Unfastening her cape with stiff shaking fingers, he slid it off her shoulders. Mrs. Karry hovered near, offering hot chocolate. Benson took the cape without a word, exchanging it for a warm blanket. The earl was handed a dry, informal jacket, which he slipped on over his damp shirt. He slid out of his shoes into slippers brought for him.
The mug warmed Angella’s hands. With a sigh, she sipped the hot liquid, letting it slide deliciously down her throat. The earl sipped his chocolate, as well. Silence reigned as they let the fire and the beverage warm them inside and out. Beside her, the earl leaned back, echoing her sigh.
Angella exchanged a shy glance with the earl. There was no doubt he felt as awkward as she. Angella’s kitten leaped onto her lap, demanding attention.
Laughing, Angella set down her cup and hugged the growing kitten to her red cheeks. “Did you miss me so soon?” She smoothed the kitten’s fur. The cat’s big round green-yellow eyes looked at her without blinking. Then she settled down in Angella’s lap. In the quiet with the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the low murmur of the butler giving directions in the background, Angella relaxed. Reaching over, the earl scratched the kitten’s ears. He and Angella smiled hesitantly at each other.
The comfortable bond between them broke at the strident voice behind them. “There you are, darling. Whyever did you go running off like that?”
Coming up to them, Margaret, without a by-your-leave, wedged herself between the earl and Angella. A moment later, she leaped to her feet with a squeak of alarm. “Why, you’re damp.” She made it sound like some loathsome disease.
Her gaze narrowed as it moved from Angella to the earl. “What’s going on, darling?” For the first time she noticed the cat staring up at her from Angella’s lap. “That cat. It’s black!”
At the tone of her voice, the kitten hunched its back and hissed at her, preparing to leap. Margaret stepped back. “Get that cat out of here,” she screeched.
“What’s this?” Harry came up beside his sister followed, of course, by Herbert.
Herbert reached down to touch the cat. “Nice kitty.”
His sister slapped his hand away. “No, Herbert. Don’t touch that cat.”
Fearfully he tucked his hands behind his back.
“Stop being an addlepate, Margaret.” Harry laughed. “It is only a cat, sis. Don’t frighten Herbert.” He viewed the animal dubiously.
“It’s merely Miss Denning’s pet,” the earl said. “There is nothing intrinsically evil about a color.”
Keeping her eye on the beast, who continued to stare at her, Margaret nervously settled into a nearby chair. “Darling, were you effecting a midnight rescue or a rendezvous at this time of the night?” There was deadly undertone to her polite inquiry.
The earl hesitated. “I fear, Miss Denning decided to go for a walk to clear her head. Unfortunately, she has no idea how icy the bridge gets at this time of the year. When I saw her out the window, I knew I had no time to lose.”
“Poor darling.” Margaret sighed, before continuing. “Your little backcountry mouse is such a trial. We really must get her settled. Surely there is some tenant farmer or other mutton-headed coxcomb who wouldn’t inquire too deeply into her unchaperoned activities under the care of the Earl of Lucashire.”
“Margaret.” Angella heard the earl’s unspoken warning.
Clutching the kitten, Angella got to her feet. For a moment her tired knee threatened to buckle and she swayed. Herbert grabbed her before she fell. Angella flashed a smile at him. “Thank you, Herbert. That was most kind.”
He beamed. “Pretty Angella. Pretty lady.” He let her go reluctantly.
As though recognizing Angella was poised for flight, the earl also stood and took her arm. “Why don’t we all return to the parlor.” Both women shot him looks he ignored as he steered them all down the hall.
The earl managed to ensconce Angella next to himself, leaving both Harry and Margaret disconcerted. There was little warmth in the room other than that from the hearth as each avoided looking at the other. First the earl, then Harry, valiantly tried to introduce subjects for conversation, but discussion quickly died in the tension between the two women.
The earl’s ragged cough galvanized both Margaret and Angella into action. Starting to her feet, Margaret exclaimed, “Spensor, see what a fool thing you did going out like that. You should have sent a flunky to get her, instead of playing the gallant yourself.”
Frowning behind another cough, the earl shook his head. “No time.” At Angella’s gasp, he grabbed her hand. “I had to go.”
Forcing a smile, Angella daintily tugged her fingers from his bone-crunching clasp. “You need to go to bed.”
Throwing a malevolent glance toward Angella, Margaret took the earl’s arm. “Unfortunately, she is right. You must take care of yourself. I’ll not be having you catch your death.”
“I am not feeling quite the thing,” the earl said, acquiescing with a sharp nod. “I do feel rather chilled.” With that, he hied himself off to his rooms.
With his departure, Margaret dismissed Herbert, also, as one would send off a child. “You, too, Herbert. Time for bed.”
“Aw, I want to stay with the pretty lady.”
Margaret’s expression grew stern. “Not now, Herbert. Maybe...later.” Lord Hinton backed her up, his predatory gaze on Angella.
Grunting, Herbert got up and lumbered from the room.
Angella picked up the kitten and prepared to depart for the peace and security of her bedchamber.
“Miss Denning, I hope you’ll remember that whatever relations you may have had with my fiancé, he is pledged to me. He may have his lightskirts, that I fully expect, but I will not have them in my home. Do we understand one another?”
Biting her lip, Angella held her peace as she mouthed polite platitudes of escape. Nothing she said would convince Margaret of the truth of the matter, so why try?
“I’m glad we understand one another.” Margaret smiled, then said, “We’ll see to your future, never fear.”
Angella left with all the dignity she could muster.
In the hall, the kitten meowed loudly and jumped from Angella’s arms. Angella followed the kitten, who mischievously edged open the door next to the parlor where they had been sitting. The unused room was cold and dark, with only a sliver of light coming in from the partially open door between the rooms.
The luminous eyes of the kitten blinked at her from under a claw-footed chair. Cautiously, Angella tracked the kitten, who danced away on her little cat feet as though playing a game. “Come here,” whispered Angella, making a grab for her. She missed.
The kitten blinked at her again before leaping toward the door. In desperation, Angella leaped after her, catching her just before she scampered into the parlor. Voices sounded from the other room, harsh accusing voices. Then she heard her name. Clutching the kitten to her chest, Angella froze.
“We must do something about the girl, Margaret, and don’t expect me to come up to scratch. I have much higher expectations than Spensor’s cast-off doxy, however charming. Now, if she had a hefty portion...” Angella could almost see his cadaverous smile.
“Well, she doesn’t. How was I to know he would fall for the likes of her? Besides, I’m not the one running from the duns.”
“No, but I haven’t got him in a taking by my rag manners, either. Haven’t you more sense than to treat the girl as you do?”
“Poo. She’s of no consequence. Once she’s settled right and tight, I’ll see to it that Spensor doesn’t concern himself with her again. What we need do is find some suitable parti for her to wed.”
“Right. In the middle of Kent. Girl or no girl, you have got to get the settlements signed to make this engagement official. It’s not as though Spensor is besotted with your person, sis. if we hadn’t made
slight additions to his drinks that night, he would not now be—rather reluctantly, I might add—looking ahead to being hauled down to the altar.” His long shadow stretched across the room toward the door as he paced. Gulping, Angella drew back, her eyes wide with discovery.
“You well know if I can’t come up with the blunt in another week, the duns will have me in Fleet prison. With a scandal like that in the offing, how long do you think you’d hang on to your precious earl?”
“I know. I know. If only you could have lived within the credit we received on the strength of my coming nuptials. But no, as usual, off you go to lose, again, at the baize tables. You are just like father.” She paused. “There has got to be a way...” Angella heard her sigh. “Wait a minute, I think...” Angella heard her rise. “Come, Harry, I have the very thing.”
Shocked by what she had heard, Angella held her place until she could no longer hear footsteps in the hall. Then, clutching the kitten to her chest, she carefully made her way out of the darkened room and back into the hallway. Soon, safely ensconced in her bedchamber, she set down the kitten, who immediately leaped onto her bed and curled into a furry ball.
Needing time to assimilate what she had heard, Angella spoke little as the maid assisted her out of her gown and into a long nightdress. Crawling between the covers, she stretched her feet down to the wrapped brick heating the bed, careful not to dislodge the sleeping kitten.
Quietly the maid wished her good-night as she doused the candles. From past experience, she left the door slightly ajar so the kitten might leave in the night should she need to go down to the kitchen.
In the dark, Angella mulled the information she inadvertently overheard. From what Harry said, Spensor had been tricked into acknowledging Lady Margaret as his intended. Not too sporting, but then, the earl’s deep pockets were well-known, and Harry was obviously both desperate and devious. Somehow, Angella knew she must find a way to speak to the earl in private to let him know the truth of the matter.
Hope rose. Hope died. It would make little difference. By whatever means the engagement came about, the earl was duty bound to marry the scheming woman.
As much as she wished to stay awake to think, the walk and the cold had taken its toll. Beside her the kitten’s purr lulled her to sleep. Her eyes closed.
In her dreams she grimaced, moved. Suddenly she sat up. The heavy breathing was not a part of a dream, but close beside her. Fetid breath heated her face. Frightened now, she reached out to push away the hulking figure blocking the little light emanating from the embers in the hearth.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Thick clammy hands touched her cheeks with surprising gentleness. Quelling panic, Angella struggled. “Go away. Leave me alone!”
A moment later hands grabbed at her in an awkward caress. She gasped, crying out in pain. “No! Leave me be.”
A guttural boyish laugh met her plea. “I want you, pretty lady. You want Herbert. Sis say you want Herbert. Harry say you want Herbert. He want you. Herbert want you.”
She felt his body plopping down beside her. Losing the last shred of control, Angella pushed him away, scratching and clawing at his face and arms. Grappling with the groping arms, Angella screamed and screamed again, only to have her screams cut off by a wet kiss that so revolted her she thought never to be clean again. The whole of it was obscene.
“God,” she screamed. “Help me! Save me!”
Stirred from sleep, a small furry missile, angry at being disturbed, hurled herself at Herbert’s face, claws extended. This time it was he who screamed as he tried to protect his face. As he grabbed for the elusive kitten, Angella threw the covers away from Herbert and slid to the floor. Grabbing her robe, she hurried across the floor in her bare feet. Behind her she heard a frightened meow, a hard thump and silence.
“Pretty lady hurt Herbert.” She heard him come after her. Panicked, she slammed the door closed behind her. Pulling on the robe, which covered her like a warm blanket from neck to toes, she hurried down the hall as fast as she was able. At Spensor’s study next to his bedchamber she spotted a dim light under the door. Grabbing the handle, she swung into the room.
Entering the room, she oriented herself by the flickering light of the fire. “Spensor,” she whispered loudly. “Spensor help me!”
The earl, who had been sitting quietly before the fire reading instead of being in bed, shook his head as if to clear it. “Angella, what is it? What’s wrong?” Setting aside his book, he got to his feet.
At the sound of his voice, a sob broke forth from her as she flung herself into his arms. “Spensor, oh Spensor. Herbert is after me. Margaret and Harry sent him to assault me in my own chambers.” Then she wept.
“Lord in heaven.” As his arms closed around Angella, she sensed his rage. Where was the loving Heavenly Father now?
Chapter 8
As the earl held the shivering girl for the second time that night, he wondered what time it might be. No light showed through the heavy curtains. He heard no sounds in the hall nor outside the window other than the wind.
Not being able to sleep, he’d gotten up to read. His cough disappeared as the heat warmed him. Fleetingly, he wondered if God had awakened him for this moment of Angella’s need. Oh, Lord!
Much as he wanted to know exactly what that caper-witted Herbert had been about, he knew Angella was in no shape to explain further at the moment. Still, he must try to understand. Picking her up, he sat with her on the settee. “Now, tell me, Angella. What’s wrong?” For a long time she clung to him, her eyes wide with near hysteria. Murmuring softly, the earl soothed her until the panic left her face and tears started in her eyes.
In the circle of his arms Angella sobbed out her fright and hurt of the past week. For a long time she wept, until she relaxed against him in sheer exhaustion. The earl kept his hold gentle. He didn’t think she even realized he held her.
“Angella, whatever it is, it’s all right. It’s all right. I’ll take care of you.”
She stiffened and raised her head. In the dim light he watched the blush start across her cheeks as she tried to push herself away from his embrace.
“Be still, Angella. Think you so little of me that you assume I’d take advantage of you or anyone who came to me for safety?”
“No, no. You would not, but this is wrong. I shouldn’t be here. I must go....”
“Where? No one is about, Angella, other than that dim-witted Herbert and he’d be far too frightened of me to follow you into my study.” The earl held her to his side.
“Now, relax. I shall not hurt you.”
“I shouldn’t stay.” She slurred her words.
“There, that’s better,” he said as she snuggled closer. “Now, tell me exactly what happened.” He felt her tense again and tightened his hold.
“He came to my bedchamber.”
“Herbert?” The earl gulped down anger and tried to remain calm for Angella’s sake.
“Herbert, I never thought...never considered... I mean...Lord Hinton was always... Oh, you didn’t know...” She paused, then gulped. “Or care...”
The earl managed to catch the gist of this. “Oh, Angella, I cautioned Harry numerous times to keep his lecherous hands off you.”
Her face showed surprise. Did she really think he didn’t notice or care?
Angella sucked in a breath. “He did not listen—ever. He was despicably vulgar. I didn’t know how to fend him off. Nothing discouraged him.”
“Is that why you ran away this evening?”
Angella shuddered. “Lord Hinton told me he was coming to my room.”
Fury exploded in the earl’s eyes. “He didn’t.”
“He did. I didn’t know how else to escape him.” She sniffed as tears began to once more trickle down her face.
“Angella,
I am so sorry. Some protector I am.” He deserved her condemnation. He’d been going along, trying to calm the situation. In doing so, he saw now, he’d let Angella down—again. “Oh, Lord—help!”
Wiping away the tears, Angella hiccuped, and continued. “What did they hope to accomplish by sending Herbert to my room?” She trembled at the memory.
“I can guess. They assumed I’d permit that dimwit to have you.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“I’ll have him strung up for what he did.” The earl sighed, wondering how to ask, then barged ahead. “What did he do, Angella?”
Angella sucked in a painful breath. “He tried to get into bed with me. His hands groped.” She shook and her eyes revealed her revulsion. A hysterical giggle escaped her lips. “Believe it or not, ’twas the kitten who bought me time to get away. I prayed, you see, and suddenly the cat leaped at him. She was sleeping on the bed with me. When she attacked, I ran. But I think he killed her.” She repeated with deep sadness, “I think he...he killed her.”
“Maybe not. We’ll check later.” The earl studied her face. “You ran to me. Despite all the things that have happened, you ran to me.”
“I had nowhere else to turn. But—” he felt her tense “—that changes nothing. Even if you were tricked into a betrothal with Lady Margaret, you should have told me.”
“Tricked? What do you mean?” He straightened and stared down into her face. Mayhap there was hope. “How did you discover that? I daresay Margaret did not tell you. I had my suspicions, but...”
Angella hesitated. “I...uh...happened to overhear her and Harry talking. They didn’t know I was in the next room chasing the cat.” She paused before explaining further.
“The cat escaped, and I was trying to catch her. The connecting door between the rooms was open, and, well, I listened.”
“Hush, you have no reason to justify eavesdropping, Angella. I’m glad you know. There never was much true feeling between us. What we had was much more basic, I fear.”
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