The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) (25 page)

Something didn’t fit. He couldn’t make out the man’s face, but it was the way he walked. The man turned and struggled to push the cart up the plank to the ship. Something bothered him about the man and his cargo.

Then it dawned on him. Th
e trunk on the cart was moving. Moving? Why would a trunk be moving?

Sara?

He yanked his pistol out and bellowed at the man, “Stay where you are!” Philip and Ridley charged the man. He let go of the cart before he turned and threw his hat off. He raced back up the dock as fast as he could.

“Stop!”
Philip yelled. Stinky, it had to be, he was sure of it. Stinky paused for a moment to glance over his shoulder at his pursuers.

As soon as
he saw him hesitate, Philip took aim and fired. Stinky yelled and grabbed the back of his leg.

He continued running but slowed du
e to the leg injury.

Philip shouted out to his brother coming toward the dock. “Graham, stop him! He’s the one!”

Graham and
Ardleigh were down the street a bit but heard Philip’s bellows. Stinky made it to the end of the dock and headed up the street, but as soon Graham gained on him, he changed his path sharply, darting directly in the path of two grays pulling a carriage. Stinky pulled his pistol out and fired into the air.

One of the grays bucked
at the loud sound, but couldn’t pull away from the carriage. Philip, Graham, Ardleigh, and Ridley all watched as the horse reared up on its hind legs in fear. Stinky froze in front of the horse, right before his hooves came down and snapped his neck.

Philip didn’t hesitate. He
rushed back to the cart and moved the trunk carefully so he could open it.

All the while, he prayed.
Please, God, let her be in here, let her be alive. I promise to cherish her and love her for the rest of my life. You sent her to me. Please, let us carry out the plan you have for us. I love her!

He opened the trunk
, and almost collapsed at what he found. Sara’s beautiful green eyes stared up at him. She was contorted, dirty, tangled, clearly in pain, bruised—and the most beautiful sight he had ever been blessed to see. Philip had to restrain himself from shouting out his joy. His eyes searched hers to see if she was all right. He yanked her gag off and helped her to sit but decided to wait to undo her bindings. She was clearly in pain from the position she had been forced into.

Framing her face with both hands,
he kissed her lips softly as he whispered, “I love you, Sara.” He held his forehead to hers and sighed, oblivious to everything around him but her, his life. He heard her choked sobs, and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “I am so sorry, so sorry. I will never let anything happen to you again.” He fought his own tears, finally pulling back to look at her again, wanting to make sure she was truly all right.

Sara gazed up at him
. “I knew you would find me, Philip. Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me. I was so frightened.”

He lifted her gingerly in his arms, kissed the top of her head and
carried her down the dock toward the carriage. When they reached the carriage, Adam and Alyssa bolted out.

“You found her! See,
Alyssa, you did help us.” Adam hugged her shoulder. “Come, we will find another way out of here.”

“Wait,” Sara shouted
. “Don’t take her back! Philip, please do not let her go back there. It is a horrid place. She can work for me. Alyssa, thank you. Please, Adam, bring her to the Ardleighs. We will take care of her.”

Philip kissed her head and said, “Don’t worry, love, we will find a place for her.”

Ridley helped him get Sara inside the carriage then cut her bindings before climbing up to the driver’s seat. Graham and Ardleigh jumped in before they departed.

Philip glared at them both.

“Sorry, Philip, but Adam wanted to take the phaeton with Alyssa. Ben’s driving.”

“Just close the door. I want to get her home
,” Philip stated.

As soon as they sat across from Philip,
Ardleigh looked at Sara and said, “Oh, my word.”

Graham whispered, “Damnation, Philip.”

Sara’s limbs were grotesquely twisted in unnatural directions. Her face bore black and blue marks, and she had a huge bump on her head. Philip tried to straighten her legs, but Sara moaned and pleaded with her eyes, “No, please, Philip.”

Ardleigh
said, “Maybe it’s best to let them release on their own, Brentwood.”

Philip gently
pressed Sara’s head down against his shoulder. He didn’t have the heart to see the pain in her face. “Sara, I think you need to move them slowly on your own. Start with your toes and wiggle them slowly. Have you been bound for a long time?”

Her head nodded into his shoulder
while her good hand clenched his shirt. Her injured arm and fingers had not moved yet. He noticed her fingers had a dusky, pale shade to them he didn’t like. He rapped his knuckles on the roof to get Ridley to hurry, then attempted to support her legs without causing her any additional pain.

Ardleigh
nodded his head as he spoke. “When we get her to my place, I will summon the physician to help her. We will take care of you, Sara. Do not stress yourself over it.”

“She is not going with you
. She is going to my place,” Philip calmly stated.

“Bloody hell, no,
Brentwood. That is improper and you know it. That is not going to happen.”

“
Ardleigh, you have no say. She is going home with me. We will be getting married soon enough. I have had enough of wondering what is to happen to her next. She stays with me. I will take care of her. You will have to shoot me to do otherwise.”

“Sara, do you agree to this? If not, you may certainly return to my home. Sara?”
Ardleigh waited for her answer.

She picked her head up just enough to nod her head in agreement. The pain in her eyes was enough to stop their
arguing.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Philip stepped inside the door of Hearthstone Manor with Sara in his arms. His mother and Phoebe ran over to see how she fared.

“Do not touch her, Mother. She is in a great deal of pain.”
He headed to the stairway.

“Well, at least you have found her. Bring her up to the guest room
, and I will help her get cleaned up.” The dowager turned to give orders to the maids.

“No, I will take care of her. I want the bath filled in the
duchess’s room. She was bound for a long time, and I think the warm water will help her muscles to relax. I will tend her.”

“Certainly not, Philip.”
His mother’s hands went to her hips as she stared at her son. “No one has been in that room since Caroline left. It is meant for your wife. What you ask is totally improper.”

“You are mistaken, Mother, I did not ask.” He went over her head and spoke to the maids.
“I want steaming hot water brought to the duchess’s dressing room along with tea and biscuits please, add some cheese and fruit.”

Before he started up the stairs, he turned to his mother. “If you wish to make yourself useful,
send a message to the bishop and see that the banns for our marriage are called on Sunday. Contact my solicitor and tell him I need a license. I will not wait long to make Lady Downey my wife.”

***

Philip gingerly set Sara in a soft chair in the dressing room. Sara was still stunned from all the events that had taken place in the last twenty-four hours. She could hardly tear her gaze from Philip. He was so careful and loving. Was this the same man she had yelled at in his townhouse? His eyes were warm and concerned, unlike how they used to be. She was really starting to believe he loved her.

She
massaged her legs to relieve the prickling feeling in her skin. Rubbing seemed to help, plus she wiggled and moved as much as she could. She hoped there was no permanent damage done.

Propping her arm,
Philip knelt in front of her to plump pillows under her feet. When he finished, he stopped and gazed into her eyes.

“Forgive me for not doing this properly. Sara Downey, I love you with all my heart and I need you by my side forever. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She blinked back hot tears. Had he really just proposed to her? She thought he had mentioned marriage before, but she’d decided she must have been delirious. Was this really happening? He waited for a response.

She nodded her head slowly, “Yes, Philip, nothing would make me happier than to be your wife.”

Sara reached for him with her one arm, and his lips settled on hers in a possessive kiss.

He pulled back and caressed her cheek
. “You scared the hell out of me. I have never had such a fright. I will never let you go again.”

Eli
and Charles arrived with buckets of hot water and dumped them into the large tub. Celia walked in and set down tea and other food.

“I will
locate towels, Your Grace.” She left briefly and returned with the towels and a robe. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Thank you, Celia. Make sure that my mother has sent for the physician. Close the door on the way out and don’t let anyone else disturb us
.”

Philip undress
ed her, careful not to cause further pain.

Her
entire body blushed. “Philip, please. I am so dirty. I am sure the maid can help me. You needn’t bother with me.” She bowed her head in shame.

“Bother? How can you say such a thing? I have had visions of you whoring in a brothel
and stuck in that trunk on a freighter bound for the Americas. You have been kidnapped, beaten, abused, and misused. Do you think I care about a little dirt? Please do not insult me, Sara.”

He
helped her into the steaming water. “Too hot, my love?”

She
shook her head. “No, it feels wonderful.” She eased her shoulders back to lean against the tub and sighed deeply.

Philip
soaped her feet and legs and then massaged her muscles slowly. He worked his way down each calf to her knees, kneading along the way. “Is this helping?”

“Yes, they are loosening up. You have a magic touch, Philip.” She smiled at him. Then he touched her arm and she cringed. “That hurts
; please be careful.”

He helped her to suds her hair and then
dried her off. Wrapping the thick white robe around her, he lifted her and set her on his lap.

Pulling her in close, he whispered, “Do you want to tell me about everything
?”

Slowly, Sara told Philip all that had happened. How she had been struck in the head, tied up in a cart, tied to a bedpost, sold to a dandy, and finally shoved into the trunk. She told him about
Alyssa and Candie and about the horrid man that had licked her face. The tears didn’t erupt until nearly the end of the story, but when they did, they consumed her. She cried until sobs wracked her body and the only thing left was hiccups. Philip held her through it all. He never spoke but held her tight, running slow strokes on her back or kissing her brow.

When she finished, neither of them spoke for several minutes
.

She pulled back and looked up at him.
“Philip, where is Stinky now?”

“He’s dead, sweet, and he will never bother you again. He ran in front of
two horses and startled them. One horse broke his neck.”

“Are you sure?” She swiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

“Yes. Graham and Ardleigh both witnessed it up close. If you wish, you can ask them yourself later.”

A knock interrupted them. His mother announced the physician and
waited for Philip to arrange Sara in bed before granting him entrance. Philip set Sara on her feet and held her to see if she was able to support her weight.

“Can you walk?” He held her hand as she balanced herself.

She took a timid step and glanced up at him. “I think so, it feels much better. Thank you.” She couldn’t stop herself from reaching up and caressing Philip’s cheek. His blue eyes caught hers as she smiled.

“I do love you so, Philip.”

***

She awoke in the middle of the night to her own screaming. Sitting up in bed, memories washed back through
her until she recalled that she was at Philip’s in the duchess’s room. As he’d promised, Philip had held her until she’d fallen asleep. He had then left her to return to his own bed, apparently.

Perhaps he no longer wanted her. He had said since his mother was down the hall, he didn’t think it would be proper to stay with her
, or had he used that as a reason to move to his own bed?

Perhaps he
’d only proposed because she was so vulnerable. Now that the tragedy was over, had he realized he did not love her as he’d thought? Had it only been because of the fright he had? After all, how could anyone fall in love with her? Duncan had told her she had little value. She was timid and boring and lackluster. Those were his exact words. What could Philip see in her? She didn’t have a dowry or any land to offer any man. It certainly couldn’t be her skills in the bedroom. Miranda Montrose surely knew more than she did. If they married, would it be like this, her in one room and he in another?

Philip appeared in
the doorway between their rooms. She hoped he wouldn’t notice her tear-stained lashes. It was a wonder the poor man hadn’t drowned in all the tears she had shed after her bath before. She would not cry again.

But she wanted to be in his arms again. She didn’t want to sleep alone. She wanted Philip next to her
—every night. No better place on earth existed for her than in his arms.

“Is everything all right, Sara? I thought I heard you.”

“Just a nightmare. Thank you, I am fine.” She pulled up her blanket. “I am sorry if I woke you.”

H
er husband-to-be stood there in his navy blue robe. His hair was tousled and it made him look even more handsome. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the curly dark hair on his chest, remembering how the crisp hairs felt in her fingers and against her nipples. She tried to recall exactly how it thinned around his waist and met up with the darker mat around his…

“Sara?”

“Yes?” She jerked her eyes back up to his face.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, of course, I am fine.”

He turned to make his way back to his bed.

“Philip?” Her hand reached out as if to touch him.

“Yes?” He stuck his head back in the door.

“Are you sure?” Her voice wavered as she spoke, but her eyes never left his.

“Am I sure about what?”

She cleared her throat as if to gain the courage to speak her thoughts. “Are you sure about us?”

He stepped into the room and leaned his tall muscular frame against the doorway. His arms crossed
in front of him as a slow smile crept across his face.

“You mean, am I sure that I love you?”
His arms dropped to his sides as he sauntered her way. “Or am I sure that I want to marry you?”

She watched him, spellbound, as h
e continued to stroll toward her, her gaze locked on his.

“Or am I sure that I want you more than anything right now?”

She swallowed as she noticed his arousal beginning to separate his robe. She forced her gaze back to his face.

“Yes.” She could feel her blush make its way from her face to her breasts and finally settle as a wash of heat between her thighs.

“Which one are you saying yes to, sweet?” He sat on the side of the bed and set his arms on either side of her before he leaned in to taste her lips lightly.

She stared up at him.
“Are you sure you won’t change your mind? You know I have no dowry, or land. You know I am not as exciting as some of the other women in the
ton
, or as interesting, or as beautiful…” She looked down at her hands.

Philip reached for her chin and
lifted until her eyes met his. She tried to hide her insecurities, but failed miserably. The coverlet fisted even tighter in her hand as she tugged it up to hide herself from him.

“No, sweet, please do not hide from me. You are much too beautiful.
”

Her
eyebrows shot up in surprise. Beautiful? Did he really think she was beautiful?

“Ah, I see you don’t believe me. I shall have to convince you then, shan’t I?” His eyes sparkled.

Tugging on the coverlet, he removed it before removing her gown.

He kissed her deeply on the mouth. When he pulled back, he said, “I have a few things I see I need to tell you, and all you need to do is to lie there quietly and listen.
Will you do that, Sara?”

She nodded as she managed to
lie back down on the bed.

“I think, perhaps, I need to tell you exactly why I love you. I don’t do this easily, my sweet, but I think you had a bastard of a first husband that put some very wrong ideas in your mind. I intend to set them straight.”

He started at her feet.

“I must admit, the first time I saw you, your beauty almost left me speechless.” He kissed her ankle, and all the way up the outside of her leg as he talked.

“All I could imagine were these long legs wrapped around me in ecstasy. What beautiful legs you are gifted with.”

“Your green eyes enchanted me, but then you distracted me when I tried my best to ignore you.” He kissed up the outside of her other leg.

“You made clothes for the orphans, you impressed my mother, and mind you, that is not an easy thing to do.” His tongue made his way across the middle of her belly, stopping briefly inside her navel. She closed her eyes in blissful surrender to his sweet torture. She grabbed a handful of his hair.

“Oh, not yet, love, I am
far from finished,” he said as he pulled her hand away from him. “You are the only woman I know who would turn down a handful of gems because her morality wouldn’t allow her to keep them. That significantly increased my respect for you.”

He made his way across her belly and up to her nipple. “You have the most perfect breasts I have ever had the pleasure to behold
.” He suckled her deeply until she cried out.

“You stand in the middle of the
ton
like a goddess with her head held high, no matter what they are saying about you.” He stroked his tongue up between the valley of her breasts all the way to her collarbone and nibbled.

“You have the stamina and strength of the strongest man I have ever met.” He kissed a trail up her neck. “Had you not rocked that trunk, I may never have found you. You are a fighter to the bitter end.” Kissing her tenderly on the mouth, he whispered, “You bear pain as if it is nothing.”

Kissing her forehead with both hands cupping her cheeks, he added, “You have the intelligence to run your own business and be able to pay off your husband’s debts.”