Bought for Revenge(44)

'I intend to look after you for the rest of your life, madam, whether you need it or not.'

Already shaken from her ordeal, Belle could not pull away. She remained  passively within the circle of his arm, gazing up at him. The moonlight  shadowed his face, but she could feel the power of his glance burning  into her. His arm tightened.

'Agreed?' he demanded.

'Agreed, Lucas,' she replied meekly.

'Good.' He released her and took up the reins again. 'Now. Let us go and see your father.'





Chapter Eighteen


The half-moon had dropped to the west but it was still light enough for  Lucas to drive his team at a cracking pace. Annabelle sat quietly beside  him, the cold night air keeping sleep at bay. So many thoughts raced  through her mind that she could make no sense of any of it.

When they arrived at Oakenroyd they found the house blazing with light.  Lucas helped her down and escorted her to the front door where Gibson  was waiting.

'Welcome home, Miss Havenham.' The butler beamed at her as he ushered  her into the house. 'You will find Mr Havenham waiting for you in the  drawing room. He refused to retire until he had seen you.'

Lucas took her arm and as they crossed the hall the housekeeper came  bustling out of the shadows. After the briefest of curtsies to Lucas she  launched herself into speech.

'Oh, Miss Havenham, it is so good to see you here once more. Your old  room is ready for you, and the master's-Mr Havenham, I should say-and I  have taken wine and cakes into the drawing room, in case you are hungry,  but I will fetch you a hot chocolate if you would prefer, or tea … '

'Thank you, Mrs Wicklow, wine will be very good.' Belle smiled at her  and as the housekeeper turned away she saw her lift her apron to wipe  away a rogue tear.

Lucas put his hand over her fingers where they rested on his sleeve. 'You have been missed,' he said quietly.

'But I do not understand. Have you told them that you are making the house over?'

'Not a word.'

'Then … how do they know?'

He smiled down at her, the glow in his eyes setting her pulse racing.  'Servants always know.' He squeezed her fingers briefly as they entered  the drawing room. Samuel rose as the door opened and Belle flew across  the room and into his arms, laughing and crying at once.

It took a considerable time to explain everything to Samuel. Belle sat  beside him on the sofa while Lucas stood before the fire and told him  all that had occurred that evening.

'So it has all ended well,' said Samuel, when he had finished.

'Well, almost, sir,' said Lucas. 'My only concern is the property and  the loans I signed over to Duggan. I know he used threats to obtain the  signatures, but if he should contest that and Strutt should back him  up … Unlikely, perhaps, but everything could become bound up in the courts  for years.' He looked up. 'I cannot lie to you, sir. Most of my capital  is tied up in the properties. If I lose them I shall have some money  left, not a great fortune, perhaps, but sufficient to look after you and  your daughter.'                       
       
           



       

'I am sure we shall come about,' said Samuel gently.

'But you may still lose Oakenroyd,' said Lucas. 'At least in the short term.'

'We can always go back to Croft Cottage,' put in Belle.

Lucas smiled. 'No, it won't come to that, I promise you.'

'I think you are worrying unnecessarily,' said Samuel. 'For my part I  think we have a great deal to be thankful for. I am relieved to learn  that Jonas was not responsible for the fire at Morwood. As you must be,  my boy, although I am sorry you had to discover it in such unpleasant  circumstances. But more than that, I cannot express my gratitude to you  for bringing Annabelle back safely to me.'

Lucas's face darkened. He rested one arm on the mantelpiece and stared  down into the fire. 'You have nothing to be grateful for, sir,' he said  curtly. 'On the contrary. If I had not been such a crass fool none of  this would have occurred-'

'But sometimes God likes to test us with adversity.' Samuel shook his  head at him, smiling. 'I know you will not agree with that, Lucas, but  you must allow an old man his beliefs.'

'I will allow you anything, sir, if you can forgive me-' He broke off,  his jaw working as he considered his next words. 'But, can you forgive  me enough to change your mind and allow me to marry your daughter?' He  looked at Samuel, such uncertainty in his eyes that Belle's heart turned  over. 'I have learned a great deal tonight, sir. Not only about my  father, but also about myself. I know I have no right to ask it, but if  you would consent, I believe I could be a good husband to her. I will  see to it that she wants for nothing.'

'We know you have money enough,' said Samuel, gently, 'but is that all, Lucas?'

'If you mean do I love her, sir, then, yes. With all my heart.'

Belle caught her breath. She felt her father's eyes upon her and turned  to look at him, hoping he could read the silent appeal in her own. With a  smile he patted her hands before responding.

'My dear boy, if ever a knight deserved to win his maid it is you. If Belle loves you, then I will gladly give my consent.'

Belle gave a little sob. 'I do, Papa! You know-'

He held up his hand. 'No, no, I am not the one you have to tell, my  love.' He pushed himself to his feet. 'It has been a long day, and if  you will excuse me I shall go to bed.' He turned to Belle, who had risen  with him, and took her hands. 'My child, you know how dearly I loved  his mother. If you love Lucas only half as much, then you should marry  him and with my blessing.' He kissed her cheek and made his way slowly  out of the room.

Belle stood with her hands clasped, looking at the closed door. She was  very much aware that Lucas was watching her. Only the crackle of the  fire disturbed the silence.

'So,' he said at last, 'I have your father's permission to address you.'  When she did not reply, he continued. 'I believe I even have his  blessing to do so. Not that you should let that influence your decision.  For it is your decision, Belle. Having put my cousin into the hands of  the law it may not be possible for me to make Oakenroyd over to your  father for a while, but I shall set up an annuity for him immediately,  enough to keep you both. You will be independent again. There is no need  for you to marry anyone, unless you really want to do so.'

Silently Annabelle sank back on to the sofa. She looked about the room.  Everything was as she remembered it. This had been her home and might  well be again, but it would never be the same. Adversity had taught her  to appreciate the comfort and luxury of Oakenroyd, but not to take it  for granted.

Lucas dropped on to one knee before her and reached for her hands.

'I asked you once before to marry me,' he said. 'Then it was for all the  wrong reasons and you turned me down. I am asking you now, my love, to  accept my hand in marriage and this time I hope I am asking you for all  the right reasons. Because I love you, because I want to make you happy.  I want to honour, cherish and protect you all the days of your life.'  He looked down at her fingers clasped in his own. 'And lastly because my  life will be so damnably empty if you are not in it.' She waited for  him to continue and heard the note of tension in his voice when he spoke  again. 'So I lay everything I have at your feet, Belle, and beg you to  make your choice. If you say yes, you will make me the happiest man in  the world, but if … if this is not what you want, then you only have to  say and I shall importune you no more.'

'Can you do that? Can you really leave the decision to me, and if I say no you will leave me alone, for ever?'                       
       
           



       

'You have my word on it.'

Gently she disengaged her hands and got up. She began to walk slowly  about the room. 'You see,' she said, 'I think that, deep down, I am even  more unforgiving than you, because I have known for many months now  that I love you, and when you and my father decided between you that it  would be best that we did not see each other again I found myself  railing against it quite, quite violently.' She came back to stand  before him, looking down into his face. 'What your father did, or did  not do, was of no interest to me. I could never bring myself to believe  that you would hurt me, despite what had happened and I raged against  your decision not to marry me. I swore I would never forgive you for  that.'

'And now?' He was looking up at her, his eyes dark and wary, afraid to hope.

'Now,' she said, her lip trembling, 'now I would think myself the luckiest woman alive if I could be your wife.'

When she saw the joy in his eyes she could no longer hold back her  smile, but it was smothered when he jumped up and dragged her to him,  kissing her so savagely that for a while she could think of nothing but  the sheer pleasure of being in his arms.