Edward came home one evening not many days after their marriage and kissed his wife on the cheek.
“Your husband has managed to convince the Crown to prosecute Mr. Pinegar instead of Samuel Bellamy, who was quietly released from Newgate Prison today and, with the help of Providence, will disappear with his family to the faraway reaches of Scotland.”
“That is wonderful.” Leorah threw her arms around him. “And Mr. Hastings?”
“It is not clear if he will also be prosecuted along with Mr. Pinegar for the death of Pugh and my attempted murder, but I spoke with him today.”
“Oh?”
“It seems he asked you to marry him without the approval of Mr. Pinegar. His purpose for being at the party at Glyncove Abbey was to be seen kissing you in the garden or otherwise compromising you, so that I would have to defend you. Pinegar hoped I would challenge Hastings to a duel and he would kill me, just as my father had been killed.”
“How despicable. Now that you say that, Mr. Hastings did try to persuade me to go with him into the garden alone, but I refused.”
“It seems when he was not successful, he decided to ask you to marry him. In addition to being madly in love with you—how can I blame him?—your twenty thousand pounds was an additional inducement.”
“That isn’t very flattering.” Leorah pulled away a little.
“Forgive me. At least it should please you to know that I did not give one thought to your twenty thousand pounds when I asked you to marry me. My love for you was completely free of selfish motives.”
“As was mine for you.” Leorah placed a kiss on his lips at the risk of a servant seeing them. “Except I was hoping someday to see you standing on a ship’s deck in your shirtsleeves with a cutlass between your teeth.”
“Maybe it can be arranged.”