Beginning, Previous Section, Section X
Not five minutes later, Robin arrived, the earl and Anne following close behind.
"We got your note, but we were rather confused as to why you needed to see us immediately," Robin said once everyone was seated on benches.
Rupert sighed. He was uncertain how to begin to tell them about Lady Cordelia's hideous deception against them, and her plan to ruin Robin's intended marriage. He glanced nervously at the earl. Perhaps he should not have invited him, for what man would believe his daughter capable of such things? Perhaps he should not have invited Anne, but rather faced Robin alone so that Anne might believe her cousin still cared about her.
But no. Anne deserved the truth, and the earl needed to be warned of what his daughter intended.
"I have something to say which affects all of you," Rupert began slowly. "You may not wish to believe me, but it is the truth. If you wish for further verification, you may ask Lady Ariel." Rupert paused again, the memory of that rather forward miss making him frown. He still could not get that brat's last statement out of his mind. "Matlock, what on earth was she doing here? She is but fifteen years old."
"Her mother thinks exposure to a bit of society might do her good. She is turning into a bluestocking."
"Heaven forbid a woman enjoy books and learning," Anne muttered. "Heaven forbid--"
"Could we possibly avoid this argument?" Matlock looked pointedly at Rupert.
"I am only saying that you are being too harsh with her," Anne replied.
"We are getting away from the subject at hand," Robin intervened before it could truly become an argument. "Rupe, you said you wanted to say something."
"I do. I have learned just this evening that there is a plot to force Anne to marry Evan Brixton."
Matlock turned a rather angry shade of red. "Dorchester," he hissed. "That swine--"
"The Duke of Dorchester? Was he the man who paid Brixton to court Anne?" Robin's colour looked none better than Matlock's.
"Lord Cassel was paid to court me?" Anne, on the other hand, had turned rather pale.
Rupert groaned. "I know nothing about Brixton being paid to court Anne, but he is not involved in this latest plot."
"Do you know what he intends to do?" Robin asked.
"He plans to do this at the costume ball. He intends to write a note to Anne, supposedly from you, asking to meet in the conservatory. He would kidnap you from there and force you to marry him."
Without realizing it, Anne reached out for Robin's hand. He took it in his and did not release it.
"Lord Cassel does not have an invitation to my wife's event," Matlock said. "I made sure of that. And everyone who attends must have an invitation, otherwise you get all sorts of undesirables there."
Anne's already white face turned whiter. Her jewel-like blue-green eyes stared at Rupert. "He would have an invitation if someone within the family gave him one," she said softly.
"But Anne, no one--"
Robin looked at his betrothed, realizing even as Matlock tried to explain that it was impossible just how likely it was that Brixton had an invitation.
"Cordelia," he hissed. He looked to Rupert for confirmation.
"Yes," Rupert told him. "Lady Cordelia is the one plotting with Brixton."
"Balderdash!" Matlock snapped. "Cordelia is planning to marry Wakefield. She has been blathering on about it for several weeks now. He came to see me about marrying her. She loves him."
"I know what I heard, sir," Rupert said. "It was your eldest daughter who was plotting to have Anne abducted. At the same time, she intended to be found kissing Robin by yourself and Miss Rose Cavendish. She believed you would insist on their marriage. She believed Robin would be honorable enough to marry her."
"She is diabolical," Anne whispered, looking as though she were about to faint. "All this time...she has been deceiving us. The apology, her feelings for Wakefield...oh, poor man, he shall be most hurt by this." Suddenly, her colorless look vanished and twin spots of red appeared on her cheeks. "The costumes. No wonder she wanted us to dress as identical twins! She intended for Robin to think she was me, so that he would suspect nothing when he kissed her."
"You cannot possibly believe your cousin is behind this," Matlock said angrily. "Anne, she is your cousin. Why would she do this?"
"Because she is obsessed with Robin. And the identical twin idea...she is convinced that he actually loves her because he saw her first, because he reacted to what his eyes told him. He thought she was me once, so he would believe it again."
"I cannot believe it," Matlock said. "I refuse to believe my daughter would--"
"You should believe it, Papa," a new voice said.
"What are you doing here?" Rupert growled at the newcomer. "You were not invited."
"You thought I would not notice that my father, cousin and her betrothed all abruptly disappeared?" Lady Ariel growled back. "I came because I know Papa. I knew he would not believe you. Papa, it is all true. I heard Cordelia and that man planning to do this to Anne and Lord Robin."
It was fortunate that Matlock was seated, for his legs felt numb. His daughter, his beautiful, wonderful little girl, had actually plotted another woman's ruin. And not just any woman, but her own cousin. He had known the truth but had not wanted to admit it.
"I cannot believe she has sunk to this," he said, unable to meet the gaze of anyone in the room.
His daughter walked forward and put her hand in his. "I am sorry to have to tell you, Papa, but you had to know. It was absolutely necessary."
Matlock patted her hand gently. "I know, Ariel. I do not blame you."
"What are we going to do?" Anne asked. "We know what they are plotting, and we can stop them this time. But what is to stop them from trying again?"
"I shall lock her in her room, that is what," Matlock said.
"I think perhaps I should leave now," Rupert told them. "I wanted to warn you, but anything beyond this is none of my affair."
Robin stood up and shook his hand. "You are a true friend, Rupe. I know what it must have taken for you to do this," he said.
"You have no idea," Lady Ariel mumbled.
Rupert glared at her. "I think perhaps Lady Ariel should return to her mother," he added.
"I don't bloody think so," she replied.
"Ariel!" Matlock roared as Anne chuckled.
"I am almost sixteen. I am not about to be run off like a naughty child."
"Return to your mother this instant, and mind your manners," Matlock commanded. She had not choice but to obey her father, pausing at the door to stick her tongue out at his back before she left.
"Nearly sixteen but still so innocent," Robin said, smothering a smile. All humour fled when he thought again of their pleasant dilemma. "As for her older sister..."
"That was my signal to leave," Rupert said as he took his leave of them.
"I cannot think of what to do with her. I could send her to some relatives in Scotland," Matlock suggested. "Or perhaps to France."
"I do not think that would stop her," Anne said. "If she has gone to such lengths to bury her true feelings--going so far as to make everyone think she is in love with another man--then she shall not stop until she achieves her goal."
Matlock sighed. "I know. The best thing for it would be to have the two of you marry immediately."
Anne and Robin looked at each other with surprise. "We cannot do that," Anne said. "After Georgie and Sir Lysander..."
"I do not think we have any choice," Robin said. "Your uncle is right."
"B-but the ball is on Thursday...the banns must be read, and my dress had not been made, and I am not ready, and--"
"Anne, do you..." Robin hesitated. He gave Matlock a questioning glance.
"I think it is time for me to give you a moment alone," Matlock said before stepping out of the room.
Once he was gone, Anne said, "It is not that I do not wish to marry you. I do."
"Then why the delay?"
Anne sighed. "I do not want people thinking you had to marry me. I want people to know you married me because you loved me. If we get married like this, they are only going to speculate."
"They did not do much speculating when Georgiana eloped with Lysander."
"Georgie does not have my reputation. She does not have wagers placed on her in betting books. She does not have a nickname that people snicker at. I do."
"I told you I did not care for any of that."
"But..." Anne swallowed heavily. "But I do."
Robin placed his hands on either side of her face and made her look at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears and he damned her cousin for placing them in this position. "Truth be told, I do not want them gossiping either. In the past year, I have come to realize just how hypocritical our society is. I used to love London, but having seen it through the eyes of an outcast, I despise it. In fact, I doubt I care to come back for a good long while once we are married."
"That would suit me fine, too," she said. "But about the wedding..."
"Anne, I do not want to take any chances with you. I do not want to be arrogant and think that of course I could stop Brixton from kidnapping you, or that I could stop Cordelia from throwing herself at me. There is always a chance that something they try will succeed."
"But if we--"
"You said it yourself. Nothing is going to stop her. He has ten thousand reasons not to end his pursuit of you, and that does not even include your fortune. The only thing that will prevent the success of a scheme such as this is our marriage."
Anne sighed heavily. "I know you are right, but...this is going to seem silly, but I so wanted a spectacle. Or at the very least, I wanted a wedding where everyone would know it was happening but few were invited to attend. I wanted..."
"You wanted London at your feet." Robin grinned. "As did I. I do not think either of us shall ever forgive Society for treating us so poorly. We shall simply have to made do with marrying and being happy. I have heard it said that living well is the best revenge."
"Shakespeare?"
"Do you know, I'm not sure. So, are we going to marry before Thursday or are we going to take our chances with your cousin and Brixton?"
"We are marrying, of course. Did you doubt it for an instant?"
"Only for an instant, and only because I know you too well," Robin replied before kissing her.
One kiss led to another, which led to another, but before anything could continue, someone cleared their throat, causing Anne and Robin to jump away from each other guiltily.
"I think it is a good thing you are marrying soon," Matlock said with a glimmer of laughter in his eyes. "Otherwise we could have real trouble on our hands."
"Yes, uncle," Anne said, her cheeks flushed. "How soon can it all be arranged?"
"We shall be cutting it rather close, because I do not think it shall be until Wednesday, Thursday morning at the latest."
"There is no way I could escape Thursday," Anne told him. "Cordelia and I have to pick up our costumes and wigs and then--"
"I shall arrange for Cordelia to stay home. While you are out fetching the costumes, you can marry Lord Robin."
"That sounds like the best plan," Robin agreed.
"Very well, then." Anne nodded. "Uncle?"
"Yes, Anne?"
"What do you think will happen when Cordelia discovers Robin and I are married? What is to become of her?"
Matlock sighed. "I do not know what shall happen to her. I hope she will accept the loss graciously and make the best of the situation by marrying Wakefield. If she has been able to make him think she loves him up until now, I suspect she would be able to fool him for the rest of her life."
"Strange, but I never thought Jason Siddens to be such a great fool," Robin mused.
"Most men are fools when it comes to love," Matlock replied.
"True," Anne agreed, earning her frowns from the two men. "What? You were the ones saying that men in love are foolish. I was only agreeing."
"I doubt Lady Cordelia takes the news well," Robin said quietly, deciding not to comment.
"You are likely correct, which means we can expect more of the same treatment we received when you started calling on Anne. I hope that is all, because anything more and I do not know what I shall do."
"We should probably return to the dancing before we are greatly missed," Anne said. "It would not do for speculation to start and arouse suspicion in Lord Cassel or Del."
A few minutes later, Anne and her uncle returned to the party. Robin walked around the gardens for a few minutes before returning himself.
"Married? Really? Annie!" Georgiana squealed the next morning when Anne paid a call on the Overtons. She hugged her cousin tightly.
"You knew we were engaged!" Anne exclaimed with a smile. After sleeping on the matter for an evening, she had decided she did not mind the idea as much. Although it would make the ton talk even more than ever, she would be securing Robin at last and beginning their new life together.
And perhaps, after they were married, she would not worry quite so much.
Still, it had not been an easy night's sleep. The revelation that Cordelia was still in love with Robin stung, as well as the realization that she had been a prize fool. How Del must have laughed every time Anne confided something to her!
Anne's only bit of satisfaction was that Cordelia must have been seething these past weeks, ever since Robin and Anne had informed the family of their engagement. It was small consolation.
"So I did know, but all the same..." Georgiana's eyes widened. "Annie, you are not...with child, are you?"
"Georgiana!" Anne gasped, scandalized. "Of course not. I would never consider doing anything improper before I was married." But Anne could not prevent a blush from staining her cheeks, remembering the day Robin had proposed, and how things nearly had gotten out of control.
"Then why the sudden decision to marry? You do not have the problem I had with Lysander. You know Robin loves you, and no amount of time can change his mind about that."
Anne sighed. She had come to the part of her tale that she did not relish telling Georgiana, for she had been deceived just as Anne had been. She told of what Lord Rupert had overheard the night before, and just as she had expected, Georgiana was outraged.
"I wish I could say I cannot believe it," Georgiana said grimly, "but I can. What I cannot understand is why this obsession has continued. Not once in all the time he was gone did she ever say a word about him. She did not even hint that she had a secret love. Always there was talk of others--of this earl or that viscount, and mostly of the marquis. Never was there a mention of Lord Robin until he returned to England."
"Perhaps she loved him and forgot about him," Anne suggested.
"Annie...did you forget him while he was gone?"
"Of course not, but the circumstances in which we met were rather memorable. Cordelia was merely introduced to him once or twice."
"And from this, she was certain she loved him enough to do plan her own cousin's ruin." Georgiana sighed. "We have to stop making excuses for her. I do not know what maggot got into her head about Lord Robin, but it has not let her go. I rather doubt it ever shall."
"Are you suggesting that Cordelia has gone mad?" Anne spoke in a low voice in case anyone was listening.
"I do not presume to know the workings of anyone's mind, but it seems to me that ever since Lord Robin returned she has not been acting as she once did. And to think that Elizabeth suggested that Robin turn his attentions to her rather than you!"
"What?" Anne exclaimed.
"Oh, never fear. It was before you two met again. Elizabeth said when he first returned home, she made the suggestion that he wed and mentioned you and Cordelia."
"And naturally enough, she praised Cordelia and condemned me."
"Your reputation preceded you. And she did not exactly condemn you, but she did mention the, ah, difficulties you had had with Society." Georgiana bit her lip when Anne did not seem mollified. "Annie, she has since changed her opinion, of course. She knows what Del is capable of, and seeing you with Robin has improved her opinion of you."
"I would hope so," Anne said.
"And you have to admit, Del can be very gracious and charming when she wishes to be."
"I know."
"I came to ask you to be my bridesmaid," Anne said. "I realize it is extremely short notice--"
"It is not as if Lysander and I have any plans beyond the next day or so," Georgiana said, giggling. "Indeed, we have often made plans that have fallen through for he knows how to distract me better than anyone I have ever met."
"How does he do that exactly?"
"I do not think I should say."
"Does it have to do with the marriage bed?"
"Annie!"
"Well, does it?"
"I should not be talking about this. It is hardly proper."
"I know, but I am about to be married. Surely you can tell me something." Anne looked at her pleadingly. "Please, Georgie."
"You should ask Aunt Matlock--or perhaps Elizabeth. I am newly married and hardly the best source."
Anne felt like she was going to scream. "At the very least tell me if it is...unpleasant. I have heard some of the maids talk in the past about it, and they make it sound all right."
"All right?" Georgiana blushed. "I will say this. It is much better than 'all right.' In fact, I would say it could be called heavenly. Not that I have any great experience, of course, but I asked Lysander about it and he said that it should be that way when two people love each other."
"But what exactly happens?" Anne saw her cousin looking extremely uncomfortable and so she added, "Georgiana, when you were eleven, who told you all about monthlies and what they meant?"
"You scared me half to death by telling me it was a curse!"
"Well, I told you, did I not? If you had had to rely on that awful Mrs. Younge for information, you would have thought you were dying because she never told you anything worthwhile."
"Oooh!" Georgiana stamped her foot. "This is bloody embarrassing, you know. Why can you not go to our aunt?"
"Because I already have, and all she told me was that my husband would know what to do and that I should not refuse him anything. She said not to be scared because she knew Lord Robin would be considerate. That is all. There has to be more to it than that."
"I do not know what more I can add," Georgiana said faintly. "Now could we please get off this subject?"
Anne was tempted to stamp her foot as well, but knew it would get her nowhere.
Thursday came all too soon. Anne feared the entire time that Cordelia might become wise to their plan, but she did not seem to notice.
Of course, this might have had something to do with the fact that Cordelia spent a good amount of time going over her own plan and smiling in such a way that Anne knew to be smug. She wondered how she had ever been deceived by the young woman, but she knew all too well. She had wanted to believe that Del had gotten over Robin because it eased the guilt she felt over accepting him in the first place.
Now she felt no guilt as she prepared for her wedding, hoping to escape the house without Cordelia noticing that she was far too dressed up for a mere trip to the shops. Her uncle had told her not to worry about flowers or anything else, for he would have those things ready for her in the carriage.
Anne wore a gown of peach silk, over which she put an old serviceable cloak she had had forever.
"I cannot believe today is the day," Esther said triumphantly as she arranged Anne's hair.
"For heaven's sake, Esther, keep your voice down. Someone might hear."
"Do not fear, Miss Anne. No one knows but you and me and your uncle. Not even your aunt and younger cousins know of this. I haven't heard the servants talking of it. Your secret is safe."
"I certainly hope you are right," Anne said.
"You look like an angel," Esther murmured. "I always knew you would look on your wedding day, and here we are. My little lady is going to be a countess."
"I will still be the same Anne you have always known," she protested.
"Yes, but 'twill not be the same." Esther gave Anne's arms a squeeze. "You are not nervous, are you?"
"A bit."
"Oh, well, I would say you have nothing to fear once that man's ring is on your finger. Your cousin can do you no more harm, and you shall have a handsome husband for the rest of your days. And from the looks of him, you shall be quite happy."
"Esther..."
"Yes, love?"
"About tonight."
Esther's eyes gleamed. "Your aunt told you very little."
"I'm afraid so."
"For heaven's sake, why did you not come to me first? I could have told you everything."
And so she did.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bring together this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony..."
The reverend droned on as Anne stole glances at her soon-to-be husband. She caught him looking at her and smiled shyly.
"Thus if there is anyone here who can show just cause why these two should not be joined in matrimony, let him speak now or else forever hold his peace."
Anne braced herself for the worst. Her nightmare was about to come true. Cordelia was about to storm into the church with a pistol and kill her, or threaten to do so. Lord Cassel was going to threaten to burn down the church if Anne did not marry him.
But the objection never came, and so Anne turned to Robin. If the look on his face was any indication, he was just as relieved as she was, for he was grinning broadly.
"Do you, Anne Ophelia de Bourgh, take this man, Lord Robert Charles Hamilton, Earl of Denby, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"Do you promise to love, honour, and obey him, forsaking all others as long as ye both shall live?"
Anne frowned. "Obey?"
Lady Matlock coughed delicately. Robin's mouth twitched.
"Get on with it," she heard Matlock hiss from his seat.
Anne did not spare him a glance. "Obey?" she repeated.
The reverend looked shocked that anyone would question these most sacred vows.
"Ah, good reverend, I think perhaps we should substitute the word 'cherish' here," Robin said. "It would help speed things along."
"Very well," the reverend said in a huff. "Do you promise to love, honour, and cherish him, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?"
Anne beamed. "I do."
"And do you, Lord Robert Charles Hamilton, Earl of Denby, take this woman, Anne Ophelia de Bourgh, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you promise to love, honour, and...cherish her, forsaking all others as long as ye both shall live?"
"I do," Robin said.
Anne could not take her eyes off of him as he placed a wide gold band on her finger with the words, "With this ring, I thee wed...with my body, I thee worship...with all my worldly goods, I thee endow."
Her gaze wandered to the ring on her finger as the ceremony came to an end. It was over. Even though the reverend frowned upon it, Robin insisted on kissing the bride, and Anne had no objections to kissing the groom. It made it seem all the more official now.
They were married.
Cordelia smoothed down the bell-shaped skirt of her costume, smiling secretively to herself. She looked divine, even if she did say so herself, and by the end of this evening she was going to be the envy of every other girl in London. She was going to pull off the impossible.
She was going to have everything she had ever wanted...everything she deserved.
"You look nice, m'lady," Flowers murmured as she attached the decorative chains to the bodice and skirt. "Ye look just like Miss Anne."
"That was the idea," Cordelia replied calmly. "We are going as Elizabethan twins, after all. If we did not look alike, we would hardly be a novelty."
"Ye could've gone as a queen."
"Thank you, Flowers. Tell me, has Miss Anne finished dressing yet?"
"I b'lieve I heard that maid of 'ers, Esther, tell yer father she was ready."
"Excellent."
"Lady Cordelia, 'ave you noticed how strange things 'ave been today?"
Cordelia was preening in front of the mirror and barely heard the woman. "Not really," she replied. "How have things been strange?"
"Well, that Esther used to be a right nice woman, but nowadays she barely speaks to any of us. I think she and Miss Anne are up to something."
"Do not be silly," Cordelia said dismissively. "What would they be 'up to,' may I ask?"
"I don't know, m'lady, but I think yer father knows."
Cordelia had been reaching for the red wig that went with the outfit but paused. "Why do you think that?" she asked.
"Don't ye think it odd the way yer father and Anne went to get the dresses for tonight?"
"I do not think I understand you, Flowers. The fact that my father went with Miss Anne to get the costumes means something is going on?"
"If all they was after was them dresses, why did it take so long?"
"Did it take long? I barely noticed." She had spent most of the morning in bed, dreaming of the moment when her father announced her engagement to Lord Robin.
"It took the better part of two hours."
"Perhaps they stopped to get something to eat, or to do more shopping. Perhaps Papa had a few business errands to run. What do you think they did?"
"I don't know."
Cordelia was quickly running out of patience with her maid. Finally, she snapped, "Then in that case, keep your mindless theories to yourself." She plunked the wig on her head and sat down so that Flowers to pin it down.
Flowers barely managed to hold her tongue as she did so. Somehow, she also managed to resist the temptation to jab Lady Cordelia's scalp with the hair pins.
The fingers of Anne's right hand covered those of her left, feeling the reassuring texture of the gold band Robin had placed there earlier today. She worried that Cordelia might notice and say something, but she supposed she could lie and say it was the betrothal ring. The betrothal ring was in fact a much more elaborate piece of jewelry, and one Anne had not planned on wearing until this evening.
And now she was a bride before she had been a fiancée. Now she was Lady Anne Hamilton, Countess of Denby.
Oh, Mama, I know you wanted me to marry Fitzwilliam, but I think you would be extremely proud of me today. I'm a countess, and there is a man who loves me. I know that is what you would have wanted for me after Fitzwilliam married Elizabeth.
"I still do not like this idea," Esther muttered as she finished putting the decorous chains on Anne. "I think something could go gravely wrong."
"We did not want Cordelia to think anything amiss until Uncle makes the announcement," Anne told her. "I still think it would have been better to tell her this afternoon before the costume ball. At least we would have avoided a scene."
"Why did they not do that?"
"I do not know. I think they are plotting something else and do not wish to tell me. I think that if they had informed Cordelia that Robin had married me, she would not attend tonight's ball and therefore would miss out on whatever my uncle was planning."
"What do you think they are doing?"
Anne sighed. "I wish I knew. I have my suspicions, though."
Esther sighed as she picked up the wig. "You know, this comes close to your own hair color. I think you could probably go without it and still look enough like Lady Cordelia to pass for her twin."
"It was no doubt why Cordelia chose it," Anne said. "It would just make it that much easier to deceive Robin. I should wear it."
"But you complained that it was giving you a headache earlier."
"With all this worrying about Cordelia's reaction tonight, I already had a headache."
Esther set the wig upon Anne's head and began pinning it into place. "That Flowers was around here earlier, asking questions."
"What sort of questions?"
"Oh, about where you had gone with Lord Matlock earlier today and why it took so long to get the costumes. She was suspicious about the whole thing, no doubt about it. And I'll bet she told your cousin, too. You know that she practically worships the ground your cousin walks on, no matter how poorly that girl treats her. Now me, if I thought something was going on and my mistress treated me like Lady Cordelia treats Flowers, I would figure she was getting what she deserved and wouldn't give her a warning."
"I doubt Del will pay it much mind. Have you seen her today? She is practically floating. If it were not for the fact that I know what she is plotting, I would think she was excited about seeing the marquis."
"Yes, poor man," Esther said with a sigh. "I happen to be friends with the housekeeper over at his townhouse. She says the man has said very little beyond 'Lady Cordelia this' and 'Lady Cordelia that' since he saw her a few months ago."
"So I have heard."
Esther looked at Anne's reflection in the mirror and frowned. "Now, what's this? A frown? You do not look like a woman who is celebrating her big day. You should be smiling..." She lowered her voice. "Lady Anne. Or is it Lady Hamilton? I never can remember which it is. You should be Lady Anne. If that brat of a cousin of yours can be Lady Cordelia, you should be Lady Anne."
"A simple 'Anne' shall do nicely," Anne replied. "Although I think it is technically Lady Denby, as I was not born to the title."
"Ach, you are still the granddaughter of an earl."
"But I am not a daughter of the current earl, Esther. That is why Del is Lady Cordelia and I am simply Miss Anne."
"Lady Denby," Esther corrected.
Anne smiled. "Very well, then. Lady Denby...but not until the announcement is made."
"Of course. 'Twould never do for that cousin of yours to find out before she deserves to know, would it?"
The Earl of Matlock had decided to dress as Julius Caesar, though the costume was rather drafty and he hated the shoes he wore with it.
"Do you think I am doing the wrong thing?" he asked his wife as she finished dressing in her Cleopatra costume.
"Not at all," Melissa Fitzwilliam replied calmly, kissing her husband's cheek as she went in search of the wig of thick black hair which went with her costume. She knew her duty, which was to reassure her husband in all things.
"Melissa..." He stopped her in her search by taking her hand. "Please. This is our daughter's future we speak of. Do you think I am doing the right thing for her?"
"Ollie, you are doing the best you can given the circumstances. In a perfect world, there would be two Lord Robins and both Anne and Cordelia would be happy. But this is not a perfect world, and Lord Robin made his choice. Even if you had wished to, you could have done nothing to change his feelings for Anne."
"But as for Cordelia-"
"She will accept what Fate has dealt her. There is nothing she can do now. They are married."
"I suppose you are right," Matlock said. "But as to this other matter..."
"All the arrangements have been made?" Robin asked his manservant, Theodore, as he gave himself one last look in the mirror. He was costumed as a pirate. "Lady Denby's things are going to be arriving in approximately two hours from Matlock House."
"Yes, milord," Theodore said pompously. He was very precise with everything he did, and even the idea that he might put a foot wrong offended him.
Robin would have disapproved of his behaviour, except that he kept the household running orderly and made sure Robin had everything he needed. Anyone who could do these things was highly prized.
"And you shall make sure to have the wine put in my room by midnight? I do not expect us to stay much past the announcement."
"Yes, milord."
"And the roses and..."
"Milord, rest assured that everything will be ready for your return this evening."
"Excellent. And could you tell Mrs. Haversham that Lady Denby and I shall require a late breakfast?"
"She has already been informed-twice."
"Yes, of course," Robin murmured. "I just want everything to be perfect for Anne...Lady Denby, you understand."
"Yes, milord."
"I...I know you have probably heard stories about my new bride, about how she is bad-tempered and all that, but I want you to tell everyone that the stories are not true. Well, to the ton, they are, but she has never treated a servant badly. Indeed, I think she is nicer to the staff at Matlock House than she is to certain members of her family."
"Yes, milord."
Robin sighed and took one last look at himself. He decided he looked properly evil. He had originally planned to go as Henry V, but Lady Ariel had informed him that Brixton planned to dress as the same person, forcing Robin to cobble together this pirate outfit. All in all, not a bad look.
If I ever need to recover my fortune, I could always turn to piracy, he thought with a mental chuckle. I have the looks for it. Although I would have to get myself a peg leg.
Robin placed an eye patch over his left eye. The light caught his wedding band as he did so, and he smiled. Anne had insisted on his wearing a ring, which should not have surprised him given how she insisted on everything being equal.
Not that he had any hesitation about wearing it. He was proud to wear a symbol of his love for his countess.
His countess.
He had been married for approximately seven hours, and while it was a new state to him, it was not an unpleasant one. Indeed, he was rather looking forward to the end of his evening. He was looking forward to waking up tomorrow morning and seeing Anne lying next to him. He was looking forward to sharing the rest of his life with her.
He just had to get through this evening and the difficult task of surviving Lady Cordelia's reaction to their announcement.
If Robin had been allowed to mete out punishment to the young woman for her actions and plans, he would have married her off to Brixton. It would have served both of them right. He had even suggested it to the Earl of Matlock when they had discussed the matter of what to do with Cordelia. However, he had to acknowledge that Matlock was correct when he said that Brixton would not find it objectionable to be married to an earl's daughter. Although Cordelia's dowry was not equal to Anne's, it was still a grand amount.
Matlock said that what happened to Cordelia tonight would depend on her reaction to the news that Robin and Anne had married. The last alternative scared all of them and was not one Matlock wished to take. Robin could not blame him, but the option had to be considered. Considering how bound up in her obsession Lady Cordelia was, she might act in such a way that a private sanitarium would be the best place for her.
Robin prayed it would not happen. He did not particularly like the girl, but he would not wish madness on anyone.
The only good thing that seemed to come out of this mess was Rupert's recovery from whatever madness had gripped him. He saw Cordelia for what she was, and was slowly moving on with his life. He had not been near the card tables or had a drink since the night of his father's party. Robin was glad to see it. Rupert still had a sad look in his eyes, but there was acceptance there as well.
With a deep breath, Robin took one last look at his reflection before leaving.
Evan Brixton grinned at his reflection in the mirror. He made a splendid Henry V, in his humble opinion. Much better than Lord Robin Hamilton would, that was to be certain.
By the time this evening was over, he would be on his way to the man in Scotland who had taken a hundred pounds to overlook his future wife's lack of consent to being wed. By tomorrow, he would be the master of Rosings Park. He would be the lord and master of Anne de Bourgh.
By tomorrow, he would have his victory over the second member of the "Terrible Trio," and not a moment too soon in his opinion.
Evan Brixton had despised Rupert Halliday, Robin Hamilton, and Lysander Overton almost from the moment the trio had formed their fast friendship at Cambridge. Everything came easy to them. They had money, looks, popularity. They were intelligent. And while they played pranks such as stealing a professor's bird and another's lecture notes, any pranks he played landed him in trouble.
He failed to see that the reason he got into trouble was because the pranks that the three of them played were fairly harmless and amusing. His pranks were mean-spirited and sometimes dangerous. Since he did not see this, he reasoned that he was always in trouble was due to the Terrible Trio.
After he was labeled a snitch by the other students at university, Brixton had worked on a plan of revenge against them. His first target was Sir Lysander Overton, and he almost had not had the chance to do it. Had he not overheard a conversation between Lysander and the Danbury girl, he would never have known about Overton's secret love.
But once he had the information, he set out to woo, then seduce the chit. It was not difficult. Once he had the girl under his thumb, it was easy to get her to share the letters she received from Overton. And to help her write responses to them.
His plan had indeed to impregnate the girl, then trap Lysander into marriage with her. When Lysander took the noble stance and refused to sleep with her, his plans changed and he instead circulated one of his letters.
Only things did not quite work out. Oh, to some extent they did. It was not difficult to discern that the reason Lysander Overton never married or even approached the unmarried young ladies of the ton was because of the Danbury chit's betrayal. But after her suicide, Lysander was no longer the laughing-stock of Cambridge or anyplace else. People commiserated with Overton.
And once again, they turned on him. He had driven a young girl to her death, they said. Although no one could cut him openly, he became persona non grata at Cambridge.
Worse than that was when he started experiencing financial problems. The ventures he invested heavily in failed. Other investment deals fell through. People no longer wished to enter into deals with him. The word had gotten out, and quickly. Anyone doing business with Evan Brixton would lose everything he put into it. Even his last resort tactic-marrying money-did not work. Although the girls he courted seemed flattered by his proposals, and the parents seemed willing at first, eventually came the cold, disdainful rejections.
Brixton knew that one man alone could not have brought this about, so he doubted that it was just Overton behind it. He knew those two friends of his had to be involved as well.
Brixton thought he had Hamilton where he wanted him recently. Although Walter Blackstone had needed little encouragement to embezzle from his employer and old friend, Brixton had thought it would not hurt to help the man see what opportunities he would have if the entire Denby fortune was his to keep. Brixton had anticipated that the move would bring the proud earl to his knees, and for once, Robin Hamilton would know what it was like to be a joke about town.
Only once again, things had not gone his way. The rumour very quickly surfaced that Hamilton had an inheritance coming from his mother upon his marriage. He had not known about that. Then Blackstone was caught in Spain, and although it was never officially mentioned, Hamilton recovered the bulk of his fortune.
But then word quickly spread that Hamilton was courting Anne de Bourgh.
Once he realized that Robin was falling in love with the witch, he knew that he had the key to his revenge. Evan Brixton did not need Cordelia Fitzwilliam to give him the idea to kidnap Anne and force her to marry him, but he did need her to create a diversion long enough to enable him to do so. And it would serve Hamilton right if he had to spend the rest of his days at family functions, seeing Anne married to him.
He, Evan Brixton, would be the loser no longer. He would be a winner.
A rich winner.
Evan Brixton decided that once he had Anne de Bourgh and her fortune under his control he would decide what he should do with Rupert Halliday. The problem with the amiable viscount was that he seemed to have no weakness. Brixton could not see that he was in love with anyone, nor that he had ever been in love. The man had unnatural talent at the card tables and could spot a cheat from a mile off. He was well-connected and well-liked within the best circles.
Still, Brixton was a patient man. He could wait until the day came when Halliday's weak spot showed itself. And when it did, he would be prepared to exploit it.
In the meantime, it was time to go to the ball.
The family stood in the receiving line, welcoming guests into their home with smiles and only a minimum of sarcasm in Anne's case. Anne was too nervous about what was to come to be her usual self.
People stopped to stare at Cordelia and herself. The two of them stood side-by-side, dressed identically.
"I did not know your daughter had a twin," one guest said with a laugh. "And just as beautiful as her sister!"
"They kept me locked away for fear I would ruin Cordelia's chances," Anne said in one of her rare moments. The guest, recognizing the voice of Anne de Bourgh, stiffened only slightly. Then, remembering that she was most likely engaged to the Earl of Denby, he smiled.
"It would be a most difficult choice, Miss de Bourgh," he said, bowing.
Anne only smiled as he passed them by.
"We are not going to carry out this charade if you do that often, Annie," Cordelia hissed.
"You could always do what I do and express your true feelings," Anne replied calmly, pretending not to notice the startled look her cousin gave her. She could guess what was going through Del's mind right at that moment. Thinking of what Cordelia had planned for her, she could not resist adding, "I know you have been longing to tell everyone what you think of them for so long now."
Her remarks had the intended affect. Cordelia did not say much more to her as they stood receiving guests.
Anne had a difficult time not throwing herself into Robin's arms the moment the handsome pirate appeared. "Good evening, Lord Denby," she said cheekily, smiling.
"Good evening...Miss de Bourgh," he replied with a wink.
"I see you decided on the pirate costume over Henry V."
"I did indeed. I feel in a plundering mood this evening."
Anne chuckled. She figured it was fine to them to talk in this fashion. After all, Cordelia knew they were engaged. A little playful banter between lovers was to be expected.
Cordelia's expression did not change, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, enough for Anne to know that she was watching...and that she was seriously displeased.
For a moment, Anne felt the familiar flicker of guilt that had plagued her during the early days of her relationship with Robin. She had promised Del she would help her and she did not...
But then Anne remembered what Cordelia had planned for her at the end of this evening. Even though she knew what Lord Cassel was capable of, she was more than happy to throw Anne into his power.
That was something Anne could never forgive. Whatever state her relationship with her cousin was in at the end of this evening, there was always going to be that devastating betrayal between them. In Cordelia's eyes, she supposed, there already was one, but this was infinitely worse.
Playing his part, Robin continued into the ballroom. He was soon followed by Sir Lysander and Georgiana, with Lord Rupert in tow.
"I thought you were going to be Henry VIII," Anne exclaimed when she saw them.
"We were," Georgiana said. "Only Lysander decided that with my hair I had to dress as Queen Elizabeth, and so he is one of the many courtiers who served her."
"I could hardly go as Henry VIII if she were Queen Elizabeth," Sir Lysander added. "I think we are carrying the Elizabethan theme a little far, however." He motioned behind him to Lord Rupert, who mostly resembled William Shakespeare.
"The greatest playwright of our age, and you think I am taking it too far?" Lord Rupert turned and Anne realized why Sir Lysander thought it was overboard. Rupert had stuck feathered quills behind each of his ears and had stuck a scroll in the waistband of his garb.
"I think he looks much like Shakespeare would have if he were alive today," Anne said. "Well done, Lord Rupert."
"Yes, very well done," Cordelia said. With a sly smile, she added, "I think you shall find that my younger sister is much in agreement with you on the idea of costumes."
Anne frowned at Cordelia, wondering what she meant by that. Rupert frowned as well and looked around the ballroom.
"I do not believe I see..." His sentence trailed off as he caught a glimpse of the young girl in question, whose costume had been a secret from her parents and everyone else until she appeared.
Anne could not hold back her laughter this time. Uncle Matlock is going to have an apoplexy, she thought with a grin as she recognized Ariel dressed up as William Shakespeare. The costume was so baggy that she was probably passing as a young boy, but she was recognizable under the wig and false mustache and beard. She, like Lord Rupert, had a quill stuck behind her ear and a scroll in the waistband.
Anne was too busy chuckling over her cousin's daring to realize that Robin had returned.
"I see that your cousin is traveling down a familiar road," he whispered in her ear. "Was it your idea to have her dress as a man so she could run into her future husband?"
"I had no idea she was going to do this," Anne replied. "And I never intended to make a public appearance at that ball. I only wanted to watch from the shadows without anyone recognizing me or mistaking me for a servant."
Matlock was too busy greeting guests to notice his second daughter, and no one who had recognized her had the heart to point her out. And so Lady Ariel was allowed to continue to walk about the crowd.
Rupert frowned as he walked past the family and toward the young lady. When he reached her, he grabbed her arm and hissed, "What on earth do you think you are doing?"
"I am attending my mother's ball. What does it look like?" she replied calmly. "And good evening to you as well, Lord Rupert. It seems that we both have a great admiration for William Shakespeare."
"If you admired Shakespeare so much, you could have dressed as one of his heroines. You did not need to dress up as the man himself. Do you have any idea what people are going to think about you?"
"So far, I have had three of those awful matchmaking mamas trying to figure out who I am. They presume that I am the younger brother of someone...well, someone like you. Perhaps I have an inheritance-"
"How long do you expect this charade to last? People are very quickly going to figure out that you are a girl."
"I am a woman."
"Any person who pulls a stunt like this is still a child. Now you should run upstairs and change into something decent."
"You are not my father," Lady Ariel hissed.
"And thank God for it," he retorted. "And if you think a stunt like this is going to catch you a husband, you are wrong. If I were your husband, I would lock you in your room for a week."
"As long as you locked yourself in with me, I would not mind."
Rupert nearly gasped at the girl's audacity. She was not even sixteen and she sounded like...like a...
"Lady Ariel, I want you to understand something right now. I have absolutely no interest in marrying you whatsoever. And if you are wise, you shall put on decent attire and find someone more suited to your...unconventional pursuits. I am the last man on earth who would marry a girl like you."
Rather than being cowed, Ariel simply replied, "We shall see about that. However, I see my father's attention turning this way so I think I should go. We can continue this discussion at another time."
With that parting remark, Lady Ariel whirled and disappeared, hoping to evade her father's wrath. In her wake, Rupert stood there, fuming.
Anne and Robin circulated about the ball, doing their very best not to arouse suspicion in anyone. They had danced the requisite two dances. Anne had danced with Lord Rupert once. Robin had danced with Cordelia. They had mingled with those guests they liked, ignored those they did not, and tried to act as though everything were normal.
Of course, it would have been impossible to ignore the pointed glances people gave them, the questioning looks. Everyone wanted to know if tonight was the night they announced their engagement. Everyone presumed that it would be, although when they glanced at Anne's hands, all they saw was a plain gold band. No one thought anything of that.
At ten-thirty, Anne noticed Cordelia talking to Rose Cavendish and handing her a folded note. Rose giggled, looked at Anne with a malicious gleam in her eyes, and then proceeded to search out Lord Robin. When she reached him, she handed him the note and walked away.
A sob caught in Anne's throat. Although she had known that Cordelia was indeed going to go through with her heinous plan, a small part of heart had prayed that she would not. Anne had hoped her cousin would have more love for her than this.
The proof that she did not was being perused by her husband at this moment. Robin looked over at her sympathetically, knowing what had she had to be thinking.
"Excuse me...Miss de Bourgh?"
Anne turned to see a servant smiling at her. She did not recognize the man and realized he must be someone hired by her uncle for the evening.
Of course. Who else would deliver a note from Lord Cassel? All of the family servants know him by sight and would never do this.
"Yes," she replied.
"I have a note...from the gentleman over there." He pointed at Robin.
With trembling hands, Anne took the note that would have lured her to her fate.
My dearest Anne-I cannot endure the rest of this evening without you in my arms at least one more time. Please meet me in the conservatory in fifteen minutes. Do not acknowledge that you received this note or that you will meet me. I know you feel as I do and will consent to this one request.
Robin
The handwriting looked remarkably like Robin's.
Blinking back tears, Anne turned away from the dance floor in the direction of her uncle. He had asked her to inform him the moment she received the note to meet Lord Cassel.
"She did it," Anne said once she reached Matlock. "She actually did it."
Matlock glanced at the note. "I'm sorry, Annie," he said quietly, using for the first time the nickname his daughter used. "I wish it had not come to this."
"So do I," Anne replied. "But it has, and now it must be finished."
Matlock nodded. "I think it is time to make the announcement." He walked away from her and over to the orchestra, asking them to take a ten-minute break after finishing the tune they were playing.
Georgiana walked over to Anne. "Are you going to be all right, Anne?" she asked.
"I think so," Anne said, not sounding certain of that at all.
The orchestra finished playing, bowed to the assembled guests, and after the applause died down departed to the kitchens to take a quick break.
The guests, who had not been expecting the dancing to end so quickly, turned to their host.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please, I wish to say a few words before the merriment continues," he announced with authority. "I would like for everyone to come inside, for I do not intend to repeat this more than once. If you miss it, you shall have to hear it from someone else."
Some of the guests chuckled and turned to each other knowingly. Several of them sought out Anne or Robin to look at them.
Out of the corner of her eye, Anne thought she saw Rose Cavendish trying to get past the throng of people to the balcony, where Cordelia was of course waiting for Robin. Sir Lysander deliberately stepped on the hem of her costume as she passed him by.
"Oh, how clumsy of me!" he exclaimed, grasping her shoulders and stopping her from continuing on. "Oh, dear, you should have that repaired immediately! Georgie, take Miss Cavendish someplace private so that she can have this looked at. A thousand apologies to you."
Matlock waited for everyone to come inside, then waited for one more person. When he saw her hovering just inside the room, he continued speaking.
"Lady Matlock and I welcome you to our home," he announced proudly. "We are delighted to have all of you here to celebrate with us and wish us joy on this happy occasion."
The whispering began. Matlock cleared his throat several times and waited for the talk to die down before he spoke again.
"As many of you know, I made a great fool of myself last year when I vowed that my daughter Cordelia would not wed until her cousin Anne de Bourgh did. Unfortunately, when you are a man in position such as mine, you cannot rescind any foolish statements you make. I am very fortunate that my daughter is still speaking to me."
"You are lucky I am still speaking to you," Anne interrupted, causing many in the room to laugh, including Robin, who shook his finger in her direction and winked.
"I bring this up because I wish to apologize to both my daughter and my niece. In the future, I shall remember to let nature take its' course and not meddle with affairs of the heart."
There was some applause here, including Anne's. She ventured a glance at Cordelia, who was looking rather hopeful.
"I have been in something of a bind ever since I made that promise," Matlock continued. "You see, I know that my daughter has wished to marry one particular gentleman for quite some time. I was not certain how I would bring it about and still be considered a man of my word. Tonight, however, I have got my solution."
Anne took a deep breath. Here we go.
"I am pleased to announce that my niece, Anne de Bourgh, has married Lord Robert Hamilton. It is my honor and privilege to introduce all of you to Lady Anne Hamilton, the Countess of Denby."
No one spoke as Robin crossed the floor and took Anne's hand in his. Robin raised her hand to his lips and kissed it just as the guests began clapping.
"Hello, Lady Denby," he said softly.
"Hello, my lord." Anne's world had suddenly narrowed until the only two people within it were Robin and herself. Cordelia's reaction was no longer a thing to worry about, for she was married to the man she loved and that was all she needed. "I love you," she whispered.
He smiled and said, "I love you more."
Cordelia could not believe what she had heard. Robin...married to Anne?
But that cannot be. Robin loves me, not her. He was about to leave the ball and meet me on the balcony. I know he received the note I sent him. I saw Rose give it to him.
But then Robin crossed over to Anne and took her hand. Then he kissed it and looked very much like he wanted to kiss her. They whispered to each other and although she could not hear them, she saw Robin say the words that were the death knell to her dreams.
"There you are!" Cordelia looked up to see Lord Jason walking toward her. "I have been looking for you everywhere."
"I...I am sorry. I was not feeling well," she lied.
"Yes, that is what your cousin said. Can you believe it? She is married. Is that not wonderful news?"
"I..."
"Now there is nothing stopping us from getting married. I talked to your father and-"
"Yes, I know. He told me."
"I know you said you had to wait until Anne married before you could say yes to my proposal. Now that this has happened...Cordelia...please, will you marry me?"
Cordelia could tolerate it no longer. With a strangled cry, she ran away from the ballroom and up the stairs, not stopping until she reached her bedroom. She flung herself face down on the bed and wept bitter tears, the tears of a girl who has never been denied anything in her life until now.
How could everything have gone so horribly wrong? How was it possible that Anne had married Robin without her knowing about it?
With horror, Cordelia remembered what Flowers had been blathering on about earlier. When Anne had left with her father to get the costumes! They had not spent two hours at the dressmaker's! She had married Robin.
And now he was lost to her forever.
Her bedroom door burst open without anyone knocking, and her father stood there, his face full of fury. She could faintly hear the sounds of the ball continuing downstairs.
"I know what you tried to do, Cordelia," he said angrily.
"I do not know what you mean," she lied.
"You tried luring Robin out to the balcony so that you could compromise yourself and force a match. You conspired with Evan Brixton to kidnap Anne and force her to marry him."
"I did no such thing." They could not prove it, anyway.
"Your sister heard you that night, Del. She heard everything."
"She is jealous of me. She is in love with Wakefield and thinks that this is the way to get him."
"You were overheard by another party that same night."
Cordelia felt sick. Robin was married to Anne...Robin was going to spend his life with Anne and love her and...
"Who?" she managed to ask.
"Lord Rupert Halliday, who has absolutely no reason to lie about this." Matlock sighed heavily. "You did your cousin a great wrong. If your plan had succeeded, it would have been even worse. I have given this problem a lot of thought and came up with a solution that I think would be best for all of us."
"W-what are you going to do?" she asked.
"First of all, you should be grateful that you are my child and not Lord Robin's. His idea was for you to marry Evan Brixton."
Cordelia gasped. "He would never say such a thing."
"He did indeed, but even he realized that it was not a good solution. Besides, I seriously doubt he would wish the man on his worst enemy...which means he would not even wish him on you." Her father sat in a chair. "Your mother's suggestion was that you marry an older man, someone who would influence you with his maturity."
"You are marrying me off to that awful duke!" Cordelia did not bother to hide her revulsion. "But Papa, he paid--"
"A fact I am well aware of, though your mother is not. That is the reason her suggestion would not work either. The simplest solution sat right in front of me, begging my permission to marry you. When you return downstairs, I shall announce your engagement to Jason Siddens."
"But I do not want to marry him. I want to marry-"
"It is too late, Del. Robin married Anne this afternoon."
"But it is not fair! He saw me first, he loved me first!"
"He never loved you. It was always Anne for him, and you know this. Now you are going to stop your tantrums and behave. You are going to go downstairs and accept the marquis' proposal, which I happen to know he made before you left. You are going to do your best to make that man believe what you have had him believing all along."
"I do not have to do any such thing. If I cannot have Robin-"
"Then you shall pack your bags and leave England forever this very evening. You have relatives in France and Scotland. You can choose whichever way you go, but you are not going to remain here to cause more grief than you already have. It is high time you grew up, Cordelia Rose, and realized that you cannot always have what you want in life. You wanted Robin. What you do not seem to understand is that he did not, does not, want you."
Cordelia refused to speak.
"Your third option is one you shall not like. If you do not want to marry the marquis or go abroad, there is a place where you can stay-"
She gasped again. "I am not going to live in an asylum! I am not mad!"
"You have been giving a rather good impersonation of madness lately."
"You would not do that to me! I am your daughter. You could not even think about doing it!"
"If it is the only thing that would make you see reason, I would." The earl sighed. "You are my daughter and I love you very much, but I see now that I did you a great wrong. I never allowed you to understand that you cannot have everything in life. And because of that, we are now here. You have a choice to make, Cordelia. If you refuse your two options, I shall carry out the third. But the choice is ultimately yours."
Cordelia turned away from him, hating him as much as she hated Anne and Jason Siddens and everyone in the world...
"What is it going to be?"
Tears trickling down her cheeks, Cordelia made her decision.
Downstairs, the orchestra had returned to play again. Robin escorted Anne onto the floor to lead the dancing, and as a waltz began, Anne thought of how greatly things had changed. As she looked out on the faces of the ton, she did not see a single disapproving gaze. For the former "Bad-Tempered Heiress," this was something of a surprise.
She thought about the St. Cecelia's ball, and how people had told her it was unseemly for an old maid to be chasing after a man in his prime. She thought of the way people had thought he was courting her because of her fortune. She thought of the way they had slowly come around and started saying that she had always loved him and was only waiting for him to return to England to be happy.
"What are you thinking about, Lady Denby?" Robin asked.
"Just thinking about how unlikely this would have seemed to me at the beginning of this Season."
Robin chuckled. "Do you know, I really did not think I had any chance of finding you when I came to London."
"You didn't?"
"No. There were times when I thought you were just a figment of my imagination. I was not in the best of moods that night."
"Were you drinking?"
"No. I was too busy fuming. I thought perhaps I had conjured you up to take Elizabeth's place. But then I reminded myself that no dream was as vivid as you were. No dream would have lied to me like you did."
"No dream would have kissed you?"
"That part of it was the most dream-like of all."
"Tell me honestly...if you had not met me for a day or two after meeting Cordelia, would it have been too late for us? Would you have convinced yourself that she was the woman you remembered?"
Robin sighed. "Oh, Annie. Stop worrying about your cousin."
"I am not worried. I am merely curious."
"Before that night was over, I would have known that Cordelia was not the woman I remembered as Ophelia, whether you had been sitting at the table with me or not. I would have asked her dozens of questions about our first meeting and she would not have had the right answers to them. You would have eventually come along and I would have known as surely as I did after the dinner."
"You never asked me questions."
"You were not exactly treating me with kindness when we met again, or do you forget that?"
Anne smiled. "I did not forget."
"Anne..."
"Yes, Robin?"
"Are you happy? I mean, I know we did not have the grand ceremony with all of Society there to eat their words about your never marrying. I know you wanted something more than the hasty proceeding we had this afternoon."
"Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking that perhaps we could repeat our vows as we originally planned, in three months."
"I do not think that is the done thing, Robin."
"Do you honestly care?"
Anne gave the matter some serious thought before deciding. "I realized something today. I do not need the big ceremony and fancy trappings. I do not need for the whole world to be present to hear that you love me. All I need to be happy is what I have now."
"Would that be me?" he asked with a grin.
"It might be you," she replied saucily. "Then again, it might not."
Robin decided the best thing to do would be to stop her mouth with a kiss, which is just what he did.