Proper Scoundrel (20 page)

Eloisa offered to take Mac, but Lace shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “No, please. He feels so blessedly good.”

“Are you all right?” Eloisa touched Lacey’s arm.

“It’s not that I don’t care for babies, it’s just that ...” Lacey gave Emily a watery smile. “Mac is the first baby I’ve held since my baby daughter died.”

Poor Eloisa. All the colour left her face. “Oh, Lacey. I’m so selfish. How many times have I flaunted—”

“No, I never thought that’s what you were doing. You’re proud of your babies, and happy to have them, as you should be. I’m the one who’s sorry for staying so far away. I’ve been a coward, frankly, but holding Mac here is the best thing that’s happened to me ... since Ivy brought me to Jade.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Eloisa said smiling at Jade. “But Mac is sleeping now. Would you like me to put him in the cradle?”

“Just try and take him away,” Lacey said, holding Mac closer and turning aside, her smile belying her words.

Jade and Eloisa grinned and Jade felt a decided lump in her throat. “You could rock Mac for a bit, Lace,” she said. “He likes that.”

“I’d love to, if you don’t mind, Eloisa?”

“Me? I get to do it all the time. Quite amusing with a babe in each arm, I can tell you. Go ahead. Enjoy. I’ll stretch out at the foot of the bed, if you don’t mind, either of you, and absorb the peace.”

“Try to sleep,” Jade suggested. “We won’t mind, will we, Lace?”

Eloisa chuckled. “It’ll take me a while to calm down,” she said as she settled herself.

Peace. The room resonated silence now, with three sleeping babies, and, yes, three content adults, for the moment at least. Jade enjoyed the mutual comfort and joy of Eloisa’s and Lacey’s quiet company, and the warm surge of love she felt for Emily asleep in her arms.

“You know, Jade,” Eloisa said. “I’m beginning to think the twins are missing Marcus as much as Emily. When is he coming back?”

Lacey seemed interested in the answer as well.

Jade sighed. “I wish I knew.” She looked down to check Emily. Out cold was the best way to describe the deep sleep she’d fallen into. Jade regarded her friends. “Sometimes I’m so angry he stayed away so long, I don’t want him to come back at all.”

Eloisa looked stricken and sat up. “Don’t say such a thing. You never know when someone you love will be taken away.”

Also upset by the words, Lacey nodded her agreement. Both women’s faces held a sadness that went deeper than simple concern. “Like the twins’ father?” Jade asked softly.

Eloisa sighed and nodded.

“But how can you miss a man who beat you?”

“My husband never ... What gave you ... oh, the bruises. No, that wasn’t Stephen. It was his heir, and he didn’t so much hit me, as he helped me down the stairs ... the quick way.”

“Oh my God,” Lacey said. “It’s a wonder you didn’t lose the babies.”

“I know, and I think that might have been his intent. I did go into labour.”

“And came to us, thank God,” Jade said. “Tell us about Stephen. I didn’t realize you’d been married.”

“You knew nothing about me, yet you welcomed me like a sister.” Eloisa gave her a grateful smile. “But I don’t want to foist my story on Lacey, if—”

“Please, Eloisa, I’d like to hear it, if you’re ready to tell it. I know that sharing your story can take time.”

“I believe I am ready,” she said, but her eyes clouded for a minute, as she looked into the past. “Stephen and I married about a year ago. A love match. We were happy as larks and moved into the family home, a bright future before us.

“Stephen’s cousin and heir lived there as well. Stephen’s parents had raised the boys together.

“I knew right away that Arthur resented me, that he feared I’d give Stephen a son, and displace him as heir. But we were happy, anyway, Stephen and I, until Stephen was forced to go and settle urgent business concerns in the West Indies.

“I wanted to go with him, but I was too far along and ... Stephen forbade it.” Eloisa sought her handkerchief.

After she composed herself, she rose and went to the window. Jade knew she saw neither the beautifully, clear night nor its bright stars.

“Stephen’s ship went down,” Eloisa finally said, her voice small. “All aboard were lost.”

While Eloisa mourned her lost love, Jade thought about all the beautiful moments she and Marcus had shared, how she would feel if she were certain there would never be another.

Eloisa turned to regard them. “The day we got the news, I died a bit inside, and as if that were not enough, Arthur became the new ... the heir, and he wanted me gone.” Tears coursed down her cheeks. “He wouldn’t let me take a single memento of Stephen. Violently angry that I wanted anything at all, he made me fear for my child’s safety and I left.”

She shook her head. “After several weeks in the twittens in Newhaven, living off the streets near the docks, I sneaked back to the house. All I wanted was the miniature of Stephen, to show our child someday.

“Arthur caught me and was furious I hadn’t lost the babe by then. We struggled. I fell down the stairs. I don’t know how, but I managed to stagger to my feet before he reached me, and I ran.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Eloisa touched her temple to one of the bedposts, as if neither her legs nor her mind could support the heaviness she carried. “I found you that day, Jade. All of you,” she added, regarding Lacey.

Jade’s anger at Marcus evaporated during Eloisa’s discourse. In its place rose longing. She’d driven him away, and all she wanted now was a chance to touch him, kiss him, one last time.

“Jade, Marcus is special. He reminds me a great deal of Stephen, and when I see him with Mac, I—” Eloisa cleared her throat. “He’s someone you should hold on to. I know you love him, that he loves you. It’s all so obvious.”

“It’s all so impossible.” Jade shook her head and swallowed sorrow. “Impossible.”

Mac blew a bubble in his sleep. Garth made sweet suckling noises.

“It’s not impossible, however,” Lacey said, “for you to repay Stephen’s cousin in kind.”

“How?”

“Go to the magistrate. Have this Arthur blighter thrown into the streets, himself. Better still, have him arrested. Garth is Stephen’s rightful heir now.”

“No! No. I don’t want Arthur to know about the babies. If he knew they existed, he’d hurt them. I know he would. That’s why I never told anyone my story before now, why no one knows my real name. It’s the reason I wrote to Arthur and told him I’d lost my child and I was going away.”

Eloisa shook her head. “Listen, Jade, I know we have to leave soon, but after we—”

“You don’t have to leave.” Jade leaned forward, inasmuch as she could with Emily in her arms. “Stay. We love the babies. We’ll fold you so seamlessly into life at Peacehaven, and keep you so busy, you won’t have time to think about anything else.”

“She will fit, too,” Lacey said. “Don’t I know and appreciate it.” Lacey reached toward Jade, in the rocker beside hers, and they clasped hands for a minute.

Eloisa smiled. “I have no family, so you can’t imagine how much your offer means to me, Jade. Thank you. Perhaps we will stay, for a time, until I grow wings large enough to fly from your nest with two babies in my arms.”

Jade grinned at the image but Lacey sat forward as if something amazing had taken place.

“What is it Lace,” Jade asked.

“Wings.”

Eloisa looked as confused as Jade felt.

“Eloisa,” Lacey said with wonder. “You just helped me see something it’s taken me forever to understand. My wings are finally big enough for me to fly from Jade’s nest. As a matter of fact, they’re so big, I’ve been tripping over them and didn’t realize. I do believe the next time Ivy tries to nudge me from Jade’s nest, I shall let him succeed.” She grinned.

Eloisa wiped away a tear. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Me too,” Lacey said.

“It’ll be lonely without you Lace,” Jade said, feeling bereft.

“Maybe your wings are too big, Jade,” Lacey responded. “Perhaps if you clipped them just a bit, there’d be room for Marcus in your nest with you, and you wouldn’t be so lonely.”

Jade was shocked speechless, as it seemed were Eloisa, even Lacey, at her own words ... until they, all three, began to laugh.

“What about the father of your child, Lacey, if you don’t mind my asking?” Eloisa said. “Is there any hope for you?”

“Definitely not,” Lacey said. “But he’s one of the ghosts I plan to face when I return to Arundel with Ivy.” She kissed Mac’s puckered little brow when he fussed, calming him again. “Because I held this little fellow in my arms, and because of your revelation, Eloisa, and your love and understanding over the past few years, Jade, I’m finally ready.”

“What an extraordinary night this had been,” Eloisa said. “To celebrate, Jade, do us a favour. Because we can’t welcome those we’ve lost, do welcome Marcus with open arms when he returns. Don’t waste a minute of the time you have together, no matter how short it might be.”

A letter Marcus received from Jade during week four made him miss her so much, he wanted to pack up and go back to Peacehaven, except he hadn’t quite learned everything he needed to know about Dudley. And none of his leads regarding Neil Kirby bore fruit, as if the man did not exist.

While Emily’s mother had definitely visited London, no one had seen her for some time now.

Marcus called in other favours on both scores.

Though Marcus remained in London, he re-read Jade’s letter often:

My dear Marcus, I know you must think badly of me, and with good reason, we both know, but do not ever imagine that I take lightly your personal regard. Please understand that, were I free to express myself, you would know all, but I do not walk alone. Emily asks for you daily.

Please come home. Yours, J.

Home; the very notion kept Marcus focused on completing his goal. He supposed he’d known the first time he saw Jade that she would be his home forever after. He simply had given up hope that he would be free of his responsibility to Garr or that Jade would feel the same way.

It all seemed so impossible.

The road for the two of them might be paved with good intentions, however rutted with secrets and deeds gone bad. Some days he believed their way could be cleared. Most days, he feared it could never be.

Garrett’s letters came weekly and kept Marcus informed. They always carried Abby’s and Eloisa’s fond regards, and sometimes Lacey’s, but only one early letter had carried Jade’s.

Emily asks for Mucks whenever she sees me. But she won’t let me pick her up. Not even Tweenie has been able to cheer her since Ivy returned.

Jade seems to have lost her effervescence and tends to be snappish at unexpected moments. Very unlike her, so Abby says. The twins are growing by leaps, but they retain their unfortunate tendency to piddle at unexpected moments and on unsuspecting victims.

Another time, Garrett said he’d found Jade standing outside just gazing down the drive.

During week five, Garrett’s letter carried good news:

I am to inform you that the gentleman you lost at the brothel has been found and is being incarcerated indefinitely due to a list of crimes “long as me arm,” so says Beecher. You will tell me about this brothel when you return, will you not?

In two separate letters, Garr reported two more efforts at mischief to delay construction. Both, he said, were circumvented by the guards he’d hired, and in both cases the mischief-makers got away:

Here’s news. A canal barge floundered in the middle of the River Ouse. It took sixty men four days to free her and discover the cause—a log jam, or to be more precise, a lumber jam. What boards hadn’t floated downstream and into the Channel had piled up and jammed against the bracings of our railroad bridge. I don’t suppose it would have taken an immeasurable amount of strength to throw them, one by one, from the lumber car and down into the river.