Persuasion (34 page)

Indeed, this someone has explained how I can get you sent to the Fleet.”

William blanched. “You'd send your only living relative to a debtor's prison?”

“Why, naturally. You'd prod your only living relative into committing suicide.

Why should I not repay that kind gift?”

“You can't do that, Dorian.”

“I can and have. The gaolers are due any moment. You see, I've bought

every single one of your debts and am demanding payment right this second

. . . . As I know the only money you have to your name is directly on your

person, I know quite certainly that you can't afford to pay me and, so, the

Fleet it shall be.”

“You can't do this to me, Dorian,” William pleaded.

While Camille had betrayed him, he could easily see that William was the

one who should be cast with the blame. Camille had been weak and

biddable. A strong man such as William would have easily had her cowed,

and, no doubt, he'd forced her into obeisance.

Just as he had Lily.

But no more women would suffer for William Wright's greed.

“I can and have, cousin.”

“But you can't! You owe me!” William shouted.

“I owe you?” Dorian retorted sardonically. “I'm sure I owe you for the misery

you've longed to see me drown in . . . . In fact, I'm quite sure that I don't

owe you a damned thing.”

William licked his lips. “But? Do I hear a but there?”

Dorian shrugged. “Perhaps. It depends if you're willing to pay.”

“Anything but gaol, Dorian. I shall pay any price.”

“Fine. The gaolers are indeed on their way but so is a press gang. You can

choose your fate.”

His cousin blanched. “Press gang?”

Dorian smiled. “Yes. You can fight for King and country or you can . . . spend

your life in a rotten gaol. And I can assure you, your life will be quite short.

You know how debtor's prisons are . . . one has to pay for everything. From

food to water . . . and I shall provide you with no allowance.” Dorian shook

his head. “Not one penny shall go your way. But if you choose to fight for

King and country, then I shall provide you with ten pounds a month.”

“Ten!” William scoffed.

“You don't have a choice in the matter, and, compared to a sailor's wage, it's

quite a luxury. Indeed, perhaps I should cut it down to . . . .”

“No! No!”

It was then that Dorian knew he had William, and, at that moment, he

prayed to God that Lily would indeed forgive him and accept him back.

Of one thing he was quite certain, she would appreciate his choice of

punishment for the bastard who had blackmailed her into seduction.

He loved her and she loved him. He would grovel until his knees bled so long

as she accepted his forgiveness, agreed to marry him, and believed him

when he told her that he loved her.

There was no other alternative for him. Without Lily the life ahead of him

would be miserable. The child she might be carrying was important, but no

more than the woman who would be its mother.

It had taken her disappearance to make him realize that without her life was

not the joy it should have been.

It seemed so bizarre, Lily thought with a faint smile. Here she was, at their

Berkshire estate, selecting the furnishings for the new nursery and yet,

everywhere was silent.

Indeed, it was more than silent. It was quite eerie. Of course, it was early

morning and even London would be slowing down at this time of the night,

but still, only the sound of an owl hooting could be heard and it sent shivers

down her spine.

She spun around and grimaced as her back twinged. After four pregnancies,

this one being her fifth, one would have thought that she would have grown

accustomed to actually being in the family way, but she wasn't. It was her

own fault that she seemed to perpetually be pregnant. Of that she was quite

aware.

But was it her fault that she enjoyed her husband's attentions?

In truth, it was his fault! For being so attentive!

Any woman would find herself in a similar position, were their husband to

lavish them with love from dusk to dawn!

She was weak willed, after all, at least where Dorian was concerned. She

couldn't be with the children so much, for they would run her ragged if they

could but naturally, she possessed soft spots for each of her four boys.

It was with great difficulty that she cloaked those spots, although at times,

she failed horrendously. Lily sighed. What was she trying to hide? At times?

Always! She was a good mama, but she was useless at the structure, at the

discipline. She simply wanted her children to be happy, to be content.

And that they were, but she and Dorian also knew that it was imperative

they learned respect and to understand and abide by the rules.

And so, that was how her mama had come to live with them. Indeed, it was

her mama, who was the main taskmistress. Julia, who imposed the rules and

enforced them, for Lily and Dorian were quite useless at it. They would have

to learn eventually, otherwise they would have four demons for sons, but

they had greatly enjoyed sharing their children's freedom and propensity for

mischief.

It was almost shameful to admit it, but then, such was life. One had to take

the bitter with the sweet and oh, how much sweet she had in her life.

Lily smiled at the thought and danced a little. The skirts of her night rail

swished about and the sound echoed in the small room.

She was quite certain this child was a girl and that was why she was

redecorating the suite.

No little girl of hers would have a blue nursery! No, indeed! She looked at

the decisions she'd already made, chartreuse-embroidered peach curtains

with matching bed linens, multicolored murals on the north and south walls,

with the east and west painted a warm honey color, a large cherry-red

carpet that would invite a child to snuggle as she crawled about the floor and

learned to move and walk.

Lily smiled at the prospect and patted her belly. While she and Dorian were

useless at the taskmaster part of being a parent, they were both relying on

the little beauty inside her belly to take care of that. After all, her mama

couldn't be expected to continue on in the same vein, not with Devlin about

to produce an heir of his own! Julia would have to split her time between the

two estates and so, the babe would do the rest.

A little girl for four naughty little men to protect, to care for and love . . .

indeed, a happy quintet, Lily thought with a grin.

Abandoning the fabric samples that her housekeeper had procured for her,

she walked out of the nursery and into her bedchamber. It was late, but the

child had been restless and had prodded her mama into wakefulness.

Rubbing her back as she moved with one hand and holding the candle with

the other, she entered the room and walked over to the bed. So large was

the space that the single candle she held only illuminated her path. Not the

sitting area in which they always relaxed an hour before they moved to bed

nor the dressing table which Janie used to ready her for meals, or the large

painting of the family she and Dorian had created.

Four mischievous boys crawling over two happy parents.

Lucas, the eldest whose talents lay in mathematics as did his father.

Johnathan, the second child with eyes as green as her own.

Matthew, their third son with hair as auburn as his mama's.

And last but by no means least, their youngest boy, Marcus. Marcus who

was the spitting image of his father.

Even Dorian, who rarely noticed anything of that nature, had remarked upon

their likeness and he had also said that he hoped the girl-child that currently

dozed in her belly would be the mirror image of her.

Lily could well understand that wish.

It was strange to see her husband in Marcus' young features, but she

couldn't help but feel pride for having created such a handsome little man.

That was how Dorian would feel, were their little girl to look exactly like Lily,

she knew.

She smiled as she settled the candle on the bedside table. Using the small

stool that was tucked just under the bed's rim, she climbed up on to the

large mattress and sighed. Then wriggled and then curled on to her side as

she sought comfort.

The bed was so large that all four of the boys could have joined them quite

comfortably and yet Dorian always seemed to be on her side of the bed. Not

that she complained, it was always just a tad awkward when she was at this

stage of her pregnancy. She tended to fidget and disliked the idea of waking

her husband.

Well . . . sometimes she disliked it.

Grinning at the thought, her smile slowly disappeared. He needed his rest

tonight. This morning, his cousin William had turned up at the estate and

demanded an interview with Dorian. At this very moment, William was

sleeping in the guest quarters at the other end of the building . . . far away

from the boys' bedrooms.

While she had to admit the change in him was quite impressive, it would

never be enough to trust her sons with him. At first, she had been quite

furious at the thought of William even remaining to break his fast! And then,

she had spotted the insignia of a captain of His Majesty's Navy and had done

an about-take.

Apparently, the King deemed William trustworthy . . . . Perhaps, regardless

of their past, she should do the same.

Lily was not quite certain, but she was fair and even though the bastard had

terrorized her life for a short while, he had been the means through which

she had found her soul mate.

There had to be some forgiveness in her soul for that.

Blowing out a breath, she cursed as it accidentally extinguished the candle

and jumped, startled, at the faint laugh that sounded ominously loud in the

silent room.

“You do that almost every night, you know, sweeting?”

She smiled. “You shouldn't be watching. You're supposed to be asleep!”

“When you leave the bed I awaken,” he commented. “I have no need of a

warming pan with you between the sheets,” he teased and laughed as she

struck his thigh with a open palm.

“Is it my fault that I start to boil when I'm with child?” she asked, her lips

formed in a pout.

“No, indeed it is not, my love. Do you hear me complaining?” At her chortle,

he sighed and tucked her closer against him. “Have you finally selected the

furnishings for the nursery?”

“Indeed, I have. Peach and cream and a mural. Although, the latter's

subject, I have yet to decide. I think I shall ask mama for something

suitably Roman. I'd love a bluestocking for a daughter, a much more

suitable alternative with all the rake-hells in London.”

Dorian laughed heartily. “Rakes can be reformed, you know. Was her father

not one himself?”

“Indeed, they can. But still, would you like to place your daughter's heart

into a wretch's hands?” She smiled at his faint stiffening. Oh, he was such a

marvelous father, she thought on a sigh. “You see . . . ,” she remarked

triumphantly, “you would hate it as much as I. We should encourage her as

swiftly as possible to enjoy books and literature.”

“We cannot wrap her in cotton wool, darling.”

“No, I suppose not,” Lily conceded with a sigh. "Not even a tiny layer?” she

asked with a wry grin.

“We shall see. If she is as independent as the boys, then she shall be her

own savior.”

“True.”

“This should be our last babe, you know, darling . . . ,” he whispered softly.

“I refuse to lose you."

“You won't lose me,” she chided.

“Pregnancy has never sat well with you, my love. Don't lie, for I know it to

be so. I can still remember that day when I came to Grantlake for the first

time and saw you that morning . . . . I'd never seen you look so ill. At first, I

thought there was something seriously wrong! I was quite relieved to hear

you were simply with child.”

“You almost fainted,” she pointed out with a slight laugh.

“Of course, I did! I thought you were dangerously ailing! I'd traveled a thirty

hour journey in less than sixteen hours, come to throw myself at your

knees, and what did I discover when I barged my way through the house in

search of you?”

“Me bent over a bowl,” she answered wryly. “Hardly the most romantic of

reunions, you have to admit?”

“No, it could have gone far better. Although, I did offer to duel for your

honor, did I not?”

“I think you'll find that that was Devlin!”

“Perhaps,” he conceded with a shrug. “But I was willing to fight, simply to

prove to you and Devlin both that your honor was of the utmost importance

to me.”

“I know,” she remarked with a sigh. “I love you, Dorian.”

“I love you, my sweet. Can you believe it is almost six years since we

married?”

“No, it feels as though it were just yesterday and then gloriously, as though

it has been an eternity! We're so fortunate.”

“Indeed, and that is why I will behave from now on. I do not wish to press

my good fortune, my dear.”

She was silent as she pondered those words. "You had best take advantage

of me now then, my lord. It is too late to impregnate me now, is it not?” she