To Tame a Dangerous Lord (41 page)

When the housekeeper refused to reveal her employer’s location even under physical duress, Ackerby had questioned the Vicomte and Vicomtesse de Vasse about where to find their daughter. Upon hearing their new son-by-marriage branded a thief, they were eager to confess so as to save Lynette from prosecution.

As a result, yesterday Ackerby had sent four men ahead to Maidstone to apprehend Ellis at Claude Dubonet’s cottage. Upon arriving late last evening, however, they found no one at home. They watched the cottage through the night and into this morning, until hunger drove three of them to the inn in search of a meal, where they spied their quarry by mere chance. Their plan had been to carry Ellis to the cottage to await the baron’s further instructions, since “Lord H’ackerby” was expected to arrive there this afternoon.

To maintain the element of surprise, Rayne intended to head to the cottage himself and confront Ackerby there, as soon as they collected Lynette.

Meanwhile, James would deliver the three ruffians to the Maidstone jail using Madeline’s hired vehicle—which left her no means of transportation and necessitated her riding in Rayne’s coach.

Yet she clearly had no desire to be alone with him. When the carriage eventually came to a halt in a farmyard and her brother jumped out, Madeline did likewise.

“I shall help Lynette gather their belongings,” she murmured before hurriedly following after Ellis.

Rayne watched as brother and sister entered the farmhouse together. Then, too restless to wait passively, he descended from the carriage and strode a dozen paces away, where a break in the farm buildings offered a view of the rolling Kentish countryside.

A nip of fall scented the brisk wind that buffeted him, while gray clouds scudded ominously across the sky overhead. With his mind assaulted by such troubling thoughts, however, Rayne scarcely noticed the threatening weather. Instead, he kept remembering the bruise marring Madeline’s lovely cheek.

The image of her battered face heaped hot coals upon his already guilty conscience.

There was no question that he would pay whatever price was necessary to purchase the necklace. The cost didn’t concern him, even though Madeline chaffed at having to accept his “charity.” For only when her brother was out of danger would she rest easy. He owed her that much, Rayne acknowledged, after the baseless accusations he’d made against her.

True, Madeline should have come to him at the first sign of trouble. Doubtless, her outsized pride and fierce independence had contributed to her determination to
handle the brewing scandal herself. But Rayne knew he was solely to blame for imagining her betrayal.

Upon learning of Madeline’s clandestine journey, he’d let his suspicions reach a boiling point. The thought of her indulging in adultery roused something dark and dangerous inside him.

Yet it was no excuse that his past had made him distrustful of seductive women. He was wrong to let his obsession with a previous broken love affair cloud his judgment so badly.

He’d realized the sheer idiocy of his mistake while confronting Madeline today—upon seeing the utter honesty and vulnerability in her face as she confessed her reasons for tearing off to Maidstone.

When he accused her of being involved with a secret lover, she looked distraught and dismayed that he had questioned her integrity and honor so baldly. And when he implied that he might have a mistress in keeping, she reacted as if he’d struck her.

A short while later, when he returned to her room upstairs after conferring with James, Rayne had known she was weeping, even before he heard the telltale hitch in her breathing.

He couldn’t forget that despairing look in her eyes. He’d hated seeing her so upset, hated that he was the cause, her eyes hot and bright with unshed tears.

Then directly after the fight, when he’d spied her bruise and reached out to comfort her, Madeline had flinched from him.

Rayne had wanted to brutalize himself then.

He’d also vowed at that moment to help her rescue her brother from his folly. But in truth, he’d never met a woman less in need of aid than Madeline. Rayne had little
doubt she would have found a way to defeat Ackerby’s henchmen on her own if need be. Madeline had remarkable nerve, undeniable courage, and ingenuity.

And he perfectly understood her fear at watching her brother being assaulted. Even so, he’d felt a chilling fear himself, seeing her battle a brute more than twice her size.

At the same time, he’d felt a fierce protectiveness unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. That, and admiration. Madeline had fought Gerard’s attacker with the fierceness of a mother tiger.

Indeed, the entire time, her actions had been motivated by love of her brother. She had championed Gerard, fought for him with an unshakable loyalty.

Rayne stared darkly out at the distant countryside. He wanted that precious loyalty from Madeline for himself. Yet he knew he would have to earn it.

He could perhaps begin by establishing more honesty in their marriage. Madeline was right—he’d been keeping countless secrets from her. A situation he intended to rectify as soon as he could arrange some privacy.

He wanted to take her home to Riverwood, Rayne reflected, not only to begin repairing the damage he’d wrought, but to care for Madeline after the difficult time she’d had. Just now, however, his pressing duties to the Crown had to take precedence over his personal affairs. Besides, sharing his secrets alone would hardly make amends for his own unforgivable conduct.

Furthermore, he had little chance of improving his relationship with Madeline unless he was totally honest with himself. Unless he acknowledged the turmoil of
emotions that had governed all his responses since wedding her:

The savage jealousy that gripped you at the possibility of her having a lover
.

The searing wash of anger you felt upon learning Ackerby had attempted to blackmail her
.

The killing rage that ripped through you when she was struck by a brute
.

And your most bewildering reaction of all…
.

Why had the prospect of Madeline’s betrayal been so much more painful than Camille’s? Granted, he’d been a callow youth then; now he was a mature man, with a man’s needs and perspective.

Yet that still didn’t explain the ferocity of his responses.

He could only draw one conclusion, Rayne conceded. He’d been deceiving himself for days now about his feelings for his convenient bride.

He had labored determinedly to hold himself apart from Madeline, to maintain a cool detachment. He’d tried to convince himself that none of his feelings for her went very deep. Yet she had obviously touched emotions he’d buried long ago.

He’d known Madeline for only a short time, but she had burrowed beneath his skin.

And now whenever she looked at him, her lovely eyes were dark with hurt.

So what the hell do you do now?

He wanted to ease her pain, pain that he had caused. But even more, he wanted …

He wanted … what?

*   *   *

Sitting beside Rayne on the way to Claude Dubonet’s cottage, Madeline did her best to push her marital woes to the back of her mind, yet they remained simmering beneath the surface, along with a profusion of dismal emotions. At the moment, however, trepidation was her foremost feeling, since Gerard’s fate was still uncertain.

Had Baron Ackerby arrived yet from Essex? And if so, would they find him at the cottage? Most crucially, would Ackerby agree to sell the necklace and renounce his threat of retribution?

Gerard maintained that Claude Dubonet would not be at home to receive them, since he was employed as a French tutor for the local gentry and had reported to his daily job this morning. Recently Claude had spent his nights at the same farmhouse as Gerard and Lynette—which belonged to a friend—for fear that Ackerby’s men might assault him as they had the Ellis housekeeper.

Apparently Gerard was not quite as worried about his future as Madeline was, judging from his hopeful smile as he held his blushing bride’s hand. Lynette was pretty, petite, and shy, but she fairly worshiped Gerard—which was likely a large part of her appeal, Madeline suspected. After years of being raised by an older sister, Gerard was happy to have someone to look up to
him
.

On the other hand, her brother might merely be putting on an optimistic face or making a show of bravado. Or he might simply be placing all his faith in Rayne.

For herself, Madeline was very,
very
glad Rayne had decided to take the lead in confronting Ackerby, even if it put her further in his debt and bolstered her growing certainty that he would never come to love her.

A few moments later, Gerard suddenly spoke as he peered from the coach window.

“There, that is Claude’s cottage up ahead—the one with the green shutters. And that,” he added more grimly, “is Ackerby’s carriage standing out in front.”

Madeline’s stomach tightened when she spied the vehicle. The baron was indeed lying in wait for her brother.

Rayne took command then, addressing Madeline first. “It would be best if you remained here with Lynette for the time being. Ellis, you will come with me.”

“Yes,” Gerard agreed, visibly girding himself for the impending confrontation.

Madeline wanted to accompany them, but Lynette looked frightened enough to need consoling. Moreover, as the two gentlemen descended, the cottage door was flung open and the Vicomte de Vasse came striding out, with his vicomtesse directly behind him.

“Papa!
Maman!”
Lynette exclaimed in a bewildered tone, clearly surprised to see her parents this long distance from home.

Madeline was also taken aback by their unexpected appearance, even more so when the vicomte headed directly for Gerard, fury written on his features. As the French aristocrat forcibly grasped her brother by his coat lapels, Madeline scrambled from the coach, hoping to prevent more violence. Lynette was obviously of the same mind and followed directly on her heels.

Fortunately Rayne intervened and pulled the two men apart. At the same time, Lynette was noticed by her mother, who gave a glad cry and hurried forward to embrace her wayward daughter.

But Lynette seemed more concerned about her new
husband. De Vasse stood cursing Gerard in French, calling him a devilish cur, among other aspersions.

“Papa, no!” the girl cried, extricating herself from her mother’s attentions to rush to Gerard’s side. “You cannot say those awful things.”

Her father turned his anger on her.
“Ma petite
, how could you wound your
maman
that way? This man is a thief!”

“No, you don’t comprehend—”

“I comprehend perfectly. He not only stole my only daughter and sullied her name but endangered her very life!”

“That is not true, Papa!”

“Indeed, it is, Lynette! As Ellis’s accomplice, you will be locked in prison with him.”

Madeline hurried to speak up. “It will not come to that, monsieur.”

De Vasse hesitated while eyeing her, but then shook his head angrily. “I will not risk it. We have come to bring our daughter home.”

Gerard’s jaw hardened with similar determination. “Lynette is my wife now, sir. You have no right to dictate to her.”

“You keep out of this, you
canaille!”

“Please, Lynette,” the vicomtesse pleaded, weeping openly now. “Lord Ackerby has given us the opportunity to make you see reason. We traveled here with him in his carriage. But his patience will not last long. For your own safety, you must return home with us.”

“I would strongly advise that you heed your parents, Mademoiselle Lynette,” a new male voice suggested.

Baron Ackerby, Madeline realized, had emerged from
the cottage, flanked by a burly man whom she guessed was his fourth lackey.

“I intend to have Ellis arrested for theft,” Ackerby announced to the group at large.

In protest, Madeline took a protective step toward her brother, but Rayne’s hand came down on her shoulder, heavy and reassuring while he again intervened.

“I believe you will have to rethink your position, Ackerby, given the new circumstances.”

The baron did not look at all pleased by Rayne’s presence. “What the devil are you doing here, Haviland?”

“I’ve come to resolve the issue of your missing heirloom. Your other minions had an unfortunate setback when they assaulted Ellis earlier today, but I trust you and I may resolve this dispute in a more civilized fashion than fisticuffs.”

Ackerby’s features froze, then tightened as he digested Rayne’s disclosure. “I have no notion what you are talking about.”

“No, but you will. If we may have a word in private, I have a proposition for you, one that will be worth your while to consider.”

At Rayne’s urging, they moved aside, out of earshot. Madeline knew he was informing Ackerby about the assault on her brother and using it as leverage to purchase the necklace, for she could see the baron’s face first flush with anger, then grow ever more furious.

The Vicomte de Vasse, however, was clearly frustrated at being uninformed. “What are they saying, Lynette? What is happening?”

“You will see, Papa,” she answered with rising confidence.

Yet Madeline held her breath as she watched the tense exchange between the two noblemen.

Finally, though, Rayne seemed to prevail. Glancing back at the group, he called to Gerard. “We have reached an agreement, Ellis. May we trouble your friend Dubonet for writing implements?”

“Certainly, of course, my lord,” Gerard responded eagerly.

All three men disappeared inside the cottage, leaving Madeline alone with Lynette and her parents. When they came out again several minutes later, Ackerby stalked directly to his carriage and barked a terse order to his coachman, demanding to be conveyed to London at once. When he hastily settled inside, the fourth bruiser barely had time to jump on the rear footman’s perch before the vehicle lurched into motion.

When Ackerby had departed, Rayne nodded at Gerard, who gave a faint smile of gratitude and withdrew a velvet pouch from his coat pocket. Taking Lynette by the hand, he went to stand before the vicomtesse.