Robert stared at his wife. “Is that wrong? To desire a suitable wife?”
“No, of course not, but your requirements for suitability are so high. Lord Graenfrae desires many things in his future wife, but is willing to accept a flawed specimen.
Annabelle is not a patterncard of propriety and that does not matter to him.” Annabelle did not take insult at her friend’s words. Diana spoke the truth. Annabelle did test the limits of acceptable behavior on occasion and Ian did not seem to mind, except for the fact that sometimes it put her in danger, which was quite understandable really. She had come to realize that Ian was far more concerned with loyalty than respectability.
The knowledge pleased her considerably.
“Annabelle is highly regarded and comes from very good family,” Robert replied defensively.
“There.” Diana pointed an accusing finger at her husband. “That is exactly what I mean. Annabelle associates with people that are not accepted in society on behalf of her cause, spends time doing things that some might criticize and yet you refuse to admit it.
You require perfection from those you love.”
“I do not expect you to be perfect.”
Diana’s look of disbelief said it all. “You were the only one for me. Had you been the base born son of a rakehell, I would have married you.” Ceddy let out a shocked gasp. Diana smiled. “It’s quite true, you know. Love can make one quite shameless. I only hope someday you know what I mean.” She turned back to her husband. “I knew that my greatest attraction to you was my suitability. When Mr. Thorn first told me about the letters, I was terrified. I was certain that if you found out about them, you would stop loving me.”
“Do you have so little faith in my love for you?” Robert frowned at his wife. “I assure you, my love is not so shallow as you seem to think.” Diana sighed. “Tell me that when Mr. Thorn publishes the letters.” Robert swore. “Thorn could post the letters in The Times for all I care. I will never stop loving you.” Taking his wife’s face between his two hands, he said, “Diana, you are more precious to me than my own life.”
Diana’s eyes burned with hope. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
Ian pulled Annabelle to other side of the small room. She smiled. From the silence that followed them, she assumed that her brother was giving Diana proof of his devotion.
Ceddy accompanied them.
“Have to find this chap Thorn and deal with him, don’t you know?” he said.
Ceddy had Annabelle’s complete agreement. Thorn deserved to be horsewhipped for what he had put Diana through. Now, there was a man that she would not mind Ian facing with a pistol. She gasped. “There is something I forgot to tell you.”
“What is it, lass?”
“I think Mr. Thorn and Squire Renton are in league.”
“They are both blackguards to be sure, but ’tis no reason to believe that they are in league.”
“I know.” She told him about the coach she had seen when following Thorn and then about recognizing the horses on the squire’s carriage. “They are quite magnificent beasts.
I am not mistaken.”
Ceddy nodded. “Squire Renton’s been accused of thinking more of his horseflesh than he thought of his first wife.”
Annabelle shuddered. “I can believe it.”
Ian slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. It suddenly occurred to her that Ian was being entirely too familiar in front of Ceddy. She felt heat steal into her cheeks. She squirmed. Ian would not let her go. She protested. “Ian.” He ignored her. “When Hamilton is finished making up with his wife, we will make our plans.”
A soft laugh alerted them that Diana had heard Ian’s words. “He is quite finished and we thank you for sitting through our little melodrama.” They joined the reunited couple.
Diana’s face was radiant and around her neck, over her pelisse and traveling gown, a magnificent strand of pearls glistened.
Annabelle turned to her brother. “How did you manage it?” Diana did not let him answer. “He went to the jeweler to pick up a gift he had commissioned for me and saw them in the display case. Recognizing them immediately, he repurchased them and had every intention of taxing me with how they came to be there when the message arrived about Annabelle.” Diana smiled softly at her husband. “I have promised never to sell them again.”
She then lifted her wrist and Annabelle saw a matching bracelet made up of four strands of pearls with a diamond-studded clasp. “This is the gift he had commissioned.” Diana hugged her husband’s arm. “However, the most magnificent gift he has given me is assurance of his never ending love.”
Robert smiled down at his wife and gently caressed her cheek. “I could do no less for a woman made so eminently worthy of my love by her kind and generous heart.” Annabelle smiled. “From the look on your face, I must assume you are now ready to make the return journey to Town.”
Ceddy went to order the carriage and horses readied. He kindly offered to ride his horse, so the carriage would not be crowded, but Ian would not hear of it.
“’Tis a long ride we’ve both had and I’m thankful for your company. I’ll no have you riding back.”
They all crowded into Robert’s carriage. Robert and Diana sat on one side of the carriage. Diana scooted over to make room for Annabelle. When Annabelle went to sit next to her, Ian pulled her by the waist toward him.
He settled her into the tiny spot left open between him and the wall. He and Ceddy took up the rest of the carriage cushion. He tucked his coat around her and settled his arm over her shoulders. Although it was anything but proper, Annabelle felt cared for and safe.
She was too tired to give Robert the accounting of her adventure that she promised.
Her eyes slid shut almost immediately. She heard Ian’s voice telling what he knew through a sleepy haze.
Belle did not wake up until Ian nudged her gently when they arrived at her aunt’s townhouse. In the dark carriage, he could not see her face, but he could feel the way she clutched at his arm while orienting herself. She was not completely recovered from her ordeal.
Ceddy and the others had already alighted from the carriage. Diana, ill again, insisted on going into Lady Beauford’s home for a cup of tea before making the journey home.
“Are we home already?” Belle’s voice, groggy from sleep, melted Ian’s insides. She sounded exactly like an innocent child. His anger burned at the thought of what Renton had tried to do to his pure Belle.
He swung her down and kept his arm around her as he guided her past a satisfied-looking Creswell. “I knew you would take care of the matter, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
The butler’s voice, rife with approval, brought a smile to Ian’s lips. He’d have a talk with the man later about allowing his mistress to embark on such journeys again.
Belle gave a huge yawn and stumbled over the doorstep. Ian righted her and tightened his hold. “Be careful, lass.”
“Oh, excuse me. I am just so weary.” She sighed. “It has been a trying day.”
He would let her sleep, just as soon as she told him what had happened with Renton.
He led Belle into a scene of chaos in the drawing room. Lady Hamilton bent over a chamber pot and retched. Hamilton demanded that a doctor be called immediately. Lady Beauford demanded an accounting of the recent events.
Belle came erect at his side. “I thought she was over this sickness now that she told Robert all.”
Lady Beauford’s head turned toward them and she gave Ian an eagle-like stare. He felt like he was in leading strings again and had been caught sneaking a biscuit from the tea tray.
“Would you care to explain why my niece is wearing an article of your clothing and you have kept her out well past the dinner hour?” she asked austerely.
Belle gasped. She would have taken off his coat, but when she shivered he forced her to put it back on. She fought silently with him for several seconds. Giving him a frown, she finally conced
ed and kept the coat around her shoulders. She faced her aunt.
“Ian did not keep me out, Aunt Griselda. Surely, you remember that I went for a drive with Squire Renton.”
The dowager gave a stately nod. “That was hours ago. You are not going to try to convince me that you have been in that milksop’s company all this time. Laird MacKay would not stand for it. Anyone can see that he is a terribly possessive gentleman.”
“No, of course I wasn’t in the squire’s company all this time. I have been with Ian the past several hours.”
The eagle-like stare returned to him. “What do you have to say for yourself, young man? Do you realize the terrible damage you may have done to my niece’s reputation?”