Wicked And Wild: Spencers in Love Book Two (18 page)

Chapter 33

            Mirabelle kicked a post before she crossed her
arms along the top of the fence and rested her chin. She watched Lucien thunder
around the track on Hugin. She'd gladly give her hair for a bruising ride on
one of Lucien's stallions.

            Despite a perfectly competent physician
declaring her perfectly healthy and the pregnancy perfectly progressing,
Mirabelle had spent her first week at Winthorpe being corralled and restricted.
She absolutely could not ride, or fire pistols, or skip along the stone walls
by the orchard, or climb any of the trees in said orchard or jump into the lake
when she went swimming (though Lucien had made up for that by joining her and
showing her just how good he was at holding his breath).

            It seemed the only place Mirabelle could still
be free was in their bedroom. As she watched Lucien stand in the stirrups, she
felt herself grow warm as the muscles of his thighs flexed and stretched and
his backside came into view. The only thing better than Lucien in buckskin
breeches was Lucien naked. And the best thing about Winthorpe, Mirabelle
decided was that there was only one large bed in the duke and duchess'
chambers. Not that Lucien slept in the duke's bedroom at Clerendon House; they
had slept in her room every night since the confrontation. Mirabelle liked that
at Winthorpe it was implicit that their nights would be spent together.

            A strange tingling slid down Mirabelle's spine.
She looked around to see if someone was watching her. Nothing out of the
ordinary met her eye as she surveyed the stables, paddock, yard and track. She
shook her head and chided herself. Of course she felt like she was being
watched. Everyone watched her now. It was as if Mirabelle was the first woman
to grow a person inside of her. Or, everyone was expecting her to lay eggs or
give birth to a litter of puppies. It was very annoying.    

            Lucien swung out of the saddle and patted the
horse's neck. Toby, his right hand in all matters horseflesh joined him. Lucien
rested his elbows on the horse's back and leaned, once again giving Mirabelle a
full view of his firm backside. She let her head fall to the side as she
appreciated the display until the men laughed and Lucien tossed Toby the reins.

            As Lucien climbed the fence and jumped over,
Mirabelle felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She looked around again
as Lucien pulled his coat on. She felt him next to her and looked up to see him
scanning the grounds. She looked around again.

            "Did you see something?" Lucien asked
as he turned her face to his. Mirabelle shook head and smiled. 

            "For a moment I felt like I was being
watched. Then I remembered that I'm always being watched. You've got everyone
around here afraid I'll fall over if the wind blows too hard." Lucien
grinned as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.

            "I'm always watching you. You're beautiful
when you're annoyed." He teased as he placed Mirabelle's hand on his arm
and led her towards the house for lunch.

            "Is that why you're always annoying
me?" She smiled sweetly and Lucien threw his head back and laughed.

            Lucien turned and walked backwards as he towed
her along.

            "Keep being mouthy and I may have to find a
better use for those sweet lips."  He winked at her suggestively.

            "Lunch?" Mirabelle answered coyly.
Lucien stopped as he felt the door at his back. He pulled her close and lowered
his head to hers.

            "If you behave. If not, I may have to take
you upstairs and spank you again." He whispered. 

            Mirabelle leaned against Lucien's chest and
pressed her lips to his ear.

            "And what if I want you to spank me?"
She felt his body become tense and his erection pressed against her thigh.

            "I suggest you eat quickly, madam."
His voice was nearly a growl as he hauled the door open and let her pass
through ahead of him.

            Mirabelle laughed and ran down the hall towards
the dining room. Lucien chased her and swept her into his arms when he caught
up with her. She giggled as he swung her over his shoulder and carried her to
the table. 

            They only made it through half of the meal
before Lucien lifted Mirabelle from her seat and swept her up the stairs.

Chapter 34

            Exhilarated from his early morning ride and
looking forward to waking his wife, Lucien silently pushed open the bedroom
door and prowled towards the bed. Mirabelle rested peacefully, both of her
hands rested above her head and a soft smile shaped her lips. The sheet was
pulled down to her waist and a sheer silk nightgown hugged her curves. Lucien
slipped off his coat and began unbuttoning his shirt when his eyes fell upon
something on the pillow next to her.

            His blood turned to ice and rage swept through
him. He tried to speak but his throat locked. He swiveled his head, trying to
loosen the muscles in his neck. Lucien cleared his throat and reached for
Mirabelle's foot and shook it.

            "Mirabelle." His voice was hard. She
stretched and sighed. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she saw the
white rose.

            "How lovely! Where do you find them?"
She asked as her gaze swept to Lucien's face.

            He held out his hand.

            "Don't touch it." His voice cracked
like thunder. She reached for him and he pulled her from the bed and into his
arms as if the rose was venomous. Lucien wrapped his arms around her and
pressed her head against his chest. "What do you mean
"them"?" He whispered.

            "This one and the one at Clerendon House."
Mirabelle pushed against his chest and looked up at Lucien. She was thoroughly
confused.

            Lucien recalled the white rose on her vanity and
that he'd meant to ask her about it. His gut turned to lead and he stared at
the rose on her pillow. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Mirabelle
tugged at his shirt. He knew she was saying his name but he couldn't hear her.
Finally she set both of her hands on his chest and pushed. Lucien staggered
back and pulled her against him.

            "Lucien! What's wrong?" Her eyes
pleaded. Lucien swallowed and tasted bile.

            "I didn't leave them." He whispered.

            "What?" Mirabelle stiffened in his
arms and looked towards the bed.

            "I didn't leave the roses, Mirabelle."
He said quietly.

            "I see." She pushed away and ran for
her robe. When she turned to him, her eyes were furious. "Am I allowed to
handle a pistol now?" Mirabelle yanked on the bell pull. Lucien dragged
his hands down his face and took a deep breath. He nodded.

            Lucien stayed with Mirabelle while she dressed.
Much to Mary's shock and confusion, he refused to be more than an arm's length
away.

            "Someone's been in our bedroom while Her
Grace was asleep, Mary." She looked at Lucien, alarmed and outraged.
"Please make sure the bedding is changed. Burn that gown and get rid of
that bloody rose." Mary's eyes swept to Mirabelle's and she nodded in
agreement.

            "Yes, Your Grace!" Her voice and hands
shook.

            As soon as she was dressed, Lucien guided
Mirabelle to the study. He summoned Hendrick and Toby.

            "Hendrick, someone entered the house and
left something in my bed, next to my wife, on her pillow, while she
slept." His voice was calm but he wanted to roar. He wanted to fight. He
wanted to kill. He wanted to rip something with a heartbeat open with his bare
hands. "I want every inch of this house and the grounds searched. I want
this house locked down and I want armed men at every entrance. I want armed men
on horseback patrolling the property and stationed around the perimeter."
Lucien looked at Hendrick who nodded stiffly. He knew his butler was furious
that his household had been violated and his mistress had been threatened.

            "Your Grace." Hendrick bowed and ran
from the room. Lucien looked to Toby.

            "Can you ride?"

            "To hell and back, if you need me to."
He didn't hesitate. Lucien handed him a letter.

            "Just to London, for now. Take Munin and go
as fast as you can without injuring him. Put this in Lord Cambroke's or Sir
Alastair's hands only. Make sure you're both well rested before you return."
Lucien emphasized the last part with a pointed look.

            "To hell with that, I'll get a fresh horse
and come back tonight." Toby argued.

            "You're no good to me if you're too tired
to aim, Toby." He watched the emotions that played across Toby's face as
he considered arguing. Finally, he nodded and turned to leave. "Be
careful." Lucien called after him. Toby raised a hand in farewell and ran
from the house.

            Alone, Mirabelle stepped into Lucien's arms. He
pulled her close and let her scent calm him. He rested his cheek against her
hair.

            "You know who this is, don't you?" She
whispered.

            "Yes." Once again, Lucien felt rage
swell within him.

            "Why is he doing this?"

            "Because I exposed him for the evil monster
he was and destroyed him. Now, he wants to destroy me by taking away the only
thing that matters." Lucien kissed Mirabelle's hair.

            "I suppose we'll just have to kill him,
then." She stated.

Chapter 35

Bennings was just about to announce
dinner when there was a ring at the front door. He turned on his heel and left
the room. Gilles and Alastair stood and started towards the door when Toby ran
into the parlor.

            "Toby, what are you doing here?"
Gilles asked.

            "Something’s happened at Winthorpe."
Alastair said at the same time. Toby nodded and handed Gilles a letter. The
Mothers and Elise rose.

            "Bennings! Get this man something to eat
and drink, he's exhausted." Elise ordered.

            "Yes, my lady. If you'll come with me,
please?" He gestured towards the door as he regarded Toby. Toby held up a
hand.

            "I'd greatly appreciate that but I'd like
to know what these gentlemen decide to do first." Gilles nodded as he tore
open the letter and read. He cursed and looked at Alastair.

            "Whitrose is at Winthorpe and is going to
try to kill Mirabelle." Alastair swore and snatched the letter from
Gilles. His eyes scanned the letter quickly before he stared across the room.
His pupils bounced as he ran through plans and scenarios.

            The Mothers watched, their faces filled with
fear as they held each other. Celine reached for Elise and pulled her close.

            "Give me an hour to lock this place down.
Then, we ride for Winthorpe. We should be there before dawn. I assume Lucien
has taken every precaution." Alastair paused and looked to Toby who
nodded. "Good. He won't have any problem guarding Mirabelle until we get
there." He turned to leave and Celine called out to him.

            "What will you do once you get there?"
She looked pale and fragile. Alastair crossed to her and pulled her into his
embrace.

            "We're going to set a trap and then we're
going to kill him, maman." He pulled back so he could see her eyes. She
nodded.

            "Protect ma petite fille!" Celine
whispered.

            "Always." Alastair kissed his mother's
forehead and then strode from the room.

            Gilles gathered Elise in his arms.

            "You'll be safe here. Stay in the house
until we send word that it's over. I'll be back as soon as I can." Elise
nodded and buried her face in his shirt for a moment and then stepped back.

            "Be careful. Save Mirabelle and then hurry
home." Gilles caressed her cheek and then turned to Celine.

            "I won't let anything happen to her."
He kissed his mother's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile.

            "I have faith in you, mon brave garçon! I
have faith in all three of you. We will keep your wife safe." With that,
Gilles bowed and turned to Toby.

            "Follow me; I want you to fill me in while
I change." As if on cue, Bennings appeared with a sandwich on a tray for
Toby.

            "Bless you, sir!" Toby exclaimed as he
took a large bite.

            "I assume you've already been told you have
to rest before you can make the trip back?" Gilles asked as they left the
parlor.

            "Yes, my lord." Toby grumbled.

            Around them, doors and windows began to lock and
male servants emerged from below stairs carrying pistols and rifles.

            "Come along and tell me everything you
know." Gilles called over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs.

Chapter 36

Hendrick finished setting up dinner
in the study while Lucien looked over a map of his estate. He couldn't think of
anything else he could do to make the house more secure. He reached for
Mirabelle and squeezed her hand. He prayed that it was enough to get them
through the night until Gilles and Alastair arrived. Lucien was leading
Mirabelle to the table to eat when a scream ripped through the house.

            Lucien, Mirabelle and Hendrick looked in the
direction of the ducal chambers.

            "Mary!" Mirabelle yelled as she bolted
towards the door. Lucien and Hendrick were right behind her.

            The three of them ran up the stairs and down the
hall. At the door, Lucien grabbed Mirabelle and set her behind him. He drew his
pistol and carefully opened the door. He located Mary standing in the middle of
the room and lowered the weapon. Setting the door wide, Lucien entered
carefully and surveyed the room.   

            For the second time that day, rage, fear and
hatred coursed through him. He swore and pumped his fists angrily in the air.

           
"I'm going to kill the son of a
whore!"
Lucien roared.

            Mirabelle stepped into the room and looked
around. She paled and began to tremble. Not with fear, Lucien was sure, but
with anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides as she looked at the bed and
through her dressing room door to her wardrobe.

            On the bed, a deep slash extended from her
pillow and into the mattress to roughly where her stomach would have ended.
Feathers hemorrhaged from the gash. A single white rose rested on the pillow.

            In the dressing room, the wardrobe door hung
open drunkenly as the top hinge had been ripped out. Several dresses were in
shreds on the floor while others dangled from hangers, the bodices ripped down
the middle. A message had been carved into the door with a blade.

You can't save her. I will take everything from you
.

            Mary started to shake violently.

            "I was just in here not half an hour ago,
Your Grace! How did he get in and do this without anyone seeing him?" She
cried. Mirabelle tried to comfort her.

            "I don't know." Lucien whispered. He
looked at Mirabelle and was glad to see that she didn't seem frightened. He was
frightened enough for both of them.

            The clock in the hall announced the third hour
as Lucien stared across the study at Mirabelle. She sat on the floor, her knees
pulled up to her chest and her head tilted to the side as she considered the
chessboard in front of her. Every now and then, one of the armed footmen or
stable hands would wander over to see if she'd made a move.

            After discovering Whitrose's second break-in,
Lucien tightened the defenses around Mirabelle. He rolled his eyes. Defenses.
He'd pulled the men from patrolling the boundaries of the estate to the
immediate grounds around the house. Every door and window on the ground floor
had a sentry, inside and out. The main hall had become a recovery and staging
area for men between shifts. Mirabelle and Lucien were confined to the study
with twelve armed men watching them play the longest game of chess he'd ever
taken part in. As soon as he'd locked them in, Mirabelle set up the board,
determined to make the best of it.

            Outside the study door, the hall filled with
sounds of movement. Boots running on the tile and raised voices had everyone in
the study alert and moving. Mirabelle rose to her feet as men surrounded her,
their pistols trained on the door. Lucien went to the door, his pistol ready
and waited. There was a knock.

            "It's Hendrick, Your Grace." Lucien
unlocked the door and opened it enough to peek out. Relief hit him like a wave
and he flung the door open when he saw Gilles and Alastair.

            “Hal, Prospero! Thank God!”

They were covered in dust and
looked like hell but he'd never been so glad to see them. Mirabelle pushed her
way through the men around her and ran to Gilles when they entered the study.
He threw his arms around her as his eyes met Lucien's. Relief and gratitude
poured from them. Alastair pulled Lucien to him in a quick embrace. He released
him and looked around the room, nodding in approval. Lucien shook his head.
He'd never felt so helpless and unprepared in his life.

            "Everything looks good here. It took us an
hour to make our way into the stables to make contact. I didn't want Whitrose
to know we were here. We had a tense moment when we revealed ourselves to
McInnery. He looked set to shoot first and ask questions later." Alastair
said as he hunkered over the chess board. "Is this you?" He looked to
Lucien as he pointed to the ebony figures. Lucien nodded and Alastair snorted.
"She's toying with you." He stood and Mirabelle wrapped her arms
around his chest. He closed his eyes as he held her tight.

            Gilles groaned as he reclined in a chair,
stretching his legs.

            "We almost killed ourselves and our horses
but we didn't want to miss the fun." He said as he looked over the men
around the room. "Clearly, you weren't taking any chances."

            "This was out of necessity." Lucien
said as gestured around the room. "I had this place locked down and he
still got in. I hope you have a plan Alastair because I can't keep her locked
in here for much longer." Gilles and Alastair tensed. Mirabelle crossed to
Lucien and took his hand.

            "I think I can behave for at least another
day." She teased.

            "What happened?" Alastair asked.

            "He got into our room again and left a
message." Lucien felt cold and desperate just thinking about it.

            "Show me." Alastair said as his eyes
searched Lucien's. Gilles was already at the study door.

            The group made their way through the hall and
swiftly up the stairs with Mirabelle in the middle. Lucien took a deep breath
before he turned the handle and swung the door open. He let Gilles and Alastair
go in first, in no hurry to see the scene again. Mirabelle leaned against him
for a moment before she set her shoulders and led him through the door.

            Gilles stood at the foot of the bed staring at
the long slash through the pillow and mattress. His arms were crossed over his
chest and his eyes were wide and filled with rage while the muscles in his jaw
twitched.

            Alastair moved silently from the bed to the
dressing room to examine the wardrobe, cataloguing everything as he looked
around the room. He stood in front of the wardrobe for several minutes, his
pupils darting over every thread and splinter. He turned and moved towards the
window. He examined it thoroughly before opening it and looking out. Alastair
shook his head then tilted it as he shut his eyes. He opened them and swiftly
strode into Lucien's dressing room.

            "He never left." Alastair announced as
he walked back into the bedroom. "He was in your dressing room. He hid
until everything calmed down, left his message and then waited for the
commotion to slip out."

            Lucien swore as he stepped into his dressing
room. Alastair had left his wardrobe opened. In the back corner, the clothes
were pushed aside and dried mud was caked on the bottom. Someone had been in
there for hours. When Lucien returned to the bedroom, Alastair was standing by
the bed holding the wilting rose.

            "He could have killed her this morning. He
was in here, standing over her." Alastair extended his arm towards the pillow;
his hand was stretched open just above where Mirabelle's neck would have been. "He
could have done it and slipped away but he wants you to see it happen."

            Lucien saw Mirabelle shiver as she stared at the
bed. He pulled her into his arms and breathed her in as he waited for the panic
and rage to recede. Alastair looked at Mirabelle. His entire demeanor was
controlled and calm with the exception of his eyes. They were dark and hard.

            "This is how we'll catch him. He's over
thought this and thinks he's pulling the strings." Alastair whispered. He
flung the rose on the floor and stalked from the room. Everyone followed, glad
to be out of the bedroom.

Back in the study, Hendrick had set
a cold collation on the sideboard with tea and coffee. Mirabelle didn't
hesitate and began piling food on a plate. Alastair ignored it entirely and
went to the map. Lucien and Gilles each grabbed a roll and cheese and stood
across from Alastair.

            "He wants you to believe that Winthorpe
isn't safe. He needs to get you to someplace where you're vulnerable. He's
counting on you to panic and try to move her back to London, to Fortress
Spencer." Alastair looked up at Gilles and Lucien and smiled. "We'll
catch him in his own trap." Lucien liked the sound of that.

            "You think he'll attack us on the
road." Lucien turned the map.

            "We'll need to hurry and have a coach and
four brought around before it’s too light out." Alastair looked to Lucien
who then looked to Hendrick who nodded and left the study. "One of us will
be on the box and one of us will be Mirabelle and will ride with Lucien."
He looked up at Gilles.

            "I'll go up on the box." He grinned
and winked at Lucien. Mirabelle shook her head furiously and rushed to the
desk.

            "No one is going to
be
me! I'll ride
with Lucien and be ready to put a bullet in this coward myself!" She
declared. All three men turned and glared. Alastair shook his head and looked
at Lucien.
Set her straight
, his eyes warned.

            "Are you suggesting that you would risk our
unborn child's life when the three of us are perfectly capable of handling
this?" He prowled towards her, using his most threatening stare. She
backed towards the couch, her mouth twisted and her fists balled. Finally, she
sat and grumbled something Lucien was certain would have been appalling, if he
had heard it. He returned to the desk and gestured for Alastair to continue.

            "Well done." Gilles whispered as he
nudged Lucien with his elbow. Alastair cleared his throat.

            "Very well. You'll drive, Gilles. I suspect
that there will be some sort of road block and he'll shoot you as soon as the
coach stops." Mirabelle gasped and all three turned to her.

            "Gilles, no!" She started to rise again
but Gilles pinned her with a glare.

            "As you were saying?" He looked to
Alastair.

            "We'll borrow some mail and a breastplate
from the armor collection for you to wear under your coat." Alastair
looked to Gilles who nodded in approval.

            "Excellent!" Lucien grinned. The three
of them had spent their entire childhoods itching for an excuse to play with
the armor. Hendrick wouldn't be thrilled.

            "I'll wear one of Mirabelle's cloaks. If we
move swiftly while it's still dark, he'll see what he wants to see."
Lucien nodded. He knew that Alastair had already considered every option, from
every angle. The only thing that gave him pause was leaving Mirabelle. He hoped
they could be back quickly, before she had a chance to give the guards he'd
surround her with too much trouble.

            "Sounds great. Let's get into costume and
get on the road. I told Elise I'd hurry home." Gilles declared as he
slapped Lucien on the back.