by test
She moved the candelabrum and inhaled sharply at the sight of a breathtaking portrait. The woman’s dark luminescent eyes bored right into her soul. She had the most unnerving expression on her face. It almost looked as if she couldn’t decide between sneering and remaining complacent.
“Who is that in the portrait?”
Hart followed her arm holding the candelabrum. “That’s Richard’s birth mother.
She was quite a beauty, wasn’t she? She was half-Italian, half-Spanish, and all mad. Her line of lineage harkens straight back to the infamous de Medici line. If you ever wanted to meet a ruthless woman, you had to look no further than dearest Francesca.”
“You wouldn’t have known her though, Richard’s older than you,” she pointed out, thoughtfully.
“I didn’t meet her in person, but I’ve met her sisters. They’re just as addled as she is. They were decked out completely in black from head to toe, it was pretty scary to have them come to visit. I used to think they were the harbingers of death when I was really little. They never smiled, they only wailed when they talked, and they hated my mother. They almost took Richard from father after Francesca killed herself in a delusional fit.”
“She has such a mournful look in her eyes. You can tell she had to have been a HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 122
tortured soul.”
“Aye. Mournful bordering on hateful, if you ask me.”
“Richard must have a heavy cross to bear knowing what his mother was like.”
“Richard has always had to fight his other side. Before father passed, he had me named as his sole heir when he found out that his marriage to Francesca had never been legally binding, despite her machinations to make it look like it was. She had quite a few friends that were willing to help her land father as a husband. No one else wanted her because they knew that lunacy ran rampant through her branch of the family tree.
Unfortunately, father’s decision left Richard with little to inherit. He’s got a title from Francesca’s father since he died with no male heirs, but when he died, most of his wealth had been thrown out the proverbial window.”
“That can’t settle well with Richard.”
“It doesn’t. Richard has enough though. He has several different financial ventures that give him a very good income. Fortunately, he lets me manage most of it for him, or else he’d be sitting in the poor house right now.”
“My father was sort of like Richard. He didn’t see the full spectrum of how money can impact a life. He thought it was a never-ending resource, he never really saw the real world and all of the nasty humans that lived in it. He thought everyone was going to have a fairytale ending—he was gravely mistaken in that thought.”
She sighed.
He gave her a look of deep understanding. “Come, you should go back to our quarters, and I’m off to pay the little loose skirt, loose mouth, hell, she’s just cheap.”
She smiled at him, glancing one last time at Richard before he gently ushered her from the room.
“I’ll just dash downstairs and then, I’ll be back in a blink.” He winked at her, and ran off down the hall.
Sighing again, Gemma looked around at her surroundings. Now, she had to
figure her way back to the West Wing.
Plucking up her stamina, she tried to retrace her steps. When she finally
recognized her surroundings, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Far down the hall, she heard a little boy talking.
Charles.
She walked toward the voice, and stood looking in at the scene unfolding before her.
Margaret sat in a rocking chair with Charles sitting raptly interested at her feet.
“Then what happened to the troll?” he asked, stopping as he sensed Gemma’s
presence.
“Aunt Gemma!” He sat up and lunged himself into her arms. “I’m so glad to see you awake! I was really worried.” He squeezed her tightly, and then stood back, reddening. “I don’t usually give out hugs like that … but Aunt Margaret says it’s not unmanly to show affection under the right circumstances.”
“Aunt Margaret? I thought ….”
He nodded his head vigorously. “I was calling her Duchess, but she insisted that I call her Aunt Margaret. I couldn’t really call her Mother Margaret. I’m afraid it kept sticking on my tongue. I have so many aunts.” He laughed. “Did you hear the loud crash as well?”
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Margaret stood up, tucking her loose hair back beneath the nightcap she wore.
“Aye. Charles was frightened awake by a most thunderous bang. He believed that marauders were storming the Castle. I had to tell him that in truth, it was only an echo heard from the realm of Fey.”
“She said that a big old troll probably fell over and it reverberated into our world.”
“Indeed.” Gemma suppressed a smile, for the lighthearted story obviously had Charles convinced. Soon, he too, would believe in the world of fairies.
“Charles, come, let Maeve and I get you settled in for the night,” Margaret murmured, extending her hand to him.
At that precise moment, she noticed that Maeve stood off in a dark corner. She emerged from the shadows, and beamed at Gemma. “It’s good to see you back on your pegs for more than a scant few minutes at a time, Your Ladyship, you were a sight to behold for a while there.”
She smiled wanly at Maeve. “Thank you for your help in getting me back on my legs, and what’s more, without your ministrations, I don’t think I’d be standing and feeling so hearty right now.”
Maeve nodded her head crisply. “No need to thank me. My life is devoted to the family within these walls. You’re part of that family now, and I’ll never let you down.”
She smiled at her, and walked toward Charles. “Come my wee man, we must get you back to sleep, or else you won’t be able to finish building that tree house with Hart tomorrow.”
“I should think that Charles should come with me tomorrow, I should like some company, and I think that Charles will make a grand escort,” Margaret mused.
“I will.” He smiled. “I’d like to see more of the island anyway. I mean the grounds you have here are really nice, but I’m starting to feel a bit caged in. I can see the sea, though, and that’s what matters to me. I always like to be near water.”
Gemma started to backtrack toward the door, so she could take her leave without their notice.
Margaret shuffled quickly toward her. “Please, wait, Gemma.” She caught up with her. “You do look quite better, I am glad to see you healthy once more. You gave Hart quite the scare.” She dodged a furtive glance back at Charles to see if he was paying attention.
Skye jumped into her dog bed and settled back down for the night. Obviously, during her illness Skye had become Charles’s faithful companion.
“Is he settled in, then?” She looked over Gemma’s shoulder down the dark
hallway.
“You mean, Richard?”
“Aye. I knew that was he making that dreadful noise. It scared the living daylights out of Charles. I had to calm him down and pray that Hart had heard it also. I don’t know what I’d do without Hart. He always seems to keep this house in tiptop working order. When he isn’t around, it’s such a bother to get the valets awake so they can drag Richard to his room.”
Gemma frowned. “You might not want to tell Hart that. He’s under the
impression that Richard only debauches himself like this when he’s in residence.”
Margaret sighed. “Hart has to go away on business many times throughout the HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 124
year, and unfortunately Richard’s behavior does not change, whether we are in residence here, or on the Mainland or in Spain. It truly does become tedious at times, but I don’t know how to cure him of it. He’s got such a terribly reckless streak in him—” Margaret broke off in mid-sentence her eyes lighting with joy.
“Hart!” She breathed.
“It’s good to see you, son. I’ve been chatting Gemma’s ear off but I shan’t keep the two of you from spending some quality time together. You go and get some sleep.” She yawned daintily, pressing her hand delicately to her mouth.
“I’m rather tired myself, I think I’ll retire to my bedchambers. Goodnight, my dears.”
She winked at Gemma and bustled toward her own quarters.
“Your mother is quite the woman.”
“I know. Why was she up with Charles? I mean she tucks him in every night but why did she .…” He trailed off. “Blast and damn, Charles heard Richard’s little adventure down in the entryway, didn’t he?”
“He thought the castle was being besieged by marauders,” she pronounced
chuckling.
“Did he?” Hart laughed with her. They strolled back toward their bedchambers.
“That little scamp has the most incredible imagination I’ve ever seen in a child. It rivals the imagination Joseph had as a boy.”
“And you? What about your imagination?”
“I guess I had quite an elaborate one as well—though I daresay I had to be the most sensible sibling when it came to my brothers. They were so starry eyed sometimes that someone had to pull them out of fairyland.”
“Sometimes I had to be the sensible one as well. Luckily for me when I was Charles’s age we still had our family fortunes intact and Andrew was around and my father and mother were very doting and attentive parents. When Andrew and Mallory shipped off to fight Napoleon, my father went half mad. He started staying out all night at local gaming hells, he started to come home drunk like Richard where he could barely stay upright, he started to dabble in the stronger kind of snuff—and slowly, we lost him.
I hated watching what it did to mother. I always believed that my father loved us enough to stay strong, but I don’t know who he loved more, his wife and children or himself.”
She sighed, stopping when the reached their bedchamber.
“Is that what you really believe?” Hart asked her in a soft voice.
“If he really loved mother, why did he cause her pain by turning into a wraith of a man? I mean they were supposed to have a grand love affair for their time, when they were courting they were known as the two lovebirds—why did he abandon her when she needed him most? Why did he abandon us? Didn’t he think we were hurting?
Especially after we heard of Andrew’s death, and for a time, we were told that Mallory had gone missing .… I didn’t like to see mother so shattered. She was literally sitting on pins and needless, hoping and praying for something that was already set in stone. For many months, she railed against Andrew being dead, and then within the course of a year, dear old father lost everything and died of shame and heartbreak, and yet, my mother was expected to keep a stiff upper British lip, and keep on going. War rips apart families, Hart. Napoleon had to be stopped, he did, but I still can’t keep wishing that things had turned out differently. Then, to top it off after everything that happened, my bloody stupid brother decides to go and become a Privateer verging on the cusp of being a Pirate! Just so he could make enough money for us to survive and so he could amass HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 125
enough power to gain his revenge against Geoffrey Caulfield, never giving one iota of a thought to us. Mother says she understands why Mallory became Captain Rafe Morgan, but I know deep down inside, she wishes he’d gone into another moneymaking scheme.
Believe me, he had several speculating options, but he didn’t want to take any of them, because he craved adventure.”
“He’s home now that should count for something.”
“Mallory came home for Elizabeth, and we can all tell that it’s suffocating the life out of him. He’s getting the wanderlust. The restless energy burning inside of him just oozes out and fills whatever room he happens to be in. Mallory isn’t made to live on the land—he’s got the sea in his blood and in his soul. The sooner Elizabeth realizes that, the better off we’ll all be.”
“She doesn’t need to realize that now. I’m sure with the past events of the last few days, she already knows. It must be hard to grapple with the thought that your husband loves something more than he loves you. I wouldn’t wish that realization on anyone.”
“What do you mean?” She snapped her head to attention. “As for Mallory not loving Elizabeth, that’s poppycock. He does love her … that is plainly visible by the way he looks at her, if only he didn’t have another obsession to battle with his one with Elizabeth. Life would be much easier that way. Regardless, I’m getting off topic, what did you mean, Elizabeth is realizing that now? What have you heard, Hart?”
“I’ve had word that your dear brother is getting ready to set sail—no doubt headed for this very island. I’m not going to let him have you, Gemma.”
Hart pulled her into his arms, and she flattened herself to him, drinking in his essence. A thrill raced through her. She didn’t want to ever be under Mallory’s constant watchdog eye again. She loved her brother—but her life was separate from his now, seeing Margaret with Charles had hit that one home for her. Her mother could come and live with them, and leave Mallory to his own devices.
“You’d better not let him have me … and if you did, I’d never forgive you.”
He drew back, looking at her suspiciously. “What are you talking about? What has encouraged this startling transformation?”
“Oh, come on, Hart. You kept telling me what I already knew, though my own stubborn pride, wouldn’t allow me to actually verbalize it. I have loved you since the first time we met. No questions about that. Love at first sight really does exist. I know that now. I only became a hellcat with you because I didn’t like your way of taking me from Mallory Hall. I didn’t like the betrayal, if only you’d just asked me. Seriously. If you’d asked me and proposed to me, I would have run away with you without a second glance at Mallory. I can’t abandon the rest of my family, and you shouldn’t expect me to.”
“I don’t,” he murmured, kissing her ear, then trailing down to her cheek, and finally searching for and finding her mouth. She gave way to the glorious feelings he inspired within her.
“Just a moment.” He let go of her and walked back toward the door, shutting it firmly, he secured the lock. “We wouldn’t want any untimely interruptions.”
Her eyes widened, and she laughed. “You actually think you’re going to have your way with me? Are you certain that you’re up for it?” she teased, good-naturedly.
“I assure you, my lady, I am quite up for the task of seducing you. As long as you HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 126
aren’t too worn out.” He stalked toward her slowly, like he was hunting prey.
“I thought I was the one that was going to be seducing you,” she murmured
walking toward him.
“Perhaps, we shall call it a mutual seduction.” A shiver went up her spine, he wasn’t even touching her and she was anticipating the feeling of his hands and his mouth roaming across her body.
Her nipples puckered with her sensual thoughts. She’d never been with a man before but a primal urge to couple with him drove her senses. They’d always said that a grand sized libido ran in her family—she’d heard it murmured to Mallory on more than one occasion when she’d been eavesdropping. Now, she realized why his friends had taunted him with that—she could feel the urges of desire stirring inside of her, turning her into a wanton hussy.
Her eyes lingered on his face. She studied every nook and cranny. He had a classical jaw line. His eyes sparkled like jewels and his mouth made her want to kiss him again and again.
She started to feel increasingly hot. Untying her dressing gown, she threw it toward the nearest chair. He feasted his eyes hungrily on her.
“You look good enough to devour.”
“Well, then, we’ve played a merry chase long enough—I think it’s time for you to completely ruin me. Ravish me, my lord.”
He laughed. “Hearing those words out o
f any other woman’s mouth would just sound silly—and yet, you have a knack for pulling it off.”
She smiled. “I’ve waited long enough, Hart. I think I’ve stayed a maiden well past my prime—why don’t you relieve me of my honor?”
“You will always have an honorable heart, Gemma. Even without your maidenly virtue—which, I have no compunction about taking, as long as you want me to.”
“You are my husband, Hart, it is your right.”
“Dash my conjugal rights, Gemma, darling! I want you to come willingly to my bed—I don’t want you reviling me in the morning—I have to admit, I did maneuver you into marrying me. If you really don’t want to spend the rest of your life as my wife—you need only say so now, and leave my bedroom. I don’t want to always be wondering if you only stayed with me because you thought you were obligated. I promise you, Gemma, should you walk away from me now, I will do nothing to stop you, and I will do nothing to punish Mallory or his wife and child.”
“I know. You never would have hurt Elizabeth or Susan. You just don’t have a mean streak in your body, Hart. You are the most admirable man I’ve ever met. Even when you were masquerading as a horse thief, I still instinctively sensed that you were not going to hurt me. You have the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen on a man. You are good through and through.”
He cleared his throat. “You have humbled me, Gemma. If I wasn’t so aroused right now, I might just have to clear my head with a drink.”
“Don’t. Clear your head by touching me. I am your wife—I am the woman that will love you for the rest of your days. We are a united force, Hart. Together, we can face any obstacle life throws in our path. I don’t want to be alone anymore … I don’t want to sleep in a bed only warmed by a bed warmer. I want you. I want you for the rest of my natural life, and even then, I still think I’ll want you in heaven.”
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He closed the short distance between them, and swept her up into his embrace.