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She couldn’t understand why Hart hadn’t helped in her recovery. Had he even been at Skylark Castle?
“God, you are quite wobbly. Maybe I should carry you down the stairs.”
“I’ll be fine.” She inhaled a huge lungful of air and walked over to the nearby dressing table. She opened the drawers searching for a ribbon to tie back her hair.
“I like it loose around your shoulders. You never told me you had curly hair,” his voice warmed the nape of her neck. He’d wrapped her arms around her pulling her into the blanket of his body heat.
“I like it tied out of my face … would you want it to fall in my line of vision? As for my hair being curly, I didn’t think it would please you as much as it seems to.” She gave him a smile.
“You’re so damn stubborn.”
“I know—and I thought you liked me that way.”
He laughed. “I guess I can’t fault that line of logic.”
“Ah ha!” She reached for a ribbon. “We’ll have to stock this dressing table with HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 109
the sort of things I need. I never thought to see if this stuff was stocked for me before since Maeve always simply braided my hair for me. She is quite a sweet woman. I recall seeing your mother a few times …. But you never once visited me. Why?”
He cleared his throat nervously. “I had other business that needed my immediate attention. I’m so sorry, Gemma. As for your needed supplies, I thought I could leave that to you … I took care of everything else.”
“Well, I will be traveling to London as soon as possible to order my own
trousseau.” She stopped, suddenly realizing what her words entailed.
“Then, you aren’t planning on leaving me and running back to mommy.”
“I—” Her voice caught in her throat. “I don’t know.” She shrugged her
shoulders. “I need to stay … we have a few things to settle between us—and we need to figure out where your brother has been for the last .…” She paused thoughtfully. “How long has he been supposedly dead for?”
“He was shot in 1812.”
“Really? That means he’s been missing for twelve years.”
“Not missing—he’s dead.”
“You are mistaken in that thought.” She adamantly shook her head, turning away from him, and then she walked to stand in front of the full-length mirror. She slowly worked her hands, brushing her hair and then pulling it back into a simple braid. It wasn’t something she’d ever show to company—but it would do.
“You wake up from a fever and after a few days of recuperation, I hoped you’d return to your self … I was wrong—you’ve been affected more than I thought. Don’t say that to anyone else but me … they’ll think you really are addled. Maybe your brains turned to jelly during the height of the fever.”
“I am speaking the truth! Honestly, Hart. Whatever you think, I don’t want to argue with you right now, so let’s just agree to disagree.”
When she turned around, he saw the fatigue still written across her delicate features. A gust of cool air rippled through the room. He watched her shiver. “I told you this old place could be drafty at times,” he warned.
“Indeed, you did. I’m used to living in worse environments than this. So, you needn’t worry about me.”
He couldn’t believe her stubbornness. Of course he was going to worry about her—didn’t she understand just how much he cared for her?
“Of course—a nobly born woman such as yourself is used to hardships beyond
comprehension.”
“You are making fun of me. You are sneering at me. I will have you know that when my family was down on their luck … when Elizabeth’s father stole our money and caused my father to die—” She took a deep breath. She knew she’d never really accepted Elizabeth because every time she thought about Elizabeth she remembered what her father had done to them. She remembered how their lives had been draped into darkness, and then, having their father die after he’d heard about Andrew’s death … they’d suffered too much as a family. Their father had died of heartache and disgrace, their brother had died as a hero—and Mallory had fixed it all by marrying Caulfield’s daughter. There had been so many other eligible English and American heiresses and he’d chosen her. It still smarted when she thought about it.
“You listen to me, I’m not going insane. I know what Andrew told me in my
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dreams.”
“Andrew? Sweetheart, Andrew is dead.”
A sinking sensation slammed into her gut. “I don’t have to be reminded of that, Hart.”
He moved toward her, before she knew it, she’d been pulled close to him. She slammed against his rock solid chest. For one split second, she marveled at the strength he possessed.
“You are quite large … aren’t you?” she whispered softly.
“The men in my family are known for their size.” His eyes twinkled down at her.
“Size of their bodies or size of their egos?” she asked, laughing.
He didn’t miss a beat at that insult. “Both.”
She laughed. “Even when I should be bloody mad at you, I find something to focus on that’s not so bad. I could have been kidnapped and forced to marry worse.”
“I can agree with you on that one. I’ve seen worse,” he snorted.
Gemma looked toward the door, trying to wiggle her way out of his grip. “I think we should go downstairs and find something to eat. Now that you are back, Maeve can’t possibly keep me confined to this room. Before, she kept telling me I was too weak, but I’ll be able to draw from your strength, won’t I?”
“Of course.” He had segued effortlessly from talk about Andrew and Joseph
straight to talk about food. She had to commend him for that.
He carried the candelabrum in his hand while they shuffled through the halls.
“This place is larger than I imagined!” she breathed, wondrously. “It could put St.
Martin Castle to shame!”
“We do like to make our homes bigger and better.” His eyes glinted at her merrily in the semi-darkness.
“Of course you do. I can just imagine the size of staff that you need in this house.”
“It is extensive.”
When they reached the kitchens, he started to pull out food for them. She sat down, suddenly feeling weak.
“Maybe I should have just remained upstairs. Maeve might have been right.”
He gave her a concerned look. “You resent Elizabeth, don’t you?”
She shifted uneasily beneath his searching gaze. She didn’t know what had
prompted him to ask that. “Not anymore—I did. I will admit that. I hated the fact that Mallory went and saved us from ruination by marrying the very woman whose father had ruined us. My father was weak when it came to playing cards—he never really got the point of the game—he always lost more than he won—and yet, when he came up against the likes of Caulfield, he gambled everything and ended up losing everything. He just didn’t know when to stop. I don’t know why he couldn’t control himself. That’s why I must have control of my life—if I don’t, I could walk down the same forbidden path as my dear father.”
“You are filled with bitterness over that.”
“No…I merely refuse to forget what happened to my family to put us in this
predicament. One man ruined us all, and Mallory, the man who was supposed to be our family’s protector, married the blackguard’s daughter! It truly did break my heart. But with time, wounds heal.”
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“Your family falling on hard financial times is nothing to compare to why I married you.”
“Indeed. You married me to gain revenge against my brother for a murder he couldn’t have committed. I grant you, Mallory probably did shoot someone, but it wasn’t your brother—or if he did, he wasn’t mortally wounded.”
“You forget my
brother saw Joseph receive the shot that took his life.”
“Richard was fooled somehow. I don’t know how, and I don’t why … but Joseph is still alive.”
“I can’t believe you keep dwelling on that … once you get your teeth into
something you don’t let up.”
“Get used to it. Unless you give me an annulment, you are in this for the long haul. The women in my family live long lives.”
“Good to know—I’d never want to lose you. You gave me the fright of my life during your fever. Only when I knew you were on the mend did I leave. You must believe that.”
“You were frightened?”
“For you. Indeed. Nothing else scares me—but losing my loved ones, can give me a shiver of fear.”
“You are a man of many layers, Hart. Layers that when peeled back reveal some surprising yet, touching parts of your personality.”
“You make me sound like a pussycat of a man.” He grunted, handing her a
sandwich he’d assembled. “Did I tell you that my grandfather knew the Earl of Sandwich?” He chuckled.
He was valiantly trying to switch the subject before she could dig deeper, but she wouldn’t let him.
“Why can’t you believe that Joseph is still out there, alive? If I could … if I could hold onto the dream that Andrew really hadn’t perished at sea, I would cleave to that with every single fiber of my being.”
He snorted. “Knowing you, hell itself wouldn’t be able to change your mind.
Come hell or high water, Gemma, you’re true to what you believe in.”
“That’s right. Isn’t that how it should be? My mother says I’m as stubborn as her grandmother was—I tend to think I’m as stubborn as she is—”
“Well, you never have to worry that you’ll run out of it.” He finished making the pot of tea and poured them a cup.
“You work with ease around the kitchen,” she mused.
“I’ve spent many long hours when I was younger here in the kitchen. It was the best place to be when we used to hold all of our grand parties! You should have seen some of the concoctions that were created here—” He sighed with appreciation. “For a young boy with a huge appetite, it was sheer heaven. Over the years, I’ve learned to satisfy my other appetites, as well.”
Her skin tingled. Electricity shot between them.
The candle flames around them flickered almost looking as if they were going to blow out.
A soft breeze rippled through the kitchen. She shivered, her teeth chattering together.
“Is there a window open somewhere?”
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“Not to my knowledge.” He smiled at her. “Finish up that sandwich, and we’ll return to our bedroom and the nice blazing fireplace. I can’t risk you catching your death, Gemma.”
“I’m not going to die. It’s not my time.”
She shrugged her shoulders simply.
“Something that your dear Andrew told you, no doubt?” he raised one eyebrow, finishing the last bite of his own ham sandwich.
“Indeed. Joseph is out there. He wouldn’t tell me where, he said we’d find him in due course … he also told me to watch out for someone that threatens us both.
Someone that neither one of us would suspect.”
“These ghosts haunting your dreams are really just too useless. If only they could give you something tangible to go on, instead, they deal in the cloak and dagger routine.
Hated it during the war—and I still hate it.” He sighed heavily. “Why can’t anything just be simple and straightforward?”
“Aye. You truly live your life by the simpler code. Draw your so-called friend Mallory St. Martin into your tangled web and then, plot to kidnap his younger sister so you can marry her thereby gaining your revenge against him. That seems simple enough to me.” She locked gazes with him. Anger flashed across his face, fading to give way to humor. A smirk grew into an all out grin.
“You do know how to get your point across, Gemma. I understand what you’re saying and whether you believe it or not, I regret my actions.”
She sighed. “Well, we can’t exactly cry over spilt milk, can we? I’ve spent all of our time together throwing insults your way, giving you one argument after another when I should have been trying to appeal to your heart. I can grant you one boon, I think I would have ended up with you even if you haven’t ambushed Mallory and shot our lives into a cauldron of turmoil.”
“You really mean it?” Hope lit his features.
“Yes,” she said softly. “From that day out on the loch, you intrigued me—with no pun intended you pulled on my heartstrings. You can’t deny the call of attraction that instantly flared between us. I didn’t know what I was missing before you came into my life, and now when I think that I almost married Kilworth, it makes my stomach twist into tight knots.”
“I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen. I would have pulled out all the stops within my formidable grasp of power until you were mine in name.”
“Now, that I do have your name, you can sit back and admire your prize, is that it?” she asked.
“I’d much rather get to know my prize up close. Feeling your skin make contact with mine gives me a thrill like no other. I meant what I said when I told you that I’d never met a woman that made my blood hot like you do.”
She fanned herself. The chill she’d felt moments before melted away. He stood up.
“We have the rest of the night to explore the attraction between the two of us. We don’t have to waste it, if you’re willing to take advantage of it. I know full well that the house will be quiet until at least seven in the morning,” he stated.
She widened her eyes at him. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Hart.”
“Be mine. Be mine, body, heart and soul.” He offered her his hand.
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Staring into his eyes, with her heart thundering, she stood up and gave her hand to him.
She’d come this far. He’d seen her through her fever, he’d always treated her with the utmost kindness and respect .… Even if he had left her side to go trotting off to who knows where to take care of business. An icy invisible hand touched her back.
What if he’d gone to deal with Mallory? Looking at his serene countenance she quickly dismissed that thought. He’d promised her he wouldn’t go after Mallory again. She had to start trusting him. How could she keep pushing him away and denying the urge to give herself to him?
She couldn’t.
She wouldn’t.
Andrew had told her to trust and love Hart. Andrew always gave her the right advice. Unlike Mallory, he’d always held her best interest at heart.
Come what may, she’d stick with Hart through thick and thin. And if Mallory even tried to take him away from her—there would be hell to pay.
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Chapter Twenty-One
“Where are you going?”
Ann stood behind Mallory framed in the doorway. “It’s midnight, Mallory. You can’t possibly think to steal away in the night. Where is Elizabeth anyway?”
“She’s locked herself in the nursery. She wants no part of what I have in mind.”
“What do you have in mind, brother dear?” Ann asked curiously.
He sighed. “Ann, you know as well as I do what I have in mind. Stop trying to look so ignorant all of a sudden. You’re just too damn smart and clever for your own good. Know this, I’m sick of your pretenses, it’s not at all becoming—you should let your keen mind shine, at least then, someone in the family would be true to who they are.”
“You should take care. You’re going to give this bad ticker of mine a fit,” she said faintly, looking up at him from under hooded lashes. He groaned.
“You only take fits when you know that all hell is about to break loose. I rather think that most of your fits are orchestrated to keep peace in this hotheaded family of ours.”
<
br /> She sighed. “Mallory, you will only make matters worse if you go off all half-cocked. Mother said she was going to deal with it. Let her. Don’t do something that you’re going to regret for the rest of your life. For once in your life, Mallory, allow the women in the family to broker peace between the MacKinnon’s and us. Mother seemed quite sure that she would be able to fix the situation. Besides, you said yourself that Hart had intrigued Gemma. I’m sure as we speak that the two of them have stopped bickering and are now coming to some sort of a truce. Perhaps, they’ve even given into the desire blossoming between them. Elizabeth tells us that sparks were going off between them.
I’ve never seen Gemma have sparks with anyone unless she was totally furious with them.”
He closed his eyes sighing painfully. “Did you have to stick in the dagger a little deeper, Ann? You were always the sensible one—the steadfast one. Why are you so determined to argue Hart’s cause? He kidnapped Gemma!”
“As you keep telling me. But is it really that, Mallory? You knew that Hart would end up marrying Gemma. That shouldn’t come as a betrayal to you. You yourself were almost pushing Hart and Gemma together. Blister it, Mallory! You were the one that helped Hart to draw up the special marriage license. Like it or not, you had a very able hand in helping Hart’s plot come to fruition.”
He groaned. “Don’t, Ann,” he implored.
“No. I’m not going to let it up. Backing down now would be completely against my objective for coming here. You did a bad thing, and now you’re paying the piper.
But I don’t really think you’re mad at Hart for taking Gemma to be his wife. You are mad at him for betraying your confidence. You are furious with him for turning on you!
Admit it!”
“I admit it!” he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. “Fine. As always, my HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 115
perfect little sister you are right!”
He watched her recoil slightly with the force of his verbal slap.