Her Convenient Husband's Return

by Eleanor Webster

  The Duke licked his lips, his hand darting forward eagerly.

  Ren smiled. ‘Not quite so fast. There are conditions. First, you will provide me with a written confession that you were involved in my attack.’

  Ayrebourne’s hand retreated. He licked his lips again. Sweat now formed in glistening beads across his brow. ‘And if I do not provide this?’

  Ren shrugged. ‘I presume either the constabulary or your creditors will come soon.’

  The Duke shifted. Instinctively, his gaze moved to the windows and doors as if he expected his immediate arrest. ‘What will you do with the confession?’

  ‘I will keep it. I will keep it to myself unless you come close to me, my wife, my mother or the tenants or any other innocent girl. If I hear that you have broken this agreement, I will give it immediately to the law.’

  ‘Why should I trust you? You could go straight to the constable now.’

  ‘I could,’ Ren agreed affably, still holding the money order between his thumb and forefinger as though it was an object of great fascination. Very slowly, he shifted it between his fingers so that the paper crackled. He watched the man’s pale blue eye follow the movement.

  ‘I am afraid, Ayrebourne, you will simply have to trust me. It would seem that you are somewhat desperate for cash.’

  ‘Fine,’ the Duke said. ‘I will sign your damn confession.’

  ‘Good. Who knows, you might be able to settle your debts prior to your interview with the Bow Street Runners. I am certain you would create a better impression if you were less shaky and, um, sweaty.’

  ‘What do you even want with this place?’

  ‘Only to get you out of it. You must have thought all your birthdays had come at once when you learned I might give you Graham Hill. I presume my mother shared that titbit of information. And then you must have been quite desperate when I changed my mind and later survived your plot, staying alive so very inconveniently. Now where is your paper and ink? Or will you ring for some?’

  ‘There.’ He nodded towards a desk pushed to the wall and cluttered with books, papers and several dirty tumblers.

  ‘By the way, you will vacate the premises by the end of the week.’

  ‘By tomorrow, if you like.’ The duke spoke in angry tones.

  ‘Entirely satisfactory,’ Ren said.

  * * *

  Ren paused on the threshold of the library at Graham Hill. Beth sat in the chair beside the fire. The lamps had not been lit yet and the amber glow of the fire light cast delightful shadows.

  His heart beat fast. He felt both an eagerness to talk to her, but also apprehension. If she didn’t listen this time—

  She turned as he entered. ‘Ren?’

  ‘The Duke won’t be bothering us any more. I have convinced him that remaining in our neighbourhood is not conducive for his health.’

  ‘He’s going to leave?’

  ‘Yes, I am certain the Bow Street Runners will be escorting him to London. However, even if he is released, he will not be returning here. I’ll explain it to you later, but right now we need to talk.’

  ‘No, Ren, you know—’

  ‘I will not agree to an annulment. I will not agree to an annulment because I want to stay married to you. I love you.’

  ‘I know, but—’

  ‘No, I have listened.’ He sat on a low footstool in front of her, taking her hands in his own. ‘I need you to listen. I won’t agree to an annulment because I love you and I love being married to you. I love everything about you. I love your spirit. I love your independence. I love your moments of anxiety and the strength it takes you to overcome those moments. I love that you think about things differently. And what you told me the other day was nonsense!’

  Her mouth dropped. ‘It’s not.’

  ‘When you were a child, you always said that you would not let your blindness stop you and that you were as good as the next person. It seems you no longer believe that.’

  ‘But I do,’ she said, stiffening in her chair and freeing her hands. Her brows pulled into a frown.

  ‘So why don’t you think you’re as good as countless women who have sight but not an ounce of your strength and your spirit? You have worked all your life to prove that you are equal to any man or woman, sighted or otherwise. There seems to be only one person you still have to convince.’

  ‘I cannot help it if you—’

  ‘Not me. I knew you were my equal the moment you hit Edmund with that fish and don’t tell me you didn’t intend to do so. You’re the only person you still have to convince.’

  ‘I—am convinced. I travelled to London. I manage this estate and Allington. I found you. I helped to nurse you—’

  ‘And you think that our child would be less equal if he or she were blind? You think you would be less of a mother and less of a wife because you are blind? You still think you are broken. You’re not. People like the Duke are broken. You are whole and strong and I love you.’

  Her frown deepened. She shoved one hand through her blonde hair so that it stood up, haystack-like.

  ‘Beth, you gave me sight. For a decade I saw only ugliness and you gave me back beauty. None of us is perfect. Jamie is both brilliant and a fool. You see the world differently because you are blind and whether you know it or not that is a strength.’

  ‘But—’ Her lips opened. He saw her catch her breath.

  ‘No, no buts. I love you.’ He took her hands again, feeling their tremor. ‘I was a man in hiding. Everything hurt and I didn’t like myself. I tried to make myself into something I wasn’t, something I couldn’t like and I couldn’t respect.’

  ‘And now?’ she whispered.

  ‘Now I like myself. I respect myself. Whatever you decide, I will still respect myself and my choices but, if you stay with me, if you love me, I think we could give each other joy. We can work together and make this place something important. We can be happy.’

  * * *

  Joy and hope filled her. She reached up to him, cupping his face with both hands, running her fingers across his jaw and gently outlining the shape of his lips. ‘I love you, but—’

  ‘Then that is the only certainty we need.’

  ‘And if our child is blind?’

  ‘Beth, we do not have to have children. You are enough for me. You will always be enough for me. But, if we choose to have children, I do not fear blindness. Our children will have strengths and they will have weaknesses because they are human. Our job will be to help them make the most of their strengths and to overcome their weakness. You can help them do that. You would be a wonderful mother.’

  ‘But I can’t keep them safe. What if there are steps...?’

  ‘No one can guarantee a child will be safe. But I will do everything possible. Allie will help and we will hire as many servants as you want to keep them safe. There are always people to point out the dangers. But whether our child is blind or sighted, someone needs to point out beauty and to teach him or her to be strong and kind. You can do that. You can do that better than anyone.’

  ‘I almost think it could work. I always thought that I could never be a wife or a mother.’

  ‘You can.’

  ‘You really do love me,’ she whispered, the wonder of it striking her anew.

  He leaned forward, cupping her face with his hands. ‘Of course I do. It just took me a while to realise it.’

  She smiled. ‘And I have loved you, too. You taught me how to see the world.’

  ‘And you taught me how to see beauty in the world again and, of the two, the latter is the more remarkable.’

  He kissed her, exploring the intricate, delicate crevasses of her mouth, the soft, yielding lips.

  ‘Ren, I never thought—I didn’t think we could have a happy ending.’

  Again he framed her face with his hands, his touch war
m. ‘But don’t you know this is only a happy beginning?’

  She smiled. ‘And we can have everything.’

  ‘Everything,’ he said, running a row of kisses along the smooth line of her chin. ‘In fact, I wouldn’t mind having everything now.’

  ‘You mean here? In the library?’

  ‘Indeed, there is something about tossing books and papers aside—’

  ‘It sounds very—spontaneous,’ she whispered.

  And then their lips met again. His arms encircled her and she knew. She wanted everything. She always had.

  Epilogue

  The whistle of autumn winds blew outside the windows of the London house. Beth and Ren had travelled up two days previously and Beth was gaining more familiarity with its dimensions. They had spent only a short while there over the summer as the transfer of land to the tenants had taken most of their time.

  The memories of those busy months gave Beth quick, happy pulse of joy. It hadn’t all been smooth, but it was working. The tenants were happy. Jamie was being somewhat dictatorial about crops. He had a fondness for turnips, but Ren was working things out wonderfully. Indeed, the estates appeared to be more prosperous than ever.

  Just then, the door opened outside. It would be Jamie. He had come up also and had gone to a meeting of the Royal Society. Apparently, his research in the area of gypsum and manure had warranted a presentation to the society which he would give the next day. She and Ren hoped to attend. Jamie had even written a paper, dedicating it to Edmund.

  Dobson came in with the tea tray, closely followed by Ren and Jamie. Ren sat beside her. He took her hand right away, seeming eager to touch her. His was still cool from the temperature outside and she felt as always that immediate surge of comfort, joy and awareness. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, and her heart soared.

  ‘All the legal formalities are almost finished. I am delighted to say that I hardly own any of Graham Hill, other than the house itself,’ he said, accepting the cup of tea presented by Dobson.

  ‘And society?’

  ‘I had a few odd looks, but I think I shall recover. How about your day, Jamie?’

  ‘Very interesting, I must say. I am fascinated with the different scientific areas which appeal to people. Indeed, I never fully realised the fascination of the stars.’

  ‘Are you planning to expand your scientific interests?’ Beth asked with some surprise.

  ‘I will be building an observatory.’

  ‘An observatory? Such an investment would indicate that you are quite serious about this science,’ Ren said, his voice also echoing her surprise.

  ‘Not particularly, but I think Miss Cox will enjoy it when she visits.’

  Beth gulped, spluttering on her tea. She replaced the cup hurriedly on the tea table. ‘Miss Cox?’

  ‘Yes, I was actually going to suggest that you invite her to Graham Hill?’

  ‘I—absolutely—I mean, once I meet her. Who is she?’

  ‘I met her at the Royal Society, a sister of one of the Fellows there. I believe she will be at the presentation regarding gypsum. She has varied interests and found the scientific process I employed fascinating.’

  ‘Then,’ Beth said, ‘I can only presume that she would be even more delighted to have the opportunity to actually see your lab and the site of the study.’

  ‘Yes,’ Jamie said. He stood. She heard his movement and the rattle as he replaced his tea cup. ‘Well, you can invite her tomorrow. I’ll just review my notes for the presentation.’

  Beth listened to her brother’s quick footsteps as he exited the room. ‘Ren, is it possible that Jamie has a romantic interest in Miss Cox?’

  ‘It is something which I always thought highly unlikely, but I’ve never heard him mention even a planet previously.’

  ‘Indeed, no. Nor an asteroid,’ she added. ‘Although I don’t know if it would be quite the thing for me to invite her immediately upon making her acquaintance.’

  Ren laughed, bending to kiss her. ‘Since when did either you or Jamie worry about whether something is the thing or not? Invite Miss Cox. It will make things interesting.’

  ‘Ah,’ Beth said. She took a breath, feeling the smile already on her face. ‘I believe our lives may already be getting quite interesting in about nine months.’

  She felt Ren turn to her, giving a sharp inhale of breath. He cupped her face tenderly. ‘Really?’ he whispered.

  ‘Really,’ she said, her smile even wider now, her heart fit to burst. ‘I love you, Ren. Sometimes fairy tales do come true.’

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this story

  check out these other great reads

  by Eleanor Webster:

  Married for His Convenience

  No Conventional Miss

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Wedding at Rocking S Ranch by Kathryn Albright.

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  Wedding at Rocking S Ranch

  by Kathryn Albright

  Prologue

  Oak Grove, Kansas, 1878

  Raymond Wolf rammed the oil-soaked cloth down the rifle’s barrel for one last coating, making sure the path was smooth and slippery without any catches. It had to be perfect if it was to be his best friend’s wedding present.

  The long swab pressed against the farthest end of the shaft, and at the same moment, something squeezed in Wolf’s chest. An invisible weight descended, as if the very air pressed down on him. Maybe he had been working too hard. He’d had that large order to finish for Dodge City last week, which demanded all of his time. This was the first chance he’d had to work on Doug’s rifle.

  The sensation grew stronger. Doug’s face filled his mind. He set the rifle barrel on his workbench and clutched the turquoise stone at his neck. The small workshop, the snow falling outside the front window, all faded away into a gray mist. Then his friend’s face faded too. Something had happened.

  “Wolf?” Jackson Miller spoke from the doorway, breaking into the strange fog. Miller stepped inside quickly, followed by another man—a stranger—and shut the door. “Got a man here looking for you.”

  Wolf released his grip on the stone and struggled to shake off the premonition. He stood and backed away from his work area, staring at the hammer, trigger guard and bow drill that lay on the table. Absent only a moment ago, now the strong scent of oil and varnish filled the air once more.

  Miller stepped farther into the room and removed his f
lat cap. “Are you all right?”

  Wolf looked up, still slightly dazed. “Miller,” he said, acknowledging his neighbor.

  Then his thoughts cleared, and he noticed the short, pudgy man in a gray suit peering around Miller’s shoulder. Wolf wiped the oil from his hands on an old rag and slowly removed his shop apron, hanging it from its neck loop on the peg beside the window. He turned back to the two men. “What can I do for you?”

  “Raymond Wolf?” the stranger asked, his gaze dubious.

  Outsiders always took a moment to adjust to his looks. Confusion happened first, quickly followed by suspicion, and then the lingering unspoken question: Why wasn’t he on a reservation with the rest of his tribe? And more than that—was he dangerous? Wolf counted it ironic that along with his appearance, the profession he had fallen into—gunsmithing—also made them nervous. It was ironic and, if he was truthful, satisfying.

  “Excuse me. My name is Franklin Masters. I...uh...have some unfortunate news regarding an acquaintance of yours. A Mr. Douglas Stewart.”

  Wolf blew out his breath and braced himself. He knew what would be said before the man continued. His friend—his blood brother—wouldn’t be coming home.

  Chapter One

  Alexandria, Virginia

  Cassandra Stewart slipped her hand through the crook in her father’s arm and leaned on him for support as she descended the grand staircase of her parents’ estate.

  At the bottom of the stairs, her mother stood beside their housemaid. “I don’t like this, Cassandra. Not one bit. Are you sure that you want to do this today?”

  “No. I’m not sure, but I’ve put it off for far too long. It’s been ten months since Douglas has been gone.”

  “You are still weak. Just the work of dressing has taxed your strength.”

  She smoothed the wide silk belt at her waist. It matched the dress she had donned. How she hated the color black. “The attorney said it was necessary as soon as I was feeling well enough. Today is a good day. I feel stronger. Besides, Mr. Edelman went out of his way to travel all the way from the city to take care of things. It is time.”