“He’s been like a man possessed,” she said ruefully. “You gave us such a fright! That villainous creature! We should have warned you. Then we might have spared you this experience—”
“How could you, when I wouldn’t hear a word against him? Oh, I have been such a fool!”
“No more than the rest of London, Judith. He was a cunning devil, and old in the ways of evil.”
“But he paid in the most horrible way…” Judith covered her face with her hands, as if to shut out the hideous memory.
“It was quicker than a hanging,” Elizabeth said briskly. “Don’t waste your pity on him, love. He got what he deserved…and to stab you as he did? We may be thankful that the surgeon was already here when you arrived.”
Judith looked up quickly. “Prudence?”
“Prudence gave Sebastian two fine daughters not an hour ago. Her pains had started before Sebastian left but she didn’t mention it to him. That was why I stayed behind. You didn’t wonder why I was not at the church?”
“I was in a daze, I think. I didn’t notice anyone. But twins? Oh, my dear, what a night you must have had!”
“It wasn’t dull!” Elizabeth began to smile. “Perry went for the surgeon as soon as Sebastian was safely out of the way. Wait until you see them, Judith. They are adorable…”
“And Prudence?”
“She’s tired, but very happy. As for Sebastian?” she threw her eyes to heaven. “Between them, he and Dan were most in need of the doctor’s services.”
Judith caught at her hand. “Sebastian should not have left her.”
“My dear, she wanted him to be with you. She felt that you would be glad of his support.”
“How like her! She was right! I was so glad to have him with me. I still can’t believe what happened. It seems like some frightful nightmare. But didn’t Sebastian wonder why you stayed behind with Prudence?”
Elizabeth blushed. “Not really.” She looked a little conscious. “I had been behaving badly, you see.”
“In what way?”
“I made a dreadful fuss about your marriage, Judith. I didn’t wish to see you wed to that monstrous creature. Sebastian thought I’d seized on the excuse when the doctor said that Prudence was very near her time.”
“I wish I’d listened to you.”
“You are not to think about it. Now you must try to rest. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Judith shook her head. “I just want to sleep.” She closed her eyes.
Later, the doctor’s visit was a trial, but not a sound escaped her lips as he changed the dressing on her wound.
“May I not dress and go downstairs?” she pleaded. “I promise to sit quietly, but I’m making extra work for everyone whilst I am up here.”
“What’s all this?” Dan was standing in the doorway.
“Why, sir, this young lady has her own ideas about her convalescence. I’m trying to persuade her to follow mine.” He turned to Judith. “Miss Aveton, you have been fortunate. Your wound will heal quickly if you take my advice. Otherwise you may go down with the fever.”
“Miss Aveton will obey your orders to the letter,” Dan said sternly. “I will see to that.” He bowed the doctor out.
Then he strolled over to the bed, sat down and took both of Judith’s hands in his.
“Goose!” he said fondly. “Haven’t you given me enough cause to worry about you? I’ve aged ten years in these past few weeks.”
Judith peeped up at him from beneath her lashes.
“I can see no sign of it,” she said demurely. “Your hair has not turned grey.”
“It was white, my love. I was forced to dye it.”
“More play-acting, Dan? You have certainly deceived me—”
“With my red hair? Oh, dear, and I thought it looked so natural.”
“Of course not! Don’t joke,” she pleaded. “I thought you didn’t love me. That was why I wouldn’t listen to you.”
Dan took her gently in his arms and kissed her tenderly. “Do you still believe that I have changed?”
Rosy with pleasure, she rested her head against his shoulder. “I should never have doubted you. Oh, my darling, there has never been anyone else for me. I, too, have never changed in all these years. I used to think of what we had, and our parting almost broke my heart. I felt that my life was over. Nothing seemed to matter. That was why…”
He silenced her with another kiss. “All that is past. We shall not speak of it again.”
“But we must, my dearest. So much is left unanswered. I cannot rest until I know.”
Dan looked at her with loving eyes. “It may be best,” he agreed. “But then you must lay the ghosts to rest. Will you promise me that?”
She nodded, tucking her hand within his own as he began to speak.
He skirted as lightly as he could over the beginning of his tale, mentioning Truscott’s mother only briefly. He said nothing about the murder of Nan’s brothers. There was no point in distressing her with that, though Margrave’s cronies had betrayed him and given a full account of the affair.
Judith tensed when he told her about the house at Seven Dials.
“So Nan was telling the truth?” she whispered.
“She was, my love. The child is Truscott’s.”
“Oh, the poor creature! Where is she now? I promised to help her.”
“She’s here, my darling. Sebastian brought her with him. The servants are making a great fuss of the little one, and the doctor holds out hope for her.”
“Thank God!”
Dan patted her hand. “I knew you’d be relieved. Shall I go on, or have you heard enough? The rest of the tale is unfit for your ears, I fear.”
“Oh, Dan, I have the right to know.”
“Very well. We had our information from a Bow Street Runner. Sebastian set him to follow Truscott several weeks ago. His discoveries were disturbing, but there was no proof of actual wrongdoing.”
“He could explain his visits to these places?”
“Sebastian did not challenge him. He thought it best to wait until…Oh, Judith, I should never have agreed. When I think that we might have been too late!”
Judith pressed his hand. “Don’t blame yourself, my dear one. This man—Margrave, do you call him—he was intent on murder. I knew it when I looked into his eyes. I should have been a widow before I was a wife.”
“You could never have been Truscott’s wife. He was wed some years ago.”
“To Nan?”
“No, I believe the woman lives in Essex. Frederick sent word this morning.”
“The Earl of Brandon? He, too, was involved in this? I can’t believe it!”
“Elizabeth pressed him into service. She was so sure of Truscott’s villainy, and Frederick had sources which are closed to lesser mortals.”
“How shall I ever thank you all?” Judith murmured.
“Well, my love, you might begin by kissing me again.” Dan slipped a finger beneath her chin and his mouth came down on hers. In that passionate embrace all the bitterness of the past was washed away, and Judith’s heart was filled with an overwhelming joy.
Then he held her away from him. “I was warned that you must rest,” he teased her. “This can’t be good for you.”
“Nothing could be better,” Judith whispered. She was blushing furiously.
Dan was tempted to kiss her again, but with admirable self-control he managed to restrain himself.
“Temptress!” he accused. “You are driving me to distraction. Just listen to the pounding of my heart!” He took her hand and held it against the fine cambric of his shirt. “Would you have me faint with happiness?”
“No, my love.” Judith’s eyes grew misty.
“Well, then, allow me to continue with my tale. Sebastian was right. Truscott decided that before his marriage he must rid himself of his worst enemy. He tricked Margrave into meeting him, and then he tried to kill the man, burying him in a recent grave.”
Judith
grew stiff with horror, and he slipped an arm about her, drawing her to his breast. “He didn’t succeed, my darling. The Runner saw it all, but when he tried to help, the forger attacked him, thinking, perhaps, that Truscott had returned to lay a tombstone over him.” Dan glanced down at his love in some concern. “Judith, I should not have told you.”
“I’m glad you did. Now it is all clear to me. It all seemed so unbelievable, but now I see why Margrave killed him. Did he get away?”
“No! He was taken in the street. He was a wanted man, my dear. Forgery is still a hanging matter. Now murder must be added to his crimes.”
“I’d call it judicial execution!” Elizabeth had come to join them. “The man deserves a medal, not a hanging.”
“Bloodthirsty wench!” Perry tugged gently at his wife’s dark curls. Then he walked over to the bed.
“How are you feeling, Judith?”
“Oh, Perry, I’m so much better. There’s really nothing wrong with me—”
“Apart from the odd stab wound?” he observed with some amusement. “You ladies are a hardy lot. You put us all to shame!”
“Now, Perry, you shan’t tease!” his wife reproved. “Judith, do you mean it? Will you take a little broth? It will help you to regain your strength…”
Judith nodded, smiling, and Elizabeth whisked away.
“What a pair you are!” Perry sank into the nearest chair and stretched out his long legs. “Never a dull moment! What’s this I hear about some necklace? Sebastian couldn’t believe his ears when Dan mentioned it at the church…”
“It must have seemed strange,” Dan admitted. “But it was all I could think of at the time.”
“Well, I’ve heard of defeating one’s enemies with swords and pistols, but never with a string of pearls. What on earth were you about?”
Judith began to blush. “Dan reminded me. It was just a story which I wrote some years ago.”
Dan’s eyes began to twinkle. “It was your first.” He turned to Perry. “Judith was an admirer of Mrs Radcliffe, and her tales of Gothic horror. The Mysteries of Udolpho persuaded her to try one of her own.”
“I’m no wiser,” Perry said blankly.
“Well, in ‘The Pearl Necklace’, the heroine escaped her fate by doing exactly what Judith did yesterday.”
“Ah, now I understand! That was quick thinking, Dan. I doubt if I’d have remembered it myself.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything.” Dan took Judith’s hand and squeezed it fondly. “Dearest, I can’t tell you what it means to have you safe at last, and here with all your friends. You shall never leave me.”
“Mrs Aveton?” Judith murmured. “Has she been asking for me?”
Perry gave her a grin of unashamed delight. “When she’d finished drumming her heels and tearing out her hair she closed the house and scuttled off to Cheltenham with her charming daughters. Sebastian persuaded her that it would be for the best…the scandal, you know.”
“Is someone taking my name in vain?” Sebastian put his head around the door. “Judith, should you be holding court, my dear? You must be very tired…”
“No, I’m not! Oh, do come in! I so wanted to congratulate you. Prudence and the babes are well?” Judith held out both her hands to him.
“They are fine!” Sebastian’s face was radiant with delight. “And you?”
“I feel wonderful! Oh, my dear, I am so happy for you. Now you have got your heart’s desire.”
“I think I am not alone in that.” Sebastian looked at Dan and Judith. Then he bent and kissed her. “Welcome to the family,” he said softly.
“Great heavens!” Elizabeth walked into the room accompanied by Bessie. “Judith, are you holding a reception? It won’t do, you know.” She frowned at the circle of gentlemen seated around the bed.
“Off you go!” she ordered. “Our patient is supposed to rest.” Her smile robbed her words of all offence.
As Perry and Sebastian left, Dan rose as if to follow them, but Judith clutched his hand.
“Don’t go!” she whispered. “I don’t want you to leave me.”
“But, dearest, you must eat,” Elizabeth protested.
“Dan won’t stop me. Oh, please, don’t send him away.”
“No chance of that if you want me here, my love.” Dan took the tray from Bessie. “I am quite capable of handling this.”
Elizabeth threw up her hands. “Come, Bessie! Let us leave these love-birds. We are not needed here.”
“She was right, my darling,” Dan murmured when they were alone. “Our need is for each other. Tell me again that you still love me.”
“I never stopped.” Judith gave him a misty smile and suddenly she was beautiful. “Just hold me, Dan.”
The soup was forgotten as he stretched out on the bed beside her and cradled her in his arms. His tender kisses rained down upon her brow, her eyelids and her cheeks, until she sighed with rapture.
“Can it be true that we shall never part again?” she whispered.
“Never, my dear love. Shall you mind if we don’t live in London after we are married?”
“No, I will go anywhere with you, but why do you ask?” She sensed that he was chuckling. “Are you keeping secrets from me?”
“Just one, but you may hear it now. The Admiral will order frigates built to my design, but it will mean that we must move to Portsmouth.”
“Oh, Dan, as if that mattered! I am so happy for you.”
He cradled her head against his shoulder. “Judith, that is the least part of my joy. I have you…”
He bent his head and found her mouth in a kiss that sealed their love.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-6061-3
THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS
First North American Publication 2000
Copyright © 1998 by Meg Alexander
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