Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Must you go?" Caroline asked, pressing her front to his back as he tied his cravat.

He grinned at her in the mirror.

This morning they'd agreed to leave London. But he had one detail he needed to attend before they left.

The purchase of a ring.

He hated to leave her, even for a short time, but she'd be perfectly safe in his home surrounded by his servants. "I'll only be gone a few hours."

She wrinkled her nose. "I know we can't be together all the time."

He chuckled. "Trust me, no one wants to be as close as I do with you, but this is necessary."

She sighed watching him tie his cravat. When he was done, he turned back to her, lifting her in his arms and placing her in the bed.

Tucking the blankets about her, he kissed her forehead. "I'll have a tray brought up. Eat and rest. I'll be back before you know it."

But she only wrinkled her nose at him a second time. It was adorable. "I would rest better with your chest as a pillow."

He laughed again and this time, when he kissed her, it was deep and full, his mouth lingering over hers.

She was so soft and warm, and it took all of his control not to start undoing the cravat he'd just tied.

But as much as he'd like nothing more than to do as she'd requested and slip back into bed with her, making this woman his wife was of the utmost importance, and that's what pushed him away from her tempting embrace. "I'll be back very soon."

He started out the door and down the hall, making his way into the entry. His carriage already waited outside, and the jeweler would have a full array for him to peruse already pulled from the cases.

But Mrs. Banks stood just to one side, glaring at him as he passed.

He stopped, pulling his shoulders straighter. "Mrs. Banks, if you're going to live in my home, you must at least pretend a pleasant demeanor."

"You're ruining her life," Mrs. Banks hissed in return. "She is the rare woman who could live outside the tyranny of powerful men and yet you've managed to steal that from her."

He sighed as he assessed the other woman. "I stole nothing. All decisions between us have been made together."

Mrs. Banks stepped closer. "You can't imagine what I've done to protect her. How much more I'd do…"

"What does that mean?—"

"The wicked be damned," She shook her finger in his face. "The righteous will wipe the scourge from this earth like the scum you are." And then she spun on her heel and marched down the servants' stairs.

He stared after her, her words echoing in his head. They were both haunting and oddly familiar and they tickled some deep worry that made him pause for another moment. Slowly he pushed open the front door and made his way down the stairs, pondering Mrs. Banks's words.

Why did they make Mrs. Banks feel like the enemy? What kind of woman was she?

A footman opened the door and stepped into the carriage, settling on the seat. The driver cracked the whip, and the carriage started forward.

The word scourge echoed in his thoughts. It wasn't the first time he'd been called that.

And suddenly he remembered. Adam.

Adam had said nearly those exact words to him at the ball. But Mrs. Banks couldn't…

"Stop the carriage," he yelled, thumping the wall with his fist. "Stop at once."

They started down the lane already and it would take forever to turn the vehicle. It was time he wasn't sure he had.

It could be nothing, just a coincidence that Mrs. Banks had used the same words.

But it was a chance he wasn't willing to take.

Jumping out of the vehicle, he didn't walk, he ran…

* * *

Caroline sighed as she snuggled deeper into the covers. She wasn't normally this clingy, but their disagreement followed by their confessions of love had her feeling very… exposed.

The door to their room opened and she peeked her head out of the covers to see Mrs. Banks enter with a tray in hand.

Her stomach gave a treacherous rumble, and she pushed up, marveling that one of Luke's constant goals was to see to her stomach.

The man was constantly feeding her.

That thought made her giggle, just a little sound of joy that erupted from her lips. Mrs. Banks frowned in response.

Caroline quickly smothered the sound. "Still upset with me?" she asked, settling the covers about her waist.

"Upset is the wrong word," Mrs. Banks bit back. "Disappointed, perhaps."

"Mrs. Banks," Caroline shook her head. "You must stop. We're marrying. Your feelings about the duke cannot be so obvious."

"That's what he said," Mrs. Banks set the tray on the side table, the clanking of dishes startling Caroline.

"Who said that?"

"Your duke," Mrs. Banks returned. "But it's him who needs to take more care. I know people who will see him punished for his crimes against you, against the world."

A deep fear pulsed through Caroline. She only knew of one group who wished to punish Luke, and they were the same people who'd kidnapped Chloe. "You don't mean that. He's done nothing?—"

Mrs. Banks's hands came to her hips. "They're all the same. They abuse their power, use the people around them for their pleasure. They morally corrupt our society and pretend they rule for the people when all they care about is themselves."

"Well said, Mrs. Banks," a deep male voice Caroline didn't recognize said from the door.

Caroline's head whipped around, a man in simple brown robes stood in the entrance of the room. He stepped in, softly closing the large paneled wooden door behind him.

But it wasn't his clothing that stood out. It was the six deep lines cut into his face, three on either side that made her eyes widen in fear. That and his expression… pure disdain.

"Thank you," Mrs. Banks answered, reaching for Caroline's hand. Caroline tugged her fingers from the other woman's grasp.

"What have you done?" Caroline whispered, pulling the covers up over her body.

"You can't hide from me," Adam rumbled as he stepped deeper into the room. "I see you."

"Try to understand," Mrs. Banks patted her shoulder. "I could handle the earl. He was old, and weak, and easy to dispose of."

"Dispose?" Caroline cried. "What do you mean Mrs. Banks?"

"But the duke," Mrs. Banks leaned closer, "I'll need help."

"No," Caroline whispered.

Adam came around the bed, coming to stand next to Mrs. Banks. "It's no use, Mrs. Banks. She's too caught in his web now."

"She is not," Mrs. Banks answered. "She's just frightened because of what he did to her."

"Mrs. Banks," Caroline pleaded, the undertone of this conversation frightening as she cowered under the covers. "What does he mean?"

"We shall see about that," Adam answered and from his robe he withdrew a riding crop.

A scream built in Caroline's chest, the kind that came from deep fear as she scrambled across the bed.

She'd made great strides in trust with Luke, but this man…

It was her worst nightmare come to life.

Every fear she'd lived through, and the ones that haunted her dreams, were about to come true.

Mrs. Banks jumped in front of Adam. "This was not part of out agreement. You promised?—"

He slapped Mrs. Banks hard, both women cried out.

"I promised to take care of the duke and I'll keep my promise. But the order punishes the wicked and Countess Green has been very bad indeed. Haven't you, countess?"

Caroline couldn't answer as she dropped to the floor, crawling away from the bed. She just needed to escape. That was all that she could think as she made her way toward the door.

But Adam reached her easily, grabbing her hair and yanking hard to stop her movement. "Answer me!" he bellowed. "Confess your sins like the whore you are."

"No," Mrs. Banks screamed. "Do not hurt her." She rushed at Adam, but before she even reached him, he lifted his other hand, bringing his fist, still gripping the crop, hard across Mrs. Banks's face, sending the woman reeling back.

She hit the post of the bed, knocking into it before she crumpled to the floor.

"Mrs. Banks!" Caroline screamed, even as Adam yanked her hair again, raising the crop.

"Confess!" he bellowed. "And take your punishment, wicked woman!"

She whimpered, not able to move or speak as tears leaked from her eyes. She knew what came next, the hurt, the shame.

He raised the crop, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing her mind to take her far away.

But just as he was about to bring down the whip, the door burst open again.

"Enough."

Her eyes flew open, meeting Luke's where he stood in the open door.