Charity pulled away and smoothed her dress. Discomfort with the display of affection was clear on her. “Oh, please.”
“No,” Helena insisted. “You are making a sacrifice for me and I shall not forget it ever.”
Charity shrugged. “A sacrifice to be a countess? No. Truth be told, I rather like the Earl of Grifford. He’s dashing. And I’ll outlive him and become a scandalous widow, no doubt.”
“Well, you are certainly welcome in our circles,” Emma said as she came forward. She caught Charity’s hands. “You were so very brave.”
Charity was blushing like a beet now. She fluttered her hands. “Oh, you’re too much. I must follow my father now. Smooth his very ruffled feathers, and leave you to your celebrating.” She smiled at Helena. “You caught a duke, Helena. Good show.”
Charity flounced from the room. When she was gone, there was an eruption of laughter as the group moved forward to hug Helena and slap Baldwin’s back. She watched him as they did so, watched how quiet he was even as he smiled through the congratulations.
“We should have champagne with lunch!” Charlotte gasped. “An engagement announcement should always have champagne associated with it. Mama and I will arrange it all.”
Baldwin nodded. “Of course. There is a great deal to celebrate.”
Charlotte was practically bouncing as she started for the door. “Come, everyone! I will need everyone’s help with the planning, and it will give Helena and Baldwin a moment.”
The others left, too, with the exception of the Duchess of Sheffield. She turned to the couple with a smile. “I wanted to say something to you both.”
Helena tensed, for she knew Baldwin’s mother had worked for a very different outcome for her son. She had no idea if the duchess really accepted her.
“What is it, Mama?” Baldwin asked softly.
“I have only ever wanted the happiness of my children,” she said as she squeezed Baldwin’s hand gently. “It kept me up at night to think that you would not have love like your sister has found. This resolution came with a great deal of trouble and worry, but I’m so happy for you both.” She moved to Helena and reached out to touch her cheek. “Welcome to our family, you dear, sweet girl.”
Helena let out her breath in relief as the duchess hugged her briefly. She was brushing away tears when she released Helena with a laugh. “And now I must go make sure you sister doesn’t plan your entire wedding without any input from you.”
She gave a little wave as she left the room and firmly shut the door behind herself. When she was gone, Helena took a deep breath and faced Baldwin again.
“All right, out with it. What is wrong? I can see you are troubled. So tell me. Have you changed your mind already?”
Baldwin stared at Helena. She asked him the question in a light, teasing tone, but he could see the genuine concern slashed across her face.
He caught her hands and drew her close. “Look at me, Helena. I love you and I cannot wait to marry you. Nothing has changed that.”
She sagged in relief for a moment before she tilted her head. “Then what is it that keeps you from being fully happy?”
He pressed his lips together. “I vowed to protect you. But I didn’t. Your cousin did, against all odds.”
Helena seemed to consider that for a moment. “To my utter surprise, Charity did sweep in and take on the role as savior. But I think no less of you. You stood toe-to-toe with my uncle and declared that you would allow him to destroy your world so that you could marry me. Do you truly think I don’t realize you meant it? That you really would have sacrificed everything for me?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I would have gladly given anything for you, Helena.”
“But you didn’t have to,” she said. “And for that, I’m very grateful. Charity may have helped make that easier, but you saved me.”
He shook his head as he looked down at her, this woman he had come to love so deeply and so powerfully. “No, my love. You saved me. From the moment I found you counting stars, you saved me.”
She lifted up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips to his. “We will compromise and say we saved each other,” she said softly. “And we will promise to do the same every day, every night, for the rest of our lives.”
“The rest of our lives,” he agreed, then claimed her lips once more.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Six Weeks Later
“They actually make a rather happy-looking couple,” James said as he handed over a glass of wine to Helena and then moved to stand beside Baldwin. Together, the three of them watched as Charity took her first turn around the dancefloor with her new husband, the Earl of Grifford.
Helena raised her glass in silent tribute to her cousin. “She’ll probably run the poor man into the ground before five years are up. But yes, she does seem to like him.”
“Then it is a happy ending for all,” Baldwin sighed. “Though I argue you and I made a much happier couple on our wedding day.”
Helena glanced up at him, remembering that beautiful day just two weeks before. “Indeed. The happiest.”
James turned toward them with a smile. “And we are all overjoyed for you. Our little group of dukes has had an interesting year, hasn’t it? Five marriages in just over twelve months.”
“We will all be tamed yet,” Baldwin chuckled.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” James said.
His gaze shifted to Helena, and she glanced at Baldwin. “Should I go?”
“No,” he said. “I’m certain James can share his business with both of us. No more secrets. I’ve learned the hard way how they can destroy.”
She squeezed his hand gently. She knew how hard it had been for Baldwin since all that happened in Sheffield over a month before. When he’d told his entire group of friends about his lack of fortune, about his own actions that had contributed to it, she’d felt his palpable humiliation and heartbreak.
Of course they had been accepting and tried to help. She’d been proud of how gently and kindly Baldwin had turned them down. The ten thousand her uncle had reluctantly allowed her to take into the marriage had helped a great deal, but she knew their life would not be easy.
“Do you see the gentleman standing over there? With the pretty dark-haired lady in blue?” James asked.
Helena and Baldwin followed his gaze, and she nodded. “I recognize the lady. Rosalinde Danford. I met her at one of Charlotte’s teas. She and her sister are lovely.”
“Her husband is Grayson Danford,” James said. “He’s brother to the Earl of Stenfax.”
“I think I’ve crossed paths with him a few times,” Baldwin said as he examined the man from afar. “Seems a decent sort.”
“He is, I think,” James said, looking off at the man. “He’s also a shrewd businessman. I ran into him at White’s last week and we began talking about canals. And steam. And a lot of other things the man is involved in.”
“You’re going to invest?” Baldwin asked.