The Mischievous Bride (11 page)

Jane nodded, her bottom lip trembling. A hush hovered over the room. After a minute, Lizzie turned to Milli. “Do you mind staying here for a few minutes? I have something I need to do, and I don’t want Jane to be alone.”

Jane frowned. “I can be by myself. I am not an invalid.”

Milli saw the paleness of the duchess’s cheeks. The lady was still very ill. “I will stay with you Jane and that’s that.”

A sad chuckle escaped from the duchess’s lips. “I hear and obey, Master.”

Milli laughed. “Go on, Lizzie. I have everything under control.”

Milli watched her sister leave, then took the chair beside Jane. Her friend looked small and helpless in the huge bed.

Milli squeezed Jane’s hand and noticed it was warm. Hiding her frown, she let out a wry chuckle. “Did I tell you the duke is to go shopping with Gabby and Marcus? I daresay, all of London will be talking about it. Imagine, the overbearing duke on a shopping expedition with a six-year-old girl leading him around by his finger.”

Jane slipped her hand from Milli’s and turned her head to her side. All at once, she let out a painful sob and cradled her face in her hands. “Oh, Milli . . .”

Grief cut through Milli’s heart like a knife. “Don’t cry, dearest. I will help you get through this. Everyone will. You’ll be better soon, and then we shall go shopping. Perhaps we can take you to Bath for the waters.”

Jane blinked back her tears. “Oh, Milli, do you ever feel sad? You are always so full of energy and joy.”

Milli tried not to frown as she thought about last night when Marcus had wounded her with his words. She still felt the ache in her chest.

She squeezed Jane’s hand again. “I do have times when I am sad, but then, I think of all the good things in my life. But I vow, you will be better soon. Don’t give up so easily, especially when you are feeling ill. Roderick loves you so much. I daresay you are the luckiest woman in the world to have so much love from one man.”

Jane closed her eyes, letting the tears leak past her lids. “D-do . . . do you think he still loves me?”

Milli sat up. “Why ever not?”

Jane gazed at her with sad eyes. “You know why? I cannot give him an heir. He is the duke. He must have an heir.”

“You will give him an heir, and if not,” Milli shrugged, “I doubt he cares. He has an entire family to provide an heir to the dukedom. Three other brothers, as a matter of fact. Besides, do you think if you had a girl, he would love her less?”

Jane gulped back another sob. “No . . . I suppose not. If he h-had a little girl, he would shower her with love.”

Milli nodded, her face determined. “Exactly. So, don’t you believe any of those silly things spinning in your mind. You have your entire life ahead of you.”

Marcus stood outside the hall, listening to Jane and Milli.

The door was open a crack, and he needed to ask Roderick a question about Shelby before their shopping extravaganza with Gabby. He had thought the duke had returned to Jane’s bedside after their conversation in the library. Obviously, he had been wrong.

He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. In fact, he hated it when people listened in on other people’s conversation, but he felt rooted to the floor when he smelled a hint of lavender and heard Milli’s authoritative voice, telling Jane that all would be well.

He smiled to himself. Milli had been that way with Roderick too, which had impressed his brothers.

Hell’s bells. His little princess had grown up. She was no longer a child. The tiny female was not about to let anyone she loved flounder in despair. What a woman.

As the ladies’ conversation drifted in and out, he stared down the hall, thinking about Shelby’s murder. His jaw clenched. The thought of Milli in danger sent his pulse racing. One way or another, he was going to be that lady’s bodyguard, whether she knew it or not.

He was about to leave when a question from Jane pulled his attention back to their conversation.

 “Did you have a spat with Marcus? I noticed he was not in an agreeable mood when he came in from the gardens last night.”

 “Spat?” Milli replied, her voice rising. “It was more of a fight.”

Jane’s light chuckle drifted to Marcus’s ears. Even if it was at his expense, he felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

“I thought it was something like that,” Jane replied with a tired sigh. “Perhaps you can tell me about it . . . a little later.” Jane’s words were slowly fading into a bare whisper. “I’m so tired, Milli . . . I think . . . I might just close my eyes . . . for a few minutes.”

“You do that, dearest.” Milli’s voice was warm and comforting. “I shall be right here. You can depend on it.”

I shall be right here. You can depend on it.

Marcus thought about those words as he walked back to his bedchambers to ready himself for the shopping gala with Gabby. Milli might be impulsive and bold, but her heart was pure as gold.

He scowled, slamming the door to his bedchamber. If some fortune hunter thought he was going to marry her and abuse her, the man had another thing coming.

“I think I would like one purple and one pink, Uncle Marcus.”

Milli stood with Cleo tucked in her arms as she watched from the staircase while Marcus stood in the downstairs hall, patiently waiting for Gabby. The little girl was making faces in the mirror, preparing herself for their outing.

Milli frowned. When she had left the duchess’s bedchambers, Stephen had been waiting outside the room like a lion stalking his prey. With a deep scowl etched across his handsome features, he had taken her aside and given her a two minute lecture that had burned the tips of her ears.

He had noticed the previous evening that she had not made her way to the supper room at the ball, and from his bachelor days, he knew what that meant. Milli was horrified to think that Stephen had guessed her whereabouts.

She had told him how sorry she was. Yet she was humiliated he had come to her with such information. The Clearbrooks were quite protective of their ladies, and Milli was no exception. Stephen was her guardian, after all. He hadn’t asked her who the man was, he just knew there was someone who had kissed her last night, and her blush had told him plenty.

She was relieved he had no idea who had kissed her. She wondered how he would react if he knew it was both Knightengale and Marcus.

But according to Stephen, any gentleman who wanted to court her would have to ask his permission first.

Milli shifted Cleo in her arms. She was livid. If he thought—

The sound of a little girl’s laugh pulled Milli back to Gabby and Marcus.

Marcus was bending over Gabby, helping her tie the ribbons of her bonnet beneath her chin.

Milli stroked Cleo’s fur and blood surged to her face when she thought about his kiss. So, it meant nothing to him except to teach her a lesson?

Her mind still echoed at the harshness of his words last night.
You are a spoiled brat, and it’s time someone took you in hand.
She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but in a way she knew he was right. Papa had spoiled her silly, and so had Lizzie.

She usually got her way, but Marcus saw through her as if she were made of glass. He seemed immune to her theatrical bouts, making her feel vulnerable.

 “Oh, Uncle Marcus, this is going to be so much fun! Can I have a purple bonnet with a big purple feather? Lady Weatherby has one like that. And then the pink one can have a bunch of flowers on top!”

Marcus chuckled. “Anything you want, poppet.”

Even after that horrible argument in the gardens, Milli felt her heart swell at the sound of Marcus’s rich laughter. It was filled with love for the little girl.

He would make a good father. If he would only change his ideas about marriage. Milli had heard the story about Lady Madeleine who had shoved Marcus’s love aside and flirted with other gentlemen.

She wondered if Marcus thought she was a hopeless flirt too. She felt a knot growing in her stomach. Perhaps she was. The thought didn’t set well with her.

 “I can do it myself,” Gabby said, a bit frustrated when one of the ribbons slipped from the bow and Marcus tried to help her again.

Marcus stood back, smiling. “Of course, you can.

“Mama taught me how to do it just right.” The little girl untied the ribbons, trying to give the look of a side bow. Milli almost ran downstairs to help. But she knew about wanting to do things herself. Gabby would eventually get it right, no matter how long they stood there. And Marcus, well, it looked like he was going to let the little girl do it her way, even if it took an hour.

“You know Emily, your sister,” Gabby said as she looked at her reflection, admiring herself, “she’s not my mama who born me, she’s the mama who married my papa. And she married me too.”

Milli choked back a laugh. The girl did rattle on. But Marcus took it all in stride.

“Did she now?” he asked, his voice laced with mirth.

Gabby glanced over her shoulder. “Uncle Marcus,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I guess that means I married your family too?”

“I guess it does.”

“But that was a long time ago.”

“A long, long time ago,” Marcus put in. “Almost three years or more.”

Gabby nodded, paying more attention to her ribbon. “And now, I have my brother. He’s a monkey, mama says.”

Milli’s shoulders shook with laughter.

Marcus’s eyebrows rose. “A monkey?”

The little girl’s face glowed with pleasure. “Yes. But I love Richard even if he climbs on my teacups and all over my tea parties. I love my little cousin too. Uncle Clayton and Aunt Briana are almost as good as my mama and papa.”

“You like Victoria then?”

“Uh, hmmm. She’s real good.” Gabby gave another pull on the ribbon to retie.

Victoria was Clayton’s daughter. Milli recalled that Clayton’s engagement to Briana had been rather touchy, but all had turned out quite fine in the end, especially the part about Briana saving the Prince Regent.

Briana was a woman’s woman, Milli thought with a sigh. She was kind, dainty, and smart. All the things Milli wanted to be, but somehow, Milli couldn’t quite change the fact that she opened her mouth too much and loved to entertain people with her theatrics.

The Clearbrook brothers were all happily married, of course, except Marcus. There was the duke and Jane. Emily and Lord Stonebridge. Clayton and Briana, and Stephen and Elizabeth.

Gabby smiled, satisfied with her work. “Oh, and don’t forget, we have to buy Milli a present too. I like her, but she don’t have any hubband to buy her anything. Mama told me she likes cats, so I think we should find her a nice, fluffy kitten to be Cleo’s friend.”

Hubband? Milli almost laughed out loud at the word for husband, but Marcus didn’t miss a step.

“I don’t think so, Gabby. Milli and the rest of the family do not need another cat. There are too many already.” His tone was quite firm, making Milli smile.

Gabby turned to face Marcus, her brows in a concerned “v”. “Because Cleo might not like it?”

“Something like that.”

Gabby’s pink lips formed a perfect little bow. “Oh.” She shrugged. “Her name is really Cleopatra, did you know that?”

“Indeed.”

“Well, if we cannot get her another cat, let’s get her a puppy!” She clapped her hands in glee and jumped. “Yes! Milli likes animals! A puppy! Yes, a puppy! Just like my Nigel!”

Marcus look horrified. “Jupiter and Zeus! Not another Nigel, please.”

Milli bit her cheek to keep from laughing. She was waiting for Marcus to forget the shopping excursion and give up. He was looking a bit worse for wear, but he seemed determine to follow this through.

“Oh,” Gabby said, tilting her head. “My papa likes animals very, very much. He said we couldn’t bring Nigel here because he might chase Milli’s cat and Grandmama’s cats. But Grandmama isn’t here, and I don’t think he would chase them. Not if I tell him not to. What do you think? Grandmama is in Bath. That’s what Mama said.”

Milli could barely keep track of the girl’s conversation.

Marcus looked confused, and he gently took the girl’s hand. “I think it’s time to go, that’s what I think.”

Gabby giggled. “Uncle Marcus, you are the best uncle besides Uncle Clayton and Uncle Duke.” She had started calling Roderick, Uncle Duke, and the man had never admonished her. “Isn’t Uncle Duke going with us? Mama said he was.”

Roderick appeared from down the all, as if just he heard Gabby’s question. “Hello poppet. I’m sorry to say, I have to stay with Aunt Jane. She isn’t feeling quite well today.”

Marcus frowned. “I thought you needed to get some air.”

“The doctor is coming later,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t want to miss him.”

Milli felt her bubble of happiness pop.

“What about me?” Stephen strode into the hall, swinging Gabby into her arms. “Am I not the best uncle in the whole world?”

Gabby giggled as he set her back to the floor. “You are the bestest too!”

“Now, that’s what I like to hear.” Stephen looked Marcus’s way. “Are you going to buy a purple hat too, Uncle Marcus? It might look good with that new waistcoat I saw in your wardrobe the other day.”

“You like purple too?” Gabby asked Marcus, her eyes wide with wonder.

Marcus gently tapped the top of Gabby’s head. “I believe the two of us will be searching the shops for a bright pink bonnet with a bunch of flowers.” He raised an amusing brow his brother’s way. “One the size of your huge head, Uncle Stephen.”

Gabby bent over, clasping her knees in laughter. “He would look funny with that!”

Roderick’s face was grim. He turned the corner and started up the stairs. Marcus looked up and caught sight of Milli. His gaze locked with hers.

Gabby missed their exchange. She grabbed Marcus’s hand. “Let’s go. All the purple hats will be gone if we don’t hurry! My friend Lady Mary told me last week that she was going to buy all of them! But I know she cannot go shopping because she got a sore throat.”

Stephen started toward the door. “Thought I would catch a lift with you since you’re heading my way. A purple hat would look good on you, Marcus. Would do something for your eyes.”

Milli grinned, but Marcus mumbled something beneath his breath while he let Gabby run after Stephen.