Twenty-eight
Luke hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath, but when Vivian signed her name to the marriage settlement, it came out in a whoosh. She laid down the quill and accepted his mother’s enthusiastic congratulations.
Richard clapped him on the back. “Well done, brother.”
When Mother released Vivian from her embrace, she joined hands with Luke. Their fate was sealed, come what may. Vivian was his and soon she would have his name to prove his devotion. He lifted her hand to his lips, drew in her sweet scent, and marked her with a kiss.
Mother slanted a smile at him. “What an exhausting day. I am afraid you will have to excuse me so I might retire for the evening. Richard, will you escort me to my door?”
“My pleasure, Mother. I should collect Phoebe and make our way back to Shafer Hall.”
When they were alone, Luke scooped Vivian into his arms and carried her to the settee. He settled on the upholstered piece with her on his lap and traced the rim of her ear with his finger. She leaned into his touch.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“The soreness is mostly gone and I feel amazing.” She wiggled to around to face him, her eyes snapping with the curious energy he had loved from the moment they had met. “Will we share a bed often? I wouldn’t like waiting long between visits.”
Luke laughed, rejoicing in the fact Vivian was as passionate as he had judged her to be. “Try keeping me away.” He nuzzled her neck, becoming aroused again. If he hadn’t taken her innocence only hours earlier, he would already have her half undressed. “Perhaps I should send you to your chambers while I still have the wherewithal to do so.”
“Soon.” She played with the hair at his collar, her expression turning thoughtful. “Miss Truax wasn’t at dinner. Has she been locked in her chambers like Mr. Collier?”
“She has been ordered to stay there until I can decide what should become of her.” He hadn’t felt right about imprisoning a family member and one-time confidant, but he couldn’t look upon her without disgust.
“What do you want to do with her?” Vivian asked. “I hope you won’t be too harsh with her.”
“She conspired to ruin you and take you away from me. How can I be anything but harsh?”
“You said yourself she fancies herself in love with you. What she did is unforgivable, but I can understand her desperation. Mr. Collier is the true culprit, filling her head with lies and empty promises. Perhaps I would have believed him too if the situation were reversed.”
“But you would never conspire to hurt another person.”
She dropped her gaze. “No, I wouldn’t. I simply ask that you give careful consideration before you decide her fate. People make mistakes.”
He kissed her forehead. “You are too tenderhearted, my love. I promise the punishment will fit the crime. Nothing more and nothing less.”
“What will you do with Mr. Collier?”
If Luke made Collier’s transgression public, the man would have accomplished his aim to some degree. He wouldn’t allow the blackguard to taint Vivian’s reputation. The bastard had sought his revenge where it would most hurt Luke. Damn the consequences to Vivian. And Luke had been stupid enough to reveal his weakness to Collier. It would be easiest to take him into the woods and put a ball in him, but murder wasn’t the answer even if Luke’s rage called for blood.
“Lord Brookhaven has offered to take him back to London, but Collier’s days of mingling with the ton are over. Without the viscount’s support, he has no access to society, and Brookhaven has assured me he has already dissolved their friendship. If I find he has lied, I will challenge them both.”
Vivian nibbled her bottom lip. “What about Owen? You won’t say anything to Lady Stanwood, will you?”
“I see no reason to bring the countess into family matters. From all accounts, the man is blameless.”
This seemed to put her concerns to rest, and she laid her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for believing me. If my brother had placed more faith in me, Owen wouldn’t have been driven from his home.”
“Your brother believed you, Vivian. But sometimes a man must make decisions to protect those he loves. I would have done the same thing if my sister were in a similar predicament. And he defended your actions to my father.”
She sat up with a soft gasp, her cheeks flaming. “Your father knew?”
“He did not put any more credence into the rumors than I do. The only thing I would have done differently is deal with Mrs. Honeywell from the start. If Ashden failed you, it was in that respect.”
“But he did attend to Mrs. Honeywell.”
“He could have performed the task better. Rewarding her wagging tongue with invitations to join your brother and sister-in-law in Town was foolish.”
“What would you have done?”
“It doesn’t matter. She will give us no more trouble.” He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and urged her forward for a kiss.
When they broke contact, she wrinkled her nose. “You do realize in most circumstances you will not be able to divert my attention that easily, but I care nothing for Mrs. Honeywell so I will let it go.”
“I will take your warning to heart.”
Luke escorted Vivian to her bedchamber and left her in the care of her maid then made his way to the chamber where Collier was being kept. He didn’t trust himself alone with the bastard. He tested the door to confirm it remained locked then found his way to the master’s chamber.
He hadn’t decided what to do with Johanna yet, but perhaps his mother would have some guidance on the morrow. One thing he knew with certainty: she was no longer welcome in his home. She had already proven untrustworthy. He wouldn’t be fooled twice.
***
“Lady Vivian, wake up.” A hand at her shoulder shook her violently. “She is here, Your Grace,” Winnie bellowed.
Where else would she be but in her bed in the dead of night? Vivi rolled over to find her maid leaning over her. Long shadows blocked out one side of her face, her other bathed in dim light from the candle she held aloft. “Winnie? What the devil are you doing waking me at this hour?”
Heavy footsteps crossed the room and Luke appeared at her bedside still in his nightshirt. “Thank God, you are safe.”
Vivi rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. “What is going on? It’s the middle of the night.”
Her maid gave her a lopsided grin. “It’s early morning, milady. The milkmaids are up.”
“I am not milking cows if that’s your reason for bursting in here.”
Luke took the candle from Winnie and shooed her from the chamber. “One of the chambermaids discovered the door to Collier’s room ajar. He is gone, and I feared he had taken you with him. I should have posted a guard outside his door.”
None of this was making any sense. “Wasn’t his door locked from the outside?”
“Yes, I checked it last night, which means someone had to take the key.”
A gentleman cleared his throat at the threshold of her chamber. Vivi yanked the covers up to her neck. “Lord Brookhaven?”
“Pardon the intrusion, Lady Vivian. Your Grace. I have just been informed by my driver that Mr. Collier has absconded with my coach. Apparently, Miss Truax woke my man and told him the coach needed to be readied for my departure, but when he wasn’t looking, Collier jumped on the box and drove the team.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to saddle a horse and avoid detection?” Vivi asked.
Lord Brookhaven grimaced. “And less costly. My outrider was badly injured when he tried to stop Collier and received a boot to the jaw. The back wheel rolled over his leg.”
“Oh, dear!”
Luke stalked around the end of her bed toward the viscount. “Perhaps we shouldn’t speak of such things in the lady’s presence.”
“Forgive me, Lady Vivian.” When the two men moved into the corridor, Vivi swung her legs out of bed, wrapped the counterpane around her, and hurried after them.
“Wait a moment.” She caught up to them halfway down the corridor. “What about Miss Truax?”
The men turned to frown at her. She pulled the covers tighter around her.
“It makes no sense for Collier to steal a coach when a horse would provide a better chance at escape,” she said. “And how did he convince Miss Truax to help him?”
Brookhaven scratched his whiskered cheek. “We should ask her. Will you send for her, Foxhaven?”
Luke met Vivi’s gaze, understanding flickering to life behind his eyes. “He needed a coach for his passenger.”
She nodded. “She’s in danger. I know it.”
“Damnation.” Luke spun around and stormed to his bedchamber. Vivi lifted the counterpane so she wouldn’t trip and dashed after him.
“Where are you going?” Brookhaven called after them.
“Miss Truax is in need of rescue,” Vivi said then disappeared into Luke’s chambers.
He had already peeled his dressing gown over his shoulders and tossed it aside before grabbing a pair of trousers from his wardrobe. “I should wring her neck.”
Vivi let the counterpane fall to the ground and walked to his wardrobe, too. “There will be plenty of time for that once we find her.” She eyed the trousers hanging on pegs and picked the smallest pair.
“What do you mean by we?”
She shoved her leg into the pants. “I am going with you.”
“You most certainly are not.” He paused after pulling his shirt over his head. “What the hell are you doing, Vivian?”
Her chin lifted an inch. “I can’t ride astride in a gown, and a sidesaddle is out of the question. It will only slow us down.”
Luke stalked across the room, grabbed her by the shoulders, and bent down to her level. “You are not going. I need you to stay behind and tell Mother what has happened.”
“She needn’t know anything until we return with Miss Truax. They haven’t been gone long. We can catch them if we hurry.”
“And why should I take you along?”
“Because I can shoot almost as well as you, but more importantly, she may need a lady when we find her.”
The stubborn set to Luke’s jaw eased a bit, and she knew he was considering her logic. She pushed harder to make him understand.
“I hope I am wrong about Mr. Collier’s intentions, but if he treats her poorly, the presence of another man may be too upsetting.”
“How do you know of these things?” he asked quietly.
“Even in Dunstable, we had men misuse women. Please, allow me to help you. I promise to listen to everything you tell me to do.”
He scoffed and released her shoulders. “Another first for you, darling?”
She stuck her tongue out and rummaged in the wardrobe for a shirt, the pants falling low on her hips.
Luke tugged them up and pulled a sash from a drawer. “You won’t be much help if you lose your pants along the way.”
A wide grin spread across her face as he tied the sash tightly around her waist, securing the trousers. “You will need your own boots, so go get them.”
Vivi dashed to the door, but stopped in the threshold. “Are you planning to leave me?”
“Hurry, before I change my mind.”
She did as he bid and was slightly winded when she met him at the stairwell. As they walked side by side to the stables, he reached for her hand. “You may need this.” Cold metal touched her palm when he pressed a small caliber firearm into her hand. “It has one shot, so make it count if you must use it.”
Lord Brookhaven was waiting in the stables. “Seeing as how it’s my property the blackguard stole, I want to be part of his capture. It isn’t far to the border. I imagine that is his destination. He has kin in Glasgow.”
Luke nodded. “Saddle the black stallion for the lady,” he said to a nearby groom.
The servant balked when he took a gander of Vivi in Luke’s clothes.
Luke’s brows lowered dangerously over his intense blue eyes. “Make it quick.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The groom jumped to obey, fumbling to release the bridle from a hook. Her mount was readied quickly, and soon she, the viscount, and Luke were riding toward the village north of Irvine Castle.
They traveled in silence, perhaps each lost in their own thoughts. Vivi should be furious with Miss Truax, but she was too worried for the other woman’s welfare to hang on to her anger at the moment. She had seen the coldness in Collier’s eyes. He knew nothing of compassion nor did he have any qualms about taking whatever he wanted. He had shown his character well enough when he had forced Vivi into the phaeton earlier. She hoped Luke’s kin would escape the situation unscathed.
The sky grew brighter the farther they rode. Vivi had a feeling the promise of a beautiful, sunny day provided a poor indication of what was to come.
When they entered the outskirts of the village, thin threads of smoke were rising from the chimneys. One of the residents may have seen Lord Brookhaven’s coach pass through if he was awake early enough.
“The inn is this way,” Luke said and took the lead. “We will ask after Collier at the yard.”
There was no need to ask anything, however. A sturdy coach with the Brookhaven crest sat in the coaching yard.
“Why did he stop here?” Vivi asked. For a man who strove to be nefarious, Mr. Collier was a dimwit.
“I don’t know or care.” Lord Brookhaven dismounted and turned the horse over to an ostler before strolling to his coach and sticking his head inside. “No one is here.”
Luke swung down from his horse then assisted Vivi. “Stay outside while I search the inn.”
“I think not. There would be no point in my traveling all this distance just to wait outside. I’m coming with you.”
He grabbed her arm, and she thought he would stop her, but instead he linked arms with her. “Stay close to me.”
Vivi quirked an eyebrow. “Won’t this appear suspicious given I am dressed as a man?”
“No one who gets a good look is going to believe you are a man. Not with that arse.”
“Oh!” She nearly turned a circle trying to get a glance at her backside.
He chuckled under his breath and held the door open for her to proceed inside. “You needn’t draw more notice to it, but to satisfy your curiosity, it looks marvelous.”
Her cheeks heated and she hurried into the inn, pushing her hat low to hide her face.
A man approached from a back room, his protruding belly arriving seconds before the rest of him did. “Welcome, Your Grace. What brings you to the Wild Boar at this hour?”
“I’m seeking the gentleman who arrived in the coach outside. Did he take a room?”
“Aye, he was lookin’ for a spot for his wife to rest. But he ain’t here now. Saw him slip out back ’bout half an hour ago. Figured he might be lookin’ to hire a driver and outrider since he managed to lose ’em along the way.”
“And the lady was with him?”
The innkeeper hitched a thumb up. “She be restin’ above stairs still. Last door on the left.”
Luke paid the man several coins then motioned for Vivi to follow him. She peeked at the man from beneath the rim of her hat as she passed and met two narrowed slits for eyes.
Drat! He probably suspected she wasn’t a man.
Vivi tried to imitate Luke’s wider-legged amble, but almost tripped over the longer pants leg. Giving up the pretense, she scurried up the stairs behind him. He stopped outside the last door on the left and stared at it.
“I have kicked doors open in the past, but it can be painful. And then there would be the cost for repairs.”
Vivi reached for the handle and pushed it open. She grinned up at him. “Obviously, I’m the brains of this match.”
“Well played,” he said with a wink.
Their playfulness disappeared when muffled sobs sounded from the dim room.
Luke slipped inside. “Johanna?”
There was no answer. Only louder cries. He moved to the curtains and drew them open. Early morning light pushed its way into the room, revealing a crumpled heap on the bed. It was Johanna, and her legs were drawn toward her middle.
When Luke would have charged over to her, Vivi held up a staying hand. “Miss Truax, it is Lady Vivian and Luke. We have come to bring you home.”
“I know who you are,” she managed to croak out. “But I have no home any longer.”
Vivi cautiously crossed to the bed so as not to startle her. “Your home is with your family. You are as much a part of the Forest clan as anyone.”
She shook her head, another sob bursting from her.
Vivi moved to place a comforting hand on her hair. “We can debate this later. Are you hurt?”
She buried her face against the covers and cried even harder.
“Johanna, what has he done to you?” Luke came forward. “I swear he will pay.”
“Leave me be,” she moaned.
Vivi tried to catch his attention and flicked her gaze toward the door. His lips set in a thin line.
“Go,” she mouthed and motioned for him to leave them alone. His frown deepened, but he left, closing the door behind him. She sat on the bed beside Johanna and brushed her hair behind her ear like Patrice had done for her when she was a young girl. She didn’t ask any questions or lend any commentary. She had been on the receiving end of well-meaning comments in the past, and no matter the speaker’s intentions, the words could hurt. She just allowed Johanna to cry until her tears began to subside.
“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked between sniffles.
“I don’t know.” Vivi sighed softly. “Maybe because I have made mistakes, too, and I know how horrible I have felt afterward.”
Johanna held her hair aside and gazed up with narrowed eyes; her bottom lip protruded mutinously, reminding Vivi of a child. “Have you ever tried to hurt someone intentionally?”
She shook her head and swallowed hard. “Is—was that your intention? To hurt me?”
“No.” Tears welled in the other woman’s eyes and slid down her cheeks. “Not like this. He said he loved you.”
Vivi concluded she referred to Mr. Collier. “I’m certain the scoundrel said a lot of things that were untrue.”
“He told me he couldn’t live without you. That he wanted to marry you. I feel the same way about Luke.”
Vivi’s stomach turned, and bitterness crept into the back of her throat. She didn’t want to feel jealousy or anger, especially when she had won Luke’s heart. But she had trouble ignoring that she could have been suffering Johanna’s fate hours earlier. Vivi could be ruined and destined to a life of solitude because of Johanna’s machinations.
The other woman rubbed the back of her hand across her nose and regarded Vivi warily. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Vivi forced herself to speak calmly. “Why did you help Collier escape?”
Johanna hid behind her curtain of hair again. “We had an understanding. If I helped him, he would take me with him and give me his name. It seemed like the best prospect available to me. I couldn’t stay with the duchess any longer. Not when His Grace plans to turn me out.”
“You don’t know that.” Neither did Vivi, but would he have come looking for Johanna if he felt no responsibility toward her?
“When we stopped here, Mr. Collier said I had to prove my dedication. I didn’t know what he meant, but then he brought me to the room. Then he—” She whimpered and Vivi wanted to have the man at gunpoint again.
She smoothed a hand over Johanna’s back. “It’s all right. You do not have to talk about it.”
“H-he said I had failed.” Johanna took a shuddering breath. “That he would never marry a loose woman like me, and then he left me.”
Make that two guns pointed his direction. Never had Vivi despised anyone as she did that despicable excuse for a man. “He will pay for what he has done. Luke will see to it.”
“It doesn’t change anything. My life is over.”
There was a soft knock, and the door slowly swung open. Luke eased into the room. “May I come inside? I have a proposition from Viscount Brookhaven. He hopes you will consider his offer.”
“No,” Johanna mumbled. “Please, I cannot show my face to anyone ever again.”
Vivi grabbed Johanna’s hands and pulled. “Oh, come now, Miss Truax. You are made of sterner stuff than this.” Eventually, the other woman sat up on the edge of the bed beside Vivi, her head lowered and hair falling forward to shield her face.
Vivi nodded to Luke to indicate he should proceed.
“Lord Brookhaven feels responsible for your circumstances, at least to some degree. Had he not brought Jonathan Collier to Irvine Castle, none of this would have happened.”
“I am to blame,” Johanna said. “Please tell Lord Brookhaven I do not hold him responsible. I harbor no ill feelings toward him.”
The door swung open wider, and Lord Brookhaven filled the threshold. “That is a relief, Miss Truax,” he said with a smile. “If you hated me, it might make life a tad more difficult for us.”
Johanna blinked up at him. “How so, my lord?”
He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “I think we may be able to help each other, Miss Truax. It seems you need a home, and I have need of a wife to manage my household.”
Johanna gazed at him warily as if she expected he was playing a trick on them all.
“Uh…It’s a rather daunting undertaking,” Brookhaven said and scratched his whiskered jaw. “I can understand your reluctance. Perhaps you have heard tales of my offspring?”
She shook her head.
“Oh! Well, splendid. I had feared—” He waved his hand in the air like he wished to wipe away his last statement. “It doesn’t matter. I bid you to say nothing until you understand the terms. My wife left me with six offspring, five boys, all of them as wild as March hares, and one sweet young girl, who may be mute. She is still a youngster, so there is a chance she may speak eventually, but I cannot say with certainty she will. I have had difficulty keeping a governess, and I haven’t time to place another advertisement or conduct interviews. My duties call me away often, so there would be many days the children would be under your rule alone.”
“Did you mean to say that you wish for me to be a governess to your children?”
“No, no. I have gone that route and every one of the women has left us. A wife seems the better bet.”
Tight lines appeared around Johanna’s mouth. “I see. A wife cannot leave so easily.”
Lord Brookhaven pointed at her and grinned. “Exactly. You are a clever one, Miss Truax. In case you are wondering what you will receive in return, besides a roof over your head, I will provide a reasonable clothing allowance so you may dress as one would expect of a viscountess. And you will have ample pin money to purchase whatever you would like for entertainment.”
The harsh lines in Johanna’s face began to soften. “Do you want more children, my lord?”
He shrugged. “Not particularly, but if you find you are with Mr. Collier’s child, I shall claim him as my own.”
Vivi and Johanna gasped.
“So there you have it, Miss Truax. All the terms of my proposal. Would you like time to consider it before you reply?”
She stared at him with her mouth agape. Lord Brookhaven began to fidget with his cravat and shot a look at Luke. When a bead of sweat popped up on his forehead, Vivi elbowed Johanna in the side.
“Yes,” she blurted. “I mean, I don’t need time to consider. I accept.”
Lord Brookhaven blew out a long breath. “Very well. Then I shall await you in the dining room. We should have a good meal before we set off for Gretna Green.”
When the viscount left, Luke gave Johanna a brief nod then spoke to Vivi. “I will send for Brookhaven’s servants. I’ll be in the stable yard. Will you be long?”
“I want to assist Miss Truax with setting herself back to rights then I will join you.”
“Very well.”
Johanna’s head dropped when he quit the room without a word for her. “He hates me now.”
Vivi patted her leg. “Give him time.”
Johanna took Vivi’s hand in hers. “I don’t deserve your kindness, my lady, but know I am your humble servant from this day forward.”
She squeezed her hand in response. “Allow me to send for water and then we can start on your hair.”
***
Luke couldn’t help but smile when Vivian came out of the inn and tugged up the waistband of the trousers she was about to lose. Even with her hair tucked under a hat and dressed like a bedraggled gentleman after a long night at the tables, she was breathtaking. He couldn’t believe his good fortune in finding a wife who suited him so well.
Brookhaven would not be as lucky, but since the viscount seemed to be in the market for a household manager, he hadn’t made a poor deal. Johanna would manage his household, and Luke had warned Brookhaven he might find himself managed as well. Nevertheless, the viscount was a grown man.
“Shall we go, Lord Vivian?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I suppose we should before everyone begins to stir at the castle. I’m not certain I could explain my attire.”
Luke linked his fingers and offered her a leg up. Once she was settled in the saddle, he squeezed her thigh. “The advantage to being a duchess is you need not explain yourself to anyone. A few days under Mother’s tutelage and you will be well prepared to manage anyone who tries to tell you differently.”
She giggled. “She is outspoken at times. I like that about her.”
He mounted Thor and signaled him to begin the walk back to Irvine Castle. The return trip would take longer with Brookhaven’s mount tied behind his horse, but Luke didn’t mind. He was with Vivian.
“How many children do you want?” she asked as they rode side by side down the dusty lane.
“Not six!”
“But that is how many your mother bore.”
“Yes, but my siblings are all terribly annoying. My parents should have stopped with perfection.” He grinned at her. “You shouldn’t mention that in front of any of them, mind you.”
She laughed. “Your secret is safe.”
Although she spoke in jest, he knew she was being truthful. He would always be able to trust her with his secrets, with his heart, and she could trust him to do the same, although he would love to tell his brothers of her antics at Brighthurst House. Richard and Drew would find the tales amusing, but it was also something special he and Vivian alone shared.
“Do you know what I thought when I first saw you in the spring?” he asked.
A pink flush brightened her cheeks. “I’m afraid to hear.”
“I thought you were a vision, like the ladies I saw at my bedside at Twinspur.”
She raised her brows. “Who came to your bedside?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t see faces. I am not even certain they were women. They radiated with a warm light, and I felt everything was going to be all right again when they were there. I had the same sense when I looked at you.”
She walked her horse closer and held out her hand. He linked his fingers with hers. “I thought you looked like Sir Launcelot on your stallion.”
“From Le Morte d’Arthur? Vivian Worth, how would you have any knowledge of that scandalous tale?”
She shrugged. “My brother shouldn’t have left the book sitting out. I am not responsible for my curious nature. You should prepare yourself, Your Grace. I fear I may scandalize you often.”
“I hope so,” he said with a wink. “But seeing as how you haven’t done or said anything scandalous in the last thirty seconds, I’m not sure whether to believe you. There is a lake on our land. Would you care to join me for a morning swim?”
“My, that would be scandalous indeed, if we were discovered.”
“I imagine it would, but where is the fun in playing it safe, dear Vivian?”
“Very well. Lead the way.”
As he guided his horse ahead of hers, she cleared her throat. He looked over his shoulder to find her grinning wickedly. “Nice view, Your Grace.”
He chuckled and turned back toward the lane.
“Luke?”
“Yes, darling?”
“I love you.”
His heart grew to twice its size. Never could he have anticipated the impact of those three little words, but they meant the world to him. “I love you, too, water sprite.”