A Lady's Prerogative

by Annabelle Anders

  The young man was anxious and weary. Perhaps the midnight journey had been a huge mistake. No perhaps about it. If they’d waited until morning to depart, Natalie’s absence would have been discovered. “There are empty rooms on the second floor, Marcus. Take one near my chamber and get some rest. God knows you need it.”

  Marcus required no further urging. “Yes, my lord,” Pausing at the door, he turned and then added, “Please wake me if you need anything.”

  Garrett dipped his chin in acquiescence.

  He could not sit here doing nothing. Mrs. Hampden be damned; he needed to check on Natalie again.

  It being his own chamber, he did not knock before entering, which earned him a scowl from the housekeeper. She had removed Natalie’s torn and bloodied gown already, however, and exchanged it for a clean one. Accustomed to Garrett’s father, the woman had good reason to be wary of his motives. Gathering a dirtied bin of water and some soiled washcloths, she moved about the room nervously. Garrett noticed she’d cleaned Natalie’s wound and wrapped it with a strip of muslin.

  “I’ll sit with her until the doctor arrives.” His tone left no room for argument. When the woman hesitated, he added, “Leave the door open if you must. I’d appreciate some hot tea and sandwiches, and see that the new valet locates a chamber for himself, as well.”

  The protective housekeeper needed something to do or else she’d hover over him incessantly. It was obvious she objected to his presence.

  But he needed to be here with Natalie.

  “Very well, my lord.” But she clicked her tongue in disapproval.

  Garrett would not be moved.

  When she finally heeded his dismissal, Garrett closed the door and dropped into the chair beside the bed. Pale and unmoving, Natalie’s fragility called out to him. Garrett wanted to remove his boots and lie down beside her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and murmur reassuring words into her ears until she came awake again.

  He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips.

  “Come back to me,” he said instead. “Come back.”

  ****

  Natalie was dreaming.

  The sun shone brightly in a brilliant blue sky. Dark-haired little boys scurried about in a meadow, tumbling and rolling on soft, thick grass with a man—with their father. Laughing, they climbed on the man and demanded pony rides. The exuberant bundle consisted of wiry little bodies, unruly hair, and familiar black eyes. When the smallest child looked at her and smiled, a slight dimple appeared near the corner of his mouth.

  In between their play, they called her “Mama.” She sat stringing together a chain of daisies feeling perfectly content. And then she wanted to be closer to the man and her children.

  She tried to join in their games but could not move. She was trapped——in a box——with no sunlight and very little air. And pain—blinding pain. Where did the children go? She couldn’t move. She tried to break her way out but could not. She began gasping and crying. Something was crushing her.

  “Shhh…it’s all right, love. I’m here. You’re safe now…” A cool cloth pressed against her forehead. A man’s voice spoke in soothing tones by her ear. “Hush, sweetheart, you’re safe now.” She tried opening her eyes, but when she did so, the light caused stabbing pain. Ah, but the man beside her was Garrett Castleton. Garrett. She must be safe.

  He placed her hand upon his face. She could feel the rough texture of his beard beneath her fingers. “Garrett,” she rasped. She moved her fingers tentatively. She felt his face turn and hot breath upon her palm. Moist lips dropped a tender kiss there. And then he lay her hand back upon the bedclothes.

  The wet cloth dabbed at her mouth and a few drops of cool water were squeezed onto her lips. “Are you thirsty, sweetheart?” He wiped the cloth around her face. It felt soothing. But she did not feel well.

  “I’m going to be ill.” She ought to be mortified but could not muster much other than the energy to warn him. Before she knew it, her body heaved, and she retched into a pot while strong hands supported her. The violent movements caused her head to pound even worse.

  When it was over, she lay back and the soothing washcloth again dabbed at her mouth. Somebody else entered the room. A woman and another man. The pain in her head made it difficult to pay attention to their words. She allowed herself to be enveloped by sleep once again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After showing the doctor out, Garrett returned to his desk and slumped down in relief. She would live. The blow to her head was her only apparent injury. The trunk was inspected and found to have slight gaps along some of the seams. Thank God, she had not been deprived of air. Her head injury was worrisome though; she was to be watched and wakened often. The doctor had said to keep the room darkened and quiet. He would return tomorrow, but meanwhile she was not to be moved. They would know more later, the doctor said.

  Garrett opened a jar of ink and then wrote a note to be delivered to Raven’s Park. He outlined, as concisely as possible, the events of the past twelve hours. He wrote that Natalie had suffered an injury, but the doctor assured him she would recover fully. The rain had passed, and a servant could be dispatched right away. He pulled the bell pull and handed it to Mr. Hampden with strict instructions.

  And then, in his exhaustion, he contemplated his own circumstances. He’d made off with a lady of noble birth—overnight—a lady who now lay injured in his very own bedchamber. He’d not, truly, been alone with her. He’d not thrown her over his mount and made a run for Scotland. It was all simply a mistake—a criminal mistake. Would he be absolved? Would the events be considered scandalous? Not that he gave a shilling for his own standing, but he minded for Natalie. Her reputation already hung in peril—would she be ruined by this? His mind teased him with the thought that they would be forced to marry.

  But would Ravensdale countenance it? Would she? Garrett felt beyond tired. Chasing these thoughts around his already muddled mind was useless. He removed himself to the leather couch, near the fireplace, and collapsed. It took but a few moments before he fell asleep, boots and all.

  Garrett had not slept long before being awakened by a loud pounding. Hearing a familiar voice in the foyer, he had no doubt who had arrived. God, he needed a bath. He’d forgotten all about the one Marcus had drawn for him earlier. But even a tepid bath would feel good at this point.

  Despite not having imbibed any spirits recently, his head throbbed as though he’d spent the previous night soused. Rubbing his hands over his face, he rose reluctantly to face one of Natalie’s brothers.

  “Darlington.” Garrett spoke quickly, not wishing his housekeeper to become any more flustered than she already was.

  The viscount turned and, catching sight of Garrett, narrowed his eyes. Soaked through with mud clinging to his splattered boots, Natalie’s eldest brother must have travelled straight through. Garrett ignored his guest’s appearance though. He found the murderous intent in the gentleman’s eyes a more pressing concern.

  Garrett braced himself, knowing what was coming the split second before his head snapped back from the well-deserved blow.

  Darlington had obviously frequented Gentleman Jackson’s sometime in the recent past for the well-placed punch landed soundly. Upon impact, light exploded in Garrett’s head.

  Stumbling slightly, he rubbed at his jaw and prepared to defend a second attack.

  But the viscount seemed satisfied as he examined his knuckles casually. “Hawthorne,” he nodded.

  Garrett took a moment to gather his wits before speaking. Pain spread through his jaw and into his left eye.

  “Did you, by chance, happen upon the courier I sent a few hours ago?” Without waiting for an answer, Garrett led the viscount into his study.

  “I did,” Darlington answered from behind. “I sent him along to notify my parents of Natalie’s…situation—and of her safety.” Eyeing the makeshift room, Darlington asked, “Shall we obtain the special license from London? Or do you think one can be had in Reading?
”

  Garrett shook his head wearily at the question. Before falling asleep, he’d decided on one thing. Only as a last option would he allow the two of them to be forced into a betrothal.

  Furthermore, he would insist that all possible alternatives be discussed with both her father and the lady herself. He knew Natalie would hate having such decisions made without her consent.

  Perhaps she could travel to the Continent for a year or two until the scandal blew over. She herself had once told him there were other solutions for such situations. The ton was a fickle group. What enraptured them one moment could be forgotten in the next. Besides, who could know of her presence here? Surely no more than a few servants and her family.

  Darlington shattered that assumption with his next words. “The entire house party knows she went missing last night. Many assisted in an all-night search. On the heels of her broken engagement, she is ruined.” As angry as the man had appeared moments earlier, he merely looked resigned now. “You are the last person I would have chosen to marry my sister, Hawthorne, but if there isn’t a marriage, and a quick one at that, she’ll never be able to show her face in society again.” And then, walking over to the window, he let out a heavy sigh. “Where is she now? The doctor seemed convinced of his diagnosis?”

  Garrett felt a grudging sympathy for the man. He’d obviously had no sleep himself and had been forced to travel after a frantic search throughout the night. “Sit down, Darlington. She is sleeping. The doctor believes she was concussed. We are to awaken her every hour or so.”

  Torn between defiance and fatigue, Darlington hesitated before fatigue won out and he dropped into the chair. “What the hell happened? The note said she had been trapped inside a trunk?” His eyes narrowed threateningly again. “She was borne away on your carriage. You must know how this story will play out.”

  “Until we speak with Natalie, I am as in the dark as you, but”—he met the viscount’s gaze squarely—“I have suspicions, not based on anything solid, rather a gut feeling. Farley and Trident were hanging about the stable block when I bid your brother farewell. And Farley, in particular, appeared a tad smug for someone being turned off the property.”

  Garrett paced to the fireplace and stared down at the diminishing flames. “I don’t know how he would have done it, or why, but I’d wager the estate he played some part in it. When we came across him the previous evening, he was not well disposed toward your sister.” Pounding his fist on the mantel, he added, “Nor myself. But this prank of his could have killed her!”

  “Natalie has been unable to tell you herself?” Darlington’s brows lowered in concern. “She is not coherent when she wakes?”

  Wretchedly, Garrett shook his head. “She is not.”

  The viscount watched Garrett searchingly. “You have an affection for her. I thought so when you fished her out of the lake. You will give me your word that you did not take her intentionally? You have not done this to trap her into marriage?”

  Garrett laughed at the irony. “You would accept my word? Honor from the son of a madman?” He found the demand intolerable. But it was what he expected. He steeled his gaze upon Natalie’s oldest brother. “I will do all in my ability to avoid matrimony with your sister, Darlington. You have my word on that.” And, in a barely audible voice, he added, “I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy.”

  “So you do care for her.”

  Garrett paced to the desk. He felt like a caged animal. “Of course I care for her.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. The memory of Natalie, limp and broken, trapped inside the trunk would haunt him forever. He hadn’t protected her when she’d needed him most.

  “Your sister is not to be moved. The doctor has forbidden it until he is satisfied she is recovering properly. I will have a room prepared for you. Forgive the rudimentary accommodations, but you see, my beloved father burned the manor to smithereens a few weeks ago.” With that, he tugged at the bell pull to summon Mrs. Hampden. Hopefully, there were enough clean linens to have another room readied. He’d not expected to entertain guests so soon, and one oughtn’t to put a viscount on an uncovered mattress.

  Unable to remain in Darlington’s company any longer, Garrett excused himself to seek out the housekeeper himself. Upon locating her, he requested a meal be served to the viscount while he waited for his room.

  He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but it could have been hours. He rushed upstairs, once again, to check on Natalie.

  Mrs. Hampden had sent for a young maid from the village to look after Natalie while she dealt with other household duties. Sitting beside Natalie’s bed now, the girl looked to be perhaps sixteen, dressed in an apron and mop cap. Garrett dismissed her, and she curtsied and hurried away. After entering the darkened room, he closed the door behind him. A small fire burned in the grate, casting the room in shadows. The drapes were pulled closed. The doctor had suggested that harsh lights might cause Natalie undue pain.

  Shock swept through Garrett. Listless and pale, Natalie’s delicate face lacked her normal rosy hue. He set a hand upon her forehead. She was cool to touch. His heart nearly breaking, he smoothed a few tendrils of hair away from her face. Her eyelashes fluttered before opening slowly.

  “Ah,” he said softly, “you are returned from dreamland.”

  “Where am I? I thought you were leaving,” she said in a hoarse voice.

  Garrett spotted a glass of water sitting on the bureau and brought it to her. “We are at Maple Hall—the dower house, that is.” And then, propping her up, he put the glass to her lips. “Drink slowly,” he cautioned. “Tell me if you feel ill again. That’s a good girl.” She lay back against the pillow while he returned the glass to the table.

  She closed her eyes and didn’t speak for a moment. Was she sleeping again?

  “Maple Hall?” She absorbed the information. “But why?”

  Garrett put one foot on the bed frame and leaned over to peer down at her. “I hoped you could tell me.”

  She opened her eyes again and attempted to look about as though the answer were somewhere in the room. But that was too much for her. She flinched and let her head fall back into the pillow, closing her eyes yet again.

  “You took a violent blow to the head, love. The doctor said we could give you some laudanum for the pain, but you’ve been unconscious since we found you. Are you in pain now?”

  “My brain feels scrambled,” she said. “It hurts when I think. Good gracious, now I’ll be the perfect English maiden.”

  Garrett laughed despite himself. What a relief to see a spark of her spirit break through. He bent forward and placed his lips on her forehead.

  “You’ve been perfect since the day I first laid eyes upon you.” The words were meant to be lighthearted, but there was truth in them. In all his dealings with her, she’d proven to be his ideal. He only wished he could be the same for her.

  She gasped suddenly and covered her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered, looking very distraught.

  “What is it?” Had she remembered something? Was she in pain? He should get the laudanum.

  “Did I…” She cringed. “Did I vomit when you were here earlier?”

  He grinned down at her. “Well, a gentleman perhaps ought not to remember such a thing.”

  “Oh, I did, didn’t I? And now I must look a fright. And how the devil did I get here?” Her brows furrowed as she again seemed to be searching her memory. She was still muddled.

  “You did, but you look beautiful, and we do not know what happened but can sort that all out when you are feeling better.” He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss there. “But for now, you will rest.” If she could not sleep again, he would have the medication brought up.

  She seemed to relax but clutched his hand still. “You would tell me if something terrible had happened, wouldn’t you? You aren’t keeping anything from me?” Her lips were pinched. She was in pain.

  “I would tell you.” Would he? “Lie still. You don’t want t
o be ill again. Your head is giving you all kinds of fits, isn’t it?” At her slight nod, he retrieved the wet cloth he’d used earlier and placed it upon her forehead. He felt helpless to see her in pain. Unable to bear it, he patted her and left to locate the medicine.

  ****

  “Do Mama and Papa know I am here?” Natalie whispered. She’d been tempted to feign sleep when she realized who sat beside her bed, but Darly was not going to go away. Surely he would lecture her. She’d almost rather have woken to found her father beside her bed.

  At her question, her brother glanced away from the window he’d been staring out and pinned her with his stare. He leaned forward quietly. He didn’t say a word, but his expression spoke volumes.

  Natalie wished she could sit up. Speaking with Darlington intimidated her under the very best of circumstances. Doing so from a supine position promised to be unbearable.

  And then to add to her disadvantage, he rose and stood to his full height. “Do you think I would keep something like this from them?”

  “Oh, Darly!” She knew what was coming. This situation could very well turn up worse than her broken engagement.

  “Mrs. Tinsdale worried when you failed to return to your chamber. I’ve never seen our mother so distraught.” He went on to explain how they’d searched the large house from the attics to the cellars. Experiencing no luck there, they’d then turned apart the stable block and every vehicle on the estate. Adding to her guilt, he then told her that the woods had been walked numerous times. House party guests and villagers had desperately scoured the property after hearing of her disappearance. Natalie wished she could duck her head beneath the covers and never come out again. How utterly mortifying! In her entire life, she would never live this down.

  “We were on the verge of dragging the canals. Mother was beside herself.”

  As Darlington continued speaking, Natalie’s eyes filled with tears. Oh, what a bother she was! She’d caused her mother such grief! And her father, well, he would banish her to Scotland for certain this time!