Page 71 of Indecent Desires of a Proper Lady
Leonard nodded. He took Juliet into his arms. “My Dear, take Felix’ carriage. We will meet at the inn along the way and all shall be discussed.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek before stepping up into the carriage and calling for the driver to drive on.
Margaret sighed and turned to the remaining. “What a day,” she breathed, a smile on her face. “I do not think that I shall ever forget it.”
Juliet and Sarah both grinned. She glanced up at a tired but smiling Philip. He lifted his arm. “Nor I.” The ladies descended into laughter, and they walked to the carriage.
“No matter about my injury,” Philip said, “I shall still assist you fine ladies into the carriage as we make our way to the inn. I do believe a hot meal and some good wine will make an excellent remedy.”
* * *
It was all over. Each breath he took as he rode his way to the inn felt like a long sigh of relief. The situation was not quite yet finished, but at least the truth was out. In more ways than one.
He frowned as he thought about Charles’ betrayal. “What are you thinking of?” Margaret’s voice quietly and lovingly pulled him from his rather dreary reverie.
He patted her hand. “I am thinking of how lucky I was for the ingenuity of you three, ladies. I believe we were at a sort of impasse when you arrived, all three of us shocked at Charles’ betrayal.”
Juliet narrowed her eyes at him. “So you will tell us everything?” Philip grinned, glancing down at a smiling Margaret to his right. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then, to comfort her, to let her know that he loved her and wanted to wholly focus on marrying her, and to comfort himself at the loss of his old friend.
But that would have to wait. It always seemed to have to wait. He sighed again, and then said, “Not yet, not yet, Ladies. I do not want to steal the stage from your husbands as well. I think they want to heartily prove to you their end of the deal. We will wait until we are all seated together.”
He leaned back and turned his face to Margaret, so that he could breathe her in. Margaret looked up at his lustful gaze and blushed.
In ten minutes, they were inside the inn, and having ordered their meal, waited for the other men to return. They were each of them eager to hear any news, and he was certain, eager to return to their normal lives, away from the secrets and the traitorous characters.
“My Dear,” Leonard said with a smile as he approached their table, “we have returned.”
“Sit and tell us everything. You must indulge me.” Felix kissed Sarah on the cheek and both the men sat down, sighing as they did so. Philip looked between the two of them.
“Well?” he said, his own patience waning.
Leonard replied, “I was able to leave the threatening letter at the prison to give to the solicitor who plans to take over the case for Charles.”
“I have one as well that I should give to them before we leave town.”
“You do?” Margaret looked at him, her face paling a little.
“Yes, My Dear. It is time that you know. I received one just before we made our apologies to each other in Havordshire. It said that the people who Charles owed would kill the woman he loved. I assumed that it was you, and even though I was angry, I came to warn Leonard.”
Margaret beamed and whispered, “My hero.”
Philip nearly melted at the way she said the words, but he cleared his throat, remembering the others at the table.
Margaret added, “You know, there was a strange character I saw watching Juliet and me at the park only a few weeks ago. I thought nothing of it at the time, but it left me with a strange feeling.”
“Ah, yes, I remember you mentioning that at the park, but yes, I thought he was just another person enjoying the park.” Leonard scowled at her.
“Why did you not tell anyone of your concerns, Margaret?” Leonard asked.
“I thought that I would simply scare everyone. Do you think it is somehow related? That this man could have been one of the writers of the letters?”
Philip shrugged. “It is possible, but I think it is more likely he is one of their lackeys. I was followed as well.” Margaret turned to him with a gasp. Philip looked at his friends. “I also did not wish to scare anyone until all was settled. Did you notice anything strange, Felix, Leonard?”
They shook their heads. Leonard sighed with solemnity. “Well, it is over now, I believe, and we see that instead, his true love is Catherine Stilton.”
Juliet lifted her eyebrows. “Truly? For how long?”
Felix sighed and began to explain all that had been revealed to his sister. Philip watched the changes of expression that came over each of the ladies. Juliet was subdued. “I see. So that is why she screamed at me before we left the house, saying that it was me that ruined everything?”
Leonard touched his wife on the hand. “I am sorry, Juliet. I did not know that she did that.”
