The guests' heads snapped back and forth between the trio. Kieran Devers had remained silent in the face of his brother's charges. Fortune, however, was not so restrained.
'How dare you, sir?' she said in her most regal tones. Her voice was scathing, and dripping with contempt. Then she turned away from him and walked over to Emily Devers, who stood pale and trembling. She spoke more gently to the girl. 'Madame, I apologize that my presence has upset your wedding day. I shall withdraw now in the hope that normalcy may be restored to this festive gathering.' Then Fortune curtsied, her violet skirts brushing the parquet floor.
James Leslie was immediately at his stepdaughter's side. He bowed to the bride, to Lady Jane and Sir Shane, but he said not a word, and his look was stern. Then he led Fortune from the salon, his large hand laid comfortingly over hers, which she had placed on his velvet-clad arm.
When William made to follow, Kieran Devers reached out, and grasped his younger brother by the arm. His strong fingers dug into his sibling's flesh. 'Are you not satisfied, Willy, to have broken young Emily's heart, and spoiled her wedding day with your obsession?' he said low through gritted teeth. 'Go and apologize to your wife, or she'll be widowed before you can have her virginity, for I'll kill you myself to restore the family's honor, which you do not seem to care about at all.' His head turned, and he signaled to the musicians to begin to play again. They took up a lively reel, and Kieran Devers shoved his brother toward his bride. Then he walked over to where his stepmother stood, ashen, and kissing her hand led her out onto the floor. 'Come, madame,' he said softly to her, 'and let us try and smooth over this discomfiture that your son has brought upon us all.' For the first time in his life he actually felt sorry for her, Kieran thought.
'Oh, Kieran, do you think we can?' Jane Devers whispered, her voice tremulous.
Sir Shane, over his initial shock, bowed to Emily's mother. 'Shall we join the dancers, ma'am, and allow our children to settle this foolish matter?' He led the abashed Mistress Elliot onto the floor to join the circle of dancers that was now forming. Her husband, with not a backward glance at his daughter and her bridegroom, chose a nearby lady, leading her off to join them.
Bride and groom were now alone in their corner of the room. 'She has bewitched you,' Emily Anne said calmly to William. 'I can see that, my poor dear. She must be a very wicked girl, but I love you, William. I will help you to overcome her sorcery if you will but allow me.' Standing on her tiptoes she leaned over and kissed his cheek. 'You will never have to see her again. Tomorrow we shall leave on our wedding trip down to Dublin. When we return your mama will see that Lady Lindley is not allowed at Mallow Court any longer, or at any gathering which we may attend. I was shocked by her open, and most lewd behavior with your brother.' She patted his cheek gently. 'I think we must see that Kieran is no longer welcome here either, eh? Your mother has been very generous in her tolerance of his presence, but he will not change, and we cannot have a Catholic about influencing our children, my dear. After all, one day this will be your house. He would have to go then at any rate. Everything is going to be just fine, dearest. We shall have a perfect and happy life together.'
He stared at her, astounded. He had not realized how strong-willed she was until this moment. Still, he suddenly realized he needed her strength. 'Emily,' he began, 'I am so sorry.'
She stopped his mouth with her slender fingers. 'It is forgotten, William dearest. You were led on, and bewitched by a noblewoman of loose morals. It was before our marriage and, therefore, of no importance to me at all. While I do not generally approve of public displays of affection, I think it would help to put our guests at ease if you would kiss me on the lips, my dear. Then we will join the dancing.' She held her pretty face up to him.
He kissed her tenderly, and in leisurely fashion. Emily was right, he thought. Fortune had indeed bewitched him. She was a wicked and libertine bitch, who probably had no more control over her lustful desires toward his brother than she had had over her quick tongue. 'You are the perfect wife for me, Emily dear,' he told her as their lips parted. 'And you have said a great deal that makes sense to me. Kieran must indeed leave Mallow Court. He is every bit as wicked as
It was as if nothing at all had happened. Seeing the well reconciled bride and groom, the guests relaxed. The celebration continued on into the night. The bride and groom were put to bed with as much decorum as was possible. The guests departed. The servants cleared away the debris of the celebration. Lady Devers sought her bed with a rather large carafe of wine, while Sir Shane sat with his elder son over full whiskey tumblers in his library before a blazing peat fire.
'A successful day, Da,' Kieran said to his parent.
'Aye,' the older man answered. 'No one was maimed or killed despite our William. 'Twas fortunate the duke of Glenkirk was unarmed, or he might have defended his stepdaughter's honor after your brother insulted her so gravely. She's got a cool head, that one,' Sir Shane remarked. 'I don't know of any young woman so affronted who would not have caused an even greater scene defending herself, or castigating your brother before everyone with the plain truth. She's a strong lass.'
This was the perfect moment for it, and Kieran knew it. 'We're being married on October fifth, Da,' he said quietly. 'I'd like you to come, but I'll understand if you don't. Willy isn't to know until he and Emily have returned from Dublin. You understand why.'
Shane Devers nodded. 'Aye, I do.'
'You don't seem surprised,' Kieran said.
'After seeing you two together today, I'm not, laddie,' his father responded. 'How did it happen? Did you want her from the start, Kieran? Was William correct in his accusations?'
'I honestly don't know, Da. Fortune and I met up the day you left for England, and I was just returning from the coast road. After that ' He shrugged. 'We fell in love.'
'We can't tell your stepmother about this until after the fact,' Shane Devers said. 'There's going to be hell to pay when she learns you are to have Maguire's Ford and Erne Rock.'
'But Da, we're not,' Kieran said. 'The estate really is going to the two younger Leslie sons. My stepmother can dream her dream of matching Willy's first daughter with one of those lads. Mayhap it will even come to pass. Fortune and I will go to England with the duke and duchess. Lord Baltimore is mounting an expedition to the New World in order to found a Catholic colony where all faiths may live together in peace,
Shane Devers said nothing for a long moment, but finally he spoke. 'That it should come to this,' he said sadly. 'That my eldest son should be driven from his heritage, and the land of his birth.' He slowly drank down the tumblerful of whiskey, and held the crystal out for more, tears running down his weathered face. 'I saw the handwriting on the wall when I married Jane, but I didn't want to fight. I just wanted peace and comfort for us all. Now yer leaving us.'
Kieran poured the amber liquid into his father's tumbler, and then set the decanter aside again. 'Da, you know that I never felt truly at home here. I don't understand it, but there it is. Ulster is not where I belong. Fortune feels the same way. She has lived in England, in France, in Scotland. She is well loved by her family, and yet she, too, never felt comfortable anywhere. We are two like souls, drawn together in spite of ourselves. The New World beckons to us, Da. We must be together. We must go away from this old world.'
'You're certain, laddie? This isn't just a compromise because you've fallen in love with Fortune Lindley?' Sir Shane looked directly at his son, seeking the truth.
Kieran smiled. 'We're certain, Da.'
