“I think so. There will be a trial,” Lord Woodsford said. “His crimes are not serious enough to result in hanging, but I believe the constables will want to make sure he doesn’t return to what he was doing.”
“I hope so,” Valeria said. “I never want to see him again.”
“I think you can feel sure of that,” Lord Woodsford assured her. “Now that his actions have been revealed, you can be confident that he won’t show his face around here anymore.”
She nodded. “Would you like to come inside?” she asked.
“I would,” he said. “Very much.”
She took his hand and led him toward the door, marveling at the burst of confidence that had allowed her to reach out for him like this. What must Aunt Alberta be thinking, seeing her holding his hand so brazenly?
Right now, it didn’t seem to matter very much.
She led him inside, smiling at him, her hand tight around his so that he couldn’t consider letting her go, so that he would know she didn’t want to be separated from him in her aunt’s presence.
Aunt Alberta was waiting for them in the foyer, and sure enough, she looked from Valeria to Lord Woodsford, and then at their joined hands, clearly thinking about what this must mean.
“Lady Earlington,” Lord Woodsford said. “It’s a privilege to see you again. And I’m very happy to be able to return with good news so quickly.”
“Lord Harlston has been dealt with, then?” Aunt Alberta asked.
“Yes, he has,” Lord Woodsford said. “He won’t trouble your family any further.”
“Then we owe you a debt of gratitude,” Aunt Alberta said. “If it hadn’t been for you, Lord Woodsford, we would never have discovered who was behind these vile attacks on my niece’s happiness.”
“I wish nothing more than to see Lady Valeria happy,” Lord Woodsford said earnestly. “And I hoped that I might be able to take this opportunity to speak to you about that, actually.”
“Speak to me about what, specifically?” Aunt Alberta’s gaze moved to their joined hands again. “Is there something you wish to tell me?”
“There’s something I would like to ask you,” Lord Woodsford corrected. “It’s something I’ve asked before, but the situation has changed, so I would very much like to give you the chance to answer again, rather than assuming that your answer has remained the same.”
“Very well,” Aunt Alberta said. “Go ahead.”
“I would like your permission to court your niece,” Lord Woodsford said. “I’ve fallen in love with Lady Valeria, and I would like to marry her someday. But, of course, before that day comes I would like to spend the proper time getting to know her better, and getting to know her family better. Will you give your blessing?”
Aunt Alberta regarded him carefully. “The two of you courted before, and it ended badly,” she said. “How am I to know that this time will be any different?”
“You can’t know, of course,” Lord Woodsford said. “No one can ever know these things for sure. But what I can promise you is that I will never turn away from Lady Valeria.”
“He didn’t leave me,” Valeria pointed out. “I chose to leave him. I’m the one who ended our courtship. I trust him to remain committed to it, Aunt Alberta. Look at all the trouble he went through to bring us back together.”
“This is what you want?” Aunt Alberta asked. “You want to be with this gentleman?”
“Very much,” Valeria said. “I regret ever having ended things.”
“Don’t regret that,” Lord Woodsford said. “You were right to do so. You were right to stay away from me until you could be sure that my situation was resolved.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Valeria said. “Staying away from you could never be the right thing, Lord Woodsford. We should have found a way through this difficulty together. I shouldn’t have expected you to cope with it alone.”
“If I hadn’t known that solving this mystery was my only way back to you, I would never have been as motivated as I was,” Lord Woodsford said. “I would likely have fallen under the thumb of the debt collector the way your brother did. I would never have turned to crime, but I’m sure he would have found another way to ruin my life. So, you see, I really owe you a debt of gratitude for compelling me to save myself.”
“Very well,” Aunt Alberta said. “I can see that the two of you belong with each other. I will grant your request, Lord Woodsford. You have my blessing to resume your courtship with my niece.”
“Thank you very much, Lady Earlington,” Lord Woodsford said.
Valeria’s heart beat faster at the knowledge that she would be able to be with him again at last. It felt as if they had been apart for a very long time, even though she knew that wasn’t strictly true.
He smiled at her. “Would you like to take a walk in the garden with me?” he asked.
