Forsters 04 - Romancing the Runaway (22 page)

“All right,” she said. “Don’t kill him. Let him up and I’ll marry this idiot.”

Before Nesbitt could do anything other than grin with triumph, a knee deposited itself in his groin with enough force to elevate him into the air, and the knife flew from his hand. Nesbitt screamed and rolled off of Gabe, clutching his scrotum.

Miranda used the distraction to grind the heel of her boot into Peacock’s foot with a strength born of desperation. He appeared startled rather than hurt but loosened his hold on her sufficiently for her to be able to wriggle free. She picked up her skirts and ran the length of the aisle as fast as she could. She heard Peacock cursing and his boots ringing out on the stone floor as he gave chase.

His fingers curled round her forearm. “Oh no you don’t, miss!”

Miranda struggled but couldn’t break his hold. The idea of meekly submitting to her vile guardian was unthinkable, but what else could she do? He was stronger than he appeared, there was a wild look in his eye, and he was fighting for his very survival. She felt the pressure of the knife against her ribcage and abruptly stopped struggling, worried that Peacock would stab her, simply out of spite. Gabe wouldn’t be able to help her because he’d been on the floor, winded or worse after his struggle with Nesbitt.

A menacing figure loomed in the periphery of her vision. At first she panicked because she thought Nesbitt had come to Peacock’s aid. Relief swept through her when Gabe’s fist connected with the side of Peacock’s face with considerable force. There was the sound of cracking bone and blood spurted.

“Argh, you’ve broken my nose!”

The knife clattered to the floor as Peacock instinctively raised both hands to his face. Miranda lunged for it in case either of the Peacocks made an attempt to pick it up. Gabe took it from her and pocketed it, along with the one he’d taken from Nesbitt. How could she ever have doubted Gabe?

He gave Tobias the word and the dog sprang into action. As Nesbitt slowly pulled himself up from the floor, Tobias buried his fangs into his leather boot and clung on.

“Argh! Get that beast off me.”

Peacock was shouting orders to Miranda, actually seeming to believe that if he spoke loudly and with enough authority she would obey him. But when he saw the damage Tobias was doing to Nesbitt, he abruptly fell silent and slumped into a pew, head in hands, and looked to be on the verge of tears. It was over. The only villain still standing was William, who was unarmed and didn’t look as though he intended to attack them.

Miranda threw herself into Gabe’s arms, smothering his filthy face with kisses. “I thought…I feared—”

“Shush, it’s all right now. I’m so sorry I failed you.”

Holding Gabe’s hand, Miranda stood in front of Nesbitt.

“Call the damned dog off,” he demanded again.

“In a moment. First, you have something belonging to his lordship.”

Nesbitt looked like we wanted to tell Gabe to go to the devil, but had the good sense to realise he was in no position to negotiate. He reached into his inner pocket and produced Gabe’s ring. Gabe took it from him without a word and slid it onto his finger. Only then did Miranda call Tobias off and ruffle his ears. Fuming and clearly in pain, Nesbitt was puce with rage.

“You would have gone through with this for my sake?” Gabe asked, looking totally bewildered.

“Certainly,” she replied. “Not that I would have allowed the ape into my bed. I was merely buying you time.”

Gabe started to laugh, quietly at first, but then his mirth overcome his best attempts to contain it and turned into a belly laugh.

“I’m glad you find it so amusing,” Miranda said, miffed that her sacrifice meant so little to him.

Gabe regained control of himself and begged her pardon. “I’ll explain what amused me later,” he said softly. “But first we must deal with these rogues.”

“You’re welcome to try,” William sneered, surprising Miranda with this sudden show of backbone. “But there’s just one of you, plus a mangy dog, whereas we have reinforcements.” They all looked towards the door, where Bill and Luke now stood. “They shouldn’t have let you escape, but at least they’re here now to put matters right.”

“Unfortunately not,” Wright said, stepping up behind them.

William puffed out his chest, outraged. “What? How dare you change sides,” he yelled at Bill and Luke. “After all my father’s done for you, you ungrateful blaggards.”

“Your father went too far in expecting us to kidnap Lord Gabriel and take the blame if we was caught,” Bill replied. “We’re through with doing his dirty work, especially when we get so little thanks for it.”

“But you can’t.” Spittle ran down William’s face. Fear lit his eyes and his complexion paled. “We’re in this together. There’s still time to put things right. You’ll be well paid. You—”

“Tie them up,” Gabe said. “And that includes the parson.”

“What! I’ve done nothing illegal. You can’t, you—”

“I think you’ll find that I can,” Gabe replied calmly. “Did this young lady seem like a willing bride?”

“Well, not precisely, but I thought it was a case of wedding day nerves.”

Gabe shook his head and motioned Wright and his men forward. “We’ll take them back to Looe and hand them over to the squire. He can lock them up until arrangements can be made to take them back to London.”

Gabe had his back to the trio gathered around the altar and so it was Miranda who first saw William recover from his catatonic state. With an oath, he drew a dagger from his belt and moved with surprising speed towards Gabe.

“Gabe, look out, he has a knife!”

“Him too?” Gabe sighed. “What is it with these cowards and knives?”

He moved just in time to avoid having a dagger plunged into his back. The blow caught his arm instead, but this time the weight of his greatcoat worked to his advantage by taking most of the damage. Even so, its tip must have penetrated his skin because blood seeped from the wound. Miranda gasped. He was hurt. She couldn’t bear it, not after they’d come through so much, but Gabe seemed unconcerned.

“You seek to attack an unarmed man. I would expect nothing less from the likes of you.”

“He’s mine, m’lord,” Wright said, stepping forward.

“Thank you, Wright, but I can deal with this alone.”

Gabe’s movements were a blur. One moment he was facing William, sending him a withering glare that implied he was barely worth the bother it would take to subdue him. The next he turned in a complete circle, coat billowing in his wake. One leg shot out and caught William behind his knees, sending him tumbling to the stone floor. There was a cracking sound and William yelled. He’d obviously broken his arm in the fall, and the fight was over before it had even begun.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Gabe said, taking Miranda’s arm and leading her from the church. “Shall we go home?”

*

“You’re hurt,” Miranda said anxiously, clutching his good arm and frowning up at him.

Gabe smiled. “It’s nothing.”

It was true. He felt no pain from any of his injuries, just unmitigated relief that he’d reached Miranda in time and that she was safe and well.

“I disagree. It was…oh my goodness, is that Sultan?” The horse’s head shot up at the sound of Miranda’s voice and he whinnied. “How extraordinary. He remembers me.”

She ran up to him and covered his muzzle with a series of soft kisses. Gabe laughed, hardly able to believe it was the same horse who’d been untameable just a short time ago.

“It was to be a surprise. In the event I rode him over here. If not for him I would have been too late and you would have been wed to that oaf.”

Miranda tossed her head. “Not for long.”

That wasn’t the point. Gabe understood now why he’d been so desperate to get to her before vows were exchanged. He wasn’t prepared for her to marry anyone, no matter how temporarily, other than himself. The reason he’d been so grimly determined to help her was now so obvious that he couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised it long before. Perhaps he’d been unwilling or unready to accept that he was deeply and completely in love with his vivacious vixen. His determination to remain unwed withered at that moment, just as his brothers had told him their own resistance had dissolved the moment they met the right woman.

“Come,” he said, helping her into the curricle. “Sultan ran his heart out to get me here. He can be tied behind and we’ll make the return journey in a more leisurely fashion.”

“What about the Peacocks and Nesbitt?”

Gabe laughed. “Oh, I believe Bill has plans for them.”

The four men, hands bound, were led from the church. Nesbitt tried to cajole and then bribe Bill into releasing them.

“We’ll set you up financially for life if you let us go.”

Bill sniffed. “Seems to me you ain’t got enough blunt to support yourselves, much less Luke and me.”

“You helped us. We’ll tell the authorities you were involved and you’ll be arrested.”

“I doubt Lord Gabriel will let that happen.”

“Absolutely he won’t,” Gabe said, grinning at his unlikely supporters.

“I have influence,” Nesbitt growled.

“Not as much as his lordship.” Bill mounted a horse and tied the ropes that bound Nesbitt and Peacock to the saddle, clearly planning for them to walk back to Looe. Luke did something similar with the other two. “Come along then, you imbeciles,” Bill said cheerfully. “We don’t have all day.”

Gabe chuckled and moved the curricle forward, enjoying Bill’s revenge as much as Bill himself obviously was.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was late in the day by the time Gabe had explained events to Looe’s rather bemused squire and ensured the prisoners were secured in his cellar for the night. He then returned to the Wildes, where a hot bath awaited him. He gratefully sank into it and allowed Munford to dress the scratch on his arm.

“Good job you’ve got such a hard head, m’lord,” he said cheerfully, as he cleaned away the dried blood on the back of his skull.

Gabe grunted and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the robe Munford held out for him. A dinner tray was awaiting Gabe’s attention and, sharp set after the events of the day, he did it full justice. The moment he’d finished he dismissed Munford and planned his next move. Miranda would be in her own chamber, recovering from her ordeal, and Gabe couldn’t reasonably expect to see her again before the morning.

But he wasn’t in a reasonable mood. He had a question to ask her—a question that wouldn’t wait even for another hour. He occupied the main bedchamber, the one that had been her father and mother’s. She wouldn’t hear of taking it herself and had insisted on remaining in her childhood room, just two doors away from his. He would leave it another hour, give everyone time to retire, and then pay a call on the future Lady Gabriel Forster.

Now that the time had come to declare himself, Gabe was stricken with nerves. Having made up his own mind, he assumed that Miranda would have him, but was he being presumptive and arrogant? She seemed genuinely determined not to marry and what right did he have to suppose he could change her mind? He suspected that his position and wealth would cut little ice with her, which was one of the things that attracted him. She
liked
him, he knew at least that much, but he wasn’t prepared to settle for half measures. Unless she could convince him that she loved him every bit as much as he did her, then he would walk away and try to forget about her.

He was so deep in contemplation that he didn’t hear the door open. Miranda’s familiar scent assailed his nostrils and he looked up to see her standing over him—his golden angel with her hair cascading around her shoulders, her face scrubbed clean, a tentative smile playing about her lips, as though she was unsure of her welcome.

“They wouldn’t tell me how you are,” she said, “so I came to see for myself.”

“I was about to come in search of you,” he replied, standing and taking her hand.

Together they sat on the settee in the window embrasure, where Gabe retained possession of her hand. He explained how he’d come to be captured and how Bill and Luke rescued him.

“Were it not for them, I…” He shook his head. “I was a fool, Miranda, and that’s the honest truth.”

“You couldn’t have known that Mr. Banks’s employee was behind the scheme.”

“I should have worked it out. Who else could have known about the cove and the filings?”

“Has he been taken in charge?”

“He did nothing wrong. He wasn’t involved in my kidnap. However, I dare say Banks will take a dim view of his behaviour and dismiss him.”

“I’m sure he will.” She reached up and ran the fingers of her free hand through his hair. They came to rest on the lump at the back of his skull and he flinched. “They really did hit you hard. You were lucky to survive such a blow.”

“Munford says I have a hard head.”

“Just as well. What will you do about Bill and Luke?”

Gabe shrugged. “Find them employment. They’re rogues, but they undoubtedly saved the day. I’m sure Hal will have something for them. If not Darius might use them in London. He often needs people of their station to go into awkward situations and gain information.”

“I’m glad. In spite of everything, I rather like them.”

“And if neither of those situations work, perhaps they could remain here.”

“Here? You will be gone soon and I can’t afford to pay them.”

He smoothed the hair away from her face, nervous and uncertain. “I was rather hoping you would invite me to stay,” he said softly.

“By all means. Obviously you’re not well enough to travel yet.”

“I’m perfectly well.”

“Oh, then what business detains you in Cornwall?”

She really had no idea, no expectations. “Your business.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I’d be the happiest man alive if you’d agree to become my wife, Miranda.”

Her eyes opened very wide and her mouth followed suit. “You’re concussed,” she said, placing a hand on his brow. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying. In fact I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I think I must have felt the connection between us when I rescued you from that barn at the Hall. It’s the only reason I can think of for not sending you away the moment you were well enough.”

“Well yes, I must agree that there’s something there, but I thought that was how things always were when a man and woman are left together unchaperoned.” She flashed a mischievous smile. “Nature will have its way.”

“I love you, Miranda, deeply and passionately. Those are words I never thought to utter in my entire life, but they need to be said. If however you don’t return my feelings then you must say so at once. You owe me nothing and the last thing I require is for you to accept me out of a sense of duty.”

A curling smile lit up her features. “I dreamed of hearing you say those words,” she admitted, “but never thought it would actually happen. If you’re really serious, Gabe, then I accept with gladness in my heart.”

Gabe pulled her onto his lap and kissed her, crushing her mouth beneath his as relief swept through him. He pushed the robe from her shoulders and reached for her breasts. She moaned against his lips when his fingers closed around them, greedy and possessive.

“I need to look at you,” he said, breaking the kiss.

With no outward signs of embarrassment, she stood up and pulled her nightgown over her head. She wore a chemise beneath it and shed that also, her eyes sparkling with reckless laughter and obvious desire. She was so beautiful she took Gabe’s breath away.

“Your turn,” she said, biting her lower lip and sending him a challenging smile.

Gabe took even less time to disrobe than she had. She gasped when she observed his erection but didn’t seem unduly worried about it. He pulled her back into his arms but this time bare flesh collided with bare flesh, the fusion explosive. Kissing her again, Gabe lifted her from the floor and carried her to the bed. They fell onto it together, arms still entwined.

“Your cut arm,” she said. “You’ll damage it.”

“Stop talking and allow me to love you.”

*

Miranda felt a growing need to pinch herself, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. The feel of Gabe’s large, capable hands exploring every inch of her body, of his lips kissing her in places that excited her passions and drove her wild, reminded her that this was reality. She writhed beneath him, wanton, urging him on. Her legs fell open and she wrapped them around his waist because it seemed like the most natural thing to do, lifting her hips until her throbbing heat touched his cock. He inhaled sharply and she wondered if she’d done something wrong.

“I need you to love me, Gabe,” she said, panting with expectancy. “After all that’s happened, it seems only right that we should freely express our love for one another. And that means no holding back out of any warped sense of responsibility.”

“Holding back wasn’t what I had in mind on this occasion.” He nipped at the pulse beating wildly out of control at the base of her neck. “I have the happy knack of knowing when to give a lively filly her head.”

“That will save me having to fight you for my head.”

“Never fight me, sweet vixen. We want the same things.”

“I won’t want to live in London when we’re married,” she said. “Shall you mind?”

He chuckled. “Not in the least. We’ll remain here in Cornwall, breed horses and children, make one another laugh and be happy.”

His tongue cut a path across one of her breasts. His teeth latched onto a rock hard nipple and gently tugged at it.

Miranda moaned. “Your brother might object to your marrying someone as inconsequential as me.”

“My brother’s wife’s circumstances were similar to yours. We Forsters appear to be attracted to undisciplined, independent and opinionated sirens.”

She ran her nails down the length of his back, breathing hard as he continued to arouse her. “It’s only fair to warn you that I shall remain undisciplined, independent and opinionated. It’s not too late to change your mind if that prospect concerns you.”

“A promise is a promise, Miranda. You just agreed to become my wife.”

“Yes.” She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing simply from the joy of being alive. He might think she was laughing at his lovemaking and, according to Louisa, men tended to be rather sensitive about that sort of thing. “I suppose I did.”

“Oh.” She sighed when Gabe nudged the tip of his cock against her opening. She lifted her hips and he sank inside. She cried out when a sharp pain ripped through her.

“Am I hurting you, darling?”

“Not in the least.”

Gabe kissed her brow and apologised. “No more pain,” he said. “I promise you.”

He was right. He eased his entire length into her with extreme care. It felt invasive and sore at first but the searing pleasure she experienced as he filled her completely more than compensated for the discomfort.

Soon they were moving together and heat was building inside her at an alarming rate. What they’d done before was nothing compared to this. Her head spun and a tingling exhilaration consumed her. Gabe stared into her eyes. She cried out and closed around him as a white-hot explosion of unleashed energy ripped through her. Her entire body spasmed. Her breathing fractured and so did she.

Only when the tingling started to fade did Gabe move again, taking his own pleasure. His face was a mask of unbridled joy as he shot his seed deep inside her. Miranda joined him, falling over the precipice for a second time.

He gathered her in his arms as soon as they were both able to breathe normally again, and he smothered her face with kisses. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, not at all. It was quite the most wonderful feeling.”

“Why are you laughing?” he asked a moment later.

She tilted her head so she could see his face. “Oh, I was just thinking that I would give a very great deal to see Louisa’s reaction when she reads the announcement of our betrothal.”