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.Forester, never at home on boats, spent a few long hours in total misery, but as dawn approached, the sight of British waters cheered everyone, and soon the Mistral sailed up the Thames.Pleased with the outcome of this excursion, Hartley grinned over at Forester.“You might want to tell our other passengers we’ll reach London soon.”Cordelia emerged from the cabin looking much more alive than when she boarded the night before.Part of the reason may have been the way Sebastien hovered by her side, his arm firmly round her waist.She was pleased to meet Hartley and thanked him profoundly for his role in her rescue.The young captain seemed suddenly tongue-tied, and managed a diffident reply.The ship came to dock shortly after dawn.Sebastien left Forester with Hartley and hired a closed carriage to take Cordelia the last leg home.Once again, he kept the hood of her cloak up to conceal her identity, and his hat jammed low to conceal his.He was profoundly grateful that the day was too young for many people to have arisen.The streets were still largely empty, with the exception of some hurrying to work and street hawkers setting up for the day.They were all too busy at their tasks to notice anything else.He gave the driver the name of Quince Street, and bundled Cordelia inside the carriage.He sat next to her and cradled her against his body, recalling the first time he’d done so, after Hayden had attacked her.She must have been thinking along the same lines.“Do you remember when you used that paltry excuse of a knife wound to put your arm around me, on that first night you showed up in my carriage?”“You saw through that, did you?” He smiled down at her.“Eventually.” She cuddled closer to him, and whispered, “But if I had avoided that maneuver, I’m sure you would have thought of something else.”“When it came to capturing your eye, Cor, I found almost limitless determination.”“I’m glad.Are we there yet?”“Very nearly.You’ll be home within a half hour.”“How lovely.I’ve missed my home,” she said, her eyelids closing.“Wake me when we get there.”“Anything you say, Cor.” He kissed the top of her head, and his arm tightened around her.Cordelia fell into a doze, feeling she was already home.Chapter 34The hired carriage rolled up the drive.Sebastien nudged Cordelia awake and was rewarded with a blissful smile.Jem ran to the door of the conveyance and flung it open without asking.Seeing Cordelia, he took a deep breath and started to grin widely.“Very glad to see you home again, my lady!”Sebastien leaned forward.“Please tell a maid to wake Mrs Wharton.Miss Bering will need assistance.”Jem’s expression turned serious.“Are you ill, ma’am? Injured?”“I’m fine, Jem, but I am tired, and Aunt Leona ought to know I’m back.I only hope my absence hasn’t hurt her as well.”Sebastien helped Cordelia out of the carriage.Jem ran ahead, opened the doors of the house, and alerted nearly everyone with one shout.Cordelia walked into the house on her own feet—it was important to her that she do that—but then it seemed she was not allowed to do a thing for herself.Bond actually burst into tears of joy on seeing her mistress back, and even Stiles had suspiciously glassy eyes.Sebastien stayed near Cordelia, forgoing all previous subterfuge.He wanted to make his place very clear.When Aunt Leona saw her, Cordelia thought the older woman might faint.“Please sit, Aunt.I am quite safe and well, you will see.”“I’m so happy,” Leona said, sinking into a chair next to Cordelia.“I knew Lord Thorne was doing his best, but…oh, my dear, I thought something terrible had happened to you! I couldn’t sleep.If Edward…that is, if Sir Dunham hadn’t been there to lean on, I don’t know what I would have done.”“Well, I am back, and all will be well.”Leona nodded.“I have done my best to keep your disappearance quiet, but I’m not sure that there won’t be consequences.A few people asked after you.I said you were at the house in Bristol.”Thorne cleared his throat.“I suppose this is as good a time as any to make a small announcement.”Cordelia looked at Sebastien, who was waiting for her approval.“Go on, Sebastien,” she said, using his given name quite deliberately.He grinned at her, and said to Leona, “Cordelia has accepted my offer of marriage, and I expect the wedding will happen as soon as humanly possible.”Leona clapped her hands together once.“Oh, how wonderful!”A while later, Bond took Cordelia upstairs, and insisted on giving her a scorching hot bath.“You need to scrub out the past, my lady,” she said.Cordelia couldn’t disagree.While in the hot water, she drank a glass of brandy, a remedy also insisted on by Bond, and then was tucked into her bed like a child.She slept a blessedly dreamless sleep until hunger awoke her in the evening.Bond dressed her in a lovely, loose-fitting gown and draped the jade pendant around her neck.“There’s a bit of a celebration planned,” the maid explained.Downstairs, she found that both Sebastien and Sir Dunham were in the parlor, along with Leona.Everyone was dressed for dinner.The only guest who had not arrived was Mr Jay, who had been notified of Cordelia’s return.Sir Dunham beamed at Cordelia when she appeared.“The prodigal returns,” he said.“Now that you are back, I find myself at a loss.I was able to offer comfort and diversion to Leona in your absence.But perhaps I have overstayed my welcome.”Her aunt smiled like a schoolgirl.“Your jests will never cease, will they?”“I see that he has been a true companion to you,” Cordelia said, a wry edge to her voice.Leona moved to stand quite close to Sir Dunham.“Well, we have reached an understanding.”“Sir Dunham has finally proposed to you,” Cordelia guessed.“A second marriage may not have the thrill of the first, but I managed to convince this charming lady that it might be better than she expects.” The stately Dunham looked very pleased with himself.And Leona also had a glow about her that made her look many years younger.“Congratulations,” Sebastien said, moving so that Cordelia could feel the heat of him next to her.Then Ivy knocked on the drawing room door.“Mr Jay,” she announced.As Ivy moved aside, Sebastien leaned down.In a low voice, he said, “You should prepare yourself, Cor.Mr Jay may not look his best.”“What do you mean?” She looked at him, puzzled.He didn’t have the chance to explain before footsteps sounded in the hall, accompanied by an odd clicking.Mr Jay appeared in the doorway.Cordelia gasped.“William!” She was so shocked that she let his Christian name slip out.Her own tiredness forgotten, she rushed over to her friend.“Oh, my heavens! What happened to you?” She surveyed his injuries.He was walking with the aid of a cane.One foot was bandaged.Worse than that, his face bore the marks of slowly healing bruises, and gloves couldn’t conceal the damage to his hands.Aunt Leona cried out in dismay.Cordelia helped Jay to a seat before returning to Sebastien’s side.Mr Jay looked at the floor.“I hesitate to relate the details to a lady, Miss Bering.”Sebastien interjected quietly, “He had an encounter with some of Hayden’s gang.From what he told me earlier, I’d expect Hayden himself was responsible for much of the damage.”Jay looked devastated.“It’s true.It happened the night of…the night you were taken, Miss Bering.I was at my club.Someone found me and told me you had sent an urgent message for me.Of course, like a fool, I followed him out into the street [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]