A Lady To Redeem A Rakish Lord (Historical Regency Romance)

by Lucinda Nelson

  “What kind of a man are you?” she demanded angrily. “How dare you make use of this opportunity to propose to me. Do you think that I have no idea that you orchestrated the whole thing?”

  Benjamin thought for a while but then shrugged. “Even if you do, you must understand that I am trying to do you and your family a favor.”

  “Keep your favor! We do not want it! I want nothing to do with you, Lord Gibbs. I beg of you, let me be!” she said, standing up and wanting to leave.

  “If you take one step, then you are a fool.”

  Ophelia was shocked that he would dare speak to her that way. She turned around to be certain that, that had come out of his mouth.

  “And if you decide not to marry me, then you are a bigger fool,” he said, looking at his nails.

  Now, Ophelia took a better look at him. There were bags below his eyes. His moustache and beard were unkept. His hair was uncombed, and he looked like someone who had not slept in days. She was suddenly aware of how dangerous he could be.

  “Christopher is not going to marry you,” he went on. “And if you think he will come for you, you are sadly mistaken. If you even try to consider his proposal or speak to him, after all the things he has done, then I will be very angry. You do not want to see me angry.”

  “Is that a threat?” she demanded, trying to calm her heart that was beating fast.

  “No, not all, my love. I have no reason to threaten you,” he said, shrugging. “Consider it a warning.”

  “Well, I am happy to tell you, that I know your secret! she blurted, hoping to get him to back off.

  “What secret?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “I know you are the one that has been sending those letters. My secret admirer….”

  She watched as his face turned from confusion to that of relief.

  “Well, that is disappointing. I was supposed to make that a surprise, as a means to impress you. You have no idea how it felt all those times when I had to keep my own feelings inside and had to listen to that bastard go on and on, talking about how much he loved you. It was frustrating. I could not bottle up the feelings inside. I had to send them to you one way or the other.”

  Ophelia scoffed. “That is not love, that is something else. That is something, dangerous and sick, and twisted. I do not want to be part of it.” she said. She could see Emily walking towards her from afar and she was relieved.

  “Well, you do not have a choice, darling. A lady, has no choice when it comes to whom to marry. I am certain that your parents will make the right choice for you. I do not have anything further to discuss with you. By the way, if you think of doing something to ruin my plans, just know that I can ruin your reputation!” he then leaned closer. “I saw you under the kissing bough that night. Kissing him. And I would not want anything befall your parents seeing as your father is terribly ill.”

  Ophelia could feel her heart thumping hard against her throat as he walked away, leaving her perplexed.

  “Oh, my goodness!” said Emily as she rushed towards her. “Was that…was tha…?” she stammered.

  Ophelia swallowed and shut her eyes before she slowly nodded. “Yes, Lord Gibbs. He just threatened me, Emily. He saw us when Christopher and I kissed and he is planning to use that against me, if I do not marry him.”

  Emily gasped. “Oh no! That man is extremely dangerous, Ophelia. We need to tell your parents everything.”

  Ophelia nodded before they went their way. She was ready to tell her parents everything, including about the kiss, since Christopher was ready to marry her. However, each time she thought of Benjamin, fear overwhelmed her consciousness and she could tell, that she was no longer going to be safe.

  Chapter 36

  Miss Ophelia Campbell

  The outing Ophelia had gone on with Emily had not turned out the way she had hoped. She was jittery and terrified.

  The next day, Ophelia thought the best thing to do would be to tell her parents about everything. So that morning, while she thought of all the things he had said to her the day before, a maid came in to inform her of Lady Egerton’s arrival. When she was finally able to speak with Rebecca, she told her everything that happened at the park.

  “He is beginning to show his true colors,” said Rebecca. “I am surprised that it took him this long.”

  “What do I do, my lady?” asked Ophelia. “He terrifies me, and I have this feeling that he is already devising an evil plan to retaliate against my family, if I do not marry him.”

  “I do not think he is capable of doing anything that will harm you in any way,” Rebecca said, walking close to her and holding Ophelia’s hands. “Do not allow him to get under your skin. I believe he is only bluffing and trying to get you to marry him by all cost.”

  Even though she knew Lady Rebecca was only trying to make her feel better, it was not working at all. All through the night, she kept having these strange dreams about Lord Gibbs chasing her with a knife.

  When she explained the dream to Rebecca, she looked at her with sympathy and rubbed her hand.

  “You are only nervous, and this is a stressful situation. I think you should tell your parents about Benjamin.”

  Ophelia could not have agreed more.

  “Let them know that Benjamin is not to be trusted, tell them all the things he has done, including the creepy letters he had been sending you, posing as some secret admirer. Make sure to tell them all. Then afterwards, let them know that Christopher is set to marry you. He has actually sent me here to give you this letter,” she said, dipping a hand into her reticule and handing her a letter.

  “If they still do not believe you, show them this. It says in the letter that he is coming to propose to you tomorrow and then you can all come together to fix a date to meet my parents.”

  Ophelia inhaled a deep breath as she opened the letter.

  Dear Miss Campbell,

  I do hope you are doing well? I apologize for taking so long before coming to see you, but I assure you, it is for a good course. I cannot tarry any longer and I have decided to come tomorrow to reveal my intentions to your parents. I cannot wait to see you again. Please bear it in mind that Benjamin is doing everything possible to hinder our plan and I am equally doing everything to make sure that he does not get in the way.

  Be safe and be rest assured that I am coming for you and I shall protect you.

  Sincerely Yours,

  Christopher.

  Ophelia found herself fully relieved at the end of the letter.

  “So, you see. You have nothing to worry about, Ophelia.”

  Ophelia nodded. “I understand what I need to do and I trust your brother but do you not think that my parents would be a bit suspicious about the rush of everything?”

  “I do not think your parents would mind anything that will stop Benjamin from putting them in this bind.”

  “I think I should tell my parents about everything just as you have suggested. And when my mother begins to raise questions and possibly think my concerns are invalid, I shall show her the letter.”

  Rebecca agreed with her plans and minutes after she was gone. Ophelia decided to go ahead to her parents, she wanted to tell them everything.

  She walked to her parent’s chamber and knocked on the door.

  “Yes, come in,” came her mother’s voice and she opened the door to go in.

  Her father was sitting on the bed, going through a stack of papers while her mother was busy sipping from a cup of tea.

  “Morning, father, mother,” she greeted.

  “Ophelia,” said her father. “I hope there is nothing wrong?”

  “I need to talk to you,” she blurted.

  Both her parents exchanged looks.

  “Well, if you must see us then take a seat, child. You do not want to make us nervous,” said her mother.

  Ophelia took a seat and sat while her parents listened.

  “This is about my marriage,” she started. “Father. Mother. I do not want to mar
ry Lord Gibbs,” she declared.

  “Nonsense!” said her mother, standing up.

  “Do you mind listening to her for a while?” her father said to her mother who paid him no attention but was focusing on her daughter instead.

  “How can you declare such a thing, Ophelia? After everything your father and I have done for you? Would you not save our family this one time?”

  “I need you to stop being so dramatic, Mabel!” shouted her father to his wife. “I am only being reasonable, not being dramatic at all!” retorted her mother. “How can she just decide that?”

  “She must have her reasons. We need to hear her out,” her father said with a cough.

  Ophelia watched both parents, talking as if she was not in the room with her.

  “She is going to ruin us if she takes this step. And not only that, who is going to marry her? She is too young to be this selfish?”

  “I think she can be as selfish as she wants to be. It is her life, afterall.”

  Now, they were both quiet and looking at her. Ophelia had purposely remained quiet to give them time to say all they needed to say before she would finally tell them the rest.

  “Well, now that you both are giving me the necessary attention again, I think I should tell you other things that you do not know. Lord Gibbs is my secret admirer.”

  She waited for a reaction from both of them but there was none. Did they not hear her?

  “What secret admirer are you talking about?” asked her mother who was still heated.

  “Mother, those letters I used to receive from a certain admirer, with no specific address and no name?”

  The mother stared at her with a blank expression on her face but then she gasped. “Oh my goodness! It was him? How did you find out? Did he tell you?”

  “I figured it out and confronted him, and he admitted that it was him” Ophelia replied and explained how she was able to find out on her own with Emily’s help. “And now he wants to force my hand in marriage to him, by any means.”

  “This man sounds detestable, I must say,” said her father after a while. “Our daughter cannot marry a man like this.”

  “That is not all,” continued Ophelia. “He has also resorted to threats,” she said as she explained the ultimatum she was given at the park the previous day.

  Her mother’s mouth opened in shock and she sat wide-eyed. “What are we going to do?” she asked her husband. “I never knew he was this dangerous.”

  Ophelia slumped her shoulders in relief. She would need to wait for what they would come up with before she would tell them of her own solution.

  Her father stood up and began to pace. “We cannot arrest him. Since he is a noble he could easily pay off the courts to let him go,” he said more to himself than to the rest of them. “We will need enough evidence to put someone like that away.”

  “But, surely, there must be something we can do,” cried her mother in terror. “The four days he gave our daughter is almost running out.”

  “With the tax being imposed on us,” said her father, finally stopped and facing them. “We can still manage with the funds we have till the end of the year…”

  “I think I have a solution,” said Ophelia all of a sudden, seeing that her father’s plan would not be so helpful.

  Both her parents stared at her.

  “When you had a better plan, why did you not say so all along?” asked her father.

  “Well, I wanted to see what plan you would come up with and if it would be better than the one I currently have, but seeing it might not work, I think I should just tell you.”

  “Then out with it, child!” snapped her mother. “We do not have all the time.”

  Ophelia hesitated for a while. “Lord Crampton wants to marry me.”

  “Lord Crampton?” asked her mother. “But I thought he was no longer interested in you.”

  Ophelia nodded. “I actually had informed him that I did not wish to accept his courtship anymore.”

  Her parents exchanged glances again.

  “What are you talking about, Ophelia?” asked her mother. “So are you saying, Lord Crampton has been interested in you all the while?”

  Ophelia nodded. “I did not give him a chance to explain himself when I found out about his past and in my anger, I rejected his advances,” she explained. She would not mention the kiss to her parents. “So I had to put a stop to whatever was going on between us.”

  “So, does he have any idea why Lord Gibbs is doing all this?” asked her father.

  “No, he does not, father,” Ophelia replied. “As a matter of fact, he never knew Lord Gibb’s intentions at all, not until Charles helped him figure out his scheme.”

  “Our own Charles?” asked her mother in surprise and she nodded.

  “Now, he is doing everything that he can to help us and I think marrying me would help a great deal.”

  Everyone was quiet.

  “But, is this what you want?” asked her father, walking closer to her. “I want you to be certain that this is what you want.”

  “I have only cared about one man, father. And you know this. It has always been Lord Crampton and this is what I want. So you do not have to worry about our finances. I think we shall do just fine.”

  “Fantastic news!” cried her father happily before embracing her.

  “So when is he coming to talk to us?” asked her mother.

  “Tomorrow,” Ophelia replied after pulling away from her father.

  “We shall be able to receive him,” said her mother. “Congratulations daughter.”

  Ophelia hugged her mother and later returned back to her room.

  She was more than relieved after talking to her parents. Everything had gone even more smoothly than she had expected.

  While she laid in her bed, she could not stop smiling. The only that remained would be to wait for Christopher and now that she knew he was close to coming to see her, she was more anxious to see him.

  * * *

  Lord Benjamin Gibbs, the Baron of Salsbury

  The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the Campbell’s cottage and he stepped out of the carriage.

  He walked to the front door and was about to knock when the door opened suddenly, and Mrs. Campbell stepped out. She look surprised to see him and Benjamin could tell that she was on her way to run errands. Her demeanor when she saw him was not the usual pleasantry he was use to.

  “Mrs. Campbell,” he said with a warm smile. “Good morning. I hope everyone is well?”

  “Yes, Lord Gibbs,” said the woman coldly. “May I ask what you are doing here?”

  Benjamin was surprised. “I am here to pay your daughter a visit just like I have always done,” he replied. “I hope that is alright?”

  “No,” replied the woman. “It is not alright at all, and as a matter of fact, you are no longer welcomed here.”

  This came as a shock to Benjamin and he waited for a while before giving the woman a reply.

  “I do apologize, Mrs. Campbell if I have offended you in anyway but I assure you, all I do, I do out of love and concern for your family.”

  “We do not want your love and concern again, Lord Gibbs. You can stop trying. My daughter is not going to marry you and we do not care how hard you make our lives because of that. She will never marry you and she has our full support. We know about your threats! You are no longer welcomed here and I think you should leave.”

  Benjamin blinked thrice as all the words sank in. He chuckled and then said, “Well, send my regards to your husband and my undying love to your daughter. Tell her we shall see each other very soon.”

  After this, he took his leave.

  Chapter 37

  Miss Ophelia Campbell

  She felt drowsy and her head ached. Ophelia opened her groggy eyes, but a feeling of fear overwhelmed her when she realized she could not move, neither could she scream. She was lying on her back with her legs and hands bound.

  The worst part of it was that she
seemed to be moving, but to where, she did not know. She could tell she was in a carriage as she looked up at the blacked out windows and ceiling. She wanted to scream but all that came out of her gagged mouth were muffled sounds.

  She could not understand how she got there and tried to remember what happened. While part of her tried to remember how she must have gotten into the carriage, the other part of her was trying to remember where she had seen the exact carriage roofing before.