by Brower, Dawn
The innkeeper came over to greet them. “Hello, my lord.” He bowed and turned to Natalia. “My lady.”
“Actually…”
“Good day, sir,” Lucas interrupted him. “I sent my driver ahead hours ago with a broken wheel. Has he arrived?”
“Lord Darcy?” The innkeeper asked as he lifted a brow. “Indeed. Your carriage was retrieved some time past. He was concerned when you and your lady were not to be found. He’ll be happy to find you unharmed.”
Natalia couldn’t do anything but stand there and listen to their exchange. Neither man gave her a chance to interrupt or add anything to the conversation. She was on the brink of slapping Lucas for his inattention. Instead she reminded herself to breathe. She wasn’t prone to fits and being tired, hungry, and sore from head to toe didn’t mean she could now. Natalia was far more dignified than that…
“Good.” Lucas smiled at the innkeeper. “Please tell me you have some rooms available. Lady Darcy is fatigued and could use a hot bath.”
The innkeeper beamed at Lucas as if he’d dropped in on him and offered him the crown jewels. Had they never encountered an earl before? It also irked her a great deal Lucas referred to her as Lady Darcy. She was most certainly not his wife—though some days she wished she had married him.
“We have one room. I hope that is all right.”
It most certainly was not… She wrapped her hand around Lucas’s wrist and squeezed. The awful man didn’t even flinch as he answered the innkeeper, “It’s perfect. We’ll take it along with a bath for Lady Darcy; as well as, a hot meal.”
The innkeeper nodded. “I’ll have my wife see to everything so it’s done perfectly.” He walked over to a desk and pulled out a key and handed it to Lucas. “The room is the first one at the top of the stairs.” The man gestured toward the nearby staircase. “Will you require anything else?”
“No,” Lucas answered. “We can see ourselves to the room. Please make sure your wife knocks before entering, and can you have someone bring our trunks up from our carriage?”
“Of course. I’ll see to it now.” The innkeeper bowed again, then turned and left them alone.
“How could you lie to that man?” Natalia seethed, and her anger nearly boiled out of her. “We both know we’re not married.”
“Would you rather I told him the truth and ruined your reputation? Besides, we can always rectify the marriage part soon enough and it won’t be a lie.”
“Don’t say things like that. You know we’re not getting married.” She turned to stomp away from him but stopped short. Partly because she realized that he had the key, and also because she caught a glimpse of the last person she’d ever thought to see again. Comte Foix was sitting in the gathering room, having an animated conversation with another man. His hair was not sprinkled with gray, but his dark eyes still held a hint of cruelty—even from a distance. What was he doing in…well, whatever the name of the village was? She hadn’t thought to ask because that little detail hadn’t mattered to her. Natalia had to get out of the inn and as far away from Comte Foix as possible. So far he hadn’t noticed her and she had to make sure he wouldn’t.
She glanced up at Lucas. “You’re right. That’s not something I should concern myself with right now. Let’s go up to the room so I can rest.” She’d do everything that Lucas had arranged. Take a nice hot bath, change her clothes, and eat a hot meal. She wasn’t sure when she’d get the chance for any of those things again. Once she was rested, she’d run as far and as fast as possible from both Lucas and Comte Foix.
“I’m glad you’re being reasonable.” He looped his arm with hers and led her up to the room. There was nothing else for them to discuss. Soon she’d be gone and would do her best never to think about Lucas again. That saddened her more than she wanted to admit.
Chapter 11
Natalia was planning something. She may believe she hid her intentions well, but Lucas had become an expert in her tells. She’d bathed and put on a clean emerald toned gown. Their meal had yet to arrive, but he’d bet his entire inheritance that she was preparing to bolt. Something frightened her, and he had to figure out what it was.
A knock echoed through the room. Their food must have finally arrived. Lucas went to the door and opened it, and a maid stood on the other side with a tray balanced on her shoulder. It had two bowls of some kind of stew and two mugs filled to the brim, probably with ale. “Come in,” he said then gestured toward the table. “Set it there.”
The maid did as he bid and then exited the room. He closed the door behind her and turned his attention to Lia. She sat on the bed pushing a brush through her hair. It hadn’t dried much since her bath, and she struggled to untangle the long, dark curls. He couldn’t help admiring her. This was a scene he wished he’d been able to witness over the past decade. He felt cheated of the pleasure and hated that she was already planning on leaving him again. He needed her. Something he didn’t particularly like to admit, but he felt lost without her. He hadn’t realized it until she entered his life again. Lucas had been blindly going about his days without any real purpose. He could not return to that nonexistence.
“Are you going to eat?” he asked her.
She sat in silence. “Would you like me to brush your hair for you?” He was itching to touch her even if it was something as mundane as helping untangle her hair.
“I can finish myself.” Her voice was void of emotion. Another sign she planned to leave. Lia was already starting to distance herself from him.
Instead of listening to her, he went and sat next to her on the bed. She flinched at first, but he eased her concern the best he could. “Let me,” he said in a coaxing voice. He moved so he was behind her and slowly ran the brush over her hair. The long strands had started to dry and were silky to the touch. “What are you thinking?” He didn’t think she’d actually answer his question, but he had to try. “You’ve been quiet since we came up to the room.” Her bath had been prepared behind the privacy screen, and he’d left long enough for her to wash. He hadn’t wanted her to be uncomfortable. When he’d knocked later on, she’d yelled that it was safe for him to come back inside. “I’m sorry I had to lie to the innkeeper. Surely you understand why.”
“I do,” she answered. Her voice so quiet he barely heard her. “That doesn’t mean I like it.” Lucas ran the brush through her hair again. She reached around and put her hand on his arm. “That’s enough.”
“Why are you being so difficult?” His frustration was beyond control now. He had to discern her motivation and then try to work around them and convince her to stay with him. “I love you.”
“Don’t say that,” she nearly hissed the words out. “You can’t love me.”
“Why can’t I?” he asked softly. “What is keeping you from me?
Lucas stood and walked over to the table. He leaned down and sniffed the bowl. It smelled a little like mutton stew. At least he hoped that was what it was. Sometimes it was hard to uncover the ingredients in tavern fair. “At least come eat. You have to be as hungry as I am.”
Lia reluctantly joined him at the table. She picked up her spoon and took a bite of the warm food, then chewed slowly and swallowed. “It’s not bad.”
“Not a great recommendation.” He chuckled softly. “But I suppose when you’re hungry enough, anything fits that description.”
She pushed her spoon back into her bowl and stirred the contents almost absentmindedly. Whatever she’d been thinking about was weighing on her mind. “Do you think it will take long to repair the carriage?”
“No,” he answered. “The blacksmith is restoring the wheel now. I thought we’d rest here until tomorrow, and then continue to Scotland.”
“Is that where you were taking me?” She took another bite of her stew. “What’s in Scotland?”
“I thought we could marry.” He announced that without any preamble and waited for her to absorb it. Her mouth hung open and shock seemed to pour from her eyes.
“Pardon m
e,” she began. “I must have misheard you. Pray tell when did you ask me if I wanted to be your wife?” She resumed eating without any fanfare. Her hunger must have gotten the best of her.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “That was a lapse in judgment on my part. I had hoped to ease you into the idea as we traveled, but I think my time may have run out.” He picked up the mug of ale and took a long swig and then set it back down. Lucas swallowed the ale and in burned as it slid down his throat. “What did you see in the main room of the lobby that frightened you?”
She stopped eating and stared at him. Lia dropped her spoon into the stew and met his gaze. “I wouldn’t know what you mean. There was nothing in the main room.”
“Now, that’s not entirely true, is it?” He tilted his lips up into a half smile. “There is plenty of things in the main room. Tables, chairs…people.” Someone in that room had sent fear running through his Lia, and he wanted to know exactly who it was so he could protect her.
“How silly of me. Of course all those things were in the main room.” She picked up her spoon again and resumed eating. Clearly she believed that the conversation was over. She was wrong.
“Who is the Frenchman?”
How had he noticed her attention to the comte? Lia’s face had drained of color, and she’d immediately become more agreeable. She hadn’t wanted that man to see her, and she’d done everything in her power to remain hidden. Lucas would have answers, and fast.
* * *
Natalia cursed inside her head. She had to find a way to steer their conversation onto a much safer topic. The last thing she wished to discuss was Comte Foix, the man her father had sold her to. The evil Frenchman may have said he was going to marry her, but she didn’t believe him. He had always leered at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.
“Whom?” She lifted a brow. “You’ll have to give me more details. I’m unfamiliar with whom you’re speaking about.”
Maybe if she continued to eat the stew and pretend ignorance he’d believe her. She hadn’t realized how perceptive Lucas could be until he asked that last question. How much did he realize? She’d thought he remained oblivious.
He smiled at her. It unnerved her a little bit. Perhaps that was his plan all along—to keep her unbalanced and uncertain of everything. “I had a feeling you would act as if you didn’t know him. That’s why I decided to introduce myself to the gentleman.”
She closed her eyes and prayed. Not for herself. No, her fate had been sealed years ago. Now she sent up whatever hope she could and begged whatever higher being was listening to keep him safe. He didn’t know what he was doing when he’d poked that particular beast. “And what did you discover?”
“Not much,” he replied nonchalantly. “He’s a businessman working the coastal towns, but traveled a little farther inland because he had a friend in a nearby village he has worked closely with for years.” Lucas took another drink of his ale. “He’s heading there and stopped here for the night.”
Natalia gave up on eating and set her spoon aside. “What is the name of the village we’re in?” She’d been so fatigued, she hadn’t thought to ask or pay close attention to her surroundings.
“Chartham,” he answered. “Have you been here before?”
Chartham was on the way to her father’s manor. Her father’s estate was located between Chartham and Faversham, but closer to the latter. If Comte Foix had seen her, he’d inform her father. She had to leave and soon. “I haven’t,” she answered honestly. Her father rarely allowed her to leave the manor, and if she were allowed to go to a town at all, it would have been Faversham.
“Do you want to know what I think?” He tapped his finger on the table. “The Frenchman—Comte Foix is his name—was your betrothed all those years ago. The one you were running from.”
Natalia attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. “And if he is?”
“He means nothing to me, and he clearly isn’t someone you care to have any association with. Why are you running scared?”
“Because my father…”
“Isn’t here,” he interrupted her. “He can’t control you anymore. You’re past your majority and have made a life for yourself. Don’t allow him to continue to have any power over you.”
“It’s not that simple…” He didn’t know who her father was. Maybe it was time to explain everything to him. “My father is Viscount Atherton. He yields a lot of power, and most men fear him.”
Lucas chuckled softly. “You do know who my father is correct? Your father can certainly try to make me bend to his wishes, but he’ll soon realize that no one can make the Duke of Montford, or his son—that would be me—do anything they don’t want to.” He stood and paced the room. “This is the reason you ran from me all those years ago? You thought your father could hurt me?”
“He can,” she insisted. A part of her was relieved. The truth she’d been holding inside of her was finally out in the open. She could, possibly, breathe a little easier now that he knew. Still, she had to make him understand. He still didn’t grasp the severity of her situation. “My father isn’t a good man.”
She had to find a way to make him understand. Lucas didn’t seem to want to hear a word she said. He stared past her at the wall and shook his head almost as if in disbelief. “You’re father can be the most depraved man in England, and I still don’t care. I love you, Lia and I will follow you wherever you run to. Please stay with me and make it easier on us both.”
“And go to Scotland?” She lifted a brow. “So we can finally be married?”
“That’s not necessary. I was making the trip so we could spend some time together.” He came to her side and knelt beside her. “I do want to marry you. That’s always been my greatest wish and the reason I’ve remained unattached all these years. I’ve secretly hoped you would return to me. It angered me that you continued to push me away, and I didn’t handle that well. I hope you forgive my clumsiness.”
“So we’re not going to Scotland?” She was confused and had trouble following what he said. “But you still want to marry me?”
He went over to his trunk and opened it. When he came back to her side he was holding a piece of paper. “My father procured this hoping to force me to marry Lady Anne. He’s grown so desperate for me to find a wife that he was going to force my hand. I don’t know how he convinced Lady Anne to try to seduce me, but it didn’t work.” Lucas set the paper on the table. “I stole it from him before we left. It’s a special license with the names left blank. We need to write ours in and have a vicar perform the ceremony.” He met her gaze and pleaded with emotion pouring through each word, “Say yes.”
A tear fell down her cheek. He reached up and wiped it away. “Don’t be afraid any more Lia.”
She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. He didn’t need any other invitation. He helped her to her feet and deepened the kiss. Their tongues tangled together almost like a passionate dance. He pulled back and caressed her cheek.
“I love you,” she said. “I should never have denied it.”
“Thank God.” Lucas hugged her tight against him. “Let’s find a vicar and have a wedding before you change your mind.” He pulled back and smiled down at her. “By the way, Comte Foix left nearly an hour ago before I came back to the room. You don’t need to worry about him or your father. He’ll never bother you again.”
“I know.” She finally understood. He was her safe haven, and she was his. That’s how it should be with two people who adored each other. “Kiss me again.”
“I’ll kiss you every day for the rest of your lives,” he told her. “But first we have a wedding to attend—our own.” He held out his hand to her and she grasped it. “I’ve already made the arrangements.”
“Presumptuous of you.” She lifted her lips into a smile. “We’ll talk about your underhandedness later. This one time I’ll allow your misbehavior.”
“Darling,” he said and then flashed her a sinful smile. �
��But I like when I’m in trouble. As long as you’re the one who punishes me.” He winked at her.
She laughed as they walked down the stairs hand in hand and to the nearby chapel. The wedding was a blur, but it didn’t matter if she remembered every detail. The most important one happened at the end. When they were pronounced husband and wife, then were free to see to their happy-ever-after. Sometimes love was the only acceptable solution, and Natalia finally discovered what true bliss could bring her.
Epilogue
Three months later…
Lucas had finally gotten the one thing he wanted more than anything—Lia as his wife. His father wasn’t happy at his nuptials, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He blustered around and threatened to disinherit him, but he wouldn’t. The duke didn’t like the idea of his title not going to one of his children. So they had a tentative truce—one that still held a bit of tension whenever they were in each other’s company. Which thankfully wasn’t often…
They were heading to visit his sister, and her husband, also Lucas’s closest friend—the Marquess of Dashville for Christmastide. Helena had been enceinte and hadn’t been up to traveling so hadn’t had the chance to meet Lia—she’d given birth to her third child, a girl, and now they had a reason to visit. Lucas had decided that it was time to rectify that and make the journey to Dash’s country estate.
“Are you nervous?” Lia asked. Her voice held a hint of concern, but he didn’t know if it was for him or the upcoming meeting with Helena. She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist to snuggle closer to him. “You seem a little anxious.”