Page 65 of One Perfect Dance
That perverted version of the evening’s events had Regina’s eyebrows twitching upward. Elijah, however, laughed. “Does Dilly truly think people will believe that?” he scoffed.
“I do not,” Mother insisted. “I know Regina despises the man, and I believe her to be right in his assessment of his character. But several of Richard Deffew’s friends claim to have seen her coming out of the building with you, Mr. Ashby. Richard Deffew is Mr. Deffew’s nephew.”
“Did those friends mention that Elijah’s servant was with us, and that he and Elijah were half-carrying Geoffrey? I was there because a messenger came to tell me that Geoffrey had been injured in an accident and needed me.”
“Ah!” Lady Kingsley commented. “Another abduction attempt.”
“It was,” Regina agreed. “An unsuccessful one, since Elijah saw me leaving here in a hackney with one of the young men that Geoffrey has been seeing. He came after me. We rescued Geoffrey, who had been drugged, and then Elijah and Fullaby fought off a group of the young men, who attacked us when we left the building.”
“Rex was there too,” Elijah disclosed.
Mother gave a single decisive nod. “Excellent. The pair of you have a witness that Society will accept as credible.”
As opposed to Fullaby and Geoffrey, though to be fair, Geoffrey was not in a condition to be much of a witness.
“Do you happen to know whether Deffew has an apartment in that building?” Elijah asked.
Mother shook her head. “Not to my knowledge. He and his nephew live with Matthew Deffew.”
Ash grinned, the flame of mischief in his eye. “Then Society might put its busy mind to wondering why he was in that building at all, let alone in the condition I saw him.”
Mother raised her eyebrows and inclined her head. “The condition in which you saw him?” she repeated, making a question of it.
Elijah’s grin broadened. “I should tell you that the room to which we were directed, the room in which Geoffrey was being held, was towards the far end of the passage from the stairwell. To reach it, one had to pass a door that had been damaged and loosely propped in the frame, so anyone who looked in that direction would see a man spreadeagled on the bed. He was unclothed and tied by his wrists and ankles to the bed posts.”
Impressive! His statement was entirely true but left out any mention of their altercation with Deffew.
“Unclothed!” Mother repeated. “I take it you recognized this man, Mr. Ashby.”
“I did,” Elijah told her gravely. “It was David Deffew. One wonders how he found himself in that state, in what is, after all, a building full of bachelor apartments. A foolish jape? An assignation gone wrong? Perhaps he was waiting for the owner of the apartment?”
“One prefers not to speculate,” Mother replied, dryly, “but it would be unkind not to permit other people to relish such an interesting insight into the character of the man who has been attempting to coerce my daughter into an unwanted marriage.”
“I thought you might see it that way,” Elijah said, and he and Mama exchanged a smile full of accord.
“May I tell your mother our news?” Elijah asked Regina. Regina nodded.
Elijah’s voice was proud when he said, “I have proposed to Regina, and she has accepted.”
Mother crowed with delight. She jumped up and held out her hand to Elijah. “You love her, do you not? Anyone with eyes can see it in the way you look at her. And you desire her, too, which she deserves after all these years. I am so glad.” She beamed at Regina, then turned back to shake Elijah’s hand again. “Congratulations, Mr. Ashby. You are a very fortunate man.”
“I am a fortunate woman,” Regina commented.
Her mother bent and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, moving swiftly back to her chair as if she was afraid of Regina’s reaction. “I am so glad,” she repeated.
“Thank you,” Elijah said. “You are the first to know, Lady Kingsley.”
“But I may tell people, may I not? This is just perfect. I told Lady Bledisloe that no one with any sense would believe you would go to an assignation with David Deffew when you had a suitor like Elijah Ashby. Just wait until I let everyone know you are betrothed! That will put the last nail in the horrid man’s coffin.”
Regina’s eyes met Elijah’s, and a message passed between them. “Would you wait until I have had an opportunity to tell Geoffrey and for Elijah to tell Lord Arthur?” she asked.
“Any time after tomorrow afternoon should be fine,” Elijah said.
Mother rubbed her hands together. “I am going to enjoy this. Very well, I shall start tonight, with the true story of why you were there and who with, and a few hints about Mr. Deffew’s… condition, but I shall omit the news of your betrothal until you give me leave to share.” She stood. “Thank you, Regina. I know I have a lot to make up for, but I am grateful you are trusting me with this.”
Regina stood too. “You had your reasons, Mother. I am sorry that I refused to listen to you for so long. I love you, Mother.”
Tears filled her mother’s eyes. She touched Regina’s hand and blinked rapidly. “I love you, too, darling. I always have. I was just too proud and too hurt to see clearly what was right for you. Gideon did well to rescue you from that horrid man.”
