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Due to Baron Hartley’s connections, along with the rumor that the Duke of Sherborne was to be in attendance, the playhouse

was brimming full, the patrons eager to be entertained by The Knight of the Road .

The curtain opened to the scene of a carriage bumping down a shadowy forest lane.

Father played the part of Lord Flabbernatty. Mother played The Debutante. Verity, who was never comfortable on stage, agreed

to play The Silent Chaperone. And her husband, Magnus, played The Driver while four Addlewick villagers dressed up as the

pair of horses pulling the carriage.

And Honoria’s husband, Oscar, played The Highwayman.

Thea kept the script as close to the truth as possible. That was the only way to articulate the nobility of The Highwayman

and the reason he’d been forced to resort to thievery in order to save his family from Redstone’s vile clutches.

Act I went off without a hitch. The audience laughed and cheered at all the right lines. They booed Lord Flabbernatty when

he said to take the women and do whatever you want with them .

Then the curtain closed.

The villagers, who were used to performing in The Pit, were exceptional at changing stage dressing from one scene to the next.

Even Percival, Peter and Carlton Culpepper were there to help.

In Act II, to ensure that Lady Abernathy’s unfortunate illness was never revealed, Thea didn’t name a character Lady Flabbernatty. Instead, she chose the name Lady Oblivious.

Honoria wanted to play this part because it required dramatic retching. Which, she claimed, she had become an expert at in

her condition. And she was quite good.

In fact, she was putting on such an exceptional performance, moaning as though she were in agony—while the lecherous Redstone

chafed his hands together and ventured to the maze—that no one realized that she’d gone into labor.

Not until her water broke. On. The. Stage.

When the curtain closed on Act II, chaos ensued.

“Should we take her to hospital?” Mrs. Horncastle asked, holding the horse’s head beneath her arm.

“I’m afraid there won’t be time,” Honoria said with a sheepish grimace as she clutched her middle and doubled over. “You see,

I think this actually started yesterday. I just wasn’t sure until now.”

“Signore,” Oscar said, sweeping her up into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d stop me from making my debut as a London stage actress.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d throttle you.”

“I’ve no qualms against throttling my sister now,” Truman offered, his brow furrowed with worry.

“Let’s take her to that cot, behind the stage dressing,” Mother ordered. She was exceptional at managing a production. “We

need clean blankets. Truman, hand over your flask of whisky. Verity, give me your petticoat. And Thea, get ready for the next

scene.”

She started to shake her head in response. After all, they were a family. They needed to stick together. And besides, her

family made up the entire cast.

But Mother stopped her argument before she could speak. “There’s nothing you can do. This is Honoria’s path. You have your own, and we’ll be right here, cheering you on.”

“She’s absolutely right,” Honoria groaned through another birthing pain. “And if you don’t finish this play, I’ll never forgive

you.”

Verity huffed, wagging her finger, but there was a smile tucked into the corner of her mouth. “Nor will I. And if you think

I endured the horror of that stage for nothing, then think again.”

“You’re doing swimmingly, my dear. I’ve no doubt you’ll think of something,” Mother said and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Now go. Off with you.”

Thea, feeling as though the floor were crumbling beneath her feet, looked to her brother-in-law. “You’re on. Act Three is

your big reveal.”

Oscar shook his head. “Apologies, Thea, but I’m not leaving my wife’s side.”

She wouldn’t force the issue. After all, he did take part in creating the child that was on the way.

The problem was, this was the pivotal moment when Redstone and Lord Flabbernatty cornered The Highwayman and carted him off

to gaol. Without The Highwayman, the scene wouldn’t work. And the entire point of her play would be for naught.

Hearing the drag of the ropes, she turned to see that Addlewick’s baker, Mr. Brown, was on the other side of the stage, parting

the grand drapes.

No! They weren’t ready. She waved her hands, trying to get him to stop, but he didn’t see her.

Her father, playing Lord Flabbernatty, and Truman, playing Redstone, began their lines while she was left to watch from backstage,

knowing full well that The Highwayman would never enter stage right.

There was nothing she could do. Unless...

She frantically began searching for props. Perhaps if she could find a black hat and a cape, then she might be able to—

The sound of a howl pierced the air.

The hair at Thea’s nape lifted and she whipped around to peer through the side curtain just as the theatre doors swung open.

The light from the torches outside shone down on the wolf and the boy standing beside him.

She clutched her heart at the sight of Roland the Brave and his faithful Garmr. And she was just about to rush down from the

stage and greet them when something else filled the doorway. Something large and dark.

Then, much to the audience’s delight and her utter shock, a horse and rider came down the center aisle.

The rider was all disguised in black, from his hat to his boots, right down to the mask he wore. But Thea would recognize

that hulking figure anywhere.

Jasper! Her heart nearly sprang out of her chest.

She was too stunned to move, to even speak as she watched him swing a leg over his mount and vault onto the stage.

Then he whipped off his hat and his mask, and his deep voice rang out. “I do not deny it, Uncle. I am the highwayman.”

The audience gasped.

Thea just gaped at St. James standing there. He cast one look to her, his expression unreadable. Then he turned as Redstone

ordered the guards to haul him away.

The audience booed Redstone and Flabbernatty.

The curtain closed. And, she had to admit, the abridged scene worked.

But she was still in shock when he came to her. So much so that she reached out and pinched him. He laughed, flooring her

with a broad smile that made a dimple appear in his cheek. She didn’t even know he had a dimple.

“Is it really you?”

That dimple winked at her. “Who else would I be?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice was breathy as she dazedly shook her head. “I suspect I have an excellent imagination. Even better

than I thought.”

“The Duke of Sherborne certainly seemed intrigued by your script.”

“The Duke... but how?”

“Apparently, someone sent him a copy.” He looked over his shoulder to her father and Truman, who both sketched a bow from

the other side of the stage as the crew carried scenery on and off. “Then Sherborne spoke with Abernathy—or should I say,

Flabbernatty—and asked if he wanted to ally himself with a man like Redcliffe.”

“And?” she said, poking him in the center of the chest just to be completely sure this wasn’t a dream.

He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. “Abernathy recused his claim. And, without any accusers willing to aid

Redcliffe, I was released. However, because I’d told Sherborne the truth, he made me promise to give up my disguise and my

nights as a highwayman.”

“So, you’re... free?”

“I am.”

She wrapped her arms around him. Then, remembering how angry she was at him, she pulled back and swatted him in the chest.

“You broke my heart. You told me to marry Summerhayes because you didn’t love me.”

“I never said that I—” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m mucking all this up. Let me be clear, I only told you to marry

Summerhayes if the need arose.”

She huffed and set her hands on her hips. Did he actually think that he could make an amendment, after the fact, that would

rewrite history and erase her heartbreak? Men! “Well, it just so happens that—”

Her sister shouted a string of curses from backstage. A moment later, a baby cried.

Thea shot her arm out to point toward the sound. “That.”

Jasper blinked, brow furrowed. Then his jaw dropped. “Do you mean to tell me—”

“Argh! What the blazes? Confound you, Oscar!” Honoria shouted before her curses changed to Italian.

Mother called out, “Twins!” And it wasn’t long before another baby cried.

With the curtain still closed, Father dashed across the stage, his blue eyes shimmering. But before he went to meet his new

grandchildren, he paused to kiss Thea on the cheek. “Remember: a Hartley never leaves her audience waiting.”

Tears were glistening in her own eyes. She couldn’t wait to meet her new nephews or nieces, or whoever they were. But she

shook her head, needing to focus on the task at hand.

The next scene was between The Highwayman and The Debutante with the bars of his gaol cell between them. Her mother was supposed

to play The Debutante.

“Drat! You and I will have to go on stage together.” Irritated by the fact, she looked up at St. James to see that he was

still staring at her, his mouth agape. She snapped her fingers. “Jasper, I need you to focus. I know I did all this in order

to have the duke see it and free you from gaol, but just because you’re standing here doesn’t mean I’m willing to leave my

audience without the final tear-rending scene.”

When he didn’t respond, she took him by the hand, dragged him on stage, and put him behind the bars.

“The script is pasted to that fake rock,” she whispered.

Then she signaled Mr. Brown to open the curtain.

This was the part when the audience would cry. At least, Thea had been crying when she’d written the debutante walking into the gaol to say one last farewell to her love.

Thea said her lines flawlessly, taking inspiration from the day she’d said them in the stable yard. She even heard several

sniffles and whimpers from the audience. Excellent!

“Read your lines,” she mouthed to him and was thankful when he finally glanced down to the rock.

Then he frowned... and the highwayman went off script.

The Highwayman was supposed to stoically tell her to marry another. Instead, Jasper stood and began to pace in his cell. “I’ve

heard news that my uncle has gone quite mad. In fact, a physician has said that his brain has become infected. This evening,

the court has ruled that he is no longer capable of managing his own estate and are sending him to an asylum.”

A murmur traveled through the audience. It rolled in wave after wave that caused Thea to sway on her feet. “Is this true?”

Jasper—her Jasper and not The Highwayman—held her gaze and nodded. “This same ruling declared that I, being of sound mind,

would inherit the earldom without delay.”

“You have just inherited an...” She couldn’t finish. Honestly, this was a much better ending than she’d written. Gathering

her composure, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “So Redcliffe Court is yours?”

“I’ll never live there. I couldn’t,” he said. “But it occurred to me that the house and grounds would make for a nice hospital.

After all the pain he has caused, it seems right that his palace would be turned into a place of healing.”

Thea felt tears swimming in her eyes. “I think that’s a lovely plan.”

“And there’s one more thing,” he said. Reaching through the bars, he cradled her face.

“I want to thank you. For years, I remained in the shadows, believing that I had to bear the burden of what I knew on my own. But you showed me that I wasn’t alone.

You gave a voice to the part of me that I shut away.

” He paused to wipe the hot tears that spilled down her cheeks.

“Though I never told you, I’ve loved you from the very first moment we met.

You were in Regent’s Park and had lost your parasol on that windy afternoon. ”

Wait a moment. “But that was over... two years ago.”

“It was your smile,” he said. “It has always been your smile, Althea Hartley. Somehow you opened my heart and I’ve never been

the same.” Lowering his head, he delivered his next line only a breath away from her lips. “And if I have to break through

these bars to keep you from marrying another man, then I’ll do it.”

Much to the audience’s delighted cheers, he pulled the bars apart, stepped through, and swept her into his embrace.

She gasped and threw her arms around his neck. “Where are you taking me, highwayman?”

“To Gretna Green.”

Then the audience shot to their feet, applauding uproariously.

But there was no curtain call. Most of the actors were busy backstage, especially The Highwayman and The Debutante.

They were barely behind the drapes when his mouth found hers, their kiss greedy and yearning. The only reason they stopped

was because Roly bounded over to them, Garmr following at his heels, tail wagging.

“Miss Hartley! Miss Hartley! Did he tell you? We’re going to be a family, all of us, even Thumper!”

Thea waited for Jasper to correct him as he always did.

Jasper searched her gaze and when she nodded eagerly, he said, “Even Thumper.”

Then he spun her around in a circle, laughing.

“I hope you know that you went completely off script and stole the scene right out from under me,” she chided breathlessly.

That dimple flashed again. “Is there anything I can do to earn your forgiveness, madam playwright?”

“Well, you could repeat your line. I’m not certain the audience was entirely convinced.”

“And which line would that be?”

“Oh, I think you know.”

He nipped on her bottom lip. “I love you, Althea. My heart has been yours from the very first moment and it always will be.”

She beamed up at him. “You certainly have a way with words.”