All the Things You Never Knew

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

North of Islington

“Untie me now, you despicable devil!” Rose spat as the marquess

imprisoned her to the wooden pole holding up the roof of the small shack that he had brought her to.

“Shut up,” he said, tightening the ropes on her hands.

“Leon’s going to kill you once he gets here, you devil!”

Annoyed, the marquess gave a lazy wave to one of the guards in the room and he came over with a cloth to tie over her mouth.

“Much better,” the marquess grinned. “Now we can have some peace to think.”

Rose tried out some curses but it all flew out like little whimpering noises with no comprehension. Once she’s free, she swears she will make sure that Lord Lansing dies! His evil father killed Leon’s parents, and now they’re targeting him next–Hell, they both have to die!

Leon should have killed him when he had the chance. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t stupidly fell into their trap and get herself engaged with this despicable lord, Leon wouldn’t even have to waste so much time. If only she wasn’t so stubborn and listened to him…If only Leon didn’t love her, or consider her feelings and the after effect, maybe Lansing and his father would have been dead.

Oh, she hated herself. Leon had been sacrificing everything for her even when he was supposed to move on to avenging his parents’ death. She had been such a fool.

Leon.

Is he ever coming to save her, or is he too hurt by her action? He might never forgive her, but she understands. She would have felt the same if he’d done what she did. But he will come. If not for her, then for his parents. He would be here. Her hopes are still high.

But when?

When is he coming?

Does he even know where she is? This place is an hour up north of Islington. Does Leon even know?

There’s got to be a way. Even if he doesn’t know, Lord Lansing would find a way to lead him here. She’s the bait after all, luring Leon to the trap. She needn’t worry.

He will be here, she reassure herself. No matter what, Leon would never leave her, at least not in the hand of his enemy.

Besides, he was going to marry her.

But what if he changed his mind?

The thought saddens Rose.

What if Leon calls off the wedding? How would she live–how could she live without him? Would he be so cruel to do that after all this is over?

No, she doesn’t want to know. It hurts her too much to think that she will be alone again for another few decades. All she ever wanted was Leon. If he let her go again, then that would be the end of her world.

She knows she had done him wrong, and he had done the same for her own good. But this time, if she ever gets the chance, she will make sure that everything turns out right, and that Leon would be with her till the end of time.

Leon.

She closed her eyes and prayed.

Please…help me.

Leon woke up from a high bump and then a loud crash as something fell apart outside.

“Shite!” he heard Longsword cursed. “What the hell did you do?”

He and the footman of Lansing were arguing over what seems to be a broken wheel. Had the wheel of the carriage fly off?

He feels himself weighing down to one side and figure that must be it.

Leon sighed rubbing his eyes and kicked the carriage door open to check on Longsword and them.

“What’s wrong now?” he asked, breaking the argument between the two.

“This fool went over a high curve that threw off a wheel. Now we’re stranded in the middle of nowhere,” Longsword said.

“It’s dark. I can’t see,” the footman argued. “Plus, we’re not stranded. I know exactly where to go from here.”

“Good,” Leon said, yawning as he walks over to the front of the lopsided carriage. “We will take the horses then. They should be faster without this rotten carriage burdening them.”

“But there’s only two of them,” the footman replied.

“Have your parents ever taught you how to share?” said Longsword as he went over to stand by Leon.

“Yes, but it’s rather awkward for two men to–”

“You don’t have to go with us,” Leon interjected. “Just give us directions. I know you wouldn’t want your bloody arse kicked by Lansing.”

“True,” the footman nodded, “but how am I to get home?”

“Walk,” said Longsword. “Didn’t we pass a cabin not far from here but a couple miles back? You can check and see if there’s anything that would get you home.”

“That’s too far. I’m too old to walk those distances.”

“Too bad,” said Leon impatiently. “We have to go. Just give us the direction. I need to go save my wife.”

“Not if you two are going to leave me to walk.”

“Don’t toy with us,” Longsword said, walking over to grab the footman’s collar. “We can find the place on our own and leave you, or you can tell us now and I’ll give you a couple of gold to get your arse back. Which do you pick?”

Leon raised an eyebrow at him. “You brought gold?”

Longsword just smiled and turned back to the footman for an answer.

“The latter, of course,” said the footman, “but can’t you give me a hand back to that cabin first?”

“Don’t waste it, Longsword,” Leon said. “Let’s just go on our own. Who knows what’s happening to Rose right now. That Lansing is unpredictable. Who knows what he’s got up his sleeves as we talk.”

“Whatever you say,” Longsword replied, detaching the horses for them. “Mr. Footman, your offer has expired. Have a nice trip walking home.”

“Wait!” the footman cried as they jump onto the horses. “Don’t leave me! Please!”

Leon blew an exasperated breath and kicked his horse on the gallop.

“Longsword, take care of him!” he called back. “I will find Rose on my own!”

“Heartily, wait!” Longsword cried, but he was already gone. “Get on, old man,” he said, turning to the footman. “I’m taking you to that damn cabin! Better not say anything or my fiery temper right now will kill you.”

“Yes, m’lord,” the footman bowed.

“I’m not your lord!” Longsword snapped. “Get on quick! I have business to tend to.”

London

“I hate these bloody road trips!” Edward complained. “Two bloody days. Are we even close to Islington?”

“The site doesn’t look right,” said Aidan as he squints through the dark at the glimmering lights ahead. “The place is far too rowdy.”

“Let’s ask one of the couples over there to see where we are,” said Jack as he got off his horse. “I haven’t been to Islington for a while.”

Edward and Aidan nodded, and followed after Jack as he strolled towards a couple resting on a bench.

“I beg your pardon for the disturbance,” Jack said with a bow. He had never really learned how to greet the aristocrats properly. “May I ask the name of this city that my brothers and I are in at the moment?”

The couple looked at one another and laughed.

“Ah, foolish gents,” said the man as he pulls his mate closer. “How could you not know where you are? This is London, for Lord’s sake.”

“London?” Jack turned to Edward and Aidan. “Oh hell! We missed it!”

“Shit!” Aidan cursed.

“Now our mission is delayed,” said Edward.

“Where are you gents trying to get to?” asked the man.

“Islington,” said Jack. “Sorry for the bother.”

They all turned back and got onto their horses.

“Well, this is embarrassing,” said Jack. “How could we miss Islington?”

“You should have let Avange come with us,” said Aidan. “She seems to know.”

Jack shrugged. “I guess I should have but then Blake and them will starve. Plus, we need someone to cook us a nice hot meal when we return, too, right?”

“True,” Edward agreed. “But then it would have saved us some time. I’m damp in sweats. We need to wash up.”

“Stop worrying about yourself. Leon is more important than baths and sweats,” said Jack as he turned his horse back up the path that they came from.

“You can go cruising with me after this and take a swim with dolphins,” Aidan said cheerfully to Edward. “It would be fun. A brother’s moment.”

“Don’t be insane. I have three rehearsals coming up. I have to get ready for them.”

Aidan laughed. “Suit yourself. It’s rare that I offer this kind of session, especially with my older brother.”

“I have no stomach for the sea. Maybe Jack will go.”

“I have a case to deal with next week. I have to get ready for it, too,” Jack replied.

“Forget it. You guys are always busy. We are all busy,” said Aidan.

“You seem to have a lot of free time navigating with your crew mate though,” said Edward. “Not all of us are busy.”

“What I do is pretty important,” Aidan argued. “I’m seeking for–”

“Lost treasures of pirates,” Edward laughed.

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” Aidan said, annoyed. “Actually, I’m seeking for an island–”

“Filled with lost treasures, we get it,” Edward interjected again.

“Are you going to let me finish or not?” Aidan said his temper firing.

“Okay, no fights now,” said Jack. “We’re all but twenty something years old.”

“We just need some fun around here,” Edward said, giving Aidan a wink.

Aidan rolled his eyes. “Fun my ass. Not till we get Leon out of that Lord Lansing’s clutch and I’m set on the sail.”

Jack laughed and begins to sing. “Set on the sail, set on the sail. We’re set on the sail to save our foolish brother, Leon. Leon. Leon. Leon. Please don’t wail because we’re set on the sail.”

Edward joined in whistling a tune along with it, irritating Aidan more and more.

“Leon would totally thrash the bloody life out of you two for that.”

“Just join in the fun, little brother,” said Edward. “For this trip is going to take another long dreadful half hour.”

Islington

Leon could see a house–a small shack in the distance with a lamp burning through the cracks.

Could this be the place where Lansing is holding Rose captive? That footman did say it’s not that far from here. It could be. But why here of all the places in the world? It’s as isolated as the cabin they passed earlier. This couldn’t be right.

Leon wasn’t so sure whether to go in and take a look for himself or just ride pass it. But fortunate enough two guards came out and stood by the door, which he recognizes as two out of the four that tortured him down in the dungeon the other day. How nice it is to see them again. This time he will make sure they all pay for what they did. He may still be a little weak from having to spend three days famished and thrashed down in that dungeon, but he can take them on.

Rose.

For Rose he can do anything.

Is she all right at the moment?

She must have thought he had abandoned her. No matter how mad she gets him, he will never leave her. Not after what they have been through. Even if she had really chosen Lansing, he will still foolishly try to win her back. She was his, in body, heart and soul. No one can take that away from him. No one!

Leon got off his horse and hid it in the woods off from the path. He crept along the trees to get around behind to the shack. His breath stopped when he saw four figures come into view from the dim lights of the lantern hanging from the roof. One of them he can define as that bastard Lansing, the other, his father, and then surprisingly…Viscount Herring, Rose’s father. What was he doing here?

Lastly, his gaze fell upon Rose who was tied up on a post.

Why isn’t her father doing anything about it? His daughter is in captive, for Lord’s sake.

Is there some kind of a plan going on?

Are they plotting new ideas on using Rose against him?

He look back to where Rose sat tied to the post.

She doesn’t look so happy.

She seems to be crying, too.

Hell! Why does she always have to cry? He hates when she cries. It irritates him.

If they can get out of here safely to wed, he promised he will never ever make her cry again. She can trust him on it.

Now, how is he to distract them? Should he wait till Longsword gets here? That will take too long. He might as well wait a bit for Lansing and them to leave Rose and then he can go talk to her and see what they’re planning. It might take all night, but he will risk it.

Maybe he could wait for Longsword after all. Since Rose’s father is here, she should be safe for a while.

And maybe Hargate…Damn it! He had told Avangelene he will be back for Hargate on the morrow but it seems this is harder than he had thought.

Hopefully, Hargate isn’t causing any trouble for Avangelene. He is injured after all. What can he do besides sleep?

* * *

Avangelene nearly threw a fit when she returned from her daily night walk to find the duke gone.

Where the devil is he?

She went through all the rooms to find him but he was nowhere in sight. She stopped at the kitchen to see the dishes neatly washed and stack on the table.

So he woke up and ate. That’s good then. He even cleaned his own dishes. Now that’s odd. Dukes don’t usually clean after themselves, do they? They have valets and servants that do it for them.

Like Durrant.

Durrant.

Forget that name.

She has to find that duke–Laguna.

Laguna Black was resting out on top of the haystack in the barn behind the cottage when he heard a crash followed by pretty colorful words from a maddening voice.

Ah, the lady of the house has returned. Now what is she up to? He got up and started out the barn door when it was suddenly kicked open and in front of him stood an angry lady ram ready to charge at him.

“Hi, Avange–”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?” the lady ram interjected. Whoever thought she can be this intimidating.

“I’m sorry–”

“Shut up! You think you can just go around doing whatever you wish because you’re a duke? Not in my village, you don’t.” “Whoa! Calm down, lady. I’m not–”

“Shut up. You’re supposed to be injured and resting in bed, not wandering around,” she interrupted again, not even letting him speak.

“I know but–”

“No buts!” she said, taking him by the arm, and leading him back to the cottage. “Leon told me to watch after you. You better get back to bed and rest. Thank lord, he’s coming back for you on the morrow. It might be a pain here but just stay put till my brother comes. Stop wandering around like an idiot.”

Oh, lord, was he just going to let this woman lecture him of what to do and not to do?

“Well, Miss–”

“Don’t talk!” she snapped, opening the door to her cottage and leading him back to the room in which he had slept in. “Rest!”

She pushed him back down on the bed, but he pulled her down along with him and smiled, bringing a spark of shock in her eyes.

He was finally able to speak. “You have a pretty hot temper, Avangelene.”

He loves the flash of anger in her eyes whenever he emphasized her name.

It feels all wrong for him to enjoy the company of his best friend’s sister so much. He’d been injured before, but if it’s this amusing, he will give off his right arm just for a chance to stay a while longer.

“Shut up! I do not have a hot temper,” Avangelene denied, pulling away from him. “If my little sister was here your head would have been blown off by now.”

It appears to him now that Leon’s family is quite violent, or at least his sisters were.

“I do apologize for my action,” he said, giving off his most dazzling smile to soften her. “I will not go anywhere again without your consent, happy?”

“Annoying duke,” she muttered, walking off to light up a candle as she blew out the oil lamp and took it out.

Was he really annoying her?

“Where are you going?” he asked, getting up after her.

“Stay put, damn it!” she fumed. “I’m just bringing this to the guest room so I can sleep.”

“You’re not sleeping in your room?”

“With you already in it, I’ll have to wash the sheets. It’s yours for the night.”

“What?” He was stunned. “You mean you wouldn’t sleep on your bed just because I was in it earlier?”

“If the shoe fits.”

“You’re that disgusted by me?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Just doesn’t want to.”

“Meaning you are.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“That’s what you intended to say.”

“Shut up. Just sleep, okay?”

He sighed. “Boy, you are so complex.” And stubborn, and hardheaded.

“Well, thank you. Sleep. Good night.”

She was about to close the door when he ran up and stuck out his foot to hold it.

“What else do you want?” she asked, annoyed.

“Sorry, but I can’t sleep now. If I do, then this wound starts hurting whenever it’s press to the mattress. It’s better when I walk around.”

“I would have thought for it to hurt less if you rest and not move around, but whatever you wish. Just walk in the room,” she said, pulling the door to close.

“You are trying to shut off my foot, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying to get to bed and let you rest,” she countered.

“With my foot holding the door? I think not.”

“Don’t spark my temper, Duke!”

“It’s Laguna,” he corrected. He hates being called a Duke. True that he is one, but he doesn’t like it coming from her. There’s always a hint of anger and hatred whenever she says it. It’s as if she holds this grudge against dukes.

“Fine, Mr. Laguna. Please go to sleep and rest so that you will be energized for the trip back to London with my brother,” she said more nicely.

For some reason, he knew that Leon isn’t going to be back on the morrow. If he’s to save Rose, it will take longer than just a few hours. But he isn’t going to tell her that, or else she will throw a fit again.

He just smiled and said, “Exclude the Mister, but I do like the way you say my name, Avangelene.”

That broke a smile from her. First smile of the night and it warms his heart.

“Okay, good night.”

She turned to leave but he reached out and grabbed her arm. “Wait,” he said. He didn’t want to be alone.

She looked down at his hand and then up at him. “What else do you want, Laguna?”

“I–” What was he to say? “Can you stay with me for a while…at least until I start to fall asleep, please?”

She opened her mouth as to argue but then sighed and nodded.

Relief flood through him and he moved aside to let her back in, dropping the lamp back on the dresser.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, giving a yawn.

“May I give you some words of advice?” he asked, as he went to sit down on the bed.

She rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Don’t ask a man ‘what do we do now’ when you two are alone in a room. With a single bed. You don’t know how many things he has running in his head from that question.”

She gave out a hysteric laugh.

“What do you have running through your head then, Mr. Duke?”

Does she really have to ask?

“Things,” he shrugged. “Discomfort from the way you asked it.”

She laughed again; it was enchanting.

“Rest,” she said.

“I will try.” He has to; otherwise he will want to do more than rest.

She went over and helped him down on the bed, pulling the cover over him. He feels as if she was his wife and him, her husband. The only thing was that there was no kiss.

Kiss.

The idea tempts him, but he wasn’t going to take advantage of his best friend’s sister.

God, he’s betraying Leon on this. He feels as if he’s, surprisingly as it may seem, falling in love with Avangelene. Leon would totally kill him if he does. That might have seemed like an exaggeration, but Leon would strongly disapprove. He has to stop wishing for the impossible.

“So, Laguna,” said Avangelene. “May I go to bed now?”

“No, tell me a story,” he said without thinking. It’s as if his mind is forcing out anything to make her stay.

She raised an eyebrow at him and sighed as she kneels down in front of him.

Thank God she didn’t argue. Maybe she was too tired.

“What kind of story?” she asked, folding her arms to rest on the bed beside him.

“Any,” he said, closing his eyes and waiting. “Anything.”

She sighed again and cleared her throat. “You’re acting like a child.”

“Yes, and I’m enjoying it,” he answered with a chuckle.

“Arrogant duke.”

He laughed and reached down to take her hand, feeling her jump at his touch.

“Sorry. Just for a while,” he said, bringing her hand to his cheek. They were soft and warm against his skin. He doesn’t know if he can ever let go.

“Duke–”

He halted her with his free hand and snuggled against the back of her hand. “You may tell me a story now.”

She blew an exasperated breath and adjusted the cover around him. “Fine. How about an annoying Duke harassing a peasant girl?”

“No,” he said, sighing against her hand. “A Duke that falls in love with a Goddess…you.”

Avangelene chuckled and flicked his forehead.

“Hey stop it. I’m a Duke!”

“Whatever,” she said, and began the story. “Once upon a time…”