by Unknown
She considered Amiee's words and looked inward for the first time. It was Gregory to whom she owed a debt, but it was Noah who made her heart pound and her passion come to life. Of course Amiee was
right. She loved Noah Morgan and could no longer deny it.
"I cannot return the packet to Noah, but I don't want to give it to Gregory either. If I can only remove the threat from Gregory, then I will have repaid him."
"Are you going to tell Noah the truth?"
"I will tell him about my past." She lifted her chin proudly. "I am not ashamed. But I will not bring Gregory into this. I will tell Gregory that I have done all I could to protect him, and that I love and intend to marry Noah."
"I'm happy for you, Charity. I think you've chosen the right path."
"You have not liked or trusted Gregory from the very beginning, have you?"
Amiee did not want to tell Charity that ever since the night she had read the cards, she had been certain that Gregory was the one who was destined to harm her. At least now, if Charity were to separate herself from him and become the wife of Noah Morgan, she would be safe from any threat Gregory might pose. Amiee cared too much for Charity to think of her being hurt any more than she had been.
"It is not up to me to like or not. You're learning to guide your life, and I'm happy for you. I want you to be happy."
"Amiee, you have always been so good to me. Someday I must repay you somehow."
"You owe me nothing but your friendship, Charity. And that is what I value most."
"May I leave the packet with you for safekeeping until I decide what to do with it?"
"Yes, of course. I'll hide it away until you want it."
"Again, I'm grateful."
"But now you're excited. I can see it in your eyes."
"I am, a bit." She smiled.
"I'm going over to see Jason. Do you want to come along?" Amiee asked.
"Yes, I haven't seen him for a long time."
"I'll put this away first." Amiee took the packet into another room and returned in a few minutes.
"Is it safely hidden?"
"Believe me, Charity, no one will ever find it. Let's go."
They used the carriage Charity had come in. When they arrived, they were laughing together as they entered and Jason heard them. He came to the top of the stairs and as they mounted the steps, he opened his arms and embraced them both.
"Charity, how wonderful you look. Like a titled lady."
"She soon will be," Amiee said.
"So," Jason said quietly, "Beth was right."
"Beth?" Charity questioned. Jason flushed a bit at the slip, but they were already walking into his studio. Charity wasn't exactly shocked to see Beth seated calmly on a window seat.
"Beth!" Charity exclaimed. "I didn't know you were coming here today."
"I'm letting Jason do another portrait of me," Beth replied. "He thinks I make a good model, and perhaps he can sell the portraits."
Beth's eyes flew to Jason, who stiffened. He did not
intend to lie to Charity or anyone about how he felt for Beth.
Of course, he knew Beth had come to see him often without Charity's knowledge. But if Charity questioned them, he knew he and Beth both meant for the truth to be told.
But Charity didn't question. Being in love now, she forgot her earlier misgivings about their relationship. She had no fear that Beth would not be treated tenderly and well by this man. Somehow their financial problems would be resolved.
"I'm sure that a portrait, done with the eyes of love, will sell well," Charity replied. Both Jason and Beth smiled in relief, and Beth rose and went to Jason's side. He put his arm possessively about her. "I couldn't be happier for you both," Charity finished. She looked casually around the studio, then frowned. "Jason, where is the portrait of me?"
"Ah . . . Charity . . . I'm sorry. After you and Beth left . . . well, things were desperate. Please don't hate me, but . . . I had to sell it."
"Of course I don't hate you, but, Jason, you did promise."
"I know, and I feel so guilty. But"
"I know the feeling of desperation and hunger," Charity said quietly. "But I would like to have bought it from you to give to my future husband. Who did you sell it to?"
"I don't exactly know."
"How can you sell something and not know who you sold it to?"
"It was done through a solicitor. Please believe me,
Charity, if I'd known you wanted it, I would have refused to sell it."
Charity laughed. "Even if you starved. No, Jason, I don't want my friends to go hungry. One day soon, I might ask you to do another."
"It would be my pleasure, and my gift."
"Thank you."
The four friends shared an early lunch together, and finally Charity said she had to go. She wanted to find Gregory and tell him he was safe; and then she wanted to go to Noah and tell him of her past. She meant to start her life with him on the right foot. The only secret she intended to keep for as long as she could was her prior relationship with Gregory. She simply could not confess that yet.
Beth decided to return with Charity; they would leave Amiee at home on their way. Amiee and Charity walked to the carriage to wait and allow Beth a few minutes alone with Jason. Finally the three were on their way.
After they'd gone, Jason stood before the half-finished portrait he was doing of Beth. There was love in every brush stroke, and that love was reflected in the eyes of the beauty on the canvas. He had never thought that anyone as sweet and wonderful as Beth would be part of his life. He inhaled a ragged sigh. Even Beth, who was the dearest person in his life, didn't know the truth behind the sale of the portrait Charity had wanted. He was still considering this when he heard the solid sound of footsteps on the stairs. He turned and faced the door. When it opened and then closed behind his visitor, he smiled grimly.
"I'm glad you're here. You've almost gotten me into a devil of a lot of trouble with a lady I consider a friend. I hope you're not making a big mistake. Why don't you tell me everything you have in mind before this goes any farther?"
"Good idea." The answer came in a deep, serious voice. "Sit down, Jason. I have a long story to tell you."
Jason sat, and Noah Morgan sat down opposite him and began to talk. "I have unwittingly become a pawn in a dangerous game. There is villainy involved, and assassination plots, and deadly treason. It falls to me to unwind this tangled web and save the life of a very capable man. Until I succeed I can trust no one except you."
"Can't I help?"
"No, you are involved too deeply already. I mean to remedy that as soon as possible."
"And Charity?"
Noah was silent for a long moment. "That is a matter I must take care of myself."
"By God," Jason whispered, "you're in love with her."
"Yes. But I still have to uncover the truth."
"And you wanted her portrait"
"Yes," Noah said quietly, "someday . . . well, never mind. Trust me that no harm will come to her from me."
Noah rose to his feet, and when he did the portrait Jason had nearly finished of Beth came into view. Again Noah paused as some fleeting memory tugged at him.
"What do you know of her, Jason?"
"All I need to know. She is the loveliest woman I've ever met, and the woman I soon intend to marry."
"I congratulate you . . . but I still can't get it out of my mind that I've seen her someplace before. Oh well, it will come to me. I wish you well. Jason . . . I will never hurt Charity, that I promise. As with Beth and you, I want to protect her and to have her as my wife."
"I'm glad, for I wouldn't have let another soul have that painting but you. What have you done with it, and why haven't you told her?"
"I can't explain now. You'll have to trust me."
"I always have."
Noah smiled and left the studio.
It was nearing dinner time when Charity finally found herself in her carriage again and on her wa
y back to Noah's home.
She had left Beth at Noah's town house and had driven straight to Gregory's but, to her deep disappointment, she had found he was gone from the city for a few days. She wanted to relieve his mind as soon as possible. She knew he would be pleased to know the packet was out of Noah's hands, so she took the time to write him a letter and left it with his butler.
"See that His Lordship receives this the moment he arrives," she instructed.
"Yes, madam."
"Thank you." Charity left, relieved that all the shadows were gone and she need not think of them any further. Now she must confess to Noah what she had
been and hope he still wanted to marry her. If he did, she planned on making him the best wife a man could hope for. She gave one last consideration to the letter she had left for Gregory:
My dear Gregory,
This is not the kind of thing I would normally put into a letter. I would rather have told you in person, but since you were away, I had no choice. Time is of the essence. The threat that you feared is ended, and you are free. I have found the packet and have put it in a safe place where it can no longer be used against you.
This part, dear Gregory, is the hardest to write. I find I cannot marry you, because I love Noah. He has asked me to be his wife and I am going to accept. Please try to understand. You will always occupy a special place in my heart and you will always be my friend.
Charity
When she arrived home, Noah was not there, and she was soon caught up with the family. An exuberant Elizabeth, it seemed, had been in mischief all afternoon and Kathy was beside herself. Even Sofia had reached the end of her patience. Beth had escaped to her room to rest.
Charity offered to take the child off their hands for a few moments and they quickly agreed. She took Elizabeth to the garden and engaged her in games, and soon they were laughing and totally caught up in each other. Charity found Elizabeth to be bright and
brimming with enthusiasm for anything exciting or new.
After an hour even Charity's energy began to run out and she coaxed Elizabeth to sit on her lap in the shade of a tree while she told her a story. To this Elizabeth readily agreed.
Charity captivated the girl with tales of knights and dragons and magicians until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into sleep.
Charity rocked her gently in her lap and felt a kind of peace she had never known before. All the darkness faded before the dream of having Noah, and maybe a child like Elizabeth one day.
The dying sun haloed Charity's hair, turning it to spun gold. Noah, who stood just inside the door that led to the garden, felt a tightness in his chest and an unwelcome obstruction in his throat that made it hard to breathe. She was Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin, which he had seen in the National Gallery of London. A longing filled him to gather her into his arms and protect her, to refuse to let her go no matter what happened. She was the only woman ever to enter his heart and take residence as if she had always belonged. If she did not choose him, would he ever be able to let her go? Would he ever be able to forget her?
Clenching his jaw, he opened the door and walked outside. He made no sound as he approached her, yet he knew the moment she sensed his presence. She raised her head slowly and their gazes met. He could see the tremulous smile on lips he longed to taste; the warmth in her eyes flowed through him like a warm
river. He wanted her, under any terms, under any conditions, in any way he could get her.
He stopped beside her and knelt down. Tenderly he brushed a wayward curl from Elizabeth's brow and smiled at Charity. ''It's difficult to see what a little imp she is when she looks so much like an angel asleep."
"She is an angel," Charity replied softly.
Had she begun to care for the members of his family? Noah thought hopefully. He looked into the sea green depths of her eyes.
"Charity," he breathed her name like a prayer. Slowly he bent and caressed her parted lips with his. He felt the aching need in him grow and girded himself to do whatever was necessary to keep her.
When he raised his head he heard her gently breathe his name.
"Shall I carry her in?" he asked.
"Yes," Charity replied. Gently he took the sleeping child, and Charity rose to walk beside him as he carried her inside. He took Elizabeth up to her room to turn her over to her nanny. Then he came down to join Charity and the family for dinner.
Throughout dinner Charity was inordinately quiet. Was she thinking of a way to flee him? Noah wondered anxiously. Sofia, Kathy, and Beth also seemed aware of her silence and did their best to keep the conversation flowing.
Charity was frightened. Would Noah turn from her if he knew her past; would he cease to love her? The thought was so painful that she could barely choke down her food, and she was more than grateful when the meal came to an end. She rose slowly to her feet
and spoke to Noah in a voice calmer than she would have believed possible.
"Noah . . . could I please speak to you in private for a few minutes?"
"Of course, Charity," he replied. "Join me in the library."
Kathy and Sofia watched the two leave, each harboring the same thoughts. Each wishing they could somehow make everything work out for Noah, whom they both loved, and for Charity, whom they were growing to love as well.
Noah followed Charity inside the library and closed the door. Charity walked to the fireplace, then turned to face him. Very slowly, Noah walked toward her and stopped just a few feet away.
Charity inhaled a deep breath. Noah was an intimidating presence. His tall, broad-shouldered frame seemed to fill her whole scope of vision, and his blue eyes had darkened to a storm blue. It felt as if they were piercing her.
"Please, Noah, will you sit? You are so . . . so overpowering."
He walked to a chair and sat down. Her next move took him by surprise. She came to him and knelt down before him, the cloud of her dress floating about her. Then she took his hand in hers.
"Noah, you've asked me to become your wife and I am very honored by your proposal."
"But you're refusing."
"No . . . not exactly."
"Charity, what do you mean not exactly? Either you are accepting or you are refusing."
"Noah, please, it's not as simple as that."
"What makes it so difficult?" He gripped her hands and drew her up to him. "Do you not believe that I love you? If that is so, don't doubt it for a minute. I love you and I want you more than you know. There is little I wouldn't do to win your love . . . and your trust."
"You are making this so difficult for me. I will answer you, but not until you've heard me out."
"What could possibly be so important that"
"Noah . . . please?"
"All right, what do you want to tell me that would make marrying you so nefarious a thing?"
Charity sat back on her heels, and Noah's smile faded when he saw the shadow of a vague fear in her eyes.
"I am not what you think I am."
"I think you are the loveliest creature I've ever seen."
"I don't mean that. I'm not a wealthy woman. I've never had anything. All the clothes, the summer house at Stafford Hall, that's all a fraud. I'm an orphan from Josine Gilbert's Safe Home Orphanage. I've never known my parents. In fact, Josine gave me my name. I am a nothing, a nobody, and you would be a fool to give your name to me."
"Are you quite finished?"
"No! You must know what my life has been." She went on to explain everything that had happened to her from the day she had left the orphanage and Josine's protection. "I learned to pick a pocket, to steal a purse or food, and to be quick in dodging the law.
I lived hand to mouth and I was hungry much of the time. Hungry and scared. The chance to live like a lady and to meet you was too good to let go by. Can you see how terrible this is, how undeserving I am? I would be a disgrace to you and your family."
"Now are you finished?"
"You're not listening to me!"
"
But I am, my love, I am." Again he drew her up so he could put his arms about her. "What matters most, Charity, is whether or not you care enough about me to promise to be my wife. When we've settled that, we can consider your minor problems."
"Minor problems!"
"Yes, minor problems. Do you think it matters to me that your name is not Gilbert? Do you think it matters that you were forced to live by your wits? It only tells me that you are strong, and brave, and can survive. As for wealth, I have enough to keep you like a princess for the rest of your life. No, I will repeat, what matters to me is whether you love me or not. Anything else I can deal with." He smiled. "It doesn't matter to me that you were a common pickpocket."
Relief flooded her and her lips formed a half smile. A sparkle of mischief lit her eyes. "I was not common, Noah. I was the best pickpocket in the Round and I was good at what I did, very good."
Noah laughed and gathered her to him to kiss her deeply and most thoroughly. Then he held her a little away from him. "Have we crossed all your bridges, Charity, and burnt them behind us? There is nothing more you wish to confess to me?"
She wanted to tell him the truth about Gregory, but
she did not want to betray Gregory's confidence or do him any harm. He was free of Noah or any others who meant him harm, and confessing now could only create a new problem.
"No, there's nothing else."
For a moment disappointment touched Noah's eyes, but only for a moment. In time he would teach her to trust him. In time he would destroy her ungodly loyalty to Gregory Hamilton. He would teach her to love him the way he loved her and to know that she could put any problems she might have in his hands and he would handle them with love.
"Then say you love me," he demanded gently.
"I do, Noah, I do. I think I have loved you for a long time."
"And the marriage can take place at the first reasonable minute?"
"Reasonable minute?"
"Once my mother and Kat find out, we're in for a long siege. I can only hope that time passes quickly, or that I can abduct you once or twice before the wedding." Noah's face grew serious. "Charity, whatever happens, I want you to know that I am always here, that I want to be more than a husband to you. I want to be your friend always. Will you remember that?" His gaze was intent and she could feel his strength reach out to enfold her. She had never felt so safe, so loved, in her whole life.