Unmasked Heart: A Regency Romance (Regency Romance: Challenge of the Soul Book 1)

by Vanessa Riley

  His finger twitched along the barrel. Should he risk another shot? "This is your last chance."

  The doors behind him blasted open.

  "I heard a gun. Is everything… okay?"

  William pivoted for a second then locked his gaze back on the vile woman. "Welcome, Mr. Stelford. This is Deborah Smythen, our blackmailer."

  The man came closer. He reached for the sight of the gun. His palm tightened on the iron shaft. "You don't have to do this. We all know the truth. We've stopped her before the gossip spreads."

  William shook the gun free, and renewed his aim at the candlestick behind her head.

  The half-smile on Deborah's face faded. She raised her hands high above her tight bun. "Help me, Mr. Stelford. You know his temper."

  "Deborah has drugged Gaia and taken her somewhere," William's voice cracked. "If I hadn't been ashamed of scandal, I would have warned Gaia of this snake. My Gaia wouldn't have been vulnerable."

  His friend reached again for the gun. "Instead of taking revenge, let's go find Miss Telfair. We'll deal with Deborah another way, and figure out how to cover this up."

  No more hiding! Indignation burned hot and sweet in William's gut, as if a fire had been lit. Words from one of his father's sermons scorched his mind. He shoved the gun butt at Stelford. God powered a new weapon within William, His truth. "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."

  Deborah trembled. Even her rouged cheeks paled and her palms possessed a violent shake.

  "Where is she, Cousin?"

  Her eyes widened. "It's a simple misunderstanding. She was alive when I left her."

  "On the moors, the cliffs… where?" His fists tightened as they dropped to his side. "Deborah, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye whispered in ears shall be proclaimed upon housetops."

  He leaned over her and lifted her chin with his thumb. She needed to look at his face and see the white-hot anger pent up in his bones. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body. After that no more harm can they do."

  Deborah fell to her knees. A flood of tears strangled her high-pitched voice, "she's near the cliffs; about a mile or so by the rocks. The stubborn thing was very much alive when I finally got her to leave my carriage."

  He scooped Deborah up by the elbow. "Stelford, take her to the magistrate. Tell the whole sordid story, from the blackmail to the attempted murder of Gaia Telfair."

  Stelford grabbed her arm. "All of it?"

  "Yes; I'm not afraid of guilt or scandal. Then get back as fast as you can to help me find Gaia."

  Stelford nodded. "God will keep her safe until you get to her."

  That had to be true. William ran out the door. It had to be.

  Just beyond the line of boulders lay a black-velvet sky. Gaia's breath caught at the beauty, the few diamond lights illuminating the night like translucent sarsenet. The fabric appeared seamless, with no separation from the noisy sea. The color was beautiful. Black and comely, just like her.

  The lapping water beat an even rhythm against the rocks below, sounding very much like the day Mr. Telfair hinted at her being a by-blow of rape. She'd come here, with her spirit so low. Right now it was high. If only she could find William. He needed to know he made her happy, and Gaia now fully believed she should be happy. The illicit nature of origin didn't matter. He thought her beautiful and, now, she did too.

  Her heavy tongue tasted the fresh salt in the air. The storm must've set the water churning.

  "Brr." If only it weren't so cold. Wrapping her shawl about her, she took a few steps.

  Her stocking feet sank in the damp soil. Bouncing free, she moved a little closer to the sky. What would it be like to reach out and touch the clouds?

  The ground seemed to move beneath her, and she swayed towards a group of large stones. She stumbled and gripped a sharp rock to stay upright. Her palm stung, as it did the night she tried to sew the rose silk Sarah gave her. The bolt was as lovely as the distant sarsenet. To touch the sky fabric would be wonderful.

  A wiggle of her fingers revealed no cut. She lowered her head and laid a cheek against the chilled creviced surface. With heavy blinks, she took another minute to fill her lungs.

  So cold. A tingle coursed her spine, like the first time she danced with William. The wind blew hard, and it sounded like someone calling her name.

  "William?"

  With aching muscles, she wobbled to her feet. "I'm here. Do you see me?"

  Something gripped her shoulder and gave her a hard yank. She pushed away, but not before the beautiful darkness enveloped her.

  William hit his hands together to warm them. The temperature had dropped at least another ten degrees this past hour. However, his discomfort didn't matter. He punched his palm again. No sign of Gaia.

  A fog had set in, mixing the wild scent of the moors, mud, and herbs, with the salt of the sea. He'd searched the cliff line and found nothing.

  Perhaps if he lowered and swung the lantern over the side, he could see whether she fell. His heart thundered. He had to be able to get to her.

  Another twenty minutes of leaning and looking stiffened the muscles in his back. The cold air would make him regret his age. He wasn't a spring chicken or a young soldier. He was a man, a father. God, where is the spry Miss Telfair?

  He straightened his carriage, and ran his hand along his aching neck. Nothing but darkness and rocks.

  No Gaia or crumbled form lay on the rocks below. Thank goodness. He blew out a weary breath. The tide was too low to have dragged her out to sea. It was as if she'd disappeared from the face of the earth.

  Could Deborah have lied, in order to throw him on the wrong trail?

  Unlikely. The woman believed he'd kill her. Well, for a few moments, he might've if not for the restraint of the Spirit. "Thank You, Lord, for self-control."

  He walked back and hung against Magnus. The poor horse lathered again. The sweaty horseflesh filled William's nostrils, wriggling his nose. "Don't distress boy; I'm not going to ride you any further tonight."

  Magnus shook him off, pushing him with the saddle. It was as if the beast encouraged him to keep looking.

  Where was Gaia?

  Timothy said she was sick. If she hadn't fallen, where might a wobbly girl go? He put down the heavy brass lantern and hit his hands together again. A flash of Gaia praying under her oak slipped into his head. How many times had he caught her there? Maybe her subconscious would drive her there tonight. It wasn't too far from Ontredale.

  Retrieving the lantern, he stalked in the direction of the oak. Towing his tired Magnus up the hill and over to the soggy plains of moors, he trudged to a mighty oak in the clearing; the first place he had spied Gaia. His boots sank into the boggy mud and tangled in sagging weeds. He walked the distance to one of the drooping boughs and fingered the creviced bark.

  No Gaia.

  He dropped to his knees near the trunk. "God, where is she? How could You let this happen? Why weren't You looking after the weak and helpless?"

  He put a vibrating hand to his mouth to shut up his questions, and then wiped his eyes from the mist in the air. Looking at the puddles near his feet, he remembered God rains on the just and unjust, but Gaia didn't deserve this storm, another torrent caused by the St. Landons.

  If he hadn't been ashamed at admitting his cousin's treachery, and banned Deborah from Ontredale, Gaia would be safe. He'd failed his love in the worst way.

  "God, this isn't Your fault. It's mine."

  "No it's not," the voice boomed from above.

  He lifted his face. "Lord, are You speaking?"

  "No, you daft man; it's Stelford." His friend lent him an arm and tugged William to his feet. "Why are you kneeling in the mud?"

  "Gaia is still missing. I fear she's—"

  "She's not. She's been found. I've been looking for you for the past half-hour to tell you."

  "Praise God! Where is she?"

  "M
r. Whimple saved her from toppling over the cliffs, and took her home."

  A wave of weakness struck William, and he clutched the oak. "Well, that's fitting." A tornado brewed in his gut, spurred from relief that Gaia had been rescued and the abject fear of her hero being Whimple. "Well, the scholar is good for something."

  William took a breath. "Is my fowled cousin rotting in jail?"

  "The magistrate has Miss Smythen. The woman broke as soon as she got in the carriage. It seems your fancy shooting and sermon of terror did the trick. She confessed to everything, even strengthening Elizabeth's potion."

  Deborah was partially responsible for Elizabeth's death. Wiping his brow, William stood erect. "At least she'll not be able to harm anyone else. Well, I'm heading home."

  Stelford clapped William's shoulder, making him stop, causing him to sink into the muddy path. "You didn't cause this; Miss Smythen did. There's nothing that you or I could've done to make Elizabeth more careful that night. We both harbor guilt. It's made me drink, and kept you stuck in mourning until Miss Telfair came along. Actually, she saved me too. So don't give up. She's what you need."

  William shook free and stepped to a grassy patch and wiped his soles. "Thing are as they should be. Whimple saved her. She'll want him."

  Didn't Gaia say she fell in love with Whimple when he saved her brother? Surely, she'd fall for the plant man again. He sighed his frustration. "They'll announce their engagement tomorrow."

  Stelford took Magnus's reins. "Here, take my horse to Chevron Manor."

  With a shake of his head, William grabbed Magnus and started slogging toward Ontredale.

  "You’ll give up that easily?"

  Stelford's words stung. "Haven't we all learned you can't win someone who wasn't meant to be yours? She's always loved Whimple. I can't risk another bad marriage. I can't hopelessly love another man's woman. Not again."

  Running in front of him, Stelford blocked his path. The man was wetter and more stinky than he. His poor checked greatcoat could have been a blackened cape. "How do you know she's not yours? I was too self-righteous, and thought Elizabeth should refuse your proposal. She couldn't buck her father's pressure, and I didn't fight for her when it counted."

  "So I should go to Chevron Manor and watch Gaia Telfair sail into Whimple's arms?"

  "You need to go show her you love her. She can't have any doubts. Then she'll make the right choice."

  "Well, I can't show up like this, smelling of horse, soaked to the bone; she wouldn't like that."

  "Then let's go get you ready to go courtin'. And you stay there until she knows your heart." Stelford gripped his arm. "Are we back to being friends?"

  "I'm on a bit of a forgiveness spree. So, you, and even I, are on that list. Just don't... Don't ever put me in a position where our happiness is at odds." He slapped Stelford's back, even as his tone lowered, tightened, "I would have backed away, if I'd known about you and Elizabeth. I'm sure you'd let me be a doting uncle to Mary."

  "Well, let me be doting to what you and Miss Telfair will conjure."

  "That is, if she'll still have me." Saving one's life can change sentiments. He hung his head, tamped his brim, and headed for a shave and fresh shirt.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  A Soul Must Choose

  GAIA SAT UP in her bed. With great care, she tugged her spectacles from the close table, slipped them on her nose, and scanned the room. Light poured in through the window, bathing her beautiful sunny blue walls. She was safe at home. But what of William? She hadn't found him.

  Julia sprang from a seat by her bed, and put a cold towel against Gaia's forehead. "You're awake."

  "Yes," low squeals sounded where Gaia's voice should be. She coughed and cleared her throat. "I don't know if my stomach agrees. I think it wants to flop over or run crawling from my body."

  "You sound horrible." Julia lifted a glass of water to Gaia's lips.

  Her sister's pretty face held shadows almost the shade of the sand-colored bodice she wore. "What happened to you? Why were you walking on a terrible night like that?"

  Seren popped up from by the footboard. "Cheshire's scandalous cousin tried to kill her. She drugged her and tried to make her leap off a cliff." She gripped the bedpost. Her dark emerald walking gown made her eyes bright like clover. "The whole village is talking about it."

  Everyone was gossiping about her? Now Gaia's head spun for sure. William must be mortified. Struggling to sit up, she took Julia's offered arm and leaned against a pillow. "Did she hurt Mary, Lady Mary?"

  "No, you must've thought something was amiss. You instructed the duke's household to keep everyone from the child."

  A long sigh whizzed from Gaia's lungs. Hazy images of her evening filtered into her memory, as did thoughts of Julia. She laced her fingers with her sister’s and smiled up at her. "I'm so glad you're home."

  Tears left Julia's eyes, and she leaned in and gave Gaia a tight embrace. "I'm grateful to have a friend who cares." She whispered in Gaia's ear, "Thank you for coming after me with Cheshire."

  Stroking her sobbing sister's back, Gaia squeezed her again. God restored them, their sisterly bond.

  Seren came around and put her arms about the pair. "Well, at least Deborah Smythen will be no more trouble. The duke told us Mr. Stelford took her to the magistrate. Seems she even tried to blackmail Cheshire. Talk about evil relations."

  Sniffling, Gaia released them both and fought her covers to reach for a handkerchief from her bed table. "We need to stop this before we are all a pile of wet muslin."

  Timothy scooted from under the bed. "Awake?"

  "Come here," Gaia waved at him.

  He bounced up onto the mattress, snaked through the maze of arms, and threw himself about Gaia's neck. "All is fine, though my voice is pretty rough."

  With equal vigor, the boy leapt down and ran out the door. Such a hurry. Her friend and sister released her, too.

  Julia tapped the book she held in her lap. "So, are you going to get up? It's well past noon. Or do you want me to read more Romance of the Forest. You like nature and mystery."

  "Noon? And you were reading? I..." Gaia covered her mouth.

  Seren started poking around in the wardrobe, pulling out the pastel rainbow of gowns now filling it. "I heard her. It shocked me too."

  With a small roll of her eyes, Julia nodded. "One could never have enough self-improvement. Then, when God sees fit, if He sees fit, I'll find my own duke; someone who loves me just for me and I won't have to pretend, one way or the other."

  Boot heels, too heavy for Mr. Telfair's, pounded outside of the door.

  "Sir, you can't go in!" Sarah's voice? The lady sounded alarmed.

  "We'll watch him, Mama." Helena was in the fray. Trouble.

  The door opened and in bounced her twin sisters. And William!

  Gaia sunk beneath her bedclothes.

  Lydia neared. Her dark brown chignon shined with pearl pins. Gaia's pearl pins. Little sisters.

  Grinning, Lydia eased onto the mattress. "See, she's still alive. Now you don't have to pace so much. He didn't sleep a wink since he came at midnight."

  Helena grabbed Gaia's hand and jumped onto the bed. Her thin arms encircled Gaia's neck. Her brown eyes were rimmed red. She must've been crying. "So glad you're safe. No thanks to him."

  Hugging the stuffing out of her little sisters, Gaia peered up and her gaze locked on William.

  He stood still, as if he saw her for the first time. Yet his countenance seemed different. A morsel of fear and a hint of shyness covered it. A tremble set on his lean cheek. Even with him six or eight paces away, hanging onto her bed frame, she’d never felt closer to him. So open were his eyes, the windows to his soul.

  "Blue walls?" William shook his head, as if freeing from a daze. "It is my fault, but I needed to see for myself that Gaia's well." He took his hands from the post and glanced at the floor. With a final lift of his chin, he backed to the door. "I can leave for Ontredale now."

  S
eren caught his arm. "No, sir, you will go back down to your post and wait in the parlor for our dear girl. Lydia, Helena, accompany the duke. Make sure he doesn't escape."

  Like chains, the twins latched onto him and dragged him away.

  William's eyes went wide, but he complied in silence with their tugs and giggles.

  A measure of sympathy hit Gaia. William wasn't used to Telfair madness.

  As he and the twins left, Sarah popped her head inside. Her mobcap shadowed newly-formed lines on her forehead. "Gaia, if you aren't well enough, I'll send everyone away. You don't have to make any decisions until you are ready."

  Gaia smiled at the loving woman. "Mama, I'll be fine; just a little sore throat."

  With a wipe to her misting almond eyes, Sarah nodded and closed the door.

  Picking up the pink gown Gaia had sown from the wardrobe, Julia tossed it on the mattress. "You just need to get dressed and stand out in Chevron with all your beauty. The duke's been downstairs almost since Mr. Whimple brought you home."

  "Elliot?" Gaia's heart beat hard for a moment. Old habit. The organ used to pulse every time she heard his name. He saved her? "He went looking for me?"

  Julia bit her lip. Then a radiant smile blended with her pert blue eyes. "Yes, he found you. The duke had men searching everywhere, but it is Mr. Whimple to whom we are grateful."

  "I'll have to thank him." She smoothed her fingers on the edges of the sheets. Elliot had always been a help to her family. He might be clumsy in his speech, but he did do his utmost for the Telfairs. He could always be counted on in tough times.

  Seren lifted her chin and moved from the billowy curtains. "You have two men, who claim to love you, waiting downstairs. You must toss one back into the sea for others. Gaia Telfair is not a greedy woman."

  "Sarah said God would let me know which one was for me. Safe, reliable Elliot, or exciting Cheshire. What if the duke has another insane cousin?" Or he again decides they couldn't be together because of her blood.

  Gaia wrung her hands.