That was a sad thought. Whimsically, she didn’t want to forget such an exciting encounter or never see her ghost again. Which was when she got it in her mind that the ghost might reveal himself to her if she entered his house alone, and that thought wouldn’t let her sleep.
She finally gave in to temptation, donned a hooded cloak and slippers, headed downstairs to find a lantern, then ran across the back lawn. But when she reached the dark, old house and tried to get in the front door as she’d done before, she found it locked. Not stuck, actually locked. Had Derek done that? But why, when many of the windows were missing their glass and were easy enough to slip through?
She set her lantern on the floor inside one window and climbed through. She’d seen no light from outside, but still headed straight for the room where she’d found the ghost before. Boards creaked under her feet. If he was in there, he’d hear her coming—and disappear again.
She thought to call out, “Don’t hide from me. I know you’re here. Reveal yourself.”
Of course he didn’t. She chided herself for thinking a ghost would do her bidding. She’d surprised him last time. And she’d foolishly lost the element of surprise this time. Nonetheless, she was determined to check that room again before she gave up and went back to bed.
She opened the door. It didn’t squeak this time. Had it been oiled? She held her lantern high to light the room. It looked different. A lot different. The cobwebs were gone. The old sofa was no longer dusty. And a cot was in the corner of the room with a pillow and a crumpled blanket. Was someone other than the ghost staying here? A real trespasser now? Even the windows in this room were covered with blankets, so the light of her lantern wouldn’t be seen from outside—and was why they hadn’t seen the ghost’s light in so long. He was probably furious that some vagrant had moved into his house and he’d been unable to scare him away.
But the vagrant wasn’t here now. Maybe the ghost still was. She was about to tell her invisible friend that she could help with his vagrant problem when a hand slipped over her mouth and an arm around her waist. She was surprised enough to drop her lantern. It didn’t break, but it did roll across the floor—and extinguish itself. No! Utter blackness and a very real man with his hands on her.
She was about to faint when he whispered by her ear, “You picked a lousy place to do your trysting, wench. Is your lover in the house, too? Is that who you were talking to? Just shake or nod your head.”
She did both.
He made a sound of frustration. “If I let go of your mouth so you can answer, I don’t want to hear any screaming. Scream and I’ll gag you and tie you up and leave you to rot in the cellar. Do we have an understanding?”
Being bound and gagged didn’t frighten her so much and was even preferable to anything else he might do to her. Jack would find her in the morning because she would guess exactly where she’d disappeared to. So she nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth, but his arm still held her tightly to him so she couldn’t run. Screaming was still an option. . . .
“So how soon before the other half of this tryst shows up?”
“I wasn’t meeting anyone,” she assured him without thinking. Why hadn’t she said “Any minute now” instead?! Then he’d leave—or would he?
“Then why are you here and how did you get in? I locked the bleedin’ door.”
“You did? But what was the point of that when some of the windows are open?”
“Because a locked door makes a statement. It clearly says you aren’t welcome.”
She humphed. “Neither are you. Don’t you know this place is haunted?”
“Is it? I’m just passing by. If there are any ghosts here, they haven’t made an appearance yet.”
“Passing by when you keep a cot here?” she snorted. “You’re lying. And you weren’t here a moment ago. Did you come out of the wall? Is there a hidden room connected to this one?”
He laughed, but it sounded forced. She had a feeling she’d guessed accurately. And why hadn’t she and Jack thought of that before? Even the ducal mansion had hidden rooms and passageways.
But he placed his chin on her shoulder. “Quite the imagination you have, darlin’. How about you answer the questions instead? What are you doing here in the middle of the night if you’re not meeting a lover?”
“I came to visit the resident ghost.”
“That nonsense again?” he scoffed. “There are no such things.”
It would be so nice if her ghost would show up to prove him wrong right then. The vagrant would be distracted long enough for her to escape and bring Derek back to get rid of him. But then she realized the room was too dark for her to see the ghost even if he did show up. Frustrated that this trespasser was ruining her last chance to see the ghost again, she just wanted to go back to bed. She tried to pull away from him but he tightened his hold on her.
“Stop wiggling, or I’m going to think you want some attention of a different sort. Do you, darlin’? I’ll be happy to oblige.” She sucked in her breath and stood perfectly still. “Now that’s disappointing.” He actually did sound it. “You smell good. You feel good. I was hoping to find out if you taste good, too.”
She stiffened. “I’m ugly as sin, with boils and warts.”
He chuckled. “Now why don’t I believe that?”
“Relight the lantern and you’ll see.”
“No, the dark suits us. I’ll call your warts and boils and raise you a lusty appetite. I think I’m going to win this hand.”
Despite the warning, and warning it was, she still wasn’t expecting to be flipped around so fast and kissed before she could stop it from happening. She didn’t gag. His breath actually smelled of brandy. And for a first kiss it might not have been so bad if she’d wanted to explore it. But she didn’t. Her hand swung wildly in the dark but she got lucky with her aim. It cracked against his cheek and got her released.
He merely laughed. “What? It was just one quick kiss I stole. Nothing for you to get violent over.”
“I’m leaving now, and you will, too, if you know what’s good for you.”
A sigh. “Yes, I’ve already figured that out. But let me get you out of here safely. I don’t want it on my conscience if you fall through the floor and break your neck.”
“No! Wait!” she cried as he picked her up in his arms. “I know this house better than you do!”
“I doubt that,” he muttered, and carried her out of the room and across the main room to the nearest window, which he shoved her through. “Say nothing about seeing me here and I’ll be gone before morning.”
“I didn’t see you. You made sure of that.”
And she still couldn’t. A little moonlight was on the porch, but he stepped away from the window as soon as he released her, disappearing into the blackness inside the house. She didn’t wait for a response if he’d even heard her, just ran all the way back to the ducal mansion and up to her room.
She almost woke Jacqueline to tell her about her little misadventure but decided it could wait until morning. It still nagged at her, how a poor vagrant could afford French brandy. The tariff on it was so high, only the rich could afford it. That was why it was the prime cargo of smugglers. . . .
Chapter Three
“Why do you look like I’m in trouble?” Boyd Anderson wondered aloud as he entered the dining room to join his sister, Georgina, for lunch.
His voice was teasing, his grin engaging, but he was quite serious given the frown he saw on her face. Brother and sister both had identical dark brown eyes, but his brown hair was shades lighter than hers. She was dressed today to receive company in a pretty coral gown, but she wore her hair down, as she often did when she only expected to entertain family.
Boyd was the youngest of Georgina’s five brothers, and the only one who lived permanently in London. It had been his decision, and a good one since he was the third Anderson to marry into the Malory clan. His wife, Katey, was Anthony Malory’s illegitimate daughter, a daughter that A
nthony hadn’t even known he had until Boyd began to pursue her. Newly discovered as Katey was, the Malorys, and there were many of them, would have been quite up in arms if Boyd had tried to sail off to America with her despite her having been raised there.
Georgina tried to give Boyd a reassuring smile, but didn’t quite manage it. “Sit.” She pointed at the chair across from her. “I’ve asked the cook to prepare your favorite dish. It wasn’t easy to find white clams.”
“Bribery? Never mind, don’t answer that. It’s Jacqueline’s trip, isn’t it? What’s wrong? Did something happen with the boys?”
“No, they’re happy to stay at school. They’re not interested in their sister’s come-out.”
“I thought you were in agreement that she could go?”
“I am. I know you and our brothers only want the best for Jack. And this momentous trip has kept the peace in my family—even if it was forced down our throats.”
Boyd winced. “Must you put it like that?”
“Yes, I must, since it’s true.”
He sighed. “I know we were rather emphatic when we insisted she have her come-out in America—”
“Very.”
“—and, yes, I know we’re all more often in England these days than in Connecticut as we were back then. But there’s another more important reason for her to go to America for her come-out.” He paused to glance at the door before he added in a near whisper, “Your husband is absent from the house, I hope? I wouldn’t want him walking in on this conversation.”
“Yes, James has gone to the dock to make sure all the provisions have been delivered for the trip. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he drags Tony to Knighton’s first.”
“Damn, I wish they’d let me know when they do that. I do so enjoy watching fights of that caliber.”
“You wouldn’t today. James is rather annoyed, so it’s bound to be brutal.”
“All the better! No, wait. Why is he annoyed? Because you’re upset—with someone?”
“I’m not upset with anyone, just worried. It’s Jack who’s having the bloody fit.”
“About the trip?”
“In a roundabout manner.”
“But I thought she wanted to go.”
“Oh, she did, but she thought that Judy would get to go with her. But that’s not happening. And now Jack refuses to go without her.”
Boyd laughed. “Now, why doesn’t that surprise me? They’ve always been inseparable, those two. Everyone knows it. So why can’t Judy go?”
“Her mother won’t allow it. Roslynn has been preparing for the Season here for months, has been looking forward to it even more than our daughters are. She already knows who will be hosting what parties and balls, has promises of invitations for them all. She already knows who the most eligibles are, including a Scotsman she favors for Judy because he is the son of a close friend of hers. She’s leaving nothing to chance and thinks that Judy might miss a significant event if she sails with us.”
Boyd cast his eyes toward the ceiling. “But they will be back in time for the Season here, might only miss a week or two of it. They’ll still have the rest of the summer here. That is why we’re leaving now, in the spring.”
“But missing the beginning is what’s turned Judith’s mother stubborn, and she can be very stubborn. And I even understand her reasoning, since the very beginning of a Season is when attractions first spark, pairings get made, courting starts. To arrive even a week late can make a world of difference, with all the best catches already taken. Of course she’s most concerned about that Scotsman. She doesn’t want another girl to snare Lord Cullen. So she’s making sure Judy will be here when he is, right at the start of the Season.”
“Do you really think that will matter for the two prettiest debutantes this year?”
“It won’t matter for Jack. She’ll go after who she wants as soon as she claps eyes on him, consequences be damned, this side of the ocean or the other.”
“For God’s sake, Georgie, you’re talking about your daughter, not one of the Malory rakes.”
She raised a brow at him, a habit she’d gotten into soon after marrying James Malory. “You’re surprised she’d take after her father?”
“Too much after him, obviously,” Boyd mumbled, adding the complaint “And that should’ve been nipped in the bud.”
She chuckled at him. “There’s no nipping an influence that strong. But that’s beside the point. Unlike Jack, who occasionally acts before she thinks, Judith is too kindhearted and considerate of others to even come close to stepping on toes. And Roslynn knows that about her daughter. Which is why she won’t budge on Judy’s not missing the first ball of the Season here. I’m afraid if we can’t change Roslynn’s mind, we won’t be sailing. Jack has simply and furiously declined to have a Season without her best friend beside her.”
“Damnit, Georgie, we’re three days away from sailing. It’s too late to cancel. Katey has been looking forward to the trip.”
“D’you think I like this situation? We’re already packed. The Maiden George has been brought up from her dock in the south and a full crew hired. She’s anchored in the Thames as we speak. We’ve been browbeating and cajoling Roslynn for months, and now we’re down to the last few days and she’s still saying no.”
“But our brothers are all on their way to Bridgeport. And Amy will be there soon to oversee the preparations. She sailed with Warren last week. They will all think something horrible has happened if we don’t show up as expected!”
“James would sail anyway to let them know what’s happened, if it comes to that. They won’t be left to worry. I’m sorry, Boyd. I know you and our brothers have been looking forward to this. I just don’t want all of you to be angry if James doesn’t keep his promise. It’s not his fault.”
Boyd gave Georgina a pointed look. “Since when does Jack rule the roost? I’ll get her on the ship myself if you and James are reluctant to insist.”
“You’re missing the point, Boyd. There is no point to this trip if my daughter spends the entire time miserable. None of us expected Roslynn’s opposition. We’ve all tried to change her mind. But she won’t budge. She’s a Scot, you know, and she’s lost her temper more’n once, with all of us trying to change her mind.”
“Then don’t count on Jack’s ever marrying,” Boyd said flatly.
Georgina shot to her feet. “Excuse me? You take that back, Boyd Anderson!”
He rose as well, his brow as furrowed as hers. “I will not. I told you there is another even more important reason for Jack to have her come-out in America. You know she’s going to have a much better chance of finding love with a man who isn’t familiar with your husband’s reputation. The young men here are going to be scared to death to approach her because of him.”
Georgina dropped back into her chair but was still bristling on her husband’s behalf. “Jack isn’t worried about that happening and neither are we.”
“Then you’re deluding yourselves, because it’s human nature. There isn’t a man who knows him, or who has even merely heard the rumors about him, that would risk having James Malory for a father-in-law—that’s if James doesn’t kill him before they get to the altar.”
Georgina gasped, even sputtered before she said furiously, “I now agree with Jack. In fact, I’m not going either. I wouldn’t be able to bear weeks at sea with someone as pigheaded as you!”
Boyd lost his own temper, snarling on the way out of the room, “I won’t let my niece throw away a golden opportunity just because you don’t know when to put your foot down!”
“How dare you!” Georgina yelled, and threw a plate at him.
The plate missed and shattered in the hall. The front door opened before Boyd reached it, and Jacqueline remarked wide-eyed, “Is she breaking dishes on you again?”
Boyd snorted and took Jack’s arm to lead her back out of the house. “She never did have good aim.” And then sternly: “Do you know how much trouble you’re causing?”
Jack grinned cheekily, not the least bit repentant. “It’s all part of my plan.”
“To drive us crazy?”
“To get Judy on the ship with us.”
“I’ve a better idea. Come on, we’re going to find a certain Scotsman and arrange a little accident for him.”
“Really?!”
“I’m definitely in the mood to, but I suppose we can try to reason with him first.”
“Reason with a Scotsman?” Jack started laughing.
Boyd tsked. “Just tell me he’s in town. I don’t want to kill a horse riding to Scotland and back in three days.”
“He is here on business, actually. Arrived a few days ago and has been calling on Judy each day. I’ve had a devil of a time making sure she’s not home to receive him, hoping he’ll get the hint and just go away. But Aunt Ros guessed what I’ve been up to after Judy found the nerve to tell her that she’ll have no Season a’tall if she can’t have one on each side of the ocean.”
“Did that work?”
“No, not yet, but it has to eventually. For now, Aunt Ros is sure Judy will come around once our ship sails without her. She is calling me a bad influence, though,” Jack ended with a grin, rather proud to be called that.
“So Judy hasn’t even met Lord Cullen to know whether she would like him or not?”
“Not since he was a boy. He, on the other hand, has seen her in recent years and is quite besotted. But she’s in no hurry to find out what the man is like. She’s supposed to be meeting him right now in the park. Roslynn was taking her. But Judy’s going to pretend to be sick.”
“Then let’s meet him instead. We can use his infatuation to good purpose, tell him he’ll be doing Judy a favor if he cooperates and claims he’s had an accident that will prevent him from joining the Season for a few weeks. As long as he agrees to assure Roslynn of it, so she’ll no longer have a reason to object to Judy’s coming with us, I won’t actually have to break any bones.”