“Bloody hell, does it not sound like I’m swearing!?”
She understood his frustration. She would have smiled if it weren’t so inappropriate with these particular emotions racking him. “That isn’t the sort of swearing she wants me to hear,” Brooke was forced to say.
Oh, my, there was that feral gleam again, but she didn’t think it was for her. Then he paced and did some more of that other swearing. She waited patiently.
He finally stopped and stared at her. “I swear I won’t kill him. There, I’ve said it quite clearly. Now give me the name of who I’m only going to pummel.”
“Benton Seamons.”
He growled and marched to the nearest wall to punch his fist through it. She hurried over to see what sort of damage he’d just done to his knuckles, tsking at him, “Keep in mind,shedoesn’t want him to die for what he did, though she might not care if he gets a sound thrashing. But you and your sister can discuss that later.”
“Why did she blame your brother instead? Or was that just a ruse to put me off the scent?”
“No, she didn’t know you’d read her diary. And it was Robert’s fault indirectly, even though he only thought he was helping when he interfered where he shouldn’t have. He had become chummy with your friend that summer and learned that Benton was so in debt from his gambling that his father was threatening to disown him. So he steered Benton to a ducal heiress who would be of age to marry in a couple of years, to get in on the ground floor, as it were, a girl who could solve his current problems nicely—and easily cover any exorbitant gambling debts he incurred in the future. It was the only thing that appeased his father enough to pay off his debts. Benton was drunk when he laughed at Ella’s news about the baby, but he already knew he couldn’t marry her even if he did love her. He broke with her in that harsh manner because he was going to be disowned if he didn’t, which would leave him no longer worthy of her in any case.”
“Why didn’t your brother tell me that?”
“Well, hedidtell you it wasn’t him, you just didn’t believe him. And Ella did blame him for ruining her life because he was the one who told Benton he could do better than her and with who. She found that out from Robert before she left London and how badly in debt Benton really was.”
“But three duels—why the devil didn’t he give me Benton’s name?”
“Because he’d given his word to Benton that he wouldn’t reveal anything about that summer. Who would have thought my brother could have even a speck of honor in him, to keep that secret even though his life depended on it? But I just found that out from Robert last night when we returned to town. And that being responsible for giving Benton that ducal option has made him feel rather guilty, especially when you accused him of being responsible for Ella’s death. He pretty much admitted that he felt he deserved a bullet for his part in it—but not three duels!” Brooke grinned slightly, remembering her brother’s frustrated expression when they’d talked of this last night. “He was quite put out when you wanted that third round. He was ready to find Benton himself and beat him into giving you his confession when you cornered him to force that last duel. And when I got dragged into it, he was actually trying to rescue me by goading you to send me home. I’m glad you realized that before I did.”
“And that potion he gave you?”
She rolled her eyes. “It was supposed to make you see something grotesque and frightening in anyone you looked at, long enough for you to chase everyone out of your house, including me. It was otherwise harmless. Now, would you like to see Ella today?”
“She’s that close?”
Brooke grinned. “Yes. So you should probably let your mother know. Seeing Ella without prior warning...”
He chuckled. “Indeed, ghosts tend to cause all sorts of havoc and fainting.”
She laughed. “How would you know?”
“A good guess.” He squeezed her tightly. “You can’t imagine what this means to me, Babble.”
Yes, she could.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
BROOKE WAITED UNTIL SHEheard Anna’s shriek of joy from upstairs before she went to the parlor’s front window and waved toward her waiting coach, giving Ella the signal they had agreed upon to let Ella know it was safe to enter the house. A few moments later a knock came at the front door. Brooke moved into the hall with Storm following at her heels. Her pet wasn’t letting Brooke out of sight this soon after finding her again. Brooke was in time to witness Willis’s shock when he opened the door. Maybe they should have warned him, too. But with his proper demeanor still absent, Willis was soon hugging Ella; well, it was a bit awkward with Annabelle sitting on Ella’s hip.
Ella was laughing when he ran upstairs to let Dominic and Anna know, but her eyes widened when she spotted Brooke and saw what was sitting beside her. Annabelle was excitingly waving toward the “doggy,” wanting to touch it, but Ella was cautious and approached slowly. “That’s the white wolf that saved Dom and me when we were children.”
“She saved me, too, but she’s a dog, not a wolf.”
“She’s a wolf,” Ella insisted. “And in London? How’s that possible?”
Brooke grinned. “She’s my pet. Really!”
Ella glanced at Brooke and shook her head. “Are you a magician? You managed to find me when I wasn’t supposed to be found, and you’ve tamed a wolf. What other tricks have you got in your bonnet?”
Brooke rolled her eyes, but then laughed. “I’ll allow I might have tamed at least one wolf.”
The wolf she’d just referred to came running down the stairs with his mother close behind him, and Ella and her child were immediately smothered in hugs. Ella and her mother were crying, not at all surprising. Brooke tried to see if Dominic was, too, but his head was bowed over theirs, at least until he reached out and pulled Brooke into that big family hug.
As soon as Annabelle was in Anna’s arms and the older woman was cooing over her new granddaughter, Dominic led them into the parlor. Ella had started explaining why she’d taken such extreme measures after Benton had spurned her. Anna only had a few scathing things to say about Dominic’s ex-friend during that long explanation, and a few wonderful things to say about Brooke’s role in reuniting her family, along with a heartfelt apology.
