Trials of Artemis (28 page)

Behind
her she could hear the men scuffling and a pained moan. "Oh!” she said,
coming back to the moment. “Derek was shot." She hurried over to the young
man, pulling Gideon behind her, and dropped to her knees while wiping her hands
off with the sleeve of her linen shirt. Gideon crouched down as well and helped
her turn him over. There was a great deal of blood but the young footman was
still breathing shallowly.

Jack
looked up at Gideon hopefully. "It looks like it's mostly in his shoulder.
He could make it."

Gideon
nodded and then took her hands again. "Jacqueline-"

"We
need to get them to signal the ship."

He
frowned. "We need to do what?"

"Get
them to signal the ship. Otherwise the ship will get away." Jack looked
down at their joined hands and saw that her own were shaking badly.

"Jacqueline,”
he said, “I don't care about the ship."

"But
then they might try to do this again."

"Let
them try,” Gideon said, sounding more fierce. “We'll be on the lookout for it
this time."

Jack
looked over her shoulder and saw that Hammond had the remaining owlers
contained. They had even trussed up the man Jack had fought, and Gideon had
clubbed, in case he still had some life left in him. She felt the shaking
spread to the rest of her frame with the relief that the worst seemed to be
over.

She
looked at Gideon again. "You're not allowed," she said, her voice
breaking.

Gideon
raised a brow.

"You're
not allowed to get yourself captured again," she finished.

"I'll
keep that in mind," he said drily.

She
pulled her hands free of his to grab his neck and pull him down for her kiss.
As she threaded her fingers into his hair he drew back with a sharp gasp. She
looked at the dark stain on her hand in the flickering lamplight. "Is this
your blood?"

Gideon
was still wincing and probing gently at his head. "I imagine so."

She
blinked, feeling the room slowly tilt. "Oh, that's not good," she
said softly.

Gideon
managed to catch his wife before she toppled over. He wasn't sure whether to be
scared that she had fainted again or relieved that she had some feminine
weaknesses. Hearing her voice demanding to know where he was shortly after he
had fought off his unwilling assassin had seemed a godsend. But lurching into
the dimly lit cavern to find her in the grip of the leader of the smuggling
ring had easily taken ten years off his life. Lifting her gently from the floor
he clasped her against his chest and stood up to look around at his men. His
footman Hammond approached.

"My
Lord," he said solemnly, "tis good to see you alive and well. My
lady...?"

"She
fainted. When she saw that I was bleeding." Gideon looked down at his wife
and added wryly, "I can only hope that means she can never take after me
with one of her blades."

Hammond
smiled briefly. "She's a plucky one, that. And one of the best commanders
I've served with here or on the Continent. Not many Captains could put together
a rescue as quick."

"Yes,
the countess is a woman of... unusual talents."

"With
your leave, my lord, we'll stay in our teams with each team in charge of a
prisoner or riding flank guard."

"I...
yes, that would be fine."

"And
the countess's men serving as your escorts."

"Yes,
and those would be?"

Hammond
waved two of the young and burly stable hands forward. They seemed uneasy but
took positions to either side of him. It entertained Gideon that the little
tyrant who lay swooned in his arms was still very much in charge by way of the
polite but confidant Lieutenant that she had in Hammond. The earl decided to
test whether he had any authority left whatsoever. "I don't think we
should signal the ship."

"As
you wish, my Lord," Hammond said. But there was enough relief in the man's
voice that Gideon was sure he had also given exactly the order that had been
hoped for.

His
men made short work of cleaning up the cavern, carting out the wounded, and
marching out the prisoners. As Gideon started up the path to the downs, still
carrying Jack, he was becoming concerned that she hadn't roused yet. Their
protective guards stayed close for the climb. Gideon thought that they took
surreptitious peeks at Jack, as though to confirm for themselves that she was
all right, but it was difficult to tell in the darkness. Halfway up he consoled
himself that it was good his wife had fainted. He had been on the edge of
promising her anything, everything, if she would just stay with him.

What
had started as a conviction that he would make her to stay with him if he made
it out of the caves alive had changed to a cloying panic when he had seen her
in the hands of the owler. His heart was still in his throat even now, with her
warm body pressed against his own and her breath feathering across his neck. If
it weren't for the need to press on, step after step, to gain the top of the Downs
he was fairly certain he would sink to the ground and sob into her hair. That
wouldn't do. He was made of sterner stuff than to be brought to his knees
weeping over the idea of losing this ferocious little slip of a girl. Well,
perhaps she wasn't a slip being as tall as she was, but she was light as a twig
these days. When they were home he would make sure that she ate at every meal,
not just pushing food around on her plate. And she needed to get her exercise.
He didn’t know the last time she had ridden for sport since they had stopped
meeting at the stables in the morning. That was certainly a routine that should
begin again. And-

"Giddy,"
she said faintly. "You're holding me too tight."

Not
trusting himself to speak, he simply loosened his hold and kissed her on the
forehead. Anything. Everything
.

Jack
felt slightly guilty letting Gideon carry her the rest of the way up the path
after she awakened. He didn't seem bothered by her weight and she was able to
enjoy the solid feel of him, to breathe in the scent that was uniquely Giddy,
to know that he was safe. The future was uncertain. He could still send her
away. He could bury himself in his work so that they might as well be living
separately. No, the future didn't bear thinking upon. For now she would simply
relish the feel of her husband's strong arms around her as they headed toward
the safety of Kellington.

Gideon
rode Tyche back to the manor with Jacqueline seated in front of him. With both
of them wearing breeches the thin fabric was hardly a barrier and every step
and shift of the horse jolted his wife's posterior against him. He hardly
needed reminding of the healthy amount of lust he had for her, but each moment
they drew closer to home his attraction was rather viscerally reinforced. As
they drew into the stableyard he wasn't sure if he was more relieved or
frustrated. He swung off the mare, hoping he could get to the ground and help
his wife down before she dismounted herself but she surprised him by waiting
patiently for him to reach up and assist her. Once she had her feet on the
ground she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and they simply
stood there a few moments as the men and horses stamped and milled about them.
The light of dawn was brightening the stable yard as Gideon pulled her to his
side so that they could walk into Kellington together.

Jack
continued to burrow into the warmth of Gideon's side, loathe to give up the
security of his closeness. As they entered the main hall, she could see all the
servants were waiting to greet the earl. Some of the maids had tears in their
eyes they tried to dash away, and Mrs. Gladstone, huddled in a side chair, was
openly weeping into her apron. Jack felt Gideon tense beside her and realized
that the open emotion was uncomfortable for him. Stepping forward she took
charge. "As you can see the earl is thankfully alive. Prepare a hot bath
and then have a fire and brandy readied in the study. And a hearty breakfast
for all the men as well. The rest of you, go about your business." After some
quick curtsies and bows the maids and footman scurried to do her bidding. One
of the young maids took Mrs. Gladstone off, the older woman’s head still buried
in her apron.

Gideon
looked around the hall. "Where is Dibbs?"

Jack
sighed. "Most likely with Philip Gladstone."

Gideon
arched a brow. "And where is Philip?"

"I
don't know, perhaps below-stairs? But Gideon... Philip was working with the
owlers."

"He
was what?" Shock quickly gave way to anger. "Where is he? I want to
see him now!" Gideon marched down the hallway until he found a footman.
"Find Dibbs and have him bring Philip to my study immediately."

The
footman bowed and then nearly sprinted down the hallway.

Gideon
turned back to Jack. "How do you know he was working with them?"

"Because
he told me. He came back here to tell us that you had been captured." Jack
looked down at her hands. "As much as I wanted to kill him at the time, if
he hadn't come back and told us then we wouldn't have known where to look for
you."

Gideon
pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I most likely wouldn't have made it
out past that many men by myself."

"Well,
it's possible they would have ransomed you."

"No,
that wasn't their plan."

Jack
felt her lip trembling. "It wasn't?"

Gideon
strode back across the hall to embrace her again. "It's all right,” he
murmured into her hair. "I had my bloodthirsty wife to ride to my
rescue."

Jack
gave a small laugh that she feared sounded distressingly like a sob.

"You
impressed Hammond, you know,” Gideon said. “He spent ten years fighting Old
Boney on the Continent."

"He
hadn't mentioned that. I probably should have put him in charge."

Gideon
leaned back to look her in the eye. "You? Allow someone else to be in
charge?"

Jack
smiled wryly and fiddled with a silver button on Gideon's waistcoat. "I
could have been the General instead of Captain."

"Why
don't you go take that hot bath while I deal with Philip-"

"But
your head-"

"Is
harder than granite. I'll be fine." He took her hands and kissed her
fingertips, dirty as they were.

She
frowned. "The doctor should be here somewhere, but I'm not sure
where."

"We'll
find him." Footsteps sounded in the hallway. "That will be Dibbs and
Philip. Upstairs with you before you decide to end my former steward."

Jack
looked over to where Philip Gladstone walked with Dibbs. The young man’s eyes
were downcast and he looked a man set for the gallows. It was, perhaps, a
conversation she would prefer to miss. Looking back at Gideon, she rose up on
her toes and kissed him. Still raised on her toes she whispered in his ear,
"Don't go too hard on him." She walked up the stairs, sore all over
but glad to still be the Countess of Harrington.

Gideon
watched his wife ascend the stairs and ached to go with her. He was certainly
far from happy that she had ridden into danger for him, but the fact that she
had made him hopeful. Perhaps she still cared for him. Perhaps she still felt
the love she had confessed and he had rejected over and over. The thought that
he could still lose her made his heart twist painfully in his chest.

He
looked over to where Dibbs and Philip waited patiently for his bidding. The
young man still hadn't looked up from the floor. This task made his heart feel
no better. Setting his jaw, Gideon turned on his heel and walked to his study,
knowing that the two of them would follow in his wake. Inside the fire had
indeed been started and the brandy set out. Gideon poured himself a tot of the
liquor before settling behind his desk.

"Dibbs,
you may go."

The
butler seemed to consider an interjection but stopped himself and withdrew. A
tense silence settled over the room while Gideon stared at Philip, and the
young man fidgeted while staring at the floor.

"Well?"
Gideon said at long last. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"My
Lord, I-" Philip's voice cracked and he finally risked a glance at the
earl. "I had no idea they would- I never meant..." He trailed off
helplessly, a sheen of unshed tears in his eyes.

"You
allowed," Gideon said, his voice soft but deadly, "perhaps
encouraged, criminal activity here at Kellington and you never thought anyone
would be hurt?"

Philip
hung his head again. "I have no defense my Lord."

"No,
you don't. Did you have any accomplices here at Kellington?"

"No,
my Lord."

"You
shall be turned off without reference or severance. I assume that the funds you
received from this enterprise will more than tide you over."

"You...
you won't be sending me to gaol?"

Gideon
gave him a withering stare. "No. You will have an opportunity to redeem
yourself in this world, but it will have nothing to do with me. I wish to never
see or hear from you again." Philip was nodding his agreement and Gideon
continued. "I will also pension off your mother and as for your siblings
they will receive reference letters so that they may seek employment at other
houses, preferably at some distance."