by Vikki Vaught
Henry came over to her and kissed her cheek. “I’m so proud of you. You’re every bit as gracious a hostess as I expected. Let me know if there’s anything you need me to do.” After tea ended, the family members adjourned to their rooms to prepare for dinner.
Melody took Aunt Miriam up to the nursery to meet the children. This was the first time her aunt had seen them. While shy, the little ones warmed up to Miriam, and soon she had them giggling and smiling. After fifteen minutes of play, they went to her sitting room to talk.
As they entered, Aunt Miriam looked over at her. “This is my first visit to Sanderford Park, and it’s simply beautiful. I know we’ve corresponded, but there is only so much one can put in a letter. How are you, my dear?”
Melody sat on the sofa and motioned for her aunt to join her. “I know what you want to know…how is my relationship with Henry. We’re not as close as we were before he went away.”
Her aunt reached over and patted her hand. “You were apart for a long time. It takes time to adjust. Not only does he have this situation regarding Brandon to deal with, he has the new responsibilities of the dukedom. It’s natural for him to feel overwhelmed.”
She had not thought of that. “That’s true, but he was so hurt that I remarried when I believed him dead. I’m not sure he can move past it. He hasn’t told me he loves me since his return. I feel so confused. I’m not sure how to get through to him. It’s wretched to love and feel your love is not returned.”
Lady Helton bestowed a comforting smile. “I think you’re wrong. If you could see the longing in his eyes when he gazes at you, you would know he still loves you a great deal. Have you asked him how he feels?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid of the answer. I couldn’t bear to have him tell me no. I considered asking for a legal separation once I give him an heir, but then I decided to fight for his love.”
“Good for you,” her aunt replied. “Don’t give up on him. Give him time to remember why he fell in love with you before he left.”
“I love him too much to give up,” she declared. “My goodness, look at the time. We need to dress for dinner.”
Aunt Miriam stood. “All right, darling. I shall go to my room. See you at dinner.” Melody stood and kissed her aunt’s cheek.
Once she left, Melody mulled over her conversation with her aunt. She hoped she was right. She needed to be patient and believe Henry would eventually let go of his jealousy. She did not want or need his forgiveness. Although she had done no wrong, she did want his acceptance and understanding.
Dinner went exceedingly well. Conversation flowed freely, with much laughing and joking going on around the table. Each course tasted superb, and she would tell Cook how much everyone enjoyed the food, especially the filet de bœuf en croûte. It seemed so strange to sit at the end of the table, but Henry had insisted it was her right as his duchess.
At the end of the meal, Melody stood and led the ladies from the dining room, leaving the men to enjoy their port and cigars.
The gentlemen did not linger long and soon joined them. Henry came to her and discreetly squeezed her hand. “You’ve done a splendid job so far. The family is having a wonderful time. I knew you would be an excellent duchess.”
“I will admit it’s not as difficult as I expected. Of course, this is family, not the ton. We shall see how I handle those stuffy matrons and dragons of society in the spring.” Then thinking of Kathryn, she asked, “Have you noticed how quiet your sister has been this evening? She seemed to be coming out of her shell, now she has withdrawn again. What do you think has changed?”
His brows pulled together. “I’m not sure. I will try to find a moment to speak to her alone and ask if something is bothering her. I’m surprised she’s reverted to her old behavior.”
“I’m surprised as well,” she told him. “She looks anxious.”
Henry glanced across the room. “She’s watching the door as if she expects someone to arrive, but all the family is here, so that can’t be it.” Then his brows rose. “Wait a minute. Uncle Theodore didn’t arrive today. He’s due tomorrow. Do you think that could be causing her anxiety? You know she’s wary of him.”
“It could be it. She detests the man, and I don’t blame her,” she huffed. “He is a decidedly unpleasant individual. I understand he’s your mother’s brother, nonetheless, I still wish we could have excluded him.”
Before they could continue their conversation, several of the young people came over and asked if they could go to the ballroom. Soon, the guests were dancing and laughing as they waltzed around the room. The rest of the evening passed quickly, and the family retired at midnight.
Uncle Theodore arrived the next afternoon in time for tea. Melody watched Kathryn, and it was clear by her expression she felt apprehensive. Her body stiffened as soon as she saw him, as though she expected an attack.
She looked for Henry and spied him by the mantel in a discussion with Cousin Harold. She tried to get his attention without success. Helen walked by, and she asked her to get him for her.
He came over. “You wanted me, my dear? Is there something you need?”
“Kathryn appears to be quite anxious. As soon as your uncle entered the room, she looked scared to death. Do you think he continued to bother her?” she asked. “You haven’t been here to make sure he behaved. I know she’s had a few nightmares recently. I even found her sleepwalking the other evening. I didn’t say anything, because Kathryn begged me to keep it to myself.”
He looked at his sister and ran his fingers through his hair. A telling sign of his frustration. “Last evening I asked her what was wrong, but she would not tell me. Perhaps she’ll talk to you. I certainly hope he hasn’t bothered her, because if he’s hurt her in any way, he will pay.”
Throughout the rest of the day, they watched Henry’s uncle. To their knowledge, he never approached Kathryn. She seemed to relax and played the games with her cousins. Maybe it was excitement instead of anxiety, but she still planned to speak with her the next day.
The following morning, she went to Kathryn’s room, and after a few pleasantries she broached the topic of her concern. “I noticed you became anxious yesterday after Uncle Theodore arrived. Did he continue to bother you when Henry wasn’t here to protect you?”
Kathryn hesitated a moment, casting her eyes away. “It’s difficult to be around him. The Christmas after Henry left, he started bothering me again. I was able to get away and told Nelson what transpired. He had it out with him. I’m just afraid he will try something, so I’m constantly on my guard. I don’t want you and Henry to worry. I’ll come to you immediately if he so much as looks at me the wrong way.”
After she left Kathryn, she found Henry in the library and told him about their conversation. “That bastard,” he swore. “I’m going to talk to him and make sure he never bothers her again.”
She touched his arm. “Henry, she wants this left alone. He’s left her alone in recent years. She doesn’t want anything to stir him up. I think we need to respect her wishes.”
“If you insist. I shall leave it alone. However, if he tries anything, I’ll make him wish he’d never been born.”
That evening, the gathering went off beautifully. The family enjoyed playing charades. While Kathryn did not participate, she laughed at the antics of her cousins as they tried to act out their clues.
Helen practiced flirting with her male cousins. She told Melody she had to keep her skills sharp, since they would be going to town in the spring.
The next couple of days were exceptionally busy. There were games and activities every day. While the family seemed to be having a wonderful time, Melody found it all taxing on her nerves. Christmas day was lovely, from the food to the activities.
On Boxing Day, Henry gave her a gorgeous strand of pearls. She turned around so he could put them on her. As he fastened them around her neck, he whispered in her ear, “These look exquisite against your creamy skin, but do you know when I want to
see them on you? When you are wearing nothing at all.” His husky voice sent a frisson of excitement down her back.
“Behave yourself,” she admonished. “They’re simply gorgeous.” Lowering her voice to barely a whisper, she murmured, “I shall let you see them tonight, as you suggested.”
His blue eyes blazed with lust. “I shall look forward to it.”
Her face heated, and she reined in her amorous thoughts. “Several cousins asked if we could have an impromptu ball on New Year’s Eve. I told them yes. I hope that’s agreeable with you? I thought we could invite a few of our closest neighbors.”
“It should be fine. It’s been eight months since Nelson and my father died. I hate to see you taking on so much,” he told her. “Make sure you don’t overdo it.” Then his bright eyes twinkled. “I shall look forward to tonight with great anticipation.”
* * * *
The New Year’s Eve party was a wonderful idea, and the guests appeared to be having a superb time as they sang in the New Year together. Henry realized Kathryn was not in the room and asked Melody to look for her. When she could not find her, he checked the library and sent Melody to check the retiring room and Kathryn’s bedchamber to see if she was there. She was not in either place. He became gravely concerned when he realized Uncle Theodore was missing as well.
Frantic to find his sister, he and Melody rushed upstairs to the only place they had not checked, his uncle’s room. As they approached, a muffled scream came from Theodore’s bedchamber. He tried the door. It did not open.
Henry backed up and hit it hard with his considerable weight, and the door flew back. They barged inside, and what he saw set his blood boiling. His uncle had Kathryn pinned to the bed, her gown pushed up to her waist, and his breeches were down around his ankles. She was trying to fight him off.
He ran to the bed, grabbed his uncle by the scruff of his neck and threw him against the wall. The bastard hit his head and fell to the floor. Kathryn was crying hysterically and shaking all over. Melody went to her and helped her cover up. His uncle had ripped her dress apart and exposed her breasts. He grabbed his uncle and turned him over.
He pounded his fists into Theodore’s face. Over and over, he swung his fists, connecting with each punch. Blood poured from the bastard’s nose and mouth, still, he continued to pummel him until he heard Melody screaming. “Henry. Stop! Stop! He’s not worth going to gaol over.”
Though in a blind haze of fury, her cries penetrated it, and he stopped hitting the bastard. Melody wrapped a blanket around his sister while he checked his uncle. The rogue still breathed. He stalked out, found a footman, and sent him for his cousin.
When Harold arrived, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as Henry briefly explained what had occurred and that he needed him to guard their uncle and keep him from getting away if he regained consciousness. He gathered Kathryn in his arms and carried her to her room.
After he laid Kathryn on her bed, he turned to Melody. “Can you watch over her? I need to make sure my dastardly uncle doesn’t get away.” She nodded, and he rushed from the bedchamber.
When he returned thirty minutes later, Melody whispered, “I checked, and there was no blood. We stopped him in time to prevent her ruination, thank goodness. Henry…she has bruising all over her body.”
“I wanted to kill the bastard. I’m so thankful I noticed Kathryn was missing when I did. I’ve tied him up so he can’t get away, and Harold’s still guarding him. He assured me he would not say anything, and I put the fear of God in the footman. I don’t know how we’re going to keep this quiet. We shall endeavor to accomplish it some way.”
She touched his arm. “I’m sure you did all you could. Of course your cousin is trustworthy. I liked him a great deal when I met him before.”
He lowered his head. A thousand pounds settled on his shoulders. “I need to find Mother and tell her what happened. I don’t know how she’ll react, because she has always believed Theodore could do no wrong. She may refuse to believe he tried to violate her. Will you stay with her in case she wakes up? If anyone asks where you or Kathryn are, I will tell them she was feeling ill and you went to help.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
He found his mother in the drawing room. She started questioning him, wanting to know where they had gone. “We need to talk, but it cannot be here. Come with me to my study so we can speak privately.” He found Helen and asked her to cover up their absence. When she questioned him, he told her he would explain what was going on when the party ended.
When they entered the study, he asked his mother to sit as he took a seat behind his desk. “An incident has occurred involving your brother. There is no easy way to tell you this.” He paused. “He attempted to rape Kathryn.”
The duchess rose from the chair with her eyes flashing. “What do you mean? There is no way he would do that. You must be mistaken. The silly gel is probably exaggerating.”
Henry stared his mother down. “First of all, Kathryn is the most levelheaded young woman in the world. You know as well as I do, she does not behave like a silly girl. There is no mistake. I had to break down the door to get into the room as he was attempting to violate her. I pulled him off just before he could do it. Your daughter was hysterical. Her gown was in shreds, and she has bruises all over. Melody managed to calm her, and she fell asleep. My wife is with her in case she awakens.”
Clearly agitated, the duchess paced back and forth. “I will not believe it. You are lying. You have never liked Theodore, and you are trying to cause trouble.”
He jerked up, sending his chair back several feet. “If you don’t believe me, go to your daughter’s room and look at her arms and legs. I promise you it happened, and Kathryn needs your support. I know you love your brother, but you’ve never been able to see him realistically.”
“He’s my brother,” she cried, “He would not do this.”
Henry shook his head in disbelief. Although his mother loved her twin brother, he had to convince her this had indeed happened. “Everyone knows he’s a ravaging old rogue. He’s had a terrible reputation for years, and the only reason he is accepted anywhere is because of his connection to you. I strongly recommend you accept this reality and help me figure out how to keep this from becoming a scandal.”
“Stop it, I do not want to hear anymore,” she declared, covering her ears. “We must avoid a scandal. I will not have Theodore shamed by this.”
Disgust rolled through him. How could a mother be so uncaring toward her daughter? The duchess was still trying to protect her dastardly brother. He wanted to shake some sense into her, but it would not accomplish anything.
Focusing on avoiding a scandal, he said, “The only people who know what he tried to do are Harold, Melody, and me…oh, and the footman, Melvin. I’ve made sure none of them will say anything, and we have devised a story to cover up why your brother has to leave before the holidays are over. I convinced him he needs to go abroad for an extended period. He leaves for the coast at daybreak.”
It finally seemed to hit his mother. She dropped to her seat and stared out the window. Clearly, she was in a state of shock. He went to her and tried to put his arm around her, but she shrugged him off. He sighed, then left her and returned to the party.
When Helen wanted to know what was going on, he told her he would tell her after everyone else went to bed. Finally, the party broke up, and the guests retired for the evening.
Later, he found his sister curled up on the couch in the library. She looked up at him when he entered the room. “What’s going on? Why did you disappear along with Melody and Kathryn?”
Not wanting to scare her, but knowing she would not stop pestering him, he told her an abbreviated version of the night’s happenings.
She stared at him with terror in her eyes. “What do you mean when you say he assaulted her? Are you saying he…he raped her? How can you say she’s all right?”
He rubbed his hand across his face, weary to the bone. “We arrived
in time to avoid that outcome. It was a near miss. Your sister has some bruises, and of course she’s distraught, other than that, she’ll be fine. She’ll need your help while she recovers from this ordeal.”
Tears ran down her face. “I should have done something. I knew Kathryn was terrified of him and detested being around him. I should have made her tell me why. I was aware Uncle Theodore’s a dastardly old rogue, but I never dreamed he would accost my sister in such a horrid manner.”
Henry knelt beside her and put his arm around her. “Honey, I know you feel terrible about this, but Kathryn would not have told you anything. Melody and I tried to get her to tell us why she hated him so; she just told us he made her uncomfortable.”
“Oh, Henry, does Mother know?” she asked.
“I told her, and at first she didn’t want to believe it, but I finally convinced her,” he replied. “I think I’ve diverted a scandal. Our uncle is moving to the continent. Why don’t you go to bed? You can see Kathryn in the morning. Melody’s spending the night with her, so if she awakes, she’ll not be alone.”
After Helen left, he downed a glass of brandy, then returned to Kathryn’s bedchamber. He should have made his sister tell him what that bastard was trying to do to her. If he had known to what extent his uncle was bothering her, he would have done more than just talk to him…he would have thrown the bastard out, regardless of what his mother had to say.
What a hell of a night.
Once he entered the room, he found Melody sleeping in the chair. “Sweetheart, wake up. Please go and remove your evening gown. I’ll stay with my sister until you return.”
She stretched. “Umm…I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’ll change and be right back.” Henry kissed her on the forehead before she left.
When she returned, he hugged her. “Thank you for staying. I don’t want her to be alone in case she awakens.”
