The Elusive Earl (Saints & Scoundrels)

by Michaels, Maddison

  “Did the Garendetta kill him?” Milly asked.

  Daniel gave a half shrug. “Perhaps, but I don’t think so. The Garendetta always work together, never alone.”

  “And Mr. Bartardi only mentioned one man,” Bree added.

  “Exactly, which is why I don’t think they were responsible for Bartardi’s murder. I think someone else was the culprit. And the timing doesn’t fit either,” Daniel continued. “Orsini said the note was left less than one hour before Brianna and I arrived, and it mentions the journals, plural. If the Garendetta had been the ones to stab Mr. Bartardi, they would have already gotten what they thought were the complete set of journals and would have had no need to ransack her room or leave the ransom demand.”

  She turned to Daniel. “It is lucky, then, they didn’t know Mr. Bartardi had them.”

  “Obviously, Travis hasn’t told them much,” Daniel said. “And clearly, the Garendetta have not found the copies of the translated notes Travis has, or they would have no need of the journals.”

  “He must have hidden them somewhere before he was captured. We must save him.” Bree urged him.

  “No,” Daniel said.

  “What?” Bree exclaimed.

  “The three of you must return to England immediately,” Daniel replied. “I will travel to Cosenza and find Travis.”

  “No!” All three ladies declared in unison.

  He held his hands up in front of him. “It is for your own protection, all of you.”

  Brianna stepped closer and glared up at him, willing him to stop being so stubborn—and so infuriatingly…chivalrous. “The note says I must take the journals. You know I must come with you.”

  Daniel’s mouth set in a hard line. “It is too dangerous.”

  “That may be the case, but Travis’s life is at stake.” She wasn’t certain why, but she reached out and took his hand in hers. Perhaps, then, he might realize how she would do anything to save her cousin. “I must go, regardless of the risks.”

  “He is my son.” Her aunt stood tall, like a blonde Valkyrie in a corset. “I will not be shipped off back to England while his life is in danger.”

  “And he’s my brother, too,” Milly added. “As much as he annoys me on occasion, I’m not going back to England either, until Travis is safe.”

  A muscle in Daniel’s jaw twitched as he took a few seconds to consider a response. “Not only will we have to contend with the Garendetta, who have lookouts all through the countryside, but there are also mountain bandits known throughout the region for robbing and killing travelers. This is not England, ladies, and it is certainly no trip to the country.”

  Brianna squeezed his palm, for some reason, not wanting to let it go. He felt like an anchor in her turbulent sea of worry. “I know. But the note said I must take the journals, so surely, I must go.”

  Whatever he saw in her face must have convinced him she was right, for he reluctantly nodded while his thumb gently brushed across the back of her fingers. “Damn it, I do not like it.”

  His touch sent a thrill of…something through her. Her lips parted slightly, and her breath hitched in her throat. No, no, no, she would not feel anything of the sort for Daniel. Imperious, condescending, you’re-a-half-Italian-hoyden Daniel.

  But still, she couldn’t let him go. They both silently studied each other, the intensity of his gaze causing a flutter in her stomach.

  Aunt Edith cleared her throat. Finally, Brianna dropped his hand and spun around to face her aunt. A small smile lurked at the corners of her aunt’s mouth, but there was still dread clouding her eyes.

  “So, it is decided then.” Edith’s mouth wobbled slightly. “We shall all travel to Cosenza.”

  “But Lady Pend—”

  “There are no ifs or buts about it, Thornton,” her aunt interrupted the earl. “The three of us intend to get there, with or without your help.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I cannot travel to Cosenza with the three of you.” Daniel put as much War Office authority into his voice as he could muster, hoping to wear the three ladies down. Apparently, Brianna wasn’t the only Penderley with a massive stubborn streak.

  “Well, why on earth not?” Lady Penderley asked, a hint of exasperation in her tone. It rather reminded Daniel of Brianna’s often loudly voiced protests.

  “I can protect one of you,” he patiently tried to explain. “But protecting three ladies, especially going through the Calabria region, which is known to be perilous, would be extremely dangerous, if not deadly. I would need several men to assist in guarding you all.”

  “Can you not hire some guards then?” Brianna questioned.

  Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the three very mutinous expressions on the Penderley women’s faces. “Four of us traveling together in a carriage with guards would slow the expedition down tremendously.”

  “Can we not take a train?” Milly asked.

  “There are no tracks that go that far south of Naples.” Daniel felt his jaw tighten to the point of pain.

  “We cannot hinder the journey in any way,” Brianna said. “Not if we are to have any chance of saving Travis.”

  “Exactly,” Daniel declared, happy for once the woman was being sensible.

  “Then, I shall have to travel alone with you,” Brianna stated. She sounded none too happy about it either.

  Daniel felt a headache coming on.

  Lady Penderley pinched the bridge of her nose. “I fear you are right. But how can I allow you to journey alone with Lord Thornton?” She glanced sharply at Brianna. “Returning home from a ball is one thing. Traveling for days together, and staying overnight in places, is quite a different story.”

  “Oh please,” Brianna ridiculed. “As if anything untoward would occur between Lord Thornton and myself. You know we cannot stand each other, nor do we harbor any romantic inclinations toward one another.”

  Daniel felt the clash of emotions roll through him at her statement. Of course he agreed with her, but a part of him felt somewhat vexed that she could so casually dismiss him.

  “That may be the case,” Lady Penderley said. “And of course, I know we can trust her with you, Lord Thornton.” The woman examined him for a moment, her gaze sharply assessing, before she turned back to Brianna. “But it does not change the fact that you would have no chaperone. If anyone found out, you would be utterly ruined.”

  “Who would find out?” Bree raised her hands wide. “Villagers and the like would not even know who we are.”

  “Someone may,” her aunt insisted.

  “Then we must make certain no one does,” Bree replied.

  “But even villagers might notice an unmarried lady making her way through the countryside with a gentleman,” her aunt pointed out. “As in England, that sort of thing is frowned upon here and would surely attract unwanted attention.”

  Daniel knew what she said to be true. He felt the weight of the paper in his jacket and inwardly cursed Sir Walter. The man always had a sixth sense about things, and it seemed he’d been right. Daniel was going to have to use the damn thing after all.

  Reluctantly, he pulled the paper out of his pocket. “That will not be a problem. We are already married.”

  The three women regarded him as if he were daft.

  “Well, at least, fictionally,” he added.

  Bree stepped forward and snatched the paper from his hand. She read its contents and looked at him in horror. “Where did you get this?”

  “From your uncle.”

  “I should have known,” she lamented.

  “What is it?” Milly asked, coming up to Bree’s side.

  “A marriage certificate,” Brianna replied. “Apparently, the Earl and I got married while I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “What?” Lady Penderley said on a gasp.

  “Now, I not only have two fiancés but a husband as well.” She threw up her hands into the air. “Wonderful, just wonderful!”

  “Father obviously
thought it would assist in untangling you from your fiancé fiasco,” Milly remarked.

  “Our dear Walter has his moments of brilliance,” Lady Penderley gushed. “Though do not ever tell him I said so.” Her comment was directed to Daniel.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call this one of his moments of brilliance,” Brianna grumbled.

  “It will allow us to travel together in apparent respectability,” Daniel reminded her.

  She scowled silently for a bit and then grudgingly inclined her head. “Oh very well. If I must pretend to be married to you to save Travis, then I will.”

  “Most ladies would be honored to be my wife, even if it was only a fiction.” He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he felt so vexed. As he’d told Brianna’s uncle, he would never even consider marrying a woman who was so far from his idea of a sensible partner.

  “And as you so often remind me, I am not like most ladies.”

  “What about your two fiancés, though?” Milly spoke up. “Surely they will wonder where you have gone. And isn’t one of them from the Cosenza region, too?”

  Daniel didn’t like coincidences. “Which one?”

  Brianna shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really been able to take in much of what either of them have been saying beyond their exhortations of undying love. Their English is atrocious.”

  “Probably better than your Italian,” he quipped.

  She put her hands on her hips but pointedly ignored him, instead turning her attention to Milly. “If they come calling, you or Aunt Edith can tell them that I’m ill or, better yet, that I have returned to England with my lug of a husband.” Her head jerked toward Daniel. “Blame the language barrier for our misunderstanding. Perhaps they’ll listen to you.”

  “But that would be lying,” Milly replied.

  “Not really.” Brianna’s voice was earnest. “This whole mess does make me ill.”

  “Oh Brianna, you do have a habit of getting into messy situations,” Lady Penderley said.

  “Yes, and the lug is usually the one to extract you from them.” Milly winced at Daniel as soon as the words left her mouth. “Not that I consider you a lug, my lord. Far from it. Brianna should be a little bit kinder to you and not call you such things.”

  “Oh he knows after all these years, I speak my mind in front of him. Isn’t that right, husband?” The blasted woman then had the audacity to grin at him.

  One of these days, he was going to turn her over his knee and spank her.

  He immediately pushed the thought away, terrified at the spark of interest it ignited, deep in the most improper recesses of his mind.

  “But surely, telling them I am married would solve the problem,” Brianna continued on, blissfully unaware of his myriad of emotions. “They cannot be engaged to me while I am married.”

  “We shall not be staying here to tell them so.” Lady Penderley threw her palms up in a very Italian gesture. Clearly, the place was rubbing off on her. “We will be traveling to Cosenza, too.”

  “No. You will not be,” Daniel said, his voice brooking no argument.

  All three of them once again looked at him as if he were daft.

  Daniel felt a vein pop out in his neck. He had thought dealing with Brianna was tiresome, but three Penderley women together was a nightmare. He suddenly felt sorry for Sir Walter.

  “I thought we had established that it would delay the journey if we all went together.” He tried valiantly to keep his voice level.

  “Dear boy, we did,” Lady Penderley said. “And we shall not do so. However, Amelia and I shall follow you both in another carriage, at a slower pace, and catch up to you when we can. You can arrange for some guards to protect us. I know Walter has men in the region he would trust to do so and that you will know who to contact to arrange it.” The soft smile she sent him was at odds with the steel in her bearing.

  Clearly, the woman knew a great deal about Walter’s standing in the War Office and was obviously very used to getting her way. He now saw where Brianna got her stubbornness from, and it had nothing to do with her Italian heritage or the Penderley bloodline. “I do know some contacts.”

  “Of course you do.” Her aunt clapped her hands. “Then it is decided. You and—”

  “No, it is not decided,” he interrupted her. “Sir Walter would have my head if I let all three of you anywhere near the Garendetta.”

  “And he will have your head if you do not organize guards to protect us, dear boy.” Lady Penderley raised her chin and stared at him. “For we shall follow you both regardless, and you won’t be here to stop us from doing so.”

  He glowered at her, a look that normally had the receiver capitulating very quickly. But Brianna and Lady Penderley were the only two, apart from his sister, it had no effect on. “God damn it!”

  “Good. It is agreed then.” She turned to Brianna. “Go and pack quickly, basic dresses and necessities.”

  “But Aunt—”

  “No buts, Brianna Penderley!” The woman made it apparent she was not to be trifled with. “And you, too, Amelia. Go.”

  Brianna frowned at him, as if imagining what it would be like to travel as a married couple together, before reluctantly turning and mounting the stairs, Milly following behind. He couldn’t help but think about the same thing. Alone, with Brianna, likely in the same suite of rooms to keep up the married charade…

  He would probably go mad. Why was it now, of all times, he had to be more aware of her as a woman? Perhaps, if he kept thinking about all of her annoyingly impulsive ways, he’d stop thinking about how soft and full her lips looked. How even when she was glaring at him, he’d never seen such amazingly beautiful blue eyes before. Damn it. He was in trouble, and he knew it. The thought brought a tightness to his chest.

  He cleared his throat, bringing himself back to the task at hand. “I must go and speak with a contact of mine at the British Embassy to get things sorted before we depart in the morning,” he said.

  “Very well.” Lady Penderley walked up to him and patted him on the cheek. “Now, don’t be too upset with me, dear boy. If it were your children at risk, you would follow them, too.”

  The idea of any children made him feel on edge. Of course, he knew he’d have to marry and have an heir or two eventually, but it was a topic he’d prefer not to dwell upon.

  It brought up too many painful memories of his own childhood, of the bitter fights his parents would have after his father had been caught having an affair yet again. Daniel could still see the tears of anguish sweeping down his mother’s face as she pleaded with his father over and over, asking why she was never enough to satisfy him. And Daniel remembered the fear and torment in his father’s eyes when the man couldn’t answer her. His parents had never even realized Daniel had been able to see and hear them, hiding as he had behind the curtains in the library and peeking out from them. It had been nearly a weekly occurrence since he was eight years old, even before Sophie had been born.

  And he definitely didn’t wish to discuss the matter with the all-too-perceptive Lady Penderley. “Are you not concerned about what Sir Walter will say of you placing yourself in potential danger?” he asked.

  “I shall write to him immediately and apprise him of the situation.” She smiled. “He knows me well enough now, after all our years together, to realize he wouldn’t be able to deter me from my set course of action.”

  He heard a door close on the upper floor as Brianna and Milly entered their rooms. “He won’t like me traveling alone with Brianna,” he said.

  “He trusts you, Thornton, as do I. You are like family to us.” She paused for a moment, her brows knitting together as she pinned him with a predatory stare. “I know you will look after my Brianna and behave like the true gentleman that you are. That is the only reason I am agreeing to all of this, taking into account the exceptional circumstances.”

  It felt like all he ever did was look after Miss Penderley, and now he was going to have to deal with her on a full-
time basis for at least the next week or two. Sir Walter was going to owe him a great debt. “I will do my best to look after her,” he said.

  “I know you will. But know this,” she intoned darkly. “I love her as if she were my own, and if you break her heart, I will break you. You may be over a foot taller than me, and be trained in all sorts of fighting techniques, but you have no idea of the wrath of a mother. Do we understand each other?”

  Break her heart? It’d be more likely that Brianna would turn him to stone with one furious glance during their never-ending battle of wills. Daniel looked down at the small, fierce woman who stood proudly before him and tried not to smile. Knowing her as well as he did, he’d assumed that some warning to behave like a gentleman had been forthcoming. He couldn’t help but be impressed by what she’d delivered. “I understand, my lady. But I give you my word, you have nothing to fear. If you hadn’t already noticed, your niece hates me, and there is no chance of that changing.”

  She sighed. “Oh she doesn’t hate you, Thornton. Far from it, actually, which is the problem.”

  How odd. The normally perceptive Lady Penderley couldn’t have been more wrong. “Her actions and words would suggest otherwise, my lady.”

  A slow but sad smile spread across the woman’s face. “When Brianna first came to us, she was just a toddler, and even then, she was hesitant to open up and trust anyone. I can only imagine the horrors she may have seen when her parents were murdered. But once she loves, she does so fiercely and with all her heart. She is the treasure. It would wound me to see her hurt.”

  “I will protect her with my life, my lady.”

  “I know you will,” the woman agreed. “I am not worried on that score, Thornton. It is her emotions I fear for.”

  Daniel felt his chest constrict at the thought of Brianna and her heart. But then he shook his head. He didn’t even particularly like the chit…

  Well, that was a blatant lie, and one he couldn’t even convince himself of.

  Of course he liked her. He liked her more than he should, given that their personalities were diametrically opposed. After all, everyone liked Miss Brianna Penderley. Why should he be any different? Although, he certainly didn’t like her reckless behavior. And as for Brianna herself…there were cracks appearing in what he had considered a well-formed and somewhat negative opinion of her. But what they revealed was not something he wished to delve into too closely. He knew what he wanted for his life—the peace and calm that he hadn’t grown up with. Brianna Penderley would never allow him a moment of that. They simply weren’t suited.