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And she ran from the room.
“George.” Captain Andrew Rokesby said his brother’s name as he threw his napkin to the table and rose to sprint after Miss Poppy Bridgerton when she fled the dining room.
George Rokesby nodded at his brother and proceeded to select another roll from the basket on the table.
After Andrew started running up the stairs, Lady Bridgerton rose to her feet.
Sit down, Aunt Alexandra,” George said quietly. “We will finish the salad course before we go after them.”
“What?” spluttered Lord Bridgerton.
“They obviously know each other,” George said placidly. “And based on the look on his face when she walked in the room, he is madly in love with her, so let’s give him a chance to tell her that before you all start planning their wedding.”
Billie Bridgerton Rokesby looked at her husband and smiled. “Shall I have the servants hold dinner, my love?”
“I think that would be a good idea, but perhaps we can get them back here to tell their tale as we eat. I was looking forward to the roast.”
Billie motioned to the head steward and whispered a few words. She then picked up her fork and started to eat her salad. She looked around the room and made eye contact with her sister Georgiana and then Nicholas. She gestured towards her plate.
Lady Helen Manston was glaring at her eldest son. “How can you just let them roam?” But before she finished her sentence there was a loud crash.
“He hasn’t found her yet, obviously. Bridgerton women are highly resourceful and stubborn,” Nicholas guffawed and then choked when the viscount started to laugh as well. ”We still need to give him a chance to talk to her,” George looked his mother dead in the eye. “We are not leaving this room until the salad course is finished. So, if you want to go look for them, I suggest you eat up.”
The Earl of Manston was chuckling at this point. “Another Rokesby-Bridgerton marriage. We will have to make sure the next generation gets to London for matchmaking.”
“Edmund is going to be devastated that he’s not here tonight,” Georgiana said. “And Mary. None of us ever thought Andrew would fall in love.”
“Poppy” echoed through the halls followed by a door slamming and then a peal of thunder. Then silence. George opened his watch. “I think I should like to take a walk in five minutes. Would anyone care to join me?”
______
Andrew and Poppy were holding hands when they left the parlor. They found the entire family staring at them from the landing at the top of the stairs. George stepped around his father and moved towards his brother.
“I’m guessing you two know each other?” he said with a smile.
“We do,” Andrew replied, grinning like a madman.
“Are you prepared to explain how?” George asked his brother quietly.
“I will tell all that I can,” Andrew replied softly. “I’m done now with what I was doing, so there is a lot to share.”
Poppy’s eyes were moving between the brothers. “Andrew, does he know what you were doing?” She murmured.
“George was the only one,” he replied. “After Edward went missing, I couldn’t lie to him when I knew I might disappear for weeks at a time.”
“Ahem,” Lord Bridgerton coughed. “My gout acts up in this rainy weather, so I would like to return to the warm dining room and finish dinner. Can we please do that?”
Everyone acquiesced and started to move back down the stairs. Andrew waited with the Viscount as Billie pulled Poppy away from him. Georgiana took her other hand to block the older women from grabbing her.
“Sir,” Andrew paused and he straightened his coat. “I plan to marry Poppy, Miss Bridgerton. I will call upon her tomorrow morning at your house to make it official. I did not know she was here. I thought she was in Dorset, or maybe Somerset. It never occurred to me that she would be with you.”
Lord Bridgerton clapped him on the back. “She needs to say yes, I won’t force her. I know you haven’t compromised her, have you?” Andrew shook his head. “But the look on her face suggests she will say yes. Bridgertons love a good scandal. I cannot wait to hear this one.”
—----------
When they got back to the dining room George suggested that everyone go back to their spaces, pick up their silverware and drinks and then reassemble. He put Andrew and Poppy together at one end of the table, moving his parents next to Andrew, the Viscount and his wife next to Poppy and filling in the rest of the seats with himself, Billie, Nicholas and Georgiana.
Nicholas and Georgie were having a fine time. Before the butler knew that the seats would be rearranged, he had poured sherry for the lords. Nicholas swiped two glasses and set them on the floor. He nudged her. “When they all sit down, I’ll bring them back up, but we should be allowed to toast too, right?”
Georgie nodded at him and then asked, “do you think that you’ll do things the right way?”
“What?” Nicholas looked at Georgie quizzically. “I have no plans to marry. I have years of medical school to complete.”
“I know that,” she replied with a huff. “It’s just that George and Billie were such a shock, and Cecilia went all the way to the colonies and accidentally found Edward, and now this. It’s like you Rokesby men don’t follow any courting rules.”
“I will follow the rules. It’s you Bridgertons who tempt scandal all the time,” Nicholas retorted.
“I plan to have a season in London,” she replied. “Not enough eligible men around Kent.”
“That is very true,” he said. “I hope I like whoever you pick. It would be awkward at future gatherings if you marry some prat. Actually, I’m not going to let you marry some prat if I can help it.”
Georgiana raised her eyes at that announcement, but said nothing as George tapped his glass.
“Are we all settled? Everyone has a drink?” George winked at the youngest with that comment. “Once dinner is served, Andrew and Miss Bridgerton will be allowed a few bites and then they will start talking. After Andrew’s tale is complete,” he said, looking at his mother and aunt in turn. “Then you may start with questions.”
“I’m still the Earl,” his father said mildly.
George looked at his father. “I have information about Andrew that the rest of you do not and I’m not letting your misinformed views color this conversation. I am going to manage this interrogation.”
Billie looked surprised at his statement. “Information I don’t know?” she sounded hurt.
“Yes, Billie I’m sorry,” Andrew piped up. “Very confidential and I made him swear. But after Edward went missing I needed someone to know certain things and I know that George would never break an oath. I know that you all think I became a privateer after my Navy career was cut short. But that is not true. I remained in the King’s service.”
Gasps all around the table.
“I have been acting as a courier for the crown, along with ferrying mostly legal cargo, but my cover was blown by bandits in Portugal and I have been released from my bond, so I can return home,” Andrew was looking at Poppy as he said this.
“Is it my fault?” she whispered.
“No, in fact you delivered a critical message and saved several people, but I missed a deadline and was told that I cannot go back there. Being blocked from that port hampers my abilities to do the work. I wanted to be done now I have a reason to set down roots.”
“Bandits?” Lord Bridgerton remarked mildly.
“I have more to share before that,” Andrew took a bite of a potato. “While I was doing what was asked of me, I needed to look like a pirate and appear desperate for funds, which is where George turned out to be very useful. His ‘disgust” made it more likely that unsavory men would be willing to speak with me.”
“George, is that why you badmouthed him all over London?” Lady Bridgerton was aghast. “I couldn't believe the rumors.”
“You started the rumors didn’t you?” Billie was looking softly at her husband. “That must have wrecked you.”
“Well, he needed help and there wasn’t much else I could do,” George replied. “And you were perfectly indignant just like I needed you to be when the rumor reached you.”
“Billie, all of that really helped me,” Andrew spoke forcefully. “Opened several doors and I quickly moved up the ladder, so to speak. And I got very good at ‘pirating’ as it were. I ran several caches of items around and would use caves for drops but unfortunately, one was not hidden as well as it should have been.”
At this, Poppy blushed. Georgiana reacted first. “What did you do?”
“I was walking on the beach and exploring caves in Dorset,” Poppy said. “I heard strange voices and hid from them, but it turns out the cave I picked was the one used by his merry band of pirates. They discovered me, knocked me out and took me to their ship.”
“My word,” Lady Bridgerton said.
“How did you get knocked out?” Nicholas asked.
“Why didn’t you scream?” wondered Lady Manston.
Poppy looked around the room. “Well, I promised them I wouldn't say anything, but they didn’t believe me. They used a strange smelling cloth and everything went dark. I woke up in the captain’s cabin.”
The room went silent and Georgie let out a huge sigh. All heads swiveled towards her.
“What?” Said Nicholas.
“Mother won’t even let me walk between Aubrey Hall and Crake. I’m never going to have a modicum of freedom again now that Poppy proved there are bandits in idyllic locations.”
Billie burst out laughing, but then got serious. “Poppy, you are very fortunate that it was Andrew at the helm of that ship.”
“He never told me he was a Rokesby. And he never reacted when I talked about all of you, but yes, he was a gentleman of a pirate.”
“Where did you sleep?” Asked Lady Bridgerton.
“Andrew, Captain James, Captain Rokesby,” stammered Poppy, “he kept me locked in his cabin and slept in one of the other officer’s bunks. The only person I ever saw besides him was Billy, the cabin boy.”
“Women on ships are considered to be bad luck and I didn’t have time to waste,” Andrew said mildly. “I knew she was safe and that was all I could do at first. But then we took meals together and talked about books and did a puzzle and then I fell in love with her.”
“Did you show her the stars?” Georgie asked.
“I did, why?” Andrew replied, blushing a bit.
“She was outside last night staring at the sky. She seemed sad and now I think I know why.”
“I didn’t know if he survived or if he would look for me. Mr. Walpole said he would be ordered not to find me and Andrew definitely follows orders,” Poppy whispered.
“I resigned. Mr. Walpole didn’t fight me because of my kidnapping, but I promised you I’d find you,” and he lifted her hand and kissed it.
Lords Bridgerton and Manston both coughed loudly. And everyone laughed.
“Can we get back to the bandits?” George interjected. “They seem important in the story about how you two got separated.”
Andrew proceeded to tell everyone how he decided to take Poppy around Lisbon so she could try malasadas, see some of the architecture and meet some of his friends. He admitted it was probably a stupid idea, but she’d followed every restriction he’d asked and he wanted to spend the day with her. A political group spotted them and thought they might be worth a ransom.
When Andrew stopped to take a sip of wine, Poppy took over the story.
“You should eat something, I’m done. I know you’re used to cold food, but this is really quite delicious,” she patted his hand before continuing the tale. “So, they attacked us at dinner, grabbing me, beating Andrew up and cudgeling poor Billy.”
The whole family was staring at her aghast. “Billy?” Lord Manston asked.
“The cabin boy. He was playing with cats in the alley and heard the commotion. He came to rescue me.” Poppy paused. “You said he is Ok right?” Andrew nodded. “Can we get him and send him to school? He was so brave.”
Andrew nodded again. “Of course, we can do that. I need to request some of my things from the Infinity, like the puzzle and my books.”
“You were grabbed?” Lord Bridgerton queried.
“They tied me up, put a sack over my head and threw me into a cart next to Andrew. They drove around for a while before locking us in a room. They took Andrew away for a while and when he came back he said he’d negotiated my release in the morning. Then he gave me my instructions for where to go to help him and to complete his task.”
“What?” several people spoke at once.
“Well, the business of the crown doesn’t stop just because of an inconvenience,” Poppy sniffed.
Andrew’s heart burst with pride because not only was she the most beautiful creature in the world, but with one simple sentence she had neatly deflected everyone from the fact that they’d been locked alone in a room for hours.
“The next day, I was taken back to the ship with the ransom note. The men who knew who I was took me to the consulate where Mr. Walpole locked me in a room and promptly sent me back to England. And here I am.”
At that lull in the story, Billie stood up. “I suggest we move to the sitting room for dessert and coffee. We can continue chatting and also make plans for you all to stay tonight. The storm is not abating.”
When they reconvened, Georgie piped up. “Poppy, how were you going to find Andrew?”
“I don’t know. Mr. Walpole told me he would order Andrew not to find me. But, I thought I could make some inquiries after I moped for a few days.”
“Nicholas would have helped you,” Georgie insisted.
“How would I have done that?”
“You just graduated from Cambridge. You know people. You are dedicating yourself to helping people.”
Nicholas is staring at Georgie. “You think I could have helped?”
She nodded firmly. “If nothing else you would have calmed her down enough to talk to Billie, who would have gone to George and he would have put all of the pieces together.”
George chuckled at this remark and then looked at his mother, who was sitting on the sofa next to her husband. “Mother, you’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I’m trying to reconsider the past decade of my understanding of your lives. I mean Andrew left Eton for the Navy and gave up becoming an architect because of the war, right? And then he was hurt but threatened to follow Edward to the colonies and I remember begging him not to do that.”
“The navy doesn’t want damaged men. And my arm was slowly healing,” Andrew replied. “But I wanted to find out what I could about Edward, so I started talking to people.”
“Well, then,” Lady Manston is visibly emotional. “I know that this story has to stay here. Well, we can tell Edward and Cecelia right? But, I am just so proud. Of all of you. I knew I married the best man. But my sons…”
She was visibly trying not to sob at this point. Her husband took her hand and squeezed it. “They had the best mother. No offense to the Bridgertons in attendance of course.”
Lord Bridgerton toasted his friend as he sipped his brandy. “Well, I am sure there could be more to tell, but we need to plan a wedding. Do I need a special license?”
Poppy and Andrew shook their heads no.
“Good,” he replied. “Let’s keep it that way, hmmm. We need time to get Poppy’s parents here along with Edward and Cecelia. They should be back in two weeks? But we can send letters.”
“That will give us time to get Poppy some new clothes and a trousseau,” Lady Bridgerton clapped her hands together.
“Father, can we go to the northwest corner tomorrow if the rain clears?” George asked mildly. “I think that foundation could be used for Andrew to build his house. The site has a nice view and we could use a presence on that side of the estate.”
Andrew was speechless. “You’re willing to let me build something?”
“You’ve always wanted to do that. It’s the least we can do to repay your service. And keep grandchildren close,” George grinned at his brother. “But you’ll have to do what Billie tells you about the crops over there. She’s the genius about all of that.”
“Are we done being emotional now?” Georgie demanded. “I’d like to play a game of charades since we have a full house.”
Roars of laughter filled the house for hours before everyone found a place to sleep.
Which is how Andrew came to be standing outside the door to Poppy’s bedroom a few hours past midnight.