“Are you not concerned for the children’s safety?”
“I don’t believe there is any threat to them. This man’s threats are specific to Annis and Annis alone. It seems he wishes to obtain the item that her aunt left her. I can take steps to secure the item and keep her safe. As her husband I will have the law on my side should he attempt to attack her again. An attack against a peeress will be seen very dimly by a magistrate. I think such a deterrent would be enough to keep him at bay.”
“And if he is dead?”
“Then he is no longer a threat. He appears to have been acting alone. In all honesty, I do not believe she killed him. She may very well have injured him, however. Sufficiently that he may rethink his course of action and stop his persecution going forward.”
“Hm. Well, keep me apprised of what you find. I will post some guards to patrol the grounds in future. I don’t like the idea of strangers wandering around with violent intent. The girls, Mother, or Sarah could be in danger, to say nothing of the children or any other guests we might invite.”
They had reached the house at this point, and Emrys divested himself of his coat once more and went upstairs to see his children and change for dinner.
Lizzie pounced on him as soon as he entered the nursery and demanded to know if he had rescued Miss Pringle.
“I did,” he said. “She is safe home once more.”
Charlie barreled at him for a hug, followed by Ewen. When hugs had been duly had all round, he sat down on the floor with them and said gravely. “I have some news that I hope you will like.”
“Yes?” asked Lizzie with bated breath.
“I am going to marry Miss Pringle tomorrow here in the chapel. What do you think of that?”
“I told you so!” said Lizzie with a broad grin.
“So, you approve?” he asked smiling with relief.
“Of course,” said Lizzie. “She makes you happy.”
Charlie hung back, however, a troubled look on her face. “Don’t you love Mama anymore?” she asked, chewing the knuckle of her thumb. It was a habit he noticed she had adopted since Caro’s death. Her question cut him to the heart, and he swallowed, blinking his eyes.
“I will always love Mama,” he said slowly. And it was true. In spite of her betrayal, a part of him would always belong to Caro—his youth, his past. But his future, for good or ill, belonged to Annis. “Do you like Miss Pringle?” he asked, worried that he’d overlooked Charlie in his plans. She was always in Lizzie’s shadow. Lizzie was the outspoken one, but Charlie was sensitive and felt things she didn’t always express.
Charlie nodded. “Yes. She saved Ewen.”
“She did,” he agreed.
“Miss Pingle,” interjected Ewen at this juncture, crawling onto Emrys’s lap. “Miss Pingle is nice. I love her.” he said pushing his head into Emrys’s chest. He put his arm round his son and squeezed, a warmth blooming in his chest. He put out his other arm to the girls, and they crowded in for a group hug.
Chapter Sixteen
The duchess supervisedgetting Annis undressed, bathed, fed, and into bed herself, and Annis subsided into her familiar bed and slept like a proverbial log. She was woken the next morning by the duchess at the very late hour of ten o’clock with the news that her wedding was set for two o’clock in the afternoon.
After that, things were a whirlwind, as the duchess swept her off to her own suite to select a suitable gown to be quickly altered to fit her, as none of Annis’s gowns were fit for a bride, being too plain and worn. The gown selected was a lovely pure-white muslin, so fine and sheer it needed a chemise and petticoat for modesty’s sake as well as to widen and stiffen the skirt in the new fuller fashion. The bodice was so small and cut so low as to be almost indecent in Annis’s view. She blushed looking at herself in it.
The gown was adorned with gold ribbon and gold embroidery, with elaborate puffed sleeves with layers of embroidered muslin falling over them like the petals of a flower. Fortunately, the duchess had similar-sized feet to Annis, and Annis was able to pair the gown with white satin slippers, a reticule, a fan, and a matching satin shawl with gold embroidery. The whole ensemble was so exquisite and rich, Annis felt quite overwhelmed.
When the duchess produced a string of milky white pearls to go with it, it was too much, and Annis burst into tears.
“My dear, don’t cry! This is supposed to be a happy day!” The Layne girls were also present, like a flock of pretty birds, but the duchess chased them away in the face of Annis’s distress and sat her down on the bed.
“Now tell me, do you not wish to marry the viscount?”
“Of course I do! It’s like a fairytale,” blubbered Annis, wiping her eyes.
“Well, that is a relief! I am very fond of Emrys—he has such a kind heart!”
“Yes, he does,” admitted Annis with a lachrymose smile.
“Oh, you love him!” said the duchess accusingly.
