yes.
“What are the stipulations of the will, Ira?” Simon asked, wanting to understand every detail so there would be no mistakes.
The solicitor produced a copy and explained item by item, not leaving out even the smallest detail.
When he finished, Simon sat back in his chair and breathed a deep sigh.
“Go home and pack your belongings, Miss Stanton. All your clothing and personal items, but nothing else.”
A frown darkened her features. “There are some items that belonged to my mother. Could I possibly have just those?” Her expression was hopeful.
“They will stay with the house. You will take only the clothes in your closet and whatever personal items you have acquired since your stepbrother left.” Simon turned to Ira. “Is that what the will stipulates, Ira?”
Ira nodded. “Miss Jessica is entitled to only the money. The home and contents are Tanhill’s. Or will be on April twenty-fifth.”
Simon lightly touched Miss Stanton’s arms. “You will take nothing, my lady. Do you understand? No jewelry. No pictures. No mementos. Nothing. Only the clothes on your back and any items you have personally purchased since Tanhill left.”
He thought he noticed a dampness in her eyes, but she quickly blinked away any sign of emotion and stiffened her shoulders. “Yes, my lord. Only my clothes and what is mine. Is there anything else?”
Simon shook his head.
With a quivering sigh she stood and moved away from the sofa. She kept her back to them, hugging her arms around her middle while she stared out into the garden.
Ira Cambden made a move to go to her, but Simon stopped him with a glance. Starting today, she would learn to rely only on him. Simon walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened at his touch.
He turned her around so she could read his lips. “I don’t want her to be alone, James. Would it be possible for her to stay here until the wedding?”
Jessica started to protest, but Simon held up his hand to silence her.
“Of course,” the Duke of Collingsworth answered.
“Do you have some men you can send with her while she packs? I don’t want to take any chances.”
Simon disregarded the stifled cry he heard from her throat. The look of alarm on her face was more difficult to ignore.
The Duke of Collingsworth walked to the door. Miss Stanton’s gaze followed him. “I’ll have a room made ready for you, Jessica,” Collingsworth said to her. “And some men ready to go with her,” he said to Simon, then left the room.
Simon placed his finger beneath her chin and turned her attention back to him. “Give the orders to your staff to pack their personal belongings and close the house. They are to remove nothing from the premises except the food in the pantry. Any leftover foodstuffs they will give away to the needy. They are to keep nothing for themselves. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I will trust you to take care of all the legal paperwork, Mr. Cambden,” he said to the solicitor. “I will stop by later today to go over the details with you.”
“Very good, my lord. I will have the paperwork in order to transfer Jessica’s finances over to you as soon as you are legally married.” The solicitor gathered his folder and walked to the door. “I will make sure that everything is documented so Tanhill will not be able to find anything we’ve missed.”
“Very good, Mr. Cambden.”
The door closed behind the solicitor, leaving Simon alone with his future bride. Her voice cut through the silence like a knife through warm butter.
“It’s not too late, my lord. You do not have to do this. I will not hold you to our bargain.”
He turned around to face her, expecting to see her tortured face gripped with fear and regret. What he saw twisted his heart in his chest. The look on her face was as stoic and resigned as if she had enabled herself to step outside her body to bravely accept whatever was expected of her.
“I have no desire to
“What are the stipulations of the will, Ira?” Simon asked, wanting to understand every detail so there would be no mistakes.
The solicitor produced a copy and explained item by item, not leaving out even the smallest detail.
When he finished, Simon sat back in his chair and breathed a deep sigh.
“Go home and pack your belongings, Miss Stanton. All your clothing and personal items, but nothing else.”
A frown darkened her features. “There are some items that belonged to my mother. Could I possibly have just those?” Her expression was hopeful.
“They will stay with the house. You will take only the clothes in your closet and whatever personal items you have acquired since your stepbrother left.” Simon turned to Ira. “Is that what the will stipulates, Ira?”
Ira nodded. “Miss Jessica is entitled to only the money. The home and contents are Tanhill’s. Or will be on April twenty-fifth.”
Simon lightly touched Miss Stanton’s arms. “You will take nothing, my lady. Do you understand? No jewelry. No pictures. No mementos. Nothing. Only the clothes on your back and any items you have personally purchased since Tanhill left.”
He thought he noticed a dampness in her eyes, but she quickly blinked away any sign of emotion and stiffened her shoulders. “Yes, my lord. Only my clothes and what is mine. Is there anything else?”
Simon shook his head.
With a quivering sigh she stood and moved away from the sofa. She kept her back to them, hugging her arms around her middle while she stared out into the garden.
Ira Cambden made a move to go to her, but Simon stopped him with a glance. Starting today, she would learn to rely only on him. Simon walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened at his touch.
He turned her around so she could read his lips. “I don’t want her to be alone, James. Would it be possible for her to stay here until the wedding?”
Jessica started to protest, but Simon held up his hand to silence her.
“Of course,” the Duke of Collingsworth answered.
“Do you have some men you can send with her while she packs? I don’t want to take any chances.”
Simon disregarded the stifled cry he heard from her throat. The look of alarm on her face was more difficult to ignore.
The Duke of Collingsworth walked to the door. Miss Stanton’s gaze followed him. “I’ll have a room made ready for you, Jessica,” Collingsworth said to her. “And some men ready to go with her,” he said to Simon, then left the room.
Simon placed his finger beneath her chin and turned her attention back to him. “Give the orders to your staff to pack their personal belongings and close the house. They are to remove nothing from the premises except the food in the pantry. Any leftover foodstuffs they will give away to the needy. They are to keep nothing for themselves. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I will trust you to take care of all the legal paperwork, Mr. Cambden,” he said to the solicitor. “I will stop by later today to go over the details with you.”
“Very good, my lord. I will have the paperwork in order to transfer Jessica’s finances over to you as soon as you are legally married.” The solicitor gathered his folder and walked to the door. “I will make sure that everything is documented so Tanhill will not be able to find anything we’ve missed.”
“Very good, Mr. Cambden.”
The door closed behind the solicitor, leaving Simon alone with his future bride. Her voice cut through the silence like a knife through warm butter.
“It’s not too late, my lord. You do not have to do this. I will not hold you to our bargain.”
He turned around to face her, expecting to see her tortured face gripped with fear and regret. What he saw twisted his heart in his chest. The look on her face was as stoic and resigned as if she had enabled herself to step outside her body to bravely accept whatever was expected of her.
“I have no desire to
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