by Lucy Langton
Emilia’s heart began to pound in her chest. She’d rather give up her own life than see Deirdre harmed in any way.
Despite Emilia’s obvious distress, Hugh continued with his tale.
“Lady Spencer has changed in the past few weeks, as perhaps you may have assumed. Upon seeing Lady Deirdre, she realised the error in her ways, that she had waited too long to finalise her business with the earl. A great urgency overtook her, and Lady Spencer knew she could no longer be idle. She would marry the earl as soon as possible, after securing a proposal, and then Lady Deirdre would be disposed of.”
“Did she not foresee that Lady Deirdre would grow into a woman?” Emilia asked, wanting to better understand Lady Spencer’s intentions.
“She was blindsided. When she beheld Lady Deirdre at the ball, successfully being courted by prosperous gentlemen, then the notion finally hit home that Lady Deirdre was on the cusp of securing her own name in society.”
“And throughout all these years, the affair between you and Lady Spencer has continued, without the earl’s knowledge?” Emilia asked, in awe that Lord Forest might not suspect such a thing.
“It has. She is a treacherous woman, that much I know. Yet, my love for her persists. We have done our best to keep it a secret, and we have been successful in that, God help us. But as soon as Lady Deirdre was implicated in the whole affair, I could no longer hold my tongue. I became fearful of the very woman that I love.”
“And how can you love such a person?” Emilia asked.
“Love is a funny thing, Miss Stewart. As I’m sure you know.”
Hugh’s words suggested that he was well aware of Emilia’s own affair, and his words struck home. Indeed, Emilia did understand how funny and peculiar love was. She gave her heart to a man she could never possibly be with, and Hugh had given his heart to a woman who shared that impossibility as well. They had more in common than she thought. Yet Hugh’s love threatened her own, in horrifying and disturbing ways. She was grateful for his candour, yet it filled her with fear.
“I think I understand your meaning,” Emilia replied, looking down towards the soggy earth. The drizzle continued to fall upon them, but Emilia payed scarce attention to her damp, cold skin. It was only after some time that she realised she was shivering, having been soaked to the bone.
“But my feelings towards Lady Spencer aside,” Hugh went on. “Her plan is now re-hatched with alarming intensity. It is as it was before. She will marry the earl, secure an heir if she can, and then see that both Lord Joshua and Lady Deirdre are killed, much in the same way that their parents were. Lady Spencer wishes to make it look as though a robbery took place, and that the brother and sister put up a fight before their lives were taken.”
“In Glastonbrook?” Emilia asked.
“No, Lady Spencer thinks it too similar to the first murders. Instead, she wants bandits to encounter them upon the road, overtaking their carriage and killing them instantly.”
“To hear of it makes me feel sick,” Emilia said, bringing her hands to her face.
“Do not fear, for the plan is some time away. There is much to be done in the meantime, and Lady Spencer is doing her best to bring it all together.”
“She is a viper,” Emilia said with disgust.
“Lady Spencer is a woman who does not like competition. Not for money, status, nor love. She’ll have her way. I know her well enough. And even should her love for me die, she’ll still endeavour to carry out her plan, with or without my help. Sometimes I feel as though I’m standing by idle, watching as the whole nightmare unfolds before me. I even fear for my own life at times.”
“Hugh, this has gone too far. For too long you have remained silent.”
“And that is why I speak the truth to you now. You are the only one, after all these years, who has even suspected. I knew from the moment I met you you’d get your nose into the earl’s business somehow. And yet I cannot say that I regret it. In some respects, your knowledge of the truth sets me free.”
It warmed Emilia’s heart to hear that, but it was not enough. Too much was at stake and the earl and his sister were in grave danger, just as the earl himself had felt for some time. How was it that he was so blind to Lady Spencer’s treachery? Was it her beauty? Her prestige? Perhaps it was due to the former earl’s fondness for her, and insistence that Lord Forest should marry her.
“For years I have stood in the shadows,” Hugh went on, “not wishing to face the blame. But now that Lady Deirdre is mixed up in all this, I realise that it has all gone too far. I have watched her grow since she was a small child. She’s become an exceptional woman, with a clear mind and a warm heart.”
“That is true,” Emilia replied, equally proud of the sister.
“And so, this charade can continue no further. If I am to face the executioner, then I will. But I refuse to stand by and watch as Lady Deirdre loses her life.”
“Hugh, you’re doing the right thing,” Emilia said, placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. “I think that your courage will be rewarded.”
“My courage amounts to nothing, after so many years of cowardice. Even when all of this is done, and peace is restored, I doubt still that I’ll be able to live with the memories.”
Emilia saw tears forming in Hugh’s eyes, and she felt pity for him. He had done everything wrong, had made all the worst decisions. But finally, he was turning a corner, and Emilia was his only escape from his dreaded past and his abhorrent present.
Emilia was no longer filled with rage and disgust. She was emboldened. Hugh was ready to reveal the truth, and Emilia would see to it that it was done that very day.
Chapter 24
Considering the difficulty of Emilia’s journey from Glastonbrook to the Hutchinson estate, there was no use in undertaking it again. The rain began to pour harder and Emilia’s need to inform the earl at once seemed too urgent to waste an entire day of walking. A hackney coach was summoned, and Emilia found herself on the journey back to the home that she held so dear – and the man that she loved.
As the carriage swayed back and forth, she looked across at Hugh, still penitent and heavy from revealing the truth. He looked out of the window, his brow knit, and Emilia brought a hand up to her heart. It was all about to be over. The truth was to be revealed and Lord Forest would finally be set free. Was it too much to wonder whether or not he’d be able to return her love? Only time would tell.
The rain proved to be unforgiving, so that when the coach pulled up to Glastonbrook the roundabout was already soggy with thick mud. It reminded Emilia of when she was perched up in her room on that fateful first day and watched the earl as he approached on horseback, intrepid and unafraid of the storm. It seemed like ages ago, but in truth it was only weeks. Emilia reasoned that it was love that skewed her understanding of time.
“Be careful with your steps, lady,” the coachman called, opening the door and concealing his head from the rain.
There was no time to be careful. Emilia jumped out of the coach and felt the water and mud splash upon her skirt. She ran towards the entrance of Glastonbrook, not taking the time to look behind her. Hugh would be there by her side. He would not abandon the task at hand.
Upon reaching the door, Winnifred opened it immediately, her cheeks flushed from the kitchen stove and confusion written on her face.
“Emilia!” she cried, opening her arms for an embrace. Emilia wished to be locked in Winnifred’s bear-like hug, yet still there was no time.
“Where is the earl?” Emilia asked, breathless and cold.
“In his study, of course,” Winnifred said. “Where the devil have you been?”
“I’ll explain later,” Emilia replied, seeing that Hugh was then by her side. “Come along,” she said to him.
Winnifred gave Hugh a questioning glare, but the head servant would not speak. He merely followed in Emilia’s wake.
Rushing down the hall, Emilia passed the parlour where Deirdre sat, gazing at the flames in the fireplace.
“Emilia!” she cried in stunned disbelief.
“I must speak to your brother,” Emilia called back, scarcely pausing in her haste.
Finally reaching the study, Emilia flung the door open and found the earl seated at his desk, which was customary. Yet the look upon his face once he beheld Emilia was like nothing she had ever seen before. He rose, as though seeing an apparition, and stood tall, as one would in front of an enormous crashing wave.
“There’s something that you must know,” Emilia said, wishing to get right to the heart of the matter.
“Miss Stewart, what have you done?” the earl asked, in awe of her presence yet fiercely angry at the same time.
“I apologise for my departure but it was for a good cause, I assure you,” Emilia went on to explain. “For some time I have been lost in contemplation in regard to what happened to your family.”
“That’s enough,” the earl said, putting up his hand to halt her.
“I will speak, M’Lord,” Emilia went on.
“Let her do so,” Hugh replied with hushed tones, looking down at the floor.
The earl went silent.
“As I suspected,” Emilia went on, her urgency knowing no bounds, “Hugh has been in collusion with Lady Spencer for some time. I’m afraid that her plotting was the cause of your parents’ untimely death.”
“Emilia,” the earl protested, walking around the desk and positioning himself right before her, perhaps to stop her mouth.
“It’s true, M’Lord,” Hugh finally said, meeting his master’s gaze. “There have been . . . relations between Lady Spencer and myself for many years. There has always been a fierce kind of . . . ambition within her. It was that ambition that led to murder, and also plans for future murder,” Hugh said, implying the earl’s own lack of safety.
“There is a plot against you and Deirdre,” Emilia finally said.
At the very mention of Deirdre’s name, the earl’s eyes went wide, and Emilia could see blood in his gaze.
“Is this true?” the earl asked Hugh, positioning himself so that the two men were nearly bumping chests. Lord Forest was as calm and solid as a Greek statue, his jaw clenched, and his body poised for action. He waited patiently for Hugh’s reply.
“I fear that it is, M’Lord,” Hugh replied.
There was a pause. The moment was brief, enough for a deep inhale of breath, and then the earl knocked Hugh in the face with his fist. The action was ferocious and skilled, leaving Hugh lying on the floor in confusion.
“M’Lord,” Emilia protested, not wishing to see Hugh hurt by the earl after his confession. And, from the look in the earl’s eye, she also feared that he might take Hugh’s life in one fell swoop.
Next came a kick. The earl’s boot went directly into Hugh’s ribcage and the servant writhed in agony.
“Stop this at once!” Emilia protested again, holding the earl back with her dainty hands. It would take ten of her to stop the hulking earl, yet she persisted. “Don’t you understand? You need him.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, turning towards her, a mixture of tenderness and fury in his eyes.
“He can help you to put a stop to this. We can come up with a plan,” Emilia said.
The earl looked down at Hugh, unconscious on the floor. He considered Emilia’s words carefully, then conceded that she had a point.
Hugh was carried off to the kitchen so that Winnifred could tend to his wounds. Emilia, after embracing Deirdre and celebrating their reunion, returned to her room where she heaved a sigh of relief. A plan was in place to force Lady Spencer to face her evil ways, and Emilia took heart in the notion that the nightmare of Glastonbrook would soon reach its end.
She scarce had time to enjoy the black night sky through her window before there was a knock upon her door. Assuming that it was Winnifred wishing to enjoy the embrace that she had been denied earlier, Emilia did not seek to cover herself but rather opened the door in a mild state of undress.
It was the earl who greeted her on the other side.
“Emilia,” he said, leaning his arm upon the doorframe. She could see that a towel was wrapped around his fist, dotted with blood.
“Are you all right?” Emilia asked, bringing her hands to the wound.
“It’s merely a scratch,” the earl assured her.
“Come and sit down,” she said, thinking the earl might still be in a state of shock.
*
“If you insist,” he replied, walking over and seating himself not at the desk but, rather, upon Emilia’s bed. There was no uncertainty in his choice, and he beckoned Emilia to seat herself beside him.
“I did not mean to flee, or to betray you. It was imperative that the truth be found out,” Emilia explained.
“I don’t care for any of that,” the earl replied with a warm smile. “Come,” he said, lifting Emilia from where she sat and placing her upon his lap.
An intense array of emotions filled him, but the predominant one was joy for having her safely returned and being free from the self-imposed need to make a match with Lady Spencer. It was abundantly clear to him. There was only one thing that he desired in the world.
*
Seated upon his lap, Emilia felt her heart quicken. Not only was she back at Glastonbrook, but she was there in the earl’s arms, enjoying the safety of his embrace yet again.
“Kiss me,” the earl said, bringing his fingers below Emilia’s chin.
“Yes, M’Lord,” Emilia replied, doing as she was bid.
It was a delicate kiss. Soft and enticing. But it did not take long before the earl’s mouth was insistent, and Emilia obliged his need, and her own.
From where he sat, the earl stood her up so that she could straddle him. Seated upon him so, their chests met and the kiss that they shared went deeper. As Emilia felt the earl’s hardness through her skirt, she knew there was no turning back. A sharp flush of heat went through her entire body and she pushed her hips closer to his, both from desire and from his own bidding, his hands holding the sides of her hips tightly and guiding them towards him.
Emilia let out of a soft moan in anticipation of what was to come. The earl threw himself back upon the bed, taking Emilia with him so that her body fell upon his. He pushed his hips upward, unable to stop himself from getting as close to her as possible, and Emilia met his hips with equal relish.
The reunion was sublime, and Emilia felt herself transported on a sea of pleasure and longing. The urgency being as it was, the earl took his hand under Emilia’s skirt and tore aside her undergarments, exploring the warmth of her womanly flower, and the wetness. He gently massaged her with two fingers, making delicious circles that made Emilia throw back her head in lust.
Unable to contain himself any longer, the earl unbuttoned his trousers and released his manhood, rubbing the hardness of it against Emilia’s moist entrance. He thrust himself inside, no longer fearing for Emilia’s pain.
“Emilia,” the earl whispered with tortured grace, going deep inside of her. “Emilia,” he said yet again, beginning his upward thrust and gentle rhythm that had Emilia riding on top of him.
“Please, please,” Emilia begged, bringing a hand behind the earl’s head and tangling his hair in her fingers.
“I want this forever, Emilia,” he said. “I want you forever.”
“Yes,” she replied, longing for the same.
The earl continued to plunge deep inside of her, her gentle tears of ecstasy fell upon his neck. He wiped them away with his hand and continued the rhythm of his hips.
Emilia feared that she might explode at any moment, but she could not bear to tell him to stop. The pressure within her was mounting. Flipping her over onto her back, he positioned himself above her, thrusting harder and deeper until he was ready to lose all control.
Emilia cried out, right on the brink, and as she exploded around him, the earl let go as well, pouring himself into her and crying out.
When all was done they lay there in one
another’s arms, breathless and spent. It was some time before either could manage to let go of the other, and even throughout the night they remained holding one another desperately, each hopelessly in love.
*
The next morning Emilia discovered that the earl was still by her side. There was no longer any need to flee nor to hide. But more importantly, it was a delicious way to begin what would prove a very important day.
The earl had sent a letter to Lady Spencer the evening before, after he had transported Hugh to the kitchen with his own two hands. It was an invitation for breakfast at Glastonbrook the following morning, and when Lady Spencer arrived, she was wearing her very best morning dress.