Although Adrian had elected to say nothing to either Angeline or Shirley, they had also stopped a man outside her hotel door in Houston. No, it wouldn’t do to let down their guard.
“I think we should assume he’s hired people to watch our every move.” Adrian rested his forearms on the table and eyed Frank. “You’re very quiet. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, I’m thinkin’ I’ll go tonight, but I’m goin’ ta’ keep a ways back. If there is someone followin’ ya, I’ll know it soon enough.”
Adrian considered the suggestion. “All right. I’ll arrange for an extra horse. I hope you’re wrong.”
“Hope so too, Boss, but it’s best ta be safe.” Frank set his cup down. “I think I’ll just say mornin’ to Shirley.” He rose and meandered toward the kitchen.
Adrian watched him leave. “He’s seldom wrong about these things.”
“I know,” Michael acknowledged.
Chapter 22
At the sound of men’s voices, Angeline set aside the book she’d been reading and glanced expectantly toward the drawing room doors. A few hours earlier, Adrian and Michael had disappeared ‘on business,’ and she suspected they would not tell her what the ‘business’ was.
She regarded both men, hoping they might offer some explanation on their own. They didn’t. “Edward Thornby has asked for some time tomorrow morning. I felt certain you would want to hear what he has to say as soon as possible.”
“I would, indeed.” Adrian moved to his familiar place in front of the fire. “I’d forgotten just how cold and damp it could be here.” He rubbed his hands together. “I need to travel to Windsford. If you would accompany me, we could go on to Ashley Manor afterward. I would like to see where Beth was laid to rest.”
Angeline rose quickly and went to his side, placing her hand on his arm. “I am so sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Of course we shall go. With all this talk of my mother and father, I did not stop to think it also involved your sister. Please forgive my insensitivity.”
Adrian covered her hand with his. “Although I loved my sister, I’m not unaware of her need for excitement. I’m also aware she was most likely responsible for bringing Charles Malcolm into your life.”
Shirley sat quietly, darning socks. Her position had changed from just a lady’s maid to include that of companion. Now, she set her work aside and rose. “My lady, Mrs. Bunnington and I have talked and there are things we think you should know.”
At Shirley’s announcement, Angeline’s brow rose in surprise. “Would you get her for me?”
She reclaimed her position on the settee and Adrian moved to stand beside her, a bolstering hand resting near her shoulder.
When Shirley returned with Bunny, Adrian indicated a chair by the window. “Please, have a seat, Mrs. Bunnington.”
Bunny lifted her chin. “I should not, sir, ‘tisn’t fitting.”
Raising his hand to silence her protest, Adrian repeated, “Please.”
Her back ramrod straight, Bunny perched on the edge of a chair.
Angeline leaned forward expectantly. “Tell me what you can about my mother and her family, anything that might shed light on this whole situation.”
With a hesitant air, Bunny pursed her lips. “We were asked not to say anything or I would have spoken sooner.” She rolled and unrolled the hem of her apron. “I remember when I first saw Lady Franchesca. She was so beautiful, like a breath of fresh air. I was much younger then, and she was very lonely so she chose to share her confidences with me.”
Angeline lifted her gaze to Adrian. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
Bunny’s eyes clouded with visions of the past. “Lord William was so smitten, he couldn’t see his life without her. They’d met at a party in London. We were so excited when he announced to Lord Harvey he had found the woman he would wed. But things don’t often go as we would like. So it was with them.”
Visibly more at ease, Bunny settled in her chair. “Your mother was a Cordova, a very powerful family in Spain. Don Fernando Cordova had made arrangements for Lady Franchesca to marry the son of another prominent Spanish family. They’d been promised to each other as children. The marriage would unite the two influential families.”
Adrian moved around to sit beside Angeline, clasping her hand in his.
Bunny’s gaze met and held Angeline’s. “She wasn’t opposed to it, though. She cared greatly for this man. Then she met Lord William. Lady Franchesca tried talking to her father, but Don Fernando wouldn’t hear of her marrying someone else.”
Angeline pressed against Adrian’s side, feeling his support wrap around her.
Bunny’s gaze drifted. “As the time grew closer for her to wed, Lord William went near out of his mind. One day he packed a few things and rode off. He was away for weeks and we were all worried that something terrible might have happened. When he returned, he had Lady Franchesca with him. He’d gone straight to the chapel in Spain and taken her right from the wedding ceremony.”
Adrian’s expression grew tense, his grip tightening on Angeline’s hand.
Bunny sent a miserable glance in Shirley’s direction before refocusing on Angeline. “Lord William told his father they’d married as soon as they’d crossed into England, that there was to be no contact with her family. He said her father had disowned her.”
Angeline gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she considered her mother’s plight. How lonely and heartbroken she must have been.
Bunny cleared her throat. “I know how dearly she loved Sir William, but there were times when she would tell me of her home and her family and how she missed them. Her father was a very proud man and she had disobeyed and embarrassed him in front of his friends.”
“How could anyone do that to their child?” Angeline brushed the tears from her cheeks. “Did he care so little for her?”
Bunny tightened her grip on the now wrinkled apron. When her gaze fixed on Angeline, her breath caught on a sob. “Your mother was a grand lady and brought happiness to the manor house. When you were born they were thrilled, but you were born Angelina Franchesca Cordova. Angeline Ashley is the name used by Sir William.”
They all sat in stunned silence. Finally, Adrian spoke. “Are you telling me that when we wed in Texas, she as Angeline Ashley, it was not her legal name?”
Bunny’s chin trembled. “It’s not for me to say, my lord. Mr. Thornby can best answer that.” Bunny rose to her feet, clearly wishing to flee. “I have told you what I know, and I hope my lady will forgive me for breaking her trust.”
Angeline held up a staying hand. “One last question, please.” She tried to steady her voice as she spoke. “How did my mother die? I know she grew ill, but I was never told what happened.”
Bunny hesitated, her gaze searching Adrian’s for direction. He inclined his head. She sighed. “My lady was again with child but something went terribly wrong. She started bleeding and no matter what we did, we couldn’t stop it. Both she and the babe died. In some ways, so did Sir William.” Bunny stretched out a hand as if to offer comfort. “We all loved her, but we love you as well and thought you had the right to know.”
Angeline came slowly to her feet, the ringing in her ears deafening as the room swam before her eyes. “Please excuse me.” She reached out for support.
In an instant, Adrian was by her side, his arm firmly around her waist. “I want her to rest. Please see to it.” He handed Angeline to Bunny and Shirley, who hovered protectively on each side of her.
As so many times in the past, Angeline felt Bunny’s comforting arm encompass her. “We’ll take care of her, don’t you worry.”
After the three women left, Adrian crossed the room to his confidents. He nodded to Frank. “Did Michael tell you what we’ve just learned?”
“Yeah.” Frank twisted his hat in his hands. “Shirley said nothin’ ta me ‘bout any of this. I’m willin’ ta guess Malcolm knows, otherwise, he would’ve stopped when ya married her.”
Adrian considered Frank’s reasoning. “There’s only one clear connection, and that’s Elizabeth. William might have told her in confidence, but we’ll never know. Or perhaps he told her enough to make Malcolm start asking questions. Regardless, we had best consider he does know and that knowledge makes the prize all the sweeter.”
Later, Adrian slipped quietly inside the bedchamber. And came to a halt. Angeline, her lovely body wet and glistening, sat in a copper hip bath.
“Would you prefer I leave?” His gaze skimmed over her.
“No, please stay.” She held a sponge in her hand. “Am I your wife, Adrian?”
Kneeling by the tub, he plucked the sponge from her fingers and ran it slowly over her shoulders and back. “If there is a question of legalities, we’ll make it right. I promised to keep you safe and I shall.”
“You can keep me safe by seeing Malcolm punished for his crimes.” She swiveled in the tub to face him, her brow creased. “Everything I’ve believed about myself is false. Not even my name is what I thought it to be.” She tilted her head sideways and regarded him. “This is your chance to be rid of me, Adrian. If you’ve discovered you made a mistake—”
He focused on her face, on her eyes. “No mistake was made. You are the woman I want for my wife, for the mother of my children—for me.”
“You hurt me, Adrian.”
“Yes.” He didn’t try to deny it.
“You knew how I felt about you, and used that knowledge against me.”
His hand stilled. “Yes.”
“I borrowed some paper from your desk to make a list of the items I would need while we were here.”
Confused by the abrupt change in direction their conversation had taken, he said, “If you have the list, I will see that an account is set up. You may have whatever you wish.”
Angeline arched a brow. “And you will pay for my purchases?”
“Yes, of course. You’re my wife.” He tried to concentrate on the conversation, but his gaze kept drifting to the lovely body partially concealed by water.
“I see. And what of the other clothes? Did you pay for those, and James’ as well?”
He sat back on his heels. “It would seem, madam, you already know the answer. What else did you happen to see while searching in my desk?”
“I only looked where Virginia suggested,” she remarked defensively. “You kept my hankie, Adrian. All this time you have kept it. Tell me why, and please do not prevaricate.”
He sighed and dropped the sponge into the water. “I kept it because you gave the token to me.” He clasped her hand and brought her to her feet, then wrapped the large towel around her.
Adrian met her gaze and his lips quirked. “You were such a precocious child, so full of life. I knew you watched from the darkened balcony. I caught glimpses of you at times. You were nothing but odd angles and legs, with your hair hanging in long braids down your back. But even then, you had a smile that could light up a room.”
He dropped a kiss on her lips. “And then I had to leave. When I returned at the death of my father and saw you playing with James, I was stunned at how much you’d changed. You were older, still not much more than a lass, but already so lovely. And later, on the stairs, you gave me your hankie and the sweetest kiss I’ve ever received.”
He drew in a tight breath. “In the years that followed, I dreamed of you, thought about you, and felt guilty for doing so. I am ten years your senior and should not have been thinking of you in that way.”
Adrian framed her face with his hands, let his thumbs trace the curve of her cheeks. Lowering his head, he kissed her and felt her response before he released her mouth.
“You’re a man first, Adrian. I haven’t been a child for a few years now. Would you be surprised to learn I dreamed of you as well? How could I not? I’d been in love with you for ages.” She snuggled against him. “You were the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and kind, so very kind to me. You took the time to see me and smile. One wink kept me happy for months. And—you gave me my first kiss.”
“Angeline—”
She placed a finger against his lips. “If you’re about to say I was too young to know, please don’t. It was the only thing I was truly certain of while everything else around me fell apart.” She trailed her finger down the side of his cheek.
Adrian turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. “I want you. I always have, it seems. Desire, lust, call it what you will. It’s probably all of those.” He held her gaze. “I am truly sorry for taking your innocence the way I did.”
Clasping her hands, he kissed the back of first one and then the other. “I’ve felt like a cad, but I cannot be sorry for making love to you. And I did make love to you, Angeline. What transpired between us wasn’t just sex.” He scooped her up and carried her to the settee, settling her on his lap.
Angeline leaned into him. “What else kept you from returning to England?”
With a sigh, Adrian laid his head back against the thick cushions. “I hope I can find the right words. I was born to a life of privilege. I’m thankful for what I’ve been given, and for my life here. As the firstborn son, I knew what that life would be and was prepared to do what was expected of me.” Adrian threaded his fingers through hers.
“My duty was set before me, and I planned my life accordingly. I took my pending patrimony seriously and wanted to be the best I could be for those who would one day be dependent upon me.”
He arranged her more comfortably against his side. “As a child, I dreamed of asking my father to buy a commission for me in the army. I wanted to travel the world.”
His lips lifted at the corners. ““As soon as I broached the subject, my father led me to the long gallery, to the row of portraits of the previous Earls of Windsford and their Countesses. One day, he said, my picture would be there, and that of my son, and so on, through generations to come. The earldom was our legacy, our responsibility, our duty.” He refocused on her face. “I stopped dreaming and accepted my place in that row of portraits and did all that was expected of me.”
“Oh, Adrian.” Angeline cupped his cheek with her hand. “As women, we sometimes forget that men of your ilk might have other dreams, other desires than those set before you. But just as true, I have no doubt in your ability to pick up the mantle you were born to.”
He grimaced. “I don’t want to sound as if I regret it, for I don’t. I love Windsford. But when I found myself in America, with all the freedom to dream and to build that dream, the lack of restrictions was exhilarating and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I’ve been selfish in wanting to stay in America, but my life there has come to mean almost as much to me as Windsford.”
Angeline regarded him curiously. “You mentioned being the eldest son. You have a brother?”
“Had. His name was Christian Franklin Spencer. He was not a strong lad, so my mother kept him close to her side. They were on their way to London to see a physician when a wheel on the coach broke. The conveyance overturned and they were both killed.”
Angeline slid her arms around his neck. He could sense her desire to offer succor and held her closer.
“I thought my father would lose his mind. My mother was his world. He was inconsolable for a very long time.”
Adrian drew in a deep breath, then let the air slide out slowly. He wanted, needed, for her to comprehend his next words. “I have witnessed others, men and women alike, who have lost a spouse they loved, and have thus seen what love can do. I determined I would not fall victim to that malady or to one day be destroyed by it.”
Angeline straightened in his arms. “It’s not something we can always choose to feel or not feel. And if you could refuse love, do you not see all the truly wonderful things that would be missed?”
As much as he wished to tell her of his feelings, the words just wouldn’t come. Instead, he managed, “We should dress for dinner, sweetheart. We must leave soon for Newbrook.” He stood and deposited her on her feet.
&
nbsp; Later that evening, in the woods outside Newbrook Hall, Frank dismounted and knelt to examine a hoof print. Something had changed. As he measured the depth of the print with his finger, he realized what it was. The horse was now riderless. A twig snapped behind him, seconds before a blinding pain shot through his head. Blackness closed in and he fell, face first, into the dirt.
Chapter 23
As the nondescript hackney stopped in front of Newbrook Hall, Jeffrey’s principal seat, Adrian swung the door of the conveyance open and stepped down, followed closely by Michael. Both looked cautiously around.
The mansion was dark. No lights were lit outside, nor did any show through the windows.
Seeing nothing amiss, Adrian let down the steps, and reached in to help Angeline alight. As they neared the front door, it opened and Jeffrey ushered them inside.
Adrian took note of the surprising display of lamps that were lit, and at the fire burning brightly in the large fireplace. Heavy draperies covered the windows, blocking all light from within.
After lifting the fur-lined pelisse from Angeline’s shoulders, Adrian handed it to the butler, followed by his greatcoat, hat, and gloves.
Michael paced nervously, stopping only to hand his hat and coat to the servant. From time to time, he examined the drapery-covered windows.
Jeffrey ushered them into the drawing room. “Tell me what’s happened since last I saw you.” His staff, with the exception of the butler, was noticeably absent.
At the sound of rustling skirts and quick footsteps, Adrian pivoted. A young woman rushed toward him. Petite, with fiery-red hair curling riotously over her head, she appeared more impish than he knew her to be.
Her face, with its light dusting of freckles across the pert nose, lit as she spied Adrian. After a few quick steps, she flung herself into his outstretched arms.
Laughing, Adrian caught her around the waist and hugged her, kissing her soundly on the cheek.
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