HisLadysKeeperfinal.wps (20 page)

“Just hold on, and we’ll be back to the castle in no time.”

“Okay .…” His voice was lost on the howling wind.

She wrapped the cloak she wore closer around him. Her hood fell off and rain HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 94

drenched her head. She sneezed. She was going to catch her bloody death.

“Gemma!”

She heard Hart’s call with relief flowing through her heart. She was so happy to hear his voice, that she even welcomed facing his wrath. He had done his research well when he’d chosen to whisk her away to this isle. They were screwed royally. She couldn’t escape him no matter how hard she tried, or how far she ran. He’d always find her and haul her back to his side. Her body was growing weak.

“Aunt Gemma? Are you okay? You’re shivering really badly. I guess you aren’t used to this harsh and damp weather. We used to get rained on all the time back when I was on my ma’s ship. She never let me sleep below … so I was stuck trying to find someplace to sleep on deck that wasn’t too cold or wet. I don’t think you have the constitution for this type of weather though .…”

“I’m fine, Charles. I just feel a bit under the weather.”

“Well, it’s a fine time to feel like that when we are out getting the worst of the elements.”

“I know, Charles.”

“You should stick close to Uncle Hart from now on. He really does know best.”

“You know, Charles, Hart isn’t the boss of me.”

“I know—you think you’re the boss of him,” Charles chuckled.

She fell silent. How could she argue with Charles? He was right. Hart and she were at each other’s throats because they both wanted to be the one in control. Maybe if each of them just came halfway, they’d be set.

“He’s a good man,” Charles said.

“And you’re a good lad.” She slumped forward on the saddle. Her lungs were burning again, and instead of feeling cold, she was now feeling oh so cold. Her fingers felt like they were going to freeze right off. How could it be this cold in March?

“Charles, I think you should take the reins, until Hart gets here.”

He turned to look back at her. “You’re burning up with fever … what’s

happening to you?”

“I think I must have caught something before we left England … and now it’s finally hitting me.”

She coughed. Had Susan been sick? Now, the entire hall could be down with a fever. She only prayed that Susan would be able to weather the storm.

“You’ll be alright, here comes Uncle Hart … and oh, no, that wicked Spaniard is with him.”

“My dear, that wicked Spaniard is his brother.”

“I know … but that doesn’t make him any less wicked.”

She smiled. Hazy images filtered through her fevered brain. Images of England, and Scotland … they all melted into each other. She could hear Mallory and Andrew laughing as they chased her through the St. Martin Castle gardens.

“Gemma?” She was slipping off the horse, even though Charles was trying to

keep her from falling.

“Uncle Hart, she’s really sick … she’s just raging with fever.”

“We have to get her to mother and Maeve.”

“I’m worried for her .…” Charles cried.

“She’ll be fine, boy.” She could hear Richard speaking in the background. “She’s HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 95

just too bitchy to die.”

Bitchy, her ass.

Gemma opened her eyes, meeting Hart’s worried gaze. He caught her slumped

form and held her in his arms so she was cradled against him. Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her close to his warm body.

“Take me home.”

“I’m taking you home, Gemma.” Then, she was lulled off into her fevered

dreamland where dead people were alive and Hart was her hero.

HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 96

“What’s happened? Did she fall from her horse?” His mother ran through the great hall toward him. Her hair was coming loose from it’s elaborate up do.

“Take her upstairs at once, she is soaked through to the bone.”

“Where’s Maeve?”

“She’s in town visiting her patients there.”

“Someone will have to fetch her.”

“Well, seeing as I’m already bloody well wet, I’ll go and fetch her. She’ll have to ride with me, since it will take too much time to saddle another horse. Warrior has already been through enough, I think. The grooms are getting me a fresh horse as we speak,” Richard declared.

“Go and ride fast and hard,” Hart ordered.

“That’s the only way I ever do anything—fast and hard.” Richard laughed,

delighting in his pun.

“Just get her and bring her to us. Gemma is really sick.”

“I can see that. You’ve come too far to lose her now.”

“I love her, Richard,” Hart proclaimed, fear leaping inside of him.

“In that case, dear brother, I’ll make sure I get Maeve here in time. In the meanwhile, mother will know how to take care of her. She’s a brilliant woman.”

“Why thank you, Richard. Unfortunately, the two of you are wasting precious time that we don’t have. Get a move on, Richard. Hart, take her upstairs, you can get her clothing off her and we’ll get her all bundled up. Then, we wait until the fever breaks.”

“It won’t break soon enough. She’s so delicate,” Hart moaned, dashing toward his chambers at a breakneck pace. To her credit, his mother ran behind him, trying to keep pace with him.

“Delicate health doesn’t happen to run in her family, does it?” his mother asked.

They entered his chamber, and he walked toward the bed.

“I should think so. Her niece was doing poorly when we were there—I wonder if she’s the one that first contracted the fever. I hope she’s recovered … she’s such a little lass.”

“Is she a babe?” his mother asked.

“Aye.”

“Then, I shall pray that she comes through this with her life.”

“Pray for Gemma while you’re at it.”

He looked down at her pale face and then, up at his mother. “I’ll go and warm a nightgown for her … you should strip her out of her clothes while I’m gone. It’s a good thing I had the foresight to get a fire started in this room, or the damp might just kill her,”

Margaret clucked.

Hart hesitated. He’d already seen Gemma naked, but there would be hell to pay when she woke up and found out he’d undressed her.

“Hart? Why are you taking all day?” she asked. “Get to getting her clothing HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 97

off—we should have her dressed again by the time that your brother returns.”

“I—”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t been with her together as husband and wife?” she sighed heavily.

His silence gave her the answer she was seeking.

“Well, you’d best get to wooing and bedding her, or her brother will demand an annulment. At her tender age, he can.”

“She looks younger than she is … I assure you, mother, I abducted an adult.”

“Good. Then, he won’t be able to force an annulment, but she could.”

He gave her a long look. “I’m right, Hart. I have much experience with

marriages, I don’t have to remind you that I was married before your father, and I had that one annulled.”

“You were always meant to marry father.”

“Aye, and when he went and married Richard’s mother, he really threw that plan in the chamber pot. If you’re not going to take off her clothes, I will. You get to hanging the nightgown by the fire so it’s warmed for her.”

He went to do her bidding, as she masterfully relieved Gemma of her soaked

dress and undergarments.

“She is wet right down to the skin, no wonder she is shivering so much.”

“What happened to your first husband?” Hart asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

“He is somewhere in England now, I’d warrant. If he’s not already dead. He was a scoundrel.”

“Did you—”

“He and I never truly became husband and wife if that is what you are asking.

No, your father was always the man I had my heart set on. Had he not been so stupid, I would have been Richard’s mother as well. He was warned that insanity ran in Francesca’s family. He thought he was repaying me by marrying her, until he found out I’d been forced into marriage. Then, all bets were off. But it was too late. He’d already gotten Francesca pregnant. That man always did think with his trousers instead of his head.” She sighed mournfully. “You should have seen the game of cat and mouse I played with my first husband, trying to avoid his bed, and how did your dear father repay me? He slept with Francesca.” The slight hint of bitterness tinged her voice. “Of course, it’s all water under the bridge, but it still smarts.”

“Richard does follow in father’s footsteps. He lets his wee man point the way most of the time as well.” Hart grimaced.

“Indeed. I’m glad to know that you have a bit more restraint. You didn’t force her, which is something to be admired in a man. I have raised you well.”

“I don’t think even Richard does that to women .…”

“Aye, but he doesn’t need to. One look from those eyes of his, and the women are hiking up their skirts before he even has to help them.”

He smirked. His mother had Richard completely figured out. The man was

known for his sexual appetite. She was right, though, once Gemma had regained her strength from the fever he had to bed her as soon as possible.

“There. She’s ready for her nightgown.” She glanced over at the clock. “Where is that brother of yours? I told him to ride like the wind.” She looked at the window as HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 98

rain and wind made the glass rattle.

“That’s one hell of a frightful storm .…” Hart handed her the warmed nightgown.

She’d wrapped Gemma in a blanket. Her blond hair had come loose from its pins and now cascaded down over her shoulders. Her hair had turned curly from the rain. He didn’t know her hair was curly, she’d always kept it pinned up or pulled back … and on the one occasion when he’d seen her with it down, she must have straightened it.

“Andrew—don’t go .…” Her rambling made his mother start.

“Andrew?” Margaret looked up at him. “Who is Andrew?”

“Her brother. The one that is dead.”

“Oh.” His mother looked crestfallen. “She sounds so plaintive. They must have been close.”

“Closer than what she is with Mallory.”

“Then, why did you take her? She might have just come with you willingly. She does look at you with a certain amount of admiration in her eyes. I’m sure you were charming her well before you abducted her and attacked her brother. Taking her against her will wasn’t a good idea on your part.”

“I wasn’t thinking, mother. I am regretting it a bit now … besides, Mallory needed to have me throw him off his high horse. He was too smug and preening for my liking.”

“He preens? He must be great friends with the Regent. The Regent would

definitely admire a man like that.”

“Mallory might as well—he seems so superior. You forget, mother, the Regent is now the King. Mallory never knew what rank I truly held in society … now, he will.”

“Yes, thank you, dear. I keep forgetting that the Regent is now our King. He more or less held that role for a long time before it became official. Alas, Mallory must be stark raving mad by now. When my letter reaches his mother—he will hit the roof again. Too bad we couldn’t see his reaction, Hart. I think it would be truly entertaining.”

“You already sent your letter?” They covered up Gemma. She sat down in a chair by the bedside and he sat down on the bed.

“Yes, Hart, I did. Her mother needed to know you hadn’t dropped her off in the middle of nowhere. They’ll soon know that they are now related to us by marriage.”

“And, he’ll know where to find me.”

“Now, do you actually think I’m that stupid? It will take him awhile to figure out that we’re on this particular isle.”

“Mother .…”

“When he comes, you will have to face the music. You may crown him one, but murdering him is out of the question. That will definitely get you charged, and even my family name wouldn’t be able to pull you out of that particular fire. You can’t possibly think that you can keep Gemma from her family forever. She is a lady of high breeding

… you are a lord of high breeding … the social circles will eventually figure everything out and he will find us through those channels.”

“Thank you for reminding me of that, mother.”

“I’m only pointing out the obvious. This mad scheme of yours was faulted by the get go.”

“I did this for you.”

“I understand that. And I shouldn’t have asked you to put yourself on this HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 99

foolhardy path … I was wrong. I’m sorry, Hart.”

“Now, you tell me.” He chuckled ruefully.

He walked to the window leaving his mother to sit with Gemma. “Richard has arrived. He’s coming up the walk as I speak … with Maeve tucked under his arm.”

“Excellent. He moved like the wind.”

“As always, he races to please you.”

“Hart .…” They both started at the sound of Gemma’s weak voice.

“I’m here.” He moved to her, clasping her cold hand beneath his own. “Her

hands are still cold.”

“She will hopefully warm up soon.”

“I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t … Maeve will save the day like she always does.”

At the mention of her name, Maeve swept into the room.

“What’s happened?”

“Gemma has a raging fever.” He stood up and got out of the way when Maeve

shooed them to the side.

“She doesn’t look good. I’ll get a compress on her head right away and make up a tonic. With all luck, my ministrations will break her fever. Pray for her.”

He folded his arms across his chest, and looked to Richard.