years old. Did you really expect her to have the wisdom to navigate this problem?”
“No, but I didn’t think she’d leave me on the street begging, either.”
Everett patted Phin’s arm and sighed. “I need a piece of cake.”
***
Phin walked into Everett’s study the next morning holding a fistful of papers.
“Good. You’re here. We have a lot to do,” Everett snapped.
Phin looked at Everett. “It’s okay. We'll get through it. Relax. You’re not usually this aggravated. What is it?”
Everett looked up at Phin. “I need to know where your brother is. Now. If Mercy finds him before I do, I can’t control the consequences.”
Phin looked at Everett in disbelief. “I don’t understand.”
Everett got out of his chair, stood before Phin, and grabbed him by the shoulders. “He is supposed to be here planning our wedding. We are to marry in two weeks. Mercy told him what she wanted. It’s important to her.”
He went to the desk and wrote a note. He melted wax kept next to Everett’s parchment onto his letter and sealed it, then pulled off his ring from his pinky finger and gave the wax the imprint of his family crest. Marching to the study door, Everett opened it. “Stevens,” he bellowed.
Stevens came immediately. “Send a footman to my townhouse with this note. It is important that it’s done immediately.”
“Your Grace,” Stevens bowed and was gone.
“He responds to you faster than he responds to me,” Everett complained.
“That’s because he likes me more.”
Phin sat behind Everett’s desk and started to write a letter to Silas. Everett sat across from him sipping his whisky. When he was done, he sealed it and stood, taking all the money he had on him out of his pocket.
Stevens was at the door, “Your Grace, your footman has arrived.”
“Thank you, Stevens. Please send him in. And if you could ask your kitchen to pack some bread and cheese for young Robbie here, it would be greatly appreciated.”
“Ah, Robbie. Thank you for coming so quickly. You brought an overnight bag?” Robbie patted a small satch
el hanging from his shoulder. “You know your way to the docks?” He nodded.
“Good man. Take the first boat available to Calais. When you get to Calais, take the first mail coach you can find to Paris. I’ve written two addresses. Can you read?” Robbie shook his head. “No matter, I didn’t expect you could. When you get to Paris, hand this piece of paper,” Phin walked from behind the desk to stand next to his footman, “to someone who can read. You want them to direct you to the top address first. If my brother Silas – we looking for my brother Silas,” Robbie nodded, “if he is not at that address and won’t be back, have someone give you directions to this address - Phin pointed to the second address. But remember, try this addressed first,” Phin said while pointing to the top address on the paper.
