People gasped in horror, and women covered their mouths, this time in sympathy, as there was no mistaking Sir Reginald as the one who had rendered her thus, his hold on her aggressive and obvious.
Several men began to rush over with shouts as they saw Sir Reginald manhandling her, and far more than she thought had been around. More of the men were commonly dressed than seemed gentlemen, and some quite dirty, though Edith didn’t care, if they would only come to her aid.
One of the men, a tall and imposing one, had gone directly for Sir Reginald, seizing him by the throat while others fastened themselves at his arms.
Edith was snatched from Sir Reginald’s hold, and was passed, rather gently considering their roughness and rough treatment of him, from man to man. Finally, the first man who’d reached Sir Reginald, undoubtedly the leader of her rescuers, took her from the others, and his hold was tight, warm, and far too familiar.
“Now, I think,” he murmured close to her ear, “you might call me a hero.”
Edith gasped and turned in his hold to see, beneath the dirt and common clothes, her beloved Graham, smiling despite his exertional breathing.
“Graham!” she whispered, unable to cry out in truth for her disbelief.
He smiled at her, his hold tightening, and her heart surged with delight. She reached for him, but he pulled away. “Not now, Edith, there is too much to do.” He nudged his nose along hers with a brief sigh. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
She tried to argue that it was the same for her, but he silenced her with a look. Then, he turned her back to look more closely as a few others marched Sir Reginald away from the group.
Edith would have gasped again had her lungs the strength to do so. Beneath the dirt and disguise, she could now see Francis, Henshaw, Andrews, Tony, Aubrey, Cam, and, of all people, her own brother, Lachlan. He had changed his clothes and somehow found dirt or soot to dirty himself with.
“Feasgar math, Edie,” he said cheekily. “I’m sorry for deserting you, but these lads wanted a bit of Scottish blood to get his hands dirty.”
The others chuckled, some shaking their heads, while Edith rolled her eyes.
Graham squeezed her tightly for a moment, then released her. “Go with Owen, Edith. I will come to you tomorrow and explain everything.”
Edith glanced over to see Owen joining them, nodding at each man with familiarity. She noticed he was not dressed in a filthy disguise as they were, however.
She nodded at Graham, smiling at him, then at the others. “Thank you,” she whispered. “All of you.”
Aubrey took her hand and kissed it, looking every inch a rough blacksmith. “You should have known we would do something, Edith. Nothing would have stopped us.”
“Not a damn thing,” Henshaw confirmed with a nod.
Edith could have cried at the firm answer he gave. “Oh, Hensh, you have done so much for me. You have given up so much of yourself and your time.”
He shook his head, silencing her. “Worth every moment, Edith. Not another word.”
“Mus’ ye be so damned noble, Hensh?” Lachlan groaned, clapping the man on the back. “A man resembles the verra devil standing beside ye.”
“Someone has to make me look good,” Henshaw joked, nudging Lachlan hard.
“Go home, love,” Graham murmured gently, guiding her in Owen’s direction. “I’ll explain everything tomorrow.”
Edith glanced back at him, afraid he might disappear. “Promise me.”
Graham’s eyes stayed firm and steady on hers. “I promise.”
Her heart leapt and fell in a quick swoop. She turned and let Owen help her home, though she knew well enough that she would not sleep at all for anticipation of seeing Graham in the morning.
“Lord Radcliffe, mistress.”
Graham released the breath he had been holding and moved forward, his heart threatening to break every rib in its vicinity with its pounding. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, not with rescuing Edith and the fallout, taking Sir Reginald in to the magistrate, and seeing to all the details they had so carefully prepared.
He wished now that he had taken a moment or two to rest, if for no other reason than to be clearer in this moment.
Graham came in, and his eyes found Edith at once, neglecting Amelia, who had come that morning to wait with her. He said nothing, and Amelia laughed, very low, and excused herself from the room.
He couldn’t breathe yet again, staring at her without shame. She was dressed simply, though the shade of her gown and its style did not even register in his mind. She was beautiful, soul-stirring in every respect, and his knees shook with the desire to fly to her.
“Good morning,” Edith managed to say, her cheeks coloring.
“Yes, it is,” he said simply, leaving no question as to what he was referring to.
Edith only smiled.
He said nothing else; he simply stared at her. He wanted to say everything. He wanted to say nothing. He wanted…
He wanted…
“What happened to Sir Reginald?” Edith eventually asked, her fingers clenching and unclenching in front of her.
He smirked at the question. “At this moment, he is desperately trying to explain to a magistrate why he imprisoned a woman of station and fortune and stole her rightful legacy from her late husband. We discovered that Sir Archibald had made provisions for you in his will, none of which were upheld. The weasel is also discovering that many of his friends and supporters are disgusted by his treatment of such a woman, and all of London knows what a villain he is.”
Edith covered her mouth, looking torn between laughter and tears.
“Didn’t you wonder why he had been absent lately?” he asked, tilting his head. “We have been keeping him quite busy over the last few weeks, working to ruin him in every possible way. I wanted to come to you myself, but Ingram and Henshaw assured me that you would be well enough off with Lachlan, as that rumor was already in full swing. So, we played with the rumors, setting seeds of doubt with the world, and then last night, we set the trap.”
“And I was the bait,” she answered, not sounding at all upset about being used in such a way.
He nodded, swallowing back the memory of arguing so vigorously against it. Everything had gone according to plan, and Edith was well and whole before him.
“Can you blame him?” He shrugged, smiling at her. “I would have fallen for it.”
Edith’s smile, in return, warmed him to the base of his spine. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” he admitted roughly. Then, he swallowed again, smiling. “And someone else missed you.” He turned to Owen, standing guard as he was, and gave the signal they’d arranged.
A small, curly-headed blur in a green dress burst into the room and latched her arms around Edith’s waist.
“Edith!” Molly squealed, clutching tightly.
Edith looked at Graham in shock, tears in her eyes as she held his niece. “Molly?”
He shrugged, still smiling. “She and Eloise wouldn’t let me leave them at home, not when I wrote we were ready to save you.”
He watched Edith’s throat work and felt his heart squeeze as she sank to the floor, pulling Molly fully into her arms.
“Oh, Molly, I am so sorry.”