A Scandalous Secret (23 page)

‘Dominick!’ He rushed forward, leaving his mother standing on the threshold in a state of absolute stupefaction.

It was indeed Mr Markham, looking more handsome than ever, his hair a little tousled as he bent to receive an enthusiastic hug from his small host. Elizabeth’s heart was pounding so hard and her senses so nearly undone, that it took her a moment to perceive the other gentleman - a short, plump individual who, to judge by his severely tailored black coat and stiff collar, appeared to be some sort of clergyman.

‘I hope you will forgive this intrusion, Lord Dansmere,’ Mr Markham said, his eyes gleaming strangely as he looked upon the boy’s mother, ‘but with your permission, I would appreciate a few words alone with your mama.’

Nicky looked at his mother, then at his friend, grinning hugely. Nodding assent, he added, ‘I’m so glad you’ve come, sir. We’ve missed you dreadfully. Haven’t we, Mama?’

‘Dreadfully,’ she repeated, her dazed eyes feasting on Dominick’s every feature.

Dominick returned her gaze with equal intensity. Then, recollecting his manners, he belatedly introduced his silent companion - the Reverend Mr Farington. This gentleman gravely bid her ladyship a good day, and greeted Nicky with solemn politeness.

‘Come along, Mr Farington,’ Nicky urged him, as one in duty bound, I'll show you the banqueting-hall and the view from the south tower.’

Elizabeth was left alone with Dominick.

‘Why did you come?’ she asked at last, feeling the ache return to her heart. ‘You know you should not.’

‘I came,’ he said, with utter simplicity, ‘because I love you.’

‘But it is not—’

‘Bess,’ he said, coming a step nearer, ‘I am free.’

‘Free?’

Another step brought him directly in front of her, so that they were almost touching. ‘Gwendolyn is to marry Lord Maples,’ he affirmed.

She closed her eyes, almost afraid to believe that this, her greatest wish, was to come true at last. When she was able to open her eyes again, for a terrible moment it seemed as if her lover had disappeared. Had it all been a dream? Then she looked down at her feet, where he was kneeling.

‘My dear Lady Dansmere,’ he said, his voice clear and strong, ‘will you take pity on a mere unworthy merchant? Will you consent to become my wife?’

‘Mr Dominick Markham,’ she replied, reaching down to pull him to his feet, ‘my Monarch of Merchants and King of Clerks, I
gladly give my consent. I ask only one thing in return.’

‘What is that, my heart?’

‘That you love me but half as deeply as I love you.’

There could be but one response to this, of course. Dominick lost no time in making it. His kiss was a pledge of his devotion and a promise of the paradise that had so long been denied them.

‘So, Dorinda’s plan was effective after all,’ she said a little later, seated beside him on an intricately carved sofa.

‘Dorinda’s plan?’ he echoed, mystified.

Elizabeth explained her sister’s machinations on their behalf, going into some detail about the conversation they had staged for Oswald’s benefit. Dominick laughed loud and long at this, declaring himself forever in Dorinda’s debt.

‘Are you quite certain,’ Elizabeth asked playfully, ‘that you wish to ally yourself to a family in which there is obviously a pronounced strain of madness?’

‘I am quite certain,’ he answered, ‘that I want to have you for my wife - and Nicky for my son - more than anything else in this world.’

She grew suddenly sober. There was a matter which they had yet to discuss. It would not be easy, for it involved something which she had never revealed to another living soul. But he, of all people, had the right to know.

‘Dominick,’ she said, squeezing his hand and looking him directly in the eyes, ‘you must know that I can never publicly acknowledge Nicky to be your child.’

‘I would never ask you,’ he said earnestly, ‘to expose yourself or him to such shame or ridicule.’ There was pain in his voice as he continued, ‘But is Nicky never to know the truth?’

‘When he is older,’ she conceded, her heart full of love and compassion. ‘I would like to tell him, though I know it will not be easy. But, my dearest, he is so like you that if
we
do not do so,
someone else will doubtless be cruel enough to suggest it to him - if he does not realize it himself. He is a clever boy, you know - like his father.’

There is more to this than you have yet told me,’ he said, trying to read her thoughts. ‘What is it, my love?’

Now that she had come to the point, she hesitated. Then, haltingly at first, but with increasing fluency, she told him. At his death, Gerald had left her a letter. In it, he revealed that he knew Nicholas was not his son. Nevertheless, he made it clear that he bore no grudge against his wife, and he asked her to see to it that Nicky should carry on the Lonsdale name.

‘No doubt,’ Dominick commented, when she had finished, ‘your husband believed Nicky’s father to be a peer like himself.’

‘Try to understand, Dominick,’ she pleaded. ‘I never loved Gerald, but this was his last and dearest wish. I cannot deny it, any more than I can deny my son the heritage he has been offered.’

‘It seems,’ he said, pulling her into his arms once more, as if afraid that she might fly away if he did not, ‘that our marriage will create its own share of trouble.’

‘Nothing,’ she said, with confidence, ‘that our love for each other - and for our son - cannot overcome.’ Then, thinking of something that had often puzzled her, she added, ‘Dominick, why, when we first met, did you call yourself
Nick
Markham? I thought your name must have been Nicholas.’

‘And so you named your son after me?’ He pressed a gentle kiss upon her temple before answering her. ‘The truth is, I never cared much for my name. “Nick” was my mother’s pet name for me, and I often used it while she lived.’

She stared at him in wonder. ‘There is so much for us still to learn about each other.’

‘And so much to enjoy!’ His arm tightened about her.

‘Is it too much to hope,’ she said eventually, ‘that you have a
Special Licence upon your person?’

‘I have,’ he said, ‘thought of everything, including the parson.’ He pulled the document from his pocket with a flourish.

‘You were very sure of yourself,’ she quizzed him.

‘I was very sure that I would never lose you again, my Bess.’

‘Wherever did you find Mr Farington?’ she asked.

‘In a little village a few miles from here,’ he said. ‘I very nearly had to abduct the poor man. I confess to using a little - ah - subterfuge.’

‘What do you mean?’

Dominick reddened. ‘I told him that if I did not marry you today, I would lose my inheritance.’

‘And he believed you?’ She was amazed at the poor man’s gullibility.

‘I was very convincing.’ He grinned, his eyes twinkling. ‘And besides, it was not entirely a lie. I did not want to lose the most valuable jewel a man can possess!’

‘I never expected such flummery from you, Dominick.’ But she smiled up at him, relishing every exaggerated compliment.

‘It is not flummery, but fact,’ he contradicted.

Elizabeth sighed happily, wondering if she would ever again know the perfect contentment she felt at this moment.

‘I promised Mr Farington that I would arrange for him to be returned home this evening,’ Dominick told her.

‘You had better go and find him, then.’ She glanced up at him through her long, thick lashes.

‘Your servants,’ he declared, ‘can be our witnesses. And Nicky, of course.’

* * * *

The sound of raised voices echoed from the hall outside, along with the thump of boots on the stone flooring. Above the ensuing babble, Dorinda’s voice could be clearly discerned, commanding
Mortimer to disclose the whereabouts of her sister. A moment later, Dorinda appeared at the door. Behind her came Winifred Trottson and Alastair, carrying a sleeping Selina in his arms.

‘My dear sister, what a pleasant surprise!’ Elizabeth greeted Dorinda. ‘Have you come all this way to attend my wedding?’

‘You are not yet married?’ Dorinda asked breathlessly.

‘Not yet,’ Dominick confirmed, taking a proprietary hold of Elizabeth’s arm, ‘but assuredly within the hour.’

‘You were very nearly too late,’ Elizabeth scolded. ‘What took you so long, Dorrie?’

‘You are selfish wretches - the pair of you,’ Dorinda scolded. ‘Did it never occur to you, Mr Markham, that your aunt at least would wish to be present at such a time?’

‘To speak plainly, ma’am,’ Dominick answered, not a whit discomposed, ‘I was thinking of nothing but your sister.’

This unsparing candour appeared to do him no harm in the eyes of the lady. She softened at once and, with an abrupt change of mood, came up to them and hugged them both. ‘What else
should
you be thinking of, indeed?’

She was joined by Aunt Winifred, whose eyes were suspiciously moist. She chastised her nephew for being such a nodcock, then kissed both him and his bride.

‘But where,’ Alastair interrupted, ‘is the parson?’

‘In Nicky’s clutches, at the moment,’ Dominick said.

‘He must be summoned immediately!’ Dorinda decreed, calling for Mortimer to go in search of the missing gentleman.

Meanwhile, Dorinda began hurriedly to fashion a makeshift crown of red roses, stolen from a nearby vase, for Elizabeth’s hair. She clicked her tongue at the plain, dark-hued morning-gown her sister wore - not at all the thing, she complained.

‘My dear,’ Elizabeth said, between amusement and consternation, ‘you must forgive me, for I was quite unprepared for this. It
is more of a surprise to me than to you, I am sure.’

‘I told you I would bring it about,’ Dorinda reminded her, with smug satisfaction.

‘So you did.’ Elizabeth laughed gaily. ‘But there is no need to deck me out in this finery. I am not a green girl any longer, you know.’

Dorinda, struggling to arrange the roses in her sister’s hair, paid no mind to this mild protest. ‘Are you to spend your wedding night here at the castle?’ she asked.

‘Actually,’ Dominick said, a little diffidently, ‘I took the liberty of procuring rooms for us at Upper Tredleigh.’

‘Upper Tredleigh?’ Dorinda enquired, in some surprise. ‘That seems an odd place to.... Oh! Upper Tredleigh! Of course….’

Dominick and Elizabeth looked at each other, then away again, both blushing furiously.

‘Do not fret yourself, my dear child,’ Aunt Winnie said, patting Elizabeth’s shoulder. ‘We’ll stay behind here and take care of Nicky until the two of you come back.’

‘Well now, that is all settled,’ Dorinda stated with finality.

‘It is very kind of you,’ her sister quizzed her, ‘to take over the running of my home - and my wedding - in this way.’

Just then, Nicky himself made his appearance, with Mr Farington. The boy gave a whoop of absolute delight on seeing everyone there. Even Selina opened sleepy eyes to say hello.

‘Nicky,’ Dominick said, coming slowly forward, ‘would you mind very much if I were to marry your mama?’

Nicky gave him a thoughtful look, his brow slightly furrowed. ‘As long as you don’t marry Miss Thornwood as well,’ he said.

Everyone broke into laughter. Mr Farington alone remained unsmiling and obviously perplexed.

‘I can safely promise you that I will not,’ Dominick assured Nicky. ‘I love your mother very much, you know.’

‘I always knew
that,’
Nicky said scornfully. ‘And will you take me fishing sometimes?’ he added.

‘Anytime you like,’ Dominick said, lifting him high in his arms. ‘I will be your papa now.’

‘I should like that,’ said his son.

‘Then, for the Lord’s sake, get them buckled, Mr Parson!’ Aunt Winifred exclaimed.

‘Not here, though.’ Elizabeth, her arm linked with Dominick’s, moved towards the door. ‘In the chapel.’

Everyone hastened to this part of the great old building. It was a small but richly decorated family church on the other side of the inner courtyard, dating from the last years of Henry VII’s reign. The servants were summoned as well, and introduced to Mr Markham. They were startled and curious, but not at all averse to the brief holiday which the joyous event entailed.

So there, surrounded by their family and friends, Dominick and Elizabeth became husband and wife. Nicky himself gave the bride into his father’s keeping, and Dorinda was not the only female present who was seen to dab suspiciously at her eyes.

‘We must hurry, my love,’ Dominick told his bride when the service concluded, ‘if we wish to make the inn by nightfall.’

‘But what of Mr Farington?’ Elizabeth asked, belatedly remembering the clergyman.

‘I shall see that he is taken home,’ Alastair reassured them.

‘I arranged for Janet to pack a small bag for you,’ Dorinda put in, then hugged her sister again. ‘Oh, Lizzy, I have never seen you look so beautiful!’

‘You have never seen me so happy,’ Bess replied. ‘Thank you, Dorrie - for everything.’

A few minutes later, they waved goodbye to everyone. The Lamb and Lion Inn lay ahead of them. Elizabeth marvelled at the way her life had changed. She would never have believed, when
she awakened this morning, that she would be married before the day was over. Yet here she was, with her husband beside her. Now she would have not only one night to remember, but a lifetime of nights to share with the man she had loved for so long.

They were just out of sight of the castle when Dominick pulled the curricle to the side of the road and stopped. He turned to look at her, with a shade of anxiety darkening his handsome features.

‘No regrets, Bess?’ he asked.

‘None.’

‘Many of my friends,’ he warned her, ‘will forget that you are a noblewoman, you know. To them, you will be simply Mrs Dominick Markham.’

Cupping his face in her hands, she looked into his eyes, letting him see the love that she knew was shining from her own. ‘My dearest husband,’ she said, ‘that is all I have ever wanted to be!’

To

Melissa Lynn Jones

for her invaluable assistance,

and to

Louise Cogan

for being an angel in disguise!