The Debutante's Escape: Western Historical Romance (The Debutantes of Durango Book 1)

by Peggy McKenzie

  Perhaps some chamomile tea could help her sleep. Where was that bell to ring for service? She padded on bare feet across the soft carpet, her nightgown flowing around her legs, to where she had seen John ring for Mary earlier.

  There it was. On the wall next to the bedside table. This was such a modern convenience. Even her father hadn't managed something so nice as this. He just bellowed and servants came running.

  She pulled the ring attached to the cord and waited. Soon, she heard a door close somewhere and footsteps clipped across the hallway's polished wood floor.

  “Ma'am, did you need something?” A woman Regina had not seen before stood at the doorway of her bedroom.

  “Yes, if you don't mind. I know it's late, but is it possible to get a cup of hot chamomile tea? It seems I'm having trouble sleeping tonight.”

  “Of course, ma'am.” The woman curtsied and turned to leave.

  “Do you know where John is…I mean Mr. Kingston, my husband?” She hated to sound as if she were hunting him down, but she was desperate to know if he had heard any news whether she had been discovered missing yet.

  “Yes, Mrs. Kingston. He's downstairs in the main lobby. It seems there is a rather irate gentleman looking for someone. He even has the sheriff in tow, but don't worry. Mr. Kingston is very good at diffusing drunken louts without violence. It's one of the reasons his employees have such faith in him.”

  Regina's heart pitched against her chest. “I see,” was all she could manage between her trembling lips. So, her father had found her. And so soon. Had he suspected she would run to John? But how would he know that? As far as he knew, she and John never even spoke to each other except all those years ago when he had defended her honor and walked her home.

  She had always been so careful to make certain he didn’t know about their weekly meetings. That would have meant the end of her friendship with John.

  She couldn't hide here in the security of his home and leave him to weather her father's wrath alone. “What is your name?” she asked the woman at the door.

  “Hazel, ma'am. Is there something else I can do for you?” the young woman inquired.

  “Yes, Hazel. You can help me dress. I fear I must go and help John—Mr. Kingston—with the man downstairs.”

  The woman's face left no doubt she thought the idea ludicrous. “I can assure you, Mrs. Kingston, your husband is quite capable of handling riffraff such as—”

  “Under normal circumstances, that may be true, but if my hunch is correct, this is no run-of-the-mill riffraff causing trouble downstairs. It may be my father coming to look for me, and he is ruthless when he believes himself to be slighted. Now, please. Help me get dressed.”

  A sense of urgency rolled through Regina making her words sharper than she intended.

  “Of course, ma'am. I’m sorry. I didn’t know the troublemaker, I mean, I didn’t know it was your father causing the trouble—”

  The young woman quit talking when she realized what she had said and rushed into the room and opened the armoire where Regina had hung her dress. Just as she was about to step into the skirt, a door slammed down the hallway.

  She cut a look to Hazel. “Who can that be?” She prayed it wasn’t her father because that would mean—

  “Regina? What on earth are you doing?” John appeared in the doorway and didn’t look any worse for his altercation.

  “I was coming to help you. I heard there was an irate man looking for someone and causing a loud commotion. Am I wrong in guessing that commotion you encountered downstairs was my father?”

  “You are not wrong, but there’s no need to worry,” John said. “He won’t bother you. At least not tonight. I’m certain he will try again tomorrow, so we will just have to be ready to show him a united front.”

  Regina nodded, then saw Hazel standing by the door. “I suppose I could still use that cup of hot chamomile tea, Hazel. If you don't mind,” she added so it made it feel more like a request than an order.

  “Of course, Mrs. Kingston. I’ll have it for you right away. And, if I may, the staff and I want to wish you both much happiness. Mr. Kingston announced your recent nuptials downstairs just a moment ago and everyone here at the hotel couldn’t be happier for the two of you.” The young woman curtsied and left the room.

  “So, you were coming to my rescue, were you?” John grinned at her and she knew he was teasing.

  Regina's heart stumbled at the sight of him leaning against the bedroom doorway. There was something about his dark good looks that made her think of the pirates she had read about in books. Perhaps it was his beard and longish hair…or perhaps it was the strength she sensed hiding beneath his gentle demeanor.

  “I heard there was a ruckus downstairs and I knew immediately it was my father,” she said.

  She knew pirates were dangerous men and yet she fancied herself in love with the likes of them. She knew it was because they seemed so wild and free. Unlike her, they were master of their own destinies, deciding what direction to go next. Kind of like John, and without him, she would still be at home under her father’s authority.

  “Yes, he wanted the sheriff to search the hotel to find you. It seems someone saw you entering the premises this afternoon. Perhaps one of the members of the prestigious Ladies Club of Durango?”

  “I didn't see anyone around that I recognized, but I suppose it's possible someone saw me and I didn’t see them,” she admitted. Why hadn't she been more careful not to be seen?

  “It’s of no consequence,” John reassured her. “Sooner or later, we would have had to come out in the open about our marriage. Your father’s antics just made it that much easier, that’s all.”

  “Yes, our marriage,” she mused. “What will you tell everyone when I leave Durango for parts yet undecided? I admit I didn’t quite think out the details through to the end.”

  She watched John hesitate before he spoke. “What do you want me to tell them”

  Regina thought about his question. “I think I would like for you to tell everyone that I wanted my freedom more than I wanted security. It makes me sound more adventurous and independent than timid and afraid. Don’t you agree?”

  When he didn’t answer, she changed the subject. “How did my father take the news?” She didn't have to ask to know he had caused a scene, but her morbid sense of curiosity demanded details.

  “As you might expect,” John said. “He was quite displeased that I had the audacity to sully his daughter with my presence since I was not the highbrow son-in-law he had hoped for.”

  Regina heard the bitterness behind John's words, and she felt the sting of guilt that she had put him in the position to have to deal, once again, with her father and his insults.

  She approached him and lay her hand on his forearm hoping to give him comfort. “I'm sorry he belittles you, John. You don't deserve his acrimony.”

  John searched her face. For what, she wasn't sure. She just hoped he knew she didn’t share her father's opinion of him. Of course, he knew. She had made it clear she trusted him. Believed in him. Valued him.

  “I hope you still feel that way when I tell you the rest of the news that will be all over Durango by Tuesday afternoon, dear wife.”

  “What news?” Regina's anxiety returned. “What could possibly be worse than my father hunting all over Durango for his wayward daughter causing embarrassment to the both of us?”

  “I would think the fact that his daughter is now married to the man he despises and who has usurped his business aspirations as Benjamin Scott’s overseer.”

  Regina's heart pounded inside her chest and her breath hung in midair as if her lungs were paralyzed. This was much worse than she could ever have imagined. “Oh, John. What have you done?”

  John watched the shock on Regina's face turn to fear. No, not fear. Fear was a manageable emotion. This was pure terror. He couldn't stand to see her so afraid. Especially since this latest battle with her father was his doing.

  “What did you do? W
hat are you saying? Did you speak to Mr. Scott and tell him things about my father that would prevent him from hiring him?”

  He could see the realization on Regina’s face before he got the chance to answer her questions.

  “No, Mr. Scott is a very smart man. He would be able to see right through my father’s pretentious flattery. So tell me what you are talking about. Please, I can’t stand the suspense any longer.”

  “Regina, sweetheart. Please don't look so stricken. Your father's bark holds no bite for me. Or you. He can do nothing to us. It is his pride that has taken a beating, but he’ll get over it in time. You will see.”

  John was certain he spoke the truth about Regina’s father. The man had nothing to recommend him to the community or Ben Scott and his investors.

  “John, you truly don't understand the way my father's mind works. He has done some terrible things when he has been bested by someone he considers beneath him. And he considers everyone inferior to his perceived social standing and therefore, his worth. He is not a man to be trifled with. He can be very coldhearted and cruel. I’ve seen him destroy men for far less than what he thinks was the theft of his daughter. Oh, John, I fear you have made a huge mistake in underestimating my father.”

  He watched his wife's bare feet pace back and forth in agitation. “Regina, please don't trouble yourself on my behalf. Not about this. I can handle your father. Don't you trust me?”

  John had to admit Regina's doubt stung his ego a bit. After all, he was much stronger and more streetwise than Henry Beckett ever thought of being. When it came to a fight, whether in the street or in the board room, Henry Beckett was no competition.

  “John, you don't understand. My father plays by his own set of rules. Devious and conniving rules that leave him the only winner. And his opponent destroyed. No, John. I'm not worried about what you see coming. I have no doubt you can take care of yourself. What I am afraid of is what you won't see.”

  John's pride pricked again. “Is it your father’s subterfuge or his chicanery you think me incapable of recognizing before it’s too late? I can assure you Regina, I did not get where I am today by being naïve or easily caught off guard by the likes of—”

  “John. You misunderstand what I am saying.” He watched her float toward him in her gauzy nightgown, her face etched with worry. She placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him with dark eyes that never failed to mesmerize.

  “My father will not play fair. He will undermine you with your business associates behind your back. He will whisper words of doubt about your integrity to them, and he will not rest until he has ruined you, both financially and personally. I should never have asked you to help me. Now you will pay the price.”

  John wanted to reassure Regina he wasn't afraid of her father or anything he might do. He had solid backing from many of the town's elite businessmen because of his own honest dealings with them, but also because they hated Henry Beckett's condescending attitude toward most of Durango’s establishments. That man caused trouble wherever he went.

  No, John wasn't afraid of her father. He knew he could hold his own with likes of him. What he was afraid of was that his wife may one day agree with her father, if he failed to win her love before she found out the truth about his own treacherous behavior.

  The thought made his stomach roil. Perhaps if he told her now. Threw himself at her feet and begged her to understand just how much he loved her. No. It was too early for that. He must keep his composure. He just needed a little bit of time. Time to build upon their friendship. Time to make her fall in love with him.

  “John? Are you listening to me? I’m afraid of my father’s retribution against you, and—”

  John placed a finger over Regina's lips to stop her words. His eyes followed his fingers to her mouth and the impulse to lean in and kiss them was almost too strong to resist. He took a deep breath and raised his gaze to meet her troubled one.

  “Regina, I’m not afraid of your father.”

  He watched as Regina stood and began pacing across the floor again. Her slender bare feet peeking out from underneath her gauzy nightgown with each step forward. John remained silent and waited for what came next.

  Regina stopped and turned to face him. “So tell me what you mean when you said you usurped my father’s business aspirations. Maybe it isn’t as bad as my imagination perceives.”

  “Mr. Scott hired me as his investment overseer. And, he’s paying me very well for protecting his money.”

  Regina squeezed her eyes closed as if his answer pained her in some way.

  “I had no idea you were wanting Mr. Scott’s overseer’s job. Won’t that mean you will have to be at Mr. Scott’s beck and call?”

  John nodded. “Yes, that is customary.”

  “And, as your wife, won’t I be expected to entertain for you and Mr. Scott and his investors…and their wives?”

  He could see Regina’s mind spinning with consequences.

  “Yes, that is expected too, I suppose,” he admitted begrudgingly.

  “I see.” Regina continued pacing back and forth across the floor, worry plain across her face.

  “And does my father know that Mr. Scott has made his decision and chose you as his overseer?”

  “No, I took pity on him. I thought his public humiliation at knowing his daughter is now married to the son of a con artist was enough for one night. There will be time enough for him to learn the rest of the truth on Tuesday when Mr. Scott makes the announcement before he and his son leave town.”

  “I see.” She paced around the room a few more times and then stopped in front of him. “How good are you at dodging bullets, John?”

  He watched her study him. Unsure if she were serious or not, he grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows in jest. “I’m pretty good at it. I had to be growing up on the street. And, I’m not bad at throwing a few myself.”

  She continued studying him and then she grinned back. “And you say my father’s face was an alarming shade of red when he heard the news?”

  Encouraged by her response, he agreed. “Yes, it was. Quite alarming, actually.”

  “That’s very good to hear.” Regina walked toward him and took his hands in hers. “John, you were there when I needed you. You helped me out of a most dire situation. What kind of friend would I be if I did not answer the call when you need my help?”

  Guilt threatened his resolve. He had thought the greater good would outweigh his temporary deceit. But now, looking into the eyes of the woman he loved, the woman who trusted him completely, how could he keep the fact about their marriage from her?

  “Regina…” Fear at her reaction to the truth tied his stomach in knots. “There's something I should—”

  She placed her fingers against his lips and looked up at him. “Say no more. I will be happy to play hostess for you in front of Mr. Scott and his investors. It’s the one thing I’ve been trained to do. I did not suffer through all those endless lessons on how to be a good wife, a good hostess, and a good manager of my household staff for nothing. Besides, I do not want it to be said I was not a good pretend wife when I am gone.”

  John took her hand and kissed the fingertips that lay against his mouth. He turned her hand up and kissed the palm of her hand. He wanted to continue up her slender arm to her shoulder. Her neck. Her mouth. Instead, he stepped back and looked her in the eyes.

  “I would never accuse you of not being a good wife, Regina. Pretend or otherwise.” He could only hope Regina would say the same about him when she learned the truth about their marriage.

  She smiled at him. “Good. Now, I am exhausted from the day's events and I would like to go to bed.”

  Surprised at her abrupt change of topic, he gave her a quick bow. “Very well, I will leave you to your bedchamber, madame.”

  “Leave? What? Where are you going?” Regina's surprise surprised him.

  “I—I assumed, I mean I planned to sleep in one of my guest rooms tonight.”


  “You can't do that. How will that look to your staff in the morning if we are sleeping in different beds? Tonight is our wedding night, John. Have you forgotten?”

  No, he definitely had not. But he had never, not even in his wildest imaginings, dreamed this night was possible.

  “Now, no more talk. It’s getting late.” Regina gave him a cheeky grin and pulled him toward the bed.

  Chapter 8

  Regina heard the faint rattle of dishes somewhere close by. Sleep cobwebs faded and she opened her eyes to her strange surroundings. For a moment, she was confused about where she was, and then memories of the day before came flooding back.

  She sat up in the large bed and took stock of her surroundings. The pillow next to hers held the indention of John's head, but where was he?

  The sunlight filtered through the lace curtains leaving a lovely pattern across the carpeted floor and brocade bed covers. She could see speckles of dust floating in the air, swirling and circling before falling to the floor.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Kingston. I trust you slept well.”

  Regina whirled to see Mary across the room setting up a breakfast tray on a small wooden table with the most beautiful stained glass lamp set atop it.

  She pulled at the covers and discretely searched for signs of John, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  “Mr. Kingston just left to go downstairs to talk with his accountant, Mr. Farnsworth,” Mary explained, as though she’d read Regina’s thoughts. “He ordered breakfast and said he would return in about twenty minutes.”

  “Thank you, Mary,” Regina blushed. She knew what the woman was thinking, but wasn't that the whole point of her and John sharing the bed last night?

  “Here's some coffee if you would like a cup before Mr. Kingston returns. It’s nice and hot.”

  “Again, thank you, Mary. I would love some coffee after last night’s—” Regina stopped short, realizing how her words sounded. She had been referring to John's stand-off with her father, but she knew what Mary was thinking.