The Desires of a Countess (17 page)

Chapter Twelve

Robert’s horse was tethered in the back of the
stable, and Simon had no doubt he’d be coming to collect the animal
soon. When he did, Simon was going to be there. He needed to make
it very clear to Dennison once and for all that his constant
interruption and borderline obsession with Ginny wasn’t going to be
tolerated.

And if the man wouldn’t listen? Well, Simon had
plenty of residual frustration left in him to brawl with the best
of them.

The stable door creaked open and Robert stormed in.
It was clear he was furious from the dark expression on his face
and that lightened Simon’s mood considerably. Whatever the man
wanted, Ginny had refused him.

But as Dennison took a few steps closer, another
expression became clear on his face. A smug glitter in his eyes.
When he looked up and his gaze locked with Simon’s, that glitter
grew stronger.

“Mr. Webber. Nothing better to do than loaf by my
horse all day?” he asked as he closed the gap between them.

Simon straightened to his full height.

“I’m afraid that’s my job while I’m here.” Removing
the piece if hay he’d been chewing, he tossed it over his shoulder
and locked eyes with Dennison. “To watch out for Jack and his
mother.”

Robert barked out an ugly laugh. “As if you care one
bit about that sniveling child. I see the way you look at
Virginia.”

“Is it anything like the way
you
look at her?” Simon
asked as the two men began to circle each other like
tigers.

Dennison smirked. “There’s a difference.”

“What’s that?” He hated the arrogant expression on
the other man’s face. It would give him great pleasure to beat it
off him.

“I know her. I’ve known her for
years, since she first came to Westdale as Henry’s bride.
You
know nothing about
her.”

Simon smiled. He knew more than Robert thought. He
knew Ginny’s soft curves, the way she looked when she reached the
height of passion. Those were things he wagered Dennison would kill
to know. And things he never would.

“I know enough.”

“You know nothing.” The smugness in the other man’s
tone returned. “I know her secrets. Things that would make you reel
if you…”

He didn’t get to finish because Simon leapt at him.
The two men met in a flurry of blows. Simon had learned to fight on
board his ship and had the advantage of being bigger and stronger
than Dennison. But the other man was remarkably fast. The two
traded punch after punch with equally matched results.

“Hey! Hey!”

The voice at the door didn’t stop them from
continuing to brawl. Simon recognized the sound as Adam’s voice,
but if his first mate knew what was good for him, he’d let the two
men finish. Simon certainly had no intention of quitting before
he’d made his point abundantly clear to Robert.

But then another sound pierced the grunts and fists
hitting flesh. It was Jack.

Simon took a sidelong glance at the door to see Adam
holding the little boy. Jack was sobbing in horror at witnessing
two men come to blows over something he couldn’t understand. Simon
sat up a bit to call out to the boy, but at that moment, Robert’s
fist hit him in the eye.

Pain exploded through his face as a white light went
off in front of his eye. Robert reached back to swing again, but
Adam set Jack down and ran over. He caught the other man’s hand
midair and with superior strength born from years of hard, physical
labor, pushed his fist back.

“That’s enough.” He grabbed Dennison by the collar
and dragged him to his feet. “Off you go on your way.”

Normally Simon would have been furious that his
fight had been interrupted, but at the moment all he could think of
was Jack. He reached the child’s side in a few steps and dropped to
his knees before him.

“See, I’m not hurt,” he said as he brought the boy
up to his chest for a hug. “No one’s hurt.”

“Papa…” the boy choked on his two-year-old
vocabulary and his tears. “Mama… hurty.”

Simon rocked the child. “No, Mama’s all right. She’s
up at the house.”

He didn’t know what to say about the boy’s father.
In his upset about the fight, Jack must have forgotten that Henry
was dead. Or perhaps he just wished him back for comfort.

Dennison’s horse thundered past, but Simon hardly
even looked up. He’d have plenty of time to finish his business
with the other man later.

Adam shook his head as he walked over to the
pair.

“Is Jack hurt?” he asked, grinning at the boy to
ease his fears.

“No, I think he was just frightened,” Simon
explained.

The child had stopped crying and was now peering
over Simon’s shoulder at one of the horses. If only Simon could be
so easily distracted. He set Jack down and watched him toddle over
to the stall to look up at the animal’s face.

Simon’s eye throbbed and his jaw ached from the
blows he and Robert had exchanged. As he continued to watch Jack,
he worked the muscle.

“One thing you can say about Dennison. He may be a
bast-“ he cut himself off with a glance at Jack. “He may be a
scoundrel but he’s got a powerful right hook.”

“Good fighters don’t need to take cheap shots.” Adam
leaned up and pulled Simon’s up eyelid to check for injury. Simon
winced with a scowl for his friend.

“Perhaps he didn’t realize I wasn’t fighting
anymore.”

Adam shook his head. “He looked at you and at Jack,
grinned and threw the hardest punch he could. He knew you wouldn’t
be prepared for it.” His friend’s mouth thinned with anger. “What
were you two fighting about?”

Simon answered with a shrug.

Adam groaned. “Lady Westdale?”

“Perhaps.” He hoped his best friend would hear his
tone and realize he didn’t plan to discuss the matter any
further.

To his joy, Adam walked over to take Jack’s hand.
“Come on, my little man. We’ll go up to the house and send a
footman to the icehouse for Mr. Webber. He looks like he’ll need
it.” The pair began to slowly stroll to the stable door, but when
they reached it, Adam turned back. “You know, Simon, you’re going
to an awful lot of trouble for a woman you claim to only desire.
You might want to think about that.”

Simon sat down on a hay bale as he watched the two
disappear. When they were out of earshot, he covered his head with
his hands and muttered, “Believe me, friend, it’s all I can think
about.”

***

Ginny rolled her head back against the carriage seat
and looked out the window. After a week of bumpy, uncomfortable
travel, they were nearly in London. She let out a sigh, though she
wasn’t sure whether it was one of trepidation or relief. She felt
an equal measure of both. She’d certainly be more than glad to see
the last of the carriage for a while, but the idea of returning to
the city was a difficult one to be pleased about.

None of which was made easier by Simon. She’d been
painfully aware of his presence each and every day they traveled.
He was everywhere. He sat across from her at inn tables for meals,
teasing with Adam or Harriet and making her smile. At night, he was
only a few doors down from her room. How many times had she longed
to slip into his bed just one more time?

Even now as she looked out the window, he was there,
riding high on his horse. He would have looked like a warrior if it
weren’t for the small child perched in front of him. Jack adored
riding with his new best friend, and Simon indulged him.

“Are you feeling well?”

She blinked away her thoughts and turned to Harriet.
“I’m a bit nervous. We’ll be to London by nightfall at this
rate.”

“I’m sure your feelings have nothing to do with a
certain gentleman riding outside your window,” her friend
teased.

Ginny looked at him again. “At least his black eye
is mostly healed. I still want to know how he got it.”

Harriet laughed. “I did a bit of investigating and
found out our Mr. Webber was in a fight.”

Ginny’s eyes widened. “Simon was in a fight? With
whom?”

“Robert Dennison.” Her friend paused for full
effect. “Over you.”

Ginny’s heart promptly stopped
beating, or at least it felt like it did. Simon had fought
over
her
?

“Where did you hear that?” she managed to stammer
out, thrilled and ashamed at the same time. “It must be rot.”

Harriet’s smile broadened and a light came into her
eyes. “Adam told me. I doubt he’d spread unfounded rumors about his
very best friend.”

Ginny wrinkled her brow. “Just when did he tell you
this?”

She could believe it was true when she considered
the unpleasant history between the men. They’d been a brawl waiting
to happen from the first moment they’d laid eyes on each other.

To her surprise, Harriet’s smile
fell and a deep blush colored her face. “Well, not
everything
we discuss is
said in front of you. Adam and I had a lovely walk together
yesterday when we stopped to change horses, and we talked about a
great many things. Not all of which had anything to do with you or
with Simon.”

Now Ginny took a thorough look at her friend.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say
you
like
Mr.
Scott,” she asked, testing the waters a bit with a gentle
tone.

Harriet frowned. “Of course I do. He’s a person I’d
call a-a friend.”

Ginny cocked her head as she allowed her hand to
rest on Harriet’s. “It’s been two years since Richard’s death. If
you were to find another man who caught your fancy, I don’t think
there’s any harm in that. In fact, it would please me to see you
find love again. No one deserves it more than you.”

Her friend’s face paled two shades and she opened
her mouth to protest, but before a word could escape her lips the
carriage came to a halt and the door opened. Simon appeared outside
and whatever thoughts Ginny had been having fled when his eyes met
hers.

“Good afternoon,” he said with a hot, pointed look
for her. “I believe I have something that belongs to you, my
lady.”

With a grin, he handed over Jack, who was drooping
with exhaustion. She took her son with a wide smile.

“Thank you. I’m sure he’ll have a long sleep after
such an exciting day.”

He smiled and it gentled the hard angles of his
face. “We’ll be in London in just a few hours. The traffic will
increase as we get closer and it’s probably safer for him to ride
indoors with you two.”

“Thank you, Simon.”

Again, he fixed his gaze on her and she was lost in
a sea of turquoise fire. No matter what was going on, it seemed the
second she looked at him, the passion between them was ignited all
over again.

He cleared his throat and it was plain he felt that
need, too. “Do-do you need to stretch your legs?”

Ginny shook her head. She wasn’t sure if her legs
would even hold her now. “No, not when we’re so close.”

He nodded at Harriet and closed the door. Ginny let
out a small sigh, then smiled down at Jack, who had cuddled against
her breast to sleep.

“I like to ride the horsey,” he said with a
yawn.

She smoothed dark hair away from his face. “Good.
Are you having fun with Mr. Webber?”

“Mmm hmm. I wish he were Papa.”

Ginny sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth at
her son’s innocent wish. But it could never be. He didn’t
understand the power the man would wield over their lives if she
married him. Worse, the power he could easily wield over her
heart.

Harriet stared at her. “Ginny, there are tears in
your eyes.”

She turned her head to stare out the window again.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”

***

The carriage came to a smooth stop and Ginny’s heart
dropped to her stomach. They were at Huntington Court, her
husband’s London estate.

“I haven’t been here since…” she trailed off.

Through the darkness she could see the glow of the
house lights coming from the windows. The servants were obviously
anticipating their arrival.

“A long time, I know,” Harriet said as she began to
gather her things around her. “You look frightened.”

Ginny shrugged, too tired and nervous to argue the
point. “I’m not sure why. Tonight will be quiet. It’s so late that
I’ll probably only get a chance to put Jack to bed and say hello to
the staff. Then a hot bath and sleep.”

The door to the carriage opened and a hand extended
to help them out. Ginny took it first and felt a shock of heat
through her that instantly let her know it was Simon. As she set
her feet on the drive, he looked down at her with dark eyes.

“Home at last, eh?” he asked before he released her
to take Jack’s limp, sleeping body from Harriet.

Ginny shivered. This place wasn’t home. No place
was, really, not even Westdale. Henry had kept her from loving any
of his residences. But London had many painful memories. Here she’d
first felt her husband’s fist.

She took in a breath of the dirty air and wished she
were anywhere but here.

Simon shifted Jack to his shoulder and took her arm.
“Come, I’ll help you get settled before I go to my own home.”

“I thought you lived on your ship,” she said.

“I do, but I have a townhouse here, too. I have to
come to port sometimes.” He smiled at her as the door opened and
they stepped inside.

Once they were inside the foyer, Ginny’s heart rate
began to slow. This was just a house after all. And Henry was dead.
She didn’t have to fear these walls any longer. In fact-

“Ginny?”

She froze and slowly turned to the parlor on her
right. The door was open and inside stood her family. Her entire
family. Noah, her older brother stood in front of the anxious
group, staring at her with unreadable blue eyes. When he stepped
out, he was flanked by her mother and her sister Audrey, who was
heavy with the child she was to birth in just two months. Griffin
Berenger, Noah’s childhood best friend and Audrey’s husband, stayed
back with another woman Ginny didn’t recognize, but assumed was her
brother’s new wife.