by Bobbi Smith
Catherine looked on with tears in her eyes as her father turned back to find the boy racing toward him. There was not the slightest hesitation as the duke bent to the child and took him in his arms. It was a deeply touching moment for all three.
"Grandfather, hurry back . . . I'm going to miss you," Alex was saying as he wrapped his little arms around his grandfather's strong neck and hung on for dear life.
"I will. I'm going to miss you, too," Edward admitted in a choked voice, furious with himself for the tears that were burning in his eyes. He hugged the boy, then set him back down on his feet. "As soon as I get back, we'll see about painting that name on your boat. How's that?"
Alex nodded eagerly. "Fine, sir." He threw his arms around him one last time, gave him a hard, childish hug, then darted back to his aunt's side.
Edward stared at them for a moment, as if committing the loving sight of them to memory —his beautiful daughter and his handsome young grandson—then raised one hand in farewell and climbed into the carriage.
Catherine and Alex remained on the walk, watching until the duke's entourage had disappeared from view down the main drive. Only then did they go back inside. A strange sense of forboding shook Catherine, but she managed to convince herself that it was only because of her conversation with her father the night before. They were safe and very well protected at Huntington House. Nothing was going to happen. She was sure of it.
Thirty-one-year-old Lord Gerald Ratcliff watched out the window of his carriage as the driver turned down the tree-lined drive that led to Huntington House. It had been three weeks since Catherine had left London with her father, and he was looking forward to seeing her, and the duke, again . . . especially the duke.
A sly smile spread across Gerald's handsome, refined features as he thought of the financial benefits he was going to reap from his marriage to Catherine. True, he was heir to his father's earldom, but while his family did have the title, their money was just about gone. He was being forced by circumstances to seek out a match that would not only fill the coffers at Woodley, but also keep him in style.
It had been a pure stroke of luck that Catherine had been as innocent and naive as she was rich. With carefully chosen compliments and a few stolen kisses, he'd managed to make her fall in love with him practically overnight. He thought it quite a coup, for he was not the only young buck around who wanted to get his hands on her very considerable dowry.
As cutthroat and calculating as Gerald had been in snaring her, he was not completely displeased by the match. Unworldly though she was, Catherine was not an unattractive woman, and though he felt no wild passion for her, he knew she had all the qualifications to do well as his wife, the future Countess of Woodley. He smiled again as he realized that he would not suffer overmuch getting her with child. True, his current mistress was not overly enthusiastic about his taking Catherine as his wife, but he'd managed to convince her not to complain too much by buying her a very expensive bauble and promising more, much more, after the wedding—bought with Catherine's money, of course.
As the carriage took the final turn in the drive and Huntington House came into view, a frown suddenly creased his brow and a vile oath escaped his lips.
The banner declaring that the duke was in residence was not flying. The duke was not at Huntington House. Frustration gripped him. He'd made the trip all the way out from London, meaning to play the besotted fiancé to impress both father and daughter, and now it looked like a wasted effort. He couldn't very well make his beloved swoon with the ardor of his devotion if she was nowhere around. He gritted his teeth and resolved to find out from the servants exactly where they were so he could follow them.
Bo Kelly and Jack Landers were used to plying their devious trade in the city, so they were not particularly comfortable or at ease crouched as they were, waiting in the bushes at the rear of the Huntington House gardens. They had followed the directions to the estate their mysterious new boss had given them to the letter and so far had not encountered any problems, but now was when it got dangerous. They knew they had to be careful. They could be discovered at any time, and if they were, their chances to kidnap the boy and make a lot of easy money would be ruined.
It had sounded so simple, according to the gent that had hired them. All they had to do was nab the kid, get him back to London without being seen, and leave him tied up and blindfolded in a stateroom on board the Dolphin. Bo and Jack believed it would be simple, too. They just had to be quiet. No one could know they were there, and it had to stay that way. Surprise and secrecy were everything.
They heard a noise that sounded like a child's voice coming from up near the house, and they grew tense as they watched avidly for the youngster they were supposed to grab. At the sound of footsteps on the path leading to the reflecting pond a short distance from them, they looked up. Their gazes locked on the end of the garden walk where at any moment they were sure the boy would appear. Excitement surged through the two thugs. Soon, very soon, the reward would be theirs! Both men wanted to chortle their glee at how easy this was going to be . . .
Alex was thrilled. He'd been waiting all day for Aunt Catherine to accompany him to the reflecting pool, and now he was finally going to get to sail his boat! He scampered down to the water's edge and set the Scimitar out to sail while Catherine looked on from the safety of the grassy bank. Alex watched in delight as the small ship skimmed smoothly across the glassy surface of the pond.
The kidnappers had been ready. The location of the pond was perfect for what they'd hoped to do, for it was shielded from view of the house by a thick, high hedge. They believed this was the best chance they were ever going to get, and they moved cautiously closer to the pond, ever mindful that at any moment they might be discovered. They had meant to strike and strike fast, but just as Bo and Jack had been prepared to lunge through the bushes and get Alex, they'd caught sight of Catherine following right behind him.
Frustration gripped Bo and Jack, and they silently cursed the lovely young woman for interfering with their plan. The two men exchanged angry looks and then hunkered even farther down in the shrubbery to make certain she didn't notice them. Annoyed though they were, they would wait for another chance. The money was too good to botch this.
Catherine and Alex were having a lovely time together there at the pond. The afternoon was cool and the day perfect. They laughed and talked and just enjoyed being together. Alex thought that Catherine was the most wonderful lady in the world, and he wondered why his mother, a woman he thought of as cold and unapproachable, couldn't be more like her. He liked hearing Catherine laugh, and he loved her warm hugs and the sweet perfume that was just hers.
"Catherine?"
The sound of Gerald Ratcliff's call cut through the pleasant afternoon and ended for Alex what had been an idyllic time.
"Catherine?" Gerald emerged from the house and strode through the gardens, smiling happily. When he'd descended from his carriage, he'd expected to be informed by the servants that Catherine had traveled with her father to another one of their estates. His surprise at finding her there had been genuine, and he was pleased that she was unchaperoned.
For a moment, Catherine couldn't believe that she was actually hearing her fiancé's voice. Then, when he called out the second time, it was all she could do not to let out a squeal of excitement. "Gerald? I'm here . . . By the pond . . ." She scrambled to her feet and quickly brushed all the grass and leaves from her voluminous skirts so that she would look her best for him.
Upon hearing Catherine call to him, Gerald immediately headed in her direction. He took great care to school his features into an expression worthy of a man madly in love. When he finally caught sight of her, he quickened his pace, and when they came together, he swept her into an ardent embrace.
"My darling, I've missed you . . ." he declared before kissing her.
Catherine was thrilled by his avid display of devotion, and she surrendered willingly to him. All thoughts of Alex standing near
by were wiped from her mind as Gerald's lips found hers.
Alex grimaced as he watched them and wished most fervently that his aunt would tell Ratcliff to let her go. He had only met the man a few times before, but from the very first he'd known that he didn't like him. Alex wasn't sure exactly what it was about Ratcliff that made him so repulsive, and it didn't really matter. He just remained where he was sitting at the pond's edge, waiting for them to finally break apart.
After a breathtaking moment in Gerald's arms, Catherine regained her senses. She quickly drew away from her beloved, coloring a bit in embarrassment over her lack of control. He had only to touch her and she melted in his embrace, "No, Gerald . . ." she told him in a hushed voice. "Alex is here with me."
Gerald glanced up to see the boy watching them, and he had to fight hard not to order the brat back into the house so they could have some privacy. "I'm sorry, darling, but I was so glad to see you again, I couldn't help myself."
Catherine's blush grew even deeper at his declaration. "I know, I missed you, too."
Pleased with her confession, he tilted her chin up with one finger and pressed another kiss on her lips. "I'm glad."
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Catherine was dizzy with happiness. She thought him the most wonderful man in the world, and she was delighted that he'd made the trip out from London just to see her. Still, she knew she couldn't stand there in his arms forever. Especially since Alex was there with them.
"Shall we go inside and have some refreshments? I'm sure you must be tired after your long trip."
"It was a long ride, but worth every minute now that we're together," he told her smoothly as he slipped a possessive arm about her waist. "Let's go in and have a cool drink." He started to turn her toward the house, but she resisted a bit.
"Alex . . . Come on, dear. We're going in now."
"Do I have to? Can't I stay out here and play?" He hated having to go back inside, especially since Ratcliff was there. The farther away from him he stayed, the better.
Catherine was tempted to let him remain outside by himself, but her father's warning echoed in her mind. As much as she would have loved some time alone with Gerald, she couldn't risk her nephew's safety. "We can come back out again later. How's that?" She held out one hand to him invitingly.
Alex glared at Gerald, greatly resentful of his intrusion on their outing, but he did as he was told. He took his aunt's hand and accompanied her back up the path without further complaint.
The three of them went indoors, looking to all the world like a happy group. Had he been told of the impression, Ratcliff would have laughed happily at the success of his acting ability. He despised children and their ways. They were a noisy, bothersome lot, and though he knew that someday he would have to sire offspring to carry on his title, he had no intention of ever devoting more than a passing glance to any son or daughter he might father until the child was old enough to make adult conversation.
Crouching in the bushes not far from the glistening pool, Bo and Jack were fuming.
"Damn! We was so close!"
"I'll say we was," Jack seethed. "Now what do we do? Leave?"
"No! We wait. You heard her say they'd be coming back out later, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but she coulda meant hours from now . . ."
Bo bristled at his complaining. "You got anything better to do?"
"Well . . . I . . ."
"You want the money, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Then, shut up."
Chapter Three
It was almost dark as Alex sat on his bed in his spacious bedroom, holding his boat as he stared out the window. His expression was not a happy one as he watched the sun slip ever lower in the western sky. The day was nearly over and still his aunt Catherine had not come for him. Alex's bottom lip jutted out and his chin tilted in defiance of the hurt he was feeling but trying to deny. It had been bad enough that he'd been sent upstairs to eat dinner in his room all by himself, but he was really going to be angry if she broke her promise to take him back to the pond.
Unable to just sit and wait any longer, he jumped down from the bed and crossed the room to the door. He opened it and looked out, hoping to find his aunt on her way to get him, but the hall was deserted. There was no sign of her. Belowstairs he could hear the sounds of adult conversation interspersed with happy, easy laughter, and that intensified his hurt. Catherine's seeming betrayal played on Alex's already sensitive nature. He felt very alone. His grandfather was gone, and his aunt had completely forgotten him.
Alex closed the door. He glanced down at the toy ship he still held, and he made his decision. There was no reason to sit there and wait for her any longer. He wanted to go sail his boat, so he would. Leaving his room, he headed down the back stairway and went out of the house by way of the kitchen.
Downstairs, Catherine was walking Gerald to the front door to bid him good night. It was almost dusk, and since Catherine was unchaperoned, betrothed or not, it would never do for Gerald to spend the night at Huntington House. Convention dictated he stay at an inn. Luckily, there was one not too far away.
"You will never know how much I'm looking forward to our wedding," Gerald told her with a warm smile.
"Why is that?" she asked, gazing up at him, her aquamarine eyes mirroring the depth of her love for him.
"Because, my sweet, once we're married, I'll never have to leave you," he confided smoothly, slipping his arms around her waist and drawing her close.
Catherine's heart beat faster at his declaration, and she smiled up at him tremulously. "It won't be that much longer, Gerald, and then we'll be together always."
She sounded so hopelessly romantic that he had to fight the urge to smirk. He had won her and her fortune, and it hadn't even taken a serious effort on his part. Sometimes, he mused cheerfully, life really could be good to you.
"Yes, my darling Catherine, forever," Gerald vowed with convincing earnestness. He had no intention of letting his mask of devotion slip just yet. He didn't want to disillusion her. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her and certainly couldn't disrupt their wedding plans. "But for now, I really must go . . ."
They kissed good night then, a very chaste exchange, for they didn't want to give the servants anything to gossip about.
"Will I see you in the morning?" he asked.
"I'll be waiting," she responded with all the enthusiasm of a woman in love.
Gerald took his leave of her, and Catherine watched until long after his carriage had disappeared down the drive before turning back to the house. Her heart was light and her whole being was glowing with happiness. Wrapping her arms about herself, she sighed. Gerald was so handsome . . . so thoughtful . . . so wonderful. She believed herself lucky to have him.
Catherine's expression turned dreamy as she lost herself in fantasies of their wedding day. The gown was already being made—a high-necked, long-sleeved confection of white satin, Belgian lace, and seed pearls, and on that wonderful day when she would wear it, she would also don her mother's veil and the Huntington diamonds. She would be beautiful, and she would make Gerald proud to be her husband. She would become Lady Ratcliff that day, and eventually, she would be the Countess of Woodley. Catherine was determined to do everything in her power to please Gerald. She loved him, and she was sure theirs would be a marriage made in heaven.
Catherine was about to go into the parlor when she suddenly remembered her pledge to take Alex back to the pond. Knowing how much her nephew loved to sail his boat, she was sure he was still upstairs anxiously waiting for her. The stars in her eyes faded as a twinge of guilt assailed her for having forgotten him. She tried to justify her lapse by admitting to herself that she'd been overwhelmed by Gerald's presence, but she still knew she had better go to Alex quickly and make amends.
As Catherine started upstairs, she realized that Gerald had done one thing that had troubled her. Adore Alex as she did, she'd expected to have him eat with them in the dini
ng room. Gerald, however, had been adamant in insisting that the boy eat upstairs in his room. He'd claimed it would be more romantic for them to be alone, and while she knew he'd been right, she'd still hated to send Alex off by himself. Catherine made up her mind to make it all up to him now, and she hurried the rest of the way up the curving staircase to begin.
"Alex, I'm sorry I'm so late, but . . ." Catherine was saying as she knocked once lightly on his bedroom door and then let herself in without waiting for a response. She came to a dead stop just inside the door, though, when she found the room was empty. A quick look around told her that he was gone and so was his beloved boat. "No!" The word was a gasp as a haunting premonition jarred her. Without another thought, she pivoted and raced from the room.
"Hello, Lady Catherine. Can I help you with something?" Bessie, the cook, a plump, good-natured older woman, asked. It was unusual for Lady Catherine to come to the kitchen this late in the day.
"Yes, I was looking for Alex. I had thought he'd be in his room, but he's gone. Have you seen him?"
"Yes, my lady. He went out in the garden not too very long ago."
"Thank you," Catherine replied, then hurried after him glad to hear that he'd only left the house a short time before.
Bo and Jack couldn't believe their stroke of luck as they inched through the shrubbery ever closer to the place where the boy was playing. They were getting another chance! He had come out to the pond, and it looked like this time he'd come alone! They paused within striking distance just to make sure the woman hadn't followed . . .
Catherine wasn't sure exactly why, but she felt compelled to run. As soon as she left the kitchen, she gathered up her skirts and rushed down the path toward the pond . . .
Alex was so busy concentrating on the Scimitar as it sailed the vast sea of the reflecting pool and on the adventure its crew was experiencing in his daydreams that he took no notice of how rapidly darkness was falling or of the unusual rustling in the bushes nearby. He was having too much fun. There were pirates out there and they were about to board and . . .
