Cecilia. The only thing that mattered now was Cecilia.
Without a word, he swept Cecilia into his arms, but just as he turned toward the door leading into the hallway, the beam above exploded in a shower of sparks, then collapsed to the floor with a thundering crash.
Their only hope now was to flee through Cecilia’s bedchamber. The connecting door itself was on fire, the hungry flames devouring the wood, but for the moment, the beam was still sound. Gideon rushed toward it, and with Cecilia still in his arms, kicked the burning door open and flew through it.
“Isabella!” Cecilia screamed. She struggled to get free as they ran through her bedchamber, but Gideon held her fast. “She’s safe.”
The flames hadn’t reached this room yet, but the smoke was so thick Gideon could hardly make out the door. He staggered in that direction, his head going dizzy as his lungs burned for air, but just as he was certain he couldn’t take another step—that he’d fall to his knees—he was through the door and into the hallway, Cecilia clutched in his arms.
They were both choking and gagging on the smoke, but Gideon kept running, the fire at his back and a desperate prayer on his lips. He ran down the stairs and through the entrance hall, sucking in breath after greedy breath as they left the worst of the smoke behind them.
His eyes were burning and stinging, but as he stumbled through the entrance hall, he could see Mrs. Briggs, Amy, and Isabella on the other side of the door. Duncan and Fraser stood behind them, and Haslemere and his men were just thundering up the drive, Haslemere’s face aswhite as death.
Gideon burst through the door, and a shout went up when they staggered onto the drive. He fell to his knees, still clasping Cecilia against his chest. A second shout went up—Haslemere and the men—and then everyone was rushing uponthem at once.
Gideon didn’t know how long they sat there in the drive with everyone crowding around them. All he knew was he had Cecilia in his arms, and she was holding him tightly against her, as if nothing in the world could ever makeher let him go.
Chapter Twenty-five
Lady Leanora, the sixth Marchioness of Darlington and Edenbridge’s notorious White Lady, died in the fire at Darlington Castle, overcome by the smoke billowing into the secret passageway.
Alerted by the smoke pouring into the sky, a group of men from Edenbridge arrived at the castle soon after Cecilia and Gideon escaped, and worked alongside Gideon, Haslemere, and their men to battle the fire. By dawn the following morning the flames were out, but the entire eastern wing of the castle where Cassandra’s bedchamber had been had collapsed into rubble.
Cecilia, Amy, and Mrs. Briggs were sent to the Dower house with Isabella, who, after a warm bath and much petting and soothing, had at last been coaxed into bed. Amy took a bed in the same room so she could comfort her if she woke.
Mrs. Briggs made up beds for herself and Cecilia on the same floor, but neither of them retired. Cecilia had been standing at the window in the front parlor since they arrived at the Dower house, gripping the windowsill withwhite knuckles.
“Go to bed, Cecilia.” Mrs. Briggs stood behind her, wringing her hands. “You need to rest, child.”
Rest. There’d be no rest for her until the truth was known. Not just the truth about Lady Leanora, but the wicked, ugly truths behind all of Darlington Castle’s secrets. Lady Leanora’s perfidy, Cassandra’s death, Gideon’s innocence, and the truth about Cecilia herself.
The truth about the lies she’d told.
She wanted to blurt it all out to Mrs. Briggs, to unburden herself with a confession and weep on that motherly shoulder, but Gideon had to be the first to hearthose truths.
Cecilia pasted a trembling smile on her lips and turned to face Mrs. Briggs. “You go ahead, Mrs. Briggs. I, ah…I need to have a word with Lord Darlington before I retire.” Gideon would come to her. Sooner or later, he’d come, and when he did, she’d tell him everything. Until then, there was nothing for herto do but wait.
Mrs. Briggs studied Cecilia in silence before taking both her hands. “A fire is a terrible thing. I used to live in fear Darlington Castle would burn one day, but now the worst has happened, I see it as a chanceto start anew.”
“A chance for who, Mrs. Briggs? Not Lady Cassandra, and not her infant son.” Cecilia wanted with all her heart to believe hope could rise from the ashes, but the frightened, defeated part of her wondered how one could overcome such devastation, such loss.
“For Lord Darlington, Cecilia.” Mrs. Briggs squeezed her hands. “He’s a young man, one I hope will have years of happiness ahead of him. He never deserved to suffer as he has.”
“No, he didn’t.” Angry tears flooded Cecilia’s eyes. An innocent man who’d borne unimaginable loss, then been victimized a second time by his own sister-in-law, someone he should have beenable to trust.
The Murderous Marquess. Whatever else happened between her and Gideon, Cecilia would see to it that malicious slur was consigned to the flames. If nothing else, she could do that for him.
“Oh, my dear.” Mrs. Briggs patted Cecilia’s cheek. “It will be all right in the end. You’ll see. Now, promise me you’ll rest after you’ve spoken to Lord Darlington.”
Cecilia swiped the tears from her cheeks. “I will.”
“Good girl.” Mrs. Briggs didn’t say any more, but left Cecilia alone by the window, waiting.
By the time Gideon appeared hours later, the haze of smoke rising from the charred remains of Darlington Castle had turned the sky above a steely gray. Underneath the ashes and soot, his face was pale and lined with exhaustion.
He paused in the parlor doorway when he saw her. “Is everyone all right?”
“Yes. Isabella is sleeping. Amy is with her, and Mrs. Briggs in a nearby bedchamber. Duncan and Fraser, and Lord Haslemere and his men—”
