To Love and Protect Read online

  “We are in luck. Wulfe has a room available for the two of you. I told him you are sisters.”

  “What are you going to do for the night?”

  “I will be doubling our profits, my dear.”

  “Has it occurred to either one of you it will be difficult to pass me off as anything trussed up like a Christmas goose?” Clarissa reminded them.

  “I am going to untie you,” Franklin said, “but you will do exactly as I say.”

  “Or what?”

  “You will be dead,” Lorraine said, a malicious smile lining her lips as she retrieved a gun from her reticule. Franklin quickly untied her hands and feet, but not before caressing her leg.

  “Leave me alone,” Clarissa pushed him away.

  “Get out,” Lorraine snarled, shoving Clarissa out of the coach. She stumbled, falling to her hands and knees, her feet numb from being tied so tightly for so long. Franklin’s hands on her caused shivers to run up and down her spine, but she needed his assistance to stand. “Remember, straight in and up to the room. No talking along the way. Understand?” Lorraine demanded, shoving the muzzle of the gun into the base of her neck.

  “I understand.”

  Franklin followed a dark-skinned man through the back door. Servants bustled to and fro and Clarissa desperately tried to get the attention of anyone, but all were so wrapped up in their assignments that they had no time to spare an unwelcome guest. A door opened on her left and Clarissa saw women and men alike moving about tables where card and dice games were being played. Across the room she saw a familiarly wicked face. All of a sudden she knew exactly where they were.

  Franklin’s friend turned out to be the owner of a gaming hell located between the best and worst parts of town. The clientele was a mixture of all levels of London Society. Thorn Wulfe, the proprietor of the establishment and the estranged brother of the Duke of Wulfcrest, is rumored to have been a part of every vice that came through the gaming hell. On the few occasions he attended ton functions, the married women ogled him and the men gave him a wide berth in hopes he would not mention they had been seen at his establishment. The young misses stole shy glances at him while their mamas made certain he stayed far away from them. Only the most scandalous of society had anything to do with him. And yet, he might be her only hope of getting out of this situation alive.

  She paused at the open door and stared directly at the man across the room. He just lifted his head to look when Lorraine pushed her onward, snarling the word, “Move. You’re not going to find anyone here to help you, Lady Clarissa.” They made their way up several series of stairs before being shown into a room with a large, plush bed. It also contained a velvet settee. The room seemed to be well cared for and looked extremely comfortable, but she had to admit that she had little hope of being found before being loaded on that boat in the morning.

  “I’ll see that a food tray is sent up,” the man that led them to the room said before disappearing.

  “I’m going to the tables. Wish me luck.”

  “If you dare lose, do not bother coming back in the morning,” Lorraine growled.

  “Come, love, you must have more faith in me,” and he kissed her before leaving the room.

  Clarissa collapsed heavily onto the settee as exhaustion stole through her body. Several paintings hung around the room, making her feel as though she was being watched. She fell asleep curled up in one corner before the food could ever be delivered.

  ***

  Wulfe caught a glimpse of the woman just a moment before the other woman pushed her on. He did not trust Franklin Montmorency as far as he could toss him, and in fact he was one of the men he had been keeping a close eye on lately. Montmorency never asked for favors, and that in itself made Wulfe suspicious. He also kept meeting up with several men he had been assigned to monitor. One of the leading members of the ton kept rattling on about various investments he had recently made. Wulfe attempted to look interested, but found he could not get the woman off his mind. He made his excuses as he slipped away to look for his butler.

  He went down several hallways before seeing the man he searched for. “Jones, a moment.”

  “Yes, sir.” The man followed Wulfe into his office. “What can I do for you, sir?”

  “Jones, did you see the women that Montmorency brought with him?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What did they look like?”

  “One was a bit older, coal black hair. The younger has hair almost silver in color. I believe the older one called her Lady Clarissa.”

  “Thank you. Wait here a moment.” Wulfe disappeared through a secret door in the room and worked his way through a maze of tunnels until he came to the location he wanted. He pushed a lever before looking through. The dark-haired woman feasted on the food that had been delivered to the room. In the corner of the settee, curled in a tight ball was a familiar face. Of course, she had nothing to do with him. It would have been improper, but he had seen her enough at social engagements to know Lady Clarissa Blackerby when he saw her. And then there was the friendship she had with Rebekah, his sister-in-law’s younger sister.

  He slipped back to his office where Jones awaited. “I need this note delivered to Director McKenzie. Try the office then his residence. Do not return here until you make certain it is in his hands. I want no part in whatever devious plans Montmorency and that woman have set into motion.”

  “Yes, sir.” The butler took the note to see it delivered himself.

  ***

  It was early morning when an extremely irritated Stuart McKenzie pounded on the front door of Southerby’s townhouse. A butler opened the door, followed by his sister-in-law, who attempted to smother a yawn.

  “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for my husband to return,” she turned and walked into the parlor where she had fallen asleep.

  “Mikala, you make my head throb. Why can’t you just answer a question the way you know it should be answered?”

  “It’s much more fun this way,” she said with a grin.

  He took a deep breath before asking, “Why are you at Southerby’s house?”

  Mikala quickly explained what she knew of the situation. “Everyone thought it would be best if I stayed here and helped when Clarissa returned, but as you can see that has not yet occurred.”

  “I know where she is.”

  “Then why are you here? Go get her!”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Why not?”

  “It just isn’t.”

  “Fine, but you had better hope nothing happens to her.”

  “I know, I know,” he waved behind him as he left the room, “or there’ll be hell to pay.”

  Kala smirked as her brother-in-law left the house.

  He jogged down the steps to his horse when he saw three riders approaching. He waited on the men.

  “Mack, what are you doing here?” Gabe asked his half-brother.

  “I come bringing word about Southerby’s wife,” he turned to Justin. “I had to chase all over London to find out you had married Lady Blackerby. First, I went to her father’s house and the servants there weren’t helpful at all. Then I went to your house,” he looked pointedly at Gabriel, “because I remembered that she and Mikala seemed to have struck up a friendship. Then I was directed here and told by my very irritating sister-in-law that Lady Blackerby is now Lady Southerby.”

  “McKenzie, I don’t really care how put-out you have been, as long as you know where Clare is.”

  “Clare?” he asked dumbfounded.

  “Clarissa,” Derek said out of the side of his mouth.

  “Oh, pet name, huh?”

  “Just get on with it,” Justin growled, quickly losing control of his temper.

  “Right. They have her. Kept her overnight in a gaming hell. The owner saw her and wants no part of what they are doing and sent word. Montmorency said something about theid catching a ship this morning, but he didn’t name which
one they would be leaving on.”

  “Dammit!” Justin plowed his hands through his hair. He stared up at the sky, wanting to yell his frustration for all to hear. He remembered their time on the Marie and how ill she had been. “Wait!” he exclaimed.

  “Gentleman, I do believe he remembered something,” Derek said drolly.

  “The old woman. What was the name of the woman that she said had turned Montmorency’s head?”

  “Martha?” Derek asked.

  “What old woman?” McKenzie asked.

  “Mary?” Gabe added.

  “Marie. It was Marie, wasn’t it?” Justin asked.

  “That sounds right,” Gabe agreed. “Better than Martha,” he added under his breath.

  “I booked passage on the Marie months ago when Clarissa and I rescued her father and took him to Scotland. I know Captain Jack well. We need to look for the Marie.”

  “Lead on,” McKenzie said, as he mounted his horse and followed the men.

  ***

  The men had been to four sets of docks before finding one that had a ship in port called Marie. They dismounted, tied up their horses, and hid behind some crates. The Duke of Hamilton’s carriage was easy to spot and looked very much out of place. The sun had risen and had begun burning off the fog. The sailors were working on loading the last of the cargo.

  “Hey, you!” Franklin called to a big burly man. “This needs to be loaded on the Marie.” The man walked over and gave the smaller man a belligerent look before tugging at the bag. “Have a care with it, bloke. It’s more delicate than you might imagine.”

  “Hmph,” the man walked off to a pile of supplies tossing the bag onto the top of the heap.

  They watched surreptitiously from a distance. “I don’t see her,” Southerby said.

  “Maybe they left her wherever they spent the night,” Derek suggested.

  “I highly doubt it,” Mack surmised.

  “Then where the hell is she?” Justin looked about frantically.

  “We’ll find her,” Derek soothed, ever the peacemaker.

  The men watched Franklin and Lorraine walk up the gangplank to board the ship. “We have to act soon. All they have left to load is the cargo and then they will push off.”

  “The cargo!” Justin yelled. He watched as the net that held it all together hung precariously over the Thames by a hook. It swung with every tug on the rope. There, on the top-left corner was the canvas bag the sailor had carried from the Montmorency’s carriage to the cargo heap. The bag started to wiggle to life, and was precariously close to the edge of the rope. “Clare! Be still!”

  Justin’s shout alerted the man and woman boarding the ship. Montmorency turned and pulled a gun, taking a shot at Derek and Mack as they rushed up the gangplank. The two men parted and the bullet splintered the wood of the gangplank.

  “You idiot!” Lorraine screamed and pushed Montmorency backwards. He flipped over the rail, and on the way down his head hit a corner of a large shipping crate that stuck precariously out of a portion of the net. He landed in the water, face first, a giant splash of water rising to the sky. The men on the gangplank watched as he slowly sank below the surface. “Let it go!” she screeched, pounding at the men that were attempting to haul in the cargo. Derek and Mack rushed up the rest of the gangplank to apprehend the woman before she caused the entire load of cargo to be dumped into the Thames.

  ***

  Clarissa came sluggishly awake to find her feet and hands bound and her mouth gagged. Darkness enclosed her, and she could feel the wide squares of a cargo net pushing against her. She had to do something. She would rather drown in the filthy Thames than become the prized possession in a harem. She wiggled and tried to push against the net with her back, using her bound feet as leverage.

  Was that a slight give? Excited, she went to work again, pushing with all her might until she finally felt it. It felt like part of the rope came unhooked. It also felt as if the entire load of cargo shifted beneath her, making her stomach fall oddly. She tried to take a deep breath through her nose and then pushed once more. This time the netting did not hold, but gave way and she felt herself slide down the netting, could feel the ridges of the rope as she rode the slope downwards. A cold splash followed with the bag being filled with water. Before she went completely under, she thought she heard her name being called.

  ***

  “Clare!” Justin screamed. All movement on the docks came to a halt with all interest now on the crazed man on the dock of the Marie. Justin momentarily thought about his boots weighing him down, but knew that it would take too long to take them off, and Clarissa’s life hung in the balance. My life, because without her I’m nothing. The bag had just sunk below the surface when Justin took a running start and dove headfirst off of the dock. He came up just feet from where the canvas bag with Clarissa in it had gone under. He frantically looked around.

  “To your left!” McKenzie yelled from the ship. Justin nodded, took a deep breath and dove once more. This time when he surfaced, he held the canvas bag. He swam to the dock, holding the bag like one would pull in a person. The sailors from the other docks looked on shaking their heads as if the man were mad. Gabe pulled the bag out of the water and used his knife to rip it open, not wasting time fighting with the knots. When Clarissa was revealed, looking lifeless, sailors up and down the docks began crossing themselves.

  Justin hauled himself up on the dock with the help of a burly sailor. “Clare! No, Clare!” He tried to reach her, but hands tugged him back.

  “Hold him,” Gabe ordered before turning Clarissa over onto her stomach. It was not so long ago he had to do this with his own wife, he prayed God would be with him once more. After a few pumps, she was spitting up water, and the sailors released Justin so he could pull his wife into his arms.

  “Thank you, God, thank you,” Justin said as he rocked back and forth, his wife cradled in his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and at the moment, he did not care who saw.

  ***

  Lorraine once more resided in Newgate, with a guard sent from the Foreign Office so there would be no repeat escape. Justin and Clarissa were finally alone. Each had bathed the stench of the Thames off, and a doctor had been summoned to check Clarissa and the babe. Both were pronounced to be in sound condition with the caveat that Clarissa rest for the next couple of weeks, doing nothing more strenuous than lifting a cup or fork.

  Justin entered their bedroom and found Clarissa curled up on the window seat, looking at the skyline of London as dusk began to settle.

  “It’s truly over, isn’t it?” Clarissa asked.

  “For the most part. Lorraine’s trial will be held, and then yes, it will all be over.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  “Clare, I love you. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn’t. And then when you were kidnapped, and I realized you were in that bag and watched you tumble into the river, I…”

  “You?”

  “I thought my life was over. I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.”

  “Justin, I love you, too. I was too frightened to tell you. I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same. And then we fought about my being pregnant and those horrible nightmares started. I thought my world was falling apart and that if I told you I loved you, then you would leave because I had pushed you too far.”

  “Clare, I don’t know what to say. The power you had over me frightened me. The feelings I feel for you are like nothing I have known before. I was desperate enough to go to Gertie for advice.”

  “You didn’t,” she giggled.

  “I did.”

  “And what did she say?”

  “For me to tell you how I felt about you. She made me see that telling you that I cared for you wasn’t enough. I never meant for you to feel less than wanted or loved. And I do, Clare. I love you desperately.”

  “And you’re positive you do? Regardless of Papa’s will?”

  “Yes, I do, regardless of that piece of paper. I do
n’t care when this baby is born,” he placed a gentle hand on her lower stomach, “as long as both you and it are healthy.”

  “And you will never think again that I am using you for ‘stud services’?”

  “Let’s not mention that again, huh?” He chucked her under the chin and kissed her once more. “Remind me to send Gertie flowers tomorrow.”

  “What for?”

  “For sending for me that day you were attacked and setting my world upside down. With Gertie, you never can be quite certain what is going to happen when you are summoned, and this time, I am most grateful.”

  “So am I, Justin, so am I.”

  Chapter 21

  As the intervening months passed, Lorraine was found guilty of fraud and attempted murder. Lorraine and Franklin were also suspected of treason, but nothing could be proved. His body had been fished out of the river several days after the whole incident, after it floated to the surface quite a ways downstream. Lorraine was sentenced and sent to the gallows. Clarissa refused to be a witness to her hanging, but her father and Justin went to see that justice had been carried out.

  Even though they told each other once a day that they loved each other, there was still a tension between them. Clarissa chastised herself every night as he held her for bringing it up once more on that horrible day, knowing he felt like he had been used as a stud service. It was as if she had once more waved a red flag in front of him.

  Things were also different between her and her father. They were fine as long as they were speaking of neutral topics, but inevitably he would attempt to bring up the will. She would find any excuse not to stay in the room. Finally, her father seemed to understand and kept to safe topics.

  She woke on the morning before her birthday to the sound of voices and rolled over to find the bed empty. Slowly she clambered out of the bed, glad that the baby would make an appearance soon. Lord, I beg you, please not today nor tomorrow, she fervently prayed. “Be a good baby and wait for a week or two longer, hmm?” A sharp kick followed her request. “I’ve a feeling you’re going to be a handful,” she said, rubbing her stomach.