Night Shadow

by Catherine Coulter

  Lily had watched his every move, particularly his hands—strong, well shaped, narrow, the nails short and buffed. Why was he in his dressing gown? Surely he didn’t intend to continue where he’d left off this afternoon?

  That thought made her heart thud, loudly and quickly.

  “What do you want?” she whispered, her mouth incredibly dry. “It’s very late.”

  Knight smiled at her and strolled over, bringing a chair with him.

  “I’m here to see my little patient, of course,” he said easily and sat down. He saw her eyes go the length of his legs and added quietly, “Don’t worry, Lily, I shan’t make love with you here. We don’t want to disturb Sam’s rest. When you yell, we’ll be quite alone.”

  “Stop it.”

  “All right. He’s still sleeping soundly?”

  She nodded. “No fever, thank God. Dr. Mumfries believes Sam’s too sturdy to get a fever.”

  “Too mean, too mischievous, too—well, I can’t think of any more alliterations. He’s a good boy, Lily. You’ve done well with him. With all the children.”

  She could but stare at him. A compliment? For her, a trollop, a fancy piece, a—

  “Don’t look so surprised. Of course you’re a good mother. And despite all my leanings in the other direction, I fancy that I will be an adequate enough father to the little devils.”

  He sat back in his chair and stared toward the opposite side of the bedchamber. “I never believed I would even be in the same room with a child. Now look at me. How odd life is. I also never thought I would wed at such a tender, unripe age, yet look at me. You’ve changed my life, Lily.”

  “If you would but help me find the jewels, the children and I can unchange it.”

  “Too late, my dear. Much too late. I should, however, like to find Billy’s Baubles. Otherwise I fear that our two villains will cross our path again and again until I kill them or they manage by hook or by crook to do me in.”

  He heard her suck in her breath. “My being killed bothers you, Lily?”

  “A groundhog’s death would bother me if it was unnecessary.”

  “Ah, I see. So, my dear, next week is all right with you? Just as soon as Sam is up on crutches? Or sooner? Tomorrow?”

  Lily slipped out of her chair only to feel his hand close over her wrist. He tugged her off-balance and pulled her down onto his lap.

  “Kiss me, Lily, and then pick a date.”

  “No,” she said, then leaned forward to be kissed.

  He laughed and kissed her.

  Time stopped for Lily. She was drowning and loving it. She snuggled closer, her fingers tightly holding the lapels of his dressing gown. She felt him hard against her buttocks and it was unbearably exciting.

  “Mama, why is Cousin Knight cuddling you?”

  Knight cursed very softly and very explicitly.

  Seventeen

  Lily stared stupidly at Sam. “Oh, dear,” she said and tried to pull away from Knight. He didn’t let her go.

  “How do you feel, Sam?” Knight asked.

  “Real funny, like the room’s spinning all around. You and Mama are spinning, too.”

  “Nothing for you to worry about. That’s the laudanum. No pain in your leg?”

  “Maybe a little. What’s my mama doing on your lap, Cousin Knight? And you’ve got your arms around her.”

  Knight didn’t miss a beat. He’d had a minute to develop a believable lie. “She’s very worried about you, Sam. Very worried, and she was crying. I’m just trying to comfort her, that’s all. Doesn’t she cuddle you when you’re worried or crying?”

  “I don’t cry.”

  “Worried, then?”

  “Yes,” Sam allowed, but his voice was slurred and his eyes were drooping.

  “Go back to sleep, Sam.”

  “Good night, Mama, Cousin Knight.”

  Lily sat on Knight’s thighs, her head bowed, her hands clasped in her lap. She felt his large hand stroke over her back and she stiffened straight as a birch rod.

  “Lily, don’t be silly,” he said, his hand settling for a moment on her hip. “When we’re married—tomorrow or Friday or Saturday—the children will see us cuddling all the time.”

  “No.”

  “You are a very stubborn woman.”

  “Just because I don’t want to be tied to a man who doesn’t love me?”

  Knight said nothing to that. He was swinging a meditative foot. Lily could feel the movement beneath her bottom. She squirmed just a bit and the bounder smiled.

  “I wish you would leave now, Knight.”

  “Why? Do you have a lot of heavy brooding to do?”

  “No, my mind is quite made up.”

  “Lily, if I have to, I will take you to my bedchamber right now and make love to you. I might not let you out until Sam is ten years old. I will make love to you until I get you with child. And that’s the end to it.”

  And he would, too. She knew him to be easygoing, charming, for the most part, and kind, for a goodly amount of the time. Until he’d made up his mind about something, until he’d set his course. Then he was as immovable as the Regent’s Cumberland corset.

  To argue would gain her naught. Nor would she allow him to seduce her, a task as remarkably easy for him as trouble was for Sam. So she smiled and nodded. “All right, Knight. I will marry you if you promise to keep your distance until after the ceremony.”

  He grinned, wagging a finger at her. “That was awfully quick, that quick change of yours. You don’t think me much of a mental giant, do you?”

  “You may set the date,” she said, her teeth clenched.

  He was quiet for a moment, weighing both her words and her expression. He simply didn’t know if she was lying or not. Well, it didn’t matter. He had her, here, at Castle Rosse. Sam was in bed. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, leave. He gave her a sunny smile. “Very well, then. Friday. I’ll get a special license from Bishop Morley. He and my father were great friends. Should you like to be married by a bishop?”

  “A bishop,” she repeated, trying for brightness, for some enthusiasm.

  At that instant, he knew she was lying. She couldn’t hide anything from his discerning eye, at least not for long. He decided to let it go. What, after all, could she do? “Incidentally, Bishop Morley didn’t agree with my father’s precepts. Indeed, he’s a romantic from the old school.”

  “What old school?”

  “I’ll ask him when I go to see him tomorrow.”

  She turned her head and he looked at her clean, utterly beautiful profile. Slowly, he brought his hand up and cupped her breast.

  She gasped, twisting about on his thighs to see his face. “Knight—”

  “You feel better than nice, Lily,” he said and moved his fingers over her breast, circling her nipple. He saw that she was holding her breath. He saw her cheeks flush and her eyes glaze. He gave her a smile of pure triumph. Then he dropped his hand.

  “It will take me a very long time to slow you down, I think,” he said. He stood then, quickly, and dumped her off his lap and onto the floor. “Good night, Lily. If you have any trouble with Sam, call me. You do know where my bedchamber is.”

  His last sight was of her staring at him, completely nonplussed, her gown settled around her on the floor.

  He was hard. His hand was tingling. Friday, he thought. Friday, and she would be his legally.

  But she was a jade.

  On the other hand, she was genuinely fond of the children and they of her. Surely children would know if they were being treated honestly; they would feel it somehow. No, she loved the children.

  Where were those damned jewels?

  He resolved to spend his time until the wedding searching through every one of their belongings.

  He had no time for searches the following morning. He left Castle Rosse to ride to Blimpton, to the home of Bishop Morley. He didn’t return until three o’clock that afternoon. He found his household in an uproar.

  Sam, the battered vic
tim, wasn’t involved. He was, evidently, sleeping the peaceful sleep of the angels.

  Nor was Theo anywhere to be seen.

  Laura Beth, in the very pink of health that morning, was rolling about on the entrance hall floor, clutching her stomach and screaming at the top of her lungs.

  Lily looked ready to drop. She was trying to soothe Laura Beth, trying to hold her, but the child was carrying on to bring down the roof.

  Knight observed the hand-wringing servants, Lily’s helpless ministrations, and Laura Beth’s god-awful loud performance. And it was a performance. He shook his head. Children were amazing, truly amazing.

  He strode to the child, stood with legs spread and hands on his hips. “Be quiet.”

  Laura Beth cocked an eye at him, then shut down like a clam.

  Lily looked up, blistering words on her tongue, but Knight just shook his head at her.

  “Now,” he said. “Now we have quiet. No, Laura Beth, keep your bellowing behind your teeth, my girl, or it will go badly for you. Lily, what is wrong?”

  “It’s her stomach. She’s complaining of severe cramps.”

  Mimms, the Castle Rosse cook, heaved through the door that led to the nether regions. “She ate two of my oatmeal cookies, my lord, that’s all. Oatmeal. How could she get sick from my food, I ask you?”

  “A very good question,” Knight said. “Lily, leave her and come here, if you please.”

  “Knight, really, she—”

  “Come here, Lily. I won’t ask you again.”

  Lily was so tired she didn’t have the energy to argue with him. She’d been up half the night with Sam, and now Laura Beth was acting as if she were dying. Acting. She shot Knight a suspicious look, then stood, weaving a bit before she walked over to him.

  Once he had her next to him, Knight said in his sternest voice, “Laura Beth, you will now get up, straighten your clothes, apologize to Mimms and to your mother, and take yourself to your room.”

  Laura Beth shrieked.

  “If you don’t immediately do as I tell you, you’ll feel my hand on your bottom.”

  Laura Beth gave him the most pathetic look he could ever have imagined on a child’s face. He held a tight rein on the incredible urge to enfold her in his arms and promise her the moon.

  “Go,” he said, pointing a finger toward the stairs. “Now, Laura Beth. I am very displeased with your behavior, particularly the way you have upset your mother.”

  Lily wasn’t overly surprised when Laura Beth scrambled to her feet, gave her dress a few tugs here and there, and whispered, “I’m sorry, Mama, Mimms.” She gave a tiny sob, but Knight grabbed Lily’s arm to hold her still.

  “Go,” he said again.

  The child turned as slowly as dripping water and, small shoulders slumped pathetically, began her long hike up the stairs.

  “Don’t go after her, Lily,” Knight said. “Leave her be until after dinner.”

  “It was an act,” Lily said blankly, staring after the small bundle of impressive talent.

  Knight grinned down at her, then dismissed Mimms and the other servants. “Now, my dear, come into the drawing room. You are in need of a strong cup of tea.”

  He saw her pallor, her fatigue, but said nothing. Obviously Sam had kept her up, but she hadn’t called on him for help, damn her beautiful hide.

  He watched her ease into an old, comfortable wing chair. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

  “Didn’t you get any rest?”

  “Yes,” she said, not opening her eyes. “Toward morning Sam finally quieted.”

  “May I ask why you didn’t call on me during the night?”

  “You aren’t Sam’s father, and I—” Her voice stopped dead the instant she realized what she’d said.

  “That is a truth I can’t deny,” Knight agreed.” Ah, here’s Thrombin with some tea.”

  He said nothing more until the butler had bowed out of the drawing room and Lily had sipped several times on the hot, strong brew.

  “You know, Lily, you would have seen through Laura Beth’s remarkable act had you not been so bloody tired.”

  “She wanted attention, my attention.”

  “True, but she must learn that she isn’t the only inhabitant in the world.”

  “She’s just a little girl, Knight.”

  “Now, hopefully, she’s a somewhat chastened little girl, at least for the next thirty minutes or so.”

  “Perhaps fifteen minutes,” Lily said and gave him her crooked grin that made him instantly and over poweringly as randy as the head herd goat.

  “I don’t like this overmothering of yours,” he said. “It smacks of being a martyr and I find that nauseating.”

  She remained quiet and Knight developed his theme. “I had hoped, Lily, that you would have more sense. I don’t want my bride-to-be white-faced and skinny, her eyes red from lack of sleep.”

  He was very talented at goading her into giving herself away, she thought, even as she and her temper slid over the edge. She was shouting as she rose. “Why won’t you believe me? I don’t want to be your damned bride.”

  “I do hesitate at calling you a liar, Lily, but if you don’t want to be my bride, then it must be the position of mistress you’re aspiring to. Whichever, you want my poor body very badly. Why, last night all I had to do was touch your breast, caress you ever so lightly, and—”

  She threw her teacup at his head. He ducked, but not before hot tea splattered over the front of his coat.

  Knight picked up a napkin and patted the tea stains on the pale blue superfine material. “Should you like me to thrash you for that, Lily?”

  She drew a deep breath and tried to draw on a near-exhausted supply of patience, but she was so tired. “I’m sorry I threw my teacup at you, but you deserved it, Knight.”

  “It wasn’t my intention to revolt your finest feelings, Lily, just to point out the truth to you. You’re a very responsive woman, and after Friday I’ll see to it that every need, every twinge you feel, is satisfied.”

  Knight went over to her and drew her into his arms. He kissed her hair and his hands lightly stroked up and down her back. After a few moments, she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “I will take care of the children until their bedtime. Rather, I will see to Sam and direct John to earn his generous wages and look after Theo. Our little actress will stay in her bedchamber until—well, how about dinner? I don’t want her to go hungry. But don’t give in to her and let her out until then. And you, my dear Lily, you will go to your bed, unfortunately alone.”

  She stiffened just a bit and he chuckled in her ear.

  “That was a very small attempt at humor, no more.”

  “You give orders so smoothly.”

  “Naturally, I’m a man.”

  Her fist curled hard into his belly and he obligingly grunted for her. He kissed her hair again, hugged her hard, then set her away from him.

  “There’s another thing I’m going to do. You’re not interested? Well, I’m going to search everything you and the children own and I’m going to find those damned jewels. Are you with me? Tomorrow morning?”

  Lily sighed and rubbed her fingers over her temples. She could count on her left hand the number of headaches she’d suffered in her lifetime. One was coming and it wasn’t going to be pleasant. She spoke before she thought. “I’ve already looked. I can’t find them. In fact, I looked last night after—”

  “Do continue.”

  “Very well. After you humiliated me again last night, I went on another search. I tell you, there aren’t any jewels.”

  “Hmm,” Knight said and stroked his jaw. That paled quickly and he brought Lily back against him. It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize to her, even to deny what he’d done, but the fact of the matter was that he had tried to dominate her, to make her realize that she wanted him and he was the one in control and he always would be and there was nothing she could do about it.

  Thinki
ng about it in such stark terms made him feel rather petty and small. He was aware that he was hard, and if he pulled her any closer she would feel how much he wanted her. It was a matter of control. He didn’t want to relinquish it. It was frightening as hell.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Just a headache.”

  “Do you have many headaches?”

  She shook her head. “Hardly ever.”

  “I suppose these circumstances warrant one. Come, let me walk with you to your bedchamber. Shall I lock you in? It would keep you in and all the children out.” He paused, flicked his fingertip over her soft cheek. “And me as well.”

  “Give me the key.”

  He grinned. “No.”

  He left her at her door, looked down at her beautiful face, and smiled. “Don’t worry, Lily. Everything will be fine. You might consider trusting me, just a bit.”

  She said nothing. Her head was pounding and she felt nausea roiling about in her belly.

  “You might even consider that marriage to me won’t turn out to be the awesome degradation you’re envisioning. We’ll deal well together, you know.”

  He gently pushed her into her room and closed the door. He wished he could lock her in but knew even he couldn’t get away with something that gothic.

  Knight was thoughtful as he walked down the long corridor to his bedchamber. She would try something, he knew her that well. He would simply have to spike her guns, the sooner the better. He paused outside Sam’s door and smiled.

  He allowed another hour for Laura Beth’s punishment, then had the child fetched to Sam’s room. She gave him a bright smile which made him instantly wary until he realized she was four years old and didn’t harbor the least bit of ill-will toward him.

  When Theo arrived he gave Knight a very uncertain look, the kind that Knight had hoped to have disappear by now. He smiled at the boy and motioned him to sit on Sam’s bed.

  “Now that we’re all here,” Knight said, looking at each of the children in turn. “I have something to tell you. I’m going to marry your mother. On Friday.”

  Utter silence.

  “That is the day after tomorrow.”