Chapter Forty-Two

The Duke of Warwick was right. The luxurious ducal carriage was not only well-sprung, it was swift. The wheels positively flew over the North Road.

“You think Penelope and her soldier intend to marry?” Oliver asked.

Ana’s mind churned as she thought of possibilities. Gretna Green in Scotland. A country clergyman ignorant of Penelope’s age and family connections. Someone who would be willing to conduct a ceremony for enough gold coin. If Penelope and Timothy failed to wed and had spent the night together at an inn, Penelope would be ruined, and they’d need to marry anyway.

What a bloody mess.

She should have noticed the signs. Penelope was warm and caring, and her change in demeanor hid wounded feelings and made her vulnerable. Still, to run away together, to completely defy her parents and risk the worst kind of scandal was drastic, and Ana had never suspected Penelope would go so far.

Ana wasn’t ignorant of her own predicament. She was ensconced in a carriage with Oliver. His broad shoulders seemed to dominate every square inch of the space, and the scent of his shaving soap released a slew of unwanted memories.

How had she ever thought she was stronger? She involuntarily responded to him in the close proximity.

“Ana, have you thought of what we should do when we find them?” he asked.

The question took her mind off other, disturbing thoughts. “We have to stop them.”

“Why?”

This simple question, asked in a forthright manner, made her brows pinch together. “Because she is the daughter of Lord and Lady Malvern and Lieutenant Smithfield is…is…”

“Is what? A man beneath her station?”

“Yes. An untitled, younger son of a family in dire need of an heiress. Her parents wouldn’t approve of the match.”

“They love each other.” His voice was a velvet murmur.

His words made her chest tighten like a hand had reached inside her chest and squeezed. She stayed silent.

“He makes her happy. Don’t you wish her happiness?”

She whirled to face him. “Of course! But I also understand the harshness of living without means.”

His broad shoulders stiffened beneath his coat, and a flicker of anguish crossed his features. “I can only imagine how you suffered after everything was taken from you. I regret all of it. If you allow me, I want to remedy it now.”

“I want nothing from you, my lord.”

“It’s Oliver. Before I met you, I believed marriage was meant as a business arrangement, a means to an end. My requirements were simple. I wanted a wife who would be an adequate hostess and bear an heir and spare. Nothing more. Affection was not a requirement. It was a duty that the earldom required. And one that I wasn’t even remotely interested in dealing with anytime soon.”

“How very aristocratic.” And cold.

“I knew nothing else from my youth. But then you walked into my life dressed in a scarlet gown and everything changed. I changed.”

She refused to fall under his spell. Her life had taken another unexpected turn, and she would survive and find a way, just as she always had. “We both knew our time together could not last.”

He’d mentioned regret for his family’s sins, not love. She’d fallen helplessly in love with him, and she would settle for nothing less than true love in return. If he devastated her once more, she had no one to blame but herself.

“Ana, please listen.”

She’d find another man. A husband who would give her children. She deserved more than secret meetings at night with a man who could never offer her marriage. It may be a fantasy, her fantasy, but something to give her hope when her future looked bleak from heartache.

A shout from the driver alerted them to activity outside. Ana lifted the tasseled shade to look out the window. She spotted an inn with a conveyance parked outside, but it was a man with a tumble of fair hair who walked inside the inn with the aid of a cane that caused her to reach out for the door handle.

“That’s Lieutenant Smithfield,” she said. “Penelope must be inside!”

…

Ana burst inside the inn with Oliver right behind her. An innkeeper was serving tankards of ale to a group of workmen dressed in corduroy jackets.

“We are looking for a young couple,” Ana said. “A blonde woman and a fair-haired man.”

“Newly married?”

Ana’s eyes widened. She had no idea, but if Penelope and Timothy had spent the night together, then it was best if people believed they were married. She nodded.

“Upstairs. My only occupied room tonight. Will his lordship need a room?” The innkeeper looked from her to Oliver. Despite his disheveled appearance, the earl’s dress and manner proclaimed him a lord of the realm. Did he think she was Lord Drake’s countess or his lover? It didn’t matter either way.

Ana was halfway up the stairs and did not hear Oliver’s shout. She rapped on the wooden door and called out.

“Ana, wait!” Oliver’s booted footsteps sounded close behind.

She pounded once more, and the door swung open. Timothy blocked the doorway. “What in God’s name?” He stopped short when he spotted her. “Miss Gardner? How did you—?”

Ana ignored him and craned her neck to see Penelope sitting on the edge of the bed. She pushed her way past the young soldier to burst into the room.

“Penelope! We have been searching for you. Everyone is frantically worried.” Ana whirled to the soldier. “Lieutenant Smithfield, what on earth were you two thinking?”

Penelope rose from the bed. Dressed in a simple blue day dress with her blonde hair tied back with a ribbon, she looked impossibly young. “It’s too late. We have been unchaperoned for hours in the carriage and most of the evening here. Even my mother would consent.”

Ana’s eyes closed as all manner of thoughts crossed her mind. Was there a way to save the girl? What story could they concoct on short notice to salvage her reputation?

Ana clasped her hands in front of her, hoping to convey a calmness she did not feel. “Lieutenant Smithfield, I’d like a word alone with my charge.”

The soldier’s gaze met Penelope’s. She must have given him a reassuring nod, because he turned to Ana. “Yes, Miss.”

Before he could leave, Oliver’s form filled the doorway. “I’d like a word with the young man while you two speak.”

Any objection the lieutenant would have voiced was silenced after one glance at the earl. Ana almost felt sorry for the younger man.

The door closed, and Ana was finally alone with Penelope. “Everyone is worried.”

Penelope folded her arms across her chest. “You mean my mother and father.”

“And me.”

“It’s too late. I’m ruined. No man will have me now.”

Ana’s gut twisted. Maybe Penelope’s determination had succeeded. “I thought Lieutenant Smithfield had ended things between you two.”

“He had. But I was determined to take matters into my own hands. I needed to show him that he was not less of a man because of his injury and that nothing could stop me from loving him. I also knew he did not mean what he said. So I slipped out the back door when my mother was busy with household matters and visited him at St. James’ Street. I was right and Timothy proposed.”

Her gumption was incredibly foolish, but also admirable. If it was under different circumstances, Ana would have been proud of her. “Did you two marry?”

“Not yet, but we plan to. Since I’m underage, no clergyman will perform the ceremony, even in the country. We are off to Scotland first thing in the morning.”

Rather than argue with Penelope over such a rash decision, Ana studied her delicate features. Her fair complexion appeared a shade paler. Was it the excitement or something else? Ana was almost afraid to ask. “Penelope, are you well?”

Penelope’s bottom lip quivered. She unfolded her arms and rubbed her temples. “I thought intimacy would be more pleasurable.”

Oh, sweet heaven. “My darling, a woman’s first time can be difficult.” She thought of her first night with Oliver. It was awkward at first. But Oliver had taken his time with her and ensured Ana had received pleasure before seeking his own. The second time, and the times thereafter, had been even more fulfilling.

Don’t think about those times now.

Penelope shifted her feet. “I’m unsure if I want to try again.”

“If you love him, it gets better. I promise.”

Penelope looked at her. “Just as you love Lord Drake.”

Ana’s breath stalled in her lungs. She did not want to talk about her relationship with the Earl of Drake. Just thinking of Oliver was painful.

“I worry for you when we return to London, Penelope.”

She blinked. “Me? You should worry about yourself, Ana. My mother is not the forgiving kind.”

“You are right. But she is not my mother, darling. She’s yours.”

Penelope covered her face with her hands and choked on a sob. “I wanted this badly, but now that it’s done, I’m afraid.”

Ana led her to sit on the edge of the bed and sat beside her. “Hush. It will be all right.”

“You think so?” Penelope leaned on her shoulder and cried.

“Timothy loves you and you love him. Everything will come in time.” Hadn’t Oliver said the same thing to her about the young couple in the carriage?

The girl sobbed louder. “I’m so sorry, Ana. I was mean to you, horribly mean. You meant to protect me, to do the best for me. I realize that now. I should have stood up to my mother and told her about Timothy.”

“You still can.”

“You believe I have the courage to face my mother?”

Ana smiled. “You ran away with a man. I’d say you have ample courage.”

Penelope chuckled, then rubbed her eyes. “You’re right. I vow to face my mother from now on!”

Ana handed her a handkerchief from her skirt pocket. “I will stand by your side if you need me.”

“You are a true friend.” Penelope dabbed at her eyes. “You came for me with the earl?”

“Yes.” Truth was, she wouldn’t have been able to find Penelope and the lieutenant without Oliver’s help. And the duke’s modified carriage.

Penelope’s eyes were red-rimmed, but her gaze serious. “Lord Drake loves you. You must see it, too.”

Ana let out a sigh. “Penelope, it’s complicated.”

“No. It’s not. If there is one thing I’ve learned from my experience is that you must forgive. And understand. Lord Drake was shocked to learn of your true identity, as was I.”

“I’m sorry I never told you.”

Penelope reached for Ana’s hand. “After the shock had ebbed, I understand why you did not. But Lord Drake is different, and your families have an unsavory history. You must not judge him too harshly. After all, would you have acted differently in his position?”

Would she have? It was a good question. One she had initially refused to consider or face for fear of the answer. She was honest enough with herself to acknowledge the truth now. If she’d learned Oliver had kept a secret about their family’s pasts for the entire duration of their relationship, she would have felt betrayed.

Penelope’s grip on her hand was surprisingly strong. “Do not let your pride get in the way of your own happiness. Go to him now, Ana.”

…

“What will become of them?” Ana watched the two young lovers as they sat at a table in the inn’s main room with tankards of warm ale and a hot meal. Oliver had paid the innkeeper for their night and the food and informed everyone that they would return to London in his carriage.

Meanwhile, Ana sat in a corner with Oliver. Her own tankard and bowl of stew sat before her.

Oliver lowered his tankard. “I suspect Penelope’s family will seek a quick wedding, perhaps even obtain a special license to avoid scandal,” he said.

Ana nodded. “I suppose it’s the wisest course of action.”

“I’ve thought of the young couple’s predicament during our ride here.”

Ana blinked. “You have?”

“The earldom has many estates, all of them entailed. But there is one that is not. One I’d like to give to the young couple as a wedding gift. One which will allow Penelope to continue to live as she always has, one which will allow them never to have to worry about money.” He leaned forward to gauge her reaction. “But only if you approve.”

The implication was astounding and astonishing, one she would never have thought of, and one in which she was irrevocably and emotionally attached.

Rosedown.

Because the estate was won over a game of chance, it was unentailed, and Oliver was free to gift it to whomever he desired.

Yet he was asking her permission.

Her voice was a faint whisper. “You mean Rosedown?”

“Yes.”

A lump rose in her throat. Rosedown was her home, her one place of happiness.

Not true.

It hadn’t been her home in a decade. A long period of time in which she hadn’t slept in her childhood bed, hadn’t frolicked in the gardens, hadn’t toured the glass-and-iron greenhouse with her mother. It had been forever since the humid heat curled her hair and caused flushed cheeks as she learned the names of every rosebush and exotic plant. And years since she’d helped her mother with the plants, feeling the earthy, potting soil beneath her fingers while smelling the unique, perfumed fragrance of the flowers.

Lovely, cherished childhood memories of long ago. Funny how the past had a way of creeping into your head, your chest, your belly, and grow like clutching vines around your heart.

It was time to let go.

She had no legal right to the property, and if Rosedown could save someone she loved, someone like Penelope, then the sacrifice was well worth any lingering ache in her chest.

“I’m shocked you thought of it,” she said.

“The estate will provide for them all their lives, but only if you agree.”

“Why are you are asking my permission?”

His smile was slow. Slow and heart-wrenchingly tender. “Rosedown is your home. If you do not wish for me to gift it to Penelope and Timothy, then I will gift it to you.”

He was offering to return her home to her?

An impossible choice.

She knew the answer before the words left her lips. “Was, my lord. Rosedown was my home. It hasn’t been mine in years.”

“Perhaps. But I still seek your consent.”

“Then my answer is yes. You helped me find my charge. Now please help Penelope and Timothy once more.”

…

Oliver wasn’t surprised at Ana’s generosity. Her kindness, her shimmering essence, had captivated him from the beginning. If only he could go back and make things right. But deep down, he knew their past was the only way to their future.

A future he prayed would end the way he desperately desired.

He was suddenly nervous, like a man risking his heart on his sleeve. “I have something for you as well.”

He reached inside his coat and withdrew a small box. It reminded him of the time he’d gifted her the necklace in a private room in a different inn. It seemed long ago. So much had happened between them since that wonderful evening.

He was aware of the few occupants in the room, the innkeeper and his wife, a pair of drunken men, Penelope and Timothy. He was aware and did not care.

He pushed back his chair and lowered to one knee, then opened the box to reveal an emerald ring surrounded by diamonds. “Ana, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, my countess?”

Her eyes flew to his. “Oliver, I—”

“It is my mother’s ring. I want my wife to wear it. Unlike my own parents, my grandparents had a loving marriage. I have no doubt that our own lives will be full of love as well. Please forgive me for doubting you. All that I have, I will happily share with you as my countess. I do not deserve you. I love you, Ana.”

He waited, his chest tightening with anticipation.

Her lips parted and her hazel eyes were wide. “You love me?”

“When I said I wanted to do right by you, I lied. My thoughts are selfish. I need you in my life. Without you, I see only a future of unhappiness and loneliness. I love you with all my heart.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she pushed back her own chair and threw herself into his arms. “I love you, Oliver, have loved you for so long.” She kissed him.

Relief and joy squeezed his heart. His arms tightened around her and held her close. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

The clapping in the inn was drowned out by the singing in his heart.