“You have succeeded, then?”
“Morethan succeeded,” Marcus chuckled, as his friend slapped him on the shoulder. “I did not give myself away, bluffed outrageously, and achieved precisely what we hoped for.”
Lord Trevelyan’s expression lit with a broad grin.
“Congratulations, my friend. I look forward to seeing Lord Penforth at your house tomorrow. I will be delighted to see his expression when the truth is revealed.”
“As will I.” Still smiling, he glanced to where Lord Penforth was still walking away, making his way determinedly to the other side of the room, as though he wished to put as must distance between Marcus and himself as possible. “He shall not have the victory. He shall not have Almeria – and that is my greatest joy.”
* * *
“Areyou quite certain that he will attend?”
Confidence still brimming from yesterday’s conversation with Lord Penforth, Marcus nodded.
“I am sure of it. I saw his face. He will have no other recoursebutto attend, for after what I said about your father – which of course, was nothing more than a bluff, given that your father mightwellbe disinclined towards me should he hear rumors – I saw the way his expression changed. The certainty with which I spoke gave him very little alternative but to show his face.”
Smiling, he waited to see the same on Almeria’s face, but it did not come. She was a good deal more nervous than he had first thought.
“You can have every assurance, Almeria.” Lady Yardley smiled softly. “Lord Penforthwillcome. No doubt he will be tardy to prove that he cannot be forced into a particular course of action, but he will come here, sooner or later.”
Marcus rolled his eyes.
“You should have seen how he spoke to me about you, Almeria. It was with such a brash confidence and almost an arrogance about what he would have themomenthe spoke to your father.”
His stomach rolled for a moment as a vision of Lady Almeria and Lord Penforth standing up together as husband and wife flew at him. How glad he was that such a situation would never occur!
“I shall be glad to see his face when he realizes that we know the truth.” Lady Almeria’s eyes flashed with a sudden anger, her brows lifting as he looked at her with gentle surprise. Seeing his look, she flushed and looked away. “No doubt you may think me a little vehement, but I confess that I will be truly glad for him to realize just how little victory he has. He has enjoyed a few weeks of power, with the belief that he is to be entirely victorious in all that he has set out to do, but in the next few minutes, he shall be forced to realize the truth – and I have no doubt that it will come as a great shock to him. However, does he not deserve such a thing? Does he not deserve to see what he has built crumble away?”
Lady Yardley nodded in evident comprehension, offering Lady Almeria a small smile.
“I can certainly see why you feel such a way, Almeria. It ismorethan understandable after what you have learned about him, and all that he has done, especially to those who care so much for you.”
Her gaze traveled to Marcus, and he flushed at the knowing look she sent him. It was clear that Lady Yardley already knew precisely how Marcus felt, and mayhap was wondering why he had not yet spoken of it to Lady Almeria. Marcus opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, aware that now was not the time to tell her anything specific – and certainly not in company! Thankfully, Lady Almeria did not appear to notice the look shared between himself and Lady Yardley, for her gaze flicked toward the door, clearly concentrating very little on what was being said at present.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus looked towards the door also, for it was now a few minutes past three o’clock. As yet, Lord Penforth had not set foot in the door. There was a chance that he was being deliberately tardy to make sure that Marcus realized that Lord Penforth still had the power …or, as Almeria suspected, he was not attending today at all.
“He will be seeking to exert his power.” Lady Yardley smiled and spoke softly as if she could see into Marcus’ mind, or hear his troublesome thoughts. “Hewillbe delayed. He may be significantly so, in fact, but he will appear.”
Her confidence bolstered Marcus’ strength and he nodded. Taking a deep breath, he went to thank Lady Yardley, only for a tap to come at the door.
His heart leaped as he called for the butler.
“Might I bring you some refreshments, milord?”
Having been expecting Lord Penforth, Marcus’ shoulders dropped as he nodded, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand. The butler departed swiftly, but Lady Yardley was the first to speak.
“As I have said, he will seek to maintain his power as best he can,” she reminded them all. “He will arrive. All we must do is wait.”
Chapter Seventeen
It was just as Lady Yardley had said.
It was nearing the next hour by the time the butler came to announce that Lord Penforth had arrived. Having almost given up hope, Marcus fought to hide his relief as he nodded to the butler, telling the man to allow Lord Penforth entry. Looking around the room he took in Lord Trevelyan’s grave expression, Lady Almeria’s tightly clasped hands, Lady Yardley’s set gaze – and felt the same tension coil itself, like a snake, in his belly. He took a breath. The moment was now to be upon them.
“Lord Penforth.”
The moment the gentleman stepped into the room, Lord Trevelyan took the same place as he had stood when Lord Wilson had entered the room. Keeping his back to the door, he made certain that Lord Penforth could not make a simple escape, and instantly Marcus saw the proud, arrogant expression on Lord Penforth’s face disappear. The haughty smile faded, the sparkling eyes now narrowed as he twisted around to see exactly who was standing by the door. His gaze then settled upon Lady Almeria and, thereafter, Lady Yardley – and upon seeing them, Lord Penforth began to splutter.
