Taming the Wicked Wulfe (The Rogue Agents) (43 page)

“Quit being nice to me,” she cried.

“I can’t, you’re my wife.
 
I am to care for you in sickness and in health.”

“You tupped my sister!”

“Such language to come out of such a sweet mouth.”

“Stop,” she wailed, making herself even more sick.
 
Finally, she leaned against Thorn’s broad chest.
 
“Take it away,” she whispered.
 
Somehow he set it aside without ever letting her go.
 
He rubbed the cool cloth against her flushed face, across her chest, and down her arms to the tips of her fingers.
 

“I should have told you when I found out.
 
I am more sorry than you can know.”

“He hated us.
 
Despised us.
 
He loved her.”

“He can no longer hurt you.”

“We were only children.
 
What did we do that was so wrong?
 
Our baby is not the first he killed.”

“What are you saying?”

“Mama said she had more accidents than she could remember.”

“I am so sorry.
 
I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

“He’s gone now.
 
Thorn, I don’t ever want you near that woman again, do you hear me?”
 
Silence permeated the room.
 
“Thorn, did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” he said, but something sounded odd about his voice.

“You are planning on seeing her again, aren’t you?”

“She is Glandingham’s mistress now.”

“And he is your partner?”

“Yes.”

“So she is at the
Lady Luck
quite often, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Well…”

“What?” She pulled away from him ignoring her throbbing head and double vision.

“She is an agent for the Crown,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

“She’s what?”
 
She found her mouth being muffled by his hand.
 
She pulled away and laid back on the bed.
 
“I can’t believe this,” she rolled onto her side and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them.

“Let’s go home where we can talk about this.
 
You can yell at me all you want, and you can say things there that you cannot here.”

“Leave me alone,” she said, jerking away from his touch.
 

“I thought you trusted me,” he said.

“If you recall, I said I trusted you in what we were doing at the time, and that is all that I trust you in.”

“You trust me to see that you reach pleasure in bed, but that is all?
 
I thought this marriage stood a chance, but evidently your father is ruining it from the grave just as well as he could from here on earth.
 
I’m taking the children home.”

“Don’t you dare,” she moved too quickly and her head pounded and her stomach churned.
 

“They are my responsibility, as well.
 
You can’t even sit up on your own.
 
They need their own bed.
 
I will assure them you will be fine.
 
I hope that you figure out just exactly what it is you want, because I can’t keep doing this.
 
One minute you want me, the next you are blaming me for everything bad that has happened to you.
 
When are you going to realize that what I did, what we created, would have been good?
 
Your father is the one that tainted it.

 
“Don’t place me in the same grouping as your father.
 
I would have loved our child.
 
I would have married you years ago, if I had known.
 
I would have been faithful to you.
 
By now, we would have had a houseful of children.
 
Your father was a selfish bastard that could not see past his nose what he truly had, and he threw it all away.
 
Don’t become your father.
 
I was as much of a pawn in Fate’s game as you were.
 
I hope that you realize what you have before it’s too late, because I promise you I will not be tarred and feathered for the rest of my life for something I had no control over.”

The door clicked quietly shut.
 
Rebekah sobbed harsh, wracking sobs that filtered out the window and landed on her husband’s ears below as he left Gertrude’s house with the twins in tow.
 

Thorn knew the words he had spoken had been cruel, but he would be damned if he spent the rest of his marriage being compared to Hezekiah Johnson.
 
It was time she came to terms with all of the past and moved on.
 
Otherwise, she would turn into a bitter, old woman who pushed away everyone close to her and would be left alone in the world.
 
He looked at the twins
 
cuddled on either side of him in the rented hack and said a silent prayer that she would come to her senses, because he refused to allow the twins be raised in an embittered household.

***

Sobs ripped through Rebekah.
 
She rolled over, lying on her stomach, clutching at the pillows.
 
Thorn’s words kept playing through her mind, and she found that her heart ached more than her head currently did.
 
He was correct, and she knew it, but she was scared to let go of her bitterness.
 
She was frightened of opening herself up to feeling again, to hoping for a future that might not happen.

She felt a slight dip in the mattress, and quickly looked up see her mother sitting there, a look of such sorrow and compassion on her face.
 
Rebekah’s tears started anew, harsher than before.
 
She buried her head in her mother’s lap, something she had not done since she was a very small girl and cried until she had no more tears.
 
Rebekah saw a handkerchief dangle in front of her and took it, still sniffling occasionally.

“Your husband is right.
 
You are going to turn into a bitter woman all alone in this harsh world.
 
Do you want that Rebekah?”

“No,” she moaned, feeling an ache deep within her.
 
She tried to fight them, but more tears sprouted, this time silent.
 
Her mother played with her hair, soothing her.

“I was never more glad than when Hezekiah took his last breath.
 
I imagine I will spend my eternity in Hell for that.”

“No, you won’t,” Rebekah said firmly.
 
“He caused us all so much pain.
 
Such evil should not be allowed to walk among us.”

“But it does every day.
 
Rebekah, when are you going to admit it?”

“Admit what?”

“That you love Thornton?”

“You’re wrong.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You are,” she pushed up and away from her mother.
 
She got to her feet, holding to the bed post until her legs became firmer beneath her.
 
Rebekah crossed to the window and watched as the shadows began to deepen with the setting sun.

“Not all men are Hezekiah.
 
There are good men in the world.
 
Thornton is a good man.”

“Thornton killed his father!”

“You know better than that, young lady!
 
The old duke’s gun misfired while they were out hunting.
 
Only the rabble-rousers that thought Thornton too wild blamed him, namely Hezekiah.
 
That boy loved his father almost more than life itself.
 
If you had not gone to him that night, I don’t know what he would have done.”

Rebekah looked at her mother over her shoulder, about to argue, but unable to think of anything to say.
 
She returned to looking out the window.
 
The fresh air was doing wonders for her aching head, and she rested it along the window frame.
 
She breathed deeply of the fresh, rain-washed air.
 
Even with her mother in the room with her, she felt very much alone at the moment.
 
Oh, how she wished the twins and Thorn were here, hugging her and holding her.
 
She took in a shattered breath and rubbed a hand over her heart.

“You love him don’t you, dear?”

Rebekah looked over her shoulder at her mother.
 
“I’m not sure.”

“I think you are.
 
I think the thought just frightens you a bit.
 
Be strong and all will be well.
 
Now, why don’t you rest?”

“No, I think I should go home, to my family.”

“That’s my girl,” Edith smiled, stood and crossed the room.
 
She gathered her daughter in her arms and hugged her tightly.
 
“I love you, my darling girl.”

“I love you, too.”
 

“May I make a suggestion?”

“What is it?” Rebekah asked warily.

“Why don’t you wait until tomorrow.
 
Get yourself in order.
 
If you go now, you will only upset the twins.”

“Perhaps you are right.”

“Rest child,” her mother hugged her once more.
 
“I have so missed this.
 
Missed being able to hold you in my arms.
 
I feel I failed you on so many counts.”

“No, Mama.
 
He
failed us.
 
He
preached to others about being faithful and a good example, but he could not do it himself.
 
The Reverend fooled so many people over the years.”

“Yes, he did, but no more regrets and no more wishing to change the past.
 
We are moving on from this point, the both of us.”

“I’ve missed you more than I realized,” Rebekah said, clutching her mother tightly to her once more.
 
“Please, stay and talk to me.
 
We have so much to talk about, so much lost time to make up.”

“Yes,” Edith smiled for the first time in years.

Chapter 23

Thorn settled the children and the pups before he left for the evening.
 
The twins had begged him not to go, Ivy resorting to tears while Zachary valiantly strived not to shed any, though his bottom lip wobbled precariously.
 
They did not understand what was wrong with their precious aunt and automatically feared the worst.
 
That tends to happen when everyone you love begins to leave you.
 
You sit in fear of who will be next, and when it will happen.

Wulfe was in his room, with the assistance of Barkley, getting dressed for his meeting with Walsh.
 
He had sent a note to the peer saying that he had been unavoidably detained due to a family emergency, but would be there within the hour.
 
After that he would have to put in an appearance at the
Lady Luck
.
 
How had he come to resent an aspect of his life that he had so enjoyed at one time?
 
The gaming hell required he spend hours at the establishment that could be spent in the arms of his delectable wife.
 
And then there was the spying game.
 
Something he had once considered fun and intriguing now irritated him.
 
He found himself in a constant state of worry as to the safety of Rebekah and the twins.
 

“What the bloody hell has happened to you, old man?” he inquired of himself in the mirror.

“You’re a family man,” a voice answered back.

“What did you say, Barkley?”

“Having a wife and children change a man, my lord, whether he wants it to or not.”

“Since when have you called me ‘my lord’ in private?”

“Since that is what you are acting like.
 
You no longer act like the wild rogue that I was attached to as a batman in our early war days.
 
You have changed, grown up, if you will.”

Thorn ripped the cravat that he had unsuccessfully been attempting to tie from around his neck and threw the wrinkled mess on the bed.
 
He punched the wall in frustration and watched in dismay as his fist created a hole.

“Problems, my lord?”

“Shut it, Barkley,” he bit out while flexing his hand.
 
There were only some minor scratches and redness along his knuckles, the wall would have to be patched.
 

Barkley walked over, opened a drawer, and retrieved a fresh cravat.
 
“I think a waterfall will be appropriate for this evening,” the older man said before beginning to tie the cravat in the style he had mentioned.
 
“Now, going around punching holes in walls is not going to help anyone.
 
The mistress has had a lot to deal with,” he raised his hand to hold off whatever Thorn was about to say, “as have you,” he continued.
 
“I suggest you give her a day or two.
 
She is a smart woman, yet for some reason, she has set her sights on you.”