“No, Silas,” she countered. “Mr.Welbourne will stay.”
“The devil he will.”
“Mr.Welbourne saved Henry from the kidnappers. Do not forget it. He will stay.” Charlotte took a step forward, summoning her courage. For as much as she did not care for Silas Prior, he needed to know. “Anthony and I are to be married, Silas.”
His expression did not change at the news, and his response came out almost in a hiss. “You’re a fool then. And you.” He shiftedhis attention to Anthony. “How dare you take advantage of a situation.”
Charlotte did not give Anthony the chance to respond. “He is taking advantage of nothing. I am in full control of my life now. And after how you insisted that the Walstead Watchmen come and live with me on my property, you hardly have the right to have an opinion on how things have transpired.”
Silas’s face reddened, but his voice remained alarmingly low. “How dare you disrespect Roland in this manner.”
“How dare I disrespect Roland?” she shot back. “Roland was intolerably cruel, and I dare you to say otherwise, for you bore witness to it. I will not live in the shadow of a man who cared so little for me. I will be happy and productive with the rest of my days, and my decisions will forever be my own from this time forward.”
His gaze narrowed. “When you marry you will receive not a single penny from Roland’s will.”
“I don’t need it, nor do I want it,” she countered. “Besides, Mr.Walstead told me that the estate is in dire straits. I cannot speak to Henry’s inheritance, but I expect nothing more from Roland’s estate. In fact, it is time to give you this.”
Anthony handed her the pouch, and she stepped past Anthony until she was quite close to Silas. “The King’s Prize. It belonged to Roland. Do what you need to do with it to set things right with Roland’s estate and settle the necessary debts. From what I understand, once that is done there will be little left of an inheritance for Henry.”
Silas snatched the pouch and looked inside.
“As for Henry,” she continued, “he will continue to live here at Hollythorne House. Permanently.”
Silas’s tone remained hardened, but he was losing his argument—and his power over her. “He will still receive an inheritance from me, and he will need to know the business. What sort of mother would not want her son to be prepared for such things?”
“I assure you, Silas, I am a very good mother. And don’t you worry—Henry will be prepared to be a gentleman. He will go to school and be educated, but all that will be decided by me, and as for his future career, he will decide that when he is old enough to do so.”
“You will regret this,” he shot back, face flaming. “I’ll make certain of it.”
“You have no control here, Silas. You cannot control Henry. And you certainly will not control me.”
Silas did not respond. Instead, he turned on his heel, King’s Prize in hand, and stormed from the house.
Charlotte stood alone with Anthony in the great hall as they watched the Prior carriage depart the courtyard for what could very well be the last time. At one time the sight of that vehicle would incite fear and uncertainty. But now, as she leaned against Anthony, she felt strength running through her.
Once they were again alone, Anthony pressed a kiss on her cheek and snaked his arms around her waist. “You said you thought my father would be proud of me. But I think your father would be quite proud of you too.”
She relaxed against him, relishing the strength she found there, and rested her hand atop his arm. “I hope he would be. Buteven through all of this, I can’t help but feel a measure of pity for Silas. He’d fought so hard for control over Roland. Over Henry. Over me. Now what does he have? A big house. A great deal of power but no family. His legacy had been all that mattered to him. And now . . .”
Anthony shifted, slowly pivoting her to face him. “And now,” he picked up where her words faded, “Silas will live with the consequences of his actions. If the last few years have taught me anything, it is that every deed, every decision, has a consequence. Timmons learned that. And I’ve learned it too.”
Anthony’s countenance lightened. “Now, Charlotte Prior, where were we before being interrupted?”
She laughed at the playful grin she saw on his face—the happy laugh of a woman content, at peace, and in love.
He pulled her tight and kissed her, and her future spread before her, as vast and as free as the moor itself.
Epilogue
Hollythorne House, Yorkshire, England
Spring 1819
The vibrant sun shone down on Hollythorne House’s budding garden. Purple heather painted the moorland landscape around them, and the azure expanse of shimmering sky spread out overhead. After a long winter, spring was finally arriving, and with it a fresh perspective on all that lay ahead.
Charlotte tucked her hand in that of her husband’s as they traversed the brick path she had walked many years ago with her mother. Before them Henry toddled on, then paused, amused, to pick up a stick that had fallen in their way.
Anthony dropped her hand and stepped forward to scoop up Henry.
