Page 12 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
Alvin’s eyes darkened with fury. “It seems we did not know Father at all.”
Arabella wanted to reply to that, but she shook it off and instead focused on the matter at hand. “Be that as it may, he did teach us to fight for what we want. Jacinda is your true love, brother, and you cannot simply let her go.”
He sighed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees as he thought. “I suppose I could send a Bow Street Runner to seek out this Gregory. I received a hurriedly scratched note from Jacinda this morn. The letter is from Hamfield.”
“That is something! That is good news!” Her eyes brightened. “Yes, what an idea. But I don’t think you should send a Bow Street Runner. We want to deal with this with as little public interest as possible. And if those terrible rumours are true, all of them, then I do not want some stranger to be the one to discover them.” She bit her lip, an idea coming to her. “What if I did it?”
Alvin laughed and then stared at her baldly for a few seconds. “You can’t be serious, Arabella.”
“No time to argue.” She rose, excitement lighting in her eyes. It would be the perfect way to distract herself from Edward and to give her brother happiness. “I will find the writer, and we will solve this mess.”
She clapped her hands together as if it were a done deal, and Alvin stared at her. “No, this is ridiculous!”
She laughed. “If you are thinking about my marriage prospects being ruined, don’t bother. It is not as if I am going to marry anyway.”
Her tone was bitter whether she had tried to hide it or not. Alvin opened his mouth, but she blushed, realising she’d said too much.
“Just let me do this. Let me help you.”
Alvin rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Fine. But I have one condition.”
She shifted on her feet, wondering how on earth she was going to begin when Alvin said slowly, “I want you to go with someone I trust, someone who cares about the welfare of this family.”
“Very well …” she began, trailing off in confusion, unsure who that might be.
“Edward.”
The word cut through Arabella like a knife, and she was struck silent.
“Edward’s back. I heard, but I didn’t see him that night, going to drink myself silly in the conservatory after Jacinda’s rejection. Edward is someone I trust and the only person I would trust with something this big. He would never reveal your findings.”
Arabella wanted to cry out, to get onto her knees and scream, but she saw the hopeful look on Alvin’s face. And he knew nothing about her and Edward. She bit her lip, wondering if Edward would even agree.
“Yes,” she said before she meant to. “I will go and ask Edward.”
Chapter 13
That afternoon, Edward and his father were just returning from a ride in the park. His father had been adamant about joining him, even if Edward had been uncertain.
“Riding will do me no harm. It feels better than walking or dancing at the moment. Like gliding upon the clouds.”
Edward had laughed at that, and as he and his father rode home through the streets of Mayfair, he was smiling a little. It was good to see his father energetic and happy. He wondered how much loneliness he had caused his father in his years away.
“Why are you staring, son?” his father asked as hooves clopped on the cobblestones. “Think I might keel over at any moment?”
Edward laughed. “No. I think I am just reminding myself that it was wise to come home.”
Although after the incident with Arabella the day before, when his ire had been sparked to no end, he hadn’t thought so.
“Good. I’m glad. I worried you’d skip off to the docks again to board a ship once you saw how old I was. And after the ball the other night, you did not seem pleased about something.”
“No,” he agreed, nodding but giving no other information away.
Their gazes turned towards the Vanier doorway, which was approaching as was a carriage, slowing right in front of the steps of their house.
“It seems we have a visitor,” his father said with a grin. “Goodness me, I love visitors, and we have not had enough of them in four years. Now that you’re back, people will be flocking, I reckon.”
Edward chuckled, but something familiar made his stomach tighten. He knew this carriage, and as he got closer, he saw the crest on the side.
