Page 38 of Scoundrel for Sale
The distance was long, but then, so were the days. Mr. de Noronha preferred not to undertake such a long journey, so it was Abbie, Gabe, and Tiago who set out together in Tiago’s hired carriage. Abbie had brought Carlotta’s journal to London, so they passed the time reading her most amusing entries aloud and listening to Tiago’s favorite memories of his irreverent auntie.
They arrived in Lymington just as shades of orange and gold started to streak the sky. Abbie directed the coachman to St. Thomas’s Church, then led Tiago to his great-aunt’s grave. He knelt upon the ground and began speaking softly in Portuguese. Abbie and Gabe retreated to the graveled path to allow him some privacy.
After a few minutes, Tiago nodded solemnly, then rose. As he crossed the churchyard to rejoin Gabe and Abbie, he had a soft smile on his face.
“It’s a peaceful place, isn’t it?” Abbie said. “I like to come here sometimes and talk to Carlotta, too. You’ll think me silly, but I have come to think of her as a friend.”
“I don’t think you silly at all,” Tiago said. “In fact, I am not surprised. I have a feeling, a very distinct feeling”—he pressed a hand to his heart—“that she thinks of you as her friend, too. It is why she approves so strongly of what I am about to do.”
Abbie tilted her head to the side. “Whatever do you mean?”
Tiago’s gaze was fixed on Gabe. “Did Davenport ever tell you about the time he saved my life?”
“No,” Abbie replied.
Gabe waved this off. “I didn’t, really. It was nothing.”
“He saved my life,” Tiago insisted, turning to Abbie. “It was during the Battle of Vitoria. My horse was shot out from under me, and I was trapped beneath him. I could see the French troops closing in. They say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. It is true. Suddenly, I saw my mother, and my father, and my three sisters. My older brothers, both of whom died before me. As well as my grandfather, and all my aunts and uncles and cousins. And I knew in that horrible moment that I would never see them again.”
He gestured to Gabe. “But then, who should I see charging toward me but my friend Davenport. He shot one French soldier and took out two more with his bayonet, all while shouting like a madman for his men to form ranks. He put himself between me and the enemy soldiers without a second’s hesitation. Suddenly there was a wall of red-coats between me and the French line, and Davenport was pulling me out from beneath my horse.”
Abbie glanced at Gabe. He looked distinctly surly at this recounting of his heroism. “It was nothing. Just doing my job.”
“Hmm.” Tiago looked distinctly skeptical of this claim, but he let it pass. “Well, you did a good job of it. I made it back home to my family.” He turned to Abbie. “Do you believe in providence?”
Abbie paused to consider the question. “A year ago, I probably would have said no. After losing my parents, my brother, and my freedom in such short order, I didn’t see much evidence of divine protection. But…”
“But?” Tiago prompted.
“But I felt something,” Abbie said in a rush. “In the moment I found Carlotta’s diary. I felt it before I opened the cover, before I even realized what it was. I know it sounds silly—”
“It doesn’t,” Tiago reassured her.
“But I feel like I was meant to find it. Like Carlotta has been watching over me. Like she is my very own guardian angel.” She gave a weak chuckle. “I’m sure that sounds ridiculous.”
“I do not think it sounds ridiculous at all,” Tiago said. “You see, I, too, believe in providence. The only reason I am alive today is because Davenport saved my life at Vitoria. And the only reason I am standing here, happy to have recovered my family’s legacy at long last, is because you had the moral strength to hold out against Nigel, even when it appeared that doing the right thing would bring about your own ruin.”
A gleam came into Tiago’s eyes. “Now, it happens that Carlotta’s dowry did not merely consist of a piece of my family’s vineyards. She also had three thousand pounds’ worth of stock in the Bank of England, which was also restored to my family today. After the hearing concluded, my grandfather and I stopped in at the London bank that has been overseeing the investment to enquire as to how much it is worth today. Would you care to wager a guess?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s doubled in value,” Gabe said.
Tiago laughed. “It has done better than double, because my great-grandfather, in his wisdom, specified that each year, half of the proceeds from the dividend were to be used to buy more stock. And after the passage of sixty-one years, I am pleased to report that this stock is now worth 61,779 pounds.”
“Sixty-one thousand pounds!” Gabe exclaimed. Abbie studied his face in the fading light. He was blinking rapidly, and she knew he must be feeling at least a pang of jealousy, that his friend had received such an unexpected windfall, a windfall that Gabe himself so desperately needed. But if he felt bitter, he showed no sign of it. His eyes were sincere as he clapped Tiago on the shoulder and said, “That’s brilliant. It really is. I’m happy for you.”
“You may be happy for yourself because the money will be going to you.”
Gabe blanched. “No, Tiago. What are you saying? It’s too much.”
“That is not for you to say, because we are not giving it to you. We’re giving it to Abbie.” Tiago’s grin was smug. “Because this way, you have to marry her.”
It was Abbie’s turn to blanch. “Oh, my goodness! As grateful as I am, I could never accept such a gift.”
“I have already discussed it with my grandfather,” Tiago said. “It is decided.” Gabe tried to say something, but Tiago cut him off, “And do not try to tell me it is too much. Too much for the man who saved my life, and the woman who risked everything to protect my family’s legacy?” He huffed dismissively. “The money, it is not so important. Believe me, with our vineyard restored to its full glory, we will have plenty of money. This is the right thing. It is providence. And”—he nodded firmly toward his great-aunt’s grave—“Carlotta agrees with me.”
Abbie wrung her hands. “But—”
“No buts,” Tiago said, claiming her hand and placing it upon his arm. He led her firmly to the foot of Carlotta’s grave. “Come, stand here. You will understand.”
