*
Her faint did not last long. By the time Vincent had carried her into the foyer of the great house, Jane had revived. She lifted her head, turning to look over his shoulder for her father. He followed close behind, holding Charles. Richard limped at his side, but the military officers came no farther than the door, taking up station there while the General supervised arrangements for his men.
Mr. Ellsworth let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw she was awake.
“I am so sorry. The heat sometimes overwhelms me.”
Vincent growled, “You mean you almost—gah!” He twisted as she found the spot on his ribs where he was ticklish.
Jane glared at him and gave a little shake of her head. The time to tell her father that she had almost died in childbirth was not now. Preferably not ever, but especially not after he had just spent a month at sea worrying about her.
“I might have dropped you,” he murmured.
“There are many things I am afraid of, but that is not among them.” Jane looked down the long gallery. “But please do set me down when we are in the blue parlour.”
“I was going to take you to our rooms.”
“I know. I am asking you not to.” Jane’s pulse was steadier, and she thought that if she were sitting she would be all right. “I will be more nervous being secluded.”
“You really do not play fair sometimes.” But he set her down when they crossed the threshold of the blue parlour.
Frank entered from the back of the house. No doubt he had run across from the counting house when one of the other staff told him about the soldiers. Richard glanced idly at him, then again, his brows going up in surprise at the familial resemblance.
Frank bowed to Vincent, slipping back into the role of the house steward as easily as if he had never left it, and took up a station near the wall in case anything was wanted. It was more than a little uncomfortable to have him waiting on them now.
Jane sank onto the nearest sofa, which gave the gentlemen leave to take their seats as well. Her father came to sit by her, held captive by Charles’s little fist wrapped around his thumb.
Richard lowered himself into an armchair with a sigh and used his hand to stretch his right leg out awkwardly in front of him. The foot stuck up at an unnatural right angle. “So you said you were Sir David again. May I assume that our dear disgraced father disinherited you?”
“Yes.” Vincent gave a quick summary of events to both men, thankfully leaving Jane’s hemorrhage in Picknee Town with the parts unsaid.
When he finished, Richard rubbed his temples, mouth slightly open in horror. “I am so terribly sorry for what you have suffered. I thought he was dead, Vincent. I do not know if you can forgive me, but please believe that nothing would have induced me to ask you to come here had I known. I hesitated even then, but at the time, travel was not possible for me.”
Vincent cleared his throat, “I was sorry to hear about your leg.”
“At least I have an adequate reason for not wishing to dance with young ladies.”
Jane said, “We are grateful that you came now.”
“I know what my father was. That is why I did not come alone. When I received Sir David’s message, I went at once to the prime minister and made arrangements for the arrest of our father.” He looked towards the door and frowned. “The Antiguan will … if it perchance burnt in this fire, the English will would still stand. You could receive your rightful inheritance.”
Vincent ran his hands through his hair. “No. I am sorry that I am going about this backwards, but there is an introduction to make.”
“You always were a backwards child,” Richard drawled, but Jane had enough practise with Hamilton men to note that though he appeared calm, his gaze rested on Frank a trifle too long.
Vincent tucked his chin into his cravat and his hands behind his back. It became suddenly very easy to remember that he had once studied law. “The Antiguan will—most of the details are items that are best suited for later discussion, and I think you will not find them objectionable, but there is one point I would be remiss to delay. Richa—” He stumbled over his brother’s name and cleared his throat. “Lord Verbury, may I present Mr. Frederick Hamilton II, our father’s acknowledged natural son. He has been running the estate, and, I truly believe he saved our lives. If the Antiguan will does not stand…”
Jane clasped her hands together so tightly that they ached. She had hopes that Richard was a decent man, not because he had made the trip to Antigua, but because he had thought to bring her father.