Historical Romance – The Best Of The Year. Кэрол Мортимер

owed him a large sum of money from a gambling debt.’

      ‘He shall be paid somehow. If the estate passes to me, I shall pay all his debts.’

      ‘You are owed something after the way he treated you, Maddie. You must keep enough for yourself.’

      ‘I wish that I need take nothing from Lethbridge. I hated him at the end. My settlement is mine by right and it would surely be sufficient—if my husband has not already spent the capital. He was deeply in debt to Rochdale, I believe...’

      ‘I have little fortune, but I should be honoured to offer what I have.’

      ‘Oh, please, do not speak of the future yet. I feel...abused, unclean,’ Madeline said and shuddered. ‘If only my father had not been so foolish with his money and I need never have wed him.’

      ‘As to that, I have been told that Lethbridge cheated your father at the card tables, just as he cheated others. I exposed Lethbridge for a cheat at the tables and he challenged me to a duel...but a friend of mine believes that he once killed a young man to protect his secret.’

      ‘He was an evil man and I shall not mourn him,’ Madeline said and now the shine of tears in her eyes had been replaced by anger at the way that both she and her father had been tricked. ‘I refuse to wear black for him. Why should I?’

      ‘I do not require it of you,’ Hallam said, ‘however, I fear we must observe a period of mourning. If you were to marry before six months were out, people might suspect that I tried to murder your husband to get you. And I would have killed him if I’d had to, Maddie.’

      ‘Hush,’ she said and pressed her fingers to his lips. ‘Speak of him no more, Hal. I would prefer to forget him.’

      ‘We shall do our best,’ he said and smiled at her. ‘You asked me to take you away. My cousin, Adam Miller, has just returned from his honeymoon in Scotland. He is to stay at Ravenscar for a few weeks before travelling abroad and my uncle has asked me to join them for a time. Adam and I have business to discuss. I shall take you there for you will be safe with my family.’

      ‘What if the marquis finds me again?’

      ‘Adam will have the keepers patrol the grounds, Maddie. Ravenscar is well staffed and protected and you will be safe there.’

      She was hesitant. ‘I hardly know them. And Lethbridge was a friend of Mrs Miller’s father...’

      ‘Jenny is a lovely person and I know she will welcome you, as will Adam,’ Hallam said. ‘I would take you to my home, but it needs refurbishment and is too close to your friend’s farm to be safe for you until we have settled with whoever is trying to abduct you. I intend to sell out my army commission, but I may be called back to the regiment in the meantime. If that happens, I would wish to know that you were safe with my cousins. If I left you alone, I should not know a moment’s peace.’

      ‘Yes, perhaps that would be best,’ Madeline said, giving in because she had nowhere else to go, though she could not like the idea of imposing on people she hardly knew. ‘You, Hal, shall guide me, for the time being. I have nothing until Lethbridge’s affairs are settled and must rely on the generosity of others...’

      ‘You know that all I have is at your disposal, Maddie,’ he said. ‘There is little enough, God knows, but I hope to settle things soon and then I shall at least be able to provide a comfortable home for you should you wish it.’

      Madeline hesitated. He was gallant and generous and she wanted to accept his offer, but he’d made no mention of his feelings. She could only accept if he were to offer her his heart. And even then, could she be the wife he deserved?

      Lethbridge had soiled and despoiled her. Now that she was free of him she should be thinking of the future, and she wanted nothing more than to be Hal’s wife, but she was not certain she could ever allow a man to touch her again—even the man she loved.

      Would Hal still love her if he understood what her husband had done to her?

      * * *

      ‘I am sorry you must leave us,’ Hattie said and kissed Madeline on both cheeks. ‘Yet I know that it would not be safe for you to stay here if this wicked person is bent on kidnapping you. We would care for you as best we could, but we could not protect you if he is determined to take you captive. You will be safer with the major’s family.’

      ‘I would not wish to bring harm to you,’ Madeline said. ‘I’ve been content here and thought I might like to live nearby, but for the moment it may be best if I live with Hal’s family. They have a big estate and if I stay within its bounds I should be safe enough. Once again this man—whoever he may be—must find me before he can harm me.’

      ‘It beats me how he came to find you here,’ Hattie said, looking distressed. ‘He must have had you followed.’

      ‘Yes, or someone followed Thomas perhaps, which makes me anxious for him, though I would not say so to Sally,’ Madeline said. ‘I believe Hal scared the rogues off this time and it will be a while before he sends someone else to hunt me down. Perhaps he will not bother now that he knows I have such good friends.’

      She could only hope that the marquis would decide she was not worth the bother and forget her. There were many women richer and more beautiful than she—even if her husband’s money came to her. Why should he waste his time pursuing her?

      ‘We must pray he will not.’ Hattie nodded and patted her hand. ‘You will write to me and let me know how you are?’

      ‘Yes, of course.’ Madeline embraced her. ‘Perhaps I can visit again soon in happier times. If God wills it I may even come to live near you one day.’

      ‘He’s a good man,’ Hattie whispered in her ear. ‘I think you could not do better than wed him when he asks.’

      Madeline felt the heat rush into her cheeks and glanced at Hal, but he was speaking to Sally and noticed nothing. He’d hired a chaise for her and Sally and would himself ride beside them with a groom he’d found somewhere. The man was ex-army by his look and no doubt handy with his pistol. Thomas had not yet returned from London, but Hattie had promised to tell him where to find them, though she swore that she would not say a word to anyone else.

      ‘Wild horses would not drag it from me,’ she said, ‘but I’ll send your young man to you, Sally, when he returns.’

      Sally blushed, but she was feeling too anxious over Thomas’s late return to do more than thank their kind hostess. She gathered up a few of their belongings and went out to the chaise.

      Madeline followed, glancing back to watch as Hal took his farewell of the farmer. They seemed to have much to discuss and she wondered what could be keeping him, but then they shook hands and Hal came out just in time to hand her into the chaise.

      ‘Jenkins was telling me of some land that has come up for sale,’ he said. ‘I’ve asked him to buy it for me if it goes for a price I can afford.’

      ‘You are thinking of settling here, then?’

      ‘Yes, I believe it will suit me,’ Hal said and smiled in a way that made her heart beat faster. ‘I have good friends here and with some improvement and perhaps in time an enlargement, the house will make a comfortable home. To settle my father’s debts I must sell his estate. What little remains may be invested here. I do not have a fortune to offer any lady, Maddie, but I hope it may be enough for the woman I care for—if she loves me.’

      ‘I am certain it would be,’ she said and her heart fluttered.

      ‘I am not yet in a position to ask anyone to wed me,’ Hal went on, ‘but we shall speak more of this another time.’

      She murmured something appropriate for although she longed to declare her love for him, she did not wish to make him feel he must wed her. Hal had loved her to distraction once, but she’d hurt him, sending him away with harsh words. He’d fought a duel with her husband for her sake, and he would protect her from the marquis,