The Cracksman's Kiss (2 page)

Kassie regarded her mother’s reflection in the mirror. She nodded, trying to enjoy the normally soothing brush strokes.

“There is nothing to be afraid of.”

“What if I displease his lordship?”

“You cannot displease him if you do as he asks,” her mother reassured her. “It will be over quickly, and it only hurts a little the first time. He will come often to your bed until you are with child after which he will not bother you with his needs until well after the birth. Pray you are breeding by candle-mass and all will be well.”

Kassie nodded, hiding her fear.

“I will leave you now.” Kassie’s mother put down the brush and pressed a quick kiss on top of her head. “You have always been a good and dutiful child. I wish you happiness. Goodbye, dear daughter.”

Kassie stood, uncertainty muddling her thoughts; the sound of the door closing in her mother’s wake filling her with the unaccustomed feeling of abandonment. Then she cried, stifling the overwhelming urge to fling open the bedroom door, run down the corridor, and beg her mother to come back. After allowing a few moments of weakness she swiped away her tears and crossed the room to sit in a chair by the fire. Pulling her feet up onto the seat, she wrapped her arms around her knees, and stared at the intimidating bed.

Perhaps she could bury herself so far down in the fluffy mattress the earl would not detect her presence in the gigantic bed. Mayhap he was poor of sight and would overlook her. She heaved a loud sigh. Both possibilities were doubtful. Her mind refused to come to grips with the idea the marriage bed was her lot in life. Tremors of apprehension coursed through her body. She shrank back into the cushion when the connecting door between the suites opened.

The earl hobbled into the room dressed in a long jonquil yellow silk robe and matching slippers. She choked back a nervous giggle; her new husband resembled a large Jamaican banana. Spying her huddled on the chair, he pinned her with a stern look. He crossed the room and shucked off his slippers, exposing a glimpse of his pale stick-like legs and then gestured to the bed. “Come, girl, and do your duty.”

Kassie blushed and moved woodenly to the bedside. Her mind scrambled for an excuse to postpone the inevitable. “I must say my prayers, my lord.”

His brow furrowed, annoyance snapping in his steely grey gaze, but he nodded. “Get on with it then.”

Kassie knelt by the side of the bed and closed her eyes. Clasping her shaking hands together in front she bowed her head and began in a slow small voice, “Oh Lord, bless this day. Bless Mama and Papa. Watch over my sisters Beth, Ann, Ruth, and little Mary. Bless my brothers Nick, Paul, Mathew, Luke, and Baby John. Bless the poor and infirm. Look after the babies and children of our neighbors. I ask your guidance to help me be a good wife and lady. Please help me make Lord Everton happy and … oh—”

Lord Everton groaned. “Amen.”

“Amen,” Kassie concluded. Left with little other choice she climbed into the bed, pulled the covers up around her neck, and waited.

“First you must drink this special fertility potion.” He held
out a glass of brownish liquid. Kassie took the glass and sniffed the contents. A smell not unlike like the fishmonger’s table at the market assaulted her nostrils. When she glanced at him wrinkling her nose he nodded. Pinching off her nostrils she downed the foul-smelling concoction, almost gagging on its bitter taste.

The earl nodded his approval. After taking the empty glass and setting on the bedside table he leaned his cane beside it. Kassie closed her eyes, her body stiffening with dread when the mattress sagged as he climbed onto the bed beside her. With a grunt he flipped off the bedclothes and settled himself on top of her, groping between them and pulling her nightdress aside. She held her breath as he fumbled. It took an extraordinarily long time before he pressed his manhood against her most private place. With a grunt he pushed forward, his rough entry forcing a cry from her lips. Despite her pain the earl ignored her and began to thrust frantically, grunting and panting.

Kassie bit her lip as tears ran down her cheeks.
This is what a marriage bed entails? It is bestial and disgusting.

He continued to rut until he uttered a long groan. Panting, he rolled off her. Kassie turned onto her side when he left, closing the door between their rooms. Senses reeling from his insensitive assault she pulled the blankets over her head, and wept.

Before long a maid arrived and Kassie poked her head from under the cover with a sniffle, swiping away the telltale dampness on her cheeks. The girl cracked the smallest of smiles and motioned for Kassie to follow her through a door on the other side of the room. Inside sat a large bathing tub. Hot water gurgled from the tap and splashed into the receptacle. Kassie caught her breath in amazement. “How is this accomplished?”

The maid smiled. “The water is heated in the kitchen downstairs, my lady, before being pumped through a pipe.”

“So I may have a hot bath whenever I chose?”

When the maid nodded, Kassie grinned. “I used to have to wait for one of my brothers to haul buckets of water, then Mama would spend half the day heating them. She said it was too much work to do more than once a week.”

“You may have one every morning if you so wish, my lady.”

Kassie shed her robe and nightdress, and then slipped into the steamy warmth of the water. After such a hellish day this was as close to heaven as she could imagine. The lilac scented water soothed away the soreness between her legs and her aching heart. The maid encouraged her to recline against the back of the tub and poured cup after cup of water over Kassie’s hair. “What is your name?”

The girl massaged soap into Kassie’s long tresses. “My name is Sally, my lady.”

“Well, Sally, I suppose I shall have to learn how to host fancy balls and dinner parties.”

“His lordship does not have any soirees and very few dinner parties.”

Kassie waited until Sally rinsed the soap from her hair before speaking again. “In truth? He has such a beautiful ballroom. I thought all nobility hosted balls?”

Sally wrung out her hair before placing a small cake of lilac scented soap in her hand. “His lordship is too old to indulge in such things.”

Kassie soaped her arms. “I know so little about my husband it seems. What does he do with his time?”

Sally shrugged and pulled two towels from the cupboard. “I hear he buys a great many precious artifacts, some from as far away as Egypt.”

“Hmm
…” Kassie rinsed the soap off and leaned back in the spacious tub. “Is that all he does?”

“I think he spends most of his time in the library reading.” The maid held up one of the fluffy white towels.

Kassie stood and stepped from the tub. Sally wrapped a towel around her torso and another around her dripping hair. Kassie followed the girl back into her bedroom. Sally helped her dress, and then styled her hair in front of the dressing table mirror with a pair of heated tongs.

“I think I should like to bathe every morning and have you arrange my hair.” Kassie paid careful attention as Sally pin
ned her hair up into artful curls.

“As you wish, my lady, it’s my job to be at your beck and call.”

Kassie could not contain her astonishment. “Truly? Anytime I should need you?”

Sally giggled. “Did you never have a maid at home?”

“No, well, we did have a housekeeper of sorts who helped Mama. My father oversees the local parish in our village. I have four sisters and five brothers. I suspect we could not afford a maid.” Kassie frowned at her reflection in the mirror. “Why do you suppose his lordship chose to marry me? I mean, I am not a great lady.” She sighed. “I am not a lady at all.”

“I am not supposed to gossip, my lady, but he desperately wants an heir.” Sally tweaked a curl to dangle alongside Kassie’s ear.

“The earl has been married three other times, how is it that he has no heir?”

The maid flushed, and leaning forward whispered, “His first wife died from the sickness within two years of marrying the earl. His second wife lied about being a virgin and soon after the earl found out she ran off with a lover. His third wife was frail, and she never conceived. Five years after they married they say she threw herself down the stairs.”

Kassie gasped. “Oh dear, the poor man must have been devastated. Is that why he chose me, the daughter of a simple minister, because I am not frail or sickly?”

Sally shrugged.

“I see.” Kassie stood and smoothed her simple blue dress. “I am not sure I like being compared to a broodmare. What about love? Did the earl love any of his other wives, or were they chosen only to bear him children?”

The maid gave her a sad smile. “I heard he did love his first wife, but it is rare, I think, for any noble to marry for love. I believe they usually marry for social position or wealth.”

Kassie pondered the situation. It was obvious the earl married her to bear him children, but could she expect him to fall in love with her, or her with him? “Do you suppose the earl might fall in love with me?” she gave voice to her inner thoughts.

“I suppose it is possible.” Sally’s eyes widened. “How is it you know so little about love?”

“I have never been in love. I suppose I am a little naive, I am the eldest you see. I have been busy helping my father. Mama said she loved Father the first time she met him, but I do not think I feel that way about the earl. I suppose he frightens me a little.”

Sally shivered. “I feel the same way sometimes. He is so old and stern.”

“Have you ever been in love, Sally?”

“No, my lady, I cannot say as I have yet, although I hope to fall in love one day.”

Kassie smiled and clasped Sally’s hands in hers. “I just know you and I will be good friends. You can help me get the earl to fall in love with me, and I will help you fall in love, too. I desire to be loved by the man I am married to.” The first step to earn the earl’s love would be to learn his likes and dislikes. Her purpose clear, she stood and smiled at Sally. “I think I am ready to go downstairs.”

Sally nodded and guided her to the family dining room.

When Kassie entered, the earl was already seated at the far end of the enormous table. When she realized they were alone she was hard pressed to contain her relief. She gave the earl a quick curtsy and sat in the chair a footman held for her.

The earl frowned at her. “I trust your room is satisfactory?” he bellowed, the volume of his voice betraying his deafness.

“Yes, thank you.” Her stomach growled as a plate of fresh fruit and glass of milk were placed before her. “I dislike milk, could I have a cup of chocolate, please?”

He cupped a hand to his ear and scowled. “What is that you say?”

“I dislike milk,” Kassie pitched her voice louder. “I asked instead for a cup of chocolate.”

“Absolutely not, chocolate is forbidden. The physician recommended a suitable diet for you.”

Kassie stared at him in dismay. “I beg your pardon?”

“If you are to bear me a healthy son we must take care to watch you eat properly and not exert yourself overly much.”

“I do not like milk.”

The earl cast her a withering look and rapped his cane on the table. “You will do as you are told. I will not tolerate insolence in my house!”

Kassie bit her lip. How dare he speak to her such a manner? Stabbing a piece of fruit with her fork, she recited the Lord’s Prayer in her head to control her temper as her mother taught her. She would never make the earl fall in love with her if she displayed a disagreeable temperament. It simply was not ladylike.

The earl continued. “Your day has been carefully scheduled. You will rise at the tenth hour every morning. Breakfast will be served at promptly eleven, at twelve you will report to the ballroom for your dance lesson. After a light tea you will retire for a nap. Your afternoon will be spent learning to play the harp and painting. The hour before dinner you may spend in a quiet pursuit of your choice, such as embroidering. You will dress and be ready for dinner at promptly seven p.m., after which you will retire. Of course, you will take your fertility potion, and then await my visit.”

Kassie dropped her fork to the table with a clatter. Her faux pas was rewarded by a stern glare from the earl. She stared at her plate, fearing she was going to die of boredom. Why did the earl dislike her so? Did he treat everyone he knew this way? She chewed her lower lip. There was only one course of action; she would be the meek and mild lady the earl expected. Perhaps she could win his approval and hence his love. With a new found sense of determination, she went upstairs to await the dressmaker.

Chapter
Two

The stone bench beneath her still held the chill of winter as Kassie turned her face to the feeble warmth of the spring sun. She ticked off on her fingers the months since her marriage. Seven long months and still she had not managed to receive more than a nod of approval from her husband. Nor had she conceived, she thought with a grimace. He had not come to visit her bed in a little over two months; not that she was complaining. Still it would only be a matter of time before he returned to his single-minded task of siring an heir. With the passing of each month the man became increasingly annoyed and short tempered. Kassie closed her eyes and recalled her own distress three weeks earlier when she discovered her monthly flow had begun yet again.

A tapping caught her attention. She opened her eyes and looked up. The earl was seated in his wheelchair at the window, tapping his cane on the glass and motioning for her to come inside.

Why can I not spend one nice spring day outside?
With a sigh, she stood. Pressing her lips together, she wandered back inside and climbed the stairs with reluctance. She stepped into his room, dreading the barbed accusations she knew would be forthcoming.

The earl scowled at her, his face pale. “What are you doing outside? Are you trying to catch pneumonia, girl?”

Kassie bit her lip and counted to ten in her head before she answered; afraid any sign of defiance would result in being confined to her room, a favorite punishment of her husband’s.

“No, my lord, it is so nice outside I thought to take in a little fresh air. I was well bundled.”

He snorted. “I saw you with your shawl wide open at the neck, girl. Why are you not taking your afternoon nap?”

“I am not tired, my lord.” She clenched her hands in the folds of her skirt.

He shook his finger at her. “Do you think just because I have been ill you can change the routine of my house as you see fit?”

Despite careful stewardship of her reply, she had
angered him. “No, my lord, but…”

“I do not want to hear it
.” He waved his hand. “The physician has advised me a trip to the healing waters of Bath would be most beneficial to my health. I have decided we shall leave at the end of the month. Perhaps the warmer climate will be more conducive to conceiving a child, unless, of course, you are already breeding?”

Kassie focused on
her feet and shook her head, not wanting to meet the gaze she knew would be icy and accusing. The lengthy silence was filled with blame.
How dare he make me feel as if it is my fault I have not conceived? He is the one who has been too sick to visit my bed these past two months.

“I am hosting a small dinner party tonight. You will be required to attend. I intend to display my recent acquisition, a rare artifact from an Egyptian tomb.”

Kassie’s mood brightened at the idea of some entertainment. “Will there be dancing, my lord?”

The earl snorted. “Most assuredly not, girl—imagine dancing at my age! You are expected to look pretty, smile, and be at my side at all times. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord,” Kassie answered, clasping her hands together in an effort to hide her enthusiasm at the thought of mingling with other people.

He waved her away. “Go on now. I expect you to be ready and waiting at seven sharp, not a minute later.”

Kassie nodded. It required a concentrated effort to walk from the room. Once free of the earl’s presence, her excitement could not be contained. She bolted down the corridor, heedless of the earl’s propensity for moderation. A thought made her pause on the threshold to her room.

Would the guests be nice or would they simply tolerate her pre
sence? A tiny sigh escaped her. She did not care; at least she would not have to sit through another dreary private dinner with her husband.

When Sally arrived they looked through the gowns in Kassie’s wardrobe. Most of the dresses the earl commissioned she had never even worn. They finally decided on a simple, but elegant, soft pink watered silk with a modest neckline studded with shiny pearl flowers.

After she bathed, Sally helped her with the dress. Kassie turned back and forth in front of the mirror, entranced by the way the material shimmered and rustled when she moved.

“Oh, my lady, you are lovely,” Sally gushed.

Kassie giggled. “I still feel like a princess in these dresses.”

“Rightfully so, my lady, you look like one.”

Kassie forced herself to turn away from the mirror and sit at the dressing table so Sally could work on her hair. She watched in the smaller mirror as the maid arranged her hair on top of her head, and then pinned it so the golden ringlets trailed with elegance down her back. The woman flushed with excitement looking back at her was a stranger. She blinked, but the image reappeared. “Truly you are a miracle worker, Sally. I did not even recognize myself for a moment.”

Sally blushed. “Thank you, my lady.”

Kassie stood and slipped her feet into the delicate matching slippers as the earl entered the room. He leaned on the silver-tipped cane, put a quizzing glass to his eye, studied her for a moment, and then nodded his approval. She cast him a shy look; perhaps she could cajole a more pleasant mood out of the stern man. Taking a deep breath she favored him with a bright smile. “You look very nice, my lord.”

The earl gave an arrogant sniff and twitched his waistcoat. “You can always tell the character of a man by the cut of his coat.”

Kassie nodded to appease his sense of superiority, and he escorted her downstairs to the large entertaining parlor. She gasped in wonder as they walked through the double doors. A life size, golden cat statue adorned a large stone pedestal in the center of the room. Kassie studied it with curiosity. It crouched on gleaming haunches in a regal pose, the emerald eyes glittering as if it were alive. Kassie half expected it to leap from the pedestal at any moment.

“It is said this is the statue of Queen Cleopatra’s cat.” The earl snatched her hand away as she reached to touch it. “Cats were thought to have spiritual powers in Egypt. They were, in fact, considered gods. I am the only one to have such a priceless artifact in my possession.”

A harsh voice came from behind them. “A priceless artifact such as this belongs in a museum, Everton.”

The earl turned with a scowl. “If you had your way the statue would still be in Egypt with those heathens, Ashton.”

Kassie tore her gaze from the statue and studied the man in the doorway. He was tall, with dark wavy hair, a lock of which hung across his forehead in a most enchanting way. Irritation sparked in his vivid green eyes, which his easy stance did not reflect. He smiled, showing a set of neat white teeth as he leaned against the door frame with confident grace. With casual flicks of his wrists, he drew off his gloves one finger at a time, giving her a smooth look as he did so.

She had the sudden uneasy feeling his smile hid his true feelings in the earl’s presence. He stepped away from the door frame and crossed to where they stood with slow deliberate strides.
Taking her small hand in his larger tanned one, he gave her a winning smile, and lifted it to his lips. Kassie’s skin tingled as he brushed a light kiss on the back, causing her breath to catch in her throat. He was easily the handsomest man she had ever encountered.

He straightened, the roguish twinkle in his eye alerting her to the fact he had not failed to notice her reaction. “Forgive my rudeness, I am Comté Cohen Ashton, and you must be the lovely Lady Everton. I have heard many tales of your beauty, but none do you justice, my lady.”

Kassie smiled and pried her fingers from his grip. “Thank you, you flatter me,” she murmured, looking to the earl for approval. Her husband paid her no heed.

The earl glowered at the much younger man. “If you are here to try to convince me to donate my latest find to your museum, Ashton, save us both the time and leave.”

“Not at all, Everton, I am simply here to see your newest treasure.” He winked at Kassie.

“I can see why you would wish to hide such a priceless piece. It would be a shame if some handsome young rake should steal her away.”

Kassie blushed.
The man is an outrageous flirt.

“Mind your tongue you insolent whelp,” the earl snarled.

She hid her amusement behind her fan when the comté gave her a mock look of contrition.

Three older gentlemen entered the room and greeted the earl. Kassie ignored them and watched the comté as he walked a full circle around the artifact. He studied the golden cat with an intense stare for a few minutes. When he looked up and caught her watching, he smiled.

To be polite she returned his smile before turning her attention to the new arrivals, waiting for her husband to present her. This time her fingers did not tingle as these men brushed their lips across the back of her hand. The customary greeting over, they disregarded her as they talked to the earl.

The comté was leaning against the fireplace watching her. He smiled again and she smiled back
with little reservation. There was something about the man that drew her interest. Certainly he was sinfully good looking, but there was something more to him, something she could not quite discern.

Four more middle aged gentlemen arr
ived, and Kassie was distracted as she was introduced to each one. Before she could return to her contemplation of the comté, the butler announced dinner was ready to be served in the formal dining room. The earl escorted and seated her at the foot of the table. He then took his place at the head. Once he was situated, the other gentlemen chose their places.

To Kassie’s delight, she found the comté seated to her right and an older gentleman, who she hoped she remembered correctly as Lord Kent, seated to her left. He gave her a brief nod and turned his attention to the conversation concerning the artifact.

Kassie sipped her wine to occupy herself as the men engaged in animated discussion. The unaccustomed tartness of the red beverage thrilled her tongue, and she decided she liked the taste.

The comté’s smooth voice interrupted her internal speculation. “Lord Everton has excellent taste in wine.”

She looked up. He gave her a gracious smile and lifted his wine glass to his lips.

“I suppose so. This is but the second time I have tasted wine,” Kassie explained with a perplexed smile.

“Indeed?” He paused to take a sip, watching her over the rim of his glass.

Kassie flushed as she sought an explanation which did not mark her as a child. Finally she sighed and uttered the truth, knowing how unsophisticated it sounded. “My lord insists I should drink milk at dinner.”

“Milk?” The comté set down his wine glass and quirked an eyebrow. “I should think you are old enough to partake in a glass of wine or two at dinner if you so choose.”

“My lord says drinking milk is better since I, umm we, are trying to conceive.” She focused her gaze on her napkin in her lap, immediately regretting her admission. “Oh, dear, I suppose I should not have said that. I am unskilled in social graces, I fear.”

The comté chuckled. “Think nothing of it, Lady Kassandra, I find your candid manner delightful and refreshing.”

She looked up
with skepticism.

His smile faded, and his lips pressed into a grim line. “You do know Lord Everton has had three other wives and none ever conceived?”

Kassie nodded. What could she say? He was right. She picked up her glass and finished her wine. Before she returned it to the table a footman hurried to refill it and placed a bowl of turtle soup in front of her.

The comté leaned forward as soon as the footman moved down the table. “He is incapable of fathering a child, old war injury you know,” he whispered.

“I beg your pardon?” Kassie’s face burned at the intimate insinuation.

He gave her a weak smile. “If you are hoping for a child you had better look elsewhere, my dear.”

Kassie took a hasty swallow of wine and almost choked. Setting the glass down, she cleared her throat, and turned her attention to the soup.
Good Lord! Can the man be any crasser?

“I b
eg your pardon, Lady Kassandra, I did not mean to be rude.”

She glanced up, unsure whether he was amusing himself at her expense.

The comté smiled. “Sometimes I tend to see things from a slightly uncivilized point of view. I suppose it is from spending too many days digging in the dirt, in some of the most uncouth countries in the world.”

His words piqued her curiosity. “Digging?”

“Yes, Lord Everton and I share an interest in acquiring rare artifacts. Unfortunately, we do not agree on what to do with them once they are unearthed.”

Kass
ie stirred her soup in order to occupy her hands. “You want to put my husband’s Egyptian cat in a museum where everyone can see it, but the earl wants to keep it for himself.”

“Yes.”

“For what it is worth, I think you are right to want to share it with the world.” Kassie spared her husband a quick glance, hoping he had not overheard her comment. The earl gave no indication he had, engrossed as he was in the conversation at the other end of the table. When she looked back to the comté, he inclined his head, and gave her an admiring smile.