The Lady and the Earl (49 page)

A tear slipped down her
cheek
as she looked at him seriously. “I love you,
Declan
Cunningham.  I’
ve loved you my whole life.”  

His heart leapt and ached at the same time.  It leapt at hearing her say those words to him and ached for the pain
she’d
suffered because of Lucas and because of him
self
.  He leaned down and kissed her lips softly.  “I know,” he whispered to her before kissing her once more. 

She met his kiss with hunger and need, sparking a flame inside him only she could put out.  They loved each other with a passion and fierceness that was greater than any
he’d
felt
thus
far.  It was more beautiful and satisfying than their first time.  He had never known such a
blissful moment as he had with her on that cliff.  He held her afterward in silence, enjoying the comfort of her body next to his. 

After being away for several hours
,
he helped her dress before pulling her up beside him on Colonel.  He wasn’t even going to bother putting her on Lancelot
.  Instead, he tied the other horse’s
reins to his saddle to make sure the animal followed, then headed home with his fragile beauty curled up in front of him.

*
             
*
             
*

Allana had felt hollow after
her encounter with Lucas.  He’
d killed her spirit, and she was
certain
he had ruined
Declan
’s
faith in her
.  She left the house to be alone, hoping
Declan
would follow, but uncertain he would.  Humiliation flowed through her body when he finally came to her.  But he did
not
condemn her when he came or shower her with sympathy.  Instead, he showed her love, relieving her pain and anguish with his words and passion.  She couldn’t imagine her life without
him.  With him she felt safe
.  She relaxed her exhausted body against his, feeling the motion of the horse beneath her slowly rock her to sleep.

*
             
*
             
*

Declan
car
ried Allana to his room.  She’
d slept the entire ride home and was still asleep.  He carefully undressed her to her shift and laid her down before stripping
out of
his own clothes and joining her
in the bed.  It was still rather early, but he wondered if he would be able to sleep even if it wasn’t.
  He tossed and turned for an hour before finally
giving
up and head
ing
downstairs to see if Connor was still around.  The man was unconscious in the same place
Declan
had left him earlier with two empty bottles next to him. 

At least he’s still here,
Declan
thought.  He’
d been afraid Connor would go after Lucas even after he had promised he wouldn’t.  Luckily, Connor had drunk himself into oblivion before
he could do anything foolish. 

Declan
tossed a blanket over Allana’s brother and headed for his office.  He needed a drink to help him relax.  His mind was working nonstop to bring revenge upon Lucas.  He couldn’t stop thinking about ways to torture the man and avenge his beloved Allana. 

Upon entering his office, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and took a swig.  It burned going down, but after a
few
drinks he started feeling better.  Now maybe he could relax enough to fall asleep.  He put the bottle back and headed upstairs to Allana, but when he returned to his chambers, Allana was
not
there. 

She must have woken and come looking for me,
he thought as he turned to go look for her.  He wandered the house
,
aimlessly searching for her.  Surely they hadn’t passed
each other
by.  He checked her room one more time before heading back to his own, not finding her in either. 
Maybe she went to the kitchen for something to eat. 
He was actually quite hungry himself. 
After all, t
hey had missed dinner. 

He didn’t find Allana in the kitchen, but what he
did
find
was very disturbing. 
A figure
huddled in a corner of the kitchen shaking.  It was dark, and
Declan
would have walked right by her if it
wasn’t
for the sharp breaths she was taking.

“Who’s there?”
Declan
asked the dark figure. 
There was a whimper
in return
,
causing him to go to her.  “Maggie
?” he
asked
, crouching down to get a better look
. 
She
had been hired while he was in London, but h
e was fairly certain that was her name.  “What are you doing in here?  Are you all right
?” he
continued.

She kept her head down and
started babbling, “I’m sorry, my
Lord
.  I didn’t mean to.  I didn’t know,” she sobbed and repeated herself.  “I didn’t know.” 

Declan
was thoroughly confused by her blubbering.  “Slow down Maggie, and look at
me.  What are you—,” he broke off as he lifted her face to get her to look at him.  “What happened to your face
?” he
asked as a sinking feeling entered his stomach.  She had a black eye and a bloody nose.

“He took her,” sh
e sobbed.  “He took her, and it’
s entirely my fault.”  She beat her hands against the wall.  “She was so nice to me, but he said he loved me.  I didn’t know he was going to do it.  I tried to stop him, but he…
.
” Again she broke down crying. 

Declan
’s
heart was racing.  Could it be true?  Could she have snuck Lucas inside and given him access to Allana? 
Declan
forced himself to calm down.  “Maggie, you have to tell me everything that happened.”  He put his hands on her shoulders to face her to him then shook her gently.  “Please, Maggie.  I need you to calm down and talk to me.  What happened?” 

It took her a few more minutes to calm
e
nough to talk.  “Lucas came to me shortly after you forced him to leave. 
He told me he was done with Lady Allana. 
He told me he loved me and wanted to be with me, so I snuck him into my quarters to wait for me while I finished working.
  He was going to take me back with him.
  When I
returned to my quarters
, he was gone.  I assumed he’d gotten tired of waiting,
so I packed a bag and came here to grab a bite to eat before leaving to follow him.  But he hadn’t left.  I simply wasn’t the one he wanted.”  She let out a small sob before continuing.  “He
happened upon me
here
carrying her
.
We argued over her.  Then he told me I had just been his pawn.  He used me
!
” she said on the brink of hysteria.  “He used me to spread those rumors, and then to inform him when you would be gone this morning.  Then I foolishly hid him in my room this afternoon.  It was the perfect place for him to hide and wait for
an opportunity to get her.

“
I hit him in the head with a pot when he told me he no longer needed me.  He dropped her and did this to me.”  Maggie pointed angrily at her bloody nose.  “She hardly moved.  I think
he did something to her so she wouldn’t wake up.  I’m so sorry,
Lord
Cunningham.  He made me believe…and now I’m…
.
”
  S
he gripped her stomach and began crying again. 

A moment later, she dove for the trash bucket and heaved the contents of her stomach into it, and
Declan
knew.  She was pregnant with
Lucas’s
child.  Lucas had used this innocent girl in his schemes and left her with child. 
Declan
’s
blood burned with anger.  Lucas would pay,
Declan
would make
certain
of that, but first he needed to get Maggie some help.  Then he would wake Connor, so they could plan a way to rescue Allana.  He just prayed she would be safe until then.

Declan
led Maggie to the
sitting
room, finding Arden along the way.  “Arden, I’m glad you’re still awake.  Could you please fetch a pitcher of water and a rag and meet us in the
sittin
g room?  I have need of your services there.”

“Yes,
my Lo
r
d
,” Arden replied, obeying
Declan
at once.

Connor was still unconscious on the sofa when
Declan
and Maggie arrived in the
sitting
room.

“Is he
unwell
?”
Maggie asked.

“
No
, just a little drunk I’m afraid,”
Declan
answered.  He walked over to Connor and attempted to wake him. 

“Connor,” he said loudly.  He repeated it several times, even shaking Connor roughly to get him to wakeup.  He finally yelled the name in the man’s ear.  Connor mumbled something inaudible then pulled the blanket over his head and rolled over. 

Arden had entered the room with the water and rag in the meantime.  He was helping Maggie clean the blood from her face. 

“
H
urry with the water, Arden.  I’
m going to need it.”

“Yes,
Sir
,” Arden replied, soaking the rag one last time and handing the pitcher of water to his
Lord
.  “Here, Sir.  I have
all I need.” 

Declan
smiled as he took the water.  It was
slightly discolored
from Maggie’s blood, but
Declan
did not care.
  He lifted the pitcher above Connor’s head and poured.  Connor sat up with a start and a holler. 

“What the devil
!
” he
shouted.  “What’
d you do that for
?” he
slurred before grabbing his head and falling back down to the couch. 

“I think we a
re going to need some coffee, Arden.  Do you mind?”
Declan
asked the old man.

“I will go at once, my
Lord
,” Arden said in response.   

“What’s going o
n, and what’s she doing here?”
Connor asked in confusion, pointing at Maggie in the meantime.

“Lucas has
taken
Allana,”
Declan
said soberly.

“What?  How? 
When?”
Connor asked fully alert now.  Maybe the coffee wasn’t needed. 

“I do
n’
t know, Connor, but I know he has her.” 
Declan
relayed Maggie’s story to the man.  “We have to act, and we have to act fast.  We need to catch him off guard.  The only problem is I don’t know how.” 
Declan
looked at Connor desperately.  “He was your friend, Connor.  What do you know about his resources?”

“He has money, which means he could hire out.  He could have fifty or even a hundred men for all I know,” Connor said in frustration.  

“
He has money?” a
voice said in shock from the back of the room.  “I am such a fool.”

Declan turned to find fresh tears in Maggie’s eyes.  “Maggie
?” he
asked.  “What is it?” 

“Nothing…I,” she sighed bitterly. 
“
Fifty
men.
  That is
how many he has.
” 

The men turned to stare at
her
.  Of course, Maggie would know all they needed to know about Lucas. 

“How do you know that?”
Connor asked suspiciously.

“He
warned me of them.  He told me to avoid them and showed me how
,” she replied. 
She shook her head in frustration.
 

“
He showe
d you how?  What do you mean?”
Declan asked.

“There are secret passageways through his manor,” she explained.  “He showed them to me so no one would see m
e
coming
or
going.”