Remy soaked those words in and allowed them to settle over his heart. His chest had begun to grow tight earlier in the day, but he found his next breath a little easier. He hadn’t known she’d sat at the window for him like that.
And yet, he’d found her that very morning at the window, hadn’t he?
She’d come to him easily then. All smiles and giggles and threats.
It seemed she’d missed him just as much as he missed her.
Remy looked at the two men at the table. He was not used to talking about his feelings or anyone else’s for that matter. Before Vita, he hadn’t considered them important. He’d questioned why men and women allowed themselves to be led by them, as though they were dogs on leashes.
Feelings were there to notify one of danger or pain. Otherwise, they’d been useless.
Moral law was better. Caring for one’s fellow man was more important. Protecting the innocent vital.
It was why he and Cassius had always gotten along. Cass could detach his feelings when necessary.
Yet love was beginning to change that for Remy.
Vita was beginning to change him.
But the tension between them was killing him.
He had to see her.
∫ ∫ ∫
3 5
* * *
Vita was startled by a knock on her door. She was sitting at her writing desk. Before her was a list of advantages and disadvantages of marrying Dunst.
There seemed to be only one disadvantage.
Happiness. Neither she nor Remy would be made happy by the decision, but the list of advantages was too long to ignore.
Lives were at stake.
She flipped the paper over and placed her book on top of it before she stood and moved to the door.
She opened it, and her eyes widened at the sight of Remy. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.” His dark eyes said he wasn’t asking.
She grabbed the edge of her robe and thought about the last time he’d come to her chambers in the middle of the night. This time, her maid was somewhere else. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’re probably right, but I’m not leaving,” he said.
She pursed her lips. “You could promise not to touch me.”
“I don’t make vows I don’t intend to keep.”
A slow ache began between her legs. She wondered if Remy had any clue what his words did to her.
She pulled in a breath. “We can speak like this, with the door between us.”
He leaned on the doorpost. “If you wish.”
She gripped the door and waited.
“Did Dunst touch you?”
Her heart jumped. “No, I already told you—”
“Did Husher touch you inappropriately?” Rage covered his visage. He was looking for someone to be angry with who wasn’t her.
She was pushing him away because she had to. There was no one else to blame. The decision was hers and hers alone. “Remy, it’s late. You must be tired. You had to search for me...”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I’d have stayed out there and searched until my eyes bled. Do you understand that? I need you.”
Her resolve weakened, and she swallowed.
He must have seen it because his hand touched her cheek.
And then he was crowding her into the room and closing the door behind him.
His expression changed. Heat poured into his eyes. His other hand went around her waist and he pulled her in.
His touch was hot.
Her hands went up. “Wait.”
“I’m done waiting.” His mouth was like fire on hers. She didn’t realize how cold she’d been until his touch. She fought to get closer and he groaned.
As his tongue invaded her mouth and his hands slipped into her robe, she wondered just how far he planned to take things tonight.
He said he was done waiting.
A shiver went through her. Her body responded to his touch, awakening, opening for him.
Her bottom hit her desk and her book fell.
She broke the kiss. “Wait!”
She spun around and grabbed the paper she’d been working on and tried to slip it into the drawer.
Only to have it pulled from her fingers and for Remy to begin reading it.
She cringed as his eyes went wild.
“What is this?” he asked, holding up the sheet.
She moved away from him and wrapped her arms around herself in fear, not that he would hurt her, but from being exposed. She couldn’t speak.
Rage contorted Remy’s face. “Did Lord Dunst…” He glared. “So this is what you meant by making things right? You agreed to marry him?”
“I have no choice.”
“Well, I do. I’m going to kill him.”
Her mouth fell open, and she rushed to him. “Remy, you can’t. He’s an earl.” She reached out to touch him, but he moved away and stopped at the foot of her bed.
The anger in his gaze was all for her at that moment. “I can’t believe you’d do this. I can’t believe you’d keep this from me.”
Tears stung her eyes. “You can’t believe it?” She tightened her robe when she felt it loosen further. “Noel is in his bed right now because a man stabbed him to get to me.”
Remy grabbed the bed and, with one hand, picked the end up only to slam it back down.
The whole room shook. His body seemed to vibrate with rage. “And you think you’d be safe with a man like that?”
Strangely, she did, so long as she didn’t upset him. “He’s lonely, Remy. He has no one.”
His eyes widened. “You pity this fool? You’d be willing to marry him out of pity?”
She lowered her gaze and stepped back. “He wanted to make an alliance with the duke. There would be no more deaths.”
Remy cursed. “He is lying.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Don’t be so naive, Vita. He’ll kill again, even if he never does it with his own hands. He could kill you. Is that why you need to go to town tomorrow? So you can tell him that you agree to the match?”
She looked up. “No.” She wanted to find her mother. “I don’t even know where Dunst is.”
“I don’t know if I should believe you. I think you’re lying.”
She stiffened. “I’m not.”
“You’re not going into town,” he said with great finality.
“What?”
He held up her paper. “Until this man is dead, you don’t leave this house.”
Her heart fell, and she lost her balance at the despair she felt. “You can’t do this.”
“I can.” He approached her, his eyes narrowed. “Since you’re being unreasonable, it’s up to me to reason for both of us. I’ll handle this.” He started from the room.
Vita caught his arm. “Remy, you promised to take me to town tomorrow.” She’d already wasted enough time as it was. “I need to get out.”
“So you can see your new lover? I don’t think so.”
She paused at the jealous note in his voice. “Remy, you can’t possibly think that I want to marry Dunst.”
“Don’t matter. You were still willing to sacrifice my heart to see it done.”
Guilt made her cheeks burn. “You have to keep your word. You have to take me to town.”
He shook his head. “You’ll stay here until this matter is over with. Or maybe we should simply take you somewhere else, somewhere that Dunst can’t find you.” She watched his eyes as his mind began to work. Then he nodded to himself. “This place had been compromised. I’ll arrange for you to be moved.”
“You have no authority over this! I am in Lord Venmont’s care, not yours. I am the charge of the duke.”
“The duke will understand.”
Her belly flipped. She didn’t want him speaking to the duke. Even if she didn’t marry Remy, she wanted him to lead a normal life, one away from anything and everything that had to do with Van
Dero. “Don’t do this.”
“It’s been done.”
She stopped him again at the door. “I need to stay here for another reason.” Her heart raced.
He turned around to look at her. “Why?”
She took a deep breath. “I… wish to find my mother.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Your mother?”
“I believe she lives here. I recall her lover saying something about Venmont Hill.”
“When you were five?” he asked. She could hear the note of disbelief.
Apprehension made her shake. “Remy, I know what I heard.”
“It’s been fifteen years. Why didn’t you come before?”
“I was confused then, but I’m not now. I think she’s here.”
“The mother who abandoned you? You think she’s here.”
“I think she was taken.”
He stared at her. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m not lying!”
He shook his head. “No, this is about Dunst, isn’t it?”
“No!” Her heart skipped a beat. “It’s about my mother. It’s always been about her.” It was important that he believed her. “I need to go to town, Remy.”
He opened the door. “You’ll stay here until I say otherwise.”
“I will not.”
He turned around. “Don’t make me lock you in here.”
She shrunk away. The twist and sick feeling of anger settled in her stomach and almost made her vomit. “You think you know what’s best for me, but you’re wrong.”
“I know what’s worse for you,” he said.
She shook her head.
He’d broken her trust.
She would not forget this.
He nodded as if reading her thoughts and then left.
∫ ∫ ∫
3 6
* * *
She could hate him for eternity for all he cared, Remy decided. He was not about to let her give herself into the hands of a man who would hurt her. Two of Oliver’s men were dead. Did she not think him capable of having the same thing done to her?
Remy found Oliver and Remy in the drawing-room. Elder, who sat at his master’s feet, looked up and then settled back down.
Neither man could quite hold Remy’s gaze.
“I assume you heard our fighting,” Remy said.
Leo shrugged. He sat on the couch with his brother. A glass of some dark liquid rested in one hand. “I couldn’t make out what was said, but it didn’t sound pleasant.”
“She plans to marry Dunst.”
Both brothers sat up.
Oliver’s eyes widened. “How did that come about?”
He walked over and handed Oliver the paper. “She had her reasons.”
Leo leaned toward his brother to study the paper as well. Then he grunted and looked at Remy. “What did you do after reading this?”
“I told her she wasn’t allowed to leave the house.” He couldn’t risk Dunst getting his hands on her again. Before, Noel’s deal with Husher had set her free. This time… “She’s upset she will not be going into town.”
Oliver shook his head and sighed. “This is a terrible situation.”
“What if I hired you to kill him?” Remy asked.
Oliver leaned back in the couch. “I’d accept and then I’d have to decline. My agreement with Lady Elisa is that I refuse three kills.”
“How many have you refused thus far?” Nick asked.
“One.” Oliver frowned. “And that was when Noel asked me after the first. No one else has asked me to kill anyone, because everyone is aware that I’ll say no. Not even Van Dero has asked it of me. I believe Milly and the other wives have spread the word. They’re messing with my business.”
Leo smiled and then turned to Remy. “Don’t ask him. This is good for him.”
He wouldn’t. He planned to take Dunst down himself anyway.
Yet, even he knew he couldn’t kill the earl. There were the missing boys to consider.
Remy turned at the sound of heavy breathing.
Noel stood by the door. Again, it struck him just how much his nephew had grown in the last few years. He was filling out the doorway. “I heard shouting,” the young man said. He had a hand pressed to his injured side. His shirt hung loose. He’d moved silently. Had it not been for his breathing, Remy wouldn’t have known his nephew was there. “Is Vita all right?”
Remy wanted to tell his nephew that Vita was none of his concern but decided he could likely use the young man’s help. “Vita wishes to leave the house. I would appreciate it if you helped keep her here.” If Noel entertained Vita here, it would serve two purposes. It would give Noel time to heal yet he could keep a watchful eye on Vita.
The other men would be busy. Oliver planned to go back out into the land and add more traps. He was embarrassed that Sir Husher had managed to get through, but there were few things that could keep such a man back. Remy wondered if his friend Sir Raven was anywhere nearby.
The two usually worked together.
Leo was heading to London to speak to Van Dero. Remy was going into town to hunt for Dunst just in case the man had stuck around.
Noel’s dark eyes were suspicious. “Do you think she’ll try to leave? Even after you’ve forbidden it?”
Remy thought she’d leave because he’d forbidden it. He couldn’t help but recall her idea to search London for him. He was not about to allow her to search for Dunst. “I do.”
“Then I’ll keep her here,” Noel said.
Remy had no doubt his nephew would accomplish that goal.
While a part of him felt a sting of guilt for how he’d handled the situation, Remy realized his feelings should have little influence on the matter. He acknowledged them readily, but then set them to the side.
With his mind focused once more, Remy made plans to take down his enemy.
* * *
“Another page, please.”
Vita put down the book and stared at Noel. They were in the drawing-room. He was stretched out on the couch. His eyes were closed. A blanket covered his injured form. A hot cup of tea was on the table between them.
She was in a chair across from him. She’d been reading to him for the past hour. Actually, she’d been reading to him for the past two days. She closed the book. “It is your side that is injured, not your eyes. You’re more than capable of reading this book yourself.”
His dark sleepy gaze found her. “But it’s so much better in your voice. Please, don’t stop.”
She smiled. “Flatterer.”
He chuckled and closed his eyes.
She knew what he was up to. Remy had hired his nephew to be her governess while he went out to do whatever it was he was doing.
She didn’t know exactly what Remy was up to. She refused to speak to him, and she refused to inquire from anyone else.
She was still upset with him. She had ten days to give Dunst her answer. She would marry him. Her life was not worth the lives of so many others.
Yet every time she thought of marriage to Dunst, she couldn’t get her time with Remy out of her mind. That Noel looked so much like his uncle didn’t help.
Even upset, she hoped Remy was all right. She’d planned to take her meals in her room until she’d been informed that Remy no longer ate in the common rooms. It was almost as though he was avoiding her as well.
But she knew he slept in the house. Sometimes, she heard footsteps outside her room at night and was certain they belonged to him.
She wanted to speak to him, but she didn’t like the way she was being treated. He didn’t know what was best for her. She refused to allow him to dictate her life.
A servant came in and told her a visitor had arrived.
Vita’s mouth gaped at the sight of Belle.
The short but curvy woman swept into the room like she owned every inch of it. Vita wondered how the woman could look so put together after a long journey. She wore a royal blue dress, which brightened the otherwise gloomy roo
m. Her blond hair was set in perfection.
She grabbed Vita and kissed her cheek. Her brown eyes were so large that they always made her appear far more innocent than she was.
“Belle? What are you doing here?” Vita asked.
Belle looked around the room and frowned. “This room is just as dreadful as the rest of the house. No wondered Ollie is such a bore.” Then she rolled her eyes and smiled at Vita. “I came to see you and to apologize for getting you into this mess.”
Vita didn’t know what Belle was talking about.
Belle turned as Noel straightened. The young man set the blanket away and moved to stand. He stretched and winced ever so slightly. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Belle. He seemed to be trapped in a daze, lost in her beauty.
Lady Cebele Lawrence had that effect on men.
Vita pressed her lips together to suppress her laugh. “Lady Cebele Lawrence, this is Mr. Noel Trouble. Noel has saved my life. Twice now.”
Noel bowed and winced again. “Lady Cebele.”
Belle walked over to him, grabbed his chin, and delivered a sound kiss to his lips. “Thank you for saving my friend. You may call me Belle.”
∫ ∫ ∫
3 7
* * *
Noel’s entire body turned to stone. His eyes widened. His face reddened.
Vita covered her mouth in shock.
“The earring is quite daring,” Belle said to the young man. “I like it.” Then she turned away as though there were nothing outrageous about kissing a stranger and then sat in the only other available chair in the room. “Shall we all sit?”
Noel slowly took his seat. He placed a pillow over his lap and clutched it. He was still staring at Belle.
Vita moved to ring for more tea.
They spoke for half an hour. Vita and Noel told Belle everything that had taken place, though she already knew most of it. Van Dero had kept her informed.
They were just about to take lunch when Remy and Oliver came into the room.
Belle smiled at the men. “Hello.”
Oliver pointed a finger at her. “You!” He looked completely uncivilized. His clothes were covered in mud. His red hair was wild. Vita imagined he’d run here once word reached him that he had a guest.
A Knight to Dare: (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book) Page 18
