Duke Herheart Final

by Olivia Ritch

  “My Lord. We are bringing blankets. Your study is warm. Set her on the daybed and we will see to her.” Michael staggered a few more steps and the two footmen who had ridden with him to find her on the London Road, who were now hovering in the hall, steadied him. Then his mind awhirl, he stumbled and forgot.

  * * * *

  Cassandra stepped cautiously to Kathryn’s side, pressing her lips together to prevent them from quivering. Oh, should anything happen to her, Cassandra knew a part of her would die with her. She sat in a chair beside the daybed. “Kathryn,” she whispered, “your plan worked. He loves me. We made love or almost made love. It was the most wonderful experience of my life. I am going to tell you everything and I want you to promise not to blush.” Cassandra bit back a nervous laugh because Kathryn would not be blushing. She had not responded at all to the heat. She was still gone but not dead, somewhere between life and death.

  “I pushed and I pushed and finally told him I loved him and he declared himself. It was so beautiful. Then he kissed me, Kathryn, my knees buckled and his strong arm came around my waist and he held me there against his hips. I felt his need against me and it gave me such a sense of power.” Cassandra paused to take a breath. It was so easy to tell her like this when there would be no judgment. Only quiet awaited her words.

  “Kathryn, the feel of his hands on my skin. I didn’t know. I had no idea. When he touched me privately, I went flying away. He…he seemed to receive the same joy from doing that to me. Kathryn, when you wake up, you will be so happy for me. We will talk about the future.”

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  and he is going to talk to Michael in your stead.” She took another breath. All of her lovesick ramblings had fallen on Kathryn’s distant ears. They were not hearing. “We want to get married in four weeks and we are going to make love again although Jem says there is even a little more we will do after we are married. I remember that part but it was so abhorrent with Edward, I can’t imagine it is even the same as with Jem.

  As soon as you are better, we will be able to make love again. I won’t leave your side for now and he won’t either. We owe you. We love you so much Kathryn, don’t leave us.” She found herself babbling but could not stem the tide of words, for her fear for Kathryn was so great.

  * * * *

  On the third day, Dr. Bridlesby retrieved his bag from the end of the bed and called Michael into the hall. “She is fighting the battle but her brain has not yet given her leave to come back. She is not yet won or lost.” Michael was caught between bereavement and fury at his helplessness. “Doctor, what else can we do?”

  “Talk to her. Call her back, keep her warm. Try to get fluids and nourishment into her. Break through the haze. Make her want to stay.”

  “Thank you.” The words were hollow. His beard was a day old, his clothes disheveled. He slipped his boots off and climbed into bed beside her.

  He curled himself around her, pulling her close, drawing in her scent. “You are a saucy little minx Kathryn Ragland. Wearing breeches and walking to London. You come back to me because you owe me. You owe me minx. You owe me years of your life.” His voice grew louder.

  “You owe me children. You owe me love. I know you have it because it’s all in there waiting to burst out. Do you hear me minx…you…owe…me love!” The sobs broke from his chest before he could finish telling her that he also owed her love, to say the words that would bind her to him forever. She owed him that, to hear how he loved her. With his heart and soul. She was his life. She must live.

  “My Lord,” Hallthorpe whispered from the door. “Their Lordships are here.”

  “Thank you Thorpe…will you see…”

  “Lady Cassandra is waiting to spell you, sir. She has a tale I understand.”

  * * * *

  They sat in the study, all of them, his friends. His companions. “The bridge was definitely tampered with. We found two boards with very clean axe blows. They would have been at just the right section of the 158

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  bridge to cause the horse and rider to falter. The first rider was to cause the bridge to lose integrity. It was the following rider that was meant to fall into the water,” Jules finished the speech. But he did not relish it.

  Twice now he had come to Michael’s house to investigate the attempted murder of Kathryn Ragland, future Duchess of Asterleigh. Actually three if the gunshot was to be counted.

  “Michael, we have to accept that someone—we assume Stafford—is trying to kill your…your…what is she Michael? Are you affianced?”

  “No dammit, we are not. I was a stubborn ass to make a proposal to that woman without one word of deep affection.” The bellow drained what little energy he had mustered for the meeting and he sank into his chair. “She is not my fiancée’ but she will be my wife. She is my life,”

  he whispered.

  What were they supposed to say to that?

  Colin Hamilton had not met her but he had heard from Julian about their talk on the road, from Matthew about Michael’s affliction and he heard Michael’s pain now. She must be very special. “Michael, there have been two very strategically executed attempts on her life and three total if the gunshot was aimed at her. I think we all agree that someone is definitely targeting Kathryn and that it’s probably Harold. We’ve got to assume he’s nearby and going to continue to cause harm, especially now that he can probably sense the growing relationship between the two of you and the chance that any day there might be…”

  “She’s not…” Michael trailed off. “Not…with child.” They needed to know. It might make a difference.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “We should figure out a way to make this clear, consider letting the relationship show signs of strain. Maybe the killer will think there is no future, that she won’t be the Duchess,” Matthew suggested.

  “Or we could say that she is dead.” Julian knew that Michael didn’t want to hear the words but they had to be said. If the world thought she was dead, maybe Stafford would show himself, go for Michael. It was a trump card they could play.

  “I…will not…”

  “It’s okay. It was just an idea,” Colin conceded.

  “As long as she breathes, I will not consign her to the shadows, not even to find her attacker. As long as I have breath, he will never harm her again.” It was a gallant declaration made with the last energy he could muster.

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  him. He’s clearly still operating in the area from some secure base,”

  Julian pointed out. “He must have moved from the woodsman’s cottage as soon as he realized your man had spotted his horse. He knows these lands as well as we all do.”

  The next half hour was spent in identifying the hideaways that might be housing a would-be assassin. Michael excused himself to the other three who had some very good ideas that he could hear in the back of his mind but not truly focus on at this moment. He needed to check on Kathryn, never having left her for more than a few minutes at a time since the accident.

  * * * *

  Her head pounded and her eyes burned. Opening them was so …hard. Why could she not make them behave? “Christine? Are you there?” Her voice sounded so odd, so husky.

  Cassandra stirred at her soft question. “Kathryn? Is that you?”

  “Christy?” she whispered.

  “No, it’s Cassandra. We are to be sisters. I am here.”

  Slowly, very slowly, memories trickled back, although her mind was fuzzy and her head still ached. “Cassandra? Oh yes, Jem’s lover. I know you…” she had no energy to tease.

  “Yes, Jem’s lover. It sounds so scandalous and wonderful. Does it not? You helped me you know?”

  Kathryn licked her dry lips. �
��Michael?”

  “In his study. They’re talking about the bridge and what happened.

  Kathryn, someone wanted you or Michael dead. Jem and I think you are the target. We know that’s what Michael is talking about but he won’t tell me. Oh, Kathryn I am so glad to talk to you.”

  Kathryn found speaking so very difficult, but she had to know.

  “How long? How long has it been?”

  “You’ve been unwell for four days. We’ve all been so worried.”

  “I guess I did put a crimp in the social plans.” It was almost her usual quality retort, although the voice certainly didn’t sound like hers.

  “As I am sure you are not surprised, we have not had or missed any social engagements of import. No one, absolutely no one, is hosting anything until word of your recovery is spread.

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  Chapter Eighteen

  “Spread the word, sister. I am back!” Kathryn clasped Cassandra’s hands in hers.

  “Ellie, please get the Master. Tell him she is awake.”

  Ellie found Hallthorpe at the base of the stairs just as Michael was opening his study door and he bolted past the two of them for the stairs.

  “My Lord, she is awake.”

  Michael snapped to attention and his heart leapt.

  “Thorpe, please tell their Lordships the news.” He tossed the words over his shoulder.

  Throwing propriety to the wind, he nearly flew to her bedside.

  “Kathryn? Look at you laying there in that bed.” He grinned at her with the silly delirious expression of a man pardoned from the hangman’s noose.

  She smiled up at him, stretching like a cat. “Yes, I have been rather lazy. I will need a good run.”

  Michael rejoiced; she was, indeed, back from the dead. “I will certainly win as you have not trained in so many days.” He took her hand and it felt right, not too cold, or hot. She gripped him with strength and he crawled up onto the bed beside her.

  “Michael is this acceptable?”

  He grinned at her but it was Cassandra who spoke up.

  “He slept in your chair the first night but after that he got up there with you in the bed. There was no rousting you. He would say ‘what good is reputation if we don’t get her back’? It was all very gallant and wonderfully improper.”

  “Cassandra and Jem talked to me on the second day of your…er…illness. They said you encouraged them.”

  “Do I detect a not completely negative tone in your voice?”

  “You do.”

  “They’re in love, Michael.”

  “I know. I have…given them my blessing.”

  “Oh, Michael, I am so proud of you. I think our big warrior heart is softening.” She reached a very weak hand to his stubbled chin.

  “It’s the minx. She made me do it.”

  “Someday you English are going to tell me what a minx is.

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  her. Michael’s heart was bursting as he watched the two beaming at each other.

  “No, I told him it was your idea and he made a horrible face and I think he was determined not to speak ill of you. Your incapacitation was a Godsend. We’re getting married, sometime soon but we haven’t fixed the date yet.”

  “Cassandra, I am so happy for you.”

  “Now, my sister, you have told your news. Please let me enjoy Kathryn to myself.”

  “I’ll be back after luncheon and we will talk more, maybe wedding plans?” Cassandra bent down and brushed a kiss on Kathryn’s forehead.

  “I can’t wait.”

  * * * *

  Once Cassandra had left, Kathryn got right to the point. “Okay, I’m ready for you to come clean on what the heck is going on. Someone sabotaged the bridge to kill one of us and someone came in my room and was chased off. Surely, you have some theories about what is going on.” “Theories only, nothing really.” He winced.

  “Just tell me. Don’t try to lie or hide it. Surely, you know I can see there’s something going on. Don’t shut me out. I’ve been…” She hesitated because she didn’t want to make him feel guilty about what had happened since she’d been with him but it was beyond time for him to tell her what the hell was going on. “You owe me an explanation.”

  “Yes.” With a resigned sigh, he told her that he and his associates believed someone was trying to kill her first and then would come for him to take over the Dukedom.

  “So who inherits if you die?”

  “Harold Stafford, my cousin. The one who was with …”

  “Yes?”

  “Nothing?

  “You’ve thought of something, tell me.”

  “He was with my brother who, while he had fallen from his horse, actually probably bled to death. He might have been saved. What if…Harold killed him too?”

  “Or he just allowed him to die. Maybe it was a convenient accident.”

  “That makes sense. Once my brother was dead, there was only me and my sure-to-die-young father between him and the title and as long as I was on the Continent, I could be dead any day. He could bide his time with ‘no blood on his hands’ literally and figuratively.

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  girlfriend.”

  He chuckled hollowly. “Yes, and now my girlfriend is a target because…”

  “Can you just go ahead and tell me? Because what?”

  “You have to be killed while you are an unknown. Your death will fall largely into the category of ‘no news.’ Ideally, you should die before me so there is no…posthumous…”

  “…heir.” They said the word at the same time.

  “What a conniving, murdering bastard.”

  “Exactly my sentiments, love. Now we just have to catch him.

  “How do we do that?”

  “A trap.”

  Their conversation was overtaxing her and he really wanted to stop talking with her about murderers. “Kathryn, you need to rest. I’ll come back in a while and we’ll spend time together then later I will tuck you in for the night.”

  “Promise you’ll stay.”

  He hesitated. “It’s not the done thing really, Kathryn.”

  “Is there a soul in this house who is going to stop you from staying with me or announcing it in the papers if you do?”

  “No love, you are right, no one will stop me. I’ll be back then.”

  * * * *

  “Michael, we’ve got to draw him out of the shadows,” Jules said. Two days later, in Michael’s study, the battle over the trap had been raging for fifteen minutes and Kathryn had listened to this group of headstrong, arrogant and she noticed, incredibly large and gorgeous, men debate until she wanted to scream and yell. It was so simple to her.

  She needed to be the bait and she told them so.

  “No!” The chorus of male refusal was universal but she plowed ahead nonetheless.

  “Look, he is watching me somehow I think, so if it appears I am alone or running away again, maybe that I’m sneaking out or heading home, he will show himself. As it is now, we are sitting ducks because he’s hiding and all of your efforts, as I know they have been legion, have not been able to scare him out.”

  The room was quiet as the men pondered her words.

  “London. We need to go to London.” Michael began talking distractedly but realized he was doing so out loud and firmed up his tone.

  “Surely he will follow us…”

  “But we’ll be in much closer quarters and have a chance of anticipating his moves,” Julian added.

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  “I agree, we will do best in London but Kathryn, that does not mean in any way that I have acceded to your offer to serve as bait. We will find another way.”

  “Li
sten, I am the one who was almost poisoned, was shot at, and then dumped in the stream on my head. I am the one with the lovely purple hole in my neck.” Michael winced and Colin groaned while Julian made a respectful cough to cover his blanch. “This is as much my decision as yours because even though you’re the one he’s trying to get at, I am the one he has gotten!”

  “Maybe we can devise a scheme where we don’t put Miss Ragland in danger but rather make it look like she’s the bait,” Colin suggested.

  “A disguise. Brilliant man!” Matthew exclaimed while Michael quickly brightened at the prospect of using someone other than Kathryn as the bait.

  “I am going to leave it on that note since you all have at least accepted to some extent that I am part of this thing whether I actually face a killer or not. Suits me fine to not but I will not be left out, Michael. Agreed?”

  “Not agreed.”

  Exasperated, Kathryn said, “Michael, I am not going to threaten you in front of your friends but I can tell you that you will not like me very much if we can’t at least have a mutual understanding on something like this. You have to let me be part of my own protection.”

  “Umm-hmm,” Julian coughed again because after his one long ride with Kathryn, he knew of what she was capable. Michael might as well surrender now.

  “Kathryn, I will not put you in danger. Period.”

  “I am already in danger and you can’t keep me from it, no offense, mind you. All I ask is to be part of deciding the solution. You must accept it.”

  “I will agree to include you in consultation. That’s as far as I can accept right now.”

  “Deal.”

  He looked at her, surprised. “Deal? That easy?”

  “Yes.” She rose from her position near the fire and left without another hint of argument and she made sure she didn’t look mad or petulant or scheming.

  “Your proposed fiancée’ is impressive, Michael. We should all be so fortunate.”