Chapter Seventeen

"From your expression, Lippincott," Chattsworth drawled, "you held back a part of King's missive…an important part. What didn't you want Miss Eggerton to hear?"

"And here I thought my indifferent look conveyed what I was thinking."

Chattsworth stared at him for a few moments before saying, "You and I have been through hell and back from the day we met our wives-to-be, battling rumor and inuendo, and outright physical threats to our families."

The earl agreed. "Do not forget the well-intentioned, but poorly thought out, decisions our wives have made trying to help. Instead they exacerbated the situations they poked their pert little noses in."

Chattsworth sighed deeply. "If they hold true to form, we'll have to assign two guards to Calliope…and two to Aurelia."

"They will invent a new way to try to slip past their guard to follow their instincts," Lippincott grumbled. "Thankfully, the men in the duke's guard allowed our wives to believe they slipped past them without being seen, instead following a discreet distance behind them. I never thought my lovely, petite wife would willfully go against my orders."

"Their bravery, when our families were under attack, knows no bounds, and is another facet that I admire about them," Chattsworth added. "Admit it—as do you."

Lippincott snorted. "I do, but wish they were not so headstrong."

"Is there a specific reason King did not want her to know Eggerton had been shot in the back?"

"Not that he mentioned. Given how Miss Eggerton managed to escape from those trying to abduct her, and what King knows of the women under the protection of the duke's personal guard, he may suspect Miss Eggerton will act as boldly as our wives." The earl paused, then said, "Lord help us—or Her Grace and my sister!"

Chattsworth's worry was evident as he said, "Persephone and Phoebe have caused their fair share of upheaval and hindrance in their bid to help Jared and Marcus."

"To be fair," Lippincott said, "all four of these brave ladies deserve our thanks for their interference. Without it, things may not have turned around for us when the ton was bandying about those despicable rumors concerning our families. I believe it was Persephone who thought to enlist the help of the staff and villagers near Wyndmere Hall the first time we were faced with public censure."

"Aye, and then again in London and here in Sussex," Chattsworth said. "Servants talk to other servants. Word spreads quickly along North Road from inn to inn and along the roads south, leading here."

"I need to decide how long to put off telling Miss Eggerton the truth, because I have no doubt the rumors will stem from Eggerton Hall and reach Lippincott Manor whether we like it or not."

"Why not enlist the aid of our guards' wives?" Chattsworth asked. "Sean and Michael O'Malley's wives, and James Garahan's wife, have become an integral part of the lives of those we employ to keep our homes running smoothly."

"Aye," the earl agreed. "And they have made friends among our tenant farmers' wives and those who live in the village." Lippincott's troubled gaze met Chattsworth's. "We'd best speak to our wives and tell Miss Eggerton the whole of it before she finds out over a cup of tea."

*

Aurelia and Calliopewere sitting on either side of Georgiana on the rose and cream striped settee in Aurelia's upstairs sitting room. "Are you quite certain your father would have more than held his own on the dueling field?" Aurelia asked.

"Absolutely. Papa taught me how to fire a pistol years ago," Georgiana said. "At first I thought it was because he had no son and heir, then I realized he wanted me to learn to protect myself. Though I couldn't imagine why until later when I overheard him and Mum arguing about his gambling."

"William does not know it," Calliope said, "but I am becoming quite proficient with Michael O'Malley's rifle. Aurelia is a crack shot with a pistol and therefore didn't need much more than for Michael to teach her how to clean and load the rifle."

Aurelia beamed. "Thank you for the high praise, Calliope. I must say Michael's rifle is quite cumbersome. Calliope and I suffered sore shoulders after our practice session," she confessed. "I did not expect the rifle to have such a strong kick."

"Calliope, do you think Michael would teach me how to load and fire his rifle?" Georgiana asked.

"I knew it!" the earl grumbled from where he stood in the doorway. "Well, Chattsworth, here's proof that it is your wife who gets mine into trouble."

"I believe it was your wife, Lippincott, who drove mine to Chalk Farm before dawn thinking to prevent me from keeping my dawn appointment with Chellenham."

"She should not have bothered," the earl reminded him. "No one expected Chellenham would be physically able to fight another duel immediately after facing Aurelia's uncle across the field of honor."

"Did you intend to join us for tea, husband, or to merely interrupt ours?" Aurelia asked.

Calliope reached for Georgiana's hand to give it a brief squeeze of reassurance. "William, the two of your arguing is upsetting Georgiana."

"We beg your pardon, Miss Eggerton." The earl strode toward where they sat, pausing to look over his shoulder at Chattsworth.

The viscount slowly walked over to stand beside him. "Please forgive us, Miss Eggerton."

Georgiana sighed and set her teacup and saucer on the table between the settees. Without being told, she surmised, "You held something back from me about my father. Something you thought would shock me."

The viscount inclined his head, and the earl answered, "Yes, for your protection. But after discussing every aspect of your situation, and ours with Chattsworth and the duke's guard, I have changed my mind."

"You need to be warned," Chattsworth said.

"If you think I would swoon with whatever news you have to impart, you are mistaken. My sensibilities have already been shocked beyond comprehension when I remembered what my father confided the night he sent me away from London." When no one asked what had shocked her, Georgiana continued, "My hand in marriage was used to sweeten the pot to ensure Viscount Trenchert would accept Papa's wager of our home, our fortune, and my dowry."

"Miss Eggerton—"

"Do be quiet, Edward," Aurelia told him. "Can you not see that Georgiana is holding up far better than either Calliope or I would have had we been the one to escape from the clutches of a despoiler of innocents, then suffered a grievous wound to the head and loss of memory? You and William should be praising Georgiana for her patience, acceptance of her situation, and courage in trusting that we are not in league with the dastard!"

The earl's expression changed from serious to what Georgiana recognized as deep affection. His words confirmed her supposition when he said, "Do you know how very much I love you, Aurelia?"

Lady Aurelia shot to her feet, put her hands on her hips, and glared at her husband. "Now is not the time—"

He closed the distance between them and reached for her hand, pulling her into his arms. "Now is the perfect time to remind you how grateful I am that you love me. I shall never forget the night I looked across the crowded ballroom and saw a petite vision of golden loveliness staring at me. You stole my heart that night, my love. I have trusted you to keep it safe ever since. As I will continue to keep yours safe. I shall never forget our first waltz—or how grateful I am that you were long gone before that madman held a knife to my sister's throat."

Georgiana stifled her gasp of shock at the image that brought to mind.

When the earl bent his head to kiss his wife, Chattsworth grumbled, "Kiss your wife later, Lippincott. We need to meet with the men!"

"Do you not remember the night you saved my life?" Calliope asked her husband. Chattsworth held out his hand. She placed hers in his and let him help her to her feet and into his arms. "I shall never forget the fear that sliced through my gut and my heart simultaneously. I had no idea you were one step away from the top of the stairs when I burst through the door…forcing you backward off the top step." Calliope cupped her husband's face in her hand. "You caught me midair and dragged me into your arms, holding me so tightly I could hardly breathe."

"My fault for barreling into you. I should never have argued with the duke, nor stormed out of his private study."

Calliope sighed. "Do you still not believe in destiny, my darling?"

Georgiana watched the tender way the earl and the viscount held and kissed their wives. Hope speared through her at hearing that both their ladyships had met their husbands under unusual circumstances. Circumstances that had the couples seeing past the surface to the very heart and soul of one another. Desperate times called on a person to show their true selves. She sighed. Would she ever be so lucky?

Haven't you?her mind prodded her.

That thought struck a chord deep inside of her. How could she have forgotten what she was told when she regained consciousness? The first face she saw was the handsome Irishman, who, she was told, rendered immediate aid to her on the side of the road, then brought her to the safety of Lippincott Manor. Dermott O'Malley's first words to her were "Ye're safe, lass."

Hands shaking, she reached for the teapot, brushing against her teacup in the process, rattling it. The couples eased apart at the sound. In a bid to cover her embarrassment, she asked the earl, "Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me, your lordship?"

He met her direct gaze. "There is no polite way of saying what needs to be said. I apologize ahead of time for causing you more pain and distress."

His words soothed the edge off her worry. "Thank you, your lordship. Are you ready to tell me the rest of what you know about my father's death?"

"Trenchert turned and shot before his second finished counting the full twenty paces."

She jolted as if she'd been struck, spilling tea down the front of her borrowed gown. With trembling hands, she set her teacup and saucer on the table and absently wiped at the spill with a napkin. Her heart ached, and her throat felt tight, but she managed to hold back the anguish scraping her insides raw—she could fall apart later. Her composure back in place, she whispered what the earl had not said. "The viscount did not just cheat. He never planned to adhere to the Code Duello. I overheard my mum and father discussing it ages ago when she finally convinced my father never to sit across a table from the viscount or wager at cards against him again. Has Trenchert fought other duels? Has he ever anticipated the count before and turned, killing any of his opponents?"

When neither the earl nor the viscount answered immediately, a sob tore from her very soul before she stifled it. "Your silence confirms my suspicions." Her voice sounded hollow to her ears. It mirrored how she felt inside. "Viscount Trenchert murdered my father." Unable to control her tears at the news, she rasped, "Only a coward shoots another man in the back!"

"Aye, lass," Dermott said from where he stood in the open doorway. "Trenchert is the worst of cowards and deserves to pay for his crime."

If Georgiana could string two words together, she would have agreed with Dermott. As it was, all she could do was stare at the warrior standing in the doorway—his broad shoulders brushing against the doorframe, a tightly controlled rage burning in the depths of his emerald eyes, as righteous anger radiated off him in waves.

Lippincott held up a hand. "We'll discuss this later, Dermott. Right now we need to meet with the others to reinforce our web of protection around our wives and families."

Dermott's gaze never left Georgiana's. "Ye have me word, lass—he will pay for taking yer da's life."

Her throat was taut with the emotion. His promise seared through to the heart of the matter. If the viscount were made to pay for his crime, her father would not have died in vain. She looked at the man she trusted. Would he understand her silent message, or would he need her to tell him that she felt more than gratitude toward him? She struggled past the tautness in her throat to speak. "I count on it, Dermott, though I am afraid I will never be able to repay you."

"There's where ye'd be wrong, lass."

"Wrong?"

"Aye, ye can repay me by accepting me offer of marriage."

Georgiana gaped at him. "Marry you?"

"Aye, lass. Marry me."

"Did you hear that, Calliope?" Aurelia demanded. "Dermott just asked Georgiana to marry him."

Calliope smiled. "Twice, but she has yet to answer him."

"There is only one answer," the viscount said. "Unless we have been wrong about the sparks that fill the room whenever you two are in it."

"An answer William and I anticipated," the earl added. "The special license arrived today."

"Did it now?" Dermott asked. "Well, that simplifies things, though first, I'll need to know if the lass will have me." He turned to Georgiana. "I need to hear yer answer, lass."

Georgiana blinked. When she opened her eyes, Dermott was reaching for her hand as he went down on one knee.

"Will ye marry me, lass?" Hand to her throat, she nodded, and he smiled. "Ye need to say the words, lass."

"Yes, Dermott O'Malley. I would be honored to marry you."

One moment he was on bended knee, the next, he towered over her, drawing her to him. Wrapped in his embrace, she melted against him as his lips claimed hers, sealing their promise to one another with a kiss that befuddled her brain and stole every ounce of air from her lungs.

The sound of someone clearing their throat must have registered with her husband-to-be, because he took a step back and smiled down at her. "Trenchert will never get his hands on ye now."

A bleak thought wormed its way into her brain. Was Dermott only marrying her to protect her, or did he have feelings for her?

Dear God, had she avoided marriage based on the turn of a card, only to end up in one that would seal an honorable man's pledge of protection? Did Dermott feel even the tiniest speck of love for her, or was he only marrying her to keep the viscount from collecting his winnings?

He must have sensed her inner turmoil. Pulling her into his arms once more, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Have faith, mo ghrá."

She found her grit and her voice. "Thank you for the offer, but if you are marrying me as a way to protect me, I will have to take back my words."

*

Dermott leaned down,cupped the back of her head in his big hand, and drew her lips toward his. When they were a breath apart, he whispered, "Mo chroí—my heart—'twill be a pleasure to marry ye, lass. I'll make sure ye won't be regretting it."

"O'Malley."

He ignored the earl and pressed his lips to hers, this time adding a bit more of the feelings he'd been holding back on a tight leash—though not all. They weren't alone, and she was not yet his bride. Kissing her warmed his heart and heated his blood. The lass tasted of honeyed wildflowers. 'Twas a taste he would never get enough of and would cherish for the rest of his life.

He led her back to her seat and bowed over her hand. Turning to the earl, he asked, "Can the vicar marry us tonight?"

The viscount glanced from O'Malley to Georgiana and back, chuckling. "We'd best see to it that he does."

Dermott did not mind their laughter. The words that etched themselves in his brain when he'd found her filled his heart. Though he hadn't been a lad who lived by those words in years, he knew without a doubt that his ma was right—he'd found the lass meant to be the other half of his heart, and he was keeping her. The earl would see to it that they marry by special license tonight. What a tale they would have to tell their children and grandchildren of the brave lass he'd spied climbing a stone wall, tossing her portmanteau off, and leaping after it. That dawn patrol had changed his life forever. He could not wait to pledge his life to her, or seal their vows. But his conscience reminded him it was past time to set his mind where it belonged…on his duties and the threat to those under his protection.