that right?”
Austin thought twice before he answered. “I said I know the place she was last seen.”
“Is it close?” Lady Penderly asked.
“Yes, it’s close.”
Lady Penderly clasped her hands to her heart then reached out to her husband. “Did you hear that, Richard? She’s close.”
Penderly took the hand his wife extended then looked at Austin. “She’s in London, isn’t she? I was certain she’d come back here. It’s what she knows. Where she feels comfortable.”
Austin didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Penderly’s oldest nephew bolted to his feet and stalked across the room. When he reached the fireplace, he turned.
“If you know where she is, why didn’t you contact her? Why didn’t you bring her with you?”
Austin studied the loathing on Wesley Dunstan’s face. Austin recognized anger when he confronted it and Wesley Dunstan seethed with fury.
“I didn’t bring Miss Flemming with me because I wanted to make sure I understood the benefits Lord and Lady Penderly wanted me to offer. I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep.”
Lord Penderly rose. “Very wise, Captain Landwell. Perhaps we can adjourn to my study and discuss what Lady Penderly and I are prepared to offer.”
“That won’t be necessary, Richard,” Jasper Dunstan said. “It’s time Leonora and I took our leave.” He held out his hand and helped his wife to her feet. “Since I can’t condone what you intend to do, I doubt I’ll have anything constructive to add to your folly. Come, boys.”
Dunstan escorted his family toward the door. Before they left, Leonora Dunstan turned. “Please, think what you’re doing, Estelle. Think what this will do to your standing in Society. What it will do to the girl. No one will accept her. She’ll be shunned. And so will you.” She dabbed at a tear that ran down her cheek. “So will we. So will my boys.” She swiped her hand through the air. “All of us.”
“We’ve survived worse,” Lady Penderly answered. “We have to do this, Leonora. For Gregory.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Dunstan cried as she rushed from the room.
No one moved until the front door closed behind the Dunstans.
“Well,” Lady Penderly said on a sigh. “That went as expected, didn’t it, Richard?”
The Earl of Penderly lifted his chin and bellowed a deep, sincere laugh. “Yes, my dear. Exactly as expected. Now, Captain.” He turned his attention to Austin. “What exactly would you like to know?”
The Earl of Penderly outlined everything he intended to do for Lady Fledgemont, including the staffed house he would give her, the generous allowance that would be hers, as well as anything else she asked for. There would be nothing their daughter-in-law lacked if it was in Penderly’s power to give it.
When they finished, Austin stood to leave.
“I have one more question,” Penderly said.
Austin turned.
“Did Gregory and Miss Flemming marry?”
“Yes. I found records that they did.”
Lady Penderly’s hands flew to her mouth and the earl grinned an open smile. “That’s wonderful news. We prayed they had. It truly makes Miss Flemming our daughter.”
The Earl of Penderly patted his wife’s hand, then turned back to Austin. “How soon can we anticipate welcoming Lady Fledgemont into our family?”
“It shouldn’t be long. It’s too soon to give you a definite time, but I’ll be in touch when I’ve made the arrangements.”
“Very good. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
“Yes,” Lady Penderly echoed. “Thank you, Captain Landwell. This is the second time we are in your debt. If there’s ever anything we can do for you—”
Austin held up his hand to keep her from finishing. “You’ve already done enough. You gave me one of the finest soldiers it was ever my pleasure to command.”
Tears sprang to Lady Penderly’s eyes and Austin gave a quick nod of farewell then left the room before he saw the raw pain he knew would be on the earl and his
Austin thought twice before he answered. “I said I know the place she was last seen.”
“Is it close?” Lady Penderly asked.
“Yes, it’s close.”
Lady Penderly clasped her hands to her heart then reached out to her husband. “Did you hear that, Richard? She’s close.”
Penderly took the hand his wife extended then looked at Austin. “She’s in London, isn’t she? I was certain she’d come back here. It’s what she knows. Where she feels comfortable.”
Austin didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Penderly’s oldest nephew bolted to his feet and stalked across the room. When he reached the fireplace, he turned.
“If you know where she is, why didn’t you contact her? Why didn’t you bring her with you?”
Austin studied the loathing on Wesley Dunstan’s face. Austin recognized anger when he confronted it and Wesley Dunstan seethed with fury.
“I didn’t bring Miss Flemming with me because I wanted to make sure I understood the benefits Lord and Lady Penderly wanted me to offer. I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep.”
Lord Penderly rose. “Very wise, Captain Landwell. Perhaps we can adjourn to my study and discuss what Lady Penderly and I are prepared to offer.”
“That won’t be necessary, Richard,” Jasper Dunstan said. “It’s time Leonora and I took our leave.” He held out his hand and helped his wife to her feet. “Since I can’t condone what you intend to do, I doubt I’ll have anything constructive to add to your folly. Come, boys.”
Dunstan escorted his family toward the door. Before they left, Leonora Dunstan turned. “Please, think what you’re doing, Estelle. Think what this will do to your standing in Society. What it will do to the girl. No one will accept her. She’ll be shunned. And so will you.” She dabbed at a tear that ran down her cheek. “So will we. So will my boys.” She swiped her hand through the air. “All of us.”
“We’ve survived worse,” Lady Penderly answered. “We have to do this, Leonora. For Gregory.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Dunstan cried as she rushed from the room.
No one moved until the front door closed behind the Dunstans.
“Well,” Lady Penderly said on a sigh. “That went as expected, didn’t it, Richard?”
The Earl of Penderly lifted his chin and bellowed a deep, sincere laugh. “Yes, my dear. Exactly as expected. Now, Captain.” He turned his attention to Austin. “What exactly would you like to know?”
The Earl of Penderly outlined everything he intended to do for Lady Fledgemont, including the staffed house he would give her, the generous allowance that would be hers, as well as anything else she asked for. There would be nothing their daughter-in-law lacked if it was in Penderly’s power to give it.
When they finished, Austin stood to leave.
“I have one more question,” Penderly said.
Austin turned.
“Did Gregory and Miss Flemming marry?”
“Yes. I found records that they did.”
Lady Penderly’s hands flew to her mouth and the earl grinned an open smile. “That’s wonderful news. We prayed they had. It truly makes Miss Flemming our daughter.”
The Earl of Penderly patted his wife’s hand, then turned back to Austin. “How soon can we anticipate welcoming Lady Fledgemont into our family?”
“It shouldn’t be long. It’s too soon to give you a definite time, but I’ll be in touch when I’ve made the arrangements.”
“Very good. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
“Yes,” Lady Penderly echoed. “Thank you, Captain Landwell. This is the second time we are in your debt. If there’s ever anything we can do for you—”
Austin held up his hand to keep her from finishing. “You’ve already done enough. You gave me one of the finest soldiers it was ever my pleasure to command.”
Tears sprang to Lady Penderly’s eyes and Austin gave a quick nod of farewell then left the room before he saw the raw pain he knew would be on the earl and his
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