Lords of Retribution (Lords of Avalon series) (22 page)

Suddenly Catherine knew she was alone.
Charlie’s warmth was gone. She opened her eyes and saw she sat upon the blanket alone. Charlie was nowhere to be seen.

“Charlie
? Charlie?” Frantic, she called out for him. She wondered where he could have gone. She realized the sun had moved behind the clouds and the golden beams of sunlight that warmed them were gone.

She rose and walked along the cliff top
aimlessly searching for him. “Charlie!” She looked all about her. She felt so utterly alone. Panicked, she called out his name repeatedly as she looked left to right trying to find her love.

In the distance,
far away on the cliff path, a man dressed in black walked toward her. He wore a black hat, cape and trousers. He carried a black cane. She could not make out whom he was. At first, she thought perhaps she should fear him. Though she could not see his face, she felt his presence, and oddly enough knew she must go to him. He was not a foe. She had nothing to fear from him.

Still she looked around and called
for Charlie. Where was Charlie? She forgot about the dark man she was supposed to meet further on the path. She began to cry out for Charlie again. She began to sob, “Charlie! Don’t leave me. Come back, Charlie!”

Catherine sat up in the midst of the large bed in an unfamiliar room
. Weak beams of early morning light filtered in through the closed draperies. She must have slept all afternoon and night! She remembered she was in Cornwall. She looked about her room hoping to see Charlie. She began to cry as she realized it had only been a dream. It had seemed so real. She had smelled his cologne. She felt his warm touch. Felt his breath on her cheek. He had kissed her.
It had seemed so real!

“Oh, Charlie!” she whispered
as she hugged herself tightly.

She
wiped away her tears and lay back upon the pillows, feeling hollow, empty and alone. Until she felt it. A small flutter in her belly. Then another. She smiled as she realized it was her babe. Their babe. She placed her hand over her abdomen and caressed the barely visible pregnancy bump, savoring the life growing inside her. She left her hand there, feeling somehow connected to Charlie by doing so. As her eyes closed and she began to drift off, Catherine felt the warmth of a hand lying atop hers. She wasn’t certain if she heard it or if she dreamt she heard Charlie’s voice against her ear, “Rest, my love. All will be well.”

If there was one thing Marrek Penaluna, the Earl of St. Erth knew well, it was the road to Menadue. He forged on in darkness. He’d made record time making the journey from London to Cornwall. He hadn’t stopped to rest except to take a meal here and there. He stopped at an Inn and slept only five hours the night before then he was on his way again. He’d stopped at his home, Penhallow, near Draynes Wood, long enough to fetch his own horse. He instructed his trunks be brought to Menadue when they arrived. He brought a change of clothes with him. His sister was at Menadue already. He was in a hurry. He had to see Catherine.
His Kitty!

He hadn’t seen her in
over a year. The last time he saw her in Bath was one week before he left for his mission in India. He had returned to Cornwall to take care of business at Penhallow before departing.

Excepting the last year, they had corresponded every two
or three days for the last four years. Once he went to India, he sent one letter a week to her and received one each week in return. Though the letters were weeks old by the time he received them, he cherished them. To help him know the letters were indeed from her, he had asked her initially four years ago to sign her letters with a name no one else would guess she might use. It had become their code, so to speak. He signed his letters with his Christian name, Marrek, and she signed hers
Kitty
.

O
ver the years, Marrek had come to call Catherine Feywood Hewett, the Marchioness of Burrow, by the name Kitty. Through their correspondence, they had come to know one another quite well. On his regular and numerous visitations with Kitty at Marston’s home in Bath the three years prior to his leaving England’s shores for India, he had…come to care for her.

Kitty
! She was free. Creed had procured the Marquess’ signature upon divorce papers. It was the Marquess’ price to pay for being allowed to live. Burrow had helped Marrek, his men, and the Crown infiltrate and collapse a large group of men who were against the King, albeit under duress. Lords Grenville and Somerton had been arrested along with some other prominent citizens. Two foreign Heads of State wishing ill upon the English Monarchy had been ferreted out. The plan to assassinate the King was quashed. Burrow was a free man as long as he never spoke to or looked at Catherine again.

Catherine,
his Kitty
, was free. Unfortunately, the love of her life, Charles Inwood, Viscount Silverley, Marrek’s own close friend, Charlie, had been killed just a week before. Kitty was left alone and carrying Charlie’s child.

H
e had been responsible for Catherine’s well being for four years, and still felt himself responsible for her since Charlie was now gone. Marrek would care for her now. He would take responsibility for her and the child.

He was not sorry. He had no regrets
. He looked forward to giving Kitty and her child a happy life. Lord knew she deserved happiness. He
wanted
her in his life. He wanted Kitty to be happy,
with him
. For sometime during the last four years he had fallen in love with her. A one-sided love to be certain, but they
were
close friends.

He realized
he could never ask for her love. He hoped at some point in the distant future she might learn to love him or at least care for him the way a woman cares for a man. He knew she cared for him as a dear friend, for she said so often in their letters. They had become fine friends over the last four years. She and Charlie could not correspond often, for Burrow would have become livid if he found out. There had been many rumors about Charlie and Catherine spread about Hartland Peninsula before she was forced to marry Lord Burrow by her father.

In the
letters, Marrek had written to her several times a week he had shared things with Kitty he never shared with any other person on Earth. He had given her himself, fully and completely.

He was five minutes away from seeing her for the first time in over a year
. True, she was mourning for her love, and she carried Charlie’s child. Marrek did not care. He had to see her. He had to know if this had shattered her or if she handled it with the same grit and courage with which she had handled the catastrophe of her marriage to a cruel, heartless man who abused her badly. He had to see that she could overcome this tragedy. He had to know she was not completely broken.

After two days of much needed rest, Catherine was reading before going to sleep tonight. Marrek was due to arrive in the next day or so. She longed to see her dear friend. She started when a knock sounded on her door.

“Yes?” she called.

“Kitty?”

“Marrek?
One moment.” Catherine set her book down and threw back the covers. She shrugged into her wrapper as she ran to the door and threw it open. A genuine smile lit her features as she gazed upon the only person in the world she was closest to, aside from Charlie.

M
any thought St. Erth to be a dark, foreboding man with his dark hair and eyes set in harsh features, his formidable size and aloof manner. Catherine knew him to be one of the kindest, most compassionate men she had ever known.

As he stepped into
her chamber, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He smelled of horse, sea air and sandalwood. For four years, Marrek had been her rock and her dearest friend.

“You’re
home. I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispered against his rock-hard chest. A soft sob escaped her.

“So am I, Kitty.” Marrek embraced her, reveling in
the feel of her warmth and softness against him. He had never held her in his arms before. As his body reacted to the feel of hers against his, he realized he must take great care when he was in her presence.

He released her
and gave her a soft smile. “How are you, Kitty?” His fingers lightly caressed her cheek. Realizing his error, he quickly lowered his hand to his side.

“Well,” her eyes began to water, and the tears that seemed to come frequently
of late, rolled down her cheeks, “I am faring well enough, I suppose. I cry nearly all of the time. I can not seem to help it.”

Marrek reached into his coat pocket and produced his handkerchief
. He gently wiped her tears and presented her with it.

“Thank you.” She managed a
small smile.

“Sit
please, Kitty.” Marrek led her toward the settee. His aunt told him upon his arrival that Catherine was near exhaustion when she arrived at Menadue two days ago. “You look tired. Are you well?”

Catherine nodded. “
I have rested a great deal since I arrived. I feel much better. Your aunt and your sister have been very kind.” She smiled.

Marrek liked her smile
. It was something he had not seen in awhile. He had never before seen her hair loose and flowing down her back. Her chestnut hair wasn’t completely straight, but it wasn’t curly, either. It was thick and beautiful and gleamed in the lamplight as it fell past her shoulders in gentle waves. He knew her to be medium height. She was very slender. In fact, it appeared she had lost weight since he last saw her a year ago. Her face appeared much thinner and he could see evidence of her prominent collarbones where her wrapper came to a V.

“Kitty, Ruan said he informed you the divorce papers were signed.”

“Yes. I am soon to be free.” Her smile brightened.

“You
are
free.” Marrek could not help but return her smile. “His majesty granted the divorce without trials. I named myself as the adulterer. I was judged as guilty for the alienation of your affection from your husband. I paid my fine and Burrow was granted the divorce.”

“Marrek
! Why would you do such a thing? Oh my goodness.” Catherine rose, shaking her head in disbelief as the meaning of his words sunk in. He had ruined his own reputation for her. She frowned and wrung her hands. Tears spilled upon her cheeks again. “You shouldn’t have, Marrek.”

Marrek
rushed to her. “Kitty, let me explain. Do not be concerned.” He seated her again. “This was the fastest way we could get you a divorce from Burrow without a public trial. No harm has been done to me.”

“Your reputation, your family.”

He placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder, “I am fine with this, Kitty.” She looked so distressed. “My reputation took only a small nick, and my family shall receive no censure from my actions. In the eyes of society, unfortunately, you are now quite ruined.” Marrek sighed heavily. He knew the rest of what he had to say would upset her as well. Time was of the essence, the situation had to be explained to her fully.

So he continued,
“You carry a child. In the eyes of the Crown and the Government, the child you carry belongs to your husband, no matter that it is not his. It was conceived before the divorce. If he found out about your child, Catherine, Burrow could take it from you as his heir. He could claim he fathered it and none could dispute it. He would do so to get you back into his clutches. He was not happy to sign the divorce papers. You will have no legal recourse regarding your child, unless you marry right away.”

“No!” Catherine jumped up.
She shook her head vehemently.

“I will never marry
again, Marrek. Once was enough and I could never marry a stranger I hardly know, and it would have to be a stranger to marry immediately. I am free. I want to be free, forever. I want my child to be free.” She paced and wrung her hands. “I want to be free, Marrek, not controlled again!” She stomped her foot. “I will never be controlled.”

Marrek saw the tears welling in her eyes
. He saw her fear. He saw anger in those eyes, the color of a moss agate. Not gray, not green, but a mixture of both. “Kitty, calm down, please, I’m afraid I’ve bungled everything quite badly. I have never proposed before.”

Catherine stopped
pacing and swung around to face him as the realization crashed in upon her. She thought for a moment then asked him, “What did you just say?” Catherine looked to Marrek in amazement.

He smiled as he gently placed his ha
nds on her shoulders. “Kitty, you and I shall be married tomorrow morning. You
will
be free. I hope you know me well enough to know I shall never try to control you. I’m certain you know I will never harm you. I will make certain that both you and your child are happy. Your child will carry my name, and I will welcome your child as my own. Catherine Hewett, Lady Burrow, shall simply disappear. Catherine Feywood, Kitty, will become Lady St. Erth.”

“Oh, Marrek, I am flattered.
I do care for you a great deal. You are my dearest friend, but I – I am afraid that right now, I could not, um, be a proper wife to you,” she struggled for words as a blush crept to her cheeks.