Lady of Lincoln
Page 22
He laughed. ‘Anyone who indulges in any activity more strenuous than rising swiftly from a chair is accounted dangerous by Stuart,’ he answered. ‘He considers my way of life, which includes regular boxing, fencing and swimming to be positively ruinous. Go on.’
‘When I came to see Mr Fanshawe to tell him that I had found a wet nurse for the baby, I overheard you telling him that you and the baby have the same blood.’
‘And you immediately leaped to the conclusion that I must be the baby’s father.’
Emily hung her head. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she whispered.
‘Well, it was an understandable assumption, given what you knew. What happened to make you think that you might be mistaken?’
‘Nothing happened really,’ she answered, ‘Apart from Grandpapa actually saying some words. One of the things that he said over and over again was that you were a good man. I couldn’t think how he could be so sure. Then I realized that he was trusting his own judgement, and I knew that I must do the same. I knew that I had to trust in your honour, and I do, Gareth.’
‘My darling,’ he murmured, feathering kisses across her brow and her cheek before covering her mouth with his own once more. ‘And supposing I said that I could never tell you what the connection was between Nathalie and myself; would you still trust me then?’ he asked her curiously, a hint of tension in his voice.
‘Grandpapa said “I know him; so do you”, I know you Gareth; that’s enough.’
‘A jewel amongst women,’ he remarked, his tone light, but an unmistakable look of sincerity on his face. ‘But I will tell you, because since you know so much, there is no reason why you should not know the rest.
‘Nathalie’s lover was my cousin. Sadly, he had been thoroughly spoiled by his mother, his father having died, and he expected everything that he wanted to fall into his lap and belong to him exclusively. I never really knew Nathalie, because he was possessive over her. I did keep in touch with him, however, because our mothers were sisters, and my mother felt very anxious about the ruinous path that his life was taking. By the way, I want you to meet my mother as soon as possible. I have a suspicion that she will adore you.’
‘Oh, why?’ Emily asked, momentarily diverted.
‘Because I adore you,’ he answered, kissing her. After a brief interval, which proved to be agreeable to both parties, he continued his story. ‘To resume, I was on hand when he issued a challenge to a duel, and much against my will, found myself involved as his second.’
‘Then I know the part that you played,’ Emily put in. ‘After the duel, you took Nathalie to Mr Fanshawe.’
‘I have never been sure that I did right on that occasion,’ he told her.
‘Oh, but you did,’ she assured him, ‘for they were most sincerely attached to one another. Is the baby’s real father still living?’
Sir Gareth shook his head. ‘After he had recovered from his injuries, he fled to Paris and perished there in a street brawl.’
‘Mr Fanshawe must have wanted to tell me about the baby,’ Emily exclaimed. ‘He tried to stop me in Minster Yard, only I could not wait to listen to him. I was in too much of a hurry to catch you.’
‘And so you ran all the way down Steep Hill.’
Emily nodded. ‘That was Grandpapa’s idea,’ she told him. ‘He used to run down it as a boy, Father said.’
‘Your father knew that you had come in pursuit of me?’ the baronet asked curiously.
‘We have reached a new understanding,’ Emily replied. ‘After you had gone, I blurted out about Patrick wanting to be a soldier, and that my heart was broken.’
‘So was mine, sweetheart,’ he told her. ‘Go on.’
‘I think that you had already guessed that I have unintentionally been playing something of a part, to try to make up to Father for the loss of Patrick. After I had let rip at him, he began to ask questions about Patrick and about me too. I think that he might want to hear what you have to say about my brother; I think that maybe this time he will be ready to hear the truth.’
After a moment’s silence, he said, ‘You were telling me about how you came to run down Steep Hill.’
‘I knew that that was the only chance I had of stopping you,’ she explained, ‘but when I started to run down, I suddenly realized that I did not know how I was going to stop. I have never been so frightened in all my life.’
‘As well that I was there to catch you, then,’ replied Sir Gareth, taking her hand and kissing it. After a moment or two, he went on, ‘I am glad that Nathalie and her husband were happy together. I shall continue to take an interest in the child. That will be much easier now, of course.’
‘Why is that?’ she asked him.
‘You will naturally want to keep in touch with your friend’s child. I, as your husband, will support you in this.’
‘As my husband,’ pondered Emily, her finger on her lips, a tiny frown crossing her brow, even though her heart was beating very fast. ‘It is strange, sir, but I do not remember a proposal of marriage.’
He pulled her into his arms, none too gently this time. ‘You baggage, are you flirting with me?’ he asked her.
‘Trying to,’ she replied demurely.
‘Well, you are getting better at it,’ he told her, before he kissed her again. ‘My sister has been parading a series of females in front of me for years; but never have I felt the remotest desire to link my life with any of them. Now, having met you, I know that my life will not be truly complete without you. I love you, Emily Whittaker. Will you marry me?’
‘Yes, Gareth, I will. I love you too.’ More kisses. She looked around. ‘I suppose that some people might say that it was improper to behave in this way up here.’
‘I cannot agree,’ her betrothed replied. ‘What better place to plight one’s troth? I assume that you will want to be married here?’
‘It is what I have always dreamed of, but I never ever thought that it would happen to me,’ she replied smiling. He was her hero after all.
They were married in Lincoln Cathedral just a few weeks later. Emily’s father played a part in the service, which was conducted by the dean. Her grandfather, although not well enough to attend, was able to sit by his bedroom window and watch as she walked to church with her father and then returned on her new husband’s arm.
It was generally agreed that never had there been a happier looking couple. Emily looked radiant in cream satin with tiny seed pearls stitched into flowers on the bodice of her gown. Sir Gareth, in white knee breeches and waistcoat and a dark-blue coat looked pleased and happy.
‘Oh Alan, he looks ten years younger than when he came to Lincoln,’ Aurelia said to her husband, smiling through her tears. ‘I could not have wished for anything better.’
‘Not even Jennifer Cummings?’ murmured Mr Trimmer provocatively.
‘Certainly not,’ his wife answered positively. ‘And definitely not Annis Hughes!’ Mrs Hughes had congratulated the engaged pair in rather a forced manner, and had left Lincoln well before the wedding, pleading engagements elsewhere. Mrs Cummings had taken Emily’s triumph in good part, probably reflecting that the new Lady Blades would be a good friend for Jennifer to have when she came out the following year.
Dr Boyle had accepted his disappointment as a gentleman should, even going out of his way to congratulate Sir Gareth, which kindness the baronet had acknowledged by thanking the doctor warmly and remembering at the same time to address him by his correct name.
‘You were very badly behaved towards poor Dr Boyle,’ Emily told her husband severely when they were on their wedding tour. They had travelled to Derbyshire and, climbing one of the hills there, had tried, but failed, to see Lincoln Cathedral on the horizon.
‘Yes, I know,’ Sir Gareth replied, pulling her close against him for the wind was rather strong. ‘He made me want to behave badly. Every time I thought he might lay claim to you, it made me want to think up another stupid name for him.’
‘Did it?’ Emily asked, her
severity disappearing in an instant.
‘Yes it did. In fact, I was thinking up stupid names for him almost from the very beginning; so I must have known instinctively from the very first, that you belonged to me.’
Emily turned in the crook of his arm and lifted her face to his, so that he could kiss her. ‘The sky is clouding over a little,’ she said, as soon as she was able. ‘Do you think that we ought to return to the inn?’
‘An excellent idea,’ replied the baronet, looking up at the sky, then looking down into her face with a wicked gleam in his eye. ‘The effort of climbing this hill has quite worn me out. I fear that I may need to lie down in a darkened room.’
‘That’s funny,’ Emily replied demurely with only the tiniest blush as she took his arm and prepared to make the descent. ‘I was just thinking exactly the same thing.’
By the Same Author
His Lordship’s Gardener
The Grand Tour
The Squire’s Daughter
Derbyshire Deception
Fallen Woman
The Wild Marauder
The Squire and the Schoolmistress
The Adventuress
The Other Miss Frobisher
A Gift for a Rake
Copyright
© Ann Barker 2007
First published in Great Britain 2007
This edition 2011
ISBN 978 0 7090 9719 8 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7090 9720 4 (mobi)
ISBN 978 0 7090 9721 1 (pdf)
ISBN 978 0 7090 8297 2 (print)
Robert Hale Limited
Clerkenwell House
Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
www.halebooks.com
The right of Ann Barker to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988