Broderick stared at him. "You've gone mad sir."
Simon ignored him. "A position in one of my ventures awaits you on the island. Once there, you may choose to accept that position or reject it. I do not particularly care. But either way, you will be going to the island and you will not be able to get back to England unless you manage to earn your passage. It is rather expensive."
"See here," Broderick raged, surging to his feet, "I am not going to Yorkshire, let alone to some bloody damn island in the East Indies."
"You are right about not going to Yorkshire. That offer will not be made again. I want you out of England altogether, and mark my words, you will be on board the Sea Demon tomorrow morning when it sails. You have only two options. You may go willingly, or I shall have you tied up and carried aboard. Take your pick."
"You cannot do that, damn it," Broderick snarled.
"I own the Sea Demon and every man on board, including her captain," Simon said softly. "I have told Captain Conway that you are to sail with him to the East Indies. Two of his men are waiting out in the street now. They will escort you back to your lodgings and assist you in packing your belongings. You will spend the night aboard so that we do not have to worry about you nipping off to the country."
Broderick's desperate gaze went straight to Emily. "You cannot let him do this to me, Em."
Emily drew herself up and faced her father. "My husband has, as usual, been extremely generous under the circumstances. But, then, he is naturally inclined to do the noble thing. 'Tis his nature. I wish you a good voyage, Papa. Be certain to write when you arrive."
"Emily!"
"I am in need of a good correspondent from that part of the world. I have always felt I lacked sufficient information from the East Indies for my various investment decisions in that area. You can be a great asset to me, Papa."
"Dear God," Broderick said, clearly dazed. "My own daughter has turned against her loving papa. I cannot credit it."
"I myself had a bit of difficulty crediting the arrangements you had allowed to be made regarding the payment of your gaming debts," Simon said, feeling dangerous all over again as he recalled the scene in the alley.
"You… know about that?" Broderick asked uneasily.
"I know all. Emily and I enjoy a most unusual form of communication," Simon explained.
"Good God. I never meant… never actually thought it would come to that. Thought Emily could talk you into paying the debts. It was Crofton who suggested applying the spurs, you know. Said Emily might need some incentive."
"I would not say anything more, if I were you," Simon warned softly. "You may be interested to know, however, that you will not be alone when you sail to the East. Your good friend Crofton will be with you. Indeed, he is already on board, awaiting your arrival."
Broderick's mouth opened and then closed again as Simon's cold fury finally registered. This was obviously the first time he had realized his opponent knew everything. Whatever he saw now in Simon's gaze must have convinced him that there was no more hope. Broderick turned to Emily, eyes pleading. She returned his glance without expression.
"Goodbye, Papa."
"Banished to the East Indies. Of all the unjust fates. I wish your mama were here. She would know what to do." Broderick got up, walked slowly to the door, and let himself out into the hall.
A long silence descended on the library. Devlin glanced at his twin. Both straightened away from the mantel, looking suddenly much older and far more mature than they had a few weeks ago.
"Time we were on our way," Charles said crisply. "Plenty to do before we leave tomorrow." He leaned down to give Emily an affectionate peck on the cheek. "You'll come down to the docks to see us off, Em?"
"Of course." She smiled at him.
"We'll write to you, Em." Devlin kissed his sister's cheek and grinned down at her. "And we'll send you all our profits to invest."
"Do take care, both of you." Emily jumped to her feet to embrace the twins.
"We will." Charles gave her the charming Faringdon grin. "And the next time you see us, we'll both be rich nabobs." He turned to Simon. "Goodbye, sir. And thank you for everything."
"Yes," Devlin said, giving Simon a straight look. "Thank you. We know we're leaving our sister in good hands. Take care of her."
"I will," Simon said.
He waited until the door had closed behind the twins and then he got to his feet and went over to the brandy decanter. He poured two glasses and brought one back to Emily. "A toast, madam wife."
She smiled with her eyes as she lifted her glass. "What are we toasting, my lord?"
"An England free of Flighty, Feckless Faringdons." Simon took a satisfying swallow of brandy.
"What about me?"
"You," said Simon as he set down his glass, "are not a Faringdon." He crossed the room and locked the library door. "You have not been one since the day I married you."
"I see." She watched his every move with brilliant eyes. "Simon, I must thank you for all that you have done for my family. You have been extremely generous. I have never seen Charles and Devlin looking so excited about anything as they are about going out to India. And as for my father…"
"What about him?"
"As I said, you were most generous toward him. He did not deserve it."
"No, he did not."
"You are so kind, Simon," she said impulsively. "So generous and noble and—"
He held up a palm to silence her. "What I did, I did to free myself of Faringdons. It was entirely selfish on my part."
"No, what you did, you did for me," she said knowingly. Then she laughed up at him with her eyes. "The whole world knows you indulge me shamelessly."
"And the whole world knows you are helplessly in love with me, totally in my thrall, and completely at my mercy." He untied the knot in his white cravat as he started back across the room.
"It seems a fair enough arrangement to me."
"What the whole world will no doubt determine soon enough," Simon said as he eased the length of silk from around his throat, "is that I am just as much in love with you as you are with me."
"Does that possibility worry you, my lord?"
He came to a halt in front of her, the white silk cravat dangling from his fingers. "Not in the slightest."
"Simon? What are you going to do with that cravat?" Emily asked.
He draped it sensuously around her throat. "The same thing I did with it the last time we made love here in the library."
"Really?" Then her eyes widened. " 'Tis the middle of the day, my lord."
"Never too early to be cast adrift on love's transcendent, golden shore, my sweet." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to one of the huge satin pillows.
He settled her on the gold cushion and came down beside her. She smiled at him, her love blazing in her beautiful eyes.
And when she was wearing nothing at all except the strip of white silk, she went into his arms the way she always did—with a joyous, loving passion that was strong enough to last a lifetime.
Out of the corner of his eye, Simon saw one of the jeweled dragons grinning at him. The earl laughed and the laughter became dragon's music and it filled the house.