Lord Deverill's Heir (42 page)

“At least once a day for a good five minutes,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her mouth. “The same with the hand wringing.” She raised her hand to touch his face, remembered that her mother and soon-to-be stepfather were standing just beyond Justin, and let her hand drop back to the cover. “It’s good to be alive. Thank all of you very much. How is Elsbeth?”

“She is doing very well now that she is convinced you’re on the mend,” Lady Ann said. “Don’t worry about her, Arabella. Everything that should have been said to her has been and anything that didn’t have to be said, wasn’t.”

The earl whistled. “That was very convoluted, Ann. It says a great deal for my intelligence that I gleaned your meaning.”

“I’m relieved,” Arabella said. In the next minute, she was asleep.

“So relieved,” the earl said, “that she dropped off to sleep on us.”

“Justin, really. You are being quite ridiculous. I am certainly strong enough to walk across the bedroom.” Arabella’s protest didn’t appear to have any result at all. He just grinned down at her and kept walking to the comfortable settee that he had moved to beside the window. It was a sunny afternoon, thank the beneficent God.

“There, madam,” he said, gently easing her down. He plumped her pillow.

He drew a light afghan over her legs to her waist. She was wearing a seductive peach silk peignoir that he had very carefully eased her into.

She had no idea how it made her look. He took a very deep steadying breath and said, “Did I tell you yet today that you are incredibly beautiful?”

“Yes, this morning, first thing when I opened my eyes. But I thought you were overdoing it. As I recall, my hair was falling across my face.”

“Did I tell you that you are more precious to me than my gun collection?”

“Not yet. However, I do not want you to feel coerced. If you don’t wish to say that just yet, I will understand. Perhaps you should work up to that, my lord, for it is a big step.”

“All right then,” he said as he pulled a chair up next to her and sat down. “I will take your advice and not rush things.” He leaned forward then, kissed her, lightly ran his fingertips over her nose, her cheeks, the line of her jaw. “If you are truly worthy, I will even wash your hair for you.”

He saw the excitement in her gray eyes. Her hair was on the edge, a thick braid laying limp over her shoulder. “I should like that more than anything. Tell me how to be worthy enough.” That was a kick right to his groin. “Ah, I cannot have that expectation of you just yet. Like my gun collection, it must wait a while.” She didn’t understand and he hadn’t really expected her to. He gave her a shameless grin and patted her cheek. “All right, perhaps this evening.

No, don’t argue. I want you to rest here for a good long time, then we will dine together. If you still look as kissable tonight as you do right now, I will allow you to have your way.” She smiled at him, very possibly the most beautiful smile he had ever been granted in his life. He drew a deep breath, kissed her again and once more, then straightened at the sound of a throat clearing in the doorway.

“Ah, Paul, you are here to annoy us?”

Arabella tried to pull the afghan higher. The pain from the simple movement made her wince.

The earl gently raised her hand and laid it beside her again. “I told you I expect you to rest. Any strain on your shoulder isn’t on the list. Obey me, Arabella, or I will let Paul do something vile to you.”

“At least you have finally allowed me a nightgown.”

“I didn’t particularly want to,” the earl said, kissing her yet again,

“but Paul insisted. He told me that he didn’t want me distracted in that manner, not for another good two weeks.”

“Did I really say that?” Dr. Branyon said, coming to them. “My dear,” he said, and immediately laid his palm on her forehead. Then he leaned down to listen to her heart. Finally, he lifted her wrist. “Ah,” he said finally. “I am such a good physician that I have even surprised myself.

It’s been only a week and just look at you, Bella. Looking beautiful and soft as butter. Here’s your even more beautiful mother. Ann, come here and treat your daughter to your presence.” Arabella laughed. Another laugh, the earl thought, so pleased he wanted to shout with it.

Dr. Branyon briefly examined her shoulder, then straightened again, nodding. “Excellent, just excellent.”

Lady Ann patted her daughter’s hand. “I would have brought Elsbeth with me, but she is riding with Lord Graybourn. Naturally he is no longer staying at Talgarth Hall. That would be pushing Aurelia’s good nature far too far. No, he is currently residing at The Traitor’s Crown, in the very best room Mrs. Current could manage. Now, my darling, tell me. Have these two gentlemen been provoking you?”

“Oh no, Mama, even Dr. Branyon hasn’t prodded me too much. As for my lord here, why, he has promised to wash my hair for me tonight.”

“That’s true,” the earl said, “but only if she obeys me. In all things.” Lady Ann blinked at this, then chuckled. “This besotted peace between the two of you is beginning to alarm me. It isn’t natural somehow. Arabella, please regain your strength soon. I want you to stand toe to toe to Justin again. I want to hear the two of you yelling at each other.”

“Never,” said the earl.

“Oh no, Mama,” said Arabella. “He is a saint. He is perfect.” Lady Ann began counting off fingers.

“What are you doing, Mama?”

“I am deciding how many days from now my wish will be granted. I even will make a wager on it. I think eight days and then the two of you will be ready for a good shouting match. I do look forward to it. It will be time to make Evesham Abbey a home again.”

“That is one way of looking at things,” the earl said.

“Eight days, Mama? That’s all you give us?”

“It just might be sufficient,” the earl said, and clasped her fingers.

“I just remembered something,” Dr. Branyon said suddenly to the earl.

“Justin, you were on the point of telling Ann and me something when Arabella woke. What was that? Yes, I know it was five days ago. Do you remember if it was important? I remember you said something about if only you hadn’t strung the comte along, then perhaps things would have happened differently.”

The earl released Arabella’s fingers. “I had completely forgotten about them. Just a moment, please.” He rose and walked to the small desk that was in the far corner of the huge bedchamber. He came back carrying the emerald and diamond necklace. The green stones glittered in the bright sunlight.

“The necklace?” Arabella said. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“That night when we faced down Gervaise I was holding out the emeralds in my hand, taunting him with them. Then I tossed them to him as if they meant nothing at all. Well, the truth is that the emeralds are worthless.

They’re paste, as are the diamonds. That is what I should have told him.

If he had known that, perhaps he wouldn’t have chosen the path he did.”

“Actually,” Arabella said after a moment, “I don’t think it would have made much difference. I think it would have served only to enrage him all the more, that is, if he had even believed you.”

“You’re right,” the earl said after a moment, his gray eyes brilliant.

“He wouldn’t have believed me, not for an instant. Had I been here I wouldn’t have believed me either.”

“Paste,” Lady Ann said. She took the emeralds from him and held them up in the sunlight. “Paste. All this misery over a paste necklace of next to no value at all. Obviously Magdalaine’s parents knew they were paste when they gave them to her to bring back to your father, Arabella. Remember, they were supposedly part of her dowry? And they gave their daughter a worthless necklace to give to her husband. Surely they couldn’t have believed the late earl wouldn’t have noticed. Ah, but the violence was escalating in France.” Lady Ann shook her head as she stared at the emeralds. “Paste. It boggles the mind.”

“And that damned necklace has stayed snug in the Dance of Death panel all these years,” Dr. Branyon said. “Waiting to be found. I wish the damned thing had never existed in the first place.” Suddenly a tear rolled down Arabella’s cheek. “Don’t, love,” the earl said, and gently drew her into his arms. “Don’t cry. Will you trust me?” She nodded, gulping back the tears, but still they fell, one after the other.

“Good, I want all of you to hear this. You know that I searched Gervaise’s room that afternoon of the Talgarth ball. I found a letter to Gervaise from his uncle, Thomas de Trécassis, Magdalaine’s brother.

Obviously he had no idea that the necklace was worthless. It was in that letter that I learned exactly where the necklace was. But that’s not what’s really important. What’s really important is another letter, one that fell out of Arabella’s slipper when I was undressing her after she’d been shot.”

“No, Justin, no.”

“Please, trust me. There’s nothing for you to fear. Trust me.” She didn’t want to, but he was holding her hand, he was looking at her intently, willing her to believe in him. Finally, she nodded.

“Paul,” the earl said, “please read this letter. It is from Magdalaine to her lover, Charles, the skeleton Arabella found in the old abbey ruins.” Dr. Branyon took the creased and yellowed piece of foolscap. He smoothed it out as best he could. He walked to the window so that the sunlight poured in on it. He was silent for a goodly amount of time, sometimes frowning, sometimes puzzling over words he couldn’t make out. Finally, he raised his head. “This is incredible, really incredible. Bella, my dear, you have been terrified to tell anyone of what you had found?”

“He was my father. I loved him. I told Justin because I thought I might die. But this paints him as a vicious murderer. Please, promise me that it will not go beyond this room.”

“It won’t,” the earl said. “But it is time, Arabella, for us all to know the truth. Paul, can you tell us?”

“Yes, I can see that it is time. Magdalaine returned from France only to fetch Elsbeth. Then she and her lover would have probably fled to the Colonies. She must have brought the emerald necklace with her.

“Your father must have caught them. His wife had betrayed him, had stolen their child, and was fleeing with her lover. He would have been enraged.

Yes, it would appear likely that he did shoot this Charles. But there is no dishonor in that.

“But listen to me, Bella, your father did not murder Magdalaine. She killed herself. I was here. I was with her all during her final hours. I won’t lie to you and tell you that your father loved her and was devastated that she had tried to leave him, for at the end he didn’t. She had betrayed him. He did not kill Magdalaine, although from reading this letter I can imagine how you drew such a conclusion. No, she killed herself. I swear it to you. She must have hidden the emeralds and written their hiding place to her brother before your father knew her intentions.

She believed they would be her birthright to her son, Gervaise.” He paused, then drew a deep breath. “No, he bore no love for her but he did not kill her.”

Her tears stopped, though she still didn’t look up. Justin saw the flash of pain in her eyes and knew her shoulder was hurting her. He said nothing. He would let her gain her own control.

She said then, “I have had this incredible burden of doubt and uncertainty lifted from my heart. All along you knew, sir, yet it never occurred to me to ask you.”

“Had you asked, Bella, I am not certain I would have told you the truth.

It was a long time ago. She was my patient. But now, to clear all this mystery away, well, I am certain she wouldn’t have minded.” Lady Ann said, “But how did you know, Justin? No, don’t try to deny it.

Never would you have taken such a chance without knowing the answer first. Tell us, how could you be so certain that the earl did not kill her?”

He shrugged, saying simply, “He told me several years ago, not any of the details, of course, merely that his first wife had taken her own life. I could not be certain that you would believe me, so I asked Dr. Branyon to tell you.”

Dr. Branyon said, “I think it time you destroyed this letter, Justin. No one need know anything. As for all our neighbors, I have already begun spreading it about that Gervaise was a desperate young man who had somehow discovered the existence of the emeralds. Indeed, to further dampen rumors and gossip, Ann and I have both told certain people that the gun went off by accident. As for Gervaise, we have simply said that he was shot trying to escape with the necklace.”

“I had not even thought of doing that,” the earl said. “Thank you both.” Dr. Branyon smiled down at Arabella. “Now, young lady, you need to rest.

No, do not gainsay me, for I have a formidable ally in your husband. Also he tells me that he will wash your hair for you if you are obedient.” He passed the palm of his hand over her cool forehead. “Yes indeed, there can be no finer physician in the county.” Dr. Branyon and Lady Ann left the earl’s bedchamber, arm in arm.

“Now, do you swear you will always trust me?” She gave him a long assessing look. Slowly, she pulled him down to her and whispered in his ear, “Did I tell you about the second letter, Justin?”

He could but stare at her. “You little tease, by God but that was well done. My heart had plummeted to my toes. Promise me, Arabella. There is no second anything, is there?”

“No,” she said and laughed. Her shoulder had been paining her, but her laughter had made it feel better.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “When we are not yelling at each other, do you think we could laugh together?”

“I should like that very much,” she said. “It hurts my shoulder to pull you down to me. Could you come to me willingly now?” He did, kissing her until she was breathing rapidly and her eyes were vague. He lightly laid his palm over her breast. Her heartbeat was quite fast. He grinned down at her. Between small nipping kisses, he said,

“Life is really very nice, isn’t it?”