The Solemn Bell(72)

“We’ve got company, Angelica,” he whispered. His own voice trembled in her ear.

Mrs. Neill advanced on them. “Young woman, return that ring this instant.”

Angelica shook her head, clutching her palm to her breast. If his mother wanted the ring, she’d have to come and take it.

“Don’t be a little fool. Marrying my son will be the worst decision of your life.”

Captain Neill stiffened. “Mother!”

Mrs. Neill stood too close for comfort. The stench of her perfume, combined with everything else, made Angelica feel faint.

“Marcus confessed everything,” the woman told her son. “About the money, and your plans to marry Miss Grey without our blessing. You knew you’d never get it, so you decided to take matters into your own hands. Tell me, does your beloved know the secret you are keeping from her?”

He swallowed. “I was going to tell her.”

“Oh, yes, after she’d already agreed to be your wife. Clever boy.”

Angelica pushed away from him, nearly slipping in the broken glass. “What is she saying?”

Captain Neill cursed under his breath. “You have an inheritance, Angelica. It’s not much, but it’s enough. We could live off it comfortably—that’s the only reason I didn’t ask you sooner. I couldn’t afford to support a wife…”

“So he needed a wife to support him,” Mrs. Neill explained. “I’m sorry to say that my son has done quite well for himself, living off other people’s good fortune. When he realized you were something of an heiress, he jumped at the chance to better his situation at the expense of yours.”

She didn’t know what to make of all this. It was all happening so fast. Everything she’d dreamed of was coming unraveled in her hands. “How did you know?” she asked him.

Marcus spoke up, “I asked around. Brody has wanted to marry you for days now, Angelica. But he wanted to do the right thing—he needed to wait until he could support you properly. So, I took it upon myself to find out something of your history. He never asked me to.”

“But…why?”

“Because my father threatened to stop my allowance,” Captain Neill said, sadly, “which is no less than I deserve. I’m thirty years old, and have never lifted a finger to earn my living. I could have returned to university after the war, or went to work with Markie. I’ve had every opportunity to better myself, but I threw them all away. You know I love you, Angelica, but your inheritance is a blessing that we desperately need.”

While she stood speechless in front of them all, Marcus’ voice cut through the silence. “There is no guarantee that you will get the money, Angelica. I haven’t seen the will, and I don’t know what sort of debts there are. It’s merely an avenue worth pursuing.”

“I will pursue it, if that is what Brody wishes…”

“We can live in your house,” Captain Neill said, taking her hand. “We can make it like it used to be.”

Nothing would be like it used to be. Her family was dead. Her home was in disrepair. She wasn’t even sure she could sleep where she’d degraded herself with another man. There were bad memories lurking around every corner. She didn’t want to be chained to those four walls again.

Mrs. Neill scoffed. “Listen to him, manipulating you, even now. Broderick needs money. Suddenly, you have it—he knew before you did, and didn’t even bother to tell you. Is that the sort of husband you want? A liar? A cheat? He won’t ever change.”

Captain Neill’s mother and father tried to frighten her off. They used money as a weapon, but did not understand that Angelica wasn’t afraid of poverty. Mrs. Neill could keep her false generosity. Mr. Neill could keep his paltry allowance. The only thing she feared was losing the man she loved.

“This is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of my life, but you have ruined it. You are all miserable people, and you want everyone else to be miserable with you. Not me. Not Brody.” She forced her clenched fist to open, revealing the ring that had bitten into the soft flesh of her palm. Her knuckles ached, but Angelica slipped the band onto her finger, holding it up so everyone could see it.

Mrs. Neill choked on her own rage. “Stupid girl, I’m trying to save you years of heartache! He will take advantage of you again and again. He will waste your inheritance on drink and whores. Disappear for nights on end, and you won’t know which opium den to dig him out of. Tell me, what will you do when he takes too much, and you find him face down on the bathroom floor, lying in a puddle of his own filth?”

Captain Neill made a pained sound, as if hearing his shame spoken aloud was too much for him to bear. Angelica reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his. She might be a slut, and he might be a morphine addict, but they didn’t have to stand for this. So long as they were together, they were better off than here.

“Brody, I would be honored to be your wife.”

She smiled in his direction, and his lips met hers. Their kiss was deep, passionate. Angelica didn’t care that everyone was watching. She was simply happy to marry the man she loved.

He broke their kiss to address the room. “Well, Mother, Father, it looks like Angelica and I are going to be married.”

His father called out, “You have defied us for the last time, Broderick! You have been nothing but a disappointment since you returned home from France. We should have left you in hospital to rot.”