“WHY WASN’T I INVITED, when I reside only a paltry few blocks from here?” George asked calmly.
The Prince Regent had availed himself of Albert’s chair behind the desk in Albert’s study.
But Albert was enraged and not hiding it very well because he had come so close to getting Daniel married, only to have those machinations ruined by an interfering royal. “If your objection to the wedding is because of that oversight, Highness, I assure you it wasn’t intentional.”
“Not a’tall. I confess I was merely curious. So the reason was?”
“My son wanted a small ceremony—”
“Or you did?” George cut in. “I’ve been apprised that it was a ceremony steeped in the distasteful business of blackmail.”
“No! The marriage was arranged amicably.”
“Your terminating an earlier blackmail scheme in exchange for a wife for your son was the bargain, was it not? Amicable or not, that is still a new instance of blackmail. Are you beginning to see where you erred, dear Albert? What you did previously was to usurp a power that is only mine to wield. Only I can banish one of my lords from my kingdom. Do you deny it?”
Albert dropped into a chair in front of the desk. “He killed my youngest brother.”
“So there was a duel?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you,” George said. “That was the missing piece of the puzzle.”
“There was no puzzle. Blackburn was asked, begged, to stand down, and he wouldn’t.”
“Perhaps you aren’t familiar with my father’s chronicler? A strange fellow with an even stranger memory. He doesn’t need to write down the facts he gathers from one end of the country to the other, though he still does, because everything he has heard, has been told, or has ferreted out as pertains to our kingdom stays in his head.”
“What has that to do with any of this, Highness?” Albert demanded.
“Everything, since I had reason to summon him this week once I became aware of your distasteful dealings. He told me immediately why there could have been a duel the year of your brother Henry’s death, though you managed to keep it quite secret, that your youngest brother had very obviously pursued Lady Blackburn that summer. So it would seem there was a reason for that duel, and it would seem you were less than honorable to blackmail Lord Blackburn because of it.”
And then almost as an afterthought, George added with a tsk, “As for your recalcitrant son, you should have approached me with your worries, Albert. I could have found a suitable match for your boy without resorting to the unsavory business of blackmail.”
“You don’t understand—”
George cut in, “But I do, actually. Remember the chronicler? Five disappointed debutantes, wasn’t it? I’m also aware that the gel has feelings for another and is only here to get her father home, which is redundant, since he now has my permission to return without consequences.”
“My boy won’t agree to this. He actually wants the chit.”
“I will deal with your son. I can be very persuasive. Be assured, he will marry whom I tell him to marry. And you will consider the revenge you exacted on the Blackburns to have run its course and is now over.” George stood, his affable manner gone. “You don’t want to cross me on this, Albert. You have broken laws that could have serious consequences for your entire family if the courts are so informed. Do we understand each other?”
“Perfectly.”
“Splendid. Now about your son . . .”
• • •
AT THE BACK OF the music room, even as she hugged her father fiercely, Vanessa exclaimed, “Why would you do this? You’ve exposed yourself!”
He hugged her just as fiercely, but in a calm whisper assured her, “It’s all right. I had hoped to sneak into London and speak to you privately to forbid this, but I didn’t get here in time, was almost too late to stop this nonsense that Peter informed me about.”
“Peter! I asked him not to do that.”
He smiled gently. “Don’t be mad at my friend. He knew I would never allow this farce of a marriage. But it’s still all right, Nessi. That was the Regent I came in with. He was also apprised of what was happening and why. He’ll be wiping the slate clean for us, or the Rathbans will know royal vengeance. Well, that is the Regent’s intention,” he said with a laugh. “Whether Albert agrees or not, we will know soon enough.”
There was no time to say more when the twins excitedly arrived for their reunion with their father. Vanessa laughed as she was pushed out of the way. She could never have imagined this wedding being aborted so—royally. And the relief she felt was so overwhelming she was afraid she was going to start giggling and not be able to stop.
“Is he really back? For good?” Kathleen asked behind her. “Without this wedding taking place?”
Vanessa moved to join her mother, who was nervously hanging back from the reunion. “It would seem so—thanks to royal intervention.”
“How did that come about?”
“I haven’t a clue, but it’s ironic that this day has turned out to be such a happy one after all. However, I have a feeling the twins will balk if they don’t have full access to Father now, after all this time. So you might want to invite him to stay at your house for the duration of the Season at least, or they are likely to insist on moving to his house with him.”
“Will you ask him?”
“You wanted him back, Mother. Now he is here. You aren’t afraid of him, are you?”
Vanessa regretted the question immediately, when it was very obvious that Kathleen was experiencing some trepidation. “I just recall the last time we spoke. It was—difficult. And if he is still angry at me I’d prefer that you girls not witness it.”
“Many things have changed in these last years, but he has his life back now—most of it, so he may not feel like fighting with you, may only want to get reacquainted with the twins. But of course, I’ll ask him for you.”
Most of the Rathbans had already moved past them to leave the room. The priest even walked by, but glancing to where she had almost married the wrong man she saw that Daniel hadn’t left. He was standing exactly where she’d left him. And he was staring at her with—confusion? Or was that regret? She cringed inwardly. He wouldn’t be there if she hadn’t poked, prodded, seduced in her fashion, and lied. She had let him think she loved him, all for a good cause, but still, she felt bad about it now.
He did not deserve her pity, as nasty as he’d been about their courtship, so why did she pity him? She walked over to him and said, “I’m sorry. I can’t marry you, but I can do you a good turn to maybe make amends. Your true love gave you a son before she died. Your father has cared for him very well, even made him a member of your family. You both know each other as cousins. Do with that knowledge what you will, but I hope it will lighten your heart, Daniel Rathban.”
She had shocked him, perhaps twice. She hurried away before he recovered sufficiently to question her—and ran into the Prince Regent just outside the music room where her family was waiting for her. He appeared jovial. His meeting with Albert must have gone well! Her father’s wide smile confirmed it.
After she curtsied to him, George said to her, “I’m glad not to be kissing a bride today, ’deed I am. You can thank your champion for my interference, m’dear.”
She stared after the corpulent fellow as he sauntered toward the front door. William put his arm around her waist. “What did he mean by that?”
“I have only a slight idea, so I’m not going to say. Can we please leave this house? And you have been invited to stay at Mother’s house, where you will have access to all three of your daughters. Don’t refuse just because it’s hers and not yours.”
“I believe she and I are still married, on paper at least, which means . . .”
She laughed. “That it’s yours, of course. How male of you, Father.”