Libertine's Wife (40 page)

“
I thought it obvious that I
love you, Arianne!” Garret snapped in an irate tone. “Do I have to
bloody singsong it to you in short skirts and catch butterflies for
you too? I’m not Vale!”

“
He doesn’t catch
butterflies for me,” Arianne disclosed with a smile.

Garret snatched her into his arms. His
lips crashed down over hers, cutting off her breath, kissing her so
thoroughly, her knees felt weak. Her body melted into his. The feel
of him against her was like food for her soul. Her arms slid around
his neck, kissing him back with equal fervor. He broke the kiss
with a glint in his eyes, his eyes darkened with desire.

“
Go back and pack your
things. Come home to me, Arianne. You have one hour, madam.” She
opened her mouth to question not speaking to Julian first. He put
his fingers to her lips silencing her. “You know it’s what you
want, Arianne. You owe Vale nothing. No excuses, no pretty
speeches, and no apologies. Take what you want for once. Be selfish
in it.”

Her heart was in her eyes, her tears of
happiness now. “I love you, Garret. I never stopped. This is what I
want. I always wanted to just come home to you and our
children.”

Garret took her in his arms and held
her tightly, closing his eyes with relief to know his wife would
come home without a fight. He loved her more than he ever thought
possible to love anyone. They would work past their problems. They
couldn’t do that with her living with Julian.

After Dru confessed to nearly killing
Lady Adeline with a laudanum overdose during one of their afternoon
trysts, he’d had his own misgivings of what they did now. Then,
most recently, she burned down Arianne’s house in a jealous rage.
He realized this was no game they played anymore. They did real
damage to themselves and others acting on their emotions. His fiery
protégé couldn’t continue with it anymore. It was time to end this
farce. He didn’t need trickery to get his wife back. That was how
he got her. It would not be how he kept her.

Dru left London and returned to Vale
House, heartbroken, believing Julian could never be hers. He owed
it to Dru to make that happen for her. Somewhere during their
affair, he developed feelings for her. If not for his overwhelming
love for Arianne, he might have stolen Julian’s bride away. Her
idiot of a husband would have little choice but to find his way
back to her now, without Arianne standing in the way.

“
Go now and hurry back to
me,” Garret told her as he set her away from him, his eyes falling
to her gown as if noticing it for the first time. His grin turned
mocking. “Who dresses like that to see their children at nine in
the morning, my sweet? You wore it for me, didn’t you? Nice choice
for a seduction. My compliments, I do love you in purple. Dare I
hope you have something equally compelling underneath that gown? Do
you even have anything under that gown?”

“
You’re rather full of
yourself still, I see.” She colored with embarrassment to know he
saw through her desire to entice him right away.

“
If that neckline were any
lower, we wouldn’t still be standing in the hall,” Garret said
under his breath, noticing the servants all peeking out around
corners, watching them intently and smiling.

Arianne smiled through her tears. “I
will be back within the hour and you can see for
yourself.”

“
You’re to be on time.” He
reached out and tilted up her chin. “Don’t be late. I will count
the minutes until you return. I have much to make up for, my lady,
and I mean to start today.”

“
I’m always on time, my
lord. It’s you who is perpetually late.” Arianne giggled as he
pinched her backside as she walked away. She hurried down the
stairs and was out the door, eager to get back to Julian’s house
and pack. She failed to see the two men on the walkway as she was
helped inside the coach.

When she got back to Julian’s
residence, she learned he hadn’t returned from Vale House yet. She
had the upstairs maids in an uproar packing her things. She watched
as her many trunks, bags, and boxes moved like a caravan out the
door to the wagon that would move her back home.

Julian still hadn’t returned from his
errand at his estate. She left him a note, telling him simply that
she went home. Telling him anything more was unnecessary. Arianne
couldn’t ignore the fact she had a husband and children she adored.
Garret wanted her back. She had to follow her heart. She prayed
Julian accepted her decision. She knew he loved her, but she didn’t
return his feelings. For once, she put her own needs, her own
desires, even her own heart before any others.

Arianne left the drawing on her writing
desk. She finished the plans for the estate the night before. She
was too keyed up to sleep, thinking about her children and Garret.
Whether Julian chose to rebuild the house didn’t matter to her
anymore. She was going home to her husband and set about to rebuild
their life; encouraged by his forgiving her.

Arianne was nearly breathless as she
went down to the coach, not seeing the pair of men who cut her off
in both directions at the door to the conveyance. She opened the
door to the coach. A man leapt out at her. Her mouth opened to
scream. She felt a blinding pain in her head, and all went
dark.

Garret glared at the mantle clock. One
hour turned into three. He paced and ignored his disappointment.
The wagon with his wife’s things arrived two hours before.
Arianne’s coach had not. The driver of the wagon said Lady
Ravensford should have been right behind him. When he went back to
Vale’s residence, the earl was not in, and the coach
gone.

Garret gnashed his teeth, wondering
where the woman was. He paused in his fretting. Arianne would not
have been late. She was never late, as she said before she left.
The woman had an annoying habit of being on time. He noticed that
about her; her obsessive punctuality. It was drilled into her at a
young age, obviously.

After five hours passed, he knew
something was wrong. He ordered his driver about and went to Vale’s
residence to learn the earl wasn’t at home still. Lady Ravensford
left hours before. The coach hadn’t returned yet, he was told. The
two footmen were then found tied up in Vale’s gardens, claiming
they’d been attacked by three uncouth men.

Garret arrived back home to be told a
letter arrived while he was out. He opened the missive and cursed
under his breath. It was another ransom note. This one was for his
wife’s safe return. They wanted one hundred thousand pounds. He was
white-faced to know he didn’t have it. His funds were all tied up
with investments in his plantation. He paced within his study,
debating going to Julian for the ransom. The man was filthy with
money.

Garret knew this would not end were
they to pay. He saw a pattern and her brother’s image came to mind.
This was something Eustace would employ to extort funds when all
other avenues were closed to him. He found the means to extort him
for his own wife now.

Just as he was thinking that, Lord Vale
arrived, looking equally stricken. He looked disheveled too, as if
he’d just rolled out of bed. Garret glared to see the purplish-red
love marks at the man’s neck. He was seething to see his shirt was
hastily buttoned. His cravat was askew. His usually perfect raven
hair looked like it hadn’t been combed. The man looked quite
disreputable. He reeked of a combination of things, making Garret
want to thrash him, realizing what they were in an instant. He
assumed the man was out whoring while Arianne was snatched off his
doorstep.

“
Arianne’s been kidnapped,”
Julian reported grimly, his own ransom note clutched in his hand.
“They want one hundred thousand pounds for her safe return. I found
it when I arrived home just now.”

“
I see a trend here, Vale,”
Garret responded dryly, trying to hold his own panic under control
as the man followed him into his study. “I thought you put Eustace
on a ship?”

Julian appeared outraged he would
question him. “I didn’t actually put the man on the ship,
Ravensford. The damned prison guards did that!”

“
Eustace is as wily as a
fox,” Garret argued and his eyes filled with anger. “Unless you put
him on that ship yourself, don’t assume he was on it. This is
something he would do. We both know he had a hand in Jaime’s
kidnapping.”

“
The child was bad enough,
but to kidnap his own sister? That is low even for Eustace. I, for
one, want to kill the man!” Julian paced, regarding Garret with a
glower. “I read the note she left for me, by the way. It appears
your wife was leaving me for you when she was accosted. That should
no doubt please you, Ravensford.”

“
See to your own damned wife
and leave mine alone, Vale!” Garret was tempted to thrash the man
again, muttering in outrage as he paced the study.

Julian could see Garret was highly
volatile over his wife’s abduction. He looked at his note once
more. He frowned. “Let me see your note, Ravensford.”

Garret snatched it off his desk and
handed it to Julian. He poured them both a brandy and saw the man
perused both with a rapt expression on his face.

“
Are you checking to see if
they charge us the same?” Garret inquired sarcastically as he
handed the man a drink.

Julian looked up and shook his head,
taking a drink, and setting it aside. “The notes are from the same
hand as the note for Jaime. I would swear to it.”

“
That was over a year ago,”
Garret said and frowned. “You’re very sure?”

Julian scowled and waved the note
triumphantly. “I have a memory like a rat trap, Ravensford. These
notes are from the same individuals who took Jaime. I’d stake my
life on it.”

“
They have my wife, Vale!
What difference does that make anyway?”

Julian’s expression turned murderous.
“I know where she is.”

“
You’re sure of it?” Garret
asked, his own eyes growing cold. “Where did you drop the
money?”

“
It was at an inn on the
east side. I was instructed to wait in my coach in the alley out
behind it. A woman came. She took the bag of money from me. Another
woman arrived with the boy.”

“
Would you remember
them?”

“
Again, that rat trap,
Ravensford,” Julian replied tightly. “I would recognize those women
anywhere. I think they might lead us to the men who did this, at
the very least.”

“
I’m not feeling especially
generous today, Vale.” Garret tossed back his brandy and got out a
box in his desk containing his prized dueling pistols.

Julian grinned to see the man had a
pair. “Neither am I, Ravensford. Shall we forego the ransom and
collect her ourselves?”

“
You appear to enjoy this,
Vale.” Garret handed him a loaded pistol. “Don’t shoot your own
foot off. I do hope you know how to defend yourself should we run
into trouble. I go to save my wife. You’re on your own should
things get heated.”

Julian chuckled as he put the pistol in
his coat. “I can hold my own, Ravensford. Don’t be tempted to use
one of these on me, is all I ask. You have her back. There is no
need for us to quarrel anymore. I want whatever makes Arianne
happy, even if that is you.”

Garret sent him a dark look. “If not
for you saving my wife’s life not long ago, you’d already be dead,
Vale. Consider that a warning in the future.”

Julian saw the man’s fierce look. His
smile faded. It was obviously no joke. He followed Garret out of
the study. They took Julian’s coach to The Lost Sparrow
Inn.

The interior of the tavern was dim.
They took a seat at a corner table, both looking at the uncouth,
loud inhabitants grimly. It was a haven for sailors and doxies, a
loud boisterous place. The brigands who frequented the
establishment sent them covert looks. Two obvious gentlemen in such
a place were bound to draw suspicion.

A buxom barmaid came over. They ordered
two ales. Julian looked about and spied one of the women involved
in the first kidnapping serving on the other side of the room. The
second came out from the back of the tavern, tying an apron around
her waist. The two women worked at the inn. Julian sipped his ale
and began making eyes at the both of them.

Garret saw his intent and looked
disgusted. “That’s the way to get them over here, Vale. Work that
gifted charm of yours.”

“
Somebody has to.” Julian
smiled charmingly and gesturing to them. “Just let me do the
talking. You have no skills with women, Ravensford.”

Garret smirked at that. He sipped his
ale, wanting to burst the cocky man’s bubble, but refrained.
“You’re right, Vale. You’re much better at holding a woman’s
attention than I am. Do proceed and show me how it’s
done.”

Julian grinned as the barmaids came to
their table, cooing and fussing over them, sitting on both men’s
laps. One was named Gertie, the other Mary. Within minutes they
negotiated taking both women upstairs.

Garret smiled at his buxom lap warmer
and tried to avoid her massive breasts dangled under his nose, the
stench of her body odor making him cough. Julian managed to get the
prettier of the two. He eyed Garret with a smug look as the pretty
brunette named Mary pressed against his chest.