Hold Your Breath 02 - Unmasking the Marquess (9 page)

In and out.

Finally, she looked up at Miss Melby. “I need to change and ride out to the cottage. I am leaving for London in an hour. Please pack whatever I might need, the rest can be sent. I will be back before the hour is up. And tell the staff to continue to take care of the needs of the children while I am away.”

“Away? What do you mean, my lady? The marquess just got here.”

“Yes, and I am leaving.”

It was all she needed to say. Miss Melby began to silently scurry about.

~~~

Reanna stepped quietly into the cottage, drawing eleven happy little faces away from the song they had all been singing.

Anticipation shined bright on the older children’s faces—they were the ones who knew how important it was going to be to meet the marquess.

Joan quickly stepped from the circle of children, batting away from her shoulder a blue streamer of fabric that had been hung by the children to liven the cottage up. The children had taken great pains to decorate the cottage for the marquess’s arrival. In fact, the cleaning and decorating had consumed the children’s lives since they learned Lord Southfork was coming.

And all with no prompting from Reanna. Led by Thomas, who wanted to make the best impression of all, Reanna had never seen the children work so hard together without any bickering.

“Has he finally arrived?” Joan asked. The same question was mirrored in all the children’s faces.

“No, Joan,” Reanna said in a snap she couldn’t control. The excited smiles of the children disappeared, replaced with worry on every little face. Reanna took a breath, and stretched for control of her voice. She forced a smile on her face, but didn’t look any of the children in the eyes. She couldn’t.

“Actually, Joan, could I speak to you outside for a moment?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Joan quickly grabbed a shawl and followed Reanna out the door. “What is it? Is the marquess not coming?” the nanny asked the moment the door closed behind them.

There was no use pitter-pattering about the truth. Reanna didn’t have the time. “Actually, Lord Southfork is here. But I am being sent back to London. I am to leave within the hour.”

Reanna attempted to squelch all emotion, and she hoped she was succeeding. “I have instructed the staff to look after the needs of you and the children, and I will make sure several of the maids continue to come and help during the day and night. I am maintaining hope that I will be back at Holloton soon. Maybe within the month, but I am not sure. Will you be able to handle the children until then?”

“Of course, my lady. Don’t you worry about the children none. They will be fine until you return,” Joan said, wisely asking no questions about the reasons for Reanna’s dismissal to London.

Reanna nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Now, the hard part.

“Good, then let us go tell the children, and I must be off.”

~~~

Reanna slid open the window and leaned back against a red velvet squab in the coach. She was alone in the darkness, as she had left Miss Melby behind to oversee packing. Miss Melby would join her with the trunks, a day behind, in London. Until then, Reanna was alone.

She wrinkled her nose. The noxious perfume of the red-haired witch still hung on the fabric, suffocating the air in the enclosed coach. Reanna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake the witch’s cruel laughter and Killian’s words out of her head.

But if it wasn’t the scene in the study that burned in her mind, it was the body-numbing worry over the children. She thought her quick talk with them before she left had soothed their worries from her abrupt entrance.

But leaving them unexpectedly…well, she just couldn’t imagine what was running through their minds. These children had already been abandoned by those they loved and trusted, and she was just adding to that unspoken terror.

She had told them that she was needed in London by a relative, and that she would be back as soon as possible. A lie, which she abhorred having to do, but a necessary concession to alleviate the worry she saw around her.

It had taken every bit of her restraint to hide all emotion and not scare the children. But the second she had cleared the cottage, she broke. She was being ripped from her children. Her babies. They depended on her, and she was leaving them.

Heart twisting in her chest, and blinded by tears the entire way, it had only been by Ivy’s good graces that she had made it back to the stables.

Reanna opened her eyes, tears drained for the moment, only to be consumed with picking at a thread on her sleeve that had torn loose during her breakneck ride to the cottage. By the time she got back to the main house, she hadn’t had time to change, and the riding habit had to do.

Not exactly the most comfortable traveling attire, with the tight shoulders and cinching around her waist. At least the boots would keep her feet warm against the spring chill coming in through the window.

She would need to leave that open.

“My lady! Lady Ana! Lady Ana!”

Reanna jerked forward on the carriage bench. It was early morning on her second full day of travel, and sunny after the heavy rain that had kept them stuck at the traveler’s inn most of yesterday. They were moving slowly, the mucky roads demanded it, and she could have sworn she just heard Thomas yelling for her.

Had she been dreaming? Going crazy?

She looked out the window. Nothing.

“Lady Ana!”

She tore across the carriage to the other window.

It was Thomas. On his little pony, riding alongside the carriage on the edge of the road. Alone.

Blazing hell. What was going on? She flipped the trap door and told the coachman to stop. Reanna couldn’t get out fast enough, flinging open the door and jumping down while the carriage still moved.

“Thomas. Good God. What is going on?”

He pulled up on his pony, jumping off and running to Reanna. Caked in mud, terror was in his eyes. He fell into her, clasping her waist.

“Thomas. What has happened?” She pried him away so she could squat at eye-level with him, keeping one hand on his quaking shoulders, and brushing hair away from his eyes with the other. “Tell me. What is going on?”

“He kicked us out, Lady Ana.”

“What? Wait.” She shifted him backward to the high side of the road and pushed him down onto some wet grass. “Sit down and take a breath.”

Thomas sat, but ignored the breathing part. “He kicked us out.”

Reanna shook her head, trying to understand his frantic words. “What? Who kicked you out?”

“He kicked us out of the cottage, him and his lady friend. Yesterday. She’s mean.”

“Thomas, what are you saying? Lord Southfork kicked you out?”

Thomas nodded and finally took a breath, his small fists clenching. “Bloody right, Lady Ana. The bleeding prig kicked us out of the cottage.”

Reanna could see that all of Thomas’s fear had morphed into anger, now that he had found her, and she chose to ignore his swearing. Reanna gave silent thanks that the rain had held them up. She didn’t want to imagine what would have happened to Thomas if they had been even further from Holloton.

“His lady friend stumbled up on us and shrieked and hissed about. She’s crazy. Red crazy witch hair. Said something about getting rid of us. So he kicked us out.”

“No, he couldn’t have. No. He wouldn’t.” Reanna was turning pale, her heart slowing. “Oh, God, no, the babies too?”

“Yep, lady Ana, that’s why I came after you.”

“Joan—where did she take them?”

“We went to my old house, but there ain’t no room, and ain’t no food, and she had to stay and take care of them, so I convinced her I could find you.”

Reanna grabbed his face in her hands. “Thomas. You did the right thing, but the wrong thing. You could have gotten hurt coming after me. Did you tell the staff? Ike?”

“I stopped by the stables on the way and talked to Ike. He went running off, so I left for you.”

Reanna managed a breath. At least Ike knew. The staff would take care of them for the moment.

She stood, hands on her hips, and eyed one of the four outriders that were huddled, chatting with each other.

It was time to learn how to ride astride.

“Thomas, I know you are tired, so do you want to ride back in the carriage, or—they are bigger than your pony, but do you want to ride back with me on one of those horses?”

Thomas jumped to his feet, grabbing her gloved hand. “I want to stay with you, Lady Ana.”

She squeezed his fingers. “Let us go.”

~~~

Reanna pulled up on her horse as the pair arrived at the stately entrance marking the long road up to Holloton’s main hall.

“Thomas, will you please go on to Joan and the children, and tell them I will be arriving soon.”

Thomas gave her a gritty smile, full of bitter fire. “Are you going to give him hell, Lady Ana?” He wanted justice for his family being kicked out of warmth and security, and Reanna couldn’t blame him.

“Quite possibly, Thomas. I honestly do not know yet.”

His horse next to hers, Reanna reached over and brushed a chunk of mud from his face. The roads were still a muddy mess, and both of them were caked with dirt and mud. She didn’t want to imagine what she looked like. “You rode really well, Thomas. We made excellent time. I am so proud of you. Now go. I will be there soon.”

“All right, Lady Ana. Hurry up though, ‘cause Joan’ll be worried.”

“I will, I promise. Off you go.”

Reanna sat on her horse, hands gripping the leather reins tightly, watching Thomas move on down the road in front of the lowering sun. It was true, she hadn’t decided yet what she was going to say to Killian, but the anger that had been simmering in her for days was now a cauldron of boiling rage that she was having a hard time controlling.

She turned her horse up the drive, not bothering to calm down. Killian didn’t deserve it. He deserved whatever she was going to bring to him.

Reanna ran up the front stairs of Holloton after tossing her reins to a stable boy that had seen her approaching. She yanked open the thick oak door, startling the footman who had been passing by. She didn’t recognize the man. But it made sense that Killian would have more servants while in residence.

Disgust crossed the footman’s features, and he wasted no time in putting on a haughty face. “Excuse me, miss. You are not allowed in here. May I show you the door?”

“No, you may not. I am the marchioness, and I want to know where my husband is.”

Shock sucked the haughtiness off his face. “My lady, it is…it is good to see you…to meet you. My apologies. We had not expected you.”

“I imagine not. Where is he?”

“He is in the dining hall.”

Reanna stalked by the man.

“If you would wait just a moment, my lady, I will announce you.”

She didn’t turn back to him. “No need, I will announce myself.”

Reaching the engraved double doors that stood between her and Killian, Reanna contemplated for a moment that maybe she should wait several minutes and collect herself. At least wipe off the mud that had dried onto her face and hair.

But the thought disintegrated in an instant as the image of her kids stuck in that awful shack flashed in her mind.

Rage renewed.

She reached out, whipping the doors open, and stomped into the long dining hall.

Stopping in the middle of the room, she heaved, her hands on her hips. From the far end of the dining table by the fireplace, two pairs of eyes stared at her.

One set glared at her, the witch’s green eyes reflecting their superiority, along with amusement. Reanna knew she would be here, but had foolishly hoped she would be absent.

The other set of eyes, ones that she had once adored, showed mild annoyance and a touch of curiosity.

Neither one looked shocked to see her.

There was no turning back.

She stepped forward, feet aimed at Killian. “How could you do that?” The anger threatened to turn her voice screechy.

He ignored her question. “Do tell me there is a reason for this unseemly interruption.”

“Interruption? Damn you, you bloody ass.” She advanced on him. “I repeat, how could you do this?”

“Do what, wife?” He had the audacity to smile at her.

Reanna almost reeled backward. “What? Do what? Kick those children out of a home they had come to love, you bastard. Take little babies and throw them out into the dirt.”

Realization flashed on Killian’s features as he put his fork down and leaned back in his chair. “Really, is this display necessary?”

Reanna had to physically stop herself from attacking him. “Those children are cold, and hungry, and scared, because you’ve shown yourself to be the heartless monster you truly are.”

“Those children are brats, nothing more,” the witch across the table said. Bored hand under her chin, she looked up at Reanna with a sickening smile. She tapped her fork impatiently.

Reanna whipped around the table, stopping when she was leaning over the red-haired witch. “I should have sliced your throat the first moment I saw you, Miss Von Houten.”

The threat in Reanna’s voice was real, and the smile, along with the color in the woman’s face, disappeared.

“I recommend that in the future, you keep your vile opinions to yourself, witch, or I will amend my earlier mistake.”

Von Houten’s eyes slid downward, landing on the venison on her plate. Her fork tapping stopped.

Faced with only a mass of red hair, Reanna stood straight and turned to Killian. He was not pleased. His jaw was set, twitching.

Reanna wasn’t about to be intimidated. She strode back toward her husband. “And you, you are pathetic. You turn to a witch like her to keep you entertained. But of course, it should not surprise me.” She threw a hand wide. “Cowards need cowards, and you have proven yourself to be nothing but one.”

“Reanna—” His voice was low, near exploding.

“No, goddammit, don’t you dare say a word. Only a coward would throw out children into the cold. They’re orphans, Killian—did you realize that? Did you realize that I set up an orphanage?” Her hands flew up in disgust. “Not that it would matter to you—you don’t want anything to do with me. But really Killian, are you that much a scum of a man to take out whatever ridiculous hatred you have for me on innocent children?”

“The children had nothing to do with you,” Killian gritted out between clenched teeth.

“You are wrong, Killian. They are everything to me. And they have everything to do with me. How you hate me. What, was making love to me too much for you? Too genuine? Because I know you felt it. I don’t know a damn thing about men—that much is obvious—but I know you felt what I did that night. And you’re a blasted imbecile to deny it.”

She took a deep breath against her body shaking, then took a few steps to the door. By the entrance, she slowly turned back to him, her voice now soft, almost pitying.

“You are not a man, Killian. You are a coward. A bloody bastard. And I am glad you have found a woman who can match your needs. Now if you will please excuse me, I need to go to the children.”