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  ‘Dead?’ She looked momentarily confused. ‘He can’t be. I saw him only last night at Lady Harrington’s ball and he was perfectly well.’

  ‘Lord Jordan was a traitor. He was selling British secrets to the French, thereby causing otherwise avoidable deaths.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous! He would never…’

  ‘But he did, and he got away with it for five years. What’s more, he used your son as a courier.’

  ‘Daniel would never do such a thing.’ Mrs Gantz sat up a little straighter. ‘Send for him and he will deny it with his own lips.’

  ‘He is not here,’ Adela said quietly. ‘Last night he abducted me from the ballroom, and almost succeeded in compromising my reputation.’

  ‘Ha! You’ve done a good enough job of that without poor Daniel’s help, throwing yourself at Lord Bairstow like a cheap trollop. Now I know you are delusional and have somehow managed to persuade Lord Bairstow to believe your lies.’

  ‘Careful!’ Ezra said in a mordant tone.

  ‘Daniel told me that he is actually Lord Jordan’s son. My father found out and that is why he argued with my uncle.’

  Adela watched as her aunt seemed to deflate before her eyes. ‘Jordan is his father, that much is true. There was only a year between your father and my husband, but your uncle married me a good ten years before your papa tied the knot. I went five years without falling pregnant, which tells you all you need to know about your uncle’s virility.’

  ‘My uncle knew that Daniel was not his natural son?’

  ‘He suspected. He knew of my friendship with Jordan, and when he quizzed me on the matter I did not deny it.’ She shrugged. ‘I couldn’t, since we had not shared a bed for many months. However, my husband was to blame, and I made sure he knew it. I was looked upon as an object of pity because it was assumed that I was barren.’ She tossed her head. ‘Why are the women always held to blame in such situations? Anyway, he accepted Daniel as his own, whereas his natural father refused to acknowledge him.’

  ‘Not quite,’ Ezra said. ‘He financed his dubious trade between France and England and made use of his son as a courier. Ripon was so delighted to finally be recognised by a father he had never stopped trying to impress that he didn’t care what he did for him. Then Adela decided to return to England and your son became very useful to Jordan. The incriminating evidence that her father had accrued against Jordan had not come to light by that point, but he couldn’t afford to dismiss the possibility that she might have it without even realising it.’

  ‘Incriminating evidence?’ Mrs Gantz blinked. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Ezra ignored the interruption. ‘I imagine he encouraged your son to pursue Adela and persuade her to marry him, thereby reclaiming what he considered to be his birthright in the form of this house and eradicating the threat to Jordan. But Adela refused to oblige, thereby unwittingly putting her own life at risk.’

  ‘I am sure you are exaggerating.’ Mrs Gantz straightened her shoulders and appeared to recover a measure of her fighting spirit. ‘Jordan took Daniel under his wing long before Adela’s return. His own son was a disappointment to him and so he tried to encourage Daniel’s enterprising spirit.’

  ‘By setting him up as a smuggler during the war,’ Adela replied.

  ‘A horse trader, my dear,’ her aunt replied with a condescending smile. ‘Horses are always needed in the theatre of war.’

  ‘Last night your son abducted Adela at Jordan’s suggestion. He believed that he would be taking her back to Jordan’s house in order to compromise her, giving her no choice but to marry him. In actual fact, Jordan would have killed her, or have someone do it for him.’

  ‘Ha!’ Adela said, tossing her head.

  ‘Adela’s father knew that Jordan was a traitor and had accrued the evidence I just referred to which would prove it. He needed to get his hands on it before Adela realised what she had, always assuming she had it. He didn’t know if she did or not, and didn’t much care, just so long as he wiped out any and all threats against his liberty.’

  Mrs Gantz let out a horrified gasp. ‘No! It cannot possibly be. I would have known.’

  Ezra again ignored her and covered Adela’s hand with his own. ‘That evidence got your father killed.’

  Adela swallowed, her worst fears confirmed. ‘By the French? They murdered him?’

  ‘Almost certainly. Those who still harboured ambitions despite being defeated couldn’t have Jordan singing his heart out, naming names to save his own hide. So they got rid of the threat and left Jordan to remain at liberty on this side of the Channel. I dare say he still picks up and passes on interesting bits and pieces.’

  ‘I still don’t see,’ Adela’s aunt said.

  ‘He manipulated your son into taking Adela back to his house so that he could quiz her on the documents that implicated him. Those documents are now in the hands of the government, and are explicit.’

  Mrs Gantz shook her head. ‘Daniel didn’t know anything about treason.’

  ‘Which is the only reason why he is still breathing.’

  ‘Where is he?’ Mrs Gantz jumped up, her gaze darting frantically around the room, as though expecting to find him lurking behind the furniture. ‘We need to establish his innocence.’

  ‘He is naïve, and has been brought up expecting a standard of life to which he is not entitled. That is your fault.’ Ezra pointed an accusatory finger at Mrs Gantz. ‘The more Adela resisted his advances, the more determined he became to have her. But happily it didn’t come to that. Adela showed considerable courage by pushing him out of a moving carriage to save herself.’

  ‘You did what?’ Mrs Gantz glowered at Adela, vindictive and still protective of her weakling son. ‘He could have been killed, or worse.’

  ‘Don’t attempt to adopt the moral high ground, Aunt. Lord Bairstow is right to say that this is your doing as much as Daniel’s. You turned him into an over-privileged man with a high opinion of himself and no concept of the meaning of hard work. So you must accept your share of the blame for the way things turned out.’

  ‘He is at Jordan’s house, under guard,’ Ezra said. ‘What happens to him now is for you to decide, Adela.’

  Adela took a moment to consider. ‘He is stupid, idle and vain, but he didn’t deliberately work against British interests. He did abduct me, but I would prefer for that not to become public knowledge, so we will not mention it to the authorities. Instead, you and he will leave London immediately, Aunt, or risk prosecution. Return to Ripon and make the estate work. You will not be admitted to this house in future and I never want to hear your names mentioned again.’ She stood and pointed to the door. ‘Kindly leave, this minute.’

  ‘Adela, you cannot possibly mean…’ She took one look at the rigid set to Adela’s features, decided against appealing to her better nature and left the room with her head held high.

  ‘Talbot,’ Adela said, her voice loud enough to carry to her aunt as she ascended the stairs. ‘My aunt and cousin are leaving this house immediately. Please ensure that all their possessions are packed. They are not to be offered the use of any of my carriages. The public coach will be good enough for them.’

  Talbot actually smiled. ‘I will see to the arrangements in person, my lady.’

  *

  Ezra watched a kaleidoscope of emotions filter across Adela’s face as she gave her aunt the ultimatum and issued orders to her butler. She resumed the seat beside him, her hands trembling.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he asked, claiming both of those hands in just one of his. ‘Stupid question. Of course you are not.’

  ‘Actually, I think I am,’ she replied, smiling at him. ‘Living a life of destitution will be punishment enough for Daniel. Even if he recovers enough to find himself a wealthy wife, the money will not last for long. He has developed a happy knack for allowing it to slip through his fingers.’

  ‘You don’t mind about the estate?’

  ‘Not in the least.’ It w
as she who sent him a reassuring smile. ‘What part did Mr Barker play in all of this? I thought he was a friend of yours.’

  ‘So too did I.’ Ezra scowled. ‘I called to see him this morning and dragged him out of bed. He knew why I was there, of course, and it all came tumbling out. He was in debt to Jordan, who had promised to cover his gambling losses. Jordan approached him yesterday and tasked him with somehow getting you out of the ballroom unseen. He said he didn’t want to do it, but Ripon left him with no choice.’

  ‘We all have choices,’ Adela replied, unimpressed.

  ‘Quite. If Barker is to be believed, Jordan threatened to call in his loans if he didn’t do it.’ He recalled Barker’s enthusiasm about the book being run at White’s regarding Ezra’s interest in Adela. Clearly the gambling bug had bitten deeper than Ezra realised. ‘Anyway, Ripon was outside and the moment he saw you coming, he summoned Jordan’s carriage.’ Ezra flexed his bruised knuckles, although the knuckles in question were not nearly as bruised as Barker’s face. ‘He is very sorry. He didn’t think there was any harm in your cousin getting you alone in order to propose. He had placed a heavy wager on your accepting him because I appeared to have left you high and dry and very publicly at the ball. He thought your pride would be bruised, mistook your character for that of the majority of young chits within the ton who desire marriage at any price, and so it was in his interests to promote the match.’

  ‘He was willing to let me be abducted, just to win a bet.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Some friend.’

  ‘Jordan’s tentacles reached far, and he could be very persuasive. He would not have survived for as long as he had otherwise, but he is beyond hurting anyone now.’

  Adela threw back her head and closed her eyes. ‘And I can ride Willow without worrying about being shot at.’ She opened her eyes again. ‘It was Daniel, you know. I said something about it to him in the carriage and he didn’t deny it.’

  ‘It was indeed Daniel. I persuaded him to admit it, but I think Jordan just put the idea into his head,’ Ezra said.

  ‘And was it him again when I went to visit Mr Carver and Mr Harker saved me?’

  ‘Yes.’ Ezra squeezed her hands a little tighter. ‘Happily, your cousin is inept at everything he does, but you will not be troubled by him again. As to Willow, we could ride together this afternoon, if you like.’

  ‘There’s no need. You have unearthed your traitor and we both know that is the only reason why you singled me out. Mama will hear that you visited this morning. I will tell her that you proposed and that I declined your offer politely.’ She sent him a brittle smile. ‘There, will that do?’

  ‘Not nearly. You may certainly tell her that I called and proposed, but I hope you can also tell her that you gave me a very different response.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ She waved the suggestion aside. ‘I appreciate your gallantry, but you have more than served your purpose by discovering what really happened to Papa and ridding me of my aunt and cousin once and for all.’

  ‘You used me!’ he cried indignantly.

  Adela laughed. ‘We used one another, and both got what we wanted.’

  ‘Speak for yourself.’ To her utter astonishment, he fell to one knee in front of her. ‘I haven’t even come close to getting what I want, and I’m afraid you don’t get rid of me quite so easily. You see, I have fallen quite passionately in love with you and really do want you for my wife.’ Adela’s mouth fell open and she seemed incapable of responding. Ezra seized the opportunity to press his case. ‘At first, I thought you were just highly-spirited.’

  ‘Like a horse?’

  ‘Please don’t interrupt a nervous man.’

  ‘You? Nervous?’ Adela laughed and shook her head. ‘Now I am convinced I am dreaming.’

  ‘You, my sweet little impetuous goose, are lively, intelligent and were willing to help me, and I did use you in that respect. But it did not take me long to realise there was so much more to you than that. I have avoided matrimony because I couldn’t abide the thought of sharing my life with a lady whom I did not respect. You have changed my point of view, my love, and now that I have found you I know that I can respect, love and cherish you above everything else in my life.’

  Adela gulped, still looking disbelieving. ‘You can? You’re not just being kind? I couldn’t bear it if you were being kind.’

  ‘It’s hardly the sort of subject I would joke about.’

  ‘But…but, I am not beautiful.’

  He chuckled. ‘To me, I have never met anyone lovelier. Your courage, your determination…’ He shook his head. ‘When I saw a body roll out of that carriage, I couldn’t make out who it was in the dark.’ He swallowed. ‘I thought Ripon had thrown you out and I swear I thought my own life had ended, just as his would have. I was so angry that I would have ripped his head from his shoulders with my bare hands.’

  ‘I did intend to jump out myself, but I was averse to spoiling my lovely gown,’ she said with an impudent smile.

  Ezra shook his head. ‘What do you say, my love? Will you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife? Of one day becoming my duchess?’

  ‘A duchess? Well, why did you not say so before?’ Laughing, she stood, obliging Ezra to stand also, and slid her arms around his neck. ‘In that case, how can I possibly refuse?’

  The End

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  Hi, I do hope you enjoyed Lady Impetuous. If so, please take a moment to leave a review on the site you purchased it from. I’d love to hear what you thought of this particular novel – what you enjoyed most about it and what you didn’t like. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

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  I’m a British author, brought up on the Isle of Wight, but now live in Andorra. I share my life with my long-suffering husband and a rescued dog of indeterminate pedigree named Jake Bentley after the hero in one of my books. Both Jakes are handsome mongrels with independent spirits and wild streaks.

  I’ve had over sixty books published, ranging from Regency romance, (my first love), to contemporary women’s fiction and marine crime mysteries.

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  For Want of a Reputation

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