Forever My Love (Historical Romance) (3 page)

Since my wife and I were born and raised in England, it was always our intention that our daughter should be educated in the school her mother attended. Therefore, in accordance with my wife's wishes, I direct that Royal be sent to Fulham School for Young Ladies in London. There she is to complete her education.

I further direct that my beloved daughter, Royal, should be under the guardianship of Damon Routhland, of Swanhouse Plantation, and he shall also be guardian of her estate, until the event of her twenty-first birthday, or until such time as she should be married with her guardian's consent.

A strangled gasp escaped Victor's throat. Then a heavy silence ensued while everyone in the room digested the attorney's shocking pronouncement.

At last Victor Bradford rose to his feet. "That's preposterous! What right has this man, who has no connection with the family, to be made responsible for Royal?"

Arabella leaned toward the attorney. "Surely there has been a mistake, Mr. Greenburg. I cannot believe that my brother would leave Royal in the hands of a man she hardly knows."

Damon observed the distress on Arabella's face. Could she really be interested in her niece, he wondered, or was her concern merely an act? He could clearly see the pain in her eyes. Perhaps she genuinely cared for the girl.

"I beg your indulgence for a moment longer, Mistress Bradford," Mr. Greenburg said. "I believe I can clear this up to everyone's satisfaction."

All eyes were on the attorney as he continued. "As I have already advised Mr. Routhland, when Douglas Bradford had this will drawn up, it was his intention that Mr. Routhland's father, also named Damon, be the guardian of Royal Bradford."

"Then the will is not valid," Victor said with relief.

"I can assure you, Mr. Bradford," the attorney stated emphatically, "the will is most certainly valid. I prepared it myself."

While Arabella and Victor continued their vehement protestations to the attorney, Damon turned his attention to Royal. Her life was the most affected by the day's proceedings, and yet for the moment everyone seemed to have forgotten about her. She was like a fragile piece of porcelain that had been handled too roughly. There was bewilderment in her eyes and hurt in her expression.

Royal sensed Damon's scrutiny, and when she looked up at him, he smiled at her sympathetically. "Do you understand the meaning of your father's will, Miss Bradford?"

Royal shook her head solemnly, blinking her eyes to keep the tears from falling. "No, I don't Mr. Routhland. I don't understand why he chose you as my guardian."

Arabella whirled around and faced Damon. "I must insist that you relinquish your claim on my niece to me," she demanded. “I can assure you I have the money to see that my sister-in-law's wishes are carried out. As a matter of fact, since I reside in Paris, it will be no hardship to visit my niece in London and to have her spend holidays with me."

"I protest," Victor chimed in. "As head of the family, I say Royal should be in my care."

The attorney, trying to bring order back to the proceedings, addressed Damon. "What do you say, Mr. Routhland? Are you willing to relinquish the guardianship of Royal Bradford to her relatives?"

Damon glanced at the girl, who was staring at him expectantly. It was evident that she wanted to be with her aunt. "Is it your belief, Mr. Greenburg, that Douglas Bradford intended his daughter to reside with Victor Bradford or"—he looked pointedly at Arabella—"with Arabella Bradford?"

The attorney struck a professional attitude. "In truth, Victor Bradford was not mentioned. However, your brother had this to say concerning you, Miss Bradford: 'While I love my sister, she knows I have not approved of her chosen way of life. I therefore direct that she will not, under any circumstances, have guardianship of my daughter, Royal.' "

Mr. Greenburg looked at Arabella apologetically. "You surely can follow your brother's thinking." His glance shifted to Damon. "Mr. Routhland, you are in no way obligated to accept the guardianship. As I told you in my letter, it is a mere formality for you to relinquish the responsibility. Since the will specifically excludes Arabella Bradford, the courts will most likely appoint Victor Bradford as the child's guardian."

Victor shot Arabella a triumphant look. "I knew I would be the likely choice to raise young Royal."

Arabella looked crestfallen but said nothing. Her eyes were seeking as she watched Damon. Everyone waited with anticipation while he pondered the girl's fate.

To Damon this was no longer a game. A young girl's future lay in his hands. He could well imagine that Douglas Bradford would not have wanted a man with Victor Bradford's temperament to raise his daughter.

Damon met the attorney's eyes in silent understanding and realized that he had been the intended guardian all along. "The will stands as written," he said at last. "I will accept the responsibility for, and the guardianship of, Royal Bradford."

"You cannot do this," Victor sputtered. "You're only interested in Royal's money."

Damon's eyes glinted dangerously, but he made no reply to the accusation.

Laying aside the will and removing his spectacles, Oliver Greenburg hastily intervened. "At this time, I should point out to all of you that Douglas Bradford's estate is not as large as it was when this will was drafted. As you may know, he invested heavily in silkworms, only to find they did not thrive well in this climate."

Royal was too shocked by the day's events to absorb the significance of all she was hearing. Was Mr. Greenburg implying that her father had lost his money? How was that possible?

With a new awareness, she looked at the faded spaces on the wall, where large and valuable paintings had once hung. When her father had sold them, Royal had not even questioned him. Now that she thought about it, several family heirlooms were missing. She also realized that the silver serving dishes that had been in the Bradford family for generations had been replaced with pewter.

Royal felt sad that her father must have been worried about money while he was so ill. Why had he not confided in her? And why had he never told her he was planning for her to go to England to be educated? What about Damon Routhland—did he consider her his responsibility? She felt her aunt's hand close comfortingly around hers.

"This is unthinkable!" Victor blustered angrily. "I shall not stand for such a miscarriage of... of... No, I will not have it!"

"Mr. Bradford, you have no say in the matter," Oliver Greenburg said sharply. "In accepting the guardianship, Mr. Routhland has complied with my client's wishes."

"Are you certain my cousin left nothing for me?" Victor pressed, reluctant to believe that his hopes for wealth had been dashed.

"I'm afraid not," the attorney confirmed, then raised an inquiring brow. "Unless, of course, you would be willing to accept any indebtedness Douglas Bradford might have left? Are you?"

Victor's face reddened, and for the first time he was speechless. Simon's face was drawn up in a frown, and his mother's expression was blank. The three of them realized that Douglas Bradford had excluded them from his will.

Impatiently Damon came to his feet. "If there is nothing further you require of me, I have other matters that require my attention."

"By all means, and thank you, Mr. Routhland," Mr. Greenburg said. "However, if you could come to my office at your earliest convenience, there will be papers that require your signature, and details we still need to discuss."

The two men shook hands, and Damon moved to stand before Royal. When the girl looked up at him with frightened eyes, on an impulse he knelt beside her. "Have no fear of me, Miss Bradford. I intend to follow your father's wishes for you, and nothing more. I will come to see you when everything is settled to my satisfaction. At that time, you and I shall discuss your future. I want only to help you."

Royal was too bewildered to answer, but Arabella turned on him furiously.

"You are doing this to spite me," she whispered through trembling lips. "You resent me for not accepting your marriage proposal."

When Damon looked at Arabella, he saw tears sparkling in her lovely eyes. "Oddly enough, this has nothing to do with you, Miss Bradford," he said stiffly. "You can believe that I have the girl's interests uppermost in my mind."

"I never knew you to be so self-sacrificing," Arabella taunted.

He stood to his full height. "You never knew me at all."

Her arms went around her niece protectively. "You haven't heard the last of this. I will fight you for guardianship of my niece."

Damon's golden eyes gleamed as if they were on fire. "I suspect you will—but you cannot win."

Royal was confused by the exchange between her aunt and Damon Routhland, but she had not fully understood many of the events of this day. She only half heard Damon Routhland when he spoke to Victor.

"I trust, Mr. Bradford, that you and your family will vacate my ward's house." His gaze was penetrating. "There is no need for haste—after breakfast tomorrow will be soon enough, I believe."

Angrily Victor stood up, jerked his wife to her feet, and motioned for his son to follow them out of the room. "We'll just see about this. We'll just see!"

Royal watched Damon Routhland depart. Then, in need of comfort, she laid her head on her aunt's shoulder. "What is to become of me?" she wanted to know.

Arabella hugged her. "I have not yet given up, my dear. That insufferable man has no right to dictate your future. Whatever was Douglas thinking about? I never knew he could be so cruel."

Royal wiped away tears on the back of her hand. "Promise you will not abandon me?"

"We will always have each other," Arabella assured her.

Mr. Greenburg gathered the scattered documents and placed them in his leather valise. Nodding politely to Royal and her aunt, he moved out the door.

Once in the hallway, the attorney drew in a deep, cleansing breath. "So, Douglas, I know now why you never changed your will, no matter how hard I pressed. I believe your daughter will be in capable hands—but you knew how this would come out, didn't you, my clever friend?"

3

Dear Papa,

Soon after the reading of your will, Cousin Victor and his family took leave of Savannah without even saying good-bye. As of yet, I have heard nothing from Damon Routhland. I admit to being apprehensive about the future, but I am so grateful that Aunt Arabella is yet with me.

Royal put aside her journal and moved to the bow window that overlooked the square. There was an ache deep inside as she pondered her fate. Soon she would be ripped away from everything she held dear and sent to England where she knew no one. What was to become of her? she wondered frantically. Would she ever see her home again?

Each day she stood at this window and watched for Damon Routhland, but so far he had not arrived, and she was glad. He was a stranger to her and far above her socially. Everyone in Savannah was awed by the master of Swanhouse Plantation, but she was merely frightened of him.

His strange-colored golden eyes were too penetrating, as if they could see into her thoughts.

Royal sighed. When Mr. Routhland finally did appear, her life would be changed forever. She turned away from the window and moved out of the room in search of her aunt Arabella. Soon the day would come when they would be parted, and Royal would be alone again.

***

Arabella paid little heed to the view from the carriage window as the horses drew her closer to her destination. She was angry that her own brother would entrust the rearing of Royal to a virtual stranger. How could Douglas have turned against her? Surely he had known that she loved Royal and would take care of her.

She pressed her gloved fingers to her temples as her mind went spinning backward to the time when she had first come to the Colonies to visit her brother and niece. At that time she had been accustomed to the gaiety of London, so the parties and festivities offered by Savannah had bored her—that is, until the night of the Harvest Ball.

Of course she had heard of Damon Routhland since he had been the object of adoration of many of the young girls of Chatham County, and she had often seen him from a distance, but she had not expected to find him attractive.

Arabella closed her eyes and remembered vividly how Damon had looked the night he'd walked into the ballroom and surveyed the surroundings with boredom etched on his fine features.

She had felt challenged when he'd appeared uninterested in her—men seldom ignored Arabella Bradford. She supposed she had behaved badly to him, she reflected, but if so, he was entirely to blame—he had taken their little flirtation much too seriously.

The carriage came to a halt, bringing Arabella back to the present. She pressed a delicate foot forward and in a rustle of taffeta allowed Tobias to help her from the carriage. There was a determined sparkle in her brown eyes as she ascended the steps of Swanhouse.

She had come to persuade Damon Routhland that Royal belonged with her, and she was willing to use any means of persuasion to obtain that aim. Royal was miserable and frightened, and Arabella had no intention of leaving Savannah without her.

As she approached the wide double doors, they swung open, and a stiff-mannered butler greeted her with an inquisitive glance.

"Is Mr. Routhland at home?" Arabella inquired impatiently.

"Yes, ma'am, he is, but he isn't seeing callers this morning."

"He'll see me," she said, pushing past the man and into the entry hall. "Where is he?" she demanded. "Take me to him at once."

"That will be all, Davis," a commanding voice spoke up from the doorway of the library.

Arabella glanced up to see Damon observing her with a look one would bestow on a child who had just been caught misbehaving. "Miss Bradford, are you accustomed to bullying other people's servants?" Damon questioned lazily.

"I want to talk to you." She pushed past him and moved into the library, where she turned to face him.

He smiled slightly. "I take it this is not a social call." He deliberately left the door open and indicated that Arabella should take a chair, which she refused with a shake of her head.

"You know why I am here, Damon.”

"To pretend otherwise would be to underestimate us both. I knew you would come. What took you so long? I've been expecting you these past few days."

Arabella was not about to admit that it had taken her several days to work up her courage to come to Swanhouse. "Since you know why I'm here, it will save time. It is my hope that you will agree to relinquish Royal to me." He was standing too near for her peace of mind—his golden eyes were too piercing. She clutched her hands nervously. "Please allow me to take Royal to Paris."

He shook his dark head. "I cannot permit that. Have you forgotten that it was your brother's wish that she be educated in London?"

"I have not forgotten. And I will honor my brother's wishes," Arabella promised, watching him expectantly. When Damon made no reply, she dropped down on the edge of the chair, her eyes pleading. "I will see that Royal is educated in London. I will do whatever you want, but do not take her from me. I have no family other than Royal."

"You have your cousin Victor and his family," Damon reminded her dryly.

She held out a beseeching hand. "Do not punish me, Damon. I know I hurt you in the past, but do not make an innocent girl suffer for my transgressions."

Damon glanced at her with a sardonic expression. "Surely you are not accusing me of an act of vengeance? Would you cast me as the villain?"

Arabella dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, an achievement that she had perfected for the stage. It had never failed to gain satisfactory results when practiced on unsuspecting gentlemen of her acquaintance. "The villain in this is death, because it has left Royal without parents. She has suffered so, poor dear." She peeked at him through her lashes. "Do not make her suffer more."

Damon clapped his hands and bowed to her. "Bravo, I applaud your performance, Arabella. It is little wonder you are such a sensation in Paris. However, I believe I should point out to you that I have read Escadaux, and recognized your speech from the third act of his play
Winds of Tomorrow
."

Arabella gave a scornful toss of her head. "How was I supposed to know that you were a patron of the arts? One could not have expected you colonials to read Escadaux, since he has not been translated into English."

"Perhaps you would have been forewarned had you known that my mother was not only French, but also had a great love for the theater. She read all his works to me one summer when I was but a ten-year-old lad. There was a time when I could quote him word for word."

Arabella jumped to her feet and moved to Damon. "I would use trickery or anything I deemed necessary to sway you. Understand that my love for my niece is genuine, as is my desire to have her with me."

"Oh, I believe you, Arabella."

She placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him in earnest. "Please, Damon, forget what has passed between us. Let me have my niece. She is nothing to you. You don't even know her."

He glanced down at the dainty gloved hand that rested on his arm. "If you have it in your mind that I accepted guardianship of Royal Bradford out of some deep need to punish you, you are deceiving yourself, Arabella." He brushed her hand off and moved away. "I admit that curiosity contributed to my attendance at the reading of the will, and yes, I even admit I hoped to see you suffer, but that is no longer my motive. Whether you believe it or not, compassion for a very sad little girl persuaded me to become her guardian."

"Compassion? I can hardly credit that as an emotion a man would suffer from."

He smiled slightly. "It does seem a bit out of character, doesn't it?"

"There was a time when you were not so... cold. But now, I am not so sure."

His expression became serious. "How much do you know about your brother's affairs, Miss Bradford?"

"Very little," she admitted. "Douglas and I... since I became an actress by profession, my brother... chose to... he... you heard what he said about me in his will."

"It must have come as no surprise to you that your brother decided to look beyond you and Victor in choosing a guardian for his daughter."

Arabella appeared defeated for a moment. "It came as no surprise that he did not choose me. Nor would I have expected Douglas to leave the care of Royal to Victor." Her eyes sought his. "But why you, Damon?"

"Ah, I see. Can it be that you have been listening to gossip?"

"I have heard that you are a dashing rogue who sets women's hearts atwitter." Her expression hardened. "Not a high recommendation for the care of a young, innocent girl such as my niece."

"Have no fear on your niece's behalf, Miss Bradford. Since she will be going almost immediately to England, I shall have very little personal contact with her. Do not be concerned that I shall try to seduce her. My taste runs more to older women—remember?"

She chose to ignore his barb. "If you will not let me have her, you surely don't intend to keep me from seeing her once she is in England, do you?"

"I have no objections to your seeing her." His golden eyes flamed. "However, I will not allow you to take her away from London."

Arabella drew in a resigned breath. "Tell me about your plans for Royal."

"I have no plans past abiding by your brother's wishes for her. I have written to the headmistress of Fulham School, asking that they admit Royal, and am now awaiting an answer. Until that time, you may remain with her."

Arabella leaned toward him. "I had a talk with Mr. Greenburg, and he informed me that my brother left his affairs in a muddle. The attorney also advised me that Royal would have lost the house had you not paid all my brother's creditors. Surely that was generous of you," she said. “I do not like the thought of Royal being indebted to you. I hope you will allow me to repay the debt."

"I don't want your money, Arabella. And don't credit me with sainthood. By paying your brother's creditors, I am merely insuring that after the girl has been educated and returns to Savannah, she will still have her own home, and therefore will not look to me for shelter."

There was a guarded look in Arabella's eyes. "Mr. Greenburg also informed me that you will be paying for Royal's education."

"I consider any monies I advance for your niece to be a negligible sum." His brows met in a frown. "I hope you will not tell your niece that her father left her penniless. She has had her share of heartaches. Let us not add to them. Allow her to believe it is her father's money that pays for her education."

"Royal is not a fool. She has already begun to suspect that my brother had no money."

"It is to be hoped that she will not learn of her father's indebtedness. She will not hear it from me—I trust you will not tell her, either."

"No, of course not." Arabella looked deeply into his golden eyes, wishing she could read his thoughts. "I know not if you are saint or devil, but you have put me in your debt, Damon Routhland. I am not without money myself. I will feel easier in my mind if you allow me to repay you for any monies you expend on my niece."

"As I said, the money is a mere trifle."

"To a wealthy man such as yourself, perhaps. I do not believe my niece would consider it a trifle. She is proud, Damon. If she ever discovers that she is living on your charity, it will devastate her. Not to mention what the gossips would make of that knowledge."

"No one need know—least of all Royal." He inclined his head, and suddenly his eyes grew cold. "Davis will escort you to the door. You might inform your niece that I shall be calling on her as soon as I hear from Fulham School."

Arabella moved across the room, knowing she was being dismissed. She had lost to Damon Routhland, and she felt as if she had just battled a whirlwind. Turning at the door, she stared into cold golden eyes. "Have you forgotten the summer we were... when you and I..."

His glance softened just a bit. "No, I haven't forgotten. What seventeen-year-old boy could have had a more beautiful and desirable woman to introduce him to... life, shall we say?"

"I hurt you."

"Perhaps just a little. But the knowledge I gained from the experience has often stood me in good stead."

"Perhaps I should have accepted your offer of marriage that summer."

"You did us both a favor by turning me down." He inclined his head with just the slightest smile tugging at his lips. "Good day to you, Miss Bradford."

Turning away, she found the butler waiting for her in the hallway. After her encounter with Damon Routhland, Arabella was no wiser than before. She had no insight into his motives as far as Royal was concerned. Perhaps it was as he said, and he felt sorry for the girl. Whatever the reason, she intended to watch the situation closely.