Lord Harrow's Heart

by Susan M. Baganz

  “They do.”

  “Did they follow us?”

  “If all went according to plan they should be here.”

  “This was a set up? You used us as bait to draw out Wolton?”

  Silence.

  “Theo?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, this was not about wooing your wife or enjoying a little time alone?”

  “I meant everything I said to you.”

  Silence.

  “Valeria?”

  “What?” She couldn’t hide the irritation in her voice. The knife had stilled but he was not free yet.

  “I’m sorry. Please don’t leave my hands tied. They are getting numb.”

  “You deserve to be left tied up.”

  “You can do that later when we are safe in our bed. You can tie me up as much as you want then.”

  “I’m not like that, Theo.”

  Silence.

  “Do you think Wolton is gone?”

  She could feel his arms move as if he had shrugged his shoulders. “I hope so.”

  Splash! Splash!

  “Someone is swimming toward us.”

  Could it be Wolton? She knew the man despised water. Even taking a bath was something he had an aversion to and she would know. “Wolton hates water.”

  “Friend or foe?”

  “I don’t know, Theo. I’m scared.” She resumed sawing. The bonds loosened, and she slid the knife back into its sheath.

  Someone swam up under the boat and popped up between them.

  “I figured this would be where you were. Idiot Wolton didn’t know that this lake isn’t deep enough to drown you guys in.” Michael sounded cheerful.

  “Is he gone?” Theo asked.

  “We got him. He’s dead. So how about we get out of this dark hole and get you two lovebirds back home and dry?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Theo said.

  Michael sank down and stepped out from under the boat.

  Theo reached for her. “Before we go.” His lips pressed against hers for the briefest moment. “I’m sorry I put you through this. Will you forgive me?”

  Valeria sighed. “I love you, Theo. But I’m not sure how I’ll feel about this when I finally recover.”

  She could hear the sorrow in his voice. “I understand. I accept the consequences. I’m glad you and Dartanian are alive and well and no longer threatened by Wolton.” With that he pushed her head under the water and brought her back up into the sunshine.

  She sputtered as she caught the fresh air and blinked at the brightness of the light. She glanced over at her husband.

  He was frowning, his jaw was clenched, and there were lines on his forehead. He grabbed her hand and started walking towards the shore. She could hear him gasp at times when his leg struggled as his boots would sink into the soft bottom of the lake and stick. Her shoes had been lost once they had fallen out of the boat.

  Michael was pulling the boat to the dock after he had righted it. He was close behind her. The other two men stood waiting for them. A blanket covered a lump on the dock and she turned her gaze away.

  Phillip pulled her up on the shore and wrapped the picnic blanket around her.

  Marcus helped Theo out of the water.

  Theo collapsed to the ground. His wrists were raw. With Marcus’s help he got his boots off and slowly stumbled to his horse. Marcus assisted him in getting in the saddle.

  Phillip assisted her, and the two men mounted and led them back to the house.

  Valeria was led ahead of her husband and she shivered, only glancing back to see how he fared. Had she hurt him by her unwillingness to forgive? She was angry that he had put them both in such a situation. He had told her they would be safe. And look what happened!

  You didn’t drown. Your wrists are barely even bruised. You are cold and wet but otherwise unharmed. Had you been alone, you would not have fared so well. The Holy Spirit chastised her for her uncharitable attitude toward her husband.

  I repent, Lord. Help me make it up to him. The men thought to end this and free me from my prison of fear and they succeeded. Theo took all the harm upon himself. I should be grateful instead of angry.

  They arrived home and Marcus helped her dismount and escorted her to the house, shouting for a bath to be brought up to her and Daisy to tend to her needs. As he left her in the care of her servant, she heard him also call down to the butler to get a doctor.

  She didn’t need one, but she’d agree if it made Michael feel better.

  She luxuriated in the warm bath and getting the smell of the lake out of her hair. After she had dried off and dressed in her warmest nightgown, in spite of the warmer weather, she sat as close to the fire as she could, sipping beef broth provided by Cook. She was hungry, but dinner was not for another hour. She was to be served in her room and not leave until morning.

  She went over the events of the afternoon like a bad dream. Only slight bruising on her body from when she fell into the boat indicated that it all really happened.

  Someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Josie entered, closed the door and came to sit across from her. “How are you, Valeria?”

  “I’m well. A bit bruised but otherwise hale and whole.”

  Josie smiled. “Sometimes a man has to do drastic things to help someone they love. I almost hit Marcus when he told me what happened and how they’d planned for you and Theo to be bait to draw out Wolton.”

  “You do not need to chastise me, Josie.” Valeria’s heart warmed at Josie’s belligerent tone of voice.

  “I’m not. I am concerned though. Sometimes it can be hard to understand how deeply our husbands love us and that their actions are well-intended. Marcus acted once in my best interest, but I was furious because he couldn’t share why he had done it. I refused to have anything to do with him. It was not until almost a year later, after we had wed, that I realized the depth of pain I caused him because I doubted his love and integrity.” Josie looked down at her hands sitting still in her lap. “I needed to share that so that you don’t suffer as I did.”

  “I realize Theo’s intentions were good. And I was spared any serious harm. I have forgiven him.”

  “Does he know?” Josie’s brown eyes watered. “I need to know because Theo is the best of men. He would never intentionally hurt you. I believe he loves you.”

  Valeria frowned. “I haven’t talked to him since everything happened. Is he well?”

  Josie’s eyebrows rose. “You weren’t aware? The doctor is with him now. He was grazed by that bullet and his leg is not faring well. The doctor thinks the damage may result in a permanent limp and possibly permanent discomfort. He is in considerable pain at the moment.”

  “I should go to him.”

  “He has requested that he be left alone. Watkins is the only one allowed in to his room.” Josie reached out and grabbed Valeria’s hand. “You rest tonight, and tomorrow things will look much better for everyone. Your enemy is dead, and you can finally live your lives the way you want to.”

  “If I only understood what that looked like,” Valeria said almost to herself.

  ~*~

  Theo tried not to cry. The pain in his leg left him weak. The empty bed taunted him in his ability to be a husband the way he longed to. If he hadn’t reinjured his leg he could be sleeping with his wife right now and possibly doing more than ‘sleep’. He groaned as much from frustration as pain.

  “My lord, would you like the laudanum now?” Watkins had sneaked in on him.

  Theo sighed. “Might as well. It’s a lot faster than trying to drink enough brandy to erase the results of today’s events.” He swallowed the bitter liquid and followed that with some broth Cook had sent for him. He rolled on to his good side and glanced at his bandaged wrists. Lord, please heal my marriage. Thank You for protecting Valeria today. I could not have made it through without You. He fell into a dreamless sleep.

  20

  Theo spent two days in bed. He d
readed seeing Valeria again, knowing how disappointed she had to be in him. All his hopes of making their marriage move forward had probably drowned in that lake.

  After the laudanum wore off, the doctor told him he was fighting infection in the sores on his wrists. Something about dirty water. Watkins guarded him like a hawk, refusing any visitors, but Theo didn’t mind. He had no energy, physically or emotionally, to talk to anyone. Marcus would deal with the local magistrate. He didn’t know what story he would weave but they were blameless. Wolton sealed his own fate when he’d stepped on to Theo’s land and threatened his family.

  He swallowed bile as he thought of his family. He had a wife and a child and had somehow broken faith with both of them. Was there any other action he could have taken? He wracked his brain to think of it and couldn’t. Wolton would have struck when they least expected and that lack of warning would have limited his ability to protect them.

  All I wanted was a wife to love. Was that too much to ask? I didn’t want drama and I did not want more rejection. He was never good enough for his father. Other than his close friends, he never fit in at school. And now the only woman he had loved since his mother passed away would turn her back on him as well. Why was he so unworthy of anything but a mother’s love? Sure his friends loved him, but his bed was still empty and so was his heart. He spent time praying and reading Scripture which felt doubly sad since he wasn’t doing it with his wife as he was used to before she’d abandoned his bed.

  Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Trust in the Lord.

  He leaned back as those words returned to him from the Psalms. OK, Lord. I will trust in You. I’m not sure how to do that but I have nothing left to give. He rolled over and fell back to sleep.

  ~*~

  Valeria was going crazy. Watkins denied her access to her husband’s room. But he was her husband! Enough was enough. She took her key and unlocked the adjoining door. Theo had never locked his. She slipped into the room quietly and shut the door behind her. She crossed to the hallway door and turned the key in the lock. She did not want to be disturbed.

  She walked toward the bed in her stocking feet.

  Theo lay there against the pillows, his face flushed from fever and his hair falling onto his forehead. His lips were moving but there was no sound.

  The doctor had resplinted his thigh. His arms were laying on top of the covers and some of the liniment had soaked through and was tinged with red. Some plaster was stuck to the side of his head where the bullet had grazed him. It was almost identical in location to the one on the other side that he had received when they had been traveling north.

  Her dearest Theo. He was more of a man than she could have ever dreamed of. He loved the Lord, he was selfless, faithful, gentle, and more handsome than any man she knew. Maybe love biased one that way? She didn’t care. All she knew was she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man, laughing, loving, and raising a family. She wanted to be the one who massaged his aching thigh when he was old. He was the one she wanted to flirt with as they cuddled in bed.

  “Valeria,” Theo murmured.

  “Yes, Theo? I’m here.”

  His eyes were closed. He reached for her. “I need you.”

  That was all the invitation she needed. She kicked off her slippers and crawled into bed next to him, fully clothed, and snuggled up to his side, feeling at home with his arm around her.

  “I forgive you, Theo,” she whispered in his ear.

  “You do? That’s good.” Soft snores were soon heard.

  She grinned and closed her eyes.

  ~*~

  Theo heard a pounding on the door. The valet was anxiously calling to him. “I’m fine, Watkins. I will ring for you when I need you.”

  He snuggled his face in the silky yellow hair that flowed over his chest and pillow. Orange blossoms. How he loved that scent. His wife stirred.

  “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  “Good morning, handsome.”

  “Handsome? I thought I was a buffleheaded idiot.”

  “You are, but an extremely good looking one. I don’t think I could love an ugly buffleheaded idiot.” She grinned at him and kissed his cheek.

  He turned his face and brought a hand up under her chin. “You will not lie in my bed and get away with a kiss like that.”

  “I won’t?”

  “Most definitely not.” Their lips met, and he savored the moment. Time stopped just for them.

  “I love you, Lady Harrow.”

  “I love you too, Lord Harrow.”

  “You forgive me?”

  Valeria nodded and smiled, and he felt as if his heart could fly.

  “Will you forgive me?” Her smile was gone.

  “What do I need to forgive you for?” Theo asked.

  “For not trusting you. You never gave me any reason to doubt your word or your love and yet I made assumptions and drew conclusions that were wrong and treated you accordingly. You did not deserve that.”

  “What kind of assumptions?” His interest was piqued.

  “I assumed you were a man of the world and yet when you found out about what happened in my marriage you had a disgust of me. I thought you could never love me.”

  Theo laughed. “And here I thought that as a woman of the world you would find my ‘experience’ so totally lacking that you would want to have nothing to do with me.”

  Valeria giggled. “Maybe we can start over?”

  Theo grinned and pulled her close. “I’m ready and willing if you are.”

  Valeria’s kiss gave him no reason to doubt she was ready as well.

  Epilogue

  Christmas was a festive time and they were all together at Rose Hill.

  Theo glanced across the room to his lovely bride, her stomach protruding noticeably even with the empire style dress she wore. The new year would bring an addition to their family and Theo could not be more thrilled. Dartanian was praying for a brother, but Theo did not care either way. A child to love filled his heart with hope and joy.

  Marcus and Josie were celebrating another anniversary and Josie was also with child again.

  Michael and Katrina were there with their newborn son, Adam.

  Beth had only just discovered that they too were expecting, but she wasn’t showing yet.

  “I got a letter from Jared,” Marcus said.

  “How is he?” Theo asked.

  “He’s leaving Wellesley’s service. He has one more mission to complete, and then he plans to head home and settle down. He said he envies the love we have all found and wants a bit of the action for himself.”

  “Action?” Theo laughed. “I’ve had enough action for a while.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable. You’ll find a child turns your life upside down in the most delightful ways.” Michael laughed. “Just wait.”

  Phillip raised his glass. “How about a toast to faith, love, and Jared’s homecoming? May he find the love he longs for and safely arrive back in England, hale and whole.”

  “Here! Here!” All the glasses raised, and sips were taken as they all celebrated the birth of the Savior they had all come to love.

  Don’t miss the rest of the

  Black Diamond Christian Gothic Regency Suspense Series

  Here’s a peek at

  The Lord Phillip’s Folly

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  It would be impossible to thank everyone who has helped me on my journey, so I apologize in advance for those I will miss. It doesn’t mean you are any less valuable and thankfully God keeps better track of those things than I do and His “well done, good and faithful servant” has more merit than any thanks written here.

  So here it goes. Special thanks to:

  Susan Karsten – for being a beta reader for his story and giving me valuable feedback.

  Faye Daniels – for being a beta-reader and helping me with the French required for this story.

  Doris Pollard Wichern – another early reader and one of my most faithful chee
rleaders in this writing adventure. I rest in knowing you were proud of all my work even though you didn’t live to see this series reach publication.

  Lisa Lickel – thanks for being such a wonderful mentor, friend, and shoulder to cry on when the publishing process throws me those curve balls. I don’t think I would have ever taken that first step in this journey to publication without your gentle push.

  David Mundt – for your support and believing in me and the calling God has on my life.

  Sally Shupe – my faithful editor. Thank you for finding all those silly errors!

  Nicola Martinez – my friend, boss, and publisher. Thanks for believing in this series and in my writing and continuing to give me a platform to serve God in this way.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Susan M. Baganz chases after three Hobbits, and is a native of Wisconsin. She is an Editor with Pelican Book Group specializing in bringing great romance to publication. Susan writes adventurous historical and contemporary romances with a biblical world-view.

  This book is the fourth full-length novel in the Black Diamond Regency series. The Baron’s Blunder, Henrietta’s story, is a novella and prequel. Prior stories include: The Virtuous Viscount, Lord Phillip’s Folly, Sir Michael’s Mayhem, and the final book is The Captain’s Conquest. A Christmas Regency, Gabriel’s Gift released last year but is not part of the series. She is also the author of contemporary romances in the Orchard Hill Romance Series, Pesto & Potholes, Salsa & Speed Bumps, Feta & Freeways, Root Beer & Roadblocks, Bratwurst & Bridges, and Donuts & Detours with Truffles & Traffic due out soon.

  Susan speaks, teaches, and encourages others to follow God in being all He has created them to be. With her seminary degree in counseling psychology, a background in the field of mental health, and years serving in church ministry, she understands the complexities and pain of life as well as its craziness. She serves behind-the-scenes in various capacities at her church and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and serves on the board of the

  southeast chapter. Her favorite pastimes are snuggling with her dog while reading a good book or sitting with a friend chatting over a cup of spiced chai latte. Learn more by following her blog, www.susanbaganz.com, her Twitter feed @susanbaganz or her fan page: facebook.com/susanmbaganz