Chapter Twenty-Five
As they approached the open door to the small salon, Clarice heard several voices coming from inside.
Her whole body trembled, and she fought back the sudden sick feeling in her stomach.
She needed to be brave. She needed to be strong.
As much as she wanted to run away and hide from guilt and embarrassment for what her father had done, she would not.
Ramsbury and Anna had nearly lost everything because of her father.
Also because of her. If she hadn’t come to Newmarket, none of this would be happening.
She had brought all this on them, and she didn’t know how to make it right. Even if her father was arrested for this, he probably wouldn’t receive any punishment whatsoever because of his title.
“Is everything all right?” Samuel asked as she stood outside the door. Samuel. Poor Samuel, who must also be battling guilt right now. Blaming himself, thinking that if he weren’t staying here, Ramsbury and Anna’s home wouldn’t have been the target of a vengeful earl.
“It will be, in time.” She forced one foot forward, then the other, until she found herself being introduced to Constable Everett. Once everyone was seated around Ramsbury and Anna on the settee, Ramsbury recounted the events of the night.
“I see,” Constable Everett said. “I sent my deputy to the stables to fetch the boy and put him in my coach, then guard him. I’ll question him on the way back to town, make sure he agrees to name the Earl of Portsmouth as the one who hired him.”
Samuel said, “I have a theory. A hunch, really, but the coincidence is too much to ignore.”
He talked about the night Stanton Hall burned down, killing his family.
Clarice’s chest hurt so much she found it painful to breathe as she listened to Samuel, his voice sounding sad and strained as he expressed his thoughts.
She’d never even considered that the fire that night could have been set.
Oh God, had her father committed murder against his one-time best friend, his wife, and heir?
She wiped her itchy cheeks with her fingers and was shocked to find her fingers wet from her tears.
Finally, Constable Everett stood and said, “I’ll be on my way. I will send word in several hours after I have interrogated the lad. I will also send a letter to the Constable in Southampton, requesting that he do some digging into the burning of Stanton Hall.”
After the constable took his leave, Ramsbury and Anna stood holding hands. “We’re going to try and get some sleep. You two might want to do the same. I have footmen watching the outside of the house, so it should be safe to get some rest,” Ramsbury said right before he and Anna made their exit.
After the baron and baroness left, Clarice turned to Samuel. “I think that exhaustion you mentioned has finally set in. Can we go to your room and try to get some rest?”
They entered the room Samuel was using, undressed, climbed under the coverlet, and fell fast asleep in each other’s arms.
After they were rested, and in the days following the fire, there was much to be done.
The friends of Ramsbury and Anna, along with Samuel’s friends, Greyson and Hunter, came and assisted with cleaning up after the fire in any way they could.
The parts of the house not damaged by the flames were scrubbed, cleaned, and aired out.
All the while, Clarice waited anxiously for word on her father. Then the morning of the fourth day after the fire, while she and Samuel were having breakfast in the breakfast room alone, a footman entered and announced, “Constable Everett.”
“Forgive me for stopping by unannounced and so early in the morning,” the constable said as he bowed. “But I didn’t want you to hear this from anyone other than me.”
Samuel indicated a vacant chair. “Would you care to join us?”
“Thank you, Your Grace, but I must decline as I’m needed elsewhere as soon as I leave here.”
“Then we won’t keep you. Please tell us what news you have to share.” Clarice said, feeling jittery all of a sudden.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Lady Chesterfield, but your father has fled to France.”
She gasped and covered her mouth in shock.
She knew her father had many flaws, but she didn’t think being a coward was one of them.
And his fleeing to France was as good as him admitting his guilt in the deaths of Samuel’s family and several servants.
She tried to feel sad, happy, or anything, but when it came to the man who fathered her, she felt nothing at all.
“Thank you for coming and telling us,” Samuel said, which was good because she didn’t know what to say to the constable at all.
“I’m sorry for the bad news,” the constable said. “I bid you good day.” He turned on his heels and left, escorted by the footman.
When he was gone and they were once again alone, Samuel, apparently determined to change the subject, said, “Do you realize that the 1000 Guineas Stakes is tomorrow?”
“Yes. With everything that’s happened, I’m surprised you remembered.” She paused and took a sip of her tea. “There must be a ball tonight. Why haven’t you mentioned it?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to go.”
“You thought correctly. Do you think we can go to the Red Lion Inn for my belongings? Anna must be tired of me wearing her old clothing when I have a perfectly good wardrobe full at the inn.”
“We can do that, but first, I need to talk to Clover. She’s probably nervous about the race tomorrow. This is her first real race.”
Laughter escaped her as she asked, “You mean you are nervous?”
“As hell. Is it conceited of me to admit that I want to win again?”
“Not at all.”
*
The day of the 1000 Guineas Stakes was upon them, and Clarice, once again, was sitting in Hunter’s open-air barouche. Greyson, Lady Aurora, Lady Anastasia, and Letitia sat in Greyson’s barouche. The crowd was larger than for the 2000 Guineas Stakes race, and she was just as nervous.
“There he is!” Greyson pointed. “Stanton, over here!” he yelled.
Clarice saw the moment Greyson called Samuel’s name; the intense look on his face relaxed as he hurried toward them.
“Perfect spot again,” he said as he hopped into Hunter’s carriage, curling his hand around hers.
“I wish I could kiss you. But this will have to do.” He raised her hand, turned her wrist over, and gently, sensuously, touched his lips to the pulse point where her short gloves met her wrist. Her blood hummed through her veins, fast and hot.
“Mmmm,” she sighed. “That was nice.”
“You two do realize you’re not alone in this carriage? And that everyone who cares to look can see you two love birds steaming up the air.”
Samuel burst out laughing. “Find yourself your own lady.”
Now Hunter laughed. “I’m trying. She’s being mighty stubborn.”
“Oh my,” Clarice said as she looked at him. “Who is it? I need to know.”
The man blushed. “When I manage to convince her I’m the only gentleman for her, I’ll let you know.”
“I hope it’s soon.”
He huffed, “Me too.”
“Bloody hell,” Samuel barked out. “The race has started.” He stood up and looked at the course. Clarice stood and, just like the last race, she felt and heard the thunder of horses’ hooves before she saw them.
“Is that—?” Hunter yelled.
“It is,” Samuel replied excitedly.
Clover led by a length and won the race easily. What were the chances that Samuel’s Zeus and Clover would both win their first race? And as an owner, that he would have won his first two as well? Maybe their luck in everything was changing.
*
The day after Clover won the 1000 Guineas Stakes, as Samuel promised, the special license arrived via a footman.
It had taken longer than expected, and he was beginning to panic, but it had finally arrived.
Of course, with Portsmouth fleeing to France, like a coward, they could wait, post the banns and have a large church wedding and celebration if they wanted, but he was ready.
Standing in Clarice’s room at the inn, he held up the parchment, worth far more than its weight in gold. “Last chance to change your mind and have the banns posted.”
“Samuel,” Clarice said as she approached from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his back. “I don’t want to wait even a day, much less four Sundays.”
“Thank Christ, you haven’t changed your mind.” He turned around, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her deeply. “Will you make me the luckiest man alive and agree to marry me today?”
“Yes.” She beamed, with all the love she had for him revealed on her beautiful face. “Can we go now? I have some ideas for tonight.”
“You little devil, you.” He chuckled.
She rested her head on his heart. “I’m serious, Samuel.
I don’t want to wait. What I want more than anything is for you and me to leave this inn right this minute, walk down the street hand in hand to the little white church at the end near the grove of trees, and say our vows with the vicar and his wife as witnesses.
Swear our love and devotion to each other before God. ”
“What about our friends?”
“We will celebrate with them tomorrow. Let us make today about us and us alone. We have waited so long for this. Do you mind?”
“Do I mind?” he smiled, stroking her back. “Marrying you and becoming your husband today is everything I’ve ever wanted, and I’m so honored that you have chosen me.”
*
With her head resting on Samuel’s chest, his heart pounding fast and steady, tears of joy rained down her cheeks, and her lips curved up into a smile. Today was the day she would marry the boy she’d once loved, who’d turned into the man she still loved with everything she had inside her.
He stepped back. “Do you need a minute to prepare?”
“I wore my prettiest and favorite day dress today, hoping for just this event. All I need is my bonnet, and we may go.” She picked the bonnet up off the bed and placed it on her head, tying the ribbon beneath her chin. She held her hand out. “I’m ready.”
They exited the room and the inn, surprisingly without seeing any of their friends, and walked hand in hand in the glorious sunshine down the street to the adorable, white-washed stone church, where, to her shock, the vicar and his wife greeted them at the doorway with smiles. “They were expecting us.”
“Of course, my love.”
“Welcome, Your Grace, Lady Chesterfield. I’m the vicar, Mr. Smythe, and this is my wife, Mrs. Smythe,” the vicar said as he stepped aside. “Please come in. Everything is prepared. And may I say how honored I am to perform your marriage ceremony.”
Once she stepped inside, Clarice’s eyes widened. “Ohhh, the flowers, the altar, it is just as I imagined in my dreams.”
“His Grace saw to it all,” Mrs. Smythe said with pride.
“Samuel.” She squeezed his hand. “It is like a fairytale. Thank you.”
“Shall we proceed?” Mr. Smythe said. “Your Grace, please come with me to the altar. My wife will take care of Lady Chesterfield.”
Clarice watched as Samuel, dressed in black riding clothes but looking more handsome than she’d ever seen him, walked up the short aisle to the altar overflowing with white flowers of every variety imaginable. And the scent in the air was divine.
“Let us step outside the doors, my lady. You should make an entrance,” said Mrs. Smythe.
Once standing on the outside steps, Mrs. Smythe closed the double doors. “Oh, I forgot, these are for you.” She handed Clarice a small bouquet of white roses, and she buried her face in them and inhaled the delicate scent. “His Grace thought of everything.”
There were so many emotions hitting Clarice at once that tears pooled in her eyes. It all seemed like a dream, and she was afraid she would wake up at any moment and be alone.
“When I open the doors, I want you to slowly walk down the aisle and join hands with His Grace and face each other.”
The doors swung open, and beautiful violin music drifted from a solo violinist. This time, tears streamed down her cheeks, her heart overflowing with love for her soon-to-be husband.
When she reached a smiling Samuel, who had tears in his eyes, they joined hands, and the vicar, with Mrs. Smythe by his side, married them.
“Congratulations, Your Graces, you are now married under God and in front of witnesses. May you have a long and fruitful life.” He waved his arm out as if the church were full of people. “Let us welcome the Duke and Duchess of Stanton.”
The door burst open, and their friends, Greyson, his sisters, Letitia, Hunter, Baron and Baroness Ramsbury, and Lord and Lady Kendall, all gathered in the church around them, wishing them well.
“Thank you, my husband. You made this day perfect. I love you.”
“You have made my life perfect. I love you more, my beautiful duchess.”