Chapter 28 #2
She beamed at him, her eyes gleaming with joy.
“Secondly,” said Turlington, “as restitution for the harm caused by the machinations and deceit of the man known as Mr. George Easton, it is further ordered that all unentailed lands, properties, and holdings under his name be transferred to Mr. Silas Yorke, who has suffered greatly as a direct result of Mr. Easton’s actions and is deemed deserving of restitution. ”
Arabella’s hand gripped his, but Silas stared unblinking at Turlington, certain he had not heard correctly.
“High time!” Aunt Eugenia said loudly, conveniently forgetting that, at one time, she, too, had thought Silas guilty of murder.
Rather than chiding this outburst, Frederick clapped, and the others joined so that the room echoed with applause.
Lord Turlington waited for the applause to subside, then continued.
“Thus concludes the proclamations of His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent. Let it be known that these decisions are final and bear the full weight of the Crown’s authority.
Justice has been served.” He looked up from the document and set it on the table before him.
“You will be contacted shortly by a representative from the office of the Lord Chancellor.” There was another pause. “Mr. Silas Yorke, you are free to go.”
Silas let out a shaky laugh, still struggling to believe or understand that not only had his name been cleared, he was now the possessor of…what precisely? He hadn’t any idea what of Drayton’s fell into the category of unentailed.
There was no time to dwell on the question, however, for he was surrounded by family embracing and congratulating him.
Arabella had moved aside to allow the familial celebrations to proceed without her interference, but Silas was ever-aware of her, his gaze meeting hers as he embraced Aunt Eugenia.
Arabella smiled widely at him and dashed a tear away.
“The best part of this, of course,” Aunt Eugenia said as she pulled back, “is that the mustache need never make a reappearance.”
“You take too much for granted, Aunt,” Silas said, his cheeks aching from smiling.
“And here I thought the best part was that Silas inherited unspeakable wealth,” Anthony said.
“What have you inherited?” Frederick asked with curiosity.
Silas lifted his shoulders, for he hadn’t any idea. It was entirely possible that the extent of the material benefit he would receive would be a case clock. Not that he would sneer at such a thing, for any case clock would be a case clock he had not possessed before.
He looked at Lord Turlington, but both he and the scribe were gone. They must have left amidst the chaos of celebration.
“Barrington Court and the London townhouse.”
All eyes turned to Arabella.
“They are unentailed,” she explained. “As, of course, are Papa’s holdings in shipping and textiles. Those holdings are…significant.” The corners of her mouth drew up slowly as she looked at Silas. “You have inherited a great deal.”
He regarded her for a moment. Without taking his eyes from her, he said, “Might I trouble you all to grant me a moment of privacy with Miss Easton?”
“I am not at all convinced we should,” Anthony said, a hint of teasing in his voice. “You have just regained your reputation, Silas. It seems a bit cavalier of you to play fast and loose with it so soon after.”
“You can stay, Anthony,” Frederick said, moving toward the door with purpose. “I have already been witness to the sort of privacy Silas desires with Miss Easton, and I have no desire to repeat the experience.”
Silas smiled vaguely, his focus still on Arabella, who met his gaze with her own twinkling one.
“Shoo,” Aunt Eugenia said, pushing Anthony toward the door with the help of his wife.
The group shuffled out, and soon the latch clicked into place, echoing in the room.
“Quite a day for you,” Arabella said, still standing a dozen feet away.
Silas nodded, searching her face for any sign of the thing he feared. “Even more so for you, I think. How do you…feel?”
She took in a breath. “I feel…” She took a step toward him and smiled. “Happy.”
He watched her intently, then took his own step toward her. “You do?”
She nodded, then took another step.
“Is it not difficult,” he asked, his skin tingling as he matched her progress with his own, “to think that I am now in possession of two of your father’s properties?”
Her smile grew as she took the final step to close the distance between them, looking up at him with a glint of mischief in her eye. “Why do you suppose I wish to marry you?”
Silas let out a shaky laugh of relief and threaded his arms around her waist. “Do you mean to say you have an ulterior motive in accepting my offer of marriage?”
“Who says I have accepted it?” she asked, pulling his lips down to hers.
It was the seal upon an impossibly joyful day. How could a man go from losing everything to gaining everything so swiftly?
They pulled apart, Silas’s body and heart afire. “I do not think an acceptance is necessary.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“You claimed me as husband the night we met.”
Her head fell back as she laughed, and he took the opportunity to press a kiss to her exposed neck. It was warm on his lips, and he couldn’t resist trailing more across the soft skin.
A throat cleared loudly, and their heads whipped toward the source.
The servant who had first ushered them into the room stared at them austerely from the doorway. “If it is not an inconvenience to you,” he said dryly, “we have other declarations to make today.”
“Can a man not have a few moments in private with his betrothed?” Silas replied teasingly.
Arabella took his arm, and they walked toward the door his family had passed through. “We will have to content ourselves with the bit we have enjoyed. Your family wishes to celebrate with you, no doubt.”
He opened the door, but his family was not in the antechamber. “Apparently, one room was not enough distance for Freddie.” He gave the servant a nod, then shut the door.
“You deserve it all, you know,” Arabella said when they were alone again.
“That is debatable.” He ran his finger along her hairline tenderly. “I would give it all up if it meant I could have you, you know.”
Her expression warmed. “I know. But thankfully, you needn’t do so. You have me, and you always will.”
He took her face in his hands and brought his lips just shy of hers. “I shall hold you to that. Mercilessly.”
“I am counting on it,” she replied, any further response stopped by his kiss.