by Wolf, Bree
Her words still echoed in his mind and when he closed his eyes, he could still feel her in his arms. He remembered the way she’d come to him, kissed him, clung to him. He remembered his almost desperate response to her alternative as she’d sought to distract him.
And she had.
By God, she had.
The feel of her had consumed him, and yet, he’d felt utterly at peace with her in his arms. Her touch had driven him wild and soothed his rage at the same time. His pulse had thudded in his veins, but he had calmed, had regained some measure of composure.
She’d been his lifeline.
And he missed her.
It had been five days.
Five days full of inquiries, of discussions, and plans. Filled with strategies and thoughts of tactics. But five days without her.
Still, he could not call on her without threatening the disguise she’d fashioned for herself, could he? And she had not come to him. She had not sneaked out of the house in the dead of night to see him. A part of him was relieved that she would not put herself in danger, considering all the many things that could go wrong and lead to harm for her on the short way between their homes. Still, another, more selfish part of him wished she would do so nonetheless.
Because he needed her.
Pierce knew that now, and once all this was taken care of, he knew what he would do about it. He would find a way to persuade her to—
“What’s her name?”
Jarred from his thoughts, Pierce flinched, then inhaled a deep breath, prayed for patience, and turned around to face the rather insolent intruder into his privacy.
With her long, black hair flowing freely over her shoulders, Charlaine stood leaning casually against the doorframe of his study. Her brown eyes looked inquisitively at him, and the right corner of her mouth quirked upward in a teasing gesture. Then she moved into the room, and he knew from the sound of her feet on the polished floors that she was once again barefoot.
Albert had almost had palpitations when he’d first noticed.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Pierce asked calmly, aware that he was far from capable to deal with Charlaine’s quick wit right now.
Three days ago, his young ward had arrived rather unexpectedly from Jamaica. She’d been reluctant to leave after Peter’s death, dreading the thought of leaving behind her home and embarking on a voyage to a world that was as strange to her as those whispered of in fairy tales. Still, eventually, she’d come to realize that her home was not her home without the family she’d loved. And now, they were gone.
Peter, too.
Now, she was alone.
And so, she’d come after all.
“You can tell me her name,” Charlaine suggested with that Jamaican accent of hers, a hint of innocent curiosity in her eyes as she walked around his study, picking up things here and there, inspecting them and then setting them back down.
“Whose name?” Pierce tried to feign incomprehension.
Charlaine, however, cast him a knowing look, her large, brown eyes as watchful as he remembered them. She’d always been a lively child, filled with curiosity and thoughts of adventure, and he remembered well the daring spirit that had always urged her on. Today, a woman grown, she seemed even more insistent in her own ways. She knew who she was and what she wanted, and she would not be dissuaded.
Pierce was afraid Albert would have to learn to live with having a barefoot young woman in the house. One who spoke her mind with shocking frankness and seemed to have found utter delight in sliding down the banister of the grand staircase in the hall.
In these moments, she reminded Pierce of the young girl she’d once been, and he wondered if only by clinging to these simple joys was she able to handle the loss and grief she’d met in her young life.
“Well?” she prompted when he remained quiet.
Pierce sighed. “Caroline.”
Charlaine’s brows rose in interest. “Can I meet her?”
With shocking accuracy, his young ward knew well which questions would unsettle him the most. “That, I cannot say at present. There are…complications.”
Her brown eyes sought his as she stepped into his path, a warm smile on her face. “Do you love her?”
Pierce swallowed.
Again, Charlaine’s brows rose, only this time in understanding. “I see,” she whispered, a hint of amusement tickling her lips.
Pierce sighed. “Are you laughing about me?” he asked, chuckling.
Smiling up at him, she placed a hand on his cheek. “I would never laugh about you. After all, I want you to be happy. I hope you can believe that.”
Reaching for her hand, Pierce squeezed it gently. “Of course, I can.” He sought her gaze. “How are you doing?”
A long sigh escaped her lips as her eyes swept around the room, the look in her gaze encompassing the whole of London and perhaps even the whole of England. “This is a different place,” she whispered, and he could see that she was overwhelmed, fighting to find her bearings in a strange, new world. “But I’m happy to see you again. Peter always talked about you, and I feel as though I know you better than I should, given that we haven’t seen each other in years.”
“It will take some time for you to settle in here,” Pierce encouraged. “We all need to find a way to come together and get to know each other again.” He glanced down at her feet hidden under her long skirts. “Perhaps you could wear shoes,” he suggested with a grin.
Charlaine cocked her head, a daring look coming to her eyes. “Perhaps you could take them off,” she suggested in return, her tone teasing.
Pierce laughed. “Albert would drop dead if I did!”
Charlaine clasped her hands together. “Oh, he’s such a sweet man!” Her brows knotted together. “But so very serious…and sad.” Her brown eyes rose to meet his, a question there that needed no words.
Pierce nodded. “He lost his daughter a few years back. I don’t think that is something anyone can ever fully recover from.”
Deepest empathy glistened in Charlaine’s eyes. “I’ll speak to him. I’m certain there is a way to make him laugh again.” Eagerness came to her face, and Pierce wondered if perhaps—as different as they were—Albert and Charlaine would be good for each other.
They’d both suffered and lost, and they’d both found a way to continue on.
“But gently,” Pierce urged as she all but skipped from the room like a fairy dancing from flower to flower. “Or you’ll be the death of him,” he muttered quietly to himself when she was already out the door and halfway down the hall.
Still, Pierce could not help but smile for Charlaine had an utterly pure heart, and it felt wonderful to be reminded that there was still some good in this world.
Now more than ever.
Chapter Thirty
A Stroll in the Park
It was truly a beautiful day.
The sun shone warmly on the green lawns of Hyde Park, its bright light glistening in the waters of the Serpentine as a soft breeze swirled around the many visitors that afternoon. Smiles and laughter were everywhere, and children ran back and forth between the water’s edge and the many picnic blankets spread across the seemingly endless green.
Caroline could have smiled at the beautiful scene before her if it weren’t for the man by her side.
He, too, bore a striking smile, his manners impeccable and his expression one of deepest enjoyment. However, he was the devil incarnate.
Only no one knew it. No one saw it. No one had even the slightest idea what this man was capable of.
Except for Caroline.
And Sarah, walking a few steps behind them, her eyes shooting daggers at the back of Lord Coleridge’s head.
Never would Caroline have accepted the man’s invitation for a stroll through Hyde Park but her parents had insisted.
“Have you spoken to your cousin since her return?” Lord Coleridge inquired, the look on his face portraying not the slightest emotion, as though he’d not
just lost the woman he’d intended to marry to another.
“Yes, I’ve spoken to her and her new husband,” Caroline exclaimed joyfully, remembering the glow in Rebecca’s eyes. She’d seemed overwhelmingly happy, and Lord Pembroke had stood by her side like a watchful guard when she’d faced her uncle’s anger and her aunt’s disappointment.
The expression on the young earl’s face had looked strained, and Caroline had seen that he’d had to hold himself back at her father’s condescending tone. Still, he had done what he could to placate her parents, no doubt on Rebecca’s request so that the two cousins would not be barred from seeing one another in the future.
For that alone, Caroline loved him.
At her joyous words, Caroline felt Lord Coleridge’s arm under her hand tense ever so slightly, the first sign that he was not as content and relaxed as his expression would suggest. “I do hope she is well.”
“She is very well, my lord,” Caroline stressed, unwilling to spare him the slight sting Rebecca’s good fortune brought him. After all, why on earth should she? He deserved worse than a needling sting of envy. Far worse.
“I’m relieved to hear it,” her companion pushed out through slightly gritted teeth. “I know how worried your parents were about her.”
“As was I,” Caroline rushed to point out. “However, Lord Pembroke promised to hold a festive celebration at Pembroke Hall within a fortnight, and my parents were overjoyed to hear it. I do believe all will be well.” With a joyous smile, she looked up at him, the look in her eyes all but daring him to contradict her, to say something unpleasant, to reveal how he truly felt about this news.
His green eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he watched her that she wondered if she’d even seen it. “I’m glad to hear it,” Lord Coleridge replied with what sounded like honest sincerity.
Caroline could barely prevent her jaw from dropping. How on earth was it possible for him to appear so sincere when, in truth, she knew he could not mean what he’d said?
“I’m sorry for how all this affected you, my lord,” Caroline said with feigned compassion, wondering if there was a way to tease an honest reaction out of him. “I assume you were devastated when you learned of their marriage.” There! Let him say something pleasant now!
To Caroline’s great disappointment, his jaw did not drop nor did his eyes narrow or a scowl come to his face. In fact, the man seemed amused, a light snicker leaving his lips as he dropped his gaze for a brief moment as though he were embarrassed to reveal a secret.
“I must confess something,” Lord Coleridge said as his gaze returned to hers, his left hand coming to settle on hers as it rested on his right arm.
Caroline wanted nothing more than to jerk her hand away, and it cost her every bit of strength she could muster not to do so. “Confess?” she asked, annoyed with the slight croak in her voice.
Lord Coleridge nodded, an affectionate smile coming to his face. “I never sought your cousin’s hand in marriage. She’s a wonderful young woman and I did enjoy her company. However, truth be told,” a deep sigh left his lips as though he truly were speaking from the heart, “it is you I want.”
Caroline’s knees felt as if they would buckle as the shock of his words slammed into her. Her eyelashes blinked rapidly, trying to rid her of the mirage that had appeared before her, speaking nonsense. “I beg your pardon?”
Lord Coleridge chuckled warmly. “It is true. Long ago, I singled you out as the one woman who could make me that happiest of men.” He sighed, and his hand squeezed hers.
For a second, Caroline feared she’d lose the contents of her stomach.
“But you always seemed so reserved and reluctant to mingle that I was afraid a direct approach would frighten you.” His gaze darkened. “I noted how Markham’s rather persistent address affected you, and I feel the need to apologize on his behalf. He ought to have acted the proper gentleman and taken your sensibilities into account.”
Caroline’s head spun and, without thought, her hand on Lord Coleridge’s arm tightened as she fought to regain her balance. He’d seen her with Pierce? Her mind screamed. What else had he seen? And why was he doing this? Was this another game? He couldn’t possibly be sincere, could he?
Inhaling a steadying breath, Caroline allowed her gaze to sweep over the peaceful scene before her; lords and ladies promenading, children running and laughing, the sun sparkling off the clear water of the Serpentine. All was well…
…until it wasn’t.
Off to the side near the bridge stood Pierce, a dark scowl on his face as he stared at her—at them!—a dark-haired beauty on his arm who, in that moment, leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
While Lord Coleridge’s words had unhinged her, it was the sight of Pierce and his companion that turned Caroline’s world upside down. Tears shot to her eyes and she quickly averted her gaze as her heart hammered painfully in her chest. What was going on? Had the world gone mad?
*
If he’d been armed, Pierce doubted he would’ve been able to keep himself from ending that man’s life right then and there! And blast the consequences!
His blood boiled with rage, and he felt sickened to the stomach when he finally took note of the young woman on Coleridge’s arm.
It was Caroline!
His Caroline!
What on earth was she doing here? With that man? That monster!
Dimly, Pierce felt Charlaine’s hand tighten on his arm before she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. “Is that her?”
Yes! His heart screamed as he shifted his gaze to catch Caroline’s, desperate to understand what he was seeing. To his utter shock, she averted her eyes and turned away from him, her eyes slightly misted as she looked up at Coleridge as though…as though…
“You look as though your head is about to explode,” Charlaine remarked beside him, her hand giving his arm a gentle tug, no doubt seeking to draw his attention. “What’s wrong?”
Pierce barely heard her as his mind kept circling the same questions again and again. What was Caroline doing here with that man? Why were they holding hands? Why was she turning away from him, Pierce, to seek refuge with…with…?
“You’re frightening me,” Charlaine whispered before she stepped around him and he could feel her brown eyes seeking his.
Still, Pierce could not have looked at her if his life had depended on it. His gaze was locked on Caroline as she followed Coleridge back up the path, Sarah trailing faithfully behind them. A moment before they turned the corner and were lost from sight, the man glanced over his shoulder at him, and a triumphant smile came to his face that turned the blood in Pierce’s veins into ice.
Instantly, his body jerked forward, determined to pursue them.
“No!” Charlaine exclaimed, both palms flattened against his chest as she pushed him back. “Talk to me! What’s wrong?”
Blinking, Pierce belatedly took note of the deep concern on her face. “I’m sorry, but I need to—”
“Who was that man?” Charlaine demanded, and he could see a shiver dance down her back. “His smile was false.” Her eyes searched his. “Is he the man everyone has been whispering about?” Her hands grasped his. “Tell me!”
Pierce swallowed, not in the least surprised that she’d become aware of the agitated whispers that were currently coursing through his household. “Yes,” he gritted out, his limbs still humming with the need to move, to go after them. Still, a more rational voice whispered that nothing he did in anger would lead to anything good.
That voice sounded suspiciously like Caroline!
“Why was she with him?” Charlaine thought out loud, her gaze distant as it swept over the empty space where Caroline and Coleridge had stood only a moment before. “Does she know?”
Pierce nodded, overwhelmed at how easily Caroline had upended his world. Everything he thought he knew had been called into question, and he could not bear it.
Not where she was concerned!
“She looked sa
d,” Charlaine remarked as her hand once more slipped through the crook of his arm and gave it a gentle tug to make him look at her. “She looked frightened.”
Pierce swallowed as he stared into Charlaine’s deep brown eyes. Still, what he saw was Caroline as he’d seen her only a few moments ago. Only now, he saw her in a different light. He saw the slight quiver in her jaw, the hurt in her eyes, the tension in her posture. Had he misread the situation?
“I’ll take you home,” he mumbled as he led Charlaine back the way they’d come. “There’s something…I need to look in to.”
Beside him, Charlaine chuckled. “You should tell her you love her.” She smiled up at him. “You’ll feel better, I promise.”
Squeezing her hand, Pierce nodded. “I’m glad you’re here,” he told her, grateful for her outspoken manner, especially here in a world where it had become second nature to people to lie through their teeth.
Perhaps he truly ought to speak to Caroline now rather than later. After all, he did love her, did he not? She was always on his mind whether he wanted her there or not. Even a single glimpse of her set his blood on fire and nearly drove him mad with longing. He loved her all but dauntless smile and that utterly adoring way she always peeked over the rim of her spectacles. He loved her strength and her compassion, her fearlessness and her backbone.
He loved her.
It was a truth he’d run from for quite some time.
But no more.
Chapter Thirty-One
A Wedding Celebration
Pembroke Hall was a beautiful estate, bright and glistening in the soft afternoon sun as carriages rolled up to the wide entrance and guests eagerly filed inside, curious to see the newly wedded couple. Whispers abounded about their hastened marriage in Scotland and, as far as Caroline knew, even a few invitations had been declined. However, as an American, Lord Pembroke had been considered peculiar from the start and many deemed this newest development a simply foreign peculiarity.