“He told you to come and stand by me?” she asked in awe.
“To make sure you and the child were getting along all right, but since there is no child…” Bernard looked away, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now?
“You can do what you like,” she said, “but I don’t want the fleet, or anything that belongs to Sebastian.”
“There are legalities,” he insisted, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her face.
“Only I was never legally married to Sebastian. I have no marriage certificate,” she informed him.
“There are ways…”
“I have already been dishonest enough. If he is not married to me, who would get his fleet?”
“His closest relative, I suppose.”
“And who would that be?”
Bernard stood looking at her for a long moment before he spoke. “Me,” he said at last. “I thought, if not you, your child would inherit, though.”
“Then it is settled. You take the fleet,” she reasoned.
“But that leaves you an unmarried fallen woman. The truth would have to come out, if I claimed the fleet, or anything that belonged to him,” he told her. “I don’t think Sebastian wanted that to happen. That is why he insisted you were his wife.”
“But it doesn’t matter. I have all the money in the world. My state of acceptance is unimportant to me any longer.”
“But men would try to take advantage of you, if the truth came out. Money or no money, you would be talked about behind your back. Think of your grandfather. His name would be blackened, right along with yours. I will not allow that to happen. I was to stand by you, and letting you fall to less than a grieving widow is not standing by you.” He gave her a little shake, as he looked down at her. “You may think now it doesn’t matter, but it does. Sebastian knew it, and I know it. I will not allow you to ruin your good character, because of some silly decision you made in the past, by not accepting what Sebastian is offering you, in order to resolve it,” he said boldly.
“Then what do you suggest? There is no way to prove I was married to him,” she reminded him.
“Do you know of anyone who could… Well make it right, legally, that is?”
“Garth’s father is our solicitor, and Garth knows I was never married to Sebastian. Perhaps he could advise me,” Eleanor reasoned.
“Let me come and stay with you at Clifford House until we can sort this all out,” he persuaded. “I know Sebastian never intended me to take over his fleet, or he would have offered it to me when he could. He wanted you to have what ever belonged to him, so it could be passed on to your child, which, by the way, is more than just a fleet of ships.”
“What am I to do with it all?” Eleanor scoffed. “I have everything I need. I can not run his business, I would have to hire someone to do it. Besides, I don’t have a child to pass it on to, any longer,” she insisted.
“You could hire me,” he suggested. “That way we both win,” he said softly.
Eleanor took in her breath. He reminded her so much of Sebastian, she did not know if she could handle looking at him everyday, knowing he wasn’t Sebastian. Knowing that Sebastian was never coming back except in the form of his cousin, who resembled him so much. And if she hired him to run the business that Sebastian left behind it would mean continued contact, always reminding her of Sebastian and what she was never able to have.
“I…I will give you your answer in the morning,” she said slowly, as she gazed up into his eyes, trying to remind herself that they were not Sebastian’s eyes, for all the fact that they looked like them.
Bernard could feel Eleanor trembling beneath his grasp. “Are you all right?” he asked, as he automatically held her against him to shelter her in some way that he did not understand. He was not a lady’s man. Something else he envied Sebastian about. As good looking as he was, he just did not have a way with women the way Sebastian had, and now he envied Sebastian the woman he was holding in his arms at the moment.
He could tell how much this woman had loved Sebastian, and taking over his fleet was one thing, but taking over the woman Sebastian had loved was something he suddenly wanted more. As much as he wanted it, he would not allow himself to do anything that frighten her away. He realized he was going to have to move carefully Even as it was, he was taking a big risk even coming here to try and persuade Eleanor to go along with his plans.
“It is chilly out here,” he whispered against her hair. “I had better get you back,” he insisted, as he started to guide her down the street again.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Bernard hired a carriage to drive Eleanor back to Clifford House. There was really nothing she could do but allow Bernard to come to Clifford house so they could resolve the problem before them. Something had to be done with Sebastian’s business, and he owned a house in America, where he had planned to bring Eleanor, once he married her. It was easy for her to understand why Sebastian had been so torn when he discovered that she would inherit the estate from her grandfather, and expected him to remain with her.
Bernard confirmed the fact that Sebastian had planned to run his business from America. He was only in England because it was one of his ports of interest which meant he not only had to choose between Eleanor and his fleet, but he had to choose between America, his home, and England. No wonder he didn’t care that she was a nobody with no inheritance when he first offered for her. It worked better in his plan. He had come to England looking for a wife because in America they did not make marriage arrangements for their children, like they did in England. It was easier finding a wife, sight unseen in England than in America. Suddenly Eleanor was beginning to understand how complicated things had been for Sebastian, once Bernard had began to explain things.
“First we need to establish that you were Sebastian’s wife. Even if we cannot come up with a marriage certificate. If we can come up with witnesses who claim you were married, that may work as well,” Bernard said as he directed the horses towards Clifford House.
“My grandfather could be a witness, because Sebastian told my grandfather that I was his wife.
“And he told me that you were his wife,” Bernard added.
“Teddy would say we were married if we asked him, but all these people having to lie because of me…It isn’t right,” Eleanor lamented,
“Then we will see if your friend can come up with a certificate, that we can use to prove your claim.”
“It would be so much easier, if you just claimed to be his closest relative,” Eleanor insisted.
“But I don’t want to do that, since others believed Sebastian had a wife. They would insist I was trying to inherit illegally, because everyone knows how much Sebastian and I despised each other. They would think I had selfish reasons. They would contest it if I tried to claim Sebastian’s fortune. You would have to denounce the claim of being his wife, and since Teddy tells me it was published in the social pages here, that you were his widow, that would have to all come out as a lie. It would be a lot of dirty business by the time it was all over with. Much simpler to just keep the story as it is now. In face, if necessary, we could use the social page clipping as a witness that you were married,” he suggested.
“Fine. I will talk to Garth and see what he suggests. So if he can help me, then what?” Eleanor forced herself to look into those Sebastian green eyes of his.
He turned and studied her face for a moment, his brows drawn together, and then looked back at the road before them.
“We will talk about it, when the time comes. Let’s just concentrate on what is before us at the moment,” he suggested.
Bernard did not want to think about what he was going to do concerning Eleanor, because it meant a certain amount of deceit. He could already feel himself being pulled towards her in ways he had never thought a woman could do to him before, and it was all he could do to keep his mind on the business at hand.
If she insisted he ran Sebastian’s concerns, it woul
d give him constant contact with her. He smiled inside. It would mean he would have to consult with her about things. Be in her company for as long as he took on the assignment. As it was now, all he could think about was the smell of her hair, and the way her eyes flashed when she was looking at him.
Sebastian had thought of leaving all this? No wonder it plagued him so much, and he had insisted that Bernard go find her and let her know how much Sebastian actually loved her, he was thinking at the moment. For the first time in his life, he felt things were going to turn in his favor.
Had Sebastian not survived to inform everyone that he was married, when in truth he wasn’t, everything would have eventually been left to him, once Sebastian finally died. But this way, he could still share in the spoils, if he just played his cards right, he decided.
“There is the gate up ahead,” Eleanor pointed out as they started up the hill towards Clifford House.
“It looks massive,” Bernard said, studying the structure looming on the hill top before them, realizing how wealthy this woman actually was.
“It is massive. I don’t think I have even seen every room,” Eleanor admitted. “But I have been rather distracted with everything that has happened since I came here.”
“And you plan to run this place all on your own?” Bernard questioned.
“The village is part of it as well,” Eleanor informed him. “You can see why Sebastian realized it would be too daunting, on top of his own interests. And of course, I am sure he wanted to return to America, once he got married, and that was certainly out of the question, if he kept his offer to marry me in the end.”
“But he was willing to give it all up for you. He told me so,” Bernard comforted her.
“He would have hated me in the end, if that was the case,” Eleanor reasoned.
“I don’t see how that would be possible,” Bernard said softly. “How could anyone ever hate you?”
Eleanor lifted her head at the words and turned her eyes towards him, but he was not looking at her, so she wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly.
She turned her eyes back to the drive. “Well, we are in luck. It looks like Garth is here. He must have heard I would be returning today,” Eleanor told Bernard as they drove up in front of the house, and saw Garth coming out to the carriage to greet them.
At first Garth took in his breath, thinking that Bernard was Sebastian, but then when he saw the way Eleanor was acting somewhat indifferent around the man, he realized this could not be Sebastian. Perhaps his twin, Garth thought to himself, but he did not like the way the man was looking at Eleanor.
“I see you have arrived safe and sound,” Garth smiled as he helped Eleanor down from the carriage.
“Yes, very safe and sound. Sebastian’s cousin is here, Garth.” Bernard stepped down from the carriage and came up beside the two. “Meet Bernard Brentwood,” Eleanor introduced. “This is Garth Wellington, Bernard. He is a dear friend of mine.”
“I can see the resemblance between you and your cousin,” Garth mentioned. “At first I thought you were Sebastian.”
“As did Eleanor. I’m afraid it was quite a shock to her, when she first saw me,” Bernard offered.
“Garth, we must talk.” Eleanor broke in. “There are some important things that you may be able to help us with. Please come with us to the study,” Eleanor continued.
“Certainly. Anything I can do to help you. All you have to do is ask.” He gave Bernard a side glance, and then took Eleanor by the elbow and guided her towards the front doors. Bernard did not act like he minded, which was a good sign, Garth concluded to himself.
“So what is it I can do for you?” Garth asked, when they arrived in the study, knowing it had something to do with the fact that Sebastian’s cousin was there.
Eleanor sat down in one of the heavy leather chairs, and indicated the men to do the same. “Sebastian is dead, Garth,” Eleanor blurted out. “Bernard came to bring the news. He was found adrift on his sloop by his own ship, so they took him back to America, where he ended up dying. Before he died, he continued to insist that I was his wife, and the child I carried was his. He sent his cousin to make sure that I inherited his business and house which he has in America. I do not want any of his belongings or holdings, but he wanted it that way. I would gladly allow Bernard to claim them all, since he is Sebastian’s closest relative, but Bernard has pointed out that if I do that, I will have to denounce that I was ever married to him, and that would create complications, considering it was published in the social pages that I was married to him, and everyone believes that I am truly his widow, considering I am still claiming I am. Therefore, rather than create a huge scandal, Bernard has suggested that we try to acquire a marriage certificate, proving I was married to Sebastian, so his estate can revert to me as easily as possible. Do you think you could get something like that for me?” Eleanor paused and looked up into Garth’s eyes, hoping he did not think the worse of her.
“There is a possibility,” Garth said slowly, stroking his chin. “I know someone in the clergy. I am sure he must have the right kind of forms. Do you happen to have a family bible anywhere?”
“Why would I need a family bible?” Eleanor wanted to know.
“Records are kept in family bibles. We shall put your name in the bible as being married to Sebastian. Then I will tell my friend that Sebastian had the certificate with him on his sloop, and it was ruined during the storm he was in. Now that you are his widow, you need a new certificate in order to inherit his estate. We show him the family bible, Bernard can sign Sebastian’s name in the bible beside your’s to make it look authentic, and my friend will most likely give us a new certificate.”
“You are so clever, Garth,” Eleanor praised. “I will go ask Grandfather if there is a bible where the records of the family are kept.” She rose from her chair, and left the room, as Garth and Bernard eyed each other.
“Are you planning to remain long?” Garth asked, once Eleanor had left the room.
“It depends,” Bernard drawled. “First there is all this estate business to take care of, and Eleanor claims she does not want to run Sebastian’s affairs, which I really don’t blame her for. She has enough to take care of without worrying about Sebastian’s affairs. She plans to put me in charge of his holdings and anything else pertaining to him. I suppose I will need to dispose of the house in America for her as well. But everything may take time to transfer over to my care, if she is putting me in charge. So I will remain for as long as it take to get everything taken care of.”
“And then you will be returning to America?” Garth asked anxiously, knowing how much this man probably reminded Eleanor of Sebastian.
“Oh yes. I will have to return to America right away in order to take care of Sebastian’s holdings there, but his ships do business here, as much as there, and then I will return to this area again, once things are taken care of In America. Since by right, Eleanor will own everything, I should probably keep in close contact with her, concerning the business and all. There is nothing holding me to America, so it will not disrupt anything for me. Once I dispose of Sebastian’s holdings, there will be no reason for me to return there for good, other than just business. Also, Sebastian insisted I come and make sure Eleanor is able to cope with everything. If she needs my help in any other way, I will naturally assist her.”
“I am quite capable of helping her cope,” Garth insisted.
“I am sure you are,” Bernard responded. “I am just trying to fulfill my cousin’s death bed wish,” Bernard pointed out. “Eleanor is willing to trust me with it all. She offered to just give everything to me, but I would never take advantage of her generosity like that. Anyway, I would feel guilty if I took over what used to belong to Sebastian. Personally, although he wanted me to do this for him, it was merely because he was desperate. There was no one else to send, you understand. Sebastian and I had our differences. It is sad. We were nothing alike.”
“Sorry to hear that,” G
arth murmured, but truthfully, he was glad to hear it, since it probably meant that Eleanor would not feel the same way about Bernard that she had felt about Sebastian, if they were nothing alike, except perhaps in looks. The sooner he got his business taken care of the better, Garth thought, wanting to protect Eleanor from possibly becoming too involved with this man.
The door opened and Eleanor entered the room, along with her grandfather who was carrying a rather large bible. He placed it on the desk and turned the pages, in the front of the book, showing Eleanor where he and his wife’s names had been placed, and his parent’s names before that.
“This is a very good idea,” he said, glancing over at Garth. “I understand it was your brain storm to have Eleanor place her name in the Bible along with Sebastian’s. Then no one can question it,” he predicted. He went over and brought out a pot of ink, and an ink pen, handing it to Eleanor. “We will have to decide on the date of the marriage,” he informed her.
Eleanor put in the date that she had made love to Sebastian for the first time, signed her name, and then handed the pen to Bernard. Bernard looked at her for one long moment, and then down at the book. He let out his breath, shrugged, bent over the book, and with a flourish, signed Sebastian’s name in a way that he was familiar with, since he had seen Sebastian’s signature many times over the years. When it was signed and blotted, they handed the book to Garth.
“Take it to your clergy friend,” Eleanor directed. “As soon as you get the necessary papers, for us to sign once more, then we can take care of all the rest of this business. I will be glad when it is all over with.”
Defiant Heart Page 24
