Margaret Moore (30 page)

“There were no rumors of his … activities?”

She raised her head and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “There are always rumors. You are aware of that.”

“Yes, I am well aware of that.” He put his hands loosely about her waist. “Now you know why I was so cynical. It was impossible for me to put my faith in anyone after my childhood, until now.” His expression became both happy and yet unsure. “Elissa, I swear upon my life, I love you with all my heart.”

“As I love you.” She leaned toward him and kissed him tenderly. “When you come home, we shall raze that horrible building to the ground.” Doubt appeared in her lovely eyes. “You will come home?”

He laughed with true joy. “Of course I will!” His eyes shone as he felt her waist. “Is there not another reason I should return? Or would you try to tell me you are merely growing plump?”

“Oh, Richard, I should have told you I was with child sooner, but I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Should I be disappointed?”

Her smile was all the answer he needed.

“Elissa, I am truly the happiest man in England.”

“Married to the happiest woman.”

“When the baby comes, I shall do my best to make sure Will does not feel overlooked or unimportant, as I did.”

“You are wonderful.”

He smiled ruefully. “Zounds, wife, too much praise will go right to my head. Perhaps you had best leaven it with a criticism.”

“Very well,” she said, scrutinizing him.

“You agreed rather rapidly,” he noted.

“You are not a very good lady’s maid,” she said gravely, the attempt at seriousness quite destroyed by the happiness in her eyes. “You are far too virile for it.”

“I must have been mad to leave you!” he cried, embracing her. “And now I confess I am anxious to return to—” He paused.

“What is it?” she asked, the dearest little wrinkle of concern appearing between her eyes.

“I fear I must stay a day or two in London. You see, my sweet wife, I have a new play opening this evening, and I may have to make some changes, depending upon its reception.”

“A new play so soon?”

He grinned. “Yes. All those nights you thought I was dallying with other women or
writing to mysterious henchmen—”

“I was wrong to think that!”

“Well, in one sense, I was deceiving you, and for that I beg your forgiveness. I was writing a play.”

Elissa’s brow contracted. “I thought you hated being a writer and that it was beneath you.”

“Alas, I must confess that I thought so, too, only to discover that I quite enjoyed it after all. There is something truly exciting about making people up.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “I suppose it is one way to make people do exactly what I want.”

“You mean you enjoy being in command.”

“Would you rather I tried to command
you?
I would sooner throw myself upon the mercy of a drunken, dissatisfied audience.”

She assumed a pert, aggrieved air. “I think I manage very well.”

“Now that you have a clerk with a good hand.”

She leaned her head against his chest. “Yes.” She lifted her head to regard him quizzically. “There is one thing I still don’t understand, Richard. If your life was so terrible at Blythe Hall, why did you want so much to go back there? I should think you would never want to see it again.”

“Why did you not leave it when your husband died?”

“Because it was my son’s home.”

“And Blythe Hall was mine. My parents were not the best, to put it kindly, but I loved the estate. I would go for long rides and rambles, and the beauty of the countryside never failed to comfort me.

“Although I left home seeking escape when I was old enough, if I had known that to do so would mean it would be years before I could return, I might have found the strength to stay.”

“If you had, we would never have met.”

“Zounds, you are right!”

“And if the king had not forced us to marry, we might not have fallen in love.”

“I obviously owe His Majesty a great deal,” he murmured while his hands tentatively began to explore her body. “Have you any plans for this afternoon, my love?”

As he pressed light kisses along her cheek heading toward her lips, she sighed softly and nodded, embracing his lean, hard body.

“Too many to count,” she whispered huskily, boldly caressing him.

She felt his chest shake with the low rumble of a chuckle. “I was merely going to ask you to come to the play.”

With a sly smile and darkly intense gaze, he gently positioned her against Mr. Harding’s desk. “Although since you are so willing, perhaps we need not wait for nightfall.”

Whatever Richard might have been thinking, the noisy return of Will, Mr. Harding, and
his clerk effectively prevented anything more than a quick, yet very passionate, kiss.

Taking Elissa’s hand, he led her to the outer office, where they discovered Dillsworth diligently attempting to wipe traces of pastry from Will’s collar and Mr. Harding regarding them with something akin to curiosity.

“All is well, Mr. Harding,” Richard announced jovially, giving Elissa’s hand a squeeze.

“I am glad to hear it,” the lawyer replied evenly.

“My new play opens later today, Mr. Harding. I would be honored if you would be my guest and come to see it,” Richard said.

“Regrettably, I have little time for the theater,” Mr. Harding replied.

“But surely you can make an exception!” Elissa cried.

The lawyer’s stern visage softened a very little. “Perhaps today, I can make an exception,” he agreed.

“Excellent! Come to the stage door at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre. You and Elissa will have the best seats I can commandeer.”

“What about me?” Will piped up. “Can’t I go, too?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Elissa began hesitantly.

“I don’t think there is anything terribly scandalous in
The Vicar’s House,”
Richard said thoughtfully.

“Then of course he may go,” Elissa replied.

Richard’s smile was nearly as broad as Will’s before he grew studious again. “I confess I am afraid the audience will be disappointed. I am not sure the tone is quite even. I was in a rather magnanimous mood when I started it. Then I rewrote it as a tragedy when I was in a blacker humor. Then I recalled the dismal failure of my last tragedy and went back to the original version, scowling at every rehearsal, I’m sure. I don’t know whether it is a comedy with dramatic overtones, or a drama with comic overtones.”

“Whatever it is, I’m quite sure it will be marvelous,” Elissa said proudly.

“Oh bloo—” Richard began. He glanced at Will. “Zounds, I nearly forgot! Where are you staying? I am afraid my lodgings are rather small for three.”

“You must all stay with me, then,” Mr. Harding said. “In fact, I insist.”

“Thank you, we will,” Richard agreed, “but it will only be for a short stay before we go back home. Now, if you will excuse us, Mr. Harding, we must make haste if I am to pack my things and get to the theater in time for some last-minute instructions.”

He made a wry face. “I fear my actresses are all angry at me. I was as fierce as a bear with them yesterday.” His eyes shone with happiness as he sighed with feigned dismay. “I can’t think why.”

“I believe Will and I should come along with you, perhaps, to protect you from the wrath of your actresses,” Elissa remarked with equally feigned gravity.

Richard cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should save the introductions until after the performance. The female performers are always nervous with a new play.”

“If you think that best,” Elissa replied.

Richard grinned his devilish grin. “Besides, I am far too happy when I am with you, and to have them see me thus will surely destroy my reputation.”

“As a happy husband?”

“No, as the greatest cynic in London.”

“I did not realize that was your reputation.”

He sighed melodramatically. “I have been working on that impression ever since I arrived after the king’s restoration, and now it may all be for naught.”

“That was not the only kind of reputation you were earning.”

“Elissa!” he cried in protest.

She smiled. “Besides, I have spent quite enough time away from you lately, so I fear your reputation will simply have to suffer.”

“If it must, it must,” Richard agreed with a philosophical air.

“We’ll go to a theater?” Will asked excitedly.

“We shall,” Richard confirmed. “I’ll have
the property master show you all the stage weapons, if you like.”

“Oh, yes, please!”

“Richard!” Elissa protested.

“I promise on my love for you that we shall be very, very careful. Will you trust me?”

“In everything,” she replied gravely.

“Then come, Will, Elissa, let’s go to the theater.” Richard said with a smile as he took Elissa’s hand and placed it on his arm, then took hold of Will’s. “See you anon, Mr. Harding.”

“Indeed.”

“Good-bye!” Elissa said, and Will added his farewell.

The moment the door closed behind him on the crowded street, Will said, “Shall I really get to see the swords and things?”

“And the powder they use to make explosions, if Henry is in a good mood,” Richard confirmed.

“Who’s Henry?” Will asked.

“The property master, and a very grumpy fellow he can be.”

“I shall be very good,” Will vowed.

Richard let go of the boy’s hand to ruffle the lad’s hair. “I’m sure you will be.”

Elissa suddenly halted so abruptly, Richard nearly knocked her over. “Mr. Sedgemore!” she cried.

As Richard followed her startled gaze, Sedgemore stepped out of an alley and smiled
as he looked from Elissa to Richard to Will and back to Elissa. “Lord and Lady Dovercourt. What a pleasant surprise.”

“I doubt it,” Richard said evenly, running his gaze over the well-to-do squire who was so uncharacteristically and plainly dressed. “What are you doing skulking about the alleys of London?”

“Did you follow me here?” Elissa demanded suspiciously.

“No, of course not!” he replied, his expression incredulous and cautious. “This is merely a … a pleasant coincidence. I came to the city on business. I often do. There is nothing wrong with that, I trust.”

“I’faith, this is a most convenient coincidence,” Richard said, gently removing Elissa’s hand from his arm, “since I have something to discuss with you in private.”

“I don’t believe you do,” Sedgemore replied warily.

Richard glanced at Elissa. “I shall be happy to explain, if you will come along with me to Mr. Harding’s office.”

“I regret I cannot,” Sedgemore said, backing away. “I… I have an appointment.”

“Yes, you do—with my husband and our lawyer,” Elissa said. “For one thing, you can explain how you come to be so familiar with my marriage settlements and my late husband’s will.”

“I knew it!” Richard cried triumphantly as Sedgemore began to turn.

He reached out and grabbed the man’s shoulder. “Come along, Sedgemore. I think you must explain yourself to Mr. Harding, and the constable, and to me.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” Sedgemore declared as he twisted out of Richard’s grasp and marched hurriedly away.

“Go back to Mr. Harding’s and wait for me there,” Richard commanded Elissa and Will, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword as he started forward.

“But I want to—” Will protested.

Richard glanced back at them over his shoulder. “No,” he said simply before regarding Elissa grimly. “Take Will back.”

As she complied, he hurried after the fleeing Alfred Sedgemore.

S
edgemore disappeared down an alley, but not before Richard saw where he went. Paying no heed to the curious onlookers, he drew his sword and began to trot through the malodorous alleys and back lanes after him.

Once or twice he nearly lost his prey, but Sedgemore was not familiar with these passages. Richard was, and knew to stop and listen when he lost sight of his quarry.

Whose rapid footsteps always gave him away.

No matter how Sedgemore twisted and turned in his route, it was steadily south, obviously making for the Thames. If he got to a boat, he could be away before Richard could catch him or summon help.

Richard started to run flat out, his drawn sword signaling to people better than any vocal warning that he was not to be trifled with
in his pursuit. They made way—and then he almost shouted with triumph when he saw that Sedgemore had blundered into an alley with no exit.

His quarry whirled around, his eyes darting like the trapped rat he was. Richard had seen men look thus before and knew desperate men could be extremely dangerous.

“You are caught, Sedgemore,” Richard said, his sword at the ready as he approached him cautiously.

“Let me go! I haven’t done anything!” Sedgemore protested as he backed into the wall.

“Then why did you run?”

“Because you threatened me!”

“I only said I would take you to Mr. Harding. If you are innocent of any crime, you have nothing to fear.”

“Prison is nothing to fear? They will throw me into Newgate whether I am innocent or not! As you are a man of the world, you know this as well as I.” Sedgemore took a step forward and held out his hands in a pleading gesture. “What is it you think I have done?”

Richard raised his sword a little more. Just because he could see no obvious weapon didn’t mean the man did not have one, either in his sleeve or his belt or his boot. “Plot murder.”

“Me? Who am I supposed to want killed?” “My stepson, and then you would need to
dispense with me to clear the way for you to try to become Elissa’s husband.”

“That’s absurd.”

“Then why try to discover what becomes of the estate if Will dies before his mother, and she before her husband?”

“This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!”

“Naturally I concur that it is ridiculous to think Elissa would ever contemplate marrying a piece of dung like you.”

“Who are you to insult me?” Sedgemore cried. “You are nothing but a decadent, immoral writer of rubbish! You debase yourself and all you touch with your disgusting ways.”