Page 102 of Once Upon a Devilish Duke

“Oh, Edward,” his mother said from the doorway. “You must make this right.”

“How, Mother? Max will never forgive me and nor do I deserve it. I have been a fool. And now Rose has gone all because I am a pig-headed idiot.”

Marianne smiled down at him. “Go to her, Edward. Tell them both that you will do all in your power to make up for what has been lost. Max is a very forgiving child who has desperately wanted nothing but her father for eight years. She is still young enough that perhaps, with time, she will forgive you.”

“And Rose loves you. So, please, do not mess it up and marry the girl as soon as you can manage it.” His mother produced a small box. “I had it cleaned, and it has only just been returned. It was my grandmother’s, as you know. She had a grand and enduring love with my grandfather.”

He took the box and opened it to find the sapphire and diamond ring within. It shone just like Rose’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“I will tell Jameson to start packing your things. I am sure that Dunstan will let you take his carriage.” Marianne turned to leave.

“No, that will take too long. I will go on horseback.”

“All the way?” she asked.

“I used to do it all the time. I will be fine. It will give me enough time to plan my apologies.” He looked once more at the miniature. “Is it a true likeness?”

The two women nodded.

He put it in his jacket pocket. Right next to his heart, and stood taking Max’s letter with him. “I need to do one more thing, and when I return, I will leave for Ashtonvale straight away. Tell Jameson to pack light.”

Marianne nodded, but said, “Max is not at Ashtonvale; she is at Epping Cottage with Anna.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry my pig-headedness has caused you all so much pain. I can’t undo it, but I can try to mend it.”

His mother hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “We know you can. Just be patient with our girl. She is precious to us.”

“I will.” He raced out of the room and down the stairs as the two women hugged each other.

“Lord, I hope he does not mess this up,” Marianne said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

He knocked on Tony’s door impatiently and turned the handle, and walked in. Tony stopped dead in the middle of the room.

“I need to know about our mole.”

Tony nodded and gestured to a chair.

“I do not have time to sit. Tell me.”

Tony raised a brow. “Why in such a hurry?”

“Mole first.”

“All right. It is a sordid tale, but what we have found out is that he inherited his title from his uncle who died in jail for attempting to murder the now Lady Bellamy.”

“Dalmere. Yes, I remember that. She had a lucky escape thanks to you. It was in all the papers. She is well, I hope.”

“She and Bellamy are deliriously happy. It is quite sickening, but the fallout from that incident was that the nephew of Dalmere inherited the scandal along with the title, and it was left with little in the coffers. Stafford, yes that bastard, apparently coerced the new lord Dalmere to gather information in the House and to report to him. Stafford was then on selling that information to the French and the Prussians. Just one of his other nefarious activities I have discovered since the old bastard’s death. Once the old man was gone, Dalmere got desperate and sought out sources himself and has been attempting to sell whatever he could, even if he had to make it up. He sang like a lark once he was arrested.”

“Why call himself Falmere?”

“He thought it sounded more French and that would help him. Not very inventive, granted, but it worked for a while.”

“Stafford could have gone to the House and got his own intelligence. Why Dalmere?”

“Stafford was too busy running this spy ring to attend the House, I suppose. It was easier if someone else got it for him.”

“All right, so now what happens?”