Heartless (37 page)

She approached him and he braced himself for her reaction. A part of him expected violence but her demeanor did not suggest she was ready to murder him. As usual, her features were impossible to read.

His shock was complete when she grasped his coat and pulled, bringing his body down to an uncomfortable angle, more of a level with her. He cocked his head to one side inquiringly but she firmly took his face in her hands.

With a secret smile playing about her full lips, she whispered, “Thank you for my locket, my love.” And she pressed her lips to his in full view of every stablehand and outdoor servant the duke employed.

And Derringer, being Derringer, picked his wife up off the ground and turned her chaste salute into something far more intimate.

They were both breathless when he set her down, amidst the cheering of their outdoor staff. Her rueful smile was endearing and he couldn’t stop a wicked grin from tilting his own lips upward.

“We could go back to bed,” he suggested, only half in jest.

“We could,” she agreed. “But I was so looking forward to riding with you.”

The duke released a short bark of laughter, laced with genuine mirth. “Isn’t that what I was just suggesting?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. The look of supreme innocence she gave him made his lips twitch.

Determinedly suppressing the urge to tease her some more, he shook his head slightly, saying, “Never mind, lovely Merri, never mind. We’ll ride.” Unable to resist, he added in an undertone, “Now and later.”

It was another twenty minutes before they were actually ready. Leandra had realized she’d forgotten her gloves and rushed back inside to fetch them instead of sending a servant—what the bloody hell were they there for if not to serve?—and she was only just then returning.

And she seemed to positively exude excitement.

“And what, may I ask, has you in such a mood?” he asked testily, the extra wait having worn his patience to the breaking point.

Leandra smiled brightly. “The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and for the moment, all is right with the world.”

The duke grunted in reply, glaring at the grinning stable boy who held the reins of two saddled horses. “Give me those, you cheeky brat,” he commanded. The boy laughed and handed over the reins of the horse Derringer preferred to ride when Satan was not available.

Leandra was helped into the saddle and handed the reins. Lady whinnied at her in greeting, nipping at her skirts. “Hello, my dear girl.” Leandra extracted two sugar cubes from her pocket and fed them to her mount, Lady stretching her neck back to receive the treat.

Derringer watched this impassively. “Are you ready?” he asked.

In answer, his wife smiled and kicked her horse into a gallop, heading for her favorite place, the rocky cliff overlooking the sea. Derringer followed suit after a rebellious snort from Odin.

Leandra had barely a head start on her husband but Lady proved her mettle by outdistancing the other mount within a few minutes. As soon as she reached the cliffside, she pulled up to wait for her husband. He soon joined her, scowling at her in annoyance.

“Just what the devil possessed you to ride like that?” he demanded.

Leandra laughed, the wind ruffling her hair where it escaped her pins. “Have you never wanted to fly, my lord? To spread your wings and soar like an eagle?” She gazed at him, awaiting his reply.

Derringer stared at her in amazement. How could she be sad one moment, happy the next, and then return to her usual calm serenity?

“I have not, madam.”

Leandra gave him an unreadable look. “And what has you in such a pucker, Lord Derringer?” she asked.

“The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and for the moment, all is right with the world,” he mocked.

“Hart, if you wish to behave like a child, please do so when you are not around me.” And so saying, his darling bride spun Lady around and headed back to the castle.

The duke watched her go, half-amused, half-annoyed. She really did look magnificent on horseback, he thought in surprise. But then, to him, she looked magnificent all the time.

A sound caught his attention. Derringer turned his head and gazed out to sea. He didn’t like what he saw.

28

Gabriel sat alone pondering what he had learned from the late duchess’s written confession. He wondered what the duke would do about it and how long it would take him to determine what it all meant.

Gabriel already knew. As soon as he had seen that note, he had known. Everything became suddenly clear. Why Derringer was being attacked nearly every time he set foot from the house; why he, Gabriel, had been under similar attacks nearly all his life. There was only one other person he knew of that was privy to this sensitive information.

As Gabriel was setting off to pay Lady St. Clair a visit, Derringer was asking Leandra what she knew of her brother’s recent activities.

“As I have already told you, Hart, I know nothing. Lee has never confided in me and his wife certainly has no use for me. I don’t know why you should think I would know anything about it.”

“I merely wonder if perhaps you could give me an idea as to why he may be skulking around my yacht.”

“He’s what?”

“I saw him down at the bay just now, skulking around my boat.”

“Perhaps he is merely admiring it?”

Derringer shot her a look of reproach. “He’s not even supposed to be on my land, Merri. They all left this very morning, remember?”

Leandra shrugged. “I do not know how you think I can help you, Hart. Lee was always skulking about when he thought no one was looking; I’m not surprised he still does that. I doubt he’s up to any good. Do you think he’s dangerous?”

“Yes,” he replied. “He associates with Fraser D’Arcy. He’s dangerous.”

Leandra stared at her husband. He appeared very worried about her brother and she wondered if he thought Harwood had something to do with the attack. She voiced this thought.

“He may, although I can’t imagine why. Excessive hate seems far too outlandish for reality and I can’t recall ever having so much as met your brother before this. D’Arcy and I, however, are in the way of being old… acquaintances,” he concluded darkly.

Leandra, who had entered the house a bare ten minutes before her husband and gone straight to her sitting room, sat down in her favorite chair with a bump. “He means to kill you then? Have I no say in this, think you?”

“What would you say, my beauty? ‘No, you may not kill my husband, if you please.’ He would laugh before running you through for getting in his way, Merri. The man has no conscience.”

“Funny, I seem to recall the same being said of you, my lord duke.”

Derringer sat in the chair opposite, leaning back with a crafty smile on his face. “Oh no, my merry dove, I have a conscience. I sometimes choose not to use it.”

“Could that not be considered worse?”

He cocked one black brow. “How so, my sweet?”

“You can control where and when to employ that part of your mind that determines right and wrong. D’Arcy, on the other hand, cannot. He simply does not have one. Which, Lord Derringer, is worse?”

“Should I vote in my own favor or vote for the man that tortured a child once just to hear her scream?” he retorted brutally.

Leandra snapped her mouth shut, biting her lip to restrain her horror. That such a monster was allowed to remain free was sickening.

“He will be taken care of, Merri,” Derringer soothed. He should not have said what he did but she had a way of bringing out the beast in him.

Her eyes snapped. “Why has he not already been ‘taken care of’?”

“I have not yet had the means to do so, my bloodthirsty siren.”

“I mean, why has he remained free? Why has he not gone before a magistrate?”

“The child was a low class orphan, love. She had no more rights than a mongrel dog.” His voice held traces of bitterness. “Such is the way of the world. One man, no matter how many vermin he rids the earth of, cannot change a damn thing.”

Leandra fell silent, watching her husband carefully. He watched her as well and she was unsure what changed but she suddenly felt breathless and excited. To distract her wayward thoughts, she looked away and studied her shoes as if she’d never noticed them before.

Derringer nearly laughed at his wife’s expression. He did smile when she looked at her shoes. “Would you care to know how my investigation is going?”

She snapped up the offered distraction. “What investigation?”

“Into the recovery of your father’s will, of course.”

“You have found it?” she asked in disbelief.

“Merri, Merri. Your lack of faith wounds me to the quick, my love.”

Leandra scowled. “I apologize. Have you found it?”