The Care and Feeding of Your Captive Earl (What Happens In Scotland Book 3) (23 page)

Matthias leaned forward. “What are you saying?”

The woman shook her head. “Only that Mrs. Grant is quite determined.”

“Can you tell us nothing more?” Gwen asked. “Is the child in danger?”

Lively spoke up, urging her on. “Go on, tell them about the caller.”

Mary shook her head. “She has a caller who arrives every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday morning, before the sun rises. He often stays until noon and ducks out the back when he leaves.”

She had a regular paramour—a man who was
not
Matthias. Gwen would have been shocked were it not
Katherine
they were talking about.

“How long has this man been visiting her?” Matthias asked evenly, showing no signs of anger or jealousy, thank heavens.

“Five months, perhaps.”

“Thank you, Mary.” Matthias stood. “Lively. You have both been quite helpful.”

Gwen, Mary, and Lively stood as well. Gwen approached Mary and took the young woman by the hands. “If you wish to remove yourself from Mrs. Grant’s household, I have a close friend who will soon require a lady’s maid. I would be pleased to give you a character.”

With a shy smile, the woman nodded. “Thank you, my lady. You are very kind.”

“Excellent. I shall be in contact.” Gwen moved to the double doors and found Langley, who was waiting in the corridor. “Langley, order the carriage. His lordship and I are going out.”

Matthias stepped forward. “Gwen—”

She didn’t allow him to finish. “It’s Sunday, my lord, and I do believe we should pay Mrs. Grant a visit.”

* * *

Nothing good could come from calling on his former mistress with his new wife in tow. But Gwen was determined and if he’d refused her, it was likely she would sneak out to see Katherine on her own. He could not allow that. Heaven only knew the lies Katherine would feed her.

As the carriage approached the town house Matthias had purchased for Katherine, he turned to Gwen. “Are you sure you wish to do this?”

She sat next to him in the carriage and she turned to face him. “Yes, we must confront this. Together.”

He kissed her swiftly on the lips. This woman was so strong and confident. A force to be reckoned with. And she was
his.

As they approached the house, the butler pulled the door open and invited them in. Closing the door, he bowed. “My lord. My lady. If you would like to wait here, I will see if Mrs. Grant is at home.”

He held out the tray for their calling cards, but Matthias merely pushed past him, tugging Gwen behind him. “No need. My wife and I will see for ourselves.”

“My lord, I must insist—”

The butler’s words were cut off as they made their way up the stairs and down the corridor.

Just before reaching the third door, Matthias stopped. Voices carried through the closed oak door—a woman’s high lilting voice, undoubtedly Katherine’s, intermixed with the low grunts of a man.

Matthias curled his hand around the doorknob, holding his other hand out to Gwen. “Wait here,” he said, before pushing through the unbolted door.

When he walked in, Katherine was naked, mounted on top of a young man, her breasts bouncing with each violent thrust of her hips.

One thing was evident. She most certainly was
not
with child. Her stomach was flat, her breasts just as petite as they had been prior to his trip to the Continent.

Katherine screamed and,dismounting the young buck, she covered herself with her hands. “Matthias! What in the devil are you doing here?”

He lifted a brow. “I could ask you the very same.”

Coming to the aid of his paramour, the young man rose, wrapped a stray blanket around his hips, and approached Matthias. “I must insist you leave this house at once.”

Matthias crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway. “I don’t believe I will,” he said. “This is my house.”

“What is this? What is happening?”

Another female’s voice came from the corridor, pushing in on the scene. In a trice, there was a woman at his side. She could have been Katherine’s twin—though she looked quite young. And she was undoubtedly
enceinte
.

All at once Katherine’s scheme became clear to him. She intended to pass this woman’s child off as his. And as the mother of his child, Katherine would have been quite comfortable—given an allowance, an elegant house, and whatever the child required.

He glowered at Katherine. “Your ruse is quite apparent to me now. You will be out of this house in three days’ time.” He bowed stiffly. “Good day to you.”

When he turned and walked out of the room, grabbing Gwen’s hand as he passed her in the corridor, he felt like a man who had stepped up to the guillotine and been given a reprieve.

Once they were back inside the carriage and on their way home, Gwen finally spoke. “I heard everything from my position outside the door and you were remarkably tame. Are you not angry at Katherine for her duplicity?”

He should have been angry for all the senseless damage she’d caused.

Lifting a hand, he brushed a stray curl away from her beautiful face. “Katherine who?” he teased. He placed a hand over the gentle swell of her belly. “I care for nothing save my lovely wife and our new beginning.”

She inched forward and touched her nose to his. “I love you, Matthias. You are an amazing man, and you will be an extraordinary father to our child.”

His kissed her lips gently. “Promise you will not leave again.”

“I will never be so foolish,” she said between kisses. “I vow it.”

“Good,” he said. “Or I shall tie you to my bed and keep you as my slave.”

“I do believe I would enjoy being your captive.” She smiled, looking up into his eyes. “Again.”

* * *

Weeks later, Gwen reclined against the chaise longue that Matthias had brought up to her bedchamber. Lady lay beside her, snoring loudly, taking up half the space. The morning after the Tisdale ball, Gwen had sent a footman to retrieve Lady from Arlington House. Pippa had relinquished the little spaniel with her blessing.

Gwen looked down at the letter she had received from Emily yesterday morning, and read it for what felt like the hundredth time.

My Lady,

I cannot thank you enough for your kind words and your heartfelt petition for me to return to your household. I feel obliged to confess that I am no longer qualified for such an esteemed position. What happened in Scotland has changed me unalterably and I fear I am no longer the woman you knew. I wish I could say more, but that would be quite impossible. Please do not be anxious for me. I am well, as I hope you are.

-E

What happened in Scotland has changed me unalterably.

What in heaven’s name did
that
mean? Their trip to Scotland had
gone awry quite quickly, and Emily fleeing with Stephen—alone—
would
certainly be viewed as scandalous by society. But outside of the group, no one knew the truth. Naturally, everyone would assume she had been in Yorkshire with Gwen.

Perhaps Stephen had taken advantage of her? But that hardly seemed likely. From what Gwen had heard, he had been injured—quite badly, in fact. He had been in no position to seduce anyone.

Whatever it was, Emily did not sound happy. And that simply would not do. Gwen was determined to fix this. Somehow.

Gwen shifted, attempting to get comfortable. Her back hurt and it felt as though she was getting larger and larger with each breath—and though she already felt like a whale, she cherished every moment of it. Parliament had let out weeks ago, and the Season was officially over, but Gwen and Matthias remained in Town. Everyone had escaped the heat and stench of London for their country estates—where Gwen and Matthias should be as well. But traveling in a carriage would surely be torture, and Matthias had not wanted to put her through that. So they were here until the near-constant nausea passed. Heaven only knew when that would be.

Looking up, she glanced at the timepiece on the mantel. It was nearly eight o’clock in the evening and Matthias had been gone at his club for more than
six hours
. What could possibly be keeping him?

For a moment, she allowed her thoughts to wander down the dark path of doubt. Had he found himself another mistress? Was he with her now?

A potent mixture of pain and anxiety swirled in her chest—but she did not allow it to take root. Shanking herself mentally, she discarded the thought. Matthias would never do such a thing—she was certain of it. Whatever doubts she had were merely a distant echo of the past. Nothing more.

Moments later, the door opened. Matthias and one of the footmen strode through, their arms piled with packages of every shape and variation.

What in heaven’s name…?

She sprang up from the chaise longue, stirring Lady from her sleep. “What is all of this?”

Smiling widely, Matthias set his packages down and kissed her soundly on the lips. “You have been so ill lately, I thought I might cheer you up.”

The footman set his packages down by the door. “Shall I have the rest of the packages brought up, my lord?”

She blinked up at Matthias. “The
rest
of the packages? Do you mean to tell me there is
more
?”

“Much more,” he said with a smile. He turned to address the footman over his shoulder. “Deliver the rest to the nursery.”

“Yes, my lord.” The young man bowed and left the room.

Taking her by the shoulders, he sat her down on the chaise longue and moved to open one of the boxes. With spirited animation, he pulled out a beautiful fur-lined baby blanket, followed by clothes, little white bonnets—beautifully embroidered. Her favorite items were a pair of tiny white booties interlaced with blue satin ribbons. They were so small and delicate.

“Oh! Matthias. Where did you find these?”

He sat beside her on the chaise longue “In a little shop on the other side of Town. I took great pleasure in cleaning them out. As well as several other shops.”

“
That
is where you have been all afternoon—shopping for the babe?”

He brushed his thumb across her lower lip—so tenderly that her heart skipped a beat. He laughed under his breath. “Where else would I be, love?”

“I just thought perhaps now that I am …” She cleared her throat and looked down at the floor—anywhere but his beautiful face, “with child
,
you would wish to…” She shook her head, not daring to finish the thought. “I realize now what a foolish notion that was.”

“I belong here with you, Gwen.” He kissed her nose, her cheek, her lips. “There will never be anyone else.”

She glanced up into his striking blue eyes. “Do you swear it?”

“On my very life.” He placed a long, lingering kiss on her lips. “I do believe we shall live a long, happy life together.”

And that is
precisely
what they did.

How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days: Excerpt

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Chapter One

London 1814

If Miss Pippa Welby had learned anything in her short twenty years, it was that one must be prepared for anything.

But this was quite beyond the pale.

She stood paralyzed at the threshold of her father’s study, eyes fixed on the gentleman standing just a few feet away.

“You asked to see me, Father?” she said finally, turning her gaze away from the austere gentleman who stood by the mantel.

Her father turned, but the gentleman didn’t acknowledge her presence. He merely stared into the flickering amber flames, one polished Hessian boot perched arrogantly on the lip of the hearth.

She had recognized him instantly. Indeed, his tall, imposing frame, dark hair, and dashing good looks weren’t easily forgotten. He was Lucas Victor Alexander, ninth Duke of Arlington, and quite possibly the most sought-after bachelor in London.

His presence in her father’s house was startling, if not puzzling. She’d met Arlington only once, last year in Yorkshire at the Tisdale ball. Indeed, the disastrous meeting had been branded into her memory forever. Even now, it often crept into her thoughts with little provocation. Someone might comment on the weather, for instance, and the flurry of unpleasant memories would come rushing back—a figurative tidal wave of mortification. It galled her that he’d gotten under her skin so completely, but there was no helping it. And she should know. She’d dedicated the last six months to expunging him from her thoughts, only to be met with his image every time she closed her eyes.

“Come, sit down, Pippa.” Her father gestured to the blue-striped chair nearest Arlington. “His Grace has something he wishes to discuss with you.”

Narrowing her eyes, she had the sudden, inescapable feeling her father had led her into a trap. She’d been summoned to the study without the barest hint that Arlington had come to call. She shouldn’t be surprised. Her father was no fool, and he likely realized she’d have no interest

in visiting with the gentleman who’d slighted her in front of everyone.

“Oh?” she said in a coolly unaffected tone. “Will it take long? I’m absolutely famished and breakfast will be laid out soon.”

Mortification swept over her father’s plump face. He was a proud, self-made man, and quite willing to pour money into his daughter’s upbringing, especially if that meant entrapping a titled husband. It didn’t matter how successful his investments were, or how much wealth he amassed; noble blood would never pulse through his veins. Certain members of the haute ton had made that painfully clear. Admission into their ranks could not be purchased. His only glimmer of hope was in Pippa—his only child—marrying into the crème of society, which would elevate him, at last, to the upper echelons.

She hadn’t the heart to tell him that his dream was all but impossible.

“I hope you will forgive my daughter’s lack of manners,” her father said after an awkward moment, eyeing her sternly. “I’m afraid your visit may have caught her off guard.”

Arlington remained leaning against the mantel but turned his head to look at her. For the first time since entering the room, she saw his face. His straight, aristocratic nose and the firm line of his jaw, one dark eyebrow arched at her father’s words…and his eyes. They were the most uncommon shade of blue, like a cloudless sky, and they stared at her with such intensity, she thought she might wilt under his penetrating gaze. Instead, she lifted her chin a degree.