Page 32 of Tempting a Lonely Lord (The Rakes of Mayhem #6)

“It’s good to see you here tonight, Countess,” the duchess said. “I understand many of the children you were caring for have been reunited with their parents.”

“I have some exciting news on that front—news I just heard before I left,” Lady Rivers said. “Two of the children were so upset, it’s taken time to get them to talk. They finally started talking a few hours ago and, shortly before I left, mentioned a village about fifty miles from here.”

“That’s excellent news. His Grace and I would like to speak with them if you feel they are up to it,” William said. “We are all hoping to return them to their families as soon as we can.”

“I think they may be ready. They seem much more relaxed. I am thankful we avoided a tragedy,” the countess said.

William noticed a smile pass between Lady Rivers and Stephen. He was happy for them and hoped the relationship continued to bloom. “Ah, Bella, there you are.” Just seeing her smiling face lifted his mood. He had begun to worry about where she was.

“I apologize for being late. I misplaced a pearl earring but finally found it beneath my vanity. Have I missed anything?” Bella asked.

“Only that we may have a lead on where the last two children live, but we will explore that in the morning,” William said, offering his arm. “You look lovely,” he whispered.

“If everyone is ready, I think we can take our seats,” Stephen said, Elizabeth on his arm.

As soon as they were seated, Garrett gave a quick knock and entered the room, carrying a salver. “Your Grace, a message has arrived from London addressed to both you and Lord Dudley. I thought it could be urgent, so I brought it right away.”

“Thank you, Garrett,” the Duke of Dorman said, accepting the missive. He read it quickly and passed it to William, who read it and nodded back at the duke.

“If that will be all?” the butler said.

Lacey glanced up from her place in the corner where she had been lying, unmoving throughout the before-dinner cocktails. Her expression was one of irritation, and she lifted her lip to show her teeth, though she made no sound.

Garrett arched a brow and shot the dog an irritated look before turning to leave.

“There! That’s exactly what I’ve observed repeatedly,” William said, tucking the message into the pocket of his waistcoat and leaning back in his seat.

“Before we turn our attention away from our topic of discussion, this… behavior between the butler and the dog…” he began.

“It’s worsening. If he yelled at her, as Bella says, for sneaking treats to Winterborne—which I find adorable—how can the rift be mended?

Every interaction I’ve noticed seems to be getting worse.

A week ago, they seemed the best of friends.

Now… this.” He gestured casually toward the dog in the corner, whose only response was to grunt and close her eyes. “She seems content with it.”

“Garrett was quite harsh in his admonishment. I believe he should apologize, and I’ve told him so,” replied Grandmère, eyes twinkling with undisguised mirth. She picked up her glass and took a sip of wine.

“I wasn’t present for it, but I gathered from Mrs. Bisque that Garrett had set aside the apples for himself, and Lacey helped herself to them without notice or permission,” Grandmama said, biting her lip to suppress a laugh.

The duchess barely suppressed a titter until Bella joined in, and then the two ladies erupted into fits of giggles.

William bit his cheek in an effort not to join them. “I suggest we hand this issue over to Michael, as he appears to understand both animal sensibilities and human perspectives.”

“I second that suggestion…not because I think you a bumbler, but because you have described your younger brother’s talents perfectly,” the duke said, laughter shining in his eyes, as he raised his glass of wine.

“Hear, hear,” the group chimed in between laughter and giggles.

~*~

After dinner, Stephen stood and gained everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for agreeing to join us tonight. I would like to thank the viscount and his dear friends, the Duke and Duchess of Dorman, who have helped us immensely.”

“It has been our pleasure to join you. And our friendship is readily given,” Lucas said.

“Thank you,” Stephen said to the room.

William studied him carefully, noting how he gripped the back of his chair as if grounding himself. Gone was the reckless man who had squandered opportunities and left his family to mend his failures. Tonight, Stephen appeared different—burdened by his past but finally ready to take responsibility.

“I invited you all here tonight to offer my sincerest apologies and to clear up any misunderstandings.” He hesitated, his gaze sweeping the room before he exhaled. “The blame for our family’s entanglement with the dreadful Baron Darkmoor lies with me.”

At the mention of the baron, William’s jaw tightened. His gaze flicked to Bella. She sat in composed silence, her hands gently clasped in her lap, but he caught the slight curl of her fingers—an unconscious sign of tension.

Stephen continued, his voice steady but edged with regret. “I wallowed in self-pity, resenting my brother’s successes instead of standing beside him. And in my weakness, I made choices that put us all in danger.”

William already knew all of this. Stephen had confessed his mistakes to him days ago when it was just the two of them.

But this—standing before the gathered room, exposing his faults for all to see—was something else entirely.

A man who had spent years avoiding responsibility was now owning his failures.

But William wasn’t thinking about Stephen.

He was thinking about Bella.

She had already forgiven Stephen. She had already moved past the betrayal. But that didn’t erase what had happened. She had been through an ordeal—one that still lingered in the unspoken spaces between them.

At the village fête, Baron Darkmoor had nearly taken her. If not for Harriett’s quick thinking, Bella would have been lost to them. And the baron— damn him —had escaped.

Guilt gnawed at William. He hadn’t been there. Instead, he had been on the windswept shore, stopping the smugglers and rescuing a dozen helpless children. He had done what needed to be done, but that didn’t change the truth—he hadn’t been there for her.

Across the room, Bella lifted her gaze, meeting his.

His breath caught.

There was no anger in her expression, no blame. Just quiet understanding. And something deeper—something that made his chest tighten.

Love .

It was there. He could feel it, as surely as he felt the weight of his own feelings for her.

Whatever words Stephen spoke next faded into a dull hum in William’s ears. Nothing mattered in that moment except the woman across the room. The woman who had nearly been taken from him.

The woman he would never— could never—let go.

Stephen continued, recounting everything that had transpired with Baron Darkmoor and the role his mother had played in helping him. His voice remained steady, though the weight of his words settled heavily over the room.

Around the table, several people drew in a deep breath, the tension palpable. The enormity of what had happened—of what had nearly happened—hung between them like a storm that had barely passed.

Stephen turned to his mother. “I cannot thank you enough, Mother. I love you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion as he embraced her.

Grandmama clung to her son, tightening her arms around him as she dabbed at the tears gathering in her eyes. “Oh, my dear boy,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

For all that had been lost, for all the pain that had been endured, in that moment, something had been mended.

William smiled. “It seems this is the perfect moment to reveal my own secret, Bella.”

He watched as curiosity flickered in her eyes.

“When you visited Cliffton Abbey, you noticed a rather pungent perfume on me—one, I assure you, I did not enjoy.” His lips quirked, but his tone remained serious.

“What you didn’t know was that the night before, I had gone undercover.

I was following your uncle, trying to piece together what was happening in town. ”

Bella’s expression shifted, but she remained silent, listening.

“Though I resigned from actively working with the Crown, I still have my connections. That night, I played cards with your uncle, hoping to gain insight—not just into his dealings, but into the trouble surrounding your family.” His gaze went around the room.

“Especially since I had Michael to think about, too. And he had already become so attached to all of you.”

Stephen’s face reddened. “I had gotten rather foxed, I’ll admit. So much so that your secret identity will remain safe with me.”

William snorted. “Bella, I was so tired, I fell asleep. And I smelled atrocious. You were right to get angry.”

Bella lowered her gaze, a flush rising to her cheeks. “I remember that morning. I was awful to you,” she admitted softly. “Forgive me. I had no idea.”

William regarded the beautiful young woman who held his heart. “Bella, there is nothing to forgive. You only reacted to what you knew at the time. I should have explained sooner.” He reached for her hand. “All that matters now is that you know the truth.”

“Does anyone have anything else to share?” Grandmère asked. “My goodness! This was so much easier than gaining my information through keyholes.”

Everyone laughed.

“Cheers, dear family and friends!” Stephen said, lifting his glass of water. “There’s nothing better than family and good friends.”

“Cheers!” Lady Elizabeth Rivers said.

“Cheers!” the grandmothers added.

~*~

After dinner, Lucas approached William. “So, the office confirmed our suspicions,” he said in a low voice.

“They did,” William murmured. “We need to find him.”

~*~