The Theft of a Dukedom (7 page)

Kitty jerked awake, unsure of what had
disturbed her. She scrabbled for the tinderbox and
painstakingly lit the lamp on her nightstand. All she
could hear was the hammering of her heart. The house
was silent and she could see a block of moonlight on the
carpet in front of the window. She didn’t draw her
curtains in the summer and even had the window open
an inch for some fresher air. She climbed out of bed and
went to the door, opening it quietly and listening on the
landing. She still heard nothing.

She frowned as she closed her door and was
walking slowly back to the bed when she heard a
distinct moan. She stood stock still, like a startled
gazelle, all her senses attuned for that sound again. She
waited patiently and eventually it came again.

It’s coming from outside!
She realised in shock
and went to the window. The bright moonlight bathed
the garden in silver light, making the dark, humped
shape on the lawn stand out.

Kitty quickly thrust her feet into her slippers and
shrugged a dressing gown over her nightgown, cinching
the sash as she picked up the lamp. She silently opened
her door and walked quickly along the landing. At the
top of the stairs she could see Havers in the hallway
dozing in a chair as he waited for her father to come
home.

I can’t go that way! Havers will want to know
why I’m out of bed.
She thought and turned around to
go back to the service stairs. She lightly skipped down
the stairs without seeing another member of staff, she
hurried through the servant’s back rooms and arrived at
the conservatory, where she set the lamp down on the
table. She opened the door and walked out into the
garden. She stood on the edge of the terrace looking at
the humped shape on the lawn, wondering if she should
disturb it or not.

The body under the blanket twitched, jerked and
then moaned again.
It must be Charles.
She thought.
Daddy told me he sleeps in front of the fire in the
drawing room though.
Still unsure, she stepped onto
the grass, her gowns soaking up the early dew as she
walked purposefully to the body.

As she got closer she could see it was Richard.
‘Oh!’ she said suddenly. ‘It’s you Lord Richard.’ To which
she got no reply, as he was deep in the nightmare of a
battle. ‘Lord Richard?’ she spoke louder, but still got no
response. She walked right up to him and placed her
hand on his shoulder, but before she could open her
mouth to speak again, his arm swept out from under
the blanket and scythed her legs from under her. She
landed on the grass with a thump, grunting as the air
was expelled from her lungs. Richard reared up over her
prone form and his iron fingers clamped around her
throat.

Kitty suddenly became aware how dangerous it
had been to try and wake him. She was pinned,
vulnerable and choking. But, she still retained enough
courage to lift her hand to his face. He was throttling
the life out of her and she still caressed his cheek like a
lover would. In the darkening recesses of her mind she
knew that gentleness would alter his perception. So
instead of struggling, she lay quiescent, except for her
hand on his cheek.

Suddenly he gasped. ‘Kitty!’ he croaked as he
released her throat. ‘Oh! My God!’ burst from him as he
realised who he was killing and felt her warm hand slide
across his cheek as it fell away from his face. He could
see her eyes had rolled up into her skull and he was
terrified that he’d killed her. He quickly jabbed his
fingers on the pulse in her throat and was gratified to
feel it throbbing evenly. He gently massaged her throat
and neck, and then he scooped her up off the grass and
carried her into the conservatory. He laid her carefully
on the large settee and reached for the ever present
brandy decanter. Foregoing a glass, he put his lips to the
neck of the carafe and up ended it, swallowing
vigorously, his hands shaking so much that he could
barely control the crystal vessel.

His heart was still trying to burst out of his chest
at the shock of seeing Kitty on the lawn and he was
bathed in the sweat of panic. He knew Charles would kill
him if anything happened to Kitty. Richard had spent
hours listening to Charles talk about his little sister Kitty,
especially while they were waiting for battle. He
checked her once more, then went back into the garden
for the blanket. He draped it gently over her inert form,
pulled one of the wicker chairs around and sat down to
wait for her to wake up.

He sat and looked at her in the dappled
moonlight and was astonished again at the beauty of
her form. He’d seen some beautiful women in his life,
his mother included, but Kitty was stunning. Even
Constance Beresford couldn’t hold a candle to her, in his
opinion. He studied her delicate features, seeing the
resemblance to Charles in her nose. Like his, it was
straight and finished in a point, rather than a button,
but her cheeks were perfect, like a cherubs and her
heart shaped lips looked so inviting he felt his manhood
throb.

Maybe I should have stayed with Charles
he
thought
then we could have shared Constance
Beresford, like we did those whores in Lisbon, Coimbra
and Porto!
He pictured Charles the last time, fucking her
from behind while she sucked him off and the pair of
them talking about the action.

His focus returned to the innocent girl on the
couch and he couldn’t ever picture her sucking his cock,
but his unruly cock could feel the slide of her tongue
over the head and it was so vivid that Richard squirmed
in the chair and fresh sweat broke out on his forehead.
He reached for the brandy again and gulped more down
his throat in an effort to banish such evocative thoughts
from his brain. But he couldn’t stop the vision of
thrusting his length into her hot, slick vagina.

‘I’m sorry.’ Kitty whispered from the settee and
he almost choked on the brandy as he jumped. ‘I didn’t
mean to startle you.’

‘You scared me to death!’ he said forcefully, just
managing to hide his guilt and restrain himself from
shouting at her. ‘Didn’t your father tell you not to
disturb Charles?’ She nodded slowly. ‘Then the same
rules apply to me. Christ! I’m more violent than he is!’
he swore. He shut his mouth like a trap as he saw the
first tear slide slowly over her cheek.

‘I’m sorry.’ She reiterated. ‘I won’t do it again.’
She tried to smother the sob that followed her
statement, but she couldn’t. The fear she’d felt as her
world darkened had been very real and it made what
Robin had done seem like nothing. She grasped the
edge of the blanket with her trembling fingers and
Richard suddenly felt ashamed.

‘I apologise for my outburst, Lady Amelia, but
you did startle me.’ He slopped some brandy into a glass
and offered it to her. ‘How does your throat feel?’ he
asked softly.

‘It hurts.’ She whispered still as she sat up and
accepted the glass.
‘Where?’ he asked as he stood up.
Kitty took a small sip, set the glass aside and
pushed the blanket down. She frowned at him
sorrowfully as he crouched in front of her and then she
straightened her shoulders as she made a decision. She
pulled open the top of her dressing gown and loosened
the first ribbon of her night rail. ‘Here.’ She croaked and
touched her trachea gently. She lifted her chin for his
inspection and again Richard felt the sweat break out on
his brow.
If Charles walked in now I wouldn’t be able to
adequately explain why I was stroking his sister’s throat.
He thought as he gently probed her gullet, sliding his
fingers around her neck and checking the flow of her
jugular.
‘I think you might have some bruising
tomorrow.’ He said softly still. ‘And perhaps I’d better
explain it to your father.’ He sat back on his chair, his
fingers retaining the silken feel of her skin and fighting
the urge to rest his lips on the pulse in her throat. ‘What
made you come out?’ he gulped out and reached for
the decanter again.
‘Would you like a glass for that?’ she said and
smiled gently.
‘No.’ He said abruptly as he up ended the
decanter again.
‘I heard you.’ she said simply and looked down
at her lap, where her hands were demurely folded. ‘You
were moaning and it woke me up.’
‘How did you get down here without being
seen?’ he asked in astonishment and drank again.
She smiled coyly again. ‘I took the service stairs.
Havers is sitting by the front door waiting for Daddy to
come home.’ She smiled brightly, ‘he’ll be with the
Duchess until dawn.’
He choked suddenly on the brandy fumes and
coughed. ‘You know where he is?’
‘I’m not quite the little ingénue that everybody
seems to think.’ She said perplexed. ‘I’m twenty years
old and two of my friends are already married!’
‘Do you talk about this kind of thing then?’ he
asked even more astounded at this insight into a young
miss.
‘Of course! Millicent was only too eager to tell us
every single detail of her wedding night!’ She laughed
delightedly. ‘I can only hope that my wedding night will
be like hers and that I have the good fortune to choose
a kind and gentle man.’
‘I’m astonished!’ he blurted. ‘I didn’t think Ladies
talked about such things.’
‘Of course we do. We’re human beings too!’ she
said indignantly. ‘It might be a man’s world and a
woman doesn’t have any rights. But not all men treat
their wives as property and a good woman is as valuable
as a good man.’
‘I can vouch for that, but that’s a rather modern
view of the world.’
‘I like to hope that there is an equally modern
man out there that will appreciate my views.’
‘What happens if there isn’t?’ he asked
impertinently.
‘Then I shall end up a spinster like Aunt Agatha.’
‘So the gentlemen of the
ton
haven’t made a
good impression?’
‘Do you want an honest answer to that? Or
would you like me to pander to your sensibilities and
lie.’ She asked with a knowing smile.
‘I think I can handle an honest answer.’ He said
smugly.
‘In truth I have not met a single man that has
impressed me, until tonight.’ She said turning to
retrieve her glass and hide her face to conceal her
blush. ‘Most of them treat me as a possession and they
haven’t even asked for my hand!’ She sipped the amber
spirit. ‘They have impressed upon me their selfishness
and lack of propriety at times. Ponsonby was a prime
example the other night when he grabbed my arm to
march me to the Ladies Retiring room.’ She shrugged
her shoulders. ‘What on earth made him think it was
any of his concern still has me dumbfounded.’
‘Perhaps he thought it was the correct course of
action.’ Richard ventured.
‘What would you have done?’ she asked
abruptly, spearing him with her eyes.
‘That would all depend on the circumstances.’
He said evasively.
‘I have just been struck by the hand of a
stranger, and the contents of his glass have saturated
the front of my gown. What would you do?’ she
insisted.
Richard looked at her thoughtfully. ‘What was
the culprit doing?’
‘Apologising profusely and taking his
handkerchief out to assist me.’ She said evenly.
‘I have many options depending on what I’m
seeing and what I feel. If I’m a jealous man and I’m
seeing the lady I have designs on being touched by
another man, even innocently, I could become
infuriated and try to march her away from the source of
my discomfort.’ He placed the decanter back on the
table. ‘Or if I’m a man secure in the knowledge of your
affection, I would probably call the clumsy oaf out. At
least I would demand restitution for the loss of the
gown.’
‘Amazing.’ She said in awe and shook her head
slowly. ‘You have just described exactly what happened.
Derek Ponsonby arrived hot foot to drag me away, my
father came and gently sorted the replacement of my
dress and I know if Charles could have moved quickly he
would have called the culprit out before I could draw
breath!’ She laughed in merriment, covering her mouth
with her fingers. He smiled with her and suddenly her
heart missed a beat. She had a vivid picture of him
doing all those deliciously scandalous things that
Millicent had told her about and she decided it was time
to retire. ‘I really should get back to bed. If my father
finds us like this he’ll have a fit!’ She pushed the blanket
off her knees and stood up. ‘Goodnight, my Lord.’ She
said, smiled coyly again and almost ran out of the
conservatory.
She ran up the stairs as quick as a jack rabbit,
only slowing to open and close her door. She stripped
off her dressing gown and only then realised she’d not
retied the neck of her nightdress. Shocked at her
oversight, but thrilled by the wanton omission, she
climbed into bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. She
lay and recalled every word and touch from Lord
Richard throughout the whole evening. She gasped at
the strength in his arms as she remembered just how he
swept her out of the path of the falling punch bowl. If
he hadn’t been so fast, the bowl would undoubtedly of
hit her legs, possibly breaking them. Gradually she
dropped off to sleep.

Richard remained in the conservatory.
What just
happened?
He asked himself.
One minute we’re talking
quite happily and the next she’s gone!
He would never
understand women. He looked up at the sky to see the
dawn lightening the sky. He picked up the blanket and
made his way back into the house proper and found
Havers sleeping on a chair in the hall. Right at that
moment he heard the jingle of livery and Havers opened
his eyes.

‘My Lord!’ he said startled. ‘Can I help you with
something?’
Richard shook his head and then sighed.
‘Nothing except a decent burial.’ He muttered as the
ducal carriage pulled up outside.
Thomas took the steps two at a time and almost
burst through the door as Havers opened it. ‘Good
morning, Havers. Can you get Chivers to draw me a bath
and has Charles returned yet?’
‘Good morning, Your Grace. Yes and No
respectively, Sir.’ He said and turned away.
‘Richard! What are you doing up?’ Thomas asked
and became concerned at the expression in Richard’s
eyes. ‘Did something happen?’ he asked in dread.
‘Yes. But not what you think, Sir.’ Richard said
softly.
‘Then we should retire to my study and we can
talk about it.’ Thomas said and turned away.
Richard followed him disconsolately, knowing it
could be costly.
Thomas indicated a chair and poured two
brandies. He handed one to Richard. ‘So, tell me the bad
news first!’
‘Lady Amelia might have a black throat
tomorrow morning.’ Richard said without preamble. He
swallowed hard and took a sip of his brandy while he
waited for the Duke to assimilate that statement.
‘Why?’ Thomas asked as calmly as he could.
‘She woke me from a nightmare on the lawn and
I’m afraid I’d almost throttled her before I realised it
was your daughter!’
‘Oh! God!’ Thomas said and closed his eyes.
‘Does she need a physician?’
Richard shook his head. ‘No, Sir. I examined her
throat before she returned to bed.’
‘Examined?’ Thomas queried. ‘And just what
form did this examination take?’
‘I checked her trachea thoroughly and made sure
the blood flow through her veins was unimpaired.’
Richard said coolly.
‘Did anybody witness this....episode?’ the Duke
struggled for the words, when he wanted to go across
his study and beat the living daylights out of Lord
Richard Dunsmore.
‘No, Sir.’ Richard said softly and looked down at
his glass. ‘But I give you my word as an officer, we only
talked.’
Thomas slumped in his chair and looked balefully
across his desk at Richard. ‘I suppose I should punish
you by forcing you to marry her, seeing as you’ve
probably compromised her.’
‘That wouldn’t be a punishment, Sir. That would
be a reward.’ Richard said softly.
‘Are your feelings engaged, then?’ Thomas asked
evenly, shedding his anger like a cloak.
‘I think so, Your Grace. She is so beautiful.’
‘What about Connie Beresford, she’s a pretty
lass too?’ Thomas asked as he got up to pour another
drink.
‘She pales into insignificance beside your
daughter. Her mother must have been very beautiful.’
Richard murmured. The Duke didn’t reply, but offered
the decanter and Richard held out his glass.
‘What were you dreaming about?’ he asked.
‘I was dreaming about a night action after
Talavera. It was a very confused skirmish. Our riflemen
were shooting their voltigeurs and our officers ended up
in hand to hand with theirs. Charles picked up a scrape
along the ribs from a knife and I got a sword through my
upper arm, but whether they were caused by the
french, I’ll never know!’ He sighed deeply. ‘I was
dreaming about the hand to hand as she disturbed me. I
have no idea how she did that, she was just a dark
shadow looming over me and I swept her legs from
under her and clamped my hand around her throat
before I realised it was Lady Amelia.’ He sighed again
‘She blacked out as I recognised her, so I checked her
breathing and moved her into the conservatory.’ He
shrugged his shoulders and looked surprised to find a
drink in his hand. He gulped down half the contents and
coughed harshly. ‘We just talked after that.’ He looked
up suddenly. ‘Is it possible to fall in love with a girl
during one dance?’ he asked and Thomas felt sympathy
for the expression of confusion on the young lord’s face.
‘Yes.’ Thomas said unequivocally. ‘I fell in love
with Victoria the first time I took her in my arms and
danced. She took my breath away and it had nothing to
do with the way her body moved.’ Thomas sipped his
drink. ‘You’re a man of the world, have you envisioned
making love to my daughter?’
‘You too are a man of the world and I don’t think
for one moment you would believe me if I said no.’
Richard said as he nodded.
‘You are fortunate.’ Thomas said, which made
Richard look up in surprise. ‘To be able to choose the
mother of your children is fortune indeed. I could not.
My marriage to Kitty’s mother was arranged before I
was ten years old.’ He sighed dramatically. ‘I suppose I
could have refused to ask her, if I’d wanted to cause my
parents grief, but I liked Christina and we got along very
well.’ He smiled mischievously. ‘Sex was never earth
shattering, like it is with Victoria.’ He remained silent
after that and waited for Richard to speak again.
‘I was surprised just how worldly she is.’ He said
eventually.
‘Worldly!’ Thomas exclaimed in shock. ‘I
wouldn’t say she’s worldly.’
‘No, she hides it very well behind the expected
innocent veneer she has created.’ Richard said with a
smile. ‘But I can assure you she is nobody’s fool and has
more knowledge of your whereabouts than you would
think.’
‘She knows I spend my nights at Victoria’s?’ he
asked shocked to the foundation.
Richard nodded. ‘And she knows Charles is
tupping Constance Beresford.’
‘He’s not tupping her. He’s fucking her stupid I
should think!’ and Richard laughed in genuine
merriment, nodding his head in agreement.
Thomas finished his drink. ‘Well if her throat is
too bad, I’ll call a physician to have a look, tomorrow.
Now I’m going to have a bath, a couple of hours sleep
and then get on with the day.’ And Thomas breezed out
of his study.
He was not unhappy with Richard’s interest and
he pondered the possible ramifications as he soaked the
sperm off his body.
At the end of the day it’s up to Kitty.
He thought and climbed out of the bath, rubbed himself
vigorously dry and flopped into bed on the verge of
exhaustion.
I need a night off!
Was his last thought.