That attack had David realizing that someone close to him wanted him dead. And he was beginning to question everyone. And that included Arabella. David wanted her close, by his side for his heart and to make sure she wasn’t colluding with anyone. Arabella was the loyalist person you could get, but David still found himself loving her and doubting her at the same time.

  It didn’t help when he saw Arabella and Ian interacting, seeing his father and the woman he loved in an embrace that looked intimate had brought up a jealous rage inside him. As far as David was concerned, Arabella was his. His father’s heart may have been with someone else, but David’s rational side was shaken up after the ambush. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and all he could see was Arabella being with another man.

  His stomach told him that Arabella believed his doubts to be ridiculous.

  David managed to get to his feet without being bent over and staggered out of the room. Arabella was nowhere downstairs, but the kitchen door was open. David headed out into the garden and saw Arabella, standing across the grass. The moonlight was shining over the treetops, casting a silvery glow across the lawn. Arabella was standing in the middle of the lawn, hands over her face as she hunched over, her shoulders shaking. David’s heart ached at the sight. This wasn’t how he wanted to make her.

  Now he felt like a cad.

  He walked across the grass, touching Arabella’s shoulder.

  “Arabella.”

  Arabella stiffened but she didn’t pull away. David took that as a good sign and pressed a hand on her upper back. She was still trembling.

  David sighed. “Forgive me, Arabella. That was uncalled for.”

  “Yes.” Arabella’s voice was muffled through her hands. “It was.”

  “Can you let me apologize before you say anything?” David turned her to him, taking her hands and lowering them. Her hands were cool in his. “I shouldn’t have said those things, you’re right. It’s just...that fight shook me up. A lot. Now I’m questioning everything and everyone around me. People close to me are more than likely to betray me, and you’re as close as anyone can get.”

  Arabella’s eyes went wide. “But I would never betray you. You know I wouldn’t.”

  “You kept my daughter from me for seven years.”

  Arabella flinched. At least she was looking chastised.

  “Fair point.”

  David cupped her face in his hands. His thumb wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek.

  “My love for you has never gone, Arabella. I mourned your leaving. Everything just felt...bleak. Everything around me was not bright, it was just dull. Then when I saw you again, things brightened again. Aside from everything that’s happened, I know that my feelings for you haven’t changed. They never did. And to think there was the slightest possibility that you had moved on with another man…” He swallowed hard. “That didn’t sit well with me. I’ve been struggling with it since I realized you were here. And after the ambush, I’m not sure what to believe.”

  Arabella stared at him. Then she reached out and pressed her hands to his chest as she shifted closer.

  “There’s never been anyone else, David.” She closed her eyes. “Everyone I met I compared to you, and they always came up short.” Opening her eyes again, she fixed David with a clear gaze. “They were not you.”

  Then she lifted up on tiptoe, pressing a soft kiss to David’s mouth. David groaned and drew her into his arms, almost lifting her off her feet. They had only been together a short while before but already David wanted her again. This time the urge was more intense. Just a fresh taste of Arabella Powell and he wanted more. So much more. Especially with the way Arabella was kissing him. That went straight through his body.

  If they carried on, David was going to end up ravishing her in the garden. Isolated, they may have been, but it wasn’t what Arabella needed. He managed to ease back, trying to step away.

  “I think we’d better go inside before I do something I shouldn’t.”

  Arabella grinned. Then, as David watched, she tugged the sleeves off her dress down her arms, letting the dress slide to the ground. David couldn’t look away as Arabella fisted her shift in her hands and pulled it off, the shift falling from her fingers on top of her dress. She didn’t have a corset on, her curvy figure was the color of marble in the moonlight. David felt his arousal tighten deep in his belly as he looked over her full breasts, over her soft belly and curvy waist, down to the soft hair between her legs. She looked like a goddess.

  “Do what you want.” Arabella smiled as she stepped out of her pile of clothes, still wearing her slippers, and pressed up against him. Her hand pressed over his erection and David gasped. “I want you now.”

  “You’ve got me.”

  David kissed her hard, his hands cupping Arabella’s backside and squeezing. Arabella moaned and her hands were suddenly everywhere. She pushed off his coat and started unbuttoning his shirt with frenzied movements. David lowered himself to his knees, Arabella wrapping her legs around his waist. Her pussy was right over David’s erection and Arabella mewled as she rubbed herself over him. David groaned, moving his mouth to her neck and sucking on her soft skin.

  “God, you’re like a wild animal.”

  “I was always a wild animal.” Arabella was panting as David pressed her more onto his clothed manhood. “I just had to cage that side for Society’s sake.”

  “What about now?”

  “Do you see Society standing by telling us no?”

  David growled. Then he tipped Arabella onto her bed, laying her on the grass before easing back.

  “On your hands and knees,” he ordered as he pulled off his shirt, reaching for the fastenings on his trousers. “Now.”

  Arabella giggled and turned over, wiggling her plump backside at him as she rose up on her hands and knees. They had done this position before, and David had found Arabella very enthusiastic like this. And just seeing her so compliant but with the fire still there as she glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes glinting, David knew he wasn’t going to last.

  He released himself from his trousers and stroked his cock. Arabella licked her lips and eased her hips back, David stopping her with a hand on her hip.

  “Easy, love. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. I need you now.” Arabella was practically begging as she rolled her hips. “Please, David.”

  “You’ve got me.” David nudged her knees further apart and moved in closer, his cock brushing against her entrance. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He thrust into her, hauling Arabella back by the hips. Arabella let out a loud moan and her whole body shuddered. David was shaking. Sex with Arabella turned both of them into wild animals. Already he was close to his own pleasure.

  Arabella thrust back as David pounded into her, her moans getting louder the more David ravished her. He loved her inhibitions, loved the sounds coming from her mouth. David wanted to hear more. He needed more.

  Hauling Arabella up onto her knees, David plastered her against his chest and he thrust into her. The angle changed and Arabella seemed tighter. Arabella shrieked and clutched onto him, and then she came. David could feel her body clamping onto his cock, which had his own climax exploding. The feeling had David’s vision blurring, the world swaying as he pumped himself once more into Arabella’s body. God, she felt good.

  Unable to keep holding himself up, David eased down until he was on his hands and knees, Arabella still underneath him, equally shaking. She slid down onto her belly, and David went with her. He didn’t want to be uncoupled from her right now. He just wanted to keep touching her, whatever he could get. Just so he knew Arabella wasn’t going to disappear.

  “Well,” Arabella panted, “that was...that was intense.”

  “It was.” David kissed her back. “Forgive me for it being over so quickly.”

  Arabella giggled. She shifted so she was looking up at him, her sadness now replaced by a smile.

  “Just make up for it next time.”

  David grinned, cupping her jaw as he kissed her. He could certainly do that.

  * * *

  Lord Derby got back from the cottage, still lost in thought. This was getting out of control. Someone close to David Harrison was giving up things that nobody else should know. Whoever was behind all of this was not a simple servant; he had a lot of contacts everywhere.

  But it was finding out who was involved that was going to be a headache. Lord Derby liked to think he trusted all of his servants. Some of them had been around since before he got the title of earl from his father, and they had been loyal to his father. Lord Derby hoped they thought the same of him.

  It made him nauseous to think that someone had got to people close to him to take out somebody else. Why, how and who were important, and Derby was angry that he didn’t know the answers.

  Once they entered the main house, Ian Harrison muttered something about heading up to his bedroom and went up the stairs. He had refused anyone to take care of his wounds, and Derby was concerned that he was going to keel over. But from what Ian had said, the Irish were tough people. He could handle it.

  Derby had no choice but to believe him and trust that Ian knew what he was doing. He had more important things to worry about. Like Gregory Wakefield. He had been brought back to the house and was now up in one of the bedchambers, tied to the bed until the magistrate and his men arrived to take him away. That letter would be sent off later that evening.

  Right now, Derby wanted answers. This was getting to be too much and he wanted it to stop. Sometimes he wished he had told the Harrisons to get off his property and take their problems elsewhere. Then again, seeing how David and Arabella Powell were together, there was no chance of separating them now.

  Lord Derby headed up to the second floor, to the bedchamber right out of the way but still comfortable enough for a man of Wakefield’s social station. The young man should be awake by now, and he should be willing to talk if he didn’t want to get into further trouble. At the bottom of the stairs, Derby heard someone calling for him. Peter Harrison was heading towards him from his own bedchamber, tucking his shirt into his trousers.

  “Captain Harrison. I thought you would have retired by now.”

  “After what’s just happened? I don’t think so.” Peter indicated the stairs. “I wanted to go and question Wakefield with you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

  “Derby, Wakefield attacked me as well. My family was targeted. I want to know what’s going on.”

  He was clearly not going to move. Lord Derby knew that all the Harrison children were as stubborn at their father. He sighed and nodded, beckoning Peter up the stairs with him.

  “All right, fine. But you let me do the talking.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Peter held up his hands when Derby gave him a pointed look. “Honestly, I will.”

  Derby didn’t quite believe that. But it was better than nothing. He didn’t need a hotshot naval captain going off on someone who went after him and his family.

  One of Lord Derby’s burly servants was standing outside the door. He bowed to Derby as the two men appeared and stepped to the side when Lord Derby waved him away. Derby opened the door and went in, Peter close behind him. Wakefield was awake, both of his wrists tied to the bedpost. At some point, he had been on the bed and now he was trying to get out of the way. Whoever had tied him down had certainly done a very good knot. Wakefield was trying to get the knot around his wrists undone, and he was cursing as he did it.

  Signalling Peter to stay by the door, Lord Derby walked towards the bed. Wakefield looked up as he approached and scowled. His face was coming up in bruises, especially around one eye.

  “What do you want?” he snapped.

  “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

  “I do know who I’m talking to, Lord Derby, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be giving you any kind of respect.”

  “I wasn’t expecting any.” Lord Derby crouched down, squatting on his haunches. “Only answers.”

  “For what?” Wakefield glanced at Peter before looking back at Derby. He was still defiant, but there was a trickle of fear seeping in. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You broke into one of my properties with a couple of friends and attacked Viscount Harrinson and his two sons. You’re lucky none of them were killed, or you would be hanging from the gallows in the morning.”

  Wakefield’s jaw tightened. “I’ve never killed anyone.”

  Derby frowned. An odd response.

  “Who said anything about you killing anyone? That aside, you’re in big trouble, Gregory. You committed an assault and God only knows what you were planning to do. If that had been successful, the trouble you’re in now would be much greater.”

  Wakefield sniggered. He didn’t sound as confident anymore, but the defiant streak was there.

  “You’re trying to scare me. It doesn’t work.”

  “Is it not?” Lord Derby glanced at Wakefield’s bloody hand and at the knot tying his hands to the bedpost. “I can have my man cut you loose, although you would have to stay here until the magistrate arrives. But to have that, you need to tell me who your friends are and where they are now.”

  “I don’t know who they were and I don’t know where they’ll be.”

  Lord Derby shook his head. “I don’t believe you, Gregory.”

  “Disbelieve me all you want,” Wakefield sneered. “I don’t know.”

  He did know who they were. And they wouldn’t have done this without somewhere to meet up just in case something went wrong. Wakefield was trying to be a big man, cocky. Lord Derby didn’t believe that for a moment; the boy was scared. Derby just needed to get it out of him.

  And from the looks of it, that was going to take some time.

  Lord Derby stood, his legs threatening to go to sleep.

  “You didn’t do this alone, Gregory, and we know it. And you’re not smart enough to carry this out on your own or lead the charge.”

  “Bastard,” Wakefield hissed.

  There was a movement behind Lord Derby and then Peter was at his side. He crouched down and spoke in such a gentle tone that Derby didn’t recognize him. But he did notice that Wakefield flinched as the naval captain got close.

  “You need to start talking, Gregory. This is already a delicate situation and there’s a chance that you’re going to be in the frame for Simpson’s murder if you carry on like this.”

  “What?” Wakefield’s eyes widened. Now that had got through to him. “I didn’t kill that rat.”

  “Your name was in his little black book. You owed him a lot of money. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had made you do things like this before to get the debt smaller. And someone knew about it.” Peter leaned forward, and Wakefield shrank back. “Who set you up to go after my brother?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Wakefield was looking scared now. But he wasn’t wavering. Lord Derby was surprised at that. This was supposed to be easy - Wakefield was a weak man with a weak constitution - but this was harder than he expected. Something had spooked him into silence, that much was certain. But what?

  “You need to let me go.” Wakefield declared, looking up at Lord Derby. “You need to let me out of here before my father finds out.”

  “He’ll find out where you are.” Lord Derby paused. “Eventually. But you’re going to stay here until you start talking. And don’t think about trying to get out.” He touched Peter’s shoulder. “Come on, Captain. We’re going.”

  Peter sighed and rose to his feet. Wakefield started shouting after them but Derby ignored him until they were outside. The servant moved into position again, fixing Peter with a stony look as the earl and the captain went back down the stairs.

  “He’s going to get us nowhere,” Peter grumbled.

  “Someone’s managed to silence him.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. I’ve seen it before.” Lord Derby shook his head. “I didn’t think Wakefield had the inclination to be scared, but he is.”

  Someone had a strong hold on him. Derby didn’t think they were going to get anything out of Wakefield. Yet. He was going to go back in the morning and try again.

  He loved a challenge.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  David sat on the porch and watched Arabella and Katherine as they played with Jeffrey. Jeffrey and Katherine had turned up on the doorstep an hour ago, Katherine wanted to see her mother, and Jeffrey had brought a ball with them. Now they were playing catch and chasing Katherine around. David had to smile at the sight.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34