Chapter Fifteen

"Itrust you are feeling better, Miss Amber." The earl's confident tone eased some of the tension in the room.

"Much better, your lordship. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness in allowing me to recuperate here."

"It is our pleasure. I would never turn away anyone in need of help when it was within my power to give it." He glanced at Dermott and said, "Besides, our Dermott was the one who galloped to your rescue, even though you did not heed his warning not to jump off the wall."

"I… I'm afraid I do not remember climbing that wall, let alone how I came to be on top of it." Worry that she would never know was slowly eroding the calm she had been working so hard to embrace. The very atmosphere at Lippincott Manor was soothing, serene.

The heavy knock on the door had the earl calling out, "Enter!"

Sean O'Malley opened the door and filled the entryway. "There's trouble." He glanced at his cousin, and, without speaking, must have conveyed a silent message to Dermott.

"I'm right behind ye." Dermott bowed to her. "Amber-lass, I need ye to stay with their ladyships."

"Yes, of course."

"They are in the nursery," Lippincott told her. "I shall escort you. Sean, I expect a full report when I join you in your quarters."

Sean shook his head. "Behind the stables, yer lordship."

"Very well. I shall be there as soon as I deliver Miss Amber to the nursery. Send one of the footmen—better yet, send Bart to stand guard outside their door."

"Aye." Sean and Dermott shared another telling glance, and strode from the room without another word.

Amber's worry trebled, but she buried it deep, keeping it to herself. The earl was silent as he accompanied her to the nursery. He knocked on the door before opening it. "Ah, my love, there you are. Miss Amber will be joining you and Calliope for the duration."

Lady Aurelia narrowed her gaze at her husband. Lifting her chin to a defiant angle, she demanded, "What are you not telling me, Edward?"

He lifted her hand to his lips, brushed a kiss to the back of it, and nodded. "I shall tell you all I know as soon as the men fill me in." When the countess opened her mouth to speak, the earl frowned. "Time is of the essence." Nodding to the viscountess, he said, "Under no circumstances are you or my wife to leave this room." Turning to Amber, he added, "I am counting on you to be the voice of reason, Miss Amber. My wife and Calliope have been known to race off thinking to lend their aid, but manage to end up in the midst of yet another near disaster."

Amber had no notion what to say in response to the earl's claim but, "You have my word, your lordship."

"Excellent." He strode to the door and paused on the threshold. "Bartholomew will be standing guard. Do not under any circumstances attempt to distract him or extract information from him."

When neither Lady Aurelia nor Lady Calliope responded, the earl demanded, "Have I made myself clear?"

The viscountess agreed immediately. "Yes, of course, Edward." The earl crossed his arms and stared at his wife. After a few tense moments, she inclined her head regally. "Abundantly."

Amber could feel the tension crackling between the earl and his countess. Though the earl had not said or done anything to cause her concern, she worried for the sake of the countess nonetheless. Thank goodness the babes were still asleep, obviously used to people carrying on conversations while they did.

Finally, the countess threw her hands up in the air. "Fine! Calliope, Amber, and I promise not to overpower Bart, tie him to a chair, and make him tell us what is going on."

Lippincott's lips twitched, and Amber sensed he was fighting the urge to smile. Satisfied, the earl gave a brief nod, stepped into the hallway, and closed the door behind him.

"The nerve of that man!" Lady Aurelia fumed. "Does he think we do not know trouble is headed our way? How are we to prepare ourselves or the staff for injuries if they keep us in the dark?"

"I agree, Aurelia. Surely your husband and mine must realize they need us to stand at the ready to care for the wounded. Why else would William have brought us—and our guard—here to stay with you?" Calliope murmured.

"Wounded?" Amber asked.

"Er…yes," Aurelia answered.

"I see. Mayhap the viscount brought you here with your guard as a precautionary measure," Amber suggested.

Aurelia slowly smiled. "I take it you are accustomed to being the peacekeeper in your home."

Amber nodded, pleased that she had, in fact, regained another piece of her life.

"We tend to think the worst," Calliope confided. "To be honest, we have been through one difficult situation after another since marrying into the duke's family."

"Edward has been stabbed, and William shot protecting the family," Aurelia said. "How can they not understand that we do not want them to wade into whatever danger is coming our way?"

"How were you able to cope with your husband's injuries? I would have been frantic with worry…although I have never been married," Amber added, "nor have I been engaged, that I can recall."

"Do not try to second-guess yourself," Aurelia advised. "When one speaks so decisively, it is most often because of their instinctive knowledge of facts."

"I could not have said it better," Calliope added. "You are able to remember more each day. Your memory shall return fully, soon."

One of their babes chose that moment to fuss. Soon, the tension in the room evaporated as the women changed and cooed to their babes. Amber waited for them to tug on the bellpull to summon their wet nurses. Not that she had any intimate knowledge on the subject, but didn't all ladies of the ton use them?

When they settled in the twin rocking chairs, she asked, "Would you like me to ring for…er…assistance?"

Aurelia shook her head. "No, thank you—Calliope and I prefer a quiet atmosphere when feeding our sons. It is possibly the most soothing part of our days, wouldn't you agree?"

Calliope smiled as she traced the tip of her finger on her son's cheek, settling him in her arms. "I do agree."

"I'm sorry not to have thought that it would make you uncomfortable, Amber," Calliope apologized. "Why don't you step into the hallway and introduce yourself to Bart?"

Aurelia smiled. "What a wonderful idea. My darling earl did not ask you to give your word not to speak to Bart. Find out everything he knows!"

Amber hesitated, then asked, "But won't the earl be angry with me?"

Aurelia's light laughter was echoed by Calliope's. "No. However, I am quite sure he will be angry with himself for not thinking to ask for your promise before leaving."

Amber was awed by the beautiful sight of two babes suckling at their mothers' breasts, and awed at how quickly the two little ones settled down once they began to nurse. She wanted to tell the ladies that they should listen to the earl, but couldn't when she was in full agreement with them. Pitching her voice low, she promised, "I shall see what I can find out for you."

"Do try not to be too obvious," Aurelia cautioned.

"I shall report back shortly," Amber replied. She quietly opened the door and slipped into the hallway.

"Something wrong?" The tension radiating off the young man guarding the door surprised her.

"Not at all. Their ladyships are feeding their sons, and I wanted to give them a bit of privacy."

Bart stared at her for a few moments with a look she could not quite define. Taking a moment to study the young man, she noted he was close in height to Dermott. Though he was broad through the shoulders, he did not have the same heavy musculature as Dermott or the other guards. The flush on Bart's face had her wondering if he was much younger than he appeared. Taking pity on him, she asked, "Are you new to the duke's guard?"

He blinked, then smiled. "I wish I was one of His Grace's private guard! My mum's married Michael O'Malley—he's head of the duke's guard for Viscount Chattsworth. My father passed away a few years ago."

"I am so sorry for your loss, Bart. My mum's been gone a very long time. Papa never remarried, though I suspect he and Lady Grey will come to an understanding soon. He has been escorting her to various entertainments for the last two years."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew them to be fact. Relieved, rather than shocked, she absorbed the words and held them to her heart.

"Mum was trying to do it all," Bart told her. "Taking care of the household chores—and the farm. She's strong, and stubborn as an ox." He met her gaze and lowered his voice. "Please don't tell Mum I said so."

Their shared loss had her immediately responding, "I wouldn't dream of it."

He relaxed at Amber's ready agreement, and continued, "We didn't realize how difficult it had become to work the land without my father and his strength until the night our farm was under attack."

Shock reverberated through her. "Attack? Who would do that, and why?"

His frown was fierce, and he suddenly appeared very much a man capable of protecting his mother and their farm. "You would be surprised what a person will do for money…or revenge."

"Actually, I have a very good idea," she whispered. "My father gambled away his fortune, our home, my dowry, and…" The words stuck in her throat at the realization that she clearly remembered the conversation the night her father confessed what he had done. Papa had ordered her to Eggerton Hall. When a trio of thugs attacked her coachman and footman at the inn near the village, she'd done as her father had bidden her—she had escaped and made her way to Lippincott Manor!

A wave of dizziness had her swaying until a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

"Easy, Miss Amber," Bart murmured. "Dermott told me your returning memory might surprise you—shock you, even. Are you all right?"

His concern, and the way he steadied her, enabled her to regain her equilibrium. "I will be, thank you. I've been struggling to regain my memory… Now I almost wish I hadn't. When Mum was alive, she kept my father away from the one vice he could not seem to control."

Bart slowly eased his arm from around her waist, watching to make sure she was once again steady on her feet. "That must have been difficult for your mum and for you."

"When my mother died, it was up to me to remind my father, the way Mum had. It worked for the longest time, then recently, I noticed he was spending more evenings away—although he was not escorting Lady Grey to the evening's round of entertainments. That's when I knew he was gambling again. But that is not what I remembered… I must speak to Dermott. He has to know that nothing will stop the man coming to claim me as his bride." A tear escaped. She fought to control the need to give in to the tears, and won.

Bart seemed uncomfortable with her emotions, and concerned at what she had divulged. "Would you like me to get word to Dermott? The meeting should be concluding soon."

"What meeting?" she asked, as if she had little interest and was merely making conversation.

"The men are meeting with one of the new London guards. Captain Coventry sent three of them to help with the situation."

She murmured a vague sound of agreement. Obviously, she was the situation he referred to. What else could it be?

The door behind her opened, and Aurelia put a finger to her lips. "William and Edward have fallen back to sleep. Won't you come back inside? I've rung for tea."

Amber nodded. "Bart, you won't mention what I've said to you about my father, will you? I'd like to speak with Dermott before we tell anyone else."

"I won't say anything. Dermott will likely be the one to relieve me. He's been very concerned—and protective of you, Miss Amber."

The younger man's words went right to her heart and felt like a warm hug. "Thank you, Bart."

He nodded and resumed his protective stance outside the door. Amber entered the nursery, closing the door behind her.

Aurelia and Calliope were positively vibrating with excitement. "We heard the two of you speaking," Aurelia admitted.

"What did he tell you?" Calliope asked.

"Not very much," Amber replied. "Only that there is a meeting and one of the new London guards will be in attendance—three men arrived a short while ago. He also said the meeting would soon be over and Dermott would be relieving him."

Aurelia turned to Calliope. "I heard Persephone speaking about new guards after Jared returned from London a few months ago."

"Who are Jared and Persephone?" Amber asked.

"Edward's brother, and my sister-in-law—the Duke and Duchess of Wyndmere."

Amber digested the information, then said, "Ah, so this must have to do with the duke's guard…and me, doesn't it?"

"Yes. I'm quite certain that it does."

Aurelia's honesty eased some of Amber's frustration at the vital bits of information still hovering just out of her grasp.

"I hope you will not think less of me," Amber said to the women, "but I have a confession to make."

"We would never think any less of you," Calliope assured her. "If Aurelia remained my friend after hearing the details of my circumstances after the death of my parents, you have nothing to worry about."

"Tell us what you remembered," Aurelia urged. "You have my word we shall never abandon you."

Amber dug deep for the courage and told them of her father's vice and what he had gambled away.

"Is that why you are in Sussex and not in London?" Calliope asked.

A sharp pain sliced through Amber's head as her memory returned with a vengeance. "Oh my Lord!" she whispered. "Viscount Trenchert!"

When she turned to rush out of the door and wavered on her feet, Aurelia and Calliope steadied her. "I have heard his name," Aurelia admitted. "Vile man."

"You have no idea," Amber rasped. "Papa came home a few nights ago and confessed that he'd gambled away everything—including my hand in marriage."

"No one would ever expect you to honor a wager such as that," the countess declared, then lowered her voice when Calliope motioned to their sleeping sons and shushed her. "It wasn't a written note, was it?"

Fear curled inside of Amber. "It was. That is why my father insisted that I pack my portmanteau—I don't know what happened to it. I had it when I climbed the wall."

"Did you travel in your father's carriage?"

"Yes, with our coachman and one of the footmen…" She fell silent as the pieces slipped into place. "The viscount's men were waiting for us when we stopped at the inn near the village."

"But you must have escaped if you made it to within a mile or so from here," Aurelia said.

"We had to leave the footman behind, because he had been clubbed over the head. I thought we were going to escape, but they were right on our heels… Our coachman told me to run and turned to fight. I need to tell Papa—" Bile rushed up her throat as fear such as she'd never known assailed her. "He told me to go to Lippincott Manor, insisting that the earl was an honorable man, and would protect me if anything happened. Do you know my father? Have you heard from him?" She waited for a moment before asking, "Where is he?"

When neither woman answered right away, her sense that something was terribly wrong was too much to bear. She yanked the door open. "I've got to find him and warn him!" She slipped around Bart and ran toward the servants' staircase. The door burst open just as she grabbed the doorknob, and she landed on her backside.

*

"Lass! What inthe bloody hell are you doing out here?" Dermott helped her to her feet. "If I had any idea ye wouldn't listen to the earl's orders to stay put, I would have been more cautious opening the door."

Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright with tears. "Where is my father? I need to find him." When he reached for her, she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he held her upper arms firmly. She struggled against his hold. "Please, let me go! Don't you see? Viscount Trenchert is behind everything! I must warn my father."

God help him, Dermott did not know how to tell her to soften the blow. "Where are their ladyships?"

She frowned at him. "In the nursery. I think they know where Papa is, but wouldn't tell me. I was coming to find you. If you know where he is, you would have told me, wouldn't you?"

He pulled her roughly into his arms and wished anyone else had the duty of telling her. Finally she stopped squirming. Had she guessed? It was best to just say it. Prolonging her agony would only make it worse, but he had to explain why he did not tell her.

"I gave me word, lass." He felt the first sob of anguish rip through her. "Mo chroí," he rasped, cradling the back of her head in his hand, while she trembled against him as agony tore through her. "Mo ghrá, don't weep. I have never broken me word and was sworn to secrecy for yer safety, lass."

She cried harder. He lifted his head when he heard footfalls approaching. Digging deep to find the wherewithal to ease her out of his arms and into those of Lady Aurelia, he eased his hold on her. "I am more sorry than ye can imagine, lass. Forgive me."

Her tear-drenched eyes met his. "You knew."

Her accusation was a direct hit. "Aye."

"I was struggling to remember who I was, what had happened, and yet when I remembered my father, you gave no hint that you knew of him. Tell me what happened to him! He would be here otherwise. He promised me."

"There was a duel," Dermott told her. She bravely held his gaze, and he sensed that it cost her to do so. He owed her the rest of the truth, now that she'd guessed it. "He called out Trenchert for cheating."

Lady Aurelia rubbed a hand up and down Amber's arm, but Amber did not seem to notice as she shook her head. "No! I refuse to believe it. Papa would never fight a duel! There must be another explanation."

"I'm not at liberty to say any more, lass, without the earl's permission. Ye will have to trust that we will continue to protect ye… I will protect ye from the vile viscount! He'll never get his hands on ye as long as there is breath left in me body."

Lady Aurelia handed her a handkerchief. She blinked and managed to thank her before she dried her eyes and blew her nose. "Will you take me to the earl, Dermott?"

"Aye, lass." He held out his arm, waiting for her to take it. "He's in his study. We've received news that the viscount has arrived in Sussex. The earl has asked that I allow him to fill ye in on the rest."

She stared straight ahead, pausing only to reach for the curved railing on the main staircase. As they descended, she kept her head high, but never once looked at him. His gut clenched at the realization that it would take more than understanding that he would never break his vow to the duke and the earl. The lass had to grieve first before she'd be able to listen to reason.

Lord, let the lass understand how I feel…and believe me when I explain that she is in even more danger now!