Enticing the Weary Warrior

by Tammy Jo Burns

  “Come, let’s see what adventures the rest of this house holds for us,” Liam said, smiling and holding his hands out to the two of them.

  They grabbed their boots and shoes and padded out of the room in their stockinged feet. Megan could feel the odd stares the staff gave them, but did her best to ignore them. They inspected the rest of the first floor which had a rather large conservatory attached to the back of the house. It contained rose bushes, several fruit trees, and many varieties of flowers that promised a riot of color upon blooming.

  “I think this could well become my favorite room in the house,” Megan sighed pleasurably. “It’s almost like you can be outside all day, every day, regardless of the weather.”

  “Perhaps we should have some more comfortable furniture placed in here rather than just those benches,” Liam suggested.

  “Where would you put them? Every bit of space is full of plants.”

  “I’m sure we can arrange something.”

  Megan looked doubtfully at him.

  “Look what I found!” Paddy held up a wiggling worm for them to see.

  Once the worm was tucked safely back into the dirt, Megan said, “Show us the rest of the house.”

  “As my lady commands,” he bowed before leading them out of the room. They returned to the front of the house and ascended the grand staircase.

  She found the second floor to be much more personable and the rooms slightly more to her liking. There was a parlor that was painted a light blue. The furniture was still delicate, but not as terrible as the pieces downstairs. A beautiful library, that could easily double as an office, had bookshelves on two walls filled with books on every topic one could hope to read. A large fire place was centered on the wall that faced the front drive between two windows. It reached the ceiling and was beautifully engraved with what looked to be scenes from Greek or Roman mythology. At the opposite end was a large oak desk. The furniture in this room was more like the gaming room downstairs and included both chairs and several divans.

  “All right, my second favorite room,” Megan said.

  “But you do not have the patience to sit and read,” Liam taunted.

  “In this room, I just might be tempted. Besides, I believe I saw several books over there on horse breeding.”

  “Of course you did,” Liam sighed.

  The rest of the floor contained bedrooms. There was the suite for the owners of the house. Each bedroom in the master suite contained an ensuite that had a water closet, a table with a pitcher and basin, and a full size bath. Megan noticed a hole in the copper tub and pointed it out to Liam. “What do you think that is?” she asked.

  “I had the same question. Evidently the person who owned this house before was very forward thinking. The water still has to be heated downstairs and brought up, but you plug the hole with this,” he held up a round piece of cork with a chain running through it. “Then you pull the chain and it drains into a pipe that allows it to run outside.”

  “How clever!”

  “Yes, and there is some sort of contraption that works on pulleys and ropes that lifts a platform between the floors so that the water gets here faster and there is less work for the servants.”

  “A house of contraptions and gadgets. I love it!” Megan exclaimed. “I’m glad Prinny bestowed this house upon you,” she said sincerely.

  “Yes,” Liam agreed.

  They continued with the tour and found almost a dozen more bedrooms located on floors two and three. Floor three also had a huge nursery, with forgotten toys left behind. Paddy raced to the toys and quickly began playing.

  “Upstairs you will find the rooms for the staff and then an attic above those,” Liam explained as they watched Paddy play.

  “Hmmm,” Megan said in agreement.

  “Perhaps we should look at hiring a nanny or governess to help with Paddy.”

  “Do you not think I can take care of one child by myself.”

  “If you would just listen—”

  “I took care of him for over three years and did very well.”

  She watched as Liam pushed away from the doorframe and exited the nursery. She stepped into the hall and called out, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  He paused and turned to look at her. “I’m not going to stand here and fight with you, Meg. You evidently know best and have had more experience with raising a child than I have.”

  “Yes, I do,” she agreed, as if needing to confirm his statement.

  “Then I bow to your superior knowledge and leave you to it.”

  “You don’t have to sound so cavalier about it.” His words stung her more than she wanted to admit and she knew she was spoiling for a fight.

  He turned back to her once more, having walked to the landing of the staircase. A good ten feet separated them, but it might as well have been a deep chasm. “Megan,” he began patiently, “I was merely thinking about you. You’re going to be busy with both horses for the next few months, as well as adding horses to their number. I just thought it would be easier for you if you had some help. I will not always be here to help with Paddy.”

  “Running away again?” she taunted.

  “You’re never going to forgive me, are you?” he asked with a self-deprecating chuckle.

  “Should I?”

  “Until you do, you will always think that every time I leave I won’t be returning.”

  “Can you blame me for thinking it?”

  “No,” he sighed the answer. “Megan, I had merely been thinking that I’ll have to put in an appearance at Parliament as well as other duties that are now tied to my title.” His right hand tunneled through his hair while his left hand rested fisted on his hip. He let out a pent-up breath. “I’ve already told you I’m not going to apologize for my decisions. I do apologize for hurting you, but I refuse to spend the rest of my life being damned for every decision I make and everything I say.”

  Megan watched him turn and descend the staircase. She spent several seconds worrying her lower lip before she crossed to the banister. “Liam,” she called halting him.

  He paused and turned to look up at her. “Yes?”

  “I would appreciate it if you could inquire about a nanny or governess.” She gripped the railing until her knuckles turned white.

  He nodded instead of verbally replying then turned to continue down the stairs.

  “Liam,” she called out again. When he turned and looked up at her, she could see the wary uncertainty in his gaze as well as the weariness. It seemed just as she thought she had moved on and let go of the past, some little demon inside her would raise its wicked head and prompt her to say something. She decided then and there she would do everything in her power to exorcise that demon.

  “Meg?” he queried when she continued to stand there.

  “I just wanted to say thank you, and I’m trying to be better, I truly am.”

  “You’re welcome, and I know you are. You have a lot to forgive. I don’t know that I could do the same. I’ll be back for dinner,” he said and turned to continue down the stairs.

  Megan bit her lip to keep from demanding to know where he was going. Perhaps this was part of the forgiveness and the exorcism—learning to trust that when he said something he meant it. And perhaps she did not have to know where he was all the time. “This is going to be so bloody hard,” she whispered to herself before turning and rejoining Paddy.

  Chapter 19

  Liam arrived home by the promised time. He never told her where he had been. He had simply disappeared for several hours and then reappeared. If he were trying to teach her a lesson, she was not the best of pupils. It took every fiber of her being to keep from questioning him while they ate as to where he had been. Thankfully, Paddy ate with them and chatted almost non-stop about the new house and his new bedroom.

  “Paddy, are you ready for bed?” Megan asked the little boy.

  “No,” he said around a yawn.

  “I think you are,” she laughed. �
��Say goodnight to your Papa.”

  “Goodnight, Papa. I love you,” the boy said easily, going to Liam’s side, forcing the man to push his chair back and allow him to scamper onto his lap. He hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

  Megan saw that Liam was visibly affected by this action. He blinked hard and fast and wrapped his arms around Paddy. She heard him whisper gruffly back the words Paddy had just spoken to him and her heart melted a little more. At the same time, she ached to hear Liam speak those words to her. She blinked rapidly herself to erase the film of moisture that blurred her vision.

  “Come…” She stopped and had to clear her throat before continuing. “Come, Paddy.”

  “Yes, Mama,” the boy said happily, unaware of the tension in the room. The boy smacked a kiss on Liam’s cheek one more time before climbing down and crossing to Megan. “G’night, Papa.”

  “Goodnight, son.”

  “I’ll see you in a bit, Liam,” she said softly, but the big man remained silent and looked thoughtful.

  Megan took Paddy upstairs and readied him for bed. She tucked him in and told him a story. She stayed, softly singing Scottish ballads until he fell asleep. Megan placed a kiss on his forehead and crept out of the room so as not to wake him. She then walked softly downstairs and into the suite she would now share with Liam. There was a sitting room that you first entered and then you had the choice of two doors. The one on the right was the lord’s chamber and the one on the left was the lady’s chamber.

  Megan stiffened her spine, crossed the room, and firmly gripped the doorknob to the lord’s chamber. She found the room empty and the bed unoccupied. Disappointed, she shut the door and crossed to the other one. She held her breath hopefully, but once again, the room was empty. Perhaps Liam regretted their intimacy with so much between them left to fix. Megan entered the room and gently closed the door.

  She readied herself for bed, stripped off all of her clothes, and crawled beneath the covers of the bed. She hated sleeping in clothes, the way they trapped her in her sleep and caused her to overheat. After several months of waking with her night rail clinging to her damp body, she had found it much easier to just sleep without any clothes on at all. Megan lay staring at the ceiling listening for any sound that would notify her that Liam had returned to his room and that he might come to her. She found her body ached for his touch. Emotionally, she missed his presence.

  Sometime later she heard one door close and then another. Megan turned her head and saw the soft glow of light coming from Liam’s bedroom, but instead of him joining her, the light was snuffed out a short time later. For a few minutes, she propped herself up on one elbow, watching and waiting, desperately hoping he would come to her. That he would take her into his arms, make love to her, and whisper the words she so badly needed to hear. Then she could tell him how she felt as well. But none of that happened.

  Megan fell back to the bed and stared at the ceiling once more, a hollow ache pierced not only her heart but her stomach. Her entire being felt empty and alone. Some time passed, and she decided she would not lay there a moment longer, dejected and in misery. Paddy might wake up afraid being in an unfamiliar room. She threw back her covers and retrieved the dreaded night rail. She pulled the piece of clothing over her head and let it drop around her slim hips. Already her skin felt as if it would rebel from having the material touch it. She ignored the feeling and pulled on her robe. Minutes later, she entered what would be the governess’ bedroom in the nursery. Someone had made the bed, but instead of crawling between the covers, she simply laid on top and at some point, finally fell into a fitful sleep.

  * * *

  They continued in this manner for the week that followed. Another race came and went with Legend being victorious. Jim, the new jockey, was doing an excellent job with the temperamental horse. He did not try to dominate him as the other jockey had. Instead, he read Legend’s mood and used it to his advantage. They were a team, and Megan enjoyed watching them practice and race.

  The day after the race, they interviewed for a governess for Paddy. When Paddy heard the news, he immediately fell into a tantrum the likes of which Megan had never witnessed before.

  “I thought you loved me,” the boy said between sobs.

  “We do,” Megan said.

  “No, you don’t!” the boy yelled. “You’re going to get rid of me just like Uncle John did.”

  Megan picked him up and settled him in her lap, although he was fast getting too big for her. “Paddy, love, what happened when they hired a governess for you?”

  “They never talked to me anymore,” he whimpered.

  “Paddy, that’s not going to happen here,” she said. “We’re getting a governess to help me, that’s all. There are going to be things that I have to do with the horses, and as Lady Brookdale, that keep me from always being with you. The governess that we hire will help me with you.”

  “I can take care of myself,” the little boy argued mutinously.

  “Remember when you woke the other night having a nightmare?” She waited until Paddy nodded. “I can’t always sleep in the nursery with you.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “Well…” she said, blushing.

  “Perhaps Paddy and I should have a man to man talk,” Liam said from the doorway. “Megan, if you’d leave us for a bit.”

  “You can’t just dismiss me,” she said, spoiling for a fight. Instead of arguing with her, he walked to her and removed Paddy from her lap. Then he forced her to stand, took her lightly by the shoulders, and gently pushed her out the door and into the hallway.

  “Wait downstairs in the formal parlor.”

  “You can’t just order me about like—” her words were cut off by the door being shut in her face. She heard a click and reached for the knob only to find it locked. She slapped the door once in irritation and followed with a kick for good measure.

  “Leave us, Meg,” she heard the muffled words through the door.

  She crossed her arms and tapped her foot staring at the door in anger.

  “Meg,” she heard threateningly.

  “Fine,” she said, throwing her arms up in the air and stalking away. Upon entering the formal parlor, a maid appeared shortly.

  “My lady, shall I show in the first applicant?”

  “Applicant?”

  “For the governess position, my lady. Lord Brookdale has them waiting in the dining room.”

  “Oh. I guess perhaps you should.”

  The maid bobbed and quickly left the room. She returned moments later with a matronly looking woman who appeared to have a rather sour disposition.

  “Lady Brookdale,” the woman curtsied appropriately.

  “And you are…”

  “Mrs. Wood,” she replied succinctly. “I must say, my lady, I have never been asked to wait in a dining room.”

  Megan felt as if the woman chastised her. “Well, Mrs. Wood, we do not always do things as one might believe we should.”

  “Hmph,” the woman said crossing her arms.

  At that moment Liam entered the room with Paddy. The boy’s face was splotchy and his eyes were red, but he had stopped crying. He looked up at Liam and he nodded in the direction of the empty chair. Paddy crossed the room and quickly crawled up into the chair.

  “Mrs. Wood, this is my husband, Lord Brookdale.” The woman stood and curtsied respectfully. “And our son, Patrick, but we call him Paddy.”

  “And why is he not in the nursery?” the older woman asked.

  “Paddy had a bad experience with a past governess,” Liam supplied the answer. At hearing this, Megan’s head shot up, and she looked between Paddy and her husband. She raised a questioning brow in Liam’s direction. What was going on and why had she not been told about this? Why had Paddy felt the need to confide in Liam and not her? She saw Liam surreptitiously lift a hand indicating he would explain later. Megan knew she would have to be satisfied with that for the time being.

  “But that d
oes not explain why the child is here and not in the nursery, my lord,” Mrs. Wood argued.

  “Paddy is going to be involved in all the interviews,” Liam clarified. “Since the woman we hire is going to be working with him every day, he made a valid point that he should have some say in who is hired.”

  “That is ridiculous,” the woman’s head snapped up in agitation.

  “Ridiculous or not, Mrs. Wood, that is how it is going to be. We are a family and we make decisions together,” Liam said.

  Despite his ignoring her for the past week, except when he was forced to talk to her, Megan felt her heart melting bit by bit. Damn him, she thought, for caring so much for a little boy’s feelings that he could just as easily walk away from.

  “Well, I’ll not work for such a household that will make itself the laughingstock of the ton.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” Liam said. “I’ll have Angus show you to the door.” The butler had been waiting outside the room and quickly showed the older woman out. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Paddy and Megan were left alone. “Paddy, why didn’t you tell me you were treated harshly by a governess?”

  “I wasn’t,” the little boy muttered.

  “But Liam said—”

  “Papa made that up. He said it sounded better than me being scared you’d leave me again.”

  “Oh, Paddy, I promise, I’m not going to leave you again.” Megan stood and crossed the room, dropping to her knees in front of the little boy. She cupped his swollen face in her hands and brought his eyes up to hers. “I want you to know that I never wanted to leave you to begin with. I loved you from the first moment I set eyes on you when you were just a wee little thing. I’ll always love you, no matter how many other children come into my life. Do you understand?”

  Paddy nodded before wrapping his arms tightly about her neck. “Papa also said that if I wanted a brother or sister, you would have to stay with him at night.”