The Devil's Good Intentions (61 page)

She let out a sigh and then continued to stare out the window.

“
I’ve decided that a trip to Camden is a good idea.” Salvador announced casually.

Katherine felt her excitement rise.

“
Really!” she cried out.

“
Really.” He confirmed with a grin.

She threw her arms around him and smothered his face with kisses.

“
Would you like me to step outside?” Peter drawled out across from them.

“
Ouch!” she heard him grunt out seconds later.

She tore her lips from Salvador and grinned.

“
Thank you! When do we leave? How long will we be staying? Can I bring Sarah? She’s never been on a road trip.” She started excitedly.

“
Easy Love. We’ll be leaving in a week’s time and of course you can bring Sarah.”

“
She’ll be so excited!” she laughed out her happiness.

“
Indeed. Peter and Ed will also be joining us as well as Jenna.” He continued on.

“
You said we’ll be gone for a month right?” Peter pitched in.

“
About that, yes.” Salvador confirmed.

“
This is wonderful!” she said happily.

Salvador smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

“
But you have to promise to rest more than you have been before we go.” He warned her.

“
Yes yes…” she replied dismissively as she mentally planned the trip.

She missed the eye exchange between Peter and Salvador as she hummed happily to herself.

An hour later they arrived at Ed’s. Katherine was still excited over Salvador’s announcement and Peter and Salvador were caught up in a conversation about tenants and taxes.

Katherine had been at Ed’s a few times and found it to be a cozy estate. It wasn’t as large as hers but it was big enough to host the brotherhood and then some.

His cook was from China and made the most interesting meals. His game room consisted of a pool table and darts with a few chess tables and poker tables.

Salvador dropped Katherine in the Sun room with the rest of the ladies and then went to join the men in the cigar room.

“
Katherine! You are simply glowing!” Rachel cried out as she rushed to give her a hug.

“
I’m jealous! Your belly is bigger than mine and I’m further along than you!” Angel pouted as she greeted Katherine with a hug.

Katherine laughed out and beamed a smile at her Sisters.

She hadn’t seen Angel since her kidnapping and she had only seen Rachel once when she and Charles joined them for dinner one evening. She never brought up the kidnapping, which Katherine was grateful for. She suspected they were told to leave her alone. Alex and Charles must have filled them in on the details so they wouldn’t have to ask.

Katherine caught sight of a movement behind Angel and looked past her shoulder to see who it was.

A plump red head sat demurely on the couch looking as though she wanted to blend into the couch patterns.

When she caught Katherine looking at her, she blushed and looked away.

The woman’s cheeks were feathered with freckles and her pale skin had a freckle here and there but not enough to make it obnoxious.

“
Katherine, I would like for you to meet Mary, Simon’s betrothed.” Angel announced happily as she pulled Katherine over to where the shy woman was seated.

“
It’s so nice to meet you! And congratulations!” Katherine said in the most welcoming voice she could muster up.

Mary stood and curtsied before her.

“
Thank you, Simon has spoken highly of you.” Mary returned.

“
He’s just being polite.” Katherine grinned.

“
That’s what I said!” Rachel laughed out.

“
So tell me, where did you meet?” Katherine prompted her as they all took their seat.

“
I was doing my banking. He offered me his place in line and then wouldn’t stop talking to me.” She said shyly with a hint of an Irish accent.

“
That sounds like Simon.” Angel chuckled out.

“
He insisted he buy me dinner and take me home. He was a nice fellow and I didn’t think I would see him again.” She continued.

“
Why is that?” Rachel asked.

“
Well, men like him don’t normally notice women like me.”

“
Nonsense! You’re adorable!” Katherine blurted out causing Mary to blanche and the others to laugh.

“
It’s true; you are different than other women, in a good way!” Rachel recovered, offering an encouraging smile.

“
So then what happened?” Katherine prompted her.

“
The next morning he called on me asking if he could take me for a ride in the park. After that we just sort of clicked.” She said with a smile.

“
Are you happy?” Angel asked.

“
More than I ever have been” she confessed.

“
Well then we are happy to have you join our family.” Rachel beamed.

“
I, I have to confess that the idea of the brotherhood is a little frightening” she said in a quiet voice.

“
How so?” Angel asked sympathetically.

“
Everybody appears to be afraid of them and they are all so, so big!” she blurted out which caused the girls to chuckle.

“
They need to be big to accommodate their big hearts.” Rachel pitched in.

“
But they don’t like anyone but themselves. And I heard that the devil is the leader.” She whispered.

Angel burst out laughing while Rachel put an arm around her.

“
The devil?” Katherine was truly perplexed. “Are they saying the brotherhood is a cult?”

“
I believe darling she would be referring to me.” Salvador replied from the entrance with an amused tone.

“
Nonsense! Did you hear what people are saying? Those wretched people are horrid!” Katherine was truly offended. “Why are you laughing!” she screeched out, unable to understand why she was the only offended one.

All the brothers stood in the room now and they either wore grins on their faces or were chuckling at her news.

“
It’s ok Love, we don’t pay them any attention and neither should you.” Salvador assured her as he wrapped her in his arms.

Simon walked passed them and put his arms around Mary with a prideful and adoring look on his face.

“
You’ve met Ed, Alex and Charles, please allow me to introduce you to Peter and this, Love, is Salvador, otherwise known as “The Devil”.”

Mary paled and Katherine gasped as everyone else chuckled.

“
You really are the devil.” Katherine agitatedly stated.

“
Indeed I am, at least to those I don’t like.” He responded with a grin.

“
Pleased to meet you.” Peter said bowing over Mary’s hand.

“
And I for one am in debt to you for taking this rake off the streets.” Salvador chuckled as he gave her a nod.

“
Simon?” Mary uttered hesitantly.

“
It’s alright Love, none of my brother’s bite and my sisters are the fairest of them all.”

She didn’t look too certain.

“
Come, supper is ready.” He nudged her forward.

“
Why do they call you Devil?” Katherine asked as Salvador led her to the dining room.

“
Do you have to ask?” he grinned back at her.

Supper was succulent as always. Mary started to loosen up about half way through the meal and even laughed a little. They learned that she had left Ireland when she was twelve years old with her Mother and moved to London. Her Father was killed during the rebellion and her Mother had died when she was eighteen, three years prior. She didn’t reveal how her Mother passed and Katherine had a feeling that it was not polite conversation for dinner. She had fled to Oxford for another reason unexplained and had been living as a Mother’s helper since. She was a lady of high breeding but circumstances refused to allow her to live that life, until now.

Simon looked upon her like a fool in love, which Katherine found most endearing. She was far from beautiful but she had a look to her that surpassed pretty if you really looked at her. She was well curved but not fat and was a bit taller than herself.

Ed teased her about her freckles and Peter teased her about her blush. Of course the ladies came to her rescue and Mary started to understand the relationship of all of them.

Once she got past her shyness, Katherine thought she would fit in very well. She wasn’t sure what rumours she heard of Salvador but she never warmed up to him. Every time Katherine would question any of them about that, they would shrug their shoulders and insist that people would say what they wanted to but wouldn’t tell her exactly what was being said.

After dinner they all retired to the game room. The men played poker and pool while the women played dice.

They sat around the fire and had pleasant conversations with their nightcaps. Simon left to take Mary home. It wasn’t proper for her to spend the night until they were married, which was planned for when Katherine, Salvador, Ed and Peter returned from Camden. Ed was the best man.

The following week was a frenzy of activity. Salvador had to make arrangements for his business and on top of that, they had received a shipment of goods that needed to be off loaded and transported to their warehouses.

He didn’t like Katherine worrying over their illegal dealings so he would slip off into the night when she was sleeping.

Pennington had remained in town and was determined to act as though nothing had happened. He knew he was being watched.

Ed made plans with his bar wench and Cedric was to provide her with the poison while they were out of town. On the night of the poisoning, Charles, Alex and Simon planned to be at a house party with their wives given by their lawyer and Cedric and his men were to be seen at Madam Marleau’s establishment.

Once the poison was given, the wench was to stay and confirm that it had taken root and then meet up with Captain Robert’s on the Enchantress and hide on the ship until they set for sail two days later. He would drop her, Benny and his family, as well as workers on the island with a load of timber and provisions.

Salvador was pleased with how everything was planned out.

They set out for Camden with a convoy of carriages. He shared his with his wife. Peter and Ed shared the carriage with Sarah and Jenna. Henry shared a carriage with Peter and Ed’s steward and another carriage carried their luggage.

Katherine had been so excited to leave that morning. He had to force her to sit down and eat her entire meal before they left.

She was dozing off now on the seat in front of him and he allowed the opportunity to rake her delectable figure with his eyes. Her belly was growing larger by the day, as well as her breasts and bottom. From behind, she still looked petite but as soon as she turned to the side you could most definitely see that she was with child. Even still she looked adorable and desirable. There was a glow to her that you couldn’t help but be in awe of. Peter teased her about how she would waddle like a duck when she was tired and she would scowl at him.

He certainly enjoyed seeing them tease and bicker at each other and he most certainly enjoyed raking his hands across every new curve of hers.

The other night, she was snuggled into his back and he felt the distinct kick of the baby in his lower back. He turned around and placed his hands on her belly hoping to feel it again, but it never came. He couldn’t be disappointed, he finally felt his own child moving in his wife’s belly.