Page 43 of Weave me a Rope
“That sounds like an excellent idea, my lady,” Marsh told her, withdrawing one hand so he could pat hers. “You will be very good for Miss Simpson and Master Milton, I know.”
Lady Daphne noticed Cordelia staring at them. “Marsh is kind,” she announced.
Marsh told her to go to Miss Faversham before he addressed Cordelia. “My men and I would like to enter your service, Miss Milton. We’ve been talking to Lord Spenhurst, and he would employ us, but he is a bit short of the ready at the moment, and,” he shrugged, “a man’s got to eat.”
Cordelia cast a glance at Fielder. Spen had charmed his support away from the marquess and now, it seemed, he had charmed this man and his colleagues.
The guard must have thought she was hesitating, because he explained, “I can’t keep taking the marquess’s money when I’m working against him, and my men feel the same. It wouldn’t be honest. But it isn’t right to help him with what he is doing. I didn’t mind when I thought it was a case of a spoiled lordling who needed to settle down, but they never should have involved that sweet innocent there.”
He shrugged. “We’ve been feeling stuck, Miss Milton. We didn’t want to leave, because the men the earl hired are brutes who’ll do anything for money. And we’d be walking away from what the marquess owes us, too. Then today, Lord Spenhurst suggested we could work for him, only he couldn’t pay us yet.When I heard you were here, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind…”
He trailed off and Cordelia held out her hand, as her uncle did when he closed a deal. “I accept. You are now working for me, Mr. Marsh. How much pay does the marquess owe you, and how many of you are there?”
Marsh shook her proffered hand and answered her questions.Oh, good.She had enough money hidden in the carriage to give him the owed money as a token of good faith.
John was reluctant to leave, but they agreed it was dangerous for him to stay, especially when Marsh said the marquess had only gone as far as Birmingham where he knew of a minister who would accept a bribe to perform a forced wedding. Since John had seen him yesterday afternoon, he could be back as early as this evening.
Before long, Marsh and one of his men had escorted the visitors to their carriage. There, Cordelia, in her guise as Lady Daphne, climbed into the carriage, where she retrieved her money pouch from its hidden cupboard, then allowed herself to be persuaded back down again to wave joyously as the coach carried Lady Daphne, Gracie, John, and Fielder down the carriageway and out of the reach of both earl and marquess.
If her people managed to carry out their part of the plan, she and Spen would soon be free, too. Meanwhile—she gave an extra skip on her way up the stairs—she was on her way to be reunited with her beloved.
Chapter Seventeen
Marsh walked intothe room with a broad grin. Spen had never before seen the man with even a real smile. He put down the book he was reading and stood. “What has happened?” he asked.
“I have accepted a new job,” Marsh announced. “Would you like to meet my employer?” Spen had a moment to fear Marsh had once more joined the forces against him before the man stepped out of the doorway.
Miss Faversham entered the room, with Lady Daphne following. But even as the girl raised her head so her lace cap no longer hid her face, something in him knew it was not Lady Daphne but Cordelia.
It was impossible. She couldn’t be here. But here she was, taking the few steps between him at a run. Here she was, as close to his body as she could get with their clothes between them, his uninjured arm around her.
“Cordelia! But how…?”
His thoughts stuttered to a halt as her lips reached his, and for a long moment nothing existed in the world except their seeking mouths, their bodies pressed to one another.
The sound of a clearing throat returned Spen somewhat to his senses. Miss Faversham said, austerely, “I promised Miss Simpson that Miss Milton would be chaperoned, so if the pair of you would put a little space between yourselves, I would appreciate it.”
Marsh snickered, which fetched a glare from Miss Faversham.
Spen could feel himself blushing. Cordelia did not seem to be bothered. “Very well, Miss Faversham,” she said. “Spen, we need to talk. We have a great deal to tell you.”
*
“And so, yousee,” Cordelia concluded, “It all hinges on whether or not the earl recognizes me. Miss Faversham is reasonably certain he won’t, as he seldom sees his daughter and never really looks at her. And if he and your father believe I am Lady Daphne, we really cannot lose. If John and Fielder manage to reach my uncle, and he can organize a license, we have a reasonable chance of being married right under the noses of the marquess and the earl. If we have to go through a ceremony with me in the place of the bride named on the license, we will certainly have several grounds for annulment.”
Spen could imagine a thousand things that could go wrong. “My heart, what if someone does recognize you? I thought we agreed you were going to stay out of the marquess’s hands so he couldn’t use threats to you to force me to obey him?”
“He cannot force your marriage when he cannot find the bride he intends for you, Spen,” Cordelia pointed out. “By now, she and John are on their way to meet my uncle. They are surrounded by men loyal to the Miltons, and once they are in my uncle’s hands, he will keep them safe. Especially if we carry on the masquerade. With luck, Yarverton won’t even know Lady Daphne is missing.”
“It is your safety I am concerned about,” Spen said.
Cordelia shrugged one shoulder. “They might imprison me, but I doubt they are so lost to all sense they would do me physical harm. My uncle will move heaven and earth to retrieveme, and they must have heard the rumors about what happened to Richport.”
“What happened to Richport?” Spen asked.
Cordelia smiled. “He had creditors who would not be refused. They called in certain debts, with menaces. He took advantage of the peace with France and fled across the channel. Rumor has it the creditors were in debt to my uncle, who disapproved of Richport’s bet about me.”
Spen raised his eyebrows. “Rumor speaks truth in this instance, I take it,” he said. “As to this masquerade…” He heaved a sigh. “Are you going to do that when we are married? Throw yourself headlong into danger?”
