Page 61 of Lady Beast's Bridegroom
Arial’s contented smile and the hand she placed over said belly confirmed his suspicions. “Mrs. Parker has guessed I am with child, Peter. I have only just realized that in the last few days, and I have no idea how she knows.”
Peter placed his own hand over hers. “A child.” He had guessed as much, but Arial’s confirmation sent a cascade of emotions through him. Joy. Love—for her and the babe. Pride. Fear, because childbirth was not without its risks.
How foolish he had been to let his niggling discomfort with spending the money she brought to the marriage keep him from admitting his love months ago. Thank God, he had found her in time! Now he could spend every day for the rest of their lives together telling her how vital she was to his wellbeing.
“Are you pleased?” Arial sounded anxious, and he hastened to reassure her.
“Thrilled beyond words, my love.” And even more upset that Stancroft had put this dearest person in the world and herprecious burden at risk. “Are you sure your ordeal… that is, should we consult a doctor?”
Her response reassured him. “I was not hurt, Peter. And today, now that we are together again, I feel marvelous. And hungry. I am very, very hungry. Do you suppose they have bacon?”
He vowed that his lady would have bacon if he had to ask at every cottage in the village. “Let’s get up and find out, shall we?”
Extraordinary measures were not required. The inn happily provided their honored guests with bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, and several dishes in which baked vegetables featured prominently.
The magistrate arrived with his questions as the Ransomes, and John were sitting over a second cup of tea while the remnants of their meal were removed. “We have concerns about several of the other patients,” he confided. “This is a da—a bothersome mess, begging your pardon, my lady. It will take some untangling. You’re taking the Parker woman with you, I hear? We may want to talk to her again.”
“Lady Ransome, shall we leave Mrs. Parker and her parents at Greenmount until the magistrate has finished his investigation?” Peter suggested.
“A good idea, my lord. If we are taking several of the household staff with us to Three Oaks Manor, we will be able to find positions at Greenmount for our new employees.”
Peter had told Arial about the staffing situation at Three Oaks. Taking trusted servants from Greenmount was a brilliant idea. “So, there you are, sir,” Peter said to the magistrate.
After that, they parted from John. Greenmount was only a two-hour carriage ride away from the inn where they’d stayed the night but would take John out of his way. If he made the long ride to London today, he was hopeful he could get backto Deercroft Hall the following day in time to see his godsons christened.
“John, you’ll see to the arrest of my stepmother and her butler?” Peter asked, and John promised that he would.
Peter and Arial made an altogether more leisurely journey. They stayed the night at Greenmount so that Arial could consult with the village doctor, who already had her trust. “Lady Arial—I beg your pardon, my lord—Lady Ransome is very well, apart from a few minor bruises,” he declared, setting Peter’s mind at rest.
He advised Arial to eat heartily and rest when she felt like it and told Peter not to fuss. “I do not hold with these London doctors who turn breeding women into invalids,” he said. “Lady Ransome can participate in all her normal activities for as long as she continues to enjoy them.”
He gave Arial an avuncular pat on the arm. “When something is uncomfortable, my lady, stop doing it. Meanwhile, carry on. That includes long walks, horse riding, intimate activities, and any other exercise you are prone to enjoy.”
Peter appreciated the man’s bluntness, though Arial blushed.
They left Greenmount the following morning and stayed overnight at the inn from which Arial had been abducted. The innkeeper and his wife could not do enough for them, but they were not sorry to leave in the morning.
*
The London townhouselooked almost bleak. Arial had sent a message from Greenmount saying she wanted the servants to leave when she and Peter did. The servants had sent off the furniture that hadn’t been hired with the house, and anything else not required for the continued accommodation of Pauline Turner, the remaining staff, and Peter and Arial.
Pauline was waiting for them when they came in from the carriage. “Lady Ransome! I was so relieved to hear that you were unharmed.”
Arial, taking in the woman’s red-rimmed eyes and subdued posture, decided to take the statement at its face value. “I understand I have you to thank for that, Miss Turner. You told my husband where to look for me, and it is thanks to you that he found me so quickly.”
After a few more stiff remarks, Pauline took a deep breath, as if nerving herself for something unpleasant.
“Peter, there is a letter from Miss Pettigrew. It is to tell you that Edwards tried to kidnap Vivienne, but the servants managed to stop him. Vivienne is safe, but Edwards got away.”
“You opened my letter?” Peter’s voice was indignant, but Arial put a hand on his arm.
“There is more you want to say, Pauline, is there not?”
Pauline turned to her, and the words tumbled out. “My mother has fled England with Edwards. They took Laura with them. I was afraid they had taken Vivienne, too, so I opened the letter to Peter from Miss Pettigrew.”
She drew in a sobbing breath. “I know you do not trust me, Peter. But I love Vivienne. I love Rose, too. And for all that Mama thinks she owns Vivienne, and I think Edwards actually cares for her, those two girls belong together, and with you and Arial.” She blushed. “That is, if you want Vivienne.”
Peter’s frown had turned bewildered. “Why would I not want Vivienne?”
