Surrender Your Grace (22 page)

“To have what?”

“Marital congress.”

“To have sex, Cici. Or if that bothers your delicate sensibilities try saying to make love.”

Flushing crimson to match her flaming hair, she murmured, “to make love. Are you satisfied?”

“No but I will be soon enough.” He laughed at her expression from her inadvertent double entendre. “Fear not Cici, if Duncan knew the reason for our absence, he would support it wholeheartedly.”

“Well that settles it then. We are not going to explain to your friend, your sister or your mother that we stayed in our rooms to have…” she gulped before whispering the words, “to have Kama Sutra sex.”

“You are correct and I was just teasing. Although I’d prefer to keep you here in our rooms where you ar safe and sound, we will just have to endure the evening and control our carnal tendencies. However, if one leering bastard makes any inappropriate offers we will take our leave after I thrash his arse roundly.”

The ball was a crush and deemed a stunning success for the new Duchess of Sommerville. Although it was mid-September and only the little season, there were still a number of the upper ten thousand still in residence in London. It appeared that every guest and a few extra had accepted their invitation. The evening was cool and the French doors in the ball room were thrown open wide to allow a breeze to enter. It was an attempt to cool off the guests as they exerted themselves with dancing and overheated themselves with champagne.

Cici who didn’t get the experience of an engagement ball or a wedding celebration enjoyed herself wholeheartedly. Andrew as promised had penciled in his name for every waltz. After the second of the evening, even the old biddies nodded in appreciation as the beaming couple swept around the dance floor. It was obvious to all they were in love. She beamed at him and he doted on her every word. It effectively quashed all rumors that theirs was not a love match.

The only worry that evening was the unresolved threat toward Cici. Andrew was on edge and had become furious when he saw the open doors and immediately stationed a footman at every entrance. It had been a month since the last incident and there had been no sign of Lady Winslow. But Andrew had not let his guard down. Cici was still sequestered in the house and was beginning to balk at her confinement. So, Andrew had relented and agreed to hosting the engagement ball at their residence. With Andrew’s strict safety precautions if it had been held elsewhere, Cici would not have been allowed to attend. The restrictions were getting tedious, but Cici understood his worry.

The ball was in full swing. Cici and the Dowager had conferred about every detail and things were running like clockwork. In about two hours, supper would be served and the engagement announced. She was so happy to have been able to arrange this for Maggie and Duncan. Standing in the main entrance looking down into the sunken ballroom, she was very pleased with her success.

Maggie approached her with a huge smile on her face. Smiling back at her, Cici teased. “I guess you have decided that marrying the Scottish cur may not be so bad after all.”

“Yes, he tends to grow on you… like a fungus.” They both laughed and when heads turned their way they stepped into the hallway, still giggling.

“Oh Cici, I was able to find the answer to your question.”

“
Soixante-neuf
?”

“Sh… Duncan says it is a widely known euphemism.”

Cici looked around, “I can’t leave, Andrew would go insane.”

“Let me check the library, we can go in there can’t we? It’s on the first floor. I’ll be right back.”

Cici watched as she headed for the back of the house and turned down the hallway toward the library. She paced in the hall where servants and footmen occasionally moved abouth their tasks, often inquiring if they could be of help to the duchess. She of course declined and began to worry as the minutes passed. What was keeping Maggie? Suddenly, a footman approached her. “His Lordship sent me to fetch you Your Grace. You are needed in the library.”

She didn’t hesitate, thinking something was wrong with Maggie. But as she turned she looked at the tall man standing beside her. He wasn’t one of her servants but he looked hauntingly familiar. An odd feeling of unease swept over Cici then, something wasn’t right. Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to refuse him. At the first sign of resistance, he stepped close and Cici felt something hard dig into her side.

“I have a gun aimed at your heart. To the library now, duchess.”

Cici looked down the hall with dread. Maggie had just gone to the library and she didn’t want to involve her friend, but the man was impatient and dug the gun painfully into her side. She was certain after the previous attempts on her life that he was serious, so she reluctantly did as she was told.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, she saw Maggie slumped on the floor with shards from a broken vase lying around her. Cici let out a small squeal of alarm which was cut short by the man shoving her hard from behind as he stepped into the room. The door closing shut behind her was ominous; the metallic sound of the latch grating on her frazzled nerves.

Cici took a step toward Maggie to help, but the maid standing over her turned to Cici and pointed a pistol directly at her heart.

“Please let me help her.”

“Now why ever would I let you do that?” She laughed cruelly. “This is turning out to be a very interesting evening. Not only do I get the dumpy little duchess, but Andrew’s bratty baby sister as well.”

“You!” That sneering voice was instantly recognizable, the maid was actually Lady Winslow. Dressed in an apron and mobcap like the rest of the maids, the hair beneath the cap was dark instead of her usual blonde. If she hadn’t spoken, Cici wouldn’t have recognized her. “What now? Have you come to kill me here, in my own home?”

“I have come to accomplish, once and for all, something that my inept associate has been unable to.” She gestured with the pistol. “Step away from the door, duchess.” She grimaced as she spoke, “That word referring to you is sour on my lips. You don’t deserve the title and you sure as hell don’t deserve, Andrew.”

Cici moved away from the door as she demanded. It occurred to her that she’d heard similar words from her sister only recently. What was with these women insulting her and coveting her Duke? It really was getting tiresome. Afraid the widow had a sensitive trigger finger, Cici backed into the room as she was told. Moving in the dim room with her eyes on the widow, she bumped against the desk and stumbled.

“As I said, you are too clumsy and ungraceful to be a duchess. Steven, please lock the door so we are not disturbed.”

Cici watched the footman engage the lock and pocket the key. Taking a moment to study him, it all clicked into place. “You were at the bookshop the day of my injury and again outside the glove shop right before…” Turning to the widow she charged, “This is the man in the alley I bet. You two have been working together this whole time.”

“Excellent deductive skills, your intellect amazes me.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and she chuckled humorlessly.

“Why are you doing this, to get Andrew back in your arms? It will never work.”

“Of course not. You have ruined everything. If not for you trapping him into marriage, all this and Andrew would have been mine already.”

“You’re daft, he never would have offered for a social climbing merchant’s daughter.”

“You bitch!” The widow fumed and her face mottled in an unbecoming color. “You have really interfered with my plans, you silly chit. I had eliminated every obstacle to Andrew acceding to his title. If you hadn’t come along, I’d be the duchess by now.”

“What do you mean eliminated obstacles?”

“Should I tell her Steven?” Not waiting for an answer, the widow continued as if talking to herself, “She is going to die anyway. I suppose I could alleviate her curiosity.” The widow had a crazed glint in her eye that scared Cici almost as much as the gun she aimed at her as she spoke. The woman was obviously unbalanced.

“Steven here saw to the elimination of both Andrew’s father and brother. It was easy enough to poison his dear papa making it look like a heart spasm. And poor James. Well… once he spurned my advances, I of course set my sights on Andrew.”

“You tampered with James’ weapon causing it to misfire.” Cici accused, her voice trembling with shock. “But you still didn’t have Andrew’s love and affection. He was courting other women and had set you aside.”

“A minor misunderstanding. But it doesn’t matter now, all that matters is that you pay for ruining my plans.”

“You can’t think to get away with this. Someone will hear the gunshot.”

“Oh I don’t mean to shoot you now.” She walked to the desk and held up a glass. “This is heavily laced with laudanum, enough to make you sleep deeply so that Steven can carry you out of here. We will ransom you and I will recoup some of my fortune that has been seized.”

“I won’t drink it.”

“That is why Steven is here. He will pour it down your throat, if necessary. Or, he can cosh you on the head like poor Maggie over there. It is your choice.” She shrugged indifferently. “Andrew will receive a note with my demands tomorrow. In the meantime, Steven will take very good care of you.” She snickered with evil intent. “He seems to find your overblown charms appealing. Hmph! There is no accounting for the vagaries of men.”

“That is the most insane plan I have ever heard. What if he doesn’t pay, we were not a love match after all.” Cici knew this wasn’t true but she was stalling for time, hoping someone would come looking for her and Maggie.

The widow frowned, seeing a minor flaw in her plan. “We’ll just take his precious sister then. He’ll pay for her and Rothbury has deep pockets. This will be more lucrative an adventure than I had intended.”

“You are mad.” Looking at Steven she implored, “Surely you don’t mean to go along this lunacy.”

“Oh I’m sorry. Did I forget to introduce you to Lord Steven Windgate? You see, he is my accomplice in all of this so he has much at stake in the success of this plan. My banker holds all of the notes to his extensive gambling debts. If he doesn’t do exactly as I say, he will lose everything. Enough of these questions, we must leave before you are missed. Steven, you may begin and make sure you remove that lovely bauble around her neck. And the earrings, too. Those diamonds will fetch a high price. I’ll tie up the other bitch.”

Lord Windgate approached Cici and offered her the glass. “Do as your told and this will be painless, Duchess. Otherwise, I will have to get rough. But from what Angela has told me about the Duke’s sexual proclivities you are probably used to that.”

Turning to flee Cici cried, “No, I won’t drink that vile poison.”

Lord Steven grabbed her by the hair, his fingers digging in and pulling her head backward. His other arm wrapped around her and ensnared her flailing arms. “I guess you choose rough.”

Cici struggled, but her captor was very strong. Her hands were trapped down by her sides and she couldn’t get leverage to fight him or push him away. She felt the glass at her lips but she clamped them shut tightly. Attempting to turn her head away only tightened the grip on her hair causing a painful burning in her scalp.

Cici could hear Lady Winslow laughing delightedly in the background. “Plug her nose, Steven. She’ll open her mouth soon enough to breathe. When I’m done here we’ll bind her, too.”

Cici fought harder, knowing that if they tied her up her chances to escape would be severely lessened. “Hold still,” Lord Steven said through gritted teeth. He had obviously underestimated the petite Cici’s strength. “I told you this was stupid plan, we should have gotten chloroform.”

Struggling fiercely, Cici’s hands curled into claws as she tried to get her nails into Lord Steven and somehow get free. Just as his large hand covered her nostrils, her hand brushed the buttons on his trousers. Desperately, she latched on to his most vulnerable spot, digging her nails in with all her strength and twisting violently. She followed it up with a sharp heel to his instep.

Instantly, Lord Steven squealed in pain and he released her as his hands flew to his injury and he stumbled backward. Off balance and out of breath, Cici collapsed across the desk. She could hear the widow muttering invectives at her accomplice as she approached.

“You fool! Must I do everything myself?”

Taking advantage of her distraction, she searched the desktop for a weapon. Her hands found the small onyx statue of a horse she had given Andrew as a gift. “Thank you, Obsidian,” was her whispered prayer of thanks a split second before she turned and swung wide, heaving the heavy statuary at the widow. It hit her directly in her chest causing her to jerk and inadvertently discharged her weapon. Both women were stunned, either of them could have taken the bullet. The widow grabbed her chest, having been knocked breathless by the heavy statue. Cici recovered first and seeing the opening she needed, she pounced. Throwing herself against the taller woman she took them both easily to the floor securing the widow’s gun hand as they fell. Cici figured there was at least another bullet in the gun and she was not about to let her use it on either her or Maggie.

Lady Winslow was bigger than Cici and struggled fiercely against her hold. But Cici was fighting for her life and had so much to live for. Planting a knee in the older woman’s stomach for leverage, she had a brief flash of satisfaction upon hearing her grunt in pain. Knowing she had the advantage of a dominant position she acted immediately. Taking both hands, Cici slammed the woman’s wrists against the floor as hard as she could until she released the gun. As it skirted away, Cici scrambled after it.

The widow let out a howl of frustration and went after Cici who grabbed the weapon just a fraction of a second before the enraged Lady Winslow landed on her back. A hand twisted in her hair and yanked brutally until tears came to her eyes. Helpless and pinned in an inferior position, she decided to eliminate the threat of the gun and fired it. She pulled the trigger over and over until it was discharged and the chamber was empty. The widow in a fit of rage pulled back on Cici’s hair and slammed her head against the carpeted floor.