Page 68 of An Unbending Lady for the Desperate Earl
“Never.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “Although, I didn’t expect you to be so calm about this.”
“Truthfully, I have also found someone whom I care for. And I have also decided that I should like to live my life on my own terms, in order to be happy.”
She gaped at him. “And who is the fortunate woman?”
“The very one who has saved you all,” he replied.
“Why, then Ireallymust meet her, for I didn’t think it possible that anyone would be able to capture that heart of yours!” Helena grinned. “She must be remarkable.”
He nodded, his heart swelling with joy. “Oh, she is.”
She is quite the most remarkable woman I have ever met…
* * *
A few hours later, the farmhouse and its courtyard were swarming with people. Carts had arrived to carry away the miscreants who had helped Victoria’s father run these operations, and carriages had also come to take the young ladies back to their families. There would be visits, over the coming days, to make sure the ladies suffered no lasting effects. And there would be interviews with the minions, to try and discover more of what had gone on here.
“Nobody is to interview these men, aside from Benedict and I,” Victoria instructed sternly, as the last of them were loaded onto the carts, ready to be taken into custody.
Foster shrugged. “Saves me and my boys a job.”
“I mean it. This is my case, and nobody will interview them other than my associate and me.” Victoria needed to hear him agree. She didn’t know how much these men knew about her father, but from what she had managed to garner, they didn’t know his true name. Still, she could not risk him being exposed. And that meant doing everything herself.
“Like I said, it makes no difference to me. You interview them. You put in all that effort. It saves the rest of us from having to do it,” Foster replied, before clambering up into the saddle of his horse, to escort the carts back to London. The freed captives had already gone on ahead, much to Victoria’s relief. Soon enough, they would be back in the warm embrace of their families, where they could, hopefully, leave this nightmare behind them.
Steadily, the masses began to disperse, until only Christian, Benedict, and Victoria remained. Simon had gone with one of the constables, and Helena was on her way back to London in a carriage, with a lingering promise that she would come to call upon Victoria, once she had a chance to recuperate.
“Well, I’d say that was a job well done.” Benedict pretended to dust off his hands, as he stood with Victoria and Christian in the center of the now-empty courtyard.
“You are not cross?” Victoria said, with a hint of a smirk.
“Your risk paid off. Had it not, I would be furious with you.” He put his arm around his surrogate daughter and hugged her to him. Without hesitation, she put her arms around him, in return, and gave him a hard squeeze. After all, right now, he was the only father she had in this world. No one could ever know that her real father had been part of this.
I will take that secret to my grave, Papa.She wanted everyone to remember him as a dutiful, righteous man, who had always been on the correct side of the law—a hero, who had died in the line of employment that he had loved so much. She did not ever want that memory to be marred, not even in her own head.
“Shall we?” Christian said, gesturing to the last two horses that stood patiently by.
Victoria nodded. “Let’s go home.”
“Actually, there is one thing I wanted to ask first.” Christian looked to Benedict. “And, I suppose you are the most qualified person here.”
“Me?” Benedict frowned.
“Yes.” Christian jittered anxiously. “I was hoping I could ask for your permission to have Victoria’s hand in marriage. You may not be her father, but you have been a father to her, since he passed. So, it seems right that I should ask you.”
Benedict gave a belly laugh. “Victoria is the only one who can answer that. I have no jurisdiction over whom she may wed. That is entirely up to her.” He glanced at Victoria. “Although, I should say he seems to be a decent gentleman. You should probably say yes, since you’ll have a hard time charming anyone else.”
Victoria grinned. “Rude.”
“Victoria?” Christian waited in hope.
“Of course you may have my hand in marriage,” she replied, without delay. “It would make me the happiest woman in all the world And, Ben is right—I would have a hard time charming anyone else.”
He swept her up in his arms and spun her round, before setting her back down on the ground. She smiled with utter elation as he leaned in and kissed her on the lips, his hands holding her waist as she pressed her palms to his chest and kissed him back with equal fervor. It may well have been her new favorite thing, to kiss him and be kissed.
Benedict cleared his throat. “Now, that I don’t need to see.” Laughing, he pulled himself up onto his horse and sat there expectantly. “Are we going back to London or not? Or do you plan to have your wedding in this dreary courtyard?”
“You have no sense of romance, Ben.” Victoria tutted playfully.
