“Rathbone did more than what I have described,” David continued, as the crowd turned back to face him despite Rathbone’s ongoing exclamations. “He then threatened Miss Longleat, insisting that she break her engagement and marry him instead — as her father had originally promised. Little wonder that she was so very afraid! When she would not, Mr. Rathbone tried to do her harm.” He did not go into particular detail, having no desire to injure Frederica’s reputation in any way. The reaction from the gathered crowd was enough. They all turned, as one, to look at Rathbone, who was still struggling against the footmen’s hold upon him. “Even tonight, he has come here in the hope of doing something nefarious to either force my hand or injure Miss Longleat. I can tell you now, Rathbone, that you shall never again be able to do such a thing. Your control of Miss Longleat is at an end. You will not gain a single penny from me, you will take none of the Cheltenham land for yourself, and you most certainly will have no hold upon Miss Longleat. You have failed, Rathbone. Failed utterly, and now the consequences of your actions will fall upon you.”
At this, Rathbone let out a furious snarl and lurched forward, forcing the four footmen to grip onto him all the more tightly.
“Take him from this ballroom,” David stated, as the rest of the gathered crowd continued to exclaim over what had occurred. “You know where to take him.”
The furor that ran around the room as Rathbone was taken from it was so great, David feared he would not be able to regain control. He stood as tall as he could, watching as the footmen half-drag, half-push Rathbone from the room, with Lord Broadford following behind. A swirling relief settled right through him, letting him breathe with an ease that had not been there for some time. His eyes caught Nora’s, seeing her hands clasped under her chin, a brilliant smile on her face, and a sparkling light in her eyes. His chest rose and fell in a settled, calming rhythm as, with great slowness, the crowd around him slowly began to quieten.
Lord Broadford, returning from overseeing Rathbone’s removal, caught David’s arm as he passed. “He is bound for Newgate,” he said quietly, his voice pitched for David’s ears alone. “I have spoken with the magistrate myself. The charges will be kidnapping, extortion and attempted murder, and with your testimony, Frederica’s, and the documents found upon him at the ball, there will be no question of the verdict. He will trouble no one in this country again, Hampshire. You may put it from your mind.”
David’s shoulders eased a fraction. “Thank you, Broadford. For all of it.”
“You may thank me in due course.” Broadford’s eyes flicked to the crowd. “You do realise that you have just aired your family’s private affairs before half of London. Your uncle’s manipulation, the codicil, Rathbone — there will be talk, Hampshire. A good deal of it.”
“I know.” David met his friend’s gaze steadily. “But the alternative was to let Rathbone continue his work in shadow, and I find I have had quite enough of shadows.”
Broadford held his gaze for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Then you had better make certain the rest of the evening is worth the scandal.”
David turned back to the assembled crowd.
“Might I all beg for even a few more minutes of your attention? Then we can return to the dancing. I know it is a great shock to you all, but let me say more – more that will astonish you further, I am sure!”
That certainly garnered the attention of everyone, for each person fell silent, and even the most ardent whisperers ceased their chatter. David waited for another few moments until he was certain every attention was fixed on him. Then, drawing in air into his lungs, he spread out his arms wide. “Miss Longleat and I are no longer engaged.”
A ripple of astonishment ran across the gathered crowd.
“We did not care for each other,” he continued, lifting his voice a little so that no one would think to speak over him. “Not in the way that a husband and wife should. Miss Longleat did not have opportunity to make her own choice; nor did I. The codicil took that from us – but once we saw the codicil was not written into Lord Cheltenham’s will, we were offered freedom. There is no requirement for us now to wed, and thus, we have decided to part. Miss Longleat is to make her own decision – as am I.”
“But this is an engagement ball!” a lady near him exclaimed, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Are you here to tell us that you are no longer engaged?”
A broad smile settled over David’s face, aware that this final declaration would shatter the crowd with an even greater astonishment than before. “I am telling you all that I am no longer engaged to Miss Longleat,” he said, firmly. “However, Iam now engaged… to Lady Nora.” Holding out one hand to her, he watched every person in the room turn at once to see if they could spy her. Nora, however, had her eyes fixed on his, her expression alive with joy and delight. David moved towards her, unable to stay away from her for another moment. A twinge of guilt over all she had endured tripped over his heart, but he ignored it, pushing it aside as best he could.
“My darling Nora,” he said, as the crowd pressed in around them. “I think it might well be time for another dance. What say you?”
She laughed and took his hand, seemingly oblivious to the other guests watching them. “I would never refuse you,” she said, as he led her to the centre of the room. “Besides, this is our engagement ball, is it not?”
“Indeed it is,” he replied, as the orchestra prepared to begin the next piece. “Which means, I think, that we dance just as many dances together as we please.”
21
“Nora!”
Nora lifted her eyes from her needlework to see her mother bursting into the room, wringing her hands as if she was in some very great distress. “Mama?”
“Oh, Nora, thank goodness you are here,” Lady Somerset said, grasping her hands.
“You must promise me you will not be in any way upset, my dear. You must assure me that you will understand and will not think poorly of her – or of him – in any way.”
“Poorly?” Nora blinked, thoroughly confused by her mother’s remarks. “I do not know what it is you are speaking of, Mama. Is it Lord Hampshire?”
Lady Somerset waved one hand wildly, whilst still squeezing Nora’s hand with the other. “It is all so very astonishing, but I pray you will not take badly to their news, especially so soon after your own engagement.”
“Mama!” Nora exclaimed, a thin ribbon of unease unfurling in her chest. “Pray, tell me what it is you are speaking of, for I do not understand you.”
Before Lady Somerset could respond, however, the door opened once more and, as Lady Somerset released Nora’s hand, Louisa came to join them, her hand on Lord Hawkley’s arm. Her eyes were bright with joy, her face flushed with pink, and in one single breath, Nora understood exactly what her mother had been speaking of.
“Nora.” Louisa released Lord Hawkley’s arm and came towards her at once, glistening tears in her eyes.
“I do pray that you will not be at all displeased, for it was not at all my expectation that such a wonderful thing might happen - but yet it has and – ”
