The Cinder Earl's Christmas Deception

by Em Taylor

  There were gasps from the doorway. It seemed that everyone must have assumed Gabriel was another of the Duke’s bye blows. No one had even considered he might be the Duke’s legitimate son.

  “You are not leaving with her.”

  “Try to stop us, you snivelling little bastard.”

  Cedric’s eyes widened at the word and he threw a punch, but Gabriel was also quick and blocked it.

  “Kathleen, head for the front door.” He started to follow but Cedric grabbed his arm. Kathleen’s mouth fell open when Gabriel lifted his foot and kicked him right in the groin. Cedric dropped to the ground with a high-pitched squeal of pain. But as he thudded on to the floor, he grabbed Gabriel’s ankle. It seemed that Gabriel had perhaps even shocked himself at his own action and had taken a moment to react. Now Cedric had a death grip on Gabriel’s foot.

  Her husband kicked and pulled but to no avail. He at least managed to move Cedric’s hands down as far as just having a grip on his evening slippers.

  “Pull your foot out of your shoe,” Kathleen whispered. Gabriel frowned, but he turned his ankle and eased his foot out of the slipper. And they were off, pushing through the crowds of the ball. They were easily lost among the people, but Kathleen held tight to his hand. In fact, she wondered if the poor man would have any blood left in his fingers when they eventually made the front door.

  “Shall I get your cloaks, Sir, Ma’am,” said a footman as they rushed by.

  “No, thank you,” called out Kathleen as they pulled open the door and bounced down the steps of the Mayfair mansion.

  “Come, we should head to Myles’ house.”

  “No. You have been seen with him too often. Sarah offered us refuge at the Kirkbourne’s. Their house is just a few minutes’ walk away. But we should take the back alleys.

  “Agreed.”

  They hurried down a side lane a couple of houses along from the Hammond’s home and once out of the light of the street lamps, Gabriel stopped her.

  “Help me off with my coat.”

  “Why?”

  “You need to put it on. You shall freeze to death in that thin ball gown.”

  “You shall freeze to death in that shirt, my lord.”

  “Nonsense. Do you think I have warm blankets in my servants’ quarters? Do not be ridiculous. I am used to the cold. You are not. Now for once in your life, Kathleen, obey my order.”

  Kathleen did not want to argue with him and she knew he would be stubborn about this. She sighed and tugged at the sleeve of his coat. When it was off, he wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “I fear we shall be in some mess by the time we reach the Kirkbourne house. We shall not be able to see the horse mess in the street and you have only one shoe.”

  “I am like Cinderella leaving a ball with only one shoe,” he chuckled.

  “I am sure Cinderella did not kick her step-sisters in the nether regions as she left, my lord.”

  “Yes, that was instinct. I was so angry at him trying to take liberties with you.”

  “Never mind that now. Let us get to Sarah and Nathaniel’s.”

  “Since when were you on first name terms with a Duke and Duchess,” he teased.

  “I am only on first name terms with Sarah, but it sounded silly calling him the Duke. Do you not think?”

  “Perhaps.”

  They trudged down the alley groaning each time they stepped into a puddle or worse.

  “My slippers shall be utterly ruined.”

  “I believe one of my stockings may just end up being buried in the garden to help the roses grow.”

  Kathleen giggled.

  “I think we are nearly here. We need to go out onto the main street and check there is no-one around who would recognise us.”

  When they got to the main road, they peered around the corner. A couple were walking arm in arm towards them.

  “Back,” Gabriel hissed then urged her into the shadows and up against a wall where he proceeded to kiss her thoroughly for a few minutes. He did not, however, press his hips against hers and whenever her hands started to roam down to his waist, he caught it and moved it back to his shoulders. Eventually, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “If that couple walking by had seen us, I wanted them only to see a couple of young lovers engaged in a secret tryst. Not two people hiding from them and not a married couple copulating in an alley, much though I’d like nothing more than to lift your skirts and show you how I feel. Now, behave. You are about to enter the home of a Duke and a Duchess.”

  “Gabriel?”

  “Yes.”

  “Before everything gets much worse—I mean in case we’re caught and the Duke of Hartsmere causes problems, I just want to let you know that…” She could not say it. Could she? “I think I might be falling in love with you.”

  He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That is a shame. You have some catching up to do, Lady Cindermaine. I told your great-aunt today that I love you. Clearly, you were not listening hard enough at the door.” And then he took her hand, checked the street and led her out before she could correct her earlier statement. She did love him. And now he thought she cared less about him than he did about her. Well, that was awful.

  Would she get another chance before the evening was out? What a mess their lives were. She hated the Duke of Hartsmere. He was the cause of all their problems.

  Chapter 19

  Gabriel knocked on the door of the Duke and Duchess of Kirkbourne’s town residence, hoping and praying that Kathleen had got the right of it and that the Duchess really had given them an open invitation to drop in unannounced in the event of an emergency such as this.

  Of course, she was right about going to Stalwood’s. Everyone knew that he had been seen all too frequently in the man’s company over the past fortnight.

  A butler opened the door, raising his eyebrows, no doubt because of the time. He looked like every other silver-haired English butler. His lips in a straight line, his eyes assessing and his nose firmly in the air.

  “Can I help you…” He left the lack of title hanging in the air.

  “The Earl of Cindermaine to see the Duke of Kirkbourne,” he said.

  “Ah, come in, my lord. My lady.” The man could not get out of the way fast enough to allow them to enter the house. “His Grace said if you arrived at his door I was to grant you immediate entry whether he was home or not. He is home and in his study. I shall go and get him.”

  “No need Williams, I am here. Good God, man, you stink. Not you Williams, him.”

  “We had to come through the alleyways and mewses to get here. I had to kick off my shoe to get Cedric off me. We’re covered in horse muck. And the whole of the ton now knows that Cindermaine is married to Cedric’s fiancé.”

  Kirkbourne rubbed a hand over his face and scowled. “All right, I understand everything except the shoe. I think perhaps we should draw you both baths, get you cleaned up and then talk. We shall have the bath drawn up in the study. You can both go in there. It is warm We shall also prepare you a room. Or two? Which would you prefer?”

  “One is fine.” But he glanced at Kathleen. Perhaps she wanted two. Perhaps sleeping in the same bed with him was not something she had planned.

  She nodded, smiling. She did not seem at all upset.

  “Good, we shall get the bath organised.”

  “What is that smell?” They turned to see the Duchess wheeling herself towards them in a chair.

  “Horse manure. They have just run the gauntlet from… where?”

  “The Hammond’s ball.”

  “Oh. So what happened?”

  “Well, Gabriel asked to speak to me in a quiet parlour so that we could discuss our escape on Christmas night. It was dark, and I did not turn around when who I thought was Gabriel entered and unfortunately it was Cedric. And he put his hands all over me and I tried to break free and he refused and then Gabriel came to my rescue. While they were arguing he called Cedric a bastard and said he was Cin
dermaine. So I guess everyone now knows.”

  “Oh! I see.”

  “And then he kicked Cedric in the… um… well…”

  “Ballocks?” provided Gabriel. Kathleen rolled her eyes.

  “Remind me why I married you? You are so uncouth.”

  “I ask Nate that all the time,” Sarah said, laughing. “Now, come into the study and we shall organise the baths.”

  “I can do that, Your Grace,” said the butler.

  “Thank you, Williams.”

  “Now we need to send a servant around to the Stalwood residence to check on Christina and Stalwood. Let us hope they are aware of what is happening, and Christina has had the sense to go there and not Hartsmere House. I shall then send the servant to the Beattie’s just in case they are followed from Stalwood’s house.”

  “You’re very good at subterfuge, Duchess,” said Gabriel, grinning.

  “We worked it all out the other night. Lord Beattie and Nate have been planning for this, just in case.”

  “And neither of you thought to mention it to me.”

  “You had enough to worry about. We had a feeling you would come to either of our houses and not Stalwood’s.”

  “My first reaction was Stalwood’s. Here was Kathleen’s idea.”

  “Just as well you married a clever girl then since you are a dolt, eh, Cindermaine?” Gabriel smiled ruefully. He would probably have reassessed the plan once they got out of the main street where the Hammond’s house was. But his wife was possibly just a bit cleverer than he.

  Once they were inside the study, Kirkbourne offered them the seats by the fire. Gabriel headed for one seat. When Kathleen started to move away from him to sit on the other seat, he caught her around the shoulders.

  “No, come.” When he sat, he placed her on his lap and cradled her against his chest. She was pale and starting to shiver and he was not going to let her go. Kirkbourne leaned against his desk and smiled indulgently.

  “Would you like me to write to Stalwood?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. You must look after your wife. She looks pale. I shall do it quickly and you can remain with her while she bathes. I will ask Sarah’s maid and my valet to bring clothes for you both. My clothes should fit you. Sarah’s gowns may be a little loose on Lady Cindermaine as they have extra give for her to use crutches.

  “I doubt it. I have a huge bosom,” Kathleen said.

  Gabriel burst out laughing. “I am sure as a gentleman, His Grace has not been looking at your bosom.”

  Kirkbourne coughed and seemed to be scrabbling in his desk drawer for something. So, he had noticed her bosom. He supposed he could not blame the fellow. She has an amazing décolletage.

  “I am sure marriage has not caused His grace to go blind, my lord,” said Kathleen. “Rest assured, Gabriel, I can still see Cedric’s manhood through his inexpressibles even though we are married. It is no less distasteful now than it was a fortnight ago.”

  “So you find it distasteful compared to mine?” Gabriel asked.

  “Ahem!” The Duke was glowering at them. “Do you two mind not discussing manhoods at this moment in time, especially not your bastard half-brother’s, Cindermaine. Good God. I ate only a few hours ago. I should like it to remain in my body and not be cast up.”

  Gabriel grinned at Kirkbourne.

  “As you wish, Your Grace.”

  “And stop Your Gracing me. Nate or Kirkbourne will suffice. That goes for you too Ma’am. May I be so bold to ask your permission to call you Kathleen since I know you are on given name terms with my wife?”

  “Yes, of course, Your… Nate.”

  He smiled at her then. “I shall write these notes and then I shall leave you to your baths. We shall be in the drawing room and shall have some tea and hot chocolate when you are ready. Something stronger if you prefer. Now I need to write some instructions for Stalwood. We need to make sure any messengers are not followed anywhere other than Beattie’s.”

  “Are the Beattie’s not in danger?” asked Kathleen.

  “No, they are at Lady Rutherford’s. Gideon’s sister. I hate leaving Christina and Stalwood alone but Stalwood assured me he had some burly footmen who could handle the Duke’s men. A few servants will set off to misdirect any followers. None will come directly here. Most will return to Stalwood’s by a circuitous route. One will return via our back door. We are simply making sure that Christina is well and made it to Stalwood’s from the ball.”

  Nate applied himself to the task and as the hip bath and a smaller basin and ewer were brought in along with steaming buckets of water, the Duke stood up.

  “I shall leave you to it. Please do not worry. It will take around an hour for us to find out about Christina, but I am sure we will find her safe.”

  Gabriel nodded. He hoped Nate was right.

  When the footmen were finished, a maid came in with some clothes and linens and introduced herself as Tilly, the Duchess’s lady’s maid. When Gabriel made no move to exit, she raised an eyebrow at him.

  “My wife’s safety is paramount, and I remain with her just in case anyone tries to get into Kirkbourne House. I hope you understand. I have seen her naked before.”

  “Yes, my lord. I understand. She helped Kathleen out of her gown and Gabriel marvelled at the beauty of his wife. However, he scowled at the yellow bruises on her back. They were healing, of course, but they were extensive.

  “Kathleen, Cedric brutalised you.”

  Kathleen shrugged. “I fell against the baluster. I fell hard, but it was… well, it was his fault but it is over now. Please, Gabriel, there is no point upsetting yourself over it.”

  “I shall kill the bastard. It looks worse than it did the other day.”

  “Bruises always look worse a few days later.”

  She walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his lips. Devil take it. She was naked and kissing him in front of a maid. He scrunched his hands into fists and forced himself not to touch her.

  “Calm down and sit down. You are like a lion I read about in a book.”

  “You call me a cat.”

  “Cats are ferocious. And lions are the king of the jungle.”

  “I am a mere earl and just a courtesy one at that.”

  “You are a king among men to me, my lord. Now, stop growling your disapproval and allow me to wash.”

  He moved away and sat down, as much to hide the bulge in his silk evening breeches as anything else. Soon she was washed and dressed and Nate’s valet had come in and helped him wash and dress as soon as the tub had been emptied and refilled. Gabriel felt bad that the poor servants were having to go to so much trouble so late at night. He knew how much work it was to heat water for baths and move the water and the tub and clean it. At least he and Kathleen hadn’t brought home miniature friends from brothels, he mused.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “We shall go and meet our hosts.”

  As they walked through the foyer, servants were cleaning the floor that they had dirtied when they arrived. Gabriel felt another pang of conscience.

  “I am sorry,” he said.

  The maid just looked at him as if he had lost his mind. He supposed no one ever bothered to apologise for making work for her to do. It wasn’t that Nate and Sarah were unkind, they had just been brought up to expect servants to earn their keep. The servants he worked with also would have given a visitor an odd look if they had apologised for dirtying the floor.

  When they arrived in the drawing room, the Duchess and Duke were sitting side by side on a love seat. They looked relaxed and happy.

  “Christina and Stalwood are fine. They are pleased to hear that you are here and will endeavour to visit in the morning when it will be easier to check if they are being followed. I have also received a note from Mrs Newham, your great-aunt, I believe, Kathleen.”

  “Yes.”

  “She said she has spoken to the family and while your father is upset about th
e business deal, she has explained the situation thoroughly and hopes that by the time he has slept on the matter, he shall be more amenable to your marriage. Hartsmere has already been there shouting the odds.”

  “That sounds like my sire. Look Kirkbourne, I appreciate the hospitality but I worry about putting you, Sarah and your son in danger.”

  Nate waved him away.

  “I have plenty of loyal servants and I have weapons here. Ever since Sarah was shot just after we were married. It was only a flesh wound, but it frightened me, I can tell you.”

  “Who shot you?” asked Kathleen.

  “Oh, that’s a long story for another time. Suffice to say I survived and I am here to tell the tale, but we do not take our safety lightly. Nor that of our friends.”

  “You hardly know us.”

  “I hardly knew Nate when I married him and fell in love with him. Friendship seldom needs time. When you know you like someone, you just know.”

  They drank their tea and hot chocolate in relative silence, all contemplating the events of the evening. Gabriel was half glad he’d been there to save Kathleen but wondered if she would have solved the problem on her own. She looked like she had been managing to get Cedric off her when he’d entered. However, Gabriel had seen red and his protective instincts had won out. He’d charged in without thinking of the consequences or checking to see if she could get herself out of the situation before revealing himself. It may have been a misstep. However, it was done now.

  After tea, it was decided that they were all tired and ready for bed. Gabriel led Kathleen upstairs and assured Kirkbourne that they had no need of servants. He could see to his wife. Kirkbourne told him to ring the bell if they needed anything and in the morning when they were ready to wash and get dressed. Nightclothes had apparently been laid out for them.

  They bid him and Sarah goodnight and Gabriel led his wife into their bedchamber for their first night as man and wife.

  ∞∞∞

  Kathleen could not understand why she felt nervous. Of course, this was their first night together, but they had consummated their marriage a few times. Somehow though, the idea of waking up with Gabriel in the morning seemed just as intimate.