A Marquis to Marry (37 page)

“With those pearls around her neck, she could be in danger,” Blake added. “I don’t trust either one of them. They might try to grab the pearls and run. We’ve got to get her out of here.”

“Morgan is right. You can explain at your house, Susannah,” Race said. “Right now, we have to get your mother home. I’ll go with you and ride up front in the carriage with your driver.”

“You are not leaving without us,” Blake said to Race. “Morgan and I will be right behind you in my carriage, just in case Spyglass or Winston decides to follow and cause trouble. Henrietta, you ride with Gibby, and I’ll see you at Susannah’s house.”

“Let’s go,” Race said. “They’ve reached her.”

Like horses heading for the barn at feeding time, Race, Susannah, Morgan, Blake, Henrietta, and Gibby all waded through the crowd toward the entrance of the ballroom.

By the time they arrived, Spyglass and Winston were standing in front of Susannah’s mother, admiring her and the pearls. She was backing away from them, her eyes sweeping from one to the other in fear.

Susannah rushed up to her and the words starting tumbling past her lips. “Mother, how did you get here? What are you doing here? You don’t look well.”

“I don’t feel well either, Susannah. Thank God you are here.” Her voice trembled and her eyes darted fitfully from side to side. She grabbed hold of Susannah’s arm and held tightly.

“How did you find me here?”

“Your maid told me where you were, but I was beginning to doubt her information.”

“This lovely lady is your mother?” Spyglass asked Susannah.

“Yes, I can see the resemblance now,” Winston added. “We were just welcoming her to the ball.”

Captain Spyglass stepped in closer. “And, Madame, may I be so bold as to ask about the exquisite pearls you are wearing?”

Susannah’s mother lifted her chin disdainfully and turned her pale face away from Spyglass in contempt. “No, sir, you may not.”

The Captain turned to Race. “Lord Raceworth, I know you have the Talbot pearls, so these must be Bess of Hardwick’s pearls. I’m told the two collars were similar in length and rarity.”

Before Race could speak, Susannah’s mother clutched the pearls to her chest and said, “These are not Bess’s pearls, sir. Susannah, who are these gentlemen? Is this the sort you have been cavorting with while in London? I’m astonished and can see I have arrived not a moment too soon.”

Mrs. Princeton appeared, as if from out of nowhere, and stood close to Susannah’s side, watching every man around her charge as if she was a vulture and they were her dinner. “Mother, I was preparing to leave. I need you to accompany me.”

“I’ll call for your carriage,” Race said, throwing a quick glance at Susannah. “You get your wrap.”

“Excuse us, gentlemen,” Susannah said and slid her arm around her mother’s arm.

“Madame, before you go,” Captain Spyglass said, “I would very much like to call on you and talk to you about the pearls you are wearing. I collect pearls.”

“And I buy jewels for the prince,” Mr. Winston said, elbowing in front of the pirate. “I know Prinny would be interested in your exquisite necklace.”

Race stepped between Susannah’s mother and the men. “Take your mother to your carriage.”

Susannah immediately started walking toward the door with Mrs. Princeton on one side and her mother on the other. Morgan and Blake followed her.

“I have always wanted to see the Talbot pearls,” Captain Spyglass said to Race with a smoldering glow in his eyes. “I don’t suppose you would agree to let me have just a glimpse of them before I leave London, would you, my lord?”

Race looked at the man with contempt in his eyes. “Not a chance in hell, Captain.” Race cut his eyes around to Winston. “That goes for you, too. Stay away from the duchess’s house or I’ll see to it that both your bodies are found at the bottom of the Thames.”

Winston gasped.

Spyglass laughed.

Race strode out of the ballroom and into the night air, his mind whirling with possibilities. Was the reason Susannah hadn’t told him she loved him was because she knew all along where his grandmother’s pearls were? She must have known her mother had them. But she looked as shocked as he was to see her mother. If Susannah didn’t steal them, who did and how did Mrs. Parker get them?

No matter what the true answer was, he was certain that, right now, Susannah was wondering how she was going to explain it to him. Whatever the answer, he was not going to turn his back on Susannah again. He loved her, and he intended to marry her.

It was a wet ride to Susannah’s house, but they made it inside without incident. Susannah had one of her servants stoke the fire in her sitting room, to take the chill off the dampness, and then pass a glass of sherry to everyone, except Henrietta and Sir Randolph, who had not yet arrived. Susannah had made her mother comfortable on the settee with a blanket tucked around her legs. Her face was ashen, and Race noticed she cupped her glass with both hands to hold it steady enough to take a sip. It was obvious to him that the woman was not well.

After proper introductions were made, Susannah turned to Race with somber eyes and said, “May I explain?”

“Please do, Duchess,” Morgan answered for Race. “Because right now someone in this room is looking guilty of theft.”

“Enough, Morgan,” Race told him.

Susannah walked over and stood in front of Race. “More than a week ago, I wrote to my mother and asked her to send the fake pearls she is wearing to me.”

“Wait a minute,” Race interrupted. “Those aren’t real?”

“Yes. Fearing I must be in some kind of trouble, she decided to leave her sick bed and bring them to me.”

“Let me tell him, dearest,” her mother said in a soft voice as she lifted the strands in her hands. “Yes, my lord, these are nothing but glass beads expertly made to look like pearls.” With shaky hands, she held them up for his close inspection. “As best I understand it, the Talbot pearls were pawned by one of Lord Talbot’s daughters after his death. They ended up in the hands of a wealthy merchant. My father bought them from that merchant for my mother at a great cost. My mother had such fear they would be stolen that she had a jeweler make a copy to look as much like the real ones as possible. These.” She fingered the pearls as her mind seemed to drift back in time.

“Go on, Mrs. Parker,” Race said.

“Unfortunately, the real ones were eventually stolen from my mother, anyway, by a trusted servant who knew the difference between the fake and the genuine. The servant was never seen or heard from again. No doubt he sold them to whoever bought them for your grandmother or, who knows, they could have changed hands several times before Lady Elder obtained them.”

Race turned confused eyes to Susannah. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Susannah’s stomach was jumpy. She would rather have been alone with Race to explain all this to him, but she couldn’t very well ask his cousins to leave.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “At first, there was no reason to tell you. We were not on the best of terms with each other when I asked her to send them to me. And later when we, ah, well…” she said, stumbling over her words.

“When our relationship mended,” Race said.

Susannah gave him a grateful smile. “Yes. I hadn’t heard from my mother and didn’t know if she would send them. I thought it best not to tell you about the fake pearls until I could show them to you. My plan was to do exactly what my mother did tonight. I would wear them with the hope of drawing out the real thief and make him wonder if he had the real pearls or the glass beads. It never dawned on me that anyone would think they were Bess of Hardwick’s pearls.”

Susannah’s mother reached up and touched her arm affectionately. “Though Susannah worded her letters carefully, I sensed she needed my help. I decided to come to London without her knowledge. I had to stop often to rest, so it took me longer to get here than I had hoped. When I arrived tonight, she had already left for the evening. I asked her maid where she had gone and then dressed and followed her.”

Morgan threw up his hands. “All of this is well and good, but we still don’t know where the real pearls are.”

“No, but this was a clever idea,” Race said. “Mrs. Parker told Spyglass they were not Bess’s pearls. So perhaps whichever man has the real pearls will be looking for an expert to examine them first thing tomorrow morning to make sure they have the Talbot pearls, and Bickerman’s runners will be there to capture them.”

“Your Grace?”

Susannah turned to her companion. “Yes, Mrs. Princeton?”

“Sir Randolph and the Duchess of Blakewell are here to see you.”

“Show them in.”

Sir Randolph and Henrietta walked in, and Susannah noticed at once that Sir Randolph was carrying a small satchel.

Introductions were made, and Race took time to briefly tell them about the fake pearls.

“I knew that,” Sir Randolph said.

He reached into the satchel he carried and pulled out a black velvet drawstring bag. Susannah’s mother and Race gasped as they recognized the black bag. From inside, Sir Randolph drew out five long strands of pearls.

“Those are the real pearls,” her mother said, reaching for them. “I would know them anywhere.”

“Gibby?” Race questioned with denial etched in his face. “How did you get those?”

“I stole them from you. I am the thief,” he answered.

“Why? How? How did you get into my safe?”

“As to how, I might be old, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I was in the King’s army for several years. I learned a few things during that time.”

Sir Randolph walked over to Race. “I meant only to take the pearls, but figured if I did that, you might know it was me, so I took everything else that was in your safe. It’s all in there,” he said placing the satchel on a chair. “As to why, I had to take the pearls; they belonged to your grandmother. I had to protect them for her. When the fourth person came knocking on your door, wanting them, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone tried to steal them from you so I decided to do it before anyone else had the chance.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Race asked.

Sir Randolph’s smile was misshapen from swelling. “Now why would I have done something like that? You would have made me give them back to you.”

“Gibby, do you know what I have been through trying to find out who took those pearls?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Race said angrily as he advanced on the battered man. “You know that I accused Susannah of taking them.”

Gibby looked at Susannah. “I’m sorry about that, but there was nothing I could do.”

“I should wring your neck and finish what Prattle—”

“Race,” Blake said and stepped in front of him.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Morgan added. “The pearls are back in your possession. That’s all that matters.”

“I’m afraid not,” Susannah’s mother said in a quiet voice from the settee. “There’s the matter that they rightfully belong to me. Susannah has documents proving my grandfather bought the Talbot pearls and where they were reported stolen. The pearls belong to me.”

“I’m keeping the pearls, Mrs. Parker,” Race said without hesitating.

Susannah’s mother’s eyes widened and she looked to Susannah for help.

It had always been Susannah’s fear that if Race found the necklace he would keep it. “Mother, the marquis has promised me that he will look at our evidence, and I’m sure that once he does he will have a change of heart as to who they belong to.”

“No, I won’t” Race said as he walked over to stand by Susannah. “They belong to the Raceworth family.” He looked over at Mrs. Parker and said, “With your permission, I’d like to marry your daughter.”

Susannah gasped and felt her heart rising up to her throat. Race looked at her with loving eyes before gazing back at her mother.

“The Talbot pearls will no longer be yours or mine. I will give them to Susannah on our wedding day, and then they will be hers.”

Race took Susannah’s hand and kissed it. “I know I’m asking a lot of you to give up your title as duchess to marry me, but I promise to love you forever and never make you sorry you agreed.”

Susannah was too astonished, too euphoric, to speak at first because he had asked her in front of everyone. “You want me to marry you?”

He smiled. “As soon as I can make it happen.”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation as she looked up into his glowing eyes. “I love you, Race, and I will gladly give up my title to marry you.”

The room erupted into cheers and clapping from everyone, including Susannah’s mother.

Race bent down and whispered into Susannah’s ear, “Leave your door unlocked, I will be coming through the yew again tonight.”

“You can’t. My mother is here,” she whispered back to him.

“Then I suggest you put her on the second floor with Mrs. Princeton. I will not be denied your bed tonight.”

Race turned to Susannah’s mother and, with a smile, said, “Hide your eyes if you so desire, Mrs. Parker, because I’m about to kiss your daughter.”

Without further warning, Race pulled Susannah into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.