by Jaimey Grant
Dr. Keate studied Lord Holt for a long moment. Then, he sighed. “I am not sure it would be right to disclose such information with you, my lord. I do not know what game you play and a lady’s reputation is involved.”
“I am not out to injure her, sir. I seek to help her.”
Another long moment passed in which Gideon attempted to remain still, slumped in his chair with his usual air of insouciance. Finally, the headmaster relented.
“He is an average scholar. His studies are affected by his attitude; he does not lack intelligence. He is angry and bitter, taking it out on his fellow students and even some professors. He has been sent down more than once. I suspect it all has something to do with his father.”
“There were mysterious circumstances surrounding Brackney’s death,” Gideon inserted thoughtfully.
“The boy does take umbrage when the late Sir Richard is mentioned.”
“Why?”
“I do not care for gossip, mind you, but it does have its uses. It was brought to my attention that some of the other students have been poking fun at Sir Beowulf. Something to do with his father spying for the French. All nonsense, of course, but enough to cause anger in any young man.”
Gideon’s features remained impassive with an effort. Rumor suggested exactly what the Home Office did. But then, the Home Office wouldn’t have known if rumors didn’t abound.
“You have given me much to think about, Dr. Keate. I thank you for your candor. It will be a challenge to guide the young man, but knowing what drives him will be of some help.”
The headmaster’s face became thoughtful. “Are you not younger than Lady Brackney?” he asked.
Gideon released an exasperated sound. “Is this what I am to expect for the rest of my life?” he wondered aloud. “Yes, sir, I am younger. What the devil that has to do with anything, I’ve yet to discover. The next person to ask me that shall meet me at dawn, I think.”
“Are you not younger than Mama, sir?”
They were the first words Gideon was greeted with upon seating himself in the carriage. The question was worded innocently enough but the tone contained supreme insolence.
Gideon nearly swore. The red-haired imp of Satan offered a challenge from dark blue eyes. The child was large, broad in shoulder, tall, and muscular though he retained a bit of the lankiness common to adolescence. In all Gideon’s musings, he could not have imagined this man-child, this angry behemoth who not only dwarfed his mother, but nearly dwarfed Gideon as well.
Of course, he should have expected this question from Wolf but the lad was sixteen. Surely he knew better than to ask such personal questions of a stranger, even if that stranger was soon to be his stepfather?
He was about to reprimand the boy but Malvina was quicker. “Wolf, apologize at once for your impertinence. You have not known Mr. Mallory long enough to ask such things.”
“My apologies, sir,” mumbled Wolf, his sullen expression and mutinous glare giving the lie to his apology.
Gideon could tell the lad didn’t like him above half. He hoped the boy knew better than to interfere with things he shouldn’t, but a sinking feeling, brought on by memories of his own adolescence, assured Gideon the lad would be a force to be reckoned with.
Especially if there was any truth in what Dr. Keate had told him just as they were joining Malvina.
“A word of warning, Master Gideon,” he’d whispered confidentially. “The young master has a bit of a temper. Takes after his father, I’ve no doubt. He’ll come to a bad end, mark my words. Just as his father did.”
Gideon had not had a chance to ask the obvious question to this observation. What specifically had Wolf done to warrant such a warning?
As Gideon observed the lad, he saw in his dark blue eyes a spark of rebellion that put him in mind of a cornered animal. He repressed a shiver. Was the boy dangerous? Unbalanced? Did his mother know anything about it?
Surely, if Wolf had done anything truly dangerous, his mother or the headmaster would have done something about it. Wouldn’t they?
Malvina was deep in conversation with her son and Gideon could see that she loved him very much. Her pleasure in his company was not feigned simply for the benefit of a stranger. She was truly happy that they were back together.
Gideon studied her face with her beautiful leaf green eyes, pert little nose, and full, sensuous lips. She laughed at something Wolf said, her eyes lighting up with joy, her lips curving upward to reveal even, white teeth. Her beautiful features were made more so by her smile, her joy, her…relief?
Yes, she looked vastly relieved. He realized in that moment how very worried she’d been over the safety of her son. Had the boy been a danger to her or anyone, she would not appear quite so sanguine, would she?
Gideon felt a headache start in the back of his neck. He did not want to ponder it all in that particular moment. He wanted, instead, to study her beautiful face and enjoy her pleasure in being reunited with her child. He didn’t want to wonder why something nagged at his conscious mind, something desperately important, possibly life threatening, something buried deep in his subconscious.
He didn’t want to think about his assault on her earlier, didn’t want to wonder why her actions had made him angry rather than amused, as they should have done. He stifled a groan as his headache worsened, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the squabs of the carriage.
“Gideon?” asked Malvina, worry evident in her voice. “Is anything the matter?”
He forced his eyes open and smiled. “Just a slight headache, my dear. Nothing to worry about,” he assured her.
Malvina did not look reassured by this answer. “If you say so,” she responded. “Perhaps you will feel better after a rest, sir. You have been so preoccupied lately I am worried for your health.”
Gideon felt his eyebrows threatening to rise and determinedly held them down. He looked at her blankly then darted a quick look at Wolf. The boy watched them with the same sullen expression in his eyes. He also had a look of interest at their exchange, a look Gideon couldn’t like. He wondered what the boy was thinking.
“I thank you for you solicitude, Malvina, but I assure you it will pass in a moment.”
“Are you prone to headaches, sir?”
Gideon favored Wolf with one of his blandest looks. “Only when faced with insurmountable trials with no easy solution in view. But, never fear, young man, I will solve this one.” His voice held a note of warning and he knew it.
Malvina shook her head in confusion. “To what trial are you referring?”
“Why, becoming a husband and father all in one month,” replied Gideon, smiling easily at her. “I’ve done neither, you see, and have not the faintest notion how to go on.”
He heard a grunt from Wolf’s direction but when he looked over, the lad was staring out the window. Let him think what he would about the situation he found himself in. It would give Gideon a much-needed glimpse into the child’s brain.
And determine how much he was involved in his father’s shady dealings.
Gideon had known his relationship with Malvina’s son would be hard going. He had no idea how hard. His only experience with children was the few times he’d ever been around those of Sir Adam Prestwich. They were a good deal younger than Wolf, however, and Gideon had never been expected to have more than a trifling conversation with Adam’s children.
Of course, Gideon’s sister Samantha would be of an age with Wolf. Gideon wasn’t sure he wanted to continue that line of thought.
Wolf avoided him for the most part. Partly thankful for that, Gideon didn’t mention it to Malvina. But he worried that the boy would always avoid him. And when they were forced together, Wolf insisted on testing Gideon to see how far he’d go to discipline him.
Gideon despised tests.
Within only a few days of their return to Malvina’s home, Wolf fell into what would become a pattern.
Gideon was in the book room, which doubled as an office, go
ing over a few things in his mind. So far, he’d made little headway in his search for Malvina’s employer. He had the information Derringer had given him before he disappeared but it was only conjecture and Gideon was having trouble attaining proof. And Gideon’s top suspect was in the way of being a friend, which made everything all that much more difficult.
Perhaps he should call on him and ask him outright, he thought with a smile. He would lie, of course, and then Gideon would no longer have the element of surprise, but at least something would have been done.
Gideon slouched a little further in his chair. He found he could think better if he was as eased as possible. Today, however, he was having trouble concentrating. Malvina was uppermost in his thoughts, followed closely by her son.
It was her son that really worried him. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that the boy had been and possibly still was closely involved in his late father’s activities.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Wolf strolled into the room. He caught sight of Gideon and eyed him with dislike. Moving around the chair without a word, he strode over to a particular bookshelf.
Gideon reflected that the boy was doomed to have a temper with his red hair. He already topped five-feet-eleven-inches, making him just barely shorter than Gideon. His face and personality fit his nickname, as his smile was decidedly wolfish and he often growled his words instead of simply saying them. One had the feeling he was hiding something of extreme importance every time he smiled.
The boy turned away from the shelf, favoring Gideon with that smile now, his arms folded over his chest. Gideon braced himself. He wasn’t going to like was was coming, he was sure.
“Is she your mistress?”
Gideon nearly swore. That particular question was not what he’d been expecting and he was highly tempted to knock the boy down for his impertinence. There was certainly very little that embarrassed the child.
Gideon donned a blank expression. “I don’t see how that is any concern of yours.”
“It is my concern, Gideon,” Wolf retorted, making the name sound like an insult. “She is my mother and I love her. I’ll not let an impostor like you threaten her happiness.”
“Commendable,” Gideon mused, rising to his feet, “if I actually believed you, that is. Your love for your mother has an odd way of manifesting itself, in arguments and unspoken accusations that leave her in tears. Every action you’ve exhibited since I met you seems to indicate you are nothing more than a spoiled miscreant who is upset at the changes in his life, changes he has no control over. She does not seem happy to me so you’ll forgive me if I say I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t know anything about it,” Wolf snapped, his temper clearly at the breaking point.
“Do I not? I think I know you better than you know yourself and that after only a few days. You are spoiled, ill-mannered, rude, disrespectful, and in need of a sound thrashing.”
Wolf’s temper snapped, surprising Gideon not at all. The young man growled and lunged for him. Gideon stepped to the side at the very last moment and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him and holding him motionless. The boy growled again and Gideon marveled at how apt was his name.
“I think it is time we came to an understanding, young Wolf,” Gideon breathed. He tightened his hold ever so slightly, causing Wolf’s muscles to tense in pain. “I allow that you dislike me and that is your choice. I will not, however, tolerate your disrespect for your mother. She has been through much and doesn’t need a demon like you to increase her worry. Agreed?”
Wolf remained stubbornly silent for a few seconds, his attitude making Gideon long to throttle him. Then, finally, the lad nodded once.
Gideon released him. “And no more baiting me, please. I find violence of any kind tedious in the extreme, but that doesn’t mean I won’t thrash you soundly if your actions warrant it.”
Wolf stared at him for a long moment, as if debating whether or not to test that theory, then he grunted something indistinct, returned to the shelf by which he’d been standing, grabbed a seemingly random book, and stalked out.
Gideon sighed in relief. It had been difficult to hold the boy and if Wolf had but realized it, he would not have been able to.
Shoving a hand through his hair, further disrupting his blond curls, Gideon pondered this new problem as he paced. If Wolf and he were at constant odds, Malvina would notice. And Gideon truly did not want her to worry about a son she couldn’t control. He wanted, in fact, to remove every worry from her shoulders and make her happy. He wanted to love her.
Gideon stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened a bit and he stared at the floor. A frown creased his brow, hands tightening into fists. He felt like punching a wall.
The worst thing that could have happened, had. He was well on his way to falling in love with her.
This was not good.
Malvina sensed a certain restraint when Gideon and Wolf joined her for dinner that evening. They were polite to each other but with a certain coldness on Wolf’s part and a reserve on Gideon’s that had her contemplating what could have possibly occurred to cause it.
And Wolf was far more polite to her than he’d been since they’d retrieved him from school. He smiled and inquired after her health, something she couldn’t recall him ever having done before.
The gentlemen exchanged a look and Malvina’s eyes narrowed. Gideon was behind her son’s new attitude, then. She hated to think how this came about as she, more than anyone, knew how temperamental Wolf could be. He had always been a troubled lad, his violent starts worsening dramatically after his father’s death. She wondered just how much Wolf knew of his father’s activities four years ago.
Malvina shook her head, as if to shake away the memories plaguing her. Glancing up, she realized the gentlemen gazed at her expectantly. Had they asked her a question?
To avoid appearing rude, she murmured, “Yes, of course.”
A grin split Gideon’s face and even Wolf snickered in a rare display of actual mirth. Malvina felt her own lips inching upward as she asked, “I have agreed to something I normally would not even consider. What is it?”
Gideon shot a look at Wolf. Her son stifled a laugh behind his hand.
The elder of the two turned his full attention on her. “Wolf and I thank you for your permission, my love, but we will pass on dressing in skirts, painting our faces, and dancing a jig in front of Carlton House.” Her grin became a reality, a laugh even bubbled forth. “Oh,” he continued as an afterthought, “the monkey declines, as well.”
She couldn’t hold it any longer. She laughed until tears ran down her face, marveling at how very good it felt just to laugh. Then, suddenly and without the slightest hint of warning, her tears became anything but happy. She buried her face in her handkerchief, trying vainly to stem the flow, but to no avail. Misery choked her, consumed her, until all she felt was the burning in her lungs as she struggled to draw a breath.
Too much had happened, was still happening. In an effort to protect her son, she allowed herself to get mixed up with a man whose loyalties were suspect. In an effort to protect herself, she allowed herself to become engaged to a man she’d met only hours before. And now, several days later, she experienced a moment of happiness, a moment of joy with her son and her betrothed. Always present in the back of her mind was the inescapable knowledge of her nemesis, That Man.
Sniffling, pressing her tiny scrap of a handkerchief to her eyes and then nose, she was dimly aware of a large form hunkering down beside her chair. A hand clasped her arm, offering comfort when she wasn’t sure she even deserved it.
“Malvina, love. What ails you?”
Gideon’s warm tones washed over her, sending her into a new fit of sobbing. It was some moments before she was able to respond with a choked, “Oh, nothing, everything!”
“Everything?”
Malvina’s head lifted, settling on Gideon’s warm brown eyes. The warmth was a little less now, as if her statement had hurt him.
Perhaps it had. She’d not been thinking of him when she declared everything in her life was wrong.
“I didn’t mean you...us, Gideon,” she hastened to assure him.
It struck her in that moment that of all the things in her life, Gideon was one that brought her comfort despite how little she knew of him. But it made no sense to trust him, find joy in his presence. And he could certainly find a much more suitable bride in London.
She admitted, “Though I do have certain reservations about that.”
Gideon nodded but said nothing, his face carefully neutral.
Malvina sniffed once, then sighed. She found a large handkerchief shoved under her nose and she accepted it gratefully. As she blew her nose and wiped away the proof of her heartache, she pondered what had made her tears turn suddenly sour.
She had not laughed since she was a girl, she realized, well before she was married. After that, there had never been a reason for laughter. Life and her marriage had been difficult, frustrating, and sometimes downright terrifying. Her husband had been demanding and rough, without a sensitive bone in his body. Gideon treated her with respect, gentleness, and kindness. He made her feel beautiful, loved, and…happy.
He made her happy. That was why she had cried so piteously. This man, this young and beautiful man, had the power to make her happy. She didn’t deserve it.
She didn’t even know who he was or what he wanted with her. He said he would marry her but he couldn’t possibly. His age loomed in her mind, an obstacle to any real relationship they could have.
Her thoughts seemed constantly to focus on that fact. Why was she so against it? It concerned Gideon not at all, or so it seemed. But Wolf didn’t care for the age difference at all.
She realized her son wasn’t in the room. “Where is Wolf?”
“He has gone to allow you time to compose yourself. No doubt he is pacing the floor in the drawing room awaiting your appearance as reassurance.”
