Blackthorne's Bride (34 page)

Bleven dropped his tailcoat, and then, with a leer, he was on top of her. Maddie's arm was pinned and she could feel the dull blade dig into her hip. Bleven ripped at her bodice, and she brought her knee up sharply, hoping to dislodge him and free her hand.

He grunted and moved slightly, but it was enough. The letter opener free, she slid it from her skirts. Bleven had torn the material of her dress, and she could feel him fumbling with his pantaloons. One minute more and he would rise up. That was her chance.

Outside, she heard something bang against the door. Her head whipped in that direction and her hand froze.

Jack.

She closed her eyes, and could all but feel his presence.

Jack.

It had to be.
Please God, let it be.

There was a sound like a grunt or the thump of a man falling, and her heart stopped. If Bleven heard ...

He glanced that way, then reached a hand under her skirts. He flipped them up and, to her shock, arched up to free himself from his pantaloons.

His throat was bare, his neck at the perfect angle. One quick thrust and she could kill him. She knew it. She saw it so clearly.

She heard the door slam open, heard Jack call her name, and using the distraction, thrust the blade up hard. But Bleven must have seen the movement. With a roar, he knocked it out of her hand.

The letter opener clattered to the floor. It tumbled away, and with it, her perfect strike was gone.

Bleven rolled off her, rising to face Jack.

Maddie turned her head and her heart swelled at the sight of her husband standing in the doorway. His dark eyes blazed, and his black hair fell over his forehead. His face was sooty and his clothes were covered in ash and blood, but in that moment he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

She opened her mouth, tried to warn Jack that Bleven had a pistol, but no sound emerged from her bruised throat. It didn't matter anyway.

Jack had already raised his own pistol. "This is for my mother."

The warehouse reverberated from the loud burst of gunpowder, and Bleven's body jerked back.

As Bleven spun around, Maddie caught the duke's expression. He looked surprised as he fell. There was a soft thud as he hit the floor, and then Jack was beside her.

His warm strong arms came around her and he gathered her close. She clung to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you, Jack," she croaked. "I love you."

He'd almost lost her. That one thought dominated his mind, making it impossible to think of anything else.

It was Maddie, in her raspy voice, who had suggested they go to Lord and Lady Valentine's town house. It was Maddie who told him they should hire the first hack they saw, and Maddie who gave the jarvey directions.

All Jack could do was hold her, stroke her glossy hair, touch the soft skin of her neck, now marred by the red imprints of Bleven's fingers.

"I'm fine," she told him over and over. "You saved me."

But Jack couldn't believe it. He needed to hold her, to kiss her, to have her beside him, and then maybe, in a dozen years, he would believe she was actually safe.

When they reached the Valentine town house, Maddie's cousin took one look at them and whisked them out of sight. Jack found himself in a moderately sized bedchamber with clean linen and a small bathtub.

But he refused to be separated from Maddie so that she might bathe as well. Instead, he ordered another tub and more water, and when he finished washing himself, he assisted with her bath.

An hour later they were both clean and fed and naked. He tucked her snuggly under the covers in the tester bed.

"I'm anxious to see how much damage the town house sustained," Maddie was saying.

Her voice sounded better, and Jack rose on his elbow to look at her neck. The red welts from Bleven's fingers were fading.

"You said you thought the fire was contained to the library?" she asked.

Jack watched her mouth move, watched her red lips part, listened to the sweet sound of her voice.

"Jack?" She touched his shoulder. "I asked you—"

"I almost lost you," he said. He was looking down at her, his hand fanning her damp chestnut hair out over the pillow. He touched her pale cheeks and then her swollen lips. He'd kissed her so much that her lips were red and slightly puffy.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling at him. "I told you." She lowered her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me, Jack? Why didn't you tell me Bleven was the one who had your mother killed?"

He closed his eyes. "I wasn't certain until the night of the prince's ball. And I didn't want you to worry. I'll always protect you."

"I know you will, Jack. I knew you would come for me today."

He shook his head, marveling at her trust in him. He hadn't been at all sure if he would make it in time. And if he hadn't ...

"Maddie, if I'd lost you without telling you how I felt, I would have regretted it the rest of my life."

"I know how you feel, Jack." She twined her fingers with his. "I know how much you care."

He shook his head. "You don't, sweetheart. I've never told you." He clutched her hand tighter. "Madeleine, I love you. I think I loved you the first time I saw you, but since then my feelings have grown ... immeasurably. I adore you. I can't live without you. I love you so much." He buried his head in her lavender-scented hair. "I love you so much."

He felt her arms come around him, wrapping him in the warmth of her body. "I love you, too." She pulled back, met his gaze. "So much."

He lowered his head, kissing her softly, tasting her and memorizing her sweetness. He'd slipped his head in the noose now, and his new vulnerability was almost a relief. He'd fought it for so long, so hard. Surrender was inevitable—

With a low moan, Maddie arched under him.

—and gratifying.

"I want you, love," he murmured in her ear.

"Please." Her fingernails dug into his back as her legs opened to cradle his erection. She was burning up, and he could feel her wetness.

And still he made no move to enter her, wanting to prolong and heighten the tension. The exquisite torture.

He lowered his head, taking one of her hard nipples in his mouth. His tongue rolled over it as his hand palmed her lush breast. "Sweetheart," he murmured against her flesh. "Have you noticed anything?"

He looked down at her flushed face and misty eyes. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Arching her hips invitingly, she whispered, "You feel wonderful. Make love to me, Jack."

"Patience, love. Have you noticed where we are?"

She frowned at him, once again wiggling beneath him. "In bed?"

He smiled and bent to kiss her. "Finally."

* * * * *

Maddie shuddered as the pounding underneath her reached a crescendo. The tea service clattered on the tray beside her, the lamp on the table shook, and, across from her, Catie closed her eyes and tried to hold her teacup steady.

The pounding ceased for a moment, and Maddie took a breath. "As I was saying, Jack's new library should be completed in a matter of weeks. And then we'll begin work on the dining room. It sustained minor damage from the fire's heat."

Catie nodded. "You're fortunate no one was hurt. If Lord Blackthorne hadn't acted so quickly, the whole house might have gone up in flames— and taken several others with it."

"Jack's amazing. I don't know how he was able to think so clearly, considering everything else that was going on."

Catie frowned as a low pounding started up once again. "Did you see the
Post
this morning?" she asked over the din.

Maddie nodded. "They're calling Bleven's death the work of thieves."

"Didn't the investigator find it strange that Bleven's butler had disappeared? There was no mention of it in the papers."

Maddie shrugged. "Apparently, the investigator came to the conclusion that the duke was killed during an attempt by thieves to burgle his warehouse. I'm not certain what the investigator thinks the thieves were trying to steal in that rancid place. There was nothing of value." She paused, wondering what the investigator had made of the silver letter opener.

"They're also calling Bleven's death a horrible tragedy," Catie said. "He's to have a state funeral. Do not tell me that doesn't anger you. If they knew—"

"It would only cause more scandal. Jack and I would have to prove our case by sullying a dead man's name. When all was said and done, there'd be more questions than answers. I'll gladly make Bleven a national hero if it means Jack and I will be left alone."

"And I'm sure this forgiving attitude has nothing to do with His Royal Highness's Society for Invalid Veterans of Overseas Conflicts."

Below Maddie, a second hammer joined the first, and the house shook. "What was that sound?"

Catie shook her head and laughed. Maddie smiled too, because, of course, her cousin was correct. It wouldn't help His Royal Highness's Society for Invalid Veterans of Overseas Conflicts one bit if its new president were embroiled in a notorious scandal. And she had the most wonderful charity ball planned for the end of the Season.

She'd even started the preparations, though she hadn't told Jack quite yet. He was still over-protective toward her. But Maddie had noticed that since the incident with Bleven, he'd relaxed a bit.

It seemed he was coming to realize that he couldn't protect her all the time. She'd said as much to him last night, mentioning that life, with all its risks, was meant to be lived to the fullest.

Jack had nodded. "My mother used to say the same thing, and despite what happened to her, I don't think she would have been happy living any other way."

"Her death wasn't your fault, Jack," Maddie had said again, looking into his eyes and willing him to believe her.

He'd smiled and kissed her, but she thought she saw a flicker of acceptance in his eyes. A flicker of forgiveness for the boy that he had been.

She felt hopeful that, given time, Jack would pardon that little boy.

She also hoped that, given time, he would worry less about her. He would love her more and guard her less.

And then maybe she could convince him that the Orphan's Munificent Society could use her efforts to help build a new foundling house. After all, by the time the renovations on their town house were done and Blackjack's large enclosure at Jack's country house was completed, she would know more about construction than most women. Who better to oversee a construction project for the orphans?

"What time is it?" Catie yelled over the noise.

"Five-thirty!"

"Wasn't—" The banging ceased, and Catie lowered her voice. "Wasn't Josie supposed to have tea with us?"

Lord, not another missing cousin. Maddie stood.

"I'll go see if she has sent a note."

Maddie left the drawing room and met Jack on his way up the stairs. With a smile, she moved aside to let him pass, but he snagged her around the waist at the last moment, pulling her up the stairs and into an alcove beside the drawing room.

He put his arms around her, holding her close. "Mmm, you smell good. Come up to the bedroom with me. I want to forget about all the hammers and workmen for an hour."

Maddie tried to disentangle herself, without success. "Jack, Catie is in the drawing room, and we're waiting for Josie. I was just going to see if she'd sent a note."

Jack nuzzled her neck. "Aren't your cousins married?"

"Yes." She felt a delicious warmth spreading through her body.

"Why don't they go home to their husbands?"

"Because we're having a meeting. Their husbands are going to have to wait. Just like you."

His expression was fierce, and she smiled, tracing his frown with one finger. "There's nothing wrong with a little anticipation," she whispered. "You don't want life to get tedious."

He raised a brow. "I have a feeling life with you will never be tedious."

"Maddie! Catie! Where are you?"

Jack sighed. "See what I mean?"

Maddie peered over his shoulder and saw Josie rushing up the stairs, Ridgeley hard on her heels. "Madam, allow me to introduce you!"

Josie shook her head. "There's no time for that!"

Jack released Maddie, and she stepped out of the alcove.

"There you are!" Josie said, pausing at the top of the stairs and panting. Her color was high, her red curls in complete disarray, and her gown stained.

"What on earth is the matter?" Maddie asked. Jack moved protectively closer, and his arm came about her waist.

"I ran all the way here," Josie wheezed, still trying to catch her breath.

Maddie's heart began to pound. "What's wrong?"

But instead of answering, Josie said, "Where's Catie? Is she here?"

"In the drawing room."

"Good. She won't believe this."

"Believe what?"