Page 63 of Truly, Madly, Daring

Leaning over the minstrel’s gallery to look at the entrance hall below, Emmeline saw an elegant woman with fiery red hair, dressed in a lush dark blue gown and pelerine. She seemed exceedingly familiar. Hurrying to the staircase, Emmeline gave a little cry of delight as the young woman looked up and she recognised her friend Cara and her husband, Lord Latimer.

“Cara!” she cried, hurrying down the stairs.

“Emmeline?” Cara stared at her with undisguised shock. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Emmeline hesitated as she reached the bottom of the stairs, blushing as she realised. “Oh. Of course, you don’t know.”

Cara hurried over and took her hands. “Don’t know what?”

There was no gentle way of breaking the news in the circumstances. “I… well, I’m Lady Wrexham. We eloped.”

Cara's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, and her obvious distress upset the enormous beast that was her beloved Sultan. He stood, barking and staring at Cara with obvious anxiety, until Lord Latimer silenced him.

“Enough, Sultan. She’s quite well,” he said, stroking the dog’s head affectionately. “Sit down.”

The dog sat, gazing at his master with adoration.

“Eloped. With Lord Wrexham,” Cara repeated faintly.

Emmeline nodded, offering her friend a tentative smile. “Perhaps you’d like to come and sit down? Have you had breakfast yet? I haven’t and I’m famished. Come and join me and I’ll explain everything.”

Several cups of tea later, and Emmeline had outlined everything that had happened. Her parents had also joined them, and her father and Latimer seemed to get on like a house on fire.

“I’m so happy for you,” Cara said, grinning broadly. “It’s so romantic, well, apart from his loathsome half-brother and the duke, and the eyeballs. Ick. I shall struggle to forget that image,” she added with a shudder.

“You’re not alone,” Emmeline said, feeling her breakfast churn in her stomach.

“But apart from all that, it is terribly romantic,” Cara insisted, making Emmeline chuckle. “And you’re happy. I can tell you are. You love him?”

Emmeline nodded. “I do.”

Cara gave a happy sigh and pulled absently at Sultan’s ears, the big dog having settled himself beside Cara hoping to be fed scraps from the table.

“But why are you here?” Emmeline asked. “Was Wrexham expecting you?”

“Oh, no.” Cara shook her head. “We were visiting friends in Norwich, and we overheard someone talking about Wrexham and how he was back at Cawston Hall. Well, Wolf has had it in mind to visit and see if there was anything he could do for him. Wrexham got us out of the most awful fix with the duke, as you know, and we have always wanted to repay him, for he did not know Wolf was his nephew then. He was simply being kind.”

“You give me too much credit, Lady Latimer,” announced a deep and familiar voice from behind them. “I did it to vex my father. My motivation for a good many of my actions, I’m afraid.”

Emmeline turned to see Wrexham with Humboldt, who was guiding him to the head of the table.

“Wrexham.” Cara’s husband stood and crossed the room.

“Lord Latimer,” Humboldt said to her husband quietly, and took a step back as Wrexham held out his hand.

“Ah, my new nephew, though that still seems odd to me, as you are the elder of the two of us. However, this is a pleasant surprise, Latimer. You are most welcome.”

“I hope so,” Latimer said gruffly. “Though I would ask you to call me Wolf. I am still getting used to the title.”

Wrexham inclined his head. “With pleasure. As we are family, you may address me as Uncle Rex.” His lips quirked, and he held out his hand to Wolf, who shook it, his expression intent. Ignoring Wrexham’s amusement at the family connection, he got straight to the point.

“I know what it is to have a devil for a father. I will do anything I can to help you. Just name it.”

Wrexham looked quite taken aback by this and he frowned, shaking his head. “But you don’t know me at all. I offered you a few words that got you out of a sticky situation, it cost me nothing to do so. This is entirely different. This means making an enemy of your grandfather and Lord Cecil. It may even be dangerous.”

Wolf snorted and patted him on the shoulder. “You might want to take a bit of time to find out about my past, Uncle. You’ve had a lot on your plate, so I don’t blame you for not knowing about it. Just rest assured, I’m on your side, and that’s the only place anyone ever wants me to be.”

“Latimer is rather well known in certain circles, Wrexham,” her father added, looking amused. “Especially in Paris. There they knew him as Le Loup Noir.”