Page 82 of The Heiress in Disguise
“There’s nothing that can be done about it now,” Grace said firmly. “Everything has already been set in motion. Take off the mask.”
“Take off the mask,” Antoine agreed, and Nicole gave Angelique’s shoulder a brief squeeze.
So Angelique reached up and pulled at the ribbon that secured the mask around her face, letting it fall from her eyes.
Aunt Wilhelmina gasped.
“It’sElla!” Gwyneth said. “What isshedoing here?”
“Don’t call her by that name,” Antoine said. “That’s not who she really is. We know who she really is.” He held up the papers Grace had given him. “I’m holding the proof of what you’ve done,” he said. “I know what happened. You forced her into therole of servant, and you’ve been stealing her inheritance from her since the death of her parents.
We’re not going to permit that to go on any longer. She is to be freed at once, and her rightful inheritance and title returned to her. Thiswillhappen, and if it doesn’t, I’m going to involve the constables, because you are all guilty of a terrible crime.”
People were starting to gather around now, taking in the scene. Everyone looked shocked, and Angelique heard some of them murmuring to each other, clearly trying to spread the word about what was happening here. Feeling a burst of nervousness, she moved closer to Antoine and Nicole. It seemed as though this could very easily go wrong.
“Ella,” Aunt Wilhelmina said. Her voice was trembling—whether from anger or fear, Angelique couldn’t tell. “You are supposed to be confined to your room. Go there at once.”
“No,” Angelique said.
“What did you say to me?”
“You’ve ordered me around for too long, Aunt Wilhelmina. Grace is right. Antoine is right. You could get away with it while I was a child, and while I didn’t believe there was anyone in the world who would hear me if I tried to tell the truth about who I really am.
But thingsaredifferent now. I have friends and allies to help me, and they aren’t going to let you go on treating me the way you have. I’ve had enough of it. I’m leaving here tonight, one way or another, and this is going to come to an end.”
“You’re not just leaving,” Antoine said. “This is why I had to wait, Angelique, before I could come forward about knowing your true identity. I wanted to be able to help you recover what’s yours. You’ll never live under the nameEllaagain. From now on, you will be known as the person you rightfully are—Lady Angelique.”
“This is ridiculous,” Aunt Wilhelmina snapped. “You can’t come into my home and make these wild accusations.”
“Oh no? Explain to me, then, why the papers I’m holding contain years of records of your family spending Lady Angelique’s inheritance? If it’s true that you sent her away to France to live with family there, the inheritance should have gone with her at that time. It didn’t because she’s still here with you.
Because you robbed her of what should have been hers. If we were to reach out to those relatives in France, what would they say? No, don’t bother answering, because I know the answer. They would say they had never heard from her, hadn’t seen her since the death of her parents. That they believed she’d been with you the whole time.”
“Even if it weren’t for those papers, I would know it was her,” Nicole said. “I don’t know how you ever believed you could keep the child a secret. She looks just like her mother. I would have recognized her anywhere. It’s all right, Angelique,” she said. “I know who you are, and nothing these people say will stop us from interceding on your behalf now.”
“You may say she’s whoever you think she is, but without proof—”
“But we have proof,” Antoine said firmly. “I’ve had the chance to look at these papers.”
“You’ve looked at nothing,” Aunt Wilhelmina barked. “They were just handed to you, sir. I know you haven’t had the chance to study them.”
“I know perfectly well what they show.”
“You assume they show what you would like to see. You knownothing.”
“That’s untrue,” Antoine said quietly. “They may have just been placed in my hands, but I looked at them many times before this evening.”
He turned to Angelique. “I’m so sorry for my deception,” he said. “But now that we have the evidence in hand, I can tell you the truth.
“I’ve fallen in love with you, Angelique. That was the biggest secret I kept from you, and the one thing I didn’t know if I would ever be able to tell. But now that you can be free, and now that you and I can admit to each other who each of us really is, the truth can come out. I love you.”
“Antoine,” Nicole breathed. “I had no idea.”
“I’ve loved her for a long time, Mother. Ever since we came back into one another’s lives, although it took me a long time to realize it.” To Angelique, he said, “I know you may not be ready to hear this right now. I know that it may be too much to try to reconcile. But if you’re willing, I think I can win your heart, and I’d like to try.”
“Oh, Antoine, it’s yours,” she said. “It’s been yours for so long. I didn’t know it was you, but I knew that my feelings for you were real. And now that we know the truth of who each of us really is—yes. I’m more than ready to be whatever you’d like me to be. I want to leave here with you tonight and see what the future holds.”
“You can’t leave,” Aunt Wilhelmina snapped. “You belong tous, Ella.”
