Always Come Home (Emerson 1) (26 page)

Colin stiffened. “Miss Conway is my friend. I will
not allow you to speak disparagingly of her.”

“I’ll bet she’s more than your friend. Did you get
her with child and this is some misguided effort to ‘do the right thing?’ The
right thing would be to send her on her way. You’re poor. Embarrassingly so.
How would you even provide for her? For anyone? You don’t even have a proper
carriage! You were lucky that I even considered you for a husband. I had many
options. Papa gave me a list, then we came to this dreadful county hoping to
make your acquaintance. I can see now I was wasting my time. But I won’t make
that mistake again. I’m sure Lord Clayton will be an excellent husband.”

Colin was struck with a profound sense of relief
that he hadn’t married this harridan. But no one should have to be bound to
Clayton. “Miss Babcock, while you may be upset by this turn of events, I
advise you to avoid Clayton. He would not make you a good husband.”

“Yes, it would be terrible to be married to someone
with all that blunt, wouldn’t it? I can only imagine the horrors I would
encounter being showered in jewels and fine clothes, while everyone bowed and
scraped. God save me from wealth. You are a horrid man and I hope you and
that scandalous family are confined to that cottage until you’re dragged away
to the poor house.”

“Upon further reflection, perhaps you and Clayton
would do well together. I shall take my leave of you now. Pray give my
regards to your family.” He gave a creditable bow, for he was someone who always
had good manners. He was also in a terribly good mood, since he could now
marry Ava. They’d still be, in the words of Miss Babcock, embarrassingly poor,
but he would find a way around that.

As he opened the doors, he almost ran into Myra, who
must have been listening at the keyhole.

“Miss Myra,” he bowed to her. “I believe I may be
persona
non grata
here after today. But I wanted to wish you well during your stay
in England. I have a feeling your family may be moving to London before long.”

“You rejected Nora,” said Myra, who was stating it
as a fact, rather than asking a question.

“I believe I am not the man for your sister.”

“That was obvious to me from the very beginning.”

Colin flinched as he heard the sound of a vase
crashing against the wall from inside the sitting room. Apparently, Mrs.
Babcock heard it, too, for she scurried across the foyer to check on her eldest
daughter.

Myra continued. “I have to admire you for being
such a gentleman in the face of my sister’s deplorable tirade.”

“I would not cast aspersions upon her, but thank
you.”

“Do you plan to marry that governess of yours?”

Colin wasn’t sure how to reply. It was certainly
none of this chit’s business, but she was being quite reasonable and had the
terrible misfortune to have Nora as a sister. “My future plans are yet
unclear.”

“They shouldn’t be,” said Myra, as they heard more
crashes from inside the sitting room. “Perhaps we should take a walk.”

Colin wasn’t sure how to tell Myra he wasn’t
interested in her. “I really should be going.”

“Do not worry. I have no designs on you. Quite
frankly you’re too poor for even me to consider. But I do know something that
might interest you. And it will simply infuriate my sister.”

“Very well,” said Colin as he took her arm and
walked toward the front door.

Other than when her father died, Ava could not remember
being this miserable. She’d had a delightful day with Rose and Letty, though
she felt guilty since their excursion had been rather light on lessons. But once
they’d seen the pristine snow it had been all but impossible not to play in
it. She’d tried to talk about how snow was formed, but one snowball hit from
Rose had been all it had taken to wipe away any thoughts of teaching. And it
was true that Letty deserved all the fun she could have.

Even seeing Colin with the beautiful Nora Babcock
hadn’t spoiled her mood, though it hadn’t exactly added to her joy, either.
They looked perfect together. Absolutely perfect. She’d had to stop Rose from
hitting Miss Babcock on the arse with a snowball as she and Colin left, even if
Ava had secretly wanted it to happen.

But then Ava had returned to the house and seen the
post. There was a letter from B. Jones, Clayton’s publisher. She did not
doubt what it said. And that meant she had to leave this house tomorrow.

Forever.

The very thought was enough to make her ill. If she
didn’t arrive in London, Colin would not receive the advance. She would go
there and meet Clayton. But she would not become his mistress. She would only
stay long enough to meet the terms of the agreement, then depart as soon as
possible for America. Well, she would depart for Portsmouth where she would
hopefully find a way to earn enough for her passage to the United States.

She was curled up in the window seat of her pretty
room, looking out at the fields covered in snow. She would never see them in
spring. She would never see them any other way than they were right now.

She had to do something to get out of these
doldrums. She had to face her new circumstances and make the most of them.
She had to persevere, no matter how much she wished to return to bed and sleep
for a decade or so.

There was a knock at her door, then Colin entered.

“Colin,” she said as she jumped up. “What are you
doing here? Is something wrong with Letty?”

“Nothing is wrong with Letty. But I have two bits
of news and I believe you’ll like both of them. At least I very much hope you
will.”

She knew what one of them was. “You should not be
in here. It is most inappropriate.”

“Are you not curious about what I’m going to say?”

“Of course I am. Pray deliver your news.”

“The first announcement is that I have broken things
off with Nora Babcock. Not that there was anything to break off. But I told
her I am no longer going to court her.”

“What?” That was surprising, especially since he
couldn’t have done that before seeing the letter from B. Jones. He’d broken
things off with Miss Babcock knowing that he dearly needed the money. What did
that mean?

He continued. “I am a selfish creature. I know I
have a responsibility to my family. But I could not marry a woman I do not
love, especially when I have already given my heart to you.”

Ava wanted to cry from the beauty of it. And the
tragedy of knowing she would soon be forced to leave. “But the money...”

“Is nothing compared to you. I have been leaning
this way for quite some time. ‘Struth I was never enamored of the idea of
marrying anyone for money. And in my subsequent conversation with Miss Babcock
I learned without any doubt that marrying her would have been an utter
nightmare.”

“But how will you live? The debts? Rose’s Season.”

“It doesn’t matter. Once I saw you making snow
angels with my sisters, it became imperative that I follow my heart. And I
followed it to you.”

He took her in his arms and kissed her. Ava reveled
in the warmth and was disappointed when he drew back.

“Now, for my second piece of news. It turns out I
shan’t be poor after all. I have a publishing contract from a company called
B. Jones. It is glorious news, is it not?”

“Glorious,” she said quietly.

“It’s a £1000 advance, with another £25,000 once I
finish my book.” Colin was grinning from ear to ear.

Ava could only gape. Clayton had truly laid it on
thick. And how disappointed Colin would be when he learned he’d never get the
£25,000. When she saw Clayton in London she would be sure to plant him a
facer.

“Aren’t you excited, sweetheart? This means we can
be married. If you’ll have me, of course. Will you marry me, Ava? Will you?”

She wanted that more than anything. But how could
she compound the pain she would cause him by agreeing to marry him when she knew
she would leave tomorrow? “Colin, this is wonderful news. Why not leave a
discussion of marriage to another day?”

“If it helps you to decide, you should know that since
I’ll be getting £25,000, we’ll be able to have a decadent
ton
wedding.”

“What?”

“Not only that, but I just told Rose she can have
her Season and I promised Letty that we’ll take her to Italy. Both of them are
so excited. We have our lives back, sweetheart.”

This was terrible. The girls would be so
disappointed when the contract fell through. And Colin would be humiliated. “But
Colin, you can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s, well, you must practice economy.”

“Not with £25,000. We’ll have more than enough
blunt.”

“But, but….”

“But what, sweetheart?”

There was something in Colin’s tone. Something hard
that she’d never heard before. She looked up to find his penetrating gaze upon
her. And he wasn’t happy.

“You know,” she said. What had given it away?

He was more angry than she’d ever seen him.

“Tell me you weren’t going to be Clayton’s
mistress.”

“Of course not! I was going to go to London so
you’d at least get to keep the advance, then I would find a way to leave for
America.”

Thankfully he seemed to believe her, but it didn’t
improve his mood. “You were going to leave without telling me.”

“I couldn’t tell you. I knew you would call him out
or do something to bring even more scandal down on the situation, which would
hurt your sisters. How did you find out?”

“Myra Babcock overheard Clayton’s despicable
proposition. Why didn’t you come to me with this?”

Now he seemed hurt and Ava couldn’t stand it.
“Because it would have placed you in a terrible situation – choosing between
your sisters and me. Clayton is telling people I was his mistress. If you
marry me, it will ruin your sisters’ future. I am never going to be his
mistress, but I have to leave.”

“No, you do not.”

“But your sisters….”

“Will understand. Come with me.”

“Where?”

“To talk to them.”

“I can’t. It is too embarrassing. What are you…”

Colin picked her up her as if she weighed nothing
and carried her out of the room, down the hall, down the stairs and into the
kitchen, where Rose, Letty, Maude and Stemple were taking tea.

“Are you giving rides?” asked Letty.

“Perhaps later, poppet. Ava hurt her foot and had
to be carried downstairs. Can you do me a favor? I believe Jasper is in the
attic. Can you please find him and bring him down here?”

“What’s he doing in the attic?”

“Probably shredding the curtains. But I would very
much appreciate it if you did it.”

That was all it took for the eager-to-please Letty
to leave the room.

“Now,” said Colin, “we have perhaps ten minutes
before Letty realizes Jasper is actually in the sitting room, scratching one of
my least favorite chairs. There is something all of you should know since it
concerns each of you.”

Colin told them about the end of his courtship with Miss
Babcock which pleased them all. Then he recounted Clayton’s proposition.

“I cannot believe that bastard would try to hurt you
and Ava by using Letty and me,” said Rose. “And before you scold me for my
language, Colin, that is the most polite name I can think to call him.”

“I would like to catch Clayton in a dark alley,”
said Stemple. “Give me the word, my lord, and I will make it happen.”

“Thank God for Miss Myra,” said Maude. “I cannot
think what would have happened to Ava if she’d left.”

“I still must leave,” said Ava, with tears in her
eyes. “I cannot bear to hurt Rose and Letty.”

“You will only hurt us if you leave,” said Rose, as
she hugged her. “I want my brother to be happy more than anything in the
world. I want you to be happy. It’s obvious to everyone that the two of you
are in love. You belong together.”

“But the scandal. Clayton will tell everyone I’m
his mistress.”

“Anyone who listens to him is a fool,” said Colin.
“And, quite frankly, it won’t be the first scandal this family has endured. As
for the money, well, that is something that affects everyone.”

“I am confident we can find a solution,” said Rose.

“I am content working without wages,” said Stemple.

“As am I,” said Maude. “It’ll be worth it to see
the two of you as happy as Victor and me.”

“What about you, Ava?” asked Colin. “Can you marry
a poor man?”

“It is not that. I do not wish to create a
scandal…”

“Yes or no, Ava? Will you take me as your husband,
knowing the hardships ahead? For I love you and cannot bear to think of life
without you.”

This time Ava didn’t try to prevent the tears from
falling. And for once in her life, she chose the selfish course of action. “Yes,
Colin. I love you, too.”

Later, Ava wasn’t sure if she’d kissed him or if
he’d kissed her. She also could not believe they’d done so in front of
everyone. But at the time, all she knew was she had a future with the man she
loved.

“Jasper wasn’t in the attics….you’re kissing!” said
Letty as she entered the kitchen, holding her surly cat.

“Poppet,” said Rose. “Ava is going to be your new
sister. She is marrying Colin.”

Letty hugged her. “No more maths,” she said.

“More maths,” said Ava, as she hugged her back. “I
am afraid that I will continue on as your governess for the foreseeable
future.”

Despite that, Letty looked almost as happy as Ava
and Colin.

Even though no one was as happy as Ava and Colin.

*

The rest of the afternoon passed in a festive mood.
Colin’s sisters couldn’t be more thrilled that he would be marrying Ava. And,
though the ledgers hadn’t changed and there were still debts to be paid, Colin
had not felt peace in his heart like this for many years.

Somehow Ava had done that for him.

That night Colin carried Letty to bed, since the
girl had stayed up later than usual with the excitement of planning another
wedding. He and Ava read her a story as Colin thought of putting their own
child to bed. He realized it would be yet another mouth to feed – he seemed to
excel at increasing his expenses – but he was not worried. They would find a
way to get by. Together. He and Ava, with Rose and Letty and Maude and
Stemple.

Once Letty fell asleep, Colin and Ava tiptoed out of
her room. Ava went to her door and turned back to him. “Good night, Colin.”

“No, sweetheart. The night is just beginning.” He
swept her off her feet then rushed down the hall to his own bedchamber since it
wouldn’t do for either of his sisters to take an ill-timed trip to the hall.

He opened the door, then locked it behind him. Only
then did he put Ava back on her feet.

“Colin, I shouldn’t be in here.”

“Of course you should. You’re my countess now.”

“Not legally.”

“A mere technicality. Did you really think I could
wait three weeks to have you in our bed? For it is our bed.”

“The Countess of Ridgeway does not have her own
bedchamber?” Ava asked before kissing him.

“For all intents and purposes, no. You will spend
your nights with me. In this bed. We’ll have to nestle into each other for
warmth. I have no money, after all.”

“Does that mean on warm nights you’ll cast me out?”
She kissed him again.

“On warm nights we shall have to nestle into each
other because I won’t be able to sleep any other way. And you, Miss Conway,
are wearing too many clothes.”

Colin remedied that in short order. As soon as she
was naked, he took a long admiring look, then quickly deposited her in the bed
under the down quilt. Because the room was incredibly cold and he really
couldn’t afford to keep the fire going.

But he had no doubt he could keep her warm.

He quickly divested himself of clothing, aware that
her eyes were devouring him. He began to run for the bed.

“Wait!” she said. “I want to admire you.”