Sea Scoundrel (31 page)

“The Hel fire Club has been dead for years. The men who belonged to it were worse than the idle rich. They were, some of them, murderers. That was a falsehood among many, though more damaging than the ones I started myself.”

“You started rumors about yourself?”

“To give me the opportunity to pursue trade, discreetly. It’s frowned upon among the aristocracy.”

“But you prefer commerce to Society.”

He nodded. “I own printing presses here and in Boston. I have investments in several companies. I have a friend, Francis Lowel . We plan to build a textile mil in Massachusetts. There are other businesses—”

“I want to know about the bastard babies.” He took her hand. “I assure you, no bastard babies of mine run about the streets of London.”

It did feel splendid, his skin against hers. “Boston?” He chuckled. “No. Nor Boston either.”

“Where?”

“Nowhere! Patience, stop it.” He hugged her.

“Grant, if you never intended to accept your title, why did you bother to start rumors that al owed you to dabble in trade, making people think you traveled instead?”

“Ah. Wel , now, you are asking me to admit something to you that I have only recently admitted to myself.” He thought to sample a quick taste of her lips and go on, but her open-mouthed invitation caused a quickening response.

He stopped and struggled to regroup. “I guess I have always, deep down, intended to return and accept my heritage when my father’s title befel me. There are people who depend on my father for their livelihood, like Hadley’s family and his children’s children. I have a responsibility to them.” He tweaked her nose. “I was not keeping it from you, specifical y, Patience, but from the rest of the world, and if truth be told, from myself. Please forgive me.” She told him with her mouth upon his, with her fingers in the hair at his nape, with her moans at his touch. He stood and carried her toward the settee. She ached to think what might happen. He was about to lay her down when the door opened.

Grace blushed crimson when she saw them.

Grant set her on her feet.

“What is it Grace?”

The normal y calm girl wrung her hands. “Rose is crying and packing. She says she’s taking Amy and leaving London.

She won’t talk and I can’t change her mind.” Patience touched Grant’s arm. “I was afraid of this. Wil you wait?”

“Of course. Go ahead. I’l be right here.” Amy sat in traveling clothes wrapped in a blanket, crying as hard as her mother who was throwing her cape over her shoulders. Several bags stood at the door. Patience lifted Amy and unbuttoned her warm clothing.

Rose sniffed. “Patience, what are you doing? We have to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere until we talk, and I fear Amy wil suffocate while we do. Take off your cloak and sit. Grace, dear, go and fetch tea and toast for us, wil you? When you return, you may take Amy to your room for a while.”

“Of course.”

“Rose, do sit down, you’re making me dizzy. None of us has had any sleep, and it’s dawn. There now, tel me why you have to flee London.”

Rose wiped her eyes and shook her head.

Patience decided if she ever
did
marry, she would have only male children. Grace returned and took the baby. Stil Rose said nothing.

“I’ve listened to you cry long enough, now drink your tea and listen.” Patience sipped the sweet milk-laden brew and let it calm her. “You’re pregnant with Shane’s child and leaving so he won’t know.”

Rose’s teacup split the saucer as it landed. “I’m sorry,” she said wiping her wet hand. “It was very shocking to hear it that way. Of course, you would realize my suspicions are confirmed. But Patience, he doesn’t want to marry me and I can’t stay and get big and round with no husband. I won’t go through that again. I’l go to the country. I’l take in sewing and washing and say I’m a widow. I have money. Papa gave it to me when he left. He said I’d need it to get away and he was right, though he meant away from mother.”

“How do you know Shane won’t marry you?”

“He hasn’t asked me.”

“Did you tel him about the babe?”

“Of course not! I don’t want to trap Shane. I love him.”

“Certainly, and he loves you. You have only to look at him to know.”

“As to that, the Captain—or the Marquess—looks at you in exactly the same way.”

“He does not! And we are not speaking of me, so let’s leave the scoundrel out of this. I think you should speak to Shane. He’s a warm, caring man who loves you and Amy and would be bereft to lose you, not to mention the child you carry, if he knew of it. Get into your nightrail, climb between those sheets and sleep. I wil send someone to wake you at ten. Then you wil tel Shane he is about to become a father and shortly after that, I predict you wil become a bride.” Rose smiled. “When you say it that way, it makes such sense.” She hugged Patience. “Thank you. You are the sister I can always count on.”

Patience hugged her back. “I have always wanted a sister.”

“Me too,” Rose said. “And now we have four.” Patience went back to the library where she found Grant sleeping on the settee. He looked as if he’d tried to stay sitting but fel over. Funny, she thought as she slipped his shoes off and lifted his legs to the cushions, she never
noticed
him looking at her the way Shane looks at Rose.

She pushed a curl from his brow. She should let him sleep and go upstairs. Instead, she locked the library door and snuggled against him. He opened sleepy eyes and smiled at her.

“Go back to sleep,” she whispered. “The house wil be quiet for hours yet and I’ve locked the door.” He kissed her, pul ed her against him with one arm and settled her head in his neck. “A man could get used to this,” he said in a sleepy voice and drifted off.

So could a woman.

Someone tried the library door at dawn to light the fire.

Patience ignored the knob’s rattle and drifted back to sleep. Someone tried again at nine, probably to clean. Stil locked. Patience closed her eyes in contentment.

“Bother,” someone in the hal said. “Dusting can wait ‘til tomorrow.” And so it could, Patience thought.

At noon Aunt Harriette’s voice brought her ful awake. Grant too. But they ignored the sounds. Patience felt Grant’s arousal against her middle and smiled into coal black eyes.

Ah those crinkle lines.

He kissed her and held her warm wil ing body tight. “Mmm.” His kisses trailed to her breast where he nibbled through her gown.

Exploring and teasing became a lovely early-morning pastime. Patience slid her hand to that mysterious hard ridge. His groan shot fire through her. She was about to explore further when the sound of a key in the lock moved them like lightening.

Grant, on the inside, was quicker, however, and knocked Patience to the floor. He picked her up, kissed her on the brow, and pul ed her to the chairs facing the hearth. He sat her in one, himself in the other, and crossed his legs of necessity. Patience looked like she was going to giggle.

He gave her a warning look as the lock gave. She looked as if she’d been sleeping, he thought, a good thing, but he wished she wasn’t breathing so rapidly. He feigned sleep because, for the life of him, he could not stand as Aunt Harriette entered the room. He hoped Patience would be smart and drag the woman away. He wondered if the powers of mental thought could be transferred as some scientists seemed to think, so he tried.
Get her the devil
out of here!

Aunt Harriette seemed to accept that he slept because she whispered. “Dear, did you stay up al night?”

“Oh, no,” Patience whispered back. “I fel asleep. It certainly looks as if Grant did. Come along, Aunt, and talk to me while I bathe and dress. I feel decidedly uncomfortable. Let

‘The Saint’ sleep a while longer.”

Grant barely held his chuckle until the door shut.

He sent a note to his house and had fresh clothes brought.

Utilizing one of the guest rooms, he bathed, shaved and changed before Patience returned to the library.

“Oh, good. Food,” Patience said when she saw the tray waiting. She bit into a warm fruited scone. “Mmm. It may be two in the afternoon, but I want breakfast.” Grant raised a brow and leaned over the smal table between them. “I’m famished for what we started when your darling Aunt interrupted.”

Patience smiled sweetly. “Don’t forget who insisted I bring her to London.”

He scowled. “Can we send her back now?”

“No. But listen, we have other problems.”

“Patience, I hate it when you say
we
have problems. They are, inevitably, incomprehensible and insurmountable.”

“You told me you’d stay and help with the girls.”

“More fool, me.”

“Al I need is someone to talk to. There isn’t much you can do about this. I’ve handled it and I need you to say I did fine.”

“And if you didn’t?”

“I don’t want to know.”

He nodded and sipped his tea. “I understand your rules.

Now tel me and don’t run in circles. Plain speaking if you please. My brain is fogged from lack of sleep.”

“Rose is pregnant.”

Grant’s eyes widened as he put his cup down with a clatter.

“I must say, Patience, when you get it into your head to do as I ask, you are quite good at it!” After a minute of shock, he smiled. “So, I’m to be an uncle. Does Shane know?”

“I hadn’t thought about you being an uncle. Do you think you can act like one?”

“What? Bounce the little tiger on my knee? Of course I can. I think I would be quite fond of Shane’s children. I’m happy for them. Is Rose wel ?”

Patience jumped from her chair. “No, dolt, Rose is not wel .

She is not married to your brother, and furthermore he hasn’t asked her.”

“A mere technicality.”

“Not to Rose. She was packing to leave this morning when I stopped her. I’ve convinced her to speak with Shane, and I certainly hope he offers for her. She’s more than four months along. It must have happened at the beginning of our voyage.”

Grant was startled by that. “Of course, I don’t know a great deal about these matters, but shouldn’t it, I mean wouldn’t she be ... larger by now?”

“Look at this dress Grant. What does it look like?” Grant studied her smal but perfect breasts and the lavender high-waisted dress that lifted them quite nicely. He watched how one lone curl barely touched the peak and longed to lift it and place his lips on the spot. “You look as if you need to be kissed.”

Patience groaned. “Grant, does it look as if I’m pregnant?”

“No. Wel , yes, actual y. Are you wearing your bosom inserts?”

She rol ed her eyes and prayed for patience. “You need to get some rest. I’m trying to tel you that a woman can hide her delicate condition in this style dress. I’m sure many women do.”

Grant went to her. “I’m sorry to babble like an idiot. My lack of sleep is beginning to take its tol .” He took her into his arms, put a hand below her breast, and slid it to her waist, then her abdomen where he made lazy circles. “You’d be beautiful if you were, Patience. You should reconsider your dreams for the future and think of marriage.” Patience had closed her eyes with the slow strokes. Now she opened them wide. “Should I? Who should I marry?” Grant remembered his mother and dropped his hand as if he’d been burned. “You’d make someone a wonderful wife, I’m sure.”

She faced the Captain again, which made her angry, at herself for the seed of hope she’d al owed. “I think few men have the sensitivity to be husbands, so I’l keep my dream if you don’t mind.”

“Certainly. It would be best. Wel , if you’l excuse me, I’l be off. Don’t worry about Rose and Shane. They’l work it out.” After Grant left, Patience attempted to speak with Angel about her unexplained absences, but she was on her way out to visit the lending library with Sophie. She promised Patience they would talk later.

Later, as they final y began that talk, angry shouts reverberated through the house and drew Patience to the top of the stairs. The girls fol owed.

Shane shouted, cal ing Grant interfering and unfeeling.

Then the mild-mannered first-mate planted his brother a facer.

Grant fel back and hit the stair rail.

The girls gasped.

Patience screamed, not knowing if the resounding crack was from the rail splitting or Grant’s thick skul .

Shane ran half-way up the stairs then stopped to look up in fury. “Dammit, Rose, why in hel didn’t you tel me you’re pregnant?”

Rose wailed.

Patience grabbed Amy.

Rose fled in tears.

Set in motion again, Shane fol owed.

Grant rose on a moan, rubbing his jaw, and watched Patience soothe the crying babe. His afternoon’s anguish returned. Patience with a babe. Agony fil ed him at the sight. A passionate battle warred in him. She looked absolutely perfect cradling an infant. Would that the child belonged to them. No. He sighed at the pain al around. His needs and fears engaged in combat at a pace too fierce for him to command. And he hated not being in command, especial y of himself.

He wanted Patience. He did not.

“I can’t believe you went to your brother with this, you ...

Never mind what you are; Amy’s too young to hear it.” Patience fled and left him standing at the bottom of the stairs. The outer door opened behind him as Harriette and Brian came in from the rain.

“What’s wrong?” they asked, looking from the girls to Grant.

“Damned if I know, but I’m bloody wel going to find out.” He took the stairs two at a time. Moments later, he found Patience in her room rocking a sleepy Amy, a look of fury on her face.

He knelt in front of her. “Why are you angry with me?” Amy opened her eyes and held her arms out to him.

Surprised, he took the baby girl and let Patience show him how to hold her so her head rested on his shoulder. Amy sighed in contentment and closed her eyes.

Patience frowned. “You do charm the ladies.” He scowled.

Patience shook her head. “Do you want to sit in the rocker?”

“No,” he whispered. “Come with me. When she’s asleep, we’l put her down so we can talk.”

Patience fol owed him down the hal to the last door and into a room with children’s furniture. “What a lovely room, but how did you know it was here?”