Broken Legacy (Secret Lives Series) (29 page)

Eloise looked at Lenister, truly astonished. The words made no sense. She turned and glanced around the room. Edmund paled; Andre lowered his gaze while Marc Pierre had the look he would explode at any minute. One glance at her uncle and then the meaning became clear.

Her uncle laughed, a laugh engrained with insensitivity and arrogance. Never had she considered her uncle a cruel, ruthless man. She looked upon him as a man
who had done what he must to protect his family…until this moment. He stood unrepentant and smiled at her malignantly.

“It seems I have been called here under false pretenses,” Orville said.

Eloise couldn’t take her eyes off her uncle. Something in his mannerism…behind the mask of pretension and conceit…the man was scared. It was in his eyes much like a trapped animal. He turned to Andre. “Son, what is the meaning of having me ride all the way out here? We all would have been much more comfortable at the tavern.”

“I believe we have been drawn here for a purpose, Father,” Andre said scornfully. “And rightly so.”

Her uncle shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, so now my own son has betrayed me. You have brought me here to confess my sins. So I suspected that Eloise was legitimate. All I have done I have done for the family. Can you say the same? Or has your conscience gotten the better of you?”

Andre sighed, exasperated. “The difference between us, my dear father, is that I have a conscience.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn paper. “You are right, Father. I did know that a trap had been set because I hold in my hand here what you have searched years to find.”

“The certificate of marriage,” Lenister said. “But, of course, I should have thought you might have obtained it. I underestimated you. If what I suspected was true, Luc would not have had time to do anything but hide it here. I thought perhaps it was lost with the demise of the marquis, but I should have known smugglers are notoriously good at hiding items.”

“You are clever, my lord. Quite clever,” Andre admitted frankly. “I realized it the moment I met you. Extremely quick to decipher a problem as with Eloise when we first met.
” Andre smiled as he nodded to Lenister. Then he turned and bowed his head in acknowledgement to the duke. “Rotheward, you did well in choosing for my cousin. You held to our agreement, Your Grace. I wish I could do the same, but alas I have no choice.”

“Andre, what are you saying?” Eloise asked in a whisper.

“Eloise, there is so much to say…to beg forgiveness, but know in the end I looked after you. I was the one who sent for your father urgently that fateful night, but,” Andre gestured toward Edmund, “it was your brother who came. Do not judge harshly, my cousin. It is ironic because it was here at this cottage that we reached our agreement. All was in confusion, but we both understood the need for the secrecy. Your brother has held to it.”

“Agreement…to see you set. It was his concern when I asked for your hand. He also insisted you not enter France.” Lenister said the words to Eloise, but seemed to be processing the thought to himself. His attention turned back to Edmund. “You would see to Eloise’s welfare and in turn, Andre would keep the secret of her birth.”

“It was deemed the best solution to avoid scandal,” Edmund reasoned out loud. “There wasn’t another way. Father had no desire for Eloise to return with us. But after meeting with Andre, he threatened to expose the whole of the story unless I agreed to his conditions.”

Lenister
’s brows lifted briefly, contemplating the story. Openly confused, he asked, “Answer me this—who began this conspiracy? Who held the proof of the marriage?”

“Father,” Andre responded, drawing the attention back with the statement.

Eloise watched her uncle draw himself up in outrage.

“Enough!” Orville D’Arcy cried angrily. “I will not listen to such speculation!”

“I believe that not only will you listen, but you will confess all.” Marc Pierre’s voice carried in the small cottage. An eerie silence ensued. His eyes flashed fire. His simmering anger exploded. “It was you. You were the one who visited Giarden. You were the one to betray Eloise. It was the only way to keep up the façade you had created.”

He made a step toward the man,
and then another. His heavy footsteps resonated in the stillness as all eyes turned to D’Arcy. “You have betrayed your own, Citizen D’Arcy. The walls were closing in on you. The Republic eyes had turned to several suspicious activities of yours. You had become careless and the Republic had caught wind of you taking bribes and God knows what else you have done. With the interest Giarden held about Eloise, he sent for you.

“When Eloise showed up unannounced
, with plans to save her husband’s children, you saw an opportunity. For years, you have hidden behind others, blaming them for your misdeeds. She was going to Paris. You knew well she was the White Rose, along with Andre and me. To save yourself, you gave Giarden Eloise, once more wangling out of the consequences of your actions. You must have sent a note ahead of Lenister, giving Giarden warning. Giarden had plans for Eloise. He would use all he had to get her to comply with his wishes.

“When she escaped, Giarden didn’t panic, especially when Eloise came to him to plead for the children. He had more than enough to blackmail her to compliance, but i
n the end, it would have been a death sentence not only to her, but myself and…your son. It is not the first time you have used another’s death. Luc.”

“You fools! You poor pitiful fools,” Orville recoiled. Reaching to his waist, he pulled out a pistol and held it
firmly before him, aiming directly at Marc Pierre. “Do you think I would come in blindly? I have men who have followed. Now, pray, back away.”

A shiver of apprehension curled in Eloise’s stomach. Immediately, Lenister was by her side, pushing her back behind him. She gripped tight
ly to his coat.

Orville waved the pistol in the air at the one blocking his exit. “Come. Be reasonable, General Bernard. You will back away and I will leave. I can see it is time to retreat. I have long had a plan in place just for a time as now.” He smiled smugly and shrugged. “But before I retreat
, I will tell to you the whole of the truth. Do you believe that Marguerite came up with the scheme on her own? Truly?”

His eyebrows raised while his eyes gleamed. “No, it was I…and the Marquis de Mortiere. Surprised? You need not be. Long before the
duke, Marguerite was under the marquis’ protection. They remained friends after it ended. He was the one, when he heard of Marguerite’s impending marriage, who scoffed at the idea. No aristocrat would ever lower himself to marry a lowly actress…no matter her beauty.

“The
marquis used his influence to arrange that the marriage would be an official ceremony. I’m certain the marquis did so as a joke against the arrogant British duke. There was little love lost between the two. They knew each other well. Never did the marquis dream that the duke would have gone through with the ceremony. Nor did he foresee the magnitude of the marriage. Neither did poor Marguerite. Shortly after the ceremony, the duke informed Marguerite that their marriage was a fake. He assumed she would accept the life he set up for her.

“Why would she not? He gave her everything. The
marquis sat back and waited until the time he could use his knowledge to his utmost benefit. He could not believe his fortune when Marguerite came back expecting. He had long known the title would be the child’s no matter the gender. The rest played into his hands. The duke was played from the moment Marguerite stepped back on French soil, carrying the heir to his dukedom.

“The
marquis was a patient man. The moment Eloise was born, he laid out plans. The only obstacle in his path was the marriage paper. Marguerite held the piece of paper.”

“So Marguerite, not trusting another soul, trusted you. Trusted you with her child. That if something happened to her, you would look after the child’s welfare. She left the certificate with you for safekeeping,” Lenister demanded. “It was you
who started the rumors that Marguerite married the duke while he was over dealing with the threat against him. It must have been you. The duke’s English wife had only recently passed. A secret marriage would not have been dismissed, but you had not proof of that marriage. But you didn’t need it. You held the proof of the real marriage that would have destroyed the duke. You held Eloise in limbo. You kept the real certificate and blackmailed Eloise’s father. Then you used it to sell her to the marquis. He already knew the marriage to be true. How then did Andre obtain the certificate? I would assume it would have been the first thing the marquis required.”

“My lord, my lord. I did only what a poor man could do in the situation. The
duke wanted nothing to do with Eloise or Marguerite. He wanted both to disappear. I did that. The marquis…well, he held the trump card against the duke. All was arranged concerning Eloise before she left to live with Mame Castel. The marquis was well pleased with my handling of the situation. Well pleased when he met Eloise. I believe his only disappointment was she was set to become his son’s bride for his plan to be successful and control the dukedom. Lord Lenister, you should know by now the lure of your wife. The marquis determined her to be well worth the price.”

Lenister charged at Orville, but Marc Pierre seized hold of him. Despite his struggle, Marc Pierre would not relinquish his grasp.

“Unnecessary.” Andre stepped up and directed Lenister to calm himself. “Nothing happened to Eloise. The marriage was sought after. Traditions held. Calognac did not want his bride tainted. Father produced the certificate at the marriage contract signing. The marquis validated it. Father kept it to exchange it at the ceremony.”

“But Luc foiled the plan,” Marc Pierre gritted his clenched teeth. “When Eloise ran after the contract signing, Luc began to question your treatment of her.” His eyes flared at Orville.

“Stay back.” Orville waved the pistol. “I had nothing to do with your brother’s death.”

“Really, Father?” Andre contradicted, flaring his hand out toward the man. “Then explain to everyone who informed Calognac where to look for Eloise. Who led Calognac to Luc?”

“Only after you stole the certificate. The marquis was going to kill me…”

Orville’s words dwindled as Marc Pierre lunged, blind fury overwhelmed him. Orville had no time to react. Marc Pierre wrestled him down. The next
instant, a shot rang out.

Suddenly, fear ran bone
-cold throughout Eloise. Andre stood with a stunned look on his face, clutching his side. She stared unbelieving at her cousin, whose hand held his stomach. A dark liquid began to ooze through his fingers and he simply sank to the floor.

The next moments swirled around Eloise. Her eyes froze on Andre’s body lying in front of her, but strong arms pulled her down. Lenister slung himself over her. Around her, sounds resonated. Heavy footsteps burst through the door. Shouts and cries.

Then all quieted and Lenister’s arms eased his hold. He rose in a slow manner and helped Eloise to her feet. The room had become quite crowded, but all within were friends…Seamus and Marc Pierre’s men. If her uncle had brought men with him, they were a threat no longer.

Before her, Marc Pierre stood, blood-drenched…the blood of her uncle. His hands held a knife dripping in blood. Her eyes caught his. She could tell it was over. The revenge that gnawed within his soul—he had expunged the demons that haunted him of his brother’s death.

Breaking her gaze, she sought out her cousin. Lenister gave her no resistance as she ran to Andre and knelt at his side. Frantically, she pressed her hands against his to halt the lifeblood ebbing from him.

“It is useless,” Andre’s weak voice said. He reached across her hands and gripped them tightly. “Do not cry for me, Eloise. Take the paper…it is yours…but know…I tried…tried to do the best for you…what you needed...”

“I know you did. Save your strength. We will send for a...”

Gasping, he shook his head. “Forgive me…Eloise…forgive me…”

“Andre, you have done nothing to forgive,” Eloise gulped. “It has been you
who has always seen to my welfare. I need you...please…don’t leave me alone…”

Andre glanced up at Lenister and back at Eloise. “You…aren’t alone…”

His words faded, but his lips still moved. Eloise edged upward and leaned her ear to his lips, grasping hard to understand his dying words. She leaned back and through the blur of tears, she uttered, “I will.”

He said nothing more, but his eyes…told he understood. A slight smile formed on his lips and he breathed no more. Eloise collapsed on top of him and wept.

It was time. The rowboat awaited her. Soon Eloise would be aboard her brother’s schooner
, along with the children and Miranda, and head back to England. Her husband said that the pain would ease in time. She supposed it would, but never would she forget Andre and his deed. He gave to her the power that would free her soul.

On Lenister
’s insistence, they stayed only until the morning broke over the horizon. Marc Pierre said he would see to Andre’s burial. Her uncle…she assumed Marc Pierre would leave his body to rot.

From the edge of the water, Seamus gestured it was time to depart. She felt Lenister’s hand on her waist
, urging her forward.