by Laura Landon
“Very well, miss.”
Jenny left and Josie stared at the door unable to move. She hadn’t expected to see him any more today. Not after this afternoon.
The door opened and he stepped into the room. He seemed to take up all the air and dominate the space that suddenly seemed much smaller. This was the man to whom she’d given herself. The man whose kisses scattered her resolve to the four winds, whose touch made her flesh burn with desire. Whose lovemaking had caused her to cry out for release. Her cheeks turned hot remembering what had passed between them. He closed the door and looked at her.
“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine.”
He walked across the room and stopped when he reached her desk.
“Would you mind if I sat down?”
“Of course not.”
He waited until she sat then lowered himself to one of the chairs in front of the desk.
He’d changed since she’d seen him earlier. His face was smooth as if he’d shaved before coming and she was caught again by how handsome he was.
“I went to Clythebrook Manor first but was told you’d left before dinner.”
“I ate here with the children.”
“Lady Clythebrook said she didn’t know when to expect you. When I hinted that I might go to the orphanage, she said I should tell you she was retiring for the night and wouldn’t be up when you came in. Do you do this often?”
“When there’s an emergency I need to handle. Sometimes late in the evening is the only time it’s quiet enough to get anything done.”
“Who makes sure you get home?”
She wanted to laugh. “No one, Lord Rainforth. I’m perfectly capable of—”
“My name is Ross. Don’t you think enough has passed between us for you to call me by my given name?”
She swallowed hard. “You know I can’t.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?”
When she didn’t answer, he leaned back in his chair. “You won’t let yourself forget who I am, will you?”
“You can never be anything but what you are, my lord. How can I forget it?”
Whatever strange emotion connected the two of them, it seemed stronger tonight than it ever had. Maybe because they’d spent more than an hour in each other’s arms earlier in the day. Maybe because willingly giving your body to someone forms a closeness that cannot be explained. Maybe because realizing you’ve fallen in love forces you to see everything so much differently.
Josie pushed back against her chair because it was suddenly important to keep as much distance from him as possible.
“You shouldn’t be here. Please, go home.”
He rested the ankle of one foot atop his other knee as if settling in for the duration. “Not until you’re ready. I have my carriage outside.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“It isn’t? You may have forgotten the mark on your cheek from this afternoon but I haven’t.”
“I already explained—”
“No, you didn’t. And I’d wager you have no intention of explaining.”
He stood and the room shrank around her. Even though the desk separated them, she felt as though she needed a wall. A very high, thick wall.
“I’ve told you who I think was responsible, but you—”
Whatever else he was going to say went unfinished. There was a soft rapping sound and the door opened. Vicar Chadwick walked into the room.
“Miss Foley. They told me I’d still find you here. I was wondering if—” The vicar stopped. “Lord Rainforth. What a surprise.”
The marquess turned. “Vicar Chadwick. Good evening. I came to escort Miss Foley home.”
“How thoughtful. Yes, quite the thing.”
“Did you just return from London?” Josie asked, trying to focus the attention away from her.
“Only moments ago. I left some papers unfinished before I left last week and thought I’d pick them up on my way to the vicarage.”
“Would you like some tea? I’m sure Cook still has some of the tarts left from supper.”
“No. I’m fine. I would like a glass of sherry, though. Would you care to join me, Lord Rainforth?”
The marquess nodded. “Thank you.”
“Miss Foley?”
“Just a small glass.”
Vicar Chadwick went to a small cupboard against the wall and took a bottle out of a drawer, then filled three glasses. When he brought them back, he gave each one a glass and they sat before the fire that still glowed.
“You just returned from London?” Rainforth asked.
Josie watched for some hint of longing that he might be anxious for any news from the City but she didn’t see it in his expression. Neither did she hear it in his voice.
“Yes. What an exciting place. But I have to admit I long for the peacefulness of the country after a few days. Do you find that too, my lord?”
“I quite enjoy it here,” Rainforth said, taking a sip of his sherry. “London can be suffocating at times.”
“I know what you mean. There’s always something stirring. Right now it’s all the talk of the illegal drugs that are coming in.”
Josie felt a cold chill sweep over her.
“I even heard some news that will be of special interest to you, Rainforth. Quite exciting. The Queen has set up a new force to combat the rising drug problem and has appointed Major Samuel Bennett to head the program. He’s your cousin, isn’t he?”
“Yes. The major and I grew up together.”
“An impressive fellow. I was fortunate enough to hear him speak before an assembly. The populace is quite concerned over the illegal trafficking of opium and he assured everyone that the government is doing everything in its power to see that anyone involved is brought to justice. I walked away from the meeting feeling much safer knowing someone so capable is combating such a monumental problem. Has the major confided in you at all? Do they have any clues at all as to who is behind the smuggling?”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t know. I’ve been away from London for months now.”
“Of course. Of course. At any rate, with Major Bennett in charge, I am confident the problem will cease shortly.”
Vicar Chadwick set his empty sherry glass down on the table and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a red gumdrop and popped it into his mouth. “Well, it’s been a long day and I’m more than ready to retire.”
Rainforth walked the vicar to the door, and Josie stared at the dying embers in the fireplace. Major Samuel Bennett wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. She’d forgotten he and Rainforth were cousins. If Rainforth was in the major’s confidence, perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that he’d been watching the cove for anything suspicious.
Josie’s blood ran cold. Tomorrow night couldn’t come fast enough. She needed to stop the smuggling before opium took one more life. She needed to stop the shipments before the man with whom she’d fallen in love discovered that she was involved in the smuggling.
“Is something wrong?”
Josie snapped up her head to find him standing in front of the desk. She didn’t know how long he’d been watching her or how much he’d said that she hadn’t heard. “No, everything’s fine.” She fumbled to put the papers she’d been working on in a drawer then stood. “Are you ready to go?”
She grabbed her cloak from the hook against the wall and stepped toward him. He took it from her and placed it around her shoulders. His hands didn’t leave her.
“You’re shaking.”
“Just a shiver. I’m fine.”
“It’ll be over soon,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against him. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Josie’s heart turned in her chest. What she wouldn’t give to stay in his arms like this forever. But she couldn’t. And letting herself think she could was only asking for trouble.
“It’s getting late. We should be going.”
He released
her and banked the fire while she extinguished the lanterns and they left the room.
“Would you take me up to see him?”
She stopped and looked at him. “The children are in bed. He’s probably asleep.”
“I know. I’d just like to see him before we leave.”
Josie felt a knot press against her heart. She remembered the only time the man who’d fathered her had come. Her mother had dressed her in her finest dress, telling her as she curled her hair and put bright blue ribbons in it that when her papa saw how pretty she was, he’d come back to them. But when the man came, he refused to even look at her. He fired some harsh, angry words at her mother, then threw a thick envelope on the table and left. She’d always imagined Rainforth would be the same, but that was before she’d met him. Before she’d given herself to him. And her heart weighed heavier in her breast. The real Marquess of Rainforth wasn’t at all like she’d painted him.
Josie led the way up the stairs and stopped in front of the room where Charlie slept. There were three beds in the room and thankfully only two to a bed right now. When it was very crowded, the smaller children would sleep three and even more in a bed. She took one of the small lanterns from the hallway and stepped inside.
Charlie was in the bed nearest the window and Josie led the marquess over to where he slept. When she reached him she set down the lamp on the bedside table where it cast a soft glow on the sleeping child and stood beside the marquess.
“He looks so fragile.”
She smiled. “He isn’t. Believe me. He’s always in the thick of any sport the children play. Quite accomplished at catching the ball. He’s usually one of the first to be chosen when the children select teams.”
“I’ve missed so much,” he whispered and Josie heard the longing in his voice.
“His best friend is little Robbie,” she said, motioning toward the other little body sharing his bed. And he’s Glenda’s champion. Glenda’s small and walks with a limp from an accident when she was very tiny. He always makes sure she’s on his team and helps her run when she gets tired. He has a fondness for animals and his favorite dessert is peach cobbler,” she whispered.
“I will see to it that he has a puppy and that peach trees are abundant in the orchards at St. Stephen’s.”
Josie smiled then stood in silence while the marquess studied his son.
For a long time he didn’t move, then, he knelt down beside the sleeping child and, with a trembling hand, brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. He placed his fingers gently against Charlie’s cheek and stroked it as if his flesh were made of silk, then picked up Charlie’s small hand and placed it in his own. The contrast in size gave the perfect comparison of how much the young boy still needed his father’s strength and protection.
“He looks…so perfect.”
“He is. The world hasn’t had time to spoil him yet.”
The marquess lovingly brushed his hand across Charlie’s forehead once more then rose. There was a soft look on his face as he watched his son sleep and the lump in her throat grew larger. The wall she’d erected to keep the hurt away crumbled and she felt herself weakening. A voice from deep inside her issued a warning to keep her distance from him but she ignored it. Instead, she did the worst thing imaginable. She reached out and took his hand in hers.
Huge tears filled his eyes, then spilled over his lashes and ran down his face, but he didn’t brush them away. He squeezed her fingers tighter while the tears ran unabashedly down his face.
Josie’s heart ached until she thought it might break. The barrier she’d erected to protect herself crumbled even more when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close to him. If she hadn’t been sure before, she knew in that moment it was far too late to stop herself from loving a man who had the power to destroy her.
…
Ross paced to the window and looked down the lane, waiting for any sign that Sam and McCormick were here. Sam had written to expect them Wednesday and it was nearing four o’clock in the afternoon. He expected them any moment. They wouldn’t want to miss the shipment if it came tonight.
His blood raced in his veins and his heart pounded in his chest. The time had finally come when he could accomplish what he’d set out to do; when he could erase at least some of the black marks against his name. Knowing that he’d helped to save one life from the deadly drugs the smugglers were bringing into the country was the first step in redeeming the Rainforth name.
One was not such a monumental number, but it was the first step to make up for the many his father had taken. Only when the smugglers were stopped could his son grow up proud to be a Bennett. And proud to have the Marquess of Rainforth as his father.
Watching his son as he slept had made him realize how desperately he wanted Charlie to be proud of him. Standing with Josephine Foley’s hand nestled solidly in his made him realize how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
He nearly laughed out loud. He didn’t know when he knew he wanted her as his wife. Perhaps when she’d stood up to him the first time he’d come to the orphanage to find his son and wouldn’t back down. Perhaps when she hid his son from him to protect the boy. If not then, then certainly it had been at the dinner party when Lady Lindville had openly tried to discredit him and she’d come to his aid.
But if not then, it had been the night they’d made love and she’d trusted him with not only her body, but her heart. From that moment on, he’d known he couldn’t live another day without her.
Ross paced across the room and back, then looked out the window to the drive leading from the lane. Two men rode toward the house.
Ross turned toward the door and waited until Sam and McCormick entered the room.
“What have you found out?” Sam asked before he’d barely tasted the whiskey Ross had offered them.
Ross fought the rush of excitement. “I know where and I’m sure I know who. The when is a guess, but my suggestion would be that the two of you get something to eat then rest awhile. I can almost promise you it’s going to be a bloody long night.
Jaded Moon
by Laura Landon
Ransomed Jewels Series Book Two
CHAPTER 19
Ross crouched behind the boulder near the cliffs and watched the three small boats come ashore. He was struck again by how absolutely perfect this spot was. Someone had scouted the area and chosen this particular site with smuggling in mind.
If the ship carrying the contraband anchored far enough out to sea—as this one had—the sharp rise of the cliffs hid a narrow strip of water where smaller boats could come ashore without being detected. Only one spot provided an unobstructed view of what was going on below—the spot where Ross sat right now.
Unfortunately, there was no way for anyone to reach the smugglers from this high up, which was why Sam and McCormick and the dozen or so men they’d brought with them were posted down below on either side of the area. This put them at the disadvantage of not being able to see what was going on, but close enough so when Ross gave the signal, they could converge on the smugglers and arrest them before they could escape.
Ross looked down at the flares at his feet and bent to pick one up. He’d waited more than a month for this night to happen. He couldn’t believe he’d been given the chance to do something good to make up for all the evil his father had done. Not that he would have cared two months ago if his name were connected with the capture and prosecution of the smugglers. But he had a son to consider now. He needed to give Charlie a name he could be proud of.
He looked up to the sky. It was a perfect night. The moon was full and the area shone so bright he could almost see the expressions on the sailors’ faces as they rowed the boats ashore.
Ross remembered his conversation with Josie about a full, ‘magical’ moon. Tonight would be a night of magic and miracles. A night when he would start a new life with Josie at his side. Together they would provide a stable, loving home for Charlie, and perhaps even
a baby brother or sister in a year’s time.
Ross thought of the two times he’d lain with her and felt a rush of something he never thought he’d feel. Perhaps a babe already grew inside her. Perhaps they’d have a daughter who’d have Josie’s bright eyes and golden beauty. Or, if not a daughter, then another son blessed with Josie’s winning smile and sharp intelligence.
Lady Clythebrook had wanted to take her to London to experience a part of life she would never know if she stayed here in Clytheborough. Well, he intended to take her to London too, but not just to see the sights. He would take her as his wife.
He’d introduce her to the cream of Society and escort her to the theater and the opera and ball after ball. He’d dress her in the finest clothes money could buy and shower her with so much love and affection it would shock everyone who’d known him before. He’d prove to all the skeptics who didn’t think it was possible for him to be faithful to one woman how wrong they’d been.
And if she wanted, he’d stand at her side when she met her father. For no other reason than that the man would know how much he’d given up when he’d abandoned her.
Ross looked over the cliff to watch the progress. His heart raced faster in anticipation. Two sailors manned each boat and were close enough that Ross could see their cargo. From what Sam had discovered, the opium would come in small bundles about a foot square. The raw opium was wrapped in poppy leaves and cotton to keep it dry and was relatively light weight and easy to transport. Only one of the boats looked like its cargo fit that description. Ross watched that boat with particular interest.
When the boats reached the sandy beach, six men jumped out. The captain said something to the men then walked toward the mouth of the cave in front of him. Ross leaned forward, hoping whoever the captain was talking to would step far enough out in the open to be recognized, but he didn’t.
Ross suspected it was Lindville. Every detail he’d learned about the smuggling operation made Lindville the prime candidate, from his adamant objection to Ross using the land, to the red mark he was sure Lindville had put on Josie’s face. Even if redeeming his name wasn’t reason enough to put a stop to the smuggling, keeping Josie safe from Lindville’s threats was.
