Good Earls Don't Lie (35 page)

She took his arm as they left the drawing room. Iain started to walk down the hallway, but she redirected his path to the servants’ staircase. His face turned questioning, but she guided him to follow her up the narrow stairs until they reached an empty room. It held a small basin, and she brought him inside.

“Sit down, and let me wash away the blood,” she bade him.

“This isn’t wise, Rose.” Even so, he obeyed and sat upon the wooden stool.

She knew that. But she poured water into the basin and pulled out a handkerchief, soaking it. She touched it to the dried blood on his face, wishing she could wipe away the pain as easily. “You were hurt this afternoon.”

His expression was rigid, and she tried to be gentle. Then she leaned down and touched her mouth to his in a soft kiss.

“I would never let any man hurt you, Rose. I would die first.”

“I know. And that is why I am going back to Ireland with you.” She stroked his hair, and he pulled her onto his lap. “When that man pulled me out of the carriage—”

“—I was going to kill him,” Iain finished.

She touched his mouth with her finger. “No. What I meant was that I realized something about myself. When I saw those men fighting you, I wanted to tear them to pieces.” She smiled at the incongruity of it all. “I will be fine in Ireland, despite all the hardships. Because it means I will see you each day. No matter what happens, I will love you. And I am strong enough to face anything, so long as I am with you.”

“My rose has thorns when she needs them.” He kissed her gently and traced the edge of her cheek. “I will be glad to make you my wife,
a ghrá.
And I promise that I will work myself to the bone, to give you everything you want.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “Iain, you needn’t bother. For everything I want is right here.”

Ireland

One month later

“Rose, you look beautiful,” Lily proclaimed. Her sister bent down and smoothed an invisible wrinkle from the ivory gown. Lady Ashton had loaned Rose a long veil made of Irish lace. The woman had been quiet and pensive ever since she had returned to Ashton.

Honestly, Rose was surprised she had come, but perhaps it was because her daughters had insisted. There was a truce between them—likely because Lady Ashton knew that Rose’s connections in London were stronger than her own. Both her mother and grandmother had already begun introducing her daughters to wealthy gentlemen, and Moira had accepted the help.

Both Sybil and Colleen had thought the wedding should be a grand affair, but Rose simply wanted the people to have a feast and a reason to celebrate.

There was no doubt that Ashton lay in ruins, and the people were starving. Never in her life had she witnessed such hardships. But the tenants had welcomed her, so grateful for the food and supplies donated by the Sinclair family and those she and Iain had purchased with her dowry. When the news had spread among their neighbors, more than a hundred people returned.

“It’s almost time for the wedding,” Lily interrupted. “Are you ready?” They had decided to hold the ceremony outside, so all the tenants could witness their union.

She nodded. But then, Lady Ashton spoke up. “May I speak with you a moment?” The woman’s expression held wariness, as if she was uncertain whether Rose would agree.

“Of course.” She nodded for her sister and mother to go on without her.

The door closed behind them, and Rose waited for Moira to begin. The woman’s face was flushed, and it seemed that she didn’t know how to start. She wore a gown of deep mauve, and her dark hair was pulled into a knot. There were no jewels, for she had sold most of them to pay for her daughters’ Season. But even so, she was a beautiful woman.

Rose smiled at her and touched the long veil. “I wanted to thank you for this veil. It’s exquisite.”

Lady Ashton’s troubled look did not diminish. “It belonged to my grandmother.”

Rose reached out a hand to her. “I am very glad to wear something that belonged to Iain’s family.” Although Moira had appeared uneasy about the wedding, the gesture was a welcome peace offering. Rose felt certain that in time, she could build a good relationship with her mother-in-law.

The matron lowered her gaze but took her hand. Rose squeezed the cold fingers and added, “I know that you have suffered a great deal, and nothing I say can ever change it. But I hope that you will find a way to live in peace with Iain and leave the past behind.”

Moira appeared worried. “I don’t know if I can. Not after all that’s happened.”

“Go to him,” Rose said softly. “He will want to see you.”

“I’m not so very sure about that.”

“He will forgive you,” she insisted. “You have time to make it right. Go now, before the wedding.”

Rose didn’t know what had caused the woman to have a change of heart, but there was regret in Lady Ashton’s demeanor. And whether or not Iain was born from the earl or another man, she strongly believed they could begin again. On impulse, she hugged the woman.

And Lady Ashton offered a tentative smile.

Iain could not have been more surprised to see Lady Ashton at his door. “Have you come to stop the wedding, then?” His words were half-teasing, but the sadness in her eyes caught him unawares.

When she shook her head, he added, “Then why have you come?”

His mother was holding something behind her back, and eventually, she withdrew it. Iain saw that it was a small oil painting of a man and his wife.

“When I went into the attic to find the veil for Rose, I discovered this painting,” she began. “This is your great-grandfather, the third Earl of Ashton.”

He wasn’t certain what to make of it, but then the weight of her words struck him. She’d said it was
his
great-grandfather.

“He had green eyes,” Moira whispered. “You can see it for yourself.”

Iain accepted the portrait, and when he took a closer look at the man, his blood ran cold. It was like looking into a mirror. There was no doubt at all that he was a blood relation to this man. He set down the portrait, and the hair stood up on his arms.

Moira spoke first. “You have to understand how broken I was after I was violated by a man who was not my husband. And because Aidan sought revenge, he died. I found myself with a living reminder of that night.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Every time I looked at you, I could only think of the violence. I couldn’t see that you were a gift that Aidan left to me, so I wouldn’t be alone.”

Moira turned away, her shoulders slumped forward. He couldn’t answer her, though he knew what she was saying. She finished with, “There is nothing I can say to undo the years I mistreated you. I neglected the only son remaining to me. The last piece of my husband, because I was too blind to see the truth.”

For a time, he was frozen, not knowing how to respond. He was the Earl of Ashton in truth. By blood and by birthright.

“I will leave, if you ask it of me,” she whispered. “I deserve to be cast out for what I did.”

A part of him wanted to lash out at her, for the years she’d made him feel like a shadow worth nothing at all. But what good would it do? She had aged into a fragile shell of a woman who had based her life upon misery and bitterness.

He had Rose now, the woman he loved more than life itself. He had brought her here to help him rebuild Ashton . . . but perhaps she could help him rebuild more than the estate.

With a heavy sigh, he placed his hand upon his mother’s shoulder. “Will you walk with me when I meet my bride?”

Moira took his hand and pressed it to her forehead. Against his fingers, he felt the wetness of her tears. “I will, yes. Thank you.”

It would take time to let go of the past. But it would begin with a single step.

The wedding ceremony was a blur, and Rose could hardly remember anything that was said. She could only look into Iain’s green eyes, feeling as if her heart would burst from happiness. When he kissed her, the crowd erupted into cheers. Bagpipes sounded in a merry tune, and Iain lifted her up, turning her in a slow circle so she could see the revelers.

“I’m so happy,” she murmured, as he let her slide down his body. The crowd parted, and he kept their pace slow as they walked toward the elaborate feast that was waiting.

“’Tis a good thing we have men guarding the food,” Iain admitted. “Else there would be a mad rush toward the tables.”

“What will we do when the food is gone?” she asked.

“I have been thinking,” he said. “Our family owns property in Wales that has land for farming. I may send half of our tenants to farm the land and then bring them back with the harvest, until our own crops improve. I will pay for the ship’s passage with a portion of the harvest.”

It was a good plan, and she believed it would help all of them. “The tenants can return for the winter and stay in their homes.”

“Aye.” He leaned down and kissed her again when they reached the long table with seats prepared for them. “But I’m not thinking of the tenants just now. I’m thinking of how I’ll steal you away during the
céilí.
” He whispered of how he would carry her off during the dancing.

She sent him a soft smile. “Do we have to wait that long? I was rather hoping my pirate husband would abduct me right now.”

He laughed and pulled out her chair, seating her on it. “Soon,
a ghrá.
”

In the end, they stayed until nightfall. So many of the guests came forward to offer their thanks, it was impossible to slip away. Finally, Iain brought Rose down to join in the dancing. He took both of her hands in his, while the others circled around them. It overwhelmed him to think that this woman would now share a life with them. Even Lady Penford had joined in the dancing and was laughing when a large Irishman picked her up by the waist and swung her in a circle.

“Are you ready,
a chroí?
” he asked.

She squeezed his hands in silent answer. With that, he lifted her into his arms and strode toward the edge of the circle. Laughing, the men and women let them through, while they continued the celebration.

“I’ve a gift for you, Rose,” he said quietly, when they reached the front door at Ashton.

She sent him a curious look, and asked, “Does it have anything to do with the stone walls they’ve built over the past fortnight?”