“Well, then,” Paulette said, “we shall just have to hope that you’re able to escape without anyone finding out about it until we’re safely away from here.”
Paulette had no legal grounds to take Declan’s daughter from her relatives, but she was convinced she had the moral right to keep the child safe and follow her father’s wishes as best she could.
“Mara, sweetheart, I’m going to take you to see your father in Dublin,” Paulette explained to her. “So I need you to listen very carefully and do just as Mrs. Martin says. Will you do that for me?”
Mara’s green eyes filled with gratitude. “Yes, Miss Hamilton.”
“Your father will be so happy to hear that you are speaking again.” She smiled at Mara before saying to Mrs. Martin, “I shall have to return downstairs to have supper. But I will meet you both again at the far end of the drive, just as soon as I can. Bundle up good and warm, for it’s getting cold out.”
“Don’t worry. You can count on me,” Mrs. Martin promised, squaring her shoulders in determination. “I shall have us both ready to travel. And lightly.”
“Thank you,” Paulette said, hugging Mara to her one last time before rising to her feet.
“No, I think I need to thank you,” Mrs. Martin said, her eyes welling with tears. “I don’t know what I would have done tomorrow when her aunts arrived and took poor little Mara away.”
Paulette hugged the woman, wondering how in the world she had become involved in such a complicated situation. With promises and good wishes, Paulette left the nursery, making her way through the massive house back to the main salon where she had left Jeffrey.
However, somewhere, she must have taken a wrong turn. More than a little lost, she found herself wandering down a long corridor on the ground floor. She felt she had been heading toward the main salon, but she must have veered left when she should have turned right at the bottom of the staircase. Now she needed to retrace her steps. Wishing she would see a footman or a parlor maid to show her the way, she wondered at the lack of servants visible in a house of this size.
It was then that Paulette heard the voices. She paused at the sound, coming from behind one of the doors. There were two voices, male and female, and they were definitely raised in argument. She inched closer to the source of the voices, knowing it was wrong to listen.
Ever since she was a young girl, she had had a little problem with eavesdropping. Her parents and her sisters were always scolding her for her terrible habit of listening in on conversations that did not concern her. Over the years Paulette had tried and succeeded at controlling her temptation to eavesdrop. Now, however, she gave in completely to her old vice, for the voices sounded as if they belonged to Gerald and Alice O’Rourke. She didn’t think twice about whether what she was doing was wrong or not.
She tiptoed silently to stand even closer to the door, listening intently. Declan’s cousins intrigued her for she suspected they were not as worried about Declan as they should be.
“You were flirting with him, Alice! I saw you with my own eyes!”
“No, I wasn’t. I was merely trying to find out more about him.”
“I don’t need my wife behaving like a common trollop! You might as well have sat on the man’s lap!”
“Oh, Gerald, really! Get a hold of yourself. You’re acting like a jealous fool!”
“Yes, maybe I am a fool for marrying you and thinking you could become the wife of an earl and comport yourself as a lady!”
She goaded him. “Well, you’re not the Earl of Cashelmore yet!”
“And you’re not the countess!” he taunted back.
There was a pause, and Paulette had a moment to take in all that she was hearing. They were acting as if Declan were never coming back and Gerald had already inherited the title.
“Now, now, darling,” Alice began in a more conciliatory tone. “This bickering is getting us nowhere. I’m not interested in some middling lord from London. You know I want only you.”
Gerald mumbled something Paulette could not hear.
Alice continued. “It’s just a matter of time now. Cashelmore Manor is already ours for all intents and purposes. Everything has worked out just the way we wanted it.”
“As long as they don’t find out I was there,” Gerald said, his voice tense and worried.
“No one is going to find out. We’ve been over this before, Gerald. The child is still not even speaking. Come, darling. We must return to our guests. . . .”
Hearing the rustle of fabric, Paulette’s heart raced. She spun quickly and hurried from the door, down the long hallway until she ran smack into a male body.
“Oh, Jeffrey! It’s you,” she whispered in relief.
“What have you been doing?” he asked, sensing her fear.
“I heard them arguing about you. He thinks she was flirting with you.”
Jeffrey smiled mischievously. “She was.”
“You’re terrible.”
“It was helpful in gaining some information.” He shrugged. “How was Mara?”
“She’s fine, but let’s hurry back into the salon. They’re coming now. I’ll explain everything later!” Paulette pushed past him into the ornate blue salon and settled herself on a silk-covered chair. Jeffrey eyed her with curiosity, just as Alice and Gerald O’Rourke entered the room.
“We’re going to dine in the small dining room this evening,” Alice announced, her pointed gaze lingering on Jeffrey. “It’s much more intimate since it will just be the four of us.”
Paulette suffered through the excruciatingly awkward and tense meal. Alice O’Rourke continued to flirt shamelessly with Jeffrey while Gerald sat glowering and growing angrier and Jeffrey flirted back without a care in the world. Paulette worried all the while if Mrs. Martin and Mara were able to get out of the house without being discovered. Then she fretted about their safety, walking down the long driveway in the cold and dark.
Paulette almost danced a jig of pure happiness when Jeffrey finally announced that it was growing late and time for them to take their leave. He also graciously declined Alice O’Rourke’s rather bold invitation to spend the night at Cashelmore Manor. Paulette wanted to be out of this house even more than Gerald probably wished them out.
Breathing a sigh of relief when she and Jeffrey were ensconced once again in their hired carriage, Paulette instructed their driver to go very slowly and be on the watch for a woman and a little girl.
“What are you up to?” Jeffrey asked in concern.
Paulette peered out the carriage window, searching for two figures in the darkness. “Shh, just look out your window for Mara and Mrs. Martin.”
“You’re jesting, aren’t you?”
“Not in the least.” Paulette kept her eyes on the window. “We have to get Mara out of here. The O’Rourkes are planning to give Mara to her aunts, who despise Declan. I can’t let that happen to her.”
“We can’t simply take the Earl of Cashelmore’s daughter from her home!”
“Declan would want me to do just what I’m doing. I know he would,” Paulette asserted with conviction.
“I certainly hope so,” Jeffrey muttered, shaking his head.
Just then the carriage slowed to a halt. With bated breath, Paulette flung open the door. Mrs. Martin rushed to them, handing Mara up to her. Without a word of protest, Jeffrey assisted the two new passengers into the carriage. Paulette drew Mara to her side, hugging her tightly.
“Are you both all right?” she asked as the carriage continued to move quickly away from Cashelmore.
Mrs. Martin nodded with relief. “Yes, now that we’re on our way.”
Jeffrey asked, “Did anyone see you?”
“Not that I noticed.”
Smiling, Paulette looked down at Mara. “Are you ready to go see your father?”
The child gazed up at her with a face full of hope. “Yes.”
Chapter 29
Surprises
Declan paced the confines of the small room f
or the millionth time. He had been held a prisoner for days now and he was going to go mad if he wasn’t released soon. He’d seen nothing but the inside of these four white-washed walls and he was losing his mind with worry. Although his solicitor, Mr. Sebastian Woods, assured him it was just a matter of days and he would be freed, Declan was beginning to have his doubts.
It had been too long already.
The one positive note in all this was that they had not confined him to the misery of the gaol at Kilmainham. Because of his wealth and position, and the nature of his case, he was given special consideration by the magistrate and confined to comparatively luxurious accommodations at a building near the Four Courts. He had decent meals, access to newspapers, and even a desk. The fact that there was one tiny window and an armed guard outside the locked door prevented him from forgetting that he was not in a cell. Declan wasn’t going anywhere until he was released.
He felt completely helpless, and his worry for Mara gnawed at him day and night. His daughter was sure to be beside herself with fear and anxiety at his sudden disappearance. He had not even been able to explain to her that he’d be back or even say good-bye. In her childish eyes her father had simply vanished. He hoped Mrs. Martin was able to calm her and tell her that he would return quickly. His only comfort was that she was safe at Cashelmore with his cousin Gerald and not with Deirdre or Ellen Ryan.
Which brought up worries of another kind. Something about his cousin Gerald plagued him. He hated to suspect his only living relative of greed, but he had not liked the way Gerald and his wife had taken over Cashelmore Manor. Alice knew the authorities were coming and Gerald did not seem the least bit concerned when Declan had been hauled away that night.
Over the last year or so Declan had dismissed his misgivings over certain things that Gerald had said and done, attributing it to his own grief and anger with Margaret. Declan simply didn’t want to believe that the one person whom he had trusted and confided in his whole life, in truth, wished him harm. It just wasn’t possible.
Was it?
He’d asked Gerald to keep an eye on things while he was in London, never dreaming that Gerald would move into his house, into his very rooms, taking over the estate as if it were his own. His cousin had quite a lot to gain if Declan were permanently out of the way. So did his wife, Alice. If Declan were sent to prison or hanged for murder, then Gerald would become the Earl of Cashelmore, inheriting the title, the wealth, and the lands. Gerald had never seemed as if he desired those things before, yet the grand house party he hosted at Cashelmore Manor and his careless manner regarding Declan’s incarceration caused Declan to reconsider Gerald’s aspirations.
He had not imagined the look of guilt on Gerald’s face when he and Mara arrived.
Somehow, Alice had sent a message to the authorities, assuring he was arrested that night. He had been betrayed by his own family in his own home.
And then there was Paulette Hamilton.
Paulette. God, how he longed to hold her in his arms again! It had been ages since he had kissed her. He regretted the way both of them spoke to each other that last day at the shop. She must be apprehensive about her situation and worried about the baby. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to make Paulette his wife, wanted to make a family with her. He loved everything about her. And Mara loved her, too. He wished he hadn’t left London without seeing her and saying good-bye. The minute he was taken into custody, he’d written to her, explaining what had happened and how much he missed her. But he had yet to hear back from her.
And so he waited. Alone. Powerless. Frustrated. Angry.
The turning of the key on the other side of the door caused Declan to stop pacing and face the door in anticipation. Mr. Woods had arrived, and hopefully he came with good news.
The tall, rather angular man sat upon the one of the two chairs in the tiny room. Running a hand through his long mane of blond hair, Mr. Woods grinned. “I think you’re going to be very happy today, my lord.”
“Am I free?” Declan held his breath.
“You’re a free man,” Sebastian Woods announced. “I have a carriage waiting downstairs for you.”
Exhaling with relief, Declan could not hide his joy. He was finally free to go. He would have that carriage take him directly to Cashelmore Manor. He had to see Mara. Then he was going to London and marry Paulette Hamilton as soon as he could.
“It seems that you have some very powerful friends pulling strings for you, my lord. I’ve been instructed to take you directly from here to this address.” Sebastian Woods handed Declan a slip of paper.
Declan’s brows drew together in confusion. Someone was pulling strings for him? Powerful friends? Just about everyone he knew in Ireland thought he was guilty and the friends he once had shunned him. He had no idea what his solicitor was talking about. “Who instructed you to do this?”
“I’m not quite sure. I thought you would have an idea. I received a letter this morning, enclosed were your release papers and these instructions to have you brought to this house. The charges against you have been dismissed. That’s all I know. But someone wanted you set free and had the influence to make it happen.”
“The charges against me have been dismissed? Just like that?” Declan could hardly believe it. A minute ago he was facing the possibility of life in the gaol or a hanging if he could not prove his innocence. Now it was all over. Relief coursed through his veins.
“Yes. Completely dismissed. It’s finally over.” The man nodded in satisfaction. “You’re a free man.”
Not willing to question his sudden good fortune, he would discover the rest of the answers he needed later. Right now he wanted to get out of that miserable room more than anything. Declan smiled for the first time in days. “Well then, let’s go.”
After a ten-minute carriage ride, they arrived at the address to find a pretty townhouse in an elegant part of Dublin.
“Do you know who lives here?” Sebastian Woods asked as the carriage came to a stop.
“I’ve not a clue. It seems I know only as much as you do.” Burning with a combination of curiosity and impatience, Declan leapt out of the carriage and ran up the steps, with Sebastian Woods following behind him. Before he could knock, the front door was opened by a butler who clearly expected and welcomed their arrival. The man ushered Declan into a small study, explaining that Mr. Woods was to wait in the parlor.
Declan looked around the room, wondering to whom it belonged. Growing more tense and impatient by the second, he’d had enough of waiting for this mystery savior and he strode to the door, determined to leave. It wasn’t locked, thankfully, and he flung open the door.
And there she was.
Paulette Hamilton, looking more beautiful than he pictured in his memory, stood before him in the doorway. His anger evaporated in an instant. Stunned and surprised, he simply stared at her. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Declan!” she cried and before he knew it, she was in his arms.
He held her tightly, finding it difficult to believe that she was truly there with him. Then he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, the feel of her sweet lips like the rain after a drought.
“What in heaven’s name are you doing here, lass?” he asked finally, staring into her blue eyes.
“I came to see you.”
He laughed and kissed her again, still confused, but thrilled that she was there with him. “I don’t understand . . . How did you get to Dublin? Whose house is this? How did you manage to get me released today?”
She smiled up at him, her arms around his neck. “Didn’t you know I would do anything to find you?”
Declan pulled her back into the study with him and shut the door. He kissed her thoroughly then, his mouth covering hers, their tongues intertwining. God, but he had missed her!
He finally released her and he asked one word. “How?”
Paulette still clung to him as she explained. “I came by ship with Juliette and her husband, Harris
on, as soon as I got your note that you’d left for Ireland. When I learned you’d been arrested, I had Lucien and Jeffrey Eddington help. They’ve done everything they could to get you released and they know some powerful people. And this house belongs to a friend of Lucien’s, who lent it to us.”
Stunned, Declan shook his head in disbelief. “Thank you, Paulette. I don’t know what else to say except that I love you more than you will ever know.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I love you, Declan, and I’m terribly sorry for what I said to you that day at the shop. I didn’t mean it. And I’m sorry for not telling you about the baby myself, and I’m sorry for—”
“Stop,” he interrupted. “You have nothing to be sorry for, lass. I love you, Paulette Hamilton, and I want to marry you, whether there is a baby or not. The fact that you’re having our baby just makes me love you even more.” He kissed her to prove it. “I don’t care about anything else right now but you and Mara. I have to go to Cashelmore and get her.”
Paulette smiled up at him in triumph, her blue eyes sparkling. “Oh, but I already did!”
He stilled. “What?”
“I went to Cashelmore Manor the first day I got to Dublin and took her with me. She’s here, in this house. Just upstairs in the nursery and fairly bursting to see you. She’s been missing you, Declan.”
Mara was safe. She was here with Paulette. Relief coursed through his body. He stared at Paulette in amazement. If this woman could have been any more perfect, Declan couldn’t imagine it. Moved beyond words at all that she had done to help him, he stared at her. “Thank you, love,” he whispered. All he could do was kiss her.
“Come see her now.” Paulette spun toward the door.
Declan stopped her. She turned to face him and he drew her back into the circle of his arms. “If I thought I loved you before I knew you got Mara for me, now I know I will love you until the day I die.” He lowered his head and kissed her again, kissed her so thoroughly it left them both shaking. Then he grinned at her. “Let’s go see Mara.”
To Tempt an Irish Rogue Page 25
