9781618858467ASinfulEducationPimentel Page 11

  “Certainly, my lord. I will have you know, it is a pleasure to serve you both here. When did you say the master would be joining us?”

  “In a few days. I will send a message to him at first light and to Miss Thompson’s brother, and all will be well.”

  A cloud of steam from the pot in the hearth rose. They sat warming their hands.

  After emptying her cup, Emily yawned. “If it is all the same to you, gentlemen, I really would like to sleep. Are the stairs to the loft where I will be going?”

  “No, ma’am. If you follow the hall to the end, the very last room, the master’s private quarters is for your particular use. Please make yourself at home. I have had the fire burning for some time now, so it should be warm enough to sleep.”

  A warmth washed over her, as she realized just how privelaged she was. “Thank you kindly, sir.”

  “No thanks needed, your ladyship. Please call me Horace.”

  She rose and followed the hall, counting five chambers along the way. The walls were adorned by heads of stags and wolves. Magnificent creatures, though a little too masculine for her liking. Were she to adorn these walls, the earl would return to a lodge that had quilts and family portraits. Simple reminders of family heirlooms and their ancestors.

  When she reached the final room, the door was ajar. She pushed through when the warmth hit her in the face. She picked up a candle burning on the sideboard and walked about the area. There, she found lovely furnishings. The armoire had to be at least one hundred years old, as well as the platform bed nestled off in the corner by the window.

  On the other side of the chamber was a chest with a note on top. She walked over, sat the candle on the trunk, and picked it up.

  Emily, if you are reading this, then you are here because you truly do not want to marry Downsbury. Once I can get out of this predicament, I will join you here at Hastings Lodge, and we will make up for lost time.

  Ever since the theater, I have not been able to think of a single moment that did not include you. From the minute, you entered my chambers that night, you sealed our fate, and I hope one day you will feel the same way I do. I most ardently adore you, and while I do not know what love is, I am beginning to wonder if I have become afflicted.

  I have asked that Lord Wycliffe secure the items in the crate in the event we are able to be together for a length of time. If some of the items do not fit, I apologize, and I will rectify the wardrobe issue as soon as I am able. This may not occur until we have reached our destination north of here, but I assure you, you will be provided with a more accommodating trunk.

  Rest easy, my love, knowing his grace will never touch or own you. I will be with you soon.

  Your humble servant,

  Charles

  Emily had already begun to cry at the first line. He really did mean for the two of them to be together. Her heart raced and warmth washed over her. How will I sleep in such a state of mind? She moved the candle, set it down on a nearby chair with the note, and opened the trunk.

  She riffled through, finding a pair of outdoor slippers, warmer traveling gowns, and other unmentionables. Does he mean for us to travel to Scotland? How exciting! They would be married by a blacksmith despite what the ton expected. The duke would surely be displeased, but he could not marry a woman already married. Avonlea’s plan was ingenious.

  Now she knew why she loved him. The earl was as clever and as devious as she. They were perfect for each other.

  * * * *

  “Quit pacing, man. ‘Tis plain you have much on your mind. Why do you not explain how much trouble you are in?” Nathanial queried.

  “Not just yet. I would rather wait. The walls have ears, and with your mother looming about, ‘tis only a matter of time before his grace arrives to further irritate everyone.”

  “I understand.”

  Both men stood in the library in silence.

  Suddenly, Isabel burst through the door in tears. Her hair, which was normally done up high and angelic, fell down in a frazzled mess. “I want that infernal woman out of here. She is upsetting the staff, the babies, and myself. Nathaniel, I swear it to you, if you do not get rid of her, I will end you both!” She cried into his arms.

  Charles winced.

  His friend simply held her, consoling the inconsolable, and rubbed her back. Avonlea envied their closeness and desperately needed to hold Emily in his arms again.

  He did not have much time to waste, and it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. All he had to do was wait for the messenger, but he could not stay that much longer. If word did not come by dinner, he would have to leave, despite the terms of his release, and race her to Gretna Green. The two of them would have to be back in London in enough time to cancel the wedding to the duke.

  His thoughts flew out the window with elder Lady Thompson and the duke barging in to the library. “This is all your fault!” The lady waggled her finger at him. “If you had not charmed her when she was already taken, none of this would have come about. She will still be a duchess. I swear it!”

  The duke stood there and smiled. “Yes, she will still be my wife, despite this infraction. I do not take kindly to false accusations, Lord Avonlea, and it would be best if you stayed out of my way. Or, next time you may not find favorable ears to listen to your babbling.”

  Rage blinded Charles in that moment. The only thing he could think of was pummeling the duke to a bloody pulp. It took mercy to keep him from accosting the bastard again. “I have done nothing wrong. I only inquired about missing persons. It must have dug up something incriminating if you had me incarcerated so fast. I hope for your sake my own investigation doesn’t turn up anything you do not want the ton to know, because no one, including Emily, will marry the likes of you.”

  “Enough, Avonlea.” Nathaniel placed a firm grip on his shoulder and squeezed, whispering into his ear. “You will explain what this has to do with my sister when they are gone. Am I clear?”

  “Of course.”

  “What are the two of you whispering over there?” the dowager countess asked.

  “Nothing that concerns you. Now, both of you get out of my damned house. I will not stand for either of you upsetting my entire household, including my guests. Out with you!” the marquess roared.

  His mother countered, lashing out. “How dare you speak to me like that!”

  “Get out, now!”

  The butler ushered them out.

  After they were gone, the marchioness sighed and flopped onto the dais. “Good heavens, that went well.”

  “My dear, your sarcasm is ill-timed. Please go check on the children, my love. I will join you as soon as I can.”

  Isabel nodded and closed the door behind her, leaving the men to discuss the severity of the situation. “I am going to ask plainly, Charles, where is my sister? What are your intentions with her? And what does this investigation of yours have to do with her?”

  “You might as well sit down and pour yourself a drink, old friend. ‘Tis a tale even you may not believe once I am finished.”

  “Just start at the beginning. You already know I am a reasonable man.”

  “Are you quite sure we are alone?

  Nathaniel gave him a once over and crossed his arms.

  “Fine. Emily is safe at my family’s hunting lodge north. She is in the protection of one of my servants, and Lord Wycliffe is keeping watch of the estate. It is my intention to leave tonight to be with her. Once I have arrived, we will be traveling to Scotland. You must know I had every intention of doing the honorable thing. We were—”

  His friend held up his hand. “You needn’t go into full details, please. Though, the mere mention of doing the honorable thing has me worried.”

  “My plan was, once we returned from Gretna Green, we would announce our nuptials and, therefore, she cannot marry the duke since she would be already married to me.”

  “The magistrate can issue an annulment.”

  “Not if I am alive, and
not if there is any chance she is with child.” A child. Christ! He had not considered what it would feel like to be a father again. Dread began to creep up his spine. He would gladly pay the piper and save them from any hardship if it meant he had to die in their place.

  “And what of this investigation? How does any of this apply to Emily?”

  “Do you remember that night at White’s when Wycliffe had gone off to Martine’s?”

  “Yes,” Nathaniel drawled, rolling his eyes.

  “Wycliffe confided in me. Downsbury is not all that he appears to be. I have reason to believe he has been selling women to an Italian man to serve as prostitutes. When I approached the matter, he told me he would train your sister and after her dowry was his, send her off to the continent as well. Wycliffe hired a man to track down the Italian and find those missing women. The more evidence we collect, the better chance we have of removing Downsbury from society.”

  “Do you mean to tell me the duke plans to make my sister a whore?”

  “Yes. Now do you understand why I went to such lengths to get her away?”

  Nathaniel frowning and the tick in his jaw, was all the approval Charles required. It is set then. He would leave tonight and collect his bride. To see the look on Downsbury’s face when he returned with Emily would be priceless.

  “You do realize, if you are caught leaving, you could end up back in jail.”

  “I do, and while I wish it were not the case, the sooner I marry Emily and return, the better it will be for all. Wycliffe is expecting the gent to arrive at the same time. While we are not entirely sure what the findings will be, we are hopeful the women will be discovered.”

  “Then do what you must. The moment you arrive, I will take Emily into my home and keep her as best that I can. I truly hope Mother doesn’t find you before I do. Lord only knows what will happen from there.”

  Not that it will matter. By then, it will be too late.

  * * * *

  Emily woke up refreshed and eager to see her beloved earl. But, in all reality, it would take him at least a day to get out of jail, if her brother had assisted, and another day’s travel to be with her. She did what she could to not unpack anything, in case they had to leave right away.

  Her mother must be in a fury and distraught by her disappearance, and heaven forbid what the duke thought. The more she contemplated her actions, she knew she had done the right thing by leaving. The only aspect she had not quite considered at the time was his lordship’s love for her. He really did. And who would have thought a gent from her own brother’s circle would have tolerated her.

  Brushing out her hair, she left the room to join Lord Wycliffe for breakfast.

  “I hope you slept well, my lady?”

  “Not particularly, sir. I was far too excited at the prospect Lord Avonlea would be joining us soon. Though, I know now, it may take him a few days.”

  “I am glad you have no illusions as to how bad this can go. We are all taking risks here, and his are the greatest. Did you know they were prepared to send him to Newgate? Downsbury was planning to have him hanged.”

  Emotion burned her cheeks and suddenly the room felt hotter than purgatory itself. Do not swoon, you foolish girl. The earl needs you! “How could I have known such a dreadful fact? Surely, you do not think I would know such things just because I slept under the same roof as the duke? A man only acts out of desperation when threatened. What information does Charles hold over his grace?”

  Lord Wycliffe set his spoon down and grimaced. “I should not be the one to tell you this, but you have every right to know. The duke never had intentions of keeping you. He is only marrying you for your dowry, and once he had soiled you, his intent was to send you to work in a brothel for an Italian man.”

  Emily shivered, suddenly painfully aware that she had been shown a small mercy when Lord Wycliffe took her the other morning. Her mother could not possibly know, or she would not have arranged such a pact with the devil himself. Or would she?

  Emily would rather take her own life before marrying the devious man. She noticed Wycliffe tapping his fingers on the table. “There is more?”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately, Lady Emily, there is. Part of the reason why it has taken us so long to make these arrangements is we are conducting our own investigation, in addition to what the duke had planned on doing with you, there may be a possibility he has done the same to other women. He had also threatened his previous duchess the same way as well.”

  Emily pushed her chair back, unable to hold her tears. “This really is all too much to take in, Lord Wycliffe. The man is a monster, plain and simple, and my mother nearly married me to him. I will never speak to her again.”

  “Well, my dear, with any luck you will not have to speak to her again. If we can get you two to Scotland at the soonest possible date, then there should be no reason for you ever to see her again, if that is what you desire. Try and eat something then get some rest. If you need anything, just call for myself or Horace. When the time comes for the two of you to leave, I imagine you might have to skip a meal or two, and you will need all the strength you can get.”

  “I am really too upset, Lord Wycliffe. I think I might just lie down for a bit. Would you mind having Horace set aside a small dish for me please?”

  “Of course. Go and rest, and I will see if there is any news from London or your brother.”

  Emily wandered down the hall, terrified their future. If the duke truly had done some despicable things, he would surely not let this rest. He would hunt them down, murder Avonlea, and most likely marry her anyway. She would never let that happen. She would rather elope with Lord Avonlea and hide away somewhere far on the continent.

  Not a really pleasant or ladylike thought, though if it meant that was the only way she could be with her beloved, then so be it. In the meanwhile, his grace needed to be stopped, no matter the cost.

  She paced the room frantically. If she had paced any faster, her feet would have made grooves into the floorboards. What are we to do? They could not run for the rest of their lives.

  Shouting from the front part of the lodge alarmed her. Charles! What joy it was to hear his voice again.

  “Where is Emily? We must leave at once. There is a chance I might have been spotted.”

  She ran out the door and right into his arms. For what seemed an eternity, she gazed into the bright, blue depths, certain of his love for her. The man would not fail her.

  “We must go at once.”

  “Lead the way, my love. I do not wish to wait another moment without you.”

  “Wycliffe, fetch her trunk right away. Horace, thank you for your help. Without either of you, none of this would have been possible.”

  “Do not get your knickers in a twist, Avonlea. Give me but a moment, and I will drive the carriage. Be warned, we will not be stopping until well after nightfall,” Wycliffe said.

  It is finally happening. We are going to Gretna Green, and I would not want him any other way.

  Chapter Ten

  Emily leaned into his arms, slowly digesting the journey they were embarking on, and desperately hoping the next few days passed quickly. She found herself completely immersed in listening to Charles breathe, their hearts hammering away in their chests from all the excitement. Soon, she would be Lady Avonlea, and who would have thought Charles would make her the luckiest debutante around.

  The carriage rocked along the road at a backbreaking pace, as if demons chased them down the great road. It was a good thing she had not eaten before they left, or she would have tossed her crumpets along the way.

  He stroked her hair and hummed a merry tune, which soon faded into nothingness. She fell asleep on his lap, knowing the moment they stopped for the night, she would be lucky if he let her sleep at all.

  The next thing she heard was his voice. “Wake up, love, we are at a staging inn for the next few hours.”

  “Are there enough rooms for all of us, then?” She yawned and climbed ou
t after him.

  “Yes. Wycliffe has already gone in and arranged everything. Tricky thing is that we will have to leave before dawn. I have not much time to make up for our seperation.”

  “My love, I would not worry your head about such things. In a day or so, we will have a lifetime to catch up.”

  “Come then, right this way.”

  She took his arm, and he led her into the quaint and quiet inn. They were met by the owner, who attended to them in his nightcap and sleeping gown. He walked up the stairs and stopped at the door. “Will you be needing anything else, Mr. and Mrs…”

  “Brown. The name is Brown, and we won’t require anything else this evening. Thank you kindly for taking us in at such an ungodly hour.” Charles added.

  The man grumbled and left. Avonlea opened the door with his boot, and after a few moments of scanning the hall, he lifted her into his arms. The very action made her want to squeal with joy, but given the time they arrived, she had to contain her happiness. Within a few strides, his lordship dumped her on the bed. He turned his back on her to lock the door then removed his jacket and shirt.

  Emily could not help but admire the statuesque body he donned and could not fathom how many other women may have spent their time admiring it as well. A jealous streak flashed through her unlike any other time before.

  “Love, what are you thinking about?”

  She shrugged and ignored his question, unlacing her boots.

  “No, love. Let me do the honors. Tonight, I want to spend whatever hours we have worshipping you. Every inch of that delectable body of yours, until you cry out my name. You would like that, would you not?”

  “I would, my lord. But surely, you do not want to pull off these boots? I can do that myself.”

  “No, darling, I will tend to that. By morning, you will be completely ravished, from the tip of your head, all the way down to your princess toes. I meant what I said about pleasuring you thoroughly.”