A Rake's Redemption
Page 26
Inis listened to the sounds of boots in the hall. When they didn’t stop at the parlor and continued on toward where she was in the library, she looked around for a place to hide. Her uncle conducted business in the library, and the blasted earl probably wanted the dowry papers drawn up. She had no desire to see either the earl or Silas, so she jumped behind the spiral wrought-iron staircase that led to the second floor and ducked behind some boxes just as the door opened.
Chairs scraped the floor and someone cleared his throat. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Your Grace.”
Inis froze at the sound of that voice. Alex. Alex is here.
“I only asked you into the library because I don’t want the servants listening,” the duke replied. “You have five minutes to say what you want to say.”
“Fair enough,” Alex said. “I want to marry your niece.”
“I am sure you do, considering her dowry is a small fortune.”
Inis winced at her uncle’s directness. She was tempted to stand up and defend Alex, but something made her stay hidden.
“I don’t want your money.” Alex’s tone was clipped.
“Really? How interesting, given that your brother has kicked you out of Dansworth House and put you on the streets.”
Inis winced again. Alex’s scheme had worked only too well. George was seeking his own revenge.
“I may not have a home, but I am hardly destitute,” Alex answered. “In fact, I am sailing to America to see about a real estate transaction there.”
Inis closed her eyes. He must be talking about the house in New Orleans. The one she’d intended to go to.
“Have a good trip,” the duke said. “I believe our time is up.”
There was no sound of scraping chairs, which meant Alex hadn’t moved. Inis held her breath.
“I would like to ask Inis to accompany me. I love her.”
Inis quickly covered her mouth before her gasp could escape. Alex had finally said the words she wanted to hear. Not duty or responsibility… She started to rise from her hiding spot, but something—almost like gentle hands on her shoulders—kept her hunched down.
“That’s humorous coming from a rake notorious for one-night conquests,” the duke said. “But you’re speaking of my niece. I think you’ve already done enough to damage her reputation.”
“If I’d known who she was, I would have—”
“It’s of no matter.” Her uncle cut him short. “Inis is betrothed to the Earl of Adare’s son. They will be married in a fortnight.”
There was a moment’s pause, then Alex’s voice. “Is that her decision? I would like to speak to her.”
“Permission denied.”
Inis heard her uncle ring the servant’s bell kept on the desk. Seconds later, she heard the door open and several pairs of heavy boots enter.
“What are your orders, Your Grace?”
That voice belonged to her uncle’s captain of the guard. They must have been waiting in the hall. Why?
“Escort Lord Ashley back to the docks and see that he boards the ship back to London,” her uncle said. “And stay there until it sails. If he disembarks, have him arrested for attempted abduction here and for enslaving my niece in London.”
Inis covered her mouth again to muffle her fury. She wanted nothing more than to jump up and shout at her uncle that her life was her business and she wanted to go to America, too. But the same invisible pressure she’d felt earlier held her in place. A strand of reason slipped through her anger. Her uncle would deny her pleas just like he had before. She needed to wait.
“This is not finished,” Alex said.
“Suit yourself,” the duke answered. “If you want to spend years in jail, that can be arranged. Your brother will be only too happy to accommodate my request for documentation that you held my niece captive under an assumed name.”
“Damn you both to hell,” Alex said.
Inis heard a resounding thud and cringed. The captain had no doubt hit Alex. A struggle ensued, and then she heard the sounds of boots sliding along the floor as the soldiers hauled Alex away. Was he conscious?
She heard her uncle get up and leave, but she stayed in her hiding place, so incensed she was shaking. She’d never thought her uncle to be a cruel man before, but what she’d just heard had changed her mind. She wanted no part of him, his house, or his aristocratic lifestyle any longer. And she would not marry the damn Earl of Adare’s son, either.
Waiting another ten minutes until she was sure the hallway was clear, she took the servants’ stairs to the second floor. Once she was inside her room, she bolted the door, pulled gowns out of the wardrobe, and began tying the sleeves together.
She knew what she was going to do.
And, very faintly, she thought she heard a tinkle of approving laughter.
…
Alex stood on the deck of the ship, rubbing his sore jaw, and glaring belligerently from the eye that was not swelling shut at the Duke of Kildare’s guardsmen on the dock. They stood at ease, talking among themselves, but he was not fooled. Should he try to get down the gangplank, they’d be on him faster than a hound on a hare.
He thought of everything he loved about Inis. Her feistiness. Her independent spirit. Her genuineness. Her ability to have compassion for all people, even though she was a part of aristocracy. But mostly, he remembered the nights of passionate lovemaking they had shared. How soft and yielding her lips were under his. How her breasts fit perfectly into his palms. How the nipples beaded immediately as his tongue flicked across them. Alex could recall the scent and taste of Inis as he sucked the hard little nub between her legs, causing her to writhe beneath his ministrations. And how she shattered completely as he thrust hard and deep inside her hot, tight sheath.
They belonged together. Damnation. He would not allow her to be forced into marrying someone else.
Unfortunately, the duke held all the right cards. The Irish were not fond of many Englishman, and her uncle held great sway in Dublin. The authorities would be only too happy to comply with his demands to imprison Alex. He could not expect help from England, either. His damn brother would willingly let him rot in jail. Even if Brice and Kendrick could manage to petition the Prince Regent, George and his cronies had the Prince’s ear. The word of the Duke of Dansworth—even if it was blatantly false—would be taken over a free-wheeling baron and a marquis whose own reputation remained dubious. Alex was on his own, which was the reason he’d decided to travel to America after George kicked him out of Dansworth House.
He had two tickets in his pocket for passage to the States. The ship he was on was sailing to Cobh Harbour and then across the Atlantic, but damn it, he was not leaving without Inis. He watched the increased activity on the quay as dockhands loaded the last boxes and crates on board and the deckhands began to prepare for departure. Even with the extra bustle, he doubted he could blend in enough to remain unnoticed. That left only one option.
He turned and walked casually toward the companionway that led below decks. He didn’t have to look to know the duke’s guards were watching his every movement, but hopefully, they would think he was going to his stateroom.
He started to descend the ladder, then fell to his stomach, flat on the deck. The guards below wouldn’t be able to see him if he stayed low. He crawled a few feet on his belly until he was behind a bulkhead and then stood. He was on the starboard side of the ship now, away from prying eyes. Below him, the River Liffey churned, a sign the tide was turning. Swimming against the current would be useless, which meant he would need to let it carry him toward the mouth of the river…and stay underwater for as long as he could to avoid being seen.
It was his only chance. He’d return to the duke’s mansion and wait for the cover of night. He allowed himself a brief smile. Ironically, he would be abducting Inis this time, albeit willingly—he hoped. If they rode hard through the night and the next day, they could make it to Cobh Harbour while the ship was still in that port.
“Are ye jumping ship?”
He spun around so fast he almost lost his balance. Inis stood beside him, dressed in breeches and a loose shirt, her hair tucked under a cap, looking like the lad he’d first seen in his stable weeks ago. For a moment, he was speechless.
“How did you know I was here?”
Inis smiled. “I happened to be hiding in the library when you talked to my uncle.”
Alex could hardly believe his ears. “It looks like Lady Luck is on my side for sure.”
Inis shrugged. “Or maybe the Fae were at work.”
Alex grinned. “I will not argue the point.”
“So,” Inis said as the boat lurched, pulling away from the dock. “How long do we have to stay in London? My uncle will send men once he finds me missing.”
Alex’s grin widened. “We will not be going to London. This ship is sailing to America.” Then he sobered. “I love you, Inis. If you will do me the honor of being my wife, I believe the captain can marry us once we’re out to sea.”
Inis rose on tiptoe, put her hands around his neck, and pulled him close for a kiss. “I would like that very much.” She affected her brogue. “Since I love ye, too.”
He bent over her, nuzzling her neck before brushing his lips across hers, teasing and taunting until she groaned and raked her fingers through his hair. “And we can get to know each other better while crossing the pond,” he said against her mouth and then deepened the kiss.
Epilogue
New Orleans
3 months later
Inis stepped into the enclosed garden of their house just off Burgundy Street in the Vieux Carre and inhaled the sweet smell of honeysuckle vines that crept along the stone wall at the back. The scent mixed with magnolia blossoms from a huge tree that cast much needed shade. Sinking onto the stuffed cushions of a wrought-iron bench, she listened to the soothing sound of water splashing from the fountain in the middle of the small courtyard. In the short time they’d been here, the place already felt like home.
It had taken a bit of getting used to the always warm, always humid air that blanketed the city, but she’d soon delighted in wearing lightweight cottons instead of heavy wool when she was outside. And leaving the windows open to enjoy the breeze off the river was a pleasure.
Although New Orleans had its own version of the haute-ton with French gentry and Creoles, she’d found society here much less stringent with rules that must be followed than in England. She and Alex had taken to strolling along the waterfront in front of St. Louis Cathedral near sunset when the locals turned up at the market square to enjoy the cool of the evening and a cup of chicory coffee. There were no lords or ladies there, only friendly people.
But most of all, she relished the freedom of being able to wear breeches when she helped Alex train the young colts and fillies he’d purchased to establish a breeding farm. Maybe it was practicality—or perhaps the independent spirit that Americans had—but no one seemed to think it odd that a wife worked with her husband’s horses, either. She and Alex had agreed that they planned to stay, even if they weren’t citizens.
Inis rested a hand on her abdomen. She hadn’t told Alex yet, but in six months or so, a real citizen would be born…and America would truly be their home.
Did you love this book from Entangled’s Amara imprint? Check out more of our titles here!
Don’t miss Cynthia Breeding’s next book! Sign up for our newsletter here!
About the Author
Cynthia Breeding is an award-winning author of eighteen novels and twenty-four novellas. She currently lives on the bay in Corpus Christi, Texas, with her absolutely-not-spoiled Bichon Frise and enjoys sailing and horseback riding on the beach.
Also by Cynthia Breeding…
Rogue of the Highlands
Rogue of the Isles
Rogue of the Borders
Sister of Rogues
Rogue of the High Seas
Rogue of the Moors
Discover more Amara titles…
How to Train Your Baron
a What Happens in the Ballroom novel by Diana Lloyd
When Elsinore Cosgrove escapes a ballroom in search of adventure, she has no idea it will lead to a hasty marriage. Now she’s engaged to an infuriating, handsome Scottish baron who doesn’t even know her name! But Elsinore is determined to mold her baron into the husband she wants. Quin Graham is a man with many secrets. If another scandal can be avoided with a sham marriage, so be it. Only his fiancée isn’t at all what he’s expecting. For reasons he’s unwilling to explain, the last thing Quin needs is to fall for his wife.
Six Weeks with a Lord
a novel by Eve Pendle
Grace Alnott must marry a peer to save her brother from his abusive guardian. Soon. Everett Hetherington agrees to a marriage of convenience, but stipulates Grace must live with him for six weeks. She struggles to guard herself against falling for the handsome earl because she has learned the aristocracy cannot be trusted. Major Everett Hetherington, Earl of Westbury, is entranced by the spirited, independent Grace Alnott, but she will be leaving him in six weeks. Unless he can convince her to stay. And she never learns his secret.
How to Fall for the Wrong Man
a Ladies of Passion novel by Harmony Williams
If Mary Babington-Smith knows nothing else, it’s that Lord Edwin Sutton kissed her. Regardless of who-kissed-whom, with the deed witnessed, they have no choice but to carry on with a temporary, fake, engagement. When Edwin sweetens the deal, offering Mary the money she needs to pursue her independence if she can play the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, she’ll have everything she wants, and this time she’ll be the one to walk out of his life…
When a Lady Desires a Wicked Lord
a Her Majesty’s Most Secret Service novel by Tara Kingston
Alexandra Quinn is stunned when the man who’d shattered her young heart rescues her from an intruder at the last minute. Forced to work with the rakish viscount, Alex knows better than to trust Benedict, but the wicked promise in his kiss tempts her. Lord Marlsbrook never wanted to be a hero but a killer has targeted the only woman he’s ever loved. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect Alex—even from himself.