Kimberly Nee - The McKenzie Brothers (25 page)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Marie was in her and Garrett’s chambers, dusting, when Katherine pushed open the door. “Good afternoon, Miss Katherine,” she said, lowering her feather duster for a moment.

“Good afternoon, Marie,” Katherine replied, setting her reticule on her vanity. “Tell me, you wouldn’t have happened to see Patsy at all today, have you?”

“No, Miss Katherine,” Marie replied, shaking her head as she resumed her dusting once more. “I’ve not seen her since we gathered the laundry this morning. I thought she was going into town with you.”

“She did, but then she disappeared.”

The feather duster went still once more. “Disappeared?”

“Yes.”

This time Marie’s brow furrowed. “Well, that’s a bit odd, don’t you think?”

Katherine resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I do. Why do you think I am so concerned?”

“I wish I could help you, Miss Katherine. All she said to me was that she wanted to go into town to replenish her rosewater.”

“I realize that.” Katherine moved over the chair in the corner and sank into it. “I can’t help but worry that something must have happened.” She glanced up at Marie. “Has she said anything to you about being unhappy here?”

Marie looked uncomfortable as she turned back to dust the highboy in the corner. “Well, not unhappy, exactly. I mean, we were both a bit surprised when you and Mister Garrett married.”

“You needn’t remind me.”

Marie cast a quick glance in her direction. “It was a bit of a shock to the system, Miss Katherine, you going from one of us to our mistress.”

“I realize that, but it’s over and done now. Tell me, do you think she ran away?”

“Oh, no, Patsy would never do such a thing.” Marie lowered her duster for a third time. “It’s a nice household to work for. Far as I know, she is happy here. Especially since Mrs. Riley no longer rules the roost.”

“I suppose she goes easier on you, Patsy and Victoria then?”

“Most definitely.”

“Very well. I only hope she has a reasonable explanation for her disappearance.”

“Perhaps she had an errand of a personal nature,” Marie suggested. “She did mention a passing fancy in one of the young men who works for the Tyler family at the Windswept Inn.”

Katherine mulled that over. “Perhaps that is the matter. A simple case of losing track of time, then. Which young man?”

Marie hesitated, as if not certain she ought to engage in gossip with her mistress. Then, she smiled, sinking down onto the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. “Malcolm Grayson. She is simply mad for him and I think he is sweet on her, as well.”

Relief swept through Katherine. Now it made sense. After all, it was her free afternoon, and she didn’t exactly need to seek permission to have her little assignation. Still, that it just wasn’t like Patsy to just disappear without a word to anyone.

Then again, it was different when a couple was in the early stages. Patsy was probably guilty of nothing more than losing track of time. It was far too easy to do.

“I’ll wager that’s exactly what happened,” Katherine said slowly, getting to her feet once more. “Well, I’ll not keep you any longer. When you finish up in here, you are free for the remainder of the evening, Marie.”

“But, Miss Katherine, my day off’s not until tomorrow.”

Katherine gave her a smile. “Do you dare argue with your mistress when she offers you a rare afternoon and evening off?”

Marie’s cheeks went pink as a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Thank you, Miss Katherine.”

“You are welcome, Marie. But, should you see Patsy, please be sure to tell her I wish to speak with her immediately. I can’t help but feel as if something’s wrong, and I just want to make sure she’s all right.”

“Of course not, Miss Katherine. You can be sure I will tell her.”

“Thank you.” Katherine moved to the door and pulled it open. “I will be in the library should someone need me.”

“Of course, Miss Katherine.”

Katherine smiled as she stepped back into the hallway. She was happy for Patsy, happy that she found someone special to share her life with.

Just as I did
. A silly smile lifted her lips as she hugged herself. And since she was so happy, it was easy to not want to take Patsy to task for shirking her duties in order to while away a few hours with a man.

It was amazing, really, just how much joy a body could feel. Katherine felt as if she could fly, should she truly desire to. Knowing Garrett loved her made her feel a joy she never thought possible, had never dreamed she
could
feel. And now, she wanted everyone around her to feel that joy as well.

She made her way down the stairs, reaching the bottom riser as the front door swung open and Garrett and Drew both lurched into the front hallway.

Katherine paused, jaw hanging slack at the sight of her husband and brother-in-law well and truly foxed. They were laughing uproariously about something, each with an arm about the other’s shoulders.

“What goes on here?” she asked carefully, coming off the staircase and moving to stand before them.

Garrett swayed to his left. “Ah, now, love, before you grow angry with me, allow me to explain.”

“Explain what?” She folded her arms over her chest to glare at both of them.

Drew tried to screw his features into a scowl, but failed. “The afternoon was long and rotten.”

“Is that so? It certainly does not seem that way.”

“Well, I suppose not,” Drew amended, untangling himself from Garrett. “But, believe me, rotten is the only way to describe it.”

“How so?”

Garrett lurched in her direction, slinging an arm about her shoulders this time. “We must’ve haunted every tavern in town, sweetheart. I do so hope you appreciate what your husband has put himself through today.”

Drew reached for the wall to steady himself. Katherine held her breath as he swayed, waiting to see if he was going to hit the floor. At six feet, four inches in height, and all solid muscle, Drew would no doubt go right
through
the floor if he wasn’t careful.

But he managed to grab hold of the wall, sagging against it as he said, “If I had to push one more barmaid off me, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Her nose wrinkled at the sickly-sweet fumes coming off Garrett. “Seems to me, you had a barmaid or two crawling over you, as well.”

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “This face is as much a curse as it is a blessing, sweetheart. Trust me, they hit the floor a second after plopping down onto my lap.”

“I can vouch for him,” Drew slurred.

“As I can for him,” Garrett returned.

She scowled at the two of them. “I’m certain your mother will not be at all amused when you stumble up to Stonebridge, Drew.”

He cleared his throat, holding up a forefinger to wave at her. “I’ll have you know, Miss Katherine, that I’ve stumbled up there in far worse condition than this and she’s yet to do more than shake her head,
tsk
me, and see that I make it to my bed in one piece and without doing much damage. This is no different.”

“Besides, Mother will hand him off to Martha and
she
will see to it he regrets ever having set foot in a tavern,” Garrett tossed out.

“Oh, hush. If you aren’t careful, I’ll send you with him,” Katherine told him, hands on her hips. “This is a disgrace.”

“A disgrace? Hardly.” Garrett leaned over to brush a damp kiss over her neck. “It needed to be done.”

“And what might that might be? Getting foxed?”

At her cold tone, Drew shook his head. “Now, my dear sister, it’s not what you think. I’ll have you know, your husband — ” he chuckled heartily, still shaking his head, “still sounds a bit odd to me — your husband received word that a certain little English toad by the name of Sanders had been spotted over at Harry’s.”

Katherine felt an icy stab of fear. “And you went after him?”

“I did, love.”

She looked from him to Drew and back again. “Well? What happened?”

“Gave us the slip, sweetheart,” Garrett said with an exaggerated groan. “So, we went in search of him.”

“You went pub-crawling in the hopes of finding him? What would have happened if you had found him? Neither one of you is in any condition to face off with him now.”

Drew tried once more to force his handsome features into a stern expression, but failed miserably. “I’ll have you know, Garrett and I have pounced many an unsuspecting fellow in conditions far worse than this. And been quite successful, I might add.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are both madmen, do you realize that?”

Untangling Garrett’s arm from her neck, she gave him a push toward the stairs. “You get yourself up to that room at once. As for you — ” she turned to Drew, hands on her hips, “you sleep this off on the sofa. Go on, now. Go. Off you get, then.”

Garrett leaned heavily against the banister. “Watch yourself, Drew. My lovely wife’s got a punch that’ll bring you to your knees. If she raises her hand, duck.”

Katherine shot him a glare over one shoulder as she moved to curl her hand about Drew’s wrist. “No more joking.” She gave him a not-so-gentle shove toward the library. “Go and sleep now. I’ll have Victoria prepare something for when you both wake. I’m fairly sure she has some concoction to cure the morning after.”

Bracing her hands against Drew’s solid back, she steered him into the library, where he sprawled out on the damask sofa with a grunt. Almost at once, his eyes closed and his jaw went slack. A moment later, he snored so loudly she thought the vibrations would jar the books from their shelves.

So much for him going up to Stonebridge.

With that, she left him in the library, coming out to find Garrett slumped down on the bottom step, head in his hands.

“The room is spinning,” he grumbled as she took his hand to tug him to his feet.

“Well, it going to keep spinning until you’ve slept this off. Honestly, Garrett. What were you thinking?”

He offered no protest as they started up the stairs, but slung his arm about her neck and leaned into her. “Surely you don’t think I’ll not keep combing Brunswick in search of him, do you?”

“I hope you’ve no intention of coming home in this condition again,” she retorted sharply as they reached the top of the steps. His weight dragged on her, leaving her short of breath. “I am hardly Atlas and you are bloody heavy.”

“You may not be Atlas, sweetheart, but you
are
Aphrodite. Or Venus. Or whatever the hell the Greeks called her.” Laughter wove through his somewhat slurred words.

“Very amusing.”

He bent to nuzzle her. “Care to join me in our bed, sweetheart?”

“Are you mad?”

He responded by pinning her up against the wall, linking his fingers through hers to brace her hands on either side of her head. “Hardly, love. You tempt me beyond reason.”

She wrinkled her nose at the stale fumes wafting from him. “You are foxed, Garrett. Sleep is what you need. Not
that
.”

Still, even as she protested, a thrill rushed through her. It only worsened as he murmured, “Ah, so innocent, and yet such a temptress at the same time, love. It drives me mad with lust, the way you blush at the mere mention of making love with me.”

She winced. “It’s because you wish to mention it at the most inappropriate times.”

His arms slid about her waist, his fingers pressing into her as he replied with, “We are married, sweetheart. There is nothing inappropriate about mentioning it. In fact, it would only be inappropriate, were I to take you in my arms, lift your skirts, and take you right here against the wall. And I’m not even so certain
that
would be inappropriate, either.”

“Garrett!”

“Oh, do not grow angry with me, love,” he cajoled, his lips now moving lightly over her neck. “You drive me mad — the thought of your kisses, the sweet taste of you, of your hands moving over me, of mine moving over you. You tempt me the way no other woman ever has, Katherine McKenzie.”

Any protests she might have voiced died as he rose up against her, the thick, hard steel of his erection pressing into her thigh. “Garrett…”

“What?”

“Bed. Now.”

He chuckled, pulling away. “You are a hard woman, Madam McKenzie.”

“Only when I have to be.” She peeled herself from him and moved to thrust open the door to their chambers. “Now.”

He offered no other protests, but went stumbling into their room, sprawling facedown across the bed and snoring before his head hit the tick.

She moved to the side of the bed, tucking her skirts between her knees and crouching down as she fought to tug off his boots. Then, she stood, covering him with a light quilt and smoothing his mussed hair back into place.

She couldn’t stay angry at him, not when he’d been out searching for Sanders. How could she scold him when her safety concerned him most?