‘Come along, ladies,’ one of them said in a heavy Irish accent devoid of Quinn’s refinement. ‘Your carriage awaits.’
‘I am not going anywhere with you, and nor is my sister,’ Jemima said with determination.
‘Really? And who is to prevent us from—’
‘Just come quietly,’ Quinn said persuasively. ‘Annabel, talk some sense into your sister.’
‘I cannot imagine why you want her to come,’ she replied sulkily. ‘And really, I don’t think I should go either. Papa is already angry with me, and if we are to be married…’
‘Use your sense, Annabel!’ Jemima cried impatiently. ‘He has no intention of marrying you. Why would he when he has already tasted the spoils? Can’t you see? He is using you for political motives.’
‘He is not! He loves me.’ Annabel planted her hands on her hips—a spoiled child on the point of throwing yet another tantrum. ‘Tell her, Fergus. Tell her that you love me.’
‘Passionately,’ Quinn replied with a distinct lack of the supposed passion he referred to reflected in his tone.
‘You see.’ Annabel preened. ‘You just cannot bear to think of me being happy.’
Jemima shook her head, apparently lost for words. One of Quinn’s men placed a hand on Jemima’s upper arm. She tried to shake it off but he simply laughed and Ros could tell from her furious expression that his grip had just tightened. He looked sharply at Jake, wondering why he still hesitated and seemed so infuriatingly calm. Then, as the small party made its way into the dark garden, Ros understood.
Parker stood there—a solid, unmoveable presence—with a pistol pointed directly at Quinn’s head. He had obviously come through the kitchens, along with the two burly footmen who stood at his shoulder.
‘You might have told me,’ Ros said, giddy with relief as he stepped forward and prevented Quinn from attempting to reach the servants’ door.
‘Where would be the sport in that?’
Ros shook his head and said nothing.
‘Let them go, Quinn,’ Jake said in a mordant tone.
Quinn laughed and pushed Annabel towards Jake. The thug holding Jemima released her at a nod from Quinn and the two sisters walked to safety—one far more eagerly than the other. Aitken had finally come out onto the terrace, but none of the other guests appeared to realise that such a scandalous drama was being played out. Either that or Lady Torbay had invented a reason for them to remain inside.
‘Papa,’ Annabel said, running up to him. ‘I wanted Fergus to come inside and announce our engagement but he thought…well—’
She clearly noticed her father’s blistering expression and finally had the sense to stem her flow of words.
‘You intend to offer marriage to Miss Aitken, Quinn?’ Jake asked casually.
‘Well yes, I…that is to say—’
‘We’re waiting,’ Jake said in a pleasant tone. ‘But we don’t have all night. I have already neglected my guests for too long.’
‘Fergus!’ Annabel stamped her foot. ‘Now is our opportunity.’
‘I fear he will not take it, Miss Aitken,’ Ros said, not without compassion in his tone.
‘Oh, I expect you hope he will not. I appreciate your interest in me, Lord Glynde, indeed I do. I am flattered, honoured, but Fergus owns my heart.’
‘Then I am very sorry for you because you do not own his.’
‘What? Nonsense!’ Annabel glanced at Quinn, who couldn’t meet her gaze. ‘Tell him, Fergus. Tell them all.’
Jemima clearly sensed that her sister was about to receive an almighty shock and instinctively reached for her hand. Annabel snatched it away, looking wary, confused.
‘What Quinn is reluctant to tell you, Miss Aitken, is that he cannot marry you because he is already engaged to a Miss Susanna Fitzroy of Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of one of the most influential families in the region and a generous donor to his cause.’
‘No! It isn’t true. It’s a wicked lie.’ Annabel grabbed Quinn’s arm. ‘Tell me it’s a wicked lie, Fergus. I know that it must be but—’
‘Ah, so you know.’
Annabel clapped a hand over her mouth, gave a pathetic wail and fell onto a nearby bench. This time she did not shake Jemima off when she sat beside her and attempted to comfort her—a generous gesture that Ros didn’t think she deserved.
‘You will have to break it off, Fergus, now that we have—’
‘He cannot, even if he so wished,’ Jake said, not without sympathy. ‘Fitzroy is a leader of commerce, has the ear of all Quinn’s American supporters, and also happens to adore his only daughter. In turn Susanna, rather unwisely and for reasons I am struggling to comprehend, adores Quinn. So if he does anything to upset her, Quinn’s financial backing will dry up.’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ Annabel said, a desperate edge to her voice. ‘Nothing matters, just so long as we can be married.’
Ros glanced at Jemima, whose arm circled her sister’s shaking shoulders. She shrugged, clearly not surprised that Annabel failed to see the bigger picture.
‘It’s over, Quinn,’ Ros said. ‘Go back to America, get married and stop causing trouble. Aitken will not resign and my father will not stop helping his tenants to get back on their feet. Your rebellion will not happen and if you attempt it by any means, then independent witnesses will attest to the fact that you tried to abduct both of Aitken’s daughters in order to force his hand. I very much doubt if you will continue to find favour with the Bostonian matrons if that news becomes public, Indeed, they will begin to fear for their own daughters’ safety.’
‘I will tell the world that Annabel willingly took up residence with me outside of wedlock,’ Quinn said, a wild look in his eye, no longer quite so suave and self-assured.
‘How very gentlemanly of you,’ Jemima said scathingly.
‘Fergus?’ Annabel bleated at the same time.
‘My daughter has been in the country recovering from a fever and I can produce a dozen witnesses to substantiate the fact, if necessary,’ Aitken said through gritted teeth. ‘Now, get out of here before I forget there are ladies present and tell you what I really think of you.’
Jemima held back as her arm around Annabel was replaced by their father’s. Parker led them back into the house through a door that ensured she would not be seen.
‘I want Mama,’ Annabel cried.
‘Hush, my love, you are safe now and I will take you home with me tonight,’ Aitken said, patting her shoulder.
Aitken had not even acknowledged Jemima’s part in it all, Ros realised, or asked her if she was all right. Ros turned to Jemima, his expression displaying the full force of his displeasure.
‘I thought we agreed…’ he began sternly.
‘Oh, don’t lecture me, Ros!’ Jemima threw back her head and sighed. ‘If I had not come out here when I did then Quinn would have got away with Annabel for a second time.’
‘And with you too.’
She conceded the point with a wry nod. ‘Aye, but it didn’t happen. I had faith in your being close at hand.’
‘I almost was not.’
‘Caught up with ambitious matrons?’ she asked teasingly.
‘Actually, with Field, my servant. He delivered that message from my agents in Boston just in the nick of time. It took some discovering, since the engagement has not been made official yet. Seems our friend Quinn likes to keep his ladies on their toes by making them wait for the dubious pleasure of his hand in marriage. I thought at first that the discovery would help us, but I couldn’t think how.’
‘But because Annabel came down, demanding to make their engagement public, she unwittingly played into your hands.’
Ros dealt her a stern look. ‘Which doesn’t excuse your recklessness.’
‘Have you really done enough to stop him?’
‘Yes. He has turned himself into an exotic myth as far as the Bostonians are concerned. They are fascinated by him and
feel for the plight of his countrymen. And they feel very philanthropic for helping him. But if they ever discover that he seduces respectable young women to further his cause they will turn their collective backs on him in a heartbeat, and he knows it.’
‘But he won’t give up?’
‘Likely not, but it will take him time to regroup, lick his wounds and come up with a new scheme. That gives us breathing space to get better organised in Ireland.’
‘Yes, I suppose it does.’ Jemima flashed a wan smile. ‘Poor Annabel. I know she is impossibly vain, but I cannot help feeling sorry for her. She really did believe that he loved her, you know. It will take her some time to recover from the shock.’
‘She pushed you down the stairs and broke your wrist because she was jealous of your being presented and you can still find it in your heart to feel sorry for her?’ Ros picked up her withered hand and gently ran his fingers down hers. ‘You are a better person than I will ever be, my sweet.’
‘I knew how spiteful Annabel could be long before anyone else. I saw daily examples of her reaction if she didn’t get her way during our younger years. But she was my sister, I knew I was supposed to love her and tried to make allowances. It’s funny, but when she pushed me so hard that I was lucky to come away with nothing worse than a few bruises and a broken wrist, I felt almost relieved not to have to pretend anymore.’
‘Your mother didn’t reprimand her, even then?’
Jemima shook her head. ‘Annabel insisted that it had been an accident and I didn’t even try to tell the truth since I knew which of us would be believed. Anyway, Annabel and I have hardly spoken since.’
‘And you didn’t have the wrist set because it left you with an excuse not to enter society?’
She gave a mischievous smile. ‘Perhaps.’
‘Well, that will have to change. We will make arrangements with a top physician before we leave.’
‘Leave?’ She blinked up at him. ‘Where are we going?’
‘I am going to Ireland.’
He was gratified when her face fell. ‘Oh. How long for?’
‘Indefinitely. My father needs my help.’
Jemima nodded. ‘You are his heir and the purchase of the bankrupt estate was your idea. But your duties here?’
‘I am not needed. Not really. Besides, no one takes a blind bit of notice of my advice, unless it is politically expedient for them to do so. I am tired of being ignored.’
‘I expect you are.’ She pushed herself to her feet, compelling Ros to stand also. ‘Well, it has been a pleasure knowing you.’
‘Not so fast.’ He caught her in his arms and crushed her against him. ‘I am not going to Ireland alone. Or at least I hope I am not. I have only known you for a few days, my love, but it didn’t take me that long to realise I had met the only woman I will ever want to marry. A woman sufficiently spirited to keep me on my toes.’
‘Marry?’ Her eyes widened. ‘Me?’
‘Why not? Do you find me so repellent?’
‘Not at all. I rather enjoy your society, despite the fact that you are impossibly bossy and I don’t take well to being told what to do.’
‘Someone has to look out for your interests, and I am volunteering for the position.’
‘I am not my sister, and I don’t live with my head in the clouds.’ She tilted the head in question and examined his face. ‘Even so, I couldn’t contemplate marrying for anything other than the deepest, most abiding love.’
‘Ah, I see. Thank you for the reminder. What with all the excitement, I forgot to address that rather important issue. You must forgive me. I have never proposed before.’ He fell to one knee in front of her. ‘Jemima, my sweet. I love you passionately and cannot imagine a life without you by my side. Will you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife?’
Tears glistened in her eyes. ‘Oh, do get up, Ros. The ground is cold and you will catch a chill. Of course I will marry you, if you think you can put up with me. But I ought to give you warning, I will not make a biddable wife. I am hopeless at social niceties and don’t have the first idea how to embroider cushion covers. There, what do you say to that?’
He simply shook his head, pulled her into his arms again and put all his passion into kissing her.
*
‘Well,’ Olivia said as the last of their guests left. Jemima lingered in the hallway, bidding Ros a protracted good night. ‘I am very pleased they have reached an agreement so quickly. I have never seen a better suited couple, and Jemima will thrive once she is away from her heartless family.’
Jake walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘Much like you did. You speak from experience.’
‘Quite. But supposing there are consequences to Annabel’s indiscretion?’
‘Then I suspect that she will see a return of her fever, which will require her to leave London for a longer period.’ Jake shrugged. ‘These things happen.’
‘Indeed they do.’ Olivia placed a hand on her stomach and turned to smile over her shoulder at her husband.
‘You are…we are? Are you sure?’
‘Entirely certain.’
Jake whooped with delight.
Jemima walked back into the drawing room and was obliged to clear her throat several times before Lord Torbay stopped kissing his wife for long enough to send Jemima a boastful smile.
The End
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I’m a British author, brought up on the Isle of Wight, but now divide my time between Andorra and the west coast of Florida. I share my life with my long-suffering husband and a rescued dog of indeterminate pedigree named Jake Bentley after the hero in one of my books. Both Jakes are handsome mongrels with independent spirits and wild streaks.
I’ve had over fifty books published, ranging from Regency romance, (my first love), to contemporary women’s fiction and marine crime mysteries.
When not writing I walk miles with my dog, make half-hearted visits to the gym, read other people’s tomes…oh, and I’m on a one woman mission to keep the wine trade profitable!
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Also available from Bookbaby by this Author
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Bella Darcy’s Impetuous Nature
Eleanor Bingley’s Rebellious Nature
Rosie Turner’s Cont
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Susie Darcy’s Tenacious Nature
Ducal Encounters Series 1
At the Duke’s Discretion
With the Duke’s Approval
Portrait of a Duke
For the Duke’s Pleasure
In the Duke’s Estimation
Captivating the Duke
Ducal Encounters Series 2
Reunited with the Duke
Christmas with the Duke
Representing the Duke
Safeguarding the Duke
Acting for the Duke
Emulating the Duke
Ducal Encounters Series 3
Conspiring with the Duke
Dedicated to the Duke
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Heirs and Graces
With Good Grace
Fall From Grace
Social Graces
Elegance and Grace
Riley Rochester Investigates Series
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Elegance and Grace Page 22