Captivating the Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love)
Page 14
Chapter Twenty-One
“It’s just occurred to me that perhaps you would have preferred a ride this morning, instead of a walk.” Hawk sauntered alongside Lizzie, her arm in his as they meandered through the garden. The summer flowers were beginning to wilt.
The grounds at Hawkins Manor were well kept by a staff of gardeners, but this small flower garden had been his mother’s pride and joy for as long as he could remember. With her straw hat protecting her delicate skin, she took to the area each day and dug in the dirt like no other countess he knew.
“In my hurry to leave Wycliff Manor I did not bring all of my clothing with me. I’m afraid my riding habit was one of the garments I left behind.”
“Ah. At least that is one problem I can fix very easily for you. Once we resolve all your issues with the Home Office, you shall visit the modiste and have an entire wardrobe made.” Hawk wasn’t certain of his ability to be a good husband, having eschewed the matter for years, but his pockets were deep enough to provide his wife with all the material goods she desired. Hopefully, that would be a start for Lizzie.
“I am glad you brought that up.” She turned and tilted her head to look up at him, the fire in her eyes intriguing.
A gently reared lady who was able to rescue herself from the clutches of the Home Office and disappear for two years was no demure miss. Lizzie had a steel backbone and was not shy about making her thoughts known. He envisioned many scrapes over the years, with all the wonderful ways they could make up. “Why is that, sweeting?”
Lizzie raised her chin. “I do hope it is not your intention to assume you may direct my life. You left instructions with your mother on how much I was to eat, and now you have practically ordered me to visit with a modiste. Admittedly, I am under your control regarding your orders from the Home Office, but I assure you, I will not tolerate being dictated to in my everyday life.”
Hawk grinned at her, which immediately had her shoulders stiffening. Yes, many scrapes, indeed. “I will be your husband. As such, I am responsible for you. By law I must feed you, clothe you, and provide a roof over your head. Should you get into any sort of trouble, it is my duty to correct the situation.” He patted her hand. “You will no longer be alone, Lizzie. I am your champion now.”
She nodded. “True, and I appreciate that, especially the ‘not alone’ part. However, I shall be the one to decide when I visit the modiste, which articles of clothing I shall have made up, and how much food I eat.”
“Of course. My apologies if I have overstepped.”
That must have been the right thing to say since her body relaxed, and the tight lines on her face softened. She glanced away, but not before he glimpsed tears filling her eyes.
They continued their stroll in silence, both lost in their thoughts. “After making a fuss about visiting the modiste, I now find myself chagrined, and low on clothing, since the few gowns I managed to bring with me are wrinkled messes despite Lady Honora’s maid’s best efforts at pressing them.”
“Perhaps my sister has a gown or two you may have. With the bills I am forever presented with, she must have an immense wardrobe.” He looked her up and down. “You are a bit taller and more filled out than Honora, but I’m sure her lady’s maid can alter something for you to bring with us to London.”
“Thank you, I believe I will take you up on that offer.”
“See. I am not so very difficult to deal with, am I?”
“Um, sometimes.” She grinned, despite the obvious effort she was putting into not doing so.
She looked adorable, and unable to help himself, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion he’d been holding in since they’d arrived at his home. But it would do no good to allow that free rein since there was nothing he could do about it. He pulled back and scattered kisses over her jawline and up to the softly scented skin under her ear. “We will marry as soon as we arrive in London. Cam will have the special license by then.”
Her body pressed against his, telling him she was as aroused as he. “How? I thought our presence in London was to remain a secret?”
Hawk pushed backed the curl that had come loose. “Cam will arrange to have a vicar at his house.”
“It is nice to have connections.” She smiled, and they continued their walk.
He hoped his connections would keep Lizzie out of prison. As his countess, her status would increase, and it would be harder to prosecute her. However, treason was prosecutable even for lords, so it was not a guaranteed solution.
It remained their best strategy to gain access to Loverly’s townhouse and search the place for whatever it was the person attempting to kill Lizzie wanted. If they had a name to go to the Home Secretary with, the Home Office’s interest in Lizzie would end.
“I am anxious to get this straightened out,” Lizzie said. “I feel quite refreshed after a good night’s sleep, and I don’t think I require another day to recover.” She looked up at him. “May we leave for London tomorrow? I’d rather get this entire thing over with.”
Hawk studied her. “Are you sure? One more day won’t make a great deal of difference.”
Lizzie sighed. “Another day of worrying. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of where Father would have papers or anything else that could incriminate another person. Aside from the safe, which I’m sure the Home Office found a way to open, there is no other place.”
Hawk patted her hand as they climbed the steps back to the house. “Once we arrive at the townhouse, something might come to you. Don’t forget you’ve been gone for two years. Seeing the place might bring back memories you’ve pushed aside.”
“I certainly did push memories aside. They were much too painful.” She shook her head and moved ahead of him to enter the house.
…
Dinner was a pleasant affair. True to his word, Hawk had approached Honora about relinquishing a few gowns to Lizzie. She and Honora had spent the afternoon with the seamstress, choosing gowns and having them altered.
Honora’s gowns were much prettier than the gowns Lizzie had been wearing for the past two years. What suited her as a governess would certainly not do in her future life. That was, if her future life did not include taking up Newgate as her residence.
They settled on a few day dresses and one evening dress. Thankfully, Honora’s coloring was similar to Lizzie’s, so the gowns they chose looked fairly well on her.
In fact, Lizzie rather enjoyed how Hawk’s eyes lit up when she joined the family for drinks before dinner in the drawing room.
With his full lips set in the crooked smile she liked so much, he crossed the room as soon as she entered, took her hand, and bowed. “My dear, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Admittedly, the beautiful rose-colored soft muslin gown with small roses and green leaves embroidered around the neckline showed her off quite nicely. Lizzie was more endowed in the bosom than Honora, so while the seamstress was able to let the bodice out a bit, it was still too small, which had the effect of squeezing her breasts together and making them rise much farther above the neckline than had been intended.
If she had any doubt about the fit of the bosom part of the gown, it was immediately dismissed when Hawk had a hard time moving his eyes from that area. Lizzie dipped her head and lowered her voice. “My lord, I believe you’ve forgotten where my face is located.”
A naughty smile and riveting stare suggested he was quite pleased with where his eyes had landed and that he would much rather drag her upstairs than spend any more time in his mother and sister’s company. She tapped him on the arm with her fan, a flush rising above her bodice to cover her face. “Behave yourself.”
He patted her hand where she had placed it on his arm. “I never do, which you will soon find quite entertaining. Along those lines, I am quite pleased we are leaving for London tomorrow.” He stared straight ahead. “If Cam wishes to retain my friendship, he better be in possession of that license and have a vicar on call.”
I am your champion now.
The words calmed her as she glanced at Hawk who was speaking with his mother. It was hard to believe this handsome, well thought of, and very much coveted man among the young ladies of the ton would soon be hers. He glanced over at her, and his smoldering eyes and crooked smile melted her insides. With him by her side, things would certainly go much smoother.
Dinner was finished, and they had retired to the drawing room. While she, Hawk, and Lady Hawkins chatted, Honora entertained them with her pianoforte skills, which were quite remarkable. The music did much to soothe Lizzie’s anxiety about their trip the next morning.
“What are your plans to straighten out this little misunderstanding between the Home Office and dear Lizzie?” Lady Hawkins’ description of the terror Lizzie faced almost made her laugh. Leave it to a woman secure in her place in Society to refer to possible charges of treason, a visit to Newgate, and a public hanging as a little misunderstanding.
Hawk took the last sip of his tea and placed the cup on the saucer. “As for the little misunderstanding hanging over Lizzie’s head, I believe there are damming documents among the papers Lord Loverly left behind that will help us in our cause, if we are able to find them.”
“What sort of papers?”
“Ah, that is the conundrum. We are not at all sure what it is we are searching for. Since there have been attempts on Lizzie’s life, I assume there is something damning that whoever wishes her dead believes would incriminate him. A letter, a journal, some sort of written word. The key to solving the entire puzzle is to learn who that person is, clear Lizzie, and see that individual punished for his crime.”
“If you do not know what it is you are searching for, how do you intend to find that crucial evidence?” Lady Hawkins pointed out.
“I’d rather not say.” Hawk held up his hand when his mother began to speak. “If anyone from the Home Office comes here after we are gone and questions you, it is better if you do not know our plans. They cannot trick you into revealing something you don’t know.”
Hawk stood and reached out for Lizzie’s hand. “And now, I believe my betrothed and I will take a short stroll in the night air before we retire.” They crossed the drawing room and left the house through the patio doors.
“Look at that beautiful sky. It is such a lovely evening.” Lizzie took in a deep breath and admired the stars covering the sky like a jeweled canopy.
Hawk turned her and took her in his arms. “I am too taken with the beauty in my arms to notice anything else. ’Tis a shame to waste such a lovely night as this without a kiss.”
Lizzie slid her arms up his chest to circle his neck. “Indeed?”
“Yes.” Hawk lowered his head and devoured her mouth. He moved his palm down to her lower back and nudged her against his warm body.
A crack sounded in the air, and something slammed into Lizzie’s flesh. She slumped in Hawk’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Lizzie!” Hawk gripped her body as she fell against him. He immediately scooped her into his arms and rushed into the house. “Mother!”
Lady Hawkins jumped up from her seat. “Whatever is the matter?”
“I believe Lizzie has been shot.”
His mother sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her hand. “Good heavens!” She shook her head and waved toward the sofa in front of the fireplace. “Lay her there so we can see how serious the wound is.”
Hawk placed Lizzie gently on the sofa. She was pale and unconscious, and a fine sheet of sweat beaded her upper lip. His stomach muscles tightened as he carefully rolled her to one side. A small hole in the flesh of her upper arm oozed blood. “It doesn’t look serious. I’m going after whoever it was who fired the shot. Take care of her and send for the physician.”
He bolted from the room through the patio doors. The chance of him catching the culprit was slight since he had enough time to make an escape, but he must try. The scant moonlight provided enough light for him to search the garden. As expected, the perpetrator was long gone. He followed fresh footsteps in the damp earth as he made his way to the front of the Manor.
Squatting, he fingered marks on the pebbled pathway leading to the house that indicated a horse had recently ridden away. He dusted his hands off and stood, turning in a circle to view the expanse, holding still to listen for any sound. Nothing. Frustrated, he strode to the front door just as one of the footmen was leaving. “I am going for the physician, my lord.”
“Yes, take a carriage to bring him here, it will be much quicker.” Hawk returned to the library, where Lizzie remained pale and unconscious. His mother dabbed at the wound with a cloth.
He turned to Honora, standing very still as she studied her mother, her face as pale as Lizzie. “I will take her upstairs to her bedchamber. Please have one of the maids meet us upstairs so she can undress her to prepare her for the doctor’s visit.” When Honora remained fixed in one position, he barked, “Now.”
“Yes. Of course.” Honora made a quick escape as Hawk picked Lizzie up, careful not to jiggle her. She moaned, and her eyes fluttered open. Thank God she was awake. Although she would now feel the pain, at least he didn’t have to worry about her not awakening.
“What happened?” Lizzie’s voice was soft and strained. “My arm hurts like the devil.”
“Hush, sweetheart. You were shot. The doctor is on his way, and a maid will assist you to remove your clothes.”
“Shot?” She turned her face into his chest. “Our man is determined, is he not?”
He frowned at that somber comment, and he carried her upstairs, his mother in front of them carrying a candelabra. When they arrived at her bedchamber, Honora and a maid awaited them, the bedcovers already turned down. Hawk eased Lizzie onto the bed and stepped back, studying her. Her eyes remained closed, but the slight flickering behind her eyelids told him she was awake.
There had not been enough time between the attack at the inn and this attempt for their culprit to learn that the inn attack had been thwarted. The assumption remained that the man behind all of this had sent more than one person out, covering both Wycliff’s home and Hawkins Manor.
It followed that there was someone watching his London townhouse, as well. The plan to hide at Cam’s house was a good one. As soon as Lizzie was able to travel, they would head to London and get to the bottom of this mess.
“I will leave you to prepare for the doctor.” He turned on his heel and left the room. He was falling short on his promise to keep her safe.
That did not sit well with him.
Memories of Monica came back to taunt him with how ineffectively he’d protected his sister. He would not allow anything to happen to Lizzie. He would not have another woman’s death on his conscience.
He headed to the library and poured a snifter of brandy. When they departed for London he would bring several outriders with him and push to make it a one-day trip. They would go straight to his townhouse, and then immediately he and Lizzie would go out the back door and meet another—unmarked—coach to take them to Cam’s house.
The situation was becoming nasty. There was a very nervous person who was desperate to find the evidence before they did. He wandered the library, sipping on his drink and planning. He turned as one of the newer footmen, whom Hawk wasn’t familiar with, entered the library. “My lord, the physician has arrived.”
“Thank you.” He downed the last of the brandy and headed to the front door. He nodded at the man standing in the foyer holding a satchel. “Thank you for com
ing so quickly, doctor. If you will follow me, I will take you to my betrothed, who is in need of your services.”
“Yes. May I ask the nature of her ladyship’s illness?”
“No illness. She has been shot.”
The doctor frowned and followed Hawk up the stairs.
Hawk knocked lightly and opened the door at Honora’s summons. Lizzie lay in the bed in her nightgown, the covers drawn up to her neck. His mother hovered over her, fluttering, looking distraught. Lizzie turned toward him when he stepped into the room.
“How do you feel, my dear?”
She held out her uninjured arm, and he moved toward her. She took his hand and tugged him down, speaking softly. “I am very frightened. Whoever this is knows exactly where we are. How can he do that?”
Hawk brushed back the curls from her forehead. “I believe two men were sent to find you. One to Wycliff where he knew you were, and one here, in case I brought you to my home.”
“But you were told to bring me to London.”
“Our culprit has decided to allow for all contingencies.”
Lizzie’s eyes grew wide. “That means someone will be at your townhouse as well.”
He hated the tears that welled in her eyes. “Do not fret. I assumed as much and have that covered. Now I want you to do what the doctor tells you, so we can be on the road as soon as possible.” He kissed her hand and stepped back, gesturing to the doctor. “I will be downstairs awaiting your report.”
He’d slipped up once again, not considering someone would be here since he’d been ordered to bring Lizzie to London. The fiend had been one step ahead of him, and that didn’t sit well. Never again would anyone harm his betrothed. It mattered not what he needed to do. He had Cam, and if necessary, he could drag Bedford and Templeton into it. The four of them had brought down Loverly; now the four of them would protect his daughter.