Silk And Steel Part 30

"Oh, yes-ever, so much. Now I'll 'ave... have a mama and a papa just like everyone else."

She straightened the lapels of his velvet-trimmed jacket just to have a reason to touch him. "That's right, Michael. And you have a new little brother. His name is Luke. Would you like to see him?"

Michael looked up at her with wonder. "I have a brother?"

"Yes."

"Then I should like very much to see him," he said quite properly.

Above his head, Kathryn looked at Lucien and both of them smiled. Kathryn had to blink to a.s.sure herself she wasn't dreaming again.

It was that same day that she returned for the very first time to her little stone cottage, amazed to discover it ready and waiting for her. In the weeks after she had left the castle, Lucien had restored the cottage and supplied it once more with the items from her laboratory she had hidden in the stable.

Now that she was home, with the children to consider, she didn't intend to devote herself so completely to her work, but it was there whenever she had time for it, challenging her, making her life complete.

Smiling to herself, Kathryn set off for the cottage now, on this the first warm day of spring. Though the sun shone brightly outside, inside the thick stone walls, a fire had been laid in the hearth to dispel the chill, and smoke curled invitingly from the gray stone chimney. In the cheery little parlor, Lucien had returned the medical texts she had borrowed from his library and added to them tenfold. It appeared he had been scouring the countryside for reference volumes and they sat now stacked in piles all over the floor.

Kathryn grinned to think of it, of her husband actually encouraging her eccentric, once-forbidden interests. Humming to herself, she set to work straightening the cottage, watering the pots of herbs that sat on narrow wooden tiers in front of the sunny window. She barely caught the faint grating of iron as the latch was lifted on the door. Certain it was her husband, she smiled and turned, but the man who had just stepped into the cottage wasn't Lucien.

It was Douglas Roth.

A chill swept down through Kathryn's bones. "Uncle Douglas," she said, barely able to force out the words. "I am surprised to see you here."

His thin lips barely curved. "I don't know why you should be. In the years you spent under my care, you must have learned I believe in retribution. As I recall, you suffered a caning or two before you learned you could not thwart me without receiving some punishment in return."

Kathryn stiffened. How could she ever forget her uncle's harsh treatment of her? The early years had merely paled in comparison to the suffering she had endured at St. Bart's. "How did you know I was here?"

He moved farther into the room, closing the door behind him, careful to keep his immaculate bottle-green tailcoat from coming in contact with the myriad beakers and vials on the tables. Unconsciously he checked to be certain his silver bagwig remained perfectly in place, which, of course, it did.

"Finding you was hardly a difficult task. I've been watching the house for several days. In the course of my surveillance, I chanced upon the cottage. It was obvious that such a haven for herbs and potions could only belong to you, so I waited for your arrival. I knew I wouldn't have to wait long."

Kathryn wet her lips, more nervous by the moment. "Why have you come here? What do you want?"

His brow arched up. "What do I want? Surely you can guess." His lips curled into the cold, ruthless smile that had haunted her nights at St. Bart's. "I want you to pay for destroying my world." He moved toward her, his nose wrinkling in distaste at the unusual smells in the cottage. "You took my livelihood, Kathryn. You ordered me removed from Milford Park. You destroyed my reputation among my peers, to say nothing of the fact that you attempted to kill me-an effort, I daresay, I couldn't help but admire. Still, your attempt grimly failed. I a.s.sure you mine will not."

A wave of fear swept over her. Douglas Roth had come here for revenge and he clearly meant to kill her. Her glance strayed frantically toward the door, but Dunstan stood firmly in the path of escape.

Kathryn stiffened her spine. "I didn't try to kill you. I've wanted to-on any number of occasions-but I am not the one who tried. If I had, I wouldn't have failed."

A muscle throbbed in his cheek. "You were always an arrogant chit. I almost believe you. Almost. But even if you were telling me the truth, it wouldn't change things. You've ruined my life and destroyed my plans for the future. I intend to see that you pay."

Kathryn didn't wait for more, just bolted for the door, dodging right and then left around her uncle's larger frame in a futile effort to get round him.

"Oh, no you don't!" He was quicker than he appeared-and stronger-and he caught her in a savage grip and whirled her in the opposite direction, dragging her away from the door.

"Help! Somebody help me!" But no one could hear through the thick stone walls and all she received for her trouble was a vicious slap across the cheek. He shook her so hard her teeth rattled against each other.

"No more of your screeching-do you hear? It won't do you the slightest bit of good and we both know it."

It was the truth and the knowledge made her heart race even faster than it did already. Struggling against his implacable hold, she kicked him hard in the s.h.i.+ns, and bolted once more for the door, but her skirts blocked the blow and slowed her escape. Dunstan was on her in an instant. Jerking her around, he drew back and slammed a fist into her jaw, and Kathryn went down in a heap. The last thing she remembered was the pain shooting into her head and her uncle's unG.o.dly peals of laughter.

Then there was only darkness.

Lucien nudged his black gelding into a canter as he headed home from the fields. It was early yet, but he had been restless. He'd been determined to leave Kathryn alone this day, allow her to work in her cottage in peace, but the sun was simply too brilliant, the sky too bright a blue, and in truth, after missing her for so long, he needed to feel the warmth of her smile, hear the rea.s.suring sound of her laughter.

At the top of the hill, he changed course, reining the stallion toward Kathryn's small cottage, and that was when he saw the smoke. It was coming from that direction, more than the single plume rising up through the chimney.

His heart leapt hard against the wall of his chest. Lucien leaned over Blade's neck and set the horse into a ground-eating gallop. By the time he reached the bottom of the hill, he could see the first flames burning through the eaves of the roof and Kathryn's little mare tugging frantically at the rope that bound her to the lean-to at the side of the cottage.

Lucien set the stallion into a flat-out run.

Charging down the hill and splas.h.i.+ng across the stream, the animal nickered wildly as Lucien reined him to a sliding halt in front of the cottage. He was out of the saddle and running before the gelding had come to a stop, slamming through the heavy oak door and racing inside, forced to a halt by a blistering wall of flame.

"Kathryn! Kathryn-forG.o.dsake, are you in here?" His eyes searched the smoky darkness; the cottage was burning so badly he could barely see. "Kathryn! Kathryn!" He moved along the walls, stumbling over stacks of books, knocking over beakers and vials, gla.s.s splintering on the tables, slicing into his hands. "Kathryn-it's Lucien. ForG.o.dsake, answer me!"

A m.u.f.fled groan rose up from a smoky corner. Eyes stinging, coughing and fighting to breathe, Lucien staggered in that direction. A length of st.u.r.dy brown wool shone through the wreckage on the floor, the upturned pots and broken gla.s.s, the pages of books that had been ripped out and scattered across the floor to kindle the flames.

Fighting against the fear that gripped his chest, he knelt beside his wife's body, saw that she was breathing, saw that her hands were bound and a gag stuffed into her mouth. Swearing savagely, he scooped her into his arms and started toward the door.

"Easy, love. Everything's going to be all right, just as soon as I get you out of here." Kathryn groaned in response and he held her more tightly against his chest. Lurching toward the burning door, he stumbled across the room and out into the cleansing spring air. He didn't stop until he reached the safety of the trees, where he rested Kathryn gently on the ground and dragged the gag from her mouth. Pulling the knife from his boot, he cut the bonds on her wrists, carefully checked her for bleeding or broken bones.

Kathryn's eyes fluttered open and she dragged in a shaky breath. She tried to speak, but the smoke had roughened her voice and it came out as an undecipherable croak.

"Don't try to talk. I'll be right back. I've got to get your horse before the fire can reach her." He left her a moment, freed the little mare that Kathryn had been riding, then returned to where his wife was trying to right herself against the trunk of the tree.

"Take it easy," he coaxed, coming down on one knee beside her.

"Dun... stan," she croaked in her smoky voice. "He tried to... kill me. Be... careful, Lucien. He might still be... here."

The c.o.c.king of a pistol followed the belated warning. "Why is it you always turn up where you are not wanted?"

Lucien's jaw clamped hard on a wave of fury; he had an urge to slam a fist into the preening b.a.s.t.a.r.d's face. If he tried, he'd be dead before he'd taken two steps. "I might say the same of you."

"In this instance, your timing is most unfortunate. You see, as much as I wanted you dead, it was strictly a matter of business. With Kathryn, it's an endeavor of personal satisfaction. Once she's gone, however, there is no real benefit to doing away with you. Now you have left me no choice." He glanced at the burning cottage, saw the flames beginning to reach up into the sky. Soon someone would spot them and the alarm would spread. "There isn't much time if I am to dispose of your bodies." He raised the pistol, pointed it directly at Lucien's heart. "I wish I could say I was sorry, but..."

His finger tightened on the trigger and Kathryn screamed as Lucien dived toward him, knowing there wasn't the slightest chance the shot would miss. The sound of the blast echoed in his ears the same instant he slammed into Dunstan's chest, hurling them both to the ground. Lucien waited for the searing agony that would signal a mortal wound but none came, and beneath him, Dunstan's body lay limp and unmoving.

Dragging himself to his feet, he stared into the open, sightless eyes of the earl, then past him to the girl who still held the smoking pistol pointed at her father's back.

"He was evil," Muriel said just above a whisper. "He killed my mother. I found a letter she wrote in one of her old trunks. She knew he was trying to kill her. He only married her for her money. Once it was gone, he grew tired of her. He said she was too much trouble. He cared about nothing... no one but himself. Now he's dead."

Lucien approached her slowly, took the gun from her trembling hands. "It's all right, Muriel. You saved my life. Both of our lives. No one is going to fault you for that."

"I guessed he was coming here. I should have come sooner, but I was afraid." She glanced over at Kathryn, whose face was deathly pale where it wasn't covered with soot. "I'm the one who poisoned him. I knew they would blame it on you. You were always kind to me, but I was just so jealous. I'm sorry, Kathryn. Sorry for everything."

Kathryn pushed herself to her feet. Stumbling slightly, she walked toward Muriel, her eyes glazed with tears. She wrapped her arms around the girl, who turned and began to weep on Kathryn's shoulder. "It's all right, Muriel, it's over. It's over for all of us."

A bevy of servants appeared over the rise just then, armed with buckets and hoes. Reeves was among them. As they set to work, forming a bucket brigand that led up from the stream, das.h.i.+ng bucket after bucket of water onto the roaring flames, the butler broke away from the rest and hurried toward them.

"Are you and her ladys.h.i.+p all right, my lord?" His worried glance traveled from their dirty, soot-covered faces to the dead man lying on the ground.

"We're fine. Take Lady Muriel back to the house and see that she's made comfortable. Have Bennie get a wagon and take care of the body."

Reeves cast him a questioning glance, but merely agreed. "As you wish, my lord." Shedding his coat, he tossed it over Dunstan's still form, then led a pale-faced Muriel away.

Lucien strode over to Kathryn and pulled her into his arms. Holding her against him, he ran a finger along her blackened cheek. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, leaning into his embrace. "I'm fine, thanks to you."

"And Muriel."

"Yes." She looked over at her uncle's still form, then turned away. "I can hardly believe it's finally come to an end."

"It's the end for Dunstan. It is only the beginning for the rest of us."

Kathryn smiled up at him, her face glowing with the same deep love he was feeling. He brushed her mouth with a kiss, loving her more than ever and silently vowing he would keep the promise he had made. In the years ahead, he would see that all of her dreams came true.

"I love you, Kathryn," he said, meaning it more than she would ever know. Once he hadn't believed in love. Now the notion felt so right, so perfectly true, it was amazingly easy to say the words.

Lucien looked down at the woman in his arms, felt alive as he never had before, knew there wasn't a luckier man on this earth, and he smiled.

end.