How To Tame a Rake (10 page)

Dix looked interested. “Who’s Frederick?”

“A dog,” Willy said.

“I like dogs.”

“How old are you, Dix?” she asked.

“Twelve, I think, Miss.”

“You’re not sure?”

He shook his head.

‘It doesn’t matter.” She met Blake’s gaze as she patted the boy’s knee. “We’ll take care of you.”

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Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Willy walked to the stables. She found Dix polishing a leather saddle. She took his hands, checked both sides, and then looked behind his ears. “That’s better.”

“Ernest scrubbed them raw, Miss Willy,” Dix said scowling. He was wearing a groom’s livery with the legs and sleeves rolled up.

“You look very handsome,” Willy said.

“Hansom is as hansom does,” Dix said inconsequentially. He blushed and smoothed his hair.

When Dix had returned to his work, Willy went to talk to Ernest. “I believe Lord Dangerfield has given the order for Dix to earn his keep mucking out the stalls, polishing the carriages and helping the coachman with the horses.”

Ernest removed his cap. “Didn’t like his bath anymore than Frederick,” he said. “But he’s proving to be quite a good worker.” He scratched his head. “Don’t trust him, though. He’s been trained to be a pickpocket, among other things.”

“He no longer needs to resort to such behavior,” she said.

“But I suspect it’s become a habit, Miss Corbet.”

“Why do you think so?”

“I found my pocket watch under his pillow.”

“Oh!”

Ernest nodded.

“He must still feel very insecure. In time, he will realize he doesn’t have to do such things.”

Ernest rubbed his jaw. “If you think so, Miss Corbet.”

“Yes,” she mused. “Time and kindness shall heal all his wounds.”

He donned his cap and turned to go.

“Oh, and Ernest?”

Whipping his cap off again, he turned back to her. “Yes, Miss Corbet?”

“I don’t believe we should worry Lord Dangerfield with this.”

“Very well, Miss Corbet.”

Willy was returning to the house when she met Blake coming down the path. “Good morning, Willy,” he said. “I thought I’d go for a drive in the phaeton and take Dix.”

“He’ll love that,” she said. “How kind of you.”

“We’ll see how we go. If he behaves he can continue in the practice.”

After lunch, Willy met Dix outside the house. “How did you like being groom for Lord Dangerfield?”

Dix’s eyes were huge in his pale, thin face. “He went so fast around the park, I couldn’t catch me breath.”

“Heavens,” she said.

“It was very dangerous.”

She frowned. “It was?”

“The best thing ever.”

“You weren’t frightened?”

“I was bloody terrified, pardon me, Miss Willy. It was capital.”

“Shall you go again?”

“His lordship said I was very good because I didn’t curse or cry or fall off. He said I would make a good Tiger.”

“I’m sure you would. Now you’d best hurry or you’ll miss your lunch.”

She watched the boy run off to the servant’s quarters. She tapped her foot, where was Agnes? She planned to go to Mirvat’s to see how Frederick was fairing.

“Sorry Miss Willy, Lady Elizabeth asked me to fetch her shawl,” Agnes said tripping down the steps.

Lady Burdett-Coutts was pleased to see Willy and Frederick was overjoyed. “He has not forgotten you, it appears,” she said.

“I’m surprised to find him still here,” Willy said patting the dog’s head.

“I planned to take him to the yard, but he’s such an obliging, friendly dog. I thought I’d keep him with me for a while.”

“What is the yard?”

“It’s where they keep the stray dogs until they find homes for them.”

Willy frowned. “But they don’t always succeed.”

“No.”

“What happens to them, then?” Willy asked.

Lady Burdett-Coutts gazed at her. “At present, they remain there. It’s certainly not ideal.”

Willy wiped her eye with a gloved hand. “No.”

When she arrived home, she found Blake in the drawing room reading the newspaper. “I have just been to see Frederick,” she said.

“I wondered where you’d gone. You can’t go off with your maid and not tell me where you’re going. This isn’t the country.”

Willy sat down beside him as he turned the page and folded the paper deftly in two.

He was good with his hands, a skilled rider. She thought of the red-haired woman and her words. Apparently, he was a good lover, too. Willy suppressed the thrill she felt at the thought of his hands on her body. “Frederick still has no home to go to.”

He looked up, his blue gaze seemed impatient. “He will. I’m sure.”

“If he doesn’t, he’ll remain in an enclosure for the rest of his days.”

“He’ll be fed and treated kindly.”

“But he can’t run free. Should I have left him in the park?”

“But you didn’t, Willy. There’s not much point in putting yourself through this now, is there?”

Willy gave a sob. “I suppose not.”

“Oh, Willy.”
Blake put his arm around her, easing her shuddering body against his shoulder. “Have I been a beast?”

She nestled against his chest, breathing in his manly smell mixed with cigar smoke and cologne. “Just more sensible, I suppose.”

Blake placed a finger under her chin to raise her gaze to his. “What a child you are.”

“Oh, I am not!” She tried to struggle free.

He held her tight, kissing the tip of her nose. “A determined little goose,” he said softly. He kissed her mouth lightly, returning again for a more passionate kiss.

“My goodness,” Lady Elizabeth’s voice came from the doorway. “What about the servants?” She looked pleased. “The jeweler has sent a note. The ring is ready.”

“Fine,” Blake said, returning to his paper.

“Time for the bans to be read,” Lady Elizabeth said as she gathered up her skirts and turned to leave the room again. “The wedding date must be announced soon. There’s a lot to organize.”

As the door closed, Blake looked at Willy. “Are you ready?”

She swallowed. “Ready?”

“For all this. Do you need more time?”

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“Such a passionate response,” Blake said dryly.

“Did you expect a passionate response?” Willy said, surprised.

“Do you want to marry me, Willy?” he asked.

“I will, of course, but I think we need to talk about it, Blake,” she said. “I was going to talk to you the other day, only we found Dix…”

The door opened again and Lady Elizabeth rushed into the room waving a letter. “Blake, such news. Your cousin Hendley has died!”

Blake jumped to his feet, the newspaper falling to the floor. “Died? When?”

She gave him the letter. “Read it.”

“He was in Paris. Someone accused him of cheating at cards and shot him,” Blake read.

“Poor Henley,” Lady Elizabeth said tearfully, wringing her hands.

“A shocking demise,” Blake said, handing her back the letter. “Though not that surprising.”

“I must write to his poor mother at once.” She hurried from the room.

“Willy?” Blake said, sitting down beside her.

Willy took a deep breath. “Yes, Blake?”

He looked so serious. “You know what this means? It alters my father’s will.”

“You inherit now? Whether we marry or not?”

He nodded. “Tell me…” he was interrupted by a scream. “Has this house turned into the madhouse?” he asked his mother, as she rushed in again.

“My sapphire earrings, the ones I was planning to lend to Willy for the wedding … I left them on my dresser, and now they’ve gone.”

Blake leapt to his feet again. “Are you sure?”

“They’re not of great value, but I’m fond of them. Who would take them?”

“I think I know,” Blake said grimly, looking at Willy. He took her hand. “Come with me.”

He kept hold of Willy’s hand as he strode to the stable mews. She struggled to keep up with him. “Please, Blake,” she begged, “I’m losing my breath.”

“You’ll lose more than that if Dix has anything to do with it.”

“Where is he?” Blake asked Ernest.

They found Dix rubbing down one of the horses in its stall.

“My mother seems to have mislaid her earrings, Dix. Do you know where they might be?” Blake asked him.

Dix said nothing, but he looked at Willy, his eyes pleading.

“We might look under his pillow,” Ernest suggested, “for I seem to have mislaid my pocket watch again.”

“Again? So careless of you, Ernest.” Blake said dryly, as he climbed the stairs, pushing Dix ahead of him. Willy and Ernest followed behind.

In the tiny attic room, Blake turned over Dix’s pillow to uncover a veritable treasure trove.

Dix stood with his head bowed, as Blake and Ernest discussed their findings. Lady Elizabeth’s earrings, the butler’s silver collar studs, Ernest’s pocket watch, and the housekeeper’s missing string of highly prized, crystal beads.

Willy took him by the shoulders. “Why, Dix?”

He hung his head even lower. “I need a hoard. In case you let me go.”

“As if we would,” she said.

Blake took her arm and walked her down the stairs and out into the lane.

“I’ll handle this,” he said. “You go back to the house.”

“I won’t have you treat him shabbily.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Shabbily?” he roared. “What about what he’s done to us?”

“You must understand what made him do this. It is fear.”

“It is biting the hand that feeds him.”

Ernest appeared at the doorway holding Dix by the collar.

“You’ve never had to worry about where your next meal comes from, my lord,” she said coolly. “If you did, you might exhibit more compassion for your fellow man.”

“Leave this to me, please.” Blake’s eyes turned ice blue. “It’s bad ton to talk like this when the servants can hear.”

“Well, perhaps I’m as much out of place here as Dix.”

She left him in the mews and returned to the house. Taking her cloak, bonnet and umbrella, she let herself out the front door and walked down the street. All of a sudden the way seemed clear to her.

She walked along Park Lane to Upper Brook Street. She passed tradesmen, clerks and footmen, busily going about their business. The few women she saw were accompanied by their maids or male companions. She began to feel conspicuous. The blatant looks the men gave her made her tremble. Did they think her a prostitute? Had she dressed more plainly, would she then be invisible? She had worn her new cloak with the fur collar. No maid would dress like this, unless they stole it from their mistress. Feeling more alone by the minute, she hurried across Grosvenor Square where ladies walked with their maids, giving their small dogs an airing. Their lives seemed so ordered, so calm and safe compared to hers. And it was all her own doing. She should have waited for Agnes. She admitted to her worse faults—she was too emotional and impulsive. No wonder Blake didn’t love her. She hovered at the corner of Davies Street for the crossing sweeper, disorientated by the noise of the iron-shod wooden wheels of the carriages rattling over the cobbles, hawkers shouting their wares and omnibus drivers yelling their destinations above the din. Business men and a pair of maidservants came to wait with her.

It began to drizzle. She put up her umbrella and picked up her damp skirts. It grew heavier and she began to hurry. Very soon the gutters would overflow and filthy water would flood the footpath.

Ahead was Mirvat’s where she’d just been, and further down the road, Vincent Loudon’s townhouse. She bit her lip, trembling and determined. She would do what she had to do. She wouldn’t miss London.

* * * *

Willy returned to Park Lane to find Blake walking a track in the silk rug of the drawing room. He whirled around as she entered. “Where have you been?”

“I have settled things, Blake. You do not have to send Dix back.”

He frowned. “What I do with young Dix will be my decision, alone.”

Feeling calmer, she sat down and pulled off her gloves, catching sight of her bare finger never destined to wear the ring. “I plan to take him with me.”

Blake stood in front of her. “Confound it, Willy, take him with you where?”

“I’m going home, and shall take both Dix and Frederick with me.”

He stared at her. “You prefer that to marrying me?”

“I prefer to be among loving companions than live with you.”

“Willy…”

“Please don’t try to dissuade me, Blake. I’ve made up my mind. I’ve just asked Vincent to take us and he’s agreed.”

Blake’s eyes went hard, their expression foreign to her. It made her draw breath. “You went unescorted to his house? What about your reputation? What about mine, Willy?”

Dismayed, she said, “I wasn’t there above a minute or two. And he kindly brought me home in his carriage.”

Blake cocked an eyebrow. “So, that’s it, is it?”

“Yes,” she said gazing at her gloves. “That’s it.”

“You are entitled to marry whoever you wish.”

She could not look at him. “As are you, now.”

“Then there’s nothing more to say on the matter.” Blake strode from the room and, minutes later, the front door banged shut.

Fingering her locket, Willy felt a sob rise in her throat. She hated to see him look at her like that. She dabbed at her eyes and went to tell her aunt.

She found her in her bedchamber discussing clothes with her maid. “I’ve just been deciding the color of my gown for the wedding,” she said, as Willy came in. “What do you think of maroon satin?”

“Could I talk to you alone, Aunt?”

“Yes, of course. That will be all, Agnes.”

Willy sank into a chair. “The wedding has been called off.”

Lady Elizabeth looked bewildered. “What are you saying, Wilhelmina?”

“There’s no need for Blake and I to marry now. And, as he doesn’t love me, I’ve decided to return home.”

Lady Elizabeth came to sit beside her. She stroked her hair. “Not love you? Are you so sure of that? What about that kiss?”

Willy shrugged. “Blake enjoys kissing women, that’s all.”

Lady Elizabeth shook her head. “My dear…”

“He wishes to be free to pick the bride of his choice.” Willy swallowed and steadied herself to continue. “I believe we have too little in common for a good marriage.”