by Lisa Boero
“Yes, Althea. But knowing how you felt, knowing that I was the last man who could win your heart, I would have done anything to steal what couldn’t be rightfully mine.”
“I see.”
He continued on, not seeming to notice the coldness of her remark. “Almost from our first meeting, I have come to feel for you a deep and abiding passion. And when I saw my chance to try to make you feel the same for me, I took it, damn the cost. But after everything that has happened, I find I cannot spend another day without confessing what I have done, because I want no secrets between us. I said that I would come to you as an honest man and beg your forgiveness. Well, here I am. Please forgive me.”
“How is such a thing possible? You told me our courtship was just for show. You told me that you wished for our association to end. In short, you have done everything possible to show me how little we would suit as husband and wife.”
Norwich stopped and held out his hand to her. “And you have done the same, but I cannot forget how you felt in my arms or how your sweet lips met mine. I almost lost you through my inaction and stupidity and will not contemplate the thought of parting from you now. Tell me that there is hope yet for me, Althea.”
Althea regarded his hand with its large palm and strong fingers. She would be lying to herself if she didn’t acknowledge the honor of the duke’s proposal. It was more than she had ever allowed herself to imagine. “I don’t know. This is all so strange. Why the deception?”
“I had to throw you, and Read for that matter, off the trail of the real situation. Despite my initial doubt, I had ample time to assess your abilities. I knew that sooner or later you would tumble to the truth, so I devised a plan to make you think that there was one Richmond Thief. And you helped me by wandering off to explore the darkened part of the house. Trust me when I say that I only intended to frighten you a little that first night in the library. However, my desire was greater than my virtue when I actually held you in my arms.”
“Mine too, I suppose. Oh, I have been a fool!”
“I am the fool for hesitating when I heard Pettigrew’s stories. I knew you disliked the man, but yet—I should have come to you then and confessed the whole at once. My delay was unpardonable, but please don’t hide the truth from me now. Have I destroyed all my chances for happiness with you?”
“I don’t know. I will not deny that I found pleasure in your embrace, but surely that cannot be the sole basis for—mutual regard and respect are essential for matrimony, are they not? Unless I have mistaken your intentions?”
Norwich laughed ruefully. “My intentions are the purest, although you may not believe it. Come Althea, say you will marry me.”
She looked him in the eye. “Do you truly wish it?”
He returned her steady gaze with a look that seemed to melt the very bones of her body. “I have never wished for anything more in my life.”
She thought of Arthur’s proposal, based on reason and logic, so diametrically opposed to Norwich’s impassioned speech. She had just gained her independence. Would she surrender it so easily? But the thought of those kisses made her feel that she had never truly understood what could be between a man and a woman. Her heart urged her forward, but her head held her back. There had to be a via media. “Yes, but on one condition.”
He broke into a smile so radiant that Althea’s heart began to flutter in her chest. I am the moth, she thought. She contemplated throwing her arms around his neck for a moment, but reason held her back. She was still too afraid of the flame.
“Anything,” he replied.
“We shall keep the engagement a secret from all but the closest family for the next six months. If, at the end of that time, we haven’t murdered each other, or you haven’t grown tired of my independence and I of your domination, we can marry.”
He started to speak, but she stopped him. “Before you agree, you must know that I intend to continue my scientific work, so you will have to keep your disgust of insects to yourself.”
“Disgust?”
“One of the reasons I dressed as a beetle for the masquerade was to prove to you that they can be beautiful.”
“You certainly proved that—to me and every gentleman there that night. I came to you as the thief even though I’d sworn never to do it again. You have no idea what the sight of you in that gown did to me. No, you can have no idea.”
Althea smiled self-consciously. “Be that as it may, I will continue to study the real thing.”
“I am prepared to endure any horror if it means I can have you. Do we have an agreement or not?”
“Yes.” She placed her hand in his.
And before she knew what had happened, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “It will be a long six months.” He leaned down and kissed her hard on the lips.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I don’t think I have ever been so nervous,” Althea whispered to Jane as Jane accommodated herself beside Althea in the carriage.
“You will come through with your head held high as you always do.”
“In any case, it is meant to be Arthur’s work, so if I fail, it is of no matter.”
Jane patted her hand. “There is always that.”
Lady Bertlesmon climbed awkwardly into the carriage and landed with a thump on the opposite seat. “I don’t know what my brother means by sending me along to this scientific meeting. Begging your pardon, Althea, this sort of thing is not my idea of an afternoon well spent.”
“Stop your bellyaching, Minerva. A little knowledge would do you good,” Norwich said as he settled in beside her.
Apparently, Norwich intended to be true to his word in support of Althea’s scientific endeavors, although attendance at a speech was a far cry from mucking about in ponds and turning over the carcasses of dead things to get at the insects below, so time would tell. In any case, he had gone out of his way to be his best self during her sojourn at his house, only provoking one or two disagreements, and Althea had to admit that the idea of becoming his wife had become quite palatable to her. Quite palatable indeed.
Althea had expected Lady Bertlesmon to reject the secret fiancée so abruptly thrust upon her, but that lady seemed to take all of her brother’s many whims in stride. Althea wondered if his mother would do the same when she returned from one of her long and frequent trips to Bath, but as her return was not imminent, Althea decided not to worry.
They soon found themselves at Somerset House, mingling with the throng of luminaries and attendant amateur scientists. Althea felt her pulse quicken with anxiety. She hoped Arthur would be proud of her. No, she mustn’t think of him, or it would likely make her cry to think his dreams were now hers.
She felt a touch of her sleeve and looked up to see Norwich regarding her. “You shouldn’t be nervous. Any woman who seems as familiar with corpses as you are cannot be nervous of a bunch of windbags, dabblers, and idle philosophers.”
“Not nerves, I promise.”
“You are a very bad liar, Althea. I shall remember that.”
She smiled and then, turning her head, recognized a man standing off to her right. Mr. Read!
She caught his eye, and he hurried over. “Lady Trent, I have been anxiously awaiting your explanation of the use of insects in criminal detection.”
“I shall hope that the Trent method is truly useful to Bow Street.”
Read and Norwich exchanged greetings, and then Althea noticed another man beyond Read. My goodness, it appeared to be Cousin John. She tugged on Norwich’s sleeve, and seeing where her eyes went, they quickly disengaged with Read, promising to discuss the Trent method at greater length after the presentation.
When they reached John, they could see that he was supported by a crutch on one side and a small dark-haired lady on the other.
“Lord and Lady Bingham,” Althea said as she reached them. “How wonderful to see you alive and well!”
“And you, cousin. When I heard you were to speak today, I resolve
d to come and see if I could have a private word with you. If you would be so kind as to speak with me, that is.” He looked up and, seeing Norwich, closed his mouth.
“Do not be alarmed, John. His Grace was one of the men who rescued me from your brother’s clutches. As you can imagine, I did not go with Charles willingly.”
“Much obliged to you,” John addressed Norwich. “For my family, sir, I do not know that we can ever make amends.”
Norwich replied, “You are not your brother’s keeper. And in any event, I think you have suffered much at his hands.”
Althea, recollecting her manners, turned to Norwich. “May I present to you Lady Bingham? I’m afraid she has lived quite retired of late, but I hope she will soon make her debut in society.”
They exchanged pleasantries, and then Lady Bingham said, “It was a very close call, Lady Trent. When I received word of the accident, I flew to his side.”
“Lizzie is a capital nurse, aren’t you, my dear?” John said, and then turning to Althea, “Fortunately, I was smarter than Charles gave me credit for. I’ve known Charles was a bad egg for some time, at least with respect to me, but living as I was, I had to keep him from finding Lizzie at all costs. I saw the fight about my carriage as the ruse that it was and brought a pair of pistols and a trusted manservant along for the ride. When I took a turn and felt the carriage heave under me, I leaped free, breaking my leg but not my neck, and then rolled down the hill. My manservant jumped without injury and joined me at the bottom of the hill. We were able to find suitable cover behind a tree when some ruffians sought to finish us off.”
He paused and met Althea’s gaze directly. “I’m not sure what I thought would happen, but I did not expect Charles to stoop to murder, in my case or in yours. You must believe me that had I known, I would have done whatever I could to keep you out of harm’s way.”
“I do believe you,” Althea said, “and it was marriage he wanted from me, not murder. Although, looking back upon it, death was certainly the preferable option.”
John winced. “I can readily understand. My mother tells me that he was shot down by footpads.”
Norwich looked John in the eye. “Yes, that is exactly how it happened.”
John nodded in understanding. “After everything, I can’t say that doesn’t cause me relief. Although the proprieties were followed for the funeral. No need to bring society in to gawk.”
“No,” Althea replied, “that would not be prudent.”
“Begging your pardon, we also thought it best to say that you accepted Lady Bertlesmon’s most obliging offer to stay due to the mourning rigors at Levanwood House,” John said.
“Oh dear,” Althea said. “I shall have to observe mourning again, shan’t I?”
“No more than two weeks, I think,” Norwich said.
“I do hope that the financial situation is not as dire as Charles led me to believe,” Althea said.
“Nothing that my father and I can’t manage now that the truth is out in the open. Lizzie and I don’t mind living in more retired circumstances, and my mother is frantic to leave London after everything that has happened. We shall sell the London house and pay Lloyds back as my father never got to the point of selling the necklace. He just told Charles that he had because he didn’t want Charles to steal it out from under him. He understands that what he did was wrong, and he will make everything right with the Lloyds investors. Then we can decide if we need to sell the necklace for real to deal with any other outstanding debts.”
Althea shook her head, not daring to ask if John was fully aware of the number of people Charles had murdered in the name of financial recovery, and certainly unwilling to burden him with the murders done in the name of pleasure. Instead she said, “I still cannot believe that such depravity was so well concealed behind such a proper facade.”
John nodded. “True evil was not in the gothic stories you and I discussed, but rather in my own home. I don’t think I have much heart for poetry anymore.”
“Do not say that. I await your wolf man composition most eagerly. Instead of playacting, you should put your talents to good use.”
John thanked her and would have said more, but the crowd began to fill the room.
“It is the moment of truth for me,” Althea said.
They said their goodbyes, and Althea, extracting her prepared notes from her reticule, moved into position in the front of the meeting room. As she waited for the others to pontificate, she studied the plastered ceiling in all its glory, marveling at the twists of fate that had brought her there. It was with a jump that she heard her name and shook off her reverie.
“And today Lady Trent shall present a brief explanation of the use of Dermestes trentatus to determine the stage of forensic decomposition of animal matter. The Trent method of analysis, presented here today by Lady Trent, may be used in a number of circumstances, including the detection of the approximate time of death of persons discovered in the countryside, and should provide a great assistance to physicians called in for consultation in such matters. As all those present may remember, Sir Arthur Trent was a distinguished member of the Society, and at his untimely death he apparently had several monographs in preparation for presentation. Lady Trent has kindly agreed to compile these posthumous monographs for the benefit of the Society and to summarize Sir Arthur’s work using the Trent method for us here today.”
Althea stood and, pulling herself up to her full height, faced the great men of her generation. Women do have the robust mental processes required for the hard labors of scientific investigation, she told herself, and one day they shall recognize me on my own!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my family, especially my mother, for helping me on my journey into Regency England. Dara, Cindy, and Kajal also deserve recognition for their editorial assistance. Thanks to my book group, viewers of Marshfield TV, and my other awesome fans in Marshfield, Saint Louis, and around the country. Thanks also to the libraries that have hosted my talks and supported my work. I hope my books continue to be checked out over and over. Also, thanks to Breanna and Brett for giving me opportunities to get the word out about all of my novels and to talk about books on Writers and Readers of Central Wisconsin. And finally, I want to thank my colleagues and friends at Security Health Plan for their continued support of my writing career.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Boero is a lawyer and moonlighting novelist. She is the author of the Nerdy Girls series of mysteries, featuring face-blind detective Liz Howe. Boero’s third book, Hell Made Easy, is a dark comedy about lawyers in a battle of wits with the devil. The Richmond Thief is the product of the author’s infatuation with Jane Austen and Forensic Files. It is her first historical mystery.
Lisa lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin, along with her family, and can be contacted at www.lisaboero.com.