Chapter 39: 39. Through Thick and Thin

It is time.

Time.

For the wedding.

It almost felt like a dream as I strode down the corridor with my friends fluttering and twittering around me. The wedding. My wedding. To the man I loved.

I was in love with a man!

My oh my, how the worm turns...

The worm, a.k.a. me, was currently squirming in a little dressing room right next to my bedroom. Luckily, nobody else was there to see me. The others had all gone down, needing to check something or other I'd been too panicky to listen to. I didn't really mind. I needed some time to keep my rivers of sweat from flowing. I didn't know much about wedding fashions, but the sweat-drenched-hag style probably wasn't very much in vogue.

'Calm down, Lilly!' Still breathing hard, I marched over to the window and pressed my heated face against the cool glass. Cool just like him. 'Everything is all right! Everything is all right.'

Behind me, the door opened with a click. 'I wouldn't exactly say that,' came a terribly familiar voice from behind me.

I whirled around—and there he stood. Lord Daniel Eugene Dalgliesh, eyes blazing a dangerous steel-blue. Although his threatening aura was somewhat undercut by the fact he was wobbling on two crutches.

'Feeling better, are you?' I enquired sweetly.

His eyes narrowed into slits. From any other noble, I would have taken this as pompous posturing and shrugged it off. But Lord Dalgliesh was an entirely different matter.

A tiger is most dangerous when it is wounded.

I couldn't help smiling.

Good thing you have a lion on your side, Lilly.

'Smile while you can, Miss Linton.' His oh-so-noble face twisted into an ugly sneer. 'It won't last for long.'

I felt my heart rate picking up again—and, this time, not because of wedding jitters.

'What do you mean?' I demanded.

Although I had already a pretty good idea.

'What do you think?' Taking a wobbling step forward, he jabbed a crutch in my direction. 'Did you really believe you could attack me and get away with it? If you'd been a good little girl and done as I'd said, I might have held back, but now...' His crutch thumped down on the floor, hard, making me jump. 'I'll destroy you. The both of you.'

A cold shiver went down my spine.

So, of course, I instantly raised my chin in defiance! 'You can't! You haven't been able to for years upon years, so how would you do it now?'

He took another step forward. Abruptly, I realized how small this damn room was. 'I might not be able to take his money. I might not be able to take his land. But I can damn well take what matters most to him!'

'What do you mean?' I hissed. But, by the way his steel-blue eyes were piercing me, I already had my suspicions.

'You're leaving,' he hissed. 'Now! Today! He isn't going to get you.'

Instinctively, my chin rose higher. 'And why the heck should I do that? Go to hell!'

'I won't. But he might, if you don't do as I say.' Taking a step towards me, he speared me with his gaze. 'That stupid fool might not care if he's running around with a crossdressing squab, but the rest of the world most certainly will. What do you think will happen when everyone finds out what the two of you have been up to all these years? Do you think any self-respecting man would still want to do business with a joke like Rikkard Ambrose?' Eyes gleaming with triumph, he took another step closer. He was almost close enough to reach out and touch me now. 'If I can't ruin that insolent little upstart's business, I'll take ruining his life as a consolation prize.'

'No! No, don't!' The words escaped my mouth without my permission. Dalgliesh's smile widened in triumph.

'I can do it easily, just like that.' He snapped his fingers. 'Do you have any idea how many newspapers are in my possession? One telegram to London, and the news will be spread all over Britain. Business man cavorts with cross-dressing harlot – has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?'

'What do you want?' I gritted my teeth. 'Spy for you? I already told you, I won't do it!'

'Weren't you listening?' His eyes glittered. 'I don't want you to spy. I want you to leave. Go. Vanish into thin air!'

My mouth went dry. 'Why?'

But, as with my previous question, I already knew why.

'Ruin. His. Life.' Every word was a stab with a poisoned arrow. 'That's why. That little weasel dared to try and challenge me, and I'm going to pay him back one way or another! Accept my offer or not. Leave or not. I don't care—he'll be broken either way! But if you don't leave, he'll not just be broken, he'll be a byname for scandal and stupidity! Once I'm finished with him, he'll be laughed right out of the country! So, Miss Linton...shall I send my men to help you pack your bags?'

I opened my mouth to respond, and—

'I would rather listen to the laughs of a thousand fools,' came a cold voice from the other end of the room, 'than put off this wedding one second.'

—I closed my mouth again.

Mr Rikkard Ambrose strode into the room, eyes blazing with cold fire. Stalking over towards me, he kicked one of Lord Dalgliesh's crutches out from under him, sending him stumbling back. Never in my life had I been so happy to see someone assault a disabled person.

'Don't get an inch closer.' Mr Ambrose's voice was as cold and deadly as an arctic wind. 'Not. One. Inch.'

'Is it true?' I whispered. 'Would you really...for me...?'

He didn't answer. He didn't turn to face me. He just reached back, took my hand and gave it a long, hard, squeeze. Relief flooded through me.

'Good Lord, you really mean it, don't you?' Taking a careful step backwards, Dalgliesh stared at Mr Ambrose as if he was seeing him for the first time. 'I would never have taken you, of all people, to be a starry-eyed fool! I'll drag your name through the mud until there's nothing left!'

Mr Ambrose's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. 'I've spent years digging through the mud. I don't mind filth. After all, I'm speaking to you, aren't I?'

Red spots appeared on Dalgliesh's cheeks. 'Don't you dare make fun of me, you little worm! I'll squash you one way or another! I'll—'

Mr Ambrose moved faster than I could blink. In an instant, he was right in front of Dalgliesh. 'Make no mistake.' He spoke so low I could hardly hear him, let alone understand. 'Spread all the innuendo and rumours you want. I don't really care. The wedding is going to happen. Even if you print all the sordid details you can invent in every newspaper in England, I won't care. However...' Suddenly, his voice lowered even more, to a thoroughly dangerous level. 'However, I would not recommend you resort to violent methods. If you dare, I will end you!'

'End me?' Dalgliesh scoffed. 'Ha! And what do you think you can possibly do that could harm me?'

'Do?' Arctic cold glittered in Mr Ambrose's eye. 'I won't have to do anything. All I need is to speak one word.' Stepping forward, he leaned towards Dalgliesh, until he was almost touching the man's ear, and whispered, 'Enfield!'

Dalgliesh paled. 'You can't possibly...how! How the hell do you know?'

All he got as an answer was silence.

'Y-you wouldn't dare! Making that public would topple the entire...you wouldn't dare!'

Still, nothing but silence. Mr Ambrose cocked his head, as if to say Have you met me?

What little color was left in Dalgliesh's face drained away.

'Nobody would believe you, anyway!'

'Indeed? The people in power might not. But the masses will. And, I gather, they don't particularly like you, Your Lordship.'

A growl erupted from Dalgliesh's throat. 'Where! Where did you get that information from?'

Mr Rikkard Ambrose's face had never been more cold or unreadable. Without giving him another glance, he turned his back towards Dalgliesh, as if he were no more dangerous than a fly now. 'No need to concern yourself with that. All you need to know is that if you dare take any serious steps against us...'

He snapped his fingers. At the snap, Lord Dalgliesh jerked backwards, staring at Mr Rikkard Ambrose as if he were the devil incarnate. I might have to agree. A handsome devil.

'You...you...!'

'Go,' Mr Ambrose ordered. 'Go, and don't ever let me lay eyes on you again. If the two of us ever cross paths again...'

He let his sentence trail off, his meaning clearly hanging in the air. There was a long moment of silence—then, stumbling back again, Dalgliesh whirled around and scurried towards the door like a bug with a few legs missing. Pushing open the door, he stumbled outside. With a thud, the door fell shut behind him, leaving only silence.

Silence and me.

'Enfield?' I demanded the instant the door was shut. I supposed I could have kissed him or hugged him or something, but between romance and nosiness, I'd pick nosiness any day. 'What were you talking about? Who...'

Realization struck.

'You found something in the documents! Something big! What was it? Who the hell is Enfield?'

Reaching out, he gently cupped my cheek. Slowly, he leaned forward to whisper in my ear and, in a low, almost inaudible voice, said:

'You don't need to worry about that.'

'What? What do you mean, I don't need to worry about that? I was the one who snuck in there to get those bloody documents! You'll tell me right now who Enfield is, Rikkard Ambrose, or I'll—'

His lips cut me off in mid-sentence.

Oh...oh dear...

Perhaps romance was preferable to curiosity after all.

'You will tell me!' I mumbled against his lips. 'One way or another.'

'We shall see.'

Silence fell once more, and we held each other close. When, after long moments, we parted, I gazed up into his eyes and asked in a whisper, 'Did you really mean it? Would you really make yourself into a laughing stock? For me?'

He looked straight into my eyes. 'All my stores are known for being well stocked. I might as well lead by example.'

'You...!'

Unable to keep a straight face, I thumped my fist against his chest. Then I grabbed him by the ears and pulled him down, kissing him fiercely.

Only the renewed ringing of church bells in the distance reminded us where we were, and when.

'So, the time is finally here, isn't it?' I asked, slowly drawing back. For some reason, I was suddenly unable to meet his eyes.

'Yes.' Nudging up my chin, he forced me to look straight at him. 'I'll await you at the altar.' His fierce gaze speared into me, commanding my attention. 'Don't be late.'

A corner of my mouth quirked up. 'I wouldn't dare.'

He held my gaze for a moment longer—then let go and turned on the spot. His coat tails fluttering behind him like raven's wings, he strode out of the door and down the stairs, towards the church.

I stood there for a moment, lips tingling. Reaching up, I touched my mouth, feeling the echo of his kiss. I couldn't help a blissful smile spreading across my face.

'Lill? Lill!' My head jerked up abruptly and I saw Ella standing at the door, tapping her foot with an inordinate amount of impatience for a sweet little wallflower. 'Lill, where have you wandered off to in that head of yours? Now's not the time for daydreaming!' Grabbing my arm, Ella tugged me out of the room, her face filled with joy. 'There's plenty of time for that tonight.'

I cleared my throat, and suddenly Amy was beside me, a look on her face as dirty as a three-hundred-year-old doormat. 'Oh, I don't think she'll do much daydreaming tonight. She'll be otherwise occupie—ouch!'

I smiled with pride. So, even in a wedding dress, my feet-stomping skills were still at their best.

'Come on, Lill! We have something to show you!' Grabbing my hand, Ella pulled me down the hallway until we stood at the top of the stairs.

My heart leapt in my chest.

Something to show me?

The very first thing that came into my mind was Dalgliesh. Had it already happened? How fast did that fiend's newspapers work?

But no. There was a joyous smile on Ella's face. Besides...

Once again, I remembered Mr Ambrose's words: 'Soon, we'll be one. Together, we'll be stronger than ever. I'll make sure that Dalgliesh will never be able to touch you.'

Warmth rose inside me.

I'm not walking into danger. I'm walking towards my future.

'Come on!' Ella's eyes twinkled as she tugged on my arm again. 'You won't believe the spiffing surprise we have in store for you!'

Reaching the top of the luxurious staircase that led down into the entrance hall, Ella pointed down towards...

'What the heck?'

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My dear Lords, Ladies & Gentlemen,

What big surprise do you think is awaiting Lilly on her wedding day? ;)

Yours Truly

Sir Rob

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GLOSSARY:

Squab – a Victorian expression for a well-padded woman.