A Thin Line (22 page)

He moved closer to the bed, “Kala,” he called softly.

“Stay away from me,” she cried maniacally in her hoarse voice.
 
He watched as she scampered off the opposite side of the bed and ran for the window.
 
He ran after her and grabbed her right before she made it through the window, dragging her back inside.
 
“No,” she yelled hitting him with the butt of the gun.
 
“I would rather you just kill me.”

He used his body and legs to pin her flailing legs to the floor.
 
She felt him jerk the gun from her hand and heard it clatter across the floor.
 
Her arms were pinned to either side of her head.

“Kala, stop.
 
Right now.”
 
She heard a familiar commanding voice.
 

“Gabe?”

“Yes,” he whispered and she felt the fierce hold he had on her relax somewhat.
 
She wriggled her hands free and threw her arms around his neck.

“Thank God, it’s you.
 
Gabe, I was so scared.
 
He said things and did things that,” she broke off and shuddered.
 
“James.
 
Where is James?
 
Is he all right?”
 
All of a sudden she felt firm lips covering her mouth.
 
She pulled away.
 
“Why did you do that?”

“I need you to shut up so I can think.”

“Oh,” she leaned up to kiss him once more.

“Oh, my,” she heard in the background.

“My, my,” an unfamiliar female voice said followed by a man’s throat being cleared.

“Bloody hell,” she heard Gabe utter.

***

Gabe would never forget that particular evening as long as he lived.
 
It was the night that his life went straight to hell.
 
His grandmother and Mrs. McGafferty helped Kala dress and tend her wounds while he went downstairs to check on James.
 
The Marquess of Lunsford and his wife saw themselves home, but could be expected to tell everything they had witnessed.
 
Before nightfall the entire
ton
left in town would know an abbreviated version of the truth.
 
Gabe rotated his head as if he felt a noose tightening around his neck.
 
James had a lump on the back of his head and a pounding head, but would recover in a day or two.
 
Thompson had returned and seen to cleaning up the mess of the broken vase.

“I will have two new doors ordered.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Thompson said stiffly.
 

How dare the man act as if this whole thing were his fault?
 
“Where were you today, Thompson?”

“Miss Kala gave the staff the afternoon off since she was going out.
 
I went to visit a friend.
 
We have a very small staff since the family has gone to Whitestone Manor.”

“I see,” and he did by the blush that rose to cover Thompson’s face.
 
“Did no one think to watch the house?”

“The guard went with Miss Kala and Her Grace.
 
Why would anyone want to enter the house?”

“Yes, well, now we know why.
 
Don’t we Thompson?”
 
The man had the nerve to huff and leave the room.
 
“Impertinent servants.”
 
Gabe walked over to the window in the parlor and watched as twilight began to fall.
 
His hands clenched into fists behind him.

“Gabriel.”

“Yes, grandmother?”

“Mrs. McGafferty is bringing her down.
 
Be gentle with her, she has been through a lot this afternoon.”

“Gentle?
 
Gentle?” he heard his voice getting louder and harder.

“Gabe is right, Judith,” Kala’s sensuous voice could be heard from the door.
 
“I should not have dismissed all the servants for the day.
 
However, in my defense,” she hurried on before anyone could say anything, “I’m glad they weren’t here and injured because of me.
 
I feel bad enough for James.”

“James is tough,” Gabe said stiffly.
 
He walked over and saw the strips of cloth covering her hand.
 
He took one gently in his and ran a finger over the cloth covering her palm.
 
He watched her shudder a bit.
 
“How are your hands?”

“They’ve been better,” her voice sounded a bit more breathless than usual.
 
He crooked a finger and ran it down her soft cheek before he caught himself.
 

He grabbed her elbow to lead her to the settee.
 
She jerked free and began crossing the room.
 
His strides carried him across and he quickly caught up with her.
 
“What do you think you are doing?”

“Going to sit on the settee.”

“I would have assisted you.”

“I don’t need assistance, thank you.
 
I memorized the layout of the rooms I frequent most.
 
Thank God that fiend brought me into one of them so I knew where everything could be found.
 
If he had taken me somewhere else,” she couldn’t suppress a shudder, “I don’t know what would have happened to me.”

“You could be dead,” he bit out.

“Gabriel,” his grandmother reprimanded from her seat.

“It’s true.
 
Before this goes any further, what happened?”
 
She repeated the sequence of events as she remembered them.
 
“Did he say anything?”

“Right after he ripped my dress, or perhaps before, he said something about wishing the duke had been able to watch but not being able to wait.”

Kala heard a loud thump and a profanity even she had never heard before.
 
Hawkescliffe actually showing emotion in regards to her?
 
What a truly interesting development.
 
She shook herself.
 
How could she be thinking like this after having so recently been attacked?
 
Perhaps that was why.
 
Any other time she would have continued on, attempting to ignore Gabe to the best of her abilities.

“You do realize the Marquess and Marchioness of Lunsford saw us in a most compromising position?”

“Yes, I gathered that.
 
You know, Gabe, I can’t see, but I’m not stupid.”

“That is yet to be determined.”
 
She began counting, refusing to lose her temper.
 
“I will go and see the archbishop as soon as possible.”
 
So intent on counting, she almost missed this comment.

“The archbishop?
 
Why?”

“You are getting married, my dear,” she heard the glee in Judith’s voice.

“Oh, no.
 
I think all of you need to go back where you came from.
 
What can one old couple do?
 
Besides, I have decided I do not want to marry — anyone.”

“It doesn’t seem to matter anymore what you have decided.
 
And apparently you have not heard about this couple.
 
He is worse than all of the gossipy old women of the
ton
.
 
I imagine he is already at his club painting a vivid picture which the men will go home and tell their wives.
 
It will be all over London by daybreak.
 
I will have a special license in hand by tomorrow evening and we will be married.”

“Tomorrow?
 
What if I want my family here?”

“That will not happen.
 
Some will not be able to make it in time, so there is no need to bother them.
 
I will send notes around to them explaining what happened and the haste in which it needed to be carried out.”

“I am not ruined, not like poor Lady Clarissa,” she blurted out in anger.
 
“It is she that you should be marrying.
 
She can provide you with money and excellent alliances, even if she is already increasing.
 
There are plenty of seven-month miracle babies around the
ton
.”

“Mikala,” Judith cut in.
 
“That is enough.”

“Whose side are you on, Judith?”

“My own.”
 
A throat cleared at the door of the parlor.
 

“Your Grace, Miss Mikala’s things are all packed.”

“What?” her head whipped around to where Mrs. McGafferty’s voice came from.

“Thank you Mrs. McGafferty.
 
I will have my solicitor send around your money tomorrow.
 
Thank you for helping my fiancée.”

“It was my pleasure, Your Grace.”

“Would someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?”

“Kala, that is not proper language fitting a future duchess.”

“Duchess my arse,” she crossed her arms mutinously.
 

“As I said, we will be married by Saturday.
 
You cannot stay here since it is no longer safe.
 
You will come to my house and Grandmother will be our chaperone.”

“Wonderful,” she fell back against the back of the sofa.

“Mikala,” Judith sounded hurt.

“It’s not you, Judith.
 
It is the prospect of being married to your grandson and dealing with his dragon of a mother.”

“I will appreciate it if you treat my mother with respect,” he said imperiously.
 
“You know, once upon a time you didn’t find it so daunting to be attached to me by marriage.”

“Times change, Your Grace.”

“Enough of this.
 
You are coming even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you across the square.”
 

“Imagine all the talk if that were to happen,” Kala interjected caustically.

“I will have someone come for your trunks,” Gabe continued, ignoring her.

“Where will you be staying until Saturday?”

“At my house.”

“What will people say?”

“At this point, I don’t care.
 
The damage has already been done.”

“Fine.”
 
She stood and held out her hand waiting for his arm.

“What are you doing?”

“My, you do sound rather peevish right now.
 
I’m waiting for assistance.
 
Perhaps you are the one with the addled mind.”

“Good grief,” she heard Judith say behind her.
 
Mikala had already decided, if he forced her into this marriage, she would make certain he regretted every second of his decision.

Chapter 17

Later that night, Gabe still seethed over her comments about Lady Clarissa.
 
Did she really believe the rumors circulating the
ton
about them?
 
His anger warred with feelings of hurt that she would believe such nonsense.
 
However, it did bring up another topic.
 

He would have to inform Lady Clarissa of the turn of events.
 
He had made no promises to her, but he did feel it necessary to make her aware of the situation.
 
Clarissa would have made a wonderful duchess, but she lacked the fire that emanated from Kala.
 
That fire, he realized with a start, he craved in a woman.
 
But when?
 
The desire for Kala and her wild ways had always been there, but had he tried to deny his longings?
 
He had fought to suppress any feelings for her for so long he convinced himself he wanted someone sweet and biddable like Lady Clarissa.
 
Mikala made all other women seem dull. Had he always compared other women to her?
 

He pushed the disturbing thoughts away and penned the note to Lady Clarissa, sealing it with his ducal seal.
 
He made a list of all the things that had to be done tomorrow.
 
Three times he began a letter to Derek explaining what had happened and informing him of the upcoming nuptials.
 
Three times he tossed the letter into the fire.
 
How did one go about telling his best friend that he and his sister were found in a compromising position and were forced to marry?
 
Derek would kill him.

He stood and went to the brandy decanter on the cart and poured himself a healthy serving of the smuggled liquor.
 
Then he moved to a large leather chair that stood in front of the fire and sat down.
 
He set his glass down while he pulled off his boots and then crossed his feet to gather warmth from the blaze.
 
How could one’s life go so wrong in the space of minutes?
 
He sighed and picked up the glass, taking a healthy swallow.
 
The liquid burned a path of warmth down his throat to his stomach.