Читать книгу Hunter Of My Heart - Janet Kendall - Страница 10

Chapter One

Scotland, September 1830

“Shabby reporting! The Times said you’d be here! Why aren’t you?” As Sabrina’s words faded into the wind, she looked up and saw no lights in the second-story windows, or the third, either.

Keir Castle’s four towers rose above the mist, a billowing white gauze that occasionally dipped and caressed the ground. Moss and shadows painted the stone structure. A seagull flew overhead. Slowly Sabrina “Beaumont” dropped her gaze. Interrupting this solitude was the light coming from the kitchen windows, the only evidence of life stirring on the massive estate.

The kind housekeeper, a lone servant, had answered the door but didn’t know when her master would arrive. Slapping the stone wall, Sabrina willed Lord Kenilworth to appear.

“Everyone is speaking about his return from Barbados. Rumor says he distrusts strangers,” Marga Beaumont said.

Turning to her aunt, Sabrina made a face.

“Do you think we have committed a faux pas by not sending word? Maybe he instructed the housekeeper to turn away visitors.”

“She looked honest. Faux pas or not, we’ve waited months to collect the debt. The Times portrayed him as fair and honest. Surely he’ll understand our lack of propriety. The man the newspapers described wouldn’t allow us to go to the poorhouse.” Despite her hopeful words, his absence weighted her heart. The Times was quickly losing credibility.

“Possibly he is with a paramour, non?”

“Paramours.” Sabrina scowled to hide her emotions from Marga, a petite lady of thirty-eight years who still managed to look fashionable despite their dire financial circumstances. Her moss-green traveling gown accented her hazel eyes and chestnut hair, coifed in artful curls above her ears. Marga always took pride in her grooming. Her fashion sense and creativity had made the partnership in their dress shop possible.

Marga cleared her throat. “The on dit on him varies. Some say he is unlike his father. The newspaper says he’s been in Barbados. At least monseigneur supported the paramours during his absence. I feel certain he will pay us.”

Caring little for gossip, Sabrina jabbed a finger to her chest. “We supported his mistresses! He owes us money for their gowns!”

Marga sighed. “Quaintly put, but true.”

With her emotions running rampant, Sabrina leaned against the structure and ignored the stones pressing into her back. “I apologize for raising my voice. Yes, I do believe he’ll pay us once he realizes a debt exists. I’m just worried about the twins.” She paused, thinking about her four-year-old siblings. “Do you think they’re all right?”

“Ha! Christine never lets her brother out of sight, and you know how mad Alec gets when we pamper him. He is weak in body but strong in spirit. They will be fine with Thomas for another few days.” Marga squeezed Sabrina’s hand.

She managed a smile. “Father was lucky to have Thomas as a friend. He’s gone beyond friendship to watch them. But we’ve never left them alone for so long. What if...”

“Ah! You are thinking about more than just the little one’s health. Oui? That wretched man, your grandpapa, worries you. Rest assured, Sabrina, no one will discover our secret.”

“I can’t help it. He’s probably furious that I didn’t meet with him three days ago.” Instead, she’d burned his missive and fled to Scotland.

“Oui. He is probably searching for you all over London.”

“There! You see? What if he followed us? And, you’re not the one he wants for a brooding mare.” She groaned, knowing she was his last chance for a male heir. With political reform stirring, he loathed the idea that upon his death, the Crown would sell his title. God forbid that a wealthy commoner might buy it. Her only solution was to reveal Alec.

She refused to do that for fear he would separate the twins. Christine would be of no use to him. By alienating Alec from the only family he knew, the duke would harm him emotionally. Christina, too. Her sister was healthy though, whereas Alec, in a fit of anger or tears, could easily provoke an asthma attack. He could die.

After giving Sabrina a thoughtful look, Marga wandered to the nearby herb garden. “The world believes Alec and Christine are mine. Our purpose is to shield them. You are old enough to give your grandpapa a good fight. The twins are not.”

Guilt accompanied Marga’s mild scolding. Her aunt had agreed to the deceit when Sabrina conceived the idea. “My apologies. Yes, you’re right. In a few months, I’ll reach my majority. He’ll have no control over me. Won’t that be a joy?”

The thought brought a measure of relief, but fear lay coiled in her stomach. Sabrina had lived in dread that her grandfather would discover her whereabouts. Now he had.

“If we do not meet again, you must do everything possible to insure the twins’ safety,” her mother had pleaded.

Sabrina’s throat thickened at the recollection and of her vow. After learning from her parents what her grandfather had done to them, she never wanted to meet or claim him as kin.

“Marga? Aren’t you afraid he’ll discover you worked for Queen Josephine, too? What would I do without you if he...”

“Accused me of being a French spy like he did your mother?” Marga let out a wry chuckle. “The war was fresh in people’s minds then. Too much time has passed. I was just the queen’s couturiere, an assistant. What can the authorities do now? Browbeat me until I reveal the queen’s measurements?”

“How can you jest? He could accuse you of instigating the deception. Of kidnapping his heir! I can’t bear the thought of you in jail, or God forbid, hung. Or the nightmares the children will suffer if he rips them from the only mother they know.”

Marga’s olive skin paled but she raised her chin. “I considered all those things before I agreed, but I had to take the chance. ff we remain mum, he will not learn anything.”

“Mother was innocent, too. Yet he caused enough ruckus to make the authorities believe she was a spy.” Sabrina breathed deeply. “We’ll get our money and then take the twins someplace safe.”

The duke had somehow found her, and that brought him one step closer to Alec. Lord. She wished her brother’s health was better. Living in the shadows had left her stomach permanently knotted.

Every Sunday for the past four years, the Times last page had contained a small paragraph, one with nothing to identify the advertisement’s owner. Three facts identified her and she had discounted coincidence long ago. Still searching for Derek’s daughter Sabrina, now twenty. She guessed the notice would no longer appear now that he’d found her.

Drawing a cleansing breath, Sabrina smelled the ripeness of the herbs intensified by the sea air. Tears threatened and she summoned the same courage she had relied on since her parents’ death four years earlier. She buried the dark thoughts and focused on the immediate problem. Opening her reticule, she pulled out her father’s pocket watch. Four-thirty.

“It looks like rain. We’ll wait several more minutes to see if Kenilworth arrives.”

Marga smiled, kindness warming her eyes. “Patience, ma chérie. In a few days, we will return to the little ones. This business, fini! Thomas will give us shelter until we make other plans. He need not know the truth about the debt or why we closed the shop.”

Sabrina latched onto Marga’s optimistic words. For months, Kenilworth was just a name, but a week past, the Times featured an article on him. The newspaper described him as a man intent on helping the populace and reforming the government. Surely, the Times couldn’t be wrong about everything.

A neighing horse and rumbling of a wagon jarred her thoughts. She spun toward the sound. In the distance, the Scottish mist obstructed her view as it meandered over a browning heather field. A breeze divided the fog and revealed a rider beside the loaded wagon. “That must be Lord Kenilworth!” Her heart drummed with expectation.

From atop his black stallion, the man spoke to the wagon’s driver and then sang a Scottish ballad of a lad marrying a lass. Laughing, the driver turned the conveyance toward the castle. The man and horse disappeared inside the stable.

Sabrina glanced at the horizon, now frosted with thunderclouds, and back to the stable. Turning, she handed Marga a small valise. “Watch for the mail coach. Ask the driver if he’ll wait for us. I must learn if that man who just arrived is Lord Kenilworth.”

Marga fumbled with their baggage. “Mon Dieu! Alone? How do you know if either is his lordship?”

“I don’t, but he looked aristocratic by the way he sat in the saddle. He looked confident! In good humor!”

Her aunt frowned. “I should accompany you.”

“I’ll be cautious. We can’t be in two places at once.”

Without waiting for a reply, Sabrina lifted the skirt of her gray wool gown and ran down the garden path. The pebbles jabbed her feet through the soles of her half boots. As the wind parted Sabrina’s cloak, the clasp dug into her throat and the brisk air stung her cheeks—but those little irritants paled to her rising hope.

After bursting into the stable, Sabrina took a steadying breath and smelled the pungent odor of moldy hay. The man’s tune drowned out her entry, and though she couldn’t see him, she followed the rich, baritone voice. Suddenly the tune stopped.

“What the devil?” Surprise laced his words.

Taking small steps, she edged closer to a stall. A pair of black-gloved hands broke her line of vision as they helped a filly stand. Sabrina craned her neck. He sat on the straw-hewn floor and stroked the black animal still wet from birth. When the foal’s hind legs wobbled, he steadied and guided her to the mare.

“You’re a surprise. What shall we call you? The marking on your head says that stallion of mine is a lusty one.” Turning, the filly tried to suckle the riding crop tucked under his arm. He laughed, a deep rumble coming from his chest. “Oh, no. You’ll get no nourishment from this thing. You want this.” Placing the crop on the floor, he gently guided the filly to the mare’s udder.

By claiming the filly, Sabrina felt certain she had found Hunter Sinclair, Earl of Kenilworth, the estate’s owner. His softly spoken words and gentle touch reinforced the newspaper’s accounting of him. Bless the Times. “Lord Kenilworth?”

Swinging around, he stared at her with wide green eyes. “Yes?”

“May I speak with you?”

His brow creased. As he stood, he picked up his riding crop and brushed the straw off his buff trousers. “If you’re looking for a position, speak to the housekeeper.”

The motion of his hand drew her gaze to his muscular thighs. Quickly she reversed her perusal. His towering height and broad shoulders, emphasized by the short cape layering his greatcoat, made him look formidable. She gripped her braid and finally pushed it over her shoulder.

From her reticule, she retrieved a folded paper and handed it to him. “I’m Sabrina Beaumont, from Maison du Beaumont of London. This bill explains everything.”

He snapped open the parchment and read. “I owe you six thousand pounds for women’s frippery? I pay my debts, Miss Beaumont, and this one isn’t mine.” Kenilworth flicked the paper between his fingers and held it beneath her chin. “Besides, the last time I wore a nightgown, I was a babe.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Her mouth parted and closed before she wrested her gaze from his well-shaped lips. “Your lordship, you or your man of business approved these expenditures. You’ve been in Barbados. Perhaps you’re unaware of this debt or didn’t receive my letters. Or forgot! I have something else.”

Digging into her reticule, she produced his promissory note. She cautiously held the paper close to her chest as he read. Unease prickled her skin. “Sir. How long does it take to absorb one line?” She slipped the evidence into her reticule.

Kenilworth’s green eyes narrowed, emphasizing the high bridge of his nose. He pointed a finger at her. “That’s a forgery. What deviousness are you plotting? Who sent you?”

With his accusations ringing in her ear, she stepped backward. “What are you talking about?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her voice. This was not the man the Times described.

His eyes turned cold and hard. “I dislike surprises, Miss Beaumont, but welcome justice. I’ll give you one minute to tell me who concocted this alleged debt. Otherwise, I’ll take you to the authorities for trespassing, forgery and extortion.” From his waistcoat pocket, he retrieved his gold watch.

The set of his chiseled jaw conveyed no sign of compassion, but his hard look fueled her determination. “All I know is that you owe me six thousand pounds.”

“Thirty seconds.”

She considered a strategy but knew she couldn’t execute it. “If you won’t listen, I’ll take this issue to court!”

Exasperated, she turned as if to leave, but an iron grip caught her wrist. His touch made her heart jump. Still she raised her chin and pulled her arm from his hold.

Kenilworth slid his crop through his fingers. “Go ahead. Take me to court.”

His frigid timbre sent a chill down her spine, but from the ruffians she occasionally encountered on her errands, she had learned to show a tough demeanor. She glared at him. “The populace will think you made false promises. That you’re cheating a poor merchant. My accusations will taint your reputation, hurt your political aspirations.”

He whacked his thigh with the whip.

She winced.

Kenilworth pointed his riding crop toward the barrel next to her legs. “Sit and start talking. Don’t spin a tale.”

What happened to the gentle man who cooed to a newborn filly? Sabrina sat, but only because he granted her a chance to speak. “The debt is eight months old. As you saw for yourself, the note said to contact your man of business for payment. I couldn’t find him.”

“How did I accumulate such a debt?” His tone was very dry.

Shifting, she bunched her cloak in her hands. “The debt is for the gowns you allowed your three mistresses to purchase.”

“I doubt that I’d forget one mistress let alone three. You should have given your tale more thought. Right title, wrong man. Until recently, my grandfather on my mother’s side carried the title.”

She gave him a tight smile. “Sir, your family history is of no interest to me, only the money you owe me.”

“A lesson in my family history is exactly what you need. Seven months ago, my grandfather died. He was seventy-four years old, bedridden for the past two, and incapable of satisfying a mistress.”

The implications made her heart skip. “I’ve three letters of promise signed by Lord Kenilworth. You hold the tide and must honor the debt.”

He slipped the paper she had given him into his frock coat pocket, then patted it. “Evidence for extortion. I’ll not honor a debt that isn’t mine, but I’ll seek justice.”

“You’ll pay me, or I’ll...” What could she do?

“You will what?” Kenilworth tapped the whip against his palm. “So far, I could charge you with trespassing. Extortion. Swindling. Exploitation. Forgery. Defamation.” He paused. “Do you know what those words mean?”

Sabrina straightened and thrust her chin forward. “In four languages.” She enunciated the words. “Five if you count English!”

Kenilworth looked unimpressed. “They also mean that if you’re guilty, you’d go to prison or hang.”

Thunder boomed.

The thought sent a chill down her spine. Anger and frustration clashed. Clutching her reticule, she sought mercy in his cold eyes. They appeared like green ice chips. Afraid for the twins’ well-being, Sabrina pressed her point. “Milord, you might have reason to be suspicious, but I swear, I speak the truth. I used my savings to pay your bills. I’m in quite desperate financial straits.”

He frowned. “Would you give the money to a stranger?”

So the rumors were true. He distrusted outsiders. “No, but—”

“Nor will I. Now. Leave and I’ll forget this affair.”

At his dismissal, she heaved a frustrated breath but wouldn’t retreat. Her father, who had been a military strategist, said no one won a battle until one side stood alone. She wasn’t dead yet. She had no choice but to continue with her feigned strategy. “I’ll go straight to court.”

He pressed his face close. For a fleeting second, she noticed an emotion not spawned by arrogance. Fear?

“Really? If you’re telling the truth, who and how will you pay for a defense?”

Sabrina couldn’t seek more legal help for lack of funds and because of her false identity. According to her solicitor and the only other person who knew her secret, she would commit perjury if she used the Beaumont name. Now if she used her real name, her grandfather would find her again because of the publicity. Despite this, Kenilworth’s staunch refusal fueled her ploy.

“Maybe I’ll request that you pay the legal fees.”

“You want to use every opportunity to demand money from me, is that it?”

She pursed her lips. Perhaps he disliked the notion of settling in court. Could she goad him into paying her where honesty and reason had failed?

“Imagine the Times headline. ‘Earl of Kenilworth Cheats Poor Merchant.’ Now, that would be a scandal in these unsettled political times. Parliamentary reform has England in an uproar. The news would contrast with their recent portrayal of you.”

He stared at her hard, then rammed a hand into his trouser pocket. “An investigation should settle this matter. I’ll start with some questions and forward what I learn to my solicitor.”

Investigation?

A tremor skipped down her spine. What if he succeeded in revealing her heritage? What would happen to the twins?

Maybe answering a few questions would satisfy his curiosity. What choice did she have if she hoped to get the money? She said a quick prayer and asked forgiveness if she had to lie for the twins’ sake. “If I can answer them, I will.”

He nodded and slowly walked behind her. “You’re a couturiere? I’ve never seen one dressed in such plain attire.”

“I usually work in the back of the shop. Ledgers. Organizing the fabrics for orders. Why spend money on expensive clothes?”

When he snorted, Sabrina sensed his closeness and edged forward. Why did he cause her pulse to race? He had been so gentle with the filly. Though calmed by the thought and feeling no cause for alarm, she wanted to bolt off the barrel. Instead, she rose with her back straight. She felt like a rabbit running from a fox, all cunning, sleek and too sure of himself. How could she convince him he owed her the money without an investigation?

“Pray that you’re not lying. They hang people for lesser crimes than those I’ve mentioned. I’d hate to see a noose around that lovely neck.” With the crop, he traced an arc beneath her chin.

The smooth leather felt cold against her skin and caused gooseflesh. Sabrina had an irrational urge to pull up the collar of her cloak. His hooded eyes reminded her of a bird of prey scouting for its next meal. “Noose? I’d hate it more.”

Although he smiled faintly, his eyes remained cold. “Well, I don’t need the court to decide if a debt exists. Nor do I need them to order me to pay if it does. I’ll decide both issues based on my investigation. Justice, Miss Beaumont. I want justice.” He retraced the arc.

She touched the clasp at her throat. A rope...he was serious! Her palms grew damp.

“So, you intend to play a judge.” She batted the whip away. “Threats and intimidation won’t change the truth. I’m no simpleton.” Their eyes locked in a battle of beliefs. His shadowed jaw remained resolute, not a stubble of black hair moved.

“Are you a courtesan?”

Stinging warmth ebbed into her cheeks. She grasped her cloak to keep from hitting him. Recalling his insults, she said in French, “I don’t care if you’re the tenth Earl of Kenil-worth.” In Italian, she added, “You owe me the money.” She continued in Portuguese. “I’ll prove it!” With a flowering Spanish finish, she asked, “Is that clear?”

“Unusual. A couturiere more educated than most men I know. Who are you? What do you really want of me?”

Suddenly she realized her error. Anger had overwhelmed caution and she had revealed too much of herself. “The money.”

In French, he said softly, “Baizer moi, Sabrina.”

Her body grew hot from spinning emotions. Kiss me, Sabrina! “For six thousand pounds plus interest,” she replied in French.

“Really?” Kenilworth drawled.

“Well...”

His mouth curved into a baiting smile. “Well?”

As she considered the enormity of allowing him one kiss, she immediately berated herself. Perhaps his threats and speculations had been for naught but to somehow lead to this moment. Despite his handsome facade, she couldn’t kiss a man who thought so ill of her. She narrowed her eyes. “You can go to the devil.”

Thunder rattled the windows of the stable.

He shrugged. “You’re becoming more interesting by the moment.”

The whip’s rhythmic tap against his solid thigh reminded her of a drum in a death march. Rain pelting the roof created a chorus. She fought for a nonchalant look. “So are you.”

“What else can I learn about you, Miss Beaumont?”

What if he learned that she was the granddaughter of the powerful and wealthy Duke of Sadlerfield? Or maybe Kenilworth wouldn’t learn a thing. She had been born in Paris, and her mother had birthed the twins aboard ship and no records existed. When they arrived in London, Marga had lied to the minister at Wesley’s chapel. He entered her aunt’s name as the twins’ mother in his records. Sabrina had hidden the evidence of Alec’s heritage in a place no one would think to look. When her grandfather died, then she could take steps to help Alec claim his birthright.

Protect the twins.

“Depends what you ask.”