A Sense of Fate (Perceptions Book 7)

by Wendy Soliman

  ‘I don’t need watching over.’

  ‘Stop being so disagreeable and do as you’re told for once.’ Flora smiled as she walked towards the bed, adjusted the cover that someone had thrown over him and perched on the edge of the mattress. ‘How’s the leg?’

  ‘Stiff, but I’ve endured worse.’

  ‘Melanie seems none the worse for wear. She’s full of questions, of course, but I’m not sure what to tell her about Papa.’

  ‘Leave it until after I’ve spoken to Conrad. Once we know more, we can decide how much we should reveal to her. I take it he still lives. I appear to have disabled him as he once disabled me. Ironic, isn’t it?’

  An awkward silence spread between them.

  ‘Flora, I—’

  ‘Archie,’ she said at the same time.

  They both stopped speaking, looked at one another and the tension dissipated.

  ‘I’m sorry, darling. My proposal wasn’t very romantic and you deserved better. Much better. It’s just that you took me by surprise, and to be honest I was ashamed to think that your opinion of me was so low.’ He waved a hand to stop her from interrupting. ‘What you know of my younger days entitles you to that opinion, but men change. We sow our wild oats because we can. We are arrogant and privileged—Conrad was right about that, if nothing else. The point I’m trying to make is that I love you.’ He took her hand in a firm grasp. ‘I have loved you almost since I first met you and saw the manner in which you stood up to the countess and brought her back to life. She came to respect you and you gave her something to live for. She was not a lady whose respect was easily won. I felt insanely jealous because I thought that Luke…Anyway, I know you need time to adjust, that your independence means so much to you…’

  ‘Oh, do be quiet, Archie.’ She smiled at him and bent to kiss his lips. ‘I feel the exact same way about you. Paul was always saying that when one meets one’s soulmate, marriage—’

  ‘Is bliss,’ they finished together, ‘rather than a gaol sentence.’

  ‘It’s just that…well, I’m hardly marchioness material.’

  Archie laughed. ‘I beg to differ.’

  ‘Seriously, Archie, if Papa’s activities are exposed, and I am sure you intend to expose them—’

  ‘Sorry, my sweet, but if he’s doing what I think he is, what Conrad’s brother suspects them of being involved in, then I have no choice.’

  ‘What are they doing?’

  ‘I’d prefer not to offend your sensibilities until I’m sure.’ He gently stroked the curve of her face. ‘Be patient for one more day.’

  ‘All right, if you insist.’

  ‘Good heavens, she didn’t put up a fight and is willing to do as she’s told! I must be hallucinating.’

  Flora gently punched his arm. ‘Behave!’

  ‘With you dressed like that, sitting on the edge of my bed?’ A teasing smile played about his lips. ‘There’s little chance of that, I’m afraid.’

  Flora shook her head, sending her hair cascading over her shoulders. ‘Papa will be disgraced. The bishop will dismiss him and the entire family will share in his downfall.’

  ‘Not you and Melanie, my love. I shall make sure of that.’

  ‘Give me time, Archie. This is all happening too fast.’

  ‘You have all the time in the world, my love. Lie beside me and help me sleep.’

  He expected her to protest, but she surprised him as she so often could by pulling back the cover and lying next to him on his uninjured side, resting the side of her face on his chest. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her close, wanting to pinch himself to ensure that he wasn’t imagining a situation that he had conjured up a thousand times in his mind.

  Her fingers slid beneath the shirt that he was still wearing and explored the contours of his chest. Archie inhaled sharply but didn’t try to prevent her from indulging her curiosity. He felt frightened by the intensity of his feelings for this most unique of females who had become so very dear to him. He had never lain with a virgin before and would remain on his best possible behaviour now, he silently vowed. When the time came, it would be because she had agreed to become his wife.

  Nothing less than that would do.

  The fingers of his free hand ran slowly over the curve of her hip and down her shapely leg, but he resisted the urge to slip that hand beneath her night attire. If he did that then his control, such as it was, would unravel. She was slowly killing him, yet this was the sort of death he would welcome.

  She sighed and snuggled closer. Her fingers curled into his chest as she mumbled incoherently, fighting sleep. Archie ought to have been outraged to discover that his attentions made her feel drowsy. Instead, he glanced down at her features, at the line of freckles decorating her nose, and kissed the top of her head.

  ‘Sleep, little one,’ he said. ‘You’ve had a terrible day. I will wake you long before dawn.’

  ‘Don’t care if you don’t,’ she mumbled, wriggling into a more comfortable position as her breathing slowed and her eyes fluttered to a close. ‘So tired...’

  Archie drifted off to sleep himself. When he woke, his injured leg was stiff and painful, the bed beside him was empty and he might have imagined he’d sensed Flora’s presence in it, but for one long strand of russet hair she had left on the pillow. Pawson was in the room. He pulled the curtains back to reveal yet more sleet beating against the window glass.

  ‘Morning. How do you feel?’

  ‘Never better,’ Archie replied, wincing as he forced himself into a sitting position. ‘Go back to the hall, get me some clean clothes and send a message to the bishop, asking him to attend me at the Hall this afternoon. Then have Conrad brought up there later this morning. I don’t have the strength to go to the gaol.’

  ‘Right. I’ll bring you up some breakfast before I go, unless you would prefer someone else to serve it,’ he added with a suggestive smile.

  Archie would, but he didn’t trust himself to be alone with Flora again until he’d dealt with the day’s necessary but unpleasant business. It hadn’t escaped his notice that she’d failed to give him an answer to his proposal. No doubt she was taken up with doubts about her suitability still, given her father’s imminent fall from grace. He suspected, cynically, that the church wouldn’t want to reveal Latimer’s activities and that he would be quietly steered into some distant ecclesiastical backwater. And that would suit Archie’s purpose very well.

  Pawson delivered his breakfast and Archie, sharp set, did it justice. But it was Flora who came in as he finished, bringing more cold cloths, insisting upon attending to his leg, and not meeting his eye.

  ‘Sit up, Archie,’ she said, after the cloths had done their work. ‘Let’s see how much weight you can bear on it.’

  Pawson had left his silver-handled stick in the room and she handed it to him. Archie sensed her desire to keep her thoughts to herself and made no mention of the previous night as he slowly, with her help and leaning heavily on his stick, forced himself to his feet.

  ‘Damn it…’ He winced as he waited for the pain to subside and then let out a long breath. ‘Thank you, Flora,’ he managed to say. ‘It will be all right.’

  ‘Mr Pawson is back, so I’ll leave you to get dressed. I know you have things to do today. I will call at the Hall tomorrow morning and we will talk then.’

  She stood on her toes, placed a chaste kiss on his brow and left the room without another word.

  With Pawson’s help, Archie managed to wash and dress, then hobbled down the stairs. There was no sign of Flora or her sister, and it was Beatrice and Polly who stood in the doorway, watching as Pawson helped Archie into the waiting conveyance.

  He endured the short journey back to Felsham Hall, mulling over how best to conduct the interview with Conrad; how much leeway to offer him in return for the absolute truth. He was no nearer deciding when that individual, scruffy and surly and nursing a heavily bandaged wrist, was shown into his library by Pawson.

&nbs
p; ‘Sit down,’ Archie said curtly. ‘I’m not wasting my time with you. You must be aware how foolish you’ve been to allow a vendetta of your own making to lure you into rash decisions.’

  Conrad scowled but said nothing.

  ‘Answer his lordship,’ Pawson said in a mordant tone from the back of the room.

  ‘You’ve won, just like your sort always do.’ Conrad remained defiant. ‘Is that what you want me to say?’

  ‘You have one chance to evade the full force of the law,’ Archie replied, eyeing the miserable excuse for a man who had caused him so much physical pain dispassionately. ‘What punishment you receive for your ill-considered actions is entirely in my hands.’

  Conrad gave a cynical roll of his eyes. ‘Of course it is.’

  ‘We are aware that Latimer carries out exorcisms and that you are heavily involved. Tell me about the entire scheme; who participates and who benefits, and I will go easy on you.’

  ‘Lord above knows why, guv’nor,’ Pawson remarked, ‘given what he did to you all those years ago like the snivelling coward that he is.’

  A taunting smile played about Conrad’s lips. ‘You don’t know very much at all.’

  ‘True enough. But what I do know came from your own brother’s lips.’

  ‘Ah.’ Conrad threw back his head and laughed. ‘I rather blotted my copybook there. Got a bit too pally with one of his fellow honourable members.’ He spoke with an edge of sarcasm in his tone. ‘But I’ll tell you. Why should I not? I certainly don’t owe Latimer any loyalty. Besides, it’s all over now. Pity. It was sweet whilst it lasted.’

  ‘I’m listening,’ Archie said, leaning back in his chair with one elbow on its arm, rubbing the side of his index finger across his lips. Wondering if the sweet taste of Flora still lingered there or whether he’d merely conjured it up in his imagination.

  ‘Latimer is a fanatic; he believes he’s the next Messiah. Not sure why, but there was something in his youth that made him terrified of the devil. One of my clients at Coutts told me that he carried out exorcisms, that badly behaved children from the foundling home were sent to him for correction.’

  ‘Dear God!’ Pawson muttered.

  ‘I doubt God had much to do with it,’ Conrad said. ‘Latimer is a sadistic bastard. It wasn’t enough for him to chant over the poor wretches, sprinkle holy water and praying and what have you. Religious materials to show the child the error of its ways never saw the light of day. Brute force was more his style.’

  ‘Whippings,’ Archie said, thinking of Melanie.

  ‘Right. It excited him, made him feel all powerful.’

  ‘What happened to the children?’ Pawson asked.

  Conrad shrugged. ‘The poor little blighters didn’t have much of a chance in life anyway.’

  Archie knew it was pointless taking exception to his casual response. Men like Conrad didn’t know the meaning of compassion. ‘There’s more,’ he said, keeping his revulsion in check.

  ‘I went along with the client who told me about the sessions. He thought it was the greatest possible sport. So did the other men admitted to the spectacle; perverted bastards the lot of them. And Latimer allowed them to watch, to take part, because it made him feel omnipotent.’

  ‘They violated and abused innocent children, and you saw a way to make money from it?’

  Another shrug. ‘Why not? They were wealthy men, satisfying a perversion that they were willing to pay heavily to feed. Latimer wanted to salt away as much money as he could. He knows he’s not popular within the church, that he coerced his way into the deanship and that the knives were out for him as a consequence. Perhaps he’s thinking of his old age, I don’t know. But he was easy enough to convince. Charge the perverts for their pleasures and have a hold over them at the same time so we could squeeze more money out of them later.’ Conrad sat forward. ‘There, that’s it.’

  ‘Latimer thought that Flora knew or suspected the truth, and that Melanie had overheard the two of you talking?’

  ‘I imagine so. Anyway, it was no hardship to make myself agreeable to the chit.’ He lifted one shoulder. ‘I didn’t have much of an appetite for it until I met her.’ He grinned. ‘There’s something about her that appeals, but you don’t need me to tell you that. She’d have taken to me as well, if you hadn’t got there first.’ He glowered at Archie. ‘Again.’

  ‘You overestimate your appeal to a lady of discretion.’

  ‘Perhaps. It doesn’t matter now.’ He paused. ‘Can I ask you something?’

  ‘You can certainly ask.’

  ‘Why didn’t I fit in at Oxford? Was it because of my background? Wasn’t I high born enough?’

  ‘You tried too hard. You cheated at your exams, and at cards—at every damned thing. Now, I want the names of all the men who participated in this scandalous scheme of yours.’

  ‘What’s in it for me?’

  ‘You ain’t in no position to bargain,’ Pawson growled.

  Conrad grunted and complained but came out with a list of names. A list that was so long it made it hard for Archie to hide his surprise.

  ‘Just goes to show,’ Pawson said, once Conrad had been returned to the comfort of a gaol cell, ‘that you never can tell.’

  ‘Some of those names are leading lights in the district,’ Archie said, scratching his head. ‘Respectable family men with sons of their own. One’s a well-known politician. Another a scientific professor of national renown. What in heaven’s name reduces them to such acts of depravity?’

  Flora watched from the window of her bedchamber as Archie and Pawson left Fox Hollow. She was too astounded by Archie’s declaration to be able to face him; still unsure how to respond to it. She knew what she wanted, but was she selfish enough to denigrate his proud family name by agreeing to become his wife?

  She pushed the problem to the back of her mind, more concerned about Melanie’s delayed reaction to her ordeal. But it transpired that she need not have been. Melanie seemed none the worse for wear and wanted to talk about it.

  ‘Lord Felsham was very heroic,’ she said, grinning. Flora was grateful that Melanie had not witnessed the devastating blow Archie had struck with his sword. ‘But then I knew he would come to your rescue. He clearly adores you.’

  ‘Hardly,’ Flora replied, wondering if she was the only person who hadn’t thought of his interest in her as anything more than a passing fancy. The daughters of disgraced clergymen did not marry marquesses. The fact that Pawson had left her alone with Archie for a considerable amount of time and had been the one who’d roused her from his bed just before dawn broke, saving her from being discovered there by someone else, had not escaped her notice.

  ‘Remus was very receptive.’

  ‘He actually earned his keep for once,’ Flora agreed, ‘by acting as a communicator when we were separated.’

  Precious little thanks I got for it.

  ‘You’ve upset him,’ Melanie said, grinning.

  ‘He’ll get over it. Remus is always upset about something.’

  Careful, or I might spill a few of your secrets.

  Flora laughed. ‘I don’t have any secrets. Besides, I’m sure that must be against the rules.’

  Spoilsport!

  ‘What will happen to Papa?’ Melanie asked, frowning. ‘What did Lord Felsham mean about exorcisms?’

  ‘I’m not sure yet. He’s speaking to Conrad about it today and will probably get some answers. I will go and see Lord Felsham tomorrow and make him tell me.’

  ‘Of course you will,’ Melanie replied, beaming.

  The following morning was cold yet mercifully dry, and Flora set off alone on Amethyst to make her call at Felsham Hall.

  And to give Archie an answer to his proposal. An answer that would break her heart, but when you loved someone as passionately as Flora loved Archie then you put that person’s interests first. He would come to see that she was in the right of it given time, and would eventually thank her.

  Archie stood upright on
the front steps as she rode up to the Hall. Pawson smiled at her, helped her to dismount and handed Amethyst to the groom who came to take him.

  ‘How is your leg?’ she asked, smiling at Archie.

  ‘Don’t ask about his language.’ It was Pawson who replied. ‘He’s been turning the air blue. You’d be shocked.’

  Flora laughed. ‘He only has himself to blame. Your days of saving the world are over, Archie. Leave it to someone else.’

  ‘That’s what I keep trying to tell him,’ Pawson complained, leaving them at the door to Archie’s library.

  ‘The pain isn’t nearly as bad as it was yesterday, when I was first recovering.’

  ‘It will improve further,’ Flora replied, removing her jacket and gloves and taking a seat beside the fire. ‘Your muscles are much stronger now.’

  ‘Would you like coffee?’

  ‘No, I’d like answers. Tell me what happened with Conrad.’

  Flora’s mouth fell open when he did so.

  ‘It explains a lot. Papa used God’s work as an excuse to indulge his own perversions.’ She shook her head. ‘And Grandpapa recognised the cruel trait long before it got out of hand, which cost him his life. It’s so very sad. What happens now?’

  ‘The bishop came to see me yesterday and I told him everything.’

  ‘Ah.’

  ‘I rather suspected that he wouldn’t want the church to lay itself open to criticism, especially given that your father occupies such a high position in it. So it’s my understanding that your father will be offered the opportunity to resign from the clergy and retire somewhere quietly.’

  ‘You did that for my sake,’ she said, blinking up at him, her heart overflowing. ‘And he doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve to get off so lightly. Those poor children.’

  ‘It won’t be that comfortable for him, darling,’ Archie said. ‘He will be asked to make a very large charitable donation to the foundling home that supplied the children. All the money he amassed from his deprived actions will at least do some good.’

  ‘That’s something, I suppose.’