Chapter Twenty
Ravenswood
“I can’t stay. I need to leave before Lord Ravensthorpe returns,” Ashlyn said, sitting on an oversized green couch in the drawing room. “He’s so angry with me, I doubt he’ll ever want to see my face again.”
“Nonsense. That cannot be true,” Lady Ravensthorpe said, pulling her closer. “I know that’s not true. You were the only reason he went to that silly house party. What in the world happened there?” She turned to Alice. “Alice, can you shed some light on this?”
The maid looked to Ashlyn, who gave a small nod. She was in so much emotional turmoil, with so many thoughts swirling in her head, that she could barely speak.
“From what I saw, my lady, the house party became Lady Ashbourne’s attempt to marry off her son and daughter to wealthy partners—though her daughter was quite vicious.”
Alice explained the details of what Lord Pervis and his sister did to Ashlyn.
“Thank goodness Lord Ravensthorpe was there to stop that nasty Lord Pervis from his dark and nefarious intent, or who knows what could have happened to my mistress? But what is equally as evil is how Lady Paula sought to harm my mistress, searching her room for something that could ruin her reputation, especially in the eyes of Lord Ravensthorpe. The fact that Lady Paula was so gleeful in tearing out pages and passing them around makes me wonder who these people are. If my mistress had known how evil that family was, we would have stayed in London.”
Lady Ravensthorpe leaned back in the seat, shaking her head, her eyes filled with tears. “Your diary contained your most private thoughts…”
“Yes,” Ashlyn replied, a lump of sadness overwhelming her, momentarily rendering her speechless.
“My dear girl.” The countess reached out and grasped Ashlyn’s hand.
“I am so sorry you had to endure such vileness. I have known Lady Ashbourne for many years, and while she has indulged the whims of her children time and again, I had no idea that they had grown up to be such horrible people. We have been in mourning for the past several years, first Gabriel’s father and then…
Well, you know the rest. I had no idea what monsters Lady Paula and her brother had turned into. ”
“You have nothing to apologize for, my lady,” Ashlyn whispered. “It is I who must beg your forgiveness for withholding the truth of my own identity.”
Lady Ravensthorpe shook her head. “You never withheld the truth of who you were inside,” she whispered, patting her heart. “The rest of it I can well understand, given the circumstances.”
Ashlyn gave her a tremulous smile as she dabbed at her tears with the handkerchief that Alice had placed in her hand on the carriage ride back to Ravenswood. “My lady, I still cannot face him—”
“Where is she, Higgins?”
Ashlyn gasped as she heard his voice outside the room. But Lady Ravensthorpe gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Have Mr. Grimes collect Demon. He’s in a lather from the ride.”
“They are in the drawing room, my lord,” Higgins said.
Ashlyn had no time to prepare herself for the thunderous vision of the tall, striking man who stormed into the drawing room. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and he still wore his long leather overcoat. He nodded at his mother before turning to Ashlyn.
Standing before her, so tall and broad shouldered, Gabriel reminded Ashlyn of the Vikings of lore.
He held out his hand. “Come. Take a walk with me,” he said in a deep rumble.
Swallowing her nerves, Ashlyn put her hand in his and followed him outside, stepping into the garden. They took a seat on the stone bench near the honeysuckle vine.
“Talk to me.”
And she did. She told him everything. Leaving nothing out…
Gabriel listened to Ashlyn’s story. Her extraordinary violet eyes were so full of sorrow and regret as she told him everything.
“I knew the short version of what had happened. Your cousin and her parents showed up at the party—you probably passed them on the road,” he said as she dabbed at her eyes.
He had the urge to kiss each tear away, but there would be plenty of time for that later.
He wanted her to unburden herself. “And let me tell you, your cousin has a tough right hand. She’d give Gentleman Jackson a run for his money.
” Gabriel explained what Elizabeth had done to Lady Paula and the choice words she’d used.
Ashlyn covered her mouth as she let out a half sob, half laugh. “That sounds like something Elizabeth would do on my behalf. She is like the sister of my heart.”
Gabriel nodded. He understood. His own sister, Olivia, had felt that way about his fiancée, Juliet. Just as Lord Pervis was the embodiment of the worst of men, Lady Paula was the embodiment of the worst of women.
“Tell me your name,” he said softly. He wanted to hear how she pronounced her own name.
“My name is Ashlyn March. I am the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert March. My mother, Susanne, is the younger sister of Mr. William Vickers, Elizabeth’s father. Whom you met as well. We are a close-knit family.”
“I must say you and your cousin could be identical twins. I’ve never seen anything like it in cousins. You look so much alike.” He grinned.
“Yes, we’ve been told that our entire lives. I’m afraid it led to quite a few mishaps in our childhood.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Ashlyn March,” he said before he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Ashlyn breathed out a delicate sigh. And it made him think about other ways he wanted to make her sigh…
“But what happened between Elizabeth and Matteo, the Italian artist?” Ashlyn asked, her fine, delicate brows arched in question.
“Well, she said that she caught her maid, Rose, in a compromising position with Matteo the night before she was to take her vows with him. She left him to return here. The storms slowed her down,” he said.
Ashlyn blinked back fresh tears as she shook her head. “Poor Elizabeth. And I’m sure there is a lot more to the story.”
“Yes, I’m certain there is. And she will tell you all—I invited Miss Vickers and her parents to stay here for a visit before they return to London.”
“Oh, that is very kind of you…”
“Your cousin, your aunt, and your uncle love you very much. And they expressed their deep regret about what you were forced into doing,” he said.
“Even so, I-I should have told you.” Ashlyn looked down at her tightly clasped hands in her lap for a moment, then raised her head and regarded him with such sadness that all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and hug her close.
“I am truly sorry for lying to you, my lord,” she continued.
“And to your dear mother, and sweet Caro, and everyone in your household, who have been nothing but kind to me since I stumbled onto your doorstep.”
Gabriel nodded. “I apologize as well. For not being the man that you felt you could trust to tell everything.”
“No! You are. You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. That is why I lo—” Her hand flew to her mouth again, and she blushed prettily.
“What were you about to say?” he said as he gently took her hand from her mouth and placed a quick kiss on her palm. “Any more truths you want to tell me?” he asked, his voice soft and patient.
“I have feelings for you,” she blurted. “I didn’t mean to let them develop, but I couldn’t stop them. I…I love you, but it’s too late for us…and you won’t want a physician’s daughter. There’s no money, no title…”
He grinned and squeezed her hand, placing it over his heart.
“I know you love me. You were drugged last night when I helped you back to your room. You might have told me the wrong name when we met, but I know you haven’t been lying about who you are inside, and how you feel.
I’m not a fool. I can tell when a woman has feelings for me.
I didn’t know how to tell you how I feel, but I think I fell in love with you the night you arrived in the storm, asking for help for the three of you. ”
“You d-did?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Let’s start over. How about we start with this?
” He pulled her close and tenderly covered her lips with his.
Their mouths parted, and their tongues met in a sensual swirl, exploring and dancing.
His hands wandered over her, lightly touching her face and tracing her jawline as he kissed her. “I love you, Miss Ashlyn March.”
He got down on his knee and held her hand as he gazed into her eyes. “I want to make you my countess, if you’ll have me.”
The door to the house flew open, and his mother came out, stepping aside as Caro and her constant companion, Biscuit, ran out.
Caro ran up to them, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grabbed Ashlyn’s hand. “P-please don’t l-let M-Miss Vickers leave, Uncle. I l-love her…” she said in a raspy voice.
Shocked, Ashlyn, Gabriel, and his mother gaped at Caro. Even Biscuit cocked his head to the side and gave a little bark of surprise.
Realizing that she had just spoken aloud, Caro looked as shocked as they were.
“My child, you spoke!” Lady Ravensthorpe said in a choked voice, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I think I-I d-did,” Caro said with a nod. “I did s-speak, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did, my sweet girl,” Ashlyn said, hugging her.
“You’re c-crying, M-Miss Vickers. P-please d-don’t cry.” Caro placed her small hand on Ashlyn’s cheek.
“Aarf,” Biscuit barked, obviously wanting to echo Caro’s statement.
Gabriel blinked back tears, unable to grasp how momentous this was. His niece was talking again.
“I’ll try to stop crying,” Aslyn said. “But they are happy tears. And please call me Ashlyn. That is my real name. Ashlyn March.”
“Instead of M-Miss V-Vickers?” Caro asked.
“Yes. I hope that’s all right with you, Caro,” Ashlyn said. “I am so very sorry for not telling you my real name.”
“That’s just s-silly. B-but I l-like your name, Ash-lyn March,” the child said.
“Oh, thank you, my sweet girl,” Ashlyn said, hugging her again.
“You m-make me s-so happy. M-mama told me to trust you, and now I just w-want us to be together. P-please s-stay.” Caro turned to Gabriel, who reached out to caress his niece’s cheek. “I’ll still learn the sign language, if you want.”
Everyone laughed.
“I second that,” Gabriel said. “Please, won’t you stay?” he said to Ashlyn.
“I will,” she said, bursting into fresh tears.
Gabriel gathered the three females he loved most in the world in his arms, and he sent a silent thanks to Olivia for sending them an angel named Ashlyn who had brought love, laughter, and hope back into their family.