Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1)

by Donna Hatch

  Quietly and without looking at him, she said, “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

  “Susanna, I give you my word I was not trying to withhold anything from you.”

  She cast a quick glance at him and lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “’Tis of no consequence.”

  She remained so distant, almost untouchable. He ached to restore that comfortable connection they once shared. She arose and took several steps away, out of the light from the drawing room.

  With a rustle of foliage, a dark shape leaped out at her. Moonlight flashed silver off a knife. The figure raised his arm up, and plunged the blade downward at Susanna. She let out a cry and collapsed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pain exploded in Susanna’s chest and her breath rushed out of her. A weak scream burst out. She fell to the ground under the force of the blow. The shadowy figure raised his arm to deliver another blow.

  Kit leaped at the attacker. Their bodies collided and thudded on the terrace floor. The sickening crunch of a fist hitting flesh, and then a male grunt reached her ears. A metallic clang rang out and a silvery blade slid across the marble terrace. Soon, noises combined too quickly for Susanna to follow.

  With each breath, her chest throbbed. Almost afraid at what she’d find, she looked down at her chest. Nothing. No stains. She sat up. Despite her motion, the pain faded. She got to her feet and picked up the blade so the assailant couldn’t use it on Kit.

  Still scrabbling, Kit fell back and let out a curse.

  “Susanna?” Esther’s voice reached her ears.

  Esther and Daubrey stepped out. “Are you—?” she gasped as her gaze traveled downward to the dagger in Susanna’s hand.

  The attacker ran off into the night.

  Kit leaped to his feet and started after him but paused and looked back at her. “Susanna?”

  She let out a weak, stunned huff of laughter. “I’m unharmed.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She tapped her chest. “Never better.”

  He raced off. She bit her lip. Oh dear, he’d just raced off in pursuit of a dangerous man. At least, the attacker was no longer armed…unless he had another weapon concealed. Had Kit plunged into a trap where others lay in wait for him?

  “Go help Kit!” Susanna pointed in the direction both men had taken.

  Without a word, Daubrey dashed after them.

  Esther ran to her. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.”

  She pressed her fingers on her chest where the blade had struck. It hurt, but dully, more like a bruise rather than the wound a blade should have caused. Gently, she tapped her chest, encountering the center boning that ran right down between her breasts. She leaned over and peered at her gown, probing. The silk fabric gaped open where it had been sliced apart, and the heavy muslin fabric of her stays also opened to reveal the boning sewn in.

  Susanna met Esther’s wide eyes. “Someone tried to stab me.” She lifted the knife and examined it. A long, narrow dagger gleamed in the moonlight.

  “Good heavens! Your stays saved you.” Esther’s breathing rasped. “Who would want to hurt you? Your aunt?”

  Susanna shook her head. “The man my aunt sent surely wants me alive if he means to collect on his payment.”

  Esther put an arm around Susanna. They stood together, grim and silent.

  Susanna peered into the darkness and listened for Kit and Daubrey. “Do you think they are safe?”

  “I’m sure they are. They are both capable men.”

  “But the man who attacked me is—”

  “Surely no match for them alone, much less them together.”

  Arm-in-arm, they peered into the dark foliage, eyes and ears straining for any signs of the gentlemen. If Kit hurt his hands badly enough, he would be unable to play the violin. That would be tragic. She silently prayed for his safety.

  Moments later, footsteps and voices alerted them. Two figures came tearing around a bend in the garden path. Susanna’s heart thumped as she strained for the sight of Kit. Finally, he appeared. She let out an agonized breath. He was safe!

  Kit let out a sound like a wounded animal and raced to her, touching her face, looking her over. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said roughly. He pulled her to him. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.” His voice revealed true concern. For her.

  Susanna wrapped her arms around him and sagged against him. His breath came in hard gasps, and his heart raced against her cheek. He held her close and rested his cheek on top of her head. How lovely to have someone worry over her. How sublime to bask in the euphoria of his arms around her. She let out a sigh, and her shaking subsided. In his arms, she was safe and…dare she say it? Loved? Did he truly love her as he said? He certainly seemed alarmed beyond simple kindness or the desire to help a penniless musician.

  “When I saw that blade…” he pulled away. “How is it possible he didn’t harm you?” His gaze moved downward.

  Susanna blushed as he studied the center of her chest, not the leer of a brute, but the inspection of a concerned friend. Still, to have a man look at her there…

  In wonder, he said, “Your gown is cut but you aren’t injured. How…?”

  Esther replied. “Somehow, the center boning of her stays stopped the blade.”

  Susanna’s blush heated. She’d never imagined discussing ladies’ undergarments with a male. To reassure Kit, she said, “I may be a bit bruised, but I’m not injured.”

  “Come inside,” Daubrey urged as he glanced around. “It may not be safe.”

  Kit pulled away and said grimly, “The assailant got away.”

  He released her enough to turn them both toward the open French doors. With one arm around her shoulders, he guided her inside. Once they reached the middle of the drawing room, he stopped and embraced her again. She rested against him and let out a sigh, releasing the rest of her fright. Nothing in her life had prepared her for the sweet sensation of Kit holding her.

  “Did you get a look at him?” Daubrey asked Kit.

  Kit’s expression tightened. “I didn’t see his face. I lost him in the street before I could identify him…” His voice hardened. “…or bring him back to answer for what he did.”

  “Can you describe anything about him?” Looking in a mirror, Daubrey smoothed back his mussed hair and straightened his disheveled cravat.

  Without releasing Susanna, Kit said, “Slender build, similar to me, and a few inches shorter, I think.”

  Daubrey sat nearby. “Not big enough to have been the country thug, then. Do you have any idea who he was, Miss Dyer?”

  Susanna shook her head. “He was unfamiliar to me. I don’t know anyone in London, certainly not well enough to have made an enemy.” A few ladies at the previous night’s party who were vying for Kit’s attention had glared at her, but none of them looked capable of exerting themselves enough to plot her demise.

  Kit let go of her and paced away but came back and took her hand as if he needed to touch her.

  “Perhaps we’re looking at this wrong,” Daubrey said. “What if someone went after her to strike at you?”

  Kit paused, his eyes darting back and forth as if recalling his past. “If anyone hates me that much, I am unaware of it.”

  “We should report this to the night watch and to the magistrate,” Daubrey said. “They need to know someone is after her.”

  Esther scoffed. “The constable was no help the other night when he and that brute showed up demanding to take her away.”

  While Daubrey and Esther launched into a debate, Kit turned to Susanna and looked her over carefully. She took his hands and examined them, turning them over. Faint bruises married his knuckles.

  “Did you hurt your hands?” she asked.

  He flexed his fingers. “Nothing that will prevent me from performing.”

  She raised his bruised hands to her lips and kissed them. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

  He huffed a weak laugh
. “Sweet Susanna, have no concern for me. I’m still amazed you weren’t wounded.” He cradled her cheek with one hand and looked intently into her eyes. “I realize my manner of proposing left something to be desired.” He drew a breath. “I love you. “

  Susanna’s breath rushed out of her.

  “When I asked you to marry me, I wasn’t trying to rescue you. I love you. I want you in my life. When you are near me, I am strong and confident. Complete. You make me feel as though I have a place in the world and something important to offer.”

  Her lower lip quivered. “Truly?”

  He cupped her cheek. “You are all that is kind and good. I am better just for knowing you. I know we haven’t known each other very long, and I very much wish to court you properly to give you time to determine your feelings for me. Just know that I love you so very much—enough for a lifetime. For many lifetimes.”

  The realization that he truly cared for her beyond simple chivalric duty warmed her all over. She finally let go of her reservations and a flood of love for him came rushing out like waters of a broken dam. Healing warmth and wholeness filled her up until she thought she’d burst from joy.

  A tear trickled down her cheek. “Oh, Kit.”

  Earnest, almost desperate, he tugged on her hands and looked her directly in the eyes. “I meant what I said. I love you. I want you for my wife. I’m willing to wait until you want that, too—until you are sure. Please, will you at least allow me to court you?”

  “You…wish to court me?”

  A playful twinkle entered his eye. “Unless you’re willing to run off to Gretna Green right now and marry me as soon as we can find a blacksmith and an anvil.”

  She laughed softly at his audacity. How could she refuse? His parents might dislike her for an upstart mushroom, but she would bear any criticism if it meant having Kit in her life.

  Smiling so hard that her cheeks stretched, she smiled and nodded. “Of course you may court me.”

  He kissed her. The warmth and softness of his lips caught her off guard, as did the furious hot tingles spiraling out in all directions. A question lingered in his kiss. She tried to reply in her inexperienced way. He pulled away for only a heartbeat before kissing her again, this time with more intensity, more fervor. His arms wrapped around her and he held her close. This second kiss held a promise. A lifetime of passion surely awaited them. She opened up herself to his love, binding her heart more tightly to his. All her dreams and Sweet Memories had not prepared her for the exhilarating joy that rippled over her like rings in a pond, spreading outward until they filled her. If being married gave her more moments like this, she welcomed it. Yes, he could court her. But she wouldn’t ask him to do it for very long. She was already sure.

  Her heart sang.

  Chapter Fifteen

  In his bachelor’s rooms the morning after Susanna agreed to let him court her, Kit stared at the letter in his hands, convinced he’d read it wrong. He read it yet a third time.

  “Egads, this is a strange development,” he muttered.

  As the truth of his attorney’s letter sank in, he let out a shout, leaped up, and rang for his valet. Calling upon anyone so early in the morning pushed the limits of courtesy, even a sister—especially considering how late they’d gone to bed. Kit had been filled with energy from that unforgettable kiss, and the few more that followed until Esther threw him out. He grinned at the thought.

  Finally shaved and dressed, Kit practically ran all the way to Daubrey’s house. He burst in and demanded to see his sister at once.

  Esther appeared at the railing of the second floor, putting on a wrapper and glaring at him. “You had better have a good explanation for this,” she grumbled.

  “I need to see Susanna and you…and Daubrey if he’s up.”

  “No one is up,” she grumbled. “It’s the crack of dawn, you idiot. We only made you leave out a few hours ago.”

  Kit waved the paper. “This can’t wait. I just received news that can clear Susanna’s name.”

  Esther let out a groan, but moments later found Kit in an outer sitting room with Daubrey, Ether, and Susanna. His sweet little harpist looked adorable with her hair hanging around her shoulders and her eyes sleepy.

  He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss her over and over, but settled for kissing her hand. “You are of much greater consequence than you let on, and probably more than you know.”

  Her brow wrinkled, and she shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “My attorney made some inquiries. Your father was Geoffrey Dyer?”

  Susanna nodded. “That’s right.”

  “He was the fourth son of William Dyer, who is the second son of the Earl of Clifton. Is that right?”

  “Right, again.” Her bewilderment was so endearing that he had to stand or he’d surely kiss her right then. “My great-grandfather was the Earl of Clifton.”

  “Clifton,” Daubrey muttered. “Upon my word,”

  “On your mother’s side, you are also a distant cousin of both the Duke of Suttenberg and the Earl of Tarrington.”

  Esther let out a gasp. “She’s not only a granddaughter of the Earl of Clifton, but she’s related to Suttenberg and Tarrington?”

  Daubrey laughed softly and shook his head in amusement…or perhaps disbelief.

  Susanna went completely still. She blinked, shook her head, and blinked again. “I’ve read enough of my uncle’s cast off newspapers that I’ve heard of these auspicious individuals, but…” Looking thoroughly befuddled, she asked, “Am I really related to them?”

  “You didn’t know?” Kit asked.

  She spread her hands. “I was thirteen when my parents died, and they weren’t ones for bragging about their connections. My aunt didn’t exactly extol the virtues of my family. She thought hers vastly superior. Honestly, it didn’t occur to me to do any research into my heritage. I never cracked open the pages of Debrett’s Peerage.”

  Kit smiled. No, he gloated. “There’s more. Your dowry is significant. It is all of forty thousand pounds.”

  A stunned silence blanketed the room.

  “Good heavens,” Esther breathed.

  Susanna let out a half chuckle. “No, surely not. My aunt said….” Her voice trailed off. “She lied to me?”

  Kit handed her the letter from the attorney as well as a copy of the legal documents. “Read it for yourself.”

  He waited while she read, her brows furrowing one moment, raising the next.

  She shook her head and then met his gaze. “I should have known. She lied to me.” Her brow creased. Then she straightened and a hard look came into her eyes. “She lied about everything. Everything.”

  Kit sat next to her. “It’s possible she wanted you to wed Algernon because he agreed to give her part of your dowry.”

  Her eyes took on a distant stare as she no doubt relived atrocities of her youth. Pain and anger passed over her in alternating strikes, and she winced under each blow. His hand curled into a fist. He didn’t know whether to confront the lying blackguards and demand they apologize, or simply cut them from Susanna’s life.

  Susanna pressed a hand to her head. “That explains a great deal.”

  Esther smiled. “Oh, Susanna, don’t you see? There’s no reason for you to think you oughtn’t marry Kit.”

  Susanna turned wide eyes to Kit. “No, there doesn’t appear to be….”

  He swallowed. Her kisses last night had seemed so promising. Did she harbor doubts now in the light of day?

  Searching her face, he took her hand. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you? You will still allow me court you, won’t you?”

  She met his gaze unflinchingly. For a long moment she said nothing. Kit’s heart pounded so hard he feared he’d expire on the spot. Then her mouth curved.

  She put a hand on his cheek. “No, Kit, I haven’t changed my mind. No need for a courtship. I already know I love you.”

  He almost forgot to breathe.

  The
light in her eyes spilled out and filled him. She smiled. “I will marry you, but let’s not elope. I want to have a church wedding, and I want your family present.”

  Joy leaped up and filled every crevice of his heart. He let out a breath that ended with a weak laugh. “Anything, my love.” He wrapped her in his arms. “Oh, my sweet Susanna, I love you. I vow I will do all I can to make you happy.”

  Joyful tears filled her eyes. “My dearest Kit, you already have.”

  That night, Kit arrived at the theatre early with his thoughts filled with Susanna. His future with her seemed bright with promise and joy. The opera had three more days scheduled to run before closing night, and only Kit’s commitment brought him there this evening. As soon as the opera closed, Kit would end his career as a violinist and spend his evenings with the love of his life. Once his attorney finished clearing Susanna of the false charges laid against her by her greedy family, Kit and Susanna would wed and begin their life together.

  As he tuned and warmed up, other members of the orchestra came in, their voices and instruments creating a familiar raucous.

  The principal harpist came in, and something about his movements caught Kit’s attention. The harpist limped and seemed to move stiffly. Kit watched him. Did he have a blackened eye?

  Arpeggios on the harp rang out, a much harsher tone than those Susanna’s softer touch created as again the opera harpist attacked the instrument as if he meant to bend it to his will. How different from the gentle touch Susanna used to coax beauty from the harp.

  The harpist glanced at him and quickly looked away. His hair stuck out all over as if he’d been tugging on it. Was there a patch missing over his ear? Kit took a closer look at the musician, noting his swollen, purple eye. There had been no such visible injuries on the man during the prior evening’s performance. What had happened to him since then?

  He sauntered over to the harpist. “Meet with another accident?”

  The harpist gave a start. “Oh, er, no. I just….fell.” He glanced at Kit with annoyance and—was that malice?—but covered it up by tuning the harp.