Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A few mornings later found him being awakened by a screaming woman. His sister. Devonna was standing in his bedroom raising the dead with her screeches. It was as if she had never been scared of him in her life. She was on the warpath and he was, by some misfortune, in the way.

“Bloody hell, Devonna. Get out of my room and shut your mouth.”

“Get your lazy butt out of bed. I can’t believe you. I have let this go for too long. Now you have done it. Get up. Get up!”

He stood up, naked as the day he was born, hoping that would send her running from the room, but all she did was arch a brow at him and toss him his robe. Pounding head, sore muscles and in desperate need of a bath, Lucien glared at his sister. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to keep you from making any more mistakes. Get dressed.”

“I need a bath. I need to shave. You need to leave.”

“She’s gone.” Devonna sat her pregnant body on the bed he’d just vacated.

“Who’s gone?” The light was so bright. It was too early for this. “Look, I don’t know what you are rambling on about. I didn’t get in until this morning because I was, well…”

“I know exactly what you were doing. With who and where. What happened to you? I thought you would have changed. She was perfect for you, you know.”

“Who, my wife? She left me. Get that through your head, little sister.”

“Watch your tone to my wife, Luc.” Rafe’s deep voice entered the conversation as he stepped forward and moved next to her.

“You too? What do you want?” Could the morning get any worse? Morning? He needed to sleep until late afternoon at the very least.

“Nothing. I wouldn’t be here at all if not for my wife’s insistence. I think that you are getting everything that you deserve.” Disgust laced his tone and his stance.

“What are you talking about?”

“I am supposed to give this to you. It came to me because she said she didn’t know where you were staying.” Devonna flipped the note on the bed beside her. “She didn’t leave you, Saint. You pushed her away.” His sister’s voice had softened.

“What are you talking about? I’m still here, she’s not.” He didn’t want sympathy from her. That would make him think about her.

“You dragged her to London. When you got here, you dumped her to the mercy of the ton. She couldn’t go riding, she couldn’t go for a walk with her son without five people following her.

“You made her an object that people wanted to see. She tried to change. She wore the dresses and other clothes you said she had to wear. She let you take her son away and put him with a governess. You took her freedom from her.

“My god, Saint. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice it. She wasn’t happy. You told me yourself that they called her the ‘heart of the mountain.’ What did you think was going to happen when you tossed her into town?

“Then you abandoned her. You started hanging around with Phillip. The morning of your wedding breakfast, on our walk, before we came in to see you holding the Lady Levon in your arms, we heard two women bragging about how they had lain with the Black Marquess even though he had been married.

“All she did was try to make you happy by changing for you. All you did was make her life miserable and make her a laughingstock. ‘The American heathen that couldn’t keep her husband satisfied. The one with all the awful manners, which is why he sent her back out to the country, so she wouldn’t embarrass him.’

“I hope you are proud of yourself, brother, for I am ashamed of you. Take me home, Rafe.” His sister and her husband left him there in his room.

In an instant he was stone sober. He raked a hand through his hair and looked at the bed where the note lay sealed. It was his seal on it. Hands trembling, he opened it and read.

I have come to the realization that you do not need a wife.

You have an heir and so now you can go about and do that which every other member of your class does. Fine.

I am taking my son somewhere for him to learn about life.

And love. I don’t think you will need to reach me, but if for some reason you do, give the note to my Aunt Fiona for she will see that it gets to me. Don’t bother them, for they will tell you nothing. I hope the life you are leading brings you happiness.

Take care, Wolf.

The note fell from nerveless fingers as the reality of what he had done came crashing down on him. She was gone. Truly gone. He felt empty in a way he never knew that he could. He cleaned himself up and called for a mount. He had some serious work to do. He had to find a way to win her back. He had lost her twice now and he wasn’t about to do so again.

* * * *

Three months later

After he knocked on the door, he straightened his cravat. Potter opened the door and stepped back to admit him. “They are in the library, my lord.”

“Thank you, Potter. I know the way.” He waved off the butler and walked down the hall. After knocking on the door, he waited until he heard a voice from within.

“Enter.”

Lucien pushed open the door and found himself looking at a very somber woman and her husband. For once, Fiona was wearing dark colors. “Lord and Lady Harrington. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Come in and sit down, my lord.” Trenton spoke. Fiona assessed.

“I came to ask if you would tell me where my wife is?”

“No,” Fiona spat. “She said you weren’t to be told.”

“She is my wife.”

“You dishonored her.” Green eyes narrowed in challenge.

“Fi, enough. Let him say his piece.” Trenton patted his wife on the arm and, although he received a glare for his words, she clamped her mouth shut.

“Look. Since I got the note from her, I have done nothing but worry. I am staying out at Heartstone and haven’t drunk a drop. If that matters. I feel horrible about the way I treated her and wish to make it up to both her and our son. I miss my wife. I just—”

“Did you miss her those two months she was here and you were out with your women? Or the ones that she has been gone from here?” Fiona’s eyes flashed with fury.

Lucien couldn’t meet her gaze. It was embarrassing. He had behaved like his father had, and worse. “I just would like to send her a note. Would you do that for me?” He felt the chasm between him and his wife deepening.

“Yes. We can do that. Leave the note on the table.” Trenton spoke before his wife could. “Do you have one ready?”

“Yes. Yes I do.” Lucien handed the note over, only to flinch as Trenton dropped it onto the table. The man didn’t even want to hold it.

His gaze cut back to Lucien. “Was there anything else?”

“Have you heard from her? Is she all right?”

“Potter.” The butler came and took Lucien’s note along with one from Fi. When the man had left, Trenton looked back at him. “Yes, I have heard from her. She is well, as well as can be expected. Lucky for us, she is a strong woman.”

“I never meant to hurt her.” Lucien’s voice was low.

“I would have a word with him, Trenton. Leave us.”

Lucien was surprised at her tone and even more so when her husband stood.

“Go easy on him, Fiona. He realizes what he did was wrong.” Trenton left them alone.

“I was sorry at first that I encouraged the two of you to wed. I should have realized that it would never work. She tried to tell me over and over again. Regardless of her feelings for you, she knew she could never fit into your world. And yet she tried.

“You took everything away from her. How could you do that? You tried to make her into one of the simpering fools that parade around trying to land a rich husband. You hurt her. I warned you not to take her for granted.

“Regardless of the rumors she heard, and the stares that she endured, she stood by you and defended you against those that would slander your name. She is only human. When she saw you with that ‘woman’, it was too much.

“I don’t know why I am telling you this for she didn’t want me to. But I will. When she arrived here months ago, she was carrying your baby. When she took care of your father, she was carrying your baby. She was always ready to give you another chance. But you had to blow it. You threatened her.

“I hope you realize what you lost. There will never be another woman like her, for you. She can’t be caged. If you had just showed her that you cared after the wedding, she would have tried. You didn’t. You pushed her to do things that she didn’t want to do. I hope you realize what you have done.

“You killed her spirit. Her heart.”

Fiona left the room.

Carrying your baby. She was carrying his baby. What had he done? He had to find her. Ireland. He would head to Ireland.

* * * *

A very tired, very dirty English marquess stood waiting in the great hall of an old castle in Ireland as he waited for the laird three and a half months later than when he had started out.

“Papa! Papa! You came. Mama said you might.”

Lucien grabbed his son as he jumped on him. He held him tight as he blinked back tears. God, he had missed holding his boy. He had grown, but his eyes were still the same.

“What brings you here, English?” Conar. The large man strode into the great room. The man still looked larger than life, and he didn’t seem too pleased to see Lucien there.

“I am looking for my wife. Is she here?”

“Bryn. Run and find your grandpa.” As the boy scampered away, Conar looked at the man standing by the fire. “I thought you would be here sooner, English. Your wife is not here.”

“Don’t lie to me. I know she is here. Our son is here. Where is she? I just spent three and a half months finding this place.” He was rigid with fury.

Conar was also furious. Lucien found that out when he went down with a grunt from the right hook that came at him out of nowhere to hit him in the eye.

Bryn and the laird came into the room. At the sight of Lucien on the floor, the laird grinned.

“Ye’re late, lad. She’s gone. Come sit, we will eat and drink.”

Within moments, Lucien found himself in the middle of a meal with his in-laws. It was unnerving. His eye was swollen and very painful. They were large and staring at him like they would love to rend him limb from limb. The food was good, and the drink warm. Rory Cormac McKay, Ciara’s grandpa, didn’t seem to be in any hurry to answer his questions.

“Do you know where she is?” he asked her grandfather.

“Nae. I don’t know.”

“Papa, did you come to take me home?”

“Would you like to come home with me?” He hoped the desire wasn’t too plain for his son to hear in his voice.

“Aye. Mama said you may not wish to take me but I could ask. She dinna say I had to wait here for them to return.”

“Them?”

“Aye. Mama and my sister.”

“Sister? I have a daughter?” Lucien looked at her grandfather, Rory, for confirmation of the news.

“Aye. A daughter. She is like you in every way, except for her eyes. She has her mother’s eyes, she does. Keely Lucina St. Martin. That is the name she gave her bairn.” Rory let the man digest the news.

Lucien gave a broad smile as he ran the name over in his head. Keely Lucina. She was named after him. A daughter. “Where are they? When are they coming back? How long ago did she leave?”

“I don’t know when they will return. There is a note for you. She left it in case you showed up here. She left close to a month ago. Conar, get him the note.”

Lucien waited with impatience as Conar retrieved it and handed it over. He ripped open the note and read it.

I must admit I am surprised you cared to make it this far. That must mean something. You have a daughter of which I am sure you have been made aware. I hope you take Bryn with you, he missed you so. I have been doing a lot of thinking and believe that I am ready to try again. I will be back and we can discuss what we are going to do. Take care of my, our son. Go home and spend time with him. For what it’s worth, I forgive you.

I forgive you. He could do anything with her beside him. He would make it right.

Lucien looked over at his son who was chatting away with a cousin and nodded. It was time for him to get to know his son. He looked at Rory and watched the old man for a bit. He was proud like his father, but he loved his grandchildren.

“Did she take Faolan and Kosse with her?” He hoped that she had some protection with her.

“Papa, Faolan died. She took Kosse with her, though.”

“How did he die?” He winced as he realized that he should have been there to support her during the loss of her friend.

“Protecting her.” Conar spoke up, not disguising that he blamed Lucien for that too. “When do you leave, English?”

“In the morning, if there is an invitation to stay the night? My son and I will leave in the morning. Protecting her from what?”

“You are family. Of course you can stay.” Rory rose and stopped by the chair that Lucien sat in, completing ignoring his other question. “Don’t hurt her again. I won’t stand for it.” Waving a hand around the room, he added, “None of us will. We love the lass. If she had not made us give our word, you would not be breathing right now for the pain you caused her.”

“So do I.” As he said it, he realized just how much. He had always loved her, but now he needed her love in return. “Bryn, care to show me around?”

“Sure, Papa. Let’s go.” He took his father’s hand and dragged him off to parts unknown. He realized they weren’t planning on speaking of what happened to him.

Lucien ended up staying in Ireland for a week. When he and Bryn left, Rory had given them a pair of wolfhound pups for the siblings to have, named Thor and Loki. With his son riding on Toka, he shook the hand of the Laird of Clan McKay, his grandfather by marriage. His eye was just a little swollen now and he realized how lucky he was that Conar had hit him only once. That man had a fist like a hammer.

“Take care o’ my great-granddaughter. And her mother.”

“I will.” When I find her. “Are you sure you don’t know where she went? America?”

“I don’t know. I would tell you if I did. Safe journey. Be good, lad, mind your father.”

“Bye, Grandpa.” Bryn waved as they rode off, followed by thirteen members of the clan escorting them to the ship that would take them back to England.