Unwrapping a Rogue: A Christmas Regency Boxset

by Samantha Holt

  He didn’t have to think twice about the idea.

  Vic bounded out the front door and headed straight for the horse barns.

  Chapter Nine

  Storming the stables alone and unarmed wasn’t the best option one could make, but Victor didn’t care at the moment. He set his sight on the small cottage behind the main horse barn as he knew damn well Bess and any other of Leopold’s horses were not the cause of Charlotte’s disappearance.

  A sick feeling settled in his stomach.

  What if he was too late? What if Charlie was indeed his pug all over again?

  He raced over the hill, his boot soles slipping on slush more times than not. Blowing snow plastered itself to his waistcoat and trousers like a curtain of ice, but regardless of the chilly temperature, heat poured from his veins like a river of fire. He’d never been so angry in his life.

  With a curse he barreled down the small stone pathway leading up to the cottage. Snowdrifts lined the partially covered walk.

  Vic didn’t even bother knocking. He kicked the door with his foot and once the wood slab thudded open, he burst inside. “Where the hell is she?” He eyed the four men gathered around the card table.

  Not one of them remained in their seats, their chairs now fallen to the floor due to their quick moves as he’d surprised them.

  “We don’t know who you are referring to, sir,” a black-haired man said.

  Lunging forward, Victor grabbed the man’s braces. He pulled the bastard close. “I want answers.”

  “I don’t have them.”

  “Put him down.” A male voice rumbled from somewhere behind Vic. A nagging familiarity pounded his head.

  He released the brute and slowly turned around.

  A red-haired man stood in the doorway, or rather what was left of the entrance after he’d so swiftly kicked it opened.

  Tom.

  Bloody hell. In all the years since the incident in Summerton had occurred, never once had he ever thought he’d encounter his nemesis again. Thomas and his family had long since been dismissed from the Duke of Summerton’s household. He never bothered to find out what had happened to them, and rightly so as he had no reason to keep tabs on the man. “Where is she?”

  The finely dressed Thomas picked up one of the fallen chairs and returned it to its place at the table. He retrieved a second one before saying, “All of you, out. Now.”

  The four sloppily attired men ran from the cottage.

  “You put the fear of God in those beasts. Is that how you treat everyone?”

  “Have a seat,” Thomas said, sitting down himself.

  “I don’t need you to offer me a chair in my brother’s own property.” He was too angry to sit.

  “This has all been a mistake.”

  Slime like Thomas didn’t make mistakes. “I don’t believe you. Now where is Miss Appleton?” Vic fisted his hands.

  “She’s safe. I promise.”

  “Not even God can make me trust you.”

  Thomas sat quietly, the look on his face appearing as if he was mulling over the severity of his situation. Or as if he was working on a way to plead himself out of the crime, as if that was even possible.

  Regardless, the silence was driving Vic’s patience to a thin edge. “You have three seconds to tell me where you’ve taken Charlotte, or I will kill you.” Vic flexed his fingers, stretched his palm to keep his hands agile and at the ready to punch Tom’s face to a bloody pulp.

  “She’s alive and she’s nearby.”

  He held back the rush of relief that wanted so desperately to flood his veins until he actually was able to see Charlotte in the flesh. “Take me there.”

  “There’s something you should know.”

  He didn’t have time for nonsense or excuses. “I don’t care what you have to say, I’m not interested.”

  “Your father might be.”

  The damn letter. “You have one minute. Not a second more. And God help you if Miss Appleton has been harmed.”

  “I’m on the run. I was working for a man who said he knew secrets that could bring down the monarchy. Of course I wanted nothing more than to destroy you all at the time, since I had my own reasons for hating the Baine family. But I soon learned this man was not honest.”

  “Strange coming from you, as I would not consider a kidnapper honest, either.”

  Thomas exhaled a long, deep breath. “I took Miss Appleton because I knew doing so would draw you out. And I need your help.”

  Kidnapping was a strange way to seek aid from someone. “Why not just ask for it, like a decent person would have?”

  “If I showed up at Baine Palace, after our years-ago incident, and after my father stole from your uncle, requesting an audience with you, would you have let me through the gates?”

  He doubted it. “What do you want?”

  “A second chance. I’m in debt and my family is literally starving. I have three young sons, all under the age of five.”

  “We can discuss your plight later. After you’ve freed Charlotte.”

  Thomas shook his head. “No. I need your promise of help first or I fear you won’t give it.”

  “What makes you think I won’t agree with you to get Charlotte, then renege?”

  “Because you have never been a dishonest man. I’ve watched you.”

  He didn’t like the idea that this brute could so easily spy on him. “You turned on my family. You turned on the man whom you recently worked for. Why should I believe anything you say?”

  Thomas rose. “Because I knew Charlotte never burned the letter and still, I didn’t harm her that day.”

  “You’ve frightened her, though. And now you’ve kidnapped her.”

  “I was sent to kill Mr. Woodbury and steal the letter from him. Once he left it in Mr. Appleton’s care, I was to then kill Charlotte’s father. I harmed no one. I frightened Charlotte to keep her away from this whole mess.”

  Vic wanted to believe Thomas, but once a criminal, always a criminal.

  “The V at the end of Charlotte’s letter represents a woman named Venomia,” Tom said.

  The name didn’t register any memories for Vic. “Go on.”

  “She had ties to the Northern Territories and I believe the Knights Venomous were named in her honor. Help me and I’ll join your cause and find out everything I can on the Knights.”

  Trusting an unworthy man was not an option. “I’ll make sure your sons don’t go hungry, but that is all I’ll do. Now take me to Charlotte.”

  Thomas obliged and a minute later Victor had Charlotte in his arms.

  Chapter Ten

  Victor held her tight.

  Charlotte sobbed, tears running down her face like a silly girl who couldn’t control her emotions.

  “It’s all right now, Charlie,” Vic said, rocking her. “You’re safe.”

  Prince Harrison appeared with a slew of men, and even though she couldn’t see them because her face was buried in Vic’s chest, she couldn’t dismiss the commotion.

  “We have Thomas in custody,” Harry said. “And his men.”

  Vic didn’t move.

  Charlotte pulled away, slightly. “I don’t want my parents to know about this. Not yet, at least.” She wiped the back of her hand over her cheeks. “I don’t want anyone to know.”

  “Why keep it a secret?” Victor smoothed her hair with his warm hand.

  “I refuse to compromise your chase.”

  He quirked an eyebrow.

  “Your mission to destroy the Knights Venomous and rid the country of the anti-monarchists.”

  “Bloody hell, Charlie. I’m not thinking of the realm right now. You’re all that matters. And you will most certainly get your revenge on that scum Thomas. You’re owed it.”

  She shook her head. “No, Vic. This isn’t one of your damn bets. The kingdom comes first.”

  “She’s right, Vic,” Harry said in the distance. “The constable is going to want answers in order to press charges. And once
that information gets out, it becomes public record.”

  Victor leaned close. “You’re asking me to choose my father’s kingdom over you.”

  “I am.”

  Vic stood. “No. I refuse to do so. I don’t care what it takes. I’ll give up my place in line of succession, renege my princely titles, give up everything I own to make sure you never go through this again. And to do that, you must speak to the constable.”

  Charlotte caught her breath and then stood. “No. You will not pick me over your family’s kingdom.”

  “Then we are at impasse, Miss Appleton. Because I disagree with you on this matter and I see no way around it.”

  “Then I guess there is nothing to be had between us.” She turned to Prince Harrison. “Take me back to the Hall, Your Royal Highness, please.”

  Harry offered her his hand but peered over her shoulder to where Victor remained.

  “You’re really going to leave me like this. Again.”

  She refused to turn around. She couldn’t. It was too painful just coming to this conclusion. “I shouldn’t have come for the weekend. I’ve compromised the realm. And I shan’t do it again.”

  She left the cottage without looking back.

  Epilogue

  One week later...

  King Bertram sat behind his massive mahogany desk and glowered at Victor. “Let me try to understand this. You want to give up your title, along with your place in line of succession to the throne, and your share of the family fortune.”

  “I have my own fortune. I will survive. Comfortably.”

  “The loss of your royal title will also mean the loss of all royal privileges, including access to your own family.”

  Vic lowered his gaze to the floor. “I know it’s difficult for you to understand, Your Majesty. But Charlotte Appleton is everything to me.”

  “She left you.”

  “No. She chose the kingdom over me, because of me.”

  “The kingdom you are so readily willing to now give up.”

  “I was willing to give it up one week ago, Sire.”

  “Well, now, that is comforting.”

  “I must get the woman back.”

  The king sighed. “In less than one month’s time, three of my seven sons have done the unthinkable for the sake of love. And I suspect the fourth will soon follow suit. Never mind the actions of my first born. That one is tempting to push the strains of science and bible with his wayward heart. What in the name of Hades, did I do wrong in rearing you boys?”

  “I’m sorry, Father. But...”

  “No. There are no buts, Victor.”

  The king stood. He stomped across the room.

  Vic pushed off his seat.

  “Put your arse back in that chair.”

  His father hadn’t even turned around. He swore the man had to have eyes in the back of his head.

  The king tugged the door of his office open.

  Harry nearly fell to the floor.

  “Another groveling son.” King Bertram huffed. “Get up and joined your misguided brother at my desk.”

  The door slammed shut.

  Harry took the chair next to Victor. “God, but I’ve never seen him this mad in all my life,” he whispered.

  Victor didn’t dare comment.

  Their father returned to his desk, but remained standing, arms locked firmly across his chest. The swath of medals on his formal jacket rattled as he tapped the fingers of his right hand over the large biceps of his left arm. “I truly thought, between the two you, that their existed at least some degree of at least one intelligent brain.”

  “This is not Harry’s fault.”

  The king smirked. “I see. Taking all the responsibility yourself, are you?”

  “Yes. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Harry leaned over. “I appreciate it.”

  The king slammed his hands down on his desk.

  Vic jumped, as did Harry.

  Their father leered at them, his massive, bulky body towering forward. “At what point in your lives did you start thinking me a beast. An addle-brain. A man of no care and no conscience. A man ill-groomed to be king....”

  “Don’t forget stern, dear,” their mother said entering the king’s private office through the secret door in the wall. A chair wrung stuck out from under her left arm.

  Vic sucked in a deep breath, but in his defense, so too, did Harry. That damn wrung could scare the daylights out of God.

  “Thank you, Charlotte.” The king turned back to face him and Harry. “A man too stern to care about his own sons’ hearts?”

  “I never...”

  The king growled.

  “Don’t cause your father grief, Victor.” The queen retrieved the wrung from under her arm and gently slapped it against her palm.

  “Now. I will say this once and once only.” Bertram glared at Harry. “First, Harrison, you are to get your arse out of my chair, run to the royal chapel, and pray to God that after the fiasco at Frost Lake Hall, He sees fit to continue to persuade Earl Asta to still allow you to woo his lovely daughter. Though I do admit, after seeing the stunt you and your brother pulled at the Hall, if I were Asta, I’d keep you as far away from my little girl as was possible.”

  Harrison nodded. “Understood.”

  The queen slapped the wrung harder against her palm.

  King Bertram’s eyes went wide. “What the bloody hell are you waiting for, man?”

  Harry was out of the chair in a heartbeat.

  The king waited until the door closed behind Harry, to continue.

  The queen tsked. “My poor Bertram.” She pushed a gray curl out of his eyes. “The way you suffer.”

  “I do, Charlotte. I truly, do.”

  “I’m sorry, Father.”

  The king smiled. He turned to Queen Charlotte. “He’s sorry. Did you hear that, Charlotte? My dear boy is sorry.”

  “I know, Bertram,” the queen said. “We have truly failed.” She sighed.

  His father stared him straight in the eyes. “And now as for you, Victor. If I ever hear you utter so much as single word about wanting to give up the God blessed privilege He has granted you, I will escort you to Hell myself. Is that clear?”

  “But Father...”

  The king cut him off. “Get your sorry arse over to Appleton House now and make amends to Miss Appleton. Afterward, you will agree to accompany Mrs. Appleton, and her sister, the Mrs. Woodbury, on a trip to not only shop to their hearts content throughout Landon, on your dime, but also to a weeklong stay to shop in London. Also, entirely on your pockets. And then you will also agree to a weekly luncheon with Mr. Appleton for the rest of the man’s life.”

  “But Charlotte is owed her revenge for what she’s gone through.”

  “The matter has been settled,” the king said. “And the realm is still secure. And Thomas has told all, in confidence, solely to my personal head of security. No information shall be made public. I am, after all, an absolute monarch. And despite giving my subjects their constitution, I have the power to change all and everything at whim. But I don’t.” His father paused.

  His mother glared at him, her head, shaking in disbelief.

  “Did you truly think you could keep your little spy-hunters club, a secret from me?”

  Victor shifted, stretched his legs out in front of him, a cramp starting in his left calf. “We didn’t want to upset you. We just thought the seven of us could handle tracking the anti-monarchists and their ringleader.”

  “The serial killer.”

  “Yes.”

  “I think you should leave. Now. Before I change my mind.”

  Vic didn’t need to be told twice. He bowed to his mother. And to his father, and then was out of the office and heading straight for Appleton House.

  QUEEN CHARLOTTE LOWERED the wrung in her hand. “You really are brilliant, Bertie.”

  Bertram laughed. “I am, aren’t I?” He took his queen in his arms. “Our sons do the right thing, all the time.
I am truly proud of Victor, willing to give up everything for the woman he loves. But beyond confused that he did not press the point further. I can’t believe he actually did not attempt to win back Miss Appleton again, and that it took me, playing the bastard king, to do the trick.”

  “They are all good sons. All seven. But sometimes they need an extra push.”

  “I think more than sometimes.”

  “You are a good man, Bertie.”

  He wasn’t so sure of that. “If that is true, then why the deuces do my sons think I am this strong-armed dictator who knows nothing about love or about being a kind father? Am I not romantic, love?”

  “Of course you are, dear.”

  “Have I not shown our sons how much I love them?”

  “Of course you have, dear. You risk everything for them, every minute of the day.”

  “I think things must soon change, Charlotte. Soon the boys must learn the truth about Ari.”

  “I pray she will accept that truth.”

  The king nodded. “As do I.”

  VICTOR PACED OUTSIDE Charlotte’s bedroom, the tap of his bootsoles against the hall’s marble tile, beating steadily.

  She wanted nothing more than to open the door and let him in, but she did not want to be the reason behind him giving up everything.

  She turned to her mother. “Are you sure you have the king’s assurance that all has been taken care of and that Victor will not lose anything by courting me?”

  “King Bertram spoke to both me and your father. He has given his word.”

  Charlotte fidgeted with the ribbon at her waist.

  “Of course, if you no longer love the man...”

  “I most certainly do.”

  “Then what is the problem?”

  “I worry he loves me too much. What if this happens again? I would never dream of stifling Victor in his pursuits where the realm is at stake.”

  Her mother pulled the ribbon from Charlotte’s hand. “Really, Charlotte, that is not what should concern you the moment.”

  “Then what must concern me?”

  “He’s a prince, dear. The king’s own son. What better match can you make?”

  “That’s right, Charlie,” Vic said through the door.