The Debutante's Escape

by Peggy McKenzie

  John pulled her to her feet and held her steady until she could get her bearings. He took her arm in his firm grasp and wrapped his other arm around her waist, guiding her down a wide hallway, past several doors along the way. Most of the doors were closed but one or two stood open revealing their contents.

  Her steps slowed at the open door of what appeared to be a library, gleaming wooden bookcases holding rows and rows of beautiful books. She stopped and glanced inside. “I had no idea you owned so many books. Why have you never mentioned it to me before?”

  John's fingers gripped her elbow. He shrugged. “I suppose it just never came up. I didn’t see the need to talk about how many books I have. You know how much I like to read. I would have thought you of all people would understand my need to better myself. Besides, I don’t like to boast. It seems rather arrogant, don’t you think?” She could see the hint of something behind his words.

  “Like my father?” She turned and looked up at the man standing next to her, his arm around her waist. She leaned in a bit closer…for the support she needed to keep from falling down, she reasoned.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  Regina turned and smiled. “You didn’t have to. We both know it’s true. He has a way of speaking over everyone else’s words. No one can get a word in edgewise when my father starts to speak. He is so busy telling everyone how clever and wise he is, no one else has a chance to talk of things that matter to them.”

  She swayed a bit more and felt John's hand steady her again. His other hand touched her waist and lingered there. She liked it.

  “Well, no matter. Now that you are here, you and I may sit and talk about every book in that room if you like,” John offered.

  She turned to face him. Her eyes roamed his handsome features. He said nothing but she knew he was studying her too. Perhaps he was trying to figure out what to do with her now that they were supposed to be married. She knew what she might like him to do—

  Where had that thought come from? The wine perhaps? “I would like that very much. The books, I mean.” She blushed hoping he couldn’t read her thoughts.

  Her conscience reminded her that John did not belong to her. They were playing a charade. One of her own making to be sure. And she had best be careful not to get caught up in it. Her newfound freedom was becoming very precious to her and she would do nothing to jeopardize it.

  “Good. I look forward to it. Now, let's get you settled in, shall we?” John helped her down the hall and into the huge bedroom at the end of the hallway.

  “Oh, my. This is incredible. Thank you, John. You are truly a great friend,” she mumbled, more to herself than John.

  “I will always be your friend, Regina, no matter our circumstances. You can always call on me. That is a promise you can count on.”

  Regina was touched by his sincerity. The lump in her throat prevented her from speaking.

  John continued with the tour. “I have asked Mary to help you undress and get settled. I'll call her to come up, and if you need anything at all, Regina, please ask. It will be my pleasure to see that all of your needs are met.”

  John leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. His scent of Scotch and cigars drifted through her muddled senses and pulled her to him. She leaned up on her tiptoes to give him a thank you kiss on the cheek, but at the last moment she turned her head and her mouth claimed his.

  He knew Regina was just shy of having had too much to drink. She had consumed three glasses of wine, but he never dreamed the alcohol would go to her head, especially with all the food she had eaten. He supposed she was more sheltered than he imagined a sophisticated young woman of her family's means would be.

  Now he had a decision to make. He could go along with his inebriated young bride and give in to her desires, a thought that certainly appealed to his baser self.

  Or, he could send her to bed alone. And untouched. He didn't ponder the decision long. He didn't have to because his sense of honor would never allow him to compromise Regina before she learned the truth about their marriage. When she did come to him, it had to be her choice. He wouldn’t have her any other way.

  She was still kissing him when he came to his decision. He reluctantly broke contact with Regina's sweet mouth.

  “Regina, you have had a very emotional two days, between your father’s machinations and now our wedding. Here, come sit in this chair and I'll call Mary to come and help you undress. Today has been an awfully long day and I do believe you could use some rest.”

  He gently pushed her from him and helped her to one of the overstuffed wingback chairs by the window. He lit the lamp on the table next to her and rang the bell to call for Mary's assistance.

  “Mary will be here shortly. Why don't you just sit there and relax until she arrives?” He turned to leave.

  Regina begged him to stay. “No, please stay and talk to me until she arrives. I feel like I should thank you, or apologize, for getting you into this mess. It's getting late and soon my parents will realize I am missing and will raise the alarm. I can only imagine what will happen then.”

  John could tell she was agitated. Was she truly that afraid of her father? He wondered if the pompous ass had ever struck her. The thought made John's fists clench at his sides.

  “I'll stay as long as you like, Regina, but know this. I will never allow anything, or anyone, to hurt you. Not ever.” He just hoped he could also include himself in that statement.

  He heard a door close somewhere in the apartment and then footsteps tracked against the wooden floors.

  “Hello?” he called out. “Mary, is that you?”

  “Yes, Mr. Kingston. Reginald said Mrs. Kingston needed my services.”

  “Yes, she is ready to retire for the evening. Can you ask the staff to fill the tub? I think Mrs. Kingston would appreciate a hot bath before bed. Wouldn’t you, my dear?”

  “Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you. You are as thoughtful and considerate as always. I certainly don't deserve—”

  “Nonsense. Of course, you do. You deserve everything good this world has to offer. Now, I will leave you to your bath.” John bowed and left the room. He wanted to kiss her again, but he knew where that would lead in spite of Mary’s presence. He was a man of strong will, but even he had his breaking point.

  He returned to the main salon of his suite and stood in the middle of the room, for how long, he had no idea. He was at a loss as to what to do now. Perhaps he would go downstairs and join Will in a game of cards. He hoped his friend hadn't already lost all his money.

  John pulled his coat on and raked his fingers through his hair. He needed a haircut soon, but thoughts of his new wife’s fingers tangled in his curls made him reconsider. And yet, he wanted to look the part of an upstanding businessman when Ben made the announcement that he was appointing John as his financial overseer here in Durango.

  He retraced his steps down the hall to tell Regina he was leaving for a bit, but when he entered his bedroom, he heard water splashing in the bathroom. He knew if he walked into that room and saw Regina chin deep in bubbles, he would kick Mary out and do something he would regret.

  A pulse of desire hit him hard and he adjusted himself beneath his clothing. Before he could change his mind, he turned on his heels and headed for the front door.

  Safely outside in the hallway, he pulled the door closed and locked it behind him. Images of Regina in that tub pushed him down three flights of stairs. Just as he cleared the landing between the first and second floor, he heard a huge commotion and he knew there was trouble brewing.

  John slowed his steps to gauge exactly what was happening before he plowed into it unaware of how best to handle the situation. By the time he reached the top of the stairs overlooking the first floor, he’d ascertained what the trouble was without having to see the commotion playing out below him.

  He knew this moment would come and he was prepared for it.

  John descended the stairs to the lobby one by one until he reach
ed the bottom and came face-to-face with the sheriff of Durango.

  “Is there a problem, Sheriff?” He was careful to keep his voice low and calm.

  “Yes, Mr. Kingston. This man says his daughter is missing and someone has reported she was seen entering the hotel some time ago. He is demanding an immediate search of the premises.”

  “I see.” John was careful to hide his amusement when what he really wanted to do was shove the truth of the situation into Henry Beckett’s face in front of the whole town.

  Instead, he turned to Regina’s father and addressed the irate man in his most practiced voice of persuasion.

  “I can assure you, Henry, your daughter is in no danger in my hotel. I run a clean, safe establishment, and—”

  “I don’t care what your excuses are, Kingston. My daughter was seen coming into this hotel through a side door and I intend to have this place torn apart until she is found.” Regina’s father yelled in his face. It was the coward’s way of intimidation, and it wouldn’t work on him.

  “Henry, if you will please keep your voice down. You are disturbing my paying customers,” John maintained his calm outward demeanor, but inside he wanted to punch the man unconscious.

  The man's pale face mottled with anger. “How dare you speak to me that impudent manner. You will address me as Mr. Beckett, and I will not keep my voice down. Someone has absconded with my daughter and there will be retribution if they have compromised her in any way.”

  John watched as the man puffed up with self-importance. The sheriff looked uncomfortable and the circle of people surrounding the commotion looked eager for a show. Well, he was happy to give them one.

  “I can assure you, Henry,” he emphasized the man's first name again to goad him, “if Regina is here in this hotel, she came of her own free will and no one would dare to harm her in this establishment, or they would answer to me.”

  Regina's father looked like he might have an apoplectic fit at any moment. His face was an alarming shade of red. His mouth worked like a beached fish, opening and closing without words. John had to bite back his grin between clenched teeth.

  “You low life piece of—how dare you act as if you can protect my daughter. You’re a scoundrel. A…a…a low life…” When the man couldn’t think of any more condescending adjectives, he began again. “You are not fit to live among proper people.” The man spewed his words and his hatred, spittle leaking from his lips.

  John's hands fisted at his sides. He wanted nothing more than to punch the man’s pompous nose through to the other side of his head, but he knew how to play this game. He knew how to be patient. He knew how to bluff. And he knew how to read his opponent and work the situation to his advantage.

  “Ah, yes. I keep forgetting my place don't I, Henry? And you keep forgetting people like you can’t rest their boots on another man's neck to keep him down. Nobody cares where you come from, Henry or what your last name is. All they care about is how you treat them and whether or not they can trust your word.”

  John turned and addressed the growing number of onlookers. “This is the United States, where all men are equal, and opportunity is available for any man who wishes to work hard. I said any man and that includes the poor wretched son of a man who had many faults. In this country, I am not held accountable for my father's sins. Does anyone disagree?”

  He heard murmurs echo through the crowd. One man called out, “That's right. He's his own man, Beckett.”

  The man's words gave voice to other rumblings among the people gathered to witness the spectacle.

  John turned to the sheriff. “Would you please escort Henry out of my establishment, Sheriff? He’s disturbing my guests with all this talk of kidnapping and someone being held against their will.”

  “I will not leave until every room has been searched and my daughter has been found.” Henry's words sounded more pitiful than proud.

  “Then look no further, Henry, for Regina is neatly tucked away upstairs in my suite where she will remain until she is ready to come down.”

  Henry stepped closer to John, his fists clenched, but when John didn’t back down, he stopped advancing and appeared to be reconsidering his next move.

  John knew he would get some satisfaction from besting Henry Beckett, but he had no idea how sweet it would actually be until this very moment.

  “How dare you compromise my daughter, you inbred piece of street filth. Sheriff, arrest this man at once.”

  The sheriff frowned at John and then back to Regina's father. “On what grounds?” The man was clearly taken back by Henry’s demand.

  “For defiling my daughter.” Henry could barely contain his hatred and John was prepared for the man to strike him at any moment. He hoped like hell he would.

  “Is that true, Mr. Kingston? Is Beckett’s daughter the woman upstairs? Are you holding her there against her will?”

  John grinned and touched his heart with the palm of his hand. “I hardly think a new bride would consider her wedding night an act of bondage, Sheriff. Although I have heard of such things—”

  “You bastard!” Henry flew at him and John almost felt sorry for the man. Almost. He easily sidestepped the angry man’s charge and pushed him sideways watching him fall at the feet of the onlookers. Some of the men standing close by picked him up off the floor and held him captive.

  “Take a swing at him, John. He tried to sucker punch you. That means you owe him one,” someone yelled out from the crowd. It sounded a lot like Will, but he couldn't be certain. This was his moment to turn the tides in his favor and he was smart enough to know it.

  “I can't fault the man for trying to save his daughter's reputation, but it is not necessary. Regina Beckett Kingston has a new champion. She no longer needs her father’s…protection.” He cut a knowing look to Regina’s father because they both knew he was anything but her protector. “As her husband, she has me to protect her from harm.” John pointed his words of accusation at her father. He knew by the look on Henry’s face, the man felt his barbs.

  “Now, if everyone will excuse me, I have a lovely new bride waiting for me upstairs.”

  John turned his back on Regina’s father and the crowd, ascending three stairs so he rose above the crowd and could be seen and heard by all. Then, he turned and addressed the people gathered in the grand lobby of his hotel.

  “Regina is now my wife. I have the means and the motivation to protect her from anyone who means her harm. As my wife, she will take her place by my side and I trust everyone will give her the respect she deserves.”

  He shot a knowing glance to Henry and then looked back to the crowd, which was now cheering his and Regina’s name.

  “Thank you, everyone. If you will excuse me, it is my wedding night and I—”

  “You bastard!” He turned just in time to see Regina’s father rushing toward him, hatred evident in his flaring nostrils and bared teeth. Two men standing at the bottom of the staircase grabbed Henry and held him none too gently. John retraced his steps until he was face-to-face with the angry man. Six inches taller than him, John looked down at the man’s furious face and answered his insult.

  “See, Henry, now there you are one hundred percent wrong. Although my father may not have been a pillar of this community, he was, indeed, married to my mother before she left us. So, a bastard, I am not. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lovely bride waiting for me.”

  He turned his back on the man and took the steps slowly, one at a time. He heard Henry’s enraged screams calling him every name he had ever heard and a few he hadn’t. He’d have to look those up sometime.

  Without turning around he spoke to the lawman at the bottom of the stairs. “Sheriff Wiley, will you please escort Mr. Beckett out of my hotel. He’s disturbing my guests. And if he comes back after you have removed him from these premises, I will be happy to file a complaint against him, so you can arrest him and put him in one of those nice cells over at the jailhouse.” John continued up the stairs until he c
ould no longer hear Henry’s screeching rants.

  It gave John immense satisfaction to know that Henry Beckett was now on the outside looking in. He wondered how the man liked it?

  “Not so much, I would think,” He wondered what Henry would do when he heard the news that John had also taken the job he coveted?

  He grinned to himself as he rounded the third story landing where his new bride awaited him. He couldn’t wait to tell Regina there was nothing for her to be afraid of. Not anymore.

  Chapter 7

  Regina had thoroughly enjoyed her luxurious bath. The hot bubbles eased her anxiety and allowed her a moment of relaxation. Well, that and the copious amounts of wine she drank.

  She had indulged in more than a prudent amount of wine, but it didn’t matter. She was glad that, for a time at least, she didn’t worry about her father's retribution. She felt safe here in John's world, and out of her father’s reach.

  The clock chimed nine o'clock and her anxiety returned. It was getting late and she was certain her parents had discovered she was missing by now. How long would it take for her father to track her down? And what would happen then?

  She found herself extremely grateful to John's friend, Will, for his due diligence in making certain the marriage certificate looked as real as possible. It absolutely had to fool her father for this to work. Suddenly, her scattered thoughts couldn’t seem to settle, and it was making her jumpy. Or maybe that was just another downside of drinking too much wine.

  Regina sat in the soft chair near the window and wondered where John had gone. Mary said he might have gone downstairs to play cards, but she couldn't say with any certainty. He could be gone well into the night if he were anything like her father. But she dismissed that idea immediately. He wasn't anything like her father. Not in the least.

  Perhaps some chamomile tea could help her sleep. Where was that bell to ring for service? She padded on bare feet across the soft carpet, her nightgown flowing around her legs, to where she had seen John ring for Mary earlier.