Light to Valhalla (53 page)

“She
,” Mr. Baker jerked his head toward
Veronica
for emphasis,
“
promised to tell me where to find my wife if I murdered the
young
marchioness.”

“I did no such thing,”
Veronica
shrieked
.
“How dare you spin lies and slander against the name of your betters.”

“Oh, step off it, milady.”

Regina’s face flushed beat red
.
“
Veronica
,
I told you that story in confidence
.
How dare you use it against my family
?
”

“
I had nothing to do with this.
”
Veronica’s icy glare
told a different story and
chilled Charley to the core
.
What had she done to dese
rve such hatred from
this
wom
a
n?
  Aside from marry Alex.

Sidney laughed
mockingly
.
“So that’s how you knew to
seek out
Baker.
”

“Shut up, Sidney,” Veronica hissed
.

Mr
. Mott loudly cleared his throat
.
“Would anyone care to fill me in on the details of this situation?”

Sid turned to the magistrate
.
“It seems
Lady Veronica learned of a
grudge Mr. Baker held against
Lady
Coverstone
.
”
He nodded to the fiend for emphasis
.
“Veronica sought him
out and hired him to have Lady
Coverstone
murdered so that she could marry the marquis herself.”

Regina snapped to attention
.
“
You little bitch.”

Alex
wrapped
strong, warm fingers around Charley’s hand
.
“
I’m confused
.
If the plan was to marry me why create all this scandal?”

“
Veronica’s plans changed a
fter y
ou rejected her,” Sid supplied evenly
.
“
When the original plan to murder Charley
so she could wed
you
went bad she pulled me into the picture
.
She—
we
set out
to create scandal… make you pay.”

Charley stiffened
.
Sidney, her dear friend, had been working against
them all this time?  Moreover he’d confessed it with his own lips.

Sid
met her
stunned
glare dead on
.
“
Charley,” he murmured, “I am so very
sorry
.
”
His voice broke
.
Averting his eyes he cleared his throat and continued
.
“Soon her plans to ruin
Alex’s
name evolved into a scheme to murder
him
.
After the scandal circulated she planned to make his death appear a suicide
.
If all went well I’d marry Veronica and she would still become Marchioness.
” He hesitated, letting the story sink in
.
“
She didn’t count on my refusing to follow through with the pro
position
.
”

Charley
sagged back into the sofa
.
Stunned
.
All along Alex had been right about someone setting him up.

“You hired Sidney to kill my son,”
Regina raged, turning on the other woman
.
“
And all the while you sat in my parlor, offering condol
ences
.
I’m all for bettering one’s circumstances
,
but this is too much.”

Veronica flushed and squared her shoulders
.
“I did no such thing,” she stated coolly despite the obvious evidence against her
.
“I just wanted
Alex
to suffer a little.”

“Like the letters about Jack?
”
Alex interjected.

Veronica speared him with an ice hewn glare
.
“No one rejects me.”

Sid threw his head back and roared with cynical laughter
.
“
Really?
  And how is that
theory
working out for you?  Seems Alex and I both turned you away.”

“Mores the pity to you, Sidney,”
venom dripped from
Veronica’s tone
.
“
You could have had everything, but what did I expect? 
You’re naught but the bastard son of a Marquis.”

“And what do you think the
g
ao
l
will do for your fair complexion, my lady?”

Veronica
paled
.
“
Th
-the
ga
o
l
?”

“That is quite enough.
”
The magistrate
lifted a hand, indicating silence
.
“What a mess,” he muttered under his breath
.
Finally he
looked to Alex
.
“I must admit, my lord, I am at a total loss
as to what to do with this situation
.
I’ve never arrested a
member of the quality before.
”

Charley glanced to her husband, praying he would have the
trio
taken away
—Sidney too
.
If she never saw the conspiring murderers again it would be too soon
.
She
shivered,
shri
nking into the back of the sofa,
away from
Veronica’s
piercing
gaze and Johnston’s devil eyes
.

“For the ti
me being get them out of my sight
, Mr.
Mott
,” Alex said
.
“
We’ll decide what to do with
Lady Veronica
af
ter everyone has had time to calm down.”

“Oh, I know just what to do with her,” Regina stated, a wicked gleam in her eye
.
“Come along Mr. Mott.”

Drained
Charley sagged against
the sofa, watching the criminal procession march out of her formal parlor
.
She’d need to have the furniture reupholstered
.
Blood smeared the expensive cream fabric of her
antique sofa set
.

A runner grasped Sidney’s arm, steering him after the other fiends.

Alex shot to his feet
.
“
M
y brother
is not to be arrested
.”

Genuine surprise spilled over Sidney’s expression.

“Mr. Harris played a vital role in
apprehending Mr. Baker and Lady Veronica
.
My wife and I owe him our lives.”

“You don’t have to do this, Alex,” Sid interjected
.
“I’ll take responsibilities for my actions.”

“Nonsense
.
Release him immediately.
”
Alex leveled the runner with a firm, militaristic stare
.
Charley was sure many a young soldier had quivered in their boots
beneath it
.
The thought brought a small smile to her face
.

“
Of course
, milord.
”
The blue-coated
gentleman
gulped, dropping
Sid
without further preamble
.
He backed to the door
.
“Just the same, Mr. Harris, we’ll need to take a formal statement at Bow Street Station.”

Sid jerked his coat back into place
.
“I’ll be along straight away.”

“Very good, sir.
”
The policeman clicked his heels and quickly stole from the room.

“Well,
Coverstone
, you certainly know how to make a man feel inadequate,” Sidney quipped.

Ignoring the wry jest,
Alex clapped both palms over Sid’s shoulder
s
, giving him a firm shake
.
“Shut up
.
You are the only brother I have left and y
ou did right by me in the end.
”
Alex
swallowed,
voice thick
and husky
.
“
Whatever Veronica says I will stand by you.”

Charley laid a hand to her breast, chest tight with emotion as she watched the unfolding display
.
Her heart swelled with a new measure of love for her husband
.
Earlier she
had
referred to him as a
good
man
.
Now she was coming to see what a grossly inadequate descriptor
good
was
.
To display such open
absolution Alex
was
a truly
great
ma
n
.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness is not yours to earn or deserve but mine to give freely,” Alex said wisely
.
“We’ve both seen
the effect of
bitterness on men and family
.
I think we’d all agree we’
re better off standing together with a fresh start.”

“Well said,
Coverstone
.
”
All eyes turned to the open door
.
General Witherspoon stood just inside, expression almost sheepish
.
“If you don’t mind the intrusion there is something I’
ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

A twinge of nerves licked Charley’s belly and from the tense set of Alex’s shoulders she knew he felt the same
.
She stood
.
Prepared to go to her husband if need be.

“Very well, sir,” Alex said reservedly
.

Witherspoon cleared his throat
.
“I’ve been meaning to come clear the air between us for a while now
.
My wife has grown tired of my vendetta and to be truthful… so have I
.
I’ll see to your reinstatement with all haste as well as the promotion to Lieutenant Colonel you should have seen last year.”

             
Alex blinked in utter astonishment before a huge grin split his face
.
“That is wonderful, Sir
.
Thank you.”

             
Charley’s heart stumbled and skipped clear over a beat as the bottom fell out from under her
.
Promises of Scotland lingered in her mind, and she’d all but forgotten the threat of him rejoining his regiment in the last weeks
.
The thought of being left alone to have a baby terrified her, but she would never keep her husband from his true happiness no matter how painful.

             
“However, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline the offer,” Alex continued, and her heart kicked into a full gallop
.
“Just last week I officially resigned my commission.
”
H
e turned to Charley eyes aglow with such gentle passion her frantic heart all but stopped
.
He crossed to her, sliding a possessive palm over her belly
.
“It seems I’ve finally found my way home.”

Epilogue

Dover Lodge, Scotland

December 24, 1813

             
“Is everything ready?”

             
“Aye, milady,”
Mrs. Porter, Dover Lodge’s portly housekeeper, nodded busily
.
“The goose and venison are
ready to be cooked, the rest of the menu you selected is simply divine and Cook is already working away at the pies
.
Why he is so excited to have a family to cook for again
.
We haven’t had a true
Coverstone
Christmas celebration here in what must be fifteen years.”

             
Charley smiled
.
“It’s my hope to have many more to come
.
In fact we have no plans to leave Scotland anytime soon
.
My husband and I have grown quite weary of London.”

             
“Can’t say as I blame you there
.
I was born and raised in the country myself.”

             
Peevishly, Charley couldn’t help but wonder if
Veronica
—who deplored the country—
was enjoying her
secluded
Christmas in
northern
Wales
.
Johns
t
on and Baker had likely hanged by now…

“Mrs. Porter!
”
Cook’s
voice bellowed from the kitchen, breaking the depressing train of Charley’s thoughts.

             
“Oh, heaven help us all.
”
Mrs. Porter
rolled her eyes heavenward and turned to answer the call
.
“Oh, and, Lady
Coverstone
?
”
She glanced back.

             
“Yes?”

             
“The special items you requested are ready in your quarters.
”
The housekeeper winked merrily and went on her way.

             
“Excellent.
”
Charley rubbed her hands together nervously
.
Almost everything was ready for Alex’s Christmas surprise
.
Now all she needed was him.

             
As if on cue a gust of dastardly cold wind blew through the front hall as the heavy wooden door groaned
,
admitting Alex with Jack happily perched on his shoulders
.

             
“We found it, Mama,” Jack called triumphantly.

             
She smiled
.
Hearing mama from his lips never failed to send her soul soaring
.
“You found the
Yule
log? 
How wonderful.”

             
“That we did,” Alex grinned, striding forward, and swinging Jack down from his roost
.
“But right now I am freezing and I promised this boy,” he tenderly mussed his son’s hair, “a
hot
cup of chocolate.”

             
“Good
.
I have everything ready in the family parlor.”

             
“Chocolate!
”
Jack jumped excitedly, ripped off his hat and tore down the hall.

             
Charley and Alex laughed together and followed, hand in hand
.

             
A short while later, settled before a roaring fire, Charley set her empty chocolate cup on the table and gazed fondly at Jack, dozing on the carpet before the hearth with his new spotted puppy
.

             
Alex too polished off the contents of his mug and
propped his feet on the stool before the sofa
.
He draped a
well muscled
arm around Charley’s shoulders and reclined with a sigh, pulling her back with him.

             
She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, taking comfort in the unending rush of his breath
.
In and out…
 
In and out…
a rhythmic music all
its
own
.

             
“You realize this is the first time in years I won’t spend Christmas
Eve
sleeping on the hard ground.”

             
The Christmas surprise waiting in their bedchamber danced through her mind
.
She tilted her head back and flashed an impish smile, walking two fingers up his chest
.
“Then I suggest we make the most of it
.
Celebrate if you will.”

             
His brow shot up as a
ny hint of exhaustion
fled
.
“Are you sure you’re up to it?”

             
Pregnancy had left her fatigued and inundated with morning sickness for weeks
.
Why the ailment was dubbed
morning sickness
when it in fact l
asted all day she’d never know, and
Alex, b
less his heart, hadn’t pressed for favors even once.
             

She rose up, brushing her mouth against his with sweet, come hither friction
.
“Come upstairs and I’ll show you
how fit I feel tonight
.”

             
He groaned and rolled them off the loveseat
, tracing his hands along her curves
.
“I’ll take Jack to bed,” he said huskily
.

             
“I’
ll meet you upstairs.
”
She spu
n away, tossing a coy glance ov
er her shoulder
.
“And don’t let him sleep with that dog.”

             
Alex flashed a mischievous grin
and hefted Jack into his arms
.

             
Charley shook her head and dashed toward the stairs
.
Some battles were not worth fighting, and their son’s puppy was one
.
She
glanced down the hall
to ensure
Alex would
no
t happen upon her
too quickly, and slipped into her chamber
.
She likely had five minutes to finish preparations before Alex returned
.
Tremors of nerves excitement shivered through her
.

A maneuverable wheeled cart had been delivered to her room
laden with festive nuts, fresh strawberries from the hot house, and a bottle of the finest champagne
,
chilling in a silver bucket filled with ice
.
At the center
of the tray she placed
the kni
g
ht
he’d carved for her all those years ago
—a symbol of faith and their love
.

She went to the burrow and lifted the package from
the dressmakers shop in London
—his present from her
.
Tugging free the twine binding the wrappings
she drew a ste
adying breath and
unfolded
the brown paper
to reveal the
sheer sea foam
fabric within
.
She brushed her fingers over the soft lace an
d lifted the negligee, holding it out before her.

T
he pi
ece was completely see-
through
.

She’d never attempted anything so daring
.
She nibbled her bottom
lip,
half
tempted to abandon the
racy garment
for something less revealing
.
If she donned the piece
she’d finally look the part of the red haired French whores Regina forever compared her to
.
Reminding herself it was nothing Alex hadn’t seen before she shirked her gown
and
under clothes, slipping
the diaphanous fabric over her
head
.
Smoother than butter or silk
.
She shivered as
the gossamer film
slid over her skin
in an intimate caress all
its
own
,
and turned slowly to assess
herself
in the mirror
.

She stopped breathing
,
unable to recognize the apparition
haunting the glass
.
T
hin
c
loth
floated along every curve of her f
igure in an elusive curtain which
obscured painfully little
.
Simple in design the cut was erotic and elegant all at once
.
The
pale green hue set off
her
vibrant coloring
, and despite the
risqué
cut she found herself gaining confidence
.
One look at this
and
her
husband wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of her
.
She grinned
.
Charley
p
lucked
the pins from her hair
and
allowed the curls to tumble wildly
down
her back
.
She ran her fingers through
the l
ength a few times but did not
bother with the brush knowing Alex preferred a more tussled look
.

After
one last glance in the mirror
Charley
touched the garnet adorning her neck,
smoothed her hands along the gown,
and
snatched a dressing robe from
the bed
.
Just as she
tugged the
robe
into place, the doorknob rattled and Alex stepped into the room
.
Surprise lit his face
.
No doubt he’d expected to encounter her fully clothed.

 
“Charley
,” he
murmured
,
smoldering
gaze raking over her in a palpable caress of the eyes
.
“
Your robe… My vision… 
You
really were with me in Spain,
” he whispered, expression soft and thoroughly haunted
.
“My angel…”

The breath froze in her throat
.
A long swatch of curls fell over her eyes, obscuring her vision
.
She pulled the hair back to find Alex standing before
her,
statuesque and still, face
wrought
with
disbelief and tense longing
.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest fusing her with such heat she scarcely noticed the cold
.
Alex always had that
affect
on her
.
“I love you,” she murmured
.
“It’s always been you
.
Since I was five years old it has only been you.”

“
I know
.”

Without warning
he stepped forward
,
y
anking
her roughly into his arms
.
One
brawny limb
clamped about her waist while
t
he
other dipped beneath her knees, scooping her up in his arms
.
For a moment Charley was so stunned by the impulsive embrace she could do nothing but lie still in his arms
.
He buried his face in her neck and her
heart swelled
.
She curled her arms around his neck, and in response Alex crushed her to him,
seeking her lips
.
He held
her so tightly she could scarcely breathe
.
She didn’t want to breathe
.
The world beneath her fell away, leaving them suspended in time
.
Locked in Alex’s arms
her
sanctuary closed in around her, shimmering at the base of her fingertips, begging to be embraced… indulged.