Page 69 of The Marquess' Disguised Heiress
“Why are you crying?” Eliza asked his mother, hugging her back.
“I am so sorry for everything, my dear. I should have come to save you earlier. I am so sorry,” his mother kept blubbering on, sobbing continuously.
“Mother, you must calm down,” he said, the two women finally parting.
Victoria and Margaret appeared on the scene as well, and Alexander could see the set of papers in Margaret’s hands. He knew it was the right time.
He slipped off his mask, Lord and Lady Leicester growing even angrier. However, he was well aware that they were powerless in front of the ton and would not be able to do anything about it.
“Hello, everyone,” he directly addressed the ton, “I am Alexander Blackwood, the Earl of Eastwood. I have been hesitant to reveal my identity earlier for various reasons, but now I am aware it is the right time to do so because I have several other secrets to reveal about the Russel family.”
“He does not know what he is saying, ladies and gentlemen,” Lord Leicester tried to interrupt, but his voice faltered, showing his fear.
“Oh, but I do.” Alexander smiled. “Lord and Lady Leicester came about this fortune after the death of Lord Leicester’s cousin, the Duke of Grafton. However, he gained nothing but the country seat out of this, which is why he decided to take the duke’s heir, Lady Eliza Gordon, and turn her into a servant so he could have complete control over her inheritance and her properties. They stripped her of her identity so no one would be able to find her and treated her cruelly, and that Lady Eliza Gordon is none other than the beautiful woman beside me.”
The crowd erupted into loud whispers.
“You have no proof!” Lady Leicester shouted, coming to stand in front of Alexander.
“I do.” Alexander looked at Margaret, who immediately stepped forward.
“I am Lady Margaret Russel, the daughter of Lord and Lady Russel, and I can testify that everything the earl is saying is fully honest. My father has been dipping into Eliza’s inheritance, and here in my hands is the proof of it. It is the duke’s will, giving everything to Eliza and proof of bank accounts about how my father has been using money that does not belong to him. Moreover, living in this house, I have seen all of it myself, and it is about time my parents receive the punishment they deserve for their crimes.”
“In order to hide these very crimes, they planned to get Eliza married to Count Fife so he could write her inheritance to their name. Their story about Eliza being in France was fake since she has never set foot in France, and I happen to have proof about everything,” Alexander added, looking at the interested crowd.
The shock on everyone’s faces was enough to tell him they believed him.
“This is false. All of this is false,” Lady Leicester continued shouting, but no one paid her any heed.
Alexander watched patiently as the crowd only grew louder, people beginning to disperse one after the other. The guards he had called appeared on the scene, ready to take away Lord and Lady Leicester, but all Alexander was now worried about was Eliza.
The shock on her face was undeniable, and he knew he needed to talk to her. Without wasting another second, he quickly informed the guards about everything and took Eliza away to the gardens, knowing she needed some fresh air.
“Are you alright?” he asked her once they were outside.
“Just overwhelmed,” she finally looked at him, “did that truly just happen?”
“It did. It is only a matter of a few legal proceedings, and everything that is yours will once again belong to you. I promise.”
“Thank you, Alexander.” She began to sob, and he wiped her tears away. “I do not know how I will ever repay your debt.”
“You don’t have to, Eliza.” He smiled. “I would do anything for the woman I love.”
She looked up at him sharply, his declaration making her eyes go wide.
“You love me?”
“I am sorry for keeping the truth from you about my identity, and not telling you that I love you, but I simply needed everything to settle down before I could do such a thing. I loved you since the moment I first met you, Eliza, and I need your permission to court you once everything is settled properly.”
She laughed, placing a kiss on his knuckles. “I have always loved you too, Alexander. Both as George and as the masked man and now as Alexander. My Alexander. I would love to be courted and wooed by you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” She smiled at him, and Alexander knew everything in life was eventually going to be alright.
He had Eliza.
Chapter 20
