“If he could get away with fooling all of us, you can, too,” Heather added.

  Eleanor was surprised, but also thrilled, that they were willing to let her stay in the group. They not only thought she would be a good addition to the group, but they thought of her as their friend. She had to brush away the tears that came to her eyes before they asked her if something was wrong. Nothing was wrong. She now had a husband and friends. Everything was perfect.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Thank you for letting me come here,” Eleanor’s father told Byron and Eleanor the next afternoon as he stepped into the house.

  Byron took her father’s hat and hung it on the hook by the door. He glanced at Eleanor to gauge how comfortable she was with the visit. She had indicated her agreement over seeing him when the calling card arrived late yesterday afternoon, but she hadn’t said anything about how she felt about seeing her father after everything that had happened. He didn’t feel right about prying. If she wanted to share her thoughts with him, she would. She’d had no trouble sharing them in the past about other things. Looking at her now, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

  “Would you like some tea, Your Grace?” Byron offered.

  As soon as he made the offer, he saw a panic in Eleanor’s eyes and knew she didn’t want to be alone with her father. He was ready to suggest she make the tea so she wouldn’t have to be alone with him, but her father shook his head. “No, that’s not necessary. We don’t need to stand on formality. I only wanted to talk to you both.”

  “In that case, we’ll have a seat.” Byron gestured for her father to sit in a chair. He waved Eleanor to the settee and sat next to her. He sensed her relax and felt better for her. “What would you like to discuss, Your Grace?”

  “I heard you apprehended the Duke of Winnett,” her father began. “I can’t tell you how surprised I was to learn he’d been the one behind the incident with the carriage wheel, the theatre, and the chair. Then he made it so we didn’t know she had prospective suitors.” He let out a heavy sigh and shrugged. “I didn’t realize I was such a bad judge of character.”

  “The Duke of Winnett is highly intelligent. He plotted everything out and left no evidence.”

  “But you both didn’t trust him. I still don’t understand how you saw something in him that I didn’t.”

  “Most of the time, we refuse to see what we don’t want to see. I’ve seen it happen quite a bit in my time as a Runner. Often, the victim knows the criminal, but they like the criminal, so they have a hard time accepting that the criminal is guilty. That’s why proof is so important. In this case, the Duke of Winnett never intended to actually harm Eleanor. He only wanted to embarrass her so gentlemen would avoid her.”

  “I suppose the fact that you were with her prevented him from doing more.” Her father offered him an apologetic smile. “I feel like such a fool. I apologize for not doing a better job of listening to you.”

  “And to Eleanor?” Byron asked him. “It turns out she knows what she’s talking about.”

  Her father nodded. “Yes, I know that now. Eleanor, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

  Byron glanced at her, and he was happy to note that she seemed pleased by the apology.

  “In light of everything,” her father continued, “I think I was wrong to withhold Eleanor’s money from this marriage. It’s still considered a left-handed marriage, you understand. There’s nothing that can change that. But I have decided to allow you to have her dowry. I trust you’ll do right by it.”

  Eleanor’s eyes grew wide, and quite frankly, Byron was just as startled as she was. He hadn’t expected this. He had thought her father had come to apologize for not taking them seriously about the Duke of Winnett, but this put another perspective on the visit. Maybe he was finally taking an interest in his daughter. If that was the case, there was a chance for the two to have a good relationship. It would be good for them both, especially for her.

  “I will make sure the money goes to her comfort,” Byron promised him.

  Her father cleared his throat. “That’s all I came to say. Byron, I’d like to take you to my bank so we can get the matter of the dowry resolved right away.”

  Byron turned to Eleanor. “Is that all right with you?”

  “Yes, of course, it is,” she replied. “I just didn’t expect this.”

  “I hope of all the things I’ve done that you didn’t expect, this is one of the few things I got right,” her father told her.

  A smile formed on her face before she got up from the settee and hugged him. “It is. Thank you, Father.”

  “Well, it’s the least I can do after everything that’s happened,” he replied, a slight tremble in his voice indicating that he was holding back some tears.

  “All I want is for you to listen to me,” she said as she pulled away from him.

  “I promise to do a better job of that in the future.”

  “Good. Before you and Byron leave, I want you to stay for some tea.”

  “Would you like me to make it so you and your father can have a chance to talk?” Byron asked her.

  Her father turned his gaze to her. “We do have a lot of catching up to do. When I think about it, there’s so little I know about you. I’d like to change that.”

  “All right,” she told Byron. “I’ll stay here with him while you make the tea.”

  Glad to see this new change in their relationship, Byron left the room so they could talk.

  ***

  One Year Later…

  It had been a wonderful day. Eleanor had spent the afternoon with Tara, Stacey, and Heather for a tea party at Lady Cadwalader’s residence. She hadn’t known what to expect about Lady Cadwalader since she had only heard about her over the past year, but it turned out the lady wasn’t as intimidating as some people made her out to be. Yes, Lady Cadwalader was particular about keeping up appearances, but Eleanor’s father was the same way, so it hadn’t disturbed her at all. The best part of the afternoon was when Tara had introduced Eleanor as both a member of Ladies of Grace and a very dear friend.

  She was still glowing with the praise as she got ready for a dinner party. She and Byron had hosted dinner parties in their townhouse in the past, but this was the first time they were having one since she’d had Cameron.

  When she was done getting dressed, she picked her two-week-old son from his cradle. “Are you ready to meet your grandfather and your aunt and uncle?”

  He yawned then settled into her arms.

  She chuckled. “You’ve had a busy day, haven’t you?”

  Earlier that day, she had brought him down to the drawing room for Tara, Stacey, and Heather to see. Afterwards, she spent the day with him and Byron. Byron had finished a job right before she gave birth so he could spend time with her and their son. He planned to take another job in a month. And that was nice. She liked that he wanted to take some time for her and their child.

  Sometimes he worked all night, and there had been one job where she hadn’t seen him for a few days. While they had plenty of money due to her dowry, he found purpose in his work, and she would never take that away from him. She enjoyed watching him as he put the pieces of a case together and solving it. He couldn’t always disclose everything to her until the job was complete, but it was fascinating to listen to him.

  She carried Cameron to Byron’s bedchamber. When she saw him struggling with the tie pin, she said, “I keep telling you that the pointed side is on top. Why don’t you believe me?”

  “It can’t be on top. The pin looks ridiculous that way.” He turned the thing around on his cravat. “It looks ridiculous the other way, too. What was your father thinking when he picked this out?”

  “He was thinking that it would be a nice gift for his son-in-law.”

  Byron groaned. “I admit it was nice of him to give me something, but his gift to you was better. Pearls are easy to put on because they’re round.” He turned the pin so that the pointed part was at the top. He checked his reflection in the mirror and shook his head. “It just looks wrong.”

  She laughed. “At least you don’t have to look at it all night. Here. Take Cameron, and I’ll adjust the cravat for you.”

  He took their son and bent forward so she could make it so that the pin didn’t stand out so much. Once she was done, she patted his shoulders and gave him a kiss. “There. Now it doesn’t seem so awkward.”

  He turned back to the mirror and studied the pin. “Yes, I suppose that will do. Eleanor, I like your father, but his taste in things leave something to be desired.”

  She had figured that out when her father picked out her gowns and jewelry. Thankfully, the Duchess of Ashbourne had managed to talk sense into him. “I know, but it’s his way of expressing how much he likes you. He’s not very good with words. Giving gifts is easier for him. It’s wonderful you’re wearing this. It’ll let him know his efforts are appreciated.”

  “I do appreciate them. I especially appreciate how much attention he’s giving you now. Though,” his gaze went to their son, “he might be distracted by his grandson. Babies have a way of becoming the center of attention.”

  “I don’t mind. Cameron is adorable.” She accepted the baby as he gave him back to her. “Will your sister bring Jonathan over?”

  “She said she would.”

  “Good. I want the two cousins to get acquainted with each other.”

  “Eleanor, Jonathan is only six months old. Neither child is going to remember tonight.”

  “It’s never too soon for our child to start making friends.”

  She knew it was silly, but it was important to her that her son get a chance to be around other children as soon as possible. She had even invited Tara, Stacey, and Heather to bring their children over next month. She figured too many children at once might scare Cameron. Next month, however, he should be old enough to be fine with more children.

  Byron smiled at her. “With you as his mother, our son is going to have a lot of friends.” He kissed her. “I love you.”

  She returned his smile. “I love you, too.”

  He slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the drawing room. Within the half hour, Charles and Eris arrived with Jonathan. Eleanor had trouble believing that in five and a half months, Cameron would be as big as his cousin. Cameron seemed so tiny compared to him right now, and five and a half months wasn’t a long time. Eris brought Jonathan over to Cameron, but neither child seemed interested in the other. Cameron kept closing his eyes, and Jonathan kept gesturing that he wanted to sit.

  Eris chuckled. “I think they’ll play when they’re older.”

  “But we can still have them together when we visit, can’t we?” Eleanor asked.

  “Sure we can,” Eris assured her as she set Jonathan in a chair. “Who knows? Maybe in the future, they’ll play hide and seek.” She glanced at Byron. “You remember that game, don’t you?”

  A wistful smile crossed his face. “How can I forge?” His gaze went to Charles. “No one played that game better than Eris. She stumped me a couple of times.”

  “It wasn’t quite as fun once you started to figure out the better hiding places,” Eris mused, “but it was a great way to pass the time.”

  “Heather’s idea of fun was hiding in the library and eavesdropping on me and my friends,” Charles spoke up. “At other times, she would misplace my things and watch as I looked for them. Sometimes people think I act inappropriately, but they don’t realize how many times she lied when I told our parents what mischief she’d been up to.”

  Eleanor didn’t hide her surprise. “Heather seems like such a proper lady whenever I see her.”

  “She still has her moments, but I’m happy to say motherhood calmed her down considerably,” Charles replied.

  “Sounds like you have some fun stories to share during dinner,” Byron commented.

  “And you can tell us about how you caught Mr. Quimby by tracking lodging receipts,” Eris inserted.

  Charles’ eyebrows furrowed. “Isn’t that the person who was stealing from several notable gentlemen around London?”

  Eris nodded. “It is.”

  “A lot of people were saying that the culprit was never going to get caught.” Charles turned to Byron. “I also want to hear how you managed to track him down. Algernon said that the gentlemen in White’s were up in arms about this thief. He said for the first time, everyone in the establishment got along.”

  “A common enemy will bring a lot of people together,” Byron said.

  The butler came into the room, and Eleanor saw that her father was with him. She hurried over to her father so he could see Cameron. He had come over the day Cameron was born, but Cameron had changed so much since then.

  “I’m glad you could make it,” she told him.

  He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I wouldn’t miss this evening for anything. How are you holding up after the birth?”

  “I’m doing fine. I’ve been following Eris’ advice and taking things slowly.”

  “Good. You don’t want to wear yourself out. Births are hard on ladies. It takes a lot to bring a little one into the world.”

  “Well, Cameron is worth it. Would you like to hold him?”

  Her father offered her a hesitant smile. “I would like to, but he’s so small. I don’t want to hurt him.”

  “You won’t hurt him. Just hold your arms like I’m doing.”

  He followed her instructions, and she placed the baby in his arms. Cameron opened his eyes then blinked as if he hadn’t expected to see someone looking down at him.

  Her father laughed. “You won’t believe this, but shortly after you were born, I held you like this. I almost think I’m back in the past looking down at you right now. There’s a lot of you in this baby.” He swallowed. “I wish I hadn’t been in a hurry to run back to London. I thought it was so important that I secure a future for you by going back there to engage in business. I didn’t consider how much a child needed a parent.”

  She squeezed his arm. “You’ve already apologized, Father. There’s no use in dwelling on the past. We can’t change it. The important thing is that you’re here now.”

  He turned his tender gaze to her. “I promise you that I’ll make the most of this time.”

  “I know you will.”

  She gave him a hug then led him to the others where they had an enjoyable night.

  Once in a while, I get asked if I’ve written books that feature prominent secondary characters that show up in my book. In this case, I have.

  If you’d like to read about Piers and Stacey (Lord and Lady Whitney), Nick and Tara (the Duke and Duchess of Ravenshire), and Gill and Heather (Viscount and Viscountess Powell), I have written their romances in the Marriage by Fate Series. Below is more information about their books:

  Make Believe Bride (Marriage by Fate: Book 3)

  In order to fit in with London society, Lord Whitney pretends to be betrothed. When it comes time for him to produce a lady, he seeks out one who will be willing to play along with his scheme. But then he starts to fall in love with her, and what started out as a simple plan is no longer so simple after all.

  The Perfect Duke (Marriage by Fate: Book 4)

  Miss Tara Webb married the gorgeous and charming Duke of Ravenshire for the sake of improving her social standing in the Ton. Little does she realize how dangerous it is to fall in love with someone who can have any lady he wants with the snap of his fingers.

  Kidnapping the Viscount (Marriage by Fate: Book 5)

  Miss Heather Duff's going after the gentleman who got away, even if it'll take some unconventional means to do so.

  ***

  I also wrote a book featuring the Duchess of Ashbourne.

  Love Lessons with the Duke (Marriage by Deceit: Book 2)

  Camden Hollis, the Duke of Ashbourne, needs to pay off his brother’s debts, but all he has is a troubled estate. So when he hears that Lady Seyton is known for teaching ladies what to do to secure marriages by the end of the Season, he comes to her for help.

  Helena Walter, the Lady of Seyton, doesn’t know what to think of Camden’s unusual request. How could a titled gentleman who is so good looking need help getting a wife? Her initial response is to turn him down, thinking he is merely wasting her time. But then she catches him bumbling through a conversation with a lady and realizes he–more than anyone–needs her help.

  And so the lessons begin. But before long, Camden is convinced she’s the perfect one for him. She, however, is a widow and is happy with her freedom. He might find it’ll require a scandal to get the two things he wants most: a love match and securing his estate.

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  Where to Find Me

  My website: https://ruthannnordinsbooks.wordpress.com/

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  All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

  (Chronological Order)