George allowed himself a small smile, almost relieved that Lord Jeffries had said something more so that he did not have to. He had not intended for such a large company to overhear this conversation, to hear all that Lord Neath had done, but he was glad of it now, glad that Lord Neath’s character and actions had been exposed in such a way. Every person of thetonin London – if not further afield – would soon hear of it, for the gossip would be rife. Lord Jeffries was quite right, Lord Neath wouldnotbe able to hold his head up in company… indeed, he would not have any company to speak of for no one would wish to be seen with him!
“Leave me be!”
With a roar, Lord Neath flung out his arms wide, his eyes blazing with fury. He shot a glare towards George, then spun on his heel, elbowing his way through the now gathered crowd. George watched him silently, seeing the many heads turning in Lord Neath’s direction, hearing the whispers and murmurs that instantly followed him.
“I thank you, Lord Surrey, for revealing the truth about Lord Neath’s character to us.” Lord Jeffries came closer and shook George’s hand, agony in his eyes. “I was about to accept his courtship of my daughter, believing him to be genuine in his desire to court her. He had made me believe that he was quitetaken with her, that this courtship would lead to marriage – and I would have been taken in by his words had you not spoken.”
George shook Lord Jeffries’ hand firmly. “I am glad to have spared your daughter from such a dreadful fate as Lord Neath’s company,” he said, with a wry smile. “I did not know that he had done or said such a thing, but it brings me a good deal of satisfaction to know that she is now safe from him.”
Lord Jeffries nodded, just as the lady came towards them both, wringing her hands.
“Oh, good gracious! Goodness, gracious me!”
George put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you quite all right?”
“I – I had thought that…” The lady closed her eyes. “I thought Lord Neath to be the most respectable of gentlemen. My daughter – Lady Margaret – thinks herself half in love with him!”
“I am sorry for that,” George replied, as the lady opened her eyes again but blinked furiously. “But it will be best for her to know the truth, I am sure.”
It took a moment, but the lady eventually began to nod. “Yes, yes, you are quite right. I thank you, Lord Surrey. My heartfelt thanks, truly.”
George bowed his head. “I am sure Lady Margaret will recover from her heartbreak very soon, Lady - ?”
“Lady Andover. My husband will want to thank you also but for the moment, I must go and find Margaret.”
“And I should find my own daughter also,” Lord Jeffries replied, looking away from George. “Thank you, Lord Surrey. I pray now that you will be able to move into your future with confidence and happiness, now that you are unencumbered by Lord Neath’s coercions.”
A broad, confident smile spread right across George's face as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a young lady approachinghim. “Thank you, Lord Jeffries,” he said, as Miss Williams drew closer. “I am quite certain that I shall.”
20
Beatrice walked arm in arm with Lord Surrey, walking through Hyde Park but avoiding the crowds as best they could. Her brother was somewhere nearby, supposedly following them, but given all that had just taken place, Beatrice presumed that he was now walking some distance behind.
“How do you feel at this present moment?” she asked, looking up at Lord Surrey, who was walking with a hint of a smile curving his lips. “Are you contented?”
“Contented?” Lord Surrey looked down at her, his hazel eyes warm. “If that is what the feeling is within my heart, then yes, I suppose I am contented.”
“What is it you feel?” she asked, as he grinned at her. “I am mixed with varying emotions!”
He turned, taking her hands in his and then gazing down at her, heedless to whoever else might be walking along the path. “I have joy, unlike anything I have ever felt before, for it makes me want to laugh aloud and at the same time, dance a jig that would, no doubt, have everyone around me thinking I had quite lost my senses!”
Beatrice laughed aloud at this, seeing his eyes twinkling. “I think I should very much like to see that.”
Lord Surrey chuckled. “Mayhap you shall, one day.” He tilted his head a little to the left. “At the same time, I feel immense relief that all of this came to an end. There is now nothing to hold us back from each other. And,” he finished, now wincing, “I feel foolish.”
Surprise clouded over her happiness for a moment. “Foolish?”
“Because I accepted all that Lord Turnhill told me without questioning it as I ought to have done,” he explained, his face flushing. “Had it not been for Lord Dorset, then I am quite sure that I would now be married to Miss Burnley… and miserable with it!” He shook his head. “I believed everything that was presented to me without question, thinking that the only thing I should do was hand the documents to my solicitors to make certain everything was just as it ought to have been. I do not think that I was right to do such a thing.”
Beatrice pressed his hands with her own. “My dear Surrey, there is no need for regret.”
The edge of his mouth lifted for a moment, then fell flat again. “You may well be right, my love, but all the same, I have that ache still in my heart. An ache that reminds me of just how close I came to losing you completely and forever.”
A tightness came into her throat, and Beatrice could not swallow it away.
“I want it to remain,” he said, surprising her. “I want to remember just how much I have been given, of how precious you are to me. To have that ache, that dull reminder of my foolish actions, will remind me every day of all the joy and blessing I have in being able to call you my wife.”
Those words sent a thrill up Beatrice’s spine, and she caught her breath.
