Rescued by the Viscount's Ring

by Carol Arens

  ‘I do recall it and you will be pleased to know that my husband is an honourable man and I did wish it.’

  Grandfather’s face brightened. ‘And a viscount?’

  ‘Indeed he is. After everything, I ended up where you wished me to be. I can only imagine how satisfied you must be.’

  ‘You are aglow, my girl. That is what I wished for. Seeing how it all worked for the good, I’m satisfied. But I only regret I tried to take away your choice in it. Can you forgive me?’

  ‘You well know I do. But, Grandfather—did you take it from Clemmie? Did you make her marry in my place?’

  ‘I simply guided her in the right direction. The choice was hers alone.’

  ‘Clementine chose to marry Oliver Cavill? I cannot imagine it. From what you told me of him, they would not suit.’

  ‘Not Oliver, no—sadly, the poor lad passed to his maker. It was his brother, Heath Cavill, that she chose. And a better match there could not be.’ He arched his brows, giving her a hopeful smile. ‘I think you have also been blessed by your choice.’

  ‘You’ll be happy to know that I have. And not just with the man, but you see those little girls in the wagon behind me?’

  ‘I could hardly fail to notice them. They are enchanting.’

  ‘And they are mine. I’m a mother, if you can imagine it.’

  He tapped his chest with his hand. ‘I’m overcome, my Madeline. You girls are giving me more surprises than I can keep count of.’ He hugged her tight, let go, then stepped around her to squat down beside the wagon. He grinned at the twins and withdrew a pair of peppermint sticks from his coat pocket. ‘May they have them?’

  ‘Yes, but since when have you begun travelling about with peppermint on your person?’

  ‘Only recently.’

  Hearing wagon wheels on the drive and the hurried clop of hooves, Madeline turned to look. From behind she heard Lady Glenbrook come out of the house and exclaim her surprise.

  ‘Ah, your cousin is here at last. We were in the village when we heard rumours that the Viscount had wed an American. We came as quickly as we could to see if she might be you.’

  ‘Who are the people with her? Children?’

  Grandfather pivoted on the balls of his feet, grinned up at her. ‘Your cousin is a mother, too.’

  The driver of the open-air coach had barely drawn it to a halt before Clementine scrambled down.

  While Madeline tried to count the number of small faces peering over the edge of the carriage, her cousin dashed across the courtyard, holding her skirt up from the dirt and scattering a gathering of quail pecking at the ground.

  ‘It is you!’ she cried with a great smile. In spite of her being clearly joyful and relieved, her cousin stopped just beyond reach, placed her hands on her hips and shook her red curls. ‘All this time I’ve been wondering if I would scold you when I saw you, or hug you and cry. On the way over I thought to give you a proper upbraiding...but now—’

  Madeline opened her arms and Clementine rushed into them. They rocked and hugged for a very long time.

  ‘I missed you so much, Madeline. Grandfather and I worried terribly, but I told him you would land on your feet.’ All at once, Clementine broke the embrace, held her at arm’s length and examined her head to boot tip, much as Grandfather had. ‘You have landed on your feet? Oh, please tell me you have.’

  ‘The rumours are true, Clemmie. I’ve married Viscount Glenbrook. But I regret what I did to you. Even though Grandfather says it worked out well, still...you wanted to teach and I robbed you of it. I beg your pardon.’

  ‘Yes, what you did was wrong, but somehow everything worked out right. And I do forgive you, Cousin, a thousand times over!’

  Taking her by the shoulders, her cousin turned her about. ‘Come, Madeline, meet my children.’

  ‘You have been busy, Clemmie. How many are there?’

  From a short distance away she heard Grandfather’s voice. He was speaking with Lady Glenbrook and sounding even more charming than he normally did.

  ‘I’ve only the seven with me at the moment. The youngest ones are home with their nanny.’

  ‘How many youngest ones?’

  ‘Another seven.’

  ‘Oh, my. Let’s turn the children loose in the garden while the sun is still shining and we’ll have tea. There is so much to find out about each other.’

  She slipped her arm through her cousin’s and led her towards the house.

  Lady Glenbrook and Grandfather must have come to the same idea, for together they were in the process of gathering all nine children and herding them up the stairs.

  ‘Is that Lady Glenbrook?’ Clementine asked.

  ‘My mother-in-law. Yes, she is. One would be hard put to find a finer lady.’

  ‘I’m relieved to hear it since Grandfather is smiling at her in a very strange way, don’t you think?’

  It was true. Madeline watched the way he moved, the twinkle in his blue eyes and the flirtatious turn of his smile. Beyond a doubt, Grandfather was smitten.

  In that moment, Rees strode out of the house. She did not have to summon a smile for him. It sprang from her heart to her lips without thought.

  * * *

  ‘Visitors!’ Rees’s mother had announced a moment ago while peering out the library window. ‘There is no time for them, not with the ball in two days, but I suppose we must put on a gracious face.’

  He hadn’t time for them either, having fallen behind on the ledgers while he was at sea. He wanted to finish quickly so that he could take Madeline to ‘meet the neighbours’. It had been put off far too long as it was.

  However, his mother was correct. A visitor must be acknowledged.

  Jotting down the last thing required in the moment, he’d set the pen aside, risen and followed her...directly into the path of ruin.

  The scene before him left him gut punched. It nearly cut him at the knees.

  Madeline’s family had found her. It was clear that in the short time they had been here she had got the forgiveness she craved.

  And he had missed it.

  ‘Rees!’ His lovely, sweet and smiling wife released the arm of a woman who could only be her cousin and dashed up the stairs to him.

  She caught his hand, led him towards her grinning grandfather.

  He felt like fleeing, but here he was, trapped as neatly as an insect underfoot.

  ‘Rees,’ she announced, her voice so full of happiness it made him ache. ‘Please meet my grandfather, James Macooish.’

  ‘It is good to see you again, Mr Macooish.’ And there it was, the words to damn him spoken from his own mouth.

  Madeline gave a quiet gasp, dropped his hand and took a step away. He could not look at her, but it didn’t matter. Her gaze was upon him, hurt and shocked. What else was she to believe other than that he had once again deceived her? Withheld what was most important to gain his own ends?

  Macooish filled the space that Madeline had left empty, pumped his hand up and down, then drew him into an embrace and pounded his back.

  ‘In the village just now Clementine and I heard people talking about how you had married an American while at sea. For all that it seemed too much to hope for, we left the seamstress with the needle in her hand and came at once to see.’

  ‘Indeed.’ The red-haired woman who was presumably Madeline’s cousin lifted her skirt to reveal the raw edge. ‘A hem can wait.’

  ‘Grandfather, are you already acquainted with Lord Glenbrook?’ Madeline’s voice was frighteningly steady.

  He could not look at her, could not watch the trust she had gained in him fade from her eyes. To do so would be unbearable.

  ‘Yes, indeed. And it is my pleasure to say so.’ Madeline took a few more steps away from him. Her cousin filled the gap as if she sensed what was about to happen and was attempting to
protect Madeline from the heartache she sensed coming. Macooish appeared not to notice, for he continued on quite heartily. ‘We met briefly when I attended some business in Scotland. I approve of your choice, my girl. Madeline, are you taking ill all of a sudden?’

  ‘Grandfather...’ Clementine led Madeline towards the house even while she was speaking ‘...watch the children while I take her inside.’

  His mother rushed to help Macooish gather the little ones and lead them to the path that led towards the garden gate.

  And here he was, left standing alone to stare at the front door closing upon Madeline and wondering if the last he would see of her was her straight back and the lock of blonde hair that had come undone from her coif and now dangled between her shoulder blades.

  He ought to charge after her and explain.

  How could such good intentions have gone so horribly wrong?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Madeline felt numb all over, or perhaps not that. Numb would mean she felt nothing. What she felt was—it was everything and all at once.

  Betrayed, of course, and angry. Sad and confused, not loved and loved, which made no sense at all.

  And through it all she felt Clementine’s arm about her shoulder, just as it had always been in times of joy and sorrow.

  To think that Rees knowingly kept her from her cousin was a bit more than she could bear.

  Shoulder to shoulder, they gazed from her chamber window, watching the children play in the garden below.

  She let the emotions run through her, have their way for a time because one could not flee from what one felt.

  Grief sat at the heart of it all. She felt that most intensely. Watching the twins playing below, she did not know how she would manage being separated from them.

  She was good and furious at Rees for forcing her to be the one to break their hearts.

  ‘Has he done something so awful?’ Clementine asked, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

  ‘He has.’ She sniffed even though she was not crying as she had every right and reason to be doing. ‘He has lied to me about very important things.’

  ‘Has he? I know a bit about that. Heath lied to me, as well.’

  ‘Big lie or little?’

  ‘Rather huge, actually.’ She felt Clementine take a deep breath, then let it out slowly, apparently building courage to share what it was. ‘He was doing something that on the surface looked very wicked and he did not confide in me about it. He was a wanted man and I arranged for him to be arrested. Oh, you can imagine the shock when I discovered it. Of course, it was his fault. Had he shared the secret with me, I would not have set him up for arrest. For a time I thought he was a man the newspapers called the Abductor. Maybe you heard of him?’

  ‘No. If it was recent, I was aboard ship where I nearly froze to death and, after that, nearly expired from seasickness.’

  ‘Oh, my poor Madeline. It must have been horrible.’

  ‘Oh, it was! But—’ At least she was a truthful person even if the man she married was not. ‘Well, it was also wonderful.’

  ‘Because you married a man you thought you could respect?’

  ‘I had no reason to think otherwise. This is for your ears only. I was forced to wed Rees because he compromised me.’

  ‘Grandfather will call him out for it, I’m afraid.’

  ‘It’s not as wicked as it sounds.’ Standing in the window, watching the children dash about, she told her cousin everything—how Rees had warmed her and that they had shared a cabin—his insistence that they do the honourable thing and wed, about the promised annulment. She went on to tell how he tended her through the misery of seasickness and how quickly they fell in love and then to find he was not who he claimed to be.

  ‘I forgave him for all of it. But I don’t know about this. I believe he wilfully kept me from you and Grandfather.’

  ‘I understand it—the wretchedness of being lied to, but can you not forgive him?’

  ‘I don’t know—perhaps—but, no, maybe not.’

  ‘We’ve all done things. Every one of us needs forgiveness at one time or another. I imagine your husband is no different.’

  It was true. Had she not just been granted forgiveness from Clementine and from Grandfather? Both of them had reason to resent her, and yet here Clementine was, listening to her sorrowful story, giving comfort and advice.

  What right did she have to withhold the same from Rees? A part of her thought she had every right, but another part, a better part, knew she ought to give him what she had been given.

  What she needed was time to understand why he thought it was acceptable to deceive her, once again.

  Down below she watched Grandfather begin to court her mother-in-law, for it was quite clear that was what he was about. He sat beside her on a bench rather too close for having met so soon. For casual friends even. ‘What do you think of that?’

  Clementine bent slightly forward, squinting her eyes in concentration. ‘I don’t know. We’ve never seen him in love before and he has only just met Lady Glenbrook.’

  ‘Hmm.’ She tapped her lips in thought. It felt very good to think of someone other than herself. ‘But now that we are settled, maybe he will see to his own happiness.’

  ‘Are we settled? Are you going to stay with your husband? It seems to me he looked quite miserable when it all came to pieces.’

  ‘He ought to feel miserable! And, right now, I just don’t know what I will do.’

  ‘Do not take too long to decide. It will only make matters worse.’

  ‘Worse? Oh, Clemmie, they are worse than you know.’

  ‘How much worse?’

  ‘Gravely worse. I’ve discovered I am a runner. I ran from my obligation to you and Grandfather. I ran from that man I went away with, although it was the wise thing to do. But I also ran from Rees when he misrepresented who he was. As soon as I discovered this flaw in my character, I vowed I would not do it again. So if I go home with you, I will betray that vow. But if I remain with my husband, I fear I will turn into a miserable shrew because I will resent him for making me resent myself.’

  For some reason, her cousin must have found the revelation funny because she laughed aloud.

  ‘If there is one thing you could never be, Cousin, it is a shrew.’

  ‘No? I feel quite shrewish at the moment. But you are correct. I must decide sooner rather than later. There is to be a ball to present me and my sister-in-law, Bethany, to local society. I will either attend and remain with Rees or will pack a bag and come home with you. Since we are neighbours, I assume you were invited?’

  ‘Oh, well, yes, I imagine so. There was an invitation waiting when we returned from London. Before I read it, one of the children ran off with it and I don’t know where it ended up.’

  ‘I won’t wait overlong to decide. Two days is all. When you arrive at the ball I will either be dressed for the party or have my suitcase in hand.’

  ‘Give it careful thought, but it’s your heart you need to heed. Oh—did you see that?’

  ‘Did Grandfather kiss her already?’

  ‘Not yet, but one of my girls just scrambled up a tree! Am I supposed to forbid it?’

  ‘You could, but it would not have prevented us from doing it.’

  ‘I’d better go stand under the branch just in case she falls.’ Clementine kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll see you in two days.’

  From the window she watched Clementine burst out of the house, rush to the tree and stand under it with her arms spread.

  Madeline felt as though she was on a limb. If only there was someone to catch her if she fell. She closed her eyes, imagining it happening. She was tumbling, frightened—who would be there in the end?

  Rees Dalton. His was the only face she saw.

  The question was, once he’d caught her, did she trust him not to
drop her again?

  Of more concern, did she trust herself? Would she run rather than make a hard choice?

  * * *

  Rees walked in the garden at midnight. He had not seen his wife since she had discovered his perceived betrayal, nor had he heard her voice. It felt very much like the light had gone out of his life.

  Yesterday he had been given a lecture about honesty from his mother. It sounded very much like the one he and Wilson had cut their teeth on.

  He ought to have paid closer attention, been more diligent in learning what she had to teach him.

  Ought to have had, yes. But he hadn’t, and so here he was, trying to walk off a guilty conscience. He was quickly finding that it could not be done.

  Why had he been so intent on a surprise? He should have told her when he had first suspected her family was nearby.

  He did recall not wanting her to be disappointed. Damn it, she had gone far beyond disappointed. Not gone as much as had been shoved—by him.

  A frigid breeze whooshed over the ground, shivering the bare limbs of the trees. He ought to go inside, but he did not want anyone to be bothered by a sudden burst of cursing. The emotion he voiced would be directed at himself and not anyone he happened upon, but since they would not know it, he remained outside.

  Besides, from here he could see Madeline’s chamber window. Every once in a while he saw her silhouette behind the lace curtain. She was pacing the same as he was.

  He imagined her coming down to the garden, unaware of his presence. In his mind he saw himself stepping out from the shadows. He would replace the wedding ring he kept in his pocket for the cigar band, then take her in his arms and convince her of his devotion.

  It was not likely that she would believe him. Not the man who had betrayed her trust, put it in a coffin and nailed it shut.

  What a morbid thought. He shook it off, then breathed in a lungful of icy air. Somehow he needed to rid himself of this despairing mood.

  He did have children to bring up. Emily Lark and Victoria Rose deserved a cheerful father.