“You’ll find his body at the edge of the ravine to the west of the estate.”
Sir Hawkins inhaled sharply. “We’ll retrieve it. Good work.”
“Taking Victoria was an error, sir. They wanted Lady Eleanor from the start.”
“I gathered as much from the woman’s rambling.” Sir Hawkins chuffed. It wasn’t a laugh but a sound full of irony. “I’ve always feared someone would exact revenge because of what I have done. I never imagined danger coming from a different source.”
“Victoria is safe now.”
Lady Hawkins was doing most of the talking, but Victoria had propped herself on the pillows and was answering in a whisper.
“She’ll recover,” Garrick added.
“Thanks to you, lad.” Sir Hawkins clapped him on the shoulder and went to join his wife at Victoria’s bedside.
Garrick had been dismissed as any servant would be. He backed toward the door. All the fear and fury of the day had drained away, leaving him bereft of any emotion. The emptiness threatened to drag him under. He’d only felt this way one other time. After his parents had died and the village shunned him. He’d survived that heartbreak. He would survive this one too.
But not without getting rip-roaring drunk.
Victoria’s quiet voice stopped him with his hand on the latch of the door. “Thomas, don’t go. Stay with me.”
He turned around. Victoria held a hand out to him, parting Sir and Lady Hawkins, who had shifted to stare at him with very different expressions. Sir Hawkins with a contemplative purse of his lips, and Lady Hawkins with a disapproving frown. Garrick went to Victoria, taking her hand. It was still chilled. He rubbed it gently between his hands.
Victoria smiled up at him. “I want Thomas by my side.”
Lady Hawkins made a scoffing sound. “I will stay with you as long as you need, darling. I’m sure Garrick has other duties to attend.”
Victoria laughed, then winced, and touched her bruised temple. “You misunderstand me.”
“You have had a shock and should rest while we wait on the physician to arrive. No need to speak of things you may regret.” Lady Hawkins took Victoria’s wrist and pulled her hand free of Garrick’s hold.
“Oh, Mother,” Victoria said in a voice laced with both sadness and humor.
“Victoria is in love with Garrick, Agatha,” Sir Hawkins said. “And based on my observations, the feeling is mutual.”
Garrick started around to face his benefactor and employer and mentor. As usual, Sir Hawkins’s face gave no hint as to his thoughts or feelings on the matter. He could very well be imagining running Garrick through with a sword.
“How long have you known, sir?” Shock roughened Garrick’s voice.
Sir Hawkins waved his hand about. “For years now. Of course, I recognized Victoria was besotted with you as a young girl, but it was only after her debut and none of the gentlemen sparked her interest that I realized her feelings were well and truly fixed on you.”
Lady Hawkins plopped on the edge of the bed. “This is outrageous. You must send the young man away, Harold.”
Sir Hawkins linked his hands behind his back and rocked slightly on his feet. “And you believe that will solve the problem?”
“Once Victoria is married to Lord Percival—”
“Never.” Victoria sounded like her father, decisive and unyielding. “I love Thomas. I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember. I will marry him or no one. If, that is, he will have me?”
She glanced at him through her lashes, and his knees wobbled. If her parents weren’t watching them—Lady Hawkins with daggers in her eyes and Sir Hawkins more thoughtfully—he would climb in bed with her, take her in his arms, and remain that way the rest of the day and night.
Instead, he lay a hand over his heart as if he could rip it out and offer it to her. “I’ve always wanted you. I will do anything and everything in my power to protect you.”
“If you want to protect her, you should allow her to marry someone more suitable,” Lady Hawkins said through clenched teeth.
Sir Hawkins’s eyebrows quirked up. “I believe Garrick would be eminently suitable for Victoria.”
“But the boy is an orphan with no prospects!”
Garrick finally understood. Sir Hawkins hadn’t been trying to push him out, but set him up for this moment. “I am a man, not a boy, and I will be able to provide for Victoria, perhaps not as a peer might, but we will be comfortable.”
“Garrick will be working directly for the Home Office starting in the new year. It is an important position, and he will be well compensated. His ascension has been no different than mine, and I was good enough for you, Agatha.”
Lady Hawkins continued to ignore Garrick. “But you gained a knighthood and accolades and—”
“Stop, Mother.” Victoria pushed herself to sitting and propped herself on a mound of pillows. “I will marry Thomas. My decision is final.”
Lady Hawkins’s mouth pinched shut, then she spun around and stalked out the door.
Sir Hawkins sighed and patted Victoria’s hand. “She’ll come around. I’ve had a bit more time—years, in fact—to come to terms with what I deemed a likely future.”
“Sir, I should have formally asked for Victoria’s hand and—”
“You have my blessing, of course.” Sir Hawkins looked to the fire in the grate, a pained expression flashing. “Is a speedy marriage necessary?”
Victoria and Garrick exchanged a glance. Color flooded her face. Heat radiated off his neck, and he knew his cheeks were similarly red. Did they have no secrets left? He supposed this is what came from conducting a love affair under the nose of a spymaster.
“Ah, yes. I believe a special license would be wise, sir.”
Sir Hawkins made a sound of agreement. “The physician will be here soon. I shall leave the two of you alone, but the door remains open. Is that understood?”
Victoria and Garrick spoke at the same time. “Yes, sir.”
When they were finally alone, Garrick perched on the edge of the bed and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She grabbed it and pressed a kiss to his palm.
“That was the most courageous thing I’ve ever witnessed,” he murmured.
“Getting myself abducted?” she asked quizzically.
“Standing up to your mother. For me. I’m humbled, and I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret the decision.”
“The only regret I have is not declaring myself earlier.”
Garrick chuckled. “If I’d had any hope of being welcomed as an acceptable suitor, I would have offered myself two years ago. The time we’ve wasted.”
“No, not wasted. It happened just as it should have.” She drew him closer and snuggled into his chest. “Now tell me about this opportunity at the Home Office.”
He half reclined, propping one leg on the bed and leaving the other on the floor. He wasn’t sure if that was enough to appease the laws of propriety or not, but they had already broken so many he decided it didn’t matter. “Your father informed me yesterday I’m to transition into a new position. I assumed he was fobbing me off because he’d become aware of my inappropriate feelings for you.”