Kane Samantha - Brothers in arms 1 (13 page)

“This quiet charmer is Mr. Brett Haversham, Kate. Brett, this is Kate, Mrs. Kate Collier.” Tony’s voice was affectionate.

“I’m delighted, Mrs. Collier, to finally meet the woman who so completely owns the hearts of these two scoundrels.” Mr. Haversham’s voice was deep, and it carried even though he spoke softly.

Once again, Kate relied on her instincts. She decided to treat Mr. Haversham with a friendly familiarity, which Mr. Haversham’s and the duke’s comments invited.

“Well, I’m not sure about that, at least the heart part. The scoundrel part I have personal knowledge of.” She accompanied the sally with a grin, and was relieved to see an answering one on his face. Next to her she felt Jason tense and Tony took a breath to speak, surely in his defense, but he never had the chance.

Kate had glanced over Mr. Haversham’s shoulder at the open curtain of the box, and standing just there, in the entrance, was Robertson. Her breath caught in her throat, competing with the bile rising there. She instinctively clutched at Tony and Jason’s arms, unaware that her grip was almost painful in its intensity.

“Well, well, well, Kate my dear,” Robertson drawled. “I see you landed on your feet after you crawled away from me. You look considerably better that the last time I saw you, doesn’t she, boys?” he asked his companions, laughing caustically. Kate frantically looked around him, and recognized several of the faces leering at her. Her vision began to tunnel, black pushing against the sight of Robertson’s leering face. “I should have known these two wouldn’t mind used goods such as yourself. Their tastes hardly appeal to well-bred young girls.”

67

Samantha Kane

Kate turned her head and buried her face against Jason’s shoulder. She clutched at him, trying to stay upright. She was afraid she might be sick, and embarrass Tony and Jason. Oh God, it was her worst nightmare. In spite of her earlier intentions to be strong, she felt herself slipping away, stars bursting behind her closed eyelids, voices getting farther and farther away. The only real things she knew were Jason’s strong arms holding her up, and Tony’s hands on her shoulders.

“You fucking bastard,” Jason growled as he felt Kate go limp in his arms. “I should kill you now.”

“What, over a whore?” Robertson laughed as if at the sheer absurdity of it.

Unsure of what was going on, Tony and Jason’s friends had instinctively moved to protect Kate as soon as Robertson arrived. His comment caused the circle to tighten, and the men’s faces hardened dangerously. The two groups were squared off across from each other in the small box.

Suddenly Jason heard a woman’s enraged gasp, and looked to the doorway to see Kitty flying at Robertson.

“You filthy pig!” she spit at him, her hand whipping out and slapping him forcefully. Before anyone could stop him, Robertson pulled back his own arm and backhanded Kitty across the box. She crashed into the wall and fell to the floor.

Several of the men began to advance toward Robertson, who seemed oblivious of the threat.

“Really, Your Grace,” he said to Freddie, wiping one hand across his bleeding mouth, “you ought to be more careful of the company you keep. Perverts and whores are hardly fit company for the nobility.”

One of the veterans in their box, Doctor Thomas Peters, was helping Kitty up, supporting her against the wall. Jason could already see the bruise forming on the left side of her face. He could hardly speak, the rage was so great inside him. “If you wish to leave this box alive, I suggest you do so now.” His voice was low and thick with anger.

He realized Kate was awake when he felt her arms tighten about him, and heard her whimper. She began to shake her head, almost uncontrollably, and Tony, who had begun to move in Robertson’s direction, came back to place his hands soothingly on her shoulders again.

Suddenly a man pushed into the box, and turned angrily to face Robertson.

“Goddamn it, Robertson, leave her alone. Haven’t we done enough?”

It was Edmund George. Jason vaguely recalled him. He had been a rather dissolute young man who ran with Robertson’s crowd the last time he’d seen him. It didn’t escape Jason’s notice that he said “we”.

At the sound of George’s voice, Kate began to tremble.

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The Courage To Love

“What the hell are you talking about, George?” Robertson responded sarcastically.

“If I recall correctly, you were unable to do anything to her.” His comment cause his cronies to roar with laughter, and George’s face reddened in embarrassment and anger.

“Leave here, Robertson. You’ve done enough damage to last a lifetime.” George stood his ground between the two groups of bristling men, and Jason had to give him credit for bravery.

“You bore me, George,” Robertson said drawled indolently. “You and this whole farce. Kate Collier was nothing but a whore when I bought her, and I see no difference now. All this for a whore? It’s pathetic.” He began to walk out, but stopped and turned back to address Jason and Tony. “You should thank me. Obviously my friends gave Kate a taste for fucking more than one man at a time. When you tire of her, throw her back. I’m sure she’ll still be good for a drunken orgy or two. Not that I would indulge, but some of my friends ain’t so discerning. She gave them a good ride the first time

‘round.” His smile was evil, and he barely hesitated as he turned to leave when Jason growled at him.

“Send your seconds to see me tomorrow, Robertson. I mean to kill you.”

The box was silent for a moment after he and his gang left. Then Edmund George surprised Jason by walking up to Kate.

“Kate,” he said quietly, “I’m so sorry. You can’t know, God, I’m so sorry.”

Jason’s rage rose in him again, at the thought of what he was sorry for. Kate refused to look at George, her trembling and head shaking increasing as he spoke.

“Get the hell out of here, George,” Jason barked, “or you’ll be the first to die for what you did to Kate.”

“Yes,” he murmured, turning to leave, “yes, and it really should be Robertson, shouldn’t it?”

As he walked out, Jason glimpsed a woman, pale as death, standing as still as a statue outside the box. She turned as George exited the box, and he followed her down the hall, out of sight.

69

Samantha Kane

Lord Michael Kensington blew on his cold fingers as he leaned against the fence across from the Collier house. It had gone unusually cold this evening, and he regretted his rash agreement to do a favor for Tony and Jason. What on earth was he supposed to be watching for? They had been very vague about it all, merely suggesting he keep an eye out for “anything unusual”. Well, was that anything unusual going in, or anything unusual coming out? Because right now, there was a rather tall girl, with long unbound dark hair blowing in the wind, sneaking out of the side door.

Her cloak said gentry, not servant, and Michael instinctively knew this must be Miss Veronica Thomas, the niece. Other than her name Jason hadn’t said a thing about her. He’d expected a little thing, not this beautiful Amazon, with curves to make a man’s mouth water, and hair to build fantasies around.

Just as she moved to open the gate and slip into the alley, Michael loped across the street.

“Hallo! Miss Thomas! Just where do you think you’re going?” he called out in a low voice, trying not to be overheard by the neighbors.

The girl squeaked, literally squeaked, as she slammed the gate shut between them.

“Who the devil are you?” she demanded. “And how do you know my name?”

A closer inspection of the girl did not disappoint. She had crackling dark eyes and a plump face, with rosy cheeks, and redder lips. He had a quick vision of her nibbling on those lips right before she opened her mouth wide at just the right angle… He refused to finish the thought. She was a mere child, albeit a well-developed one.

He swept her an exaggerated bow. “Lord Michael Kensington, Miss Thomas, and I know your name because Lord Randall told it to me.”

She immediately looked around and began to nibble on the nail of her little finger, clearly an unconscious nervous gesture. Michael wondered what she was nervous about.

“Is Jason around, then?” she queried in a small voice.

“No, which is why he asked me to watch the house. He seemed concerned for some reason.”

Veronica—no, he told himself, Miss Thomas—looked relieved. “Oh, well, you can tell him everything is fine, then. Go on, shoo, shoo,” she said to him, going so far as to wave him off like a troublesome cat.

“Is it, then?” he asked conversationally. “Why are you sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

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The Courage To Love

She immediately straightened her shoulders to an imposing height, though shorter than his, and huffed as she raised her nose in the air. “I was doing no such thing. I have an appointment this evening, is all. A very important appointment, so if you would be so kind as to run along, I need to be going.”

“Oh, right, then,” Michael agreed, opening the gate for her as she swept past him.

He fell into step beside her. “I’ll just walk you to your appointment. Isn’t safe for a pretty girl like yourself on the streets at night.”

Veronica glared at the handsome young man. How on earth was she to meet the greengrocer for their liaison? She refused to let her mind dwell on the details of their liaison, a word she had deliberately chosen, as it disguised the base nature of their transaction.

“Oh, really, could you be more impertinent?” she snapped at him. “I do not need your chaperonage. I must insist you leave me alone.” The meeting spot was just around the next corner, and if he didn’t leave, she wasn’t sure what to do.

“No, no, I can’t do that I’m afraid. Jason and Tony would not be happy with me if something were to happen to you, all alone out here.”

Veronica grasped at the straw. “Oh, but you see, I won’t be alone. I’m meeting someone, I told you.”

Lord Kensington rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, yes, I suppose you did. But you didn’t say who. Now if I knew who, I might feel better about leaving you, miss.”

Veronica sighed, relieved to be so easily rid of him. Normally she would not chase such a handsome young man away. He was tall and muscular, with burnished gold hair, and a beautiful smile. But tonight she had to meet the greengrocer, or surely it would be disaster.

“Why, I am meeting the greengrocer, Mr. Beedle,” she told him, thinking it best to stay as close to the truth as possible.

Lord Kensington couldn’t hide his surprise. “In the middle of the night? Whatever for?”

Veronica told him the truth again. “Why, to pay our bill, of course.”

She didn’t even consider that Lord Kensington would immediately understand what she wasn’t saying.

He stopped suddenly, halting Veronica with a hand on her arm. She turned to him quizzically.

“Exactly how are you going to pay your bill in the middle of the night?” he asked slowly, each word enunciated with precision.

Veronica immediately became wary, understanding that she had perhaps said too much. She chose to avoid the question.

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Samantha Kane

“Oh, pooh, it is hardly the middle of the night, my lord,” she responded flippantly, her heart racing. She shook his hand off and tried to resume walking, but he reached out and clasped her arm again.

His face was a study in stern disapproval when she reluctantly turned back to him.

“It is going on midnight, and that is as good as the middle of the night for well-bred young ladies out on their own for secret appointments.” His voice was so cold, Veronica shivered.

She began to panic. “Let me go! You have no right to detain me, Lord Kensington.”

She couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice. “You’re going to ruin everything, don’t you see? Please, my lord, I mustn’t be late, please.” She was pleading with him, fruitlessly tugging her arm.

“Veronica, calm down,” he told her gently. “How am I going to ruin everything?”

“If I don’t meet Mr. Beedle this evening, he will cancel our credit! Word of that will spread to our other creditors, and we can’t pay them right now. I’ve taken nearly everything and reinvested it in the shop. Aunt Kate doesn’t know, you see, I’ve been bargaining and lying to everyone. If Mr. Beedle isn’t satisfied this evening, he’ll tell, he’ll tell everyone!”

Lord Kensington stared at her in amazement. “And you think your virginity is a good price to pay for vegetables?” he asked incredulously.

At his question, Very regained her composure. She looked him squarely in the face when she replied, trying to convince him of her sincerity.

“It’s a small price, surely?” she answered, her voice once again under control. “Men place such value in it, but we women, my lord, lose it every day without much thought.” She glared at him. “I’m sure you’ve taken your share in trade, Lord Kensington.”

Michael found himself outraged beyond reason. That this beautiful girl should be considering giving away such a precious gift to some lowborn bastard, probably in an alley, for God’s sake, made him sick. Without conscious thought, he gripped her arm tighter and dragged her into the shadows between two buildings.

“I have never divested a virgin of her maidenhead, Miss Thomas,” he ground out,

“and I have no intention of doing so unless she is my wife.”

Even in the shadows he saw Veronica’s eyes widen at his tone.

“Be that as it may, my lord, it is mine to give or keep as I see fit.”

Her superior tone only served to enflame him more. Did the chit not understand what it entailed? Did she have any idea what that bastard Beedle planned to do to her?

Later, he would console himself with the excuse that his anger made him temporarily lose what little good sense he had. But at that moment, he wasn’t thinking at all. All he could do was feel—his anger, his frustration, her soft body flush against his as he pinned her to wall.

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The Courage To Love

When his lips were nearly on hers, he heard her gasp as she realized what he was going to do. He crushed his mouth to hers, trying to force her to understand the intimacy she was planning to grant that bastard. But the feel of her lips, so soft and moist, so warm, gentled his touch until his lips were caressing hers. He let go of one of her arms and cupped her face in the palm of his hand, pressing her mouth open with his thumb. His last rational thought was, good God, she doesn’t even know how to kiss yet.