"Do not be ridiculous. Of course we shall see each other again. Simon and I will be going to London after our honeymoon. I shall have ample opportunity to visit with you and the twins. I shall very likely see more of you there than I did here at St. Clair Hall. After all, the three of you only came to visit when you were having a streak of bad luck at the tables."
"No, Emily. You still do not realize what a monster you have married. Blade is determined that you never have anything to do with your family again."
"You misunderstand him, Papa," Emily said quickly. "It was true he insisted on having St. Clair Hall turned over to him and used the threat of keeping me from you to enforce his demand. But he has achieved his goal. Justice has been done."
Broderick sank down wearily on the edge of the fountain. "You do not know him, Emily. Regaining the house was only the beginning. He will not rest until he has destroyed every last Faringdon."
"Papa, if you are worried about finances," Emily began slowly, "you need not be. I am quite certain that Blade will be content with his revenge now. He may not approve of me covering excessive extravagances on your part, but he will certainly have no objection to me continuing to manage your business affairs."
"Ah, my innocent lamb. You simply do not yet comprehend the nature of the beast you have been tricked into marrying. I, too, had hopes he would allow us to continue as before. T'was the only reason I agreed to his offer. But yesterday after he had you safely leg-shackled, he told me he did not intend to let you attend to any more Faringdon business matters."
Emily frowned. "I heard nothing about such a decision. I do not believe you understood him correctly, Papa. As I said, he will no doubt be somewhat restrictive regarding your financial excesses, but he would not cut you off completely."
"What a silly, naive little goose you are, my dear child." Broderick shook his head and then rose to his feet and held open his arms. "This may be the last time I shall ever see your sweet face again. Come and kiss your papa farewell. Remember me and your brothers with kindness, Emily. We truly cared for you."
Emily began to grow alarmed. "Papa, I do wish you would stop talking such nonsense."
"Goodbye, my dear. I wish you a happy life but I fear you are as doomed as the rest of your clan."
"You have it all wrong, Papa." Emily stepped uneasily back into her father's embrace. "I would never agree to be parted forever from my family. You know that. And Simon would never insist upon such a thing."
Broderick hugged her tightly as if he truly did not expect to see her again. Then he released her to look down at her with narrowed eyes. "Emily, if you truly mean not to abandon us—"
"Of course, I will not abandon you," she assured him impulsively. "I love you and the twins, Papa. You know that."
"If you mean that, if you intend to do your duty by us, then we must make some practical arrangements," Broderick said swiftly. "We must devise a way for you to continue to manage affairs and send instructions to Davenport. Now, I've been giving this some thought and I believe the easiest way to handle the problem is to arrange for regular, secret meetings."
"Secret meetings?"
"Precisely. Listen closely. Either I or one of the twins will find a way to contact you twice a month. You can relay instructions to Davenport on those occasions. We shall have to be extremely discreet, of course, but I think that can be managed, especially when you're in town. Much more opportunity there, what with the parks and the theaters and the pleasure gardens."
"But, Papa—"
"Don't fret, Emily. It will all work out," Broderick said cheerfully. "Blade's bound to lose interest in you quite soon. He's done the necessary and you ain't exactly his type, after all, are you? He just sees you as a means to an end."
"What end?" she demanded.
"Why, totally destroying us Faringdons, of course. But we'll deal with him. You'll soon find yourself on your own a great deal of the time and that will suit our plans perfectly, eh? Things will be just like they were before he showed up."
Emily opened her mouth to tell her father that her relationship with Simon was far more profound, far more blissfully transcendent than what he apparently imagined. But before she could explain, she was interrupted by Blade himself.
She stared in astonishment as Simon sauntered casually out from behind the tall hedge. Then she brightened. "Excellent, you are returned, my lord. Now, perhaps we can clear up this misunderstanding."
Simon ignored her, his eyes glittering coldly as he studied her father. "I had a hunch you'd show up sooner or later, Faringdon. Come to bid your daughter a fond farewell, have you?"
The earl looked very large and intimidating in his riding clothes. His shoulders were broad and powerful under his close-fitting jacket and his breeches emphasized the sleek muscularity of his body. He slapped his riding crop idly against the top of his gleaming black boots as he eyed Emily's father with disdain.
Broderick Faringdon swung around in alarm, his expression first startled and then angry. "Now, see here, Blade. A man's got a right to say goodbye to his one and only daughter. You certainly did not give me a chance to do so yesterday."
Simon smiled thinly. "I did not want you hanging around any longer than absolutely necessary. But today my sources inform me you spent the night at a nearby inn rather than on the road to town. I was not particularly surprised a few minutes ago when my new butler told me Emily had received a message to go to the south garden. But I am afraid I really cannot allow this sort of clandestine meeting, Faringdon."
Emily laughed with relief. "That is just what I was telling him, Simon. I knew you did not mean to bar him from the house. There is no need to arrange this sort of meeting when we can have a nice visit in the drawing room. But Papa seems to be under the impression you do not want him to ever see me again."
Both men looked at her with as much amazement as if the cherub on the fountain had just spoken.
Simon gazed at her coldly. "It will probably not be possible to avoid your father altogether, especially when we are in town. But you are never, under any circumstances, to meet with him or the twins alone. On those rare occasions when we do find ourselves obliged to see your family, I shall always accompany you. Do you understand that, Emily?"
"But, Simon…" She stared at him, taken aback by the implacable tone of his voice. "Surely, you go too far. There is no harm in my visiting with my own family."
"Damn right," Broderick said quickly, swinging back to confront the earl. "Damn it, we're her family, man."
"Not any longer. Emily has a new family now," Simon said. "And you may rest assured that as her husband, I will look after her and protect her from those who would take advantage of her."
"Damn and blast, Blade," Faringdon sputtered. "You cannot keep the girl a prisoner."
"No?" Simon slapped the riding crop against his boot again. He looked almost amused.
Emily did not like the atmosphere between the two men. It frightened her. She put her hand on her father's coat sleeve. "Papa, please do not argue with Simon today. This is my honeymoon. I am certain everything will work out. Perhaps it would be best if you left for London now."
"An excellent notion, Faringdon." Simon braced one boot on the edge of the fountain and ran the riding crop through his fingers. He managed to imbue the small, casual gesture with threatening implications. "Best take your leave. The gaming tables of London are waiting for you, are they not? It will be amusing to see how long you can hold on to your memberships in the St. James clubs."
"Damn you." Broderick looked stricken. "Are you threatening to have me thrown out of the clubs?"
"Not at all." Simon flicked a tiny speck of dirt off his breeches. "I could do so, of course. But there is no need to take such extreme measures. You will get yourself thrown out soon enough and so will your sons, when you are no longer able to pay your debts of honor. And when your luck has run out in the respectable clubs, you will be forced into the gaming hells, where your luck will run out even faster, won't it?"