by Jaimey Grant
However, he made clear how displeased he was with Lord Connor acting as doctor. The duke was uniformly ignored.
Connor had been apprised by the other doctor of Derringer’s injuries, told how difficult the duke was and informed that he was welcome to the patient. Lord Connor had merely laughed, already well aware of Derringer’s propensity for childishness.
~~~~~~
Rhiannon was finally allowed into the duke’s room. She stood in the doorway beside Aurora and stared at the big man on the bed. He looked back at her steadily, then smiled.
“Unka Hart! All better!” she cried with innocent delight. Unfortunately, she launched herself at him in an act of unladylike excitement and Derringer’s cracked ribs got the brunt of it.
“Oh, Hart! I am sorry,” cried Aurora as she removed her daughter from the duke’s bed. “Rhiannon, darling, you hurt your uncle. You must apologize, dearest.”
Rhiannon’s little mouth puckered and her big blue-gray eyes instantly filled with repentant tears.
“Rory, I am fine,” he lied manfully. He was not immune to the tears of the little girl and he wanted her to stop before she actually started.
Rhiannon looked uncertainly from Aurora to the duke. Aurora raised one pale brow and the little girl glanced back at Derringer. “Sorry, Unka Hart,” she whispered.
The duke frowned at Aurora then suggested she leave the child with him.
“Are you sure, Hart? I would hate for her to cause you more harm.”
“Rory, she is a small child of three. If falling off a building cannot kill me, I highly doubt she could.”
Aurora gave him another uncertain look, shrugged, and left her daughter in the duke’s care.
“Come here, Angel, and tell your Uncle Hart what you’ve been about.”
~~~~~~
Aurora entered her husband’s study and smiled distractedly at him. “Did not Adam inquire into Hart’s interest in rescuing Rhiannon?”
Levi frowned. “Yes, why?”
“What was it he said?”
The earl rose from his place behind the large desk and moved to the other side to stare down at his wife. “He said it was a lark, if I recall correctly.”
“Interesting,” mused his bride. “You do realize, of course, that he lied?”
“I supposed he had but I really did not care at the time so long as he made good on his word.”
Aurora nodded her head in agreement.
Silence fell between them and she was unsure how to break it. She had thought that with Rhiannon’s return, they could move past her transgressions, make something of their marriage instead of simply tolerating each other as most within Society marriages had the custom. But a wall had been erected between them—a wall that had kept her husband from her bed.
Despite her past indiscretions, Aurora was a well-bred young lady, and while she was hurt beyond belief by her husband’s apparent disinterest in her, she could not bring herself to demand his presence in her bed or even ask why he persisted in staying away.
Afraid that she might burst into tears at any moment, Aurora latched onto the first thought that entered her mind. “Have you heard naught of Desmond, Levi?”
Levi started slightly at the question. “Did I not tell you? I apologize. I was told he has sailed for America. I doubt we will be seeing him again.”
It was Aurora’s turn to look startled. “Are you sure?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yes.” He frowned. “I had thought this news would bring you some relief. It appears I was mistaken in where your true affections lie.”
Her mouth dropped at his comment. Could he actually believe something so nonsensical? “What do you mean by that?”
He shook his head and moved for the door. “I will not have this discussion , Aurora.”
She reached out to stop his leaving. “Levi.” Her tone was mildly reproving. “I never loved him, I swear.” She grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and forced him to look down at her. “I love you, Levi Greville. You have to believe that.”
“I’m not sure what to believe.”
There was really nothing she could say to that so she simply explained, “I don’t trust Desmond. He always said he hated America and thought the Americans a lot of uncouth barbarians who should all be exterminated. If he had not been so afraid of being killed, he would have joined in the war just so he could kill them. Are you sure he has actually set sail? Did you see him set foot on the ship?”
A trifle blown away by the speed with which she spoke and the force of her words, Levi took a step back and only managed a barely coherent, “No.”
“Oh, he is not gone then, Levi! Where is Rhiannon?” In her panic, she completely forgot that she had left her daughter with the duke, probably the safest place the little girl could be even though the man was injured.
“I believe you left her with Hart, Sprite.”
Aurora looked at her husband. He hadn’t called her that in so long. In the beginning, the name had truly annoyed her but time had allowed her to take it for what it was: a sign of Levi’s affection for her. She had begun to fear never hearing it again.
With barely a pause between this realization and her subsequent reaction, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him full on the lips.
Levi, of course, met her halfway. His own desire overcame him and before either of them were aware, he had brushed everything from the top of his desk and bore her down on top of it.
Later, both adjusting their clothing and thanking their lucky stars that no one had walked in on them, Aurora complained about how uncomfortable it was to make love on a desktop. She knew her expression, however, told her husband that she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
Levi just grinned and pulled her close. “I can think of things far more…uncomfortable than making love on a desk, my sprite.” He leaned down and whispered something in her ear that made her cheeks heat to an uncomfortable degree.
Levi released her after a quick kiss on her astonished lips and moved toward the door. “I suspect we should rescue Hart before he loses his mind.”
As they left the room, Aurora, wide-eyed, asked, “Is that really possible?”
Her husband, who knew she wasn’t referring to the duke’s mental state, simply laughed.
~~~~~~
“We are too late,” whispered Levi as they peeked into Derringer’s room.
Aurora looked in and turned a delightfully smiling countenance up to her husband. The great and powerful Duke of Derringer, the oh so dangerous and deadly Lord Heartless, a man hated by some and feared by all was sitting up in bed helping a small girl brush the tangles out of her dolly’s hair. He smiled enchantingly at Rhiannon and pretended to make the doll talk. Rhiannon giggled and asked if she could brush his hair.
Aurora would have interrupted but Levi held her back. “Wait,” he commanded gently.
To their shock, Derringer assented and Rhiannon stood up and walked around behind him, her wobbly steps on the soft mattress causing her to bump into him more often than not. She was surprisingly gentle with the brush but they saw the man wince a few times when the child must have scraped one of the tender spots on his head.
“Vi, we cannot just leave him at her mercy. She really is too young to understand that he is hurt.”
Levi nodded but pulled her a little way down the hall. She gave him a perplexed look.
Then, in a voice louder than normal, he said, “I think we should leave Town for Warwickshire soon. I find London dull after the Season is over.”
Aurora smiled brightly. “I agree,” she told him. “Will Rhiannon like your home, do you think?”
They had reached the door and after a quick knock, they entered to see Derringer holding Rhiannon in his lap. He gave them a cynical look. “Thank you for trying to spare my embarrassment, my very dear friends,” he told them with heavy sarcasm. “It was, however, unnecessary.”
Levi just shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. Rhiannon crawled away fro
m the duke to sit in her new daddy’s lap, staring silently at the three adults in turn.
“Aurora has brought a problem to my attention, Hart.”
Derringer very carefully drew his long black hair away from his face, holding it with one hand behind him. He made a slight gesture to Aurora, who correctly interpreted it and handed him a ribbon from her own hair. He frowned at the dark blue ribbon, frowned at her, but tied it in his hair anyway.
“Do you realize I have not worn any color other than black since I was in short coats?” he said to no one in particular.
“I would think you would be more comfortable with your hair left down,” commented Lady Greville. “I know I am.”
Derringer lifted one brow ironically and said, “How long do you suppose you have until your past love comes racing back into your life?”
“I wondered if you had kept up with things. How long have you known there was a chance?” inquired Levi mildly.
“I have only been awake for a day or so, Vi. I cannot have known for long.”
Aurora sat down in a chair by the bed. “How do you feel, Hart?”
“I am fine, Lady Greville. In fact, I am leaving today.”
“You cannot! You have only just regained consciousness. How can you even consider leaving?”
The duke’s black brows drew downward. “How can I even think of staying, Rory? I vowed to get rid of Forester and I failed in that. I will not fail again.”
“Aurora, take Rhiannon to her nurse, please.”
Aurora’s expression told her husband how surprising she found his order, but to her credit, she did not argue. Her eyes full of questions, she took her daughter’s hand and left the gentlemen alone.
“Don’t bother telling me not to, Vi,” murmured Derringer.
Levi said nothing, just silently watched his friend. He had no intention of telling the duke not to do something. It would do no good anyway. He had every intention, however, of taking care of Forester himself before Derringer ever had the chance.
So, he smiled and assured the duke that if he wanted, Forester was his.
Derringer eyed the earl suspiciously. “Why are you giving in, Vi? Hoping the bastard will finish me off?”
“Good God, no. What a waste…of energy.”
*
Chapter Twenty
Derringer left that day, as promised. Levi waited until he was gone, then left himself. He wished Adam had lingered in Town but with Bri’s recent delivery of their first child, he was willing to forgive his cousin’s husband for deserting him. Thankfully, Lord Connor Northwicke was still resident in his mansion in Grosvenor Square.
After being shown into a well-stocked library, Levi wondered exactly what he was going to ask. While having spent time in the company of Lord Connor off and on for more than a year, he actually knew very little about the enigmatic gentleman. Levi was actually closer to Northwicke’s father, the Duke of Denbigh.
Northwicke entered the library and held out his hand. “How is the patient? I meant to visit earlier today and see for myself but certain matters detained me.”
The earl shook his hand briefly and frowned. “The nodcock left today. He woke up, said he was leaving, and…” He shrugged. “You have been around him enough to know he cannot be stopped when he is determined.”
“I suppose I will pay him a call at his home then. I cannot leave Town without seeing for myself that he is completely out of danger.”
They sat down across from each other and Levi decided to start with the heart of the problem facing him. “Rory assures me that Forester is still in England. I need to find him.”
Northwicke’s brows rose slightly. “Indeed? She has seen him, then?”
“No, but no one saw him set foot on a sailing ship, either. She says he hates America and would die before going among what he calls uncouth barbarians.”
“I see. It seems to me that Derringer would be able to find him quicker than I can. Have you asked him?”
Levi raised a hand in stunned disbelief. “He just came out of a stupor and you think I should ask for his help?”
Northwicke said nothing, his unblinking gaze trained steadily on the earl.
Levi shook his head then stood. “He is going to look for him anyway. I suppose I could ride on his coattails and just knock him out later if I have to.”
Lord Connor laughed at this remark and wished the other man luck. “I will look into it and let you know what I find, Greville. But I do think Derringer will beat me to it. In fact, I would bet my entire income that he already has.”
~~~~~~
The earl returned home and went directly to his study. Upon his desk was a sealed note, Derringer’s illegible scrawl gracing the top.
Breaking the seal, his eyes quickly scanned the contents. A mirthless smile tugged at his lips and Levi felt for the first time the sort of cold ruthlessness that the duke must have felt with stunning regularity.
The silent house crept in on him. Where was Aurora? He had not seen her since he returned, a circumstance he found exceedingly odd. It was unusual that she was not in the house.
He went in search of her. Mary, her maid, was not in the house either. He shrugged, assuming the two had simply gone for a stroll in the park.
The footman standing near the door shuffled his feet, cleared his throat, and then paled when his lordship turned a questioning look on him.
Brows drawing together in a frown, the earl asked, “Do you know where Lady Greville has gone?”
“Yes, that is, no, milord. I only know her ladyship left right after you, milord. Her ladyship took Mary with her and so I saw as how there’d be no impropriety.”
Levi made to turn away but was stopped short by the servant’s next words. “The note might tell where her ladyship’s bound, milord.”
“What note?”
With wide eyes, the man explained that a note had arrived just prior to Lady Greville’s departure and she had hurried from the house in a state of urgency, pausing only long enough for Mary to fetch a cloak. Then he held out his hand and dropped a crumpled piece of paper into the earl’s outstretched hand.
“Her ladyship dropped the note, milord.”
“Where is Miss Rhiannon?” he asked as he smoothed out the message.
“In the nursery, milord.”
“Very good. Send round for Pride immediately.” He turned away from the footman to read the note, every word causing a shiver of fear. It was a forgery, not even a very good one, but where had Aurora ever seen Lord Connor Northwicke’s hand before? Levi was sure she never had. Of course she would believe this message to be legitimate.
She had no reason to think otherwise. He had told her he was going to see Connor; he hadn’t mentioned what for. Why should she think it odd that they would go somewhere together?
Pride was ready to go, thank God, when Levi stepped back through the door.
~~~~~~
“What do you mean you sent no message?”
Lord Greville stood just inside the duke’s study, staring at his friend in utter astonishment.
“I sent no message, Vi. When have I ever invited you to help?”
The duke’s expression was almost pitying and Levi was not the least surprised. Had he really considered the matter, he’d have realized how exceedingly odd it was for the duke to suddenly allow those around him to help in a matter that he considered his own problem. It was a waste of breath to attempt to convince the man of anything if his mind was already set.
“It was your handwriting, Hart. I swear it was yours.”
Levi watched Derringer. The duke’s face was creased in thought and Levi was not sure he actually cared to know what those thoughts were.
“There are many forgers out there, Vi.”
Levi’s brows rose, knowing instinctively that his friend was hiding something. “You suspect someone.”
Derringer’s Gallic shrug was a very unsatisfying response. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and changed the subject.
Derringer smiled as he ushered his friend from the room. “They are regretting their involvement and trying to earn their bread honestly. I made them see the light.”
“And they survived? One might suspect you of growing soft, old man.”
There was no response. The duke was busy ordering his servants about.
Levi followed him, asking, “Why would someone forge a message to inform me of Forester’s whereabouts?”
“Perhaps they require your presence.” The duke mounted his horse and sat looking down on his friend. “I suggest you obey.”
Moments later, they were on their way to Richmond.
~~~~~~
Mary squeaked again and Aurora pinched her. “Hush, Mary. He is gone for the moment. But if you continue to scream, he may return just to put you out of his misery. And I cannot say that I would blame him for it, either.”
The maid dutifully hushed, much to her mistress’s relief. At first, she had been glad to have the woman with her but now she wondered if being kidnapped alone might have been a far easier situation.
Glancing around the small one-room cottage, she looked for anything useful. She knew the door was locked as well as the windows. It crossed her mind to wonder why the madman hadn’t tied them up. She didn’t dwell on this mystery for long, however. She wanted to escape before Desmond Forester returned.
“Mary, be a good girl and search under that mattress for a weapon or something equally useful.”
The maid obeyed with reluctance but at least she was suitably employed. Aurora strode quickly over to the only cupboard in the room and made a quick search of its contents. She couldn’t reach the top shelf and there was nothing she could move over to stand on.
She left it for the moment and looked around again. There really was no other place to look. The room was bare except for a mattress on the floor in one corner, a cook-stove in another, and the single cupboard that she had just searched. She looked inside the stove, found nothing of any use, and returned to stand before the cupboard.
“Mary, come here a moment.”