My Lady Vixen (40 page)

Charles was waiting for Alexa when she returned, anger turning his handsome features almost ugly as his mouth twisted in a menacing snarl. Alexa had hoped he hadn’t returned yet from his duties, or his club, or wherever he disappeared to during the day. It had been a long, eventful day and she had not eaten since breakfast. Hunger gnawed at her and the beginnings of a
headache threatened.

“Where in the hell have you been?” Charles demanded to know. “I distinctly remember forbidding you to leave the house. I arrived home early today so I might have dinner with you, we spend so little time together. But I arrived to find you gone and the servants not even aware of it. Where have you been sneaking off to?”

“You don’t own me, Charles!” Alexa challenged hotly.

“I damn well do, my lady Vixen,” contended Charles, sneering complacently. “Have you forgotten you owe me your life? And the life of your child? Not to mention your husband.”

“I’ve forgotten nothing, Charles,” Alexa retorted. “And I’ve kept my part of the bargain. I went to see my father, that’s all. Why didn’t you tell me he was dead?” Alexa asked, her violet eyes so filled with accusation Charles was forced to turn away.

“I’ve just found out myself,” Charles defended weakly, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. “I would have told you when the time was right.” Deliberately, Alexa turned her back on the enraged Charles. “Don’t play the haughty aristocrat with me, Alexa,” he warned, grasping her arm to swing her about. “Everyone knew your father disowned you and left his entire estate to Billy Ashley, a distant cousin.”

Alexa’s eyes gleamed but she wisely refrained from informing him of her father’s change of heart. Instead, she shouted, “Take your hands off me, Charles! I’m tired and hungry and in no condition to deal with your childish tantrums!”

“Childish tantrums!” Charles stormed, his face mottled with rage. “How dare you call me names! You’re a slut, my fine lady Vixen! Everyone knows you gave yourself to that impostor, Lord Penwell, on the eve of our
wedding. I have a good notion to take you right here on the floor, big belly or no. You deserve no better from me.”

As if to reinforce his vile intentions, Charles flung her to the floor and calmly proceeded to unbutton his trousers. “You lay one finger on me, Charles, and I’ll kill you!” gritted out Alexa from between clenched teeth. “No man has the right to make a victim of me. I learned many things in my role as the Vixen, and one of them was how to defend myself. If you harm me or my child I swear you’ll find a knife in your back when you least expect it.”

Charles froze, his fingers, already on the fly of his pants, stilled as a shudder passed through his body. He was certain he never wanted the look in Alexa’s eyes directed at him more than once. “What about our bargain? You’re still a traitor and it’s not too late to bring you before the authorities. From what I understand King George would feel little remorse over your death.”

“I will keep my word. Charles, as long as you hold to yours. You are not to touch me, either in anger or … or otherwise, until after my child is born.”

“And afterwards? You’ll share my bed willingly?” Alexa nodded, hiding her crossed fingers behind her back. Flushing darkly, Charles turned and stomped from the room.

After that scene, Charles moved swiftly to curtail Alexa’s outside activities. She found herself guarded both day and night by a burly thug whom she was certain Charles had hired off the streets. She was not allowed to leave the house except to walk in the gardens, and then only in the company of her guard whose name she did not bother to learn for she had neither the occasion nor the inclination to speak to him.

Unbeknownst to Alexa, Charles had gone so far as to
engage a midwife of unsavory reputation who was quite willing, for a price, to fall in with his devious plans. It was arranged between them that when Alexa’s baby was born she would be told it had died. The small coffin Charles intended to bury would be empty and the baby given to a couple who would raise it in the country away from London. Charles wanted no whining brat around to remind Alexa of her dead husband.

Alexa had seen no one since she had called on Maddy and her father’s solicitor weeks before. Though not ill-treated by Charles she nevertheless remained wary of him, uncertain whether or not to trust him or the midwife he had engaged for her. She had even gone so far as to suggest that Maddy come and attend her, but Charles quickly disabused her of that idea. In the end Alexa realized she had no one but herself to rely upon.

Soon afterwards something happened to irrevocably alter the fabric of Alexa’s life. Insulated as she was from the world outside Charles’s home, Alexa heard little news but for servants gossip. So you can imagine her shock when she heard the butler and footman discussing the news that was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. The war in America was over! A ship just recently arrived from America bearing word that Cornwallis had surrendered and Clinton was sailing back home to England. For all intents and purposes the war was all but ended. Later a delegation of Americans would arrive to work out the terms of the peace treaty.

Alexa was jubilant. Along with peace came the end of her subjugation to Charles. Her word was no longer a valid reason for remaining under his domination. Nor was the fear of being unmasked as the Vixen, for one of the terms of the treaty was bound to be amnesty for all persons convicted of war crimes. At long last she was rid of Charles, Alexa rejoiced, and once her baby was born she was free to return to America to find Adam. She
prayed fervently that he had come through the war unscathed. He looked so wretched the last time she saw him.

Alexa began to pack immediately, determined that she would not remain with Charles a moment longer than necessary. When he returned home late that night after cavorting passionately for long hours with an actress talented in more than one of the arts, Alexa was waiting.

“Why aren’t you in bed, Alexa?” He frowned when he found her seated in the drawing room with several lamps lit and her arms folded stubbornly. “Is it the baby? If so you should have had one of the servants summon the midwife.”

“It’s not the baby, Charles. The war in America is ended. The English are beaten and have sued for peace.”

“Oh,” Charles replied blandly. “I had heard talk of some such today.”

“Is that all you can say? My God, it’s over! Don’t you understand? You no longer have any say over me! I’m free to go and do as I please!”

“And what is that, my dear?” Charles asked snidely. “Where will you go and what will you do?”

“I have a home, Charles. I didn’t tell you before but my father left everything to me, the houses, the land, all incomes. I am wealthy and shall want for nothing. I am more than capable of providing for myself and my child.”

“When did you learn all this?” Charles asked curiously. “I suppose that housekeeper of your father’s imparted that information to you the day you went to Ashley House.”

“Aye,” Alexa admitted defiantly. “I visited my father’s solicitors that day, too. I signed the papers and everything is now mine.”

“And you saw fit to keep that information from me,” contended Charles, glowering.

“It had nothing to do with you.”

“What about your word, Alexa? Does the word of an Ashley mean so little that you break it so easily?”

“I consider the promise I made to you under coercion now null and void. It was given under duress. I never intended to keep it. Once my child was born I would have found a way to keep from honoring my promise to … to become your mistress, or wife, if that’s what you intended.”

“I had thought to marry you, Alexa,” Charles admitted crossly. “Had I known you were wealthy I would have already done so.”

“Have you forgotten something, Charles? I already have a husband. I would not commit bigamy and you have made no move so far to obtain a divorce, not that I would have agreed to it.”

Suddenly Charles burst out laughing, shocking Alexa. He laughed until tears slid down his cheeks, until Alexa thought he was mad. “What’s the matter with you? Have you gone crazy?”

“Oh, Alexa, how naive you are,” Charles gasped, wiping away his tears of mirth. “Did you really believe I would allow Fox to live so that he might come after you one day? Give me more credit than that!”

“What … what are you talking about?” Alexa paled, her body tense with dread as she stared fixedly at Charles. “I saw Adam leave the ship with my own eyes. I watched him disappear into the night.”

“What you failed to see were the two men I hired to kill him the moment he walked out of your sight,” Charles informed her, grinning maliciously. “That man had nine lives and I dared not trust the hangman to claim him. A rescue was always possible no matter how well-guarded he was.”

“You despicable bastard!” spat Alexa, quivering with impotent rage. Then abruptly something occurred to her. “How do you know for sure he is dead? We sailed almost immediately and he could have escaped your trap. Didn’t you just say he had more lives than a cat?”

“No danger of that.” Charles smiled complacently. “You saw for yourself just how weak Fox was. He had been beaten daily by his guards and his wounds were still festering.”

Hope stirred in Alexa’s breast as she replied. “He still could have escaped. Any number of things could have happened without your knowing it.”

“Not likely.” Charles said slyly. “I know for a certainty that Fox is dead. Remember the light we saw on shore before we sailed? If you recall you even remarked on it.” Alexa nodded, dreading the words she knew were coming. “That was the prearranged signal telling me that Fox, or Adam, if you prefer, was dead. Not until I was certain he no longer lived did I take my ship from Savannah. Now, I’m not convinced it was worth the effort,” Charles confided sourly.

Exerting gargantuan effort, Alexa hauled herself from the chair and rushed at Charles, nails bared, opening deep tracks down his cheeks. “You vile beast!” she screamed, grief driving her beyond sanity. “If I had a sword I’d run you through! You killed a better man than you can ever hope to be! I hate you! One day. Charles, when I’m not burdened with child, we’ll meet on even terms and then I’ll take great pleasure in killing you. So help me God!”

Charles experienced a shiver of fear. Never had he seen a woman so grief-stricken as to be bordering on insanity. Wrenching her clawed hands from his blood-streaked face he managed to free himself with great effort. He knew enough about Alexa and the Vixen to realize she had not spoken idly. One day, when he least
expected it, he would find himself facing the sharp edge of a sword, and more than likely sudden death at the hands of a vengeful woman.

“Calm yourself, Alexa,” Charles hissed, “remember your child.”

“I am remembering my child. I’m thinking that he or she will never know a father’s love.”

“I think it’s best that I leave, Alexa. You’re becoming distraught and I fear for your sanity,” Charles said, backing away.

“You fear for your life, coward, as well as you should! Get out of my sight! If I ever see you again be prepared to die!”

Charles needed no further urging as he turned and fled from the house, muttering darkly about women who thought themselves equal to men and refused to be subjugated by them. Never again would he attempt to tame such a woman. Give him a timid, demure woman whose existence depended upon her husband’s good will.

Alexa hauled herself up the stairs step by painful step, her fragile, swollen body wracked with sobs. Dead! Adam was dead! A dull ache gnawed at her vitals and sapped her rapidly diminishing strength. She had no reason to doubt Charles, for she distinctly recalled standing at the rail of Charles’s ship and wondering about the lantern winking at them from shore. For some unexplained reason she chose not to question Charles at the time despite the fact that he seemed extraordinarily anxious until he spied the twinkling light that she since learned was a signal proclaiming Adam’s death.

It seemed impossible that she would never experience his lovemaking again, or hear his low, sensuous voice whispering to her of his love. What really hurt was the
knowledge that he had died without ever knowing about the child he fathered. Safe in her room. Alexa locked the door and sank gratefully into bed, her grief too difficult to bear without the relief of tears.

Early the next day Alexa arrived complete with luggage at Ashley House where she collapsed weeping into Maddy’s comforting arms. “I hoped you’d come home, my lady,” Maddy soothed, “the moment I heard the news about the war. You’re safe now, lovey. Charles can no longer harm you.”

“Oh, Maddy, Charles has already done me more harm than you’ll ever know. He killed Adam! He ordered my husband’s death!”

Leading her to a chair, Maddy did her best to console Alexa once she was told the full extent of Charles’s deceit. “Perhaps it didn’t happen as Charles said,” suggested Maddy hopefully. “Try not to carry on so, lovey. You’re doing your child no good.”

“You didn’t see Adam that night. He was sick, and so weak he could barely stand,” wailed Alexa, bitterly defeated. “He’s dead, I just know it!”

Attempting to change the subject, Maddy asked, “Did you see Charles this morning before you left? Did he try to stop you?”

Alexa laughed harshly through a wash of tears. “That coward? He knew better than to try to stop me. He was nowhere in sight when I left. The servants told me he failed to return home last night. I think I frightened him. Maddy. I promised to kill him and he knew I meant it.”

Maddy’s eyes nearly bugged out of her gray head and she clucked her tongue as she viewed the instant transformation of her beloved, sweet Alexa into the cold-blooded Vixen. There was no doubt in her mind that Charles had best look to his own safety.

With Maddy’s help Alexa settled into the familiarity of her childhood home. Though she had spent a great deal of time at her father’s country estate, Ashley House in London was equally dear to her, and she made tentative plans to spend the summer in the country with her newborn baby. Perhaps there, in the peaceful atmosphere, she would at last come to terms with her grief and learn to live without Adam.