Lucien blew out a breath with a shake of his head. “I don’t know. We’ll work it out, though. We’ll just find a way.” He reached for her hand. “Now come, there is much to do and much to say now that this decision has been made.”
She let him lead her from the room, down the hallway to where the others waited. Even though his hand was in hers, she still felt distant from it all.
Distant as they stepped into the room and the others faced them. Distant as Lucien said, “I have an announcement. Elise and I will wed as soon as I can get the special license.”
There was a stunned silence in the room, not that Elise had expected anything else. These people had all hated her less than an hour before. They stared, and then it was Gray’s wife Rosalinde who reacted first.
“How wonderful,” she said, her voice tight. She moved across the room and kissed Stenfax’s cheek, then turned to Elise. “With all the excitement, we have never actually been officially introduced. I’m Rosalinde. And I’mveryhappy to know you.”
She leaned in and surprised Elise by folding her into a warm and welcoming embrace. Elise went limp in it for a moment, clinging to this woman who had not been part of the past she once shared with Stenfax and Gray and Felicity.
“You did a brave thing,” Rosalinde whispered before she pulled away.
Her reaction opened the floodgates and Gray stepped up next. He shook Stenfax’s hand solemnly and then reached for Elise. The hatred she’d seen in him just a few days before was muted now. He was still standoffish, but that was Gray. He did not forgive easily.
“This is the right thing,” he said, as close to an acceptance as he would likely make for now. “Thank you for what you did for my sister.”
When he stepped away, Felicity approached next. She was shaking, her eyes still wide and filled with terror at the dark future she would possibly encounter.
“I should have done more,” Elise said.
Felicity shook her head. “You did all you could. More than you should have. And I am glad to be able to rebuild our friendship. There were so many times over the years thatyouwere the one I wanted to talk to.”
That admission brought tears rushing to Elise’s eyes and she caught Felicity in a brief hug.
Stenfax cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk to Gray. Why don’t you ladies take a moment?”
Elise turned on him, catching his arm. “Oh, please don’t shut me out of whatever you’re planning, Lucien. I could help and—”
“I won’t,” he said softly. He met her stare and she swallowed hard as she thought of what he’d said earlier. That until they could rebuild the faith between them, there was no starting over.
And this was the first test.
She released him and he moved toward the door with Gray as she said, “I trust you.”
She saw his shoulders stiffen, pushing back, but he didn’t stop. The two just left the room together. Elise sighed as they did. She hadn’t been able to have faith in anyone, even herself, for so long.
It would take practice to do so again. And patience to rebuild what she’d lost with the man she loved.
Stenfax shut his office door softly, and before he could even face his brother, Gray barked out, “Bloody hell, Lucien.”
Stenfax nodded, knowing Gray referred to every terrible thing that had happened in the past short while. Their entire lives had been turned upside down with just a few words.
“Yes, bloody hell sums it up just about perfectly,” Stenfax said as he moved to the sideboard and splashed scotch into two glasses. As he held out a glass to his brother, he said, “And now what do we do about this?Allof this?”
Gray ignored the offering of the liquor as he paced the room, his demeanor like a caged animal. Stenfax knew how he felt. “Kirkford must be dealt with.”
Stenfax swigged the first scotch and set it down before he gripped his fist. “I want to ride over there and tear him limb from limb for what he did to Elise.”
Gray stepped toward him, laying a calming hand on his arm. “I understand the drive, brother, I assure you. When Rosalinde’s grandfather attacked her last year, I would have killed him without a second thought. But in this case, turning on the man will do us no good. He’ll only be more driven to find this book of secrets and use it against us.”
Stenfax tapped his foot restlessly. “I know you’re right, but he…he tried to rape her, Gray.”
“But he didn’t succeed,” Gray said. “And his threats have led us to the truth at last.”
Stenfax pulled from his brother’s touch. He knew Gray was right, of course. But the idea of letting it be, at least for now, was repugnant.
“So whatdowe do?”
