“Well let’s see…” James tapped his jaw. “First there was the part about you having returned from the Americas”—he waved his hand—“all untamed—but we took care of that, didn’t we? And then there was a part about you doing something very noble for your sister—none of us were surprised there, as you can imagine. Next came an interminable section about the traveling chariot the duke tried to hoist on the mother last year. The duke designed it with almost no windows—completely ashamed, he is. The mother would have none of it, as you might suspect.”
No, the duchess wouldn’t have wanted a nearly windowless box that was an insult to Theo, and, besides, the carriage would be absolutely useless in the transport of animals. Why hadn’t he realized that at once?
“My liege?” he prompted.
“Yes?”
“If you can get to the part about the abduction.”
“Well,thatpart I assumed you alreadyknew.”
“You assume wrongly.”
“How interesting.” James put his hand out. “As told to us, Farring convinced you to take the coach—which is really his wedding gift to you, by the way.” He turned his hand in the other direction. “And then he talked the lady into going after…how did he put it? Ah yes, what she truly desired. Which, I daresay evenyoumust understand, isyou.”
Well, then.His first assumption had been correct, after all. But then who the devil was Edmund Alistair Clarke? “If Farring intended to gift me with the carriage all along, and Julia planned to abduct me, why on earth would he send us both here?”
James blinked. “I should think that would be obvious.”
Obvious?
Well, now that he was thinking clearly, he could imagine only one reason Farring would intentionally send them both into the heart of Shepthorpe’s most closely guarded secret.
“He sent me here to force my hand.”
James nodded. “Lord Farring figured, at the very least, that seeing Master Theo and Annette would remind you of the lengths oneshouldgo for love. And he asked us to intervene if the two of you hadn’t managed to sort things out.” He leaned forward. “Youaregoing to sort things out, are you not?”
“Yes.” Farring’s gamble had worked.
He and Julia were here—a place built from nothing into a home of acceptance and love—and all of Rayne’s arguments against staying, facing his demons, and creating a life here in England fell away.
James cleared his throat. “Lord Farring went through a great deal of trouble for you.”
“Yes,” Rayne said drily. “I’ve seen more than a little trouble myself these past few days.”
“Anything worth having is worth some inconvenience.”
Inconvenience.
Hardly a word for the complete upending of his plans.
Twice.
James set the pin box down on the dresser and picked up a looking glass. “Shall we have a look?”
Rayne peered into the glass, seeing the self he’d once been reflected almost as if he’d never left. How—and why—he’d allowed James to talk him into shaving off his beard, he still wasn’t sure. But between his clean jaw, trimmed hair, and the clothing, he looked, every inch,Diamonds.
He snorted.
All this time he’d been running, and he’d ended up exactly where he’d begun.
Kissing Julia.
Wanting her for his own.
Her family was going to have his head—and rightfully so…but Farring, at least, believed he could become a deserving husband.
He didn’t know exactly how he would remake his world to accommodate Julia; he only knew that she was his intent, his obligation, and possibly even his redemption.
