The Duke's Revenge (21 page)

“
Smart young buck,” Max
put in. “When are they arriving? Tyson was eager about my
thoroughbred the last time I was at Huntingdon Hall. I will have to
show him my stables.”

“
That would be stunning,
your grace,” Christine said. “They would be here tomorrow, if
weather permits. I do hoped Grandmamma do not get aching muscles
again because of the long journey.”

“
Your grandmother is
coming?” Ivy asked.

“
And Grandpapa, too. They
raised me you know.” Christine smiled. “Before I met my husband,
they were the only people I have.”

“
Do you not have
parents?”

“
Nay, I didn’t know, you
see. We were—what should I say? On the run. My mama had passed away
since I was a baby and then I found Tyson.”

“
You found him?” Ivy asked
in surprised.

“
Well, not found exactly.”
Christine said hesitantly, her cheeks were going quite
red.

“
You mean you stole him,
love?” Merrick said and chuckled.

“
Merrick!” she gasped in
outrage. “I did nothing of the kind.” She ignored her husband and
turned to Ivy. “He was a chimney boy, you see. His master had been
beating him because he had refused to climb up a chimney in a
particular establishment. His skin was all burnt and bruised. He
could have died if I hadn’t taken him that night.” She sighed as
though the very thought that if she hadn’t the courage to
steal
Tyson that night
something disastrous could have happened to him.

“
Oh, how sad,” Ivy
said.

“
Aye, it is a very sad
world out there,” Christine said with a shake of her head. “But
let’s not drool on such matters.” She squared her shoulders and
said, “When you were walking down the stairs this afternoon, I
noticed that you were limping, what happened?”

“
Oh, that, I fell down the
mare and sprained my ankle,” Ivy said, avoiding Max’s
gaze.

“
You are not a good
horsewoman?” Christine asked.

“
Nay.” Ivy shook her head.
“I’ve learnt how to ride when I was small but then...”

“
Yes I understand. I
didn’t know how to ride, too, but I’m learning.” Christine nodded
and turned her eyes to look at her husband. He smiled at her. She
blushed and turned to look at Ivy again. She cleared her throat and
said, “Where did it happen?”

“
In the town.”

“
In the town?” Christine
widened her eyes. “Good Lord, did anyone help you?”

“
Oh yes, Lady Hartland was
there. Luckily Mr. Oliver was there, too.” She smiled.

“
Ha, Mr. Oliver eh?”
Christine beamed, her eyes gleaming with speculation.

“
It was nothing really. He
carried me into his clinic and then examined me to see if I had any
bone broken.”

“
Carried you, did he? I’m
sure he is a very nice, young surgeon.”

“
Yes he is.” Ivy
nodded.

“
Did he found your
sprained ankle, too?” Christine asked, nudging Ivy’s
arm.

“
Actually, yes he did,”
Ivy said and bent her head slightly to one side. “He examined my
body. It’s his job, isn’t it?”

“
Nice man this Mr. Oliver,
don’t you think, Merrick?” Christine turned to her husband with her
brows raised.

“
Hmm, his name sounds
rather familiar though,” Merrick said, looking at his wife. His
gaze told her to stop asking Ivy too many personal
questions.

She ignored him, however, and raised her
brows at him in a challenge. When he just shook his head, she said,
“Mr. Oliver, yes, he used to work in Hammingshire Town near
Huntingdon Hall, didn’t he?”

Merrick scowled at her. “Hmm,” he grunted
and he looked quite annoyed all of a sudden.

“
You know him?” Ivy looked
from Merrick to Christine.

“
Why, of course, he is
such a good man.” Christine smiled and turned her gaze to Max. She
saw him looking at Ivy with a stony face, his sharp eyes on the
girl as though he would like to wrench her neck. She smiled and
turned to Ivy again. “So, Ivy, what say we go to this town and
visit Mr. Oliver?”

“
Oh, that would be
marvelous. I like to thank him personally.” Ivy smiled
innocently.

“
How about in two days
time then? When Tyson is here, he could come with us. I’m very sure
he would love to visit the pastrycook’s shop,” Christine
said.

“
Hmm.” Ivy nodded and
turned back to her food, oblivious to the fact that Max was glaring
most intensively at her.

CHAPTER 18

The women had retired early and Max and
Merrick were in the study, sitting in front of the brightly lit
hearth. Both men had their cravats off with their cotton shirts
unbutton down to their chest, and their sleeves rolled up to their
forearms. Their hairs were in a state of dishevel, and their faces
roughly handsome under the candlelight. They were conversing about
the state of the peninsula war. Recently good news had reached
London for the first time since Napoleon Bonaparte, the power
fanatic man, had became Emperor of France. The French Armee du
Portugal had retreated from Portugal due to the great defensive
work of Lieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, the Viscount
of Wellington.

Both men cheered to Wellington and his
soldiers with a glass of port. Then they were discussing about the
Prince Regent. So far, to their surprise, the overindulgent Prince
had decided not to change government, and this they knew, must have
pleased the Tories greatly. When they got tired of those two
subjects, they turned to the topic of farming.

“
Reminds me we hadn’t
caught those poachers yet,” Max muttered as he raked his fingers
through his blonde hair.

“
What have they stolen so
far?”

“
Nothing major; just lives
stock missing now and again. The gamekeeper said my partridges are
going down one by one.”

“
Probably gipsy,” Merrick
suggested, stretching out his long legs.

“
Probably is,” Max said
unconvincingly.

“
She’s not your cousin, is
she?” Merrick asked as he eyed his friend.

Max took a sip of his port and shrugged.

“
I hoped you’re not going
to do anything silly. That girl is young. She has a whole future in
front of her.”

“
She’s my business,
Merrick. Don’t question me,” Max declared and rested his head
back.

“
Your business, indeed,”
Merrick said, laid his empty glass down, and stood up. “My wife is
taken with that girl. I don’t want her upset if anything
happens.”

“
Believe me, Merrick,
nothing is going to happen,” Max said as he frowned darkly at the
fire before them.

“
Good night,
friend.”

“
You’re turning in
early.”

Merrick snorted and said, “Unlike you, my
good man, I have a willing bed to warm.” He nodded and then walked
out the room.

Max turned his attention back to the fire
with a severe frown.

He did not like the fact that his plan had
been interrupted by the visitation of his friend. This night he had
planned to ravish the raven hair beauty who everyone thought was
his damn little cousin. And why the hell did everyone kept talking
about sending her off to London for the season? He’ll be damn if he
was to send her to London. He was sure this talk of the season and
finding her a husband had put ideas into her head. Wasn’t that what
she wanted though? That day he had taken her out for a drive
against her will, she had begged him to break the contract.

He remembered her cradling
Merrick’s son.
He didn’t know how it
happened, and he certainly didn’t know why but the moment he saw
her, the wind was knocked off him, and he felt quite
daze.

She had allowed that
surgeon to touch her.
His mind diverted
to
that
Mr.
Oliver. She was smiling, too, when they were talking about that
young man.
Was she in love with
him?

He gulped the rest of the port and then got
up.

She had allowed him to
touch her, did she?
He narrowed his eyes
and walked out the study. He dashed up the stairs, and as he came
across her door, he stopped. Without knocking, he went
in.

He came to sit beside her where she lay on
the large bed. He lowered his lips toward her forehead and
whispered, “I know you’re not asleep, Ivy, so don’t pretend.”

Silent.

He snorted and stroked her cheek with the
back of his fingers. “So soft, so sweet.” He moved his lips toward
her ear. “Just like a rose petal,” he said and gently moved his
fingers down toward her breasts. “So young,” he whispered as he
slowly and gently moved his palm to cup one breast.

She fluttered her eyes opened.

He grinned.

She pushed him away and rushed of the bed.
“Your grace!” she said breathlessly.

“
I see that you’re not
asleep.”

“
I—” she
stammered.

“
Come here, Madam.” He
raised his hand in midair.

She shook her head.

“
Ivy, come
here.”

“
Nay, your grace,” she
said, clutching the material of her nightshirt tightly.

“
Why the hell not?” he
growled.

“
You won’t touch me, your
grace. I won’t allow you,” she said as she backed away from
him.

He raised and moved toward her.

She shook her head as she stepped
backward.

He narrowed his eyes and grinned, knowing
that his prey was trapped.

Ivy jumped when she realized that she had
reached the wall behind her.

He took three long strides and he was in
front of her, inches away from her.

“
Better not make too much
noise, love, we have guests a few doors down.” He chuckled as he
rested his right hand against the wall which trapped her between
him and the wall.

“
No, your grace,” she said
with wide eyes. She stood there with him very close to her. She
could smell his masculinity which caused her nerves to jumble in
vexation.

She had to get away from him, she told
herself. And in a flash, she ducked below his arm and ran toward
the door.

He grinned at her pathetic attempt. He
turned, took two long strides, and caught her in his arms.

She gasped and hit his chest to let her go.
Ignoring her piteous struggle, he carried her in his arms toward
the bed.

“
Hush, you’re making too
much noise,” he whispered as he laid her down. He did not leave her
the freedom to run away by imprisoning her body with his on
top.

“
No, your grace, I’m still
sore,” she cried.

“
Poor thing, I won’t hurt
you, you do know that.” He smiled and moved his hand to shift the
material of her nightshirt from her shoulder.

“
I don’t have any choice
in this do I, your grace?” she questioned him, glaring at
him.

“
Nay, love, you’re my
mistress, and I want you tonight. So yes, you have no saying in
this,” he said as he removed the fabric all the way down to her
waist and lower to her ankles.

She was now naked as he sat there looking at
her. She scrambled up and grabbed for the bed sheet. He pulled her
back by the waist and made her sit on his lap.

“
You’re my dessert
tonight, love, I’m going to taste all of you,” he whispered and
turned her around to face him. He lowered her down and started to
explore all of her; tasting her soft, smooth skin with his eager
hands and fingers, and hot, hungry mouth and tongue.

CHAPTER 19

“
When you are at the
castle, Ivy,” Christine said as she observed the young woman
sitting across from her, “you seem almost frighten, but now that we
are out you seem quite happy.”

“
Do I really?” Ivy
wondered. It was true that at the castle, she was always anxious.
She knew she was frightened of the duke, but why specifically, she
didn’t know. On other occasions, however, she found that she was
more afraid of herself. Why was it that way, she didn’t know
either. Everyday she couldn’t seem to get his face out of her mind.
He would linger in her head, tormenting her feelings. She loathed
him for the way that he treated her. But why was it that every time
he was in the same room as she; her heart would beat faster. Why
couldn’t she stop stealing a glance at him?

“
Look, we are almost
there,” Tyson shouted with glee.

“
Yes,” Christine said,
turning her attention to the small town of Staffordshire. “Such a
beauty tuck away deep in this part of the country. A little bit
like Hammingshire, don’t you think, Tyson?”

“
Hmm.” The boy
nodded.

“
How do you like Westwood
Castle, Tyson?” Ivy asked as she looked at the boy who had arrived
only two days ago with his grandparents.

Tyson nodded enthusiastically and said, “I
like the castle. I visited the stables yesterday, and His Grace
said that he’ll teach me how to breed a thoroughbred.”