Stealing the Duchess

by Marie Higgins

  “There you are.”

  The grating voice from her brother-in-law brought her thoughts to a complete stop. The happiness inside her disappeared quickly. She ceased from moving any farther, locking her feet together in military stance. She stiffened and waited for him to come into view. There was no way she would make the first move to look at him. At least they were outside for Grey to watch, and she didn’t have to worry about trying to find a window to stand by.

  When he finally walked beside her, his gaze skimmed over her in disgust, from the top of her messy hair, to the bottom of her mud-encrusted riding habit. His lip curled and he glared at her with beady, hateful eyes.

  “So the wanderer returns,” he snipped in sarcasm.

  “Wanderer?” she questioned, keeping her voice steady, refusing to look directly at him.

  “I suspected you would run off after I had informed you about finding you a husband. When your horse returned without you, I thought you had gone far away from here.”

  “No, Your Grace. I was just...just...walking. I needed time to think.”

  He cocked his head. “And pray tell, what were you thinking about all those hours?”

  Wouldn’t you like to know? “Several things, actually.”

  He shrugged. “I see you’ve come home for something to eat, as usual.”

  She held in a gasp. What had he meant by that remark? Did he think she was fat? Augh! Never before had she wanted to clobber a man like she wanted to violently slap this one. “No, not really. I shall be fine.”

  “So tell me, have you come to terms with what I told you earlier?”

  This time, she couldn’t stop from looking at his face. He circled around her, hooking his hands behind his back as he glared her way. She arched an eyebrow. “About finding me a husband?”

  “Yes.”

  “No, I have not come to terms with it, yet. Perhaps in a couple more days.”

  His steely eyes narrowed on her and the distaste in his expression deepened. He stepped closer and grasped her wrist. Pain shot through her arm and she grimaced, holding her tongue to keep from crying out. Anger pumped through her, overriding the pain.

  “I suggest you accept this notion faster than a couple more days. I want you out of Linden Hall within the week. You had better not get any ideas of how you can discourage these men, either. I swear I shall give you to one of them regardless of what you think. Do I make myself clear?”

  She wiggled her hand, trying to get out of his grip, but he was stronger. Whimpering, she glanced around the yard and searched for someone to help her. Unfortunately, nobody would come to her rescue. After all, this was his home, not hers.

  From out of the corner of her eyes, movement near a cluster of trees and tall bushes caught her attention. Grey! As if the mere thought of his name made him materialize, Grey marched as well as he could with a noticeable limp toward them in long strides, his sword halfway drawn. Malice laced his expression as he focused on Martin. Thankfully, Grey was in back of her brother-in-law, or he would be able to see the man coming to her rescue.

  Her heart leapt nearly out of her chest knowing Grey would risk being caught just to save her. She didn’t know why he would want to show himself to Martin, because she knew Grey must stay hidden for now until they found the proof needed to put Martin away for good.

  Panic rushed through her. No matter what, Grey could not make his presence known yet.

  Finding the strength she didn’t know she possessed, she yanked her hand out of Martin’s grip. “No!” she shouted, holding up her hand to stop Grey, but looked at her brother-in-law, instead.

  “No?” Martin asked in an irritated tone.

  “Um, I mean, yes, your warning is very clear, indeed.” She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. She quickly glanced at Grey over Martin’s shoulder. Thankfully, he had stopped, but he hadn’t retreated back into the trees yet. She switched her gaze to Martin. “I do understand you completely, and I shall comply with your wishes the best way I know how,” she finished.

  “You had better, or you shall not like the consequences.” The insipid man flipped his hand in a dismissal wave. “Now go and get yourself cleaned up. You look hideous. I cannot have my sister-in-law looking so dowdy when I try to find her a husband.”

  “That’s exactly what I had planned to do, Your Grace.” Before turning toward the house, she noticed Grey had darted back into the trees.

  Sighing with relief, she continued into the house and directly to her room to change for the evening. Shock was a mild word for what she was experiencing right now. She still couldn’t believe Grey would risk getting caught like that. His actions just a few moments ago meant only one thing... She could trust him. He was really going to keep watch over her and protect her.

  She closed the door to her bedchamber and leaned against the hard frame. Placing her hand over her erratic heartbeat, she smiled. Had she been wrong about Grey this whole time? Perhaps he was indeed a nobleman, and if he was, could he possibly be the man of her daydreams?

  A chuckle escaped her and she moved away from the door. As she plucked the buttons apart from the jacket of her riding habit, she reminded herself that she couldn’t let her dreams take away her logical mind. She couldn’t jump to conclusions, either. Although Grey had proven himself to her, that still didn’t mean he would stay around and want to court her after all of this was over. It was foolish for her to believe such a thing.

  As she pulled the jacket off, her wrist burned with the sting from Martin’s strong grip. Inwardly, she seethed, hating the way he had always treated her. Why hadn’t Joanna noticed? Joanna landed herself a duke for a husband, so did she really care about Alexandria anymore?

  Sadness crept over her as tears swam in her eyes. It had seemed that ever since Joanna first met Martin, she hadn’t cared about her younger sister’s welfare. Perhaps Martin was wise to find Alexandria a husband, after all.

  Pausing, she stared at the pitiful woman in the full-length mirror. A shiver ran through her, twisting her stomach. No, Martin wasn’t trying to find her a husband. All he wanted to do was find her another person who would be responsible for her care.

  If only her parents hadn’t died. If only her extended family lived closer. Her grandparents had lived across the ocean, her aunts and uncles, while in America, were too far away to be any aid. There was no one for her to turn to.

  She rubbed the moisture from her eyes and continued cleaning herself up. Determination drove her now. She would help Grey all she could—or die trying. Her choice was made. She could only believe that they’d find evidence to put Martin away, because the opposite of that was too unbearable to think about.

  EIGHT

  Julian peered through his hand-held spyglass—the one he’d used quite a bit while in the military. This handy gadget helped him tremendously.

  He scanned the perimeter of the house slowly, looking for anything unusual. So far, everything was going smoothly. Alexandria must have pulled off a splendid performance, because Martin was strutting around the house as if nothing was amiss.

  Gnashing his teeth, Julian steamed when he recalled the brutal way Martin had grasped Alexandria’s wrist. Fury and hatred had pushed Julian at that moment. He could literally imagine his fingers wrapping around his cousin’s throat and squeezing. Indeed, he would have done that very thing if she hadn’t stopped him. She had no clue as to why he’d wanted Martin out of the house, but regardless, she handled the situation with her brother-in-law quite well. Just thinking about her thoughtfulness made Julian’s heart swell. Up until now, he wasn’t certain he could trust her, but now he could.

  As the evening progressed, he watched her wander from room to room, staying by the windows. Occasionally, she glanced out of the glass toward his hiding spot. She couldn’t see him, of course, but it lightened his heart knowing she was watching for him, nonetheless.

  Alexandria and Martin were in the dining room now; she was at one end of the table and Martin at the other. Ju
lian’s cousin spoke a few words to her, but thankfully, nothing more than that. Julian’s little blossoming flower kept her head down and ate her meal the whole time Martin talked. Julian’s gut twisted knowing that she had to put up with his cousin’s company, and he prayed she wouldn’t have to do that too much longer.

  Suddenly, Martin threw his linen napkin on his empty plate, pushed away from the table, and stormed out of the room as if in a terrible fit. Julian switched his spyglass back to Alexandria, and a grin stretched across her pretty face as she looked toward the window. Julian’s heart leapt. Now he wanted to know what was so humorous about Martin leaving the room that way. It made Julian happy to know he had finally earned her trust.

  Within minutes, she had moved away from the table and left the room. Exhilaration shot through Julian. She’d be coming to their secret spot any minute now.

  A movement by the front of the house drew Julian’s attention there. Martin dashed out of the manor and stomped his way toward the stable. His voice was raised in anger as he shouted commands to the servants to prepare his horse. Soon, the obtuse man was on his horse, riding away from the estate. This would make Julian and Alexandria’s meeting much better, indeed.

  Chuckling, Julian shook his head as he hurried toward the place they’d planned to meet. He couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed watching her this evening. She was certainly different from when he’d kidnapped her earlier today. Then again, when he’d kidnapped her, he thought her to be someone else. Strange how things had worked out for the better. Fate had more interesting plans for him.

  This evening, she wore a lovely baby-blue gown with yellow floral designs. Her sleeves ended at her elbows, and the round neck of the gown looked to be decorated with white ribbon. Seeing her dressed this way made him want to change into his own evening attire and step into his rightful role as Duke of Linden.

  While she sat in the sitting room earlier this evening reading a book, he noticed her blonde hair was up in a presentable bun, and wisps of her locks were left unattended as they curled around her forehead and ears. Literally, she was breathtaking, and he couldn’t stop staring at her. The more he watched her, the more he missed talking to her. Even his arms reminded him how it had felt to hold her those brief times earlier today. An ache of longing filled him, wanting a moment—a chance—to hold her again. Would she allow it? He wasn’t certain he liked these feelings he’d been having since kidnapping her.

  Visions of when he returned her to the house floated through his memory. He’d continued to hold her after lifting her down from his horse, and she had allowed the intimate moment. She had stared at him with her beautiful, wondrous, sapphire eyes, and even watched his mouth a time or two. It was during those moments when he’d felt the distinct desire to kiss her...passionately. He’d struggled not to follow his instincts, and thankfully, he was able to pull away and leave without devouring her.

  But now, because he’d watched her for these past few hours, he wanted her back in his arms. He wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss and caress her, and have her return those same affections.

  However, it was still too soon. They barely knew each other. She certainly didn’t know him that well, and he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth about his identity. Although he knew more about her, he still thought she’d be safer if she didn’t know his real name. He’d tell her, just not now. And because of that, he didn’t feel this was the proper time to kiss her.

  He blew out an exasperated breath. It would certainly be hard to control his urges while seeing her tonight, dressed so pretty, as they hid in the shadows together. Good heavens, he was a man...a man with needs. It would be near impossible to keep from pulling her against his body and kissing her senseless, but he must.

  Eventually, he’d find a woman to have a serious relationship with, but now was not the time. After he took over his role as the duke, there was still so much he needed to do before he could even think about looking for that one particular woman who would be his wife.

  He made it to the grove of trees before Alexandria arrived. He paced from tree to tree until he saw her coming his way. She wore a black, hooded cloak, probably to keep herself from being noticed. He hurried to the edge of the trees until she saw him. Reaching his hand out, he took hers in his and pulled her inside the shadows.

  “Do you think anyone saw me?” she asked, lowering the hood of her cloak.

  “No, I think you are safe. Martin left the estate on his horse. I’m sure he won’t be back for a few more hours.”

  “I hope you are correct. That will give me time to visit with my sister, and hopefully look through his study.”

  “No.” He touched her shoulder. “Don’t search through his room tonight. Because we cannot presume how long he’ll be gone, I don’t want to risk the chance of you getting caught.”

  “Yes, you are right, of course.” She smiled.

  Even though they were cloaked in shadows, he saw the outline of her delicate face. He couldn’t quite see the color of her eyes, though. He had no trouble drawing her lovely face from memory to fill in the missing details here in the shadows. He suddenly wanted to pull her out of the trees and into the moonlight just so he could see her and gaze upon her loveliness.

  “Tell me, what did Martin say to you as you were entering the house after we had arrived?”

  “When you tried to rescue me?”

  “Yes.”

  She frowned. “He told me how disgusting I looked and he threatened me once again that he was going to find someone to marry me. He’d mentioned that if I didn’t go along with his plans, I wouldn’t be happy about the consequences.”

  “He’s the devil, I say!” Julian grumbled. “I actually wanted to strangle him at that moment. I didn’t approve of the way he was grasping your wrist. I wanted to break every finger on his hand—”

  “And I’m glad you didn’t.”

  He nodded. “Thank you for stopping me.”

  “I knew the timing was not right.”

  “You were correct.”

  She shook her head. “I had wanted you to strangle him, as well. But I couldn’t let him see you.”

  He smiled at her tenderly, but he didn’t think she would be able to see his face well. “I shall never forget your thoughtfulness.”

  “And I shall never forget yours.”

  Her voice was so soft, so sweet. It took all of his willpower not to pull her into his arms right now. “I’m sorry he hurt you.” He rubbed her shoulder, not wanting to take his hands off her, even though he should.

  “Don’t be,” she replied. “His words and actions made me want to find the evidence to have him arrested. Believe me, Grey, I will find some proof that he was responsible for those murders.”

  Julian loved how she had blossomed just in the small amount of time he’d known her. From what she’d mentioned before, she didn’t enjoy talking with men because she didn’t know how. She was doing such a fine job of it at this moment, and he couldn’t help but feel proud. “What about at the dinner table? I could see him saying something to you, but then he stormed out of the dining room, angrier than an irritated bee.”

  “Oh, speaking of dinner, here is your food.” She parted her cloak and untied the rope that held the bulky burlap sack to her waist.

  He took it from her and fastened the rope around his waist. “Thank you. It smells divine.”

  “There is roasted duck, a few apples and grapes, and some bread and cheeses.”

  “It sounds heavenly.”

  “Indeed, it tasted heavenly as well.”

  “All right now, tell me what happened with Martin during the meal.”

  She laughed. “Oh, that. Yes, it was very humorous and I struggled not to laugh at the time, but it was very difficult.”

  “What happened?”

  “He kept throwing insults at me, and I refused to acknowledge him in any way.” She flipped her hand in the air. “I realized tonight he absolutely hates it when I ignore him—just a
s much as he gets irritated when he can see his words don’t affect me.”

  Julian threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, my little blossom. I can’t believe you did that to him. Martin needed a dose of his own medicine. That man needs to realize he cannot push people around.”

  “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help, you know.” Her voice softened.

  “My help? What did I do?”

  “You encouraged me. You made me feel that helping you was of great importance. I wanted to be important to someone.”

  His heart clenched. The poor, sweet, woman. How could she have gone all these years without feeling important? “You are helping me, and you’ll never know how much I appreciate it.” He took her hands in his and squeezed them. “And you are important...very important to me. I don’t want you to ever forget it.”

  “I thank you for your kind words, Grey.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her his real name. He wanted to hear her say his name so badly, but no...it was too soon. “I will continue to bestow my kind words upon you as long as you continue to bless me with your sweet presence.”

  He was sinking into temptation fast, and the urge to take her in his arms grew stronger by the second. Perhaps he needed to get them into some light just so this moment wouldn’t seem so private and intimate. Yet, at this point, he didn’t think it would help. He was just a normal man, after all. How could he resist her innocent charm?

  “Grey, you say the kindest things to me. I fear if you don’t stop now, I will be lost forever,” she said breathless.

  “It is I who am lost, my blossom. I fear I cannot think of anything but your sweetness.” He slid his arms around her shoulders, compelling her closer. She complied, drawing close and slipping her arms around his waist.