Chapter Twenty-Six

 

The Lion’s Lare was nothing like she had seen the day Rachel had looked through the window that day she had come to Kellington with Lord Linfield. She had been there for what she guessed was over two hours, and the few patrons who sat around at the different tables could have been statues, except for when they lifted their pint glass to their lips and drank. One man sat at the bar, his head hanging low as he sipped from his pint.

What had surprised Rachel on this particular visit was that the singing and laughter that could be heard the last time she was here was now replaced by a melancholy that brought a sense of hopelessness and anguish to the place.

Rachel had not felt so much fear for the uncertain future that lay before her. The previous night, she thought the world was hers, and Lord Linfield’s, but after learning about his deceitful plans, she had come to realize that nothing more existed for her.

Sighing, she reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the stone her real father had used for good luck. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered how the Earl had presented her the stone, only to show her that he, too, had his own stone that he carried with him. She believed it was at that moment of bonding that she began to see the man as something more, someone she could care for eventually, and she had.

Now, all she felt was shame.

The man who had saved her from an uncertain future with a man such as Jacob Downs had been invigorating, but it had not created the bond she thought they had gained in the months she had lived at Elford Estates. Yet, now, she wondered if he had arranged that encounter with Jacob as a means to get to her. The idea made no sense, of course; her father, that is George, owed the money long before the Earl had even thought of going to Falmouth, but she could not help but question every valiant and noble deed the man had done for her.

As to her future, she was unsure. She had the funds to go anywhere she wished, but she had nowhere to go. Her parents had made it clear that they were setting on their own path, and they had done far too much for her anyway. What good was the money she had if she had no one with whom to share it? A life alone was no life at all.

She considered several ideas and pushed each aside for one reason or another. Well, she had always been interested in seeing Scotland, perhaps that could be her next destination in life.

The door behind her opened and cool air blew in, mussing her hair. She pushed the strands back from her face. Her simple chignon would need to be redone, but who in this disparaging place would even notice?

“That is quite the stone you have there,” a voice said from behind her. “I have one as well.” Lord Linfield set his stone on the counter beside hers. “I thought it was silly to believe in luck, that is, until the day I met you.”

Rachel stared at her hands, refusing to look at the man who had broken her heart. “What is it you want?” she demanded in a quiet, but harsh, voice. “I know of your trickery.” She turned to glare at him. “You have hurt me.”

He had the audacity to take on a look of remorse, as she should believe him after what had happened. “I realize that you have been hurt, but I would like the chance to explain.”

Rachel sniffed at the man, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw that kindness she had come to recognize. Then she shook her head. She had to be strong, lest he trick her again. “Say what you will,” she snapped. “I care not.”

The Earl nodded and leaned an arm against the counter. “When your father passed away,” he said, “he asked me to find you, which of course, I did. I expected to find a genteel lady, a lady of high regard. Instead, I found a beautiful woman in a pub about the be wed to a man as a way to pay off the debt of the man who raised her as if she were his own daughter.”

Rachel held back the tears as the memories flooded back. She would not allow him to see her weep.

“When I first met you, I must admit, I did not like you very much.” When she gave him a glare that should have frozen him where he sat, he lifted his hands as if to defend himself. “What I mean to say is that I found you beautiful, but I also saw you as an object, as a means to an end, and not as the woman you are today.”

“So, you admit that you did not care for me?” She sniffed at him again. “That certainly takes away some of the pain you have caused.” Her words dripped with bitterness and contempt.

“I did not know any better, you see. When I angered you and you threatened to leave, I had just found out about the stipulation to the will. I did not know about it until that day.”

“That you had to marry me to inherit the estate.” It was a statement rather than a question. He nodded and Rachel had to admit that at least he no longer lied about it. Regardless, the deal had been done. “That is regrettable, for now you will never see any of that wealth.” She gave him a smug glare and turned away from him to look back down at her now clenched hands. “In fact, I look forward to the embarrassment you will suffer when the ton finds out that, not only has our engagement been called off, but your fiancée was found in a pub drinking away her sorrows.”

“I deserve whatever ridicule that comes my way for my original intentions,” he said in an unruffled tone. “However, something occurred when I pretended to make my attempts to win you over.”

“And what was that?” she asked skeptically.

“I found that I wanted to make you happy, for it made me happy. Last night, you overheard but part of a conversation. There was more to it, but my mother now knows that I love you, and that her demeaning and degrading words toward me, and especially you, are no longer welcome. It is the reason she left the party last night.”

At this, Rachel could not stop the tears that trickled down her face, and she accepted the handkerchief the Earl offered her. Once she had herself back under control, she asked, “What if I were to believe you but still refused to marry you? Would it not upset you that I had caused you to lose Elford Estates? As well as the money?”

He took her hand in his as he shook his head. “It would kill me inside knowing I had lost you, for you showed me that items such as these,” he motioned toward the rocks, “are the best gifts a man could ever receive if they are given with the greatest regards. My world was dark before I met you, and it became dark again once you were gone. You are the light I need. You make me happy and have shown me what it is to love someone. And for that, I will always love and cherish you regardless of the decision you make at this moment.” He rose from the chair, picked up the stone he had set beside hers and placed it in his pocket. “Goodbye, Miss Cooper,” he said quietly and turned to leave.

Then he stopped and turned back around. “I know my words mean nothing to you,” he said from behind her, “but believe me when I say this. Without you, I am an unhappy man, and no matter how much money I have, or which estates I own, they will be as dead as I was before I met you. Thank you for showing me that there is so much more out there than what wealth one can acquire.”

Lord Linfield’s words ran deep into her soul and her mind raced as it replayed the events that led her to this moment in time. The man who saved her from the grasp of Jacob Down, the man who would yell and then apologize. Yes, for a while she had seen the worst of the Earl. However, he had changed, her heart told her as much as his words, but his actions spoke the loudest.

Rachel rose from her chair and turned. “My Lord,” she called out. She cared nothing for the eyes that watched as if the two were a part of a theater show. “I came to this place believing that it would bring me happiness, but it did not. I cannot share in a song or a laugh, for without you, I am empty inside. It is something that I have just realized.” She swiped at the tears once more. “I believe your explanation about the discussion with your mother. I do not understand why, but I do. Perhaps I see the truth in your eyes.” She laughed at this notion but continued on despite how silly she must sound. “I love you and I wish to be your wife, if you will still have me.”

A smile broke out on his face as he pulled her into his arms. “You are everything I need in life, my love. I hope you know that.”

Rachel smiled up at the man who had stolen her heart and she saw the same look she felt reflected in his eyes. “I do know that,” she said breathlessly. He then pulled her in closer and their lips met, and it was as if the dinginess of the pub no longer existed around them, only the light of their love shone.

When the kiss ended, she took one more look around the pub. Happiness was not found in pubs, or drinks, or songs. Nor was it found in estates in the South of England or gowns that came in from Paris. No, happiness was found in love.

She slipped her arm in Lord Linfield’s and smiled.

He returned her smile. “Look at our reflection,” he said.

She turned to the window, and what she saw was much like their lives the last few months. What had begun with dirt around the edges was now wiped clean. “I see a couple in love with happiness in their smiles,” she whispered.

Lord Linfield nodded. “That is what I see, as well,” he said and then led her away from the pub and into their future. Together.