The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) (15 page)

Accepting this gift would make her no better than Miranda Mon
trose. She would be a trollop, accepting payment for services provided.

A whore.
This would make her a whore.

But it would put an end to Stinky. She ran her fingers across the sleek gems again. Couldn’t she accept just one gift? Didn’t she deserve that much?
He had insulted her, and he certainly could afford it.

No, she couldn’t do it.

She returned the necklace to the package. Grabbing the pen, she retrieved another note card and started writing. She told Philip what she thought of his gift and why she could not accept it. She tried to keep her tone civil in case the messenger read it. As she wrote, she noticed her arm had begun to bleed again. She slipped in the back to retrieve a cloth to hold on her wound. When she returned, she noticed Phoebe’s messenger still standing there.

“Oh, sir, I am sorry. I forgot you. She ran to the counter, grabbed the note and handed it to him. “Thank you for waiting. Please inform Lady
Ardleigh that I will be in touch.”

Sara grabbed her head after he left as she felt a wave of dizziness come over her.

“Here, miss, sit on this stool. Are you sure I cannot reach someone for you. You don’t look so good right now.” Philip’s man rushed to settle her on the stool.

“
Can I get you some water or something, Lady Downey?”

Sara held her head until the dizziness subsided.

“No, I am fine now, sir. Thank you kindly for your assistance. I am finished penning the note. Please take the package and the note back to the duke for me.”

“Are you sure?” The messenger was concerned, but she also noted his
nervousness about being in a position he didn’t care to be. She dismissed him with a wave and a smile. He bolted out the door with the package and the note.

Sara collapsed on
the floor and sobbed.

***

Philip paced in his room. What was taking his valet so long, anyway? Everything was supposed to be done by the time his footman returned from delivering the necklace to Sara.

He had to smile
; sending Sara jewelry was a brilliant plan. He had finally come up with the one thing he was sure would bring her to his way of thinking. Caroline would do just about anything for jewelry, and all women were alike. Why, Sara would be moving into his townhouse tonight, as soon as she saw the ruby necklace. She would be in his arms again.

Of course,
he would do almost anything to have Lady Downey again. She had been on his mind all week. He wanted to taste her again, run his tongue down the soft skin of her neck.What had she done to him? There was no doubt in his mind he would have her again. They were meant to be together. Of course, he didn’t love her. He would never love a woman again. His feelings, however, would not allow him to forget her.

Why had
Ardleigh suggested the ridiculous idea of marrying her? Unfortunately, society did not allow him to marry whomever he wanted. He was a duke; his children had to have noble bloodlines. That was his duty. She had to understand that; everyone in society knew that.

Although, h
e couldn’t deny there were benefits to the idea. He would enjoy having a woman with brains on his arm when he had to go to the opera or other society events. Having her green eyes across the table from him at breakfast would be a pleasure as well. Her eyes had a bit more warmth in them than Caroline’s.

He thought of all the things he would do to her
if she was in his bed every night. First of all, he would get a taste of her, a real taste. His cock was rock hard again at the thought. Damn! It shouldn’t be like this. He didn’t even glance at other women now. She had ruined him.

He had made love to her
three times during her brief visit. Usually, once or twice was all it took to remove a woman from his mind. Sara was different. Instead of being sated, he wanted her more. Damn his anatomy anyway. It was just not comfortable to have to walk around like this. He had to get her out of his mind.

Of course, when
he did manage to stop thinking about her, his mother would mention her. Why did his mother keep asking about her? She had to know nothing could ever come of their relationship.

Or did she?

Hellfire, where was his valet? He opened the door to his chamber and bellowed down the hallway, “Charles? Where are you? Let’s get this done!”

Charles appeared out of nowhere. “Yes, Your Grace, I am coming. I was
starching your neck cloth.”

“Damnation, Charles, I need a shave. I expect to have important plans tonight. Let’s get on with it.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Charles hurried Philip into a chair and wrapped a warm towel around his face.

He
continued to mumble through the towel. “I expect Eli back with my message any minute. I need to be ready to go out immediately. Forgive me, Charles. I appear to be on edge today for some reason.”

His valet answered with a stiff, “Quite.”

Philip heard the door close downstairs. He threw the towel off his face and yelled, “Eli?”

He ran down the stairs in search of his messenger.

His mother came out of the sunroom. “Philip, what is the problem? Why all this yelling?”

“Nothing, Mother.
I apologize.” He leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Did Eli pass through here a moment ago?”

“Why, yes, he did. But what is your problem?
” She pursed her lips. “You are acting like a lovesick school boy. You are way too old for that. Control your behavior as befits a duke, would you please?”

“Your pardon, Mother, I must find
Eli.” He pushed past her and headed out the side door to the stables.

“
Eli!” he yelled. He chased him down in the stables.

“Ah, there you are, Your Grace. Stevens thought you had headed to the stables. I feel I must inform you of her condition, as well.”

“What? Damnation, Eli, can’t you see I need to read the bloody note first?” The duke’s eyes raced over the penned letter twice before he froze. Fury exploded in his eyes. He couldn’t believe it. Not Sara. Sara would never say such a thing. She was different. Wasn’t she?

He read it again. No, he was wrong. She was not any different than any other female.

Philip grabbed the package from his messenger and strode back into his house. “But, Your Grace, I need to tell you something about the lady.”

“Later,
Eli, later!” he yelled back over his shoulder.

“Mother?
Mother, where are you, blast it?”

His mother appeared out of nowhere, as usual. “What is it
this time, Philip? Must you continue this behavior?”

“This!”
He shoved the note into his mother’s hands. “I need you to see this. See it and read it.”

Philip raked his fingers through his hair
, hoping to calm himself somehow. His blood pounded through his veins. Clenching his fist, he searched the room for something to hit. He didn’t know it was possible to feel this angry with anyone.

Calm down,
he reminded himself.
She is just a woman
.
You promised yourself after Caroline left that you would never allow another woman under your skin again.
Bloody hell, he was back there again. He closed his eyes and a deep sigh whistled through his teeth.

It was Sara’s good fortune she was not in the room with him or he would strangle her.

“Philip, I don’t understand. What is Lady Downey talking about?”

“This, this necklace I gave her. She returned it. I wanted you to see her words with your own eyes so you will understand.”

He opened the package and let the rubies and diamonds cascade into his mother’s hands.

“This is not good enough for her. Do you see why I will never marry again? Women are all the same. She is just as shallow as the rest of them. I thought she was different. I thought she had a heart, a soul. She makes clothes for the orphans, but this necklace is not good enough for her.”

“Are you sure she is talking about the same thing as you are, Philip? It does not sound quite right to me. When did this happen? And please calm down.” She placed her hand on his arm.

“Calm down
? I send her a necklace and she tells me it is not big enough? She needs larger stones? How bold can she be?”

“But there is something about this note that does
not quite fit right. I know she says gems in one place, but here she calls them beads. Ladies don’t call gems ‘beads.’ I don’t think she is talking about the same thing. Perhaps she is confused. Please reconsider, Philip, before you have a true apoplexy.”

“Gems, stones, beads.
What difference does it make?” He poked his finger at the middle of the note. “ ‘If you have any larger, please save them for me.’ It is not good enough for her. She needs a larger necklace. And more than one. ‘Them,’ she says. ‘Them!’ ”

Philip spun
around and stomped out of the house. “I am going riding, Mother. Just so long as you understand, the subject is dropped. I will never marry again! And I do not ever want to hear Lady Downey’s name again in my presence.”

He tore across the lawn, bellowing
, “Saddle my horse!”

Before he mounted, he thought of one more
thing. He went into the cupboard and collected the toy sailboat his father had given him.

As he galloped fiercely across the fields, he
rode over by the lake and catapulted his beloved boat into the water.

Chapter Twenty
-Two

Sara managed to get herself back up and onto the stool. She grabbed the bag of coins and emptied them into her skirts. Not enough. Returning them to the bag, she strode over and locked the front door. She stopped and turned to stare at her ruined creations everywhere. So much hard work, so much closer to freedom, and all gone in a few moments.

The tears
flowed freely. How much more could she handle? After all the days and nights she sat sewing, working so hard to get enough finished to sell, not sleeping, and all for naught. All her work ripped up by a jealous woman.

Her fear of Stinky overpowered her. What could she do now? She would never have enough. What would he break this time? Maybe she should have kept the necklace. Better to be a whore than dead, right? She rolled the small bag of coins in her hand just as the click of a door handle forced her to swing her head around.

She smelled him before she saw him.
An eternity passed before he came around the corner from the back of her shop.

One glance at him drained all the fight from her
. The energy she had before was gone. What did she have to live for anyway? Her father was gone, the duke insulted her, and his mistress wanted to kill her. What difference did it make? It was useless. She waited until his dirty face came into her view. Her nostrils flared as his odor washed over her senses.

She held the bag out to him and dropped it into the palm of his hand.

He bared his black teeth in a sick sneer before he looked inside. His head came up. “Not enough, Lady Downey.”

She knew it.
“It will never be enough, will it?” She just didn’t care anymore. Her shoulders slumped as she dropped her gaze to her broken finger. “You will always be back for more, won’t you?”

He smiled. The stench of his breath overtook his body odor.
“Of course. There is so much more you have to give.” He grabbed her chin, but she pulled away.

“Ah, I’m not good enough for you?” He cackled. “We’ll see.”

He pocketed the coins and then clutched her left arm in a vise grip and twisted. “I see you are already bleeding. Maybe I can fix that.”

As soon as he touched her, instinct took over. She kicked him in the shin.

“You stupid bitch!” He slapped her hard across the cheek. Her knee flew out toward his groin, but missed. His eyes lit on fire as he bellowed in rage. His fist connected with her other cheek. He grabbed her left hand and yanked her finger until it snapped. Screaming, she cradled her arm. Pain raged through her from her hand, her face, her cut arm. Was he going to kill her? She kicked defensively again but he shoved her to the floor, kicking her hip after she landed. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the next blow. But there was none. When she opened her eyes and searched for him, he was gone.

Noises outside the door
must have interrupted him. She laid her head back as her vision dimmed.

***

Sara awoke to darkness. How long had she been there? She noticed blood around her. Pain racked her body. If Stinky came back, she knew no one would answer her screams. What did she have left?

Nothing.
She would have no business as long as Stinky stole all her money. Miranda Montrose would continue to harass her over the duke. The duke only wanted her as a whore, and she had only one friend, Phoebe.

Perhaps she should accept
Philip’s offer. She managed to push herself up to a sitting position. She needed to think.

Another finger was definitely broken, and possibly her arm from the wrenching
. Worst of all, her spirit was broken, and she knew it. Her bones would heal if he raped her, but her mind? Never.

Philip would keep her safe.
Would it be so bad to live as a kept woman? Hopefully, Phoebe would still talk to her. She liked Philip. The sex with him was good. They would never have children, but she had no chance of that now as it was. And it was clear she could no longer stay here.
Let’s see
, she thought,
raped, dead, or a mistress. Which should I choose?

She gazed at her arm and its current shape.
She noticed the spiral shape to her appendage. The pain was not subsiding, but at least its smarting pang kept her from fainting.

Sara
thought she heard a banging off in the distance. What could it possibly be? Her mind clouded. Where was she again? The sound of splintering wood broke through the fog in her brain. She managed to raise her eyes to see Phoebe’s messenger and the Earl of Ardleigh standing just inside her door. Phoebe pushed past them and was at her side in an instant. She took one look at Sara’s arm and gasped. Running her gaze around the room at the chaos and destruction, she spoke softly to Sara.

“Sara, I am taking you home with me. Is that all right? I won’t take no for an answer. My
footman informed Ardleigh and me of the problems you were having, although he forgot to mention you broke your other finger.”

Sara
tried to focus, her glazed eyes staring at her friend. Phoebe’s face showered hope all around her. She attempted a smile. Phoebe, the only person she could trust, had come for her. She nodded her head. Ardleigh and Phoebe helped her to stand. Phoebe ran upstairs to grab a few of Sara’s things. Together, they left the ruined shop.

***

Philip slowed his horse to a canter. He noticed the foam at the horse’s mouth and decided to take him to the creek for water. Taking his anger out on his horse was not the right thing to do.

At least he was thinking coherently again. He was still stunned.
Sara was different, he could feel it in his gut. Why had she sent that note? He understood his mother’s reaction. It didn’t sound like Sara, not the Sara he had grown to—to what?

How did he feel about her? He
rubbed the side of his face. Sara had given him hope again. Making love to her was unlike any other romantic experience he’d had. They had even laughed in bed together. Shouldn’t lovers be able to laugh? He never did with Miranda. And Caroline? She only laughed with expensive jewelry in her hand.

So why had she said that? Maybe she had returned it just to make him angry. Would she go that far? Were her words meant to punish him for not proposing to her?

He didn’t believe that either. Sara was a smart woman. She knew he couldn’t marry her. Society wouldn’t accept it. She had to know, didn’t she?

What was his next move? He certainly wouldn’t buy her a larger necklace. How could she think he would? Maybe she decided to go after his money. Yes, that must be it. Sara didn’t have a lot of money. Maybe she wanted to make him pay for hurting her.

Well, if that was the case, then he needed to have a little talk with her. He would set her straight. He would tell her to her face what he thought of her note.

Yes, it was time for a discussion.