Page 56 of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

A shiver ran down Maria’s spine. This was not supposed to be the topic of conversation this evening. She blew her nose and sat up. “I don’t want us to talk of death, Hugh. I want us to talk of life, our life together.”

“We will, my love. But you have not yet told me your good news.” Raising her hand, he placed a kiss on the back, his lips warm and alive.

“The will Alan made bequeaths me three unentailed properties, including the Kersey townhouse in London, an artwork collection that includes a Rembrandt, and half a dozen pieces of jewelry.”

As she spoke the pressure on her hand increased. Hugh’s eyes had widened until his blue eyes swam in a sea of white, then he shook his head and slipped his hand from hers. “This is true? This is what I signed in April?”

Slowly she nodded. His lovely deep voice had a gruff ring to it. Of course, he would take some time to appreciate what this meant. The shock of such a large legacy, now hers and little Jane’s, must wear off a bit before he could see how neatly this smoothed their path. “Isn’t it marvelous, my love?”

Hugh swallowed, but didn’t answer.

“Hugh? Are you going to come back—” His sister, Bella, spoke as she came into the room. “Oh, Lady Kersey.” She curtsied, then frowned at her brother. “Hugh, why have you not brought Lady Kersey back to the drawing room? I can ring for more tea.”

“Not at the moment, Arabella.” His voice had softened when he spoke to his sister. “Lady Kersey and I have several private things to discuss. We will come to you as soon as we are done.”

A worried frown appeared on Bella’s brow. Perhaps she’d caught the strange tone in Hugh’s voice as well. “Very well. I hope to see you shortly, my lady.” With another quick curtsey, his sister left.

“Hugh, what is wrong?” The cold trickle of fear that had begun to flow through Maria’s veins became a flood. Why was Hugh not as elated as she about this unprecedented boon? “Don’t you understand? We can now marry, without fear of poverty. The income from this fortune will support us for our entire lifetimes. My child, my Jane, will be an heiress of the first water. Your sister as well. We can give her a dowry that will rival any titled lady’s.” She grasped his hands, then shrank back, stunned to find them cold as death. “Dear lord. Hugh, my love. What is the matter?”

“No, Maria.” He rose, shaking his head. “We cannot do this.”

“Cannot do what?” Leaping to her feet, Maria went after him, following him to the fireplace. “What is it you think we cannot do?”

“Marry.” Running his hand through his hair, Hugh suddenly squeezed the ends, as if he would pull the hair off his head. “We cannot marry, Maria.”

“What do you mean? Of course we can marry. We love one another, and now, by the grace of God, we have ample means.” Fear twisted her heart. Why would he say such a thing?

“If we marry now, it will seem to some as if I had a hand in Lord Kersey’s death.”

“But you didn’t.” The man wasn’t making any sense. “Lord Remington challenged him and killed him. All you did was sign the will.”

When he turned to her, she gasped. The harsh planes of his face that had never stood out before, were now plainly visible. When he hung his head, a sense of guilt seemed to emanate from him. As though he couldn’t look at her. “I signed the will that left his widow a fortune. And then I married the widow.”

“Hugh, that’s ridiculous. No one will think anything of that.” Dear lord, was he serious? Did he mean not to marry her because of the money?

He raised his head, his eyes bleak. “You’d be surprised what people will say. Especially when I turn up penniless because my brother was declared a suicide.” Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes, his mouth working as though some great emotion struggled to escape him. “The last I heard from The Grange, Kit has taken a turn for the worse. He will not take any food. Usually the servants could get him to swallow at least some gruel or soup. Now they can barely get a spoonful of water to go down.”

“I am so sorry, Hugh.” Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve known for some time that this was inevitable. Perhaps he’s decided it is time for him to go.”

“And with him goes any hope of a good life for any of us.” He shrugged off her hand. “Mr. Lambert, the surgeon who attended Kit from the beginning, wrote to let me know that the local magistrate spoke to him about Kit’s case. The magistrate knows he will have to rule on the cause of death, and wanted Lambert’s opinion.”

“Do you know what Lambert told him?” Gasping in a breath of air, Maria held it against the answer she did not want to hear.

“Under the circumstances, what else can Lambert say other than felo-de-se, the taking of one’s own life.” Hugh let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. “We will lose everything.” Gazing at her, he walked a few steps until he stood directly in front of her. “Including our ability to marry.”

“No, Hugh.” She grabbed his arm. “I don’t care, do you hear? I don’t care what people may say about you signing that will. I don’t care what they may say because your brother, in a fit of melancholy, tried to take his own life and eventually died from the wound. All I care about is that we are together because I love you.” This time she wouldn’t be able to stem the tide of tears, no matter what she did. “Can’t you see that?”

“I can, my love. And I told Lord Kinellan the other evening, I would have to be the strong one of the two of us. I swore I would do anything to protect you or your child.” He grasped her hands, kissed them, then gazed into her face. “Including giving you up.”

“No.” Maria shook her head, slowly at first, then faster, tears flying from her cheeks like drops of rain. “No, Hugh, no.”

“I must, my love. If you and little Jane are to have a chance at life, it cannot be with me. Go now.” He kissed her forehead and released her. “Take the chance that God has given you and do not look back.”

The tears streaming down her face blinded her and when her vision cleared, he was gone. Jane and Lord Kinellan were there, buttoning her pelisse, guiding her with arms around her shoulders out the door and into the carriage.

Jane settled her against the seat, her arms tight around Maria. “There, there, my dear. We will be at the inn shortly. Hatley will take care of you and I will be there if you wish to talk about . . . anything.”

Maria shook her head. All the talking had been done and the stubborn man whom she loved more than anyone in the world save her child, had won. What could she do if he wouldn’t agree to marry her? Nothing. She could stay and try to change his mind, but if his brother was truly dying, then Hugh had grief enough to contend with. She’d not make his burden heavier by hounding him in his time of sorrow.