The Langley Sisters Trilogy Boxed Set (88 page)

“No, I want to stay here in case he arrives.” Bella looked out the window while she sipped her tea, tea forced on her by Livvy. She had not slept well and her eyes felt heavy.
 

Where are you?

She’d had so many visions of what could have happened to Luke, her head was struggling to decipher fact from imagination. Was he on a boat to France and or a horse to Scotland? Did he lay injured somewhere? No one knew where he was, only that he was in danger, and someone was after him. The not knowing was destroying her.
 

“Up now, you will put on your bonnet and we are leaving. You are pale and your sisters are worried. Therefore, we are going for a ride in the carriage. You need not speak with me if you do not wish it, but you are coming.”

Bella glared at Will, who was devouring a large piece of cake. Squinting, she examined his face and noticed he did not look as worried as he had yesterday. In fact, he looked almost happy.

“What do you know that you are not telling me?”

“I will say nothing further until you get in the carriage.”
 

They battled wills silently for a few seconds, and then she heaved a tired sigh. “I have no strength with which to argue with you. Therefore, I shall meet you outside shortly, and if I find out you have withheld news of Luke from me, I will make you very sorry.”

“Bella.” She turned at the door as Will spoke.
 

“What?”

“Everything is going to be all right, I promise you.”

She managed a jerky nod and then hurried to her room to retrieve her things.

The day was sunny, although Bella took no pleasure in it as they left the house. Will was seated across from her, elegant as always. He didn’t speak and Bella was not inclined to, either.
 

They passed other carriages and she saw people on foot, and she wondered how it was that the world had not changed when inside she was slowly dying with worry for the man she loved.

She would know if he was hurt, surely? She’d feel it if he was…
no, Bella. You must think only of him alive and walking back through Will’s front door one day soon.

The carriage rolled on and they left the busy London streets. She cared little for where they went, her thoughts, as always, on Luke.

She wanted him to hold her again, wanted to feel what they had shared in his house that night, the warmth of his body against hers.
 

“Here.”
 

She took the handkerchief Will handed her as the first tear fell. Bella had not realized just how many tears she was capable of shedding.
 

“Why have we stopped?” She felt the carriage slow and eventually come to a halt. Looking out the window, Bella saw only paddocks.
 

“I will find out. You stay in here. Will kissed her forehead then climbed from the carriage and Bella gave in to the tears now she was alone. Resting her head on the seat, she closed her eyes. The carriage dipped as Will returned, but Bella did not open her eyes; he did not need to see her despair. He knew how she felt. She heard the curtains draw and was grateful for his kindness. She had no wish for anyone to see her like this.

“Bella.”

She knew that voice. Opening her eyes, she found Luke seated opposite her.
 

“Wh-where have you been?” Her eyes swept over him, taking in the bruises on his face and weariness in his form.
 

“To hell and back without you.” His smile was tired.

“Th-then we have shared the ride.”

He lifted a hand towards her and Bella clutched it. “Will you let me tell you my story, love, so you understand why I did what I did?”

“Who did this to you?” Her voice was raw from crying.

“That is part of the story, and while I want desperately to hold you and erase the pain I can see in your face, telling the story will be easier if I simply have your hand.”

She nodded but remained silent. Opening his fingers, he laced hers tight inside his palm and closed them again.

“I knew it was time to become the man you’d always believed I could be, Bella. Knew that I owed that to myself, but more to those who had always believed in me, you and Will.”

“I would have been happy with you as you were, Luke. Surely you know that.”

“I do, love, and I have no doubts that we would have been happy, but I have come to realize since I took over Freddy’s job that there is so much more that I want to do.”

She listened as he told her about his plans and saw the disappointment and frustration over what had happened. Bella felt anger at the unknown person intent at blackening his name.
 
She heard how doors had been shut to him and about the attempts on his life; lastly he spoke of the letter. His eyes stayed on hers the entire time and she saw the emotion in every word. He had been scared for her, worried someone would hurt her, and that was why he had left.

“I understand why you did what you did, Luke, but you still should have come to me.” Cocooned in the carriage from the outside world, she felt the fear inside her begin to be replaced by anger. He was here and unharmed, and that was all Bella had ever wanted. But someone was trying to destroy him; she wanted him found and made to pay.

“I have loved you my entire life, Isabella Langley. I loved you when you were a little girl who used to follow me around, demanding answers to an unending list of questions. I loved you when you tagged along behind me when I went fishing. But as you grew up, I realized that my love for you was changing. I went to India with Will because my thoughts were too often consumed with you and it was wrong for me to feel that way about such a young girl, and not only that, a gentleman’s daughter, who I believed was beyond my reach. I thought that by going I would stop wanting you, stop weaving dreams about what could never be.”

“I had dreams about you, too, Luke.”

His smile was gentle. “When I came back you were hurting. You’d lost your parents, and had injured your leg. I saw you the day after I returned to Twoaks, walking down the street, and any hope I had that my feelings for you had gone was lost. There you were, my beautiful Bella, older, and, if possible, more lovely, but hurting. I watched you fight the pain, watched as you struggled not to show how much you suffered, but I saw it, Bella, and it nearly killed me.”

“When you returned, I felt as if the sun had come out after endless gray days, Luke. Suddenly I had hope, and you had given that to me,” Bella said. “Yes, I knew that we had a long journey to travel if we were ever to be together, but I always believed that there was no other man for me and never would be.”

“My love for you is everything, sweetheart. It makes me strong, gives me joy, but most of all it fills my heart with warmth. When someone threatened you, I simply lost all reason. I could think of no other option but to protect you, and to do that I had to walk away.”

“You should have told me, Luke. You just disappeared, after that night we spent together, and I did not know where you had gone or why. It wasn’t until Will found your friend Mr. Dillinger and he explained what was happening that I began to understand.”

When Luke had first entered the carriage and seen her tears, he’d wanted to hold her, pull her into his arm and never let her go, but he knew that what she needed from him first was answers.

“I never wanted to hurt you, sweetheart.”
 

“Promise me you will never again leave me without a word, Luke Fletcher. Promise that in the future you will talk to me first if there is trouble.”

Pink tinged her cheek and he realized it was anger that had put it there.

“I promise.”

Luke moved to the edge of the seat and took both her hands then; he could no longer stand the distance between them. Lifting them to his lips, he kissed each finger through the silk of her gloves, then moved to run his thumbs over the dark smudges beneath her eyes.

“What is to happen now?”

“I am living with Dillinger at the moment and we are pretending I have left town. We think that whoever is responsible will think he’s won, and in doing so relax. Then we make him pay.”

“Yes.” She found her first smile. It was small and tired, but a smile nonetheless. “I like that idea.”

“I am in no position to ask this of you, Bella, but I find I cannot wait. I have wanted to ask this question for so long.”

“What is it?”

“Marry me so I can finally hold you in my arms whenever you are near. I no longer want to stand on the sidelines of your life.”

She tugged her hands free and then pulled off her gloves so she could touch him. Running her hands through his hair, she held his cheeks.

“Yes. Oh yes, Luke.”

“I’m sorry, Bella, sorry that you suffered. But if you will have me for better or worse, you will never regret it.”

 
Tears fell down her cheeks as he rested his forehead on hers.
 

“But don’t you know, Luke, you have always been mine, for better or worse. There has never been another man in my heart, nor will there ever be.”

Closing his eyes, Luke realized that even though someone was out there determined to destroy him, as long as he had her, everything would be all right. He kissed her then, a slow hungry kiss that told her of his love. He pulled her into his chest and held her close.

“Is it true?” she whispered against his lips. “Can I really have you now?”

He smiled. “I have always been yours, sweetheart. I just took a while to work out how to make you mine.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, and soon a kiss was not enough. Pulling her onto his lap, she straddled him as Luke undid the clasp at her neck and pushed her cloak aside. Her pale skin beckoned him, so he kissed the smooth swells above the bodice of her dress.

“I’ve woken since that night, aching with need for you, Luke.”

“I, know, my love. I have, too.”

Luke tugged down the bodice and freed her breasts. Lifting one hand, he cupped the flesh and ran his thumb over her peaked nipple. She arched against him, pressing herself into his arousal, seeking more. He licked the creamy slopes and then drew the tight peak into his mouth.
 

“Oh, please,” she begged him for more.

Lifting her skirts, pushing the satin up her slender thighs, Luke then stroked his thumbs inwards to where she needed him most. He touched the crease of her thigh as he continued to lick and stroke her breasts. He was hard and ready, but this was for her, his love, his life.

Easing his hand inwards, he touched the soft petals, his fingers soon covered with her dew. She made small noises as he continued to torment her, until he pushed his fingers inside her.

“Ah, oh, God, Luke!” she cried, coming apart in his arms.

Freeing his aching flesh, he eased her down onto his arousal, while she still shuddered. Taking her mouth beneath his, he then lifted her up and down, until she took over and began to ride him. It was heaven, the feel of her encasing him again. His love, his life.

He felt the pressure build, and then gripping her hips, he drove up as she came down, once, twice. He swallowed her cries, holding her as they both shuddered with their release.

She slumped into his arms, limp against his chest. His breath was harsh as he struggled to draw air into his lungs.
 

“Where is Will?”

“Dillinger is taking him home.”

Her huff of breath trailed a path of heat over his chest, and Luke thought that if he woke with her in his arms every day, then he would wake a happy man.

***

Bella woke smiling for the first time in days. She didn’t wake with that weight in her chest, wondering where Luke was. This time, she laughed out loud. He was hers and she was his. As soon as they found the person responsible, then they would live out their days together and the happiness inside her made her feel light-headed.
 

“Let us get the torture over with, Sally,” she said, trying to remove the huge smile from her face as she lowered her feet over the side of the bed.

“Considering your smile, I imagine I could inflict any amount of pain on you today and you would still be happy.”

“I am feeling better today. Thank you, Sally. Bella lay on her side as the maid picked up her leg and started stretching it.
 

“Well, I am pleased to hear that, darling. However, there is a man in the front parlor who may dampen your mood somewhat.” Livvy walked into her room.

“Who?”

“Lord Anthony.”

“Oh, dear. What does he want?” Bella lifted her head as Sally started needing the scarred flesh of her thigh.
 

“I have no idea, but I did tell him you were busy and he said he would stay for just a moment. Something about a book he borrowed from you.”

“I leant him no book.”

“Well, Will is with him and together they are awaiting you.”

Standing outside the parlor door a short while later, Bella took a deep breath and then entered. Both men rose, and Bella wished them a good morning before taking the seat beside Will.