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‘It’s hard for me to forgive you for spinning such a yarn about the boy’s father, keeping us in ignorance of his existence for so long. True, I can’t pretend to understand what you faced when you found yourself increasing, with Marshall dead and you not yet married. But how convenient for your reputation, to have a dead man’s dead son’s name to claim for my grandson.’
As Theo flinched under the harsh words, Dom stood up, a hand on her arm. ‘Another speech like that,’ he said with cold fury, ‘and I’ll take my wife and the boy and you’ll never see or hear from him again.’
The fire died out in the viscount’s eyes. ‘I beg your pardon—again, Mrs Ransleigh.’
Theo gave a short nod, and Dom sat back down.
‘What I did, I did to protect Charles,’ Theo said, her eyes going distant, as if she were reliving the events. ‘If all I’d cared about was my own good name, I could have left him at the convent, as the sisters urged. I’d confessed my sins and received absolution, they said, but if I took the child back with me, my shame would become known, and society would never forgive it. But right from birth, Charles was so fair. Even if some Portuguese peasant wanting a sturdy son took him in, he’d always look like a foreigner. Always be an outsider. I thought, even as a bastard, he would fare better in his homeland. Stumbling upon an identity as Everely’s dead son was never what I’d planned. And he was my son, mine and Marshall’s! How could I abandon him in a foreign land?’
‘Well, that coil can’t be unspooled now. But even as a bastard, we would have accepted him, loved him, found a place for him.’
‘How could I have known that? I couldn’t risk exposing him, only to be rejected—and then have him grow up with a taint on his name.’
‘You have your chance now, Lord Hazlett,’ Dom interrupted. ‘Learning about him today, or four and a half years ago, wouldn’t have made any difference; under law, he could never inherit the title or the entailed portion of your estate. You can still leave him whatever you wish that isn’t entailed, and when he’s old enough, he’ll be told of his true lineage. If you do want him, why not just enjoy sharing that?’
‘Aye, that’s what my wife counselled. Loving him should be easy enough. He’s the image of my dear b-boy,’ he said, his voice breaking.
‘He was dear to me, too,’ Theo said, tears glittering in her eyes.
Dom put his hand on her shoulder, wanting her to feel his silent support. ‘They are both under my protection now,’ he said evenly, but with a warning in his voice. ‘Unlike your son, I managed to get a ring on her finger. I’d appreciate your support of the plan my wife and yours agree upon, but if you attempt to harass her, we’ll raise the boy without you. You have no legal claim to either of them.’
The viscount met his steady gaze. ‘Do you mean to dictate terms to me?’
‘Not at all. I’m merely reminding you of our respective positions. Treat my wife with the courtesy and respect owed to her as the woman your son loved and the mother of your grandson. As part of my duty to secure her happiness, I’m prepared to respect her wishes about letting you and your wife see the boy and draw him into your lives. As long as you never attempt to cut Theo out of this. Or disparage her in any way.’
Lord Hazlett looked back at Theo. ‘You seem to have found a champion.’
She gave Dom a look of affection and gratitude. ‘I have.’
‘About time she had one,’ Dom muttered.
‘Very well. Why don’t you stay a few days,’ the viscount said, addressing himself once again to Dom, ‘while my wife and yours work out the details of sharing Charles? If that is agreeable to you, Mrs Ransleigh.’
Dom looked over at Theo.
‘Anxious as I am to get back to Suffolk, I suppose we could spare two days,’ she said. ‘For Charles.’
She couldn’t be more anxious than he was, Dom thought. Anxious to get her away from things that mired her in the past, unable to move into the future. Their future. He couldn’t wait to get her back to Bildenstone Hall, where he could continue wooing—and seducing—his new wife. Every day he spent with her, it grew more important to him to persuade her to let go of fear and pain and embrace the future, loving only him.
‘I should like to join Lady Hazlett and Charles now,’ Theo said, breaking into his abstraction.
‘I’ll have Henry show you up,’ Lord Hazlett said. Turning to Dom, he said, ‘Would you like a stroll about the grounds? There’s a fair vista from the back terrace. I seem to recall you breed hunters. I’d invite you to the stables, but I sold off all mine after...after Edward died.’
His eldest son and heir had been killed in a hunting fall, Dom knew. ‘Having been cooped up for hours in a coach, I would enjoy a walk. Perhaps you could tell me about selling your hunters. I have some to dispose of as well.’
As they walked out, Dom felt confident the two ladies who loved Charles the most would quickly come to terms over the logistics of sharing his life.
Then came Bildenhall, and the final conquest of his bride’s heart.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A week later, the carriage came to a stop outside the school—Theo, in her eagerness, having begged Dom to let her visit the children before returning to Thornfield.
Smiling, he watched as she sprang out the carriage door almost before the wheels had stopped.
Nor was she the only anxious one. As soon as she descended, Jemmie ran out of the building, followed by the others.
The air rang with choruses of ‘Miss Theo! Miss Theo!’ Maria, ever silent, raced over and threw her arms around Theo’s waist. Soon she was surrounded by a laughing, chattering group of children.
‘Yes, I’m back. No, I’ll not be leaving again,’ she replied to the questions being peppered at her.
‘Did you come back married?’ Jemmie asked.
Blushing a little, she said, ‘Yes, I did.’
Seeing that as his cue, Dom came over to take her hand. ‘I asked Miss Theo to marry me, and she did me the honour of accepting my suit. We were wed in London, about two weeks ago now.’
‘We had a big party,’ Charles inserted.
‘Oh, I like parties! Why didn’t we get to come?’ Anna asked.
‘It’s a very long coach ride,’ Theo explained. ‘I thought you’d prefer having a party here. Miss Andrews, could you grant a short holiday, so I may get reacquainted with the children?’
‘Of course, Miss—Mrs Ransleigh. My heartiest congratulations to you both!’
While the children closed in around her again, Jemmie approached Dom and held out his hand, which Dom shook solemnly.
‘Thank you for helpin’ her out.’
‘It was my pleasure.’ Oh, if you only knew how much!
‘Guess she don’t need to wait for me to grow up no more,’ he said wistfully, his eyes on Theo.
The teacher walked up to them. ‘Jemmie, could you help me carry some of the books to the cupboard?’
Eagerly, the boy turned to the blonde, blue-eyed, apple-cheeked Miss Andrews—who was only a handful of years older than Jemmie. ‘Sure can, miss.’ From the flush on his face as he took the books, Dom speculated the lad might soon find another candidate to replace Theo as the lady he wanted to protect and care for.
Before the teacher could lead him inside, Charles came trotting up. ‘Can I help, too? I missed you, Jemmie!’
The older boy smiled and tousled his hair. ‘Sure, scamp. I missed you, too.’
With the girls still clustered around Theo, Georgie came over to tug at her skirt.
‘Farmer Jamison came to the school, Miss Theo. He said I can come work with him. Will you talk with him tomorrow? He said I can help him put wheat seeds in the meadow!’
‘Of course, Georgie. I’ll ride over tomorrow. Today, I’ll be getting resettled at home.’
‘Ready?’ Dom asked, holding out his hand.
She looked fondly at the children, whom Miss Andrews was calling back into the building. ‘Ready.’
He helped her into the coach. Charles having begged to remain at the school with his friends, with Mr Blake to drive him home later, they set off for Thornfield Place.
‘I know it sounds ridiculous,’ Theo said after she’d snuggled on to the seat beside him, ‘but while we were still in London, I was so caught up in the wedding...and what came after, and then completely occupied by the task of settling things with the Hazletts about Charles, and then thinking about the school and the children on the way back to Suffolk, I’ve only just begun considering what to do about Thornfield. I imagine you’ll want your wife to reside at your home.’
Dom smiled. ‘That’s generally how it’s done.’
‘I’d thought to keep the staff at Thornfield for the duration of the lease, even though, after the first week or so, we will no longer be living there. Just because my circumstances changed so suddenly, it’s not fair to deprive them of jobs they expected to sustain them for at least the next year—’
