Enter The Brethren (The Brethren of the Coast) (35 page)

“At Lord Markham’s.”

“Oh?”  Caroline sighed.  “Did you not take a mistress?”

“No.”

All right.  The man could live--with his most prized protuberance intact.

“Why not?”

He shuffled his feet and gazed at the floor.  “Because I only want you.”

At that moment, her heart sang.  Yet this was no time to celebrate, she had one more query to pose.

“If that is the case, then why did you leave me?”

He compressed his lips and furrowed his brow.  “I thought you were having an affair with Lord Darwith.”

The force of his statement hit Caroline as the cold waters of the Thames.  She stared at her husband.  “Have you so little faith in me?”

Trevor looked her straight in the eyes.  “It is not a question of faith.”

“Pray, explain yourself.”

“You are not the problem.”  He raked his fingers through his hair.  “I am.  And I know you were not involved with Darwith.  I am ashamed I doubted you.  Thank you for returning the sword.”

“How did you--”

“I met with him and discovered my error.”

“I see.”  She swallowed hard.  “What else?”

“Your family.”  He lowered his chin.  “Your friends.”

“What about them?”

“I don’t belong.”  His frowned deepened.  “I am an outsider.”

“Nonsense, they adore you.”  At his expression of skepticism, she shrugged.  “Well, these things take some getting used to.”

“No longer will I tolerate their interference in our marriage.”  Trevor walked toward her.  “It is humiliating and insulting.”

A multitude of thoughts raced through her brain.  Caroline bit her lip.  “Perhaps you should depart London.  If you are beyond their influence, they cannot interject their opinions.”

“You wish to be rid of me?” he inquired, as would a lost little boy.

Silly man.  Did he really believe she would send him away?  She would have laughed if he did not appear so sad.  Obviously, they still had issues to resolve.  As Caroline made to clarify her statement, a knock at the door brought her up short.

“Come,” her husband barked.

“I beg your pardon, my lord.”  The butler bowed.  “Doctor Handley has arrived.”

“Excellent.”  She nodded.  “Show him to my sitting room.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Also, send for my maid and ring for a bath.”

“At once, your ladyship.”

“And, Roberts?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Have Annie pack my trunk.  His lordship and I shall journey to--”  She glanced at Trevor.  “Where did you say we were going?”

With manifest surprise, her spouse uttered, “Sussex.”

“We depart for Sussex before dawn.”

#

“Are we there yet?”  Caroline rubbed her eyes and shifted in the cushions as the coach halted.

Trevor gazed out the window and wondered what possessed him to bring his wife to his old hideout.  “Aye.”

A footman opened the door, and Trevor stepped down.  “I have owned this cottage for years, though it has been some time since I last stayed here.”

Built of stone with a thatched roof, the structure sported a front door covered in peeling paint.  Overgrown grass and weeds shrouded a cobblestone walkway, and the enclosing fence was in a state of disrepair.  When he unlatched the gate, the panel fell from its hinges.

“Perhaps this is not a good idea.”

At his side, his wife tugged at the strings of her bonnet and surveyed the tiny structure.  “Nonsense.  Brethren women persevere.”

With high steps, Trevor tromped through the tall grass, pulled a key from his pocket, and unlocked the door.

Inside, the place was in shambles.

Because he never brought servants to the cottage, nothing had been protected from dust by slipcovers.  Thus a white film coated every piece of furniture.  A sudden noise sent Caroline into his arms, and he spied several birds exiting the dwelling through a gaping hole in the roof.  No doubt they were the source of the foul odor that welcomed them at the threshold.

“This is a disaster.”  Trevor cupped her chin.  “Perhaps we can take a room at the coach inn in the village?”

She seemed to consider his offer, and then asked, “Why did you bring me here?”

“I wanted to be alone with you.”  He heaved a sigh and trailed a finger along the curve of her cheek.  “Your family could easily travel to Althrup, but they don’t know about this place.”

Her answering smile soothed his injured pride.  “Well, if we enlist the aid of the footmen and driver, the roof could be repaired before nightfall.  And I can clean the cottage, it is not very big.”

“You can’t be serious.”

But his bride was already recruiting the servants.

After unloading the coach, they made a quick trip into the nearby town.  While Trevor purchased supplies needed to fix the hole, his wife bought a slew of comfort items from a local merchant.  Upon returning to their seaside abode, they divided the work.  He picked up a hammer, and she grabbed a mop and bucket.

His gentler half whistled while she cleaned, and he was eternally grateful to whatever benevolent fate bestowed on him such a remarkable woman.  The damage to the roof was not as bad as he had thought, and with assistance from two footmen, he completed his task in a couple of hours.  Finally, after issuing orders to return in a sennight, he dispatched the servants.

When he entered the cottage, a tempting aroma filled the great room.  Trevor stood at the threshold and noted the changes.  A thick rug lent warmth to the now clean wood floor, a makeshift drapery framed the large window overlooking the beach, and the furniture no longer appeared ghostly.  Everything had been moved to a more functional arrangement, and fluffy pillows perched at both ends of the sofa.  A small table had been righted and bore several lit candles.  In the hearth, a roaring blaze bathed the dining area in soft gold.

“Do you like it?”

To his left, Caroline stood at the range.

“How did you manage all this?”

“Actually, there was not much to be done.”  She smiled and shrugged.  “Although this room was very dirty, the two small bedchambers were relatively clean.  Once I swept and mopped, and beat the cushions, the rest was just décor.”

“And the curtains?”

“The tiebacks are strings that I cut from an apron.  The panels are bed linens, and they are pinned.”  She gave her attention to a pot, picked up a spoon, and stirred what appeared to be stew.  “I thought I could hem them during our stay.  I will take measurements and order new drapes from my favorite purveyor in London.”

She could have knocked him over with a feather.  “You wish to come here again?”

“Of course.”  Caroline added a pinch of seasoning to the stew and sampled the results.  “It is lovely.  And the extra bedchamber would make a wonderful nursery.”

Trevor almost fainted.  “N-nursery?”

“Indeed.”  She sprinkled spices from another tin into the pot.  “This is the perfect place to bring our children.  They can make sandcastles during the day and, when they are older, study the stars at night.”

“I see.”  He swallowed the panic rising in his throat.  “Have we much time--before dinner--that is?  Is there water for washing?”

“Yes.”  She set the spoon down and wiped her hands on her apron.  “A hipbath has been prepared in the extra chamber, and I have already bathed.  Also, I set out some clothes for you.”

“Excellent.  Give me five minutes, and I shall be ready to eat,” he said as he strolled down the hall.  Free from her insightful gaze, Trevor stripped off his soiled garments and discovered the hipbath was too small for his large frame.  Half sitting, he made a mental note to purchase a new tub and managed to clean himself.  After donning fresh attire, he returned to the great room and found Caroline setting a basket, filled with chunks of bread, at the center of the table.

“Good heavens.”  He fingered a napkin, pulled out a chair, and sat.  “This looks just like home.”

“Really?”  Caroline inclined her head, and her face was radiant.  “I had hoped you would think so.”

“You have outdone yourself, love.”  He picked up a fork and stabbed a morsel of beef in the bowl she had put before him.

Compliments, words of encouragement and praise, danced on his tongue, but Trevor lacked the courage to say what he knew his wife wanted to hear.  So they passed the meal in deafening silence.  Afterward, he helped clear the dishes.

“Shall we retire?” Caroline asked as she put away the last utensil.

“I suppose.”  He walked into the sitting area.  “I thought I would give you the bed.  I can sleep on the sofa.”

“You do not wish to keep company with me?”  Her query, softly spoken, belied her shock and pain.

“Caroline, the springs are old.”  He clenched his jaw.  “The entire frame would probably collapse beneath our combined weight.”

“Then let us put the mattress on the floor.”  Her chin quivered, betraying her fragile state.  “Later, we can buy a new--”

“No.”  Trevor pursed his lips and wondered why he was so afraid of his wife.  “You would be more comfortable without my presence.”

“Do not shift your preference for separate accommodations to my shoulders.”  With tear-filled eyes, she frowned.  “The truth is you no longer desire me.”

“You are mistaken.”  How was he going to get himself out of this mess?  How could he make her understand what he could not fathom?  “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Then explain yourself.”  Caroline inched near.  “You rescued me from Cavalier.  You saved my life, yet it appears you do not want me.”

Trevor could only stand there and stare.

“I have tried to be a dutiful wife.  I have done all that is in my power, committed myself body and soul.”  She splayed her arms.  “Why will you not love me?”

Her plea echoed in his mind, and he pressed his palms to his ears as if doing so would shut out the pain.  The sentiment formed a familiar refrain of desperation and anguish.  Caroline tugged on his elbow, and he grasped her forearms and backed her into the sidewall.

“Have you any idea how many times I have uttered the same words?” he asked through gritted teeth.

With a whimper, she shook her head.

“I begged my father to love me, but he never did.  My mother had used his heart to destroy him, you see.  And I sought to avoid the same fate.”  He gave vent to a self-mocking snort.  “How ironic it is that, despite my efforts, I am my sire’s son.  I am exactly like him, but not as I had imagined.  I am a fool for not declaring myself, and I deserve to lose you.”

#

It was too much to hope for, too much to believe.

“Trevor, am I assuming too much?”  Stunned by his revelations, Caroline gripped his wrists and braced herself.  “Is it possible--do you love me?”

“Aye.”  He made sour a face no woman in her right mind could resist.  “But I don’t want to.”

“Darling, you don’t have to be afraid.  And I promise it will get easier.”  She giggled at his sweet admission and cried happy tears.  “Love is a gift, not an obligation.”

“It is a curse that defies logic, and you have turned me into a milquetoast.”  He set his forehead to hers and shifted his hold to an embrace.  “Tell me you love me, I desperately need to hear it.”

“I love you.”  Rising on her toes, she nipped his nose.  “I love you.”  She pressed her lips to his cheek.  “I love you.”  Summoning the force of her devotion, evoking the vigor of her adoration, she bestowed on him a kiss filled with promises she fully intended to keep.

After a few heated, groping, hip grinding minutes, Trevor lifted his head and smiled his wolf’s smile.  “Perhaps we should adjourn to our bedchamber?”

Ah, it was good to be a woman.

Caroline started toward the hall but paused.  “Dearest, though I would give anything to share a bed with you tonight, I do not want to rush you.  If you require a period of adjustment, I will not complain.”

“You are not rushing me, and I bloody will complain if you leave my side.”  With a chuckle, he swept her into his arms, strode down the hall, sidled into the little chamber, and laid her on the bed.  Just as fast, he all but jumped on her.

Crash

The frame collapsed beneath them, depositing the mattress, Caroline, and Trevor rudely on the floor.  They could only laugh at their predicament.

“Are you all right?” the green-eyed dragon asked with a devilish grin.

“Indeed.”  She locked her arms behind his head.  “And you?  Are you hurt?”

“I am, but it is an injury I willingly bear and hope never heals, because you scored a direct hit to my heart.”  Trevor framed her face and rubbed his nose to hers.  “And I am so in love with you.”

EPILOGUE

“Hurry, darling.”  Trevor boosted Caroline into her saddle.  “We do not want to miss the sunrise.”

“Relax.”  She reached out and caught his gloved hand in hers.  “We will get there in time.”

He squeezed her fingers, and then climbed atop his favorite horse.  “Ready?”

She nodded.  “Follow me.”

To his surprise, she heeled the flanks of her mare and set a blazing pace.  He grabbed the reins and mirrored her movements.  “Yaa.”

Although he was still a tad unaccustomed to the game called marriage, Trevor looked forward to the usual morning rides with his wife.  It was their time to exchange trivialities, discuss plans for their future, or simply enjoy each other’s company beyond the sensual realm of their connubial bed, something he cherished far and away more than he would have previously thought.  And today, he was doubly grateful for what had become an intimate ritual because the Brethren had invaded Althrup for the weekend.

The brandy flowed and a tournament of billiards commenced.  They played cards, charades, and a ridiculously competitive game of Pall Mall.  Despite the profundity of back slaps and ribald male jokes, all intended to foster brotherly affection, no doubt, Trevor hated to admit that he still felt quite the outsider.  And it was not because anyone had made comments to such effect, but rather because he just did not believe he was truly a member of their family.

Caroline peered over her shoulder and waved.  “Come on.”

The crisp December air should have chilled him to the bone, but a single glance from his wife warmed him inside and out.  He urged his mount faster.  When she steered south, he grinned.  There was a spot that boasted an incredible view of the Channel, and he had come to think of it as their special place.  They cleared the trees, and suspicion nipped at his senses.