Dubois roared his frustration and tried to lunge for the duke’s neck, but fell weakly at his feet instead. The duke stood over him for a moment, then, with a flick of his wrist, motioned the two agents forward. “Take him to the coach and make sure he is securely chained. I will be there shortly.”
The agents nodded, then each one moved to either side of Dubois. Taking him by the arms, they dragged him from the room. Once they were gone, the duke went to Alice’s side.
“I was worried,” he said, his voice gruff as he held out her wounded arm. “But apparently it was for naught. You’ve done well.”
She moved closer to her father and smiled. “Papa, I was right about Pembroke. He was innocent. His valet, Jasper framed him because his little brother was killed spying for Wellington.” Alice’s forehead creased as she looked down at her arm. “Winnie is going to be cross with me. There’s blood on my gown and she says it’s nearly impossible to get out of silk.”
Her father kissed her forehead, letting out a relieved breath. “I’m going to have to make arrangements for Jasper and his brother. They have a bit of explaining to do.” He turned to Christian. “Would you see my daughter home?”
“Of course, Your Grace.” He offered his elbow to Alice, and she took it with her good arm. He put his other hand over hers, grateful to have her at his side again.
They walked down the narrow stairs, her steps slow and measured. “Is your ankle paining you?” he asked, “or your shoulder?”
“No, I just don’t want to trip on my gown and fall down the stairs at your feet.” She darted a glance at Christian and he laughed.
“You’re worried about swooning at my feet?” He leaned in and raised his brows, enjoying the blush spreading across her cheeks. “Because you think I’m so handsome?”
She pushed away from him slightly, letting out a disgruntled puff of air. “What a vexing rogue you are.”
“So you don't deny it?" He pulled her close to him as she shook her head in mock dismay. He laughed again and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall,” he assured her. “Whether you think I’m handsome or not.”
Alice rolled her eyes, but they did manage to reach the landing at the bottom of the stairs safely. Once they were near the back hallway, Christian steered her into the kitchen. No one was inside and the inn was eerily quiet. Presumably, the duke had taken the innkeeper into his custody, and the downstairs portion of the inn had closed when they left. Either way, he wanted to take care of Alice whether or not anyone was about.
Sitting her down on a stool, he turned to the cupboard and took down a bottle of whisky. After pulling out his handkerchief, he tore it in two.
“What are you doing?” she asked with an amused smile, color high in her cheeks.
“Taking care of you.” He gently lifted her arm. The fabric of her dress had been cut cleanly from the shoulder to the elbow. Pulling apart the threads that were barely holding the sleeve together, he bared her arm. The cut didn’t look deep, but would need to be cleaned and dressed.
“My father’s physician can do it.” She looked down at her arm and bit her lip, quickly turning her face away. “I didn’t realize there was quite so much blood.”
He touched her under the chin and gently turned her face until she looked into his eyes. “The sooner we disinfect the cut, the harder it will be for infection to set in. I’d rather do this now.”
She nodded and Christian let his thumb trace her jaw, wishing he could take the pain away for her. “This is going to hurt a bit. I’m sorry.” Quickly, before she could think about it, he poured the whisky on the cut, catching the excess with one half of his handkerchief.
She ground her teeth together and whimpered, but no other sound escaped. Christian worked quickly. In the field, staving off fevers and infection had been the biggest priority. Many men had received minor wounds, only to die from the infection that set in afterward. He wasn’t about to let that happen to Alice.
Once the wound was clean, he bound it with the other half of his handkerchief. Tying it off with a small bow, he bent over and kissed it. She touched his hair, her hands running over his head, soothing him, then guiding him upward until his mouth touched hers. Tasting her lips, and being close enough to feel her against him warm and whole, made this kiss something he’d never felt before. All the pulse-pounding anxiety and fear easily turned to passion and yearning for the woman in front of him. He couldn’t get enough.
Letting his hands rove over her back, he pulled her to a standing position and pressed her closer. “Alice,” said, savoring her name as he imprinted little kisses from her jaw to her ear. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Never.” She arched against him and tried to slide her arms around his neck, but pulled back with a hiss. “Oh, my arm,” she said, wincing. “I’m sorry.”
“Forgive me for forgetting myself.” He gave her one last chaste kiss before he stepped back. “We need to get you home.”
“I didn’t mind,” she said with a saucy grin.
Christian looked down at her and the moment froze in time. There she was, in a stranger’s kitchen, her dress torn and bloodied after a battle, but with a smile on her face. Her courage and zest for life made him want to hold her against him and never let her go. This was a night that would be impressed upon his mind forever.
She was brilliant.
He kept her arm in his and walked her carefully to the back door. With one last glance around, Christian led her through the shadow-darkened path to the courtyard. When they turned the corner, they nearly came face-to-nose with Prince. The boy walking him around the perimeter grinned when he saw Christian.
“I held him, just like you asked, m’lord,” the lad said.
Christian pulled a crown out of his pocket and gave it to the boy. “You earned it, lad.”
The boy took the money and stared at it a moment before he put it in his pocket. “Wait until I show my ma!” And he ran off.
Christian took off his greatcoat and put it around Alice, turning her so he could fasten it at her neck. It fell nearly to her ankles. “I rode here as fast as I could. I’ve never been so frightened in my life. I can’t help but think if only I’d arrived sooner, you might not have been hurt.”
She looked up at him, her eyes bright. “I knew you’d come for me. I stayed calm as best I could and tried to remember my training. I think I surprised Dubois.”
Christian chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t doubt you did. You’ve surprised me from the moment I met you. And tonight you single-handedly saved the list and thwarted a traitor. You should get a medal.”
“For now, I’d like a warm bath.” She leaned into him, and Christian held her close with one arm, the other rubbing her back in soothing circles.
“Will you ride with me? Or should I ask for Pembroke’s carriage to be readied?” Christian knew what he wanted her to choose, but waited for her answer.
She grinned. “We’ve come this far. I want to see it through to the end. And I must say, it seems fitting that we ride back to Langdon Park together. Too bad we can’t sport a victory flag of some sort.”
The corners of his mouth turned up as he pulled her close. “We make a good team,” he said. “And I don’t think I want that to end.”
Alice reached out and pushed his hair back from his forehead. “Neither do I.”
He bent down and claimed her lips. She had battled tonight and won. She was wounded, but alive, and his pulse thrummed through him as he pressed her closer. Alice returned his kiss with fervor, her lips branding him, as she slowly and carefully threaded her good hand through his hair. All the worry and fear that had run through his veins tonight melted away. It was only her. Her sweet scent of rosewater was now mixed with the faint smell of blood— another testament of her strength and character.
She’d proven herself a hero tonight. And whether he was the one handing her a weapon or standing at her side to fight, he knew he always wanted her with him.
>
Together. Always. In victory or defeat.
Chapter Seventeen
ALICE BURROWED HER nose into Christian’s greatcoat, the bergamot and mint scent giving her a sense of comfort. Prince carried both of them without any effort, and it wouldn’t be long before she was home. For now, though, she was enjoying being warm and safe with Christian’s solid presence at her back and his arms surrounding her.
She leaned into him and turned her head. “You know, when I finally realized what was happening, and that the valet was the traitor, my first thought was, I was right about Pembroke being innocent.”
“Yes, your instincts were right on.” He tightened his arms around her. “The day we went shooting I spoke with him and started to doubt his guilt as well. The evidence was just so overwhelming, I couldn’t see how he could explain that away.”
“Jasper did a thorough job in framing him.” Alice shifted her weight. “I hope the drugs Pembroke was given don’t do any permanent damage.”
“I’m sure your father will have a lot of questions for him when he’s lucid.” Christian’s breath tickled her neck and sent tingles down her spine. She couldn’t stop thinking about the kisses they’d shared in the kitchen and the courtyard. He’d come for her. Believed in her. And she wanted him to be hers.
“Does your father know what you do for the Falcon Group?” Alice kept her voice low and soft. Was his family difficult to talk about?
“I think he guessed after a while.” Christian’s voice trailed off. “The three of us―my brother, my father, and me―were so close after my mother died. My father would talk over the parliamentary matters he was involved with, and my brother talked about the estate. Endlessly.” He chuckled. “When we were at home together, we hunted and fished, and when we were apart, we wrote each other regularly.” His voice got very soft, barely more than a murmur. “They both knew their place in the world, but it took me longer to find mine. And now that I have, I must give it up. Family always comes first.” Christian straightened in his seat and shifted her closer to him. “Not that I mind, really. I just feel most useful and able to contribute my skills in military and intelligence matters.”
“You haven’t lost your place and purpose. It’s just changing a bit.” She twisted so she could meet his eyes. “You’re going to help the men coming home from the war, and you’re in a unique position to help change the laws of our country to do more for them as well. And you still have Falcon Group, though your role might be different now.”
He kissed the end of her nose. “I love how you think. You see things so clearly, and you help me see things differently as well,” he said in her ear. “You’re unlike every other woman I’ve ever met.”
“I’ll assume you mean that as a compliment.” She smiled and turned forward once again.
“Most definitely a compliment.” He leaned forward, his lips nuzzling the nape of her neck. “When we realized you’d been taken, I was so worried, but your father reassured me that you were armed and capable. And you were.”
His kisses were featherlight, but they started a firestorm in her middle. “I was still glad to see you walk into that parlor,” she said, a mite breathlessly.
“With my brother’s death and my father’s illness . . . I couldn’t lose you as well.” He kissed her earlobe and she closed her eyes, wishing they weren’t on horseback. “You’ve become so important to me in such a short time.”
She gazed up at him and tilted her face just enough to kiss the edge of his mouth. “You’re important to me, too.”
The lights of Langdon Park were just ahead, and Alice sighed. She wanted more time. Right here, on the back of the horse, with only stars as their witness, everything seemed how it should be. This was where she wanted to stay. If only she could.
There were no carriages in front of the mansion, and the house was quiet, so the masquerade guests must have all gone home. Two grooms came out to meet them as they approached. Christian dismounted, then gently lifted her down. She swayed toward him, and he quickly handed off the reins off to a groom and swept her into his arms. Her excitement had given way to exhaustion, so Alice laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes.
The butler opened the door as they gained the top step and Alice’s mother was in the entryway. “Oh, Alice!” she exclaimed, rushing to her side. “Take her to the drawing room.”
“I’m all right, Mama,” Alice said, but her voice sounded small in the large entryway. The duchess probably hadn’t heard.
Once in the parlor, Christian set her down on the green damask sofa, then promptly took the seat beside her. She laid her head against his shoulder as her mother sat in the chair right next to her and dismissed all the servants.
“What happened?” the duchess asked when they were alone, discreetly wiping away a tear. “I was so worried when your father said he was going to find you.”
Alice looked over at her mother. “Lord Pembroke’s valet was framing him for Thomas’s murder and for being a traitor to the Crown.” Her arm was starting to throb. “He was beside himself after his brother died in the war, spying behind enemy lines for Wellington. He wanted revenge, so he was going to make everyone think I had run off with Lord Pembroke, then sell us to the French.”
Christian’s body tensed as she spoke. She lightly touched the back of his hand. “It all ended well, though.” Her eyes were starting to close. She was feeling so very tired all of a sudden.
“Your daughter was magnificent. She kept her head about her and managed to foil all his plans.” Christian’s voice rumbled through her and Alice sighed.
The door opened and her father strode in. He walked to his wife’s side immediately and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry to have worried you, my dear,” he said softly. “It couldn’t be helped.”
She sniffed. “I agreed to all your extra activities from your very first assignment all those years ago, and I know your work is important,” she said, softening the admonishment with a small smile. “But I do worry.”
Alice opened her eyes and found her father’s gaze. “Where is Dubois? And Jasper?”
“We took them to the Priest House on the far side of the estate. It hasn’t been used in years and is in a bit of disrepair, but there are several rooms without windows, and doors that lock from the outside. It’s the most secure building we have until we can get them back to London.” Her father sat down in a chair opposite her mother. “How are you feeling, Alice?”
“Tired.” She looked over at Christian. “Relieved.” Turning back to her father, she straightened. “Has Dubois or Jasper said anything?”
“My physician is with Dubois now. It wouldn’t do for him to bleed to death before I can deliver him to the Foreign Office. He hasn’t said a word. Jasper is very anxious to talk, however. He claims he never meant to harm you at all, that he only wanted money for his mother, to ease her pain and suffering after the loss of her son. Though if you ask him about Thomas or the Earl of Pembroke, he’s not very complimentary. Nothing I can repeat in the presence of ladies, you understand.” He winked at Alice. “Not that you would want to hear it anyway.”
“What happens now?” the duchess asked, twisting her handkerchief in her hands. “Will they be here much longer?”
“No, my dear. I will have them moved as soon as I can make arrangements.” He stood and touched his wife’s shoulder. “I won’t have them here a moment longer than necessary.”
Her mother stood with him, patting his hand. “Thank you, Edmund. Now, we need to get Alice in bed. I’ll ring for Winnie and make sure to have Cook make a posset for you. It will all look better in the morning.”
“Yes, Mama.” Alice felt Christian’s arms come around her again.
“Perhaps I should assist her upstairs. The shock seems to have set in.” Christian pressed her close, and Alice sighed into his warmth. He always seemed warm. Or was making her feel warm.
“Thank you.” The duke held the door open for them, and the duchess led the way.
/> “I’d like to meet with you tomorrow morning, Your Grace,” Christian said as he passed by with Alice.
“Yes, I think you should,” the duke said, nodding as they gained the hallway.
Alice wanted to ask if she should be ready to give a report to her father as well, but her head felt heavy. Tomorrow. Everything would look better tomorrow.
Christian easily carried her upstairs as if she weighed nothing, and deposited her on her bed at her mother’s direction. Before he drew away, however, Alice felt his kiss on her brow. “Sleep well, my beautiful warrior,” he whispered, and then he was gone.
Alice smiled and turned into her pillow. She was so very tired, but contentment washed over her. Christian recognized the things about her that made her stand out and would be an embarrassment, or perhaps even ruin her, if anyone found out. But those were the things that had captured his attention.
He’d truly seen the woman she was. And admired what he saw.
Warmth pooled in her chest at the thought, and then she let herself sleep, dreaming of the man who had won her heart.
Chapter Eighteen
CHRISTIAN ROLLED UP his shirtsleeves as he approached the Priest House where Dubois and Jasper were being held. He had so much pent-up energy flowing through him after the scene at the inn and getting Alice home that he needed to do something.
Nodding to the agent standing sentry at the door, Christian entered. The entryway was bare, lit only by two torches fastened to the wall. Walking forward, Christian found the duke sitting in a small antechamber that boasted two chairs and a table.
He looked up at Christian. “I thought I might see you tonight. How’s Alice?”
“Sleeping. Exhausted.” Christian sat down in the chair across from the duke. “How is the questioning going here?”
The Marquess Meets His Match Page 14