"To start with, I want to thank her for helping to save my life. Luc told me how she stayed at my bedside for hours on end. There is no other woman like her and I mean to tell her so. And then I am going to ask her to marry me and pray that she will accept."
William's jaw imperceptibly tightened. He had been worried from the start that Caleb was in love with the girl. But a marquess's daughter or not, she was a bastard child with a blackened reputation and hardly a suitable match for his son.
He glanced up at the clock on the mantel. At two o'clock this afternoon, Vermillion Durant would marry Jonathan Parker. Luc had wanted to tell his brother about the marriage, but William had refused to let him.
"Not until he is back on his feet," he had said firmly. "As soon as he is, I will tell him myself. If he still wishes to intercede, he may do so then." Luc had argued, but concern for Caleb's health and William's words had finally convinced him.
"He'll want the girl to be happy and he knows marrying Nash is her best chance."
But William had never told Caleb about the marriage and he didn't mention it now. By the time he did, it would be too late.
By then, Vermillion would be Jonathan Parker's problem and Caleb would be free to make a more suitable match.
"I'll have the carriage brought round," William told him. "It will take you a while to reach Whitehall. I don't like your color. I think it would be best if I went along."
Caleb didn't argue. William could see he was trying to conserve his strength. As he walked out the door of the bedchamber, he thought of what Caleb might do when he discovered Vermillion belonged to another man, and a shiver ran down his spine.
You are doing what is best for your son, he told himself and headed downstairs to summon his carriage.
Lee finished dressing in her bedchamber at Lord Kinleigh's town house near Portman Square. Her friend, Elizabeth Sorenson, hovered over her, helping with the final details.
All morning the household had been frantic, the servants in an uproar as they scurried about completing last minute preparations before the family's departure to the chapel at Westminster where Lee and Lord Nash would be wed.
"Sit here, Miss," Beatrice commanded, barking orders like a sergeant in the army. "I need to finish weaving the ribbons into your hair."
Lee sat down in front of the mirror above her dresser and Elizabeth followed her across the room.
"You look beautiful," the countess said, surveying Lee's cream silk gown. Lee wished her aunt could have come, but it wouldn't have been seemly for her to appear in the marquess's house. She still wasn't sure Gabriella would come to the church.
Elizabeth knelt down to straighten Lee's train, her fingers sliding over the wide embroidered band of pale blue roses that decorated the skirt, the bodice, and the small puffed sleeves. Beatrice twined small blue roses and matching satin ribbons through her upswept hair, then Elizabeth fastened a single, square-cut diamond, a gift from Lee's future husband, around her neck.
"I hope I'm doing the right thing," Lee said, speaking the words she had repeated to herself a thousand times.
Elizabeth took her hand. "Of course you are. Jon is handsome and charming and he cares for you so very much. He wants children and so do you. It's a good match, Lee. And in time, you will surely fall in love with him—just as Charles has fallen in love with me."
Lee didn't remind her friend it had taken nearly ten years for the two of them to find happiness together. Still, her choices were limited. She could no longer stay at Kinleigh. The discord she caused was making all their lives miserable and she didn't want that.
"He's a good man," Lee said, more to herself than Elizabeth. "I'll do my best to make him happy."
"Jon is in love with you. He has been pursuing you for months. All you have to do to make him happy is repeat the vows that will make you his wife."
Lee made no reply, just finished the last of her toilette and made the final preparations to depart for the chapel at Westminster. She prayed that in time, marriage to Jonathan would make her happy, too.
A measure of Caleb's strength returned as the carriage rolled toward London. He had a great deal to do and he was eager to see it done. Two days ago, he had sent a message ahead, advising the colonel of his decision to leave the army and requesting an appointment to see him. The interview was scheduled for one o'clock.
"I still think you should have remained abed," his father grumbled from the other side of the carriage. The coach wove its way through the crowded London streets but traffic was heavy and their progress was slow.
"I've waited long enough," Caleb said. "My enlistment is up and I am resigning my commission. I want to advise Colonel Cox in person of my decision. I've also written a letter to General Wellesley, thanking him for his support. Cox can see it delivered."
"And the girl? She is the reason for your sudden change of heart, is she not?"
"In part I suppose she is. Perhaps if I hadn't met her, I would have remained in the army. Now that I have, there is no way I can stay. Not when I have been given a gift few men are lucky enough ever to possess."
Caleb's eyes searched his father's face, hoping for a hint of understanding. "Mother has been gone for years, but I still remember the way you used to look at her. Do you remember that, Father? Do you remember how much you loved her?"
The earl sat up a little straighter on the tufted leather seat. "Your mother was special. There has never been any woman like her and there never will be."
"Perhaps not. But when I look at Lee, I see a treasure any man would cherish. I see a chance for the sort of happiness you and Mother had, the sort I never thought I would ever find for myself."
His father said nothing, but an odd look began to come over his features. "You love her that much?"
"More than my own life. I want to marry her, Father. I want us to raise a family together. I want that more than anything in the world."
The earl's eyes slid closed and he leaned back against the carriage seat. "Sweet God, forgive me." He straightened, took on the look of authority Caleb recognized only to well. "There is something I need to tell you, son. I think I may have made a very grave mistake."
But just then the carriage rolled up in front of Whitehall and a footman jerked open the door. "We're 'ere, Captain Tanner."
"I'll be back in a minute, Father."
"Caleb, wait!"
But he was already down the iron stairs and limping along on the lion-headed cane he had borrowed, heading toward the office Colonel Richard Cox occupied at Whitehall.
Cox was waiting. "Come in, Captain." He motioned for Caleb to sit down in a chair in front of his desk. "I'm glad to see you up and about. How's the leg?"
"I'll probably be left with a bit of a limp. Other than that, it's mending very well. I take it you received my letter."
"Yes, I did."
For the next few minutes, Caleb reiterated his reasons for wanting to leave the army.
"You're being promoted, you know. As of today, you are Major Caleb Tanner."
Caleb smiled. "That's nice to hear, but it really doesn't matter. My enlistment has been up for some time. I'm resigning my commission as of today."
"Are you certain this is what you want to do?"
"Very certain."
"All right, then—"
"Colonel Cox!" The door swung open and Mark Sutton strode into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but I believe we've found our man." Sutton flicked only the briefest glance in Caleb's direction. "Last night, our efforts finally paid off. As we suspected, Reggie Bags was carrying the false information we fed to one of our suspects."
"Who's Reggie Bags?" Caleb asked.
"One of the couriers who was passing information," Sutton answered.
"Major Sutton has what seems to be an endless supply of sources," Cox explained. "We have had Bags under surveillance for the past several weeks."