Wicked Deception (43 page)

Gabriel was as handsome as sin and a
tiger in bed but he just couldn’t seem to get it right since she
died. She chuckled in amusement to think of how he failed with
every relationship since her. Gabriel had obviously wounded his new
countess with his disgusting pining for Catherine. She rolled her
eyes, wondering what the man saw in her pathetic sister at
all.

She enjoyed the thought of his misery.
It was obvious he only wed the girl to improve his blackened
reputation. She heartily applauded the redhead having realized she
stood no chance against his pathetic love for her
sister.

From what she heard, this new Lady
Iverleigh had taken London by storm. She read everything with
titters of amusement as she saw who she was linked to. Christian
Bane was her lover long ago, she heartily approved. The man was
hung like a steed and was a voracious lover. It was a pity they had
only the desire to kill Gabriel in common. He saw the deed done
with hired assassins the year before but her husband lived. He
proved fickle then and left her.

Gabriel would surely not like knowing
his wife was keeping company with Christian.

She giggled as she thought of his past
jealousy when he learned they were linked. She was sorry Lord
Lyndon hadn’t wanted to further their relationship after the duel
that took his arm. She was amused to recall how it enraged her
husband to catch them in the act.

Christian was an enigma then and now.
She had given up her pursuit of him. He took what he wanted and
never again sought her out until years later when they joined
together to kill Gabriel.

Lilly soon found other lovers to
console herself with. She sighed, wondering if Nicholas was out
there watching as she did. She was no fool. She knew he was there,
as surely as she was. She sat at the window to watch, knowing this
wasn’t the moment to end her sister’s life.

~ ~ ~

Nicholas sat in a coach drinking in the
sight of Catherine as she arrived to see her son. He was disgusted
that Gabriel was in residence, and despite Martha’s council of her
recent conversations with his wife, he was insanely
jealous.

He heard Gabriel’s new wife moved out
weeks ago and was disgusted Gabriel let the redhead go. He had
always had a fondness for redheads and laughed uproariously as he
watched the new Countess beggar his friend on her endless shopping
excursions.

He watched her and knew she was doing
so for pure spite. He enjoyed watching her nettle Gabriel, and
applauded her spirit. This new countess was very unlike Lilly. She
commanded respect from all those she met. He knew sooner or later,
Gabriel would be like a moth to flame. Gillian St. Armand was a
force of nature and his friend wouldn’t see her coming within a
mile. She impressed him considerably.

If not for Catherine he would have
given Gabriel a run for the girl. She was beautiful, and spirited,
and all that Gabriel had obviously chosen to ignore. He was amused
as he thought of her blatant refusal to live in the background of
Gabriel’s life.

She eclipsed him within weeks of the
marriage. If he knew Gabriel, he was going to be besotted in no
time at all. He knew Catherine’s visit was only to see her child
this day and nothing more.

He frowned when he thought of Lilly.
She was close, he knew. He could feel her watching as he did.
Tieghan and his brothers were there as well, looking for her. He
was determined to catch her before she harmed his wife.

~ ~ ~

Catherine was delighted as she embraced
Giles, chuckling as the four year-old chided her for being absent.
Giles had his thumb in his mouth and watched her with his dark eyes
so like his father’s, content to wait for his hugs. She pulled him
into her arms and snuggled him, delighted he hugged her
back.

She spent the better part of her visit
in the nursery, but soon the boy was ready for his nap and she went
below to seek out his father. He was pouring over his ledgers as
she entered the study. She grinned at his frown, for she heard his
new tempestuous wife was leading him a merry chase for many weeks.
She wasn’t surprised to see his obvious moodiness as she
entered.

“
I hope that frown is not
meant for me, my lord?” she asked with some humor as she sat before
him, grinning at his dark scowl. “I can see marriage has not
improved your temper.”

Gabriel smiled at her teasing words
despite his continued disappointment with his state of matrimony.
She looked beautiful, and he could deny her nothing but his anger
towards his new wife.

“
No, it would seem it
perpetuates my anger. Forgive me, Catherine,” he said and sat back
in his chair, his dark eyes more soft as he looked upon her, moving
over her with real pleasure. She looked beautiful and for once he
could admire her without such tumultuous feelings churning inside
of him. “My wife has seen fit to move out recently. I think she
disagrees with me heartily.”

“
She will come around. I
have no doubt of that.”Catherine said this with an impish grin.
“Maybe you need only be a bit more charming, Gabriel. We both know
you can be.”

He smiled devilishly at that and her
heart turned over as she saw his obvious infatuation with his new
bride. It didn’t hurt as she thought it would, knowing he was now
married. She was happy for him. She found she wanted to help
him.

“
I fear Gillian wants no
part of me, Catherine,” he admitted with a frown, and set aside his
ledger. “And I have given her little cause to want to.”

“
I find that hard to
believe, Gabriel,” she said with some amusement, her green eyes
twinkling. “You can be most persuasive when you want to be. Surely
if you apply yourself to trying to please her, she will not be able
to resist you.”

Gabriel had no desire to burden her
with his problems in his marriage. Her rare visit heralded her
departure. He looked about and found the agreement his solicitor
had drafted recently, allowing Catherine six months with their
child until he reached his majority. It was exceedingly generous,
and she was pleased as she took it and read it over.

She set it aside and her eyes were
thoughtful.

“
The house is being closed
at the end of the week. I find I have little to do now but wait. I
would ask if I could take Giles until I sail in a month,” she began
hesitantly, and was rewarded with his nod of ascent. She was
positively beaming as he rose to inform Maggie to ready their son
to leave with his mother.

She had wondered how this interview
would go as they had little to say to each other a month ago when
she left his home. Obviously his marriage succeeded in ending the
tension between them. She read about his wife in the newspaper and
could only reason his new Countess was responsible for his new
perspective.

She silently applauded the girl’s
actions, for it was obvious she was completely ensnaring her
husband’s interest. Despite Gabriel’s disillusionment with his
marriage, she suspected he was more upset his bride wasn’t the
sweet-faced girl he thought.

Maggie arrived with her son and he
chattered excitedly as he joined his parents. Gabriel hugged him
warmly and watched as he departed with Catherine, knowing he would
miss him, but she would not see him for another six months after
she left.

She was most considerate in giving him
the first half of the year in order for her to get settled back at
St. Bart’s. He watched them being loaded into the coach outside
with a heavy heart. He sent him with her for reasons of his own. He
wanted to be free to pursue his wife now.

He was still angered at Gillian’s
desire to be free of him once she gave him an heir, and was
appalled at his own cruel behavior towards her. He didn’t know what
came over him when he dealt with his wife.

She was more perplexing than any woman
he ever encountered, and he was realizing sadly he was more than a
little interested by the challenge she represented to him. He was
determined to break down her reserve. The thought of her going to
Bane made him livid, and he was intent to bring her to
heel.

He had not experienced such passion
since early in his relationship with Catherine, and he was
unwilling to let her go now, despite his promise he would when she
was found to be with child.

He smiled roguishly as he thought of
his intention to seek his wife’s bed every night until she admitted
she wanted him as well. He was determined she would have no time
for Christian. He smiled as he shut the door, confidant he could
win his fiery wife’s affections.

~ ~ ~

Nicholas waited with baited breath as
he saw Catherine depart with her child. He squinted as he watched
the traffic moving up and down the road. He knew Tieghan and his
brothers followed the coach, aware if anyone else
followed.

His eyes narrowed as he waited for
Lilly to appear. He was perched on the top of a building across
from the residence, watching every person on the street. He was
determined to catch her if he had to remain up here all
night.

She was here somewhere and he meant to
find her before she harmed his wife. It was his fault Lilly was
free. He should have listened to Tieghan instead of letting her go.
She would not rest until Catherine was dead.

He failed to see her as she was. He’d
believed she would give up her vendetta against Catherine without
Rudd and Dartmouth’s aid. He had underestimated her. Now she was
free to seek his friend and wife’s death.

He had a month to find her before
Catherine sailed. He didn’t dare leave her here alive. His guilt
ate at him with knives of gut-wrenching awareness now. His wife was
oblivious of the danger. How could she know she was being hunted
and protected by those she had thought to be dead
already?

~ ~ ~

Catherine and the nannies were on a
walk, pushing carriages and holding little hands as they went. The
day was glorious and she’d not waste a minute hiding inside behind
armed guards. The children were tired after their outing. On the
return trip home, Catherine thought of Caspian.

The crime lord had kept his distance
but she knew he was there watching her; felt his presence so
strongly a blush stained her cheeks when they arrived home. A pulse
beat at her throat, feeling those knowing pale green eyes on her as
if physically touched.

The servants took the children inside.
She was about to follow when a young boy ran up to her from the
street. She looked startled as she looked down to see the street
urchin standing there. In his grimy hand was a long-stemmed red
rose. He held it out to her, smiling toothily.

“
Mr. Roth sends ‘is regards,
mum,” the boy said as he handed it to her, beaming as she dug in
her reticule and gave him a few coins.

Catherine held the flower to her
nostrils, inhaling the heady fragrance, emerald eyes alert as she
scanned the street for some sign of Caspian. The street was
deserted but for several coaches and carriages moving up and down
the way. A vague feeling of disappointment was felt to know he
would come no closer.

An unconscious hand went to her nape
where tendrils of her hair escaped untidily, conscious of his
watching and her appearance. She almost laughed aloud at how silly
she was acting. She was no school girl and the dangerous man who
watched over her was no conquering hero.

A shiver ran through her to feel those
all-seeing, all-knowing eyes upon her, imagining those long,
elegant fingers caressing her like the ivory keys on his
pianoforte. Her breathing became slightly irregular to think of him
at his composing, lost in the notes, gloriously nude and
uninhibited.

Catherine turned on the walk and made
her way back inside, conscious of eyes caressing her trim back as
she went up the stone steps to her home. Hennessey held open the
door for her. She wanted to turn and see if he came out of hiding
but she knew he would not.

~ ~ ~

Caspian smiled as he watched Catherine
go back in her house. Even from his perch upon the roof of the
house across the street, he could see how his gift affected her,
could see the way her lips parted in surprise as the boy delivered
it.

He had cursed when he saw the lady
leave her house with her children and servants. Taking a walk even
on a lovely day wasn’t wise. Tieghan came to him the night before
and told him Lilly was alive. He had only just learned the wily
Countess was after her sister once more.

Frowning, he thought of the contract
Lord Rudd put on both Catherine and Gabriel before he died. The
assassins had already been paid. He dare not leave her now. He
dispatched one to hell that morning trying to break into the house
in the back, prying up a window left unlocked by a negligent
maid.

He took care of the man, alerting not
even Iverleigh’s paid guards to his presence. And so it went on.
Each night he watched over her, waiting for those to come that
would kill her. Rage filled him to think of so lovely a creature
dead.

His continued infatuation with
Catherine blossomed into full-blown obsession. It shocked him,
delighted him, and kept him writing music until the wee hours of
morning. Never had a mere woman inspired him as he was
now.