26
Gabriel frowned as the crowd assembling in Mr. Brecon’s small office grew even larger. Lisette had insisted on coming with him, but he’d expected that. He hadn’t expected Paul to appear with his uncle, Lord Ashmolton, who’d apparently arranged the meeting in the letter Gabriel had failed to find and read a few days previously.
“Don’t you have a bigger office, Mr. Brecon?”
His solicitor looked up from the mass of papers on his desk and shook his head. “I’m sorry, my lord. I didn’t realize, until about an hour ago, that you had arranged to meet with Lord Ashmolton and Major Wesley today as well.”
“Neither did I,” Gabriel muttered. “Major Wesley is coming, too? If Mr. Sturges arrives, perhaps you can entertain him elsewhere until I’ve finished up here.”
“Of course, my lord.” Mr. Brecon turned toward the door. “Ah, here comes Major Wesley. Now we can begin.”
Gabriel stood up to acknowledge Major Wesley’s arrival and then resumed his seat beside Lisette and looked askance at Lord Ashmolton. “What can I help you with today, gentlemen?”
Major Wesley smiled. “It’s more about what we can tell you.” He produced a large file of papers from a battered leather box. “I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear that my committee has absolved you of any wrongdoing over the loss of that information you carried in Spain.”
Lord Ashmolton cleared his throat meaningfully. “I told the Prime Minister and the Minister for War that the charges were ridiculous. I’m glad they had the sense to listen to me, and to your committee, Major.”
Gabriel nodded at the older man. “That was very good of you, sir, and most unexpected.”
“Lord Ashmolton wasn’t the only man who wished to speak on your behalf either.” Major Wesley showed Gabriel a thick sheaf of papers. “All these testimonials are from former soldiers in your regiment or those still serving, including Lieutenant Colonel Delinsky and your cousin William Granger.”
Gabriel took the bundle of letters with a hand that shook. “I find it hard to believe that all these men took the time to come to my defense.”
“You were one of the best officers we had, Gabriel,” Paul said quietly. “No true soldier would ever forget that.”
Gabriel looked helplessly at Lisette. “At first I thought it was William who had raised this matter again, but obviously I was wrong.”
Major Wesley placed the rest of the substantial file on the desk with a thump. “I’ll leave this with you for a day or two, Swanfield, so that you can go through all the evidence against you and see my notes. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting reading.” He glanced at Gabriel. “It seems that your uncle, a Mr. Granger, has been the most vocal advocate for your court-martial.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“Mr. Granger’s influence is waning though, Swanfield,” Lord Ashmolton said. “I doubt he’ll be able to retain his stranglehold on your estates when word of this gets out. And word will get out and pressure will be mounted, you can depend on that.” He snorted, “From what Wesley, here, has been telling me, Granger has been squandering vast sums of money trying to buy people to testify against you, but with little success.”
“Other than beggaring my estate,” Gabriel muttered. He felt curiously distanced now from the threat of more public condemnation and disgrace. “My uncle has a lot to answer for.”
Lord Ashmolton stood up and stuck out his hand. “I apologize, but I have to leave now. I’m due at the House. I just wanted to be here when Wesley passed on the good news and to assure you that I will be doing everything in my power to make sure you regain both your reputation and your estates.”
Gabriel shook the older man’s hand. “As I said before, sir: You didn’t have to do this for me, but I appreciate it more than I can say.”
“Nonsense, young man!” Lord Ashmolton’s voice boomed off the low-beamed ceiling, making Gabriel wince. “You brought our nephew out of that damn prison, saved his life! The St. Clare family always helps those who help them.”
Gabriel decided to keep his mouth shut and just smile and acknowledge the assistance. It was still difficult for him to accept that he had friends and comrades who cared enough about him to stand by his side. He glanced down at Lisette, who was laughing at something Major Wesley was saying to her. If he hadn’t met her, would he ever have restored his reputation? Somehow he doubted it. She’d given him the necessary courage to move forward and change his world. He found himself grinning like a fool. Perhaps his mother had been right, and a man’s deeds did indeed come back to haunt him.
Gabriel looked at the bundle of letters in his hands, saw the one bearing William’s name, and frowned. He looked through the rest and raised his head.
“I’ve just remembered something. Originally I thought it was William who was gossiping about me and stirring up the past, but I believe I was wrong.”
Major Wesley paused to look at him. “You have another cousin who is in the military, don’t you?”
“Yes, my cousin Michael.” Gabriel grimaced. “He was always so pleasant to my face. Are you suggesting that he was working with his father all this time?”
“Read the file.” Major Wesley tapped the pile of paperwork. “From all accounts he wasn’t too happy about you or his older brother inheriting the earldom. He seemed to think it should be his.”
“I wonder if he was also responsible for stirring up Lord Nash? They used to be quite close.” Gabriel groaned. “Sometimes I hate families.”
“You and me both.” Major Wesley smiled. “Mine are after me to marry and produce an heir within the next twelve months and will not take no for an answer.”
He saluted the assembled company and then turned to shake Gabriel’s hand. “A pleasure meeting you again, Swanfield. I hope to renew our acquaintance at the Old Peninsular Club. Delinsky speaks very highly of you.”
After Major Wesley departed with Lord Ashmolton and Paul, Gabriel sat back down and accepted a glass of sherry from Mr. Brecon. In truth, he was more nervous about this second meeting with Mr. Sturges than he’d been for the first. He vaguely remembered a Sturges family that had lived on the Swanfield estate when he was a boy, although he didn’t know them well. If Sturges was a long time tenant of the previous earl and indebted to Mr. Granger, he was unlikely to be well disposed toward Gabriel.
He stood as a somberly dressed man of about Lord Ash-molton’s age came into the office. He had thinning hair that might once have been red, and the slight build of a jockey.
Gabriel put out his hand. “Mr. Sturges. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Mr. Sturges regarded him for a long moment over his wire-rimmed spectacles before he proffered his own hand. “We’ve met before. When you were a boy, you enjoyed stealing apples from the trees in my orchard.”
Behind him, Gabriel was aware of Lisette’s skirts rustling as if she’d sat forward to hear better. He studied the older man more carefully.
“Did you ever catch me?”
“Unfortunately not. You were always the first one back over the wall.”
“I can only apologize for the loss of your apples, sir. At the time, I suspect they formed a large part of my diet.”
Mr. Sturges met his gaze squarely. “I am more than aware that the previous earl treated you and yours shamefully, my lord. It is surprising that you didn’t die from starvation or neglect.”
Gabriel shrugged. “In truth, it was excellent preparation for the hardships of war. I was able to endure conditions my peers were unable to.” He gestured at the empty chair beside Lisette. “Would you like to sit down, Mr. Sturges? And may I introduce you to my wife, the new Countess of Swanfield.”
Mr. Sturges took Lisette’s gloved hand and bowed low over it. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady. I read about the marriage in the Times on the journey down to London.”
He settled himself in his chair and turned back to Gabriel. His forthright accent reminded Gabriel of his home, of his mother…. “I expect you’ll be wanting to see the account books I brought with me.”
Gabriel blinked at him. “The books you brought to show Mr. Granger?”
Mr. Sturges sighed. “With all due respect, my lord, Mr. Granger has proved … very difficult to work with over the last few years. He’s been attempting to wring money out of the estate that is simply not there. And unlike a lot of land agents, I refuse to evict perfectly decent families just to add to his revenues.”
“I appreciate that.” Gabriel let out his breath. “It would make matters a lot easier if you could simply hand the books over to me and Mr. Brecon, so that Mr. Granger doesn’t even get to see them. Legally, the estate is mine. All I have to do is get my uncle to see that as well and renounce his claims. He can no longer claim I am unable to manage the estate and his threats no longer work.”
“I’d be happy to do that. I was planning on handing in my resignation the next time I saw Mr. Granger.”
“I’d much prefer it if you would stay on and help me run the estate properly.”
Mr. Sturges stared at him as if sizing him up for market and then slowly nodded. “I believe I would like that. As long as you promise to come back and show your face. There are people there who would like to see you again, sir.”
Gabriel swallowed hard and studied the floorboards. “That will be difficult for me, Mr. Sturges, because the one person I loved the most is no longer there.”
Mr. Sturges took off his glasses, polished them on his handkerchief, and put them back on again. “Are you referring to your mother, my lord?”
Gabriel nodded and Lisette took his hand and squeezed it. “My uncle threatened to kill her if I did not obey him. I assume he carried out his threat.”
“No, sir, he didn’t.”
Gabriel looked up at the other man. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your mother is very well.” Mr. Sturges took off his glasses again. “In truth, she consented to become my wife several years ago.”
Gabriel stared at him and wondered distantly if his mouth was open wide like a village idiot’s. “She is your wife?”
“Indeed. After you were sent to school, I was ordered to keep her safe and secure. As the years went by, I grew very fond of her and refused to believe that she was a threat either to you or the earldom as Mr. Granger insisted.” His voice hardened. “When Mr. Granger told me to lock her up and leave her to starve, I pretended I’d done what he’d asked. Then I, and the rest of the tenants, made a vow to keep her hidden from him and his agents whenever they turned up.”
“You are my stepfather?”
Mr. Sturges sighed. “Yes, for my sins, I suppose I am.”
“Then you have to forgive me those apples from your orchard.”
Mr. Sturges smiled. “If I forgave you then, I can certainly forgive you now, seeing as everything on the estate, including my apples, belongs to you anyway.” He frowned. “I only hope you can forgive me for going along with Mr. Granger for so many years. Your mother insisted I stay on and help the people who lived there. She said that my leaving would only create more hardship for those left behind, and I fear she was right. She was convinced you would come back to her one day.”
Gabriel covered his face with his hands and tried to picture his mother the last time he’d seen her. She’d been screaming his name and trying to escape one of the Grangers’ burly footmen to run after the carriage that was taking him away to school. A separation that neither of them realized would last over twenty years.
“My lord?”
Gabriel managed to look up and found a small miniature painting being pressed into his palm.
“This is how Rose looks now. I thought you might like to see it.” Mr. Sturges hesitated. “She wanted to write to you, but she is still ashamed of her handwriting. I told her that you wouldn’t care, but she assumes you are some high and mighty nobleman these days who wants nothing to do with her.”
Gabriel stared down at the brown-haired woman smiling mischievously back at him, her blue eyes as startling as his own. Yes, she looked a little older, but her spirit was still there, the spirit that had survived rape and separation from her child and found happiness.
He struggled to speak. “I wanted to go back to her so badly but … my uncle said if I tried to contact her he would kill her…. I was too afraid….”
Lisette touched his hand. “You can tell her that when you see her. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“God, I hope so,” he whispered. “I’d hate her to believe I’d simply abandoned her.”
Mr. Sturges stood up. “I’ll leave the books I brought with Mr. Brecon, and I’ll speak to the Grangers’ London agent. I’m sure he’ll have some information for you, too.”
“This will break him, won’t it?” Gabriel looked up at his new stepfather. “This will finally bring him down.”
“I hope so, sir. You deserve to succeed.”
Gabriel stood up and held out his hand. Mr. Sturges shook it. “Good morning, my lord. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“Come to dinner with us tonight.” Gabriel said, “We’ll see you at seven.”
For the first time, Mr. Sturges looked a little uncertain. “Are you sure? I’m hardly of a social standing that merits a dinner invitation. Perhaps I could call on you tomorrow morning instead?”
Lisette stood up and kissed him on the cheek. “You are the Earl of Swanfield’s stepfather. You are welcome in our house at any time, isn’t he, Gabriel?”
Gabriel could only look at her and nod. His life was about to change in so many ways, and he owed it all to his stubborn, argumentative, beautiful, adorable wife who had taught him what courage really meant.
He got up and patted Mr. Sturges on the shoulder. “Yes, indeed. It’s about time I started paying you back for all those apples I stole. And when you meet the rest of the family, you will realize that you and my mother will fit in very well, very well indeed.”
This time, Mr. Sturges’s smile was far more genuine. “Then I’ll gladly accept your invitation, my lord, as long as you don’t mind if I bring another guest.”
“Bring anyone you like, Mr. Sturges,” Gabriel said jovially. “We’ll welcome them for your sake.”
By the time Mr. Brecon escorted Mr. Sturges down the stairs, Gabriel was glad to be alone with Lisette. His smile died as he looked at his wife.
“I have to go and see my uncle, don’t I?”
She met his gaze. “You don’t have to, Gabriel, but I think it might be a good idea, don’t you?”
He sighed, rose to his feet, and held out his hand. “Will you come with me?”
She placed her gloved hand in his and smiled. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You are a bloodthirsty wench, aren’t you?” he murmured as they proceeded down the narrow staircase and out into the busy street. “I promise you I’m not going to lay a finger on him.”
Their carriage rolled up and Gabriel gave the coachman the address of his uncle’s club and then helped Lisette inside.