Sweet Deception Regency 07 - The Divided Hearts (28 page)

He was so incredibly handsome, she thought,
her mind slightly blurred by the brandy fumes. His blue cape, a
puddle of bright satin, was flung beside his chair. He was devoid
of his usual flashy apparel. Instead he was a contrast in black and
white. The unadorned black of his clothing intensified his
masculine appearance. The jacket was molded to his body, making her
aware of the breadth of his chest and shoulders. A crumpled white
neckcloth hung limply at his neck. His face in the flickering light
appeared whiter than normal and there was a sternness to his
expression that puzzled her. He returned her gaze boldly and
flustered, she dropped her eyes to the glass in her hands.

“Where have you been, Judith?” Simon barked,
returning her wandering attention to her angry father. “Has there
been an accident?”

“I c-couldn’t sleep,” Judith stuttered. “I
went outside for a b-breath of f-fresh air.”

She glanced at her father and winced at the
choleric expression that marked his red face. He opened his mouth
and Judith braced herself for the tongue-lashing he was about to
deliver. She felt she had little choice, but to listen. In front of
Nate, she could hardly explain the incredible events of the
night.

In the stillness of the room, shouted voices
could be heard from the opened French doors. She could not hold
back the smile of triumph that lit her face, nor the flash of
pleasure in her eyes. Even if Zeke and his men picked up her trail,
there was little to worry about. By this time Palatine would have
been able to find a safe house and attend to his injuries. The men
might discover that she had been outside, but they would have no
reason to suspect she had any involvement in the escape. And even
if they did, it mattered little now that Palatine was free.

The shouts were closer and Simon left her
side. He strode to the open French doors, twitching the curtains
away from the glass. He slipped into the garden. It suddenly struck
Judith as unusual that her father had not gone to the front door.
There was a furtiveness to his actions that made her uneasy and
when he returned she discovered she was holding her breath.

“They appear to be conducting a house to
house search,” Simon said.

Judith expelled the air in her lungs in a
silent cry. She placed the brandy snifter on the table beside her
as numbness crept through her body. She caught the quickly
shuttered glance between her father and Nate, but her mind fought
to reject the evidence. In growing dread, she stared across the
room at Nate. There was a shadow of sadness within the cobalt
depths and a thin smile touched his lips. She sucked in her breath
at the knowledge clearly written on his face.

Palatine!

The name screamed in her mind and for a
moment she was sure that she had shouted it aloud. How could she
have been so stupid! Why hadn’t she known that the frivolous dandy
was the mysterious hero? Judith stared at the firm lips of the man
and her mouth tingled in memory of Palatine’s tender kiss in the
dark garden. No wonder she had pictured Nate’s flashing eyes. Her
mind had been blinded. Her body had known and responded not to a
stranger but to the man she loved.

Like the pieces of a puzzle, the questions
that had plagued her fell into a clear pattern. She understood now
why Simon had been so amused at Nate’s foppish behavior. Her father
had hinted that there was more to the man than she suspected. It
stunned her that she could have been so easily duped. Even the
question of Nate’s wavering allegiance was comprehensible. He had
acted the part of an English sympathizer, yet his love for America
had been apparent to her. She understood so much now. But most of
all, she understood how she could love a man who was the very
antithesis to her idea of a warm, loving husband.

The cacophony outside was closer now and
Judith bowed her head in anguish. She had thought she had led the
pursuers a merry chase, but instead she had brought the attackers
to the place where Palatine had found shelter. Tears stood in her
eyes and she raised her head.

“Forgive me, Simon. I brought them here,”
she cried brokenly.

Fists pounded on the front door. Judith
brought the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream.
Without a word, Simon flashed across the room, plucking the blue
satin cape from the floor. He draped it across the back of Nate’s
chair, a bright splash of color in contrast to his somber black
clothing. The older man’s eyes were grim and he squeezed Nate’s
shoulder before walking briskly toward the door. Appalled at the
magnitude of her stupidity and unable to remain in the room under
Nate’s accusatory glance, Judith sprang from the chair and ran
through the French doors into the garden.

Nate leaned his head back, resting for the
ordeal ahead. He was too weak to either fight or flee; he had lost
too much blood from the bullet in his arm. Simon had had only
enough time to stuff a cloth against the bloody wound before Judith
entered the room. Feeling lightheaded, Nate took a sip of the
brandy. He hoped he might preserve some dignity by not swooning
when they hauled him away.

It was ironic that he had been betrayed by
the woman he loved. He was chagrined that he had been such a
willing victim. How long had Judith known his identity? With a
sense of disillusionment, he had watched the kaleidoscope of ugly
emotions that crossed her lovely face. He had seen the glint of
triumph when she heard the men shouting outside. It must have been
gratifying, knowing she had accomplished the impossible task of
unmasking Palatine. There was apprehension when she looked at him.
Perhaps a twinge of regret? If so, she had shrugged it away,
replacing it with righteous anger. She had played her part so
brilliantly, Nate sneered. The crowning touch was when she faced
her father with a pathetic plea for forgiveness. He was surprised
that she had fled the room. He would not have suspected her of
cowardice. After all, this was her moment of triumph.

In his heart Nate had never really believed
that she would betray him. An Englishwoman, she had always been a
danger, but when they were together, he had glimpsed another girl,
full of fire and spirit. His mind flashed back to the night they
had run from the drunken rowdies. He had sensed her pleasure in the
chase and later her aroused passion. She had given her lips eagerly
and even in her glorious anger, he had sensed no treachery. But
obviously his love had blinded him.

Suddenly Nate recalled the look of dawning
horror in Judith’s eyes. He could swear that she had not realized
his identity until that moment. He pressed his head against the
back of the chair, willing his fuzzy thoughts to order. His own
weakness made it almost impossible for him to think. There was
something here he did not understand. If Judith had not known who
he was, why had she brought the men to the house?

Because they followed her here.

Happiness such as he had never known flooded
Nate’s body. That had to be the answer. Nothing else fit. Judith
would never betray him; he trusted her completely. Without knowing
how, he was positive that Judith had been the mysterious rescuer at
the cemetery. After he was shot, he knew that he would not be able
to outrun the angry men. He had hoped they would assume that he was
racing back to town, when in actual fact he had hidden in the woods
across the road. He had seen a figure leading them away but had no
idea who had come to his aid.

Judith. How could he ever have suspected his
golden girl of treachery? She was full of adventure and passion and
joy. What an incredible wife she would make.

The increased shouts at the front of the
house, brought Nate back to the stark realization that he and
Judith had no future. It was a matter of moments before his
identity would be revealed. By the sounds of it, Simon was having
little luck in turning away the angry group of men. Once inside, it
would not take a great deal of perception to discover the condition
he was in. He was unable to stand and in all likelihood, he would
swoon away like some frightened virgin.

His heart jolted when he considered the
danger to Judith. In his present state there was little he could do
to protect her. He would have to pray that being a woman and
English would be protection enough. Simon’s position was serious
but he hoped his friend would have the good sense to evince total
surprise at the revelation. Nate was counting on the fact that the
prime purpose of Zeke’s raid on the cemetery had been to catch
Palatine. Once that was accomplished they might be contented to
leave Simon and Judith alone.

Simon’s furious voice echoed from the front
door. “This is an outrage, Zeke?”

“Enough of your bluster, old man,” the angry
man snarled. “We’ll search the house whether you like it or
not.”

There was a chorus of shouts but Simon
shouted them down. Giving in to the inevitable, he pulled back the
door. “Must you wake the dead with your caterwauling. I won’t have
all of you drunken hooligans trooping through my house. Pick a few
men, Waters, and have done with it.” After Zeke designated three
men, Simon slammed the door on the rest. Turning, he led the men
down the hall to the drawing room. “I won’t have my family
disturbed with your wild goose chase.”

Simon entered the lighted room with four
disheveled figures pressed closely behind. Zeke’s eyes opened wide
at the questioning expression on the face across the room.

“Good evening, Ezekiel,” Nate drawled,
raising his quizzing glass to survey the newcomers. “Dressed for
some sort of harvest festival, I see.”

“Stubble it, Bellingham,” Zeke snapped.
“We’re searching the area for a dangerous outlaw.”

“Never say,” Nate said. “Don’t tell me that
incorrigible Palatine has been up to his tricks again. I’m just
back from Boston and I’ve heard nothing but a litany of his
dastardly deeds.”

Judith stood outside the French doors,
clinging to the frame in her fear. At any moment Zeke would make
the connection between Nate’s presence in the house and Palatine’s
disappearance. She had a clear view of Nate who still lounged in
his chair, his face a picture of bored amusement. He had not moved
since she ran from the room. His dark head rested against his blue
satin cloak and his hand lay on the arm of the chair, fingers
drooping in total relaxation.

Then her gaze fell to the floor and her
heart kicked in her chest. Beside the chair was a dark splotch of
blood. Her eyes were frozen to the spot and as she stared, another
drop fell from Nate’s elbow to widen the ring of evidence. In
horror she observed the pallor of her beloved’s face and wondered
if he would bleed to death while she stood by and did nothing.

She shook her head to clear it, then slipped
away from the doorway, moving quietly until she stood in the middle
of the garden. Reaching up to the neck of her dress, she grasped
the material with both hands and ripped the fabric until the edge
of her chemise was visible through the jagged tear. Then opening
her mouth, she let out a satisfying scream and raced toward the
lighted windows.

“Father! Father!” she shrieked, tearing into
the room and hurling herself on her astonished father’s chest. “I
told you there was someone outside! I went into the garden to check
and someone attacked me!”

The room broke into an uproar. Judith sobbed
noisily into her father’s vest, while outside there was the sound
of pounding feet as the men at the front door charged around to the
garden. Zeke and his men converged at the French doors, shouting
orders which were ignored. Only Nate seemed unmoved by her bravura
performance, Judith muttered. No matter what she did now, he would
never believe that she had not betrayed him. He might wonder why
she had changed her mind but he would never forgive her. Her heart
shattered but nothing mattered except his safety.

“What happened, Miss Judith?” Zeke’s urgent
voice said in her ear.

Remembering her audience, she clutched the
neckline of her dress and pushed away from her father. “Thank
heaven, you’ve come. There’s a madman outside,” she shrilled.

The men pushed and shoved, shouting
questions at her.

“What happened?” Zeke repeated.

“Father and Nathanael were playing chess. I
told them I heard someone in the garden, but they were so intent on
their game, they ignored me.” She shot a black look at her father
who had the good sense to look shame-faced. “So I put on my cloak
and slipped out the kitchen door. I was almost at the gate when
someone grabbed me, covering my mouth so I couldn’t scream. He was
wearing a black cloak and a black hat was pulled low over his eyes.
Oh, it was horrible! Just look what he did!”

There was a concerted gasp in the room as
she dropped the torn bodice, exposing her chemise and a satiny
expanse of breasts heaving in agitation. While the angry men
goggled, Judith was startled by the smile of amusement trembling at
the corners of Nate’s mouth. She pushed through the circle of men,
striding angrily across the floor until she stood directly beside
his chair.

“And you, Nathanael Bellingham! When I first
heard those noises, you had the unmitigated gall to tell me that I
was disturbing your game. You are nothing but a useless fop!” she
accused, her tone scathing. “Why I could have been murdered or—or
ravished.”

“Shortly, my love,” Nate whispered.

Judith bit back a gasp at the flame of love
burning in Nate’s eyes. She wanted to shriek with the happiness
that by some miracle he understood everything. Only her awareness
of danger, kept her from hurling herself into his arms. But for the
moment she must finish the play.

“Did he-um-did he hurt you, Miss Judith?”
Zeke asked and behind him there was a chorus of angry murmurs.

Judith leaned heavily on the back of Nate’s
chair, the knuckles of her hand pressed to her mouth. The silence
in the room was palpable and she counted to five before she pulled
herself bravely upright. A lone tear rolled down her cheek and she
tossed back her hair in defiance.