Page 107 of Rescued from Betrayal
“We need to get her to a more comfortable place and call her father in,” Uncle Percy said.
A knife twisted in Melior’s chest. She had been one of those females, but it was not only Lord Caraway’s words that twisted the blade. She examined the dim space, hoping for a familiar figure to step out of the shadows, but none appeared.
Nathaniel was gone.
Chapter 36
Melior’s words rang in Nathaniel’s ears.
She had trapped him. Not Mr. Fairchild. Not the nosy ladies of the Ton. Melior had.
He had suspected she was not innocent in all of this, but he’d not known how deep her deceit ran. Then her next words hit him square in the chest.
“But Edith, I am grateful for my failure. I have learned much, and by some miracle it has brought me the greatest happiness I have ever experienced.”
Greatest happiness? He had been her greatest happiness.
"I am happy in my marriage."
The words cleared his mind and he finally acknowledged the other truths she’d spoken. Her mother had pressured her to commit the act. Of course the horrible woman would. Melior may not have protested as much as he would have liked, but he could not blame her for all that had transpired.
There had been so many culprits in a mistake that he really did not regret. She was his perfect match. With her, he’d become better. His body pulsed with a new energy.
Melior had altered his life for the better, much as her name suggested.
The duke grabbed his arm, shaking him out of his reverie. “Go stand guard in front of the other door in case Lady Edith bolts.”
Nathaniel wanted to stay, to hear what was happening, but he saw reason in the duke’s request. He quietly left, being careful not to allow the door to bang on his way out.
Javenia was in the hall, her ear to the billiard room door.
“What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Listening. You do not think I am going to let you gentlemen have all the fun, do you?”
He frowned but did not stop her. Suddenly things quieted in the adjoining room, and Nathaniel was forced to employ the same methods as Javenia.
With an ear pressed to the door, he heard Lord Caraway’s accusation followed by Lady Edith’s screaming insults at Melior. His gut twisted and he reached for the door handle. No one spoke to his wife that way.
Javenia grabbed his hand. “Not yet. The others will take care of anything happening inside. We need to guard the door.”
“But Melior—”
“Is safe. No one will let anything happen to her. But if you open that door you will provide an easy escape for Lady Edith.”
The next moment things went silent. It was almost as jarring as Lady Edith’s screams.
Was it over? Did they go in now?
No one had come out, but no one had given the all-clear either.
Nathaniel’s heart beat so hard it ached. He wanted to check on his wife, to make certain she was all right, to tell her it did notmatter, that he loved her and to rejoice in the future they would have.
The door swung open and Al came out carrying an unconscious form with dark hair.
Nathaniel froze, a lump in his throat as Al rushed down the hall, the Duke of Bedford on his heels, Eddie right behind.
Melior!
