Page 30 of The Lady Loves A Scandal

“Heavens no, my lady.” Charles set his cup on the table beside the lounge and stared into the crackling hearth. “Even the day after I was taken, when I awoke at sea with England long out of sight, I did not lay the burden on Gideon. We were men, young as we were at the time, and the gang could’ve taken either of us or both of us. I was the unlucky one; yet, I was the mere son of a commoner with no future except what Gideon’s father had promised me. Gideon and his family could afford to lose me, but Gideon…Gideon was, is destined for greater things.”

“Because he is titled?” Sybil squeaked, the implication angering her. To think that one man’s life was any more important than another’s solely because of their status at birth…it was inconceivable. Yet, it was everything England was built upon.

“Partly.” Charles’ candid confession brought a new anguish to her. “However, that is not the only reason. Gideon is a good, honorable, kind, and compassionate man. He will take his place among the men shaping this country for generations to come. He will do good, far more than a man such as I could ever hope to achieve.”

“I cannot believe that, Mr. Smythe,” Sybil refuted.

“That Gideon is honorable and kind?”

“No, that your life is less meaningful than Gideon’s.” Why did saying the words cause her heart to hammer in her chest? Could it be because she’d been raised to believe that the life of a nobleman was worth more than that of a commoner?

“I am not saying that either,” Charles said, patting her hand.

Two sets of footfalls sounded in the hall.

“Please, Lady Sybil, do not punish Gideon for keeping my existence from you.” Charles pushed to his feet and collected his cane. “He never meant to hurt you. I will bid you good night. I believe the matter to be discussed is a family issue.”

“You are Gideon’s family,” Sybil said with a shrug. “I maintain that you have as much right to be here as I…and I can state, with certainty, that Gideon and I will be lucky to have you in our corner.”

Both Gideon and Silas strolled into the room. Gideon’s eyes surveyed the space until they landed on her, and he visibly sighed with relief. Her brother went directly to the magistrate.

“Mr. St. Paulson,” Silas called, waving the man from his seat. “What is Mr. Smythe’s recourse at this juncture if the men return?”

Gideon reached into his jacket pocket. He retrieved a sealed note and held it out for Silas and the magistrate to see. “This will resolve all the confusion.”

“The letter from the Admiralty Courts.” Charles shuffled over, taking the missive from Gideon and turning it over in his hands as his forgotten cane fell to the floor.

“You had this all along?” The magistrate’s brow rose high in question. “Why did you not speak of it sooner?”

“We haven’t opened it yet,” Charles confessed.

“It arrived only moments before Lady Sybil. If we had opened it before the men, and the courts demanded Charles be returned to his ship, they would have taken him straight away, and any hope of petitioning the courts in appeal would have been difficult.” Gideon nodded to the missive. “Open it, Charles.”

“I think it best that I depart. As a member of the courts, I will be honor-bound to adhere to the Admiralty’s directives.” Mr. St. Paulson gave a curt bow to Sybil and nodded to the occupants at large before hurrying from the room as if the fires of Hell were chasing him.

Gideon and Charles remained focused on the official seal of the maritime courts.

“Open it,” Sybil prodded. “Even if the news is disparaging, there is still time to appeal the decision.”

Gideon stepped to Sybil’s side and placed his hand on her waist, waiting for his friend to break the seal and read the notice. Even Silas waited in silence, a nervous air about him, though the outcome did not affect him as it did the others.

Charles slipped his finger under the flap, and the wax seal cracked, pieces falling to the floor at his feet. Unfolding the paper, he scanned it, his expression in no way betraying what news the letter held.

Finally, he held the paper out to Gideon, his hand shaking slightly.

Sybil held her breath as she read the words that drifted across the page with perfect penmanship.

Tears clouded her vision, and it was difficult to make out the words, but a few phrases became seared into her mind, relieved of duty and free from impressment. Sybil’s thoughts swirled as she tried to make sense of everything.

“I’m not to be returned,” Charles announced, whether for Silas’s benefit or Sybil’s, she was uncertain. “I am officially free and need not fear anything further.”

Gideon embraced his friend, each clapping the other’s back before stepping apart once more. The relief was written clearly across Gideon’s face when he returned to her side, pulling her close.

“Lord Lichfield.” Gideon turned to address her brother. “Charles’ freedom means mine, as well. I can pledge that nothing will come before Sybil. My time and focus will no longer be torn between the two people who mean the most to me. My love for Sybil has been in the forefront since the day we met; however, that did not stop my other responsibilities from taking me away from her and London.”

Sybil silently pled with Silas to hear Gideon out—his intentions, his commitment, and his heart.

“Silas, I love him,” Sybil said on a cry.