Chapter Thirty-Two
Hugo couldn’t stop smiling as he came back inside the cottage and was greeted by an equally happy and adorably rumpled Adaline.
The sun had barely risen, and the horse and gig were ready to resume their journey.
It had thankfully stopped raining and while there was still a great deal of mud about, the conditions had improved considerably.
Once they were back on the main road, he hoped they would make good time.
Adaline’s cloak, he was happy to note, was almost completely dry and toasty warm from its position nearest the fire during the night. He wrapped it about her shoulders, taking the opportunity to pull her close and press a lingering kiss to her lips.
A throaty little hum escaped her throat, and she nestled closer, wrapping her arms about his waist.
“Must we leave already?” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the hollow of his throat.
He chuckled, the sound low and gravelly.
A delicious little tremor ran through her and she burrowed even closer to his chest. “Oh, if ever I were to be tempted to climb back into bed, it would be now. In fact, I shall probably berate myself for this moment for the rest of the day.” He sighed and lifted her chin with his finger.
“But unfortunately, we have already lingered too long. We must be on our way before—”
A muffled shout and rapidly approaching horse hooves had Hugo spinning toward the door and shoving Adaline behind him. He pulled a pistol from beneath his cloak and aimed it at the door.
“Hugo,” Adaline gasped.
Before he could say anything, the door flew open and Henry burst in. He came to a sudden halt, freezing at the sight of Hugo. And his pistol.
The moment Hugo realized who had come through the door, he immediately aimed the gun toward the ceiling, then tucked it back in his waistband. But he kept Adaline firmly behind him, backing them slowly away from her irate brother.
The moment Henry saw Adaline clinging to Hugo—and the crumpled bedding in front of the hearth—unmitigated chaos broke out. His shouting drew in the others. Arthur, their parents, even Adaline’s mother and his own grandmother had ventured in.
It didn’t take long for them to all ascertain what had occurred there the night before. Hugo and Adaline watched in horrified bemusement as everyone began shouting at once. Her family were shrieking at him, his at her, then they turned on each other.
Arthur seemed to be trying to calm the situation.
Henry, on the other hand, stood with his nose less than an inch from Arthur’s spitting accusations and threats while their mothers stood, only slightly more civilized, bellowing their wrath at each other.
Hugo’s father seemed at a total loss as to what to do, and his grandmother was in the corner… laughing, if he wasn’t mistaken.
Adaline crept out from behind Hugo, her gaze bouncing between them all, her mouth open in astonishment. Then her eyes narrowed with pure anger, and she strode forward, dodging his attempt to draw her back.
“That is enough!” she shouted above the uproar.
The stunned silence was immediate, and everyone turned to stare at Adaline.
“What is going on in here,” her mother said, pushing her way into the already crowded cottage…and coming to an abrupt stop at the sight with which she was greeted. “Adaline,” she breathed, bringing a trembling hand to her mouth. “What have you done?”
Adaline squared her shoulders, but Hugo had had enough.
“She has done nothing,” he said, his words clipped and furious.
He took her hand and drew her back to his side.
He would have liked to have planted himself firmly in front of her, but he knew she wouldn’t stand for that.
And she had as much right to confront their families as he did.
Though he wouldn’t hesitate to throw himself in front of her if anyone showed any signs of violence.
“If there is any blame to be laid, it is at my feet. Not hers.”
“No,” Adaline murmured, but he stood more firmly. He would not allow anyone to disparage her, no matter who it was.
“You have ruined her,” her mother cried.
“He has done nothing of the sort,” Adaline protested.
Another chorus of collective arguments broke out, the volume growing until his grandmother banged her cane against the ground, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Jumping to conclusions never helped anyone,” she said. “Perhaps we should ascertain the truth of the matter before we pick out our dueling weapons.”
Her amusement-tinged gaze flashed to Henry, who hadn’t taken his furious gaze off Hugo.
“The truth is of little consequence in these matters,” Mrs. Girard said. “They spent the entire night alone. Even if he slept with the horse, she is still ruined.”
His grandmother remained unfazed. “She is only compromised if he will not marry her. And considering where we have found them, I do not think that is an issue. Is it?” she asked Hugo.
“Of course not,” he said, squeezing Adaline’s hand. “We are traveling to Gretna Green so that we can be married immediately.” He did not say were because he still fully intended on getting Adaline over the border and making her his wife as soon as humanly possible.
Though the uproar that followed his announcement did not bode well.
“But the scandal, Adaline!” her mother said, wringing her hands.
“It will die down soon enough,” Adaline said, trying to placate her, “as long as we are wed. We are far from the first couple to elope.”
“I see. And was this the plan all along?” his father asked. “We wouldn’t give permission and so you concocted this scheme to wed my son? Did it even matter which one?”
“Father!” Hugo’s fists clenched, his anger burning through him so hotly, he shook with the force of it.
“How dare you?” Mrs. Girard sputtered.
“He will wed her or face me in a duel!” Henry shouted.
“No one is dueling,” both of their mothers said, turning to each other in surprise at their momentary agreement…that rapidly devolved into another shouting match over who was trying to ruin who.
Arthur seemed to be the lone voice of reason, attempting to interject that if they truly loved each other, they should be allowed to be together.
His grandmother stood solidly in the middle of the fray, her eyes narrowed as the insults flew around her, the voices mingling until Hugo could hardly tell who was shouting what at whom.
“If he doesn’t marry her, she’ll be ruined!”
“If he does marry her, he’ll be cut off!”
“She should be sent to a convent!”
“Convents do not exist anymore!”
“More’s the pity!”
“This is your fault!”
“He’ll not get a penny of her dowry!”
“She’ll not get a penny of his inheritance!”
“You crafted this scheme!”
“I will see you at dawn, sir!”
“If everyone could calm down, perhaps—”
“He is a brigand!”
“She is a schemer!”
“I shall call the constable!”
“I will appeal to the queen!”
Adaline stepped closer to Hugo, burying her face against his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. She gazed up at him, her eyes filling with tears. The sight threatened to rend his already breaking heart beyond repair.
“I do not care what they threaten,” he said. “Let them cut me off. We will be fine. I will happily live in this cottage with you if we must.”
“Hugo…”
“I do not care what they do to me,” he insisted, his hand cupping her cheek.
She leaned her face into her hand, then turned it to kiss his palm. “But I do.”
He gently brushed a tear from her cheek and kissed her forehead, and she gave him a sorrow-laden smile.
“I love you,” she whispered.
And then she stepped away.
His arms dropped to his side, his heart cracking wide open as she took another step, her eyes never leaving his.
He lifted his hand to reach for her. “Adaline,” he said, his voice cracking.
But she turned away. “Enough,” she said. Her voice was quiet but somehow broke through the bedlam around them. “Enough.”
Everyone stared at her, but she focused on Hugo’s parents.
“I am not a schemer. I would never use Hugo in that way. And I would never deny myself the chance for happiness just to tie my name to yours. But I can see that I will never be able to convince you of that. To prove to you how much I love him.” Her voice cracked again, and she closed her eyes for a brief second, sucking in a trembling breath.
“I will not allow him to suffer for the sin of loving me.”
She glanced back at him with that sad smile that would forever be burned into his heart. “I love him too much for that.”
She looked back at his parents. “No one but those of us in this room know what has transpired this night. If no one reveals the secret, there will be no scandal tied to your name.”
“No, Adaline,” her mother said. “You are still compromised.”
Adaline shook her head. “Says who? As far as anyone is aware, we both spent the night peacefully in our own beds. And no one will know different unless someone in this room betrays us.”
His father straightened. “You have my word.”
Adaline nodded once and turned to the door.
“Adaline,” Hugo said again, hoping she would return to his side. Though…he did not know what he would do if she did. He couldn’t fight them all off. Though he would die trying if he thought it was what she wanted.
She took a deep shuddering breath. “I will meet you outside,” she said to her family.
Her mother looked as though she would protest again, but Adaline looked at her sadly. “Allow me to say goodbye.”
Her mother’s brow furrowed, lips pinched at her daughter’s distress. But she nodded and turned to go, brushing past Hugo’s parents and brother.
His father nodded at him. “Say your goodbyes then. I must get your mother and grandmother home and out of the cold. I expect you to be just behind us.”
He didn’t wait for Hugo’s agreement before gesturing for everyone else to leave, obviously expecting total obedience from his son. The thought rankled. He had never had a reason to outright disobey his father before.
But he did now.