by Brenda Novak
She resisted whatever compelled her to rush into his arms, knowing that to succumb to such desire would be foolhardy. Her heart was already in jeopardy; she didn’t want Nathaniel to own her soul as well. Still, to her own mortification, she stepped back so he could enter.
Nathaniel’s hair was wet, and Alexandra could smell the scent of freshly washed skin as he stepped across the threshold. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to knead his thick muscles, but she knew the slightest contact would ignite a flame so intense it would be difficult to extinguish.
Perhaps he had come for a reason. Perhaps he needed to tell her something.
When Nathaniel turned to face her, Alexandra knew he hadn’t come to talk. He reached out and captured one of her hands with his own, then kissed each fingertip.
Before his touch left her completely senseless, she pulled away, eager to have the advantage over him, since she so rarely possessed it.
“Is there a problem with your room?” she asked, trying to sound flippant.
His eyes narrowed and his voice lowered almost to a growl. “Don’t tease me tonight, Alexandra. Your lips may say one thing, but your eyes tell an entirely different story.”
“Which is better than my lying to you outright, like you did to me at Bristol.”
“I had good reason for leaving you on the Vengeance.’“
“And you’re not to be questioned, is that it?”
“You can ask, but I might not answer.” He smiled and moved toward her, his eyes smoldering as he again took her hand and kissed her palm. “Besides, you had your revenge in the carriage today, and you know it.”
Alexandra couldn’t help but smile. She’d been right about her interest in the marquess bothering the pirate captain. “Still, you made a bargain you didn’t keep,” she reminded him.
“If it’s honesty you want, I’m ready to tell you anything you want to hear.”
Alexandra easily detected the mirth in his words as his lips started moving up her arm. “Isn’t there something contradictory about that statement?”
He chuckled. “Everything about us is contradictory, except this.” He nuzzled the curve of her neck below her left ear as his fingers found the baby hairs at her nape.
“And this is honest?” she asked, scarcely able to breathe as his mouth moved toward her lips.
“Can you think of anything more so?”
Alexandra had no answer for that. Her mind might prevaricate, and insist she had no interest in him, but her body refused to lie.
She groaned and swayed toward him as his mouth found hers. His tongue parted her lips and flicked against her teeth before making deep thrusts that mimicked the complete possession to come.
Alexandra wondered if Nathaniel did indeed mean to extract her very soul. She felt the strength of the arm that encircled her, the rapid but sure beat of his heart beneath her hand on his chest, and her own resistance began to slip away.
But scarcely had her hands found their way up Nathaniel’s back and into the thickness of his hair than a loud thud came from Garth’s room next door.
Clifton!
Nathaniel pulled back, a look of panic seizing his features as he darted back into the hall.
* * *
Nathaniel crashed through the door to see the marquess grappling with Garth on the ground. The two were fighting for control of Garth’s pistol, and first one then the other gained advantage. Grabbing the knife from his boot, Nathaniel leaped over the bed to reach them just as Clifton managed to roll on top. His half brother had got ahold of the gun, but Nathaniel wrapped his arm around Clifton’s neck and lay the blade against his throat.
“That’s enough,” Nathaniel said through gritted teeth.
Lord Clifton froze.
“Drop the gun.”
Sensing the marquess’s hesitancy, Nathaniel pressed the knife deeper into his skin, until a drop of blood rolled down over his thumb. “I’m not playing games.”
The marquess dropped the gun as Samuel, John, and the others congregated just inside the open doorway.
“What happened?” John asked.
Garth was breathing heavily as Clifton got off him. “I don’t know. I tied him up, then turned around to close the shutters. The next thing I knew, he attacked me.” He sat up and swiped at a small stream of blood that trickled from his mouth. “I don’t know how he managed to get out of the ropes, but he hit me with something, then went for my gun.”
Nathaniel cursed. It had already been a long journey, and it wasn’t getting any easier. “Tie him up again,” he told Samuel.
“I’ll do it,” John volunteered. “He might not be able to feel the hand he’s got left, or his feet, but he’ll not get free again.”
* * *
When Alexandra knew that Nathaniel was safe and all was once again in order, she left her vigil in the hall and went back into her room, closing the door behind her. She knew Nathaniel would not be back. Together they had stood at the edge of a yawning emotional precipice and nearly tossed themselves over the side. But she wasn’t willing to risk so much again. She had no future with Nathaniel. She couldn’t give her heart to a criminal, not if she wanted a house, and a family, and some degree of assurance that her husband would come safely home each night. And she knew the pirate captain’s plans didn’t include her, either.
Alexandra listened as footsteps approached the door and paused on the other side. Leaning against the panel, she squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, hoping all in the same moment that Nathaniel wouldn’t knock again—and that he would.
An eternity passed, it seemed, but finally she heard the floor creak as he moved away. She had been right. He would not return.
Feeling empty and deprived, Alexandra moved to the bed and lay down. Her lips tingled from his kiss, and her arms ached with the need to hold him again, but she wasn’t a fool. He could never marry her, and she knew it.
She only wished she could stop her traitorous heart from wanting him.
* * *
Nathaniel and Alexandra spoke little when they started out again at dawn. Lord Clifton’s swollen lip and a bruise showing just below one eye told her Nathaniel’s men had exacted their revenge for his attempted escape. But they seemed in no better humor for having beat him.
The marquess was sullen as well, and the ride passed almost in complete silence. The few attempts Tiny made to draw Nathaniel out were met with terse responses, until the big man gave up and lapsed into watching the countryside pass by his window.
By the time their coach reached the fields of strawberries outside London, darkness had fallen. A paper moon hung low in the sky, cloaked in the same mist that encompassed the sprawling metropolis ahead.
Alexandra felt a measure of relief as they passed fresh gravel pits and new brick kilns, knowing the tiresome journey would soon be over. Her right shoulder was beginning to pain her again, and she longed to rest. Evidently she had not recovered from the gunshot wound as well as she had thought.
“Are you all right?” Nathaniel asked when she allowed herself to sag against him.
She nodded. Lord Clifton had fallen asleep, but Nathaniel remained watchful and pensive.
“London is a big place,” she murmured. Despite all she had heard, Alexandra was surprised to see how crowded the city was. Buildings appeared to be stacked one on top of the other, creating tall brick walls that turned the avenues into canyons.
The streets were rivers of filth. A combination of rotting garbage, horse excrement, and urine ran in the gutters, creating a terrible stench, but the homeless men, women, and children huddled in doorways or crouched on the ground held Alexandra’s attention the longest. Whether old, new, rich, poor, pleasant, or vile, everything seemed more extreme in London.
“Where are we going?” she asked. Now that she knew her aunt had left the city, the capital no longer seemed a haven, though it was certainly big enough to get lost in. With any luck, Willy would never find her here. But she would be alone in a strange pla
ce. Would she find work? A place to live? Friends?
“It’s not much farther.” Nathaniel shifted as if making himself more comfortable, but Alexandra couldn’t help noticing the brace his body gave hers when he settled back again. She was grateful, for it softened the jarring of the carriage.
“Do you think the duke will trade Richard for Lord Clifton?” she whispered, eyeing the sleeping marquess.
Nathaniel cocked an eyebrow at her. “I’m sure he’ll be more motivated to trade for his son than some impostor from Manchester.” Alexandra caught the gleam of Nathaniel’s teeth as he flashed her a grin.
“Still, I’m… I’m afraid of what might happen,” she admitted, focusing the brunt of her worries on Nathaniel and his situation instead of her own. “How can you keep yourself and your men safe? Even if Greystone releases Richard, he’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth once he sees Lord Clifton’s stump.”
“I know.”
“But what will you do?”
“Whatever seems expedient at the time.”
Alexandra let the subject drop, too tired to push at the moment.
“Does your shoulder trouble you a great deal?” he asked when she didn’t speak again.
She nodded. “I’ll be glad when we get there.”
Nathaniel tipped her head onto his shoulder. “Perhaps you should try to rest. I’m afraid the ride has been too much for you.” He gently stroked her cheek, then paused in midmotion, his gaze cutting through the darkness.
The marquess was awake and was watching them, Alexandra realized.
“Do all your captives receive such tender treatment?” he asked.
Nathaniel gave him a scornful glare, but dropped his hand and turned to the window.
After a few minutes more, the carriage came to a stop. Alexandra felt the conveyance sway as Samuel descended from the driver’s box and opened the door. “Broad Street,” he announced as she sat up.
Nathaniel helped Alexandra down. A sign hung off the road a few feet in front of them. Alexandra squinted to see through the fog that curled around it, expecting the name of some small inn. She was surprised to read the words DR. WATT’S SURGERY AND REMEDIES.
Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that the others weren’t getting out. “Aren’t they coming?” she asked.
“No. You need a doctor. I’m going to leave you here.”
The impact of Nathaniel’s words hit Alexandra like a fist. She hadn’t prepared herself to be left quite so soon. To be separated from him. How could he drop her off so casually?
Pride came to Alexandra’s rescue, imbuing her with the strength to pull away and stand on her own power. “I see.”
The pirate captain stared at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. “Staying with us is too dangerous,” he explained.
“Of course. I thank you for bringing me.” Alexandra couldn’t help slipping into a more formal tone. Whirling around, she poked her head inside the carriage and said good-bye to the others before preceding Nathaniel through a wrought iron gate that swung inward to a small yard.
A brick path led to a three-story building that was obviously part business and part residence. A dim light escaped from beneath the door and gleamed around the windows, indicating someone was still awake despite the late hour.
“You’d better kiss me good-bye here,” he told her when they reached the door.
Alexandra swallowed the lump that had swelled in her throat. “And why would I want to do that?” she asked, standing stiffly at his side.
“Because I don’t plan on giving you a choice.” Pulling her into his arm, he kissed her almost as thoroughly as he had at the inn, despite her efforts to escape his hold.
“Aren’t you in a hurry?” she asked when he finally let her go.
Nathaniel laughed. “Aye, but knowing how much you like me, I couldn’t leave without a token of your esteem.”
She glared up at him, and he sobered.
“This is for your own good,” he said, speaking softly. “Just remember that.”
When Alexandra didn’t answer, Nathaniel sounded the brass knocker. Moments later a short woman with plump arms opened the door.
“Is Dr. Watts available?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. The doctor’s just now returned from a house call. Is there an emergency?”
“Not an emergency, but I think a doctor is in order.”
“Come inside and have a seat. I’ll get him directly.” She showed the two of them into a comfortable-looking parlor where a large leather chair and cloth settee sat opposite a coal fire. Alexandra sat down, but Nathaniel remained standing.
When Dr. Watts appeared, Alexandra thought he looked like the male counterpart of the woman who had answered the door. Short, with a halo of white hair circling his otherwise bald head, he had a ruddy face and a jovial voice.
“Caught me, you did,” he exclaimed. “And this time before I donned my nightclothes.”
“Then our timing is good after all. My name is Nathaniel Kent and this is my sister Alexandra, er, Kent. We appreciate your willingness to see patients at this hour.”
“Mr. Kent, I see patients at any hour. It’s all part of the territory, you know. What seems to be the problem?”
Alexandra tried to memorize Nathaniel’s face as he explained her injury to the doctor. The square jaw, the cleft chin—the blue eyes she could never forget—the hollows of his cheeks, the broad brow. She felt an inexplicable sense of panic at the thought of his leaving her, and wanted to be able to conjure up his face at any moment. She would go on and meet and marry another, she told herself, but she would never forget Nathaniel.
She heard the pirate captain say that he would cover all expenses. He negotiated a price with the doctor, and Alexandra watched the money change hands. Then Nathaniel hunkered down and pressed a roll of notes into her own palm.
“This will buy you some new dresses and other necessities.” He spoke briskly, as though eager to be on his way.
“And what shall I do with your clothes?” Alexandra asked numbly. Nathaniel had told Dr. Watts that he’d check back with him in a few days, but she knew it wasn’t true. Worse, she had told Nathaniel that this was what she wanted.
It was what she wanted, wasn’t it?
“It doesn’t matter.” He glanced over his shoulder through the window. “I’d better get going.”
“Of course.” Alexandra managed a brave smile, wondering what Dr. Watts thought of the two of them and their strange, unemotional parting. No doubt he wondered about her wearing men’s clothing and having a gunshot wound besides.
“Good-bye.” Nathaniel bent and kissed the top of her head, then strode briskly to the door.
“Nathaniel?” Alexandra now wished she hadn’t wasted her opportunity at the door to give him a proper good-bye.
He turned back, his dark hair shining in the glow from the kerosene lamp on the table beside him.
“Be careful,” she said.
He nodded as he stepped out, and the housekeeper closed the door behind him.
Chapter 12
Nathaniel refused to look back. He climbed into the carriage, hurrying to leave before he changed his mind. This was what Alexandra had asked him to do —to take her to London—and it was for the best. She’d nearly died once because of him. He wasn’t about to risk her again. He wouldn’t lose her as he had Martha.
But if their parting was predestined, if it was for the best, why did he feel as though his heart was being torn from his chest?
“Take us to the Golden Crown,” he called out to Samuel.
Clifton’s gaze immediately fastened to him, and Nathaniel resisted the urge to punch his half brother in the face. The marquess had talked and flirted with Alexandra the whole of the previous day, just to goad him. And it had worked far better than Nathaniel wanted to admit.
The carriage stopped again a few minutes later, and Samuel announced Charing Cross. Nathaniel motioned the others out, then drew his knife and waved Clifto
n to the door. “Don’t make a sound in the lobby,” he breathed, “Or the spectacle that others see will be your murder.”
Nathaniel didn’t have to force the sincerity that rang in his voice. At that moment he was looking for an opportunity, and he hoped Clifton knew it.
Garth rented several rooms in the large coaching inn, where one could get lost in a crowd.
Nathaniel followed behind the marquess as Garth led the way past a plethora of pictures, porcelains, and knickknacks arranged on polished mahogany tables. Heavy wood settees and chairs were clustered in groups on a thick pile rug, and blue silk draperies puddled on the floor.
The halls were long and dimly lit, with a water closet at the end of each one. Garth stopped at a room that corresponded to the number on his key and opened the door as Nathaniel motioned Clifton inside.
“Keep a close eye on him,” Nathaniel said, his eyes burning with the need for sleep. “If there’s another incident like last night, he won’t survive to tell about it.”
The marquess jerked his arm away from Nathaniel’s hand and entered the room with Garth. “Sleep well while you can, Dragonslayer,” he taunted over his shoulder. “It won’t be long before our roles are reversed.”
Garth gave Nathaniel a pointed look. “Are you sure he’s safe with me?”
“After the beating you gave him last night, I’m not,” Nathaniel responded. “But at this point, I’d just as soon put him out of his misery.” He tossed Tiny a key. “Tiny, you tie him up. You’ll stay across the hall with John.”
* * *
“But the doctor said you’re not strong enough to go anywhere,” the doctor’s housekeeper protested when Alexandra tried to get up. “You need to rest.”
“I need to purchase some fabric so I can make a dress, and I need to find work,” Alexandra argued from one of four beds that lined the wall of the dormitory-style room.
The housekeeper, whose name was Mrs. Tuttle, clucked her tongue. “What if I brought you some cloth? Then you could work right here. The doctor is gone, and I don’t know when he’ll return, but I’m sure Mr. Kent has already paid for you to stay for several days yet.”