The Redemption of Lord Rawlings (21 page)

The warm familiarity of his body made her recoil and she attempted to jerk away from the comfort it brought.

“
Come here,” he encouraged.

She curled tighter away from him.

Phillip rose from the bed with a curse and stalked over to the door. With a click, he locked them in and returned to the bed, pulling her tightly into her arms.

“
Words fail me, Abby. I never thought a heart could break as mine is now, feeling you shy away from me, knowing you despise me. When I am undone, completely and forever yours.”

Abigail turned into his embrace. “Why are you here? Did you need to come back to examine the damage of your sins?”

“
No. It seems I forgot something important.” His smile was confident as he reached out and caressed her cheek. “It also appears the letter I left for you was never delivered, meaning I must tell you in person how I feel about you, the plans I have for us, and my desire to wed you as soon as possible.”

Abigail darted up, nearly knocking her head against his. “What? I don’t understand. You left, your stepmother—”

“
Is a beast and a liar, has been lying to me for the past five years.”

Abigail shuddered. “Rawlings, do you know what she’s been saying?”

He placed his hands on Abigail’s shoulders, pushing her down into the mattress once again. “I do. Sebastian has been gracious enough to fill me in. That is, after he threatened to shoot me. I even saw the pistol in his hand. Terribly frightening, might I add, considering I’ve always been worried about him killing me one of these days.”

The corners of his mouth melted into a lazy smile as he leaned toward her hair and breathed in its scent. “I’ve missed you, love.”

Abigail couldn’t respond. Her body seemed unable to move as he gingerly played with her hair and rained kisses of devotion down her throat.

“
I will deal with my mother. Just know that before she went and ruined everything, I had every intention of coming here straightaway, but was given a note from my father. A note, might I add, that my stepmother hadn’t informed me of. It just so happens I’ve never needed to marry in order to gain my inheritance, nor have I been a pauper all this time as I suspected. My stepmother, however, has been taking funds without my knowledge this entire time, and has allowed all the estates to nearly hit ruin.”

Holding her lip captive between her teeth, Abigail nodded. “So you were visiting your estates to make sure they were not in shambles, and you sent a note?”

“
Explaining everything.” He laughed and brought her hand, the same hand he had been teasing days before, to his lips. “Shall I tell you what it said?”

“
Yes, please.” Abigail’s voice shook as he moved from the bed to the floor and went down on one knee.

“
My dearest love, forever mine. Although the recent discovery proves I need not marry, I find my heart is not in agreement with the words written on paper. For my soul, my heart, every breath in my possession already belongs to you. How could I deny myself the joy of having you as my wife merely because I no longer have to? Love, Abigail Gates. I do not love you because I choose to. I love you because I cannot help it. It seems my heart made the choice for me long ago. And I am forever yours. So I kneel before you, not as an earl or a man of wealth, but just a man. A ruined, debauched, sinful man, who has finally found forgiveness, joy, and hope in the one woman who saw the man and not the façade. I kneel. I humble myself before the woman who saw the redemption that was possible.” He took her hands. “Will you do the honor of becoming my wife?”

Abigail was without words, shocked into silence, until she finally was able to say, “That was some letter.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “It said all of that?”

Rawlings smirked. “I may have exaggerated some parts. What can I say, I’m moved by love.”

Abigail, with all the strength she had, pulled Rawlings up from the floor and onto the bed. His body reacted immediately to her invitation. Dark, desire filled eyes pierced her own, as he kissed her hungrily.

“
I miss the way we breathe together,” Rawlings said roughly against her mouth. “The feel of your lips between my teeth.” He groaned. “The smell of your neck—I could devour you. Abigail, I missed everything about you.”

He brushed the hair away from her face. “Rawlings?”

“
Hmm?”

“
Never do that to me again.”

Opening her mouth to his, he kissed her again before answering, “Never.”

All at once, he turned on his side and pulled her onto his body, stripping the blankets from her. “I need to see you, to feel you…do you understand?”

He started a slow, torturous exploration up her arms until he reached the short sleeves of her afternoon dress. With a tear, he pulled them from her shoulders, revealing part of her chemise. Hands moved up her neck slowly, burning their way down until he reached the expanse of her bosom. It was pure agony as he skipped the part she most wanted touched and moved down to her waist.

“
Are you merely trying to tease me, my lord?”

“
No, merely restraining myself before I take your virginity under Sebastian’s roof. I’m aware he still has his pistol with him. All we need is for your screams and moans to make him come charging up here.”

“
Ladies do not scream or moan,” Abigail said as his hands moved down her hips to her legs and then gently pulled up her skirts.

“
Oh they don’t?”

“
Absolutely not,” Abigail said, though her voice sounded shaky.

“
Hmm.” He let his hands creep further and further up until she started panicking. What was he doing? He couldn’t be…

And then she screamed. Rawlings laughed as he put his hand firmly over her mouth. “I thought ladies didn’t scream.” She glared at him. “Hmm, it seems we’ll have to explore this further when we marry before the end of the week.”

“
As in?”

“
Three days, the day of the De Creaux ball, if that is agreeable?”

Abigail laughed just as a knock came on the door. “Rawlings! I heard her screaming! If you touch her before you are to be married, I will make use of this pistol!”

“
Told you.” Rawlings winked, and then helped himself off the bed, but not before he turned, grabbed Abigail by the waist, and crushed her against his hard, muscled body. “Until we marry?”

She was about to respond when his hands hovered near her breasts, and with a laugh, he kissed her cheek and walked to the door.

Still stunned and looking like she had been engaging in illicit activities, Abigail squealed and jumped under the covers. To have Sebastian barge in on her sleeping was one thing, but for him to see her in her current state was beyond mortifying.

Rawlings, ever the gentlemen, only opened the door wide enough to escape before he closed it again and argued with Sebastian out in the hall.

She heard no gunshots. Assuming he was fine, she allowed herself to relax and began planning for the wedding.

****

“
It boggles the mind that you were able to keep your hands off Emma as long as you did,” Phillip muttered once Sebastian had calmed down enough to speak like a normal human being.

“
Yes, well.” Sebastian smirked as if to hide some sort of secret. “It wasn’t without want for trying, I will tell you that much.”

“
You sly fox!”

“
Yes, I’ve been called that before too.”

Phillip took another sip of ale and looked around the room full of gentleman. Both men had decided to retire to Whites for a few drinks after they obtained the special license needed. It had been a long day. After Phillip had visited Abigail, he and Sebastian had returned to Phillip’s home only to find out the one servant in his employ whom he didn’t trust, had fled the house.

And with him the only true information as to why Whitmore had decided to steal the note. Which is exactly what had happened. He had given a generous sum to the remaining footman in hope of ruining Phillip further.

They just weren’t aware why Whitmore would go to such extremes. He was after all, titled and wealthy beyond reason.

Which was why they were sitting and drinking. Well, the actual reason was twofold. One, they were exhausted and the women were most likely twittering about, trying to make arrangements for the wedding. And two, they were waiting for Whitmore to make an appearance. In fact they hoped for it, as they had no other lead.

“
Have you decided where you will live?” Sebastian asked an hour later as they finished their third pint of ale.

Phillip grinned. “Why yes, I thought living down the street from you sounded pleasant enough. I also had half a mind to go to the estate in Essex. It is after all very familiar to Abby.”

“
Perhaps we shall visit you.” Sebastian grinned. “As you know Emma is increasing and will be nearing her confinement soon.”

“
Why does it feel as if you are asking to visit so nerves don’t overtake you, old man?”

Sebastian cursed. “Just don’t tell Emma—or Nicholas, for that matter. He’s been through how many births with his wife? And he still gets foxed every time. He would love nothing more than to bring another one of us down with him.”

“
Be that as it may, I find myself in a predicament. Throw you to the wolves, otherwise known as Lord Renwick and her grace, or keep my silence. I say, what will you do for me?”

“
Shoot Whitmore?”

“
You, dear sir, have a deal.” Phillip reached over and took Sebastian’s hand in a firm shake just as the doors to Whites opened, revealing a very panic-stricken and foxed Whitmore.

Phillip made a move, but Sebastian held him back. “Wait, Phillip. Let us see what business he has here first.”

They sat in relative silence. Watching as the Marquess made his way from table to table talking loudly of his latest mistress.

Phillip was momentarily ill as he wondered if he was ever as bad as Whitmore or worse. The clenching in his stomach confirmed his suspicions. Thank God for Abigail.

The jolly atmosphere in the room shifted the moment Whitmore set his eyes on Sebastian and Phillip.

“
Do join us, Whitmore.” Phillip kicked the chair toward the marquess and glared. Had he not been in a similar predicament many months back when Sebastian and Nicholas came to call concerning Emma? It seemed years ago, for he didn’t even recognize that man anymore. The type of man who was now looking back at him through Whitmore’s eyes resembled a weak man full of fear, anger, and bitterness.

“
I know why you wish to speak with me, so let us get on with it, shall we?” Whitmore spat.

Phillip smirked. “Ah, intelligence becomes you, Whitmore.”

Sebastian laughed and nodded toward the door where a few of his waiting footman took their stance. One thing was for certain, Whitmore wasn’t going to be escaping anytime soon.

“
I take it you’re here about some piece of correspondence that somehow went missing after your departure, Rawlings?”

“
Yes,” he said.

“
I haven’t got it.”

Phillip cursed. “Which tells me you didn’t even read it. If you had, you would know I don’t have any sort of use for the note other than explaining my feelings to the woman I love. That being said, what I don’t understand is why you felt the need to pay off one of my servants in order to obtain it when you yourself admit to not reading it or needing it for personal gain.”

“
You cast yourself as some sort of admirable man, Rawlings. I do wonder what the future Lady Rawlings would say about all those nasty rumors running rampant throughout the
ton
about your indiscretions.”

“
Ah, blackmail. Lovely,” Sebastian interjected. “Whitmore, what do you have to gain?”

Whitmore was silent a moment. Beneath his calm façade, Rawlings saw something he hadn’t expected. Despair.

“
You speak harshly of me, Tempest, and, Rawlings, I hardly know whether you should be one to pass judgment, but if you must know—I’m in love.”

Phillips jaw dropped in astonishment. “You do mean with yourself? Correct me if I’m wrong, but Lady Rosalind hasn’t exactly been—”

“
Not with Lady Rosalind, you fool!”

“
Your mistress then?”

Whitmore clenched his teeth as he spoke. “Do not speak of her in that way.”

The night was quickly turning into something frightening. The day that Whitmore fell in love was surely a day Phillip never saw coming.

“
So,” Sebastian began, “are we safe to assume that this little bribery was done in the name of love?”

“
You are correct.” Whitmore threw back the contents of his ale and motioned for another.

Phillip smirked. “Impossible. Why would any one of the women you frequent wish to keep me from marrying? Or worse, wish to ruin my reputation for good? There isn’t a soul that hates me as much as that, not even—”

Whitmore went pale.

“
You rogue!” Phillip grabbed Whitmore by his coat and threw his head into the table. Blood poured from his nose as Phillip, with another string of curses, kicked Whitmore in the stomach before Sebastian pulled him away.

“
What has come over you?”