Dusky Duke and the Gypsy Pirate Princess (14 page)

Abby’s little mouth trembled, “Pllleassssssse, don’t take Honesty away. Maggie can’t sleep without her.” She held her position, the wooden sword pointed up at his chest, her little eyes pleading with him to understand. “And Blue needs her to sing him bedtime songs.”

Greyson stood undecided. The other two children continued to wail. Nanny Sinclair stood in the corner unmoving, waiting to be called to take over the children.

Honesty’s sniffy voice rose over the cries, “They are just tired from all the excitement today. If you will just give me a little time to calm them down.”

“I have a better idea,” stated Greyson, moving forward to pull Honesty to her feet. He had to loop an arm around Maggie’s middle and lift her against his chest to untangle her from the yellow silk skirts. Once he had Honesty on her feet, Greyson dismissed the nanny for the night, over the squealing of the two younger ones. Then motioning for Honesty and Abby to follow him, and carrying the crying Maggie, he picked up the lantern, and started down the hall. Once in Honesty’s bedroom, he set the two girls on the bed and moved to take the screaming toddler from her. Blue started kicking and squirming at being separated from Honesty; His little, pudgy hands straining to reach her. Honesty tried to take him back, but Greyson moved him out of her reach.

“You better hurry and get into your bed clothes, before he works himself up anymore.”

Honesty looked at him in shock, he could tell her was trying to figure out what he intended. He took mercy on her. “Look, we are all exhausted. It would be much better if we all got a good night’s sleep and figured this out in the morning. You can’t sleep in that dress and corset so take them off.”

Honest looked at the two whimpering girls on the bed and then back at Greyson holding the screaming baby locked in his arms.

“I can’t unbutton it by myself.” She licked her lips nervously.

Greyson walked to the bed and dropped the screaming Blue into the pillows. He had returned and had her dress half unbuttoned before the wailing infant threw himself off the bed and wrapped his arms around Honesty legs and pushed furiously to move Greyson away. Greyson steadied her as he pulled the dress down to pool in a silken puddle at their feet and then he unhooked the laces on the corset. Between the two of them, struggling with the many layers of fabric of the petticoats and underslips and a very irate toddler, they managed to get her down to her chemise. Honesty swooped Blue up in her arms and the wailing stopped immediately as a thumb plugged the sound. Blue glared at Greyson.

The duke sat down on the end of the bed and pulled off his boots and dropped them on the floor. He wiggled his bare toes. He had not put on hose before coming to search for her. He looked up and met her eyes, “Not exactly how I envisioned undressing you on our wedding night.” Honesty blushed a bright red.

“Come on,” Greyson motioned to the bed, “Do you want me on one side, or us in the middle with the girls on the outside?”

Honesty baulked at the suggestion, but Greyson pulled her to the bed, pulled down the covers, and settled her in the middle. He then put Blue on one side of her and the two girls on the other, leaving room for himself on the edge next to Blue. He blew out the lamp and settled down listening to the soft sniffling of the little girls. Blue still had a catch in his breathing.

Greyson was surprised when within five minutes all three of the children’s breathing indicated they were asleep. Greyson gently rolled Blue across his chest and anchored him in his arm on the outer edge of the bed. He slid his arm under Honesty’s head and pulled her into his embrace. He felt her stiffen in the darkness.

Greyson chuckled softly against her hair, “ Don’t worry. Your siblings are the best chaperones possible. I only want to hold you.”

“But what if Blue falls off?”

“I won’t let him. Trust me.”

He felt her relax in his arms. He struggled to stay awake to savor this moment, but his body grew heavy and sleep stole over his mind.

♣♣♣

Greyson opened his eyes at the first hint of dawn the next morning. Honesty was lying sprawled against his side, her head on his shoulder, and her leg between his. One of her hands lay on his chest. Her breast pressed against his side. Wilted white flower were still woven in her hair. Greyson shifted his other arm and grimace as the blood screamed back into that appendage. The pain radiated up his shoulder. He lifted his head to see that he still clutched the thirty pound toddler in his arm. The bed was wet against that side of his body. Greyson looked over Honesty to see the two little girls sprawled out sideways in the bed; taking up more than their fair share. He groaned silently as he moved Honesty away from him, trying not to wake her up. Surprised he managed to do this. He slipped out of the bed and placed Blue against Honesty’s side. He pulled the covers back over them.

As he pulled on his boots, his nose wrinkled at the smell wafting up from his clothes. He smiled and reminded himself that this was the start of a future that he was sure would look exactly look this in a few years.

“Grey,” Honesty’s sleepy voice called from the bed.

He moved closer in the dawn light. “Shush, go back to sleep. I need to go now, we aren’t allowed to be caught together until September, remember.” He leaned across Blue and briefly kissed her lips. “I will see you later.” As he left, he removed the second ring from her finger. He stood staring down at his sleeping wife and the three children for several minutes.

And then he strolled away; looking forward to a bath and clean clothes.

♣♣♣

At noon, Greyson stood beside Honesty, as first her sister and her new husband hugged and kissed everyone and drove away, and then the Williams prepared to depart. Greyson steeled himself against the pain, as he watched Blue be drug from Honesty’s arms by Captain William and the rest of the children commanded to stop doddering and get in the carriage. The coach rolled away with the sound of the three younger children screaming in protest at the circumstances. Greyson knew that the other children were crying as hard as the young wife he held in his arms.  Would she ever forgive him for doing this to her? His grandmother stood nearby and waited. Honesty sobbed like her heart was breaking. After a while, the older lady suggested that they move her indoor.

Once they had Honesty in her new bedroom and stripped down to her chemise and into bed, his grandmother tactfully suggested that he leave her to rest.

Greyson glared at his grandparent, “No, she is mine to comfort.”

He coaxed Honesty into drinking some tea that was laced with a sleeping tonic. As she finally relaxed into a deep sleep, Greyson sat on the side of the bed looking down at her tear stained face.

SarahBeth moved to the bedside and stood watching her grandson.

“This isn’t going to work, is it?”

“What do you mean?” Greyson said, soothing Honesty’s hair back from her forehead.

“It is three months until September, Greyson.”

He looked at her puzzled.

“I had hoped you understood the situation. You cannot consummate the marriage yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We have set this course and announced the engagement and the wedding date. We dare not adjust it.”

Greyson still did not understand.

“You cannot catch her with child before the wedding. If she is quickening before the ceremony, it will be worse for her and the child than if we had announced the quick wedding. I’m sorry. I thought you knew what you agreed too.”

Greyson stared at his grandmother in stunned silence.

He sucked in a breath, “There are ways to avoid catching her with a child.”

His grandmother shook her head, “If you knew of all the unplanned children that I know of because of those methods. It is only three more months.”

Only three more months, his grandmother was insane, that was an eternity.

At breakfast the next morning Greyson was relieved to see only a few guests remaining. His sisters had packed up and departed the day before. Soon it would just be himself , Honesty, and his grandmother. Greyson could not wait. He smiled as Honesty strolled into the room with his grandmother. She was wearing her pale yellow day dress and scuffed boots. As he settled them each at the table, he greeted them with a little peck on the cheek. He wanted to ask how she was feeling, and if she had slept well, but instead he said.

“Grandmother, Honesty will need a new wardrobe.”

Honesty jerked her eyes up to his, an emotion of resentment flared briefly before she bowed her head again.

His grandmother nodded, “I have already sent for Monsieur Don LaClaire. He should be here within days.” The older woman smiled at Honesty, “He is the best clothier in London.”

Honesty kept her head bent and nodded in response.

Greyson watched her push her food around again. He grimaced at this whole situation. What could he do to make her smile again?

Suddenly, there was a great commotion in the hall. An older lady wearing an outlandishly gaudy purple day gown and an elaborate matching hat with peacock feathers stormed into the dining room.

“Darling, I am so delighted to have made such good time traveling, what with all the rain and bandits on the road. One can never truly expect to arrive alive much less on time.”

Greyson grimaced, as his grandmother greeted the new arrival. “Cousin Bridgette.” They exchanged kisses on the cheek. “So lovely that you responded so quickly to my letter.”

Greyson’s eyebrow went up. He couldn’t believe his grandmother had invited her. He thought she could barely tolerate the other woman’s presence at social events.

“Well, dear, I find the idea of helping to chaperone the duke and his bride until the wedding a marvelous idea. We shall have loads of fun. It will be just like old time.”

Greyson glared at his grandmother.

“Well, I just wanted to pop in and greet you proper before, I freshen up a bit. I say traveling just wears a body out,” in a flurry of purple feathers and over-powering cologne, the older lady flounced away.

After a few minutes, Honesty excused herself from the table and stepped through the French doors onto the veranda.

“Grandmother,” Greyson’s tone was dark and foreboding. “You invited, Cousin Bridgette?”

“Yes, dear,” her voice was calm.

Greyson felt his teeth clench, “She is the biggest gossip in the ton.”

“Precisely, dear.”

Greyson waited impatiently for her to explain.

“But she is our gossip. What better way to make sure that everyone believes that the engagement is all that it is expected to be, if not reported on in minute detail by an eyewitness?”

Greyson growled in vexation. He shoved back his chair and stomped to his study. This situation was impossible. He was supposed to give Honesty time to get over her heartbreak, not consummate their marriage, and mind his every damn ‘p’ and ‘q’ so as not to incite a scandal, because his grandmother had invited London’s most notorious gossip to watch his ‘engagement.' And Honesty… Honesty did not even smile anymore. She was so unhappy. His mind raced to the last time he had seen her smile. It had been when they were riding the pony with Blue and the girls. She had been happy then… With her babies. Greyson groaned as he remembered other incidents, other occasions, when she had been happy in his company. They had all been in the presence of her babies. He had stolen her happiness; the one thing that they both desperately needed.

Greyson tried to drag his mind from his concerns for his new wife and focus on his responsibility to his estate, but he managed to get very little work done in the next few hours.

At lunch, the few remaining guests had left, leaving only Cousin Bridgette. They listened without comment as she regaled them of all the latest gossip from London. She seemed to know every minute detail of everyone’s lives. Greyson frowned. His grandmother was insane. He escaped, leaving his poor dear in the care of his grandmother and that woman. His grandmother was starting to have that hazed look in her eyes that she always got when her patience was wearing thin. Good, she deserved to suffer.

About five o’clock, Greyson sought Honesty out and requested a walk in the gardens since the heat of summer had cooled with a slight westerly wind. She had eagerly agreed and had gone to fetch her hat, when both older ladies had decided they must accompany the couple. The walk was accomplished with the engaged pair walking in silence, and Cousin Bridgette regaling SarahBeth on the changes in style and how English tastes were so much more superior to French fashion And how she felt about French fashions; that for some reason, they, the French, though it acceptable for young ladies to practically fall out of the front of their gowns.

Greyson picked a rose and handed it to Honesty, a small token of amends. And the walk ended with them exchanging only a few words. The unhappiness in his beloved’s face haunted him all night as he lay in his lonely bed half way across the castle from where she was tucked into hers. Honesty’s new rooms were located between his grandmother’s and his cousin Bridgette’s. He wanted to strangle his grandmother.

The next day was a repeat of the last, and only difference was the tailor had arrived and Honesty’s fittings were underway. Greyson watched as she still ate little. The dark rings under her eyes spoke of exhaustion and tears.

The next week followed the same pattern. On day after lunch, Honesty quietly asked to accompany him to his study, for the afternoon. Greyson looked at his grandmother and Cousin Bridgette and had to decline. The hope in her eyes had quickly faded to despair.

As he lay in bed that night, his mind keep circling around and around the problem. This situation was impossible, he was not even allowed to properly court Honesty because of the situation with Cousin Bridgette. She needed to go away, but her departure had to be her own idea. Greyson puzzled about what circumstance would entice the old battle axe to leave. Gossip. And not just common gossip. London Gossip. Something she was missing. He had to get her to leave soon before Honesty starved herself to death. He could tell she wasn’t sleeping either. A memory of a small childish voice filled his head. Maggie stating on the day at Buckingham Palace, “and Honesty don’t like to sleep by herself, none either,” followed by the nod of importance. He realized with a start that Honesty had never slept by herself in her life. No wonder she had dark circles under her eyes.

Greyson slipped out of his bed and pulled on his trousers. His mind searched the floor plan of the castle in his head. He lived in this castle all his life; how could he have forgotten the secret passageways. He lit a hand lantern and started out with a huge smile on his face.

Three hours later he was cursing the dark and his lost sense of direction. He had no idea where he was in reference to Honesty’s room. He tried to peek through the stiff and unyielding hidden panels into the dark bedrooms beyond. It was so dark in the room that Greyson could not see even if the rooms were occupied or not. He feared just entering a room. If it happened to be Cousin Bridgette’s;Greyson flinched at the thought of the repercussions. He moved as quietly as possible down the narrow passage that ran behind the bedrooms on this side of the building. If he just had some reference point.

And then he heard it. A soft whimpering. The sound of a lost child. He moved several lengths down and pushed gently against the oak panel. The soft crying became louder as he slipped into the room. As he stepped from the concealed passageway, the soft light of his muted hand lantern illuminated the bed chamber. Honesty sat up in fright. Greyson stopped and raised the lantern so she could see that the intruder was him.

“Grey,” she gasped quickly wiping away the evidence of her tears on her nightgown sleeve.

Greyson approached the bed and laid his finger on her lips. “Shush, we don’t want to wake the whole house.”

Greyson lifted the lantern and blew it out, plunging the room back into darkness.

He felt her stiffen as he pulled off his boots and slipped under the covers next to her. He pulled her resisting body against him and relaxed. “I only want to hold you, darling.”

Her head popped up at his words, “You haven’t called me that since the day on the beach.”

“I haven’t? Probably because we haven’t been alone in ages.”

“No, even when we were alone before the dragon lady came, you didn’t call me that.”

Dragon lady, he liked that nickname. “How remiss of me, my only excuse is that I am trying hard not to scare you.”

“Scare me?”

“I have been trying to give you time to get used to the idea of our marriage. I had great plans of courting you, but Cousin Dragonlady is making that nay impossible. And I am tired of sleeping alone.”

“Oh,” came the soft comment in the dark.

“I just want to hold you, I promise I will keep my hands and everything else to myself,” he chuckled softly in her hair. He felt Honesty relax against his side. He held her in silence until he felt her slid into an exhausted slumber before he followed her.

The next morning when dawn peeked through the east window, Greyson opened his eyes slowly. The bright pink of the walls and floral pattern of the draperies told he that he was not in his bed. The warm body snuggled in his arms; her bottom tucked against his groin told him that he was right where he wanted to be.

He knew he needed to go. Cousin Dragonlady got most of her information from servants in different households. And as many servants as he employed he couldn’t trust all of them to keep their mouths shut. Greyson moved out of the bed, and pulled his boots on. He grinned; his shirt looked like it had been slept in.

“Grey?” Honesty called softly.

“Good morning, darling.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I must go… I have a plan to get Cousin Bridgette to depart shortly. You must bear with me until then.”

Honesty’s eyes jumped to his in the predawn light. “What can I do?” Greyson chuckled at the hope in her voice.

“Just continue to be your delightful self. Nothing else is needed.”

She watched as Greyson lit his hand lantern, and disappeared into the darkness of the secret passageway.

Greyson counted the wall supports to the outside wall before exiting the passageway through an empty bedchamber and strolling back to his rooms. He was getting good at sneaking around his own house.

At lunch, Greyson was glad to see Honesty eat more than she had in the past days. The dark circles were not as pronounced as they had been before. He hoped that was because she had slept the night before and not a muted reflection from the beautiful, plum colored day gown she wore. He had heard that the tailor had finally left that morning. His grandmother assured him that Honesty now had the beginning of a descent wardrobe fitting her station, and the rest would be delivered before the wedding.

After lunch, Greyson requested that his grandmother accompany him to his study leaving his poor angel alone in the care of Cousin Bridgette.

Once in his study, Greyson showed his grandmother to the high backed leather chair, and then took his seat behind his desk.

“I wish to discuss the situation with Cousin Bridgette.” He started; his tone indicating his disapproval.

“I know, dear, and I do apologize. I had no idea that it would be this bad. I can’t think how to fix it, but I assure you that I suffer most severely in her company all day long –every day. You at least are able to escape.”

“But Honesty cannot.”

His grandmother twisted her hands together. “I cannot tell her to go.”

“There is no need. I have a plan that will cause her to choose to depart on her own.”

SarahBeth sat forward eagerly, “Oh, do tell.”

“You are going to write Teresa and beg her to return. And if she cannot Cousin Grace would be my next choice. You are going to write every friend you have and find out all the gossip from London that you can.”

His grandmother frowned at this request; she had never been one to indulge in that particular sport.

“And as of this afternoon, you are feeling so poorly that you will be confined to your bedchambers until she leaves.”

SarahBeth looked at him in speculation. “And that will cause Cousin Bridgette to decide to go.”

“Yes, I am wagering one week from today.”

SarahBeth sniffed her doubt. “Seriously, one week, I should think it will take at least three times that. I mean after all your wedding will be the talk of the season.”

“Oh, she will be back in plenty of time for the wedding I imagine.Just follow my instructions for once.”

“Dear, I do think I am feeling poorly as we speak.”

The two smiled at each other in conspiracy.

♣♣♣

As Greyson seated his intended at dinner in the seat to his right, and his Cousin to his left, he recognized the crazed look in Honesty’s eyes, the tight jaw and the withdrawn air. Cousin Bridgette, on the other hand, noticed nothing amiss and proceeded to rattle on at the poor quality of the young man in town. Having been married and widowed many years ago, she considered herself an expert on manly character and acceptable and unacceptable vices.