by Jilian Rouge
Truthfully, the man’s capture had everything to do with his need for revenge, and Rafe fully intended to exact his own brand of retribution upon that man’s head. For all of his suffering on board the slaver’s ship, Rafe needed to know why he had been taken. He believed that this man would have all of the answers he needed.
Rafe put a little more speed into his step, his intent focused on reaching the room assigned to him earlier. In his haste, he almost missed the flurry of silk sprawled at the bottom of the staircase. It was a woman’s unconscious form, to his dismay. In his line of work, he was used to seeing bodies splayed as such, either unconscious or dead, but he was unfamiliar with such repose being seen on a gentlewoman.
Crashing to his knees beside the woman, he breathed out a sigh of relief to see the rise and fall of her chest. But the sizable lump on her temple told him that there may be some unforeseeable damage caused by the fall. Scanning the length of the staircase, it was concerning to see the great height from which she had fallen. Scooping her up in his arms, he bellowed loudly, “Come quick! Someone’s been hurt!”
6
A Few Days Later, The Morning of the Midsummer Ball
Discussing the past few days’ events without ears to overhear, both Georgie and Ernest adjourned to the parlor after breakfast. With Rafe’s sudden reappearance and Rue’s subsequent fall, Georgie desperately needed to share with her older brother all of her conflicting feelings. Especially since she had been actively avoiding Rafe since their last discussion.
With Rue hurt and currently convalescing, Georgie was left to confront her own feelings concerning Rafe’s reappearance. Since Georgie had only re-entered Society within the past year, not many remembered the scandal of her erstwhile husband leaving her only after two days of marriage.
But Ernest, being her brother and aware of her situation, asked her, “What will you do about Rafe?”
Restlessly wringing her hands, Georgie admitted, “I don’t know. He claimed that he’s come back for my sake and that he fully intends to resume his role as my husband.”
Shaking his head, Ernest gritted out, “After he had left you the way he did? Father would never allow it and Mother would have his head on a platter for the humiliation you had to endure.”
“I had told him I didn’t wish to resume our marriage, but he was stubborn.”
“He obviously hasn’t changed a bit. Like father, like sons,” Ernest groused. Recalling the fate of Rafe’s remaining relatives, Ernest asked, “Does he know about the duke and Lionel?”
“Yes,” Georgie said forlornly. “I had to tell him. He deserved to know.” Reaching into the pocket of her day dress, Georgie produced a folded note and handed it to Ernest. As he scanned it, Georgie explained, “Mother forwarded it to me just this morning. It appears both Rafe and I are being summoned to Lyonscar for the reading of the duke’s will.” Ernest handed the note back to her, and she tucked back between the folds of her pocket.
“The duke’s solicitor is aware that Rafe has returned?”
“I’m uncertain, but there had been frequent correspondence between Rafe and his family without my knowing. While I had thought he was dead in some far corner of the world, his family had known all along that he was alive.”
“That scoundrel! First, he lied to you about his intentions for marrying you, then he deliberately stays away with no word?”
“No, Ernest, not deliberately. At least, not for the first year he had been gone. It turns out he had been kidnapped and sold to a slave trader until he had been rescued. He then spent the last four years bolstering his reputation and fortune on the high seas as a pirate himself.”
“My God! That’s the most unlikely story. And he expected you to believe all that?”
“As a matter of fact, I do believe it. He didn’t leave me willingly, he had said.”
“Georgie, I can’t believe you would fall for his charms all over again! Not after what you went through after he had left.”
“No, that’s not what is happening here!” she argued. “While I won’t contest his story, I haven’t made him any promises. I had even asked him for a divorce.”
Ernest paled. “But Georgie, the ton would rip you to shreds! If the ton was scandalized by your short-lived marriage, think of what they would do to you when they hear of your divorce!”
“I-I know,” she stammered nervously. “I rather think that if I could survive my first bout of humiliation at their hands, then I just might stand strong against a second. But don’t you think that after all this time that I deserve a fresh start, free from Rafe?”
“Of course, I do, darling sister, but there will be consequences for such a choice, ones I’m not sure you would be prepared for,” Ernest said quietly.
“I know, and I love you for wanting to protect me, but I think I can handle what will come next,” Georgie assured him confidently.
Although, inwardly, she quaked at the thought of the ton’s brand of cruelty when it came to breaking its restrictive rules. She had barely survived it the first time, but there had been Ernest to pull her from the brink. Aware of Ernest’s own homosexual proclivities, Georgie somehow drew comfort in the thought that she and her brother both were forced to hide a part of themselves that Society had deemed shameful. And though Ernest would soon carry their father’s title, Georgie saddened at the thought that there would be no natural heir forthcoming through him.
Changing the subject, Ernest asked, “Have you looked in on Rue this morning?”
Shaking her head, Georgie replied, “She was looking better last evening, and I thought she could benefit by sleeping late. Especially given everything she and the earl had been through.”
Georgie would be extremely grateful if she didn’t have to hear about Rue being in danger or threatened ever again. If she had followed after Rafe after their stormy encounter into the main hall, she would have also witnessed Rue’s prone, unconscious form at the bottom of the stairs. Since she hadn’t, she did respond to Rafe’s bellowing and had come running.
Since then, Georgie had clearly seen the obvious and unmistakable overtures on the earl’s part towards Rue, and she wondered how she had missed such deep feelings the both of them still had for each other. It was clear to Georgie that both Rue and the earl were in love with each other, despite Rue’s claims that she was meant for another, and she was curious to see how things would develop for the couple in the future. Besides, she couldn’t imagine a better-suited couple than the Earl of Merrick and Lady Rumina Abelard.
In the meantime, Georgie worried for her friend’s safety, as it was also clear that both Rue and the earl were being targeted. She and Ernest had worried greatly over Rue while sitting with her, waiting for her to wake up. Once she had awakened, and once the doctor had examined Rue and the earl had finally left her side, Rue had confessed everything concerning the threatening notes, the attempt on the earl’s life, and her last memory before she had been pushed down the stairs.
Ernest stood and sauntered over to the window that overlooked the front lawn. “Oh, look, Georgie. Rafe is coming up the drive on horseback. And he’s carrying a small bundle.”
Georgie peered over her brother’s shoulder and watched as Rafe skillfully slowed his horse from a gallop to a canter. As his nearing figure drew closer, she saw that the small bundle before him was actually a young boy wrapped up in a huge cloak. Watching closely, Georgie observed Rafe as he brought the animal to a stop, vaulted off the horse’s back, and led the horse to a hitching post nearby. Once there, he reached up and gently lifted the small boy from the horse’s back, talking animatedly all the while. “That’s a little boy he’s carrying,” she noted. “I think he’s hurt.”
Georgie’s nerves tensed as she realized that Rafe would be passing by the parlor upon entry into the house, and she hurried to the main hallway to meet him. She would offer her assistance if need be, casting aside her reservations about Rafe himself for the sake of the little boy.
Once there, Georgie a
rrived only to find that Alistair had swiftly appeared, and he addressed the boy in Rafe’s arms, “Ben! Are you all right? You had your mother and father worried sick looking for you all night. Where have you been?”
Rafe interjected on behalf of the boy, “This young man was braver than any of my men for his ordeal. He faced down a bully and his own fear of the dark and came out laughing in the face of danger. He deserves the highest honor for what he’s been through. Both the earl and Lady Rumina also had a hand in his location and rescue and should be back presently.”
Georgie watched as Ben went from looking sheepish to indignant all at once, still in Rafe’s arms. He exclaimed, “I was trapped in the old mine all night long, Alistair! But I wasn’t scared, not like Johnnie said I’d be. Only I hurt my leg bad and couldn’t get out.”
“Well, I suppose now that you’re safe, I’ll see to fetching your parents and the doctor.” The usually stoic Ravenscroft butler had looked mildly relieved at the sight of the boy and coldly said, “Well, Johnnie will certainly hear from me about luring you to such a dangerous place. For now, I’ll get you something to eat and drink. Captain Griffiths, if you would set the boy down in the drawing room, I will see that he is cared for.”
“Of course,” Rafe said before complying. Georgie followed after him and waited until Rafe placed the boy on a settee, propping both of his legs up.
“There, now, young man. All settled?” Rafe asked as he came to a stand.
“Yes, sir. And please don’t forget your promise! Oh, I see Mama and Papa behind you,” Ben said matter-of-factly.
Before Rafe could form a reply, the little boy was beset by both of his parents descending upon him, crying and exclaiming. Rafe finally spied Georgie who stood off to the side and looked at her questioningly.
“May I have a word with you in private?” she asked. “It’s important.” With Rafe now forgotten, the little boy didn’t seem to need his rescuer any longer, now that his parents had arrived.
“Of course,” Rafe said, gesturing towards the door, allowing her to leave the room first. Following after her, he let her lead him to the same terrace where she had found him that first night. Only this time, he could see her more clearly by way of the mid-morning sun, fascinated once again by how beautiful she was. My wife, he thought possessively.
Turning around to face him, Georgie was struck once again by how big and intimidating Rafe was, his size blocking out the sun behind him. Swallowing against a mouth made dry by the sight of him, Georgie blurted, “There’s been a summons for both of us to be at Lyonscar in two days. I presume your father’s solicitor had heard of your arrival back and wants us both present for the reading of your father’s will.”
“Oh,” Rafe said, at a loss for anything else to say. Of all the things he had expected her to discuss, it wasn’t that. “I assume that we will have time enough to enjoy the ball, where I’m hoping you would at least save me a dance?”
Georgie was taken aback by his assumption, but she wanted to keep him focused on the matter at hand. Waving aside his request, she replied, “Just one. That aside, can we talk about what will happen in two days?”
“Do you mean where we will both hear of my father’s wishes to be carried out posthumously while we stand together solidly as man and wife?”
“Stop your funning. Yes, we will be hearing the reading of his will, but most importantly, I will be moving out of Lyonscar shortly afterwards.”
“What?!” Rafe exclaimed loudly. Georgie gave him a look of astonishment at the volume of his voice, and Rafe sighed first before saying in a quieter voice, “I told you that I wanted to stay married to you and make a real marriage out of the farce I had originally made it. I can’t do that if you take yourself out of the equation, Georgina.”
“You do realize that you’ve only been spouting what it is you want, Rafe,” she said with haughtiness. “What about what I want? Are you so selfish as to not consider my own feelings in the matter?”
Unable to face what he was hearing, he asked, “You really don’t want to be married to me, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t,” Georgie said with certainty. Meanwhile, her heart softened at the lost-little-boy tone in his voice at his question. Years of loving him as a friend simply couldn’t be erased when he used that tone on her; it made her want to embrace and comfort him as she used to.
Defeated, Rafe looked down at his feet, unable to look at her without showing her how pained and vulnerable he was at the moment. Softly, he said, “You are a hard woman, my duchess. I suppose this is what I deserve for deceiving you five years ago. Only, I have to know if you loved me at least a little bit. Didn’t you?”
“I did, Rafe. And I still do. But that won’t be enough to sustain us or our marriage. Not when I can’t trust you not to lie to me again. It would destroy me if I let it happen again, so this is the only way I know how to prevent it.”
Shaking his head against her words, he uttered, “No, that’s not what you would be doing, Georgina. The girl I had once known years before would not turn coward on me. She would face such a challenge head-on. This is just you running scared, and I can stake my life on the promise that I would never give you cause to distrust me again.”
Now, it was Georgie’s turn to be shaking her head. “No, Rafe. I can’t do that. I don’t have the strength for it.”
“Yes, you do,” he said, as he caught her up in his embrace, their face close. “You are Lady Georgina, the fiercest woman I know. The only woman I know whose love for others rivals that of her loyalty. I know about how you had defended your brother that day.”
Georgie gasped. “You knew? But that was a long time ago!”
“We were children, but I knew even then that Ernest had loved my brother unrequitedly. When one of the village boys suspected it, I heard from Lionel how you had put down that boy with that vicious tongue of yours. I know how you loved all three of us, and it didn’t stop you from doing the right thing.”
“Yes, but this time, things are different. I’ve changed, and you’ve changed.”
“No, not really. We’ve grown older, yes, but our quintessential selves still remain. You claim you still love me, but you don’t want to be with me. That, my love, is a natural reaction to the previous hurt I’ve caused you. It’s my fault that you’re running scared, unable to consciously choose to stay with me.” He turned his face so that he rubbed his freshly shaved cheek against her own soft, creamy cheek. He nosed at her hair, inhaling her sweet scent of freesia and mandarin.
“And you are being presumptuous, like always,” she scoffed, tilting her head back to look him in the eye. “How do you expect me to just do away with this—how did you put it—natural reaction then? I just don’t see a future for us, not when I can’t be sure if I can trust you.”
“That’s just it!” he cried passionately. He was fighting with everything he had in him to keep her with him; he just had to convince her to take a chance. “You will never be sure until you try. When we arrive at Lyonscar in two days, I promise you that I will make every effort to show you that I can be trusted. I am willing to give you everything you need that will convince you that we’re meant to be together.”
Georgie dislodged herself from his embrace, clearly not convinced one bit. Just as softly, she replied, “Rafe, everything you’ve said is true, and I believe that you believe everything you’ve said. But I am every bit as stubborn as you are. Believe me when I say, that while I may love you still, you can’t have been meant for me if it was so easy for you to destroy what we had.”
“I had made a mistake once, and I can promise you I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“I know you won’t Rafe. Not because you won’t allow it, but because I won’t allow it. And the best way to do that is to finally put an end to what we had and start anew. With other people.” There, Georgie delivered her devastating blow in the calmest manner she could put forth, despite the fact that she was quivering on the inside.
Stu
nned at first by her confident declaration, Rafe recovered quickly and dug deeper into his resolve. Growling, Rafe assured her, “As I keep telling you, you are the only wife I will ever want. Lyonscar will have you for its duchess or my line dies out with me.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt you or your threat. Only this time, I plan to be far from England when the scandal sheets have me to blame for the end of the Lyonscar line,” she said angrily, her steps taking her away from the terrace and away from Rafe.
7
The Merrick Midsummer Ball
Rafe spied Georgie across the Ravenscroft ballroom through the throngs of people, wishing everyone to the devil just so he could be with her and her alone. He stood alone, resting against a pillar as he observed her standing with her brother. Ernest had once been as close to him as his own brother, and at one time had been one of his closest confidantes. But since he had arrived at Ravenscroft, Ernest had not said one word to him, friendly or otherwise. His choices in the past had obviously affected his friendship with Ernest, the cause of their rift lying solely with one woman.