My True Love

by Cheryl Holt

  Lucas regarded him with a deadly calm. "And your point is?"

  "My point is," he hissed, "that I would like to know why the bloody hell she was naked in your room!"

  "Why do you think she was there?" he asked crudely.

  "You mad bastard!" Matthew taunted. "What have you done?"

  "What do you think I've done?" Lucas asked caustically. "I didn't have any choice about it!"

  “No choice? No choice?'' he asked, the volume rising with each exchange. Others were starting to notice them. ' 'How are old are you? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

  "She believes we are married," Lucas responded, voicing the inadequate lie, and even as he spoke it aloud, he knew how unsatisfactory his explanation sounded. "She expected me to act accordingly."

  Matthew assessed him, finally shaking his head in disgust. "When she came into our care, she was a maiden. We agreed we would send her home unharmed."

  "Well, it didn't work out that way, did it?"

  "We can't fix this! Not ever!"

  "Don't you think I realize that?"

  MY TRUE LOVE 233

  Matthew leaned closer still, his angry gaze like a visible slap. "What if you've given her a child?"

  "Leave it, Matthew. I'm warning you," Lucas said dangerously. "Leave it be!"

  "I won't," his brother said, pushing an irritating finger into Lucas's chest. "You're going to make this right. You're going to marry her! Tomorrow, if I can arrange it by then!"

  "My, aren't we quick to change our tune?" Lucas swatted Matthew's hand away. At the acrimonious motion, more men stared, and a few, sensing impending fisticuffs, grabbed their mugs and moved out of reach. "I thought you felt I was a lowly commoner, too far beneath her lofty status to become her husband."

  "Considering your behavior, I'd say it's far too late to worry about the details." Matthew nodded gravely, his mind made up. "You're going to marry her. I'll try to get one of those special licenses I've heard about, but if I can't, we will bring her on board the ship, sail out onto the river, and I'll perform the blasted ceremony myself. I'll make it real this time, and it will serve you right!"

  "How are we going to accomplish such a feat? Am I to bind her, then carry her, kicking and screaming, down to the docks?''

  "Just get her there. I don't care how you go about it."

  "Well, you should. She thinks we're already married. I could never rationalize the situation so that she would peacefully agree to go along."

  "Then you'll have to explain it to her so that she understands and agrees. And explain it you shall!"

  "And you deem that marrying her a second time is the answer? That another wedding will finish it?'' Lucas shook his head at Matthew's naiveté, at his obtuseness that all could be remedied so simply. “It will never be over! If I could convince her to go through with the ceremony again—which I have to tell you, from knowing her as I do, such an event is highly unlikely- -her father will demand my head for it, and he'll chase us to the ends of the earth to have his revenge."

  234 Cheryl Holt

  "If we send her home ruined, you don't anticipate he'll do the same? Although it's clear the man despises her, there are some indignities that even the worst father won't tolerate. This has to be one of them."

  Lucas drummed his fingers against the table, a muscle in his jaw twitching perilously. He craved nothing more than to lash out, and Matthew was precariously close to pushing him past his limits. "All right," he finally said tersely. "It's over. We'll put in a call to the crew, we'll sail away, and we'll take her with us. We'll figure out what to do with her later."

  "No," Matthew said, deadly calm. "You are the one who's wrecked this girl's life, and you are going to repair it."

  "There is no valid atonement I can make!"

  "That's what you think!" Matthew insisted. "Through all this, I felt justified by the fact that we are honorable men trying to rectify a grave wrong. But you're no better than Westmoreland."

  “Take it back!'' Lucas shouted, beyond the point of worrying about who was listening or observing. He might have decided on his own that he and the duke were two of a kind, but he was too angry to allow someone else to utter the same condemnation.

  "I shall not! It's the bloody truth!"

  They rose to their feet. The table between them went flying, and mugs of ale sloshed against Lucas, spilling down his front and soaking his clothing, but he didn't notice. As the liquid splashed, he was throwing the first punch. Bone connected squarely with bone, and it felt grand to vent the frustration that had been building for weeks. Matthew's head snapped to the side, but he didn't so much as stagger before swinging with a hard right of his own.

  None of the patrons knew either man, so no one joined in. All stepped out of range, happy to watch as the two skilled combatants had at each other, landing one stunning blow after the next. Both were so enraged by their argument that they hardly appeared to feel them. Sweat flew, blood fell, cloth tore.

  MY TRUE LOVE 235

  The bartender made a single attempt to intervene, slamming a club on the bar with an imposing whack, but when neither man paid him any attention, he turned his efforts to moving furniture, trying to save as many tables as possible.

  Lucas circled with his brother, all the while cogitating that it had been years since he'd gone the rounds with Matthew. Perhaps it was Lucas's age, but it certainly seemed as though Matthew had gotten to be a much better fighter. He'd received numerous solid jabs but wasn't slowing in the least, and Lucas couldn't help wondering how long they'd keep at it. How long would it take for their rage to be completely spent?

  Would they kill each other before it was over?

  Matthew sagged, and Lucas surged forward to take advantage, when suddenly his weight shifted and he couldn't lift his arm. A hand went about his throat; he felt himself losing his air.

  "What the devil?" he muttered, spinning and struggling. There appeared to be a monkey on his back, someone small, and the spectators had begun laughing at the sight. He took his focus off Matthew and twirled as Paulie slid to the floor.

  "The duke's men!" Paulie warned, his eyes wide, his breathing labored. "Someone spotted you. They're outside."

  Lucas had to pause for several moments to allow his head to clear so that he could make out the import of what the boy was saying. As it was, he could barely see the lad; an eye was swelling shut, and a deep gash on his forehead spilled blood down his face.

  Gathering his wits, he managed to ask, "How many?"

  "Half a dozen."

  "Armed?"

  "Yes."

  His regard settled on the bartender. "Is there another way out of here?"

  The bartender didn't respond until Lucas pulled out a bag heavy with coin and tossed it. The man caught it in a tight fist.

  "Aye," he said, jerking his head toward the back.

  236 Cheryl Holt

  Lucas asked Paulie, "Can you help me through the alleys?"

  "Yes," he nodded confidently, "but we've got to go. We can't dally."

  Lucas looked around the room, taking in as many of the desperate characters as he could. "It's the law, gentlemen," he announced, which caused many of them to murmur with agitation, "and they'll be stretching my neck if given the chance. I'd appreciate any head start you can offer me."

  A few of the more quick-thinking among them started pushing tables and chairs back into place and relaxing as though nothing untoward had just occurred.

  His furious gaze rested on Matthew, and his brother vowed, "This isn't finished between us."

  "No, it isn't," Lucas agreed.

  "Now, off with you!" Matthew wiped blood from his face while gesturing toward the escape route provided by die bartender. "Before it's too late."

  Lucas nodded, then turned to Paulie. The boy grabbed his hand and pulled him along. A serving girl held the door open.

  "Good luck," she called as they rushed into the alley, and they were two blocks away when Westmoreland's men burst into the room in a tight pack. But mer
e was no sign that Lucas Pendleton had been there, no sign of a recent brawl, no sign of the man with whom Pendleton had allegedly been talking. The table where he'd supposedly been spotted had two customers sitting at it, their glasses half full, and neither of them looked anything like the man for whom they were searching.

  They tried asking a few questions, but the stormy attitudes and stony silences with which they were greeted quickly convinced them mat either Pendleton had escaped or he'd never been there in the first place. Greatly outmatched by the lawless bunch, they left as quickly as they'd come, so they didn't see Matthew hiding underneath the bar with a dirty towel pressed to his wounds, or the handful of broken table legs and chairs that had been hastily pushed along the wall and shielded from view by the customers' feet and trousers.

  MY TRUE LOVE 237

  As the duke's men departed, milling about in the street and trying to decide where they should proceed next, further pursuit would have proved futile, for Lucas and Paulie were no longer in the neighborhood. They'd twisted through the maze of narrow streets and alleys, moving more and more slowly. Lucas's energy was spent, a few ribs cracked, his wrist sprained, blood still running freely and dripping onto his shirt and pants. Paulie urged him on until he could hardly keep the older man going.

  Although they were passing through the roughest parts of London, they still turned heads, and Paulie was worried about being remembered or the possibility that others would notice what direction they'd been traveling. He led Lucas to an abandoned building and sat him on the filthy floor, out of sight, behind the door.

  A small pistol was stuck in Lucas's boot, and Paulie removed it and steadied it in Lucas's hand. When the man couldn't do more on his own, Paulie wrapped Lucas's fingers around the trigger, then ran off, his mind on his mission, trying not to fret over the likelihood that Lucas would be discovered before he could return.

  Thirty minutes later he breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped into the shadows and found Lucas still propped against the wall, just where he'd been deposited.

  The barrel of the gun came up as Paulie stepped inside, telling him that Lucas wasn't quite as bad off as he outwardly appeared.

  "That you, Paulie boy?" Lucas asked.

  "Yes, sir," Paulie answered.

  "Did you find what you needed?"

  "I did," he said, and he came forward, but not before taking a quick peek down the alley to see if anyone had detected him entering. There was one cluster of boys at the other end, but they paid no attention. He laid the pilfered items on the squalid planking, pleased when Lucas attempted a smile, though he quickly squelched it when his lip started bleeding again.

  "A veritable treasure trove," Lucas said.

  238 Cheryl Holt

  "I'm a handy fellow to have about," Paulie replied prudently.

  "I beginning to see that."

  "You have to help me," Paulie remarked.

  Lucas leaned forward, and they eased his ruined shirt over his head. His ribs were swollen and blue, the skin cut and oozing blood in numerous spots. The sight brought tears to Paulie's eyes, which made him feel like a baby, so he was careful not to let Lucas see his distress. A considerate stranger had been foolish enough to leave a clean shirt hanging on a line, so Paulie had stolen it without a thought. It was tight on Lucas's broad frame, but it served its purpose, and Paulie hastily pulled the bottom down, hiding Lucas's injuries so he wouldn't have to witness them.

  "You're a crazy man, you are," Paulie mused.

  "Not the first time I've heard that," Lucas admitted. He shifted, the pain in his side intense, and he grimaced, running a bruised hand over the damage. ' 'My brother hits a lot harder than I remember...."

  Paulie didn't respond but set about his work, holding a cloth against the scalp laceration and wiping Lucas's hands. Once the bleeding had slowed to a minimum, he tugged a purloined hat over Lucas's head, dropping the brim, and it did a fair job of hiding his face and its injuries.

  “Why were you fighting?'' He hadn't meant to ask, but he'd never seen the likes.

  "Over a woman, Paulie. Don't ever do anything so absurd."

  "I won't," he vowed. There were many topics over which he might come to blows, but a female was hardly one of them, though he had to admit he might engage in a brawl for a woman like Miss Penelope. He couldn't help wondering if that's who had been the cause of the altercation. From the eavesdropping he'd managed, he suspected she was the reason for everything that was happening. He knew Lucas was keeping her at the house, but he didn't comprehend all the circumstances, nor did he understand the ramifications, so he said nothing.

  MY TRUE LOVE 239

  "I need to get out of the city," Lucas said, "but after that run I'm turned around. I need to find my horse."

  "I know where you keep him," Paulie blurted out. The past few days he had followed Lucas everywhere, unable to prevent himself from discreetly tailing the man, so the location of the public stable was another fact Paulie wasn't supposed to have gleaned. Lucas gave him a telling look, one of those that made you shiver down to your bones, but he didn't comment on the information Paulie wrongly possessed.

  "Let's be off, then, my little champion," Lucas said, coming unsteadily to his feet and groaning in agony as he attempted a deep breath.

  In a matter of minutes they were at the livery, the horse retrieved. Deciding that he couldn't let the man go off by himself, Paulie helped Lucas to mount, then climbed on behind. Somebody needed to protect his back and stay with him in case he couldn't complete the journey.

  The trip was slow going. Each clop of the horse's hooves jarred Lucas's aching body. They talked little, with Paulie occasionally breaking the silence simply to ensure that Lucas was awake. By the time they rode into the drive of the country house, it was evening. The sun had set, and the last hint of daylight remained in the sky. The house and garden were quiet. Lucas brought the horse up to the front stoop, and Paulie slid off, waiting while Lucas swung out of the saddle, and his feet steadied on the ground.

  "Can you make it in?" Paulie asked.

  "Yes," he said, swaying toward the door, "but you beat it. If Penny catches a glimpse of you, there's no telling what might come to pass."

  "I know what I'm about," Paulie said cockily. "She'll never lay eyes on me."

  "I like the way your mind works, Paulie." Lucas smiled, and Paulie smiled in return. "Go now. To the barn and sleep. In the morning I'll see you make it to town."

  240 Cheryl Holt

  "You don't need to help me," Paulie assured him, wanting to look capable and mature. "I can find my own way."

  Lucas assessed him for a long while, then ordered, "No. You wait for me. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, Captain."

  Lucas patted him on the shoulder. "You did well, lad. I'm proud of you."

  Paulie beamed with pride. He tried to respond, but there was such a large lump in his throat that he couldn't speak. Instead, he banged the knocker. When he heard footsteps, he gave Lucas a confident wink, then slipped off into the night, where he silently watched the unfolding scene from the corner of the barn.

  The door opened, and Miss Penelope was standing there. Light from the front room surrounded her, making her look like a golden angel.

  "Lucas?" She inhaled a sharp breath as she realized his condition.

  "Hello, my pretty Penny," he said in his American accent. "It seems that I'm a bit of a mess."

  "Lucas! What have you been about? Colette!" she called over her shoulder, then she turned to him once again. Scolding and fear were in her voice, but there was a hint of amusement as well. "Brawling, Lucas? You've been brawling?"

  "Yes, love. Forgive me?"

  "Oh, and you stink like a brewery." She waved a hand in front of her nose. "I didn't realize you were a drinking man, Mr. Pendleton."

  "I'm not. Not usually anyway."

  "Shame on you! Drinking and fighting!" she reprimanded him, but even as she did, she rose up and kissed him on the cheek. "You look like a pugi
list I saw once at a fair. My goodness!"

  "Did he win?" Lucas asked archly.

  "No, he lost, and he emerged better than you! Colette!" she called again, then to Lucas: "Get yourself in here!" With her

  MY TRUE LOVE 241

  tender concern obvious, she wrapped her arms around his waist and helped him inside. The door closed.

  Paulie spied on them for a long time. A lamp went on in the kitchen, and he imagined the warm room, the soft murmuring of the women's voices, the clucking and prattling as they lectured and fussed. Once, he dared approach and took a peek through the kitchen window. Lucas was soaking in a tub of water, and Miss Penelope was holding cloths against his chin and his swollen fingers. Much later a candle was lit in one of the upstairs rooms, and he managed a quick glimpse of Miss Penelope through the curtains before the flame was extinguished and the house grew still.

  No one had remembered Lucas's horse, so Paulie did the best he could by taking the animal into the barn, removing its trappings, and spreading some hay. He thought about trying to sleep, but his stomach kept growling with hunger, so he crept to the house, entered through a window, and found some bread and cheese. Back in the barn, he chewed idly until all the food was gone. Then he took several saddle blankets to the loft and made himself a comfortable bed. He snuggled down, warm and cozy in the sweet-smelling hay.

  Even though he was exhausted after the eventful day, it took many hours for sleep to come. He kept thinking about Lucas. And Miss Penelope. And Harry. All three were asleep inside the house, and he pretended he was there with them as he finally drifted into dreamland.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Penny strolled along the stream, pausing occasionally to look toward the house. She was alone on me property but didn't mind. In spite of her protestations, Lucas had gone to town. Harry, Colette, and the two serving women had walked into the village. They'd invited Penny to come along, but she'd declined, wanting some time to herself when she could saunter through the empty rooms and around the grounds without anyone interrupting.