Mistress of Sins (Dredthorne Hall Book 3): A Gothic Romance Read online

  He nodded. “You remember that we looked enough alike to be twin brothers. My grandmother was half French, and my mother saw to it that I could speak the language like a native. Father’s spymaster and his people trained me to do the rest.”

  She gripped the edge of the fountain’s basin. “You could not refuse him?”

  “Father made it clear what would happen if Guillame Girard suddenly disappeared without explanation,” he admitted. “Every agent who had worked with him would have been arrested and interrogated. Bonaparte’s Minister of Police is a merciless brute. Most would have been tortured to death, leaving destitute their wives and children.”

  “You really had no choice.” Jennet shuddered. “If you had explained this to me seven years ago, I would have called off the wedding.” And she would have waited for him, not that she would tell him that.

  Greystone took hold of her hand. “I first learned of my father’s work as an assassin on the day before we were to be married. He told me that I would have to leave for France by the week’s end. I could not marry you, or even tell you why I had to go. Father insisted that everyone believe that I had changed my mind and run.”

  Jennet could not imagine the torment he must have felt. “Have you told the baroness the truth?”

  “I did before I came here, but only because we were both in London.” He rubbed his thumb across her palm. “She is traveling to Gerard Lodge today.”

  Jennet looked down as she felt him slip a ring onto her finger. A square-cut diamond twinkled up at her. “You are very quick, my lord. I have not yet given you my answer.”

  “I may have given you my child,” Greystone told her very sternly. “If not, I will try very hard to remedy that every night henceforth.” He touched her cheek. “Come to Scotland with me now, Jenny. We can be married by the morning, and return to Renwick as we should always have been: husband and wife.”

  “Well, I do like your mother and Gerard Lodge.” She studied her new ring. “You are a very wealthy peer of the realm. Should anyone threaten me, you would prove an adequate bodyguard. Rose Abernathy will be absolutely livid. Hmm.”

  “I will make an offer for Dredthorne Hall, if you wish.” He chuckled as she swatted him. “It is the place where we fell in love again.”

  “I hated you,” Jennet confessed. “I cursed you, and burned all of your notes and cards and the flowers I had pressed. I never spoke your name, and tried every day to forget you. And I never stopped loving you. Not for a moment.”

  He brought her hand to his lips. “Nor I you.”

  Jennet heard the door to the terrace opening, and looked up to see Margaret rushing straight for them.

  “All is well, Mama,” she said quickly as she and Greystone got to their feet. “Ah, you remember Liam?”

  “I know precisely who he is. Well, sir, you have considerable nerve to show your face on my property.” Margaret stopped in front of them and stared at Jennet’s hand. “Just a moment. William, did you put that ring on my daughter’s finger?”

  “I did, ma’am.” Greystone bowed, but as he came back up the older woman balled up her fist and punched him in the nose.

  Jennet’s jaw dropped. “Mama.”

  Margaret shook her hand. “You have my blessing, sir. Please, do stay and dine with us. We should begin planning the wedding at once.” She smiled at him. “And if you leave my daughter standing alone in a church again, or in any way disgrace her or our family name, I will hunt you down and shoot you dead myself.”

  Greystone bowed again, and then watched as her mother marched back into the house. “I think we are not eloping, Jenny,” he said as he put his arm around her.

  “I daresay.” She leaned against him. “She still has Father’s pistols.”

  THE END

  More Books by Hazel Hunter

  Dedication

  For Mr. H.

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2020 Hazel Hunter

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