Regency Romances Page 44

  “Richard is never going to forgive you for this.”

  Manchester advanced on his former friend, trying to maintain his control. He really wanted to take a swing at the man but there were enough eyes on him as it was.

  “Haven’t you got anything better to do?”

  They glared at each other. Hutch looked as though he wanted to start a fight himself. They were broken apart suddenly by the sound of Richard crying. He was being brought into the corridor by a burly constable, tugging away as hard as he could as he was pulled to Manchester. Manchester watched the scene with a heavy heart. This wasn’t what he wanted. Richard wasn’t supposed to be this upset.

  What had he done?

  “Mama!” Richard yelled. His face was streaked with tears. “Where’s Mama? I want Mama!”

  Manchester nodded at the constable who let go of Richard and stepped back. Almost immediately, Richard tried to run past Manchester, but he grabbed the boy, kneeling before him as he tried to hold on.

  “Richard…”

  “I want Mama!”

  Manchester swallowed.

  “Your mother can’t be with you anymore,” he said, surprised that his voice sounded choked. “The courts have said you’re not to see her again.”

  “I don’t believe you!” Richard pushed at him, knocking Manchester off-balance and onto the floor. Then he was running off down the hall. “Mama!”

  Hutch shook his head at Manchester before hurrying off after the boy. Clambering to his feet, Manchester ran after them. Richard was faster than he expected, darting through the throng of people shouting for Evangeline. Manchester and Hutch chased him, managing to grab him just as he ended up outside the courthouse. Manchester grabbed his son and lifted him off his feet.

  “Richard, enough!”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Richard struggled against him. He was surprisingly strong. “I want Mama!”

  Manchester could see people watching them with curious expressions and hauled Richard behind a pillar. He leant against the stone, trying to calm the furious boy.

  “I’m your father and you will go with me.”

  “No!” Richard tried to bite his hand. “Mama!”

  “I think your mother’s busy,” interjected Hutch.

  “What?”

  Manchester looked around. That was when he saw Evangeline towards the end of the courthouse. She was under a tree, out of the way of everyone else. But she wasn’t alone. A tall man in his mid-thirties with red hair was crowding her against the tree. From a distance, it looked like a lover’s embrace. But Manchester could see the genuine fear in Evangeline’s eyes as she pressed against the tree trunk.

  His arms loosened enough that Richard managed to escape but Hutch grabbed him. He knelt before the boy and shook his head.

  “Don’t, Richard. That is a bad man with your Mama. You don’t want to be anywhere near him.”

  Richard’s eyes went wide.

  “Is it the bad man who made Mama run?”

  “He is.”

  Who made Evangeline run? Manchester was confused.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Richard pointed at the back of the man with his mother.

  “Mama ran away because someone scared her. That’s why I was born in Paris.”

  “Who is he?”

  “Lawrence McNally,” Hutch said grimly. “He’s a petty crook who will do anything to get money from anything and off of anybody. Evangeline told me that he was on the boat at the same time as her brother Edward.”

  “You mean the brother who was accused of treason but disappeared just before his trial?”

  Manchester remembered that clearly. It had happened a few weeks after he married Evangeline while they were on their honeymoon. Evangeline had never said anything about it and Manchester didn’t want to press the subject; she loved her brother, and he didn’t want to upset her.

  “Edward went to America.” Hutch nodded at McNally’s back. “McNally found out the news and decided to use that to his advantage.”

  Then it began to click in Manchester’s mind. Now he was beginning to realize why his wife had run.

  “Are you saying he blackmailed my wife?”

  “He did.” Hutch nodded grimly. “I had already guessed from what I found out myself, but Evangeline confirmed it for me.”

  Manchester felt the reality sinking in. His wife had been blackmailed, and she had run so he didn’t face the scandal. She really had been protecting him. But she didn’t need to do it; Manchester wouldn’t have cared about what happened to her family. As long as she stayed with him.

  Evangeline hadn’t taken that into consideration.

  “She wanted to protect me.” He swallowed. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

  Then Richard touched his hand. He was still looking scared, but he wasn’t crying anymore.

  “Ma said you wouldn’t love her anymore because Uncle Eddie’s a traitor.”

  Manchester squeezed his son’s hand.

  “Your mother was a fool.”

  “Much like your father,” Hutch muttered.

  Manchester ignored that. He squeezed Richard’s shoulder and kissed his head.

  “Stay with Hutch, Richard. I’m just going to help your mother.”

  “Rob…”

  But Manchester was already hurrying away.

  ***

  “I never thought I’d see you again, Your Grace,” McNally sneered. “You’re very good at hiding.”

  This wasn’t what Evangeline had wanted. It was bad enough she would never see Richard again without having her blackmailer corner her right outside the courthouse. She just wanted to leave and go back to the hotel.

  Where was Hutch? He said he was stay close by in case she needed help. But he was nowhere to be seen. She had to face McNally on her own.

  “What do you want, Mr. McNally?”

  McNally leered at her, stepping closer to her. Evangeline flinched and pressed herself further against the tree. She could only hope someone saw them and realized she was in trouble. But they were practically out of sight; surely no one would see them.

  “You know what I want.”

  “You’re still pursuing me for that money?”

  “Just because you disappeared doesn’t mean the…arrangement…went away,” McNally smirked. “It’s always going to be there until you pay up.”

  Chapter 10

  Together At Long Last

  So, her running had been for nothing. It wouldn’t have mattered if Evangeline had never been found; she would have always had to pay.

  “You…” she started, but McNally held up a finger, wagging it in her face.

  “Tut, tut, my lady. Duchesses don’t curse. It’s very unladylike.”

  Evangeline had had enough. Her husband hated her and she would never see her son again. She didn’t care anymore what happened to her. She slapped his hand away and shoved him hard in the chest.

  “What are you going to do if I refuse to pay?” she challenged. “Tell my husband? That’s not going to work anymore. He hates me. That man has taken everything from me and I have nothing left to lose and no money to pay you.” She flung her arms out, her voice getting louder. “Go ahead, do your worst, sir. I don’t care anymore.”

  McNally looked a little taken aback. Evangeline had been timid at twenty. Five and a half years later and she had grown into a woman with a steely determination. It was frayed around the edges with Manchester suddenly coming back into her life, but it was still there.

  “You don’t want your son to grow up knowing what his uncle did, do you?”

  “He knows the truth. I made sure to tell him.”

  McNally’s expression indicated he wasn’t expecting that. Evangeline wasn’t afraid to let her son know what had happened. It was better he knew the truth than to hear lies from somebody else.

  McNally recovered quickly. Still, no one was paying them any attention.

  “Well, you may not care about your husband
knowing. But what about Society? Your family? I hear your parents believe you’re dead.”

  “Do your worst, McNally,” Evangeline hissed. “I’ve lost my husband and my son. I don’t care about what you do anymore.” She shoved him again. “Now, take your leave.”

  She wanted to get out of there, go back to her hotel and lock herself up. But McNally didn’t let her get far, grabbing her arm and swinging her around. Evangeline found herself hitting his chest on the spin and then her wrist held in a very tight grip. McNally held her close, his face inches from her.

  “We haven’t finished yet, my lady,” he hissed. “We’re just getting started. And I want my money.”

  Then Evangeline saw a tall figure behind him. McNally was grabbed by the collar and pulled back, letting go of Evangeline in his surprise. Evangeline stumbled back and watched as Manchester hauled McNally to him before punching him in the face. McNally’s head snapped back, and he stumbled. Then Manchester punched him again. Evangeline heard something crack and McNally’s mouth and nose were suddenly coated in blood.

  What had just happened?

  Manchester grabbed McNally before he fell to the ground and pushed him up against the tree. His hand was around the man’s throat and Evangeline could see the white-knuckle grip on his hand. McNally gurgled and tried to push the hand away, but Manchester’s grip simply tightened. His face was red with rage, his eyes glittering with dark fury.

  “You come anywhere near me or my family again and I’ll make sure you never walk again.”

  “I…” McNally choked, his face going white. “I didn’t mean anything, Your Grace.”

  “Yes, you did,” Manchester snarled. “Because of you, I lost my wife for five years. I lost the chance to see my son grow up. You took that from me. And I’m not going to go easy on you if I see your face again. If the duchess wasn’t here, I would be doing more than giving you a simple warning.” Then he stepped back and pushed McNally towards the street. “Get out of here.”

  McNally stumbled and fell, almost falling into Evangeline. She darted out of the way and watched as the fiend who seemed to have lost his bravado since her husband turned up, scrambled to his feet, clutching at his nose and hurrying into the street.

  ***

  Manchester had flown into a rage when he saw the man put his hands on Evangeline. He wanted to rip him to pieces. But knowing where they were stopped him from going too far. If they had been somewhere more private, however…

  McNally would not have stood a chance.

  What surprised him was that there was nobody to witness this. Hutch and Richard were watching but nobody else had made it known they could see what was happening. They were going to ask questions when McNally stumbled out with a bloody nose, but no one saw the fight.

  There were days when Manchester loved the British public.

  His hand still stinging, he turned to his wife. Evangeline looked lost for words, her eyes wide and bright. She looked stunned. And alone.

  He couldn’t keep himself away any longer. Manchester strode to her and tugged his wife into his arms. Evangeline didn’t stop him as he kissed her like he was starving, clutching onto his jacket with tightened fists. She was trembling. Manchester wished he could make that stop.

  He pulled back enough to speak, unable to pull away from her more.

  “Forgive me, Evie,” he croaked.

  “I…” Evangeline’s eyes were still wide, her mouth swollen from his kissing. She bit her lip. “There’s nothing to forgive. I should be the one asking for forgiveness.”

  “No, it should be me.” Manchester rested his forehead against hers, still close holding her close. “I didn’t know the truth. But I do now. I know why you ran. And while I understand why you did, I wish you had told me.”

  “I had to.” Evangeline sounded choked. Manchester saw a tear trickle down her cheek. “I didn’t want to break your heart if you learned I was part of a family that helped my treasonous brother leave the country.”

  “I wouldn’t have cared about that. You were my wife, and I married you because I loved you.” Manchester kissed her, wiping away her tears. “You broke my heart by leaving without a word.”

  “I thought it was for the best.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  Evangeline was crying softly now. She cupped his jaw in her hand and looked him in the eye for the first time.

  “Like I said, I’m the one who should be asking for forgiveness. I kept Richard away from you for nearly six years. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t want McNally to come after me and make you realize what had happened.”

  She had done all that for him. And she shouldn’t have needed to. Manchester hugged her tightly.

  “You should’ve told me.” Then he kissed her soundly. “But I forgive you.”

  “Can you forgive me for lying to you?”

  “About what?”

  Evangeline let out a shuddering breath.

  “When I said I didn’t love you anymore. I said that because I was too frightened to tell the truth.”

  Manchester had already figured it out. Evangeline was not someone who could change her emotions that easily. Not with him, anyway.

  “I already knew that.” But he needed to hear it again. Properly. “Just say it now. I need to hear it.”

  Evangeline smiled and kissed him.

  “I love you,” she whispered. “I’ve always loved you.”

  Manchester couldn’t have asked for anything better. He would have swept her into another kiss before taking her home, back where he wanted her, but they had eyes on them. Hutch and Richard were coming towards them. He smiled at Evangeline and kissed her forehead.

  “And I love you as well.” He nodded towards their guests. “And there’s someone who wants to see you.”

  Evangeline turned. She burst into tears and ran towards her son. Richard ran over to her and his mother swept him into her arms. The little boy clung onto Evangeline tightly, burying his face into her neck.

  “I don’t want you to go, Mama,” he whimpered. “Don’t go.”

  Evangeline looked up at Manchester. Hutch also raised his eyebrows at his friend.

  “What are you going to do about that, Your Grace?”

  Manchester smiled and approached his family, cupping Richard’s head as the little boy looked up at him with eyes that were so much like his own.

  “I might need to talk to the judge about it. But would you like to come home with me? Both you and your mother? I know your mother would want you with us.”

  Richard’s eyes lit up. Then he looked at Evangeline, who gave him a big smile.

  “I’m going with him.” She cupped his face lovingly. “What about you?”

  Richard flung his arms around his mother’s neck.

  “Yes!”

  Manchester stood beside them and slipped his arms around his wife’s shoulders, kissing her head as Evangeline leaned into him.

  “No more secrets?” he asked.

  Evangeline smiled up at him.

  “No more secrets.”

  *** The End ***

  failing to

  entice the earl

  Regency Romance

  Grace Fletcher

  Chapter 1

  Doing a Favor

  This had been a long time coming. It would have happened sooner or later. But now, standing at the edge of the ballroom, staring out at everyone enjoying the evening looking splendid in the various gowns and finely cut clothes, Julie Watts wished she wasn’t here. She felt like her dress was out of season, her hair wasn’t done correctly, and she stood out like a sore thumb.

  What she wanted to do was pull back and leave as soon as possible. This wasn’t how her first season was supposed to go.

  “Julie!”

  Julie jumped when her voice was said very loudly in her ear. She dropped her handkerchief, which fluttered to the floor. Julie looked up and glared at the brunette standing beside her, shaking her head in disapproval.

  “You’ve not
listened to a word I’ve said, have you?”

  “Don’t shriek at me like that, Beverley, please,” Julie grumbled, snatching her handkerchief off the floor. “I nearly screamed myself.”

  “I wasn’t shrieking.” Beverley Nye pursed her lips. “But I might as well have done, seeing as you didn’t hear me the first time.”

  Now she was being thoughtless. Julie had agreed to come to this ball with her friend to step into Society, finally. Beverley would be at her side while she negotiated her way about.

  “Forgive me.” She sighed. “I’m not very comfortable right now.”

  “I gathered that. You’ve been picking at your handkerchief so much I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen apart.”

  “I am very nervous.”

  Beverley smiled and squeezed Julie’s hand.

  “It’s natural.”

  Two years behind everyone else, Julie had suffered the tremendous loss of her mother, who had always been a rather sickly woman. Her death and the family’s subsequent mourning had happened around the same time Julie was about to enter Society as a new eighteen-year-old woman. Now she was out of mourning, her father was urging her to do as Society dictated.

  Julie hadn’t minded. She wasn’t one of the most sociable people. Being in a room full of people had her feeling like the walls were closing in. She got tongue-tied and preferred to be in a corner watching everyone, or at home with a good book. Mourning had allowed her to do the latter. Now Julie wished she could do the former. But she was the daughter of an earl; she needed to make herself known.

  “Don’t worry,” Beverley nudged her affectionately as they started walking the edge of the ballroom. “It’s not that bad.”

  “Mother said that before, but I didn’t believe her.”

  “From what my Mama said, your mother was the life of the party when she was your age. She didn’t let her sickness get in the way.”

  “I’m not my mother, though,” Julie pointed out. “Mother was more graceful sick than I am well.”

  Beverley laughed.

  “You will blend in to Society with no problem at all, Julie. I promise you. And I’m glad you’re here. It’s nice to see a friendly face.”