“Please come into the kitchen? You, too, my lady.”
Arabella took Gregory’s offered hand and let him lead her through the dining room and into the hallway that led to the kitchen.
“The baron and Mrs. St. John are still here,” Leah said softly.
“I see.” Gregory frowned. “Have there been any problems?”
Jenkins nodded toward Arabella. “I so apologize in advance, my lady. Mrs. St. John has been as charming as always. The baron, however…” He took a deep breath. “The baron has been following the staff around, asking questions. Pressing for information. He goes out in the evenings, mostly. The groom says he usually requests to be taken to the gaming halls.”
Tears had filled Bella’s eyes and were about to spill over. “I’m sorry,” she said, putting a small hand on the housekeeper’s shoulder. “We thought they were to leave as soon as we traveled for Liverpool.”
Leah shook her head. “It’s not your fault, my lady. Not at all. It’s just that we didn’t quite know what to do. He’s been asking where to find the safe, as well. We have not told him. When he was gone, Jenkins took the funds from their usual spot and moved them into his room.”
“They are complete, my lord.”
“I trust you entirely, Jenkins. And I appreciate it. I will take care of this matter. Thank you. We apologize for you having to go through this.” He reached for Arabella, pulling her to him. “Sweetheart, you might want to go and lie down. You look tired.”
She nodded into his chest. “Thank you, Gregory.”
He walked into the room with her, and as soon as she threw her arms about his neck, he sat down and held her. “Shh, my darling. Let me handle this for you. Just rest.”
He continued to hold her until she closed her eyes, then gently laid her on the bed among the pillows. Kissing her forehead, he took a breath and walked toward the hall, closing the door behind him. Leah was standing at the other end of the hall, pointing toward the library.
Quietly, he opened the door and stood there, frowning.
His father-in-law was holding up the edge of a picture frame, looking under it. A loud sigh escaped.
“Find what you were looking for?” Gregory’s deep voice caused the older man to jump, and he dropped it. “Tell me, sir, do you check under the paintings of all the houses you visit? Or just mine?”
The baron’s face was a blotchy red when he turned to face Gregory. Clearly, he was angry. He also looked ashamed. “What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean, sir.” Gregory could feel his jaw pulse. “Have you been losing at the gaming halls again?”
“Here now. What makes you think—”
Gregory put up a hand. “Baron St. John. I would appreciate your honesty. I visited the gaming hall in Ainsley, only a few days ago. I wasn’t there to ask about you, but oddly enough, your name did come up. So did the amount of your debt. I was quite surprised.”
The baron’s face was angry. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t you? I assure you, I’ll be visiting the ones you’ve been frequenting here in York to find out how much more you’ve lost.”
The baron started toward the door. Gregory stopped him.
“Not before you give up some information, sir.”
The baron stopped.
“I want to know how much you know about Chloe’s disappearance from the dock in Liverpool.”
“I know nothing about her.”
“Shall I go to Mrs. Cates and ask her myself?”
His father in law stiffened. “What makes you…think I had anything to do with it?”
Gregory’s eyes had narrowed. “I don’t know for certain you did. However, the fact that you appear to have so much guilt at the mere question makes me suspicious.”
“Perhaps she gave up and went home to her family, after all.”
“Can you be sure of that? Did you know that two men came from the side of the warehouse carrying daggers at their sides?”
The baron halted, blinking.
“Who told you that?”
“I have good eyes, sir. They do not lie to me.” Gregory’s fury was apparent now. “And allow me to tell you one thing more, Baron St. John. If I find that Miss Chloe has suffered any injury at all, I will come, accompanied by the Yard, to pay you a visit. Do you quite understand me?”
The baron’s eyes could not meet his. “I see. My wife and I will be away this afternoon, sir. Not a moment more will we suffer insult in this house.”
“Your lovely wife,” Gregory called after him, “is welcome to stay.”
The baron stopped, several feet away, but did not turn back.
It was later that afternoon that Gregory and Arabella stood watching as the baron’s coach departed. Her mother had tearfully gone with it.
“I’ll stay the night, my darling.” Gregory reached around her from behind. “But tomorrow, I need to get back to Ainsley.”
She turned her head, nodding into his neck. “May I not go with you, Gregory? Since Mama and Papa are gone?”
“No, sweetheart. Not this time. The places I need to visit aren’t safe for you.” He turned her to face him. “Trust me?”
Her arms inched around his neck. “I do trust you, Gregory. Please, be safe.”
Chapter 12
How it came to be…
“—tasty mouse, but ye’d best stay clear of the huge rats near the grains. Much too big for yer size, little Purr. Now don’t go turning your tail up at me. I’m just telling ye the truth of it.”
Chloe stopped outside of the stables and smiled. She had come outside in search of her kitten. On a hunch, she’d headed to the stables since Tiny had a way with all manner of creatures. Hiding a smile, she realized he was chatting with Purr. She started to walk inside when the next words halted her progress.
“Didna already answer the same questions a dozen times for ye? No wonder yer name’s Purrsnickety. Nothing satisfies ye, does it? Yes, yer mistress be safe here. The Ghost’s tryin’ to protect her. Yes, I know he is rude towards ye, but ye do like to vex him now, don’t ye?”
“I hate to interrupt your conversation,” Chloe called out, because she felt a bit guilty sneaking about. “Has Purr been bending your ear again?”
“Cain’t help it,” the large man answered as he continued brushing down the stallion before him. “Females do naturally love to chatter. Turn over that bucket there and have a rest. I was about to tell Purr here how this band of old pirates come to be family.”
The moment Chloe was settled on the tall, overturned bucket, Purr lazily made her way onto her lap. “Ghost gathered us, one by one. Woody—used to be Bob, afore ye come along—was first, mind ye. Way it come to me, Ghost found Woody on the bottom of a pile of sailors throwing fists on the dock. He was getting the bloody hell—sorry—beat out of him, he was. Ghost jumped into the fight and evened the score. When all was done, poor Bob had no teeth left. So, Ghost brought him here and had some made for him.”
“I was next. There weren’t an honest captain about willing to take me on his crew. They fear feedin’ me, see. And I can’t swim to save me life. Ghost took me on. And once he heard of my talkin’ to animals, he had me pick out some horseflesh for him. Cain’t ride ’em, mind you. But I can talk to ‘em. So, I joined.”
Chloe nodded her understanding. “I can’t wait to find out how Smiley came here? Was Ghost there when he lost his leg?”
“Bloody hell, no,” Tiny snorted a bit. “Ye be just as impatient as Purr. I’m tellin’ this story. Hold your trap and leave me do it.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Yes, sir. Please continue. I’ll hush.”
“So happens, Smiley was next. He lost his leg long ago. Nobody knows how, and the tales he tells, well, nobody can pen down the truth of it. Ghost says they met the first time, when they was both in the brig. Anyways, such a nasty lout Smiley was, his crew tossed him overboard right after settin’ sail one day. Ghost hauled his sorry arse—backside—ou
t of the sea. Now, by the time Smiley arrived, Woody’d already taken up gardenin’. I fixed up the stables and gathered the best animals around.”
He paused to clarify something. “Althea came back. Took up residence soon as he moved back in here. She were his nursemaid when he was a lad, see. A right nice lady she be, but she cain’t cook worth a damn. We said Smiley was the new cook. He pitched a fit about being told what to do, but we all had a vote. T’was three to two. Althea sided with Smiley, but Ghost was on our side.”
After a pause, Tiny stood up and scratched his head. “Who am I forgettin’?’”
“Chubs?” Chloe dared to ask.
“Aye, Chubs. Odd one, he is. Smiles all the time. Eats more than all us put together. Cost himself his own eye one night, I hear tell. Just his luck, and bad luck, too, fer a man whose post is in the crow’s nest. Lost his appeal as a crew after that. Ghost insisted he come here. Didn’t dare put him as the gatekeeper. He’d only be able to keep an eye on one side of the property.” He threw his head back and laughed at his own joke, and Chloe shook her head.
“Althea sewed him up some butler uniforms and he’s been struttin’ about ever since. Only thing… Wish she hadna taught him to announce it when folks come in. Ain’t nobody ever comes but us, and he says it’s his job. We have trouble keepin’ him from struttin’ about and sayin’,” he adopted Chubs’ voice as well as he could, “the right Honorable Mr. Tiny…”
Chloe was laughing so hard, she nearly fell off the bucket.
Tiny continued on telling stories about other men, some who manned a ship just off the dock, preparing it for their first money making venture as a merchant ship. Each had led a shady life prior to meeting Ghost. Now they were starting life anew and doing their best.
There was only one person Chloe knew by name who was not mentioned, and she hesitated to ask for fear of being chastised again. Finally, the mystery of the gatekeeper was too much for her to stand. “How did Gates come here? Where did Ghost find him?”
Tiny gave her a sidewise glance. “Gates, now. Only one of us that weren’t rescued. He found Ghost, not the other way around. Just appeared one day, asking lots of questions and lookin’ for work. We don’t take kindly to people nosin’ about. Ghost had us surround him and demand to know what he was about. He said he heard about the manor and its master givin’ second chances to men in need. Ghost demanded to know what he thought he could bring to the crew. Turns out, he fancied himself a gatekeeper of sorts. So, Ghost followed him about, found out he was good at protectin’ the grounds. He never gave us no name, so we gave him one. Gates.”
Chloe mulled over all she learned. Her Ghost was every bit the hero she had dreamed. No wonder the men all loved him. But instead of comforting her, it gave her pause. Everyone on this manor was starting a new life and was set on protecting her. In the process, might they chance exposing their history and end up losing their second chances?
“I see the fear in yer eyes, Miss Chloe. Don’t worry. Ghost means to protect ye, no matter the threat.”
“And I mean to protect him. And the rest of you, too,” she announced.
He eyed her studiously. “Miss Chloe, I’m ‘bout to tell ye something.’“
“Continue, please?”
“Ghost’s been through a lot in life. The scars ye see on his face aren’t his only ones. Others, he’s got, too.” Tiny put down the brush and walked to her side. He pulled her to her feet, staring her straight in the eyes. “The walls he has around him are thick and tall. There’s only one person on this earth could really hurt him. That’s ye, Miss Chloe. He might not admit such, but ‘tis so. And if anything happened to ye…”
“Just as if anything happened to him, I would be devastated. Trust me, Tiny. I have want for only the best, where Ghost is concerned.”
He stared at her, then nodded his head. “See that ye do.”
Chloe was unsure whether to take it as a warning or an encouragement. She frowned, thinking of ways to help her future husband. Could she possibly write to Arabella and ask Gregory to get them involved in declaring Ghost innocent of wrongdoing? Each of the men from the Arabella would be willing to testify that he didn’t take part in Poche’s attacks. Most of the time he had spent in the brig, imprisoned.
Pen and paper…
Once the idea took hold, Chloe was excited and eager to follow through. She had been wanting to write Bella to set her mind at ease. If only everyone knew how happy she was here, they would stop hunting for her. She feared it was only a matter of time before Gregory tracked her down, and she feared he would expose Ghost and his crew of criminal charges when he did.
Finding the secretary in her room was out of paper, she frowned. Without a second thought, Chloe went to Ghost’s study to borrow some.
She left the door to his private domain open and wandered to the desk. How she loved the smell of this room. It reminded her of Ghost, himself, and she inhaled deeply. Sitting in his leather chair, she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth and security being in here gave her. She was home, surrounded by people who loved her and whom she adored. But she was more than a friend or a servant here. She was part of a family.
Opening her eyes, she glanced over the top of Ghost’s desk. A rolled up daily lay in the corner, and she picked it up.
She frowned and straightened in the chair. It was the daily in which her stepmother placed her listing. Ghost might object to her reading it, but he was in town and she could not help herself.
Her eyes began to burn as each word washed over her, and the feeling of betrayal almost consumed her. Why did her stepmother hate her so much? Was it only her color? Was it the fact that her father had loved her and her stepmother was jealous? Her hand inadvertently began to crush the rolled-up paper.
Lest she chance returning to the resentful child sold by her family, she forced herself to set aside the paper and resolved not to become bitter, as she once had been.
Determined to contact Arabella and the captain, she reached for the handle on the top drawer and slid it out. The stationary would most likely be in here.
But it wasn’t. She scowled, in a less forgiving mood now than she’d been when first entering the room. She opened the top drawer on the right. The feel of soft paper moved under her fingertips, and she grasped it, moving it toward her. She turned it over, thinking it looked familiar.
Chloe stared and gasped. In her hand was the letter she’d addressed to Sarah Jackson, weeks ago. In her search, she’d happened to uncover it! She’d forgotten all about it in the last days of contentment. Aghast, she opened it and scanned the words.
Ghost’s deep voice alerted her to his presence. “Chloe? What are you doing in here?”
Leaping off the chair, she rounded the desk. She gave him a wounded look before tossing the letter at him. “I searched for this countless times, deciding I’d lost it before I got to the wharf where the Arabella was docked. It never occurred to me you had it…or that you might read it!” She fought to keep the tears at bay. “Tell me, Ghost. How does it feel to read someone’s deepest, most private thoughts? Is this why you decided to marry me? You knew of my silly, childhood crush and figured it would be the easiest way to manage me?”
His silence was deafening. It filled her with a desire to flee. But she had not even made her way halfway to the door before he caught her in his steel arms. Pulling her back inside, he locked the door and picked her up, carrying her over to the desk.
Chloe kicked; her fingernails dug deep into his arms. She lashed out at him, feeling even more betrayed than by her stepmother. She had never trusted nor loved her stepmother. The same could not be said for Ghost.
“Ezra Miller,” she choked out. “I never want to see you again. How can I ever trust you? Everything between us has been a lie, born from a childhood fantasy about a man who changed his ways to become a gentleman. No man of worth would play with my emotions like this.”
Ghost pulled her onto his lap as he took his seat. He let her stru
ggle against his hold until she tired herself out. When she finally stopped fighting him, he tried to explain. “Listen to me, Chloe, and listen well. Althea found it the morning after I brought you here. I needed to know what was in it. I didn’t realize you’d written it before I took you from the dock, and it was on your person. I thought perhaps you’d written it after arriving here and planned an escape.”
She glared at him, blinking rapidly.
He took a breath, and this time, when he spoke, his voice was lower. “I apologize. I understand your frustration. But know this. My feelings for you have nothing to do with the contents of that letter.” He shook his head suddenly. “No, that’s not entirely true. After I read it, it gave me the courage to pursue the feelings I’d had for a year. But having read it or not, I have no doubt I would have fallen hard for you. You are truly the most unselfish, beautiful woman I have ever met. I only hope, one day, there is a way I can gain your respect and trust again.”
Chloe’s brain warned her to escape, but her heart could not give in. Jutting out her chin, she dashed the tears away with the backs of her hands before speaking.
“All right then. Let me read something of yours. Something incredibly personal and private.”
The journal…
The seriousness in her eyes touched him. Holding tightly to her waist with one hand, he reached into the desk drawer where she’d found the letter and began searching for the key. She’d moved it, but he located it in the corner.
His jaw was pulsing. He watched her for a moment and then leaned forward to unlock the bottom drawer where the leather bound volume was stored. Without hesitation, he brought it out.
“I started this journal a year ago, when I first made it back to England.” He took her hands and set the journal into them. “All right, Chloe. It is incredibly personal. It’s private. And it’s mine. Read.”
She raised her gaze to his, as if she wondered if she could make herself do it. It took moments before she opened it. Going a good way back toward the beginning, she sniffled and began to read. Ghost pulled her against him, leaning back into his chair.
Conquered by the Ghost (The Conquered Book 3) Page 12