by Cheryl Bolen
She’d never met a man who did anything just to be kind. And his words in the stable tonight hinted that Daniel was no exception.
But what kept her awake was not the fear of what he would do with the information, but the feeling of hurt swimming in her gut. He had kissed her as if she was his world. Was he false? Is this how her mother thought of her father?
She had wanted Daniel to be different. She swallowed hard. She liked him and that made him dangerous. She’d always said she would never let a man close enough to hurt her and Daniel’s words ‘pay me back’ cut like a knife deep into her chest.
And she didn’t know what she was going to do about it because to her horror she still liked him. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. But could she trust him?
She fell asleep planning how to test Daniel and what he wanted from her. It was terribly annoying that she looked forward to it.
Daniel slowly stirred awake still exhausted from his long night in the stable attending Colton. He’d fallen into bed at dawn’s light dreaming of long fair hair and soft creamy skin lying next to his. And in his dreams he’d kissed every inch of her skin.
Georgiana immediately filled his waking thoughts too.
He was about to roll over onto his back and instigate another sensual dream when a delicate feminine cough made him freeze. He glanced over his shoulder to see Rheda sitting on the edge of his bed and flopped back to the sheets, inwardly groaning as his erection withered.
“You normally don’t sleep this late. Were you up into the early hours with the horse you brought back from Lord Wentworth’s.”
Trust his sister to know everything before he woke. “Her father would have shot the horse. What else was I to do?”
“From what I hear from Michael we may have to anyway.”
He rolled over onto his back. “That is why I did not get to bed until dawn. I wanted to see if the inflammation had gone down at all with the heat.”
“And has it?”
He yawned before nodding.
“Then you can explain to me why you did not tell me it was Georgiana who hit you over the head and tried to steal Apollo.”
He sat up and leaned against the headboard conscious he was very naked under the sheets and although his sister had seen him in the flesh many times as they grew up, he was now a grown man.
“Sister dear, can we not have this conversation once I am dressed and have at least some food in my stomach. I want to see the horse before Georgiana gets here—if she is not here already.”
“She’s here.”
If he wasn’t naked he’d have jumped out of bed. “Don’t blame her. It was her groom that hit me. Besides, I believe she has a claim to Apollo. Her grandfather gifted the colt to her.”
“She couldn’t have come and told us that?”
He briefly closed his eyes. “I remember not so long ago a young lady who trusted no one. So much so it almost got her killed. Sound familiar? Georgiana’s upbringing has not allowed her to trust.”
Rheda shrugged her shoulders as if she had forgotten her past. “Still, her groom might have killed you. I’m not sure I can forgive that.”
He leaned forward and took her hand. “You will because you know what it is like for a woman on her own to fight for her livelihood. And because you have a big heart.”
Rheda sniffed but did not remove her hand from his. “Her father is a complete arse. He reminds me of our father. Poor girl.” She suddenly leaned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I like the girl. She reminds me of me.”
He sat back and laughed. “Of course she does.”
“Then I feel I am in a position to give you some advice.”
His laugh faded. “Advice on what exactly.”
This time his sister gave a knowing smile. “On how to win her heart of course.”
Daniel scuttled back until his back hugged the headboard. “Oh, no. I’m too young to be married.”
“Don’t be silly. Age has nothing to do with finding the one—finding your soul mate.”
His mouth hung open because he could not refute her logic. Was Georgiana the one? He gave a wry smile. “Pretty hard to woo a lady who trusts no man.”
“Then you have to earn her trust and the only way to do that is to be truthful. Don’t keep secrets or try to out smart her. Simply tell her and your pride be damned.”
He slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that? Just because I know I’m being truthful doesn’t mean she does.”
Rheda stood and moved to the door of his bedchamber. “Trust is earned through actions. It’s Christmas. What do you think she’d love as a present?”
He had already decided to give Apollo back to Georgiana but what he was trying to figure out was how he could keep her father from stealing it from her once again.
“If you marry her you can keep both Georgiana and the horse safe.” Just before she left his room Rheda added, “And I’d sort it out soon before she does something stupid.”
As she shut the door he yelled after her, “Like you did.”
But his sister was right. Billy spoke of a plan. He threw back the bedcovers calling for his valet.
Chapter 6
The day was bitterly cold and Georgiana hugged Apollo simply to warm herself up from her ride over to the Hascombe estate. She’d already visited with Colton and noticed his limp was still there but he at least could stand on the leg.
Apollo seemed to be happy here and for that she was grateful. She smiled to herself. Michael, Lord Hascombe’s head groom, was not letting her out of his sight.
“Did you miss me, my beautiful boy?” Georgiana said as she stroked Apollo's nose.
“That's a leading question,” a masculine voice said as Daniel walked out of the shadows and came to stand next to her at Apollo's stall.
“It wasn't a question aimed at you.”
“Well, you can hardly expect Apollo to answer,” Daniel replied with a cheeky grin. A grin she was becoming far too enamored with.
She moved slightly sideways, the current streaming through her at just the touch of his shoulder against her arm, unsettling her. To her dismay, the colt was more than eager for Daniel's touch. She could understand the longing.
“Thank you for allowing me to come and see both Colton and Apollo. There is no doubt in my mind that father would've shot a lame horse, and he would've tried to sell Apollo again.”
“That's highly risky. It's fraud. If your father was caught the sentence would be severe.”
She looked away from Daniel's hypnotizing eyes and thought on what he just said. She bent forward and placed a kiss on Apollo's nose. “If I didn't love you so much, it would almost be worth taking you home and dangling you in front of father. But I can’t prove ownership. I could, however, let Lord Gaston know the horse he just bought is a hag. Father sold King Heron three months ago to Lord Featherstone.”
She sensed Daniel stiffened beside her. “He would be in a lot of trouble. You hate him that much?”
She choked up with emotion. “You don't know my father like I do.”
To her surprise Daniel reached out and took her hand in his. “Why don't you tell me? If he has done anything to hurt you, I would—”
“My father is a bully. He’s selfish. He is truly evil. However, I’m too precious to hurt at the moment.” Daniel remained silent understanding there was more to tell. She just didn't know if she could bring herself to trust him. “A handsome face, clever words, and a lofty title. The combination is hard for any young woman to ignore. Unlike myself, my mother couldn't see past a cleverly put together camouflage. She fell in love with my father and married him against her father's better judgment. My grandfather told me his desire to give his daughter everything she wanted, was her undoing.”
She should pull her hand free but she couldn't. For the first time in a long while she enjoyed the intimacy of his touch. Just knowing that someone was willing to listen and perhaps be her champion was enough to have her heart lower its defenses.<
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“I gather the marriage was not a happy one.”
She gave a choked laugh. “That would be an understatement. My father married my mother for her money, and for my grandfather's expertise in horse breeding. Things really got worse for my mother when I was born. My birth was not easy, and my mother was told she could have no other children. He blamed her and was so cruel.”
“Ah, that explains a lot. It explains why you have no siblings. It also explains why your father is more concerned with living a life of a certain standard with no regards to you or your mother.”
“He cares for no one but himself. I’m waiting for the day I wake up and he’s sold the estate from under us.”
“The estate is not entailed?”
“No. That’s the reason my grandfather set up a large trust for me. He knew what my father was like.”
Daniel seemed to consider that for quite some time. “When you marry, Lord Wentworth may well sell the estate. He doesn’t need a large estate when he has no one to leave it to.”
“In other words he's selfishly building a way to ensure he can live comfortably for the rest of his life with no regard to myself or my mother. If he had his way my mother would be in an asylum.”
Daniel swung her to face him. “That's his hold over you. He is threatening your mother? So I assume this great plan that Billy let slip is to give you enough money to escape and hide with your mother. Apollo is worth a lot of coin but not enough to live off for the rest of your life.”
She could not keep the tears from welling. “It's not just for my mother's sake that I need to escape. In eight months my trust becomes available to me. If my father gets his hands on my trust, which I’m in no doubt he will given that my grandfather is no longer around, he’ll find some way to steal it from me. I will have nothing to fall back on.”
“I'm sure I can help you there. There are lawyers to ensure your trust is not used without your approval. I could get Rufus to recommend someone. Or even better yet, you could appoint Rufus as your trustee.”
She wanted to lean in and hug Daniel. It was so kind of him to offer Lord Hascombe’s help, and it was a sensible solution. “You don't understand. He will use my mother to make me sign over every penny. He has threatened to throw my mother in an asylum, he already has two doctors ready to sign off, and there would be nothing I can do about it.”
“The bastard. Surely we can find two surgeons to dispute your father's findings.”
Georgiana shook her head as she brushed tears from her cheek. “There is nothing to dispute. My father's bullying, the degradation he put her through, has affected my mother. She no longer speaks. She has to be fed like a child. And she recognizes no one.” She pulled her hand from Daniel’s when she saw the look of horror on his face. “She is harmless, like a small child. And I will never see her sent away to one of those horrid places.”
Daniel pulled her back into a gentle embrace. “It would seem your mother needs to disappear, somewhere your father cannot get his hands on her.”
She nodded, her cheek rubbing against the roughness of his jacket drying her tears. “He owns my mother. I would have no say in what happens to her. So we have to be able to hide.”
She closed her eyes as Daniel gently stroked her hair. “That's not exactly correct. You don't have to hide, only your mother has to hide.”
She leaned out of the embrace to look up at his face. “I think I understand what you are saying. We only have to hide my mother, my father could never make me reveal where she was. If I am not there when she escapes, and I pretend to be upset, he might not suspect me.”
“Your father is not stupid. He will suspect you, but what can he do to you? I’ll be here if he tries to hurt you in any way. Billy would send word.”
“Father won’t hurt me until I get access to my trust. Where could I hide her?” A smile edged at her lips but then slowly faded. “I don't have the money.”
“Silly girl. I do. I will pay you for Apollo.”
“Don't be ridiculous, your brother-in-law owns Apollo.”
“Technically he does, but on Christmas day Apollo becomes mine. I believe you when you say your grandfather gifted the horse to you. He would never have given such a magnificent colt to your father. And lucky for you it’s Christmas, because Rufus and Rheda have gifted the horse to me.”
She pushed away and immediately missed the warmth of his strong and comforting embrace. “That's just charity.”
She watched as Daniel shook his head, a serious expression on his handsome features. “How in good faith could I accept a Christmas gift, when I know the horse was taken from you, the rightful owner? Yet how can I refuse such a generous gift from my sister, especially now.”
“What do you mean especially now.” She wanted to reach out and cup his cheek as sorrow filled his usually sparkling eyes.
“Unlike you, I never knew my mother. She died giving birth to me. My father was a drunken gambling idiot, who, like your father, set off down a path that almost lost me my inheritance. If it hadn't been for Rheda and the risks she took I would not be standing here today. Rheda wasn't just my sister, she was like a mother to me, and I will do absolutely anything for her because she's all I have left.”
“But your sister is married to a wonderful man. She has two beautiful children, and she seems very happy.”
“That's because she's brave. That's because she's trying to hide from everyone how scared she is, especially from her husband, who loves her more than his last breath. She doesn’t want to spoil Christmas for everyone.” She watched with fascination as tears welled in Daniel's eyes. She'd never seen a man cry, and it completely undid her. Without thinking she stepped forward and this time it was she who embraced him. She wanted to take away the hurt and pain showing on his face.
“She has found a lump in her breast and will have surgery in the New Year.”
A cancer. She could barely hide a shiver. She’d heard about women dying from a cancer of the breast. “But it might not be anything serious. You have to think positively and pray hard.” Praying. When had that ever helped her?
Daniel hugged her tightly. “From your mouth to God’s ear.”
They stood silently holding each other for one moment, before Daniel whispered in her ear, “Now we have to find a place to hide your mother.”
“I don’t want to be too far from her. I really think I’m going to have to go with her.”
Daniel suddenly pushed her out of his arms and looked at her. “You both could hide here. I’d take you south to Tumbury Cliff but Rheda needs me. We could go south once I know Rheda is well.”
The idea of being under the same roof as Daniel was very appealing. If he could pay her for Apollo then after Christmas she could take her mother and run. She could even wait until after Rheda’s operation, and perhaps stay with Daniel at his estate in the south while she found a place to hide. Only until her money came through.
But she knew it would simply bring trouble down on Lord Hascombe if her father learned they were here and he could get the magistrate involved. With her mother not able to make decisions for herself the law would give that right to her father. Rheda had enough to cope with.
“I have to stay at Wentworth in order to ensure father does not suspect you of hiding her. He won’t hurt me. I’m far too valuable. However, I’d like to get mother away from him soon. He’s getting more and more desperate and his mood turns perfectly evil. When it does, the coward he is sees him take his worries out on my mother. I can’t bear it.”
Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “Are you sure he won’t hurt you?”
She nodded.
“Then let’s go and speak with Rufus and Rheda.”
Georgiana grabbed his arm as he made to move away. “Why are you doing this for me? What’s in it for you?”
“Does there have to be something in it for me?”
She desperately wanted to believe that he was doing it because he was kind and good. “I find most people exp
ect a favor in return. What are you expecting from me?”
He stood looking at her until she felt like an ogre for asking such a question. Finally he said, “I have seen what happens to women when they have no one defending them. I’m helping you because it is the right thing to do. But I will not lie to you. I like you. I’m attracted to you. And yes, I would like to be more than friends.”
Daniel had moved closer and she was finding it difficult to breathe. She appreciated his direct approach. But what did more than friends mean? She knew how to spurn the men, who flirted, and those who took unwanted liberties, but Daniel’s attentions were not unwanted. She liked him too.
He tilted her chin up with his finger. “Stop over thinking. Let’s just concentrate on getting your mother safe and all of us through Christmas without your father ruining it for all of us.” And then he leaned down and pressed the softest of kisses to her lips before stepping back and taking her hand to lead her from the stable.
They got to the stable door and she looked around. She could not see anyone about, but she saw the same mistletoe hanging above, just like it had the fateful day she’d tried to steal Apollo. She stopped, and when Daniel turned to her with an eyebrow raised, she pointed up. Her heart summersaulted at the gorgeous smile that spread over Daniel’s lips. Warmth spread through her limbs regardless of the light snow that was now falling. She rose up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Time stood still as his lips lowered to hers and she almost forgot to breathe until his lips touched hers.
The kiss was masterful. Heat, desire, and passion shook her to the core and she gave herself over to the magic. Soon she was floating in the clouds and all she wanted to do was move closer—to climb right inside all this warmth.
A discreet cough saw Daniel slowly end the kiss. He stood looking down at her with his eyes filled with such longing her heart soared. He was breathing heavily as was she.
“I knew that mistletoe would come in handy for someone,” Rufus laughed.