The Desires of a Countess

by Jenna Petersen

  “No, thank you.” She brushed aside her fantasies and did her best to focus. “Why did you come?”

  He sank into one of the chairs before the fire and motioned her to take the other. Ginny bit back a sigh of irritation. It appeared he was settling in for a long talk, which was the last thing she wanted or needed at the moment. But there was nothing she could do to deter him. She had to be kind until she’d convinced him to put off his inquiry into Henry’s death.

  “I heard you were preparing to leave the shire.” He frowned. “I was certain the information I received was mistaken until I saw the trunks in your chamber. Are you leaving Westdale?”

  “Yes. Mr. Webber feels it would be good for Jack’s future if I reestablish some ties in London Society.” She sighed at the thought.

  Robert pursed his lips. “So Webber says go and you just go?”

  Again his voice took on a nasty, accusatory tone that set Ginny’s teeth on edge. It was just about enough.

  She rose to her feet and turned her back on him. “I don’t have to answer to you about my activities, Robert, or the reasons behind them. In fact, I think it would be best if you leave.”

  “If you’re in London I cannot promise I’ll be able to hold back an investigation. And you might not like where that leads.” His tone was icy cold.

  Ginny slowly turned to face him. He’d risen to his feet and stood staring at her. She’d never noticed before just how unfeeling his eyes were. Or how he focused his attention on a spot much lower than her face.

  “Robert, are you telling me that if I don’t stay in Westdale as you wish, you will immediately launch your inquiry?” She dropped her voice a level as she stiffened in outrage. “Are you threatening me?”

  He gave her a thin smile. “Of course not. I’m just informing you that I plan to do my duty.”

  Harriet had been right, Robert couldn’t be trusted. He might not know the truth about Henry’s death, but he had clearly sensed her nervousness about it. And now he planned to use that to keep her away from Simon.

  How different the two men were. Neither wanted her to be with the other, but Simon always respected her decisions. He’d never said a word to her about Robert, even when she’d used the magistrate’s appearance to get rid of him. But Robert stooped to threats with an ease that was frightening.

  “Of course.” Ginny crossed to the door and opened it wide. She motioned to the hallway with one hand. “I understand your meaning perfectly. You’ll excuse me if I don’t offer you tea. I have much to do to prepare for my journey.”

  The false smile faded from his face as he stood up and came to the door. He paused in front of her to stare at her hard. “I could offer you a world of protection, Virginia. Or I could bring you much heartache. Think about that while you’re in London. Good day.”

  He turned his back and left before she could offer any response. Not that she had anything to say. She stared at his departing figure, too shocked to find any words at all.

  Chapter Twelve

  Robert’s horse was tethered in the back of the stable, and Simon had no doubt he’d be coming to collect the animal soon. When he did, Simon was going to be there. He needed to make it very clear to Dennison once and for all that his constant interruption and borderline obsession with Ginny wasn’t going to be tolerated.

  And if the man wouldn’t listen? Well, Simon had plenty of residual frustration left in him to brawl with the best of them.

  The stable door creaked open and Robert stormed in. It was clear he was furious from the dark expression on his face and that lightened Simon’s mood considerably. Whatever the man wanted, Ginny had refused him.

  But as Dennison took a few steps closer, another expression became clear on his face. A smug glitter in his eyes. When he looked up and his gaze locked with Simon’s, that glitter grew stronger.

  “Mr. Webber. Nothing better to do than loaf by my horse all day?” he asked as he closed the gap between them.

  Simon straightened to his full height.

  “I’m afraid that’s my job while I’m here.” Removing the piece if hay he’d been chewing, he tossed it over his shoulder and locked eyes with Dennison. “To watch out for Jack and his mother.”

  Robert barked out an ugly laugh. “As if you care one bit about that sniveling child. I see the way you look at Virginia.”

  “Is it anything like the way you look at her?” Simon asked as the two men began to circle each other like tigers.

  Dennison smirked. “There’s a difference.”

  “What’s that?” He hated the arrogant expression on the other man’s face. It would give him great pleasure to beat it off him.

  “I know her. I’ve known her for years, since she first came to Westdale as Henry’s bride. You know nothing about her.”

  Simon smiled. He knew more than Robert thought. He knew Ginny’s soft curves, the way she looked when she reached the height of passion. Those were things he wagered Dennison would kill to know. And things he never would.

  “I know enough.”

  “You know nothing.” The smugness in the other man’s tone returned. “I know her secrets. Things that would make you reel if you…”

  He didn’t get to finish because Simon leapt at him. The two men met in a flurry of blows. Simon had learned to fight on board his ship and had the advantage of being bigger and stronger than Dennison. But the other man was remarkably fast. The two traded punch after punch with equally matched results.

  “Hey! Hey!”

  The voice at the door didn’t stop them from continuing to brawl. Simon recognized the sound as Adam’s voice, but if his first mate knew what was good for him, he’d let the two men finish. Simon certainly had no intention of quitting before he’d made his point abundantly clear to Robert.

  But then another sound pierced the grunts and fists hitting flesh. It was Jack.

  Simon took a sidelong glance at the door to see Adam holding the little boy. Jack was sobbing in horror at witnessing two men come to blows over something he couldn’t understand. Simon sat up a bit to call out to the boy, but at that moment, Robert’s fist hit him in the eye.

  Pain exploded through his face as a white light went off in front of his eye. Robert reached back to swing again, but Adam set Jack down and ran over. He caught the other man’s hand midair and with superior strength born from years of hard, physical labor, pushed his fist back.

  “That’s enough.” He grabbed Dennison by the collar and dragged him to his feet. “Off you go on your way.”

  Normally Simon would have been furious that his fight had been interrupted, but at the moment all he could think of was Jack. He reached the child’s side in a few steps and dropped to his knees before him.

  “See, I’m not hurt,” he said as he brought the boy up to his chest for a hug. “No one’s hurt.”

  “Papa…” the boy choked on his two-year-old vocabulary and his tears. “Mama… hurty.”

  Simon rocked the child. “No, Mama’s all right. She’s up at the house.”

  He didn’t know what to say about the boy’s father. In his upset about the fight, Jack must have forgotten that Henry was dead. Or perhaps he just wished him back for comfort.

  Dennison’s horse thundered past, but Simon hardly even looked up. He’d have plenty of time to finish his business with the other man later.

  Adam shook his head as he walked over to the pair.

  “Is Jack hurt?” he asked, grinning at the boy to ease his fears.

  “No, I think he was just frightened,” Simon explained.

  The child had stopped crying and was now peering over Simon’s shoulder at one of the horses. If only Simon could be so easily distracted. He set Jack down and watched him toddle over to the stall to look up at the animal’s face.

  Simon’s eye throbbed and his jaw ached from the blows he and Robert had exchanged. As he continued to watch Jack, he worked the muscle.

  “One thing you can say about Dennison. He may be a bast-“ he cut hims
elf off with a glance at Jack. “He may be a scoundrel but he’s got a powerful right hook.”

  “Good fighters don’t need to take cheap shots.” Adam leaned up and pulled Simon’s up eyelid to check for injury. Simon winced with a scowl for his friend.

  “Perhaps he didn’t realize I wasn’t fighting anymore.”

  Adam shook his head. “He looked at you and at Jack, grinned and threw the hardest punch he could. He knew you wouldn’t be prepared for it.” His friend’s mouth thinned with anger. “What were you two fighting about?”

  Simon answered with a shrug.

  Adam groaned. “Lady Westdale?”

  “Perhaps.” He hoped his best friend would hear his tone and realize he didn’t plan to discuss the matter any further.

  To his joy, Adam walked over to take Jack’s hand. “Come on, my little man. We’ll go up to the house and send a footman to the icehouse for Mr. Webber. He looks like he’ll need it.” The pair began to slowly stroll to the stable door, but when they reached it, Adam turned back. “You know, Simon, you’re going to an awful lot of trouble for a woman you claim to only desire. You might want to think about that.”

  Simon sat down on a hay bale as he watched the two disappear. When they were out of earshot, he covered his head with his hands and muttered, “Believe me, friend, it’s all I can think about.”

  ***

  Ginny rolled her head back against the carriage seat and looked out the window. After a week of bumpy, uncomfortable travel, they were nearly in London. She let out a sigh, though she wasn’t sure whether it was one of trepidation or relief. She felt an equal measure of both. She’d certainly be more than glad to see the last of the carriage for a while, but the idea of returning to the city was a difficult one to be pleased about.

  None of which was made easier by Simon. She’d been painfully aware of his presence each and every day they traveled. He was everywhere. He sat across from her at inn tables for meals, teasing with Adam or Harriet and making her smile. At night, he was only a few doors down from her room. How many times had she longed to slip into his bed just one more time?

  Even now as she looked out the window, he was there, riding high on his horse. He would have looked like a warrior if it weren’t for the small child perched in front of him. Jack adored riding with his new best friend, and Simon indulged him.

  “Are you feeling well?”

  She blinked away her thoughts and turned to Harriet. “I’m a bit nervous. We’ll be to London by nightfall at this rate.”

  “I’m sure your feelings have nothing to do with a certain gentleman riding outside your window,” her friend teased.

  Ginny looked at him again. “At least his black eye is mostly healed. I still want to know how he got it.”

  Harriet laughed. “I did a bit of investigating and found out our Mr. Webber was in a fight.”

  Ginny’s eyes widened. “Simon was in a fight? With whom?”

  “Robert Dennison.” Her friend paused for full effect. “Over you.”

  Ginny’s heart promptly stopped beating, or at least it felt like it did. Simon had fought over her?

  “Where did you hear that?” she managed to stammer out, thrilled and ashamed at the same time. “It must be rot.”

  Harriet’s smile broadened and a light came into her eyes. “Adam told me. I doubt he’d spread unfounded rumors about his very best friend.”

  Ginny wrinkled her brow. “Just when did he tell you this?”

  She could believe it was true when she considered the unpleasant history between the men. They’d been a brawl waiting to happen from the first moment they’d laid eyes on each other.

  To her surprise, Harriet’s smile fell and a deep blush colored her face. “Well, not everything we discuss is said in front of you. Adam and I had a lovely walk together yesterday when we stopped to change horses, and we talked about a great many things. Not all of which had anything to do with you or with Simon.”

  Now Ginny took a thorough look at her friend.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like Mr. Scott,” she asked, testing the waters a bit with a gentle tone.

  Harriet frowned. “Of course I do. He’s a person I’d call a-a friend.”

  Ginny cocked her head as she allowed her hand to rest on Harriet’s. “It’s been two years since Richard’s death. If you were to find another man who caught your fancy, I don’t think there’s any harm in that. In fact, it would please me to see you find love again. No one deserves it more than you.”

  Her friend’s face paled two shades and she opened her mouth to protest, but before a word could escape her lips the carriage came to a halt and the door opened. Simon appeared outside and whatever thoughts Ginny had been having fled when his eyes met hers.

  “Good afternoon,” he said with a hot, pointed look for her. “I believe I have something that belongs to you, my lady.”

  With a grin, he handed over Jack, who was drooping with exhaustion. She took her son with a wide smile.

  “Thank you. I’m sure he’ll have a long sleep after such an exciting day.”

  He smiled and it gentled the hard angles of his face. “We’ll be in London in just a few hours. The traffic will increase as we get closer and it’s probably safer for him to ride indoors with you two.”

  “Thank you, Simon.”

  Again, he fixed his gaze on her and she was lost in a sea of turquoise fire. No matter what was going on, it seemed the second she looked at him, the passion between them was ignited all over again.

  He cleared his throat and it was plain he felt that need, too. “Do-do you need to stretch your legs?”

  Ginny shook her head. She wasn’t sure if her legs would even hold her now. “No, not when we’re so close.”

  He nodded at Harriet and closed the door. Ginny let out a small sigh, then smiled down at Jack, who had cuddled against her breast to sleep.

  “I like to ride the horsey,” he said with a yawn.

  She smoothed dark hair away from his face. “Good. Are you having fun with Mr. Webber?”

  “Mmm hmm. I wish he were Papa.”

  Ginny sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth at her son’s innocent wish. But it could never be. He didn’t understand the power the man would wield over their lives if she married him. Worse, the power he could easily wield over her heart.

  Harriet stared at her. “Ginny, there are tears in your eyes.”

  She turned her head to stare out the window again. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  ***

  The carriage came to a smooth stop and Ginny’s heart dropped to her stomach. They were at Huntington Court, her husband’s London estate.

  “I haven’t been here since…” she trailed off.

  Through the darkness she could see the glow of the house lights coming from the windows. The servants were obviously anticipating their arrival.

  “A long time, I know,” Harriet said as she began to gather her things around her. “You look frightened.”

  Ginny shrugged, too tired and nervous to argue the point. “I’m not sure why. Tonight will be quiet. It’s so late that I’ll probably only get a chance to put Jack to bed and say hello to the staff. Then a hot bath and sleep.”

  The door to the carriage opened and a hand extended to help them out. Ginny took it first and felt a shock of heat through her that instantly let her know it was Simon. As she set her feet on the drive, he looked down at her with dark eyes.

  “Home at last, eh?” he asked before he released her to take Jack’s limp, sleeping body from Harriet.

  Ginny shivered. This place wasn’t home. No place was, really, not even Westdale. Henry had kept her from loving any of his residences. But London had many painful memories. Here she’d first felt her husband’s fist.

  She took in a breath of the dirty air and wished she were anywhere but here.

  Simon shifted Jack to his shoulder and took her arm. “Come, I’ll help you get settled before I go to my own home.”r />
  “I thought you lived on your ship,” she said.

  “I do, but I have a townhouse here, too. I have to come to port sometimes.” He smiled at her as the door opened and they stepped inside.

  Once they were inside the foyer, Ginny’s heart rate began to slow. This was just a house after all. And Henry was dead. She didn’t have to fear these walls any longer. In fact-

  “Ginny?”

  She froze and slowly turned to the parlor on her right. The door was open and inside stood her family. Her entire family. Noah, her older brother stood in front of the anxious group, staring at her with unreadable blue eyes. When he stepped out, he was flanked by her mother and her sister Audrey, who was heavy with the child she was to birth in just two months. Griffin Berenger, Noah’s childhood best friend and Audrey’s husband, stayed back with another woman Ginny didn’t recognize, but assumed was her brother’s new wife.

  “Ginny!” It was her mother who spoke this time. She stepped forward with eyes were filled with tears.

  Ginny stared at the group of them in utter shock. Was she asleep? If so, she would do almost anything to wake from this nightmare.

  “Oh, my dear, you look so lovely,” her mother continued.

  No, it wasn’t a dream, her entire estranged family stood before her and she felt… well, there was anger, but also a twinge of joy.

  She spun to face Simon because she was unable to think of anything to say to her family.

  “What did you do?” she asked, shaking his arm from hers as she stared up at him.

  He drew back from her anger with a shake of his head. “I wrote to your family. I thought-”

  She blinked back sudden tears as emotions bubbled to the surface. “You had no right. No right.” She took Jack from his arms and turned toward the stairs. Doing her best to avoid looking at her family, she began to climb up to her chambers.

  “I don’t want any of you here.”

  Then she bit back a sob and hurried to her room to escape the flood of memories and emotions that assailed her when she looked into her mother’s eyes.

  Chapter Thirteen