Regency Romance: Duchess In Distress (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance)

by Sarah Thorn

  ''Where?''

  She didn't know exactly. ''Er........''

  ''I can't come and get you unless I know where you are,'' he said.

  Yes, obviously, you half-wit, she thought. ''Sure. Just give me a second.'' She reached into the car and took out her map and instructions. ''I turned left at a signpost for Marshall's Cave a few miles back.''

  ''And did you get there yet?''

  ''Where?''

  ''To Marshall's Cave?''

  ''What is it exactly?''

  ''A village. Where our garage is,'' he said.

  ''Er...no. I didn't reach the village yet.''

  ''Then you'll be between the sign and the village,'' he concluded.

  Jess shook her head. ''Sherlock Holmes the second,'' she muttered.

  ''What was that?''

  ''Er.I just said, that's right.''

  ''Well stay put and I'll come and get you.''

  ''Thank you.'' Jess closed her phone.

  She sat on the fender and looked around her. She was in very rugged countryside. To the left of the road were pine trees and to the right, a sheer cliff face, stretching up for about sixty yards. Real mountain country she thought. As time went by, she wondered if the breakdown service would reach her before dark. Surely it couldn't be so far to the village.

  After an hour, she heard the rumble of a heavy vehicle up ahead. After a few seconds, she saw it rounding the corner. It was an old truck, covered in rust, with a platform and a winch at the rear. When it pulled up, the driver got out. She could tell by the voice it was the same man she'd spoken to on the phone. He was well over six feet, and Jess thought maybe two hundred and fifty pounds. He was too fat to wear a belt; his brown pants were held up by red suspenders. They matched his ginger hair and beard. He rolled the cigarette he was smoking from one side of his mouth to the other, and she saw how black his teeth were.

  ''Fiat. Not surprised you broke down. That ain't a car for mountains,'' he said as she peered under the hood. ''Bust radiator,'' he concluded. ''I'll have to take you back to the village on the truck.''

  ''Do you think you'll be able to fix it today?'' she asked, anxious to continue her journey.

  ''No, tomorrow.'' It's too late now. By the time we get back, it'll be time to go fishing.''

  Blissful, she thought. ''Is there somewhere to stay in the village?'' she asked.

  ''Yes, a good motel. It'll be fine for a night.''

  He positioned his truck in front of Jess's car and pulled it up a ramp and onto the back of his truck. ''Jump up, next to me,'' he said when he was finished. Jess had thought she would be able to sit in her car. ''You can't sit in your car, it's too dangerous. In the cab next to me,'' he said. She climbed in through the passenger door and sat on the seat. Inside it smelled of grease, cigarettes, and stale sweat.

  It was twenty miles to the village, and it took them forty minutes. The further they drove, the more spectacular the scenery became. ''Were are you from?'' he asked.

  ''Seattle, I'm a student. Law.''

  ''Ah I studied law.'' She looked at him in disbelief. ''Don't believe me?''

  ''Er.....you just seem to be so suited to what you are doing now,'' she said.

  ''Well, I'm a law graduate. But it's an awful subject. It's much nicer staying up here in the mountains, helping young women in distress.'' She felt him look at her legs which were bronzed and shiny.

  ''Yes, I'm sure you're much happier here,'' she said.

  ''Where are you going?''

  ''To a cabin seventy miles away. For a small vacation.''

  She felt him looking at her, this time, her top. She wished she'd put on a T-shirt and not a vest. She felt suddenly very vulnerable.

  ''Well, when we get to Marshall's Cave, I'll take you to the Motel and show you to your room. If you need a bit of company I could...''

  ''No I'll be fine, thanks,'' she said, trying to discourage him.

  The truck rumbled up the mountain slowly. Too slowly for Jess. She wanted to get to the Motel out of this guy’s way.

  ''What's your name?'' he asked.

  ''Jess.''

  ''I'm Brian.''

  ''Where did you study law, Brian?'' Jess wasn't really interested but thought that asking him questions might stop him looking at her.

  ''Bethel Business School.''

  ''Business School? How did you study law there?''

  ''Er..... So what's a lady doing going on vacation alone?''

  She knew he'd lied to her about his law degree. Why pretend. Insecurity, she thought. ''I'm not going to be alone,'' she lied.

  ''Ah. Pity, I could have visited you.''

  ''Listen, Brian, it's very kind of you, but I just want to be left alone, okay.''

  His eyes narrowed as he looked across at her. ''I was only trying to be friendly, that's all.'' He swept his hand over his long ginger hair and spat out of the open window. ''I didn't mean anything by it.''

  Jess was relieved when she finally saw a house and then another. They drove into the village which appeared to be built a single road. She saw a cafe, a grocery, and a hairdressers before Brian pulled into a yard littered with wrecked cars. ''This is it,'' he said enthusiastically.

  When Jess jumped out of the truck, she saw a huge Doberman bouncing towards her. ''Brian.....'' she shouted.

  ''Bonsai, leave,'' he told the dog. Jess let out a long slow breath when the dog obeyed and decided to cock its leg on the truck instead.

  ''Where's the Motel?'' she asked, impatient to get out of his way.

  ''Half a mile that way,'' he pointed.

  ''I just need some things from the car, and then I'll leave you to it and come back tomorrow.''

  ''I'll have the car off the truck in a moment. What do you need from it?''

  ''Just overnight things.''

  He looked at her and stroked his beard. ''Clean underwear,'' he said, a hint of smut in his voice.

  ''Just get the car down,'' she said impatiently. When he did, she grabbed a bag and a bottle of water and headed out of the yard. The village came to an end before Jess saw a motel. Half a mile he'd said. She decided to walk a bit further as the road ahead bent off to the right. Maybe it's round the corner, she thought.

  It was and when Jess saw it, her heart sank. There was nothing pleasant about it at all. Built in the fifties, it consisted of a square building, with a row of rooms to the left and right. A few of them were boarded up. Who stays here, she wondered? She saw herself waking in the middle of the night covered in bites from whatever bugs were sure to be in the rooms. ''Jesus,'' she said when she realized that she had no choice.

  ''Room for one,'' the old man said, beads of sweat covering his forehead. The reception room had a flat roof and inside it was like an oven. It also smelled of dogs.

  ''Er.....yes, thanks. Why are some of the rooms boarded up? she asked.

  ''Old crime scenes,'' he replied.

  ''Excuse me, but what does that mean?''

  ''It means that at some point in the past, something untoward has happened in one of the rooms, and the police needed to investigate.''

  ''But surely, you would reopen them?''

  ''You don't know the local cops,'' He said flicking his hand across his forehead. ''When they search a room, they trash everything. I can't afford the repairs.''

  ''What kind of untoward events have happened here?'' she asked.

  ''Someone was murdered in one of the rooms and in another, they caught a drug dealer.''

  Jess looked at the man and decided she would rather sleep rough in the woods than in his motel. ''It's okay, thanks,'' she said when he handed her a key. ''I've changed my mind.'' He nodded as if she wasn't the first guest to have changed their mind. She would walk back into the village and ask at the grocery store. There was bound to be a bed and breakfast not far away. When she walked out of the Motel, she saw a sign on the road she hadn't noticed before. ''Coombe Hill - 2 Miles. Uncle Jimmy, she thought.

  ''Dad,'' she shouted into her cellphone. It was a poor rece
ption.

  ''Honey. What's up?''

  ''I've broken down.'' She realized she hadn't spoken to her father for a while, and he had no idea where she was.

  ''Where are you?''

  ''I rented a cabin for a few days, and I was on my way there, but the radiator in the car broke, and I'm stranded near a place called Coombe Hill. Doesn't Uncle Jimmy have a cabin there?''

  ''Near Coombe Hill? Yes, he does. You went there once when you were little.''

  ''There's a motel here, it's awful. Do you think Uncle Jimmy would mind if I stayed in his cabin for a night until the car is fixed?''

  ''I'll call him and ask, but I'm sure it will be okay.''

  Jess put her bag on the grass verge and sat on it. After a few minutes, her father called back.

  ''I can't reach Jimmy. But take it from me, it'll be fine.''

  ''Great. How do I get in?''

  ''There's always a key under the watering can to the left of the front door. Listen, get a cab and tell the driver you want to go to the cabin at Water Creek, Coombe Hill. I hope you'll be okay.''

  Jess looked down the road and saw Brian's truck coming towards her. ''I'll be fine dad. Thanks. I'll call you when I get there, okay?''

  ''Sure, honey,'' he hung up.

  Brian stopped the truck and leaned out of the window. ''Don't like the motel?'' he asked.

  ''It's not very inviting. I've found somewhere else.''

  ''Need a ride? There aren't any taxis around here.''

  Brian reminded her of the sort of man that plays hilly-billy bad men, in cheap movies. He would be perfectly cast as a rapist or a serial killer. ''Do you know where Water Creek is?'' she asked, concluding that she had little choice.

  ''Sure do.''

  As he drove away, she felt him looking at her again. Not just a lustful glance, the kind of look she was used to from men, but a lurid, languid stare that invaded her.

  ''How far is it?'' she asked.

  ''Five minutes,'' he said. She was happy it was not longer.

  He slowed down and turned the truck into a lane to the left of the highway. It was dry, and she closed the window as the dust kicked up. After a few hundred yards the road entered a wood and began to descend towards a lake. Jess could see the lake at the bottom of the road, and she could see a cabin next to it.

  ''Why are you stopping?'' she asked as he slowed. He didn't reply. When he switched the engine off, Jess decided it was time to run. She didn't trust him, and she didn't like the way he was looking at her. She threw the truck door open and jumped out, but she forgot her bag and had to climb up to reach it. When she felt his hands on her hips, pulling her from the truck, she screamed. A few birds flew from the trees and somewhere a fox called out.

  ''Come on Jess, you're so pretty, you know you want it,'' he said nuzzling his hairy, sweat covered face, into her neck. She stamped on his foot, but he was wearing steel toe caps, and it hurt her more. Jess was young and fit, but he had a massive weight advantage, and he was able to manhandle her with ease. When he threw her against the front of the truck, he almost knocked her unconscious. Just as he was about to put his oil-stained hands onto her breasts, somebody shouted.

  ''Leave her alone or I'll blow your dumb ass brains out,'' he said as he let off the safety catch on his rifle. Brian looked at the man, backed away, and put his hands up.

  ''Are you okay, Miss?'' he asked.

  ''Yes, just a bit breathless.''

  ''Get in your truck and go and if I ever see you again, I'll shoot you. Is that clear?'' Brian nodded as he pulled his huge frame into the truck.

  ''Uncle Jimmy?'' Jess had been studying his face. Her father hadn't been able to reach him, and she hadn't thought he would be at the cabin.

  ''Jess? Jess,'' he hugged her. Now he knew it was his best friends daughter; he wanted to put a bullet between Brian's eyes, but he decided he would deal with him later. ''My God, I haven't seen you for years,'' he tried to think when the last time had been. ''It must have been ten years. What are you doing here? In the middle of nowhere.''

  ''Make me a cup of tea and I'll tell you,'' she said.

  As they walked down the hill, he put his arm around her shoulder, and she put her arm around his waist. ''He would have raped me if you hadn't been there,'' she concluded.

  ''Perhaps, I'll sort him out later. We still have to get your car back. Don't you worry about him anymore.''

  They arrived at the cabin, and it was just as Jess had remembered it. It was built of pine logs and had a veranda around it. It had a slate roof and a chimney made of local stone. She remembered the view over the lake, and she remembered the small wooden jetty that they had use to dive off when they'd swum.

  ''Come in,'' Jimmy said opening the glazed door.

  ''Oh it's beautiful,'' she gasped, looking around the interior.

  ''Well, I do my best to keep it nice.'' It was open plan and consisted of a kitchen, dining and lounge areas. On the floor, there was a large red rug and the walls were decorated with pictures Jimmy had taken of wildlife in the area. ''Sit down,'' he pointed to a leather sofa. Jess slumped onto it and sighed. ''So what brings you here?'' he asked, lighting the stove.

  ''I rented a cabin about sixty miles from here and I was on my way there for a short vacation, but my car broke down and left me stranded in Marshall's Cave.'' She watched a goose land on the lake. ''I remembered you had a cabin here, and I called dad to see if I could spend a night here. I'm really sorry I didn't know you were here. I didn't mean to intrude.''

  Jimmy popped his head around the corner. ''Intrude? You’re the daughter of the best friend I've ever had. Why do you think you would be intruding?''

  ''I don't know. He told me where the key was, I thought you might be angry. It feels like I'm using you.'' He came from the kitchen and put two chunky mugs on the table in front of the sofa.

  ''Nonsense. Now let's have a look at you.'' He stood back and looked at her. When he did, he regretted it. That was the kind of thing one said to a young kid or your mother after you hadn't seen them for a long time. It wasn't the kind of thing you said to a buxom young woman who oozed sex appeal. He remembered her platted hair, her round glasses and the awful iron braces she'd had to wear. Now all he saw was the most beautiful face imaginable, a vest hardly able to conceal its luscious contents, and a pair of short shorts from which two long shapely legs protruded. He dropped his eyes, embarrassed to look at her anymore.

  ''Uncle Jimmy, you look great,'' she said.

  ''Let's drop the uncle, shall we? You don't have to call me that, now you're an adult. I mean, I'm not your uncle.''

  ''Okay. But do you know, you look great. Why haven't you got a wife? You could get anyone you wanted.''

  ''Ah,'' he sighed. ''Missed opportunities, shyness, lack of self-belief.''

  ''You? Shy? I don't believe it.''

  He went to get the tea. ''Men can be shy, you know,'' he shouted as he took the kettle from the stove. Another goose landed on the water, irritating the one that had landed there a few moments ago.

  ''Sure they can. But you? I always thought you were a man for the ladies. A man without fear.''

  ''Well, last time you saw me you were just a kid. Perhaps your knowledge of men wasn't that good then.'' They both laughed.

  ''Maybe not. It's not that good now,'' she said.

  He sensed a moment of sadness as he came with a teapot and a plate of cookies. ''Why do you say that?''

  ''Because I was with a guy for years and I trusted him. I thought we would get married.''

  ''And?''

  ''I found out he was cheating on me, with a college tutor.''

  ''Well then, he's plainly an asshole. I mean who could refuse a woman like you?'' He said it to lift her spirits but realized he was doing something he shouldn't be. Flirting with her.

  ''Uncle Jimmy,'' she said in mock surprise. He was tall and muscular; he'd always been like that. He still had a full head of dark hair, now with a hint of gray. His eyes were still vivid blue, and hi
s faded jeans made his legs look long and slender. Maybe he had a few more lines on his forehead, but his face was still lean and attractive. ''Are you lonely?'' she asked, taking a cookie.

  ''I've never thought about it.''

  ''But you're in your forties and still not settled. You deserve to be. You'd make a great husband.''

  ''How do you know?'' he asked curiously.

  ''Because you're hot.''

  He laughed. ''You're just like your mom,'' he said.

  ''And how was she?''

  ''Sorry, I didn't' mean to....''

  ''I was tiny when she died. I never really knew her, so I don't get upset by talking about her. These cookies are good,'' she said, taking a second.

  ''Your mom was like you, very beautiful. Far too beautiful for your father,'' he chuckled. ''She was forthright and honest, and a wonderfully warm woman.''

  ''You and dad ought to go and find a wife each. What's the fun in living alone?''

  ''None, but I suppose you get used to it. Your father and I go bowling each week and sink a few beer together on Friday evenings.''

  ''But Uncle Jimmy, sorry Jimmy. That's yawn, yawn, BORING. You need to put some oil in the engine and get moving. If you and dad went to a club or two, you'd be surprised how many women would throw themselves at you.''

  Jimmy laughed at her enthusiasm. Her eyes opened wide as she spoke and he could see she meant what she said. ''Now there's a thought. Women on their knees begging us to dance with them.''

  ''They would do,'' Jess said. ''You and dad are good men, far better than a lot of scumbags,'' she was reminded of Jake and fell silent.

  Jimmy finished his tea and looked out over the lake. The sun was beginning to set over the trees on the far bank, but it was still very warm. ''You've had a hell of a day. Why don't you go for a swim?'' he asked.''

  ''That's a great idea,'' Jess said. ''It's years since I swam in a lake. Oh, but I haven't got a costume.''

  ''Underwear or in the buff. I promise I won't look,'' he said.

  ''Yes. I think I will.''

  The cabin had two bedrooms and Jimmy showed her to a single room with a bed, dressing table and chair. ''Make yourself at home here. I'll get you a bath towel.''