Chapter 20
Groaning, Rupert tried to blink what felt like grit out of his eyes. He raised one hand to wipe them, only for pain to explode in his head. A cry broke from his lips as he dropped his head back, one hand going to cover his eyes.
Where am I?
The pain slowly lessened, although the ache in his skull remained constant.
Slowly, Rupert came to realize that he was lying flat on his back, looking up at the sky, which was slowly beginning to brighten.
His vision was blurred, shadowed at the edges, and with another groan, Rupert tried to sit up.
Pushing himself up on his elbows, he fought back a sudden wave of nausea as he blinked furiously in an attempt to clear his head.
The ache in his head became a persistent throb. Lifting his hand, Rupert pressed it to the back of his head, feeling it damp. When he took his hand back, there was blood on his fingers.
I do not remember what happened.
The only things he could recall were stepping out of his carriage a short distance away from the entrance to Hyde Park and watching it disappear around the corner.
His driver had been instructed on what to do and had not paused for more than a moment to let Rupert alight.
He had moved quickly, returning the way he had come… and that was all he could remember.
“Something must have happened,” he muttered, pushing himself up on his hands now as dizziness threatened him. With an effort, he rose to his feet but staggered forward, grunting heavily as he caught a tree for balance, one arm wrapped around it.
“Finchley? Is that you?”
A voice that seemed to come from very far away reached his ears, but Rupert closed his eyes, swaying heavily as he tried to stand without support.
“What happened?” An arm went about his waist, and Rupert let out a low groan, recognizing his brother’s voice. “You are injured!”
Rupert opened his eyes and tried to focus. “Where is Eleanor?”
“She is quite all right. We have Emma, too.” Preston looked at him, and slowly, his face came into focus. “Come, we must get you back home.”
“You have found him!” Running feet and another voice had Rupert frowning. “Thank goodness.”
“Here, if you might help me?”
Before Rupert could protest, another arm was slung around him. Carefully, he was led back the way they had come, finding his legs weighted and his steps slow.
“We will have to send for the surgeon,” he heard his brother say. “There is a nasty wound to the back of your head.”
“But Emma – ”
“That can wait,” Preston said, firmly as Rupert tried to speak, tried to say that all was well. “You will come to call this afternoon, Howerton, yes? All three of you?”
“I am well enough to have a conversation,” Rupert said, managing to get the words out through heavy lips. “I am sure – ”
“It will be better for Lady Eleanor, too,” Lord Preston said firmly. “She wants to be present – and Lady Catherine can be also. Do not protest, brother. The conversation can wait a little later, until you are well. Do not worry. It will not be long now.”
“Oh, Rupert!”
Feeling Lady Eleanor’s arms around his neck brought Rupert such happiness, he felt as if he could not contain it, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Lady Catherine scurried past them and into the drawing room, leaving them alone in the hallway.
“I am sorry I could not speak with you this morning,” he murmured in her ear, a gentle scent of lavender teasing his senses. “My brother was most insistent.”
“You were injured.” Leaning back, she searched his face, her eyes worried. “The surgeon came?”
Rupert nodded, letting go of her waist but settling his hands on her face instead. “My darling Eleanor, I am quite well, I assure you. The surgeon visited; he has seen to my head and all will be well.” His smile faded. “This will be a difficult conversation, however.”
“But necessary,” she said, gently. “They are all here, then?”
He nodded. “In the drawing room.”
Lady Eleanor sighed gently, her lips no longer curved in a smile. “My Aunt will return within the hour, she said. Catherine and I must be at the door by that time.”
Rupert nodded. “Your aunt has a great deal of trust in both me and my brother.”
“She believes you both of good character,” Lady Eleanor replied, her hands still around his neck. “Just as I know you to be.”
Rupert could not wait another moment. His touch gentle, he cupped her cheek, then looked deeply into her eyes and held himself there for a breath.
The hallway fell silent, as if everything in the world was waiting for them to share this one, long-awaited kiss.
Bending his head, Rupert closed his eyes and brushed his lips to hers, hearing her swift snatch of breath.
Again, he kissed her, more firmly this time, and she responded in kind.
The days and weeks of confusion and upset faded to nothing, their coming together now a promise of love both felt and given.
Rupert held her close, certain that he loved her more than he had ever done before, if such a thing were possible.
When they parted reluctantly, her hands still around his neck and his forehead resting upon hers, Lady Eleanor let out a breath that sounded like a release of pain, of doubt and confusion. Her fingers brushed through his hair, then settled at his shoulders.
“There is nothing but happiness awaiting us now, my love,” she breathed, her eyes still closed as Rupert nodded, his heart overflowing. “The past is forgotten, the present is soon to be concluded, and the future is waiting.”
“Waiting with the promise of love and hope and happiness,” he said, as she opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I love you, Eleanor.”
Her hand settled at his heart. “Just as I love you.”
“Thank you for coming, all three of you.” Rupert looked around the room, seeing the white face of his cousin, Emma, looking back at him, though when he caught her gaze, she quickly dropped her head.
“I know that this will be a most painful and difficult conversation, but it must be done… if there is to be an end to it all.”
“An end?” Lord Howerton glanced at his brother, then looked back at Rupert. “I do not understand. What are you speaking of?”
Rupert watched as Lady Eleanor began to pour the tea which he had sent up for herself, Lady Catherine, and Emma, if she should want any.
Perhaps sensing his gaze on her, she looked up at him for a moment, her eyes steady and her expression calm.
It settled his own nervousness and, with another nod in her direction, he continued.
“I think it best that I start from the beginning,” he said, as Lord Wishart nodded. “You recall that I came to speak with you, Howerton, a short while ago?”
“Yes, I do.” Lord Howerton ran one hand over his chin. “You asked me if I had any enemies or some such thing. There was clearly a concern that there was someone near to us who was going to cause injury in some way.”
“That was the reason that we spoke with you, yes,” Lord Preston said, before Rupert could respond. “You were not able to give us any names or the like.”
“That is because there were none!” Lord Wishart exclaimed, as his brother nodded fervently. “We could not give you a name because we could think of no one near to us who wished us harm or injury.”
Rupert took in a breath before he continued, giving the room a moment to settle itself.
The last thing he needed at this present juncture was for his cousins to become upset.
“I was – and still am – very glad to hear you say such a thing,” he responded, as his cousins shared a look.
“It did not help us, however, for we were trying to ascertain just who it was that was threatening me.”
Lord Howerton’s eyebrows shot upwards, and Lord Wishart’s face paled. “Threats?” Lord Howerton exclaimed, sounding utterly astonished. “You mean to say that someone was trying to harm you?”
With a nod, Rupert looked to his brother. “Preston and I were deeply troubled at that time. I had received notes demanding money from me. Money that would have to be given if news about my sister was not to spread through London.”
“You are speaking of Rebecca,” Lord Wishart said, slowly. “I will not pretend that we are unaware of her circumstances, but I thought that she was married and settled now.”
“She is,” Rupert replied, a hint of a frown on his own face. “You know of her situation, then?”
Lord Wishart grimaced. “Yes, we did hear of it. The child is not her husband’s, I believe.”
“And she has not been married long enough for anyone to believe that he might be,” Lord Preston interjected. “We were not aware that you had heard of her plight.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Rupert noticed how Emma had dropped her head lower still, so that her chin nearly rested on her chest. His stomach tightened, understanding shooting through him. “You learned about this from your sister, I presume?”
“Why, yes,” Lord Howerton answered, with a frown pulling at his forehead. “But that cannot be of concern to you, surely? We are family, and we are loyal to each other. There was not even the smallest thought in my mind about sharing that news with anyone in the ton.”
Pressing his lips together, Rupert hesitated as he tried to think of what to say next.
He wanted Emma to be the one to admit to what she had done, for stating outright that she had tried to blackmail him might bring about his cousins’ ire, even if it was the truth.
They had to listen, had to understand, and realize the extent of Emma’s guilt.
What would come thereafter would be entirely up to them.
“You do not doubt that, I hope?”
Rupert shook his head at Lord Wishart’s question. “No, I do not. But Emma, however, may not have had as much desire as you both to keep such a thing to yourselves.”
“Emma?” Lord Howerton swung his gaze around towards his sister. “Whatever do you mean?”
Silence reigned. No one spoke; no one said a single word for some minutes, and Rupert did not know what else he might add. They were all waiting for Emma to respond, to say something that would clarify what Rupert had said.
She said nothing.
“I understand that you must find yourself in a place of great distress, Miss Gladstone.” Coming to stand beside him, Lady Eleanor spoke softly and with a good deal more gentleness than Rupert himself had been able to manage.
“But this is not something that you can escape from, I am afraid. You must speak honestly and truthfully about what you have done. All must be made known if it is to be made right.”
Emma put her head in her hands and, her shoulders shaking, began to sob.
“I do not understand any of this,” Lord Wishart stated, sounding a trifle angry. “You are making my sister deeply upset, Finchley!”
“Given what she has done to him, I hardly think that a few tears are worth getting upset over.” Lord Preston, with a sharpness to his tone, got to his feet and strode across the room to pour a small measure of brandy into a glass.
“Understandably, you will feel sympathy for her, but believe me, Wishart, what she has done – ”
“What has she done?” Lord Howerton got to his feet, his eyes narrowed as he pointed one finger in Rupert’s direction. “Explain it all to me now.”
Rupert sighed and shook his head. “I wanted Emma to be the one to share it, but if she will not, then I suppose I must.” He gave his cousin another minute to lift her head and begin to speak, but she did not; he tried his best to explain.
“The threats I received were for money. Money that was required for specific things – a theatre box, horses, a carriage, etc. The money was supposedly earmarked for such things and, to my mind, came from someone who did not have a good deal of coin but who desired such things to keep themselves in good standing and fine comfort.”
“But Emma already has all that she desires,” Lord Howerton stated. “Unless you are suggesting that I do not provide all such things for her?”
“It is not Emma who lacked,” Rupert replied, quietly. “But Lord Wigton.”
The moment those words left his lips, Emma let out such a gasp of either shock or dismay that every eye turned to her again. Her eyes were fixed now, wide and staring up at Rupert, tears staining her cheeks.
“You did all of this for him, did you not?” Rupert asked, as tension began to cloud the room.
“Either that, or he coerced you into doing what you ought not to do. He wants – he requires money – and given what you knew about my sister and my own good fortune, you thought to do what you could for him.”
“By stealing from your own cousin!” Lord Preston exclaimed, sounding a good deal less forgiving. “By threatening someone within your own family!”
“Emma.” Lord Wishart turned to his sister, but his voice was thin, shock filling it. “Surely, this cannot be true?”
As Rupert and the others watched, Emma set her hands down from her face, clasped them in her lap, and looked straight back at Rupert, her chin lifted.
“I did it all for love,” she said, her voice wobbling but her gaze steady. “You know what that feels like, do you not, Finchley? Tell me, is there anything you would not do for Lady Eleanor?”
The first answer in his heart was to state that no, there was nothing he would not do for the lady he loved.
That response, however, was held back as he turned to look straight back at Lady Eleanor, who was gazing at him with a calmness in her expression.
It was as if to say, whatever it was he wanted to say, whatever he felt the need to say, she trusted him to speak both well and with honesty.
He took a breath. “Yes, Emma,” he said, still holding Lady Eleanor’s gaze. “There is something that I would not do, regardless of just how much love I have in my heart for her.”