His to Keep (Regency Scoundrels Book 2) (23 page)

Chapter Thirty

Gemma was safely nestled in Archie’s embrace. All was right with her world—and yet, she still felt uneasy.

She shifted her position, trying to move without rousing Archie. He’d been quite amorous the last few days, and though Mallory was nowhere to be seen, she still felt like she was walking on eggshells. It had been two days since Louis-Daniel had come crashing into the house.

For whatever reason, Louis-Daniel was staying quiet and trying not to draw any attention to himself. She wondered at that—the Louis-Daniel she knew had never been the quiet sort—either he felt utterly embarrassed because of the spectacle that he’d caused, or he had something devious planned. She didn’t like thinking badly of him, as Archie did adore him, and yet she couldn’t seem to warm up to him. Perhaps, they were just meant to dislike each other that didn’t make Louis-Daniel a bad person. 

Sighing, she slipped out of Archie’s arm, and padded to the window to look out. The sun was setting for the night, and she wanted to witness the dazzling display of twilight.

“Are you all right?” Archie mumbled.

“Yes, go back to sleep,” she murmured, turning back to look out at sea. Was that sails she saw on the distant horizon? Why would ships be coming into the bay here? There was an official port for the island, at least that’s what Archie told her.

“Archie, I see ships on the horizon.”

“What?” Instantly, he was alert, and throwing the covers off himself. “You have to be mistaken, we aren’t expecting anyone, unless—”

She swallowed past the thick lump cresting in her throat.

“It’s Mallory,” she sighed heavily. “We knew this day would come. You’ll have to let me make the explanations to him—I shall tell him to get back on his ship and go back to England.”

“No. Mallory and I will resolve the issues between us on our own terms.”

“Archie, he will rip you apart,” she warned. He stood up, and his breadth and size of his body rattled her nerves. “On second thought, I’m afraid you’ll tear Mallory apart. He’s had a soft living for the past two years, while you’re much more worn around the edges.”

“I am?” he murmured, crossing the short distance to her, he enveloped her in his arms, kissing her softly.

“You are. You could break him in half if you had half the mind to. I don’t want you doing something stupid. Margaret has told you to let sleeping dogs lie.”

“I know. Mama doesn’t want me to make a spectacle for the entire ton to ridicule. If the two of us had a battle, it would definitely draw unwanted attention to both of our families.”

“Allow me the pleasure of dealing with my brother. I think I shall have a good time telling him to go back to England with his tail between his legs.”

“Your brother was a pirate. The infamous Rafe Morgan, in that guise, he never ran with his tail between his legs.”

“He never encountered me on the High Seas, did he?”

“I grant you that. However, do not underestimate him. He is now prepared for us.”

He sighed, releasing her. “I should go and get dressed. I’m naked, in case you hadn’t noticed.” 

“I did notice.” She said, her cheeks flaming red. “It’s sort of hard not to notice when you make such an appealing sight.” She walked toward him, brushing her hands over his back. He stiffened beneath her touch.

She rose up on her tip of her toes, and kissed him hungrily. He slid his hands into her hair, dropping the clothing he was trying to put on. She was already naked, and she could feel the burgeoning desire for him, welling inside of her. Pressing herself to him, she felt him respond to her.

Breathlessly, he broke away from her. “Damnation, woman, I can’t…we don’t have the time. You should ring for your maid, and I should ring for my valet.”

“It will take a bit of time for Mallory to disembark. Why don’t we live dangerously?”

With a hungry growl, he claimed her lips. She didn’t have to ask him twice.

*****

Once they had finished their lovemaking, they laid tangled together while Gemma listened to Archie’s steady breathing.

“Were you in the Royal Navy, too?” she asked softly.

He sighed. “Aye,” he muttered.

“And were you just as dangerous as my brother?” she looked up at him, before resting her head back down on his chest.

“I acted in the same manner that Mallory did during the Wars, yes.”

His cryptic answer didn’t satisfy her. “Did you work under Mallory’s command?” 

He snorted loudly. “Hardly, I have never worked under Mallory.  Aye, you’ve guessed as much. I, too, worked as a privateer during the Wars. We kept anyone who was working with Napoleon on their toes, and relieved them of any of their cargo that they were trying to transport. I’m a down right scalawag if you’d like to say that as well. Some would say I’m even more dangerous than the illustrious Rafe Morgan.”

“I don’t want to know the details,” she sighed, as she caressed his chest with her hand.

“Don’t you even want to know my seafaring name?”

“I do and I don’t,” she admitted honestly. “Will you go alone to meet Mallory?” 

“I shall take Louis-Daniel with me and we shall be both out of your hair.”

“No.” She startled herself with her exclamation. “Leave Louis-Daniel here. He shouldn’t be near Mallory. Leave him here at the castle, please.”

She got off him, and watched as he slipped out of bed, and started dressing himself. So much for ringing for his valet. “I trust Louis-Daniel, Gemma. I am not afraid to have him watching my back.”

“I don’t fear for you. I fear what he might do to my brother.”

She watched as he put on the belt that would hold his cutlass. Good lord, he looked dashing. Even in his privateer costume, he looked dashing. He put on a cocked hat that made him look even more like a pirate, and turned to her. “I’ll leave Louis-Daniel here. As you say, it will be better for Mallory, and I can’t really see Louis-Daniel getting into any mischief. What trouble could he possibly find around here?”

“Thank you.” She walked over to him, to straighten his hat. He drew her close to him giving her a passionate kiss.

“I should be back in a little while, as long as your dear brother doesn’t decide to sink his cutlass into me.”

“Just tell him…tell him that I’ve finally found my knight. He shall know what that means.”

He narrowed his gaze at her. “I shall do that.” 

“Just remember, Mallory is a bit like Louis-Daniel, his passions rule him. Do not let him catch you off guard. I don’t want him hurting you.”

“And yet, I can’t do anything to him?”

“I didn’t say that, Archie. I said you couldn’t kill him. If you need to defend yourself do so with vigor, just don’t finish off Mallory. I know I always seem quite perturbed with him most of the time, but just like you wouldn’t want to see Louis-Daniel dead, I don’t wish to see Mallory in an early grave either.”

“I understand.” He smiled at her. Holding her hand firmly in his, he walked with her to the bedroom door.

“Now, off with you, before Louis-Daniel sees the ships and decides to head out on his own.”

“He’s probably into the rum by now…or the whisky…or the brandy…he isn’t picky. He’ll be rip roaring drunk before dinner.” He gave her a cheeky grin, and walked out the door. She turned back to the window, and sighed.

As soon as she knew he was out of hearing distance, she went into action, ringing for her maid to help her dress. Hopefully, the maid would keep her confidence. She had to follow Archie. If she didn’t, and Mallory did the unthinkable, she’d never be able to live with herself.

Her love for Archie had grown until just thinking about him not being with her made her heartache.

Once she was dressed, she slipped her feet into sturdy riding boots. “Now, pray, Kitty, do not tell anyone else where I am going.”

“You’ll have to tell them down at the stables,” the maid said in her timid voice.

“Just don’t tell anyone in the house that I’m off to pursue Lord Northam.”

“It’s not right,” Kitty muttered. “You shouldn’t go traipsing off by yourself, my lady.”

“Whether it’s right or not, isn’t yours to say.” Opening her bedchamber door, she looked to see if the coast was clear. In order to get out of the castle undetected, she’d have to leave by back entrances. Without another word to her maid, she went off to find Archie. She heard the maid slip out of the bedchamber and hurry away. Worry plagued her. She should have tried dressing without her. Even if she did tell on her, she’d only be able to tell other members of the staff. Who else in the house would listen to a maid?”

She walked toward the nearest back entrance. She would have to ask for a horse to be readied for her, and pray they didn’t tell anyone else. She had made a habit of going out riding every day and this was around the time of her daily ride. Hearing heavy footfalls behind her, she stopped. She pressed her hand to her chest. She daren’t breathe, lest they see her in the dimly lit corridors.

Her hair bristled on the back of her neck. Something just didn’t feel right. The presence behind her was making her feel like her skin was crawling.

Could it be Louis-Daniel?

She moved forward and slammed into something hard. Bouncing off it, she backed up into something not quite as hard, but still as terrifying.

She let out a scream that was quickly strangled.

“Shut up, or I swear I will slit your throat, you little bitch!” Coldness seeped through her. She shivered. She didn’t recognize the voice, even though, she knew this man would go through with his threat if she didn’t obey him. She would have continued her struggle if only to call out for help, but the feeling of the cold tip of a dagger blade pressed against her neck made her as silent as the grave.

How had they gotten into the castle unnoticed? What the hell was going on?

Archie.

She wanted Archie.

“Hey, we aren’t supposed to hurt the lass, Stan. We were just supposed to take her into our custody so she could be put up for ransom.”

Ransom?

She swallowed past the dread and fear building inside of her.

“Humph,” Stan muttered, obviously displeased. He lowered the dagger, instead pressing it to her side. “Don’t get any new ideas of getting away from me, lady. I’ll give you a cut deep enough to make your next few days miserable. Just don’t try me.” He still had his hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

She had to do something. She couldn’t let them take her from this place—if they did, she had a feeling she’d never see Archie again. Not alive, anyway.

Summoning all of her strength, and hoping that his dagger wouldn’t actually do that much damage, she bit his hand.

He let out a howl of pain. He hadn’t knifed her yet, thank God. She let out another scream. He pushed her down to the floor.

“You shut her the hell up, or I swear I’ll be gutting her like a fish.”

“Oi, you shut your face.” His companion reached down toward her, touting a dirty looking rag in his hand. Did he mean to stuff that into her mouth?

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Louis-Daniel was using the tone of the Marquis. She shivered. He sounded quite deadly. 

Help had arrived. Just not the sort of assistance she wanted.

“Who the hell do you think you are? We aren’t alone, mate. I’d go off and hide in your rooms until we finish carting off the merry marchioness here.”

“I don’t hide,” Louis-Daniel declared, the air crackling with energy. 

She had to hand it to Louis-Daniel, he sounded pretty threatening. But hadn’t she seen three shadows? Where was the third brute?

The sound of the pistols firing almost deafened her. She tried to move out of the grasp of the man holding her. Stan went down, howling with pain. He didn’t look like he was going to survive the shot that Louis-Daniel had put into him. Her stomach rolled.

Then, another shot rang through the air. She hoped Louis-Daniel’s aim was true since she was so close to the man holding her down.

She waited.

Instead, the man pulled her up and tied her hands. When her eyes focused, her heart did a triple jump.

Louis-Daniel.

Dear God. He’d been shot. She had to help him. She said a silent prayer, praying that he would live.

The third man finally stepped out of the shadows. Her eyes widened, and her heart froze.

Duxford. 

Bloody hell.

Chapter Thirty-One

“Hullo there. Lady Northam, is it?” Duxford’s cruel sounding voice made her insides twist.

She had to get a hold of herself and control her raging emotions. Her eyes went to Louis-Daniel again. He was still awake, and breathing quite heavily. He clutched his right arm, the pistol he held had fallen somewhere out of sight. His eyes were filled with more anger than she’d ever seen before.

He was losing a lot of blood, and his face just kept getting paler.

“Grab the Frenchie, and let’s get moving.” Duxford motioned his hand for a few more thugs to step forward.

This couldn’t be happening to her. Where were all of Archie’s men? Ah, yes, Archie had probably taken them with him when he’d gone to see Mallory. Where had Duxford come from?

“I am truly sorry for what I am about to do, my dear. I hope you forgive me.” He nodded to someone that stood holding a handkerchief. They came toward her and though she struggled like a hellcat, she couldn’t get loose from the man holding her. The man pressed the handkerchief over her mouth, and within seconds, she fell into darkness.

*****

Archie rode against the force of wind from the sea that buffeted against him.

Rain opened up from the heavens, fortunately, he’d donned his greatcoat before setting off.

He could see the ships in the distance. Jolly boats had been brought up onto the beach. Slowing his horse down in the sand, he dismounted.

Holding his hand up, the men that rode with him stopped and stayed at a safe distance.

The mournful wind ripped through the clearing, making it hard for him to hear the voices of the people that approached. He didn’t have to hear Mallory’s voice though to recognize him. There was someone walking closely beside him. At the last moment, Mallory pulled her close to him, keeping her from falling in the sand. He didn’t know why Mallory had taken Elizabeth along for the journey. Squinting his eyes through the downpour, he focused them again. It wasn’t Elizabeth. The woman was far too tall and though not quite as slim as Gemma, she was of a slighter build than Elizabeth.

Who was the mystery woman?

“Ann, I told you to remain behind on the boat,” Mallory almost shouted. 

“I didn’t want to because I feared you’d throttle Archie. He is now part of a family—and you can’t rid yourself of him…” Her voice trailed off. She’d finally looked up past the rim of the hat she wore.

“Is that him?” she asked, her voice slightly choked.

At that moment, Mallory looked up. Their gazes met. He saw Mallory rest his right hand comfortably on the hilt of his cutlass.

Archie did the same.

“No weapons!” Ann ordered, studying him more closely, as she gained ground on him.

Mallory didn’t listen to her, his hand still rested firmly on his cutlass.

“I think you should turn back. Go back to Seamus, he’s waiting to row you back to
the Valiant
.”

“No,” her voice didn’t waver this time. He marveled at how alike she and Gemma sounded. If he didn’t know Gemma so well, he’d have a difficult time telling the difference between hers and Ann’s voice. By her stubborn refusal to return to the ship, he could tell that she shared that in common with Gemma.

“Where is she?” Mallory demanded. “I thought you would have been smart enough to bring her with you, to protect you from me. This time, I’ve brought enough men to squash your little empire here on the island.”

“I am quite certain you have, St. Martin. Alas, my wife has instructed me to make peace, not war with you. She wishes for me to relay a message to you. She says that she has found her knight.”

At his announcement, Ann pulled on Mallory’s arm. “There you see! You cannot kill him. Look at him! How could you think he would do anything to our dear Gemma?”

“He violently took her away from all that she knew and loved.”

“And yet…he gave her a new family,” Ann countered.

“I should kill you were you stand, Campbell,” Mallory roared. 

“If you did, you’d have Gemma out for your hide. I don’t think you’d like having her on your back for the rest of your life. I’m telling you, she wouldn’t be the merry widow.”

“Stop it, this instant, Mallory. Mama told you to settle things in a calm headed manner. Gemma hasn’t been hurt.”

“Indeed, she has not.” Archie relaxed his grip on the hilt of his cutlass.

“What do you expect me to do, Ann? Return to his castle and dine with him?”

“I expect you to set aside your wounded pride, brother mine. Who are those men riding at a breakneck speed toward us, Lord Northam?” Ann asked.

“Archie, please.” He smiled at her.

He looked back. They weren’t all men. Isla was among one of the riders. Instantly, apprehension prickled along his scalp.

“Gemma,” he whispered, fear stabbing his heart.

He ran toward the riders.

Isla quickly dismounted, holding her reins, as if she was anxious to get back on.

“Lady Northam has been taken.”

“What?” Mallory and Archie both bellowed at the same time.

“Taken by whom?” Ann asked in a trembling voice.

“We don’t know. Whoever it was, Louis-Daniel, I mean Lord Lustleigh managed to kill one of them. In the scuffle, he was shot and taken prisoner.”

“How do you know he was shot?” Mallory asked suspiciously.

“Because he left behind the pistol you gave him for his last birthday, Lord Northam,” she explained, speaking directly to Archie whilst ignoring Mallory. “We also tracked a trail of blood through the castle, and we found this.”

She handed him Louis-Daniel’s signet ring.

He swallowed, hard. He couldn’t let them get off the island with Gemma. They wouldn’t take Louis-Daniel with them that he felt for sure. Instead, they’d dispose of him before setting sail.

“You don’t have any idea who it could have been?”

Isla reached inside of her coat. “We did find this.” She handed a handkerchief to Archie, and Ann snatched it out of his grip before he could get a good look at it.

“Duxford,” she breathed. “You should have sent him to hell when you had the chance, Mallory.”

“We still can, Ann. I think we should set aside our differences…and…” Mallory looked as if he was sucking a lemon.

“And go and rescue my wife and my brother?” 

“Aye,” Mallory grunted.

“You shall need horses.” He gestured to two men. “Ian, John, we’ll need your mounts for His Grace and Lady Ann.”

“I…” Ann’s voice trailed off nervously.

“Ann, you can stay behind, or ride with me,” Mallory offered.

She drew in a deep breath. “No. Gemma needs me. We shall all ride together. I can do this—I’m not a novice when it comes to horseback riding.”

“You don’t have to do it,” Mallory said gently, helping her up onto one of the waiting horses.

“Yes, I do. Gemma would do the same for me. We stick together…that’s one thing the St. Martins have always been known for. Family never abandons family.”

“Isla, get back to the castle have the doctor fetched, and be ready to attend to Louis-Daniel, when we return. I’m going to kill Duxford for this attack against me and mine.”

“No. You aren’t.” Mallory looked over at him already astride on his horse.

“And why won’t I?” Archie asked.

“Because he’s mine.”

“She is my wife!”

“She is my sister!”

“Mallory, Lord Northam,” Ann chastised. “If we continue arguing, Duxford will get away with Gemma, and your brother will be tossed into the sea.”

“She’s right,” They both said at the same time. 

With that, they set off to save Gemma.

*****

“Gemma, Gemma, wake up! For the love of God open those eyes!”

She woke up. Her head was splitting in half with pain.

“Archie?” she mumbled, a bit disoriented. Her mouth felt as if someone had crammed cotton into it. She licked her lips.

“No, it’s Louis-Daniel. Wake up, now! I think they’re going to take you away soon onto a ship. We have to think of something before that happens, and since I’m slightly drunk and in a good deal of pain I’m not thinking that quickly.”

She wearily cracked her eyes open. “I still feel so sluggish.”

“Fight it. Whatever was on that handkerchief has muddled your senses.”

“You shouldn’t want to help me anyway,” she muttered, trying to fight past the pain and tiredness coursing through her.

“You are my brother’s wife. I’m a low down dirty rotten bastard, but God help me, I love my brother. I wouldn’t do anything to you it would shatter him. And I’m not that much of a bastard, anyway. I like to act—sometimes I take it a little too far.”

She shook her head, moaning when more pain cracked through her skull.

“Where are we?”

“We’re almost off the island, that’s where we are. I don’t know why Archie hasn’t tracked the carriages Duxford has yet. That damn little bitch that I was screwing, must have given Duxford all of the information he needed. I’m going to kill that slut.”

“You’ve been shot.”

“What an astute observation. Unfortunately for you, I think I’m going to live.”

She tried to smile. Instead, it only made the agony worse. “I feel like I’m dying.”

“So do I…but you have to fight through the pain, Gemma. Come on! Get your back up! A cretin just kidnapped you. For money! I would have thought that in itself would have rankled your delicate bloody senses.”

“Language, sir.”

“I don’t see you talking with a clean mouth. In your disorientation, you were spewing out a few curse words that made me blush before you finally came to. I’m surprised your vocabulary even includes some of those words. They are even worse than what you called me back at Welford Abbey. If you give into the pain, you will never see Archie again.”

Her attention was caught on that one.

“Besides, how did you shoot that blackguard? I thought you’d be so foxed that you wouldn’t be able to shoot straight.”

“My dear sister-in-law, I’m never that drunk. Defending one’s family has a way of sobering a man up, unfortunately, it didn’t sober me up enough.”

“My head is so cloudy,” she moaned. 

“Think of clear skies and smooth calm waters. Try, to work past it, Gemma. We only have so much time before Duxford finishes screwing that little tart of mine seven ways to Sunday. He knows he has to work fast. I feel that. I’m really good at predicting what bastards are going to do next. When they do take you, they’ll make sure they kill me first so I won’t be able to say a word to anyone. Archie will think that Mallory has taken you, and killed me. He will go after Mallory with everything he has—and Duxford will bide his time. He will wait to ask for the ransom until either Mallory or even worse, until my brother is dead. I can’t let that happen. So get up. They untied you—heaven knows why, but you’re free and I’m not. I can’t help you unless you get me untied.”

She struggled to move. She had to focus on Archie, and Archie only.

“I am trying.”

“That’s it, Gemma. You’re doing it.”

She sat up. Her head started humming again, but she ignored it, just like Louis-Daniel had urged her to.

“Turn your body so I can untie your arms,” she mumbled. 

He did so. She inhaled deeply when she saw all of the blood on his hands and on the seat.

“They didn’t even tie a handkerchief around your wound?”

“Not even close. I’m sure they’re wishing I’d bleed to death and save them the trouble of slitting my throat open.”

She shivered. Reaching down to untie his legs, she waited while he flexed his fingers. After she’d untied his legs, she ripped off some of her slip, and tied it quickly around his wound.

“Thank you,” he mumbled. His eyes rested soundly on her face. “Your eyes are bloodshot. Gads, you look like you’ve walked straight through hell.”

“You don’t look so great yourself.”

He grinned at her. “You’re feeling a bit better, I see.”

He moved toward the carriage door. “Cocky son of a bitch. He really thought he had us. Stay behind me, just in case one of his blockheads is guarding the door. If they are, hopefully, I’m still quick enough to disarm them, and then you must get onto a horse. Don’t wait for me, just ride like the wind back to the castle, and sound the alarm, just in case they haven’t already noticed what went on. Though I have to say, my mother probably noticed it. I’m hoping she’s already sent someone to get Archie.”

“I hope you are right,” she whispered, moving back when he told her to do so.

“Christ’s Teeth,” he swore, after creaking the carriage door open. “That sod is coming back here. Quick, take this thing off my arm, and make it look like I’m still tied up.”

“Did you hear that?” she asked.

“Hear what?” he said, as she followed all of his instructions.

“I think I hear horses coming our way.”