Libertine's Wife (50 page)

Arianne left her first visit with her
stepchildren with her hat missing the delightful silk butterflies
that once adorned it. Her hair was sliding free of the artful
chignon. The look of determination she wore made Garret give her a
long assessing look on the drive back to the manor.

“
I see that look, my love.
They will eat you alive,” Garret scoffed and shook his head. “It is
too much, too soon.”

“
We cannot leave them with
servants while their mothers are going on with their lives either,
Garret. I was raised by servants, as were you. There is no excuse
for this.”

“
It isn’t done, my love.”
Garret regarded her with a steady look. “You again run headlong
into another disastrous direction without thinking it all through.
This will make us the talk of all talk. What is one more scandal
you might think? What of Jaime’s future? Think of Stephen’s? While
we don’t care about other’s opinions about ourselves, this isn’t
just our world we live in anymore.”

“
You are not naïve at all,
Garret,” Arianne responded with equal candor. “I will never recover
from this scandal, though you refuse to say it. I no longer care if
my reputation is just as bad as yours now. I don’t desire to be in
anyone’s sight but yours. I’m content to live out my days exiled at
Ravensford Hall, and have no regret of it.”

“
Allow me to think on it?”
Garret’s look said he didn’t wish to talk about it
anymore.

The ride back home was quiet, but with
little tension. Arianne knew Garret wasn’t angry, just thinking
about all the complications of bringing his five children to live
with them. What started out as just a thought by her, blossomed the
moment she met them. They needed stability, a much lacking thing in
all their lives.

That night, Garret held her, staring up
at the ceiling. The woman in his arms offered them all everything
they could ever want. His children wanted a real home, with
structure and security. His wife needed many projects to keep busy
once they left London. He needed her, nestled against him each
night for the rest of his life.

How had he gone from being so detached
with a woman to listening to one breathing in the night? How did
that happen? He rolled closer to her, sure she would disappear from
his life one day and he’d never know this feeling again. That was
what it was that bothered him now that he knew he loved her more
than any other in his life. Fear gnawed at him now. That fear made
him dread the unknown, knowing should he lose her, he’d never
recover. Love made it impossible for him to not try to do as she
asked now.

His children needed him; that much was
true. All of their mothers, with the exception of Celeste, desired
to be free of the responsibility. He couldn’t ignore their
feelings. While he went on with his life after the affairs were
over, they’d all begun new ones, dragging his children along with
them like much unwanted baggage.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling overwhelmed
all at once. He prayed Arianne knew what she was doing. When he
envisioned a Yule Tide festivity with seven children, he couldn’t
help but smile. Suddenly too much, too soon, became just enough,
and at the right time.

Thomas Helms arrived unannounced,
looking out of sorts. Arianne passed him on her way to the library.
She paused to see how alarmed he appeared. He was obviously
reacting to the plot hatched by William.

She knew from Garret his cousin was
awaiting transport to the penal colony. They tried without success
to get him to name his accomplices. Even after threats of extending
his indentured period, he refused, still claiming he was
innocent.

Garret knew then his cousin feared
Dench more than anything else. He offered to let him go then, in
exchange for his testimony. He and Helms let the man chew on the
offer. They received no word yet he’d broken down. They hoped
enough time in the prison would encourage his
cooperation.

Arianne heard much about Garret’s
man-of-affairs. She knew this man had been more of a father to
Garret than his own. The man was devoted to his employer. Helms
rescued his lord from many scrapes over the years. The affection
between them was obvious. Of anyone, Garret listened to Thomas
Helms. She saw him as an ally.

Arianne decided she would gain his side
in taking the children with them to Ravensford Hall. “Mr. Helms,
how good it is to see you,” she said with a bright smile. “His
lordship is waiting, but I’d like a word with you of another
matter, if I may?”

Helms smiled, bowing to her in the
foyer. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance under
better circumstances, Lady Ravensford. His lordship said you’d
approach me if you caught me unawares. He said I was to tell you
he’s made his decision and to join us in the study
directly.”

Arianne glared at the man, seeing his
amused gaze. “I’m glad the matter was seen to so quickly.”She held
her head high as she led the way to the study, feeling as though
the man who followed behind laughed at her back.

Garret anticipated she would pounce on
Helms to get him on her side. The infernal man had an awful habit
of figuring her out before she acted. A dreadful habit really. Who
wanted to be solved like a puzzle?

A slight smile curved her lips. Two
could play such a game. She entered the study with a sweet smile.
She took a seat across from Garret. Helms entered and took his
seat.

“
I have four written
agreements from the children’s mothers. The fifth was thrown in my
face by Ms. Newland. No surprise there. I then talked to the boy.
He wishes to leave. He says the situation has grown intolerable.
His mother’s newest protector struck him twice recently. The mother
is aware of it and does nothing.”

“
Offer Celeste nothing.
She’s had sixteen years to better her own lot. She will not hold my
son back. He is almost a man,” Garret replied tersely. “I will not
allow her to block his going to Oxford. He expresses a desire to
study the law. Should he stay with her, he’d likely not be
successful at anything.”

“
You are well within your
rights, my lord,” Helms offered and passed the four agreements
across the desk. “The children will be sent to Ravensford Hall as
soon as it can be arranged.”

“
Very good, approach Celeste
once more. Tell her Gregory has my authority to decide on his own
in this. I support his decision to go to Oxford in the fall,”
Garret concluded and gazed at Arianne. “Have you anything to add to
this, my dear?”

Arianne looked bemused at his swift
handling of it all. Garret was used to making such snap decisions.
This was as normal for him as running twelve estates, as he had
since the age of his eldest son. “No, that quite concludes any
questions I might have had. Thank you for asking, my
lord.”

Arianne excused herself and smiled all
the way to the nursery. She was pleased by this turn of events. Her
husband might question her ability to handle seven children, but he
would be there to help her. She knew he would never regret this
decision they made.

~ ~ ~

The detective arrived unannounced.
Arianne saw the man speaking with Elliot as he was shown to her
husband’s study. She knew he still looked for Dench and the unknown
woman who aided his cousin. The man was in the study for over an
hour before he left.

Arianne entered and saw Garret’s
pensive frown behind the desk. “What is it? What did he find
out?”

Garret looked up and schooled his
features to hide his feelings. “He discovered who was supporting
William.”

“
Who was she?” Arianne slid
into a chair, her eyes wide.

“
It was Gregory’s mother.”
Garret fumed as he sat back, shaking his head. “I might have known
one of my former mistresses was involved in this.”

Arianne looked outraged, blue eyes wide
with disbelief. “He is very sure?”

“
He followed William there
several times and learned from other tenants he stayed there
regularly. It was she who helped my cousin. There is no mistake,”
Garret reported with a grim expression.

“
What do you mean to do?”
Arianne asked hesitantly.

Garret’s face formed a scowl. “Do not
concern yourself with her, my dear. Helms will deal with her
now.”

“
She might not have known
what he planned,” Arianne began and he laughed at her naïve
assessment

“
Or she might have planned
it all herself, Arianne.”

Arianne reasoned the woman did it
because of how she was treated. Garret forgot how the woman’s life
was ruined when she gave birth to his son. He didn’t see that she
might have held some resentment towards him. “Why would Celeste
help William in this? With you dead, she gets nothing. Her support
wouldn’t continue.”

Garret folded his fingers under his
chin and pondered her question, a dark look on his face. “Celeste
is quite angry at me right now. The woman is unreasonable at times.
I don’t think she thought the matter through. William offered her
something, perhaps?”

“
I found it too much of a
coincidence your children’s mothers all showed up on the same day
to waylay me with their concerns.”

“
I can only assume it was
Celeste who stirred the pot then. They all know better to throw in
their lot with her, Arianne. I can imagine the others just did it
as a lark,” Garret speculated and shook his head in disgust. “No,
it is her alone who is working with William.”

“
Why would she wish you
dead, Garret?”

“
Who can say, my love? Helms
will unearth whatever is afoot; he always manages to put out such
fires,” Garret reasoned and she leveled him with a
frown.

“
This matter is yours to
deal with, Garret. You must see Ms. Newland yourself, and find out
what she is doing and why.”

Garret knew he wouldn’t be able to
avoid his former mistress when he met Arianne’s stubborn look.
“Very well, but I can guarantee this is bound to be unpleasant.
Celeste likes her petty games as well as the others. She wouldn’t
likely admit to anything.”

“
Agree to pay her support
until Gregory finishes school and see what she says.” Arianne
smiled at his outraged expression.

“
I should pay her to be
honest with me?” Garret looked outraged.

“
You’ve paid her all these
years for far less, my love. It would indeed level out the playing
field were we to know who more of the players were.”

“
You are either brilliant or
on their side.” He angled her with a pouting look. “Very well, I
will seek out Celeste and make her an offer she can hardly
refuse.”

“
I don’t blame you for
feeling betrayed by all those around you, my love, but it is your
former life that stalks us now.” She refused to be cowed by the
black look he flung at her. “Can you not see they all had some
motive in wanting to hurt you? I don’t agree with Ms. Newland’s way
of going about it, but she feels she was slighted by you. It’s only
natural to assume she was weak enough to be manipulated by your
cousin into aiding him.”

Garret sighed and sat back, regarding
her with a grim look. “Fine, I’ll see Celeste as soon as I can.
Does that allay your fears?”

Arianne was visibly relaxed. “I will be
relieved when we return to Ravensford Hall and Dench is behind
bars. Has William offered any clues of who Dench is?”

Garret shook his head. “He stands fast.
William knows Dench seeks to kill him now to keep him quiet. It is
only that fear that keeps him silent.”

“
Perhaps Helms will break
him down with your newest offer,” Arianne replied and looked
dubious. “Are you sure you wish to let him go?”

“
I haven’t much choice,”
Garret said in disgust. “He might be an idiot, but he knows the
bargaining chip he holds is worth his freedom.”

“
I will be glad when this is
over,” Arianne fretted and eyed her husband nervously before she
returned to the library.

Garret silently agreed. He was glad
when Arianne left him alone. He spent several uncomfortable moments
thinking about all she said. Was it true? Was he paying for his
irresponsible youth? Was that the motive behind the continued
threats to his family?

The thought Celeste would aid William
against him and seek Dench unnerved him. He knew a visit from him
would be a surprise. She was furious Gregory packed his things and
went to Ravensford Hall. All in all, Celeste had enough motives to
want to hurt him, as she was hurt.

William didn’t think the matter through
at all. If he thought none would have ever questioned his sudden
death; he was foolish. Martin was his children’s guardian if
anything happened to him. Helms would have pursued the matter until
he got to the bottom of it. Arianne would have never let William or
anyone else take the boys after his death. She would have fled
England before she lost her children again. No, William couldn’t
have known about several key matters when he set this course. He
would get to the bottom of it.

If not for his brother-in-law finding
his conscience at long last, they’d not know what was coming for
them. His guilt over Eustace’s unnecessary death
lingered.