Page 145 of A Much Maligned Miss

“Of course I will not dismiss the idea! I will follow whatever approach you think best.”

“No, no, I mean to be entirely led by you in this,” he assured her. “You will take the lead.”

She went very still. “Gervaise, I know I was…sadly willful when it came to involving the authorities but that was only because of Sophy. I promise you I do not mean to be always imposing my will on you, just because—because I am wealthy now…” She faltered.

She felt profoundly relieved when she saw his lips curl into a grin. “You were not sadly willful,” he contradicted her. “And now that you have given me your love, I am entirely content to be henpecked by my rich wife, I assure you!”

She scoffed. “I do not believe that for an instant.” She plucked at the bedcovers, frowning. “Still, I do think you might have to mention the matter to your business partners to prepare them just in case. If not Mr. Ewell, then you should probably warn Ralph and, well, any of your other intimate or business acquaintance who may be affected by any scandal.”

Gervaise did not look too bothered. “We will tell anyone we deem necessary,” he replied with a shrug.

She hesitated. “What exactly did you tell Teddy?” She knew full well the inquisitive little soul would have asked.

“That Reg rescued you from your mama’s wicked clutches at the eleventh hour.”

She gave a faint gasp, and a reproachful “Gervaise!”

“It’s pointless to try and shield him from such things. That boy has a disconcerting habit of gleaning information from unexpected sources.”

“I suppose that is true,” she sighed. “And he was the first person to ever identify Mama for a villain. I just don’t know if we can count on him not to, well—”

“Not to loudly denounce your mother to all and sundry?”

“Exactly.”

“We can’t,” he said. “But why should we maintain the fiction that your mother was anything other than what she was? We hardly owe it to her memory.”

She hesitated. “Edgar might find it painful if we broadcast the truth far and wide,” she ventured quietly.

Gervaise’s expression hardened. “Edgar can flee to his mother-in-law’s in Exeter if it all becomes too much for him. In fact, I think we should encourage him to make himself scarce.”

Thinking a change of subject might be prudent, she turned on impulse to kiss his cheek. “What else did you tell Teddy?” she asked brightly. “You said before that he wanted to know when you fell for my charms,” she reminded him.

“I told him about our rendezvous behind that curtain at the Christmas party,” he admitted with a lurking smile.

Her mouth fell open. “You surely did not tell him about—about our reenactment?” she gasped.

“I did not tell him all,” he reassured her, his eyes alight with laughter. “I simply told him that we hid behind a curtain to become better acquainted.”

She cleared her throat. “I hope he does not regale his parents with that tale. It will sound most improper in the retelling.”

“I don’t think they will be too shocked,” he said dryly. “Remind me to acquaint you sometime with the facts of Jeremy’s dubious courtship of Emmeline.” She was intrigued but could not stifle a yawn. She suddenly realized she was exhausted. “Tired? Shall I go and fetch the cats?” he asked.

“Oh, would you?”

“There’s very little I would not do for you, wife,” he said, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles. She smiled back at him, tired but happy. “Tell me you feel safe and content,” he said softly.

“With you, always.”

EPILOGUE

Benham Hall, Twelve Months Later

Caroline set down her flannel on the washstand and took a quick glance in the mirror at her flushed face and untidy hair. She had her maenad’s face on and was entirely naked but did not worry about that in the privacy of their large and comfortable bedroom.

Glancing toward the adjoining dressing room, she saw the Remus had curled up on top of her black silk mourning cape, while Romulus was stalking over the top of a chest of drawers, picking his way through the hat stands.

As they both looked happily occupied, she left them to it and started toward her dressing table to tidy herself, but Gervaise extended an arm to her from the bed. “You’re taking too long,” he complained. “Come and sooth me, lest I complain I have been ridden hard and put away wet.”