Edith Layton (23 page)

“Certainly, my lord,” the butler said, and led them through the stifling house to the garden in back. “I’ll tell the viscountess at once,” he said, and left Leland and Daisy on a terrace overlooking a neat square of a garden shaded by ancient lacy leafed elms.

Daisy couldn’t sit. She stood by the stone balustrade and watched Leland prowl, pacing back and forth. She didn’t try to speak to him. He seemed too preoccupied by his own thoughts to listen. Then she saw his head go up and his nostrils become pinched, as though he smelled something distasteful.

“Haye,” the viscountess said as she came out on to the terrace. “How good to see you.” She wore a white gown, and with her fair hair and skin, the only color she had was in her deep blue eyes, so like her son’s. Except they were devoid of expression. That searching blue gaze found Daisy. “How charming. You’ve brought me a guest. Have we met before? You do look familiar. Forgive me for not remembering,” she said to Daisy, “but at my age, one does tend to forget the names of new acquaintances.”

“Really?” Leland said in cool amused tones. “How odd, considering how involved you made yourself in her life. You must learn to remember her name. This is my lady wife, Daisy, Mama. I’m surprised you don’t remember what she looks like. You certainly did recall her name when you paid poor old Samuel Starr to testify against her. Oh, I see what it is. You paid someone else to ask him. Of course. You never would stoop to actually speaking with someone like him. You must recall his name, though. You got it from some seedy persons. And then you paid him to lay information against my wife in an effort to have her arrested for the murder of her husband.”

She stood stock-still, staring at her son.

He waved a hand as though to bat away a gnat. “I haven’t the time to play today, Mama. I simply came to you with the truth. Useless to ask why you did it. I can guess. I’m here to ask you to apologize to my lady. And to vow you’ll never meddle in my affairs, or hers, again. If you do not,” he said in a steely voice, “I must ask you to remove yourself from this house. I own it, if you recall. But you may stay on if you keep far from us. I’d ask you to leave England altogether, only I don’t want more gossip. And, if you do ever return to Haye Hall, you can only take up residence in the dower house. I never intend to sleep under the same roof as you again, and would certainly not ask my wife to do so. I’m sure you understand.
My wife’s comfort, peace of mind, and safety are paramount to me, you see. And your presence ensures that she won’t have that.”

He turned and paced a step, then wheeled around to face his mother again. “For shame, madam,” he said angrily. “What a beastly thing to do. Not clever, not witty, just pure troublemaking. Whatever possessed you? Surely it wasn’t done for my welfare? You’ve never concerned yourself with that before. And how misguided that would have been. You must have discovered that my wife is wellborn, and her transportation a travesty of justice, as all now admit. You also know that I could have married far beneath me, instead of being lucky enough to wed this beautiful young woman who foolishly consented to be my wife. It couldn’t have been to protect the family name, either. Hers has
far
less scandal attached to it than ours. And not only because of my reputation. I remind you that yours is similarly sullied. So, why then?”

His mother stood tall, rigid. “I never meant the girl harm,” she said haughtily.

“Nonsense,” Leland said. “What would you call trying to arrange her arrest and deportation? And I remind you, madam, that she is not a ‘girl,’ she is my wife. Never forget that again. I can understand, if never condone, your attempting to have her deported. You didn’t know her, after all. Hard as it is for me to believe, I concede it may have been misplaced and belated concern for me.
But why the devil arrange to have me skewered that evening in the park?”

Now his mother sneered. “I had nothing to do with the assault on you. I may not be a doting mother, but I do not want your death. In fact, I had it investigated. My sources tell me it was a random incident. The fellow who did it confessed as much to his friends, and then fled the city. He was only a petty criminal who lost his head when you frightened him. I may have done many things, but I would not harm you, Haye. You have committed follies yourself, but you are nevertheless a credit to your name: Your tenants thrive, the estate does well, you pay your debts and increase the family fortune. In fact, you uphold the title as your brother, alas, could not.”

“
Which
brother?” Leland asked. “Martin, yes. I can see that. Though he may improve with time. But Daffyd is intelligent and well balanced.”

“Don’t be absurd,” she said, her own nostrils pinching. “I meant your legitimate brother. But you likely know that very well.” She turned her gaze on Daisy. “Understand please,” she told Daisy, ignoring her son. “I bear you no ill will. In fact,” she said, with a slight icy smile, “I congratulate you. You are exactly fit to marry him.”

Leland gave a cough of a laugh. “Now
that
that was deftly done—an insult wrapped in a compliment, ambiguous, but offensive. And untrue. She is far above me, and leagues above you. Now tell
her that you won’t ever meddle in her life again.”

“Done,” his mother said. “I won’t, my dear,” she told Daisy. “Why should I? You have married my son, and with that, pleased me very well.” For the first time, she showed emotion. She was smiling and seemed genuinely pleased.

Leland frowned. “I can’t guess your game,” he said slowly. “But wait!” he said. “Now maybe I can. You didn’t want to harm Daisy. That I believe, if only because you wouldn’t want to be blackmailed for it one day. Nor did you do it to save me, of course not. Why the devil did I keep trying to believe you care a jot for me? You only wanted her out of the way. So if we take that and spin it out further, realizing that you weren’t considering me at all, not only because you never have done, but because I didn’t seem to be courting her…”

His eyes opened wide. “Good God! It was
Geoff
you were trying to protect from Daisy! The earl! He was the one you wanted her to keep away from. Because—” He stopped and shook his head. “Lord, madam,” he said ruefully, “you fly high. But he’ll never ask you, you mistake your prey this time. He doesn’t care for your sort at all.”

Her chin went up. “Do you think so? I do not. Time will tell. You are clever, Haye. But you don’t know everything. He is a gentleman born, and in
need of a wife. You cannot know what
he
would consider a fit mate. I believe I can. Now, enough, if you please. I have apologized and I promise not to meddle in your affairs again. Your ban on me living with you doesn’t concern me at all. I have no intention of doing so. You may save the dower house for whatever you wish. I will never set a foot there. I have funds, and friends on the Continent, and this house in London, which you say I may keep if I leave you alone. That, I can promise. So. What else do you want of me?”

“
I?
Nothing. Just as well, that’s all I ever got from you. Good morning, Mama. My wife and I were just leaving.”

“Go in good health,” she said. “I never wished you harm.”

“But you almost caused it,” he said. “Because to harm my wife in any way is to do the same to me. But you never understood that, did you?”

“I have ever been unfortunate in my dealings with men,” she said. “I wish you daughters,” she told Daisy. “Because I cannot think to wish you better than that.”

“I want to have your son’s sons
and
his daughters,” Daisy said, straightening her back. “Only know this: Do not disturb my husband again. Remember,” she said coldly, “I own a pistol and can use a knife.”

The viscountess’s eyes widened, and she stepped back.

“Forgive me, my lord,” Daisy told Leland with sincerity. “But I get very emotional when someone I love is threatened.”

He laughed. “She does,” he told his mother. “Remember that. Good day, madam.”

Leland took Daisy’s hand and they walked out of his mother’s house together. He said nothing until his curricle was two blocks away. He spoke then, through clenched teeth.

“You’re always apologizing to me because you were in prison,” he told Daisy, without turning his gaze from the horses he drove. “I never wanted you to; now you understand why. On balance, my love, you now must admit that I had the worse upbringing, and it is
my
family who has the worst criminal. Forgive me, and let’s end this here, shall we?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” he asked, as he turned the curricle to enter the park.

“For you,” she said.

They rode in silence for a while, going down green paths, not speaking because they both were thinking so hard.

“Do you think Geoff will ever…?” she began.

“Fall victim to her? No.”

“She is very beautiful,” Daisy said doubtfully.

“So is a snowfall. And if it ever looks like he’s
about to succumb, I’ll speak with him, never fear. Did you feel that? The wind is finally moving. It looks like a storm coming. Good, it will clear the air. Let’s go home.”

They drove out of the park and returned to their home as the sky darkened and a brisk fresh breeze began blowing. When he got to his house, Leland handed the reins to his tiger. As thunder rattled, Leland took Daisy’s hand, and they ran into the hall, laughing, racing the rain. They got inside just as the first fat drops began falling.

“I can’t dry you off properly here,” Leland said tenderly, his hands on Daisy’s shoulders as he looked at her rain-spattered gown. “Shall we go upstairs and do it right?”

“My lord,” his butler said from behind him, just as Daisy reached up on tiptoe to kiss her husband. “You’ve company. I’ve asked them to wait in the parlor.”

“Indeed?” Leland said, his attention caught. His butler was smiling. He would never have asked anyone in without permission unless it was someone close. “You go change, and wait for me,” he told Daisy. “I’ll just see who it is.”

“Thank you,” she said pertly, “but I’d like to know too. A little damp won’t kill me. Curiosity will.”

He smiled. “Then let’s assuage it as soon as we can, and get on with things, shall we?”

They walked, hand in hand, into the salon. When Daisy saw who was getting up from a
chair, she gave out a whoop, and ran to him. “Geoff,” she cried. “You’re safe; you’re well. Oh, I’m so relieved!”

“I’m safe, and better than well,” he said with a grin. “I couldn’t send word, and then when I could, I decided I’d rather bring the news in person. I was on my way up north with Helena, when something happened.”

“What?” Daisy asked.

He smiled, and looking behind him she saw her old companion, Helena Masters, dressed in a beautiful russet gown, rising from a chair. She was smiling.

“What happened,” Geoff said, “was that I realized I never wanted to let her go out of my life. May I present my new countess, Lady Egremont? We were married over the border at Gretna, and then returned to stay on awhile at her mother’s house, getting everyone ready for the remove to London and then Egremont. Now I’ve a wife, a mother-in-law, and two more delightful children. You see, on our way up north, we talked, we reminisced; we found so much in common. I couldn’t let her go. And luckily, she consented to stay with me. I’m very happy.”

“As am I,” Helena said softly. “I never dared hope…”

“She never dared anything,” the earl said fondly. “Always trying to keep her ‘place,’ when her only true place is by my side. I was the one who had to make the push to get to know her. I’m
very glad you two married or else I’d never have had the chance to be alone with Helena.”

Helena smiled. “I never thought to be so happy again. We both loved and lost and yet found that we could love again.”

The earl looked at her lovingly. “I couldn’t find a soul mate in Botany Bay or in London. But sometimes life gives us a second chance, and when I saw I’d found one, I acted before Fate could intervene. Now, little as I enjoy the
ton,
I want the world to know! We’ll have a more formal wedding here and then another reception at Egremont soon after. They will be the sort of gala affairs I always avoided in the past. Just exactly what I want now to show the world my great good luck. You must attend,” he told Daisy and Leland. “For now, you may congratulate me.”

“Oh Geoff,” Daisy said, as she embraced a tearful Helena. “I’ll do more than that. I applaud you!”

“Well done,” Leland said, shaking the earl’s hand. “We are both pleased.” He exchanged a sparkling look with Daisy. “And
vastly
relieved. Now, shall we celebrate?”

“Gladly,” the earl said. “And by the way, you two look happier than I’ve ever seen either of you before. I congratulate you, too, and hope you don’t mind that the gossip about me may overshadow whatever anyone says about your marriage.”

“We are stunned and overset to think that we
have been so thoroughly, deliciously upstaged,” Leland said. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” the earl said.

“You’re welcome,” Daisy said. “Now, let’s celebrate!”

They all laughed, and then they celebrated, and kept on doing both through all the many long and merry years that were to come.