Seducing the Rake (Mad, Bad and Dangerous Heroes) (44 page)

 “Damn and blast!”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself,” the Duchess of Cranford snapped. Abruptly she rounded on the apologetic publican. “Which way did he go?”

“Took the stage to Chelmsford, Your Grace,” he added deferentially.

“You have the special license with you, Tony?”

Morland nodded grimly.

“In that case, I have a better suggestion to make,” the Duchess continued. “An old friend of mine holds the living in Ipswich. He is a gentleman of great warmth, although he is not much in the world. You would like him, Miss Cameron. It would be a pleasure to summon him to Sevenoaks…” She let the suggestion trail away, while she watched Morland’s face for signs of displeasure.

The earl looked down at his bride-to-be. “Well? Is she right? Ought I to let you be married in white satin and pearls, with embroidered slippers on your feet instead of torn stockings?”

“If you would not dislike it too much…”

Smiling, Morland looked up at the duchess. “Send your message then, Your Grace. But it must be soon.”

“Ah, the rare impatience of youth,” the white-haired woman said, turning to whisper a word to her groom, who instantly set off down the stairs. “And now, I wonder if I might find a seat in this ramshackle place. I have been traveling since daybreak, and I am ever so
—
”

She was cut off by the hammer of feet. A moment later, a small figure with guinea-gold braids burst through the doorway.

“We waited to fifteen minutes past the hour, just as you asked, Your Grace. Are you ready to—” Cornflower-blue eyes turned upon Chessy and the earl. “Oh! There you are. Hullo! Je’emy said that you were—”

Her brother came to stand beside her. “Not now, Elspeth.”

“But you did! You said that the two of them were—”

Not now.
Chessy stiffened as the children studied her curiously.

“Why is our Tony carrying you that way?”

She felt a sharp pain strike her chest. “Because—that is—” How was she to break the news to these, his children?

“Because, my nosy little miss, Miss Cameron has hurt her ankle escaping from a very bad man, and she cannot walk on it. Luckily, she has
me
to carry her around.”

Elspeth’s brow furrowed with concentration. “Everywhere? Oh, surely not to—”

Her brother dug his elbow into her side. “Cut line, Elspeth.”

But—”

“Let Uncle Tony alone, imp. We’ve plagued him enough in the last two days.”

Chessy’s heart did a queer little dance in her chest.
“Uncle?”

Tony watched a wave of crimson inch across her cheeks. “Yes, uncle.” His sapphire eyes narrowed. “As in brother’s children. But—no, don’t tell me you thought—” His fingers tensed at her waist. “Unforgivably foolish, my dear. And inexcusable of you to have carried the secret rather than task me with it outright.”

Chessy gave him an unsteady smile. “You’re quite right, of course. I know that now.”

“But Uncle Tony, what did you do to your feet?” Jeremy’s voice was shrill. “You—you’re bleeding!”

Morland sighed. It was obvious that he was not going to be given any time alone with his bride-to-be. Nor was he going to be allowed to have his ceremony this day. So he supposed he would have to content himself with holding her beside him on that rather lamentable excuse for a settee.

“It is quite a long story, Jeremy.”

The children darted to the settee and squirmed down side by side. Elbows to knees, they stared up at him, a vision of eagerness. “Oh, we have plenty of time, don’t we, Your Grace?”

Morland eyed the spindly side chair sourly, then moved to a faded wing chair. Still holding Chessy against him, he slid down into the seat.

“Really, Tony,” the duchess chided.

“You’ve denied me my wedding,” he said darkly. “But you’re not going to deny me this.”

Chessy began to squirm, uncomfortable in the scrutiny of three sets of interested eyes.

“Sit still,” Morland said darkly.

Chessy’s breath caught as she felt the telltale hardness at her hip. Her eyes flashed to the earl’s face.

“Exactly.”

Another flood of crimson washed over her cheeks.

Morland’s eyes turned smoky, promising her that he meant to do something about that need as soon as possible. But not, it appeared, as soon as he would like.

“Tell us, Uncle Tony. Tell us what happened!”

“Very well, you pair of intractable, incorrigible, encroaching—”

“What’s
in-incorrigible
mean?” Elspeth demanded.

“Brats,” her brother translated, with a rueful smile.

“I am
not.
I always curtsy to my elders. And Mrs. Harris says—”

Morland sighed and shook his head. Chessy began to laugh softly. Even the duchess developed a rather marked gleam in her eyes.

The children were still arguing fifteen minutes later when the landlord came up to serve them tea and his wife’s very best walnut cakes, fresh from the oven.

On the tray were the inn’s finest silver and a bottle of the cellar’s best brandy.

The White Hart’s owner might be living in a backwater, but the man knew momentous events when he saw them.

~ ~ ~

 “Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did
not!”

“Did—”

“Enough!”

Instantly two pairs of azure eyes, so like Tony’s own, slanted up, contrite. Tea over, walnut cakes consumed down to the last crumb, the children had also digested a rather toned-down version of Chessy’s near-escape.

Soon after that they had begun to argue over whose idea it had been to approach the Duchess of Cranford when their uncle had so precipitously disappeared. But the duchess had already had suspicions of her own.

“Since you have now assured yourself that I and Miss Cameron are safe, I believe you should find your governess and—”

“You mean Miss Twitchett?”

“That’s right, Miss Twitchett. She will see to it that—”

“Oh, her.
She’s
gone,” Elspeth said blithely. “The duchess let her go.”

Morland looked at the imperious old woman, his eyes promising vengeance. “In that case, perhaps
she
would like to take you downstairs and see to it that your faces are washed, your hair is combed, and those vastly grubby fingers are cleaned before we leave here.”

The duchess sniffed and came to her feet. “Come along, children. I have my companion with me, and I daresay we can find something to occupy you in this quaint place.”

“I have it!” Elspeth took her hand tightly. “The landlord told us there was frogs in the pond.”

“Were,” the old woman corrected absently.

“Were? Did you see them too? Oh, capital! Jeremy promised he’d fetch one for me. Maybe he would trap one for you too. But perhaps you’d like to do that yourself.”

The duchess shot Morland an entreating look, but the earl shook his head, smiling hugely. “You got yourself into this, Your Grace. And I’m going to leave you to get yourself out of it again, just as cleverly. Companion or not.”

Her chin rose. “Come, children. It is perfectly clear that we are not wanted here.”

“If you don’t mind, Your Grace, could you make mine a big one, please? Big and brown. Without toooooo many of those horrid warts.”

The duchess gave a delicate shiver as Elspeth pulled her happily from the room.

Silence reigned in their wake.

Chessy bit at her lip, trying to suppress a giggle. “You shouldn’t have done that, Tony. Perhaps I ought to go after them and—”

“You’ll do nothing of the kind, hellion. You heard her say that she has her companion along to help her. So it’s right here that you’ll stay—meek and submissive for once—while I wrap that ankle.” He glanced down at his own feet and torn breeches and gave a sour look. “Thank heaven none of my acquaintances are likely to see me here. Otherwise, I don’t think I should ever live this day down.”

“I wish they
could
see you. For you were wonderful there on the roof, absolutely
heroic.”
Her eyes gleamed, as she repeated their old vow softly. “
My forever friend. My heart and my bravest warrior, against all foes
. Oh, Tony, you saved my life. I froze up there, utterly froze. That’s
never
happened to me before.” Suddenly all the grisly events of the day came back to haunt her. “And he would have—he meant to—” She shuddered.

“Hush. It’s all over. You were in shock. But you’re safe now.”

“How can I ever repay you?”

Morland’s eyes darkened. “Oh, I fancy I shall be able to think of a thing or two. And for a start—”

Once more the landlord’s bulky frame could be heard pounding up the stairs.

Morland raised his eyes skyward. “Are we
never
to be left in peace?”

A nervous tap came at the door. “Enter,” Morland said darkly.

The publican’s face was sweat-speckled and red with exertion. “Begging pardon, your lordship, but there’s a man below as is wishful of speaking with your lordship. Well,
wishful
ain’t perhaps the right word, but—”

“Send him away,” came the ruthless reply.

“But—that is, he’s not likely to—”

“Unless—” Morland’s face brightened. “Can it be our errant cleric?”

“No, but—”

“Then off with the fellow! And off with
you
too. Right now!”

The sweating landlord shook his head, then left the room, muttering all the while.

“Interfering lot, these Essex types. I knew there was a reason I never stopped here on the way to Sevenoaks. I must remember to avoid the place in future. Now, where were we?”

“We
were busy being inexcusably rude and unforgivably ruthless.”

“Nonsense, my dear. A little rudeness is expected of the nobility. Had I shown the man any courtesy, he would have collapsed from the sheer shock of it.”

Chessy struggled to pull from his lap. “You are without a doubt the most conceited, the most discourteous—”

Morland pulled her back against him and planted a decisive kiss on her neck.

“—the most arrogant—”

His next sally was an assault against her earlobe.

“—the m-most, the very most—oh, Tony!”

He teased her sensitive skin with tongue and teeth, making her breath come low and ragged. “Wretched man! How do you always succeed in making me feel this way?”

“What way?” came the midnight question, murmured against hungry, flushed skin.

“So—so breathless. So … reckless.”

Morland gave a low laugh. “It’s very simple, my love. I’m just making you feel the same way I do. Fair is fair, after all. Even Confucius said something to the effect that—”

But he got no further. The door crashed open to reveal a tall man in a battered felt hat and a voluminous, dust-stained greatcoat. Rage was written in every rigid line of his body.

“
Let her go
.”

Morland blinked but did not move.

“Now, you fool!”

Chessy felt Morland’s body stiffen. “I don’t believe I care for your tone, fellow. Nor for your form of address.” His voice was soft, deceptively calm. But any of his friends
could
have said how dangerous it was. “And I very much suggest that you go back out the way you came in. Otherwise…” He let the word linger, soft and threatening.

“Otherwise
what?
I don’t give a damn for what you think of me or my tone. Stand away from her, you bastard!”

Morland’s eyes narrowed. Certain oaths could not be ignored.

Slowly he slid Chessy from his lap onto the wide arm of the chair. “Indeed. Perhaps you would care to—discuss … this outside. Man to man.”