The Season(80)

Alex turned to Gavin. “But you didn’t believe me when I told you about your uncle!”

“No, I didn’t.” Gavin appeared just as surprised as she was. “And I didn’t know any of this either. Although I’m rather unclear about why I wasn’t apprised of my uncle’s wrongdoings.”

“We didn’t want to upset you unnecessarily,” the duke interjected. “We didn’t have any proof of Sewell’s involvement in either of these crimes.”

“Until now,” Gavin said, retrieving his father’s book from where it lay at their feet. “Alex has uncovered everything,” he said with pride in his voice, handing the volume to the duke and congratulating Alex with, “Very well done, by the way.”

Alex ignored the flash of pleasure she felt at his praise, and turned her questions on the baron, “But I saw you skulking around Blackmoor House!”

“That I am able to answer. You were not supposed to see Montgrave,” Gavin interjected as the duke and the baron pulled Sewell to his feet. “You were not supposed to become involved at all. In fact, didn’t you promise me that you were going to stay as far away from Sewell Hall as possible this weekend?”

She ignored his attempt to redirect her attention, instead exclaiming, “You knew? You knew Montgrave wasn’t a threat and let me go on believing he was? You didn’t tell me? What else did you know? What else didn’t you share? Need I remind you that it was I who found your father’s messages, I who uncovered the connection between the espionage and the murder, I who discovered the book here, I who saved your life just moments ago? Where were Bow Street and the baron during all those times?”

“Alex, calm yourself. We decided it was best you not know.”

“Who decided?” Alex said shortly, her ire rising.

“Alexandra,” her father interrupted, “contrary to what you believe, there are some situations in which young women should not participate.”

“Like this one, for example,” Will added, attempting to be helpful. “Vivi and Ella put everything together as far as what was happening here, but we came to rescue you. They stayed at the manor.”

“I rescued us!” Alex protested, meeting Gavin’s gaze. “Tell them!”

“Indeed. She did. I have a feeling my uncle might well be nursing a broken foot,” he told the duke and baron, who seemed to have little concern for the pain their prisoner might be suffering.

“Truly? Well done, Alex,” Will said, surprised. “Well, in any event, there’s a reason we left Vivi and Ella behind.”

“We’re here!” Ella surprised everyone with her announcement from the doorway as the two entered, out of breath from their race across the heath.

“And we brought the constable!” This from Vivi, who was followed by the portly county constable, who had to pause to take great, heaving breaths and regain his composure before grabbing hold of Sewell and, with the help of the baron, removing him from the room.

Taking in the scene, Ella wrinkled her nose. “Drat. We missed the excitement!”

“It appears we did,” Vivi agreed, disappointment in her tone.

“Ah, well. Next time!” Ella brightened.

Alex smiled as the duke and Will began to scold her friends, causing Gavin to lean down and whisper in her ear, “I am happy to see you smiling again.”

She turned to him. “I remain vexed with you, my lord. I cannot believe you did not tell me about Montgrave!”

“Alex, I will not argue with you. You can be angry if you need to be, but I almost lost you today and there are other things I would prefer to do than spar.”

“For example?” Alex asked.

“For example.” He wrapped his arms around her again, and her heart began to pound as he continued, “I’d prefer to remind myself that you are safe. And that you are mine.”

She smiled up at him. “I am yours, my lord. As much as you are mine.”

He clasped her to him, holding her tightly until a throat cleared from across the room, and Alex and Gavin remembered that they had an audience.

“Blackmoor,” the duke said, his casual tone belying his intent gaze, “perhaps you would like to explain exactly why your arms are wrapped around my daughter?”

twenty-four

Later that evening, Stafford Manor quieted as the guests took to their beds, and Ella, Vivi, and Alex curled up together on a wide, cozy chaise in the manor library where, for the first time that day, they were able to discuss the events of the afternoon. They had returned to the house just in time to change and welcome the first unsuspecting guests to the party and had spent the rest of the day and evening entertaining and pretending not to wish they were somewhere else.

Somewhere else, in this case, was with the duke, Blackmoor, Will, and the Marquess of Langford, who had holed themselves up in the manor study for the rest of the afternoon and much of the evening, poring through the documents that the former earl had secreted away in A History of Essex. They were still there now, hours later and, as exhausted as she was, Alex refused to go to sleep without hearing their findings. Ella and Vivi, equally curious, had agreed to keep her company.

Alex yawned broadly, relaxing into the seat. “It’s hard to believe that everyone who arrived today was completely unaware of what had gone on all morning!”