“You look anxious.”
A hand settled on her shoulder, and Beatrice looked up, seeing Lord Surrey’s gentle smile.
“You need not be. If you have found the missing document, then everything is nearly concluded. What is there to be afraid of?”
She gave him a small nod. “You are right,” she murmured, unable to dismiss the worry from her heart. “But there is still the matter of Lord Neath and he – ”
“He is not meant to be present,” Lord Surrey reminded her, as Beatrice closed her eyes and drew in a steadying breath. “A few more minutes and it will all be at an end. Do not fret.”
His reassurance helped calm Beatrice somewhat, her stomach still twisting this way and the other as she watched him walk to stand in front of the fireplace, choosing not to sit down with the others.
A few more minutes, and it will all be at an end.
Taking in another long breath, Beatrice tried to quieten her thumping heart, telling herself that all would be well. Her gaze roved over every person present. First, there was her brother sitting opposite her and, with him, Lord Dorset, who now held the missing document. Beside him, there was Lady Norah, then Lady Welton and her husband. A good distance away from Lord Welton sat Miss Burnley, who appeared as if she had been crying, given the redness about her eyes. Beatrice’s heart squeezed with sympathy, recognizing that Miss Burnley had not done anything wrong in any way. She had been expecting to marry an Earl, and that, now being taken from her, must be very trying indeed.
“I did not agree to so many being present.”
Beatrice turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Lord Turnhill march into the room. “There is no need for this, Lord Surrey. You and I require a conversation, nothing more.”
Lord Surrey gestured to each person in turn. “Each person here has been involved in this affair, Lord Turnhill. They have all assisted me in some way and deserve now to hear the full explanation. Given that you now know I will not be marrying your daughter, I think it is right that you make a full explanation to us all.”
Lord Turnhill stood where he was, forcing Beatrice to shift in her chair so she perched on the edge of it, twisting around to her right to see him. His expression was dark, his lip curling ashe looked at Lord Surrey. She could not tell why he appeared so angry, for surely this was all his own doing!Hehad been the one to hide the document away, had pretended that there was to be a marriage forced between Lord Surrey and his daughter, so why now did he appear so upset?
“You have ruined everything, Surrey,” Lord Turnhill began, as the others all watched in silence, Beatrice included. “Why could you not have simply married my daughter, as you were expected?”
“Because,” Beatrice said, before she could think, “he was not in love with your daughter but in love with me. His desire was to marryme.”
“It still is,” Lord Surrey said, tenderness in his voice. “But had it not been for Lord Dorset here, I would not have thought to consider the matter with such concern.”
Lord Turnhill rolled his eyes. “Then I am to blame Lord Dorset.”
“You are to blame yourself, father!”
Every eye turned to Miss Burnley, who, tears sparkling in her eyes again, threw out one hand towards him. “Youare the one who arranged this, knowing that the requirements were already fulfilled.”
“I – I did not,” Lord Turnhill replied lamely. “I must assure you, I did not know of it.”
Beatrice shook her head. “That is very strange, Lord Turnhill, for surely your own family records would have revealed a connection between the two families.”
“And since this missing document – now recovered – states that any marriage between the two families would bring about great consequences to the Surrey line, I am all the more astonished that you did not know of it.” Lord Welton tilted his head, his eyebrow lifting. “I am all the more surprised that you did not know of it, since it was found in your study.”
With something that felt like pleasure in her heart, Beatrice watched Lord Turnhill’s mouth fall open. Clearly, he had not anticipated that they would have done any such thing as that!
“You did not think that we knew there was a missing page?” Lord Surrey asked, with a lift of his eyebrow. “It was Lord Dorset’s solicitors who noticed it, seeing that there was a small mark to every page, marking every page as one, two, or three offourpages. So again, Lord Turnhill, might I ask that you tell us all the truth?”
Beatrice settled back into her chair as, mercifully, Lord Turnhill walked further into the room, meaning that she did not have to twist around any more.
“This is most… irritating.” Lord Turnhill, still appearing to be somewhat belligerent rather than repentant, let out a heavy sigh as if he wanted to garner some sympathy from them all. “It seems as if I have no choice but to admit it all, given that you have found the document. Though I must say, I am greatly displeased at your willingness to sneak through my house and search through my personal belongings!”
“AndIam all the more displeased that you lied to me and tried to coerce me into a marriage that I did not even want!”
Beatrice flinched as Lord Surrey’s voice filled the room, his anger abounding. She could well understand it, but given that she had never once heard him speak in such a way, she could not help but recoil from it.
“Now, you will begin with these documents.” Lord Surrey, commanding now in both his standing and his voice, gestured to Lord Dorset, who held them all in his lap. “Your solicitors found these, mayhap?”
Lord Turnhill, his head lowering a fraction, nodded. “Yes.”
“And you decided, for whatever reason, to hide the fourth page of these documents. You falsified the seal to make it appear as though the end of the document was on the third page andthen presented them to my father as legitimate. However, he was aware that therehadbeen a marriage between our families.” Lord Surrey pointed to Lord Welton. “My uncle well remembers being told of it, and it seems right to think that my father would have also.”
