‘I will be glad to attend,’ he said. Though he would rather be tortured than watch Regina stand with another man.
‘Mother, may I have a word alone with Lord Camford?’ Regina asked. ‘I will only be a moment.’
‘It would not be appropriate,’ Lady Havershire argued. ‘I am sorry, but I must refuse.’ Her mother gave an apologetic smile. ‘You are betrothed to the laird, after all.’
Regina eyed him, and then nodded. ‘I suppose you are right.’ To Dalton, she added, ‘Do you remember the letter from my friend? Another note arrived only a day ago. I thought you might like to know.’
So, the danger was still there. He wondered what the newest threat had been and tried to discreetly enquire about more.
‘Thank you for telling me,’ he said. ‘I hope all is well with your friend.’
‘I fear that her health is getting worse,’ Regina answered. ‘But thank you for your kind words and the assistance you offered. Please let me know if you hear anything more.’
So, it was indeed bad news. And she wanted him to continue the investigation.
‘Of course,’ he answered.
‘Who is ill?’ Lady Havershire demanded. ‘I’ve heard nothing of this.’
‘You’ve never met her,’ Regina said. ‘She is a distant cousin of Anne’s.’ To Dalton she said, ‘Thank you for your assistance. Perhaps I will see you at the ball.’ With a murmured farewell, she ascended the steps with her mother.
Now he knew the reasons why she had accepted Lachlan’s proposal. She didn’t feel safe here any more. Her father’s insistence on the marriage suggested that he was desperate to send her away, as if she needed the laird’s protection.
The only question was why.
Three days later
Regina stood at the dressmaker’s feeling as if she’d been poked and measured and prodded for hours. Her mother had chosen the wedding gown, and she was eager for it to be finished. The colour was sky blue, and the dressmaker was holding up different patterns of lace. ‘Which of these do you like best?’
‘I don’t know,’ Regina murmured, eyeing her mother. ‘Whatever you prefer.’
Arabella was happy to make the choice for her, just as she had chosen everything else. It didn’t matter. The earl’s health was worsening, and the wedding plans were a welcome distraction for her mother. Though the physician continued to visit him, he had cautioned them to keep a safe distance from the earl. Arabella had been ordered not to share a bedchamber with him, and the maids were instructed to burn the earl’s soiled handkerchiefs. The physician had prescribed a medicine to help him sleep, but it slurred her father’s speech and made it difficult to wake him.
Regina was trying not to think of it, but each day, her father seemed weaker. He kept his spirits up by talking of her wedding. It seemed to be his reason for living, and she tried to behave as if she were excited by the forthcoming nuptials.
‘I am so happy for you, my dear,’ Arabella said with a warm smile. ‘I know this wedding will be perfect.’
Regina managed some sort of response, but she didn’t truly believe it would be a perfect wedding. It was a ceremony and a means to her escape; that was all. Bleakly, she finished the dress fitting, and then departed with her mother.
They started driving through the streets, and her thoughts wandered back to the second blackmail note. A part of her wished she could have waited at the lamp post near Bedford Street last night, to learn who was demanding money. But it wasn’t a safe part of town, and she doubted if the true blackmailer would show up—more likely a hired person. Still, she would send another note to Camford, telling him the details.
In the meantime, she had more questions for her mother. Perhaps she could find the answers in a different way. ‘Mother...there’s something I’ve been worried about. You said that Papa borrowed money from the Laird of Locharr, years ago.’
Arabella stiffened and glanced out the window. ‘It was a long time ago, Regina. And this is not the time or place to discuss it.’
‘Five years ago?’ Regina ventured, wondering if that was when the blackmail had begun.
Her mother shrugged. ‘I don’t remember. But the debt will be repaid when you marry Lachlan MacKinloch. As I said, it was a long time ago.’
Her father would only allow her to marry Lachlan, so he could pay back the debt through her exorbitant dowry. And it made Regina feel utterly trapped. The walls of the room seemed to close in on her, and she needed an escape desperately.
On the journey home, her mother continued to converse about plans for the wedding breakfast and her trousseau. As she described the gowns, Regina interrupted. ‘Are you certain we have enough to pay for all this, Mother?’
The countess appeared shocked that she would even voice concerns. ‘I will never allow my daughter to be married and leave home dressed like a pauper. The very idea is insulting.’
Regina lifted her hands in a silent apology, though she had a feeling her mother knew nothing about the blackmail. ‘If you say so.’
The carriage arrived back at the house. When the driver opened the door, Regina was surprised to find Lord Camford waiting nearby. Her mother stiffened at the sight of him. ‘I thought your father told him not to return.’
‘Is that why he’s waiting outside?’ she wondered aloud. Did he have news regarding the blackmailer?
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Arabella answered. ‘You shouldn’t be accepting male callers any more. What would people say?’
‘The viscount is a friend of mine and has been for years,’ Regina said. ‘He is also a good friend of Locharr’s.’
‘But what would your fiancé think of this?’ her mother warned. ‘It doesn’t
