“No, that would not do at all,” Andrew agreed.
“What about Gretna Green?” Edward suggested.
Jack scowled. “We were speaking of not causing a scandal. I will not have my wife being subjected to the harsher gossips of the Ton.”
Edward rolled his eyes. “I never said that you actually had to take her there. This shall be a wild goose chase of sorts. You can head toward Gretna to buy some additional time. Then when the lady is amenable, you can turn back toward York. But I have to say, you need to get there by three days at the latest. Aunt Cece would never forgive us if we missed the Christmas Ball. She will be angry enough as it is that we have been involved in this affair.”
Andrew snorted. “Father has said on more than one occasion that Aunt Cece was something of an original during her earlier years. I doubt anything we have done can compare to her antics. Remember the story when she convinced mother to climb a tree in their nightdresses?”
Edward smiled fondly. “I think they made up half of those old stories. But Andrew is right, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Cavendish, do you promise to have her back home in time for the ball?”
A part of Jack delighted in the idea of marrying Lizzie in Gretna Green just so that the deed was done. But he was smart enough to know that the scandal would be one that could cause her some discomfort. Jack was finding that he truly felt pained from all of the discomfort that he had caused her over the years. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again.
Jack nodded at the brothers. “I promise. I will bring her back by the Christmas Eve ball. But I want something from you as well.”
Andrew lifted his chin. “Indeed?”
“Have the parson brought round. I intend to marry Lizzie at the first opportunity presented.”
Edward smiled broadly. “Consider it done, Cavendish.”
“She will not go willingly,” Andrew warned.
Jack grinned. “I know, I am counting on it.”
With a nod toward the other men, Jack stood, taking his leave of them.
Andrew turned to his brother. “I hope that we have not misjudged the man. I have always liked him, but ten years, that is a long time to leave someone waiting.”
Edward sighed. “It is clear to me that Jack has finally come to his senses. As mad as it seems, this strange turn of events has forced them to spend time with one another. I think with a little more time, Cavendish will be able to accomplish this plan. However, if Lizzie takes a pet and chooses to throw him over, I fear that nothing will change her mind.”
“Let us hope that Cavendish has more tricks up his sleeve to win her over,” Andrew added. “Whether they like it or not, they will have to be married if word gets out that they are traveling together. A maid will not be enough to stifle the rumours.”
Edward looked sceptical. “Ned is tight-lipped. I cannot see it getting out unless they meet someone on the road.”
Andrew laughed. “Ned might be tight lipped, but I am not. It is high time the two of them were married.”
Edward grinned and raised his class for a toast.
Chapter 10
“I will not go back!” Lizzie answered Jack tersely. “I do not wish to be married to you anymore.”
“Lizzie, we cannot stay at this inn for the rest of our lives with the Viscount tied to a chair,” Edward answered, always the voice of reason.
Jack wasn’t sure why he felt as if a vice were squeezing his chest every time, she announced that she didn’t want to marry him. It shouldn’t have bothering him and yet it did. Frowning he asked, “You have wanted to marry me your entire life. What changed?”
Lizzie’s eyes widened with incredulity. She laughed, but it didn’t hold any humour. “I changed. I grew up. I was not in love with you Jack. I was in love with the idea of love, and your jawline, but it does not matter anymore.”
Andrew tipped a bit of snuff into the curve of his finger and then inhaled. “Darling, as much as I would love to continue this insanity, mother will be expecting us at Mangrove Manor. Margo and Thomas will have arrived by now with the children. You cannot expect us to disappoint the children, can you?”
Lizzie shot her cousin a look. “That was rather a low blow, do you not think?”
Andrew shrugged, the smallest of twinkles in his eye. “I know that they were looking forward to seeing you. I think Alice planned on bringing her kitten.”
Edward shuddered. “Who brings a cat across the country at Christmas in a carriage with a bunch of children?”
Lizzie couldn’t help the smile that threatened to escape when she thought of her young cousin Alice. Lizzie had always been rather fond of kittens herself. But the smile died when she thought about returning home. Somehow, she knew that if she returned, she would have to marry Jack.
Marrying Jack had been her lifelong dream. A dream that was shattered and couldn’t be placed together again no matter how hard she tried. There were some things that just weren’t meant to be.
Edward had been right; Lizzie knew that Jack couldn’t remain her prisoner. With reluctance, she turned to her cousin. “Go ahead and untie him, but I will not be returning home with you.”
Edward used his knife to free the knots that had been keeping the Viscount strapped to the chair. Jack stood and stretched his arms and legs. Pins and needles erupted just as they had every time he needed to use the necessary.
It was wonderful to be free and terrible to try and get the blood flowing again properly.
Jack glanced over to Edward. “Thank you.”
Edward had been smart enough to take step back and to keep his knife in close proximity. He didn’t imagine that Jack would attack him, but one never knew. Jack’s muscular body had laid more than one man flat in the boxing ring. Edward had no desire to join their ranks.
“I say, there is no ill-will between us, is there?” Andrew asked.
Jack barked out a laugh. It sounded eerily similar to his grandfather. “No, I understand completely. You were only avenging your cousin’s mistreatment at my hand.”
Lizzie scowled. “No, they were following my orders.”
Jack raised a brow. “Are you saying that they do not have to avenge your honour?”
She looked thunderous. “I am saying I can avenge myself. I do not need to stand behind my cousins.”
Jack’s glaze didn’t leave hers as he addressed the other two gentlemen. “Did you hear that boys? She does not need you to defend or protect her.”
“Loud and clear,” Andrew replied easily.
“Perfect,” Jack answered and then he pounced.
One moment she was standing on her feet, and the next moment Jack had her around the middle and he was carrying her over his shoulder.
“Let go of me! You cannot do this!”
A litany of complaints and threats escaped her lips. But Jack went on as if she hadn’t spoken. He addressed Edward when he asked, “The carriage is ready with her things?”
Edward nodded. “All packed up, including the maid.”
Lizzie screeched her indignation. “You plotted against me?”
Andrew tsk-tsked, “Do not think about it like that, Lizzie.”
“How else should I think of it?” she exploded.
He grinned. “The Viscount is only launching his counterattack. I am sure you will have something up your sleeve.”
Jack shot Andrew a scowl. “Stop helping.”
“I will not leave with you,” Lizzie bit out the words in-between pounding on his back.
“Yes, you will.” Jack sounded as if he were in the best spirits.
This only caused Lizzie’s temper to flare. “I will make you sorry,” she threatened.
His reply was difficult to hear but she strained to pick up the words. “I am already dreadfully sorry about a great many things, Lizzie. But this is not one of them.”
Chapter 11
“Do you realise that this is an abduction? I could call the magistrate.” Lizzie threatened from
the opposite bench of the carriage.
Jack smiled at her over his book. “Please do. He is a close friend of my fathers. I should imagine they are coming to the Christmas Yuletide Ball.”
Lizzie gritted her teeth together as she glared back at him.
Her maid, Martin, sank further back into the upholstery. She knew that her mistress was rather like a lightning bolt when she was angry. When they returned to the country, Martin vowed that she would stay there. She might have to give up being a lady’s maid. But it would be far better than all of these freezing coach rides in December. They weren’t good for a body. Besides that, Martin knew that her mistress shouldn’t have run off with her cousins. But reasoning with the young lady was rather impossible. No, this wasn’t the life for her.
While she continued with her musings, Jack and Lizzie’s gazes were still locked together.
“I have Shelley’s second volume if you would like to read it?” Jack asked conversationally.
Lizzie almost snapped something terrible about what he could do with that second volume. But then she remembered just how much she had wanted to read it. Blast the man and his excellent sense of literature! Not trusting her voice, she extended a hand.
Jack’s grin broadened and it sent her insides into a flurry of wishy-washy madness. How could the man disarm her with a simple smile? And a slightly crooked one at that! It was something that Lizzie had pondered far too many times. Well, no longer!
She tried not to notice the way his fine fitting coat showed the muscular physique underneath. Ladies didn’t think about such things, obviously, but Jack had that way of setting her world upside down.
She watched intently as he ruffled through the case on his side and then handed her the leather-bound volume.
Remembering her manners, she thanked him prettily and began to read the book. Little did she realise that Jack had put his book away to watch her.
Lizzie’s face was so expressive that Jack felt like he was almost reading the words himself. Her gasps of surprise followed by her widening eyes had him yearning to ask what part she was at. Jack wished that he had asked her long ago about what books she liked to read.
This was something that he really should have known. There was so much lost time! As the light faded, shadows appeared on her delicate cheeks. The curve of her neck was perfection. Jack yearned to touch her skin just to see if it was as soft as it looked.
That had him glancing over to her maid, Martin. The woman was made of stern country stock. She wouldn’t be putting up with any nonsense. However, it would seem that luck was on Jack’s side, because the interminable chaperone had fallen asleep.
With a slight clearing of his throat, Jack spoke. “Are you enjoying the book?”
Lizzie glanced up at him. “Oh yes! It is brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. I am three parts horrified at the creature and the last has me feeling sorry for it.”
This launched a lovely conversation about morality and life. It was long past time that they should have arrived back at Mangrove Manor. Jack had kept Lizzie talking for hours and had thoroughly enjoyed every minute. However, now that the lamp was the only thing lighting the inside of the carriage, he feared that Lizzie would soon come to her senses.
And as luck would have it, she did.
“Where are we? Should we not be home by now?”
Lizzie attempted to peer out of the windows. Sadly, because of the snow and her lack of frequent travel, she wasn’t sure where they were.
Jack flushed a little. “We are on our way to Gretna Green.”
There was a pregnant pause as Lizzie tried to process what Jack had just shared with her. Just as she had decided to rip him limb from limb, there was a large crack, and the coach began to slide.
Lizzie screamed.
Waking Martin who promptly slid to the floor and uttered a curse that was most not becoming of a lady’s maid. The coach slid again. Jack snatched Lizzie into his arms and cradled her against his chest as the coach tipped on its side and finally came to a halt.
“Is everyone alright in there?” the driver called out.
Lizzie was shivering, she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from the accident. Everyone was a massive tangle of travelling cloaks and limbs where they shouldn’t be, but all seemed to have survived the crash.
The driver climbed atop the coach and wrenched the door open. One by one they lifted the ladies out and then helped the Viscount. A broken axel had caused the carriage to slide into a ditch where the momentum had caused it to tip over.
The occupants were cold, shaken, and without a place to go.
“There is nothing for it,” Lizzie said, teeth chattering. “We will need to walk to the nearest establishment. If we stay here, we will freeze to death.”
It was decided that she was right, and they all set off on foot.
Chapter 12
The nursemaid had just finished nursing the baby when someone began pounding on the door two floors below. It was the middle of the night for heaven’s sake! With a frown, she watched as the baby’s blue eyes popped open again and the infant began to wail.
Meanwhile downstairs, the butler in a semi sort of formal wear, opened the door to the weary travellers.
“May I help you?”
“I certainly hope so,” Jack managed to paste his winning smile on despite the cold. Handing the butler his card, Jack explained what had happened on the road.
The butler ushered everyone inside to a cosy parlour and within moments was able to get a nice fire started.
Moments later an intelligent looking woman in her night wrapper, who was clearly near the end of her confinement, entered the room on the arm of her husband. He was a large man with an inquisitive expression that was not unkind.
“I am Mr. Burke, and this is my wife, Mrs. Burke. We are pleased to have you stay the night with us. I am sure it is not what you are used to.”
“It is wonderful, I assure you,” Jack was quick to say as he stepped forward and bowed over Mrs. Burke’s hand. “We are honoured at your hospitality.”
After all the introductions were made and some hot tea and sandwiches had been served Lizzie let out a rather large yawn.
“I do beg your pardon!” She blushed as her eyes unconsciously went to where Jack was sitting. His danced with amusement and her colour deepened.
Mrs Burke smiled warmly at Lizzie and Martin. “I shall have my servants look at that cut. Why don’t you come with me?”
Lizzie and Martin followed the woman out of the room and down the hallway, out of Jack’s sight.
Meanwhile Mr. Burke said, “My men can have your carriage repaired or you can use ours. But it will not do to start out at this time of night.”
Jack readily agreed and watched as Mr. Burke took a moment to instruct his servants to help the coachman retrieve as much of the party’s luggage as they could. When he returned, he offered Jack a drink.
The liquid did much for helping Jack warm up. Between that and the roaring fire, Jack was beginning to feel more like himself.
Mr. Burke was friendly, and soon they were talking more like friends than the strangers they truly were. “Milord, as I have said, you are welcome to stay. As you can see my wife is about to have a baby. It could be any day now. So, I do apologise if this is not the last time we will be up tonight.”
Jack smiled, “Felicitations to you. Is this your first child?”
Mr. Burke laughed. “Heaven’s me, no! This is our sixth babe. The oldest is coming on twelve and the youngest is not quite a year yet.”
Jack hardly knew what to say. “How wonderful for you, Mr. Burke.”
Clearly, he had said the right thing, because Mr. Burke beamed and said, “We are pleased as punch. Hoping for another boy, not that I would say such things to Mrs. Burke. A blessing from God, every last one of them.”
Jack inclined his head. “Having none of my own, I shall have to take your word for it.”
Mr. Burke set his glass
down. “Well then, Milord. This is a pleasure indeed. I hope that you will be comfortable until we can manage to get you home again. I hate to bring bad tidings, but it seems to be snowing again, and it does not look like stopping.”
Jack followed Mr. Burke’s gaze to the window even though it was night and one couldn’t see out. “That is disheartening. I had wanted to bring Miss Rotherford and her maid home.”
He didn’t mention Gretna Green, not wanting to have the older man’s censure on what was surely an ill-fated trip. Jack cursed himself for not taking Lizzie home straight away. What a fine mess he had landed them in.
“Let me show you to your room,” Walter stood and walked to the door. “Perhaps tomorrow things will look better.”
The room was starting to warm having just had the fire lit. It wasn’t as richly appointed as the Duke’s country estate. But the room was clean, and the linens were fresh. As far as places they could have landed, this was indeed one of the best circumstances that Jack could imagine.
The house wasn’t overly large with only a handful of bedrooms. Lizzie and Martin were tucked away next to his room and on the other side was Mr. and Mrs Burke.
A faint baby cry wafted down from the floor above, reminding Jack that the Burke’s had a full house. Jack hoped that they would be able to set off when the sun arose. He wanted to make Lizzie his wife. It wasn’t lost on Jack that he had come full circle from despising the very idea of wedding the lovely Lizzie.
However, seeing the Burke’s affectionate way with each other, Jack couldn’t help but be envious. He relished that he would rather enjoy seeing Lizzie swollen with their child. What a strange world it is that would bring him such a notion. Yet it lingered in his mind far into the night.
Chapter 13
“Who are you?”
Jack awakened to have a small finger being jabbed into his cheek. Having younger siblings, Jack was instantly transported to an easier time when all he worried about was having a jolly good time.
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