Redeeming The Rake (Delicate Hearts Book 3)

by Catherine Mayfair

  He took a long drink of his brandy, and then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “There is no need to be upset,” was his reply.

  Without warning, as if everything that had happened to them had reached a boiling point, Caroline burst into tears.

  “Caroline?” William asked in clear shock.

  “No need to be upset?” she hissed. “You have no idea what struggles I endured during my journey to London!”

  “I know you slept…”

  “You know nothing!” she shouted back at him. “Many nights I lay in places like this, hiding from men like them!” The tears that flowed down her cheeks were hot. “One night, I remember lying in tall grass, wanting to scream as a man searched for me. There are stories that would curl your toes about women alone. For hours, the man kept calling my name, and at times he got so close, I could smell the sweat that rolled off his brow.” She shivered at the memory. “Do not ever tell me that I should not be upset, especially since you are the one who caused it!”

  She threw her empty mug at him and stormed off, angrier for crying than for his foolish actions earlier. When she arrived at the creek, she fell to her knees, wondering if she had made a mistake by coming with him. Perhaps the idea of fortune had masked the memories of that long and tedious journey she had taken four years earlier.

  She removed her spectacles and placed them on the grass beside her. Dipping her hands in the creek, she scooped up some water and splashed it on her face, and it helped to cool her temper as much as it cooled her skin.

  The crunch of leaves behind her made her turn, but it was just William, looking contrite.

  “Many nights, I lay in a cell amongst hardened men who would kill another man for a bit of his food. I, too, feared I would never live to see the sun rise again. In fact, I understand that fear more than you realize. And like you said, it was my foolishness that caused it.”

  Caroline dried her face with her skirts and replaced her spectacles. “I’m sorry for what I said,” she whispered as she stood.

  “You have every right to be angry with me,” he replied. “I do not know what it is like to travel as we are now. When those men said they wanted to take you, I became so angry, I could not think straight. To think someone would hurt you—worse than I had…” His words trailed off, and Caroline reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

  “I told you before that I have forgiven you,” she said. “And I meant it. You are only a fool to give your life for someone such as I.”

  William stared at her. “You say such words as if you are a woman of little consequence. I will tell you now that it is not true.” He cocked his head to one side. “May I say two things?”

  She gave a light chuckle. “You may.”

  “First, I will trust your judgment from now on and no longer question you.”

  This made Caroline smile. “That is a marvelous idea,” she said. “And the second?”

  “Drink brandy with me and share this story of Butcher Mary,” he said with a laugh. “It sounds quite an intriguing story.”

  Caroline could not help but join in his laughter. For the first time since their encounter just outside the forest, she relaxed. “Your request is granted,” she said, and side by side, they returned to the campfire.

  ***

  Their provisions were, indeed, running low. They were made to feast on stale bread and dried meet portions, and Caroline wondered why they had not asked for fresh bread at the least while they were at the inn. Men. They did not think things through.

  However, the choice of dining options did not seem to affect William, for he spoke of the remainder of the journey ahead with a light tone and wide grin.

  “In four days, we will secure the treasure,” he said as he gazed off into the darkness beyond the light of the campfire. “All our dreams will come true!”

  She could not help but smile, but how much that had to do with his words and how much was due to the third glass of brandy she held in her hand was questionable. Regardless, she was finding his company most enjoyable.

  “I will buy a new suit,” he continued. “I have been craving for some time the feel of a soft silk cravat around my neck and muslin against my skin. However, I want nothing more for myself, no other expense of luxury.” He turned to look at her. “And you? Will you buy a new dress?”

  “Oh, yes,” Caroline replied, her mind turning to the dress she had seen through the window at the dressmaker’s. “It will be blue like a night sky before a storm. And gloves like the ladies wear in St. William’s Park. Oh, and a hat, of course. I have always wanted one with decorative ribbons and flowers.” She sighed, relishing not only in the delight of a new outfit but also in the feel of the fabric. The only time she had touched such cloth was during her time in service, and even then she had envied the women such opulence. To own something so exquisite would be wonderful indeed.

  “Then it is settled,” William said with a slap to his knee. “Now, tell me about this Butcher Mary before I ramble on to the point you fall asleep.”

  Caroline smiled. The fire crackled beside them, bringing warmth, and an eerie light, to the otherwise cool, dark night. It was the perfect setting for her story.

  “It’s a frightening tale,” Caroline said, forcing an ominous tone to her voice. “Many in London, and even more throughout England, fear this woman, especially highwaymen such as those we encountered today.” Like a child, William’s eyes went wide, and Caroline had to stifle a giggle. “There was a woman whose beauty was so great, every man she encountered made unwanted advances. One man even placed his hand on her derriere as she passed by him.”

  William shook his head. “Disgusting,” he said. “No better than animals.”

  She nodded her agreement. “Indeed. Well, she thought very much the same, for she took a knife and cut the man here,” —she pretended her finger was the knife and slashed it across William’s stomach— “and here.” This time she ran her finger down his cheek.

  The man gasped. However, it was not the gasp of startlement that she had expected but rather of something else entirely. Not only had his reaction to her touch been very different, but her body also responded in a much different manner, for she had a warming sensation in the pit of her stomach.

  She swallowed hard and continued her story, though the words came less freely now. “The man, who was badly injured, informed his two brothers, who each told a friend, and all four went seeking revenge.”

  “What happened?” William asked. “Did she kill them all?”

  Caroline was relieved. She had misunderstood his gasp. Good. Now she continued her story with renewed vigor. “Do not doubt that she killed them,” she replied. “She sliced each man seven times. That is her favorite number, you see. The men all fell in unison with wounds so great they could not be healed.”

  She had to fight back a giddy feeling that had come over her, and she looked down at the nearly empty mug. How had she allowed herself to drink so much? However, she did not stop William when he refilled the mug with the last of the brandy.

  “And she still roams the streets?” he asked. “She has not been caught?”

  Caroline made a dramatic pretense of looking down at the ground. “I…know she has not been caught,” she said in a whisper. “She is alive and well.”

  William leaned forward, his eyes so wide they reflected the light of the flames. “Do tell!” he said. “Where is she?”

  Caroline had to bite on her lip to keep from laughing. She waited for the precise moment, a moment he would not expect, and she slashed a finger across his chest and shouted, “Right here!”

  William shuffled back with a yelp, and Caroline could not hold back her laughter any longer. Tears ran down her face and her side ached as she doubled over and rolled to her back.

  “You are horrible,” he said as he gave his shirt one more glance. “I cannot believe that you had me going!” He joined in her laughter.

  Caroline returned to her seated position and stoked the fire with
a stick. “The truth is that I treated a man two years ago who had been cut by accident by his wife, whose name was Molly. As there were other men waiting to be seen, I can only imagine that the man fabricated the story in order to preserve his honor. I find it amusing that the story has found its way to the countryside, as well.”

  “I’m glad it is not true,” William said. Then he winked. “And that it is not you.”

  Laughing, Caroline made to stand in order to add another piece of tinder to the fire, but she lost her balance. He reached out to catch her only to have them both fall, and her heart pounded in her chest as she looked into his eyes, their lips close to touching. For a moment, she wished for him to kiss her.

  Then panic seized her at the thought that he might.

  “My apologies,” she said, her voice breathless as she pushed herself away. “The drink seems to have made me clumsy.”

  “And it has made me tired,” William said with a yawn Caroline suspected was false. “I believe it is time for us to go to sleep.”

  Caroline nodded, afraid to speak another word as she readied herself for the night.

  A short time later, William was asleep—or so she suspected by his even breathing—but sleep alluded her. She stared at the fire and thought of the events of the day, which had been full of adventure—and confusion. Her feelings for him had ranged from enjoying his company to wishing to be as far away from him as possible. In the end, she had wished he would kiss her, and that had been the strangest feeling of all.

  As her eyes grew heavy, she tried to imagine not being near him. Yes, he was foolish, but he was also kind. He could be infuriatingly masculine, and yet he was gallant. And he was handsome.

  Her last thought before sleep overtook her was of them eventually parting ways, and she found that idea the least appealing of them all.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Caroline and William continued their journey through remote areas for the following three days, stopping to buy new supplies, including a new bottle of brandy. Caroline looked forward to reaching their destination. Though the route through which William took them held some of the most beautiful scenery Caroline had ever seen, she was tired of sitting upon a horse and sleeping on the ground. They had been lucky enough to not have endured any rain, but the mornings were cold and damp, and a good bed sounded wonderful.

  Much to her delight, they had not argued once since that evening near the fire when Caroline had thrown her cup at the man. To act in such a way was not a part of her usual demeanor, and she could not help but laugh thinking about it.

  “And what is it that makes you smile?” William, who had been strangely quiet the entire day, asked, bringing her back to the present.

  “Oh, just a memory,” she said with a smile.

  He shook his head as if in confusion, but that only made her want to laugh more.

  It was mid-afternoon, and though most of the sky was blue, dark clouds hovered on the horizon. “Two more days and we will arrive in Cornwall,” she said in hopes of beginning some sort of conversation. The journey went by much quicker when they talked.

  “Indeed,” William replied before her began to cough. “Then we will find an inn where we can sleep for an entire day and night.”

  Caroline studied the man. She had noticed his pale complexion, but he had not shown any symptoms of illness until now. “Are you well?” she asked.

  “I am fine,” he replied.

  Somehow, she did not believe him. She now wished she had taken better notice of his pallor. He had been eating well, but he was still thin after his years in prison. Was the journey tiring him? She was also tired, so that could have been the cause of his pale coloring.

  They had just entered a small copse of trees, so Caroline said, “You look weary. We can stop and rest if you’d like.”

  “No,” he replied. “I would like to get to Cornwall soon. We can rest when we arrive.”

  She did not like the idea, but she said nothing. Men and their foolishness!

  An hour later, they crested a hill that overlooked a large village. The dark clouds that had formed on the horizon now had grown and threatened rain within the hour.

  “I set aside funds for one more night in an inn,” Caroline said. “With the approaching storm, I would prefer not to search for shelter beneath a haystack or bushes.”

  “That is fine,” William replied before coughing again. “But do not do so on my account.”

  “Never,” Caroline said with a smile. She was relieved when he returned it with a smile of his own.

  Soon, they entered the village, which was much larger than most they had encountered in the past day or two. People moved from one shop to the next, and carriages kicked up dust, much to the disapproving glares of many the women in their fine dresses.

  They will be complaining of the mud soon, Caroline thought as she glanced at the storm that was nearing.

  William called out to a man and woman who were standing on the corner in front of a haberdashers. “Can you tell me where an inn is located?”

  The man rubbed his chin as if deep in thought when his wife sighed and stepped in front of him.

  “The end of the road there,” she said, pointing, “you’re gonna see a pub.”

  “Oh, is it there?” William asked.

  “No,” the woman said with an annoyed shake of her head. Caroline could not stop from giggling. “You’ll go right from there and then down the road not five hundred paces. That’ll be the inn.”

  “Thank you,” William said.

  The woman smiled, and she and her companion walked away.

  “Women are not very patient,” William observed. “If they would listen more, it would help them more than they realize.”

  Caroline laughed so hard, she thought she might fall from her horse as they continued in the direction the woman had indicated. If he only knew how often she thought the same of men!

  However, her laughter stopped short when he coughed again.

  “As soon as we find a room, you will rest,” Caroline instructed. “I will not have you sick.”

  “I will not argue,” he replied. Indeed, the man was ill if he agreed with anything she advised.

  They followed the directions the woman had given them, and when they arrived, they handed over the reins of the horses to a stable hand just as the first spits of rain began.

  The inn was a two-story building with faded white paint beneath the ropes of leafless ivy that grew up its facade. The storm had driven quite a few people to the tiny pub, and Caroline worried they would have no more rooms available. As luck would have it, most of the crowd that filled the lobby was waiting to enter the dining area attached to the building.

  With her medical bag clutched in front of her, Caroline waited patiently until they were able to approach the innkeeper. He was an older man with round cheeks that matched the shape of his stomach. His eyebrows had grown as wild as any hedge she had ever seen.

  “You’re in luck,” the man said when she inquired after a room. “We’ve one left.” He eyed them for a moment and then added, “You’re married, ain’t ya?”

  Caroline’s heart skipped a beat at the notion of sharing a room, but when William doubled over with another fit of coughing, she nodded. “We are.” When the man glanced at her bag, she added, “My husband is a doctor.” Terming William as her husband sent a pleasant tingle through her body, but she pushed the sensation away. No need to allow such emotions to rise only to fight them away later.

  The innkeeper wrote their names in his registry and handed her a key. “Up the stairs, last room on the right. You’ll find food and drink through that door.” He indicated the door people were lined up to enter.

  “Thank you,” William murmured as he took the key.

  They made their way to the stairs, but as they reached the first landing of the curved staircase, Caroline gave William a worried glance. One room also meant one bed. She hoped they would also have a couch or a comfortable chair, but she doub
ted it would be the case.

  When they arrived at the room, however, she was surprised that the bed was larger than she had anticipated. The chair would not be comfortable, but there was enough space on the floor to set up a decent pallet.

  William set their bags on the floor beside the chair, and when he rose, he wobbled. Caroline hurried over to him and grabbed his arm. When he turned to look at her, she was shocked to see that his eyes shone and his cheeks had gone from pale to rosy. She placed her wrist to his forehead and pursed her lips.

  “Just as I thought,” she said. “You are with fever.”

  “I am never ill,” William said. However, when she placed a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him, he flinched. “You are right; I’m ill.”

  “Lie down,” Caroline instructed him and was surprised when he did not argue.

  As he removed his boots, Caroline searched her bag and retrieved a bottle of a concoction Doctor Brown had used often to help patients sleep. ‘The best way to cure a fever is to allow it to run its course,’ he had advised on more than one occasion.

  Caroline snorted. “Unfortunately, few patients will rest long enough to allow it to do its job,” she mumbled as she took the lid off the bottle.

  “What is that?” William asked, suspiciously eying the bottle she held.

  “The finest poison crafted by the most malevolent sorcerer,” she replied with a malevolent grin. She poured a small amount into a spoon and offered it to him. He drank it down with a grimace. “Now, lay back and rest. You have had a trying time and are exhausted. This will help you recover faster.”

  “I am tired,” he agreed, his eyes closing as soon as his head was on the pillow. “Very tired.”

  Caroline smiled as she looked down at the man. “I will get us food later. For now, I prescribe sleep.”