She eagerly ran her fingers through his hair, drawing him even closer, adrift in his familiar scent of sandalwood, citrus, and leather. Lost in the moment, she wanted the kiss to continue when he stepped back. “Thank you, Gerald.” She relished the warmth of his arms around her.
He opened the door of her bedchamber and lifted her hand to his lips. “Until later.”
“Until later,” she echoed softly. A nap would do her a world of good and hopefully, she would be able to gather her strength to tell him the truth.
“Then, I shall see you in a few hours, love,” he said with a tender smile, before bending down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
~*~
As he made his way to this study, Gerald thought about the revelations that Selena and her mother had shared. The torturous existence mother and daughter had endured wasghastly to think about. Selena had been led to believe her mother had died. Thank God for Ben and Maggie and their efforts to save her. It was the only reason Selena still had her mother. He would find a suitable way to thank them.
Entering his study he saw his father, brother-in-law, and best friend engaged in a vigorous discussion about the Percival Bowles imposter.
“Have you determined where that bastard is hiding?” Gerald asked, closing the door behind him.
“We don’t know, but we plan to find him,” Wright said. “After hearing Lady Bowles’ account, it was wise that you all left when you did. The man will be looking for Miss Bowles. She thwarted him once, and men like Vern Stiles don’t take kindly to being denied what they want. My guess is London would be one of the first places he’ll look.”
“Our home has been staffed with extra footmen and it’s being watched,” Gerald’s father said. “And so is Lady Bowles’ townhouse. As soon as he’s spotted, the men have been instructed to send word.”
“Connery helped me house extra security here and in a few empty buildings throughout the estate,” Wright said.
“I appreciate that,” Gerald said. “I’m sure Stiles will come here after he realizes his prey is not in London.” How quickly do you think he will learn of this location?”
“I agree,” Banbury said. “But I don’t think it will take too long to locate Bellwood. Your rendezvous at the Adamson ball five years ago was a topic of gossip for months. Everyone knew you moved to your father’s recently purchased estate, which was renamed Bellwood. That was no secret.”
“Even so, it would take at least four to five days for the bastard to ride to London then a similar amount of time to come here,” Gerald’s father said.
“When he does, we’ll be ready for him,” Gerald said.
“We will son.” Gerald’s father reached out and patted Gerald’s shoulder.
“And we’re fortunate that Prinny is determined to find the imposter before he tries to flee,” Wright said. “He was incensed this could happen to one of his peers and sent men to Portugal, the last port the real Percival was known to have visited. He also sent men to Lady Bowles’ estate. Based on what we’ve surmised, the real Percival Bowles disappeared shortly after getting off his ship several weeks ago. Miss Bowles’ account confirms what we’ve suspected. When he is caught, Vern Stiles and his accomplice will know no peace for the rest of what will be their short lives.”
Gerald’s face reddened with anger. “When I get my hands on him, he’ll regret ever touching her,” he said, accepting a glass of brandy from his father. He took a large gulp. “I have a bad feeling about all of this. I don’t want to just sit around speculating. We’ve got to do something, now.”
The four men spent the next hour talking about what they knew and fielding different scenarios.
“Stay close to Selena, son,” his father warned. “What she has been through is more than any woman should have to endure. And should this blackguard slip through our net, he will come straight for her.” He added, keep in mind, too, that he thinks Lady Fleur Bowles is deceased.”
“I will, Father. I promise.” He meant it. There was no way he would abandon Selena. She was the bravest woman that he knew and the thought that she was still willing to marry him after all he had done to destroy their betrothal still astonished him. The imposter would regret laying a hand on her.
Banbury stood up and stretched. “Friends, I need to check on Diana and the babies. We will remain vigilant here.”
“Thank you, Banbury,” Gerald said, giving his brother-in-law a hearty slap on the back.
“I should check on the men,” Wright said, downing the rest of his brandy. “Connery has several housed in the stables…in the rooms you built in the back…and in any other spare housing throughout the estate. We want to make sure we’ve got the manor covered from every angle—day and night. By the way, my compliments to you and Connery. This property is extraordinary. You’ve restored it beyond my imagination.”
“Thanks, friend,” Gerald said shaking his hand.
“I too am greatly impressed by what you’ve done here, son,” his father said after Banbury and Wright left.
“This is the first time you’ve been here,” Gerald said. “It took a while, but I feel good about what we’ve accomplished here.”
“How is your relationship with the local villagers and the tenant farmers in the area?”
“They’ve been very helpful, and we’ve been helpful in return. We’ve built a good rapport with the locals. It took time to gain their trust, but I made it one of my goals to help improve the lives of everyone in the area. So far, I’ve been able to pay for new roofs for all the tenant farmers’ homes. And in return, they helped with the refurbishment of the manor house and in particular…the stonework, including the stone wall. We’ve also started working on the grounds and found our new gardener, from within the community. He is the brother of one of our tenants. He has a true skill in planting and crop rotation.
“All sound ideas,” his father said.
