To Love A Lord of London (Wardington Park; Raptures of Royalty) (21 page)

“
E
asy now
,” the calm masculine voice coaxed her awake.

J
ane opened
her eyes slowly and found herself looking up into a circle of trees. Deep greens and dark bark. The sun still broke through, making the cracks between the leaves almost look like crystals. It was one of those long summer days.

“Miss Croftman?”

She turned her head and realized two things instantly. One, her head was not on the ground but in a lap. And two, that lap belonged to Lord Cartridge. His dark blue eyes were full of worry.

“Are you all right?” His fingers trailed down her cheek, sending a warmth through her.

She sprung up, sitting up straight, away from his heat. That’s when she realized her dress was undone. She grabbed it toward her, her eyes wide. She looked at him, accusingly.

His hands came up in surrender. “I didn’t look. I only undid the buttons down the back. I took no liberties. I was simply helping you breathe.”

She stared at him. “Why are you here?”

“
I
followed you
.”

He could be following you now.

She was beginning to find it hard to breathe again. “You told me I had three days.”

He frowned, “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t look for answers on my own.” He sat in the grass next to her, his back against a tree, his blonde hair pushed back from his handsomely tan face. Even in his dark suit, he looked right at home in the woods. His cravat was gone, and a few of the top buttons of his shirt were undone, allowing her a glimpse at his throat, watching it move as he spoke. “Who hurt you?”

She looked away.

“Jane.” There was softness there. “Let me help you. I’m the Earl of Cartridge.”

The Earl of Cartridge knows?
She remembered the fear in Bruno’s eyes. She’d never seen the big man afraid of anything.

S
he turned to him
. She wanted his help.

At any moment His Grace could air your family’s secret out to the public
. And it was her secrets that she truly had to protect… even from the earl.

“No, I’m fine,” she whispered.

“Jane,” his words were hard. “You’re obviously not fine.” His hand moved to her arm, moving the sleeve away, revealing Bruno’s mark. “Who did this?”

She said nothing.

“Was it a lover?”

Her eyes went wide.

He shook his head and looked away, scoffing. “No, not a lover.”

She frowned at his words, so quick to believe that no man would want her. She straightened her clothes and stood, trying to fix the rest, but the job was truly meant for someone to stand behind and do.

The earl stood, “Let me help you.”

S
he dropped
her arms and allowed him to button her. She stood still as she felt the pressure of his fingers slowly glide up her back. He seemed to take forever on each button. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath against her neck.

He spoke again, “Tell me something, Jane. Anything.”

She turned and found his face already there, next to hers. Her eyes moved over his face, remembering how she’d touched his brows, nose, and cheek when he’d been unconscious. Had he done the same to her? Here in this forest? He said he hadn’t taken liberties, but… had his fingers roamed her face? Her eyes moved to his, and their gazes locked.

“Help me make sense of this,” he whispered.

She smiled. “Nothing makes sense.”

He was quiet for a second. “I agree.” And then his lips crushed hers.

His hands left their button duty, and instead, moved to her hips, spinning her around. Jane’s hands found themselves around his neck before she glided them into his hair. She hadn’t touched his hair before now and found the strands of sunlight to be soft. His mouth worked hers open and Jane pushed herself closer to him, wanting to be wrapped into his heat. His touch.

“
N
othing makes sense
.” His words echoed hers right before he was kissing her again, his lips sliding down her cheek. “I should have you arrested.” A kiss on her jaw. “Locked away for good.” His lips slid down her neck. “Somewhere where I couldn’t touch you… even when it’s the only thing I wish to do.”

She clung to him as waves of heat crashed over her. Her heart beat rapidly. His kisses made it hard to breath for an entirely new reason. Faint licks flowed down her jaw as his lips slid down her neck. He guided her backwards. Her bare back hit the tree.

Jane broke the kiss at the shock of the bark against her flesh. She looked up and found his eyes almost black. She gasped, “Lord Cartridge—”

His finger touched her lip. “Call me William.” And then he was kissing her again with a growing amount of passion.

Jane pulled him closer still. “William,” she whispered each time his lips left hers. He was taking liberties now, and so was she in calling him by his given name.

“Jane!” The name cracked like thunder in the distance.

They both turned, jumping apart.

Jane grabbed her dress when he began to slip off her shoulders.

J
oseph looked
like he was seeing red. His eyes moved from Jane to William and back again. “What is it with you men and my sisters?”

Jane knew exactly what he was talking about. Catherine and Andrew had also been caught in a similar situation by Joseph just a little over a week ago. It had led to a horrible proposal from Andrew—which Catherine had denied—but later had led to a real proposal, which Catherine had loved.

But there was no love between her and the earl. There could only be scandal.

Joseph began to walk toward them, his hands fisted.

William spoke, “I’ll marry her.”

Joseph paused.

Both pairs of Croftman eyes went wide.

“You will?” Joseph asked.

William nodded.

Dread filled Jane’s limbs. She shook her head. This situation was getting worse by the minute. She had no idea what William was thinking… Actually, she knew exactly what he was thinking. The earl obviously didn’t wish to end up with a black eye that matched Andrew’s. “No, that’s not necessary. We can all simply—”

“
N
o
.”

Jane looked at her brother and saw the unwavering certainty in his eyes. “You will marry the earl.”

Jane’s stomach flipped as fear gripped her. Her brother, whom she loved, wouldn’t do this to her. “Joseph, please—”

A swift hand in the air silenced her. He simply stared at her. “I can’t control you, Jane.” And there was hurt in his eyes. He asked her, “Was there ever a painting?”

Guilt ate at her.

“A pen?” His eyes moved to William, who looked ever so lost.

More lies. They were all coming down on her now. She didn’t want to marry William or give him her troubles, ruin him as she was ruined.

Jane tried one last time, “Joseph—”

Her brother turned to William. “She is yours.”

A
nd like that
, it was done.

Joseph walked over and grabbed his hand before walking off, telling William to come by the townhouse on the morrow. Silence remained between the siblings, along with the sound their steps made as they travelled through the grass. A part of Jane wished never to speak to her brother again, but the other part of her, the more reasonable part that many believed she lacked, wished to ease some of his pain. But the words wouldn’t come.

She couldn’t tell him that everything would be all right or that he’d made the best decision considering the circumstances, but he hadn’t. A marriage to William would only bring worse things, and Jane was not ready for worse.

She thought about Bruno’s final words. She was not to do a thing until he contacted her again, which was good. She hated the lying and the stealing. Then she thought about William’s deadline. Her fiancé’s deadline. Two days and then he would demand the truth. A truth she could never give him.

“
W
hat did you find out
?”

W
illiam had barely found
his seat in the dark shadows of his office before his assistant, Cornelius, began to speak.

“The man’s name is Bruno. People say they saw him in Hyde Park this morning. Only one they said ‘didn’t belong’. Stood out easily. I tracked him to the East End. A courtesan on the street told me that Bruno works for a man who forces everyone to call him His Grace.” Cornelius took a seat in the chair across from him. The man was younger than William with dark, nearly black hair, but had gray eyes with dark irises that tended to scare people if they stared for too long. He’d grown up on the east side of London and had lived there until William found him for purposes of this nature. If he wanted information, William had no doubt Cornelius could get it.

“
W
as
that all you could find?”

Cornelius didn’t flinch, “Yes.”

“His Grace?” The earl thought about the information Cornelius had given him. “Do you believe him to be duke?” After all, ‘His Grace’ was a duke’s form of address.

“It wouldn’t be the first one o’ your kind came ‘round to our side o’ life,” he said, easily slipping into the accent more familiar with the streets he’d grown up on—the accent that he used whenever he had to go back.

A duke running a nefarious operation in the poor side of London?

William knew that to be possible. All manner of trouble could be found in the darker parts of London. Men who wished to keep their true natures hidden spent much time there, throwing money around to keep the people around them silent. What was Jane doing working with a man like Bruno?

“Do you think Miss Croftman is involved with the man?” his assistant asked.

“No.” And he couldn’t explain the anger he felt with even the thought of it. He remembered how innocent her kiss had been. He knew experienced women, and she was not one of them.

“Are you truly going to marry her?” He lifted a brow.

W
illiam avoided
his eyes by looking at the lamp. “I told her brother I would. I’d little choice at the time. He’d have had every right to call me out. Besides, it couldn’t be avoided forever. I’ve a duty to produce an heir. Lawson men have held this earldom for five generations, and I won’t have it passed on to a cousin after I die. Jane will do.”

“But, do you truly feel marrying a woman like this is the best idea? Have you considered the past? Isabella? What if you fall in love with Miss Croftman?”

He brought his eyes back to the other man's. Isabella. The name was practically forbidden in his presence. The image of lifeless blue eyes staring up at him shook him to the core. Her death still made it hard to sleep at night… especially when it had been his fault. “I won’t fall in love.” Never again. Love was too great a risk. Especially with Jane. “Our marriage will be like any other marriage of the ton. One of convenience.”

Cornelius stood. “I’ll see what else I can find out about this duke. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”

H
e didn’t
. His mind had already conjured up Jane’s glorious face. She had a stunning look that could easily be adored. Those eyes. Her sweet lips. William truly believed that the only reason Jane wasn’t already married was because of her disappearing act. It was one spoken of often around the ballrooms of the peerage. It was no wonder Joseph had been more than ready to give her away. Once married, she’d be his problem. His wife. The Countess of Cartridge. And there would be no disappearing acts once they were wed. William would make sure of that.

He arrived on time the next morning and knew it was only his imagination that the Croftman’s large townhouse looked different. William was nervous. No, more than nervous. The anxiety was eating him alive.

The butler opened the door and took his card before allowing him into the house. White with other pale colors flowed throughout the foyer, causing the wide space to seem endless. The butler walked him past the room he knew Joseph’s office to be in and through the back doors that led out into an open garden. There were voices in the distance. Feminine. He knew Jane to be one of them. But they took a different direction, walking away from the voices and toward a group of trees. And there was Joseph. Shirtless. Heaving a large ax before connecting it with a tree. The man was cutting his own wood and looked natural doing it. The stance was well-balanced, and the ax came down, connecting perfectly with the tree. Joseph knew what he was doing with the large tool. Was this intimidation? It was working.

“
M
r. Croftman
, the Earl of Cartridge is here.”

Joseph Croftman turned around, and William once again knew that not many men could rival the man’s height and bulk. He was a wealthy man who didn’t believe in allowing others to see to his finances, and it had paid off in both profits and stature.

“My lord.” There was a bit of indignation in the tone. The ax still rested in his hand.

The earl lifted a brow, “Do you plan on using that thing on me?”

Brown eyes held his. “Not sure yet.” The answer was so honest that William would have laughed had he not been the one to which violence had been promised. To the butler he said, “Have a maid bring water for Lord William and I—”

“No, thank you,” William cut in. “I’m fine.”

“Water,” Joseph insisted. As the butler turned away, he held the ax out for William. “Help your future brother-in-law survive the winter?”

W
illiam looked amazed
. The man employed at least two dozen staff members who could easily do this job, or he could simply buy the wood like any other insanely wealthy individual, yet he wanted William to do it. It was a test. William shrugged out of his coat and rolled up his sleeves before taking the ax and walking toward the tree. After finding his footing and testing the weight of the tool, he swung. Metal met wood and wood bent to his will. Thanks to his father, William and his deceased older brother had both learned to cut wood along with other skills in the woods. Ernest Lawson would take his sons to the forest, which lined their property at Cartridge Abbey, and forbade the boys from returning home until they’d passed a wilderness test. Lawsons were proud men—men of valor who’d made their name in war. And even though he knew the likelihood of his sons ever having to enter war themselves, thanks to their position in life, was slim, he’d wanted them to be ready.

C
harles
, William’s older brother, had been. He’d volunteered to fight Napoleon, standing alongside the other British men who’d taken up arms to fight. Since Charles had been earl, he’d been given one of the highest ranks in the army, but not even that had stopped death from knocking at his door. William had been too young to go fight himself, only fourteen, but he’d known that had he been old enough, he would have volunteered as well. He was Lawson.

“I assume that your presence here confirms your agreement to this match?”

William turned to him and swiped the sweat from his brow. “You should have taken my words in the park as confirmation. I will keep my word.”

“The word of a gentleman?” he all but spat. He lounged casually in the grass. His arms resting on his knees. He didn’t even care that William now had the advantage on him, an ax in his hand. He simply sat there, looking up at William, questioning whether William had any honor. But after the scene from the park, William couldn’t completely blame the man. After all, Jane’s dress had been undone. Her arms around him. His hands on her, exploring her small curves. Her soft lips under his. He hadn’t had any gentlemanly thoughts at the time. As a matter of fact, he barely managed to have any whenever Jane was within reaching distance. No, perhaps Joseph couldn’t trust the word of a gentleman.

“
T
he word of an earl
,” he countered before returning to the task of cutting the tree.

“I doubt you love her, though how much you know her, I can’t be sure. I hardly know her myself.” The emptiness in the last sentence rang in William’s ears and confirmed his belief that Jane’s family was not involved in whatever arrangement Jane had with His Grace. He continued cropping at the tree while in thought.

Joseph continued, “But, you’ll be kind to her?”

“Yes.”

“
F
aithful to your vows
?”

William looked at him. He would not lie. “So long as she keeps hers.” Like Joseph, he had no idea who Jane truly was. And though he was sure his words weren’t the ones any elder brother wanted to hear… William held the ax.

The men stood back and watched the tree fall. It had barely hit the ground before a group of men were at it at once. One servant came over and took William’s ax with a grin. “You’ve great form, my lord.”

William nodded at the man before watching him join the others. The tree would be firewood within the hour.

“
A
re you the reason
?”

The earl looked at the other man. “I beg your pardon?”

Joseph was looking at the men work. “Are you the reason she sneaks off at odd times?” His dark eyes turned to William. “Because, I hope you are. If only to make sense of the girl.”

W
illiam shook his head
, “Outside of the incident in the park the other day, I’ve never…”

“Please.” A hand came up. And then he chuckled. “I believe you. Jane doesn’t seem the type.” Then he sighed, “It just would have been easier to put her into some sort of… category.” He had an organized mind.

Thief worked, William thought. Cheat. Criminal. He could reveal to Joseph what he knew… but decided not to. Whatever was happening with Jane, he would see to it alone. “I will protect your sister with my life.” It was the best he could come up with at the time.

Joseph turned to him and nodded. William saw some of the tension leave his face. “Let’s head into the house and finish the contract.”