Geoffrey turned to the man. “No need to worry, Robert. My uncle admitted to being the blackmailer before he died and we have his valet in custody, so we should have no worries in that quarter. As for—”
The door burst open with a startling bang as the ancient wood knocked against the shelf behind it. All four men in the room automatically turned to the door, three tensing as if for battle like the ex-soldiers they were.
“Liliana?” Geoffrey shot to his feet. Surprise turned quickly to relief, lifting his heart and the corners of his lips as he saw with his own eyes that she was well. Then he registered the pale hue of her skin and her obvious upset. His face settled into a frown. “Sweet, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” he murmured, crossing to her.
She stormed right past him, making a beeline for Aveline, whose typically blasé expression turned quite comical at her aggressive approach. Even when they had been boys, Geoffrey had never seen the man back away from anything in his life, and yet Aveline took a step away from Liliana.
“I demand you release him,” she commanded, causing Aveline’s black brows to shoot even higher. “He’s done nothing wrong.”
“Miss Claremont,” Aveline said, “We know Stratford paid the bribe—”
“Because his father asked him to without telling him what it was!”
Geoffrey took a step toward Liliana. After what she’d been through today, she shouldn’t tax herself so on his behalf. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but she stayed him with a hand.
“Listen, Aveline,” she said, her voice softening. “You’ve known Geoffrey for years. I’ve known him for only a couple of weeks, but we both know that regardless of what evidence you have, he would never do anything to betray his country. He is an honorable man, who has much to offer the world.”
Aveline looked over at Geoffrey, clearly uncomfortable.
“Whereas my father is dead,” Liliana continued, and for a moment, her voice warbled. But then she took a breath. “He made the decision to involve himself in this mess. Geoffrey didn’t. If you must have someone to blame, I can give you the perfect means to tie up this mess, placing the fault entirely with my father and leaving Geoffrey and his family out of it.”
Geoffrey swallowed. Was Liliana trying to save him? He should tell her that—
“What means?” Wellington asked. Geoffrey started at the booming voice, having forgotten there were others in the room, so intent had he been on the exchange between Liliana and Aveline. He shot his friend and ex-commander a scowl for dragging things out unnecessarily.
Liliana flinched as well but turned to Wellington and squared her shoulders. “In all of your questioning, has Geoffrey told you where the treasure is?”
Three men answered in the negative.
Liliana nodded. “Nor will he, because he doesn’t know, and neither did his father.”
She finally darted her gaze at him, but Geoffrey’s stomach clenched with uncertainty at what her enigmatic look could mean.
She turned her face back to Wellington. “But my father did,” she said. “And so do I.”
Geoffrey’s heart stuttered. “What?” He couldn’t help the question that slipped through his lips. That made no sense. She’d have told him—or at least told his uncle, to save her own life. She couldn’t have known all this time.
Liliana didn’t look back at him, however. She kept her gaze trained on Wellington. “And I will lead you to it on one condition—that whatever story you choose to bandy about regarding its discovery places the blame solely on my father, and in no way taints the earldom or Geoffrey’s reputation. You know as well as I that Geoffrey will do great things for his fellow man. My father would have, too, had he lived. In this small way,” she said, a tear slipping silently down her cheek, “he still can.”
Further questions died on his lips, and yet Geoffrey’s heart beat back to life. Whatever else was going on here, Liliana loved him. Why would she sacrifice her father’s honor for his unless it was so? That the point was moot mattered not. It still took everything in him not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless, regardless of who else was in the room.
“You realize, young lady,” Wellington said, “that you would be forever known as the daughter of a traitor. You would be willing to live with that?”
Geoffrey frowned. No one was going to be branded a traitor. “I hardly th—”
“I am,” Liliana said, “if it means that Geoffrey’s name remains clear.”
Geoffrey’s mouth snapped shut, stunned at the gravity of Liliana’s words.
Robert stood, inserting himself into the conversation. “That’s very admirable, my dear, but quite unnecessary. Come, Wellington, Aveline.” He motioned for the men to follow him. “We’ll give you two a few moments alone, before Miss Claremont takes us to this treasure. Shall we meet outside, then, in, say, ten minutes?”
Geoffrey nodded absently, his gaze fixed on Liliana.
Robert clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past. “And you said she didn’t love you,” he murmured as the three men departed.
“Wellington?” Liliana finally said, her eyes wide. “As in, the Duke of?”
Geoffrey nodded. “Yes.”
“Then who was the man—?”
“Liverpool,” Geoffrey answered.
“The prime minister?” She touched her hair, patting it as her cheeks bloomed with color. “I look a fright. What must they have been thinking?” Liliana muttered, covering her face with her hands.
Geoffrey stood in silence, his throat stinging, forcing him to swallow. “They were thinking how damned lucky I am to be marrying you.”
Her head snapped up. Then she began to shake it. “I don’t understand what just happened.”
“But I do,” Geoffrey said. She’d risen from her sickbed in certain pain, charged downstairs and challenged three very important men on his behalf. Liliana, whose goal it had been to find justice for her father at all costs, had just tossed the man under the carriage in order to save him, Geoffrey.
A selfish, deceitful woman would never do such a thing. His mother would never do such a thing. But Liliana was not his mother.
He stepped to her, reaching to take her in his arms. All of the love and hope he’d bottled up burst into his chest and threatened to bubble over.
But Liliana backed away. “Then explain. Penelope told me Aveline had arrested you for treason.”
Geoffrey sighed, knowing she deserved enlightenment, and he wanted some explanations of his own. His apologies would have to wait. “Aveline did come to Somerton Park to arrest me for treason. He’d been working in France and had heard that an influential Briton had been involved in paying off an official of Napoleon’s, though it was unclear for what. Naturally, the War Department was very interested, so Aveline was assigned to delve into the matter. He came to the house party for the same reason as you—to investigate.”
“Then why did he leave so suddenly?”
“He got a tip that took him back to France, where he uncovered part of Triste’s story. Unfortunately, nothing about the treasure, only that Triste had been executed for treason, which, ironically, made my connection to him seem more nefarious.”