Page 28 of Truly, Madly, Daring

“Oh, he encouraged her, all right,” Gabe said darkly. “The man was a libertine, Helena. Just because he’s lost his sight does not mean the rest of him doesn’t work the same way. He’s seduced our daughter into running away with him and I’m going to bloody murder him.”

He got up, pacing to the window and glowering outside.

“Nonsense,” Helena retorted. “Emmeline herself told us his family were the problem, that they would stop the match. No doubt it’s that awful father of his, the blasted snob. Oh, I could wring his neck.”

“Well, now’s your chance,” Gabe said, his tone grim. “The miserable old sod is here.”

“What?” Helena sprang to her feet, hurrying to stand beside her husband. “Oh, no. Gabe, he must have discovered their plan. You don’t think—”

“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”

“Gabe, don’t tell him anything. Don’t tell him where they are going,” Helena said, suddenly panicked as she grasped his arm, reassured by the hard muscle beneath his sleeve. Her husband returned a level look, which made her blush. “I beg your pardon. Of course, you wouldn’t. I’m a little overwrought. Oh, Gabe, whatever shall we say?”

Gabe took her hand and raised it to his lips. “Don’t fret, my lady. We shall handle this as we handle everything life throws at us.”

“Beautifully?” Helena suggested, wondering if there would ever come a day when this man did not make her heart quiver like she was still a lovestruck girl.

“Together,” Gabe replied softly, and Helena did not care a whit if the first sight the Duke of Sefton got of them was of her gazing at her husband as if he’d hung the moon. As far as she was concerned, he had.

Once the butler had left them alone, the duke lounged back upon the elegant silk covered sofa like a fat toad on a cushion. Helena repressed a shudder; the image was all too compelling. A man in his sixties, he might once have been handsome, but had long ago gone to seed. His life had been one of indulgence in all things. A greedy man with a love of power, Helena had long pitied his children for their misfortune in having him for a father. No amount of money or title could make up for his vindictive nature, or his need to control everyone and everything around him.

“Well, it seems Lady St Clair’s ball will go down in history as the most eventful since the Duchess of Richmond’s in 1815,” the duke remarked.

Helena denied herself the pleasure of rolling her eyes. “What is the purpose of your visit, your grace?” she demanded, seeing no reason to beat around the bush.

His thick white eyebrows rose, small, glittering blue eyes looking Helena up and down in a way that made her skin crawl. “The purpose? The purpose is to commiserate and apologise, my dear. That boy of mine has gone too far and your lovely daughter will be ruined if we do not act swiftly.”

“Act? In what way?” Gabe demanded. “They’ll be long married by now.”

Sefton shrugged. “Nothing that can’t be undone, and if we are careful, there is no reason for anyone to be the wiser. We can put the whole affair behind us. I imagine you have kept the news quiet yourselves.”

“Naturally,” Helena said, hard pressed to keep the loathing from her voice. “But why should we do so?”

“Because Wrexham ain’t right in the head, that’s why. You know the gossip as well as anyone so there’s no need to pretend otherwise. He’ll go the way of his uncle soon enough, the truth is it has already begun. He’s got a wild temper, and he’s paranoid to boot, accusing the staff of everything from attempting to poison him to tripping him down the stairs. None of it’s true. All anyone has tried to do is keep him safe. I did my best to keep him at home and out of harm’s way, not that I was thanked for it. Society accused me of being a cruel parent and of keeping him a prisoner when all I tried to do is to stop him harming himself and others. If only the Duchess of Bedwin had not invited him to that fateful dinner. That’s where he met her, of course. That’s where he got his claws into her.”

“Really, Sefton. His claws, indeed. You sound like a bad Gothic novel,” Helena said in disgust, though his words had her heart beating frantically. “And I might remind you that her grace invited Wrexham on your request, though how you had the temerity to ask her is beyond me.”

“Something I regret to this day,” Sefton said with a mournful sigh. “I was tired, is the truth of it. Tired of being painted a monster. I thought if everyone saw the truth, they might understand. As luck would have it, it was one of his better days and he was merely drunk and disagreeable, rather than dangerously unhinged. But his mood turns with the wind, and when he’s in a black temper, it’s stygian indeed.”

“That’s enough,” Gabe said, with enough force that Helena jumped a little in surprise, for he’d been remarkably quiet until then. “I’ve had enough of the amateur dramatics. I think it is time someone spoke the plain truth and I’ve never heard a word from your mouth that hasn’t been twisted into a knot to suit whatever scheme you’ve got your fingers in. You’ve hated Wrexham since he was a boy and the idea that he’ll inherit everything when you do us all a favour and shuffle off makes you wild.”

“Gabe!” Helena whispered faintly, for even she would have refrained from putting it quite so baldly.

“Watch your mouth,” Sefton growled. “You forget to whom you speak.”

“I forget nothing,” Gabe replied darkly, holding the duke’s gaze. “Nothing.,” Helena watched with interest as the duke’s colour rose.

“That’s as maybe,” Sefton replied coolly. “But this is a mesalliance that will cause us all nothing but trouble.”

“Ah, and now we get to it. You don’t want your bloodline sullied, is that it?”

“No, I don’t, and why should I? A common-born bastard as grandfather to a future duke? I think not!”

He was angry now, and Helena could see that he’d taken off the gloves. There was to be no more beating about the bush.

“Happily, I don’t reckon Wrexham has it in him to sire a brat any longer. That side of his nature disappeared along with his sight. I’ll be amazed if he can even consummate the marriage, which suits me fine. Cecil will provide me with an heir in due course, but it will leave your daughter in a difficult position, eh?”

“You dare to threaten Emmeline?” Gabe said, rising to his feet.