The Whispered Kiss

by Marcia Lynn McClure

  “Proxy?” Elise asked. “And why did not Valor reveal himself to Father? Why even now does he not reveal?”

  Coquette shook her head. “This is…this is too overwhelming, Elise. I must tell you all of it, lest you will understand nothing.”

  “Then tell me, beloved sister, she only who knows me,” Elise said, tugging at Coquette’s hand until she sat down next to her on the bed. “How came this all to be?”

  “I will tell you,” Coquette said. “But I have one question first.”

  “Anything,” Elise said.

  “What papers were delivered to Father?” Coquette asked. “What papers were delivered that Valor had signed?”

  Elise inhaled deeply. “I knew you knew nothing of it,” she said. “I knew you did not!”

  “Nothing of what?” The hair on the back of Coquette’s neck tingled. She felt overly warm, feverish. Something of great importance was about to be revealed by her sister.

  “The three new ships, all the cargo they carried, and this house,” Elise whispered, “all were given to Father by the Lord of Roanan. The Lord of Roanan, who signed his name in truth, Lord Valor Lionhardt, on the papers delivered here the week before this.”

  “What?” Coquette gasped.

  “It is there! All of it, Coquette!” Elise exclaimed in a whisper. “I was going to write to you of it all, but…but I didn’t know what to do. So I wrote to Valor, asked him to allow you to come to Inez’s wedding. But not for Inez’s sake…for mine! For I long for escape, and I wanted to see you, see your joy in finally being with your Valor.”

  “What was in the parchments, Elise?” Coquette asked. “Tell me—all of it.”

  Elise inhaled a deep breath and said, “Father is a coward, Coquette. Though I always suspected it, I am full assured now that he is a coward. The papers, though they do not state it, still they prove it—Father is the most cowardice of men.”

  “This I do know, Elise,” Coquette whispered. “But pray, tell me what the papers reveal.”

  “They are worded by Valor’s solicitor, no doubt, and at times are hard to comprehend. Yet from them—upon their meeting in Roanan, Father trespassed upon Valor’s land, and the papers speak of his taking something…I assume this refers to the stolen rose. You remember the rose, yes?”

  “Yes,” Coquette said, the fragrance of Roanan Manor’s lavender roses suddenly fresh upon her senses.

  “The papers state that rather than subject Father to the penalties of Roanan law—being imprisonment or the cutting off of one hand—rather than subjecting Father to the law, Valor, as Lord of Roanan, freed him and gave him a purse with one hundred seventy gold pieces, three ships laden with cargo, and this house in return for…in return for…”

  “In return for me,” Coquette finished.

  “Yes,” Elise admitted. “Yet I was curious. Three new ships? What of the old ones? Therefore, I myself wrote to Captain Calvert, Father’s friend in Treehill, and he told me Father’s original three ships were pirated, lost one week before he returned to us, claiming he had known success and sending you off to the Lord of Roanan to save his life,” Elise said. “I am certain Valor never meant to kill Father, Coquette. Well, remembering Valor as I do…he may have threatened to kill him, but he would never have done it.”

  “All this he paid to a coward in order to…in order to…”

  “In order to have you at last, Coquette,” Elise said, smiling. “Have you ever heard such a romantic tale? To capture Father at his worst, play to his low character, with the intent of owning you? It is the stuff of fairy tales!”

  “Fairy tales indeed,” Coquette whispered, “for it was much changed I found Valor to be when I first arrived. Cold, hash, seemingly void of good emotion.”

  “But he is Valor still, is he not?” Elise asked.

  “Deep within, yes. Deep inside him I know he is still my Valor. The beast he had become is weakening. Even his sending me here is proof of it,” Coquette said, more to herself than to her sister.

  “He is Valor,” Elise said with such assurance Coquette was startled. “For it was Valor who sent a note to John Billings by way of your friend Godfrey! Only just now, Valor has sent John Billings a note, offering his support that we may elope!”

  “What?” Coquette gasped, her heart pounding with excitement. Valor? The dark Lord of Roanan encouraging romance, elopement? “What do you mean, Elise? Do you mean to tell me that Valor—”

  “Godfrey will run me through if he discovers I have told you, but how could I resist? My own joy fulfilled, Valor only further proving himself to be the man you know him to truly be?” Elise asked.

  Coquette fairly leapt to her feet. “I must go, Elise,” she said. “I cannot tarry here! My heart, body, and mind were loath to leave Valor, and with each moment I am apart from him I grow despairing somehow.”

  “I understand more than you know, Coquette,” Elise said, rising to her own feet. “John has left it to me as to whether we should elope and when. I have chosen this very day. I will not waste another moment, nor risk anything interfering with my happiness as something did with yours when Father refused Valor.”

  “Good,” Coquette said, smiling. “Go to John at once! Elope and be happy! I promise you, you will know your joy in choosing your love over all this.”

  Elise smiled. “Valor is Valor, Coquette. If he pretends to be this beast Lord of Roanan, you and I both know it is pretense indeed. Though I think there is one thing you should do before you leave.”

  “What?” Coquette asked. She was loath to linger one moment longer. Her intention was to summon Godfrey and return to Roanan as quickly as possible.

  “Confront Father,” Elise said. “For your sake, yes—but most of all for Valor’s. Father should not live in ignorant bliss, having lied the way he has. I know he is distraught over the loss of his friend, Lord Springhill, but—”

  “Valor has killed Lord Springhill,” Coquette said.

  Elise’s eyes widened. “What? What do you know of Lord Springhill?”

  “I know that Father’s cowardice is far-reaching,” she said. “Valor and I…we attended a dinner party this week last, given by a dear friend of Valor’s. Springhill was there, and he frightened me.”

  “Frightened you? Why?” Elise asked.

  “He once made advances toward me, Elise,” Coquette explained. “Once, over a year ago, when he was here to deal with Father.”

  “Coquette!” Elise gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

  “But there is more,” Coquette told her. She hurried her story, for she suddenly cared for nothing, save it were to return to Valor. “He hired highwaymen to murder Valor.”

  “What?” Elise exclaimed.

  “But they failed, of course,” Coquette continued, “and Springhill rode to Roanan Manor, told me of Father’s having promised my hand in marriage to him mere months ago. Lord Springhill was angry at Father for sending me to Roanan, and he meant to have Valor killed and wed me himself.”

  “Go on,” Elise whispered when Coquette paused.

  “Valor…Valor is strong, Elise,” she continued, “I swear I do not think anything or anyone could vanquish him. He fought the highwaymen, survived, and rode to Roanan Manor to find me in danger from Lord Springhill. When Lord Springhill tried to kill Valor, Valor ran him through. It was Valor who killed Lord Springhill.”

  “Your hero indeed,” Elise said. “As ever, it would seem.”

  “Yes,” Coquette said. “And I cannot linger here. Yet I feel you are right. For Valor’s sake, I should confront Father. He should know that I know of his…of his…”

  “Of his cowardice treachery,” Elise finished.

  There was knock on the door.

  “Who is it?” Elise called.

  “It is Godfrey, milady,” came Godfrey’s answer.

  Coquette went to the door at once, drawing the bolt and opening the door.

  “The servants have brought your trunk, milady,” Godfrey said.

  “Godfrey
,” Coquette began, “I do not wish to upset you or to further put you to inconvenience, but…but…”

  “Milady?” Godfrey asked.

  “But I wish to return to Val—to Roanan Manor at once,” Coquette said.

  “At once, milady?” Godfrey asked, the hint of a smile spread across his face.

  “At once,” Coquette confirmed. “But after I have spoken with my father.”

  “Your father is returned, milady,” Godfrey said. “I saw him downstairs only moments ago.”

  “You will take my trunk? Fetch the coach?” Coquette asked.

  “I will, milady,” Godfrey answered, the full dazzle of a pleased smile bright upon his face.

  Coquette’s eyes widened, for she had never seen Godfrey smile thus before. Coquette paused a moment. “In fact, leave the trunk, Godfrey,” she said, “for I brought little and none of it important. I mean that you and I will walk to Billings’s together when I have finished with my father.”

  “Yes, milady,” Godfrey said, still smiling.

  “You will visit?” Coquette asked, turning to Elise. “As soon as you and Billings are able?”

  “Yes!” Elise said, embracing Coquette.

  “Coquette! My darling!”

  At the sound of her father’s voice, Coquette released Elise and turned to face him. Inez and Dominique accompanied him and stood studying her with a thick air of superiority.

  “Father,” Coquette greeted as he embraced her.

  “You have come for Inez and Henry’s wedding? How wonderful! You look well enough,” Antoine said.

  “I am quite well,” Coquette said.

  “I am glad to hear it,” Antoine said. “And what do you think of our new home? Does it not inspire you? Lionhardt Manor is ours.”

  “Have you written Valor your thanks for gifting it to you?” Coquette asked. “For he has not told me of your doing so.”

  “What?” Antoine said. “What do you mean, Coquette?”

  “How could Father have written to Valor, Coquette?” Inez snapped. “No one knows where he is. And what do you speak of gifts for? Father bought Lionhardt Manor.”

  “Valor gave it to him, Inez,” Coquette said. “This Father would know, had he taken the time to read the parchments Valor ordered delivered week before last.”

  “What parchments?” Antoine asked, frowning.

  “The parchments Valor Lionhardt sent to you, Father,” Elise said. “The papers with his signature…the ones officially deeding you this estate, the three new ships and cargo, and the gold pieces Valor paid to you for Coquette’s hand.”

  “Valor Lionhardt?” Antoine asked. “’Tis the Lord of Roanan who barters with me…the Lord of Roanan who threatened my life and who, I have only just discovered in Bostchelan this very morning, killed my dear friend Lord Springhill.”

  Coquette glared at her father, hurt, loathing, love, and an odd sympathy battling within her. “I arrived at Roanan Manor, Father­—supposedly in saving your life—to find Valor Lionhardt is indeed the Lord of Roanan. I married him, became Lady Lionhardt, Lady of Roanan. Though you would not consent to our marriage three years past, you endeavored to marry me to a stranger who had allegedly threatened your life—this after having promised my hand previously to a degenerate the likes of Lord Springhill!” Coquette brushed tears from her cheeks as she continued, “Lord Springhill, who endeavored to have my husband murdered by highwaymen and then, after wounding me with his sword, endeavored to kill Valor himself! But Valor Lionhardt was not vanquished at your loathsome friend’s hand, Father. Lord Springhill was killed…run through by Valor’s sword in defense of his life and mine!”

  “You speak nonsense, Coquette!” Antoine exclaimed.

  “Valor?” Inez breathed. “Valor is the Lord of Roanan? It was Valor who meant to kill Father?”

  “Valor did not mean to kill Father. Did he, Father?” Coquette answered.

  “Father?” Dominique asked. “You knew you sent Coquette to Valor?”

  “Milady,” Godfrey said. “May I?”

  Coquette frowned. Godfrey wished to speak? She thought it odd. “Of course,” she said.

  “You remember me, do you not, merchant?” Godfrey asked.

  “I do,” Antoine said, swallowing hard.

  “Then ask your father, milady,” Godfrey instructed. “Ask you father, here in my presence…ask him if milord threatened his life. But first, I will give the merchant this: the Lord of Roanan remained ever in shadow when speaking to him. Your father did not know it was Valor Lionhardt with whom he bartered.”

  Coquette turned to her father and could see his fear as he looked at Godfrey. She realized then, Godfrey knew! Godfrey had always known the truth.

  “Did Valor threaten to kill you, Father?” Coquette asked. “Before he gave you your new ships, this house, the gold in exchange for me—did he promise he would kill you?”

  “He…he said the law gave him the right to kill me for trespassing,” Antoine stammered.

  “But did he say it? Did he promise he would kill you?” Coquette repeated.

  “He said he would cut off one of my hands, Coquette! And how…how could I have continued, provided for my lovely daughters, with such a deformity? How can you expect me to have—”

  “He did not tell you he would kill you, did he, Father?” Coquette interrupted.

  “Would it have been any worse to die than to have lost everything?” Antoine asked.

  Coquette swallowed, brushing a tear from her cheek. “Three years past, you refused Valor my hand, Father. You deemed him unworthy, at risk of becoming his own father’s image. You broke my heart for your own purposes. Yet at the mere threat of physical harm to yourself, a threat that would never have seen fruition, at the temptation of wealth, you promised me to a stranger—a stranger you thought to be brutal and of cruel intention. Further, before this and for less gain, you promised my hand to a loathsome monster the like of Lord Springhill. Why? How could you, Father? How could you send me into such promised ruination?”

  Coquette watched as her father’s guilty frown disappeared. His face softened and then hardened into determination as he said, “I am a merchant, Coquette, and as a merchant, I know this: everything has value for gain. Especially a beautiful woman…even a daughter.”

  Coquette nodded. She felt sickened, hurt, yet somehow liberated. Valor! Valor had lied to her, yes. But for her own sake, not his! As much as he loathed her father, he did not want her in pain at knowing she meant so little to the man who had raised her. She suspected that, before that very moment, even her father—even Antoine de Bellamont—had not realized how little he valued his daughters. Anger at her father was suddenly gone from her soul, for she was free—free to love Valor, to be his, to peel away the flesh of the beast and belong to him!

  “Elise will be marrying John Billings—a man whose worth and gifts were recognized by my husband, who encouraged him, and wisely, to quit you in favor of his own pursuits. You will not interfere, Father.” Coquette looked to Inez and Dominique. “I bid you farewell, sisters, though I pity you your lot in life.” Turning to Elise, she smiled and embraced her sister. “Come at once to Roanan, Elise. You and John…as soon as you are able.”

  “We will,” Elise said, brushing tears from her cheeks. Coquette could see the joy of liberation and love bright in her sister’s eyes, and it warmed her.

  “You cannot leave with such…with such accusations on your lips, Coquette,” Antoine said suddenly. “You are my daughter!”

  “Pardon me, milady,” Godfrey said, stepping from behind Coquette. “But I believe milord would have me, once more, act in his stead.”

  Coquette gasped and Inez and Dominique screamed as the brutal force of Godfrey’s fist met with her father’s jaw, knocking him to the floor.

  “You are a loathsome creature, merchant,” Godfrey growled. “And I daresay, you are fortunate the Lord of Roanan was not near to hear you speak of your daughter, his lady, as if she were cargo on one of your insipid shi
ps! His sword has vanquished one villain—rather, three villains—already in a week’s time. Be thankful he was not here to vanquish another.”

  Coquette stood staring at Godfrey. He had acted in Valor’s stay once more—this she knew with assurance.

  “Milady,” Godfrey said, taking hold of her arm none too gently, “milord awaits your return.”

  At the mere thought of Valor, Coquette could not help but smile. Valor! Yes! She would race to him as fast as Godfrey, the horses, and coach could return her to Roanan.

  “Goodbye, Father,” she said. “I will gather a few cherished trinkets of Mother’s and quit you. For all your ill character, yet I wish you whatever happiness you may find.”

  As Godfrey escorted her toward the stairs, Coquette looked back, calling, “As soon as you are able, Elise! As soon as you are able.”

  “Yes! Yes!” Elise called. “I will gather a few things and follow shortly. Tell John I will follow shortly.”

  Coquette nodded, sighing with delight. Elise too was free!

  ❦

  “Why did he keep the truth from me, Godfrey?” Coquette asked as she walked beside Godfrey, hastening to Billings’s Stables. “Why did he not tell me of the truly despicable nature of my father’s character? Why did he not tell me the truth—that he did not threaten to kill my father?”

  “Man and beast battle within him, milady,” Godfrey said. “The beast holds to bitterness, resentment, distrust, while the man…” he said, stopping to remove a set of parchments from his coat pocket and offer it to Coquette.