Historical Trio 2012-01

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘But—’

  ‘Caro, do not argue with me over this, as you seem to feel you must argue every other point in our conversations.’ Dominic’s jaw was as tightly clenched as Drew’s fists had been minutes ago. ‘You can be of no possible help here,’ he added.

  ‘Might I suggest that you leave me to continue dealing with the situation here whilst you escort Caro home?’ Drew quietly drew Dominic’s attention, his pointed look in the direction of some activity at the side of the building enough to tell Dominic that Ben had been found; neither man believed he could have lived through the minutes he had spent trapped in that raging inferno…

  ‘That is unnecessary—’

  ‘It is very necessary.’ Dominic easily cut across Caro’s protest even as he gave a brief nod to the older man in recognition of their silent exchange.

  ‘To you, perhaps—’

  ‘To me, too, Caro.’ Drew gently added his own weight behind the argument as he moved forwards so that he now stood beside Dominic. ‘Do as his lordship advises and return to your carriage—’

  ‘Why are you suddenly both in such a hurry for me to leave?’ Caro eyed both men suspiciously as she realised they seemed to be crowding around her. Herding her, actually. Much like her father’s estate workers when they were gathering the livestock together to house them in the huge barns over the winter. ‘I—where is Ben?’ Her gaze moved sharply to the left and then to the right, but with Drew and Dominic standing like two sentinels directly in front of her, she found that vision limited.

  Deliberately?

  ‘Caro—’

  ‘Where is Ben, Dominic?’ Caro lifted her hands and placed one against the chest of both men with the intention of pushing them aside, nimbly stepping around them when neither man was made to move. Just in time to see that several of the men who had been fighting the fire were now carrying something from the side of the building. Something heavy. A dead weight, in fact… ‘Ben?’ she gasped weakly.

  ‘No, Caro!’ Dominic reached out and grasped her by the shoulders as she would have run across to where the men were now placing that cumbersome burden down upon the ground.

  Her gaze was frantic as she lifted her hands to fight against Dominic’s hold upon her. ‘Can you not see that it is Ben?’

  ‘We know who it is, Caro.’ Once again it was Drew who spoke gently. ‘If there’s anything that can be done for Ben, then you can be assured that it will be,’ he added grimly. ‘The best thing you can do for him now is to return home without any more fuss.’

  Caro became very still in Dominic’s grasp as she looked first at Drew and then back to Dominic, the latter giving a slight shake of his head as he turned back from looking at the frantic activity around that scorched bundled of rags that had obviously been Ben Jackson.

  Because even from this distance Caro could see that his spirit was no longer there…

  An anguished cry escaped her lips even as she felt her legs buckle beneath her and began to fall slowly to the ground.

  ‘You are perfectly safe, Caro.’ Dominic’s voice sounded harsher than he had intended, in the otherwise silence of the moving carriage, as he tried to still her struggles to free herself from where he held her tightly against his chest. ‘Please be still, Caro,’ he urged more gently.

  For once in their acquaintance she heeded him, unmoving in his arms as she looked up at him with huge sea-green eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. ‘Is Ben really gone, Dominic?’

  He drew in a ragged breath. ‘If it is any consolation then I believe he would have died from breathing in the smoke long before the fire ever came anywhere near him.’ He sincerely hoped that was the case, at least.

  Although the method of Ben’s death did not change the fact he was indeed dead. And as a result of a fire both Drew and Dominic believed to have been deliberately set by Nicholas Brown.

  ‘Truly, Dominic?’

  He forced the rigidity from his expression at those grim thoughts of Brown’s cowardly act before looking down at Caro, knowing that she needed to believe that Ben’s death had been as painless as was possible given the circumstances. ‘Truly.’ Dominic nodded.

  He had paused only long enough, after seeing the unconscious Caro into the safety of the carriage, to converse briefly with the men who had brought out Ben’s body. It seemed they had found him collapsed in the hallway leading to Drew’s office situated at the back of the club, where the fire itself was the least fierce.

  ‘He was such a kind young man.’ Caro’s voice caught emotionally.

  Dominic had seen Ben off and on for years on his visits to the gambling club; it had been impossible not to feel an affection for the younger man’s almost childlike acceptance of his lot in life.

  As such, Dominic knew that it was going to be hard for all of them to accept the death of such an affable and likeable young man. ‘He was,’ he acknowledged flatly.

  Caro pulled out of his arms to slowly sit up. ‘How could it have happened, Dominic?’ She gave a slightly dazed shake of her head. ‘I can hardly believe I was sitting drinking tea with him only hours ago…’ The tears began to fall unchecked down her cheeks.

  ‘Yes.’ Dominic’s mouth tightened as he easily recalled that Brown had been seated at that table, too. ‘We may perhaps have more insight into how the fire began once the flames have died down and we are able to get back inside the building.’ Although in his own mind—and undoubtedly that of Drew Butler—Brown, or one of his henchmen acting on instructions, was clearly to blame.

  ‘Do you believe Nicholas Brown to be responsible?’

  Dominic was not in the least surprised at the speed of Caro’s astuteness. ‘Undoubtedly,’ he confirmed grimly.

  ‘As just another deliberate act to cause you as much inconvenience as possible, or do you think he really meant either Ben or Drew—or possibly both—to die?’ Her face had taken on a slightly green cast as she voiced that last possibility.

  As far as Dominic was aware, he had never lied to Caro; in fact, his actions, especially this morning, had possibly been too honest where she was concerned. Possibly? The whole of his behaviour today, from making love to her to the crassness of his marriage proposal, had been honest to the point of self-destruction!

  That she had allowed him to hold her just now, even briefly, Dominic knew was due only to her distress over Ben’s death. Once she had recovered her senses they would no doubt be back to a state of daggers’ drawn.

  He drew in a deep breath as he chose his words carefully. ‘I believe it was the former. At the same time, I also believe Brown did not care who, or if, anyone should be hurt in the fire,’ he acknowledged heavily before taking the kerchief from his pocket and wiping the worst of the soot and grime from his face and hands.

  Caro breathed shakily. ‘Ben would not have hurt even a fly.’

  Remembering those ham-sized fists, and the several occasions upon which he had witnessed the younger man wielding them, Dominic was not quite sure of the truth of that statement! Nevertheless, he took Caro’s point; there had never been any malice in Ben’s actions in doing his job defending the club.

  ‘I am sure it was pure misfortunate that Ben perished in the fire.’ Dominic was not as certain of that as he sounded, aware as he was that this morning Nicholas Brown had witnessed both Ben and Drew busily at work in the gambling club so that it might re-open as soon as was possible.

  Caro looked up at him closely. ‘Do you honestly believe that?’

  ‘I…believe it is a reasonable assumption, yes,’ he said carefully.

  ‘I am neither a child nor an imbecile, Dominic, and after all that has happened, I do not expect you to treat me as such!’ Caro’s expression had become fierce as she obviously picked up on his evasion.

  He had no doubts as to her maturity or intelligence; it was simply not in his nature to confide his thoughts and feelings to another person. ‘I assure you it is not my intention to do either of those things, Caro. I simply feel it is better not to voice my conc
erns until I can be completely sure of my facts.’

  He also had no intention of allowing her to become in the least involved in the reckoning that Dominic had every intention would shortly descend upon Nicholas Brown; Caro was impetuous enough, reckless enough, to place herself in danger if she believed it was necessary to avenge Ben.

  No, Dominic had every intention of dealing personally with Mr Nicholas Brown…

  Caro still looked slightly ill. ‘I cannot conceive of anyone doing something so…so heinous, as to have deliberately started a fire.’

  Dominic was only too aware that Brown was reputed to have done much worse things than that in the past. Just as Dominic was now aware—too late to save Ben, unfortunately—that after the attack on Osbourne two nights ago, and despite Drew’s assurances that he was quite capable of taking care of himself and his own family, including Ben, Dominic should have insisted on more safeguards being put in place. The reason he had not was because he had been so distracted by the need to protect Caro that he had given little thought to anything else…

  A danger that now seemed more immediate than ever; Dominic had thought to make Caro safe by offering her his protection, by moving her as quickly as he could to the obscurity of Brockle House. But Brown’s visit to the gambling club this morning had exposed Caro, if not as the masked singer, then certainly as a closer acquaintance to Dominic than the cousins they claimed to be. Now he feared the man might even know that Caro resided at Brockle House as from this morning…

  Dominic shared Drew’s eagerness to confront Nicholas Brown, to ensure that he paid for his crimes—in fact, at that moment, he knew he would enjoy nothing more than personally strangling the man with his own bare hands—but his explanation to Caro, when she had previously dared to question his honour, was also true. A soldier, an officer, did not confront his enemy until he had all of his troops in place.

  And Nicholas Brown was now most certainly Dominic’s enemy!

  ‘Caro, I believe it would be best if I were to stay at Brockle House tonight.’ He looked at her from underneath lowered lids.

  Her own eyes widened. ‘I believed we had both made our feelings on that subject perfectly clear—’

  ‘I did not say it was with any intention of sharing your bed,’ Dominic cut in impatiently. ‘Only that it might be…safer, perhaps, if I were to stay at Brockle House tonight.’

  Caro’s cheeks warmed as she realised her mistake. Of course Dominic did not intend sharing her bed again tonight; he did not intend sharing her bed ever again! Something she should feel grateful for. And yet somehow did not… ‘Is it your belief that we are both now in mortal danger from Nicholas Brown?’

  Dominic shrugged. ‘Perhaps.’

  Caro was consumed with annoyance at Dominic’s reticence, his refusal to share his thoughts and feelings with her. He had to be the most self-contained man she had ever met—and that was including her father, who had become so shut inside himself after their mother had left them all to go and live in London ten years ago, that he had never mentally been completely with his three daughters again. As far as she could tell, Dominic shared none of his thoughts and ideas with anyone.

  Least of all a woman to whom he had only offered marriage if by some mischance, as he’d put it, she should find herself carrying his child!

  ‘If you feel it is necessary, Dominic, then of course you have every right to spend the night in what is, after all, your own property.’ She gave a cool inclination of her head.

  Dominic breathed heavily through his nose. ‘In that case, until this situation has been resolved to my complete satisfaction, I feel it best if I spend all of my nights at Brockle House.’

  Caro’s eyes widened. ‘Are you not going to find that a little…restricting?’

  He scowled darkly. ‘In what way?’

  She shrugged. ‘Would such an arrangement not…limit your own freedom to come and go as you wished?’

  Dominic drew in an angry breath. ‘Caro, if you are once again suggesting that I might have a mistress set up in another house in London somewhere, and with whom I might wish to spend my nights, then let me state, once and for all, that I do not now, nor have I ever, had a mistress in the accepted sense of the word!’ He eyed her coldly.

  ‘No?’ Her brows rose. ‘I would be interested to know why not.’

  ‘Then it is an interest I am afraid you will just have to continue to endure,’ Dominic growled. ‘After only a few days of having you as a permanent fixture in my life, of feeling responsible for you twenty-four hours a day, I am more convinced than ever that my decision never to be tied down by such an arrangement was the correct one.’ He meant to be insulting, and he knew he had succeeded when he saw the sparkle of anger in the deep blue-green of Caro’s eyes.

  A spark of anger that Dominic had deliberately incited…

  ‘That situation can be rectified any time you choose to let me leave both your home and your company,’ she came back challengingly.

  ‘Unfortunately, it cannot.’ Dominic sighed. ‘Not until Brown has been brought to justice. Never fear, Caro,’ he added mockingly. ‘I am sure that Brockle House is large enough for us to successfully avoid spending time in each other’s company, if that is what you wish?’

  ‘I wish it more than anything!’ There was an angry flush to Caro’s cheeks as she turned away from him to present him with her profile as she stared out of the carriage window.

  Dominic accepted that it had been cruel of him to bedevil her in this way when their lovemaking had ended so disastrously earlier today. When she had been present as they pulled Ben’s body from the burning building. His only excuse was that his baiting of her had briefly cast aside her bewilderment and pain over Ben’s death, to be replaced by a little of the usual fiery spirit he so admired and which was such a large part of her nature.

  A spirit Dominic dearly hoped would help see her through, what he was sure, were going to be several difficult days…

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‘Caro, when I said earlier that you might avoid my company as much as is possible for the duration of my stay here, it was not with any intention that you would eat your dinner in your bedchamber whilst I am left to dine downstairs alone.’

  She was completely unmoved by the impatience in Dominic’s tone as she turned to look at where he stood in the open doorway of her bedchamber.

  It had been almost two hours since they had arrived back at Brockle House. Dominic appeared to have bathed and changed out of the soiled clothing of earlier into a black evening jacket and snowy white linen with a meticulously tied neckcloth. Evidence, perhaps, that in the interim he had sent to Blackstone House for both his valet and his clothes.

  Caro had spent those same two hours trying to come to terms with the fact that Ben Jackson was dead. To accept that her friend had perished in a fire Dominic believed had been started deliberately by Nicholas Brown or one of his close associates.

  For years she had chafed and fought against the sheltered life she had been forced to lead in Hampshire, with the result that she had not hesitated to put her plan into action once she had decided to run away to London as a means of avoiding the arrival of her guardian and his unwanted offer of marriage. She had believed herself to be thoroughly capable of taking care of herself, and that spending several weeks in London would be an exciting adventure she would remember for the rest of her life.

  Nothing about her previous life could possibly have prepared her for such stark reality as she had witnessed today.

  She gave a slight shake of her head. ‘I have not eaten my dinner in my bedchamber.’

  Dominic scowled darkly as he strode forcefully into the room. ‘In that case, why haven’t you?’

  She gave a listless shrug. ‘I am not hungry.’

  ‘Caro—’

  ‘Dominic, please!’ She stood up restlessly, also having bathed and changed into the deep rose-coloured gown. ‘How can I possibly eat when every time I so much as think of poor Ben’s fate I feel u
tterly nauseous?’

  Dominic’s expression softened as he realised that, while he’d had some little relief from her tempting charms in the past couple of hours, suggesting they avoid each other’s company had not been particularly beneficial to her; he could see the evidence of the tears she had obviously shed once she was alone in the slight redness about pain-darkened eyes and the pallor of her cheeks. ‘It will not help anyone if you make yourself ill—’

  ‘You cannot expect me to eat when Ben is lying dead in the morgue!’ Caro’s voice broke emotionally over the last, and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking, as she once again began to sob piteously.

  Dominic felt a tightening in his chest as he witnessed her distress, taking the two steps that enabled him to reach out and take her into his arms, her head resting against his chest as she wept. He had never been at ease with a woman’s tears, and, after the intimacies they had shared, he found Caro’s especially difficult to bear. Her close proximity was even more difficult as he felt her arms move about his waist and the warm spread of her fingers across his back…

  Dear Lord! Desire, arousal were the last things he should be feeling when she was obviously so distraught. And yet, try as he might, he could exert no control over the stirring, the hardening of his thighs, as Caro nestled the softness of her body against his. She rested so trustingly against him—for Dominic was sure that she shared none of those same thoughts of desire as she continued to sob quietly. His own physical response to that trust was as inappropriate as it would no doubt be unwelcome should she become aware of it, and he grimaced with annoyance at his own body’s betrayal.

  As Caro’s tears slowly began to abate she sensed a change in the mood between herself and Dominic. A tension, an intimacy, that invaded her senses with a subtlety that was as insidious as it was undeniable. The very air around them seemed to thicken, to deepen, and she was suddenly completely aware of the tense heat of his body and the ragged unevenness of his breathing, as his chest rose and fell beneath the increasing warmth of her cheek. She was also aware of the thick length of his arousal as it continued to grow and press against the softness of her own thighs.