HisLadysKeeperfinal.wps (21 page)

“She looks like a little waif. I hadn’t realized how diminutive in size she was when she was giving me hell.” Richard gave him a rare smile.

“She is a little spitfire.” He grinned despite himself.

“You know, you’re the only man that would put up with the way she acts.”

“Richard! Do not speak like Hart is weak,” Margaret chastised sharply.

“I never said he was weak, mother. I merely stated that most husbands would not put up with her insolent attitude. She is always complaining—”

“Not always, Richard.” His voice was soft not quite above a whisper. “She has a good heart. You might think she’s stubborn and spoiled, but when it comes right down to it, she’s not as petty as she might seem.”

“Well, then, she must be cut from a different cloth than her brother. That man is exasperating.” Richard snorted.

“So much so that you felt the need to graze him with your bullet,” Margaret said angrily.

“That was the butler, mother.” Richard sighed. “If you’re going to get the information from another source,” He glared at Maeve, “Make sure you get the right information. One of my men stabbed Mallory. He’s a tough old bugger, he’s none the worse for wear—he should feel grateful for that. Besides, Mallory St. Martin is pure shite. He needs to pay for what he did to Joseph.”

“He shot him by mistake,” Hart countered, saying the words before he even knew what had happened.

His mother looked up at that remark. “Are you sure?” Her face lost all of its color. Anguish filled her eyes. She looked lost.

“He swears by it,” Hart insisted.

“Then, my son died by a slip of the hand. He was aiming for someone else and misfired. How nice.” Tears welled inside of her eyes. She looked like she was going to break into sobs.

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“Mother .…”

“It happened during a war—I never should have remained in Spain. Why didn’t I flee to this island when the war was on? I’ve made so many mistakes—do not follow in my footsteps when it comes to my failures. My children, you must make better decisions than I did. When you have children—do not let them down.”

“You didn’t fail Joseph. I did.” Richard stared down at the floor, not able to meet their mother’s gaze. “He shouldn’t have been with me that day … he was so convinced he had to be my shadow—and when I infiltrated those Boney loving sods, I never thought he’d come with me … I just wanted to find out who was working for the enemy

… and at the time, it assured your safety, you were vulnerable being British. Many were starting to resent you. When our estate was seized, I had no choice but to look as if I was working for the French. I couldn’t allow anything to befall you—or Joseph, and look what my actions cost our family.”

“You never told me that.” Hart’s throat was dry.

“You never asked.” Richard met his gaze. “You always were the loyal brother—

you knew I was a rebel and that I sometimes made the wrong choice—but I never imagined that you actually thought I’d joined the ranks of those bastards? How could I truly side with the ones that were out to kill you? You forget, dear brother, our own father was loyal to the English Crown—I’m not all Spaniard. Besides, any day, we were afraid we’d receive the message that you’d been blown to smithereens. Instead, it was Joseph that we lost. If only he hadn’t been so determined to find the road to glory.”

“War did this to our family. Not Mallory—I must face that.” Margaret

shouldered another heavy sigh.

“It was my fault .…”

“No. You are both mistaken. If it was anyone’s fault—it was mine,” she

interrupted Richard. “I shouldn’t have let him run loose the way he did. He was far too young—and too impetuous. He believed that war was glory—he saw the romance in it—

whereas, I knew better. He was only seventeen. I should have kept him closer to me. I should have known he would follow his older brother to the ends of the Earth and get himself killed in the process.” Her voice broke, she was close to tears. “So much heartache caused by one little mistake.”

“We should stop trying to figure out who was to blame.” Hart tried to keep his voice calm. “Joseph is gone. Nothing will bring him back.”

“Not even revenge against Mallory.” His mother’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Well, it’s nice that we all agreed on this now—after I’ve taken Gemma and

married her. Look at me! I’m leg-shackled now!”

“No … this is the right thing to do. You made the right choice, Hart. You always would have wanted to marry Gemma. As soon as you set your sights on her, I’m sure you knew what you wanted,” Margaret said wistfully.

“I did.” He smiled. “And now, because of me, she just might very well die.”

“She won’t—she’ll hang on. We have to believe in that right now—it’s the only way to think. We must cleave to that,” Margaret insisted.

Richard cleared his throat. “I’m going to go down to the kitchens for a bite to eat.

I’m famished after my—ahem, exerting morning.”

“Exerting, was it?” His mother raised her eyebrow and pinned her eyes on him.

“Do me a favor, Richard.”

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“Anything, mother.” Richard swept into a low bow.

“Richard, do be serious,” Margaret snapped.

“I am.” He met her gaze.

“Cease your messing around with the Widow Baker. She is not worth your time of day—let alone you filling her bed and her body .…”

“Mother!”

“I am not to be silenced, Richard.” Her voice dropped to a low whisper. “This family doesn’t need anymore scandal. We run this island, you must choose a woman that is—you must choose someone with a sense of propriety. Please, Richard. I don’t ask that you marry someone of the social position that Gemma holds, just find and fall in love with someone that you can love and trust.”

“The Widow Baker has had an unfortunate past.”

“We all have unfortunate things in our past—the Widow Baker, however, made

her lot in life. She serviced many of the men on this island, at a cost, Richard … no doubt, she even takes your coin—I beg you to think rationally. Do not seal your fate by marrying a serpent such as she.”

“I have never brought up the subject of marriage. Besides, why have I suddenly become such a concern for you? It is my dear brother that has waged war against one of the most powerful families in England.”

“Mallory, is someone that has lived on the edge of society for many years. I do not fear his wrath—I do however, fear what might become of you if you make too many wrong choices. You shot an innocent man in the attack upon Mallory’s lands, and you stabbed Mallory! You need to learn to control yourself!”

“I control myself when it is necessary, mother.”

“I worry about you, because you are my son, Richard. You have much to be

responsible for. Your father left you a great inheritance, and your mother also left you quite the legacy. Do not squander it.”

“I will not disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t if you break your ties with the Widow Baker.”

“I must really go and get something to eat, I am quite starved.”

“Mother is right in her concern for you, Richard. Before the Widow went after you, she went after me. She is a gold digger. Worse, she is nothing more than a whore.

Do not think you are the only man paying for her services right now?”

“Then, I shall give her gold, until I tire of her, it makes no difference to me if she has other men in her bed, just as long as I don’t find a man in her bed when I have need of her.”

His mother pursed her lips, remaining silent.

“You will bring yourself nothing but heartache,” Hart prophesized.

“Hart, I don’t think you should be preaching to me at the moment. Look at the fruits of your recent labors.”

His mother sighed. “Don’t waste anymore of your breath, Hart. It is a lost cause.”

“That’s me … the family’s lost cause.” Richard smiled. “I’ll be leaving for Spain in the next few weeks … do not worry, mother—I will endeavor to make you proud.”

He left the room without a further word.

“On the bright side, Richard might not be here when Mallory finally tracks you HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 102

down,” Margaret’s eyes sparkled.

“Mother, I do believe you are anticipating that moment.”

“Perhaps, I am. Then we all won’t have to live on pins and needles waiting for the ball to finally drop.”

He looked back at Maeve, who had remained inconspicuously quiet during their entire drawn out conversation.

“Lady Gemma will pull through. It’s not as nasty of a fever as I originally thought. You may rest easy in knowing that in a few days, she should be as right as rain.”

His mother pushed herself up from her chair, sighing. “Then, my work here is done until tomorrow. No doubt Charles has worried himself sick. I’m going to go and ease his mind and then make sure that cook prepares something fortifying for him.

We’ve all had quite the scare.” She let out a shaky sigh.

Hart remained silent, looking at Gemma’s pale drawn face. Her blond hair was spilled out over the pillow and the room had warmed up considerably. As a result, her hair was almost dry. Her eyes were shut, and for a moment, he just savored the beautiful sight she created.

“I’ll stay here,” he murmured, dryness prickling in his throat.

“That would probably be the best. Had it been a serious fever, Hart, mark my words, I would have sent for her mother.”

“I know—I wouldn’t have held you back.”

“That’s that, then.” Nodding her head, she left the bedchamber.

“I’m going to go and change out of these wet and soppy clothes, Hart, I’ll be back in a little while to check on Lady Gemma.”

“Thank you, Maeve.”

“Hart?” Gemma coughed.

“I’m here.”

“I wish you weren’t.”

“I see that tonic Maeve gave you has made you feel like yourself again.”

“I feel like hell. Scratch that, I feel like death warmed over. Why is it so hot in here?” she moved restlessly in the bed, sweat beading across her brow.

“You’ll feel cooler soon. At least you’re talking now.”

“When I feel better I want to meet your entire family—including Joseph.”

Her words startled him—and unnerved him.

“You forget … Joseph is dead.”

“No—he isn’t.”

“You are still in the throes of the fever. You are talking in your delirium.”

She snorted. “I do feel like I’m floating on a fluffy cloud up in the sky—but I assure you, Hart, I have my faculties about me.”

“Joseph is dead. You are quite lucky my mother isn’t here. Talking about Joseph and saying he’s alive is a low blow. You need to hold your tongue when you see my mother. Are we understood?”

“Don’t lecture me. Lecture Andrew. He’s the one that told me Joseph is still alive.”

He shook his head. His wife not only had a fever—but the fever had turned her stark raving mad.

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How could he keep her from upsetting his mother?

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“Mallory?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’m setting off for Spain in the morning—now that we know Susan is alright

.…”

“You were hurt yourself, are you certain you are quite well? I .…”

“During my pirating days, and my war days, I worked with far worse.”

“Mallory, I don’t know why you’re so worried—you kidnapped me, and I was

fine,” she stated.

“Hart MacKinnon isn’t me.” He started pacing back and forth with his arms

crossed behind him.

“I know that, dearest. But, he seems like a perfectly normal man.”

“Except, for the fact that you were scared out of your wits during the almost siege of Mallory Hall. They shot Stewart for God’s sake!”

“Stewart is on the mend. He’ll be recovered soon enough.”

“Your blasé attitude toward my sister’s abduction is enough to give me a fit, Elizabeth. What has gotten into you? I swear, sometimes I don’t recognize you!”

“The house has been much quieter. That in itself should be counted as a blessing in disguise.” She smiled up serenely at him.

He made a scoffing sound. “You almost sound happy to be rid of her … I can’t believe you. Mother is at this moment taking a rest because she’s worried herself so.

She is absolutely beside herself! And yet, your eyes are twinkling your cheeks are rosy

… for all we know Hart could be doing wicked things to Gemma.”

“Delightfully wicked, most likely. I caught that gleam in Hart’s eyes when he was staring at Gemma.” She sighed. “Mallory, really, you must try not to worry. In my opinion of Gemma I feel quite secure in the knowledge that she can take of herself. You, on the other hand, have a problem on your hands. You know full well that you could be at risk! They already reported in the papers that Captain Morgan is a St. Martin … since we don’t have too many male St. Martin’s running around, you could have issues if the authorities decide to press charges.”

“That, my dear, is all hearsay.”

“Regardless, you could still be at risk,” she said plaintively. “Pray, do start to give some consideration to your own well-being. I don’t want your neck on the line for

.…”

“For Gemma? Is that what you are insinuating?”

“Gemma knew full well what she was doing when she told me to get Susan to

safety. She walked into the enemy’s hands with a clear head. She knew—she wanted to do this. Don’t make all of her actions go for naught.”

“You just don’t want to see her again. You’d rather have her gone forever!”

Elizabeth paled. “Don’t say that. I would never wish that on Gemma. Admit it, Mallory, when Gemma was here, the two of you were constantly at odds. The only time she semi behaved was when Hart was around. Like it or not, he has a calming influence HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 105