All the Things You Never Knew (31 page)

The old marquess led them in through the room where Leon was captured earlier and stops to send more guards out.
“How many God damn men does this ass have anyway?” Hargate inquired as he threw one over his shoulder.
“I have an idea,” said Avangelene to Leon.
“The only idea you should have is on how to fend these bastards off while I go rescue Rose,” Leon answered, dodging one of the men and dashing to the old marquess and his son.
They were running with Rose flung over Marcus’s shoulder and heading towards a sliding door when Leon took out his pistol and shot at the old marquess’s leg, missing to hit his son’s instead.
Marcus gave out a loud cry and dropped Rose to tend to his leg.
“You idiot son!” The old marquess pulled up his son and grabs Rose by the hair before she can turn to run.
Leon was about to shoot but cursed as the old man stops and uses Rose as a shield to them.
“Shoot if you dare,” the old marquess growled out. “Even if you kill me, there’s still going to be more hell coming at your feet.”
Leon knows he’s talking about the other suspects but didn’t give a damn.
“As long as you’re gone, things should be easier.”
“Don’t, Leon,” his sister said, running up to him. “You might hit Lady Rose.”
“Your sister seems to be wiser,” the marquess laughs, pulling up his moaning son and Rose as he back away to the door.
“I should take my chances,” Leon said, although he was afraid of hitting Rose as Avange had said.
“Just do it, Leon,” Rose cried. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me. He killed your parents!”
“No,” Avangelene shook her head and step forward, pulling out a chain from her pocket.
Leon saw that it was her emerald scarab jewel and pulled her back. “You can’t, Avange. He has my stone already.”
She seemed to ignored him and walk slowly towards the wideeye marquess who then frowns when he saw the jewel.
“That’s just a bug,” he said. “Surely you know that it’s worthless.”
“No.” Avangelene pressed a switch at the back of the jewel pendant and the scarab spread its wings revealing the emerald inside.
“Please let my brother’s wife go,” she said, holding her chain out to the marquess. “I’ll give you my jewel along with his.”
Leon was stun to hear her spoke the words. That Hargate must have told his sister.
“Avangelene!” Hargate came in after he’d fended off the last of the guards. “What are you doing–”
Avange merely raise a hand to shut him up and move forward.
The old man smiled throwing down his injured son and dragged Rose forward to snatch the chain but Avange jump back before he could.
“We have to exchange prizes at the same time, m’lord,” Avangelene answered, twirling the chain with her fingers. “You’re not being fair.”
“Don’t risk it,” Rose cried to her. “I’m not worth it.”
Avangelene turned to look at Leon and he reply with an understanding nod.
“You’re worth everything, Lady Rose,” she said as she inch forward again. “If only you knew.”
“Just give me the jewel and you can have your brother’s whore,” the marquess said impatiently.
Leon waited for the exchange, clicking his pistol ready.
The marquess extended Rose out with his dripping bloody hand that Avange must had shot, and held his palm out with the other.
Avangelene slowly placed her jewel in his palm and snatched Rose to her, shouting, “Fire!”
Leon did so and cursed again when the marquess scurried this time to pull up his son as a shield, and ran for the door.
“Oh no,” Rose shuddered in horror, and collapse as she saw the firing bullets hit Marcus.
Hargate made his shot and missed, but luckily, the bullet bounced from the wall and hit the old marquess square in the leg, knocking him off balance.
Avangelene charged at the devil man but he pulled out a dagger and threw it at her. She would have been stabbed if she hadn’t fell to her stomach and roll away from it.
“We’ll meet again, Windsor!” the old marquess roared out and disappear through the sliding doors before Leon could get to him.
“He’d escaped,” Avangelene said as she went up to the doors. “Must have locked it from the other side.”
“Hell, I can’t believe he got away,” Leon said, shaking his head in shame.
“You and that
Duke
just have bad aims,” Avangelene said, walking over to where Hargate squatted by Marcus’s side.
“He’s gone,” Hargate said as he tried to feel the pulse of the marquess’s son.
“I figured so,” Avange said, and kicked the body.
“I have to find that marquess again,” Leon said. “He got your jewel now, too.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Avangelene answered. “I’ll take care of it.”
“The hell you will!” Hargate grounded out, standing up to face her. “You nearly got killed by that dagger!”
Leon senses there’s something going on between the two of them but averted his attention away when he saw that the dagger Lansing threw was his. He walked over and picked it up, finally realizing that Rose was laying down unconscious on the floor a few feet from it.
“Rose!” He went over and picks her up, wincing as he remembers the wound in his shoulder from earlier but ignored it. “Rose, you have to be okay,” he chants. “You have to be okay.”
“Guys!” Longsword came in, carrying the viscount on his shoulder. “The place is breaking down. We have to get out of here!”
Leon dashed out cradling Rose in his arms with Hargate and Avange following behind.
“That was close,” Hargate said, blowing a sigh of relief when they got out.
“Lansing sure is a smart one,” said Longsword as he settles the viscount on the ground to catch his breath.
“He escaped,” Leon muttered, disappointingly.
“Did he?” Longsword wasn’t in the least surprise as he saw Lady Rose stir in Leon’s arms. “You must have softened up again due to that little thing.”
Leon only smiled and cupped Rose’s face as he heard her murmur something and kiss her. “Everything would be all right,” he whispered to her. At least for now it will.
The marquess is still out there somewhere and may have many more devious plans up his sleeves.
Whatever it is, Leon would do his best to not let the old man harm another of his love ones again. He’ll find the man and make sure next time to obliterate him completely with his other comrades.

Bridlington
Days went by since Leon had rescued Rose and her father from Lansing’s lair.
His siblings were all very glad that they had made it home safely.

“Now we can have a party and plan for the wedding!” Namine had cheered.
Leon smirked and pulls out the marriage license he had purchase before leaving to Leicester and waves it at Namine.
“Yes, but the miserable nights are over,” he said, grinning in triumphed.
Rose had blushed and threw her slipper at him after she had become conscious of what’s going on.
He only smiled and came to pull her into his arms.
“Rose, I never did this properly the last time, but–” He released her and got down on one knee, taking out a ring from his pocket. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, even though I’ve been an ass in the past and made you cry? I promise that I will never ever leave you again. I’ll protect you with my life and sacrifice whatever I have to keep you by my side for always, now and forever. Don’t say no because I’ve already got us a license, and if I have to, I’ll just take your answer from the last time and take you to my room this instant with or without a wedding.”
Tears trickled down Rose’s cheeks as he spoke the words and she tackled him down with a “Yes!”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” she said, kissing him on the lips.
“It’s all I’ve ever dreamed,” he answered and claimed her mouth right there in front of his siblings.
There was a loud roar of applauses and whistles before Leon heard Sheik scoffed and said, “That has got to be the corniest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life.”
“Go get a room,” his brother Jack teased. “You’re making us blind.”
Leon took no hesitation at all to do so and before Rose knew it, he was up with her in his arms and was running towards the house.

The wedding was to take place a week from that day and Leon had allowed Namine to throw Rose the so-call bachelorette party that she wanted while he went out to the game tavern with his brothers and friends.

All the lady pupils from the school were invited along with a few of the children. Rose’s friend, Lady Susannah, was even asked to attend.

“Oh, I never thought this day will come true!” Susannah exclaimed, giving Rose a hug. “I told you Monsieur Leon had always loved you.”

“I know,” Rose chortled with a musing sigh. “I’m so glad there is you to keep my world together. I would have made the biggest mistake of my life marrying that Marcus.”

“You can always thank me by letting me be your maid of honor,” Susannah said, beaming gracefully. “Ah, I am so very happy for you.”
Everything was going on smoothly until the Miss Delilah Stanford arrived and demanded to see Leon.
“He’s not here,” Lavender said. “I’ll take a message for my brother if you’ll like.”
“I heard rumors all over London of his wedding and want to see that it’s not true,” Delilah answered.
“Fortunately, it is,” Namine beamed as she serves the fruit punch for the little children.
“Where’s the bitch?” Delilah cried angrily. “Everyone knows he’s mine.”
“Miss Stanford, how lovely to see you,” came Avangelene from the house, carrying a tray of apple tarts. “Please don’t use that kind of language with the children around here. Would you care for a light dessert or are you going to take leave?”
“I’m not going anywhere until I see the lady he’s marrying. Viscount Herring’s daughter, is it? The old man doesn’t know what he’s doing if he lets Leon marries his daughter. We all know you all are bastards!”
“Excuse me!” Rose bellowed from the door as she heard the insult. “This is my family you’re talking about.”
“Oh, so you’re the chit!” Delilah went over and stood before Rose, scanning her with disgust. “Ugh! Look at you. So thin and plump in all the wrong places. I can’t believe Leon wanted you.”
“Don’t insult my friend, Delilah,” Lady Susannah said, glaring at the woman. “Or you won’t be making it home.”
“Oh, yeah. Try me!” Delilah challenged.
“Why you–”
Lady Susannah leapt forward and so did Miss Stanford. However, before either of them could touch one another, one of the little children threw a ball and hit Delilah right on the bridge of her nose, sending her twirling face down into the bowl of punch on the table.
“Theodore!” Avangelene scolded, throwing the ball back at the young boy. “Be more careful!”
Phoenix and Susannah tried not to laugh but failed miserably as Namine and Lavender send away the little children.
Rose gasped and ran with a handkerchief to help wipe off the dripping sticky juice from Delilah’s face only to get push away.
“Don’t touch me!” snapped Delilah angrily. “You may have Leon now, but don’t be so happy. I’ll make sure your life becomes nothing more than a miserable hell!”
She turned and headed toward the carriage that brought her, but tripped over the little stool that one of the little girls had used to stand up on, and fell flat on her face.
“Miss Stanford, are you all right?” came the footman at the carriage as he scurries to help her up.
“Ugh! I don’t ever want to come to this dreadful place again!” she brawled, stomping into the carriage and banging her head on the side before slamming the door shut.
The footman hurried up to his seat and whipped the horses away before his mistress gets any madder.
“You should have slapped her silly,” Susannah said to Rose when the carriage was out of sight. “And you Miss Heartilys shouldn’t even have let her step on the pavement.”
“We do have to be considerate of the children,” Avangelene grinned, setting out the food.
“And Leon told us to not bother with empty-headed females,” Phoenix answered. “Miss Stanford sure is an empty-headed one.”
“Let us not mind that little intrusion,” Namine said, sorting out the saucers and tea cups. “We have our new sister to welcome officially. Welcome, Rose. You are no worse or better than any of us. We are all the same.”
Rose nearly burst into tears at the sound of her name without the ‘Lady’ title coming from Namine. She had never felt so at home, so part of the family, so very blissful.
“Hey, look, it’s a grandpa!” cried the little children as they all rush over to an arriving coach.
Rose and the ladies look up to find that it was Viscount Herring, her father.
Three days after they had returned from Leicester, her father had gotten better and apologized to Leon about everything.
The Duke of Hargate–having to be the duke–was able to simulate a threat and scared the viscount into granting Leon the right to marry Rose. He knew there’s going to be a scandal about it, but with a man that loves his daughter this much, how could he resist not risking it?
“Papa!” Rose picked up her skirt and ran to greet her father.
“Rose.” He got out and kissed her on the cheek. “How are you, my girl?”
“Very well, Papa,” she answered, giving him a hug.
“And where is that future son-in-law of mine?” he asked, looking about the place. “He didn’t leave you already, did he?”
Rose hesitated, not quite sure what to say until Avangelene interjected by asking if he would like to come and have some refreshments.
“I’ll like that,” he answered, forgetting the question as Avangelene led him along.
“Grandpa, grandpa, tell us a story,” said two of the boys from the group, one having to be Faelan.
“Miss Vange said old grandpas tells the best story,” said Faelan. “Didn’t you, Miss Vange?”
Avangelene patted Faelan on the head and said, “Yes, but his lordship is not an old grandpa.”
“He’s the lord of a ship?” Faelan asked at the sound of the word ‘lordship’.
“Well–”
“Hey, come, come!” Faelan shouted to the other children and pointed to Lord Herring. “He’s a real lord of a ship! A real one!”
The viscount laughed and look at Avangelene. “I say your boy here may need a lesson or two to understand the term.”
“Oh, Faelan’s actually really bright,” said Avangelene. “His obsession with pirates just kind of got carried away.”
“Are all these children yours?” Lord Herring asked. “They seem to like you a great deal.”
“No, no,” Avangelene said amused as she move the children along.
“Silly, Papa,” Rose said, moving around to sit in a chair across from him. “They’re little pupils at the Heartily Academy.”
“Are they?” The viscount looks around and smiled. “They are a good young bunch.”
“I say it’s time we eat,” said Phoenix as she joins them. “I’m famished.”
“Yes,” Susannah agreed after curtsying to Lord Herring. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“We have to hurry before the men comes home,” Namine said. “They will totally eat every last morsel on here and we’ll have nothing left but the crumbs.”
“The crumbs are only if we’re lucky,” Lavender added, merrily pouring out the tea. “Eight brothers are really hard to feed.”
“Where is my son-in-law?” Viscount Herring asked Rose again.
“Well, he’s…” Rose didn’t quite know how to answer, fearing that her father might get mad at the mention of Leon gambling now at some tavern.
“They said they were going to go to old George’s tavern and rob the rich to give to the poor,” Avangelene put in to save her. “They’re leaving us ladies in peace for a couple hours.”
Rose thought her father would be angry but he only smile and said, “That’s very good then.”
Avangelene winked at Rose and walks off to line the children up for lunch.
“I see you’ll be very happy here,” her father said to her after a while. “You have witty, charming sister-in-laws who seems very loving and protective. They’ll look out after you.”
Rose looked at the Heartily Sisters and couldn’t help agreeing that she will be very happy and loved indeed.