“But they are not all as our father was,” Arabella reminded her, her eyes now drifting back towards Lord Fitzpatrick who was, she noted, talking to Lord Thompson. “I thought very poorly of Lord Fitzpatrick, and now I find that I am falling in love with him!” She laughed gently at Cecelia’s astonished expression and shook her head. “It is quite extraordinary, I know, but I believe I have fallen in love with my husband – and what other happiness can there be than that?”
Cecelia made to reply, only for Arabella to hold up one hand, the smile falling from her lips as she saw her husband and Lord Thompson begin to walk from the room.
“They are going,” she said urgently, grasping her sister’s hand. “Come now, we must follow. Lady Landerbelt will do the rest.”
“Slowly, now,” Cecelia warned, tugging her back and forcing Arabella to consider what she was doing. “Here, loop your arm through mine, and then we shall walk together at a leisurely pace. There is nothing to concern yourself with at this present time. Everything shall be quite all right, I assure you.”
Even though this was meant to reassure Arabella and even though she knew that there was nothing she need worry about, she still felt the urge to quicken her steps and follow after her husband. She could still see the top of his fair head as he walked through the final few guests to the door of the ballroom, and she had to steel herself not to rush after him.
Once they reached the long hallway, Arabella felt herself begin to panic. “I cannot see him.”
“But he is to leave the door ajar,” Cecelia reminded her. “Come now, you need not worry. Let us walk together. We are certain to find it.”
Arabella swallowed hard, trying to settle her swirling nerves as she walked alongside her sister. She looked to the left and to the right, their footsteps making barely any noise as they walked slowly alongside each other.
“There!”
The door to her left remained a little ajar although there were no footmen or the like nearby to have opened it. Hurrying towards it and dropping her sister’s arm, Arabella pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Good, you have arrived.”
The sight of her husband’s glad smile brought Arabella such relief that she wanted to collapse in his arms and could not resist going into his strong embrace for a moment or two.
“You were not concerned for me, were you?” he murmured into her hair, his lips close to her ear. “There is nothing here to concern you. Lord Hollander will arrive in a few minutes—once he sees that I am gone back to the ballroom. You will be quite all right here with Lord Thompson and Lady Ward, will you not?”
Arabella looked up into his face, wishing that she might press herself up into his kiss. “I will be quite content,” she replied with a soft smile. “I will be glad when this is at an end.”
“Which will be very soon, I assure you,” he promised, bending low to kiss her brow. His lips on her skin made her catch her breath and she let out a sigh of contentment. “And then everyone shall know that you are my beautiful, courageous, wonderful bride and that I cannot do without you.”
These last words were spoken only to her, his voice so low that only she could hear. A shiver ran up her spine as she looked up at him, seeing the warmth in his eyes and finding her heart filling with love. This was not the moment to speak those words but soon, she vowed, she would let him know precisely how she felt.
“I must go,” he said apologetically, as he stepped away from her. “Ensure you are by the door, Arabella.”
Nodding, Arabella let him walk to the door and then stood by it, watching it close behind him, although he did not pull it tightly closed. She looked across at Lord Thompson and Cecelia, not at all surprised to see them sitting closely together, their hands very near to one another’s. She did nothing but flash them the briefest of smiles before turning her head away, hearing the soft murmur of their voices as they began to speak quietly. She did not want to interrupt what might be a very important conversation.
The minutes passed slowly and yet no one appeared at the door. Arabella’s heart began to pound with a growing anxiety, fearing that their carefully laid plans might come to naught – only for someone to tentatively push at the door and then step inside.
“Good evening,” Arabella said, grasping the young lady’s hand and pulling her into the room before closing the door behind her. Lord Thompson and Cecelia also rose to their feet, with Lord Thompson giving the young lady a narrowed stare. “Were you sent here, perchance?”
“I was,” the young lady replied breathlessly, her small eyes rounding as she looked from one to the next. “Except…”
“Except I was meant to be here alone,” Lord Thompson said with a shrug. “It is not as you see, however. Your mother is due to arrive within a few moments, is she not?”
The young lady did not answer, and Arabella had to usher her into a chair, knowing that they could not allow her to return to the ballroom. The young lady looked so shocked that Arabella did not think they would have any trouble keeping her in her chair, although she did not know what to expect of the mother that would soon arrive.
Resuming her position by the door, Arabella overheard the young lady tell Cecelia that her name was Miss Matthews and that her father was Lord Reapton. There was no other explanation given as to why she had then decided to follow her mother’s instructions, but Arabella knew well enough that a young debutante – particularly one without much beauty and perhaps a shy demeanor – might have very little choice but to do what was asked of her, especially if it was to find a husband.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The door suddenly flew open, startling Arabella and making her jump back in astonishment. There in the doorway stood a rather rotund lady, who was clad in garish purple and whose face was flushed with color.
Gathering herself, Arabella hurried to push the door shut again behind the lady and Lord Thompson immediately rose to his feet.
“You must be Lady Reapton,” he said unequivocally. “Do come in and join us. I should very much like to know just how much you gave to Lord Hollander in order to set up this situation. In fact, I have a good many questions for both you and your daughter.” He gave the lady a long stare, and Arabella watched the color drain from the lady’s cheeks.
“I-I have very little idea of what you are talking about,” Lady Reapton stammered, losing every single shred of confidence she had first entered with. “Good gracious, what on earth can you be talking of, Lord Thompson?”
“How do you know my name when we are not acquainted?” he asked, his voice cool and expression dark. “There is more to your story than you are willing to admit, it seems, but I will not stand for it. Now come in and seat yourself, Lady Reapton, else I shall be forced to drag you back into the ballroom and declare to all and sundry exactly what you have just attempted to do.”
This seemed to quell the lady further, for she meekly walked towards her daughter, her head bowed low. Arabella swallowed hard, knowing now that all they had to wait for was Lady Landerbelt and Lord Hollander.
Once Lord Fitzpatrick had returned to the ballroom, Lady Landerbelt was to find Lord Hollander and inform him, in discreet tones, that a young lady had found her in the hallway as Lady Landerbelt had been on her way to the powder room. This young lady was to beg for Lady Landerbelt’s assistance in finding Lord Hollander and to inform him that he was required at once, for something quite dreadful had occurred with the situation.
Arabella was quite certain that Lady Landerbelt could be more than convincing, and so she closed her eyes and waited for them both to arrive. Her heart was beating faster with every minute that passed, her anticipation rising steadily.
And then, she heard it.
Hurried footsteps were making their way towards the room, and Arabella found herself praying silently that they belonged to Lord Hollander. She turned to face Lord Thompson, giving him a quick nod, before preparing herself again.
“Miss Matthews?”
; Lord Hollander stepped into the room with an urgent air, his eyes drifting around the room and widening slowly with astonishment. “Miss Matthews, what is the meaning of this?”
Arabella moved quickly, coming to stand behind Lord Hollander so that he could not easily escape back into the hallway. “I think, Lord Hollander, that you have been found out.”
“Indeed, you have.”
The voice of her husband behind her allowed Arabella to sigh with relief, even though the matter was not yet at its conclusion.
“Shall we all sit?” Lady Landerbelt asked, coming into the room behind Lord Fitzpatrick and closing the door tightly behind her. “There are some things to discuss.”
“I-I have nothing to say,” Lady Reapton stammered, getting to her feet and dragging her daughter up with her. “This has all been a dreadful mistake, and I will promise to you all here, now, that I shall not say a word of this to another living soul.”
“Nor shall you try such a thing again,” Lord Fitzpatrick said darkly. “Do you quite understand? Our silence over your actions shall be maintained only on the promise that you shall not behave in such a fashion again.”
Lady Reapton’s face went stark white, and she began to stammer her agreement, stumbling towards the door. Arabella was forced to remove herself from the lady’s path, and it was only with a hard look from Lady Landerbelt that Lady Reapton and Miss Matthews were able to leave.
“This is terribly unwise,” Lord Hollander said smoothly, clearly getting over his surprise very quickly. “You know what is at stake, Lord Fitzpatrick.”
“I do.” Arabella heard her husband reply, feeling him press her hand as he made his way past her and towards Lord Hollander. “And yet, I must tell you that I have something of my own to bargain with.”
Lord Hollander did not look convinced. “Is that so?”
“Indeed,” Lady Landerbelt replied with a small smile of her own that seemed to unsettle Lord Hollander somewhat, for he shifted from foot to foot in a most uncomfortable fashion. “There was a visitor at your door last evening, I believe. Two, in fact.” She smiled at Arabella, who had no hesitation in smiling back. The three of them stood near to the door, with Lord Hollander still facing her husband. Behind him stood Lord Thompson and Cecelia. Arabella felt as though they were slowly drawing a cage around the gentleman, a cage from which she was determined he would not get free.
“I was out last evening,” Lord Hollander replied dismissively, although Arabella caught the slight wariness in his eyes. “My butler told me of no visitors.”
Lord Fitzpatrick shrugged. “That is understandable, given just how terrifying a master you are. However, I was not only in your residence last evening, Hollander, but also in your study. I had left something there accidentally – and when I left again, I did not only have what I had supposedly left, but a good few other things also.”
Arabella watched in growing satisfaction as the color began to drain from Lord Hollander’s face.
“I was the second visitor to your door,” Arabella said, finding courage growing within herself as she stepped forward. “It was simple enough to distract your butler so as to allow my husband to find what was required.”
Lord Hollander’s eyes widened, and he took a small step back, one hand reaching up to press against his heart.
“This is my wife, whom you have kept me from these last three years,” Lord Fitzpatrick stated, his anger obvious as he glared at Lord Hollander whilst reaching out one hand in Arabella’s direction. Arabella took it at once, glad that she could stand beside her husband and bring this situation to its conclusion. “I will not be kept from her any longer. I will be returning to my estate, Hollander…as will you.”
Lord Hollander swallowed and then attempted to lift his chin, as though trying to find some sort of control over the situation. “I shall do no such thing,” he stated, his voice a little higher than before. “I have evidence of your mother’s—”
“Evidence which you will send to Lord Fitzpatrick,” Lord Thompson interrupted, making Lord Hollander jump in surprise. “And which he then will burn. Else all of your correspondence, all of your agreements and plans which have caused so many difficulties for so many will be made known to all.” He pulled out a few letters and unfolded them, handing them to Lord Hollander. These, Arabella knew, were not the worst of what they had found, but they were enough to convince Lord Hollander that they had what they promised they had.
There was a long, pronounced silence for some minutes. Arabella held her husband’s hand tightly, almost able to see the way that Lord Hollander was trying to think of some arrangement that would free him from this particular consequence.
“If you do so,” Lord Hollander said slowly, his eyes narrowing in Lord Fitzpatrick’s direction as he dropped the letters to the floor in apparent indifference, “then Fitzpatrick will be known to be the one carrying out such tasks as I have directed.”
“And I will accept the consequences of such,” Lord Fitzpatrick said forcefully, his fingers tightening on Arabella’s. “I will not shy away from them. But I will make everyone aware that I was blackmailed into doing so and pray that their understanding and forgiveness may, in the end, be forthcoming. What excuses can you give for what you have done? Do not think that society will easily forgive you, Hollander!”
Arabella smiled in satisfaction as Lord Hollander seemed to shrink before them. His shoulders slumped, his expression turning dark and furious, but yet no words of reproof coming from him. There was nothing for him to say, it seemed. No excuse he could make, no demands that he could express to any of them.
“In fact,” Lady Landerbelt said quietly. “I think I shall go with you now and take from you the evidence that you have held over Lord Fitzpatrick for so long.” She arched one eyebrow, as Lord Hollander looked at her in surprise. “And do not think that I, a respected and well known member of society, will have any difficulty in dragging your name through the mud if I so choose. Think carefully, Lord Hollander. You can enjoy a quiet life back at your estate, or you can face the consequences of your actions here in London, rejected by the beau monde for the rest of your days. Your family line will bear the shame for generations.”
These sharp words seemed to bring Lord Hollander to his knees in defeat. He shook his head, groaned, and then buried his face into his hands.
“And should you attempt to ever do something such as this again,” Lord Fitzpatrick finished, sounding quite triumphant, “then we shall all band together and reveal the truth of your actions these last few years, no matter how far away it was. You know how dirt can cling to a man, Hollander. Your reign is now at an end.”
It took some minutes for Lord Hollander to choose to quit the room and allow Lady Landerbelt to follow him. Lord Thompson had also gone with her, although Arabella had not missed how he had brought Cecelia’s hand to his lips for a moment, promising that he would return to her the moment he had what was required. Cecelia chose to return the ballroom to wait for him, a happiness shining in her eyes that Arabella had not seen before.
“I believe we shall have a wedding to attend very soon,” Lord Fitzpatrick said, as Cecelia closed the door behind her. “I am glad for them both, I think.”
“I am very content,” Arabella replied, going into his embrace at once and feeling the strength of his arms about her waist. “Oh, Fitzpatrick, finally, you are free of the burden you have been carrying for so long.”
He looked down into her eyes, his expression holding such tenderness that it stole Arabella’s breath from her.
“I could not have done it without you, my love,” he said softly, letting go of her waist so as to brush some tendrils from her face. Arabella shivered with the intimacy of his touch, her heart filling with such a love for him that she knew it could no longer be hidden.
“You have set me free from it all,” he continued, looking at her in wonder as though she were an angel. “Your courage, your kindness, and your forgiving heart has brought me back to such happ
iness. It is a happiness I did not think that I should ever experience.” Leaning down, he let his fingers brush down her cheek, down her neck, shoulder, and arm before settling it back at her waist. “You have become very dear to me, Arabella. I can hardly wait to return to my estate with you, to make it my home once again with you by my side.”
“I think I love you, Fitzpatrick,” Arabella found herself saying, her voice breathless and the words rushing from her. “I did not ever expect it, but yet my heart is so full of such an emotion that it cannot be anything but love.”
A wonderous smile began to spread across his face, his eyes glowing with sheer joy as he tugged her even closer. “My heart calls out for you, Arabella,” he whispered, his head lowering. “I love you, more than I think I can express.”
Arabella closed her eyes, lost in bliss. She tilted her head up to meet his kiss, her happiness finally complete. She would no longer be alone. Instead, she would return to the estate with her husband by her side and love in their hearts. There was nothing more for which she could ask. Every dream had been fulfilled; every hope restored. It was time to start her life anew, with Lord Fitzpatrick by her side.
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Regency Engagements Box Set Page 27
