Page 36 of The Duke’s Hidden Runaway Bride

Josiah opened his mouth, and closed it again. He bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I stood in his drawing room and shook his hand. I told you the match was your good fortune.”

“Yes.”

“I thought I was giving you everything your mother should have had.”

“You were giving me to a man who saw me as England saw her.”

Her father covered his face.

Ophelia did not tell him that everything was forgiven, because it was not, and she would not promise that love could mend what love had broken. But she sat beside him.

After a moment, his hand found hers, rough and cold.

Lady Elise came down soon afterwards and found them that way. When she heard what had happened, she nodded approvingly. “You did right,” she told Ophelia. “Exactly right.”

Then she turned upon Josiah.

“You will not speak of reviving that match again in my presence. His Grace and Mr. Soane are making the inquiries Ophelia authorised. Sir Hugh Fenwick has also provided documents concerning Markham’s borrowing.”

Josiah lifted his head. “What documents?”

“Evidence that Lord Markham may have borrowed upon a version of the settlement he knew had been rejected.”

For the first time that morning, Josiah looked less defeated, his eyes sharpening, the astute businessman awakening.

“I want to see it.”

“So do we all,” Ophelia said. “And we need the signed articles.”

“They are in my strong room.”

“Then you will bring them to Mr. Soane, this afternoon.”

Her father looked at her.

The old Josiah might have demanded to know when his daughter had begun giving instructions.

This Josiah only nodded.

The reckoning had begun. Markham would strike, and the law gave him weapons. Ophelia could not yet see the path through it.

Yet she had stood before both men who had tried to decide her life and said no in her own voice.

She thought Adrian would be proud of her.

Chapter Fifteen

That afternoon Adrian met Ophelia, Josiah James, and Lady Elise in Mr. Soane’s chambers off Lincoln’s Inn.

Soane received the unusual party without visible surprise. A coal fire smoked in the grate, doing little against the January chill. He was a spare, dry man who had managed the Calder affairs for twelve years and considered most displays of emotion evidence of disordered bookkeeping.

The signed marriage articles lay on his desk beside Fenwick’s note and the rejected draft. Around them were several memoranda produced by the inquiries Adrian had authorised.

Soane had learned a great deal in a few days.

He had traced several of Markham’s principal creditors and acquired one small gaming debt through an agent. Better still, he had secured the promise of first refusal upon two larger notes, and he had discovered that Sir Hugh Fenwick was not the only lender shown an interest in the James portion.

“A Mr. Bellamy advanced Lord Markham a substantial sum in October,” Soane said. “Bellamy was assured that his note would take priority against the bride’s fortune after marriage.”