The Viscount's Bride (Love's Pride Book 2)

by G. L. Snodgrass

  Her face flushed, even in a moment like this she wanted him. It was enough to embarrass a woman. The fact that he could have that kind of impact on her was shameful. She really should have better control of her baser instincts.

  “Caroline?” he said in that rough voice of his which could rub the edges off any problem she could ever face. He held out his arms and she flew to him.

  Safety, warmth. Heaven. This was where she belonged.

  The events of the last few days washed through her. At last she could let them go. He was here.

  Burying her head in his chest she forgot about her father’s secret. She forgot about their silly arrangement. She even forgot about those terrifying notes.

  For a moment, she took for herself his strength. Gathering his scent of sandalwood, horse, and all man. She held onto him as if he was her last chance at life.

  His strong hands caressed her back as he let her take from him.

  “Alice? Is she well?” he asked.

  She nodded her head into his chest as she tried to stop her weeping. Sniffling she turned away from him to wipe her nose with a lacy handkerchief.

  “Yes, she is fine,” She said as she turned back and smiled up at him. “She was scared at first of course. But now, it is all a big adventure. She is in love with your Mr. Middleton of course.”

  She looked up into his eyes raising an eyebrow. Would he explain why he had men watching her and her sisters?

  Alexander coughed and moved to the sideboard to pour himself a drink. She had learned enough about him to know that he did this when he wanted to delay dealing with an uncomfortable subject.

  “Yes well,” he said after he had taken a long drink of whiskey. “I asked Middleton to keep an eye on things in my absence.”

  “Why?” Caroline asked.

  “I am a rich man Caroline, I have enemies. Men who would like to hurt me and would use those I care for to get to me.”

  Caroline’s heart soared at the thought he might care for her. She could understand why he had taken the steps he had. After all. It had worked to save Alice. Her only concern was that he had not told her.

  “I would have preferred to know. Please, in the future keep me informed of matters that might impact either myself or my sisters.”

  He looked at her strangely. Why was she being so formal with him she wondered? Why was she questioning him? The man had saved her family repeatedly. He needn’t explain himself. He owed her nothing.

  She felt confident that she had overstepped her bounds. Had gone too far. An angry scowl crossed his face. He wasn’t happy about her demand.

  He took another sip of his drink then nodded his head. “Very well, in the future. I will endeavor to include you in such decisions.”

  “Thank you, Alexander,” she said. Now the hard part.

  Taking a deep breath she said. “I think I know why they tried to take Alice. I think I know the man. Or at least I used to. And it has nothing to do with you. It is my fault. All my family’s fault.”

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Caroline held her breath as she closely watched her husband’s reaction. The Viscount’s drink almost dropped from his hand. His eyes opened in surprise.

  Not good, she thought. He didn’t look happy. But then, what did she expect.

  “And?” he said encouraging her to answer his unasked questions.

  She sighed to herself and gathered what little strength she had left to walk to the desk and remove the three notes.

  “Let us start with these,” she said as she handed them to Alexander. Her hands trembled as he took them from her. He noticed the slight movement but didn’t say anything. Instead, he stepped to the window to capture the light.

  He opened each note in turn. Studying it. Examining both front and back. Holding it up to the light to look through the parchment.

  “When did you receive these?” he asked. His brow narrowed in confusion as he looked at her.

  “The first one was almost a month ago,” she said as she gripped her dress so that he would not see her hands shake. She held still as she waited for the explosion.

  “A month?” he said in disbelief. “You had one of these when I was here last and didn’t inform me,” he asked. His voice rose but not as much as she had feared. He was trying to keep himself under control.

  Her heart went out to him for the effort.

  “Yes, I didn’t think it important. It was my problem. A problem from before we were married. I didn’t want to trouble you with it.”

  He looked at her as if unable to understand such a statement.

  “I assure you, my dear,” he said as he shook his head. “Problems such as this should always be brought to my attention.”

  She smiled gently. Glad that he was not to upset. “Very well, Let us agree to keep each other informed then shall we. No more secrets.”

  “What? You mean like a normal marriage?” he asked with a small laugh.

  Her heart began to beat again. Maybe he wouldn’t get too angry when he learned the full truth.

  “There is more,” she said as she glanced at him from under her brow.

  He simply raised his brows as he waited.

  “My father …”

  She couldn’t go on. She couldn’t tell him.

  “Yes your father, a simple fisherman. I know.”

  “No, he wasn’t simply a fisherman. I wish that he were.”

  The silence between them became tense as she pulled together every ounce of courage and sense of right and wrong.

  “My father, wasn’t only a fisherman. He was also a smuggler. A very good one from what I have been told.” She said.

  “Well, I assumed that,” Alexander said his eyebrow cocked in confusion. “Most of the fishermen dabble in a little smuggling. Hell, I think I’ve got some brandy around here that was brought in without a custom’s tax. Nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “No, you don’t understand. My father, he didn’t smuggle brandy or French wines. He …”

  “Yes?” he asked.

  Letting out a deep breath of surrender she looked down at her feet. “He didn’t smuggle spirits. He smuggled spies. French spies. That was how he made his fortune. Bringing French spies into England during the war. Taking messages back and forth.”

  She looked at him. Wondering if he would ever be able to forgive her. He had watched his men die fighting for a cause. Her father had profited from betraying such men.

  Her father’s actions might very well have led directly to their deaths.

  The shame that washed through her threatened to overwhelm her. It was as if she were bathed in guilt and embarrassment.

  Reaching out she felt for a chair and sat down before her legs gave out. She wasn’t able to look at him. What must he think? Dying inside, she held her breath while waiting for him to say something.

  Glancing up she saw him studying her. His forehead crinkled in thought.

  “And you know this, how?” He asked.

  “Stories, memories from my childhood. I visited Dorset. One of my father’s crewman told me what he thought had happened.”

  “How old were you when this smuggling occurred. I believe you told me you were, what, Seven when your family left Dorset.”

  “Yes, My Lord,” she said, wondering why he asked that. Also noting that he didn’t correct her about using his proper name.

  “Did you act as a crewman on these trips?” he asked.

  All she could do was shake her head in the negative. “Of course not. I was seven.”

  “So, basically, you are telling me that an ancestor of yours was a traitor.”

  She nodded her head then looked up into his face. Please, she wanted to say. Please don’t hate me.

  “You do realize that half my ancestors were hung for treason by the other half of my ancestors. Hell, half the families in the peerage can point to a traitor or two.”

  She swallowed and tried to find her voice. “Yes, My Lord. But this is different.”

 
“Why?” he asked.

  “Because. Don’t you see? The only reason I was brought up as a lady. The only reason that my sisters and I received the training. Could afford the fancy dresses, the servants. The only reason was because of his treason. We don’t deserve it. We have led a lie our entire lives.”

  The Viscount laughed. A throaty chuckle. “Correct me if I am wrong. But you are no longer living off of your father’s ill-gotten gains. It is my fortune that provides for your comfort.”

  “Yes,” she said. “But don’t you understand. You never would have married me if you had known the truth. I never would have been a lady in distress. Instead, I would have been a simple fisherman’s daughter. The offspring of a traitor.”

  Again he laughed. “Oh, Caroline. If we questioned every event that brought us to a certain moment, then we would never obtain anything. Never reach for new heights. Never begin new adventures.”

  She looked up into his eyes. Was it possible? Was he really not going to blame her?

  “There is more,” she said.

  “Go on, my dear. I assure you. It will be all right.”

  “I remember the attacker. The one who tried to take Alice.”

  He came to full alert. His eyes boring into her to tell him everything. It was as if he was a wolf who had suddenly obtained the scent of his prey.

  “Yes, please go on,” he said. The calmness of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She would not want to be pursued by this man. Not if he was angry with her. Pursued for other things, yes, most definitely.

  Rubbing her upset stomach she told him the rest. Every fact. About that last night in their Dorset home. The men around the table. The strange accents.

  She told him about how her father had returned from that trip and immediately shepherded them out of their home and into a hired coach.

  Her mother had complained. About the suddenness of everything. Then the costs.

  “What I don’t understand,” she said as she looked off into the distance. “Why now. Why the notes. What does he want?

  Alexander was quiet as he thought about her question.

  “I don’t know my dear, but I plan to find out,” he said.

  .o0o.

  After Caroline’s story, he had checked in with Johnson for a situational update. Then stopped in to see Alice and Beatrice. The girls seemed happy he was there.

  It surprised him how much he had come to care for them. So quickly. They were fine girls. Alice had even had the courage to ask him how well he knew Mr. Middleton.

  Once he had learned that all was secure. That all problems could be solved later. Once he knew that Caroline was well. Then, and only then could he come down to reality.

  Falling onto his bed, he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Twenty hours on the back of a horse would do that to a man.

  He’d woken to find that someone had removed his shoes, his jacket. Unbuttoned his shirt.

  His valet was still at Armherst. Johnson and the footmen wouldn’t have disturbed him. That meant it must have been Caroline.

  Caroline had taken care of him. Tucked him into bed then let him rest. He smiled at the image.

  Sighing to himself he returned to his mission.

  He spent the day gathering information. Preparing correspondence. Meeting with every source he could think of. His London house became as active as an army camp. With men lined up outside his study to bring him reports.

  Alexander ran a hand through his hair as he pondered the notes In front of him. He had the report from Middleton. From Johnson concerning the delivery of the notes. He had written up what Caroline had told him. He’d even questioned Alice.

  The only thing she’d added was that the man’s breath smelled of garlic. That and the fact that Archie Middleton was a hero of world stopping proportions. He smiled to himself as he thought of the young woman. He was proud of her. She’d held up well. No puddle of whimpering useless female. Not this one.

  She took after her older sister.

  Caroline, what was he going to do with Caroline, he wondered? Should he visit her bed? Better yet, bring her to his.

  Did she want that? Their arrangement said he wouldn’t. But still. A man could hope, could dream.

  Not tonight he told himself. You have too much in front of you.

  Things didn’t make sense. They didn’t fit. A man shouldn’t be able to turn up in London with a fortune and the government know nothing.

  No stories in the papers. No whispered rumors. Had the man really kept his family from the light of public speculations?

  A remarkable feat. Something to admire. As someone who had grown up with the gossip mongers and tattletales of the ton. He could well imagine how hard Caroline’s father had worked to keep his secret.

  “Johnson,” he bellowed.

  Johnson immediately opened the door. “Yes, My Lord.”

  “My carriage if you will. As soon as possible.” If he hurried, he could reach Summerset before he left for the day. Hopefully, his friend would have some answers to his questions.

  Summerset and Bathurst had been the first people he had informed. Their ties with France and His Majesty’s Government could be invaluable.

  “Yes, My Lord,” the servant asked. “Should we expect you for the evening meal?”

  Alexander knew perfectly well that the servant was asking so that he would remember to tell his wife that he would not be there.

  “No,” he said. “I will inform the Countess?” he added.

  “I believe she is in the parlor with both Miss Beatrice and Miss Alice. My Lord.”

  “Good,” he said as he started for the parlor. It would take at least fifteen minutes to have his carriage ready. He could have taken a horse but after yesterday’s trip. It would be a few days before he could sit a horse again.

  He wasn’t getting any younger, he thought to himself and laughed.

  Caroline looked up and smiled when he came into the room. A smile that could push a man to be better, he thought.

  He needed to solve this issue before he dealt with the real issue. What was he going to do with his wife? The idea of her living here in London. Him spending his time at Armherst.

  It wasn’t as appealing as he had once thought.

  “I am off, my dear,” he said as he bent down to kiss her farewell on the cheek.

  Caroline blushed a little then asked if he would be returning in time for the evening meal.

  “No, I don’t know when I will be back. More than likely it will be tomorrow sometime.”

  Her lips turned down in a small pout for a moment before she could bring herself back under control.

  “Of course, My Lord. I will expect to see you tomorrow then.”

  The look of fear that danced behind her eyes tugged at his heart. She was worried about him. She well knew why he was going out. He had prey to hunt.

  The reaction of his insides surprised him. The fact that she worried about his physical safety tugged at him. He swallowed hard and pulled back.

  Not now. He had to keep his focus, he reminded himself.

  While it might seem like the most important thing in his world was to take this woman to his bed. He reminded himself. Until she was safe, he could not relax.

  He would do whatever it took to track down this man. This Demon, as Caroline called him.

  To do so, he would be spending the night on the streets of London. The meaner, tougher streets.

  Sighing to himself he bid the girls goodbye and turned to leave. At the last moment, he looked back at Caroline and caught the sense of loss in her eyes.

  He well knew how she felt.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Caroline woke the next morning alone. Once again alone. Her heart fell as she pulled her pillow to her chest.

  He hadn’t come to her last night. She had dreamt of waking in his arms. Instead, it was to be a cold bed.

  Slipping her legs over the edge she bundled up in a robe and tiptoed to his door. She gently lay her
ear against the door and held her breath.

  A quiet snore greeted her. He was home. He was safe. That was what mattered she reminded herself.

  Pushing down a sense of regret she rang for Amy and started getting ready for the day.

  Both of the girls joined her for breakfast. Caroline had insisted they wake each morning and share their morning meal in the dining room.

  She used the time to plan the day and more importantly. Ensured the girls weren’t laying abed all day.

  They had just finished discussing which dresses to wear to The Duchesses of Bathurst’s tomorrow. She had attended alone last week. Gwen had insisted she bring her sisters the next time.

  This was to be the next time. And the first exposure of the girls to the formal ton. Much more would be expected of them than a simple shopping trip with Lady Arabella.

  Hampton opened the dining room door and announced, “Countess South …”

  “Is it true?” Ann asked as she breezed past the footman. “I’ve just heard. Alice was attacked?”

  Caroline sighed, it was going to be a long day.

  “Are you all right dear,” Ann asked. “Does Alex know?”

  “Do I know what? Alexander said as he stepped into the room.

  “Ann, yes, Alice is fine. And as you can see. His Lordship knows,” Caroline said.

  The arrival of Viscount Beachmont had pushed all ideas of the tea from her mind.

  For three days, he had hardly been there. Coming and going at all hours of the day. The man never seemed to rest yet he looked his normal strong, imposing self.

  Today, he was dressed like a common workman. A collarless shirt. Suspenders holding up gray, homespun, woolen pants. A cloth cap and loose jacket.

  The man looked like he was prepared to work in a Welsh coal mine or one of the barns at Armherst.

  It reminded her of the first time she had seen him in the boxing ring. His appearance and dress sent a physical need to her very core. She bit the inside of her lip to maintain a calm expression.

  Was he planning on fighting today? Surely not here in London. The story of the Viscount Beachmont fighting with common workmen would spread throughout the ton. She’d have to answer a dozen questions at the next ball.