Regency Hearts Boxed Set

by Jennifer Monroe

  “Who?” she asked, prompting him to continue; however, he lay silent, the only sign that he still lived the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest under the blanket. She hated to leave him here, alone and in his condition, but if he was the one behind Oliver’s kidnapping, she had to get as far from him as she could. The safest place for the two of them would be Blackwood Estates, at least according to Neil, and she could not agree with him more. There she had others who would protect her.

  She stood and took one last look around the room. How strange that this had been the first place they had been as husband and wife, even though it was as a means to hide their identity. Her hopes had been that they would marry, but it was clear that was not meant to be. Glancing at the pile of clothing that was now folded on a chair, she noticed a letter that had fallen to the floor. Curious, she went over and retrieved it, noticing that the seal had not been broken.

  Tears filled her eyes. She recognized that seal, for it was hers. It was the letter she had asked him to deliver to the Duke of Ravens.

  Truly she was a fool for falling for his words. He had told her the Duke had found her letter convincing but he could not help. Yet, the truth was it had never been delivered, a lie among many he had told her. Everything fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle, and the image on it was clear.

  “Goodbye, Philip,” she whispered, her heart breaking as she wondered how a man so kind could be in all reality so cruel underneath. “I wish to never see you again.”

  With that, she left the room, and the man she loved, forever.

  ***

  Caroline had been in the carriage for several hours before she and Neil spoke of what had taken place. Oliver needed time to recover from the trauma he had endured, and speaking of it so soon would only intensify what had happened. Now, however, the boy lay asleep, his head resting on her lap.

  Her son had been returned safely, and for that she was happy. However, the betrayal she had undergone with Philip had stung deep, and she knew it would take time for her to recover. Perhaps as long as it would take Oliver to recuperate.

  “I had thought by allowing Mary into my home,” Neil said with anger in his voice, “she could receive instruction and become a better person. What she did was not only unforgivable, but the shame I shall bear knowing it was happening around me makes me ill.”

  Caroline glanced over at his wrinkled face. “You were not aware of how far she would take her deception, Neil. Like you, I tried to do the right thing,” she glanced down at her sleeping son, “and that decision was used against me.”

  He sighed. “You are right. Although, I will not forgive myself. To think they wanted to take Oliver as their own and raise him! The madness in the world is frightening.” He shook his head and then gave her a smile. “But at least you are now safe, and that is all I wanted.”

  Caroline returned his smile. “Thank you once again for saving us from harm. I am in your debt, and I am sorry to have doubted you.”

  “Nonsense,” he said with a snort. “My actions from before forced you to be cautious, and that was wise. You have a good heart, and I am sorry it was betrayed.”

  She gave him a nod. “Thank you.”

  He chuckled, but it lacked mirth. “We have both been betrayed. Now we have a bond I never would have thought we would share. I believe in the future we should take advice from one another. Would you not agree?”

  “I believe that would be wise,” she replied. Then she turned to look out the window. It would be dark soon, and they still had some distance to travel. Without warning, her thoughts turned to Philip, and she winced. Had his fever broken? Would someone be at his side when he woke? Or if he died? She shook her head. He had betrayed her; he deserved whatever was coming to him.

  But death? Did he deserve to die?

  She looked down at Oliver’s sweet face and knew the answer immediately. If he was the guilty party, then yes, he deserved more than death.

  Just having such a thought made Caroline sit back in her seat. Never had she wished death on someone. Even through years of abuse she never wished death on Reginald. However, Philip had betrayed her with her son, and that was not something she would accept. She had to harden her heart to him, for if she did not, he would return and break it again.

  “When we return to Blackwood Estates,” Neil was saying, “I shall send word to the magistrates to collect Philip. He will pay for what he did.”

  “I understand,” Caroline said. Yet, it still tore at her heart. Did a chance still remain that he was innocent? Perhaps there had been some sort of misunderstanding. If not for the undelivered letter, she could believe so, but that letter spoke volumes.

  “Know that I will never allow harm to come to you and Oliver again,” Neil said as he placed a hand on her knee. “My life will be dedicated to protecting you both and making certain that one day Oliver becomes the Duke he is meant to be. And I promise you, no one will stand in my way.”

  Smiling, she gave his hand a squeeze, and then he moved back into his seat.

  “There is an inn not far from where we are. I suggest we stop for the night so you can get some sleep. It is unsafe to travel after dark.”

  She looked out at the setting sun and sighed. What she wanted was to be home where Oliver could be put to bed as he had before he had been taken. She wished for everything to return to normal in her life. However, what Neil said made sense; it was unfair of her to ask the driver to take them straight home and expect him to navigate the roads in the dark. Not to mention that the chances of highwaymen attacking a lone carriage in the night would be high.

  “Very well,” she agreed, “but I hope to leave first thing in the morning. Do you believe that can happen?”

  He gave her a warm smile. “Of course,” he replied. “For you, anything.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was a relief when the carriage turned into the drive the following day. Caroline had never been so happy to see Blackwood Estates in her life.

  “Mother!” Oliver cried, “Our home!” He could barely contain his excitement, yet nor could she.

  “Yes, my dear boy,” she said with a laugh. “We are home at last.” Home, where they could begin again, forget about the past and move on into the future she wanted. All her troubles were now gone, and only happiness would remain.

  The carriage came to a stop, and Quinton opened the door with a bow to greet them. “Welcome home, Your Grace,” he said.

  “Thank you so much,” Caroline told the butler as he helped her alight from the carriage. Once out, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exalting in the familiar smells of Blackwood Estate. “We are home,” she whispered.

  “That we are.”

  She had not heard Neil walk up behind her, and she turned to face him.

  “I imagine you will be wanting to go to your room to rest.”

  Caroline nodded. “Yes. I must admit that, with all that has happened, I am fatigued.” She turned to Quinton. “Would you see…”

  A rider came down the drive, and Caroline could not stop the fear that gripped her. Would this be another man coming to kidnap her?

  “Neil?” she asked in a choked voice when she saw the troubled look on his face.

  “Oliver, go inside,” Neil said without taking his eyes off the man on the horse.

  Quinton took Oliver by the hand and led him inside, the boy glancing over his shoulder and giving his mother a fearful look.

  “Who is he?” Caroline asked.

  “A representative of the magistrates,” Neil explained. “Allow me to do the speaking.”

  She nodded as the man came to a stop in front of them. He appeared to be of the same age as Neil. He dismounted with ease before walking up and grasping Neil’s hand.

  “Thompson,” Neil said with surprising warmth, “we were not expecting a visit from you.”

  The man glanced at Caroline, his lip curled. “Her Grace is here? Rumors have it that some foul deeds have taken place. I must say, based on your
appearance, I find them to be true already.”

  Caroline looked down at the coat and breeches she still wore. Her only dress had been left behind at the inn when she left Philip, that was how upset she had been.

  She went to speak, but Neil interrupted her. “You will not speak to her in that manner,” he said with a growl. “She deserves your highest respect.”

  The man snorted. “You old fool! Don’t assume that you can speak to me that way. She’s dressed as a man, an offense of its own.” He turned to Caroline as he placed his gloves in the waistline of his breeches. “And from what I understand, you and your gardener have had some sort of romance while your child was spirited away. Is it true you allowed him to be put in harm’s way?”

  “I-my son was kidnapped,” Caroline said, astonished that this man would put the blame on her. “It was my gardener who helped me find him.”

  “And where is this gardener now?”

  “He is…” Caroline swallowed hard. What would this man think of her when she told him the truth? Yet, he had the power of the Crown behind him. “We left him behind at an inn in Chudleigh. He had been wounded. He…” She turned to Neil and gave him a beseeching look.

  “Thompson,” Neil said in an appeasing tone, “please understand that she did run off with the gardener, but not in the sense that you suggest. She has done no wrong. I demand to know the meaning of this.”

  Mr. Thompson snorted. “By her own admission, she ran off with her gardener and put her son in danger. The man may have fooled her, but nonetheless, the boy was in danger by the choices she made. We will not allow that to happen again.”

  “Neil?” Caroline asked, her heart threatening to strangle her. “What does he mean?”

  Neil waved his hand as if the silence her. “She has not had the benefit of the upbringing that those of us born into nobility has had. Surely you cannot mean to take away her son? I will not have it.”

  The man removed a roll of papers from inside his coat. “The proper documents will be presented to the courts, and within a week, the boy will be taken into our care. My hands are tied, Neil.”

  Tears streamed down Caroline’s face. She never realized how much power the Crown had, but if they could remove a boy from his mother’s care, they had great power indeed. She turned to Neil. “Please,” she pleaded, “is there nothing you can do?”

  “I will take full responsibility for the boy,” Neil said suddenly. “If any harm comes to him, you may take my land, my money, whatever it is you deem adequate, but do not do this, I beg of you.”

  Mr. Thompson shook his head as if in thought. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “The boy cannot be left in the care of a mother who is willing to put his life in danger. The boy is to be a Duke, but he is still too young to assume such responsibility. If she were married, her husband could take on the rights until the boy is of age, but to expect a woman to take on such responsibilities on her own…” The words hung in the air like heavy runs being aired on a line.

  Caroline had to fight down panic. “Do I have no rights?” she asked.

  The man laughed. “Women only have the rights granted to them by their husbands. Why do you think women are not allowed to own their own land? They haven’t the mind for such things.”

  Her mind was clouded with fear, making thinking difficult. Somehow, none of what this man said made any sense.

  However, before she could make any comment, the man said, “Expect myself or one of my associates to return within the week. Failure to produce the boy by then, or any attempt to hide him in any way, will result in swift punishment.”

  “Come,” Neil said to Mr. Thompson. “Let us go inside and talk about this. I’m sure there is something we can do to prevent this from happening.”

  Mr. Thompson seemed to consider this and finally said, “Very well. I suppose you can treat me to a brandy while you’re at it.”

  Neil laughed. “I suppose I can at that.” When they entered the house, Quinton was waiting just inside the door to take the men’s hats. “The butler will see you to the sitting room, Thompson. I will be in there shortly.”

  The man gave him a suspicious stare for a moment and then followed Quinton down the hall.

  “What does he mean to do?” Caroline asked in a low tone. “How can they even consider taking Oliver from me?”

  “I am unsure,” he replied. “It seems that word has reached the magistrates that something has happened, but they are unsure as to what exactly transpired. I have seen this before, although it’s rare.”

  “Seen what?”

  “A child removed from a home where his or her safety is in question.”

  Caroline gasped. “So, they actually mean to take him away from me?”

  Neil nodded. “That is exactly what he means. And because you are a woman, you have fewer rights than men. Come.” He moved down the hall and she followed behind, though her legs felt as if they had been filled with iron.

  They went to the sitting room, where Mr. Thompson sat in one of the high-backed chairs beside the empty fireplace.

  Neil resumed his pacing. “What if she were to marry?” he asked.

  Mr. Thompson narrowed his eyes. “I suppose if she were to marry, there would be nothing the magistrates could do.”

  “Marry? Why must I marry?”

  He stopped his pacing and stared at her. “Did you not hear what the man said? If you had a husband who could keep you and Oliver safe, there would be no need to remove the boy from his home.”

  Everything had become a jumble in Caroline’s mind. All she had wanted was to return home and take care of Oliver, but now even that seemed impossible.

  Neil snapped his fingers. “I know! We can speak to Mr. Mullens. Perhaps he would be willing to marry you.”

  “Mr. Mullens?” Caroline asked with a gasp. “But, his sister…”

  He gave her a sullen look. “I of all people know that a person cannot be held responsible for what his or her sibling does.”

  “Well, that is true, but…”

  Neil began pacing once again. “No, Mr. Mullens is in France and not due to return for some time now. Even if I tried to contact him, we would not have enough time. With only a week, we find ourselves in a very difficult situation, to say the least.”

  She wanted to scream at him, to pummel him, to tell him that no one would take her son, but he continued his pacing and murmuring, suggesting one idea only to reject it a moment later.

  Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson sat sipping at his brandy and saying nothing.

  “But, Neil…” she tried once more.

  Then he stopped, his eyes growing wide. “Why did I not think of this before?” he said enthusiastically. “Caroline, I want to ask you this only once. Do you wish to keep your son?”

  “Of course,” she replied, aghast.

  “Then we shall save him.” He pursed his lips and squinted. “You and I shall wed in a week’s time.” He turned to Mr. Thompson. “Will that bring this issue to a close?”

  Mr. Thompson seemed to consider the idea. “You must understand that I will continue my investigation regardless. However, it would be a great benefit if Oliver had a male guardian.” He set the now empty glass on a side table and stood. “I will return in one week to bear witness to your ceremony. If it does transpire, I would agree to the boy remaining in the custody of his mother and his male guardian. However, have no doubt, if there is no union, the boy comes with me.”

  “We understand,” Neil said, taking the man’s hand and giving it a firm shake. “And thank you for giving us this opportunity to keep more disaster from this home.”

  Once Mr. Thompson left the room, Caroline sat on the edge of the sofa, the room spinning around her. What had just happened?

  Neil returned from seeing Mr. Thompson to the door and walked up to stand beside Caroline, placing his hand on her shoulder. “There, now, it will all work out for the best. We have saved your son once again.”

  She nodded, although she could not find th
e words with which to reply. Magistrates, marriage, the threat of her son being taken from her once again, it was all more than she could bear, and she allowed Neil to hold her as she wept, his assurances that all would be well doing nothing to ease her fears.

  ***

  With Oliver now in bed sound asleep and Neil on his way home with the promise to return the following day, Caroline sat on the sofa in the sitting room sipping a glass of wine. She had enjoyed a long bath, and although her body screamed to be abed, her mind was much too active to sleep. So much had transpired over the last week, and with the news today, everything had spun out of control.

  Perhaps the representative of the magistrates, Mr. Thompson, was correct. She had failed to keep Oliver safe, and because of her inability to do so, he had been kidnapped. What if he had been killed? The thought of losing him in such a way tore at her heart, for she could not bear the idea of never seeing him again. Since that day when Miss Lindston had been beaten in order to take away Oliver, she had doubted her abilities as a mother. Mr. Thompson’s proclamation only solidified those doubts.

  She had never heard of children removed from their homes in such a way, but that did not mean it did not happen. There was much she did not know about the world, so she had to trust those who knew the law to help make decisions that would be best for her and her son.

  However, the idea of marrying Neil made her skin crawl. Granted, she was more than thankful for what he had done to help save her and Oliver. If it had not been for him, she would be dead by the hands of Miss Mullens, and Oliver would have been whisked away, raised as the child of that woman and Philip. Her stomach churned simply thinking about it.

  Also, if Neil had not been there when Mr. Thompson had arrived, she would have lost Oliver yet again. It was as if the world had turned against her, wishing her to no longer have her son in her life. Was it trying to tell her that she was not a capable mother? The idea frightened her, for he was the only important thing in her life. If she lost everything—their home, their wealth—she would still be happy as long as she had Oliver. And yet, was that fair to say that Oliver, in turn, would be as happy? He could never lose his title as long as he was alive, but would he be content living in a small cottage with a garden to fill his belly?