She looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes, yet simply nodded, and waited for whatever he might say. But her hands shook in his.
“Lady Sylvia, I have, over these past few months, come to care for you deeply. Past any expectation, in fact, past any experience in my life. Dare I hope that you feel something for me, something beyond simple friendship?”
His heart beat against his ribs, so hard that he was certain she should be able to hear it, in the deep silence that now enveloped them. Her green-brown eyes were filled with some emotion, but he could not be certain of its nature. He waited, his fear that she would reject him growing with every moment. What kind of fool was he, to think that, at his age, he could claim the love of a magnificent woman like this?
Then, without warning, her face was lit by a smile that transformed it from uncertainty to joy. She laughed, a laugh like a young girl, playing in the summer fields.
“You may do more than hope, Julian, if I may be so forward as to call you so, you may be utterly certain. I have indeed come to feel for you rather more than simple friendship, to feel something that I can only describe as love. I am so glad that you care for me! I have felt like a green girl in her first season, imagining the handsome man in love with me, but not really knowing if it is merely my imagination.”
He drew her hands to his lips, turning them in his and placing a kiss upon her palms. She slid her hands from his lips, and cupped his cheeks, drawing him down to her, until their lips met. His hands fell naturally to her shoulders, and down, pulling her close. After minutes that felt like hours, they drew apart, and he led her to the chaise near his desk.
“I had hoped…. but to hear those words from your lips… Sylvia, I too can describe this as nothing but love.”
“Were you then, Julian, like me – was your marriage a thing of duty, a business arrangement almost? For I know that I have never been in love before – I cared for William, but that feeling was so far from this… I cannot define the scale of the difference.”
“Yes, that is it, exactly, although, if I am truthful, I must admit that I barely even liked Antonia. I was faithful to her, throughout our marriage, but I too, have never truly felt love – until now. Shall we explore this wonderful new experience together? Sylvia – will you marry me?”
“Oh yes, yes I will, please, I would like that more than anything I can imagine. But… Julian… you have no heir… should you not be finding a young woman to marry, to bear you an heir?”
He could see that these were the last words she wished to say, and he was enchanted all over again, that at such a moment, she would consider his need for an heir above her own needs and desires.
“If my title and lands go to some distant cousin, so be it. I cannot bring myself to even think of marrying for duty, when I have the chance at love. You are more important.”
“OH… Julian… Thank you. That is a sacrifice few men would make. I will not try to dissuade you – for I desire you far too much to do so! I also want nothing more than to marry for love, to know the kind of marriage that others have, and I was denied.” She paused a moment, then gave a shaky laugh. “But when I tell my children, who have both married for love, oh, how they will tease me…”
He drew her to him again, as they both dissolved into somewhat giddy laughter.
When the laughter finally slowed, and he had wiped the tears of joy from her cheeks, he released her from his arms a moment and gathered up the papers from his desk. As he turned back towards her, he spoke softly, almost to himself.
“It would all be perfect, if only I had found Marion. I cannot bring Martin back, but to find the woman, who I now know to have been his wife, would make my world complete.”
Lady Sylvia gasped, everything suddenly falling into place in her mind.
“Marion?”
“Yes.”
He wondered why she seemed so excited at his sad words.
“Julian, you must tell me all – you have never mentioned your son before, beyond that he was gone, lost in a duel of some sort. I had no idea that he had married.”
A half snort of bitter laughter escaped him, so different from the joyous sound of moments before.
“Neither did I, until very recently. This will be a long story – let me ring for some tea and some food, and I will tell it all. It will, in fact, be a great relief to speak of it all, to someone who might actually understand.”
He set the papers aside – there would be time for them later. Over the next hour, as they sipped at their tea, Julian told her everything – from the moment that Martin had first come home, so happy that he had found a girl who he wanted to marry, through the terrible scenes of Antonia’s rejection of her. Through the arguments that followed, the partial estrangement, the horrific day of the duel and Martin’s death, his own despair, and failure to seek out Marion – he spared himself nothing, and she simply listened, not judging, or commenting.
When he paused, an anguished expression on his face, she reached for his hand and held it, as he found the strength to go on. He told her of the moment a few weeks before, when, on the same day that Jane had appeared at his door, Wareham had come to meet him, and given him hope.
Hope, and the proof of her marriage to Martin. Hope in the knowledge that, perhaps, he might have a grandchild. Hope that had been dashed by weeks of unsuccessful searching by both of them, and by Mr Starling.
“I feel such a depth of guilt, as does Charles. We have both failed her, so terribly. I am at wits end – I know not where to search next – it is as if she simply stepped off the mail coach, and vanished.”
Lady Sylvia pulled him into her arms, and simply held him for a moment, her own eyes glistening with tears.
“Julian, will you trust me?”
“Yes… why?”
“I cannot tell you yet. Please, stay here – do not leave the house. I may be more than an hour, but I pray you, do not leave.”
“If you wish.”
He watched, puzzled, as she leapt up, and rushed from the room, telling Bradshaw to call her carriage.
~~~~~
At the Duke’s house on Ebury Street, Daniel was in the nursery, playing with Abby. Jane was in her rooms, resting after a long morning of teaching the girls, and Marion was sitting in the parlour, reading a book, appreciating the peace and quiet.
There was a knock on the door, and Perryman showed Lady Sylvia in. Marion looked up and smiled, genuinely glad that she was there, and at a moment like this, when they could be private.
“Lady Sylvia, I am so glad that you are here. I have though much about your question the other day. I have decided to tell you all of it.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lady Sylvia dropped to the couch beside her, smiling broadly, “but first let me see if I have it right – I think that I have puzzled out at least part of it.”
“You have?” Marion was startled by the statement, but Lady Sylvia was very astute – could she actually have discovered something?
“Oh, I think so. I am going to be very blunt with this – a quick summary of what I believe – then you can correct me and tell me the rest.”
“If that is how you wish it.”
“Let me start five years ago. Your mother had gone to the country, to care for your grandmother. Your father was in the final stages of losing everything. You met a young man one day, perhaps at your father’s business, perhaps somewhere else, and you and he became attached to one another. You were unsure, for he was noble, but he assured you that he did not care about your heritage, only about you. You fell in love. He introduced you to his family, and his mother cast you from the house, demanding that he never see you again, because you were a commoner. He defied her, married you anyway, at Gretna Green, and bought you a house to live in, so that you never had to see her again.”
Marion was looking more and more shocked as Lady Sylvia went on.
“That was this very house. The man you married, who was Daniel’s father, was Martin Stafford, Earl of Scartwick and
son of the Duke of Windemere. Shortly after your marriage, he was killed in a duel. Not long after that, you fled, going to your mother.”
Marion nodded.
“I don’t know what happened to make you leave this house. But you didn’t tell your mother any of this, your grief was so strong, you simply wanted to forget, and live inconspicuously. Your mother has told me about what happened to make you return to London.”
Marion nodded, wondering exactly what her mother had said.
“I gather that you did not know, until you arrived here, that her childhood friend was the Duke? But this certainly explains why Abby and Perryman seem to treat you just a little differently, and to know what you need so well. They must be very loyal to you, to have stayed silent. I just don’t know why you feel that you need to hide, to have them stay silent. So, have I got it right?”
“You have, Lady Sylvia, there is not one thing of what you have said that is not true. You amaze me. But let me explain the things that you don’t know.”
As Marion talked of the terrible days after Martin’s death, and the way that she had been treated by his so-called friends, causing her to flee, Lady Sylvia felt anger rising in her – yet again, an example of men of the ton not respecting a woman, just because of the circumstances of her birth. As Marion spoke of her fear, and her decision to not reveal herself, in case those same men found her again, Lady Sylvia, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes, pulled her into a hug. What a terrible burden this young woman had borne. When Marion stopped talking, Lady Sylvia squeezed her hands, and gently released them.
“Marion, do you trust me?”
“Yes, Lady Sylvia. Why?”
“Because I am about to ask you to do something, without explanation. I want you to go and get your mother, and Daniel, and all come back down here, as soon as possible. Dress for going out. My carriage is waiting.”
Marion looked at her, startled by this request, but chose to trust in this remarkable woman. She went. Fifteen minutes later, they were in Lady Sylvia’s carriage, driving towards a meeting that would change all of their lives, forever.
“Where are we going?”
“Shhh, Daniel, you are not to ask. You’ll see when we get there.”
“Oh. Is this a game Lady Sylvia?”
“In a way, yes.”
Daniel turned back to the window, content with that answer.
~~~~~
After the first hour had passed, Julian became worried. By the end of second hour, he was pacing about in his study, when he heard the door open. Relief turned back to anxiousness when Wareham was shown in.
“Still not good news, Your Grace. I did find an inn where two women stayed for one night, but nothing further – no clues after that.”
“Have a brandy, Wareham, you look like you need it.”
“I believe I do. Will we ever find them?”
“I hope so, but I must admit, I am beginning to be not so sure of it.”
They sat in morose silence, letting the warmth of the brandy burn away the cold uncertainty of their thoughts.
The silence stretched, then was broken by carriage wheels outside the front of the house. Julian stood, and moments later, the door was opened, and Lady Sylvia ushered two women and a small boy into the room.
Charles sprang to his feet, and everyone stood, confusion spreading on their faces. Charles and Julian spoke at once.
“Jane… ?”
“Marion… ? Is it really…?”
Jane turned to Lady Sylvia, whose face was wreathed in a delighted smile.
“Why are we here? What has Julian to do with any of this?”
Lady Sylvia clapped her hands together, and gave a short laugh at the joy of the moment, then answered Jane.
“I think you had all best sit down. Jane, we are here because Julian is Marion’s father-in-law. Yes, she was actually legally married. Julian, we are here because, unbeknownst to you, you have been protecting Marion after all, these past few months – she is your old friend Jane’s daughter. Wareham – you could not find them, because they were living safely in the Duke’s house on Ebury Street – the very house that Martin bought for Marion in the first place. And Julian – this is Daniel – your grandson, and the heir to your title.”
Stunned expressions confronted her on every face.
“Oh, and Marion, Wareham had the paper proof of your marriage all this time – Martin charged him with its care, and yours, as he lay dying. He has spent the last four years searching for you.”
Chaos ensued. Everyone spoke at once, formal manners were thrown away, hugs abounded, and, through it all, Lady Sylvia floated, happier than she had been in a very long time. Eventually, when things calmed, Jane looked at Marion and spoke, ever so quietly.
“But… Marion. Why did you not tell me, not trust me with it all? For, if I have this aright, you are the Countess of Scartwick, and Daniel, as the heir, is the Earl of Scartwick. My daughter, a Countess! This will take me some time to get used to!”
“Oh mother, it is a long and sorry tale. It wasn’t that I did not trust you, but that I wished to forget. I felt there was no life for me here anymore, for Martin’s mother hated me – I needed somewhere safe for Daniel to be born, and to grow.”
Jane swept Marion into her arms, and they both burst into tears. Julian knelt before Daniel, who stood still, looking a little scared, confused by everything.
“Hello Daniel. I know that you have not seen me before, but I am your grandfather. I hope to see a lot of you from now on. I’ll need to find out about the things that you like to do, so that I can do them with you.”
“Are there toys here? Or a dog. I like those.”
Daniel put his hand in Julian’s, and smiled.
Lady Sylvia felt that her heart might burst in that moment. So many people that she cared about, all so much happier now than they had been that morning. And she and Julian… life was perfect. Tea and cakes were called for, and Julian waited until the conversation had slowed, before standing in the middle of the room.
He held out his hand to Lady Sylvia, and she came to him, smiling.
“I would like to add a little more to the happy chaos of this day. Shortly before she rushed from this house to bring you to me, Lady Pendholm did me the honour of agreeing to become my wife. Today is, indeed, a day worth celebrating.”
Lady Sylvia blushed, looking charmingly beautiful, as everyone exploded into congratulations. Julian excused himself for a moment, and spoke to Bradshaw, then returned to her side.
“My dear Lady Sylvia, I have something I wish to give you. It got rather overrun by events earlier, so I choose to present it now.’
He reached to his desk, and picked up the now rather dishevelled stack of papers from its surface. He handed them to Lady Sylvia, who looked at them uncertainly. Then the import of what she was seeing on the first sheet reached her comprehension.
“Deeds? To houses? On… the other side of Ebury Street? But Julian, there are so many…”
Julian’s smile was a little sheepish.
“A betrothal gift – I was rash enough to hope that you might have me, and that you would want to continue in your charity work with those poor girls…”
She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him, right there in front of everyone. Jane caught the papers as they fell.
A little later, there was another knock upon the door. Lady Sylvia turned to Julian.
“Who…?”
“Another surprise for you, my dear – it’s only fair, I think, after the rather enormous surprise you delivered to me this afternoon. I have invited your close family and friends to dine with us. I sent the requests to your children a few days ago, planning just to let them see what a wonderful job you are doing with the charity work – but secretly hoping that we might have something more to tell them. As we do.”
She spun towards the door as it opened, and Charlton and Odette, Harriet and Geoffrey, Lady Farnsworth, and surprisingly, Baron Setford, came into the room.<
br />
Harriet flung herself upon her mother.
“Mother, the butler just told us, as he let us in! Where is this Duke you are marrying? I must meet him immediately. Are you happy? Truly? Assuming you are, this is quite, quite wonderful!”
Julian burst into delighted laughter – this had to be Harriet – she was just so much like her mother.
“That would be me, young Lady.”
Harriet spun to Julian, and clasped his hand in hers, smiling broadly. She looked him up and down appraisingly.
“I think that I will most certainly like you, if my mother has found it in her to love you.”
“I will do my best to please you – by pleasing your mother.”
It was Harriet’s turn to laugh. Then Charlton came forward and hugged his mother, rather more sedately than his sister, and introductions were made all round.
Everyone’s stories had to be told all over again, and somewhere amidst it all, dinner was called. Laughing, joyful, they all went to the dining room, to discover that Julian’s cook had worked miracles.
Jane sat at the table, and watched everything, struggling to come to terms with it all. Her daughter was a Countess, her grandson an Earl and heir to a Duke, and she was sitting at a table with a collection of the highest nobility, and none of them seemed to care in the slightest that she was a commoner. This day had turned her world upside down. But it was wonderful. Who knew what might happen next?
Marion was busy showing Daniel how to use his cutlery, Wareham was talking to Lord Geoffrey and Charlton, Viscount Pendholm, who he obviously knew well, Lady Harriet was chattering to Lady Odette, who simply smiled and nodded, letting Harriet’s excitement roll over her. Lady Farnsworth watched everything with a sharp eye and a fond expression, whilst she spoke to Baron Setford, whose piercing grey eyes seemed to miss nothing. Lady Farnsworth said something to him, and he laughed.
Lady Sylvia and Julian had eyes only for each other.
Finding the Duke's Heir: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance (His Majesty's Hounds Book 7) Page 9