Never Turn Away (Kellington Book Six) (24 page)

EPILOGUE #1

Caversham, January 1823

It had not quite been a month since their wedding,
but Joseph and Evelyn had treasured every day.  Upon leaving Lynwood Manor,
they’d travelled back to Evelyn’s estate, hosting a celebration for the
servants at her home and Jasmine Manor, all of whom were quite pleased with the
marriage and took great pride in having helped it along.

Joseph was slowly settling into life on the farm,
where they would stay through spring.  But at the moment, he and Evelyn were
enjoying the crisp cold night.  They had moved a cot and several blankets to
the balcony and were now huddled together looking at the heavens above.

“Is it not beautiful?” Evelyn asked him. 

“You are beautiful, love,” said Joseph as he kissed
the little part of her that wasn’t covered in blankets. 

“You are a hopeless romantic.  And I love you for
it.  Do you like it here in Caversham?  We don’t have the excitement of
London.”

“Nor the crime nor the grime nor the overcrowded
streets.”

“We do have sheep.”

“I can tolerate the sheep.”

“You can?” she asked with a grin.

“Of course.  It is how we met.”

“I prefer to think we met because a charming knight
came to my rescue.”

“We rescued each other.”

“And the sheep.”

“And the blasted sheep.”

They looked at the stars again.

“I believe my father is watching over us,” said
Evelyn.  “And Mr. and Mrs. Minsberg, too.”

He pulled her closer to him.  “I believe you’re
right my love.  But you do not have to look to the stars for your guardian.  I
will forever be by your side.”

“And I will be by yours.”

They kissed, confident their love would last longer
than the stars.

EPILOGUE #2

Caversham, January 1823

The drive from Lynwood Manor to Caversham had been
less than a day and Liam and Rosalind had made the most of having a closed
carriage all to themselves.   While they both enjoyed having a house full of
family, the idea of getting away for a few days had been irresistible.  Liam
hadn’t been back to Jasmine Manor in years and, of course, Rosalind had never
been there.  They were also anxious to see how Joseph and Evelyn were settling
into their new life. 

Liam had stayed away from the property for two
reasons.  One was that this was the estate that had meant so much to his
parents, so trips to Caversham were painful.  The other reason was that he’d
always wondered whether he could have a marriage like his parents.  Whenever
he’d look at his parents’ portrait, he’d wondered whether he would love his
wife the way his father loved his.  Now he knew he did.

He loved the family portrait in the entry way.  His
parents were seated on a blanket at a picnic.  They were not touching, but sitting
less than an arm’s length away.  It was a spring day and his father was wearing
a linen suit.  His mother was wearing a light spring gown fashionable a
generation ago.  They were gazing into each other’s eyes and there was no doubt
how much they loved each other.

And how much they were loved by others.

He wanted to stand before that portrait with
Rosalind, hand in hand.  He wanted to show her not just his family’s past, but
his future with her.

The carriage drew to a halt in the front drive. 
Liam checked to make sure he and Rosalind were presentable, then gave her a
quick kiss.  The door opened and he helped her down from the carriage.

They turned to face the Keegans, who were beaming
from ear to ear, as well as a smiling Logan and Oates.  They all bowed to Liam
and Rosalind.  But Mrs. Keegan could not contain herself.  She held out her
hands and walked to Liam.  He quickly closed the gap, not wanting to risk the
good lady slipping on the ice.

“Your grace!” she said, as he folded her into a
hug.  “How wonderful it is to see you again.  And you brought your lovely duchess.”

“Yes, I have,” said Liam, as he turned to Rosalind
with pride in his eyes.  He made the introductions and, just as he predicted,
the servants fell in love with her. 

She really was something, his duchess.

Mrs. Keegan could hardly contain her excitement. 
“We were so pleased when you sent word that you were coming to visit.  There
are so many things we’d like to ask her grace, to make sure everything is to
her liking.”

“I’m sure everything will be lovely,” said Rosalind.

They stepped into the foyer and Liam looked up at
the painting. 

Then stopped short.  He heard Rosalind’s gasp beside
him.

“What happened to the portrait?”

The Keegans, Logan and Oates looked at him confused.

“The portrait, your grace?” asked Mr. Keegan.  “We
have not done anything with it, other than a thorough dusting when we heard you
were coming.  Not that it ever has dust on it when you’re away.  The Mrs. makes
sure it is always clean.  It is, of course, the part of the manor we’re
proudest of.”

“My parents!” said Liam, unable to find the words. 
“They’re…they’re…”

“Without a stitch of clothing!” Rosalind finished
for him.

Admittedly, they were rather tastefully nude.  The
late duchess was lying on the ground, with the duke lying on his side, blocking
her from view.  But there was no doubt that both were naked, if rather well
covered by flowers and a tree stump.

“You can see they have no clothes?” asked Mr.
Keegan.

“Yes!” said Liam and Rosalind at once.

“How splendid!” said Mrs. Keegan.  “Your grace, you
have chosen so well for yourself.  You both have and we couldn’t be more
pleased.  Now, we will see to your things and arrange for a bath.”

The servants left Liam and Rosalind alone to stare
at the portrait.  Rosalind could not prevent the laugh that escaped.

“Liam, I am not sure what to say.”

He took her hand.  “You do not have to say
anything.  We should just look to my parents as an example of how the Duke and
Duchess of Lynwood should live and love.”  He kissed her.  “Though, I do not
believe I’ll be looking directly at that portrait for some time.  It is most
disconcerting.”

Then he whisked his bride up the stairs in search of
the ducal suite.

[Please keep reading for some extras…]

Dear Wonderful Readers,

We’re not quite done with this book yet.  This was a
tough one to write.  I threw away 225 pages of my first draft and went in a
completely different direction.  Then even this book had a few scenes that were
cut.  I’m including a few here, along with an explanation, in case you’re
interested….

Joseph in Peril

[Originally, Pip wasn’t just going to kidnap Evelyn
to get her to marry Robert.  She was also going to kill Joseph.  Pip’s a
bitch.  This scene is right before Evelyn is kidnapped, though it happens at
night after a ball, rather than in the light of day.  Joseph receives a note at
the ball.]

The note did not make sense.  It was from Evelyn and
it had been handed to him by a footman.  It said to meet her in the park
because she had something to tell him.  Though the park was just across the
street, he hated thinking of her going there by herself.  Mayfair was a safe
neighborhood in general, but nowhere in London was safe all the time. 
Especially at night.

He slipped out of the party, past the late comers
who were only then arriving.  He crossed the wide street to the edge of the
park.  He could still hear the music from the ball, the lights in front of the
house burned brightly.  Which made the park look all the darker.

“Evelyn?”  He could see no one in the park, though
with the lack of lighting, she could have been standing but ten feet away and
he would not have seen her. 

But why did she not answer him?

Suddenly, he heard a cry down a darkened pathway. 
It sounded like a woman.  He paused just long enough to unsheathe the knife
from his boot, then ran toward the noise, keeping alert to everything around
him.  As a Runner, he’d been in danger countless times, often running into
blind alleys and dark tenements.  His senses were acute, often enabling him to
detect movement without seeing or hearing it.

And that is what likely saved him.

He felt the whoosh of a club being swung at his head
and was able to duck just in time.  He struck out with his knife in the direction
of his assailant, tearing through the man’s leg.  He knew he’d been successful
when he heard him cry out in pain.

But he hadn’t been able to get to his feet quickly
enough and now was being kicked by two men, one of which was wearing steel
boots.  He curled into a ball, as he tried to detect a woman’s voice.  Had that
scream been from a woman?  Or a man disguising his voice?

One of his assailants reached his leg further back,
trying to put more power into his kick.  It was the movement Joseph had been
waiting for.  He elbowed the man’s supporting leg at the knee, making him go
down hard. 

That enabled Joseph to get to a crouch, looking
about to see who else was there.  But before he could do aught else, he felt a
cord come around his neck, which pulled him to his feet.   Fortunately, it was
not a razor-sharp garrote, but in his effort to put his hands between the rope
and his neck, he dropped his knife, which was quickly picked up by someone
else.

The person behind Joseph was large and Joseph’s back
came against the man’s extended belly, giving him little room to maneuver.  He
heard a laugh, then a man carrying a lantern came into view.  Joseph vaguely
recognized him as Paul Risley, the second in command to a crime syndicate he’d
helped take down a year earlier.  He’d heard Risley had bribed his way to an
early release.  Joseph knew to be cautious in the mean streets of Seven Dials,
for there were any number of ruffians who would kill a Bow Street Runner for
sport.  But to come all the way to Mayfair?  Something was up.

“I see from yer look, ye remember me,” said Risley,
who was flanked by two other men.  He took a look at his fallen associates. 
“You fight good.  But it won’t save yer sorry life.”

“You’re a long way from home, Risley.”

“Aye, I am.  Seven Dials doesn’t hold its appeal for
me the way it used to and I’d still like to know who set me up to take the fall
last year.”

It had been Risley’s boss, who hadn’t liked his
lieutenant’s ambition.  Joseph had no love for the crime lord, but he didn’t
feel like telling Risley who’d done it.   “There are any number of men who talk
to Bow Street, for the right price.  I imagine most of the men here would turn
you in for enough coin.”

Risley looked at his men, each of whom was uttering
protestations, but all of whom would probably slit Risley’s throat if there was
something in it for them. 

Risley spit out his tobacco.  “I would be less interested
in my future than yours, which is going to be short.”

“Why here?  Why tonight?”

“When ye think about it, fancy Mayfair is the
perfect place to kill someone.  No bulls around to stop us.  ‘Cept you, of
course.  But you ain’t in any shape to do it.  And with all the noise across
the street, there’s no one to hear your screams.”

“How did you know I would be here?”

“You’re full of questions, ain’t ye?  Well, suppose
I can grant a dying man his request by answering.  Seems like there’s a lady
who wants you dead.  She was looking around for someone to do the job.  I told
her I’d do it – for a price.  I’d do it for free, but I was never one to turn
down coin.  ‘Specially from someone whose purse is as deep as hers.  Got good
coin up front and I plan to keep getting good coin for years to come from
blackmailing her.  She don’t know about that part, yet.”

“Does this lady have a name?”  He was pretty sure he
knew who it was, but it was good to know for certain.

“Some countess.  She didn’t give me her name, but I
had someone follow her home.  Her husband’s the Earl of Larsen and supposed to
come into an inheritance.”

Joseph would make sure that would not occur.  He
just had to get out of this first.  Then a chilling thought came to mind. 
“What do they plan to do to the lady?”

“What lady?”

“The heiress.”

“Dunno.  Don’t care.  Not being paid to.  All’s I
had to do was provide a hidey hole for them to go to for a while.  Once I did
that, I was done with all that.  And now I get to do the fun part.  What the…?”

Joseph heard the noise of men in their cups, singing
loudly and off key.  He couldn’t see their faces, but there were three of them,
and from the sounds of it, they had a couple of women with them.  Women who
were giggling.  If they stuck to the path, they would not come in contact with
Risley’s men.  And God help them if they did, for even sober, three lords would
have no defense against these ruffians, and a woman would be at their mercy. 
There was no use calling out to them.  He would just get them killed.  And
Joseph would not have that on his conscience.

“Ho, there!” said the first man, signaling to one of
Risley’s men and staggering in his direction.  “Can you tell me where to get
some laud’num?  I heard I could get some in the park.”

It was too dark to see clearly, but it seemed like
the man, oblivious to the danger, had just draped himself over one of Risley’s
men.  Just then, a cloud passed, allowing some moonlight to illuminate the
scene.  The man looked like the Earl of Ridgeway.

Then another man stumbled into sight….

Good God.  It was Arthur, with Hal baying at the
moon behind him.

Stapleton made his move.  He whipped his head
backward, hitting the man holding him in the nose and, from the sounds of it,
breaking it.  He grabbed the man’s pistol from his waistband, then turned
toward Risley.

Risley, who had a pistol aimed at his head by
Vanessa.  Melanie had run out to the street to call for help.  Ridgeway, Hal
and Arthur had all disarmed their men.

“If you’re thinking of making a move for the pistol,
Risley, I would not recommend it. She won’t hesitate to shoot,” said Stapleton.

“Risley and I are old friends,” said Vanessa calmly,
even as Joseph could hear whistles blown and the sounds of men running toward
the park.  “He knows better than to cross me.”

The park was quickly filling up with onlookers.  A
few footmen tied up the villains. 

Joseph took Risley by the throat and pushed him
against a tree.  “Where is the hidey hole?”

“I ain’t telling you a thing.”

“You will for the simple reason that I am the person
who determines where you will be in Newgate as you await sentencing.  Your
throat could be slit before dawn.  Not because I will be behind it.  But
because you have plenty of enemies who will see to it.”

From the look of fear that flashed across Risley’s
face, it was clear he had no desire to be housed with his enemies.  “How do I
know you’ll honor your word?”

“You don’t.”

“But you know you can trust me,” said Vanessa, who
had come up behind them.  “I vouch for the Inspector, Risley.  You’ll be safe
if you tell him what he needs to know.”

Risley studied her.  “It was a shame, it was, when
you went to work for the Home Office.”

“Nevertheless, tell him what he needs to know.”

Risley looked like he’d rather do anything but give
up the information.  But as the Runners from Bow Street began to arrive, he
knew he had lost.

Moments later, Stapleton rejoined Arthur and Hal,
who were reliving their exploits with Ridgeway. 

“Arthur, Hal, I need your help to save Evelyn.”

“Of course,” said Arthur.

“I would like to help, as well,” said Ridgeway. 
Then, off Stapleton’s glare, he added.  “I concede the competition.  I withdraw
from the field, but good God man, I think I proved I’m a good man in a fight.”

Joseph grunted his assent – which was a good deal
better than giving the man a pounding simply because he’d kissed Evelyn.  The
men ran to hail a hack, only to realize they were trailed by Vanessa and
Melanie.

“Do not even think about trying to dissuade us from
coming,” said Mel.  “We proved ourselves useful earlier.”

“Only because we had no time to keep you from
coming,” complained Hal, who pulled his wife to his side and kissed her, as
Arthur hailed a hack.

It was a crowded ride to the location Risley had
supplied.  “How did you know where I was?”

“A footman had seen you,” said Arthur.  “We caught
up enough to see you enter the park.  We heard the fight, then had to quickly
decide how best to help.”

“It was Lady Vanessa’s idea,” said Ridgeway.  “And a
brilliant one it was, madam.”  He smiled at her, revealing straight white
teeth.

“That’s my wife you’re leering at, Ridgeway,” said
Arthur.

“I think it was very kind of Lord Ridgeway to assist
us,” said Melanie.  “And we shall be glad of the extra man I am sure when we
reach Lady Evelyn.”

Ridgeway smiled at Melanie and was just about to
reply when Hal said “Stubble it, Ridgeway.”

A quarter of an hour later, they were at a house
near Covent Garden.  Joseph prayed they were on time.

Joseph Fantasizes About Evelyn

[He took his own sweet time about making his
feelings known.  But his thoughts turned toward her often.]

Evelyn was holding up well, though he could only
imagine the strain she was under.  He wondered what would happen to her if she
lost her home and fortune.  He would gladly offer to make her his wife.  He
could easily provide her with the essentials, though he wouldn’t be able to
keep her in the riches that an earl’s daughter deserved.  However, she did not
seem to be someone who spent a great deal of money on frivolous things, unless
one counted books.  And he would gladly give her money to go shopping at
Hatchard’s to add to his library. 

He could envision it clearly.  The two of them
reading on a cold winter’s night in front of the fire.  Of course, he would be
concerned that she wasn’t warm enough, so perhaps he would move the chaise in
front of the fire, so he could sit next to her for the added warmth.  Mayhap
after a time, they would put away their books and talk about their day.  He
would put his arm around her.  She would rest her head on his shoulder.  He
would hold her close as they talked….oh bloody hell.  He’d have her flat on her
back as he ravished her senseless.  Or she could be on top of him.  Or in front
of him.  He would gladly kneel before her.  He could barely contain his
excitement at the thought of her kneeling in front of him.

What were they supposed to be doing, again?  That’s
right.  Reading.  But there was nothing to say they couldn’t read and make
love, as well.

He was hopelessly besotted.  It was as if he’d been
infected by whatever love sickness the Kellingtons had all so happily succumbed
to.   But in his case, there could be no happy ending.