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“We were only on the estate for a short time before she made her demands to join her thievery ring again or for us to meet our demise. She gave us a deadline. Ravencroft thought if he came to London alone, he could find allies to help him defeat her. When he never sent word and the deadline drew near, I panicked and left the estate, following him here. Only once I reached London did I realize I couldn’t claim Ravencroft as my brother. It would draw forth too many questions. So I altered my name, changed my appearance, and attempted my own search to bring about Lady L’s demise.”
He looked at Graham. “I heard about your outfit and the rest you know after that. I want to destroy her, and I have faith we can. That is my past and now onto my present. Lady L made threats against your family once she learned of our connection.”
Reese interrupted. “Maggie and Noel.”
“Yes. She threatened to expose Ravencroft to the ton for his past involvement with her crew. She wanted him to steal the blueprints to your townhome because she plans a heist during Maggie’s debutante ball. Her plan is to seek her revenge on you for throwing her over. She will stop at nothing until she destroys your family. If Ravencroft didn’t supply her with the prints by her deadline, she threatened to kidnap Maggie.”
“Why Maggie and not Noel?” Graham asked.
Dracott grimaced. “Because she learned of my arrival and how I paid court on Maggie. Lady Langdale knows how Ravencroft would go to any lengths to protect my happiness. She learned how he regretted my troubled life while he spent his time in an indulgent lifestyle. She played on him to help her. When he never secured her wish, she brought our mother to town to help her cause.”
“I thought your mother was dead,” Eden stated.
Dracott shook his head. “Unfortunately not. However, I can understand why you would assume so. Ravencroft must have implied his mother was no longer in his life, hoping that you would presume he meant she had died. No. She lives, and she gave him an ultimatum to introduce her to your family or become victims to Lady Langdale. Since he missed the deadline, Lady L has started her terror. The destruction began with her letter and my beating.”
“Where is Lord Ravencroft?” Evelyn asked.
“That I do not know. I can only assume he has holed himself up in his townhome, drinking his sorrows away. He knows he failed and what is about to begin. He is drinking his courage to face your family. I pleaded with him weeks ago, but he wanted to figure out a plan on his own, even when he realized how hopeless it was. But he has his pride.”
“And your future?” Lady Worthington asked.
Dracott looked over at Maggie and smiled. She never once released his hand while he admitted to his deceit. The soft smile she granted him gave him the encouragement he needed to answer her mother’s question. She was his world, and he loved her with all his heart. The love shining from her eyes calmed his soul like it always did.
He took a deep breath. “With your permission, I wish to marry Maggie. I may not have much to offer her but the stability of my love. I will work hard with your family to destroy Lady L and show Maggie how much I love her every day. If you refuse, then I shall return to seek your permission until you say yes. Because I need her more than I need the air to breathe. I could spout a list of why I love her and how she is the other half of my soul. However, you only need to understand I will love her for eternity and protect her with my heart.”
“No!” Reese’s denial struck Dracott like lightning. The force of one simple word held an impact he couldn’t explain. Yet it gave him hope at the same time.
“That is not your decision to make,” Lady Worthington informed Reese.
“Mother,” Reese warned.
She smiled patiently at her eldest child. “I am her parent. While I’ve allowed you to handle certain aspects over the years to ease my burden, this is a decision I will make.”
“But he lied to our family,” Reese argued.
“Out of love. You of all people should understand more than anyone else,” Mama explained.
Her comment quieted Reese. Maggie’s mother turned her attention to Dracott. She didn’t speak for a while and merely gazed at him. Eventually, she nodded once she made her decision.
“I sympathize with you, Crispin. My heart breaks for the pain you have endured in your trials of life. I know of your mother. You see, she ran with the same pack of degenerates as my husband did. As a mother, I weep at the horror of your scars, and I only wish to wrap you in my arms to soothe them away. While you will always suffer from those memories, I hope with the love of my daughter they will fade away. You have my permission and the support of our family.” She focused her gaze on Maggie. “However, I am not the one to ask.”
Lady Worthington’s words astounded Dracott. He stood up and walked to her. “You have humbled me.”
Lady Worthington rose and wrapped him in a hug. “No, my son. I am the one who is humbled. I shall warn you, though, this hug is the first of many.” She winked at him. “That is, if she answers yes.”
Her light tease prompted Dracott into action. He limped over to Maggie and held out his hand. She placed her palm next to his, and he fought back the tears wanting to fall. His confession and the love he held for the lady before him strung out his emotions.
He linked their fingers together. “My love. I have spent a lifetime wishing for an angel to save me from my hell. When I watched you ride across your land the first day we met, I knew I had found her. You have reawakened my soul with every moment we’ve spent together. I love you and will spend a lifetime showing you if you would do me the honor of becoming my bride. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Maggie choked out.
Tears fell like raindrops on their hands. She cried for both of them. She had no poetic lines of love to deliver to him. His words turned her into a bumbling mess.
“Yes. Yes. Yes.” Maggie was incapable of uttering any other words. Later, she would express her love to him, away from her family.
“Well, she did play with Mina today,” Eden teased.
Everyone erupted into laughter because Maggie sounded like Mina whenever she chanted something.
