HisLadysKeeperfinal.wps (5 page)

bedchamber. She just wanted this dreadful day to be over.

“Gemma.” Her heart sunk. Why did Hart have to remember her presence, when

her brother and Elizabeth had seemingly forgotten it?

“Now what?” she demanded, whirling to face him. He still looked like he wanted to whisk her into his arms and kiss her until she was senseless. Her lips still tingled from his kiss and she sighed at the memory.

“We still haven’t worked out the details of our relationship.”

“There is no relationship between you and me. We won’t be seeing each other again after today.” Her heart pained. It had to be heartburn. She couldn’t feel anything for Hart … she’d known him for only a few hours .…

She slammed against the silk wallpapered wall. He had walked her into a corner.

He was very adept at getting her to do something before she even knew she’d been duped into doing it. She tried to look past Hart at Mallory and Elizabeth.

“Oh, I beg to differ with you on that point. You see, I want to have you—not just as a pretty bauble to watch over, but I want you for the rest of my life. I’ve been hit hard by one of Cupid’s arrows, and I’m not going to let go of you now. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from your side.”

She snorted. “Now you listen to me. My brother would never allow me to marry you, you just aren’t suitable. Your rough manners and uncouth tongue are not fit for the type of society we mingle in.”

“There you go again, Gemma. You’re getting snobby once more. I have to say, I will have to put a little bit of humble into that whole lot of self-importance you seem to tout so willingly. When you become my wife—those airs of yours will have to go. You need to get off of that lofty perch of yours, your ladyship. As for Mallory’s blessing, he’s already given it. If you keep disagreeing with me, he might just let me hogtie you and take you to the altar under duress. Anything to save you from becoming shackled for life to the likes of Kilworth.”

“Do you really want to know why I’m marrying Kilworth? Well, I’ll give you the full lowdown. I’m marrying him because when I’m with him, I don’t feel anything. Not a thing. I don’t feel happy, nor do I feel sad, or despondent. With him, there’s absolutely no way, I can have my heart broken.”

She caught the look of pity that shone briefly in his eyes. “Oh, you needn’t feel sorry for me. Mallory doesn’t know, or if he does, he doesn’t remember … but I loved once. I loved deeply. That’s the problem with us, St. Martin’s. We feel deeply. So deeply that when we lose something we cherish above all else, we turn to ice.”

“I’m sorry that the man you loved passed before you could marry.” He reached out for her. Sympathy for her plight washed over him.

“Oh, he didn’t pass.” She laughed. It sounded hollow and almost unsteady to her.

“Oh, if only I’d been so lucky … at least then, I could have remembered him with fondness, and maybe I would have allowed myself to love again—but no, he’s very much alive. He’s married, and he has two children. Children that should have been mine, had HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 22

he not turned out to be such a shallow, greedy, selfish little man. He only wanted me for my money … he made me fall in love with him. He whisked me off my feet. We built castles in the air together. We made so many wonderful plans for our future together.

And, then, when he found out I didn’t have the sort of money he thought a duke’s daughter would have, when he discovered my dowry was non-existent, he dropped me like an old shoe. To add insult to my already injured pride, he circulated the rumor that he had found me with another man … that I had been tainted. Fortunately, mother still held a lot of power in the social circles, and she found a way to smother the hateful lie—

she made it all disappear … but the wounds were already there. Don’t you see? I’ve been spoiled, but not in the way you might think. If I put on a façade of being inconsiderate, and petty, no one wants to touch me … no one wants to get close to me, and that protects me.”

“I can protect you. I want you despite the way you act. I’ve only known you for a few hours, and for some reason, I can’t imagine waking up tomorrow and not being able to see you.”

“You’re just infatuated. I’m not blind to my outer appearance. Many tell me I’m a beauty … so you’re just entranced with that. But beauty is only skin deep, Hart. You don’t want to touch my heart … you’d never break down the iron wall I’ve erected around it.”

“Oh, I’m good at breaking down walls … you see, you’re not the only one with an illustrious family history … my family is an old and much revered clan. We have noble minds, and noble hearts, and our fighting spirit won’t ever let us give up even when we’re facing defeat head on. I’m not going to let you push me away … and I’ll be damned if I let you marry that shell of a man known as the Earl of Kilworth. He’s got a colorful reputation among the men of his class. They know what he truly is and you would not want to be his wife. He would treat you like … well, he’d treat you like you belonged to him. He would treat you like his slave. Trust me, he’d take far more from you then he’d give.”

“My brother always tells Elizabeth that she belongs to him. I see no difference in the way that Mallory thinks of Elizabeth when compared to the way that Kilworth will regard me.”

“Aye, but he doesn’t mean it in the same context as Kilworth would mean it. He means that Elizabeth’s heart belongs to him … but Elizabeth has willingly given him her hand, and her body … and that would never change.”

They both turned their head at the sound of commotion coming to them from

down the hall.

“Seamus, I told you, that we didn’t need to come and ask for Uncle Mallory’s permission to start building that tree house .…”

Gemma looked up at the sound of Charles’s voice. Charles was the wayward boy that Mallory had brought home to them two years ago. Elizabeth and Mallory had since adopted Charles and taken him in as their own. He was a bit older now than when he’d first come to them, but still just a boy and still full of mischief. She smiled fondly. He reminded her of Andrew. Even though Mallory claimed that Charles was not his by blood, Charles certainly resembled the St. Martin’s. Perhaps, Mallory was mistaken, or Andrew had sired Charles. She laughed, finding it hard to imagine her straight laced honorable older brother ever having anything to do with Charles’s mother.

HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 23

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Grace, I didn’t know that you had old friends visiting,”

Seamus apologized, darting his glance between Mallory and Hart.

She caught the bright smile that Seamus gave Hart, and she wondered at it. How did they know each other? She knew that Seamus had served with Mallory during the war, and she also knew that he’d served with Mallory in his days as a privateer. What she didn’t know is that Hart knew Mallory from those days as well.

Foolish girl, you should have wised up before this.

“So, I expect you served with my brother during the war.”

“Aye, I served with Andrew. He was a grand captain, although I’d already been given my own ship and crew when he fell at Waterloo. The world lost a shining star that day.”

“I .…” Her mind whirled. “I need to get out of here, I need to breathe.” Her mind was a wild jumble of thoughts, “I need air.” She turned around, darted for the door to her bedchamber, and had almost reached it when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Well, in that case, Lady Gemma,
I’ll be seeing you
.”

She shivered at his tantalizing words of promise, opened her bedchamber door, dashed through it, and slammed it in his face, locking it securely behind her.

HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 24

Hart smiled. He’d never expected to be so bewitched by Lady Gemma, but she’d entranced him from the first moment he’d set eyes on her. And, now he would make her his.

“I don’t think I like the merry game the two of you are trying to play with Gemma.” Elizabeth’s stern voice cut through his thoughts. He ambled over to Mallory.

“I have to say though, this is a lot of fun, more fun than I’d ever thought. I think it might even be more entertaining than our exploits at sea, what do you think, Mallory?”

“Sea? We’re going to sea again? When?” Charles bobbed between them looking up at all of them with his bubbly, yet earnest expression.

“No, Charles. We are not going to sea.” Mallory looked as if he was inclined to laugh, Hart didn’t know how he kept such a stern visage. “Elizabeth, you know how much I detest that little foul bullfrog that she’s set her cap on. He isn’t good enough to even be in her presence … he isn’t good enough for any woman, let alone
my
sister!”

Hart cleared his throat. “Perhaps, we need to reconsider our strategic positions in this battle.”

“Battle?” Elizabeth shook her head. “I swear the two of you will be the death of me with your constant strategizing. Hart, I appreciate you sailing back from the Caribbean for my husband, but I do think you’ll have to abandon this … this fiasco. I don’t blame Gemma for rebelling against you two … she doesn’t want her future to be planned by the two of you. You have no right.”

“Look at how right
we
turned out … and I did set into motion our future when I took you under my guiding wing,” Mallory pointed out.

Elizabeth frowned. “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, Mallory, my love.” She sighed and directed her attention to Charles. “Dear, why don’t you go out with Seamus and start getting into motion that tree house you had your heart set on … I’m sure some of the other men would be more than willing to help you and Seamus. They haven’t known what to do with themselves, since Hart sailed
The Daedalus
into port.”

“Thank you, Aunt Elizabeth,” Charles said, giving her a gentlemanly bow, and then ran back toward the way that he’d arrived.

Seamus shook his head. “Carpentry never was my skill, I just wish you’d let me into that fancy kitchen that Mallory Hall boasts. I could whip you up quite the feast in there.”

“Well, Seamus, if you can brave Mrs. Grant then I’d say you have a go,”

Elizabeth said, granting her permission.

Mallory laughed. “Mrs. Grant has been in my family’s employ since she was

Miss Rivers. She even stayed on with us, when I could barely pay her half wages. She said she was part of the family and that she wasn’t going to abandon us in our darkest hours. Under that large stern outer appearance she has a heart of gold. But I warn you.

She has a fighting spirit. If you can get past her formidable person, then you may certainly fix us a feast in the kitchen. Seamus, if she hadn’t been born a woman I would HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 25

have enlisted her to work in our company of men. She is quite the strong willed protector when it comes to her territory.”

“I know … I found that out when she chased me out of the kitchen with her huge wooden spoon, she’d actually made contact with my behind a few times … she’s wicked with that thing. I’d rather face down one of Antonio’s men.” Seamus rolled his eyes.

Hart noticed Elizabeth turn a shade paler. Mallory made a weird noise. “I don’t think we’ll ever have to worry about that again, Seamus, since we have sworn off that life.”

“Aye, so you keep telling me. Well, I’m off to play nursemaid to that little bugger, may God grant me the patience to persevere,” he prayed, rolling his eyes heavenward.

“I’m going to go and check on the baby … you two can bloody well get off your high horses when it comes to the plans you have for Gemma. I won’t hear of you forcing her into a marriage, just because Hart led her into that kiss.”

“I didn’t lead, I more or less swooped in for the proverbial kill, though I’d wager, she wasn’t completely against my forwardness.” Hart grinned.

“Actually, MacKinnon, from my viewpoint, she looked like she was enjoying

your fervent attentions,” Mallory commented. “I haven’t seen Gemma’s cheeks shine like that in years. She was glowing with happiness.”

“Honestly, you two.” Elizabeth shook her head, glanced up at the ceiling she muttered an inaudible prayer and then with a swish of skirt she was gone. Hart resisted the urge to smile again. He couldn’t seem to help himself, he never thought he’d enjoy returning to Scotland when he was having such a roaring good time in the Caribbean, but Mallory had been right when he’d promised him one hell of a good time if he returned.

Gemma was worth the sea voyage, and she was worth having to deal with the

stuffiness of his family home life. Now, as long as he could stay at Mallory Hall until he went back to the Caribbean, hopefully with Gemma in tow, then he’d be all set. He also had another trip to make before setting off for the Caribbean, and maybe this time, he’d forget about going back to the Caribbean altogether and instead embrace the life of a family man.

“Now that Elizabeth is out of hearing distance we can get back to brass tacks. I want you to continue with your forward advances on Gemma. I want a wedding within the fortnight, and I’m certainly not the one that’s going to be getting married. The sooner Gemma is safe from that little shit, the better. I didn't know how sick and twisted he truly was, until I put some inquiries in at the London brothels. I will not have my sister subjected to him—and you owe me, Hart. I saved your life, so now you’re going to save my sister’s life.”

“I just knew you were going to call upon that debt, and I have no qualms with you upping the ante by calling in that card. I’m fine with it; in fact, I’ll enjoy this more than I enjoyed saving your life. I was laid up with my head wound in constant pain, but this, this will be a cakewalk. Come to think of it, I’ll owe you another debt of gratitude.”

“You really are that taken with her, aren’t you? Well, I give you credit for your tenacity. You’ll have another production of
Taming the Shrew
on your hands with my sister. She is definitely the most difficult one of the bunch. I think it comes with her being the eldest of my sisters … she’s always taken care of them so well in my absence that she thinks she should have been born a man ....” Mallory stopped at Hart’s fit of HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 26