space between the horses and kiss her. He loved the eager response of her lips, the soft caress of her hand on his cheek.
“I am a lucky man,” he whispered.
Her eyes shone, and his heart seemed to burst with the knowledge that he made her happy.
They arrived back at Gosmere Hall before tea time. Matthew himself ran around from the stables to receive their horses and relayed the news that Marvin had arrived some two hours earlier. That was all there was time for because Dudley and his wife flew down the front steps to greet them. Inevitably, although they both smiled, they looked tense and anxious. For they could have had no idea how things stood between Christopher and Deborah if she had truly run away with Rupert or been abducted.
Christopher felt exuberant enough to pick Georgianna up and swing her around in a huge hug, but he suspected Dudley would not approve, so he merely grinned and kissed her cheek before introducing her to Deborah, his wife now in more than name.
“I can tell we are going to be great friends,” Georgianna said eagerly, with a quick, worried quirk of an eyebrow at Christopher. “Come inside, and tell us everything!”
They all repaired to the terrace room where his grandfather was already ensconced.
“Well?” Hawfield demanded, bounding to his feet, his fierce eyes jumping from Christopher to Deborah and back again. “Did you find the reprobate?”
“If you mean Rupert, yes,” Christopher replied, closing the door, “and it seems we have all been maligning him, casting his as the villain of the piece when he had no idea we were all looking for him. Deborah was afraid he had abducted Georgianna, and discovering his henchman asleep on our land, made him take her to Rupert—although with the forethought of summoning your maid, Georgianna, to add respectability and throw gossipmongers off the scent.”
“I thought it must be something like that when I heard Marvin’s story,” Georgianna said, nodding wisely. “So, when did you discover you were wrong about Rupert?”
“When I sneaked onto his ship, and Deborah was… pleased to see me,” Christopher said casually, although his heart still melted at the joy in her eyes and his fiercely possessive embrace.
“What the devil were you doing on his ship?” his grandfather demanded, staring at Deborah. He might have softened toward her, but clearly, the trust was not deeply rooted.
She said, “I thought I was passing the time until I could ride the mare home, but in fact, Rupert was keeping me out of the way of the excisemen. But, of course, Christopher did not know that. In any case, it was all a great waste of time, and I’m sorry to have worried everyone. Apart from that, the adventure was quite fun.”
“And we believe Rupert is safe,” Christopher added, “although he has left England again. Before he comes back, I want to have this murder nonsense disproved and allow him to come home.”
“And how will you do that?” his grandfather mocked. “After nearly two years? Rush up to London and start nosing into people’s business?”
“Yes,” Christopher retorted. “If necessary. In fact, I know a man who is very good at ferreting out information. If he can find what we need, then he will save me the time. I would like to take Deborah on a wedding trip before Parliament resumes.”
“What an excellent notion,” Georgianna enthused as servants began to carry in tea trays. “Dudley and I had a wonderful month in Scotland. I hope you don’t mind, Mrs. Halland, but I ordered tea before you arrived!”
“It’s most welcome,” Deborah assured her. “And I wish you will call me Deborah.”
“Then, I am Georgianna. I knew we would be friends!”
The servants laid out the little sandwiches and cakes, placed the teapot close to Deborah, and presented Christopher with a handful of mail. There was one from Gates, a couple from colleagues in London, a scented one from Marina Belham which he would rather not have received, and one addressed to Miss Deborah Shelby at her mother’s house in Coggleton.
“Someone didn’t see the notice in The Morning Post,” he observed, passing the letter to her.
“Are you sure you sent it?” she asked wryly.
“Actually, no,” he said, struck. “I remember writing it, but beyond that… I’ll make sure.”
Deborah put the letter beside her and poured the tea, which he passed to the others.
Only when they had caught up on events at Gosmere since they had left—very little although Georgianna was impressed with the salons—did Christopher open his