Libertine's Wife (41 page)

Garret would have liked to set Vale
straight at that moment about his dubious skills with the fairer
sex. He decided the man’s fiery wife could do that. Drusilla
developed a bit of a fetish during their affair. She had a fondness
for silk whips. Vale was in for it if the lady ever got her hands
upon him.

Julian drank his ale and the four of
them went upstairs. As soon as they arrived at the room, Garret
pulled out his pistol. He cocked it and held it to Gertie’s head.
Julian followed suit with Mary. Both women looked sick as they sat
on the edge of one small pallet, staring at the handsome noblemen
in obvious regret.

“
You helped men kidnap a
child a year ago,” Julian said harshly as he bore down on them.
“Who are these men?”

Gertie looked like she would be
hysterical. Garret shook his head, his green eyes looking into hers
intently. “Don’t even think about screaming, wench! Who are these
bloody men? Out with it now; before my finger grows
heavy!”

“
His name be Thaddeus
Dench,” Gertie replied and licked her lips nervously, wiping a
greasy strand of brown hair out of her worried eyes, looking
furtively between them. “Wot ye want ‘im for?”

“
He took a noblewoman for
ransom today. Where would he keep her?” Julian asked and glowered
as fiercely as Garret down at the woman. “Do you know anything
about it?”

“
That depends, Milord,”
Gertie replied with a saucy smile. “Ye got the coin to
pay?”

“
Shoot her, Vale.” Garret
looked at the woman in distaste, his green eyes flat and devoid of
emotion.

Gertie looked dismayed. Her eyes flew
wide as Julian cocked his pistol and put it to her head. “Fine!
Oi’ll tell ye this much, ‘e won’t let ‘er go unless ye got the
money ta pay.”

“
Where is she being held?”
Garret demanded harshly. “We waste time. Let’s shoot them and be
done with it, Vale.”

Mary spoke up, glaring at her
companion. Oi’ don’t want any part o’ this Oi’ tole Dench last time
was the last time. Oi’ didn’t want to do it, but ‘e made us,
Milord. The liedy’s in the cellar downstairs. Ye won’t get past
Dench’s men. They be guardin’ the door.”

“
Vale, you keep the pistol
on them while I tie these good ladies up.” Garret looked about the
room for something to tie them with. Both women looked glum at his
words. “We can’t have them warning the others downstairs, now can
we?”

“
Ye don’t want a tumble, do
ye?” Gertie asked with a sigh of regret. “A pity, oi’ always likes
me the mean ones.”

“
Some other time,
sweetheart,” Garret offered with a glower that made her smile even
wider.

Mary was regarding Garret with the same
hopeful expression. Julian scowled to know the pair was more
interested in his companion now than him. Garret left the room and
returned with what appeared to be corset strings. Julian watched
him tying the women together with intricate knots, raising a dark
eyebrow.

“
What are you doing there,
Ravensford? Just tie them up and be done with it.”

“
It’s a bit over your head,
Vale. Let us just say, some women like it. It’s called The Knot of
Love.”

“
What are you talking about,
Ravensford?”

“
Vale, you really should
have chased more women in your time. I can’t explain it to you
right now. Let us just say, our lovelies here try to struggle,
their bonds just bring them tighter together. It can make for an
interesting evening, if you get my meaning?”

Julian looked at the two women bound
together on the floor with a raised eyebrow. “Some women actually
like that sort of thing, you say?”

“
Oi’ might try it wit’ ye,
Milord,” Mary offered eagerly.

Garret chuckled, thinking of two women
who adored it, but decided to keep such thoughts private. What Vale
didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He took pleasure in knowing he’d
cuckolded Julian, even if he didn’t dare rub his nose in it.
Drusilla didn’t want her husband to ever know about their affair.
She swore him to secrecy not to even tell Arianne.

He ripped strips off the sheets and
bound both women’s mouths. Gertie and Mary wiggled just to test
Garret’s assertions of the ropes tightening under Julian’s
fascinated scrutiny.

Soon both women were wrapped around one
another chest to chest, arms and legs wrapped around one another’s
bodies. Julian’s eyes widened as it dawned on him.

“
Ravensford, how the bloody
hell do you get free when you’re done?” Julian looked disgusted
from that moment on. “It’s ridiculous to think that would be
enjoyable. You pull my leg now.”

“
That’s the whole point,
Vale. You don’t want to be freed,” Garret said with a knowing
grin.

Julian shook his head. “I’d rather not
find out. That doesn’t look pleasurable at all.”

Garret smirked but said nothing. He
checked the women’s bindings to make sure they were held fast.
Julian was still frowning as he looked down at the pair, his
comical expression almost making Garret burst out
laughing.

“
We have to find another way
downstairs.” Garret smiled in delight down at the two women. They
were obviously becoming aroused from their close contact, rubbing
against one another on the floor now and moaning under their
gags.

Julian watched intently, scratching his
head as he tilted his head to the side and observed them. “Bloody
ridiculous!”

Garret grabbed him by the arm and
shoved him to the door. “Like I said, Vale, It’s over your
head.”

~ ~ ~

Arianne was tied to a chair in what
appeared to be a cellar before she was blindfolded. She fought her
panic to know she’d been abducted. A throbbing pain in the back of
her head assured her the men who accosted her outside Julian’s
house were not averse to hurting her. She remained quiet and didn’t
fight them.

She panicked to know these were the
same men who must have taken Jaime. She was warned to stay silent
by the bigger of her two guards. The man named Gruber was a huge
lummox of a man, all brawn and no real intelligence. His companion
Sikes was tiny, barely five feet tall, with little eyes and a
hyena-like laugh. The men caught her outside Julian’s while she was
leaving to return to her husband.

She prayed Garret didn’t see her not
returning as a refusal and not come looking. Thinking of the note
she left Julian told her he wouldn’t come looking for her. Tears
filled her eyes to think of what these men wanted who abducted
her.

Their employer, Thaddeus Dench, came
down after she was tied up in the cellar. She heard the door to the
cellar shut and stiffened, feeling his eyes upon her.

“
I’m sorry it has to be this
way, Lady Ravensford,” the man said in a silky voice that grew
nearer. She heard every inflection in that hated voice, knowing it
was Thaddeus Dench who abducted her. Her skin crawled to hear his
voice close to her ear, feel his breath on her skin. “I did have my
thoughts, and still do, my lady. Never fear, before your husband
and Lord Vale pay what I ask, you and I will get to know one
another very well. I’m sorry I won’t be able to take off the ropes,
but you like that, do you not?”

Her eyes widened underneath the
blindfold. She wondered who the man was to know such personal
details of her marriage. She determined then to remain calm and
listen to every word he said, despite her terror.

She cringed to feel his lips sliding
along her throat, wincing in revulsion and squirming to get away.
He laughed softly, making her feel sick with dread. “We will get to
know one another very well before your ransom arrives, my dear
lady. I apologize for your accommodations, but I don’t dare move
you until nightfall. We have hours before I make your
acquaintance.”

“
What do you want from us?
Is this about my brother’s debt to you?” She heard him walk around
her, felt him come near. She smelled his shaving soap, a woodsy
scent.

Dench laughed deeply, a sound that made
her tense. “That sniveling little worm hides from me now, my lady.
He gave me no choice but to take matters into my own hands this
time. No matter, with what I get for you, I’ll be able to live in
comfort the rest of my days.”

“
My husband will pay you
whatever you ask!” She felt hysteria creep inside her at the threat
behind his words. “You need not harm me, Sir.”

“
I have no plans to harm
you, Lady Ravensford,” Dench said softly. She stiffened to feel his
hands at her bodice then, sliding within too cup and fondle her
breasts, making her nauseated as he caressed her boldly. She felt
the bile rise in her throat as she felt his mouth lower there. “I
plan to enjoy you at my leisure, and watch Vale and your husband
trip over one another to get you back.”

Arianne shuddered in revulsion as she
felt his lips at her breasts, his teeth raking over her nipples.
She pulled against her bindings in vain, trying to get away from
his touch. He suckled at her breasts, sighing in
enjoyment.

“
You are indeed lovely,
sweet Arianne. I can see why Ravensford married you now,” Dench
murmured; his voice at her ear. “I shall enjoy every moment of our
time together. I plan on getting to know you very well, my
lady.”

Arianne felt sick as his hands slid
under her gown, stroking her cringing thighs. His fingers ripped
aside her drawers to stroke her flesh there. She gasped in outrage
and twisted to get away, but she was held fast, her ankles tied to
a chair. His finger thrust inside her intrusively then, making her
gag in response. She heard his increased breathing as he tormented
her.

“
This is just a taste of
what I will do to you later, my lady,” Dench said thickly as his
finger thrust deliberately inside her, making her sob in fury and
disgust. “So sweet,” he murmured as his finger moved faster. “I
shall like this. I will be very thorough, Lady Ravensford. I plan
on leaving a mark upon you that your husband will not long forget
when I’m done. I cannot allow you to see me, but again, we both
know how much you enjoy that too.”

Arianne felt like she would be ill as
Dench’s finger moved deeply inside her, finding his attentions
completely revolting. His words made her tense, wondering if his
motive for kidnapping her was more than just because of her
brother’s debts. He sounded like he had some grievance against
Garret. Then too, he knew what games they played in their
bedroom.

“
What is it you really
want?” She cried out in pain as he inserted another finger inside
her, stabbing inside her. She heard him moan softly, knew he was
growing aroused from what he did.

Dench chuckled as he withdrew his hand,
his breath at her ear. “I want what I’ve always wanted from the
start, my lady. I want your husband dead. Never fear, I will make
you a widow very soon, sweet Arianne. Mayhap I might even console
you then under different circumstances. I cannot tell you how much
I look forward to coming to you tonight.”

Arianne heard his steps move away and
was overwhelmed with the need to vomit, feeling violated by his
hated attentions. She swallowed hard as the door to the cellar
opened and closed. She heard the lock grate and knew she was once
again alone.

She never saw his face, but she would
never forget that voice. Now she waited, for whatever it was Dench
demanded, repulsed to know he intended rape. He planned to hold her
much longer than just gaining the ransom. She sobbed under the
blindfold to think of his touching her. She willed herself to calm
down, gratified when her mind ceased to race and she began to think
rationally once more.

Eustace warned her before his arrest to
look forward to a visit from Dench’s men. She was nearly hysterical
to think he told her the truth. She thought of all of this as she
pulled and strained against her ropes. The bindings were not very
tight at all, come to think of it.

She was forced to take her mind off the
assault upon her then to think of Garret’s favorite game he liked
to play in bed with silk cords, and sighed under her gag. The man
knew more games in the bedroom than she could name.

Arianne sobered from that distracting
imagery to think of her situation in rational terms. Fear made her
tense at every sound within the cellar, hearing the scurrying of
rats nearby. With Garret and Julian in the dark about her
whereabouts, she could assume she was now on her own in her current
dilemma. Terror made her tremble at every noise from
above.

Her husband had an awful habit of not
reading his messages. Should a ransom note go to him, it might not
be read at all anytime soon. Julian was nowhere to be found.
Knowing what Dench planned for her for later made her determined to
free herself. She strained harder against the bindings, recalling
how she managed to escape from Garret’s pleasurable puzzle one
night.

She dreamily recalled she had to twist
her body into an unlikely and highly undignified position to do so,
making the pleasure become so intense, she didn’t care to get free.
But back to her dilemma; she had gotten free. She chuckled under
her gag as she wiggled her fingers and found she had
slack.