Lady Falls (Black Rose Trilogy) (17 page)

Everyone was on their feet, some frozen by the spectacle of a lord of the realm wrestling to pull a paper donkey’s head off of his wife but others were pushing forward to offer assistance to one side or the other.

“Nooo!” It was an inconsolable sound but in one vicious move, Morley achieved his goal and he held the donkey’s head aloft, like Perseus holding an equine version of Medusa’s head for all to see.

“There!”

For a split second, there was raw silence at the shocking maneuver.  Then Lord Morley was howling in fury.  “Where!  Is!  My!  Wife!”

A new chaos unfolded as it slowly registered that the woman he had unmasked who was now cowering on the floor was not the lady in question.

“Kitty?” the earl asked.  “What is the meaning of this?”

Raven deliberately stepped in between the maid and Lord Morley.  “We meant no harm!  She took the part at my bidding!”

“Where is my wife?” Lord Morley barked again.

“You are making a scene where there is no cause for it, Morley,” Geoffrey said calmly.  “And you are ruining my evening.”

Lord Morley’s gaze narrowed.  “Something is afoot.  I can see it on her face.”

“My face?  Whatever do you mean?” Lady Baybrook asked.  “What is the meaning of this display, sir?”

“Not you, you old cow!” Morley snarled.  Silence descended as shock and horror warred for the room’s attention.  “Her!” Lord Morley extended a pointed finger directly at Raven.  “What have you done, you little witch!”

Phillip had heard more than enough but Raven answered him before he could get past the bodies in his way.

“I?” she batted her eyes. “I cannot think of an accomplishment I can claim except proving you to be a fool after all.”

Lord Morley’s rage carried him forward, hands twisted into claws intended for Raven’s throat.  But Phillip tackled him without hesitation, driving him into the curtains that tore and covered them both.  With the blanket encumbering them both, Phillip instinctively took advantage and kept a tight hold on Lord Morley to prevent him from lashing out.

By the time some of the men in the room had freed them both, Morley was practically foaming at the mouth in frustration.  “She proves me a fool, does she?” Lord Morley tried to shake off the hands that held him in check.  “Where is my wife?  You’ll tell me this instant or I’ll kill you, Raven Wells!”

Several female spectators cried out in alarm at the threat and the earl signaled his butler.  “Send for the authorities.  It seems Lord Morley has abandoned his senses.”

“Damn you to hell!  There isn’t a law in this land that keeps me from my wife!”

“Perhaps, but there may be something about threatening murder.”

Mr. Carlton began to help Phillip to his feet but Lord Morley surprised all of them by wrenching free and kicking Phillip in the face.  White hot pain sent him back against the floor, but Phillip gained his footing to prove that he wasn’t defeated. 

“Phillip! My love!” Raven rushed to his side and Phillip pulled her toward his back to protect her just in case Lord Morley made another charge. 

“What was that?” the earl asked.

“Unhand me, you miscreants!  My wife is—“

“Probably upstairs changing into her clothes and wondering what all this bellowing is about,” Trent cut him off.  “Walters.  Send a maid up and fetch Lady Morley.  In the meantime, hold his lordship fast.”  His eyes locked onto Phillip.  “My
love
?”

“We should talk privately, your lordship.  This is hardly the time or place to—“

Trent held up his hand to command silence.  “I’ll have it now.” 

The audience quieted again, the dramatic finale to the evening’s performance far more than they’d bargained for.  Phillip took in their curious gazes and then back to Raven.  Her eyes were wide with hope and fear and he knew there was no avoiding it any longer.  It was time for a grand gesture, though not as elegant a step as the one he’d planned for the morrow.  “I wish to ask you for Raven’s hand in marriage.  For you
r blessing.”

The earl’s gaze narrowed dangerously.  “I think not.”

“Please!  Lord Trent, I beg you to reconsider—“ Raven cried out but another flurry of movement at the door interrupted the scene.

Mr. Walters strode up to Geoffrey to whisper something urgently in his ear. 

The earl closed his eyes and then stepped forward to pull Raven roughly out from behind Phillip.  Raven cried out at the bruising pinch of Geoffrey’s hands and Phillip acted out of instinct, striking out at the earl to keep him from hurting her.  It became a full on melee as his fist connected with Geoffrey’s jaw.   Raven screamed and Lord Morley began howling when Mr. Sheffield and several other men drove him to the floor when he moved to grab a fistful of Raven’s hair.  Chaos reigned again until all the combatants were separated.  Lord Trent was breathing so hard in his rage, Phillip feared for him.

      Hell, he feared for all of them.

Chapter Twenty

“Very well, let’s attend to one matter at a time, shall we?” The earl reached up to rub his jaw.  “Lord Morley, your wife is indeed gone.  Apparently the lady took the opportunity of tonight’s theatrical to leave you, sir.”

Shocked gasps rippled through the room.  Lord Morley was finally allowed to stand, his coat lapel torn to flop about as if in echo of the donkey’s ears.  “Gone?”

“Gone, sir.”  Trent brushed off his own coat.  “Mrs. Lindstrom is also missing and very efficiently with your wife’s traveling clothes and personal effects so by all appearances, their run is well-planned.”

“Have my carriage brought around immediately!” Lord Morley yelled at Mr. Walters, who signaled one of the footmen to carry the order out to the groomsmen.  Lord Morley stormed from the room.

“My God!” Mrs. Carlton began to cry and put her head on her husband’s shoulder.

Raven’s hold on Phillip’s arm was so tight, his fingers tingled but he had no desire to ask her to relax her grip. 

The earl shook his head.  “He’ll have her back within the hour, no worries.”

“No, your lordship.  He will not,” Raven said softly.

“Why won’t he, little duchess?” Trent asked.  “There has hardly been time for her to reach the village much less elude the chase.”

“Because Lady Morley is inspired to stay ahead of him and fear can make a person very clever.”  Raven released Phillip’s arm.  “Lord Trent, I am very sorry for spoiling the play and for ruining the evening.”

“What else is ruined, Raven?” Trent asked coldly.  “You’ll confess it now though I suspect I know the answer with Mr. Warrick flailing about on your behalf and that ridiculous endearment you blurted out.”

“Your lordship?”  Raven lifted her chin.

Phillip shook his head at the unspeakable dread that seized him. 
Surely Trent doesn’t mean to publicly humiliate her like this! 
“No one and nothing is ruined, Trent!  I want to marry her and I offer your ward the honorable protection of my name and my fortunes.  There is no need for this!”

Trent ignored him.  “Out with it, Raven.  Have you disgraced yourself?”

“Yes.”  Her lips trembled but then she stood as proud as a goddess, despite her broken wing and wilting crown of flowers.  “I am ruined.”

Phillip turned her to face him, gently holding her upper arms as her eyes filled with tears.  “No, Raven.  To hell with him!  There is nothing between us that I do not treasure and if we’ve been a bit…impetuous…then so be it.”

“Impetuous?” Lord Trent scoffed.  “You tumble my ward under my roof and speak of what? A callous rush to take what was not yours?”

His neighbors were openly lapping up every scandalous revelation and Phillip couldn’t understand why Trent was allowing it.

“Raven,” Trent sighed.  “Look at me and tell me truthfully what you wish.”

“I wish to spend the rest of my life with Phillip.”  Raven stepped away from Phillip to take her guardian’s hands in hers.  “I love him.  Madly, completely and without fear.  You have always taught me to be bold where others are cautious!  Please, your lordship. Please give us your consent.”

“I love her, Geoffrey.”  Phillip held his breath until the impossible finally happened.

Trent lowered his head and nodded slowly.  “How can I stand in the way of true love?  Even if it is so roughly born when I wasn’t looking?”

Thank God!

“We never meant to trespass, Lord Trent.  You have always been such a good friend to me.”  Phillip swallowed as his emotions warred inside his chest.  “I swear that no man could love or cherish her more.”

“Yes, yes,” the earl said gruffly and pulled his hands from Raven’s.  “With so many witnesses, let’s recover what we can.  Decorum is injured past healing, but if you marry quickly, I will not stand in your way and will in fact, bless this union.  If this is truly what you desire…”

Phillip squared his shoulders, unable to keep from smiling.  “More than anything!”

“I want her honor restored with all speed, Warrick!” Lord Trent growled.

“You have my word.” Phillip held his ground and put his hand out toward Trent.

Trent shook his hand.  “Take my carriage.  Gretna Green awaits.”  He signaled the butler.  “Have their things packed immediately.  Mr. Warrick and Miss Wells will be leaving us tonight.”

Congratulations were sparse and many of Trent’s neighbors began to retreat in haste, either to spread the delicious gossip they’d reaped from the evening or to distance themselves from the scandalous events.

Mrs. Carlton embraced Raven, still crying.  “A bride deserves a better send off…”

Raven did her best not to give in to tears.  “I could never ask for more than the happiness I feel, Mrs. Carlton.  I have my hero.”

Mr. Carlton shook Phillip’s hand.  “Best wishes to your future and to a long life together.  May you be blessed, my boy.”

Lady Baybrook shook her head slowly.  “I for one am at a loss for words!  Sensible women abandoning their husbands!  Men brawling as if the earl’s library was a tavern!  And now I am to…smile and toss rice at this wretched distasteful proposal?”  She made a dramatic sweep of her cloak, unaware that the family of squirrels sewn to her shoulders had started to come loose so that they now appeared to be hanging off her breasts.  “My dignity cannot bear it.”

She sailed out of the room and to everyone’s great credit, no one laughed until the library door was firmly closed behind her.

“We will also take our leave, Lord Trent.”  Mr. Carlton gathered his wife back into his arms.  “It is too much commotion for my wife, sir.  We will leave tonight and send the carriage back for our things in the next few days.  As you know, my estates are not far and frankly, I think the goal of ending our holiday on a memorable note has been achieved.  I don’t think my heart can take anymore surprises.”

“Of course, of course!” Trent conceded.  “God, what a mess!”

Phillip and Raven saw the Carlton’s only as far as the library door and then rushed to oversee their own preparations. 

Raven reached her room only to face a small flurry with Kitty sobbing and packing trunks as quickly as she could.  Raven did what she could to help, seizing her prettiest clothes and fighting the battle between pure joy and anxious anticipation of leaving her guardian’s care and everything that she’d known for over seven years.

“Kitty, you must stop weeping!  I’m to be a bride!  It’s not as if you’re sending me off to Newgate!”

“I know!  Wishing you happy.  I just…cannot see the house without you.” Kitty pressed the heel of her hands against her eyes.  “What will
I
do without you?”

“Besides marrying that handsome groomsman you’ve been mooning over for years and living happily ever after?” Raven teased.  “I cannot imagine.”

Kitty managed a weak smile.  “You are a romantic at heart, aren’t you?”

“Always.”  Raven surveyed her trunks then looked back to her maid.  “Whatever I’ve left behind is yours, Kitty.  Consider it a gift from your grateful and impossible mistress.  A small repayment for your bravery tonight to help with Lady Morley.”

“I was so scared when Morley started to pull off my mask!”  Kitty shuddered.  “I thought he would murder me then and there!”

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation.  Kitty opened it to find Mr. Walters outside the door.  “The carriage has been pulled around.  His Lordship insists that there is no time to spare.”

“Her trunks are ready, just here.” Kitty stepped back to allow the footmen access.

Raven sighed and then squeaked in misery.

“What is it, Miss Wells?  Have you changed your mind?” Kitty asked.

“No.  It’s just…” Raven held out her arms and turned slightly to model her bent paper fairy wing.  “I forgot to change out of my costume.  I’m—leaving as Queen Titania of all things!”

Kitty nodded and gave the men a fierce shove out the door with the trunks.  “Out!  All of you!  Out while I see to my lady one last time!  Tell the earl she’ll be down before they’ve finished strapping those to the back of the carriage!”

Phillip waited anxiously at the bottom of the grand staircase under the cold watchful eyes of Lord Trent.  The carriage was waiting and the servants were finished putting in the trunks.

“Lord Trent.  In all the shouting, there was one thing I meant to say.”

“And what was that?” Trent asked.

“I meant to say that I am truly sorry.  I should have found a way to speak to you sooner and I never wished to—cross you.  I fell in love, sir.  There was no malice in it.”

Trent nodded and slowly crossed until they were practically face to face.  “I don’t believe in regrets.” 

Geoffrey pulled him into an embrace, an awkward tight thing that caught Phillip by surprise.  Relief flooded through him, the gesture of forgiveness robbing him of speech.  He embraced his future father-in-law and sent up a silent prayer that it was a good sign that they were past the worst of it.

“I am here!” Raven called out as she ran down the stairs.  She was a vision in cobalt blue with a velvet cape to match and the men released their hold on each other instantly.

“Good.  Let’s see you out!” Trent nodded and the footmen opened the front doors.  “It’s a full moon so you can travel straight through without delays and be married tomorrow.  Send word when the deed is done.”

Raven hesitated before him, choked with emotion.  “You have been so kind to—“

“Yes, yes, I am kind.  No tears.  I hate tears, Raven.  Go.  Just go.  For goodness sake, you’ve insisted on your happiness and now you have it.  Don’t linger to make a useless scene now.”  Lord Trent kept his hands tightly clasped behind his back.  “Godspeed, Raven Wells.”

Phillip guided her out and the strange farewells were over and the carriage was already out of the oak lined lane leading to the manor before she could think to lean out the window and wave.

Phillip kissed her to soften the blow of their rough start and Raven cried in his arms for all that was lost but also in amazement for all they’d won.

Godspeed.