Madness (40 page)

“Give this to Simon. Divide it up amongst the four of you, you three, and the children. He will make the money go even further, and it will give everyone joy.”

She smiled at him gratefully. “You’re a good man, Randall.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I wish I always had been. But I’m trying. My wife helped save me from a hollow life full of bitter recrimination and regret, and Simon makes me aspire to greater things. And now that I have a few minutes to spare thanks to the wonderful new helpers I have, it’s time for me to work on my watercolors.” He rose and began to stride for the door, pausing only to hand her the money.

His expression was so joyous she gave him a peck on the cheek and turned to leave.

Then she saw Simon standing in the doorway watching them, with the oddest expression on his face.

Chapter Twenty-five

Gabrielle smiled at the sight of Simon, but saw his brows knit.

"Hello, darling. We were just finishing our business.

“Is everything all right?’ he asked, sounding breathless.

“Yes, lovely," she said, nodding. "Randall has set up a shopping spree for us for tomorrow.”

“Oh?” he asked, sounding less than enthusiastic.

She took his hand and led him from the snug study so the Earl could have some privacy to paint his watercolors.

“Yes, the two of us and Lucinda."

"I see."

She looked at him in surprise. "Don’t you want to come?”

He relaxed slightly. “Of course. But what’s the occasion?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Just to get some things we need, especially for Lucinda now that the baby will be here soon.”

She raised the leather bags and clinked him into his hands. “You’re in charge of the money. We’re to count it, and divide it into four.”

“Why four?”

“Because Randall knows you won’t be able to resist buying all the children a little something because you're such a kind soul. So you need to keep to your budget. We’re going to go out and spend it all exactly as we like for once.”

“It’s really very kind of him. Why would he-”

“He wants to thank us for helping make this a happy home.”

He looked go dour that she forced herself to ask timidly, “You are happy here, aren’t you, Simon?”

He looked at her in surprise and hugged her to him at once. “Yes, yes, of course I am. I just feel, well, a bit uneasy all of a sudden. If I didn’t know better I would say I was jealous seeing you kiss your cousin like that.”

“Oh, really? “ She grinned. Then she saw his earnest expression had not changed one iota. “Simon! You can’t ever possibly think--”

He shook his head. “No, not really. I just want to be enough for you.”

“More than enough!” she insisted, holding him close.
 
“How can you ever doubt it? I can’t even remember what my life was like before I met you. You fill me so completely in every way, I can’t even imagine breathing without you. So come, let’s find Lucinda and tell her the news. I’ll expect you to help me coax her.”

“Whatever you want,
mon coeur.”

She put his hand on her left breast. “Just as you are my heart.” Twining her fingers with his, she led him up to the attics to find her sister.

When they arrived, they found her in the midst of a tea party with the children and Clarissa, who despite her protestations that she was needed back in the clinic in London had stayed on for a time to make sure Lucinda was settled.

She had recently been talking about returning to London to help Anthony there again, though Gabrielle had done everything she could to encourage her to remain, at least until the baby was born.

To Gabrielle’s surprise, when she broached the subject of a trip to Bath, Lucinda did not require much convincing. She gave a slow smile and said, “All right, I’ll come.”

Gabrielle shot Simon a look of pure relief, but Clarissa shook her head. "I've been away too long as it is, so if you're going to take her on a little excursion, this is my chance to head back to London."

"But I thought you said you'd stay until—"

"And so I will, but there's still plenty of time. So I'll pop up to Town for a few days, see what needs doin', and perhaps train someone properly to take my place."

"Can’t you just write to Anthony and, well, explain?" Gabrielle asked quietly, fearful that her sister might have a terrible setback if her routine was changed and her attendant left her.

"I'll be happy to come back for the blessed event," Clarissa said with a sincere smile, "but Dr. Herriot has helped me so much, I just don't want to let him down. So give me a couple of weeks, and I'll be back. And I don't mind sayin', I do have a mind to take you up on your offer, and consider this our new home, me and Molly's children.
 
I've lived in London all me life, but who knew I'd like the country so much after all."

"So long as you've been happy here," Gabrielle said softly, with a pointed look.

"Oh yes, everyone has been far more kind than I deserve."

"Impossible," Simon said, taking her hand to kiss it in a most gallant manner, which actually elicted a blush from the worldly former prostitute. "You took risks to help me that more than make up for anything you think you might have been guilty of in your past."

Clarissa sniffed back her tears and said, "Well, I don’t mind sayin' I thought
she
was mad at the time doin' what she did to help you, but things couldn't have turned out better. We're all happy, and you've helped the Earl weed out two spies right in his own house. Not to mention seein' the back of that wench tormenting the children.
 
It was a good day for all of us when you and Gabrielle crossed paths."

"Amen to that," Gabrielle said with a smile.

"So, if you don't mind taking your sister down for her rest when she's done here, I'm going to go off and pack and find out when the next coach leaves from Bath."

Gabrielle smiled and nodded. "I don't mind at all. Ask Isolde about the traveling from here. I'm sure she will be happy to help you with any arrangements you'd like."

"Thank you. You're all so kind. I won't forget your help."

"We won't forget yours," she said, taking Simon's hand.
 

"I'll see you later, then." Clarissa gave a little wave, and vanished out the door.

When they had all finished their nursery tea, which Gabrielle made sure was actually supplied with the real thing for the adults, and milk for the children, it was time for their stories and then bed.

The three grown ups tucked the half dozen youngest in, told them the fable of
The Fox and The Grapes,
and then Gabrielle brought Lucinda back down to her own room.

Gabrielle began to fix her sister’s hair for bed, plaiting it into a thick golden rope down her back. “We'll get some new ribbons tomorrow for both of us, shall we? And you'll need to buy some pretty things for yourself, not just Baby.”

“I will, I promise. I love Bath. Can we go to Sally Lunn’s for tea and cakes?”

“Yes, of course,” she said, helping her get into bed and settle herself.

Gabrielle noted that her sister really was looking remarkably well, and certainly rather, well, round. She thought with a smile that the baby would be there in another few weeks, and they would have a new addition to the Avenel brood. She didn't envy her, for she was loving every minute of her new life with Simon, but perhaps one day not too far off from now….

“You are happy here, aren’t you, Lucinda?” she asked, suddenly feeling selfish for having all she could ever have wished for in a partner to share her life with.

Lucinda gave a child-like yawn. “Of course. All the children are lovely. So many nice people. No bad men.”

Gabrielle felt her eyes fill with tears.

“He won’t find me, will he?” Lucinda asked suddenly in a plaintive tone.

It was Simon, hovering in the doorway waiting for his beloved, who replied, “No, he won’t. Or if he does, it won’t matter. You’ll be safe. I swear it. I promise to protect you and your sister for as long as you both live.”

Lucinda gave a bright smile. “I’m so glad she met you.”

He smiled back at her. “So am I. Thank you for being my sister. I had two, you know, but we lost them in the years after the Revolution. Now I have you and Isolde. And even Bryony.”

Gabrielle stared at him. Here was still more information he had let slip about his past without shrieking in agony. Perhaps he really was getting better at last.

They said good night to Lucinda, and began to head to their own bedroom via the corridor.
 

As they walked she asked conversationally, “And your parents? Your father was a merchant, was he not?”

“Not always. We were aristos. That’s why we fled. Came to the south coast, Dorset.”

She entered the room, and sat down at her dressing table to begin to get ready for bed. “And you traded wine and cloth?”

Simon nodded. “That’s right. I kept all the books until Napoleon started making things very difficult for us indeed. Then the three of us went to war.”

“When was the last time you saw Georges?” she dared to ask, praying that he would start to scream in searing pain.

He was silent for a moment, but when his answer came, it was quite steady. “At a ball in Brussels in 1815. The war was over. We had won at Waterloo. We went to celebrate. Then nothing.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Nothing?"

Simon shook his head. "As in I don't remember, and I've never heard anything from him since.

“Who told you he was dead?”

He replied through tight lips, “My masters.”

“And you believed them?”

He nodded gravely. “They showed me his body.”

“But they could have been any bodies, couldn’t they?”

“No, we’re special. You’ve seen it yourself. Especially Jason.”