Promise of Redemption

by Ellie St. Clair

  “I am aware of all that,” Lord Hudson replied, gently. “I know that it was dark, which is why no one saw a man covered in blood making his way from your home. I know that, most likely, he hailed a hackney before throwing everything in the Thames or burning it. I know that you believe it was Lord Northcliffe but that there is nothing to prove his guilt. I know all this, Ravenhall — and yet I still think you should open up to someone about what you saw and the pain and grief you are still experiencing. To keep it all within slowly begins to turn one’s heart black.”

  Daniel sniffed disparagingly, trying to pretend that he was not in any way affected by what his friend had said. “I don’t need to talk to anyone, not even you. I know that you are trying to help me but there is nothing that talking will do in my vow to get justice for Laura.”

  “And how will you do that if you cannot have Lord Northcliffe convicted?”

  “I don’t plan on him being convicted.”

  “You cannot kill him, Ravenhall,” Lord Hudson replied, his voice filled with a warning. “You will only then be as guilty as he is, and all will know it was you. If he is truly guilty of what you believe him to be, then you must get him to confess, else you are attempting to punish an innocent man.”

  Anger burst through Daniel’s veins, and he threw himself out of his chair, brandy sloshing over the glass and onto his hand. “There can be no one else! Only Lord Northcliffe sought Laura’s hand in marriage. Only Lord Northcliffe attempted to steal her away from my affections, and when she told him that she would not be persuaded, his attempts to pull her away grew all the more desperate. When we became engaged, I saw the look on his face when it was announced. He hated her. He hated me. He wanted nothing more than to have Laura to himself, and since he could not have what he desired, he took her away from me so that I could not have her either. He will pay for what he has done.”

  Lord Hudson shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair. “There is another reason I have come to speak with you, Ravenhall. Word has reached me that Lord Northcliffe has, in fact, returned to London, after many years away. I was not going to tell you, but it is better you be prepared.”

  A deep, unfurling rage seared itself through Daniel’s soul as he stared at his friend.

  “And I can already see your reaction,” Lord Hudson continued with a heavy sigh. “You must learn to control your temper, Ravenhall, or you will be of no use. You are going to be in the same room as Lord Northcliffe on multiple occasions, I am sure of it, and you cannot let your anger get the better of you. At least, not until you have proof of his guilt or a confession.”

  Daniel began to sputter, only for Hudson to hold up one hand, stemming the flow of words threatening to come from Daniel’s mouth.

  “You are quite justified in feeling all this, I know,” he continued, as Daniel began to pace up and down the room. “But to exact justice on this man, to have a confession from his lips, you must find a way to first be civil toward him — while making every effort not to engage with him at all. If you reveal your hand too early, then the ton will think worse of you and pity him for being so poorly treated.” He leaned forward, halting Daniel in mid-pace, and froze him in his stare. “Do you understand what I am saying, Ravenhall? I must know.”

  Daniel wanted to rush from the room at this very moment, battling the urge to go in search of Lord Northcliffe at once, so that he might beat the man to a bloody pulp — but Lord Hudson’s calm words began to infiltrate his fury.

  “Yes,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. “Yes, Hudson, I understand.”

  “Good,” Lord Hudson replied, calmly. “Well, I’d best be off. I’ll call by tomorrow afternoon and we can discuss how things are going. You’d best hurry. Dinner with your father and mother, isn’t it? And you certainly can’t go looking like that.” He threw Daniel a wry grin as he rose to his feet, making Daniel aware that he was trying his best to pull Daniel further away from his uncontrolled anger. “Best to take things one step at a time, old boy.”

  “Indeed,” Daniel gritted out, his hands slowly beginning to unfurl as he tried to get a rein on his temper. “Thank you, Hudson.”

  “Not at all,” his friend replied opening the door. “Like I said, I’ll be back tomorrow. Can’t wait to hear why your father has summoned you back to London after all this time. Good luck!”

  4

  Wide-eyed, Christina glanced around her as the carriage made its way through the streets of London. It had been so long since she had been to town, she felt like a foreigner. She was used to the great expanses and the open air of the country, and she felt somewhat stifled here, though her senses had never been so alert.

  Perhaps it would be different in the light of the day. Her father had wanted to arrive in time to attend the theatre, to which Christina had readily agreed. He had assured her that her betrothed would not be in attendance, about which she was somewhat relieved. She would prefer some time to get used to the idea, to become acquainted with the city before she had to spend time in his presence.

  The carriage pulled up in front of a stately home, and Christina looked across the seat at her father, her eyes narrowing as she took him in.

  “Father?” she said with suspicion. “This is not some form of trickery, is it?”

  “No,” he chuckled. “It is not. Christina, there is one thing I haven’t told you. I—”

  “Lord Burrton!” a voice warbled, and Christina turned abruptly to the door of the carriage. “I know I should have waited inside, however, I simply could not help myself but hurry out to meet your daughter!”

  Christina hurriedly closed her mouth when she realized it was agape, but she couldn’t help from swiveling her head back and forth between her father and the elaborately clad woman standing in the carriage doorway, who was now looking at her father with a pout on her face.

  “Are you not going to help me in?” she asked, and Christina could hardly get over the heavy hand the woman had taken to the color on her face. Her father finally bumbled over to her, helping her into the carriage. Christina nearly couldn’t breathe, such was the overpowering scent of the woman’s perfume.

  “Christina, my dear, this is Lady Aster,” said her father, his grin stretching wide, and the woman smiled broadly at Christina. Ah, Christina thought, this explained a lot. Her father was trying to be rid of her to make room for a new woman in his life.

  “How lovely to meet you,” she finally managed and was grateful the carriage ride to Covent Garden was short.

  Lady Aster turned out to be not the worst sort of woman, though not the type that Christina could spend much time with. She trilled on and on, through the carriage ride, the theatre lobby, and up the stairs to their box. She seemed genuinely pleased to spend time with Christina, who soon realized that it was not Lady Aster who wanted her out of their lives, but her father himself.

  He nearly ignored Christina, instead concentrating on the woman on his arm. When intermission finally came, Christina excused herself as quickly as she could, stumbling out of the booth in her haste. As she parted the curtains, she nearly ran into another woman, managing to right herself just in time.

  “Pardon me, my—”

  “I say, did you come out of the Marquess of Burrton’s booth?” The woman asked, surprising her, and Christina felt her eyebrows rise.

  “Well, yes, as a matter of fact, however—”

  The young blonde woman interrupted her once more, shocking Christina further when a grin broke out on her face and she began motioning behind her for someone else to join them. “You must be his daughter! Oh, how lovely. Sebastian! Sebastian, come meet Lady Christina.”

  However did these people know her name? Christina found her nerves on edge as she stared openly at the woman, who was beautiful, her light locks the color of a field of wheat, unlike Christina’s own hue, which was somewhere between blonde and a plain brown. She looked around her for a means of escape, but the woman grasped her hand between hers, bringing it excitedly to her breast.
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  “Oh!” Christina exclaimed before the woman turned to the man who had joined her. He seemed much more serious than she, though he had a light to his eyes, especially when he looked at the woman who was most certainly his wife.

  “Lady Christina, I had so hoped to run into you,” the woman said, to which her husband laughed.

  “My apologies, but as you may have gathered by now, this is not a coincidence, my lady,” he said. “My wife practically stationed herself outside your box before the first act was done.”

  “Do hush, Sebastian,” she said, scolding him, before turning back to Christina and continuing in what could be described as a whisper, although Christina was certain nearly anyone walking by could hear. “Now, as we are to be sisters soon, we have so much to get to know about one another.”

  “Pardon me?” Christina’s stomach dropped, and she looked closer at the woman. Oh dear. This must be—

  “My brother is the Marquess of Ravenhall!” she continued. “Ever since my mother told me of your betrothal, I have been so curious to meet you.”

  The man she called Sebastian put his hand on his wife’s arm, stilling her movements.

  “Polly,” he said gently. “Perhaps we should allow Lady Christina a moment. My apologies, my lady,” he said, turning to Christina. “My wife is being somewhat dramatic. We only learned of your arrangement — not betrothal, Polly — this morning. I am not sure that the marquess himself is even aware as of yet, as he is just arriving in town this evening. It has been some time since my wife has seen her brother, so you can imagine her excitement. Allow me to properly introduce ourselves. We are Lord and Lady Taylor.”

  “But Polly to you, of course,” Lady Taylor said, her smile never wavering. “Now come,” she said, taking Christina’s arm. “I would so love to know more about you.”

  As Christina allowed herself to be led down the corridor, she considered that, while this woman was perhaps slightly overwhelming in her exuberance, if all of the Harrington family was so welcoming, it might not be such a bad arrangement after all.

  Three hours after leaving Hudson, Daniel found himself sitting at the dinner table with his father and mother, who acted as though everything was just as should be expected. They had both warmly welcomed him and, while Daniel could admit that despite his misgivings he had been glad to see them, he could not help but remain somewhat distant as to how he had been summoned.

  “I have missed you so very much these last few months,” his mother, Marie Harrington, the Duchess of Ware, commented as they finished their dessert. “With every other one of your siblings married, it has taken me a great deal of time to become used to living in such a quiet house. Ah, well. All is as it should be.”

  Daniel, who had put up with enough insipid conversation during dinner, cleared his throat as the footmen took the dishes away. “Are we to stay for a port, Father? I think you are aware, despite the warmth of your welcome and plentiful conversation, that there is something for us to discuss.”

  Much to Daniel’s surprise, the duke did not appear to be in the least bit disconcerted by his frosty tone but rather smiled. That smile, in turn, made Daniel’s frustration grow as he kept his gaze firmly fixed on his father.

  “Of course, Ravenhall,” the duke replied calmly, startling Daniel with the use of his title. His father typically was not quite so formal in private settings. “We can discuss whatever you wish, although your mother is to remain a part of the conversation.”

  Blinking, Daniel turned to see his mother smiling back at his father as though this was quite to be expected.

  “Mother, you knew about this?” he asked, somewhat taken aback that they had conspired against him.

  “About what, my dear?” his mother asked, calmly, as the tea tray was set in front of her, though she was unable to keep her bright eyes and smile from him. “That you were to return to London? Yes, of course I knew.”

  “Not that,” Daniel grated, becoming increasingly more irritated with his parents’ lack of serious regard for what they had done. “But that Father used his wealth and control to force me to come to London.”

  His mother raised one eyebrow, no look of astonishment in her eyes. “Daniel, dear,” she chided gently. “Wait until we are alone, please.”

  Daniel made to retort, only to catch the glint in his father’s eye. He was being foolish in speaking so openly when the staff was still about, aware that gossip was one thing his father refused to tolerate. It was best not to say anything until the last footman was gone.

  It gave Daniel time to breathe, to calm his fractious nerves as he waited for the footman to close the door and leave them alone. He took the opportunity to study his parents, seeing his mother, as elegant as ever, with a calm smile on her face as though there was nothing untoward about the situation. His father, the duke, was not in any way upset by Daniel’s outburst but was instead pouring himself a somewhat large glass of port, and then another for Daniel.

  “Now,” the duke began, as the door closed tight. “Daniel, you are upset, I can see, and you have every right to be. However, I will not accept that I have done anything wrong in this. You have duties to the family, and they are duties you have not taken seriously. You have refused to answer my request to come to London and secure yourself a bride, instead insisting that you remain in the country.”

  “I know you cared for Laura very much,” his mother added softly, placing a hand on his arm that he forced himself not to shrug off, as her face was awash with sympathy, “but that was years ago. You must let her go, put her memory to rest so that you might move on and find another. You need not love her, but you must do your duty regardless.”

  The very notion made Daniel burn with anger, and he thumped the table with his fist, hard enough to startle his mother.

  “I will not be told what to do!”

  “Oh yes, you will,” the duke replied, his voice calm yet steady. “You will, Daniel, and you will not speak to your mother like that. You are not a child any longer. We have given you plenty of time to find your own way, but this has gone on long enough. I will not have the future of our family line put in jeopardy by your selfish actions.”

  “Selfish!” Daniel exclaimed as blood roared in his ears. He pushed back from the table and began to pace around the room. “I have been nothing if not selfless these last few years! I have given myself to good works, have looked after my tenants and my lands with all the attention I could muster. My estate has been profitable because of the work I have put into it. I have not been in London drinking and gambling and chasing the ladies of the night simply so that I might enjoy myself. How dare you call me selfish in choosing not to find a bride until I am ready?”

  There was a long, pronounced silence as Daniel’s words echoed around the room. His mother was watching him closely, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, while the duke was rubbing his graying beard thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair and regarding Daniel.

  “You are quite right, son,” he said, after a long time. “I ought not to have called you selfish — but the truth is, I know very little about your life and what you choose to do with it. While you are doing all you can to look after your land and estate, which I credit you for, you are still neglectful of the one other duty you have been called to.”

  “The duty of matrimony to produce the heir,” Daniel replied dully, his head hanging low as the fight went out of him. “I have brothers,” he said as he sat back at the table.

  “Thomas is at sea with no intention of returning,” his father said. “He has two daughters and no sons. There would be nothing more selfish than to force Thomas’s family to London, you know that, Daniel. Benjamin has made something of himself, it is true, but neither he nor his wife have any wish to take on the role of duke and duchess. As of now, they have no children. Perhaps in time they will, but it would be better were the line to continue from you — that a child grows up learning from his father, as you did.”

  The words echoed around Daniel’s
head. How ironic, that of three sons, none had any wish to take on the role of duke one day. His father was right, however. If he wanted to look after his family, there was no other way than to take on the role expected of him. His father was still the duke and he still the heir apparent. Deep within him, he heard a voice reminding him that his father was doing what he thought was best for Daniel and best for the title, but he chose not to listen to it.

  “I did what I had to in order to force you to come to London for the Season,” the duke continued, quietly, “and my decision does not change. You are here for one reason and one reason only.”

  Daniel looked up, his heart thudding painfully. “And that is…?”

  “To meet your betrothed,” the duke replied, his eyes holding steady. “And to court her until your wedding day.”

  5

  “Ravenhall, you look as though you are about to attend a hanging.”

  Daniel looked at himself in the mirror, seeing the lines on his face and the tenseness about his stature. “I don’t know what you mean, Hudson,” he muttered, as his friend chuckled all the more. “I think the ball this evening will be a wonderful event.”

  “Is that so?” Lord Hudson grinned, his eyes bright with laughter. “My goodness, Ravenhall, you cannot even muster up a modicum of interest, can you?”

  Daniel drew in a long breath, turning away from the mirror that hung on the wall of the drawing room as he shrugged toward Hudson, reclining in the overstuffed floral chair once again. “I do not think I need to.”

  “Because you’re now betrothed.”

  Nodding, Daniel sat down heavily. “Precisely. There is no requirement for me to show any enthusiasm of any sort because the woman I am to marry will wed me regardless of whether I smile or frown this evening. Perhaps that is the one benefit of this arrangement.”

  It had been three days since Daniel had heard the news that he was to marry. He had tried his best to think of some excuse, some way to free himself, but his father’s countenance had told Daniel he was not to argue, or all would be all the worse for him. His father never seemed to concern himself with much, but when he actually set his mind on something, he could be quite determined.