Authors: Amanda Grange
‘You work too
hard,’ she said. ‘But at least you can enjoy yourself this evening. Rebecca
will be back before long - she has just gone to see to the refreshments.’
Joshua made a
polite rejoinder and to his relief Louisa moved on to her other guests. He did
not feel equal to her well-meant conversation about Rebecca tonight.
But there was
one thing he did feel equal to. It was obvious Miss Quentin had been spreading
rumours about a supposed betrothal, and he meant to put a stop to them before
they did any more harm.
It did not
take him long to find her. She was preening herself before one of the gilded
mirrors in the dining-room, where the supper had been laid out. Fortunately, as
it was too early for supper, no one else was in the room.
‘Mr Kelling,’
she said, startled, turning round as he opened the door. Her right hand closed
guiltily over her left hand, as she tried to surreptitiously slip the signet
ring from her finger.
But the
movement, surreptitious though it was, drew his attention, and he caught sight
of a tell-tale gleam of gold.
‘My ring,’ he
said grimly.
The reason for
its disappearance was now obvious. He had not lost it, as he had suspected.
Miss Quentin had taken it.
‘I . . . was
going to give it back to you,’ she said, trying to speak boldly but betraying
her anxiety by a wobble in her voice. ‘I found it,’ she went on hurriedly, ‘on
the floor, after you’d taken Mr Willingham out to his carriage last night.’
‘And you did
not think to return it to me?’ asked Joshua with disdain.
‘I . . . I was
going to, but
—’
‘But you
thought you would use it to convince people that we were betrothed instead,’ he
said with contempt.
‘I never —’
‘Good,’ said
Joshua, cutting across her protestation of innocence. ‘Because if such a rumour
were to get out, it would inevitably leave you looking ridiculous when no
marriage was forthcoming. And no,’ he said, seeing the direction her thoughts
were taking, ‘I wouldn’t spring to your assistance by making you a genuine
offer in order to protect your reputation. If you were thinking anything of the
sort then you’re a fool.’
Miss Quentin,
who looked as though she had been about to speak, was silenced. One look at
Joshua’s implacable face told her that he would never allow himself to be
manipulated, as she had supposed.
‘And now I
suggest you give the ring to me and then return to the other guests,’ said Joshua.
‘I have a mind for peace and quiet, and I have a mind to find it here.’
Miss Quentin’s
eyes hardened, and she looked as though she might protest, but a look from
Joshua changed her mind and she handed over the ring. Then, accepting her
dismissal, she retained just enough spirit to exit with her head held high.
So that is why
Becky though I was engaged, though Joshua, turning the ring in his hands before
putting it back on his little finger.
If she had
been dismayed at the idea he would have gone to her there and then, and told
her that it was not true. But far from being dismayed she had been delighted.
She had congratulated him with a warm smile on her face.
He threw
himself down into a chair. It was over, he thought bitterly. All chance of the
betrothal he had longed for had been smashed by Rebecca’s warm smile and even
warmer words. His hopes and dreams had been shattered in an instant. He let out
a low groan. If he had heard of her betrothal it would have ripped the heart
out of his body.
But on hearing
of his betrothal, she had been delighted.
Rebecca appeared to be
happy and at ease as she bid her guests goodnight. But she was heartsore. She
longed for the release of retiring to her room, where she could give way to the
emotions that were churning inside her. All through the evening she had hidden
them, but the strain had been enormous and she felt that if the last guests did
not soon leave her smile would crack and her true feelings would be revealed.
She had just
bid Mr and Mrs Braithwaite goodnight, when a sudden change in the air made her
look up and her heart missed a beat. There was Joshua, taking his leave of
Louisa. In a moment he would come to her and she must be ready to utter a few
polite words, thanking him for attending the party and hoping he had had a
pleasant time.
She took a
deep breath in order to steady her rapidly beating pulse and prepared herself
to do so. It would be the last ordeal of the evening, she consoled herself.
Once it was over, she had only to say goodnight to the few remaining guests and
then she could retire to her room, where her turbulent emotions could be given
free rein.
‘Rebecca,’ he
said formally, bowing over her hand.
‘Joshu —’
She broke off.
A gleam of gold on his finger had caught her eye as he raised her hand to his
lips.
‘Your ring!’
she exclaimed. She turned astonished eyes up to his.
‘I have
reclaimed it,’ he said with a twist of the mouth. ‘I am sorry to disappoint
you, Rebecca, but Miss Quentin and I are not betrothed.’
‘Not . . . not
betrothed?’
She could not
help it. A tide of relief washed over her face, revealing her true feelings.
‘You’re not
disappointed?’ he asked, a look of hope appearing on his face.
‘No,’ she
whispered.
‘We cannot
talk here.’ He drew her aside, taking her through into the drawing-room and
closing the door behind them. Then, pulling her to him, he took her hands
between his own and stroked her fingers in the most heart-wrenching way. ‘Why
not?’ he asked, looking down at her as though he longed to devour every inch of
her.
‘Because . . .
’ She gulped.
‘Yes, Becky?’
‘Because . . .
’ She took a deep breath. It was the moment of truth. She turned her face up to
his. ‘Because I’m in love with you.’
‘Oh, Becky,’
he groaned, then pulling her to him he pressed his lips to her own.
‘Rebecca,’ he
said, looking deeply into her eyes when at last he let her go, ‘I have asked
you twice before to marry me and you refused me, but everything has changed
since then. This time I am not only offering you my hand, I am offering you my
heart as well. I am in love with you.’
‘I know.’ She
went willingly into his arms. ‘And this time . . .
’
‘Yes, Rebecca?’
he asked, looking down at her with a mixture of love and longing in his tawny
eyes.
‘This time,’
she said, ‘I accept.’
‘There’s still one thing I
don’t understand,’ said Rebecca, when Joshua finally loosed her from his
embrace. ‘How did Serena come by your ring?’
‘As to that,
it is easily answered. Mr Willingham dislodged it when he struggled to get away
- he came round just as Odgers and I were half-carrying, half-dragging him
through the hall. I didn’t notice at the time, but Serena did. She picked it up
—’
‘ — and used
it to make mischief,’ finished Rebecca. It fit in with what she knew of Serena
only too well. She recalled how Serena had been showing off the ring to Lavinia
Madeley when she had stumbled upon them, and guessed that some sort of wager
had been involved. It would not have been the first time Serena and Lavinia had
placed bets in such a manner, challenging each other to win various bachelors’
attentions.
‘But of
course, her plan could never have worked,’ said Joshua. ‘In fact, I don’t
believe she’d have even attempted it if she’d realized I was in love with you.’
‘When did you
know?’ Rebecca asked.
‘That I loved
you?’
She nodded.
He pulled her
onto the sofa beside him, and wrapped his arm lovingly around her waist.
‘It’s
difficult to say for sure.’
‘When Mr
Willingham attacked you?’
‘No. Long
before that. I think I must have loved you when I asked you to marry me the
first time, back in
London
,
when we were at the Frost Fair.’
She turned to
look at him in surprise. ‘But I thought you were offering me your hand because
you had compromised me.’
‘So did I. But
I think I must have already been half in love with you, even though I didn’t
know it. I don’t believe I would have offered you my hand otherwise.’
‘Not even to
save my reputation?’
‘Once it was
in jeopardy, yes - I was very attached to Jebadiah, and I wouldn’t have wanted
to bring disgrace down on his granddaughter’s head - but not before. Lacy might
have seen us together at
The Queen’s Head
but I knew he was a coward,
and that he wouldn’t talk. And as to the idea of someone else seeing us
together, that was pure speculation. If someone
had
seen us together,
and had been about to noise it abroad, then yes, I would have offered you my
hand, but not until then. Not unless I’d known somewhere deep inside me that I
wanted to make you my wife.’
Rebecca
sighed. ‘I was very tempted to accept
—’
‘You were?’ It
was his turn to be surprised.
She nodded. ‘Yes.
I couldn’t think why. But now I know. It was because, underneath, I was already
falling in love with you.’
‘And yet I’m
glad you didn’t accept my hand then. I hadn’t come to see you as my equal, I
must admit, I did not want you to involve yourself in the mill. It was only
later, when we worked together, that I came to do so. The way you stood up to
me left me in no doubt that you were a force to be reckoned with and, more than
that, I was forced to acknowledge that your ideas made sense. Even so, I resisted
seeing you as an equal. But once you’d rescued me from the fire I could deny it
no longer, because without your help I would have died.’
It was a
sobering thought.
‘Mr Willingham
has been taken into custody?’ asked Rebecca. She was curious, now that things
had been resolved so happily between them, to know Mr Willingham’s fate.
‘Yes. He will
be charged with his crimes, and Cyril Dunn will testify against him. Mr
Willingham will not be troubling us again.’
Rebecca gave a
shiver. ‘He came so close to killing you.’
Joshua held
her tight. ‘But he didn’t. It’s over now, and the future is before us. And
talking of the future,’ he said, turning towards her, ‘I think we should be
planning our wedding. When shall it be?’
‘In the
summer, I think,’ said Rebecca.
The clock
chimed the hour.
‘Goodness. I
had no idea how late it was. I had forgotten all about Louisa!’ exclaimed
Rebecca. She stood up. ‘She will be wondering where I am.’
Joshua stood
up, too. ‘She has most probably guessed.’
‘You’re right.
But we must go and find her anyway. I want to tell her the news.’
‘She’ll be
delighted,’ said Joshua. Adding, ‘And so will Mrs Camberwell.’
Rebecca looked
at him in surprise.
‘She has spent
the last few weeks telling me what a wonderful wife you will make,’ he laughed.
Rebecca
smiled, then gave a contented sigh. ‘It’s lovely to know that our betrothal
will bring so much pleasure to so many people.’
‘Not least to
ourselves.’ He took her into his arms and kissed her.
‘If you don’t
stop kissing me like that, I will not be able to wait for a summer wedding,’
she teased him as she at last emerged.
He pulled her
into his arms and kissed her again. ‘A good thing too. Hang the gossips. If
they want to remark on the speed of our wedding then let them - I have always
thought spring weddings were the best.’
‘Perhaps they
are at that!’
Then arm in
arm they went to find Louisa and tell her the happy news.
Author’s Note
Readers might like to know
that the Frost Fair mentioned in this book actually took place in 1814. The
climate then was colder than it is now and the river flowed more slowly for a
variety of reasons, including the fact that the old
London
Bridge
had narrow arches which impeded the
flow of water. The amusements Rebecca and Joshua engaged in were enjoyed by
revellers at the time. It was, however, the last Frost Fair.
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