by Platt, Meara
She released another groaning breath. “Yes.”
“Good. Discussion is over. I’m not letting ye go. Neither will Rafe. We both love ye too much. There’s nothing complicated about this. However, tonight I’ll respect that we’re not wed. Once the room is cleaned up, ye’ll sleep with Rafe in this big bed, if ye dinna mind.”
“I dinna mind,” she said, mimicking his brogue as she cast him a heartwarming smile.
He glanced around the room, noting the overturned tea cart and the broken cups and plates on the floor. There was no food or drink on the cart, for he’d used the same trick as last time, grabbing an empty one from one of the state rooms. But where did he get that maid’s gown? He’d leave it to Mr. Barrow to investigate.
He stared a long moment at the pool of blood in the center of the carpet, uttering another silent prayer of thanks that the blood had mostly been Lord Gordon’s. “The room looks a shambles now, but all that needs to be done is roll away the cart and then fold up that carpet and haul it away. I’m sure the duke has a dozen just like it carefully stored in this house. His housekeeper will replace it.”
She nodded.
He held her hand and continued to chatter, whether for her sake or his, he wasn’t certain. “Of course, I’ll have to pay for this ruined one. Assuming he’ll let me.”
“Do you think he will ask you to pay?”
Gavin laughed. “Probably not. He’ll feel responsible somehow, although none of this is his fault. Well, I’ll write to him and tell him all that’s happened. While ye and Rafe sleep here tonight, I’ll make a pallet for myself on the floor beside the hearth. Tomorrow, ye’ll sleep in my arms. Rafe won’t mind sleeping on the settee tomorrow. Nor will he mind waking up the next morning and hopping into bed between us. He’ll remember this as the happiest trip he’s ever had.”
“My lord, I have–”
“Taffy, I’m to be yer husband. Will ye kindly call me Gavin now? Save that lordship nonsense for when we’re in company.”
She nodded. “Very well…Gavin. There’s one thing I would like to know.”
“Aye, lass. I have no secrets from ye.”
She glanced toward the door, no doubt to make certain no one could hear them talking. But he’d kept the door shut while undressing her and had yet to open it. “Go on, lass.”
“How did Vera die?”
“Blessed saints, what a question to ask me now.” It roiled his stomach to this day to think of it. But Taffy deserved to know. “She died of a lung infection, lass. That’s what the doctors called it. In truth, she died of a broken heart. After she’d learned of MacPherson’s death, nothing mattered to her any more.”
He paused a moment to regain his composure before proceeding. “I think I mentioned before how she was always entertaining guests in our home. I think it was because she hated the quiet. She wanted noise and constant distraction so she would not think of her true love. But in those quiet times, she’d take long walks and was often caught in the rain because she never went out prepared. She was caught in a freezing deluge one day. I searched for her for hours because it was a bad storm and I was afraid she had tried to return home but come to harm along the way. I found her sitting on an outcropping, just sitting there staring at the ocean while the rain poured down on her.”
“Oh, my. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “She was frozen and soaked to the teeth by the time I got her home. My father summoned the best doctors in Inverness, but it was to no avail. She wanted to die. It was a blessed release for her.”
She reached out and took his hand. “It must have been so hard for you and Rafe.”
“Aye, mostly for Rafe. She and I, we’d had no marriage. I worried about the boy losing his mother. I tried to give him all the attention and love that I could. My brother Gareth and his wife did their best, too. They have children of their own and Rafe often spent time with them. He also has two doting grandfathers. My father and Vera’s. I feel worst for her father. He still lives with the pain of knowing how unhappy his choice in a husband made his beloved daughter.”
“It is tragic.”
“Aye. But it has also made me appreciate the importance of marrying for love. Ye are the one for me. Ye bring me joy, lass.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I hear Rafe scratching at the door. May I let him in?”
“Yes, of course.” She took the cloth he’d been pressing against her wound and held it there herself while he made certain she was decently covered by the sheet and coverlet before he strode to the door and opened it.
“I want to see Taffy,” the boy said, ignoring the enormous blood stain blotting the carpet as he rushed to Taffy’s side. “Careful, lad. She’s hurt, so ye must not hug her or jump atop the bed.”
She cast him a bright smile. “Why, Master Rafe. You are my hero.”
“I am?” He was excited to see her and hopping up and down beside her.
“Yes, I think I must give you a hundred points for playing the hide and seek game so well. You were brilliant.”
Gavin smiled, for the lass had such a pure and joyful way with his son.
“Papa! I have a hundred points!”
Gavin’s heart filled with a happiness he’d never known before.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GAVIN REMAINED BY Taffy’s side while the doctor stitched her up. Lord! He’d never felt so helpless. He could do no more than hold her hand while she endured the pain of that needle repeatedly dug into her shoulder.
“It could have been so much worse,” she told him, the brave lass reassuring him when he was the one supposed to be giving her comfort.
“Aye, lass.”
The doctor gave her a dose of laudanum and instructed Gavin when next to give her another dose. “I’ll return in the morning, my lord.”
Taffy was drowsy and still in pain, but managed to fall asleep shortly after the doctor left. Gavin had dressed her in one of his shirts for the sake of modesty, but did not try to put her left shoulder, the injured one, through the sleeve.
Once she was asleep, he allowed the servants in to remove the damage and restore the room. There were still several loose ends to clear up, the most important being how that devil Gordon had gotten in here again? And where had he gotten the maid uniform?
While everyone went about their tasks, Gavin also asked for hot cocoa and ginger cake to be brought up for his son. He wanted to keep matters as normal as possible for him, although who could overlook this lunacy?
Within the hour, the bedchamber was restored. The debris cleaned up and a new carpet laid out. All the while, Taffy slept her drugged sleep. After finishing his cocoa, Rafe climbed into bed beside Taffy. “Papa, can I hold her hand?”
“Aye, son. But ye must do it very carefully and not make a fuss if she does no’ take it. She’s badly hurt and I dinna want ye to do anything that gives her more pain.”
He nodded earnestly. “I won’t, Papa.”
Gavin was proud of how cautious his son tried to be. He placed his little hand in Taffy’s but did not grab it or squeeze too hard. Then he gave a squeal of delight. “Papa, look.”
Taffy had curled her hand around his.
This is how his little boy fell asleep, his face scrunched against Taffy’s good shoulder and his hand wrapped in hers. Just as it should have been with the lad’s own mother and never was. He cleared his throat, having too much to do still to allow tears to cloud his eyes.
He shook his head, unable to believe that so much bounty could spring from the past few days of evil. Seeing how both of his loved ones were peaceful, he went into the sitting room to write all the letters he needed to send off first thing in the morning. He wrote to the Duke of Devon first, giving no details other than Lord Gordon had been the villain and he was now dead. He would ask Devon’s housekeeper or estate manager to make certain it was promptly delivered to him.
Then he wrote a missive to his brother, Adam, merely explaining their visit would be delayed because he was getting married
. He promised to visit him after the spring thaw to introduce him and Lady Remi to Taffy.
His final missives were to his father and Gareth to tell them of his impending marriage to Taffy and once again briefly relate what had happened. He asked his father to break the news to Vera’s father by personally visiting the man. It seemed cold to tell him in a letter, and in truth, Gavin could not find the words to write for fear of increasing the man’s agony. This was one of Vera’s spurned suitors who had tried to kill the old laird’s only grandson. He would pay a call on Laird Grant once they returned to Inverness.
It was close to midnight by the time he’d finished writing all his letters. In the meantime, Mr. Barrow and his men had been winding up their investigation. He would not sleep until he heard their report.
As he was about to go in search of the man, someone knocked lightly on the door. Gavin was relieved to see Mr. Barrow and Mick. “Come in, gentlemen,” he said, motioning for them to join him in the sitting room.
“Thank you, m’lord.” They both shuffled in, sparing a glance at Taffy and Rafe who were curled together in the bed.
“I was on my way to find ye. What news?” he asked before any of them had taken a seat.
Mr. Barrow shook his head. “Another casualty, my lord.”
This surprised him. Then again, Gordon must have had assistance to slip in and obtain the maid’s outfit. “Who?”
“My man, Watkins.”
Somehow, he was not surprised. However, he had no idea how it had happened and was curious to know the details. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Barrow.”
“No, m’lord. I’m the one who’s sorry. It is my fault Miss Ralston is injured. You sensed Watkins was jealous of the lass. You were right. We’ve pieced it together as best we can. It appears he was the one who let Lord Gordon in this second time. He must have slipped back into the music room and unlatched the doors after he and Mick completed their rounds and went off shift for thirty minutes.”
Mick shook his head, looking as glum as his employer. “Lord Gordon must have been watching the house and wondering if it was a trick of some sort. Likely, he was beyond caring or even beyond rational thought by that point.”
Mr. Barrow continued the tale. “I don’t know what Watkins was thinking. Perhaps he thought to lure the man in on his own and take all the glory for singlehandedly apprehending him.”
Gavin nodded. “Aye, it is likely. I dinna know the man and it was obvious to me within a few minutes of meeting him that he harbored deep resentment for Taffy. He dinna care for her safety, only cared about showing her up.”
Mick voiced his agreement. “He was good at following orders but never had good judgment on his own. Terrible judgment, as it turns out. We found him in the music room with his throat slit.”
“We don’t know if Watkins brought the maid’s gown with him or if Lord Gordon stole it afterward on his own.”
“And ye’re certain there are no other casualties?”
Mr. Barrow nodded. “Fortunately, no one else in the household has been hurt…aside from our brave Miss Ralston, that is. And we understand from the doctor that she will survive.”
“Praise heaven,” Mick muttered.
“The magistrate has been called.” Mr. Barrow cleared his throat. “I have not given him a statement yet, but this is something we must discuss. Lord Gordon is of the upper class, m’lord. As are you. But Taffy is no one of consequence. A foundling.”
He understood Mr. Barrow’s drift immediately. Gordon was a nobleman. Taffy was a nobody in the eyes of the law. No matter how unfair, a cruel judge might sentence her to prison. “Aye, there will be consequences if anyone ever finds out she was the one who killed him. But none if I killed him. This is the story I will give. He tried to kill my son. Taffy did her best to fight him off, giving Rafe the chance to escape and find me. I ran up to find Gordon struggling with the girl. I shot him. I will say this under oath, if I must. I dinna care if that lie condemns me in the afterlife. I will not have her life ruined for protecting my son.”
He stared solemnly at Mr. Barrow and Mick. “If pressed for statements, all ye need say is that ye dinna see how it happened, but I had the pistol in my hand and Gordon lay dead. I doubt there’ll be further inquiry. The magistrate is already aware of the attempts on Rafe’s and my life. I’ll deal with the Earl of Moray if he dares to make a fuss. I doubt he will. It would only bring shame upon the Moray clan to know one of their own was trying to kill a little boy.”
He dismissed the Bow Street men and was showing them to the door when Mr. Barrow paused a moment. “M’lord, this situation with Miss Ralston.” He motioned to the bed. “She’s a good girl.”
“I know.” He smiled wryly. “I’ll be obtaining the special license first thing in the morning and marrying her as soon as I can drag a minister back here. She’ll be Lady Falkirk by tomorrow evening, if I have any say in the matter.” He glanced at the bed again. “I’ll not be disturbing her, obviously. My son has already claimed her for tonight.”
“Thank you, m’lord.” Mr. Barrow nodded his approval. “This relieves me greatly. She’s a remarkable girl and deserves the best.”
A thought came into Gavin’s head. “Assuming Taffy…er, Miss Ralston consents, what would ye say to doing a little investigating on our behalf? Do ye think it’s possible to find out the identity of her parents after all these years?”
“Very slim,” Mr. Barrow said. “But if anyone can do it, it would be me. In truth, I’ve been curious about her myself. She’s quality. No mistaking it. Best runner me and Mick ever saw. I’ll be sorry to lose her, but it couldn’t be to a finer man than you, m’lord.”
“Thank ye, Mr. Barrow.” Although probably unnecessary now, Gavin bolted the door after the two runners had left. He was exhausted, but sleep eluded him.
He tossed another log onto the fire, keeping the fire blazing since Taffy would need the heat to warm her after her loss of blood. Then he set up his pallet in the sitting area, but did not stretch out on it yet. Instead, he poured himself a glass of port from one of the bottles the Duke of Devon had stocked for his comfort.
With glass of port in hand, he drew up a chair beside Taffy. He needed to look at this beautiful girl a little while longer.
She opened her eyes as he sat. “I heard all of it. Do you think the authorities would imprison me for defending my life?”
“With the wrong judge, yes. I will no’ have ye put through any of it, lass. Do ye mind if I lie about this? I canno’ let anyone hurt ye. But I give ye my oath, as between ye and me, I shall never lie to ye.”
She cast him a fuzzy smile. “Nor will I ever lie to you. Are you serious about marrying me tomorrow?”
“Aye.”
“I’ll be an ugly bride.”
“Ye’ll be the most beautiful bride that ever existed. I’m going to kiss ye now and then I’ll turn in. Do ye need me to move Rafe over? He’s got his body crushed up against yours.”
“No, I don’t mind. He’s a little bundle of heat. I could do with the warmth.”
Gavin nodded and then kissed her gently on the lips. “I love ye, lass.”
Her eyes turned misty. “Thank you for loving me. It is quite splendid of you. And your kiss was brilliantly executed.”
“It was? Well then, I think ye must award me a hundred points.”
“Done, my lord.”
“Sweet dreams, love.” He cast her a wicked smile. “Dream of me naked.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Six months later
Inverness, Scotland
TAFFY HELD RAFE’S hand as they walked along winding hill path overlooking the water’s edge. It was a glorious June day and they’d decided to picnic where they had a clear view of the glistening, blue sea. Taffy had spread her shawl out for them on the flower dotted hill, and they were munching on apples, shortbread, and goat cheese while the soft breeze wafted off the water and the glorious sun shone down on their faces.
“Taffy, look!” The boy point
ed out to sea.
Amid the white, foamy caps formed on the waves was a pod of whales skimming along the surface. “They’re beautiful. I wonder how many there are.”
They watched them for the longest time, trying to count them. But as the breeze stiffened, Taffy knew it was time to return to Falkirk Manor, their sprawling home that more resembled a fortified castle. “We’ll have to tell your papa about the whales.”
Rafe nodded. “Taffy, why do other children call their mothers Mama? Can I call you that? Why must I call you Taffy?”
Her heart lurched. “Would you like to call me Mama?”
He nodded. “Do you think Papa would mind?”
She gave his hand a little squeeze. “We’ll ask him.”
They hurried into the house and Rafe tore into his father’s study, bursting in on Gavin and Gavin’s father, the Duke of Inverness. “Papa! Papa! You’ll never guess! We saw whales and we counted them. And Mama said I could call her Mama if it was all right with you.”
Taffy was right behind him, trying to contain his exuberance. It was impossible to do. But she melted at the boy’s words. He already considered her his mother. Gavin had noticed it, too. “It’s more than all right with me, lad,” he said, smiling at her as she held a hand over her heart and tried to contain her tears.
The Duke of Inverness was also smiling. “Seems none of the Carstairs men can resist ye, lass. Ye’ve captured all of our hearts.”
She blushed. “As you have all captured mine.”
The duke called to his grandson. “Come along, Rafe. I think it’s time for our hot cocoa. Let’s leave your mama and papa alone to talk.”
Rafe looked up at his grandfather with earnest blue eyes. “They’re not going to talk, Grandda. Papa’s going to kiss her. That’s what he always does.”
The old man laughed. “Well, then. Let’s leave them to their kisses.” He walked out with the boy, closing the door behind them.
Gavin rose from behind his desk and came around to take her in his arms. “I love ye, lass. I’m glad Rafe wants to call ye his mama.”