He covered her hand with his. “Of course, I remember.”
“They fell in love too.”
“But he wasn’t very honorable,” he murmured, finally settling down.
“I hope our children never do the math and figure out Marcus was born a mere seven months after we married.”
His face colored. “That was different.”
“How so?”
One of the many reasons she loved him so much was because he was like this. He loved fiercely and completely. He was protective and he could even be overbearing at times, but he had a good heart.
“Never mind,” he murmured as he heaved a great sigh.
“Can we go back out without you trying to beat Lord Phineas to a bloody pulp?”
“Maybe,” he said, begrudgingly.
“Stop pouting,” she warned playfully. He jerked her against him and pressed his lips to hers.
“I can’t believe you knew and didn’t tell me.”
“She called me for help. I didn’t want to betray her trust and have her never call on me again.” She searched his eyes. “She called for me, of all people, when she needed someone. I would have expected her to call on Sophia. But she didn’t. She called on me.” Tears pricked at the backs of her lashes, even though it had happened more than a sennight ago.
“Of course, she called you. You’re her mother.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “I imagine we should go back out there so that scoundrel can marry our daughter.”
“It would be a good idea to do it before the baby is born.” She bit back a laugh.
He chuckled and squeezed her hard in his arms.
Thirty-Three
Claire had never looked more beautiful than as she stood there with her hand in his, staring up into his eyes. “Wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded Wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”
“We had better live for a very long time,” he murmured. She smiled softly and wiggled her brows to scold him. “I will,” he affirmed.
She repeated similar words, her eyes filled with so much emotion that he wanted to crawl inside her and live there forever. Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. He slid it onto her fourth finger and said, “With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
“I pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Finn bent and kissed her, although the vicar didn’t seem too pleased by that.
Robin coughed into his closed fist in warning, just as Claire’s father stepped toward them. Finn pulled her into his chest and hugged her hard. “She’s mine now,” he said playfully to her father.
“That won’t keep me from kicking your—”
Claire rushed to cut him off. “Is there cake?”
“Of course, there’s cake,” her mother said, as the footmen brought in a cart full of tiny cake squares, little sandwiches, and tea. “Let’s all take a seat, shall we?”
***
How had she gotten here? How had Claire gotten to this place where everything fit so right? She’d never even liked this world, much less the people in it. She’d believed in magic and only magic, and had eschewed anything that didn’t have magical origins. Her life had been simple—she’d had her missions, her brother and sister, and her grandparents. She had her magical homeland, and it was her refuge.
All of her boxes had been neatly stacked where they belonged, until she came here and they were scattered and turned on their side. But now Finn was her refuge. He was her everything. Finn’s cheek was splotchy where her father had hit him. He would certainly have a bruise there tomorrow. He touched his fingertips to it and winced, and then bent down so she could kiss it softly. Her lips lingered over his skin, warm and firm.
He’d put her boxes all back in order for her. They sat nicely upon the shelves, all stacked and tidy. They were solid, firmly supported by her family, her friends, and her husband. Claire laid a hand on her belly and thought about how she’d felt a few short weeks ago.
She’d been desperate to escape her life, to run far, far away from everything she considered to be home. But now he was home. He winked at her. Heat crept up her cheeks.
She loved. She loved him the way she’d never loved anyone, and she couldn’t wait to tell him. That night, she could just imagine climbing on top of him, fluffing her wings, and encouraging him to touch them. To learn them as he’d learned every other part of her body. She needed for him to embrace that part of her, just as she was willing to give it all up to be with him.
She would give him children and love him until the day she died. If someone told her today that she would have to give up her wings to be with him, she would do so. She couldn’t wait to tell him all about it that night.
Wilkins, the butler, stepped into the room and crossed to speak to His Grace. He handed the duke a missive, sealed with a wax marker. Finn leaned over the duke’s shoulder to read as he did. His face blanched.
“What’s wrong?” Claire asked.
He took her hand and led her down the corridor to the duke’s study. “I think we have a problem,” he said as he closed the door.
“What is it?”
He held the missive out to her, and she took it with trembling fingers.
Dear Lord Phineas Trimble,
Bedfordshire is lovely this time of year.
It wasn’t signed, but it didn’t need to be. Only one person could have sent it. Mayden. The Earl of Mayden had found out where Katherine was, and he’d gone there.
“Is your man still there?”
Finn nodded as he began to pace.
“Then Katherine will be fine, right?”
Finn didn’t look certain, but he nodded. “Probably.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“I can send more men.” Finn continued to pace back and forth across the floor. “But I really wouldn’t feel comfortable sending anyone else into the situation blind.”
The door opened and Robin stepped into the room, followed by Sophia. “What do you want to do?”
“It’s my wedding day. I want to take my wife home.”
Robin just looked at him.
Claire knew that wouldn’t be enough for Finn.
“I sent her there. And now he has found her.”
Claire had visions in her head of Katherine being tortured. She laid a hand on her own belly. “You’ll have to go to her.”
Finn cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“It’s not as though you won’t come back,” she said, attempting a light laugh. He wouldn’t get hurt, would he? “Maybe you should stay here,” she said, instead, suddenly fearful for him. “Don’t go.”
“I’m afraid it can’t be helped. She’s under my protection. And he’s there with her. She could already be hurt.”
“He wouldn’t hurt his child, would he?”
“You saw her eye after the soiree. He knew full well she was increasing at that point.”
“There’s no end to what he will do to win,” Robin said. “I’ll have horses saddled and go with you.”
“Must you?” Sophia asked, her voice high with worry.
“I’m afraid so. This is my battle as much as Finn’s.”
Finn looked at Robin. “We started this by calling in all his debts. He’s probably rather desperate.”
“There’s no telling what he might do to her as retribution. She’s innocent in all of this.”
“No one has ever claim
ed Katherine Crawfield is innocent.” Finn snorted.
Robin just rolled his eyes. “We’ll have to go there. If we leave now, we can be there in a matter of hours.” He tugged his watch fob from his pocket. “We can ride through the night.”
Finn nodded and turned, drawing Claire into his arms. “I love you,” he said. Claire opened her mouth to return the sentiment, but he laid his mouth on hers, his lips soft and coaxing, a promise of what would come when he returned home. He leaned his head close to her ear. “I will expect you to be naked and waiting in bed for me when I get back.”
“I think I can do that,” she murmured back.
Sophia and Robin stepped into the corner, where he kissed her quite soundly. She staggered when he let her go. “Do be careful, Ashley,” she said, her voice quivering.
“I will,” he said, pulling her to him once more.
Finn wrapped Claire in his arms and held her close, breathing deeply with his head buried in her hair. “I need to speak to your father,” he said, and then he started in that direction. He pulled her fingertips, dragging Claire with him as he went back into the parlor. He placed Claire’s hand in her father’s and said, “Only until I return.”
Her father nodded, pulling Claire to his side as he dropped an arm around her shoulders. “Only until you return.” He pulled Sophia forward with the other arm and did the same with her. She looked up at him and smiled.
“I’ll accompany you,” Marcus said. Finn nodded and the three of them started for the door.
“Finn!” Claire called. He looked back at her with that smile she’d so come to love. She wanted to confess her love for him. But she really wanted to do it at a time when he wouldn’t assume it was forced. “Be safe,” she whispered, instead.
Then the three of them left, the door closing soundly behind them. Claire looked around the room at the remains of the wedding cake and sat down, popping a piece into her mouth. Someone had to eat it. It may as well be her. She shoved a piece at Sophia. “Eat,” she said. Sophia joined her in her misery, the only one who could.
Thirty-Four
It was nearly morning when Finn, Robin, and Marcus reached Bedfordshire. The day was still dark, but faint edges of light hovered on the horizon. Finn drew up his horse to the front of the house and stopped, tethering the horse as Robin and Marcus dismounted. He stretched and patted his horse on the side. He’d done a great job. Finn would bed him down with warm blankets and hay once he’d had a chance to find out what the devil was going on.
“Where’s your man?” Robin asked.
“Probably sleeping,” Finn said. He’d only sent one man, and it was impossible for him to be awake twenty-four hours a day.
“Shall we go see, gentlemen, what’s going on?” Robin asked.
“We shall,” Marcus breathed. He had a feral gleam in his eye that surprised Finn. He usually seemed like such a laid-back young man. So proper and responsible.
Finn and Robin entered through the front door, each of them moving off in different directions. Finn took the stairs, Robin went toward the kitchen, and Marcus skirted around the back of the house from the outside.
Finn lit a taper on the table in the landing at the top of the stairs and lifted it high in the air. He slowly pushed open the master bedchamber door and stopped when he saw two lumps beneath the counterpane. “Please tell me Katherine didn’t take him into her bed,” he murmured to himself as he crossed the room.
With a jerk, he pulled the counter pane from the bed and tossed it to the floor. Katherine, with all her dark hair tumbling around her, jumped up and covered her breasts. She was completely naked. The man beside her took a little longer to react, and she had to punch him twice.
He looked around frantic. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
The man was blond. It wasn’t Mayden. Finn lifted the taper higher in the air. “Are you the only two here?”
“Yes, my lord,” the man said, getting to his feet to pull on his pants. He scrambled like a kid caught with his hand in the biscuit jar.
“Richard?” Finn asked. He tossed the man his shirt.
“Did you find anything up here?” Robin asked from the doorway.
“I paid you to protect her, you numbskull.”
“I did,” he floundered. “I am.”
“By sleeping with her?” Finn cried.
He turned to Katherine, who’d had the good grace to wrap herself in the counterpane. “Where’s Mayden?”
“How am I supposed to know?” she cried.
“He hasn’t been here?”
“Not that I know of.”
Finn turned to Robin. “Did you find anything downstairs?”
“Nothing but Mrs. Ross. She threw a skillet at me.” He rubbed absently at his head.
“Sorry about that,” Finn murmured.
Marcus poked his head around the corner of the door.
“What did you find?”
“No one is here but them. There’s a young man asleep in the barn. But he said no one has been here. The only horses here apparently belong to him.” He moved his chin toward Richard.
“No one has been here,” Richard confirmed. “What’s this about?”
“Mayden sent a note that said he was here. With Katherine.”
“Over my dead body,” the man grunted.
“That’s probably what would have happened if he’d shown up the way I did. You were like a sitting goose, you idiot.”
“Well, he’s not here,” the man said petulantly.
“I can see that.”
“Where is he, Finn?” Katherine asked.
Marcus, Finn, and Robin all spoke at the same time. “It was a trick.”
Finn flew down the stairs as though the hounds of hell were after him. Young Benny Ross met him at the bottom of the stairs. “We’ll need fresh horses, Benny.”
The boy just looked at him. “Now!” he bellowed.
“Yes, my lord,” the boy said, ducking his head as he ran around the house and toward the stables.
Mrs. Ross pressed a wrapped bundle of meat and cheese into Finn’s hand and said, “You need to eat.”
“I can’t.” He could probably run all the way back to London and not stop, he was so scared.
“My Benny will be a few minutes with the horses, what with changing over the saddles and everything.” She pressed the bundle into his hands again and gave him a cup of water. He drank the water and split the food up between the men. She pressed water into their hands too. “None of you will be good for anything if you fall over from hunger. Now eat.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Finn mumbled. What was taking so long?
“I’m sure Ramsdale didn’t let Claire leave the hall. And he’s going to stay with Sophie.” Robin paced back and forth across the floor. He probably had visions of his last wife and what had happened to her with Mayden. But she hadn’t been a faerie, for Christ’s sake. The Thornes could take care of themselves, even without their father’s protection, couldn’t they?
“Everything will be just fine,” Mrs. Ross said, bustling around to be sure they were all taken care of. “Miss Thorne is such a lovely lady.”
“Mrs. Trimble,” he corrected.
“Beg your pardon?” She looked confused.
“Claire Thorne is now Claire Trimble. We were married today.”
“You don’t say?” Mr. Ross said, stomping into the room. His gray hair was askew, and he had a severe limp. It was a good thing Mayden hadn’t come here. With only Mr. Ross, Benny, and Richard to protect her, Katherine had been fully exposed. “Congratulations,” he said, clapping Finn on the back.
Benny rushed back into the house. “Your horses are ready, Your Grace,” he said. He looked at Finn. “My lord.”
Finn ran out the door and leaped onto one of the horses. He had to get back to London. He had to get back to Cla
ire. He had to be certain she was all right. He felt sure she was with her family, anxiously waiting for his return. She had better be with her family.
***
Claire covered a yawn and moved her chess piece. “Checkmate,” she said.
Sophia knocked the remaining pieces to the tabletop. “That’s two out of three. Do you want to go for three out of five?”
“I want to go to bed.” Claire yawned again. She wouldn’t go to bed. She’d never be able to sleep. “Set the board up again,” she said, instead.
Wilkins stepped into the room and held a missive out to Sophia on a silver salver. She took it and opened it, and then her face broke into a smile. She laid a hand over her heart. “They’re fine.” She held the note out to her father and he read it, the faint lines around his mouth softening as he smiled.
“Thank heavens,” he breathed.
Claire took it from him and read.
Dearest Sophia,
Mayden has been apprehended, and we will return as soon as possible. We’ve need of food and a brief rest.
Always,
Ashley
Robinsworth must have sent a runner to inform them. That was very thoughtful of him. Claire would never have been able to sleep if she hadn’t known what fate had befallen them.
“I wonder what happened when they caught him,” she said. Where would they keep Mayden through the night? Surely Robinsworth would have mentioned if they were injured or not.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” her father said, laying a comfortable hand on the top of her head. “It’s late. Your mother and I will take you to Lord Phineas’s house on the way to Ramsdale House.”
“Are you certain you’ll be safe, Sophia?” Claire asked.
Footmen lingered in the room, pouring tea and bringing coffee and food. “There are enough men here to forge an army.”
She was right. The hall was like a fortress, they had so much staff. Claire got to her feet and kissed Sophia on the cheek. “Good night.”
“Good night,” her sister replied as she walked them to the door.