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“Nothing for which he could be transported, then.” Perry appeared disappointed.

Sophia hissed in dismay. “Not that! The journey could kill him, especially in his current unhealthy condition. He is still my brother.”

“So, burying him in the garden is out of the question, then?” Perry joked weakly. Richard saw Sophia’s elbow come up to dig his brother in the ribs. It made his heart sing to observe their familial horseplay; they were becoming a proper family here at Balfour Terrace.

After a moment, Halmesbury spoke up. “If it were me …”

Richard waited, but the duke did not complete the sentence, clearly musing. “If it were you …?”

The duke turned his gaze to Richard. “I would want the man as far from my family as I could manage, even if I paid coin to ensure it. Say, New York or Boston. Australia, perhaps. Whatever destination he chose, I would pay for the privilege of knowing he was very distant from my family.”

Richard thought. He wanted to mete justice on the brother, but more important was the need to protect his family. “I could have him accompanied. Long or Johnson could deliver him there and find a solicitor to manage an annuity. Hayward would need to present himself each month to collect an allowance. If he has to collect it every month, he will never have time to travel back to British soil and return in time for the next payment.”

Sophia clapped her hands. “That could work! Perhaps his escort could ensure that the solicitor knew Cecil’s appearance and even provide a miniature of him to be kept on file, so he could never pull another of his sly tricks to collect the funds while not being personally present.”

“I will do it! I will escort him to the Americas!” Perry sounded committed to the task.

Richard appreciated the offer, but he preferred his brother remained in England. The errand would take a minimum of four months to complete. “Nay, brother. I need you here. Without your assistance, I would have been lost.”

Perry turned his green eyes to look at him with a hopeful glint. “Truly?”

“Aye.” His younger brother seemed quite pleased at the acknowledgment. Mayhap Sophia was right; his brother needed purpose to fill his days. “Mr. Long will escort Hayward along with two of the Johns because Johnson has family to care for. I want my men safe from this trickster, so it will take more than one man to complete the task.”

Annabel folded her arms in contemplation and added her thoughts. “It is unconventional, but it gets the job done. Pursuing justice is not as important as the peace of mind that your family is protected from this vengeful lunatic. With his predilections, he will be geographically tied down to that source of funds. Perhaps make their payment contingent on the countess being well and alive and ensure it is enough that he will not be willing to walk away from it.”

Halmesbury nodded. “One could also remind the young man that his gambling debts will no longer plague him if he remains far from British soil.”

Richard looked around at his … his—what word would best describe what was unfolding around him?

Family!

His cousin and the duchess, his brother and Sophia, they were all family.

He sighed with deep contentment. Here they stood together at his side, assisting him to solve the predicament that faced him. Appreciation and gratitude filled his being. What an incredible change in his circumstances in such a short period, all because he opened his heart. These were the true riches of his life. Perhaps he should try telling Sophia he loved her again? It seemed almost certain she did not hear him say it before.

By Jingo, he was proud of his feisty wife for tackling her horrid brother to the ground!

Chapter

Twenty-One

“Be even cautious in displaying your good sense. It will be thought you assume a superiority over the rest of the company.”

Dr. John Gregory, A Father’s Legacy to His Daughters

The duke offered to mediate with Cecil, which Richard accepted to Sophia’s relief. Her husband’s sleepless nights, the fact that he had killed a man the night before, and his belligerence toward the sibling who had laid hands on his wife suggested it was the wise choice to make.

The men headed over to parlay with the scoundrel tied to the chair, which left Sophia to show the duchess back to where her babe was waiting in the study. The duchess collected the boy and his nursemaid and took her leave when the Halmesbury carriage drew to the front.

After the duchess departed, Sophia found herself with nothing to occupy her attention. She dared not enter the drawing room where the negotiation was taking place. Her presence would only infuriate her brother, rendering him uncooperative.

She was too tense to read and too anxious to complete any tasks. Briefly, she considered visiting Lily to tell her what had happened, but cast that idea aside as premature.

Which was why she paced up and down in her bedchamber, wringing her hands. Now that the worst of the threat had passed, she had too much time to think.

Does Richard regret that he married me?

He had said she brought him peace, but today’s events revealed that was not the truth. He must now live with the fact that a man had died at his hand because the infamous Haywards had entered his life.