Chapter 26
Every feeling Jeremy had for Evie surfaced as soon as he saw her standing there, welding a stick high above her head, ready to strike. He had never been so terrified of losing someone before, and to see her standing before him now had an overpowering effect. It rendered him speechless for several heartbeats. Long enough to realize she’d had plenty of time to recognize him and lower that stick. She hadn’t. His lips twitched.
Jeremy crossed his arms. How he wanted to pull her to him and kiss her senseless, but resisted. Instead, he quirked a brow and said, “You can lower that stick in your hands, pet.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I am not at all sure I want to.”
He took a step forward and halted when she raised the stick even higher. Then he sighed. “I suppose you are still cross with me.”
A tinge of pink appeared across her pale cheeks. “I am much more than merely cross with you, Jeremy.” Her chin trembled, then she shook her head, as if shaking off the moment of weakness. “You have used me and deceived me. What you have done to me…” She shook her head again. “Is positively cruel. And you don’t seem to care at all.”
He unfurled his arms and stepped right up to her. If she was going to bash him over the head, then so be it. “You could not be further from the truth, Evie,” he whispered down to her. Then he reached out and pulled the stick away from her tight grip and threw it aside. He snaked his arms around her trembling shoulders and leaned down so he could look her straight in the eye. “The truth is I married you because—”
Scout rushed through the trees and took two quick breaths before speaking. “Montague is coming.”
Jeremy glanced back down to Evie and took her hand. “Come, we must—”
She cried out and went crashing to her knees, her hand torn from his. “My ankle,” she moaned. “Just go. I will be fine.”
The hell if he would leave her behind. Jeremy reached down and scooped her up into his arms, then turned to Scout. “You and Ghost go get help.”
The little man didn’t argue, just nodded and disappeared back into the trees. And as Jeremy took a step forward, four men—one of them Montague—appeared on horses, each holding pistols aimed right at them. Evie pressed her head into his shoulder. “You should have left me.”
“Never,” he whispered and turned to Montague. “I suggest, my lord, you lower that weapon and let us pass.”
The man glared down with an evil gleam in his eyes, the corner of his lips twisted in a cruel smile. “Lord Fielding. I am afraid you are in no position to suggest anything at all.” He waved his pistol. “Hand the lady to my man, Lars, and we will be on our way.”
Jeremy tightened his grip on his wife and shook his head. “I will do no such thing.”
Montague snapped his thick dark brows together. “Then I will shoot you and take the lady. Either way, she is coming with me.”
“Do as he says, Jeremy,” Evie whispered, gripping his coat in her fist.
He leaned down. “Hush, pet.” Then he raised his head. “I do not think Viper would be happy if you shot his nephew.”
Ignoring the jolt of surprise from Evie, Jeremy glared at each of the men before glancing back to Montague. The others turned to one another in confusion, wondering if he spoke the truth. Jeremy nodded. “Frederick Spencer and my father were brothers. I suggest you go and speak to him about this grand plan. See what he has to say.”
As suspected, two of the men lowered their pistols, then backed their horses away.
Enraged, Montague shouted at the retreating men. “I will see both of you dead for this.”
Jeremy glanced over to Lars whose deep frown and perplexed stare showed the man trying to work out what he should do. Montague also took note of the man’s indecision. “You lower that pistol, Lars, and I will shoot you myself.”
“But he is his nephew,” Lars whispered, his pistol now shaking in his hand, a bloody bandage covering his missing little finger.
“That man hasn’t been our leader in a long time. I have,” Montague growled.
Jeremy took a quick step back during Montague’s tirade. When no one seemed to notice, he moved back another step. If he could just make it to the thick oak behind him, he’d spin around and make a run for it.
Unfortunately, Montague noticed. He quit glaring at Lars and leveled the pistol back on Jeremy. “Not another step, my lord.” He lifted a corner of his top lip and sneered. “At this distance, my aim is unpredictable and could wound the lady.”
Jeremy held Evie even closer to his chest, hoping his arms would cover more of her. Montague had a wild look in his eyes, as though he could pull the trigger at any moment. Then the man reached into his coat and pulled out a second pistol. “So, I took precautions to guarantee I would not miss.”
One pistol, he could possibly deal with. Not two. Not when Evie could get harmed. Jeremy’s mind raced with options. If he spun around, he might not be fast enough. He couldn’t just back away, either. The only thing left was to convince Montague to let Evie go. “Why don’t you allow me to place Evie on my horse, then we can discuss matters as gentlemen?”
“No.” Montague narrowed his eyes. “You both will remain where you are.”
Jeremy hoped Scout had alerted Ghost by now. Perhaps the two of them had formed a plan. He needed to keep Montague talking, to give his friends more time. “Are you going to ask about Phyllis?” He could feel his face go tight with anger, just thinking about what his sister had suffered. “Or do you even care?”
Clearly, Montague had not been expecting the question. His brows shot up to his hairline and the pistols dropped down two inches. “What about her?”
Jeremy shifted his weight to his other leg, but held on tightly to Evie. “Surely, when you were in London you heard about her condition.”
“What condition?” the man asked, raising the pistols as he took two steps forward. “You are obviously playing some sort of game, Fielding, and I do not like it.”
Knowing he was taking a risk at angering Montague even further, Jeremy continued. He had to give Ghost and Scout more time. “Because you haven’t even bothered to send my sister a note, she thinks something terrible has happened to you. She has worried herself ill. So ill, in fact, she may lose the babe.”
“You lie,” Montague hissed.
“You were just in London. Why didn’t you let her know?”
A frown pulled Montague’s lips down. “Phyllis isn’t so fond of me.”
“Oh, I do believe you are mistaken, my lord. She would recover in an instant if you were to go and see her.” Certain his words were getting through to the man, Jeremy continued. “You could save your wife and child if you hurry to them right now.”
Montague raised his eyes, his knuckles turning white from gripping the pistols so tightly. “You would say anything to—”
“He speaks the truth, now lower those pistols,” Freddy interrupted as his horse sprang forward, skidding to a halt before Montague, spraying pebbles and clumps of dirt all over the man’s boots.
“What are you doing?” Montague demanded. “You are going to let them escape.”
Jeremy realized that was exactly what his uncle intended by leaping between him and Montague in such a way. Without a second thought, he spun around and dashed into the trees behind him. Whistling to Prinny, who came trotting up to his right, he helped Evie up into the saddle. “Hold on tight,” he instructed, then vaulted up behind her. With a click of his tongue, they lunged forward.
Moving between two tall, thin birch trees, he heard the raised voices of Freddy and Montague. Jeremy held Evie close, feeling the heat of her body through his clothes and sighed with relief. Turning left when they came to the main road, he kept Prinny at top speed for several miles, but watched for signs of Montague or his men. His horse would need to rest soon, but Jeremy was determined to get as far from Montague as possible.
London would take them ten hours to reach if they hurried without rest and did not have to contend with fog. Windermere would take them less than three hours. Certain Scout would pick up their trail, Jeremy turned east and made his way to the border of his estate property. He knew every inch of the dense forest surrounding the mansion and wove through the ancient oaks, scaring a pair of gray squirrels fighting over a fat acorn.
Prinny stepped out into the main drive lined with perfectly trimmed oaks and Jeremy heard Evie gasp. “I forgot how beautiful Windermere was.”
Beyond the drive, a row of triple fountains led up to the semi-circular columned porch sitting between two expansive wings that spread wide over a manicured, green lawn. His father’s prized orangery, with glass panes trimmed in green, stood to the right. To the left, the drive curved under a columned portico then continued to the stables behind the mansion. The sight brought back memories of archery competitions and fencing lessons.
A gardener trimming a topiary straightened when he noticed them and shielded his eyes from the afternoon sun. Then he ran to the rear of the mansion, no doubt to alert the staff. Jeremy halted Prinny and assisted Evie from the horse, pulling her close to keep her from having to put weight on her injured ankle. Then he lifted her up into his arms.
“That isn’t necessary, Jeremy. Put me down.”
“No, now quit your wiggling before I drop you.” He tightened his grip. “Or I may just have to kiss you to keep you still.”
She froze and turned to look at him with wide eyes. The corners of his lips tipped up as they reached the front door and it opened.
“Welcome, my lord,” the butler said with a bow. “My lady.” Then he closed the heavy oak door as Jeremy entered the vestibule.
“Have a bath drawn for Lady Fielding and we will need something to eat as well, Fenwick.”
The butler gave another bow and nodded to the two waiting footmen, who scurried off to do his bidding. Jeremy turned to the stairs and vaulted up, ignoring Evie’s protests. He refused to stop until he reached the marchioness’ suite and was able to settle his sputtering wife down on a thick cushioned chair before the fireplace. One of the footmen soon had a roaring fire crackling in the grate while the other settled the copper tub nearby. Once the tub was filled with steaming water, the footmen disappeared and Jeremy turned to Evie, a slow smile spreading over his lips, making the tip of her nose and ears turn bright pink.
“You may leave now,” she insisted, twisting her fingers together in her lap.
“Someone must assist you, pet.” He cocked a brow. “Might as well be me.”
Color spread across her cheeks and she shook her head, her gaze dropping to her hands. “I think not.”
“Afraid I’ll ravish you?” he teased, but then his smile fled when he saw her squeeze her eyes shut and her shoulders hunch forward.
Jeremy drew his brows, then went to his knees beside her chair. “Evie, I—”
“Stop. Just stop, will you?” She shook her head from side to side and drew her hands back when he tried to touch her. “Don’t.”
“What is it?” he asked, terrified Montague had done something to her. “Were you hurt?”
She went still, took a deep breath, then lifted her head. Her sherry eyes were filled with so much pain, his chest went tight and he couldn’t find his voice. She turned toward the fire crackling merrily in the grate, the orange and yellow flames casting dancing shadows across her skin. “I do not have to tell you what I have been through. You were there.” Her voice had a faraway tone, as though she sought to keep any emotion from spilling out. “The day you broke our betrothal was the day you broke my heart. I was crushed. Mortally wounded.” She bowed her head. “Dying a little more each day the pain continued to consume me. Only, death would have been a blessing. Instead, I existed from moment to moment in misery, unable to forget what had happened and move on.”
Jeremy couldn’t move, could hardly breathe. He could only stare at her pale profile and try to absorb every bit of pain, every moment of agony she had suffered at his hands.
“I couldn’t forget. You were everywhere. Riding your horse in Hyde Park. Flirting with all the ladies at Huntington’s masque. Purchasing a new waistcoat in Bond Street.” She swallowed hard and whispered, “In my dreams.”
How he wanted to pull her into his arms and promise her he would never hurt her again, but he resisted. If Evie needed to tell him every painful moment of her life, if it helped her, if it would heal some of the deep, internal wounds he had caused, then he would gladly hear all of it. He just hated her having to relive the most painful moments of her life.
She surprised him with a tiny smile tumbling out on her lips. “Then Belle came for a visit and provided me a diversion. I went to France with her and spent months training for a new life. For the first time in years, I could see a way to live without you. I was actually eager for a new life.”
Evie fell silent as she continued to stare into the flames. Jeremy was about to reach out and place his hand over hers when she spoke again. “Just when I had given up on the idea of us being together and was starting a new life, you were there to interfere with those plans.” She shook her head. “The only thing that kept me going was the thought of returning to France with Belle.”
Jeremy opened his mouth to say she would not be going anywhere, but stopped himself in time. He watched her glance over at him and draw her brows. Her pain so raw and evident, it stole his breath. “Why would you take away my one hope of moving on with my life? Why did you marry me, Jeremy?”