A Rogue of My Own (16 page)

R
UPERT YANKED REBECCA OFF
her seat to the floor! If that weren’t bad enough, he dropped down on top of her, not with his full weight, but enough to make it uncomfortable.

Rebecca had, of course, heard the gunfire that had prompted Rupert’s actions. She wasn’t deaf. Still, annoyed, she asked, “Do you
really
think a shot is going to get through the back panel of a coach this sturdily built? And fired from a moving vehicle? Anyone aiming isn’t likely to hit us a’tall.”

“They’re on horseback” was all he said.

“Even worse. Have you ever hit what you aimed at while racing along on a horse?”

“Yes.”

She snorted, not believing him at all. But she did grasp the implication of the pursuers being on horseback. Even though Matthew had immediately picked up their pace to a reckless degree, it still wouldn’t take all that long for horses to catch up to a coach.

“Highwaymen?” she asked, and couldn’t hide the hopeful note from her tone.

“In the middle of the day?”

“So they’re desperate.”

Being robbed wouldn’t be pleasant, but it would actually be preferable compared to an angry criminal running them down for his stolen property.

“That would be the logical assumption, Becca, if we didn’t just leave the house of a
confirmed
mass murderer.”

“So you did find the evidence you were after?”

“It’s in the book I asked you to smuggle out. Considering how quickly we left, my guess would be that Mary Pearson immediately mentioned to her husband that she’d put you in their bedroom, and that I entered it as well. Samuel would have gone straight upstairs in that case to check on the incriminating ledger he’d carelessly left lying on the desk.”

“And found it gone,” she said with a resigned sigh.

“Don’t sound so aggrieved. We’ll be fine.”

She could have screamed at him like a harpy for that ridiculous assessment. With two more shots fired at them, her fear was rising fast. It had been the same back at the Pearson house. The moment Rupert had warned that he’d disabled one of the servants, meaning they could be found out at any moment, her nausea had abruptly ended. Incredible. Did the sudden rush of fear do that? Not that she was going to seek out things to frighten her just to get through this pregnancy a little easier, but it was an interesting side effect. She could at least test the theory at home by having Flora try to startle her or…what the deuce was she doing thinking about things that might never happen when she could end up dead in minutes?

“Aren’t you alarmed at all?” she demanded of Rupert.

He had the audacity to say, “Not really, at least not as long
as
you
stay down flat on that floor. They were probably on our tail before we even left the city.”

“Then why didn’t they fire at us sooner?”

“Because of the evidence. Shots fired with witnesses lining the streets will have to be explained, and they can’t very well commit murder with citizens watching them. Well, they can, but since Pearson lives in that city, he wouldn’t want to expose himself in that way. So they waited until we were beyond the city. Out here on the empty road, we’re fair game.”

She did screech at him this time. “I don’t see how you can
not
find that alarming!”

He leaned down and said by her ear, “I’m not going to let you get hurt, I promise you I’m not.”

His tone was so soothing she could almost believe him. Almost.

“I have one of the fastest teams of horses around,” he continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we reach the next town before they get close enough to try to board us.”

She wished he hadn’t added that. It pointed out clearly that the pursuers would be trying to disable poor Matthew first, which would immediately slow the coach down if not halt it completely—or wreck it.

But before she could point that out, Rupert said, “Excuse me,” and leaned off her.

She glanced behind her to see him raising the boxed seat he’d occupied. He reached into the compartment under it and lifted out a rifle. Her eyes flared wide with her first conclusion.

“You’re going to kill someone over this?!”

“You don’t think he deserves it? But, no, that’s not my intention. I’m an excellent shot. I’m just going to help them decide to turn around.”

Just like that? And said with such complete confidence? Whom did he think he was kidding? But she watched him open the window in the door nearest to her head. Braced on his knees because he was too tall to stand up in the coach, he got his head, half his chest, and the rifle though the window, no easy task. The window was wide, but his chest was wider. Then he took aim.

The sound of the shot so close to her left her ears ringing. She barely heard Rupert swear, but then the coach did just bounce as his first shot was fired, probably making it go wildly off the mark. She covered her ears with her hands for the duration. It didn’t help much, but over the next five minutes, Rupert only sent off three more shots, the last one from the other window.

“You can get up now.”

She dredged up some indignation as she crawled back onto her seat so he wouldn’t notice how frightened she’d been, not just for herself, but for her baby. “It took you three shots to change Pearson’s opinion? Not such an excellent shot after all, eh?”

“He had two others with him. All three are wounded now.”

Her blush was only slight, her fear still present. The shooting might have stopped, but her trembling hadn’t. Nowhere in his description of what they would be doing in Le Mans had he mentioned running for their lives.

Sitting opposite her again, his arms crossed, Rupert remarked after a moment of studying her face, “You know, I think this is the first time in my adult life that I have been ensconced with a female in a comfortable coach and haven’t tried to maneuver her onto my lap for a more enjoyable ride. Aside from my mother, of course.”

“Is that remark supposed to have some hidden meaning?” she snapped.

“Thought it was rather clear m’self,” he said with a roguish grin as he reached for her hand and drew her onto his lap.

“What are—?”

“You’ve had a bad scare,” he said in a low tone by her ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine. “This will get your mind off it, don’t you think?”

Her mind was already off it! She couldn’t imagine why he’d want to soothe her when he saw her in such a despicable light, but he wasn’t waiting for her answer. Putting a hand to her cheek, he maneuvered her lips to his, and within seconds that kiss became hot and explosive. Their brush with death had caused some heart-pounding emotions in them both that were now being released in a burst of passion.

God, how could he keep doing this to her, making her want him so badly that nothing else mattered? It was bad enough when she just looked at him, but tasting him, feeling him! And remembering their lovemaking—if she didn’t know what this was leading to, she might have had the will to stop him, but she did know, and she didn’t want to stop him.

Her fingers threaded through his silky hair. A lock brushed against her cheek as he changed her position slightly without ending the kiss. Her head now rested in the crook of his arm, while his hand, spread wide, moved slowly from her neck to her stomach in a long, delicious caress that only paused a moment before she felt his fingers press ever so slightly where her legs joined. Her clothes were in the way!

A hard bounce of the coach broke that kiss and cleared her head enough for her to realize she had to try one more time to convince him about the baby before she let this go on. They
would both regret it afterward if she didn’t. Or maybe this was his way of telling her that he did believe her!

She put her fingers to his lips before he could kiss her again so she could ask him, “Do you believe me now?”

“About what?”

He really was confused, to go by his expression. But then his mind had been on only one thing and the passion was still in his eyes. So she clarified, “About the baby.”

That quickly extinguished the fire—for him, anyway. He put her back on her seat, raked a hand through his hair, and pinned her with a scowl. “Your timing is deplorable, Rebecca. I thought I made it clear I wasn’t falling for that trap.”

That
doused the sensual flames for her. If he still thought that, he shouldn’t have kissed her! It didn’t matter that he’d managed to make her forget her fear over being shot at, what was left now was pure frustration.

She ought to try one last time to convince him that he was wrong about her, but all she ended up saying was “You know, when we’re both old and gray-haired and looking back on our lives, only I will have the memories of this child we created. I think at that point I will pity you.”

She definitely struck a nerve, to go by the dark look he was giving her now. She didn’t care. That prediction was no more than he deserved.

He said no more.

She’d said too much.

Then Rupert shook his head. “What a fool I am to get taken in by you again and again. You are a master manipulator. So you want to marry me that much? Fine, I’ll have the captain marry us at sea on the crossing back to England. But don’t think you’re getting what you want, Becca. This won’t get you
in my door. It will be in name only until it is proven you aren’t pregnant, and then we’ll have the marriage annulled. You will have to leave your position at the palace, of course. Maids of honor lose that title when they marry, and they certainly aren’t allowed to have babies. So you will go home and hide yourself away for the duration.”

How dare he dictate his despicable terms to her! “I was already planning to return home because it’s getting harder and harder to hide my morning sickness. If there were another option, guess what? I’d take it just to spite you! But marriage to the most unfaithful skirt-chaser in London
isn’t
an option, and you’ve already had my answer. It’s
not
going to happen.”

“It will,” he insisted.

“Ha!”

“You don’t think so? Then I guess you won’t mind when your pregnancy is announced in the newspapers.”

She sucked in her breath, livid with rage. “
Why
would you do that?”

“Because you’ve finally inserted some doubt in my mind, and as long as there’s even a speck of it, let me assure you, I will be damned before I allow any child of mine to go to strangers.”

“Why don’t you just be damned!”

H
OW COULD YOU HATE
someone and still feel bad about wishing them damned? Yet she felt bad! Rebecca actually had to grapple with herself to keep from apologizing to Rupert. She was certain that Rupert also had only spoken in anger and that he wouldn’t really marry her.

But he did.

The shock was tremendous and wouldn’t go away. Standing there on the deck of the small ship that Rupert had gotten them passage on, the cold wind in her face had dried her tears so quickly she didn’t even know she was crying. Such a horrible way to be married, and all because she couldn’t resist the tarnished angel. She was trying to think what this “marriage” would mean to her and couldn’t. It had no meaning!

A bigger ship would take the coach and horses as well, but only Matthew would be traveling on that one, since it wasn’t sailing until the next day. The smaller ship didn’t offer a cabin but was leaving immediately and would get them to Dover within the hour.

She only sensed him when he came to stand next to her at the rail. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. The English coast was in sight by then and she kept her eyes on it.

“Let me give you a few assurances, Becca,” Rupert said in a calm, soothing tone, as if he were actually doing her a favor. “I won’t touch you again. This marriage really will be in name only.”

She might have thanked him for that if she could have managed to speak. Then again, she would as soon not talk to him at all at this point.

But he hadn’t actually finished his last remark and added, “I’m not going to take the chance of you
really
getting with child.”

If she were prone to hysterics, she’d be having some. And he still wasn’t done pounding her self-esteem into the ground. Although his voice remained calm, he was insulting her at every turn.

“You won’t even have to see me again until enough time has passed to prove that you are lying about the baby. In fact, I don’t need to show up for that. I’ll send one of my brothers to check on you in my stead, and I’ll get our marriage annulled immediately thereafter. So no harm done, at least from my perspective.”

“My, how nice for you,” she said scathingly under her breath.

“While I don’t doubt this marriage is exactly what you wanted all along, despite your silly protests to the contrary, too bad. No one is going to know about this, or should I be more explicit?”

“Yes,” she replied sharply. “I am brilliantly cunning and stupidly dense at the same time. Do continue treating me like a child.”

“Your sarcasm is uncalled-for.”

“I disagree. Actually, I will probably disagree with you henceforth whether I agree with you or not! I
can
behave like a child if you insist on treating me like one.”

She hadn’t looked at him yet, but she did look down to see his knuckles turning white as he gripped the rail beside her. Good. Why should she be the only one angry about this deplorable situation?

“Have it your way, the explicit version then,” he bit out. “No one had
better
find out about this marriage-in-name-only that you say you didn’t want, and I know damn well I didn’t want.”

Now he was threatening her? With what? Marriage to him for life? She might just get hysterical after all.

“You can tell your mother, of course,” he went on. “I don’t want to have her pounding on my door if you’re foolish enough to try to convince her that you’re enceinte. But you will tell no one else and warn her of the same.”

“Is that so? And what makes you think I’m going to do anything you say?”

“Because for the time being you are legally mine, and that means you
will
obey me.”

She nearly choked she drew in her breath so sharply. “Do
not
count on that, St. John. I don’t care what rights you think this mockery of a marriage gives you, as far as I’m concerned, you don’t even exist. Do
I
need to be more explicit?”

“No, I believe we have come to a mutual agreement to forget about each other, which suits me just fine. As long as you do nothing to gain my notice, which means you stay at your home for the duration.”

“Your threats don’t scare me.”

He lifted a brow at her. “No? Then you really must have
some odd notions about marriage, if you think you can do as you please now. Ask your mother if you doubt me.”

He walked away, and she didn’t bother to look where. They were man and wife and would be until he got their marriage annulled. What a rude awakening that was going to be in three or four months’ time. For him.