A Lord Rotheby's Holiday Bundle (86 page)

He bloody well did.

“
That can all wait until
later, Char,” Peter said from the head of the table. “It seems Alex
is ready to begin their journey. He couldn’t even be bothered to
eat his breakfast like a civilized man.”

True enough. Alex tried not to scowl.
“Er, yes. Well. Grace, are you ready? I believe a carriage awaits
us.” He shoved his chair away from the table and moved to assist
her. He had planned to discuss Priscilla and Harry with her
upstairs while they ate their private breakfast. Now that
opportunity had been taken from him. He wished they could have
discussed it before the wedding, but there’d been no time. Her aunt
had whisked her away to make preparations. Devil take it. He hoped
she would take the news well.

When she stood, the air carried her
scent to him. He would far prefer to carry her above stairs and
resume where they’d left off last night, but it would have to wait.
He wanted her alone, so the carriage would have to do.

His family followed them to the door,
with his sisters sniffling and simpering in their wake.

“
We have only just met
Grace, and you’re already taking her away from us.” One could
always count on Char for a touch of drama. “It’s just dreadful,
Alex. Couldn’t you stay in Town for a few more days? A week? The
rest of the Season?”

“
No.” He bit off the
word.

Sophie took Grace by the hand. “I’ll
write to you often.” The eldest Hardwicke sister pulled Grace into
a ferocious hug.

“
That is enough, girls,”
his mother said over the din. “Allow them to leave or they won’t be
at an inn by dark.” She slid in to replace Sophie and placed a kiss
on Grace’s cheek before whispering in her ear. Alex couldn’t hear
his mother’s words, but watched as a wave of relief passed over
Grace’s face. “Off you go, now. No more delay. Alex, if you
mistreat that girl, I’ll have you horsewhipped.”

“
Mama, I would put nothing
past you.” The woman was capable of anything.

His sisters squeezed Grace into a
tight hug full of giggles and squeals, eliciting a look of surprise
and bewilderment on her face.

“
Enough. We have to leave.”
Alex reached into the sea of feminine affection and plucked Grace
free. Peter and Neil ducked in to give her a quick peck on the
cheek each, causing her to blush profusely. Good Lord, he needed to
get a handle on himself or he would ravish her right there in the
middle of the street. She looked entirely too lovely when she
blushed.

He guided her up the steps of the
carriage and followed her inside. She sat in the center of the
bench facing front, leaving him no room to sit beside her. The
driver placed the steps inside and closed the door behind him.
After only a moment’s hesitation, Alex lifted Grace from her perch.
He seated himself where she had been and pulled her down onto his
lap, ignoring her indignant gasp, and then rapped against the
carriage wall to signal they were ready.

He waved to his family as the carriage
pulled away from Hardwicke House and took them toward Somerton.
Toward home.

He held his squirming wife firmly in
place and settled in for the two-day’s journey. Two more carriages
pulled in behind them—one housing Priscilla and Harry, the other
carrying their trunks and bags and other essentials. Life was
beginning to look up, indeed.

~ * ~

She thought she’d made herself clear
by taking up the center of the seat that she wanted him to sit
across from her and not beside her. Grace was mortified when Alex
sat her on his lap with his entire family watching. Of course, it
was a closed carriage. But there were windows. They could see
everything.

She struggled against him to free
herself from his grasp, but his arms were bands about her and she
couldn’t move. Once they were far enough away from Hardwicke House
she was absolutely certain beyond any doubt they could no longer be
seen or heard, Grace voiced her complaint.

“
Unhand me, my lord.” She
tried yet again to remove herself from his hold.

He tightened his grip instead of
loosening it and didn’t speak until she was still. “My name is
Alex.” His voice was soft. Too soft.

She twisted about to face him. “Fine.
Unhand me, Alex.” Her voice held far more venom than she’d imagined
herself capable of.

Instead of releasing her, he lifted
her from his lap, slid over to one side of the bench, and sat her
beside him. He kept a firm grip on her. Try as she might, she
couldn’t break his hold to move to the other seat of the
carriage.

Grace scooted as far away from him as
possible, but their bodies still touched. It was like they were
fused at the hip and thigh.

Alex sighed. “Have I offended you?
Have I hurt you? Why are you so upset with me this morning, Grace?
I can’t set something to rights if I don’t know what I’ve
done.”

How could she explain to him that he
was hurting her because he could never love her? That she was head
over ears in love with him—far more in love than she thought
healthy—and that his kindness and care, his protection, cut her to
the core? Her love for him could only lead to her own
heartache.

“
No, you’ve done nothing
wrong.” She couldn’t fault him for his lack of love for her. Even
her own father had never loved her.

But his family, the Hardwickes, had
accepted her without question. They had taken her in and made her
one of their own. And now she was leaving them behind. Grace left a
part of her heart behind with them. She could come to love them.
They were rather unlike her, but that was certainly not a fault.
The Hardwicke family loved each other and loved life. They were
exuberant with their love.

But yet, to come from a family so full
of love and life and excitement, somehow he couldn’t bring himself
to love her. What was it about her that made her so very
unlovable?

She resented that he would take her
away from them so soon. And that he did not seem to like the idea
of them coming to visit. His mother had whispered in her ear that
they would come to visit sooner rather than later just before they
departed. It was like the dowager could already read Grace’s
thoughts, like they already knew her and everything about her and
how she would be desperate to get to know them and spend time with
them.

But now, she would be isolated once
again.

Grace wondered if he would even stop
her aunt and uncle from visiting, if he would keep her shut inside
the house. He could, if he wanted to. It was a husband’s right,
after all, to do with his wife as he pleased.

She pressed a hand against her
abdomen. At least she would have this child. Children loved without
question—their love was unconditional. Her baby would love her,
even if no one else did.

Alex couldn’t take her child’s love
from her too. She wouldn’t let him.

They traveled for a while in silence,
each seething as they stared out their respective windows. He never
loosened his hold on her but occasionally pulled her closer to
him.

Then he turned to her. “One of the
carriages behind us carries a woman and her son. She will serve as
a nurse for our children.”

A woman? And her child? But no
husband? Unless…

“
You’ve hired your mistress
to work in our home and raise my children.” A statement, not a
question. “You’re allowing her to bring her child—your illegitimate
child—into my home. To be raised next to my children.” The hurt
tore through her. No wonder he would never love her. He already
loved another—already had a child with another. She jabbed her
elbow into his ribs as hard as she was capable.

He let out an “Oof!” and released her
long enough that she escaped his grip and moved to the other side
of the carriage.

“
I realize I have no say in
how you live your life, my lord, nor in the way you treat me. But
really. There is little you could do to hurt me more, than to leave
my bed to find that of your mistress.”

“
Grace, wait—”

“
No. No, I will not wait.
I’ll say my piece. You have gotten it from me that I love you, and
I can’t deny the truth any longer. I do. I love you more than I
know what to do with, and I desperately wish I didn’t. But since I
do, that gives you the power to destroy me.” She brushed her tears
away with impatience. “Living under the same roof as the woman you
prefer over me will do that. Please don’t ask it of me.”

“
Grace—”

“
Don’t do this. Don’t try
to explain it away or make me feel better or anything else. Your
honor deserves more, my lord.”

“
That is
enough!”

She flinched in her seat at his tone,
and hated herself for cowering.

“
She’s not my mistress, and
he’s not my son.”

“
Hmph.” She crossed her
arms over her chest and tried to assume the same haughty air from
only a couple of days before, but believed her fear showed through,
nonetheless. Grace’s chin quivered, however firm she tried to hold
it.

“
I admit, I have willingly
given that impression about Town, because it was easier that way.
They were safer that way. But the fact remains, I’ve never touched
Priscilla. We’ve never been involved in such a way.”

“
If that’s true, then who
is she? And why are you bringing her into our home?” And why on
earth could he possibly
want
to give off such an impression if it wasn’t the
truth.

“
She’s a friend. I’m her
protector. I don’t know what else to call our relationship. Several
years ago, she was the Earl of Barrow’s mistress.”

Grace sucked in an abrupt breath, but
bit her tongue to keep from speaking.

“
He wasn’t a kind man to
her, but she had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to, so
she stayed with him. Barrow was violent, and she feared what he’d
do to her if she tried to leave him. So she stayed. One time, Pris
discovered she was pregnant. When she told him, he beat her
until…until the baby was gone. Apparently, he didn’t want to have
to support not only her, but a child as well. When she discovered
she was with child again, she tried to hide it from him for as long
as she could. She could only hide it for so long. Her belly
rounded, and he knew. He beat her senseless and tossed her down a
flight of stairs. Then he threw her out onto the
street.”

“
Oh my.” How horrible.
Thank God she wasn’t married to him. How would she ever have
survived it?

“
Lord Sinclaire and I found
her crumpled in a ball beneath a streetlight. We took her to my
apartments and called a doctor to care for her. When she was well
enough, she told us the whole of the story. I went after Barrow,
but he’d left for the continent. When I came back, I promised
Priscilla I would always care for her and her child, despite
whatever else may happen in my life.” He paused and looked her full
in the eye. “When I make a promise, Grace, I keep it.”

“
Yes. I can see that you
do.” The poor woman. If, of course, he was telling her the truth
now. He could have simply fabricated the story as a lark, as a way
to convince her to change her mind. She would reserve judgment for
now.

They stopped to picnic for lunch. The
dowager duchess had sent a basket of breads, fruits, meats, and
cheeses with them. When the driver opened the door and set down the
steps, Alex alighted and then lifted Grace to the ground, holding
her close longer than necessary. She took in his scent again, mixed
with that of spring sun and wildflowers.

From one of the other carriages, a
young boy jumped down and rushed to her husband. “Awwiks! We passed
a lot of twees and wivews and stweams. And Mommy said I can go wun
about some after we eat and get wid of some of my enewgy because
I’m bound to make her cwazy. Can I?” He paused only long enough to
look over and see her. “Who awe you?”

But Grace’s attention was held rapt by
the woman being helped down from the same carriage. A very tall,
very strong footman lifted her down and set her gingerly on her
feet, then reached inside the carriage and brought down a walking
cane to place in her hands. She was really quite plain, yet
something about her was very intriguing. Dull brown hair, a
passable complexion, strong eyes. But not particularly beautiful.
With the aid of her cane, she slowly walked toward them. While her
gait was disturbed, she held herself with a proud
bearing.

Had Barrow had been the cause of her
affliction? Doubtless he was. Atrocious, evil man.

“
Grace,” Alex said as the
young woman drew near, interrupting her thoughts. “Might I
introduce you to Miss Priscilla Bean and her son, Harry?” He took
the woman’s outstretched hand and placed a very chaste kiss on her
cheek.

Miss Bean started to curtsy, but Grace
stayed her. “No, please. It’s unnecessary. Hello, Miss Bean. It’s a
pleasure to make your acquaintance. Lor—Alex tells me you’ve agreed
to be our nursemaid. I’m glad.”

Miss Bean smiled, and her face came
alive. “Lady Alexander, I thank you.”

Harry ran in circles about them,
occasionally tripping over his own feet and sending out a series of
squeals. His mother grabbed onto him with one hand. “Harry, meet
Alex’s wife. This is Lady Alexander.”