“Weapons. There are other men on the road.”
“Under your seat. Rose, what are you doing over there?” Her father came more awake and gave her a sharp look.
“Rose and I were conversing. We didn’t want to disturb you.”
Her look was still frosty and Alex breathed a small sigh. He wasn’t taking all the blame for the deceit. He took Rose’s hand and deftly moved her to the other seat. As he lifted the bench top, a box of swords and pistols came into view. He handed one of each over to Lord Wentworth then chose weapons of his own.
A shout rent the air and Alex brushed aside one of the thick curtains. Two riders were gaining ground on that side of the carriage. Crossing to the other window revealed two more riders. “Four that I can see.”
Lord Wentworth gave a grim nod as he positioned himself near the left side window. Alex moved himself to the right. Rose’s eyes now looked big as saucers.
“Rose, please crouch down between the seats.” He reached for her hand again and she obliged, scooting herself to the floor. “Don’t get up no matter what. Understand? Close your eyes and cover your ears.”
“Why?” Her voice trembled.
“There are things that can’t be unseen or unheard. Now sing to yourself. It’ll keep you from hearing.” He reached down and gave her cheek a light stroke.
He heard a soft sob emit from her balled-up form but she did as he asked and covered her ears and then began singing in her melodious voice. It added an eeriness to the interior of the carriage and Alex’s gut clenched.
Lord Wentworth met his eyes across the carriage. His voice was soft. “If something happens to me, promise you will marry Rose.”
Alex eyed the other man. He had just promised Rose time to court and sort out her feelings. But he understood the earl’s predicament. Rose would be alone in the world and while she was maturing, it was a cruel world for a woman to be alone in. He gave a single nod of agreement and said a silent prayer that nothing happened to the other man.
The hoof beats grew louder around them and Alex peeked out through the curtain to see that riders had overtaken them.
“Stop the carriage,” a loud voice growled out.
As the vehicle slowed, Alex cocked his pistol. He hated to take a life unnecessarily, but the element of surprise would greatly increase their chances, considering they were outnumbered.
“What for?” the driver yelled back.
“You’ve got something we want,” another voice chimed in.
It sounded familiar but was slurred with what Alex could only assume was spirits. He would wager his life it was Carl who was speaking. He glanced out the window again but the men had tied scarves around their faces. Alex needed no more prodding. It was time to take action.
He nodded to Rose’s father and then both pushed their pistols through the heavy curtains. He held up his fingers, one, two, three and then both men fired. Screams rent the air as smoke filled the carriage. Alex cocked his pistol back as shots splintered through the interior. The carriage shot off again, picking up speed. The driver must have avoided being shot. Alex gave a silent thank you as he pushed aside the curtain to fire again.
A single rider followed on his side and a peek out the other window showed a single rider on the other side. Alex aimed but his shot went wide in the moving carriage. Another round of ammunition hit the interior, and Alex felt the as wood splinters hit his face. He fired again but the remaining two riders had fallen back.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex made to relieve Rose from the floor of the carriage. It would be terribly uncomfortable at their current speed but one look at Lord Wentworth made Alex pause. The man was grey and slumped back.
“Lord Wentworth?” Alex asked as quietly as possible. Rose had stopped singing. She looked up at him but he gave a quick shake of his head to signal her to cover her eyes again.
“Call me Stanley, son.”
“Stanley, where is it?” Alex’s face pinched.
“My shoulder,” he replied hoarsely.
A quick assessment told Alex that the bullet had travelled clean through and it was high enough to not have hit his heart or lungs. There was hope at least. “Rose, get up love.” He reached his hand down and pulled her to sitting. Quickly, he crouched down next to her. “Your father is hurt. I need to rip some of your petticoats.
“What? Where?” Her hand pressed to her mouth. He wanted to soothe her but there wasn’t time. Instead, he began ripping strips from her clothing.
“In the shoulder. It’s clean but at your father’s age… I’ll do everything I can.” He moved to her father and, removing the man’s shirt, began wrapping the wound. The other man winced. Alex tried to be gentle but he wanted to stop the bleeding and shield Rose if he could. Her gasp split the silence and he knew that he’d failed.
“Papa.” Her voice trembled.
“Come here, Rose,” the Earl whispered.
Having finished the wrapping, Alex reached down both his hands to help Rose up. Since he was next to the other man, without much room to move, he simply pulled Rose into his lap. Now did not seem like the time to stand on decorum.
She grasped her father’s hand. “What is it, Papa?”
“Rose, I know you want choice but please marry His Grace. Vultures like that Lundberg fellow will crawl out of the woodwork if you are left alone.”
Rose’s vivid blue eyes stared at Alex, fear and uncertainty dancing in their depths. He wanted to tell her that he would never lie to her again. That he would give his life for hers but instead he gave her space to draw her own conclusions.
“Yes, Papa.” Her voice cracked on the second word and Alex’s hand came to her back. It slid to the curve of her waist where it rested, giving her the smallest squeeze.
The carriage pulled into the gates of the Wentworth Estate and Alex breathed a small sigh. “I’m going to set you on the other bench, my love, and then I can carry your father into the house. Once I have him in, I’ll fetch the doctor as quickly as I can.”
She had been still as a statue up to that point, but, without warning, she buried her face into his shoulder. “Thank you,” her voice wobbled out.
Wrapping his other arm around her he held her tight to his chest. “I would do anything for you.” Moving the small face, he held her and moved to gently set her on the other seat. As the carriage rolled to a stop, he flung open the door. Carefully lifting the other man, he swung them both down. The driver hopped down from his seat. “Well done, man. Help Lady Rose from the carriage.”
Alex did not stop to see if his orders had been followed, instead, he moved as quickly as he could toward the front door, which opened as the servants made to greet their master.
“Your Grace.” The butler moved swiftly to his aid and together they carried the earl up the stairs and into the house.
***
An hour had passed since Alex left but it felt like an eternity to Rose. Fear, anger, and worry battled in her mind.
Her father had fallen unconscious but he moaned in his sleep. Each sound like a knife to her heart, bringing back memories of the last time she had held a beloved parent’s hand as they lay dying. Rose battled back the tears, determined to stay strong for her father.
Many of Alex’s words bounced around in her head. Foremost were his comments about war. She knew he had killed men that night to keep her safe. It had been awful to hear those cries. How could she have ever thought that war was romantic or that Carl was a hero? Clear as day, Rose had heard his voice during the attack. He had ambushed them to take her and possibly kill her father and Alex. His words earlier that evening made her certain of it.
It was clear that Alex had more integrity than Carl but he had also lied to her about his identity. The only thing Rose knew for certain was that her heart couldn’t be trusted. Every man she cared for turned out to be dishonorable. Alex had asked for a second chance but the very fact that she had feelings for him said that a relationship would likely end badly. Every time she cared
for a man, it ended poorly. What was worse, her father wanted her to marry him should he pass. How could Rose do that knowing it would only fall apart again? How could she not, knowing he would protect him from Carl and others like him?
The door finally opened and Alex strode in looking as dashing as ever. His dark hair was swept back by the wind, his cheeks darkened by the exertion. His broad shoulders filled the doorway as he stepped into the room.
Rose stood, her breath coming in rapid gasps. “Is the doctor here?”
“Yes,” Dr. Adams said as he came around Alex. He had treated Rose all her life, when at their country estate. His presence brought a little semblance of normal.
“How bad is it? He lost consciousness fifteen minutes ago. What if...” She stopped as the doctor assessed the wound. Alex moved to stand next to her, his arms wrapping around her waist. Not knowing what else to do, Rose grabbed onto him, using him for support.
“What if…,” she repeated but, once again, couldn’t seem to finish.
“Shh, I can’t tell you your father will be fine but I can tell you that I will help you in any way you need.” He gave her the smallest squeeze.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, unable to articulate all that was swirling in her mind.
His lips grazed her temple. “I mean it, Rose. I’ll do whatever it is you wish. We can marry or not but I will care for you either way. I won’t leave you alone.”
“Why, why would you do that?” She turned to him then, his eyes pierced into hers.
“Rose, I know this is difficult, but I am a gentleman, despite my recent actions, and beyond that, you have given me a great gift. You’ve shown me a woman can look past my scars. I didn’t think it was possible.”
Rose searched his face wanting to believe that he would help her no matter what. But so many men made promises.
“Lady Rose.” The doctor cleared his throat.
“Yes.” She tore her eyes away from the planes of Alex’s face. Unravelling her feelings about their budding relationship seemed easier than facing the news the doctor had to give.
“The shot is clean through and the bleeding has stopped. If no infection sets in, your father has a good chance. I’ll stay with him, of course. Perhaps you should try and get some rest.”
“Rest?” she shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly.”
“Maybe just change into something more comfortable?” Alex spoke softly in her ear. “I’ll stay here too, until you return, and I’ll come for you if anything changes.”
She gave a single nod and then headed for the door, slipping out of Alex’s arms. It was cold without his touch, but she moved for the door. One of her hands came to her stomach, the other came to her head as a lightheadedness overtook her. Her corset was suddenly too tight and her body swayed. “Alex,” she pushed out before the world went dark.
Rose blinked her eyes, completely disoriented. She was in a semi-dark room, warm, and more comfortable then she could fathom. “Where…”
Soft lips brushed her temple. “Hush. Just rest a minute. Take a nice slow breath.”
She did as she was told and found it remarkably easy to do. Looking down, Rose realized her gown was loose and gaping open at the front, exposing her now open stays. All that remained to cover her flesh was her chemise, which was thin at best and low cut. What parts of her breasts were covered, the firelight showed the clear outline of her flesh. “Oh,” she cried trying to raise her hands to cover herself. The appendages, however, felt weighted down and she could barely get them up.
“Worry not, Rose. Though you are lovely, I am more worried about your health, and your father’s, than I am about ogling your flesh. If we should marry, I will see far more of you than this.” His lips stretched against her skin and she could tell that he was smiling.
“If we should marry….” Her voice was hushed as she turned her face away from his, withdrawing from him.
He paid her gesture no mind and settled her closer. Her back was pressed against his chest, her legs nestled between his. One of his hands left her midsection where it had been resting and brought a glass of water to her lips. She took a sip and then another, the beverage breathing life into her limp limbs.
“Do you have legitimate feelings for me?” his lips whispered next to her ear as he gave her another drink.
“Yes,” she answered sadly.
“Then why do you sound so anguished?”
“You said it yourself. I am fickle and my feelings are not to be trusted.” She was too worried to mince words.
While he did not laugh out loud, his chest rose and fell as though he were. She twisted her head around to scowl at him.
“My apologies, Rose. I didn’t mean to make fun. I thought for sure you would admonish me again for my deceit, not yourself for your inability to be trusted. Is that what you said?”
She nodded.
“Rose, I can see why you don’t want to trust yourself. You have made a few wrong choices, but we all do that when we are first learning about love. You lost your mother at a delicate time for a young girl and you haven’t had guidance except for an overprotective father. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be trusted to know the real thing when you find it.”
“I have nearly killed my father with my bad choices,” she choked out.
“Oh sweetheart. You couldn’t possibly know that Carl, if it even was Carl, would try to kidnap you.”
“It was him. And I should have known. Just like I should have known you were aristocracy. I’m a fool.” Her words slipped out before she could hold them back and a deep blush stained her cheeks. That statement put part of the blame on him.
He sighed in response. “As I said, we all are naïve at times, when it comes to love. Before I procured this scar, I will admit, I was rather popular with the ladies. My title, wealth, and looks made it easy. But after, it was much more difficult. I’m sure I had always been surrounded by women who were more interested in my title than me but it had been easier to ignore. After, I could see their looks of revulsion.”
“Your scar does little to hide your looks!” she huffed, exasperated by those faceless women.
His lips grazed her forehead again. “As I have said many times, you are a beautiful balm to my ego. Then I met a woman, who did not appear to be bothered by my scar. I didn’t think she loved me, but I thought she could in time and that we could build a life together. She was titled, beautiful, though not nearly as fetching as you, and she assured me that it bothered her not a fig. Then one day I overheard her talking with another. She had disappeared from the ball and I finally found her in the back corner of the garden. It was her voice I heard first. She said I looked like a beast but that she would tolerate it to become a duchess, though it disgusted her to do so. I could not bear her deception or the thought of being married to a woman who found me revolting.”
Rose’s heart ached for him and what he had gone through. “Who was she with?” she asked biting her lip because she already knew the answer.
“Her lover.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I know it will be difficult for you to forgive me but you and your father share a penchant for honesty. He told me about Carl and I couldn’t stand the thought of going through that humiliation again.”
“So you disguised yourself to see how upset I would be about your scars.”
“Yes and to discover if your feelings for Carl were sincere. I hope you can forgive me. I have another reason for sharing that story with you. People who are good, kind hearted, and caring, can be fooled by others who excel at deception. I was fooled by Marissa much the same way you were fooled by Carl. Please don’t let the deceivers of this world take away your chances at happiness.”
His hand began stroking up and down her arm. Her eyes fluttered closed as a warm cocoon wrapped around her, his words sinking in. Had she really just made normal mistakes? Perhaps without a mother it was just taking her longer to find her path than many of her friends. She knew if she did lose her father, Alex would provide
the support and comfort that would help her through.
“Sweetheart, please tell me that you will allow me to court you. You don’t have to make me any promises beyond that.”
“I will allow it. Though my father has asked a great deal more.”
“We will cross that bridge if it comes.” His lips moved on the shell of ear as he spoke, tickling the sensitive skin.
Rose became aware that the thumb of the hand still resting on her midsection was just below her breast. The intimacy which had been comforting had become more and her breath caught.
“What if you are right? What if I am a silly fickly creature, whose attention forever wanders here and there and―“
“You will have to look deep in your heart and decide who you really are.” His lips sent tingling sensations down her skin.
“At this moment, I never want to leave your side.” She turned so that her lips touched his in the smallest of kisses.
His lips came down on hers again as his hand crept higher on her chest. Heat unfurled in Rose like nothing she had ever felt before.
“Ahem.” A voice coming from the other side of the door broke the moment.
TAMING A DUKE’S WILD ROSE
CHAPTER SIX
Rose made to jump up but Alex held her fast. His hand came up to cover her cleavage but other than that, he made no move to change position. “Yes,” he called with complete calm.
“It’s Dr. Adams.”
“Come in.” Alex’s arms tightened as she made to get up again.
The doctor’s eyes travelled the length of the couple and his lips pursed. He took off his spectacles and began to clean them with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. “Your father is awake. He’d like to speak with you.”
“Of course. I’ll be right there, I--” Flustered she took a breath to catch her thoughts.
“Send one the maids to fetch a shawl for Rose.” Alex didn’t seem the least bothered by the doctor’s disapproval.
“Yes, Your Grace.” The doctor blinked a few times. “But Rose should not―“
Taming a Duke's Wild Rose: Taming the Heart Series Book 2 Page 5
