Gentleman's Guide 01 - His Impetuous Debutante (31 page)

“
My feelings for my
husband and his actions are none of your concern.”

“
You are right, of course.
But his actions serve me perfectly. Do you think he will be
distraught over the loss of you and the child? Perhaps not. But
society will blame him for your death, I suppose, with sympathy
only for you. Especially after all the stories he let go around
while he kept you locked in the country until you could give birth
to his brat and heir while Lady Bates warmed his bed. Society will
understand your desperation when they learn how you threw yourself
from the wall over his betrayal. Poor Phoebe. So heartbroken she
couldn’t stand to live anymore.” He took a step forward.

She stepped away from him. “Nobody
would ever believe what you say.”

He laughed at her. “Of course they
would, dear. It’s a delightful scandal.”

Phoebe knew she was out of time. She
had kept him talking, trying to find a way of escape, but he had
come to the end of his story. What now? With only one option left,
she turned, intending to run to the other set of steps. Before she
could take one step, he grabbed her hair, yanking her back. Phoebe
bit back a scream.

*

Taylor ran toward them. His movements
were noted and suddenly he stood facing Boris, who held Phoebe in
front of him. Her eyes widened with shock at seeing him. He didn’t
know who was more surprised, his wife or his cousin.

“
Trying to rescue your
heir?”

“
I am trying to rescue my
wife,” Taylor ground out.

“
I thought you were
through with her now that she was breeding. You certainly found
another bed warmer quick enough,” Boris taunted him.

The hurt that flashed in Phoebe’s eyes
confirmed she had started to believe he was involved with Olivia.
He would convince her of the truth later.

“
Answer one question for
me, Boris,” Taylor said. “Why my wives? Wouldn’t it have been
easier just to be rid of me?”

“
Easier, yes. Not nearly
as enjoyable. Do you know how long I have waited to see your
downfall? Ever since I could remember, you were Grandfather’s
favorite. I wasn’t surprised when you inherited everything; you
were the only son of the eldest son, though his stipulations were
intriguing. Since then, I have waited for the day you would lose
everything and be made to suffer for the rest of your life like the
rest of us were.”

“
You are all wealthy men
and landed in your own right. Or, you were before you foolishly
gambled it away.”

“
It was bad luck and not
foolishness. Soon though, everything you have will be
mine.”

“
What if you don’t
inherit? What if it turns out to be Kendrick or
Herbert?”

“
Then he will probably
kill them as well,” Phoebe answered.

While they were talking, Noah had
crept up from behind. Boris must have seen the shadow because he
swung around, taking Phoebe with him.

“
So, Lady Sandlin, you
have two rescuers. Too bad they won’t be able to help you. With one
step, you will be flying. Oh, no you won’t. You don’t have wings.
Too bad.”

Taylor and Noah both lunged at the
same time. Noah tried to grab Phoebe, who was closest to him, while
Taylor tried to break Boris’s hold on his wife. Yanked back
sharply, Boris let go of Phoebe for a second and slid along the
edge. In one last attempt, he reached out, grabbing her around the
waist and took her with him.

Phoebe screamed and reached for Noah.
She missed but latched onto some stones bulging from the walk. She
held on for dear life as she slid over the side of the wall. Boris
still held onto her. Though he had slid down her body, he still had
a tight hold on her legs. “I may not survive this but, I can
guarantee, she won’t either,” he yelled up in
desperation.

Taylor was on his stomach in seconds
and grabbed a hold of her arms. He tried to pull her to safety, but
the weight must have been too much for him. For a moment their eyes
met.

“
I won’t let you
go.”

“
I know,” she whispered
back. Her arms felt like they were being pulled from their sockets.
Her legs felt as if they were going to be torn off, and her stomach
began cramping. She couldn’t lose the child only to have her life
saved. It would be so unfair. She fought to keep her tears at bay
and prayed they survived. She didn’t pray for Boris, just that God
protect her child.

Noah knelt beside Taylor, and grasped
one of Phoebe’s arms. With each man holding her, they tried to pull
her up, but even together they couldn’t lift the weight of her and
Boris. They shared a look, determined not to let her drop. She knew
they wouldn’t let her down. Boris was one man who had only himself
to rely on. Phoebe had two men determined not to let her
die.

Phoebe’s head hung down, unable to
look up any longer. She didn’t want them to see the tears streaking
her face, from the pain her body was enduring. She was convinced
her body would be torn apart before anyone let go.

“
Did I hear correctly? You
killed my little girl?”

Phoebe’s head snapped up. Lord
Caruthers stood on the ledge over them.

“
Which daughter was that?”
Boris yelled back.

“
His second wife. The one
who drowned.”

“
She was a pretty one.
Sweet and fair. She didn’t exactly drown. She was unconscious
before she ever hit the water.”

A satisfied grin came to Lord
Caruthers’s face. “That is all I needed to hear.” Taking the pistol
from behind his back, he leveled it at Boris.

Boris pulled harder on Phoebe in an
attempt to climb up her body. All she could assume was that if they
were close enough, Lord Caruthers would be afraid to shoot. Phoebe
cried out in pain as Boris’s fingers bit into her flesh.

Lord Caruthers didn’t waste another
moment. He took careful aim and fired. Boris loosened his grip
immediately. Taylor and Noah lifted her quickly as Boris’s screams
descended and ended in a thump.

*

Phoebe slowly became alert and opened
her eyes. She recognized the ceiling of her room and wondered how
she came to be there. She had survived. Or, had all of it been a
horrible nightmare? No, it had been real. Too real. Taylor had been
there. He had tried to save her. Lord Caruthers had arrived as
well. He had shot Boris. Her memory went blank. She must have
fainted. How very odd for her.

“
I am glad you’ve
awakened. I was worried.”

She turned her head toward Taylor’s
voice. He sat beside the bed, holding her hand. “How did I get
here?”

“
I carried
you.”

Phoebe turned away from him. Her mind
was clearing. She wasn’t ready to face him yet. Regardless of the
horrifying ordeal they had just come through, and the fact that he
had saved her, her heart was still too raw from his betrayal. She
couldn’t face him until she was less vulnerable than she was
now.

“
How do you
feel?”

“
I am fine. Just tired,”
she answered without emotion.

“
Can I get you something?”
Taylor asked, concern in his voice.

“
No. I would just like to
rest, if you don’t mind.” Phoebe continued to stare at the ceiling
above.

“
Very well. I’ll leave you
then.”

Holly entered the room a few minutes
after he left and took the seat he had vacated. Phoebe turned her
back on her maid and willed herself to sleep. She wanted to hide
from what she must eventually confront.

*

Downstairs, Taylor poured
himself a liberal glass of whiskey. “She dismissed me. No smile. No
thank you. No
it is nice to see you
again
. It was if I was the last person she
cared to be with at the moment.”

“
It is clear you left
before my letter arrived,” Noah said, then stopped. “Why are you
here? I thought we agreed you would remain in London.”

Taylor raised his eyes to Noah. He
considered telling him of Heather, but dismissed the notion. “I
received a warning and knew I had to come right away.”

“
The same warning I
received, Taylor?” Lord Caruthers’s voice came from behind. “By way
of a beautiful angel.”

So, Heather had sent her father as
well. He didn’t feel so insane suddenly. Either Heather approved of
his new wife, or she had loved him enough to see that he didn’t
lose everything. Regardless, he would like to thank her. Taylor
allowed himself a smile. “Yes.”

“
Do you know she told me
that Phoebe was the wife you should have always had?”

“
She mentioned the same to
me.”

Lord Caruthers’s eyes misted. “I
believe my Heather is very happy where she is now.”

“
Heather?” Noah asked.
“Did I hear you correctly?”

The two men exchanged glances. Finally
it was Taylor who spoke. “Heather has visited me on occasion. Until
last night, it was when I slept. Always to warn me of danger. That
is how I arrived when I did.”

Noah simply stared. He was probably
too stunned to think of anything to say.

A few moments later Holly knocked on
the door and entered. “She is deep asleep, Lord Sandlin, if you
would like to go up.”

Taylor started for the
door.

“
Before you go, you need
to know a few things.”

Taylor stopped and faced Noah,
waiting.

“
I don’t think she knows
who Olivia really is. In fact, when I tried to explain, she forbid
the name being mentioned. She is very hurt and angry. When I gave
her your package, it was returned after being opened. It only
further convinced her that you were guilty.”

“
She knew when this
started what was going to happen.”

“
You weren’t going to
settle on one mistress.”

“
Didn’t Lady Felding
explain who Olivia was?”

“
She assumed Phoebe knew
and dismissed the mood to restlessness at confinement and
frustration at your separation. It never occurred to her that
Phoebe had begun to believe the gossip. Since Phoebe refused to
discuss the situation with anyone, how could we have known
better?”

No wonder she had treated
him so coldly. If the roles had been reversed, he would be
devastated. Without a word, he left the room, determined to be by
her side when she woke. Somehow, he would make her believe the
truth. What if he lost her trust? What if he lost
her
? He couldn’t bear
the thought.

Silently he entered the room and found
her deep asleep. He had to find a way to bring her back to him. The
only way was to find out what information she had obtained. Then he
could combat it. He rifled through her desk and found a stack of
letters and newspapers on the floor, neatly arranged in date order.
The trash was filled as well. While she slept, Taylor rummaged
through her personal correspondence, feeling no guilt whatsoever.
His marriage depended on what he would be able to learn.

The trash revealed the letter, or a
better word, Journal, that she had started. The entries stopped
shortly after his relationship with Olivia began. The letter made
no secret of her frustration at the situation and loneliness for
him. She told him often of her love and numerous accounts of the
babe’s progress. He glanced to the bed. He hadn’t really paid
attention earlier, but she had expanded.

He set the letter aside and went
through the papers, re-reading the accounts of his
exploits.

Why had she kept them? Perhaps because
it was the only news she received of his activities. He should have
tried to sneak more letters to her, but he had been afraid of the
risk. He had also been positive she was in complete understanding.
Positive that she trusted him.

He put the letters aside and began to
read the ones from her friends. Not one detail of the gossip was
omitted, whether truth or assumption. Taylor was raging by the time
he finished the last letter. After such evidence, how could she not
believe he had taken up with someone else?

Reading the stories sickened him. What
must Phoebe have thought and felt? All the while he had believed
she knew better. Even these letters made him want to doubt himself,
and he knew the truth. How could he ever convince her
otherwise?

Taylor would never forgive himself for
waiting so long to bring matters to a close. From now on, he was
going to take a page from his wife’s book of life, vowing to not be
so damned careful and cautious in the future, and be a little more
reckless. Had he done that, he wouldn’t be sitting here now
worrying that his marriage was over.

Phoebe stirred on the bed. Taylor
glanced at her and noted she was still asleep. He placed the
documents back as he had found them. He would never earn her trust
if she found him going through her personal papers. Suddenly he was
very weary himself. He hadn’t slept the night before, and the
excitement of the day was finally wearing on him. He removed his
jacket and boots, slipped into bed beside her, only intending to
doze, but he fell into a deep restful sleep.