Page 29 of Tempting a Lonely Lord (The Rakes of Mayhem #6)
“Michael, where would you and Lacey like to go? I see a line at the treacle toffee tent. I’ve always enjoyed toffee. It’s a little sticky, though,” Stephen said, grinning.
“I’ve never had treacle toffee, Uncle Stephen. Before William moved me here, I had never been to any place like this. Maybe we could walk around first, so Lacey and I can look it over. Then we can decide.”
“That sounds very logical, young man,” Elizabeth said, gripping his hand.
“It’s too bad we couldn’t have had our fortunes told. I’ve never done that,” Stephen teased. “The grandmothers say she is very good at her craft.”
“I hate that Madame Vorest was so distressed, but I’m not ready to have my palm read,” Elizabeth said. “I’m not sure I believe in all that hocus-pocus.”
“Madame Vorest said her crystal ball wasn’t working today anyway,” Michael piped up.
“Really?” Stephen had never heard of a fortune teller commenting on a nonfunctional crystal ball.
“She said her visions were foggy today,” Michael added. “She really misses her granddaughter, Sophie.”
Of course she would be devastated. Stephen felt foolish. “I can certainly understand her sadness. I hope her granddaughter is found safe.”
“Have you ever consulted a gypsy to tell your fortune?” Elizabeth asked.
Stephen gave a self-deprecating laugh. “For the last few years, I’ve been more used to feeling sorry for myself and giving my fortune away.”
“Stephen, you were a victim of alcohol, and that made it easier for men like Baron Darkmoor to manipulate you,” she whispered loudly.
“I suppose I should be forthcoming. My cousin played cards with you at the Winking Mariner. He described the baron’s forceful taunts pushing you to continue playing, even though you insisted that you wanted to stop.
Darkmoor practically shamed you to continue.
While I don’t agree with his drinking and gambling, Peter has a rule, and to my knowledge, he sticks to it.
He imposes a five-game limit with anyone who routinely wins in the gaming rooms. He says that Baron Darkmoor is the kind of man who pushes others beyond their limits and preys on people who cannot stop.
“That night, Peter played five hands and finally won some of his money back…and left,” she continued.
“He tells me that he never engages in a game with a person who’s won against him five times, mostly because they probably have better skills than he does, although he added that he had heard of the baron’s reputation and felt himself lucky to win one hand. ”
“I suppose the alcohol dulled my senses more than I realized. I didn’t recognize Peter, although I knew him years ago.
However, his rule is a sound one,” Stephen admitted.
“It’s probably kept him from falling into the kind of debt that makes men desperate.
It certainly happened to me.” Taking a long, deep breath, he exhaled.
It felt good to be able to breathe and truly smell the air around him without the haze of alcohol dulling his senses.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt free to re-engage in his life again. Thanks to his mother.
“I cannot understand gambling, but if Peter’s rule works for him, who am I to disparage it?
” She paused. “Stephen, have you heard anything from the solicitors regarding the treasure map you and Michael found? I’m just curious.
That was quite a spectacular find if it turns out to be authentic.
For hundreds of years, people have spoken about buried treasure here.
This place was one of our summer homes and my personal favorite.
We came here quite often. I was happy it was passed down to me. ”
“We haven’t heard a thing yet. But we remain hopeful.” He shrugged. “After all the financial destruction I caused my family, it would be nice to find out we have copper veins on the land—enough to repair some of the damage.”
“Something smells really good here,” Michael said as he and Lacey began to sniff the air around him.
“That’s probably the gingerbread cakes,” Stephen said. “We are close to the tent.”
Elizabeth leaned down and scratched Lacey behind the ears. “I used to have a dog that looked so much like you, Lacey.”
“You did?” Michael said. “She’s Lady Bella’s dog, but Bella’s sharing Lacey with me. So, I suppose I can share her with you.”
Stephen laughed. “That’s so gentlemanly of you, Michael. Your timing is perfect. Lady Elizabeth and I were just talking about the treasure map we found.”
“I want to talk about that… but the pirate in me smells gingerbread and beef pies. Can we have some?” Michael asked, pointing to a tent ahead of them and looking hopefully up at Stephen.
“Which? The gingerbread or the beef pies?” Stephen answered cheerfully.
Michael affected a serious look. “I would like the gingerbread first. And I think Lacey fancies the beef pie, which I would like to try, as well.”
Elizabeth and Stephen both laughed, and she clasped Michael’s hand in hers. “I think we can manage that,” she said.
“Seems like a good idea to me. I didn’t eat a big breakfast, anticipating we might find this tent,” Stephen agreed. “Perhaps a glass of lemonade would be nice, as well.”
Watching Elizabeth with Michael and Lacey made Stephen long for a family of his own.
He was fond of Michael and would welcome a son like him, or a daughter with Elizabeth’s spirit.
He realized he had wasted too much of his own life being angry and jealous over his brother’s life.
It was time to focus on what mattered… Elizabeth and proving himself worthy of her.
She couldn’t be more perfect, as far as he was concerned.
She was likely no older than twenty-eight, he reasoned, recalling he was five years her senior.
And she was even more beautiful and captivating than on the day he first noticed her at her coming-out ball.
His feelings for her from all those years ago had never faded; he had merely buried them along with the worst parts of himself.
He'd felt bitter and angry, wanting to escape into drinking, gambling, and womanizing, waiting for the pain to dull. Now he was falling in love with her. Again. And it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. What if she doesn’t feel the same?
The fête had taken over the common area in the town, with stalls and tents set up and down the main street and in the town’s square.
As they made their way to a food stall offering both sweet and savory fares, they walked by the Winking Mariner.
The food stall was in the square, across the street from the pub.
“Uncle Stephen, where are all those children going?” Michael asked, pointing toward the beach.
The beach extended up to a rustic wooden pier—the only barrier separating it from the town.
Many businesses that locals frequented, such as the Winking Mariner, were located on the pier, with their back doors opening directly to the ocean.
A line of almost a dozen children, their heads down, shuffled toward the beach, where a boat was sitting offshore.
The children were herded by three unsavory-looking men who appeared to be sailors.
They looked to be heading toward the beach.
Stephen’s eyes narrowed as he spotted another suspicious-looking man lurking in the alley next to the tavern.
Strange… The man looked familiar and appeared to be watching for someone.
Or perhaps more than one person. Stephen’s gut told him something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t leave Lizzy and Michael alone to investigate.
“I think that’s Sophia!” Michael exclaimed, jumping up and down.
“Who?” Elizabeth asked, looking in the direction Michael was pointing to the slow-moving line of children.
“Sophia!” he insisted. “The lady in the tent was crying about her granddaughter. She was so sad. She said she was gone—those bad men had stolen her. It must be her. Madame Vorest said Sophia was wearing a blue dress and had yellow curls.”
“Blonde hair? How old did she say her granddaughter was?” Elizabeth asked, her voice betraying her nerves. “Stephen… we must do something.”
“I know, Stephen said, his mind whirling. “I recognize that shifty character lurking in the alley next to the Winking Mariner.”
Michael piped up. “Lacey and I will get them.”
“No, Michael, wait,” Stephen said sternly.
“I saw Lucas and William at that tent over there.” He pointed, suddenly feeling like he needed to be two people.
He couldn’t leave Elizabeth, and he couldn’t let the boy run around with people known to be stealing children.
Looking around, it appeared the common area was mostly empty of people.
“I’ll watch you run to them. Do not stop anywhere else. ”
“We’ll go straight there. I promise.” With that, Michael darted off, Lacey racing alongside him. Seeing that they reached William, Stephen turned his attention back to the beach.
“We have to help these children,” Elizabeth said.
“We do.”
Hurrying over, Elizabeth knelt in front of Sophia. “Oh, Sophia, we’re here to help you,” she whispered, taking the young girl into her arms. “We’re going to get you to safety, honey. Your grandmother is looking for you.”
“Where do you think you’re going with that girl?” a man called. “She’s m’own girl. Her name is… uh… Jane.”
“No, her name is Sophia, and she disappeared the other day,” Elizabeth said in a furious voice, pulling the girl from the line.
“I’m Sophia,” the little girl whispered. “My grandmother…” She glanced in the direction of the tents. “My grandmother is Madame Vorest.” Holding her head up defiantly, she said, “I’m not called Jane. My name is Sophia!”
“Stop telling tales, child,” the man muttered, stepping forward with his arm out as though to push Elizabeth away.