The Lady and the Earl

by Clark, Diedre

  “But how?” she asked desperately. She could see his mind turning as he thought.

  “You will sleep with Cunningham. He’ll never be able to resist you,” Lucas said.

  Maggie gasped in shock. “I could never do that!” she exclaimed.

  Lucas backhanded her, sending her tumbling off the bed. “You will do as you’re told,” he hissed.

  “But I can’t,” she sobbed from the floor.

  He leaped down on top of her, pinning her beneath him. “Are you trying to tell me you refuse to—”

  “I’m pregnant,” Maggie blurted out, silencing Lucas.

  “What?” he asked quietly.

  “I’m with child, with your child,” she repeated quietly, not quite sure how Lucas would react to this news.

  A wicked smile spread across his face, causing fear to spread through Maggie’s body. She’d never seen Lucas look so malicious.

  “It’s perfect,” Lucas began. “You will sleep with Cunningham and blame him for the child.” He laughed wickedly.

  Maggie was horrified. She thought once Lucas knew she was going to have his child, he would give up this sadistic plan of his.

  “No, I will not,” she said boldly.

  “What did you say?” Lucas asked. He was still pinning her to the floor.

  Maggie now knew her silly fantasies about Lord Lucas Hoffman had been nothing but that, fantasies. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried to repeat what she said before, “No, I will not sleep with him.” He stared at her. “Please, just let them be together. We could be together, and we could have this child,” she said hopefully.

  “No,” he said quietly. His face turned to rage as he grabbed her tightly around the neck. “I won’t lose this Game.”

  Maggie tugged at his hands as he squeezed the air from her. She tried to fight, but she was losing consciousness quickly. She grabbed at his face in one last attempt to free herself from his grasp, but failed as darkness took her.

  * * *

  Lucas watched her fight. He delighted in her struggle and released his grip when she went limp. He didn’t want to kill her, not if she really was carrying his child.

  He carried her to the bed and tied her to the post. He had some work to do if he was going to break up Allana’s marriage. He pulled his trousers on and grabbed his bottle of wine. He needed to think. Maggie was no use to him anymore. He was going to have to do this himself.

  A plan devised in his head as he lounged next to the fireplace. He was going to have to make a visit to Westbrook, and soon. He glanced over at Maggie and decided he would need her again. He went to her and lay next to her until she woke up. It took some time for her to come to. When she did, she started struggling against the cord that bound her to the bed.

  Lucas feigned sleep, pretending to wake with her struggling movement. He moaned, grabbing at his head as he sat up and looked at her.

  “Maggie?” he asked questioningly.

  She looked at him in fear as she watched him study her.

  He put on his best look of remorse for her, shaking his head in what he hoped looked like dismay and said, “Oh, Maggie. What have I done to you?” He hoped it was convincing. He wanted her to believe he’d passed out from too much alcohol, not remembering or realizing what he’d done previous to passing out. Quickly and carefully, he leaned over her and untied the cord. He could feel her trembling as he did so.

  “My sweet Maggie. Are you all right?” he asked gently. She eyed him nervously. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…I….” He broke off as though unsure what to say next. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  “Yes,” she said submissively.

  He shook his head, keeping a sad disposition. “You are so patient with me. I don’t deserve you, Maggie.” His sincerity seemed to soften her heart.

  “Don’t say such things,” she said, reaching up and touching his cheek.

  “But it’s true. You are an angel, and look what I’ve done to you,” he stated, trying to sound devastated by his earlier actions.

  “You…you didn’t realize what you were doing. You were drunk,” she said to ease his pain. “There was no harm done.”

  Oh, she was so gullible. He wove his little web tightly around her once more before sending her back to Westbrook to do one last job for him.

  Chapter 29

  From the huge window in Declan’s chambers, Allana watched her husband ride into the distance with her brother. Connor had been in London until a few days ago. He had come by Westbrook for a quick visit to check on her. Allana smiled as she remembered the look of relief on Connor’s face when finding her and Declan had resolved their differences. He told her later he’d expected to find her still miserable and was very pleased to see things had worked themselves out between the two. Afterward, he had eagerly accepted Declan’s request as a hunting partner for this morning.

  Declan had risen early, waking Allana with his arousing kisses. He made love to her before dressing and leaving her for hunting. She’d climbed out of bed into the cold morning air to watch the two men ride off into the woods together, but she was not about to get up yet. She wanted more sleep; she hadn’t been getting enough of it lately, and it was beginning to wear on her. She climbed back into the warm bed, curling up into a ball before dozing off for a while longer. She woke still feeling tired, but that quickly wore off after she cleaned up and went downstairs for breakfast.

  “Good Morning, Katy,” she said as a red-haired maid brought her some breakfast.

  “Good Morning, my Lady. I trust you slept well last night?” the maid replied politely.

  “Yes. Very well, thank you,” Allana returned with a smile. The girl curtsied and left Allana to enjoy her meal.

  Allana and Declan actually hadn’t slept much in the past week, but she wasn’t about to tell anyone else that. She smiled at the thought of her husband and the time they had been spending together. They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Their passion boiled through the night and even into the day.

  “Lady Allana, there is a gentleman here to see you,” a voice said, interrupting Allana’s thoughts.

  “Oh? Show him to the sitting room, and I will be there in a moment. Thank you, Arden,” Allana said to the butler.

  Allana took another bite of her breakfast before washing it down with tea. Who could be here to visit her? Perhaps it was Edmund come to discuss his recent marriage to Carmon. Wouldn’t he bring Carmon with him, though? Perhaps he needed her advice on something. Curiosity overcame her. She patted her mouth down with her napkin before standing and walking to the sitting room.

  The smaller room was brightly lit with large, spacious windows whose curtains were drawn back to let in as much sunlight as possible. There were paintings and other decorations in the room to make it presentable as well as a table to work at in one corner and a piano forte in another. In the center was a sofa, which faced a cozy fireplace, and in this sofa sat a man waiting patiently.

  Allana’s heart stopped when she spotted him, and she unwillingly began to tremble. She wanted to turn and walk straight out of the room before he realized she was there, but her feet would not move. Fear gripped her and held her in place. Her face paled as he stood and turned to her. He’d heard her enter, and now he was walking toward her, looking just as handsome and cold as she remembered him.

  Lord Lucas Hoffman strode toward Allana casually as though nothing was wrong. “Allana, my love, you look stunning,” he said as he reached for her, embracing her gently.

  His touch removed fear’s grasp on her, and she broke away from him. “Do not touch me,” she hissed at him.

  He looked hurt, but she knew it was an act.

  “Allana, please,” he said stepping toward her. “You have no need to fear me. I came to apologize. What I did to you,” he paused as though the memory brought him pain, “was wrong. It was so very wrong, Allana. I was drunk and jealous, and I am very sorry for what happened,” Lucas said as sincerely as possible.

  Al
lana stepped backward away from him, never taking her eyes from him. “I don’t want your apology, so please leave.”

  “That hurts me, Allana. You know I still love you,” Lucas said still coming toward her.

  “You don’t love me. You just want what you cannot have,” Allana said in disgust, taking another step backward. “Don’t come any closer, or I will scream.”

  He smiled cunningly at her.

  She needed to get out of here. She looked at the door helplessly. He’d maneuvered himself between her and it. He had been guiding her away from the entrance this entire time! Why had she allowed that? Why hadn’t she taken her first course of action and simply left the room? Because she hadn’t, he now had the advantage. She wasn’t fooled by his heartfelt apology. Lucas was devious, and he was here for a reason. There was a trap planned for her. If she didn’t get away from him, she would fall right into it…or perhaps she already had.

  He smiled at her as though reading her thoughts. She took one more step backward and bumped into the piano. In a state of panic, she looked down to see what had stopped her retreat. Lucas bound toward her, grabbing her wrists in an extremely painful hold and pinning her against the piano.

  If her voice hadn’t caught in her throat out of fear, she would have screamed. She even had her mouth opened for the act, but only silent air followed. She struggled against his grasp, trying to free her hands, feeling bruises begin to form along her wrists. “You’re hurting me,” she gasped as she fought against him.

  He tightened his grip and laughed cruelly at her. She kicked out at him and connected with his shin, causing his smile to slip as he inhaled sharply. Angrily, he pulled her away from the piano and shoved her as hard as he could back into it. She cried out in pain, feeling aching knots form where her back had hit an edge. He smiled wickedly, delighting in the power he had over her and the fear he caused. Allana struggled uselessly before realizing her struggles only brought him pleasure.

  “Declan and Connor will be back any moment now,” she said, breathing heavily. It took every ounce of control she had to simply stand still and look him in the eyes.

  “Yes, they probably will. But will it be in time?” he asked, smiling as he leaned into her hip.

  She lost her control and frantically fought against his unmovable form. His legs along with her dress prevented her from kicking out at him again, and his grip on her wrists was relentless.

  He laughed delightedly as she struggled against him. “Keep fighting, Allana. It is …invigorating.”

  “What do you want from me?” she hissed as a tear slipped down her face. She pulled at her arms one last time with no avail and let a small sob brake from her chest when she realized how helpless she was against this man. She hated this feeling of being in someone else’s control.

  “I want you, Allana. And I will have you one way or another,” he replied calmly.

  A door opened in the distance, followed by male voices. Allana’s heart jumped. Maybe this time Lucas would come to some justice. She lost that small bit of hope with Lucas’s next few words.

  “Right on time,” he said looking toward the sound. “Your precious Earl will find us together and once again believe we are lovers. Remember what I told you the last time we were together?” he asked coolly. “Well, it still applies. Talk and they’re dead. Make it known when Cunningham and Connor enter the room that it was me who attacked you, and our dear friend Fredric will suffer. I have a man waiting as we speak, and if I do not show up…,” he shrugged. “I gave the man no restrictions. The boy knows too much anyway.” A vicious smile spread across his face. “Now kiss me. We have company.”

  Lucas leaned down and kissed Allana hungrily. She tried to pull back, but there was nowhere for her to go. Her struggles were useless against his body, and the piano wasn’t budging. He broke the kiss and backed away from her slightly just before Declan and Connor reached the room. And Allana knew exactly what it looked like.

  * * *

  Declan burst into the room like a madman with Connor on his heels. The Earl had been informed of the intruder immediately upon entering the house and had charged toward the sitting room with Connor pleading behind him, “I’m certain there’s a reason. Don’t do anything drastic, Declan. Declan?”

  Declan didn’t hear a word of it. He was too concerned with what he would find upon entering the room.

  Allana looked desperately at him. Something was wrong, but Declan was too enraged to rationalize what it was. Lucas was standing far too close to her, and she was flushed as if just breaking from a passionate embrace.

  Lucas whispered something to her, and she quickly looked away and out the window. Declan felt betrayed. It had been almost a week since he’d claimed her. He had believed everything she’d told him. Now he was beginning to think he had been a fool. No, there was something amiss here. If only he could discover it. He turned his attention to Lucas.

  “Hoffman, I believe that is my wife you are standing needlessly close to,” Declan said, taking a threatening step toward Lucas.

  Lucas eyed Declan with confidence and smugness. “I was just having a friendly conversation with an old friend, Cunningham. No harm done,” he said lightly.

  “Still the same, I would step away from her now if I were you.” They eyed each other dangerously.

  Lucas smiled politely, but it did not hide the loathing Declan could plainly see in the man’s eyes.

  “My Lady, thank you for seeing me,” Lucas said charmingly to Allana, bowing to her and kissing her hand.

  Declan watched Allana. She was trembling visibly, and when Lucas released her hand, she unconsciously wiped it rather savagely upon her dress. Fear. That was the missing element. There had been fear in Allana’s eyes when Declan had entered the room. What was she afraid of—Lucas or himself? Lucas stepped away from Allana, and Declan could see her visibly relax. He wanted to think she feared Lucas and not his own wrath, but why would she?

  “I apologize, Cunningham,” Lucas said with earnestness. “I will take my leave since I can tell I am not welcome here. I hope my presence does not cause any disagreements for either of you.” He smiled smugly once more.

  Veins bulged in Declan’s neck as he strained to control his urge to attack this man. “I would not come again if I were you,” Declan replied tightly. His heart was raging with anger and jealousy. He very much wanted to tear Hoffman’s smug face apart.

  “Arden,” Declan called.

  “Yes, my Lord,” the scrawny man replied from the hallway.

  “Please escort Lord Hoffman to the main door, and inform me when he is gone,” Declan finished not taking his eyes off of Lucas.

  Lucas smiled conceitedly. He felt he had won this battle. He bowed to the room before following the manservant out.

  * * *

  Allana watched Lucas go, doing everything in her power to keep from breaking down under his presence. She tried to stand as proud as she could, but she was shaking uncontrollably from fear, praying nobody would notice. She would not give Lucas away. She could not! Dear Freddy, what had she gotten him into?

  Allana stood silently, looking out the drawing room window while Declan and her brother watched her. It seemed an eternity before Arden returned.

  “My Lord, he is gone,” Arden informed the room.

  “Thank you. You may go now,” Declan said, shutting the sitting room door behind the man.

  Allana turned from Declan and Connor and released the flow of tears she’d been suppressing in a small sob. Silence filled the room behind her. She could feel heated, accusing stares on her back. She took in short, ragged breaths, fighting the emotions that were threatening to overflow. Do not fall apart. Not yet. He still needs more time.

  “Why was that man in my home?” Declan asked darkly. “And what did we interrupt?”

  His voice rang with anger, and it pained Allana that he could believe what Lucas had staged.

  Silence spread like ice through the room. “Answer me,” Declan demanded.<
br />
  She could not. She was struggling to keep her emotions in check. She needed to give Lucas time.

  Do not cry, she told herself. Don’t show them your fear. You must be strong. Freddy, oh Freddy, please be safe.

  Her body wouldn’t cooperate. She gripped the piano, trying to hold herself upright. Her legs were so shaky, and her arms were tired from fighting against Lucas. She didn’t know how much longer she could stand, how much longer she could fight the raging emotions within! Another sob escaped her lips, and she collapsed to her knees bringing her hands to her face to push the pain, frustration, and fear away.

  Hate filled her being, hate for Lucas and the torment he had caused. Hate for the fear he placed within her soul. And most of all, hate for herself, for the pathetic creature Lucas had turned her to.

  She had been so afraid, so afraid of what Lucas was going to do to her. Luckily, she’d come away with only a few bruises on her wrists and maybe one on her back where he slammed her into the piano. But she had been so powerless against him! And she remained powerless to do anything but what he said. She released a cry of anguish, sounding like a wounded animal, and wept.

  Chapter 30

  Connor watched his sister crumble. She seemed like a rigid queen just moments before, and now all control was gone as she sobbed. He was kneeling by her side in seconds, pulling her to him, wanting to take away her pain. He’d never seen her this fragile before. She’d always been so strong and in control of her emotions.

  “Allana, what is it? What happened?”

  She shook her head as she sobbed harder. She clung to him and wept. Connor was mystified. Was it because she was afraid of what her actions accused her of? Was it because she thought Declan wouldn’t want her anymore after finding her with Lucas? What happened to cause her such grief?

  He pulled away from her, so he could look at her. “Allana, please talk to me.”

  She kept her head down and trembled under his grasp. He lifted her face to his to try to get her to look at him, but she shoved his hands away from her, flashing something dark across his vision. No, he thought. It couldn’t be.