Authors: Cheryl Howe
She gave out a curdling squeal followed by a shriek of what could only be described as joy
.
She pumped her arms and fists
.
The earl’s eyes widened in a mix
of something
between wonder and horror.
“She’s not going to soil herself, is she?” said the earl gruffly.
“She hasn’t actually ever laughed quite like that before,” said Ivy, smiling at the
excitement
in Melody’s face
.
She kicked her feet again and gurgled, her expression showed how pleased she was with herself
.
How many other first things would Ivy miss
?
Too many to count
.
She tried to harden her features, turning to the earl, trying to think of something hurtful to say
.
Perhaps about the color of Melody’s hair that no longer matched Diana’s
.
But her nose, her pixie nose, that was pure
…
The earl’s eyes grew bleary and he didn’t seem capable of blinking away the tears that coated the piercing steel blue
.
Melody’s squeals ceased abruptly
.
She studied Westhaven with her feathery eyebrows drawn together
.
Her lower lip had curled under
.
“My lord, you are upsetting Melody
.
Please relax your grip and try to not look at her like you wish to turn her to stone.
”
Ivy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, while trying not to think about touching him under any circumstances
.
With her other hand, she caressed Melody’s soft head and suddenly would not dream of mentioning the unique golden gleam of her fine baby hair
.
“Do you recognize the dark eyes of a Blackmore?”
“She has Darien’s mother’s eyes, as does Lily
.
Philip was the only one that favored me in appearance or temperament.
”
The earl sighed
.
“But he had been tender hearted like his mother and the rest of them.
”
“God bless his soul,” whispered Agatha from the other side of the bed
.
“I never meant to hurt you.
”
The earl’s words were so quiet and unexpected, Ivy tilted her head, unsure of what she had heard
.
“Perhaps I was wrong about you, but that doesn’t change the fact that I could do nothing then, and I can do even less now.”
“You’ll be on your feet soon, my lord
.
Just a bad spell is all.
”
Agatha leaned heavily on her cane.
“Please add some more coal to the fire, Aggie
.
And you may sit in the red chair to keep the fire stoked for my granddaughter
.
We shall call you if we need you
.
I wish to have a private conversation with my granddaughter’s mother.”
“Yes my, lord.
”
Agatha wandered over to the fire and rustled the embers, then collapsed in a heavily padded leather chair already draped with a plaid blanket, her feet landing on the matching ottoman.
Ivy tried to harden herself from any softening
.
“I have ordered another ten thousand pounds for your account
.
I’m sure Darien will provide for you generously, but I wish to show you my gratitude as well.”
Ivy felt ill, but she had come too far to be stupid over pride
.
Melody would be a very rich woman in her own right someday
.
How sad Melody would never know the two women in her life that gave so much to ensure her well-being
.
But that was the gift Diana had willed her daughter and Ivy would have to do the same
.
“You are too kind
.
It will serve me well in America
.
I find I can’t hand over my daughter and live in the shadows of her life.”
He broke his fascinated gaze from Melody to gape at Ivy
.
“Darien can’t prop up this family without you
.
He’ll drink too much and act horribly.”
“He won’t
.
He has Melody to think of now
.
Darien understands that there is no one else to steer the family fortune and protect his brother’s memory.”
“I wish I could have accepted my children as they were no matter the conditions
.
But I was an arrogant fool
.
I never expected you to be a woman who would abandon her daughter
, though
.
No matter the circumstances.”
“It is not for myself that I leave but for Melody.
”
Ivy blinked several times to clear her vision, both stunned and enraged that he would question her devotion
.
“My name is tied to scandal.”
The earl grunted
.
“Everyone’s tied to scandal.
”
The bedroom door swung open.
“Not everyone, my lord
.
Only those who murdered their son.”
She turned at the sound of Collin Jacobson’s voice but her gaze collided with that of Henry Maddox
.
Jacobson towered behind him
.
Maddox was shoved into the room and Ivy spotted the weapon in Jacobson’s hand
.
He closed the door and fumbled for a lock, but found none
.
Without taking his gaze from Maddox for more than a moment, he leaned against the door and pointed a musket at the room in general.
“No one shall leave here alive unless I find out exactly what happened to Philip
.
The truth, this time.”
Maddox will be a bother
,
but I know things he’d rather not reveal, so don’t let him intimidate you, as if that were possible.
Darien quietly slipped into Robert’s sickroom without knocking, not wanting to wake his nephew if he were sleeping
.
Inside, a
ll curtains had been flung open, allowing the room to be flooded with harsh afternoon light
.
Five pairs of angry eyes glared in his direction
.
Darien
feared he
had stumbled upon his own firing squad.
Robert sat up in bed, his hair
looking
hastily combed
.
Arianna stood at the far end, supported by her mother. Lily and Rand held posts at either side of their son
.
Before Arianna abruptly swung around to face Robert, dismissing Darien, he noticed his bride-to-be had been sobbing uncontrollably
.
Even his sister rolled her eyes in disgust at the sight of him
.
Darien tried to swallow the anchor-shaped misery stuck in his throat.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you glaring at me, nephew.”
“I’ll perform the ceremony
.
Considering the change in circumstances, everyone has agreed to postpone the
wedding
until tomorrow
morning
.
I should be capable by then, my lord.
”
Robert stared at Darien as if he were a stranger
.
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.
”
Darien shoved his hands in his pockets, but squared his shoulders
.
He must assume that Robert was treating him so deferentially for
The
Maddox
women’s
benefit
.
Any other reason would be unbearable.
Darien nodded to Mrs. Maddox and tried not to consider that they would all soon be related by law
.
“I believe Mr. Maddox has summoned a bishop from London.”
Mrs. Maddox acknowledged Darien with a strained half-smile but said nothing
.
“Arianna insists that Robert perform the ceremony,” Lily said, at least trying to sound pleasant through clenched teeth.
“Perhaps if Miss Maddox and I discuss this privately, we might come to a more agreeable arrangement.
”
Darien spoke to the girl’s back
.
Her mother put her arm gently around her daughter’s shoulder
.
Just when Darien thought Arianna would ignore him all together, she shrugged off her mother and whirled to face him.
“If Robert expects me to submit to marrying
…
”
Arianna had the good grace to drop her gaze, “his uncle, then he can bloody well perform the bloody ceremony.”
“Arianna,” scolded her mother
.
“That is no way to speak to Lord Blackmore.”
Dear God
.
Darien rubbed his forehead, desperately needing a shot of whiskey
.
But he knew this would be the exact wrong time to give into blind abandon
.
If he allowed himself the slightest indulgence, he’d never be able to go along with any of this himself.
Robert frowned deeply
.
Arianna paled.
Uncomfortable silence strangled the air from the room while Darien considered something to say that would ease all their minds or at least take control of the bloody situation
.
Damn it all, he didn’t have time for any of this
.
He wasn’t used to playing the authoritarian bully.
“Miss Maddox
.
Please, just a moment of your time
.
I believe your patient could use some rest.”
She glanced back at Robert
.
Their gazes met
.
Robert’s expression remained blank
.
Unfortunately, he could not seem to maintain the façade
.
He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the bank of pillows supporting him
.
Arianna abruptly turned to face Darien
.
Unchecked tears streamed down her face
.
She nodded curtly to Darien then swiftly left the room, slamming the door on her exit.
Darien spared one last glance at Robert
.
His nephew stared at
the
closed door and then
at
Darien
.
He could see the first signs of hatred in Robert’s haggard gaze that would surely grow and fester over the years.
“Arianna will be waiting for you in the hall, Lord Blackmore.
”
Mrs. Maddox bowed and rushed after her daughter.
“We shall talk later, when you are feeling better.
”
Darien approached the bed, wanting to say more but knowing from experience that Robert would need time to adjust to the unfairness of it all.
“I believe this will probably be as good as I will ever be.”
“You are lucky to be alive, Robert.
”
Lily poured water from a pitcher and offered a crockery cup to Robert
.
“You have your whole life ahead of you
.
I know right now it seems
—
”
“I’m tired,” Robert said, cutting his mother off
.
He tried to turn over, to turn his back on all of them but a slash of pain cut across his features
.
Darien, his sister, and her husband all rushed toward him
.
He glared at all three of them, stopping them in their tracks
.
“Leave me be!” he yelled
.
Robert had never been one to raise his voice and Darien hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come.
“Just let me help you and then we shall all leave you to your rest,” Lily insisted
.
“Go on, you two
.
Darien has much to do and you, my dear, must help him.”
“I’ll help him, love
.
I’ll definitely help him.
”
For some reason his brother-in-law grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door
.
Though the major had aged, it was immediately obvious the life-long soldier could easily toss Darien from the room
.
Rand lifted Darien to his toes, digging his fingers into his arm and twisting most uncomfortably
.
Darien did not fight against his hold, sure he deserved to be roughly treated, though he wasn’t quite sure of his current crime
.