Sylvia Andrew – The Bridegroom's Bargain (страница 2)

Lady Honoria was not the only person present who was failing to give Canon Harmond the attention he deserved. The bride’s nerves were as taut as a violin string as she waited for the end of the service. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon they would go into the vestry for the last signatures, the delivery of the last documents and then…and then it would all be over.

Only dimly aware of Canon Harmond leading the way ahead of them, and Mark and Lady Honoria following behind, Alexandra felt Richard’s hand on her elbow, escorting her out of the church and into the vestry. Once inside the little room she allowed herself be drawn to the table, where the lawyer sat with papers spread before him. She signed where he told her, then took a step back. Her head and her heart were pounding so hard she felt she might explode. She took off her hat and veil to relieve some of the pressure, and put them down on the table near the all-important document. Her wedding gift from Richard.

‘Alexandra? What’s wrong? Aren’t you interested in the gift I promised you?’ Richard was smiling at her.

Bile rose in her throat, but she forced it down and made herself smile in return. ‘Of course!’ she said. ‘Is it ready?’

‘I think so. Mr Underhill?’

The lawyer cleared his throat. His manner was disapproving, but he said clearly enough, ‘I have here a deed drawn up in favour of Sir Mark Satterly Rawdon, of Rawdon Hall in the county of Somerset. Put briefly, it returns in full everything formerly belonging to the Rawdon Hall estate that was acquired during the past three months by Lord Deverell from Lady Deverell’s father, the late Sir Jeremy Rawdon. The lands and monies are detailed below…’ He looked up. ‘The list is quite a long one.’

Ignoring the exclamations of wonder and surprise from Lady Honoria and the Canon, the lawyer took off his pince-nez. ‘An extraordinary document. I can say with confidence that I have never known anything like it. Lord Deverell has been outstandingly generous! Do you wish me to read out the list, Lady Deverell?’

‘No,’ said Lexi tonelessly. ‘I accept that it is as we planned.’

‘Ah! We have inserted one clause, which I should perhaps point out to you,’ said the lawyer.

Lexi was instantly alert. ‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘That should Sir Mark predecease you or Lord Deverell without issue, the contents of this deed of gift will not form part of his estate, but will revert to your husband.’

A curious smile passed fleetingly over Lexi’s face. ‘I have no objection to that. By all means leave the clause in. May I have the deed?’

Richard took the bundle of papers from the lawyer before it reached Lexi’s hand. ‘Are you sure you want this, Alexandra? It’s a strange sort of wedding present—there’s nothing in it for you.’

‘There is everything there for me! It makes Rawdon safe for the future. That was what my father would have wanted,’ she said tightly. ‘May I have it?’

‘Don’t you think I deserve a reward first?’ he said with a smile. ‘A kiss from my wife, perhaps?’

Lexi felt a surge of panic-stricken revulsion. ‘No!’ she exclaimed.

She looked round at the shocked silence that followed her cry. ‘N…not yet,’ she faltered. ‘Let me give this to Mark first.’

Richard’s eyes narrowed. ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘But I think we can dispense with Mr Underhill. He has done his bit.’ With a brief nod and a word of thanks he dismissed the lawyer. Then he raised Lexi’s hand to his lips before putting the document into it.

Lexi had been waiting with every sign of impatience. Now she snatched her hand away and thrust the deed into her cousin’s hands. ‘Take it!’ she said fiercely. ‘And look after Rawdon. Our family has lived at the Hall for centuries. You’re the last of them, and it’s up to you to see that it carries on. It’s all perfectly, legally, yours, and, now that its lands have been restored, it has the means to survive.’

‘Lexi, I don’t know what to say—’

‘Don’t say anything. Take it! And stand back!’

She turned to the shelves behind her, and when she faced the room again she was holding a pistol in her hand. ‘All of you stand back!’ The pistol was pointing at Richard. There was a moment of stunned astonishment.

Then Lady Honoria exclaimed, ‘Alexandra! What do you think you’re doing? Is this a joke? It’s in extremely poor taste if it is. Put that thing down at once!’

‘Oh, no! Not till I’ve done what I’ve sworn to do.’ Her eye caught a movement. ‘I warn you all. If anyone moves, I shall shoot Deverell straight away. And I won’t miss.’

Richard spoke for the first time. He was slightly pale, but perfectly self-possessed, and his eyes never left his bride’s face. ‘I think I can vouch for that,’ he said calmly. ‘Alexandra is a first-class shot, I taught her myself. But I’d quite like to know why she thinks she wants to shoot me. Alexandra?’

‘You need to ask? You’re a coward! A villainous coward! You killed my brother, and you ruined my father. Isn’t that enough?’

A gasp went up at these words. Lady Honoria uttered a shocked protest, and Canon Harmond, looking bewildered, said,

‘I don’t understand. Why are you saying such terrible things, Alexandra? Lord Deverell has just made you his wife! Poor child, you don’t know what you’re doing. It has all been too much for you. Give that weapon to me.’ He took a step forward.

Lexi’s command stopped him. ‘Stand back! I’m quite aware of what I’m doing. Stand back! I swear I will shoot Deverell before you can reach me.’

‘Richard, this is disgraceful behaviour! I’ve never known anything like it! Stop her, why don’t you?’ said Lady Honoria, outraged.

Without taking his eyes off his wife, Richard said, ‘There’s nothing I’d like more, Aunt Honoria, but I’m not quite sure how.’ He was now very pale, but remained cool. ‘But I am sure that it’s no joke. She means what she says.’ His voice changed as he spoke. ‘These are very serious accusations, Alexandra. Do you really believe them? They can’t possibly be justified, you know.’

‘Oh, indeed they can! I have all the evidence I need for that! And now Rawdon is safe, I intend to make you pay for what you’ve done.’

Lady Honoria turned to Mark Rawdon. ‘Sir Mark!’ she said forcefully. ‘Haven’t you any influence with her? Say something! Do something! I can’t believe she seriously means to shoot anybody, but pointing a gun like that is dangerous. Tell her to stop acting like a fool, to put it down. Make her listen to you!’

‘Don’t do it, Lexi!’ said her cousin. ‘You’ve got what you wanted—Rawdon will survive. Surely you don’t need to do anything as mad as this? It’s not necessary any more.’

‘It is! It’s more necessary than ever. He’s my husband, Mark! Do you imagine I could live with such a villain?’ She lifted the pistol, and the tension in the little room rose again.

‘Wait, Alexandra! Wait!’ Richard spoke urgently, but still without fear. ‘Give me just one moment. As the condemned man I could surely be allowed one moment to put my case.’

‘To plead your innocence, perhaps?’ Lexi’s lip curled.

‘Yes, dammit! I am innocent!’

‘You did not shoot my brother?’

‘No, I did not!’

Lexi went on relentlessly, ‘You did not play cards with my father? Gamble with him? You did not win everything he owned? Ruin him?’

Richard hesitated. ‘He was ruined before I began the game, but, yes, I did play him for what…what was left. And I won.’ Lexi gave a sob and her hand tightened round the pistol. Lady Honoria and the Canon both made a movement of protest.

‘Keep still, all of you!’ Richard spoke sharply. ‘I absolutely forbid anyone to interfere! This is between Alexandra and myself.’ He held Lexi’s eye as he went on deliberately, ‘I did what I had to about your father. I wanted to save him, not ruin him. If he had not died so suddenly, I would have proved it. To him, and, if necessary, to you.’

‘Not very convincing! I made you return my father’s lands to Mark. If I hadn’t, they would now all be yours, swallowed up in the Channings estate. Rawdon wouldn’t exist any more.’ Her voice rose angrily. ‘Good God, Deverell! What sort of man are you? Wasn’t Channings big enough for you? Did you have to take Rawdon as well?’

With a touch of steel in his voice, Richard said, ‘You didn’t make me give anything back, Alexandra. It was all freely given as a wedding present to you. You chose to pass it on to your cousin.’

‘Not so freely! I had to marry you to get it!’

‘Are you saying you wouldn’t have married me otherwise? I find that hard to believe. You seemed willing enough when I asked you.’

‘That was before—’ She stopped and swallowed. ‘Before I found out what you’d done. After that, nothing but the thought of saving Rawdon could have reconciled me to it.’

If possible, Richard grew even paler. ‘I…see…’ Then, after a pause, he went on, ‘But, as you have said, Rawdon is saved. Whatever I did or didn’t do, surely it’s been put right again?’

‘Put right again? You drove my father to his death! And there’s still my brother to be paid for!’

‘I’ve told you,’ Richard said steadily, ‘Johnny’s death was an accident.’

‘Oh, I could believe that! But accidentally or not, you shot him, Deverell, though you told everyone he had shot himself. Why else would you have tried to cover it up afterwards? You are a liar and a coward, Richard Deverell. I know that, even if the world doesn’t.’