Goldie and the Three Behrs

by Goldie

  “I can assure you, my father said no. Not something Joseph is used to.”

  Her lower lip trembled and great tears hung on the edge of her lashes. “Well, Reverend Watkins from London came and performed the ceremony just yesterday.”

  “Watkins?” Rage began a rapid climb. “Was he a bony old fellow, with a bald head, narrow nose, and moles, lots and lots of moles?”

  She sniffled and nodded, the tears flowing freely.

  “Dear Miss Locksley, he is not a reverend. He is a debt collector.”

  “Oh, my God.” She buried her face in her hands. “I am ruined. I am a ruined woman.”

  He hesitated a moment before setting his hand upon her shoulder. Oh, but to be able to ease her pain. How he would gladly take his brother’s place as her groom if only he weren’t already committed. “We’ll make this right, I swear to you.”

  “And just how can you do that?”

  He jumped to his feet. “I can start by fetching Joseph and making him answer for his misdeeds.”

  She wiped her eyes. “My father has gone to town to do just that. And he’s brought his musket with him.”

  “Edmund!” William shouted as he rushed toward the front door. Out in the hall, he nearly knocked his fair-haired brother into the next county. “There’s a young lady in the study. Tend to her.”

  The younger man’s face blanched. “Young lady? Tend to her how?”

  “I don’t know,” William replied brusquely. “Play chess with her.”

  Chapter 5

  “I’m sorry, my lord. I don’t know how to play chess.” She walked past him, the soft sway of her skirts garnering his full attention. Fascinated by the pale blue silk, he continued to stare.

  He didn’t know for certain what the problem with the maiden was, but he was certain it had something to do with Joseph. When women came crying to William, it was almost always due to Joseph’s whims and appetites. The bastard usually had Father’s attention. William got everything else. It left little for him. Thank God for books and chess and Julian.

  “And,” she said, his attention coming to rest on her face, dipping to her mouth. It moved with such grace, the fullness of her lips almost tantalized. His gaze followed the gentle upturn of her nose before he focused on her wide, gloriously blue eyes. My, but she was lovely. She would fit nicely on Joseph’s list of conquests. “I feel I should be in town with my h—” She stopped before the dark marble of the fireplace, the soft orange glow of the flames flickering against her smooth alabaster skin. “With your brother and my father.”

  Patting the seat next to him, he longed to get her closer, to smell her perfume, to feel the warmth of her. Was it wrong to want to examine her features with the eye of an artist? For despite being a woman, she would make a lovely portrait.

  “Miss Locksley, why not come here, and I will show you how to play chess. It is a wonderful game.”

  “My lord, I don’t know how I can concentrate. My mind, it is so full of worry.”

  Edmund stood and offered her a smile. “I find if I focus upon something other than what plagues me, I come back at the problem refreshed and am better able to find the answer I seek.”

  “Mine is more than a problem. It is a horrendous wrong done to me and mine. A wrong that cannot be righted.”

  Again his gaze dipped to her lips. The pink rosebud was aquiver with emotion. His heart ached to ease her sorrow. He knew only too well how she felt. Used. Lonely. Sad.

  “I’m certain that whatever the wrong is, William will see it righted. Of my two brothers, he is by far the most respectful of the fairer sex. He will not let you down.”

  The tears she had so valiantly fought to hold back flooded over her cheeks.

  “I pray you’re right. For if you’re not, I am a ruined woman.”

  Edmund took two more steps forward and anxiously reached out and touched her hand. “I am right, Miss Locksley. And if I’m wrong about William’s success, I will do my utmost to see your reputation spared.”

  She sniffled. “Thank you.”

  “Now,” he said, heading back to the sofa, “I think we need a distraction. How about that game of chess?”

  The tiniest of smiles touched her lips. “All right, but you’ll have to teach me. Chess is not something I know much about.”

  “You’ll like it. Where else do you get to be the master of your own people?”

  * * * *

  “Lewis!” Damn, where was the man?

  William stormed through the front door, Herbert Locksley close on his heels, huffing and puffing, his large face moist and red. “You say you’re going to fix this, and yet that—that monster brother of yours is gone. I don’t see how you can fix anything if you can’t find him and force him to marry her.”

  “Sir Locksley, honestly, I’m doing the best I can. I’m going to send word to my father. Maybe he has heard from Joseph. What more do you want?”

  “I want resolution. I want revenge. I want the creature jailed for—for fraud,” he shouted, his voice echoing against the marble floor. “Surely, sir, you understand that time is of the essence.”

  William rubbed his temples, the headache that had lurked behind his eyes all day had arrived full force. His stomach roiled, and the sound of Locksley’s voice grated on his nerves. “Of course I understand, and you will have resolution. I promise. One way or another, Miss Locksley will not appear tarnished.”

  “Her virginity is gone,” Herbert shouted. “You can’t get that back.”

  “Lewis!” William shouted again. This time the old man shuffled into the entryway from the direction of the study. Goldie and Edmund followed close behind. Her large blue eyes stared at him, hopeful and expectant. What the hell was he supposed to do? Damn Joseph. Damn his black soul.

  “What have you learned, Will?” Edmund asked, his brow lifting with the question.

  William scrubbed his face with his hands, not wanting to look at Goldie anymore, not until after he delivered the ungodly news. “That Joseph has left town, and no one knows where he’s gone.”

  A sob popped from her lips. “Dear, dear me.”

  Edmund touched Goldie’s hand, and William’s gut tightened. Damn his eyes. He couldn’t keep them off her. Not even for a second. He so longed to offer her comfort, to touch her hand as his brother did. Envy gripped him hard, and he needed to get away. Turning on his heel, he faced his butler. “Lewis, have my horse saddled. I’m going to consult with my father.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Herbert bellowed.

  “That’s not necessary, Sir Locksley. I can assure you I have Miss Locksley’s best interests at heart.” His gaze fell upon her, and his heart clenched, for the expression on her face was so unsure, so distrustful. Why did it bother him? She had a right to believe all Behr’s were reprehensible. “I apologize, Miss Locksley,” he said, his collar suddenly too starched. “We will make amends, one way or another.”

  Her lower lip trembled, and tears shimmered in her bright blue eyes. “How am I supposed to believe you?”

  He smiled wistfully. “Because, I give you my word.”

  * * * *

  Edmund watched his brother stride from the house, his long legs and broad shoulders filling him with the familiar sense of inadequacy. William was everything he wasn’t, tall, strapping, handsome. The only place he excelled was in intellect, but that didn’t get him far. Not with a pompous ass for a father. Mother was his only hope, and when she died, he simply sat back and allowed his father and brothers to control his destiny. And why not? He had not a clue as to what he should do. He was the son of a duke. Wasn’t that enough?

  He turned his attention to Goldie. She was a pretty little doll. One he would love to dress and pamper.

  “I think I shall go home. I need to sleep. I am ever so tired.” She did appear rather peaked, below her eyes dark from exhaustion.

  “I think you should stay here,” Edmund said and straightened his spine, hoping to make himself appear larger, stronger, and more…m
asculine.

  “My lord, I appreciate your kind invitation.”

  “It’s not an invitation,” he interrupted. “You’ll be safer under my protection until your father returns. God only knows what Joseph has in mind.”

  She set her slender fingers to her breast. “I think he got what he wanted. I don’t suppose I’m of any interest to him any longer.”

  Edmund lifted a brow. “Miss Locksley, my eyes are quite functional. You’re a flower with a sweetness that needs protection. Allow me to do this small deed, to prove to you that all members of my family are not selfish monsters who trample such beauty beneath their feet.”

  A small crease formed between her eyes, and she frowned. “Thank you, my lord. Unfortunately, I cannot accept your offer. My reputation is teetering toward darkness. What talk will befall me if I stay here, alone with you?”

  He stifled a laugh. She was safer with him than she realized, and yet he saw the wisdom in her words. “We shall send for your mother immediately. Will that suffice?”

  Her smile warmed him. “Yes, my lord.”

  * * * *

  “Two entire weeks and we’ve yet to hear from any of those men. Even your father has neglected to keep us informed. It’s a bad omen.” Her mother’s expression took on an almost sinister quality as she faced the flickering fire in the study.

  “I know very well how long it has been,” Goldie replied, struggling to stand. Of the three chairs in the room, the one she had vacated was far too soft. The cushions threatened to swallow her in their feathery confines.

  “Then how is it you manage to maintain such a calm demeanor?” her mother asked, smoothing the mahogany armrest of her seat.

  “Calm? You think I’m calm? I feel if I let myself imagine what could happen to me next, I’ll go mad.” Honestly, had her mother always been so naïve? She bit her lower lip and walked toward the window, the beauty of the sunset beyond the panes of glass lost to her. Bitter anger and disappointment pooled in her gut. Her naivety had died alongside the drying blood of her virginity.

  “Well, we can take comfort in the fact that the eldest has seen fit to personally champion your cause.”

  She spun around. “My cause?”

  “Yes, the redemption of your reputation. I’m certain that you will be married to Joseph before all this is over.”

  “Married to Joseph?” Tears threatened to choke her. “I realize it is my only way out, but how could you imagine I relish the idea of being forcibly married to that man?”

  “What?”

  The shrill tone in her mother’s voice had her turning to face her. Her heart hammered in her chest at the sight before her. Her mother’s face flushed a deep crimson, her blue eyes bulging.

  “Why would I want to marry that cad?” she asked, hoping to calm the woman. God knew she didn’t wish to cause her any further stress.

  “B–because it’s the only way to salvage your reputation,” she sputtered, her lower jaw trembling as if she were chilled by an unseen blast of winter air. “And what if, God forbid, you’re with child? You’d have a bastard running around carrying the Locksley name? I think not!”

  “Stop it, Mother,” Goldie pleaded. That was an avenue she need not explore.

  At the gentle rap on the door, Goldie smoothed the fabric of her gown and pulled in a deep breath. What would befall her next?

  “Miss Locksley?”

  “Yes, Edmund. Do come in.”

  Her mother stared at Edmund, her complexion taking on a green, sickly shade. He stepped through the door, a book tucked under his arm.

  “Lord Edmund,” Goldie said, dipping her knee.

  He nodded, his eyes soft as they fell upon her. “I have had word from Lord William.” His mouth pinched into a tight line, and Goldie knew the message contained bad news. Her heart ached, and she pressed a hand to her abdomen.

  “It would seem that Joseph has left England for the continent. He offers his deepest apologies to you and your family and hopes that when he returns, he will be able to call on you.”

  Goldie’s mother gasped, her hand gripping tight to Goldie’s arm. “What did you say?”

  Shock had her head swimming. Was she so foul to him that he had to leave the country? She fought to keep back her tears.

  “He’s fleeing my father’s wrath, to be sure.”

  “What will I do now?” Goldie asked, pulling free of her mother’s grip. “What?” But the question hung cold and still and unanswered in the suddenly too hot room.

  “We’ll figure something out, my dear. I promise.” Edmund’s reassurances lacked conviction. With her mother’s ghastly white countenance, suddenly the room was not only too hot but far too small.

  “I have to get out of here.” She rushed past Edmund, the need for fresh air and the soothing scent of the forest far too strong to fight. Normalcy, she needed normalcy.

  On shaky legs, she fled from the house, determined to put any and every bit of distance she could between her and anything remotely related to the Behr family.

  Chapter 6

  Why was it that when Joseph did wrong, he felt the guilt?

  William urged Etalon forward, but by the way the usually high-stepping beast dragged his feet, it was obvious the past weeks had worn him down. And who could blame him?

  He and the stallion had searched all of Joseph’s haunts both inside and outside of London. But to no avail. It was only when his father’s investigators confirmed that Joseph had boarded a ship to France had he accepted how truly reprehensible his brother was.

  Gaming, lecherousness, and love of the whiskey were no longer just sport for Joseph. He had stepped over the line. He had taken a sweet, beautiful girl and tarnished her beyond repair.

  Goldie. What a gem. Could such a diamond ever truly be that tarnished? The thought of getting to her and helping her in any way he could revived his tired soul. He wanted to offer her comfort. To hold her hand as Edmund had. If he could give her more, he would. Something about her touched him in a part he never knew he had. She warmed him with her smile, and her pain had him aching. Her shame had him raging.

  Perhaps it was God’s will that he hadn’t found the leech. For if he had, the meeting may have very well ended in pistols at dawn.

  Dismounting, he led Etalon down a narrow path toward the stream that separated the Dunbar and Locksley properties. Etalon lowered his ebony muzzle into the clear waters, drinking deeply.

  The serenity of the forest did little to quell the upset that plagued William’s thoughts. What was he going to do to fix this mess? If only he could marry her, he would. But that didn’t answer the question that haunted him most. Why was he so attached to the woman? Why did he long to be with her no matter what the cost?

  Tying Etalon to a small tree, he fell to his knees. Cupping his hands, he splashed water against his skin, hoping the cool liquid would stop the fever that Goldie had infected him with.

  At the sound of a snapping twig, he sprang to his feet, his hand coming to rest on the butt of his pistol. “Who’s there?” he called out. His only answer was the call of a distant peacock.

  Through narrowed eyes, he scanned the darkened path. Dusk had set in, making him an easy target for bandits and crooks. But he welcomed them. Perhaps a little physical adventure would end his suffering.

  Etalon lifted his head and snorted, the animal’s alarm raising the hackles on William’s neck. A shadow flickered past the periphery of his vision, and he pulled the pistol from its holster, pointing it at the direction of the phantom. “I demand you make yourself known, or I cannot promise my bullet will not do you grave harm.”

  And there she was, stepping out from behind a small thicket, an angel in blue, her golden hair free of combs and ribbons, her cheeks pink from the fresh air, her large eyes reflecting fear and rimmed in red from crying.

  “Miss Locksley.”

  “My lord.” She curtsied, and he smiled. Just the sight of her and he calmed.

  “No need for such formality, sweet,
” he replied, holstering his weapon. “And I would be honored if you called me by my given name.”

  The smallest of smiles touched her precious lips. “Considering all you know about me, I suppose you should call me Goldie.”

  They stared at one another for a long moment, heat coursing through his body at her proximity. “Goldie,” he said her name, savoring the taste of the word on his tongue.

  “Have you any new news on Joseph?” A small crease formed between her eyes as if the thought of his brother caused her pain. He longed to reach out and touch her face, to smooth away the visible proof of her discomfort.

  “Nothing since we learned he left England. You were apprised of that, were you not?”

  Her lower lip trembled, and tears slipped from her eyes. “Yes. But only an hour ago. I wanted to believe that your rapid return would offer me some sort of hope. But I can see by your countenance that no such hope exists.” She looked heavenward. “There is nothing but gossip and ruination in my future.”

  He watched in pitied awe as she swayed from side to side. His heart clambered in his chest, and he rushed toward her, sweeping her teetering form into his arms.

  * * * *

  Warmth. Sweet, soothing warmth. The smell of porridge. Home. She was home in her bed. The fire stoked, the breakfast on. All was as it should be, and the nightmare of Joseph Behr was gone. Just a dream.

  “Mother?” she called.

  “Sorry, sweet, your mother isn’t here.”

  Reality settled over her like a sheet of ice. It was William’s voice calling to her from the kitchen. God, why did she have to wake up? Why couldn’t she just lie here until all this passed? For her dreams were the only reprieve from the nightmare of her reality. “I’ve made you something warm to eat,” William said as he carried a tray of food toward her. “I’m not much of a chef, but my nurse used to have me doctor her oatmeal. Said I wasn’t only Lord Blackwood, but Lord Porridge as well.”

  Goldie sat up. With her head swimming, she reached for her sheet, holding it firmly to her breast. “I’m not hungry, my lord.”

  “William,” he said, placing the tray on her lap. “And I’ll not let you leave this bed until you’ve eaten at least a few bites of my concoction.” His silver-eyed gaze rested on her, warmth and compassion alive in his expression.