by Cheryl Holt
“We couldn’t stop talking!”
“I assumed that was the case.”
She was seated at the table, and he was dishing up her food, pouring her tea. He fussed over her incessantly, as if—should he glance away—she’d vanish.
Initially, his hovering had annoyed her, but gradually, she’d decided it was extremely pleasant. While she was very famous and people gushed over her, she’d never had anyone in her private life show much interest in her condition.
Her Uncle Harry hadn’t exactly been a warm and cuddly person. He’d raised her to be tough and strong, and whenever she’d protested any issue, he’d told her to buck up and stop whining. He’d always warned her that no one liked a complainer.
His stern attitude had taught her to swallow her grievances and present a contented mask to others, but internally, she’d seethed over many indignities. It was lovely to have Luke notice how she was faring, to have him ensure she was happy and comfortable. She could vent any frustration, and he never ordered her to be silent.
“How was her upbringing?” he asked. “Was it splendid or awful or somewhere in between? Were her relatives kind to her? Or were they horrid?”
“Oh, Luke, she was so miserable! She was sent to live with her grandfather, and he was a violent ogre. He used to lock her in her room, and he constantly railed that her father was burning in Hell, and eventually, she would too.”
“That’s terrible.”
“She spent years alone, being quiet and playing by herself. I’m amazed she grew up to be so sweet. She has an uncle. Samson Grey?”
Luke shook his head. “Never heard of him.”
“He moved to their estate after her grandfather died, and he’s a bit of a fiend too. I can’t bear to have her male kin in charge of her. Not with how she’s been treated.”
“I’m glad she travelled to Barrett then. Much as I loathe Periwinkle, I suppose I’ll have to reward him in some fashion.”
Mr. Periwinkle had stayed the night with them, and he was likely still in the house, but she hadn’t seen him after she’d gone upstairs with Caro.
“Why didn’t you tell me you spoke to her at the prison?” Libby asked. “If I’d known she was searching for me, I’d have worked harder to find her.”
“We shouldn’t discuss the debacle at the prison.”
It was still a sore subject between them. He’d posted her bail and had arranged for her release, but they’d been fighting, and she’d been so angry with him that she’d climbed in her carriage and had driven away without him. It was a testament to his fond feelings for her that they’d ended up together. He’d definitely struggled to win her.
“Besides,” he said, “she was positively disheveled. I was afraid she might have been a tad unhinged, so you wouldn’t have wanted to have her chase you down. What had happened to her anyway? It appeared to me that she’d suffered a dozen calamities. When she strolled in our door, she was so improved that I barely recognized her. I’m stunned that she’s the same woman.”
“You won’t believe what she’s recently endured.” She studied him, and his mood was very calm, so she asked, “May I request a favor?”
“From your impish grin, I should probably say no, but as you’re aware, I can’t refuse you. What is it you require? Let’s discover if I can force myself to be amenable.”
“I’d like Caro to remain with us at Barrett. I can’t toss her out into the big, wide world. I’d worry about her too much.”
“Of course she can tarry—for as long as she likes. Is that it?”
“No. I need you to do a few things for her. And for me.”
“What things?”
“Her uncle has been threatening to lock her in an asylum.”
Luke scowled. “Are you subtly informing me that she’s deranged after all? Was my earlier assessment correct?”
“No! She’s as stable as I am.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t necessarily deem that to be a stellar endorsement of her sanity. I’ve always viewed you to be a bit mad.”
“Don’t joke.”
“Who’s joking? You’re a menace, and I have no idea why I put up with you.”
“You’re lucky you have to put up with me, and don’t you forget it.”
He smiled a devastating smile. “I won’t ever forget it. Why do you imagine I’ve insisted we rush the wedding? I’m not about to let you get away from me.”
Fate could be so strange. She’d never planned to marry, but look at her now! Almost a bride and so eager to be his wife that she couldn’t stand it.
He reached across the table and clasped her hand. “What are the other favors on your list? We’ll figure out which ones I’ll allow, and which ones I won’t, then we can move on to more interesting topics.”
“Like what?”
“Like my bed was very empty without you last night.”
“I’m not sneaking up there with you in the middle of the morning. I won’t have the servants gossiping about my loose morals.”
“Too late, Libby. You’re an actress. They assume you’re a doxy.”
“They do not. They adore me, and we’ll keep it that way.”
“You are a cruel vixen.”
“I want to have you panting after me until our wedding. You should never be too complacent.”
He snickered with amusement. “Trust me. I’ve never been complacent about you. I still can’t fathom why you agreed to have me.”
“Neither can I.”
He leaned over and kissed her, and they sighed with pleasure.
“What are your other favors?” he asked again.
“Caro’s uncle has been harassing her to wed a wastrel cousin. She doesn’t understand why he’s being such a beast about it, and I’d like you to find out what’s motivating him.”
“How would I?”
“I thought you could hire lawyers or investigators or something.”
“I could hire someone. It’s no problem.”
“The men in her family shouldn’t have control over her in the future.”
“We should be able to fix that situation.”
“And finally, she’s in love, and I need to learn more about this fellow who’s tantalized her. He’s proposed, but she can’t decide if she should consent or not. I’m concerned over whether he’d be worthy of her.”
“What’s his name? Did she tell you?”
“Caleb Ralston? He was in the navy for years, so I was wondering if you might know him. I guess he landed himself in some trouble though, so he was drummed out. He owns a gambling club in London now.”
Luke snorted with dismay. “Yes, I know Caleb Ralston.”
“You’re frowning, so I can’t deduce if that’s good news or bad.”
“It depends on what assistance you’re asking me to provide.”
“He seduced her, but she’s confused if it was with wicked intent or not.”
“She confided all of that? You two certainly aired plenty of your dirty laundry. I hope you were more reticent in the stories you shared about me.”
“Maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t,” Libby saucily said.
“Is she ruined?”
“Yes.”
“Then my opinion about him doesn’t matter. He’s about to be a husband.”
“There’s an issue with his brother, Blake, too. Do you know him as well?”
Luke blanched. “What sort of issue? She wasn’t seduced by both of them, was she? That might be more of a problem than I could solve.”
Libby chuckled. “No! Blake seduced her cousin, Janet, but he’s about to sail away to the Mediterranean. The idiot doesn’t believe he should have to tie the knot, and Caro has no power to make him proceed.”
“His brother can make him. Or the navy can make him.”
“It’s what I suspe
cted.”
Libby was finished eating. She pushed her plate away, then she stood and patted him on the shoulder. He pulled her down and whispered, “Are you sure you won’t come upstairs with me?”
“I’m very sure, and your answers about Caro were all the right ones. It has me thinking that it might not be horrid to have a husband in my life.”
“I’m growing on you. I told you I would.”
Caleb’s carriage rattled to a halt in front of his London house. He dawdled on the seat, waiting for a footman to open the door. He wasn’t usually a snob and didn’t need his servants treating him like a baby. He could exit a carriage without having them hold his hand, but he was too aggravated to climb out.
After Caro had snuck away, he’d been brusquely informed by Blake that she didn’t want to talk to him. Apparently, she presumed a quarrel could be mended by not speaking. It was the stupidest notion ever, but he should have expected it from such an absurd female.
Blake had claimed that she would contact Caleb if and when she felt like it, and because he was embarrassed over how he’d hurt her, he’d complied with her edict.
He’d spent several days, cooling his heels, trying to oblige her, but eventually, he’d been too irked to behave rationally. If she wasn’t so stubborn, they could have been married already. Didn’t she understand that fact? Why was she being so ridiculous?
He’d dragged himself to Janet’s apartment and had been prepared to grovel, to offer whatever emasculating comment was required to be forgiven. Except when Janet had finally responded to his incessant knocking, she’d apprised him that Caro wasn’t even in London any longer. While he’d been fretting over their rift, she’d packed her bags and departed! She’d been that unconcerned by what had happened.
How was he to evaluate such an exhausting decision? After their hideous fight, he’d felt as if she’d ripped out his heart and stomped it into the dirt. What had she felt? Evidently, not much of anything.
She’d fled the city, and that little snot, Janet, had refused to tell him where she’d gone. It was enough to make a bachelor swear off matrimony.
A footman arrived to attend him, but Caleb didn’t emerge from the vehicle. He was so sad! When he’d hurried off to fetch Caro, he’d been determined to bring her back with him, and his failure had left him inordinately depressed.
Ultimately, the footman stuck his head in and asked, “Are you all right, sir? Will you be getting out?”
Caleb sighed. “Yes, I’m getting out.”
He trudged down and went inside, and the butler greeted him with, “You have a visitor, Mr. Ralston.”
Caleb’s initial reaction was ecstasy. “Is it Miss Grey?”
“No, sir, it’s an old acquaintance of yours from the navy.”
Caleb turned around as a man stepped into view and said, “Hello, Ralston.”
“Luke Watson?” Caleb asked. “Or must I call you Barrett? I heard that you’d inherited your family’s title.”
“Yes, my brother died last year. I’ve become what I never wanted to be.”
“You’re land-locked.”
“I had to muster out and sail home to manage things.”
Caleb gestured into the parlor, and they walked in together. He had the butler pour them a whiskey, then shooed him out and shut the door. The man had been hovering, eager to eavesdrop, but Caleb had no idea what was occurring. Until he figured it out, he wouldn’t have the servants hanging on their every word.
Lucas Watson was Caleb’s same age of thirty. They’d joined the navy at sixteen, and they’d served with distinction—until Caleb had been run off in disgrace. They’d moved in the same circles, with the same people.
In a different world, they might have been friends, but they weren’t friends, and he couldn’t imagine why Barrett would stop by. It had better not be to pry into the details of Caleb’s split from the navy, and just as he caught himself praying that wouldn’t be the topic, Barrett said, “Rumor has it that you had some trouble and had to retire.”
“Yes, I retired rather than be court marshalled, but if that’s what you’d like to discuss, it was a wasted trip. I’m not about to delve into it with you.”
“I don’t intend to pester you about it, but I will admit to being surprised that you’d get yourself in a jam like that.”
Caleb shrugged. “It was an. . . unfortunate circumstance.”
“You bounced back though. With your gambling club?”
Caleb studied Barrett as if he were an alien creature never previously encountered in England. “I hate to be blunt, Barrett, but we were never chums, so why are you here? I’m dealing with a huge dilemma today, so I’m very busy.”
“I’m marrying next week.”
Caleb was perplexed as to why Barrett would mention it. It wasn’t as if Caleb would suddenly find himself on the guest list.
“Well. . . congratulations,” he said. “Are congratulations in order? Should I be glad for you? Are you happy about it?”
“My fiancée is Libby Carstairs. You’ve heard of her, haven’t you? The Mystery Girl of the Caribbean? She’s definitely a handful, so I can’t guess if you should be glad for me or not. She’s not exactly the sort of meek, modest female a man seeks in a bride, so it’s possible I’ve lost my mind.”
“You are marrying Libby Carstairs?”
“It’s wild, isn’t it? From your expression, it’s clear I’ve shocked you.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
Caleb was thinking of Fate again—and of his father. Libby Carstairs was a Lost Girl, as was Caro. What were the odds that Miss Carstairs would wedge herself into Caleb’s life like this? It was eerie and bizarre.
“Libby is the most stubborn woman ever,” Barrett said. “Have you met her? Or have you seen her on the stage?”
“No, I always wanted to, but. . . but. . .”
He wasn’t about to explain how his father had rescued Miss Carstairs in the Caribbean or how he, Caleb, had yearned for an introduction, but how he’d been afraid of what she might impart.
Barrett saved him from having to clarify. “If you’ve never met her, then you could never comprehend why I couldn’t resist shackling myself. I didn’t stand a chance, not from the very first minute.”
“Poor you,” Caleb commiserated.
They smirked in a thoroughly male fashion, then Barrett said, “She sent me to speak to you. I’m carrying out a mission at her request.”
“I’m confused. Since I don’t know her, I can’t fathom why she’d bother.”
“We had a visitor show up at my home in the country. I’m told she’s a friend of yours.”
Caleb scowled. “Who was it?”
“Caroline Grey.”
“Caroline is at Barrett?”
“Yes.”
“I will wring her neck,” Caleb fumed. “I’ve been looking everywhere for her, and I’ve been frantic with worry.”
“I take it you have plans with regard to her.”
“Yes, I have bloody plans. Marriage plans, but we quarreled, so she’s been in a snit. I haven’t been able to calm her down so we could head to Scotland.”
“I’m delighted that matrimony is on your schedule. It means I won’t have to drag you to the altar, but why are you eloping? Why not proceed in a church?”
“We’re in a bit of a rush, but I doubted there was a bishop in the kingdom who would grant me a Special License.”
“I can obtain a Special License for you. What about your brother?”
“My. . . brother?” Caleb asked, feeling even more perplexed.
“According to Libby, he needs to have his own wedding before he ships out. Is he still in London? Or has he left already?”
“He’s still here.”
“Then he’s about to be a husband too.”
“The young lady i
n question isn’t interested. She assumes she can ruin herself without consequence.”
“You listened to her?” Barrett said. “You let her decide?”
“I have no authority over her, so I’m in no position to make her behave.”
“Well, Ralston, my fiancée and yours expect a wedding between the pair, so we have to accomplish it. Then you and I will ride to Barrett and complete your own nuptials. I must confess though that with all these marriages taking place, I may break out in hives.”
“I warned my brother that he couldn’t avoid it. It’s the girl who’s being silly.”
“You and I will fix that situation straight away.”
“And as to Caro,” Caleb said, “she’s so angry with me. If I stagger in at Barrett, she’ll likely throw me out a window.”
“Again, Ralston, she doesn’t get to decide. You and I will handle it, and perhaps we can arrive with a few incentives that will convince her to like you again.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“How about if you summon your brother? We have to inform him that his bachelor days are over. While we wait for him, I’ll tell you what I was thinking.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
Janet gaped at Blake, and she felt something crack in the center of her chest. It had to be her heart breaking.
“What time do you sail?” she asked. “Could I come down to the dock and wave goodbye?”
“The tide turns around eleven in the morning.”
She noticed that he hadn’t answered her question about whether she could come to the dock or not. Would he like that? Was it allowed?
She supposed she ought to simply be glad he’d bothered to tell her he was leaving. He could have just boarded his ship and traipsed off. She wouldn’t have figured out what had happened until he’d stopped visiting.
He grinned his devil’s grin. “Will you miss me?”
“You’re much too vain, so I won’t admit it. It would merely inflate your ego.”
“I’ll miss you,” he thrilled her by saying.
“If you can bring yourself to confess it, then I shall confess the same. I will miss you too.”