Page 86 of The Highwayman's Bite

“A journey to Scotland will be dangerous,” he said, trying to maintain practicality in the face of being offered his most fervent desire. “And I cannot Change you unless we find a Lord Vampire willing to legitimize me. I refuse to sentence you to life as a rogue.”

“But you must marry me!” Vivian’s pleading voice tugged at his soul. “I love you, and cannot bear living without you.”

“I love you too.” Rhys buried his face in her hair. “Which is why I cannot risk your death.”

Madame Renarde cleared her throat. “I have an idea.”

Rhys and Vivian turned to face the companion. Rhys had assumed that Lord Thornton had been able to banish Renarde’s memories. Apparently, he’d failed, but did Thornton know it hadn’t worked? If so, what were his plans for her?

“Rhys should leave for Gretna Green immediately.” Madame Renarde brought his attention back to the present. “And Vivian and I will leave separately and meet you there. You can then wed, and Vivian can return here to help your niece manage the land in your name. If her uncle still Changes her like he plans, you can write to her when you find a lord vampire to legitimize you and you can reunite then.”

Vivian nodded eagerly. “That could work.”

Rhys frowned. “But what if Thornton refuses to Change her after helping me escape?”

“Perhaps your new lord will allow you to Change her when you’re legitimized,” Madame Renarde said. “After all, she’ll be your wife.”

“What if Lord Thornton catches you and Vivian on your way to Scotland?” As tantalizing as Renarde’s plan sounded, Rhys couldn’t stop weighing the risks. “What if he kills one or both of you? It’s simply too dangerous.”

A dreaded voice sounded behind them, crushing Rhys’s spirit. “Do you truly believe that I would harm my own blood?” Aldric strode down the stairs. A longsword hung from his hip. “Though I do agree that running off to Scotland is indeed too dangerous. I won’t allow it.”

“Uncle!” Vivian leapt in front of Rhys, trying to shield him with her body, even as he moved to protect her. “Please, don’t hurt him!”

Madame Renarde moved to Rhys’s side as well. The foolhardy gesture humbled him.

Rhys pulled both women against him and faced Lord Thornton over Vivian’s shoulder. “I am not naïve enough to plead for my life, but I will plead for Vivian, and Madame Renarde, and for Emily. Please, my lord, don’t punish them for my attempted escape.”

“He didn’t try to escape!” Vivian told her uncle. “I tried to free him.”

“And I am the one who told her that Rhys was here.” Madame Renarde lifted her chin in defiance, but Rhys felt the light tremble of her shoulders. “I picked the locks, and as you overheard, he has refused to go.”

Her courage filled Rhys with wonder, but he wouldn’t allow Vivian’s loyal companion to sacrifice herself. “My lord—”

Aldric held up a hand. “God blast it all, you win!”

Rhys sucked in a breath. “I do?”

“Not you, you bloody knave. Her.” Lord Thornton pointed at Vivian and spoke to her. “If I kill this sod, you’ll hate me for eternity, as you did when you thought I’d already done the deed. I can’t leave him locked in my dungeon either. Which gives me no choice but to legitimize him, loath as I am to do.”

Was he dreaming, or was this some sort of cruel jest? Rhys knew he was gaping like a village idiot, but could not close his mouth.

Vivian wrapped her arms around Rhys’s waist as if she feared he would be torn away from her side. “Oh, Uncle Aldric, thank you!”

The Lord Vampire of Blackpool heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Even this elopement idea will work in our favor. Your father will want nothing to do with you afterward, and we won’t have to worry about London Society or my neighbors here in Blackpool any longer because they will shun you for such a scandalous thing. However, we don’t need to bother with a trip to Scotland. I will secure a special license after I legitimize your rogue.”

Rhys sank to his knees. “Thank you, my lord.”

“I don’t want your thanks,” Blackpool snarled. “I want to mitigate the damage you’ve done, and for you to stop causing me trouble.”

“You will have my utmost obedience.” For the safety of his family, marriage to the woman he loved, and citizenship, Rhys would walk over hot coals if Thornton asked him.

At the moment, Vivian’s uncle looked more like he wished to ask Rhys to throw himself off a cliff. “Now that you are no longer a prisoner, there’s no need to linger in the dungeon.” Aldric turned and waved an impatient hand at the stairwell. “Let us all go inside and have a brandy. Lord, how I wish I could drink more than a little dram.”

Still dazed, Rhys rose to his feet and clung to Vivian’s hand as they followed the Lord Vampire into the manor. The sight of the bright lanterns, plush carpets, and luxurious furnishings took Rhys aback. For a moment, he felt a twinge of the old hostility at the sight of such wealth. One of those silver candlesticks could have fed Emily and the children for nearly a year.

But Emily and the children would be comfortable now. He could hardly believe it. Rhys would at last be able to make sure of it. He didn’t know if Aldric would be generous enough to grant Vivian money as well as land for her dowry, but he did know that as a legitimate citizen of Blackpool, Lord Thornton would grant him some sort of employment.

Thornton settled them in a large sitting room full of plush sofas and overstuffed chairs. When they were seated, he rang for a servant.

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