by Rebecca King
Thankfully, the doctor chose that moment to appear in the kitchen. Jeb shot to his feet and turned to face him, his heart in his throat.
“Well?” he demanded without preamble.
Used to dealing with fraught relatives, the doctor recognised the look on Jeb’s face and immediately offered him a placating smile.
“She is well enough given what has happened to her. She has bruising on her throat, and there will be some soreness there for a while yet, and considerable markings. Other than that, she should make a full recovery after a period of convalescence.”
“Can I see her now?” he demanded.
Before the doctor could reply, he stormed through the house, raced up the stairs, and swept into Sophia’s room.
The last thing he expected was to find her propped up in the bed plucking absently at the bed sheets across her lap.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
“Jeb,” she whispered tearfully as soon as she saw him.
Within seconds, he had her settled in his lap and held her close while she wept into his shoulder.
“I am sorry, Sophia,” he murmured over and over. “I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry.”
When she had calmed down, she leaned back so she could look up into his face. “It’s not your fault.”
“I should have protected you better,” he said softly.
“I lived with her and she has never given me any reason to fear for my life. She has been nothing but surly and mean, but I didn’t think she would try to kill me,” she replied.
“Don’t even think about that woman now,” Jeb ordered darkly. “She is on her way to jail and won’t ever be released.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, relieved that Delilah wasn’t likely to walk into the room.
“It was too close, Sophia. If we hadn’t turned up when we had we -” He couldn’t finish his sentence. The words lodged in his throat and he couldn’t even croak them out.
She stroked his too pale cheek gently. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”
She knew from the way he sighed that there was more. The tension running through him was palpable. There was also a lot she needed to say but, from the gravity on his face, his news was considerably more important.
“I love you,” he whispered.
He captured her gasp with his lips and clung on with everything he possessed. His hand reached up to cup the back of her head, but she had no intention of pulling away. She couldn’t. This was what she wanted. He was what she had lived for.
“I love you too,” she replied when he found the strength to lift his head.
“Thank Heavens for that,” he replied with his first smile of the day.
“There is more you are not telling me.” In spite of his smile, and their kisses, he still had not relaxed in her arms. She sensed he didn’t want to worry her because of her injury, but she didn’t want secrets between them. She started to suspect that she knew what was wrong, though, when his gaze kept returning to the marks around her neck.
“They will fade,” she promised him.
“It makes me livid to think of what she has done to you. What she might have succeeded in doing.” He shook his head and rested his head against hers for a moment. “God, my life would have ended with yours if you had been stolen from me.”
“I am here. I don’t plan on going anywhere for a while,” she whispered.
“Good. See that you don’t.” He cemented his warning with another very thorough kiss.
Reeling beneath the force of his devotion, Sophia snuggled against him in contentment.
Jeb had never felt anything so wonderful. To hear her heart beating so steadily against his chest reassured him she was indeed going to be alright and, for the first time since entering the gardens, he began to relax.
“Did Delilah kill Mrs Banks and Tabitha?” she asked.
She could remember nothing about her ordeal, but was relieved by it more than worried. Right now she didn’t want to think about it. The sooner she could put it all behind her and move on with her life the better she would heal, both emotionally and physically.
“No. That was the man we saw her arguing with, or her boss. Either way, it wasn’t her.” Jeb looked down into her face and knew instinctively what she was really asking; when he was going to leave her alone again. There was a silent plea in her soulful eyes that made him hold her tighter.
“We have work to do in the village yet. There is a list of people, Myers, the man you saw Delilah arguing with, has working for him. Once we have their details we can start to arrest them and stop them stealing. We also need to capture his boss, a man called Bamber, from stealing the Squire’s jewels. Once we have done that, we need to interrogate Myers and Delilah, and get as much information out of both of them as we can.”
“Then you will move on to London,” she whispered, dreading the moment.
“Not really,” Jeb replied and surprised her.
She jumped and leaned back to look up at him. “Really?”
Jeb nodded. “My father asked me to come here to help catch the thief. Given that the thefts from large houses sounded similar to the work we are doing in London, I agreed. I needed a break and some time to decide what I want to do with my life. I love my work for the Star Elite but of late, several of the men in the unit have found wives and settled down to matrimonial bliss. I had wondered if it is time I did the same even before I met you.”
He looked at her and gave her such a winning smile that she blinked and stared at him in awe. He was truly a remarkably handsome man when he smiled like that. She wished he would do it again, as often as possible. Her heart fluttered with sheer joy and she smiled back.
“Then I met you and knew for definite that I wanted to settle down, but only with you.”
“I am glad you did,” she replied with heartfelt fervency.
“So am I,” he whispered. “You have made me reassess my life and what I want from it. While I have always been happy to spend as much time as I need investigating crime, I want more out of life. My father has been on at me for years to settle down and spend more time at Briggleberry. But, because I haven’t shown any interest in the place, he has employed an excellent man of business, Philip Everson. He is adept at working the estate, albeit with my father. They are happy with the arrangement at the moment but need additional help now that Algernon has purchased yet more land in the hopes of increasing the estate’s crop yield. I think it is time to settle down at Briggleberry, and give them a hand, and hope to work for the Star Elite when I am needed.”
“You work is very important,” she admitted with confidence. She now had first-hand experience of just how crucial men like Jeb were to people’s safety.
“My life with you is more important,” he murmured. “I will quit if you really cannot abide the prospect of a life with me working with them.”
He couldn’t resist it when she looked up at him. Keeping his gaze locked on the warmth within her eyes he kissed her with all of the fierce emotion that swept through him. In deference to her recuperating state he didn’t allow matters to go too far, he just left her with no misunderstanding as to just how important she was to him.
Sophia’s hand shook when he gently kissed her fingers and rested their clasped hands on his chest. She didn’t quite know what to say to him. She felt she knew him quite well in a lot of ways but then not at all in others. Still, after what had happened today she was aware that life was a very precious commodity indeed, and it could be snatched at a moment’s notice. Not just by your own mistakes but by other people’s reckless acts of unconscionable cruelty. It was only the foolhardy who wasted a precious moment of happiness available to them, and she was no fool.
“I don’t want you to quit unless you want to. It is quite evident you enjoy your work and are good at it.”
“Are you sure?” he asked with a frown. He hadn’t expected her ready compliance.
“I am sure,” she replied.
“I can work for a l
ocal branch of the Star Elite. To begin with, my job here will involve tidying up and working on Bamber’s network of thieves, as I have told you. After that, the men who have married have all settled in the areas they want and work with local magistrates on county crime. You know; thefts and the like. There is no reason why I cannot do the same.”
“Like Delilah’s stealing, you mean?”
Jeb nodded. “Hopefully without the connection to Sayers, though.”
He slid down onto the bed until he lay facing her. “What on earth were you doing outside?”
“I got your note,” she replied.
“Note?” Jeb looked down at her. “What note?”
Sophia stared at him for a moment then dug into her pocket for the parchment.
Jeb read it. “This isn’t my writing, Sophia. I wouldn’t send you a note to meet me anywhere like this, not when I had already told you to remain inside. I would call upon you here, you should know that,” he chided softly. “It is my responsibility as a gentleman to keep you safe, and that means not asking you to compromise yourself in any way by venturing out alone.”
“When I saw your name, I just thought you wanted to see me again.” She felt a little foolish. “I had hoped.”
“I do want to see you again. All the time. But I would call by here to see you and not send that.” Jeb shook his head. “Does the writing look familiar to you?”
“It’s not Delilah’s.”
“Are you sure?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes. My aunt’s writing is a lot more curved than that. She also tends to splatter ink everywhere. This is far too neat and tidy to be from her. Whoever wrote this has a precise mind. Look how carefully these letters have been formed.”
Jeb studied the neat rows of writing and knew she was right.
“Who would want to send me on a merry chase like that?” Sophia continued. “I mean, Delilah was the one who attacked me, but she didn’t write the note. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Jeb thought about the threat that had been made against Sophia by Myers, and suspected that it had been Bamber who had shoved it under the door. Bamber was already in the area, Myers had said so, and was the one responsible for the Squire’s untimely death.
Had he also been trying to lure Sophia out of the house so he could kidnap her like Myers had said? Jeb suspected he had but had been pre-empted by her spiteful aunt.
He didn’t tell Sophia any of this for fear of frightening her even more. Instead, he knew he had to relocate her to Briggleberry, and place her under the watchful eyes of the staff while he went after Bamber.
“I know.” He briefly told her about Bamber’s intent to steal the Squire’s jewels. “He is the man who has killed the Squire this morning.”
“The Squire?” She turned to stare at him in disbelief. “The Squire has been killed?”
Jeb nodded. “By someone who is quite ruthless. He killed Mrs Banks and Tabitha as well.”
“I think this village has seen enough of death and destruction,” she whispered with a shiver.
“I know. It will be over soon, I promise.”
“Just stay safe,” she whispered.
She couldn’t help it. It was terribly wanton of her, but she captured his head in her hands and tugged him down. He was happy to accede to her demands, and set about proving to himself that she really was alright.
The rest of the world seemed a lifetime away when she was wrapped in his arms. Nothing could touch them where they were. She wished they could remain there until the danger had passed, but Jeb was a man of action. Someone who sought to ensure justice was served and, after what had happened to her today, she could now appreciate why.
“Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise,” he whispered and meant every word. “Now that I have you to come home to I am not going to do anything to compromise our future happiness.”
“I am sure your father will be delighted to have you back in the family fold,” she replied with a smile.
“I have to confess that my remaining within the village depends on you.”
“Me?” She tipped her head back to look up at him.
“Yes, you.” He dropped a lingering kiss onto her lips. “I have received a letter from your father to say he should be here by the end of the week.”
She jerked and looked at him with a broad smile. “He has replied? He is coming?”
Jeb grinned. He was starting to relax now that the shadows were disappearing from her eyes. “Yes. He said that he has written to you before. I think Delilah has intercepted the letters and kept them from you. He has said in his note that if you have no luck then Delilah is to leave the house and make her own way in life. It is probably why she hid them from you.”
“It’s a bit late now,” she murmured. She looked at him appreciatively. “You were right to suggest he write to me via Briggleberry. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome,” Jeb said. “It is quite fortuitous really because for the time being, you need to make Briggleberry your home too. The doctor has informed me that you are not well enough to travel for the time being. You need to be looked after. The staff at Briggleberry can take care of you while I am helping the men find Bamber. When Hooky arrives, I have to have a very necessary conversation with him.”
“Oh?” Sophia’s heart began to thump heavily in her chest.
She knew her heart was in her eyes but could do little about it. Her love for him was growing in leaps and bounds by the hour, but she knew it was in safe hands with Jeb.
“I am afraid our short courtship will have to take place at Briggleberry while you recuperate. As soon as Bamber is no longer a threat to anyone, and work eases off a little, I fully intend for us to make our relationship permanent. I need to ask your father’s permission.”
Sophia wanted to scream that she was ready now but knew, deep inside, that he was giving her time to get to know him – the man, not him – the rescuer. It would be foolish to rush into anything, especially when she was still reeling from the fright she had just had. However, she knew, even now, even on such a relatively short acquaintance, that Jeb was the man for her.
“I know it is still early days, and there is a lot you have to learn about me, but I love you. I have never felt such despair as I did when I saw you in the garden. The moments afterward were the most fraught I can ever remember, and something I never want to experience ever again. I realised just how much I love you and how worthless my life would be without you in it. The last thing I can do is allow you to go back to Buckinghamshire, or anywhere else, without me. So, with your permission, I should like to move you into Briggleberry for your recovery. However, it is to become your permanent home because I fully intend to make you my wife while you are there.”
“Oh, Jeb. I love you so much. I never thought I could feel like this, and to be honest am not quite sure I believe it. I want to pinch myself to make sure it is real and not all some sort of dream.”
“You really love me?” He was starting to believe her declaration wasn’t just reaction to her fear.
There was something in his eyes that was intensely vulnerable. It called to something deep within her. While she knew it would be impossible to protect him, she had every intention of giving him a home to return to, and showing him each and every day how much he was loved. He was as essential to her now as the very air she breathed, and she had learned today just how precious that was. She couldn’t deny him anything, especially when he had just handed her the world.
“You are my very own knight in shining armour. You have saved me today. Not just from death, but from a miserable future without you. I need you in my life, not to provide me with comfort or protection, but because you make my life complete.”
Jeb’s smile was full of happiness. He wouldn’t have been surprised to find her quivering nonsensically in a heap after what she had endured. Instead, she was smiling and looking toward the future with such hope in her eyes he knew he would battle the world to give her whatever she want
ed.
“I love you, Sophia Carney,” he murmured as he drew them both down onto the bed until they lay face to face. “I came back to Framley Meadow at the request of my father to catch a thief. What I found here instead has made my life complete, and that is something I promise you I shall never take for granted.”
“We both found more than we bargained for. Thankfully, on this occasion, our lives will be considerably happier and far, far richer than either of us could ever have imagined. For that, I can only thank you; for being you and for coming into my life.”
“Together forever,” he promised huskily.
EPILOGUE
Two days later, Jeb was struggling to keep his mind focused on why he was there. His darling Sophia was safely tucked away at Briggleberry and, as far as he was concerned, the sooner he could get back there to be with her the happier he would be.
At the moment, he was hidden deep in the shadows in the Squire’s bedchamber. He kept his breathing shallow and remained motionless while the minutes ticked by. Marcus had arrived not but twenty minutes ago to inform them that Bamber had been followed to the house, and was now skulking around outside being observed by Joe.
Inside, Jeb and Barnaby were watching the empty jewellery box Bamber was there to collect.
Although devastated by her husband’s death, the Squire’s wife had suggested using some less valuable items that looked similar to the ones the thief wanted. She had willingly provided them before she had left to stay with relatives for a while. Before she had departed, Jeb had asked her why the jewels were not kept in a safe.
“Well, I only wear those jewels at balls. They are the most expensive we own, and my husband does like to display them. He always removes the jewels I am supposed to wear before we go out. I was going to wear them to the ball here, and then we were due to attend the McAllister’s ball the night after that.”
Barnaby had frowned. “Who is likely to know that?”
“Well, nobody other than me. It is a private matter between my husband and me. My husband was always very careful about that particular set of jewels because they are so expensive.”
