To Tempt An Angel (Book 1 Douglas series) Page 7

  Robert looked at her black gown and then raised his eyes to hers. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “We buried my father this morning,” Angelica answered, rising from her seat on the grass beneath the oak.

  Robert looked surprised. “I am sorry for your loss.”

  “Are you?” Angelica asked, her gaze on him cold. She knew she was wrong to blame him because of the money he’d left on the table, but she was unable to control the urge to lash out at someone.

  “Do you believe I wished for your father’s death?” Robert asked, his surprise evident in his voice.

  “My father might be alive,” she told him, “if you hadn’t left that money on the table.”

  “Angelica,” her aunt cried.

  “Your father drank himself to death without my help,” Robert told her. “Apparently he wanted to die . . . good-bye, Angelica.” With those final words, Robert turned and left the garden.

  “Apologize,” Aunt Roxie ordered.

  Angelica looked at her aunt and then hurried after Robert. What had she done? No one had forced the poison down her father’s throat he’d done that to himself.

  “Wait, please,” Angelica called, rounding the cottage.

  Robert turned around. With the misery of the world etched across her features, Angelica halted mere inches from him.

  “I didn’t mean what I said,” she told him. “Please, forgive me.”

  Without saying a word, Robert opened his arms, and Angelica flew into his embrace. She buried her face against his chest and wept, his arms around her offering comfort and safety.

  When her sobs subsided and then ceased, Angelica looked up at him. She shifted her gaze to the handkerchief he offered.

  “It’s clean,” he said, making her smile.

  “I feel so guilty,” she told him, her voice raw with emotion.

  “I accept your apology.”

  “I don’t feel guilty about you,” Angelica said, making him smile. “I feel guilty about my father.”

  “There is nothing you could have done,” Robert said, holding her close.

  “You don’t understand,” Angelica replied, misery swelling inside her chest, making breathing almost painful. “When Parson Butterfield told me my father was dead, I felt . . . relieved.”

  Robert tightened his hold on her. He tilted up her chin so he could gaze into her tear-filled eyes and spoke soothingly. “You took good care of your father and are not relieved that he is dead, only that a heavy burden has been lifted from your shoulders.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Believe me, love. Your heart is too gentle to wish anyone dead.”

  “That isn’t what my father said,” Angelica told him. “His final words to me were that I looked like my mother but possessed none of her gentleness.”

  “The alcohol was speaking, not your father,” Robert replied.

  “I suppose you could be correct.”

  “I want you to get some rest,” Robert told her. “Tonight I’ll take a couple of my friends to the graveyard to guard your Father.”

  Angelica became alarmed. “I thought corpses weren’t in demand at this time of the year.”

  “That didn’t stop your sisters,” Robert reminded her, a smile flirting with his lips.

  Angelica reached up and placed the palm of her hand against his cheek “Thank you.”

  “Do you feel better now?” Robert asked, turning his head to kiss the palm of her hand.

  “No, but I’m certain I will someday,” she answered with a rueful smile.

  Angelica watched Robert ride down the dirt road to Primrose Hill. For the first time since she’d met him, he turned in the saddle and waved before disappearing from sight.

  In spite of seducing the virginity from her, Angelica thought, Robert Roy was truly heaven-sent. He cared about what happened to her and her family. Yes, he had seduced her before mentioning his aversion to marriage, but other than that one lapse, he’d been completely honest with her. How ridiculous that an expert cheat like herself should value honesty and loyalty above all else.

  Long after the sun had set, Angelica sat with her sisters in front of the hearth and told them her plans for revenge. Jasper had long since been put to bed, and Aunt Roxie was floating in and out of her bedchamber. She seemed in high spirits for a woman who’d buried her brother only that morning.

  “Aunt Roxie, what are you doing?” Angelica asked finally. “I’m packing a few of my belongings,” her aunt answered.

  Her reply confused Angelica “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Yes, I am,” her aunt answered with an ambiguous smile, and disappeared into her chamber.

  “Do you think Papa’s death has unbalanced Aunt Roxie?” Samantha whispered.

  “Aunt Roxie has always been a bit unbalanced,” Victoria answered.

  Angelica smiled at that. “We need to walk to the graveyard now.”

  “Why?” Samantha asked.

  “I want to be certain that Robert hasn’t forgotten his promise to guard Papa,” Angelica answered.

  “He said there was no demand for corpses at this time of year,” Victoria said.

  “That didn’t stop you,” Angelica replied, echoing Robert’s words.

  Samantha and Victoria rose from the settee. Angelica stood when they did and glanced at her aunt’s closed bedchamber door. She caught her sisters’ attention and shook her head.

  The three sisters tiptoed out of the cottage, stopping only to light a lantern. The night was warm and hushed and eerily dark since no moon shone overhead to help the lantern light their way. Ten minutes later, the girls arrived at the graveyard.

  “I don’t see any lantern light,” Angelica said, disappointed. “Robert must have forgotten.”

  “Perhaps he’s been delayed,” Samantha suggested.

  “I bet he’s on his way,” Victoria added.

  “We’ll guard Papa until he arrives,” Angelica said.

  “Can we guard him from here?” Victoria asked. “You know I don’t like the dark or graveyards.”

  “You weren’t afraid when you abducted Mr. Lewis,” Angelica reminded her.

  “Yes, she was,” Samantha said. “I had the devil of a time getting her inside. Tory jumped at every little noise and gave me the creeps.”

  “We’re going inside,” Angelica told her youngest sister. “You can wait here alone in the dark or come with us.”

  “Lead the way,” Victoria said.

  Though reluctant to enter the graveyard at night, Angelica forced herself to step inside and hold the lantern high. She walked the breadth of the graveyard to where they had buried their father beside their mother.

  “You don’t trust my word, angel?” asked a voice in the darkness.

  Angelica gasped in surprise, as did her sisters. She smiled when Robert appeared in the light cast by the lantern. “You’re alone?” she asked.

  Two other men stepped into the light. “These are my friends, James Armstrong and Adam St. Aubyn.”

  “I am pleased to meet you,” Angelica said. “These are my sisters, Samantha and Victoria”

  “We’ve heard good things about you,” James Armstrong told her.

  “Yes, we certainly have,” Adam St. Aubyn agreed.

  Angelica tried to think what good things Robert could have said about her. She’d cheated him out of more than a hundred pounds, enlisted his aid in burying Mr. Lewis, given him a lesson on cheating, and—and surrendered her virginity to him. Feeling her face heat with a blush, Angelica was relieved that the night masked her embarrassment.

  “I appreciate your help,” Angelica managed to say. “Would you like us to leave our lantern?”

  “We covered our lantern when we saw your light coming down the road,” Robert told her. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the gate.”

  With her sisters in the lead, Angelica and Robert crossed the graveyard. At the gate, Robert kissed her hand and said, “While I’m guarding your father, I’ll need to sleep during the day. I’ll come b
y the cottage in a couple of days.”

  “I’ll miss you,” Angelica said before she could stop herself.

  Robert planted a kiss on her lips and said, “I’ll miss you more.”

  Two mornings later, Angelica slept later than usual and awakened with a smile on her lips and Robert on her mind. I’ll miss you more. The memory of his words warmed her heart.

  Angelica wondered where he lived and what he did when he wasn’t with her. Though she’d only known him for a few days, she could not imagine life without Robert Roy.

  Is this love? she wondered.

  “Angelica, darling, come here,” Aunt Roxie called from the common room.

  “I’m coming.” Angelica pushed blond wisps of hair out of her eyes and rose from the bed. Without bothering to cover her nightshift, Angelica opened the bedroom door and walked into the common room. Aunt Roxie, Samantha, and Victoria were staring out the window.

  Puzzled, Angelica hurried across the room. “Sacred sevens, what is that?” she gasped.

  Aunt Roxie smiled. “That is the Duke of Inverary’s answer to my message.”

  Parked in front of their cottage was the ducal coach, a barouche drawn by four pure white horses. On the door of the barouche had been painted the Campbell crest, a gold boar’s head with silver tusks and a red tongue. Behind the coach was a cart used to haul goods.

  “I’ll be a rat’s arse,” Victoria murmured. Wearing the black and green Campbell livery a coachman approached their door. “Are you the Countess of Melrose?” he asked Aunt Roxie.

  “No, my niece is the countess,” Aunt Roxie answered, touching Angelica’s shoulder. The coachman bowed to Angelica and said, “The Duke of Invarary requests the honor of your presence at his home.”

  Who did the Duke of Inverary think he was? Angelica thought with mutiny in her heart. The bloody King of England? If His Grace believed she would set one foot inside his home, then he was as mad as King George whom, everyone knew, conversed with trees.

  “Tell His Grace that the Countess of Melrose does not take orders from him,” Angelica said, a mulish expression on her face.

  The coachman seemed at a loss. “My lady, I cannot possibly return—”

  “Excuse us for a moment,” Aunt Roxie interrupted the coachman.

  Aunt Roxie grabbed her arm and forced her farther into the common room. “Pack your bags,” she ordered in a whisper. “We are being driven out of poverty.”

  “I won’t go,” Angelica insisted.

  “I thought you wanted revenge on those men who stole your father’s fortune,” Aunt Roxie countered. “What better way to get at them than by becoming the Duke of Inverary’s house guest?”

  “But the duke—”

  “—had nothing to do with your father’s troubles,” Aunt Roxie finished for her.

  “What about Robert?” Angelica asked.

  Aunt Roxie gave her an ambiguous smile. “Don’t worry about him, darling. I promise His Grace will know how to find Robert Roy. If you don’t believe me, leave the man a note.”

  Angelica hesitated in indecision. She supposed this was the best way to get to the men who’d ruined her father. But what if Robert Roy refused to disturb her at the duke’s residence? She might never see him again.

  “Think of your sisters’ future,” Aunt Roxie said as if she’d read her thoughts. “With the duke’s sponsorship, Samantha and Victoria will make good matches.”

  Angelica saw the sense in what her aunt was saying. She would leave Robert a note, telling him where she’d gone, and pray that he would come for her.

  One last thought occurred to Angelica. “What about Jasper?” she asked.

  Aunt Roxie gave her a feline smile. “Why, darling, Jasper will accompany us.”

  Angelica knew when she’d been bested. Reluctantly, she nodded and said, “Very well, but I won’t like it.”

  Two hours later the Douglas family, including Jasper, sat inside the luxurious ducal coach. Angelica slid her hand across the black leather seat and murmured to herself, “Softer than a lady’s lap.”

  “Driving down Park Lane again feels wonderful,” Aunt Roxie gushed, gazing out the window.

  “Wonderful,” Jasper repeated. “‘Wonderful. “

  Angelica smiled at her aunt’s delight and glanced at Samantha, who rolled her eyes. Victoria giggled.

  The coach halted in front of an elegant brick town house. A moment later the coachman appeared and opened the door to help each of them down.

  Last to leave the coach, Angelica warned, “Do not touch me or the bird unless you wish to lose a finger.”

  The coachman stepped back instantly. Angelica placed a hand around the back of the macaw’s head, securing its lower mandible. With her free hand, she secured the bird’s wings. Only then did she climb out of the coach, her sisters’ hands ready to steady her.

  “Mr. Tinker, you haven’t aged a day,” Aunt Roxie cried.

  Angelica turned toward the mansion to see the Campbell majordomo. Wearing a broad grin, the man rushed down the stairs to escort her aunt inside.

  “Lady Roxanne, you are even more beautiful than I remember,” the majordomo said.

  “You old rascal,” Aunt Roxie replied, giving him a dimpled smile. Over her shoulder, she called, “Come, girls.”

  The mansion’s foyer was imposing, classically inspired with marble statuary and elaborately carved cornices. Its ceiling had been decorated with delicate rococo ornamentation.

  “Please, come with me,” Tinker said, walking toward the stairs. “His Grace asked me to escort you to his study as soon as you arrived. “ The majordomo looked at Angelica and asked, “Where shall I put the bird, my lady?”

  “Jasper stays with me,” she told him.

  The majordomo nodded. With him in the lead, they climbed the stairs. Its main feature was the wrought-iron balustrade lit by a tall, round-headed window gracing the landing.

  “I was sorry to learn of the earl’s passing,” Tinker said, leading them down a long corridor. He knocked on a closed door.

  Angelica wet her lips nervously when she heard a man’s voice bidding them enter. She could hardly believe she was about to meet one of the devils she was determined to pauper.

  And then the majordomo opened the door. With her aunt in the lead, Angelica and her sisters walked into the duke’s study.

  The chamber reeked with masculinity. On one side of the room was a marble hearth and mantel. Portraits of important-looking men topped bookcases that had been built into the walls.

  A rogue’s gallery Angelica thought realizing the portraits were Campbell lairds. And then she dared to look at the man rising from his chair behind a desk that was bigger than her bed at home.

  Despite his age, the Duke of Inverary was an attractive man. Tall and well-built, the duke had black hair, graying at the temples, and dark eyes. He seemed oddly familiar.

  “Roxanne, I’ve missed you,” the duke said, walking around the desk to take her aunt’s hands in his. Then, instead of kissing her hand, he pulled her aunt close for a hug and kissed her cheek.

  “Darling, you cannot imagine how many times I’ve thought about you, “ Aunt Roxie drawled, obviously please with his greeting. “But Graham—” She shrugged. “My brother was a proud man, too proud to ask for help.”

  “The help should have been offered,” Angelica spoke up, a bitter edge to her voice. “A true friend helps without being asked.”

  “And these are Graham’s daughters,” the duke said, ignoring her remark.

  “The mouthy one is Angelica,” Aunt Roxie said, giving her a warning look.

  “Ah, yes, the Countess of Melrose.” The duke smiled warmly and asked, “What have you there, Lady Angelica?”

  “Jasper, my pet macaw,” she answered. “Do not touch him or he’ll bite off your finger.”

  “What wonderful protection,” the duke said smoothly.

  “Great grunting shit,” Jasper shrieked unexpectedly.

  Aunt Roxie looked ready to
swoon. Samantha and Victoria dissolved into giggles. Even Angelica managed a smile.

  “He has quite a vocabulary,” the duke remarked.

  Jasper cocked his blue head to one side and said, “Hello.”

  The Duke of Inverary smiled and turned to her sisters. “And these pretty girls are . . . ?”

  “Samantha and Victoria,” Aunt Roxie supplied.

  “I am pleased to make your acquaintances,” the duke said. “Make yourselves at home.” He turned to Roxie, saying, “I have London’s most fashionable dressmaker coming here tomorrow to outfit the four of you with new wardrobes. Now, you must be tired after your long ordeal. Tinker will show you to your rooms.”

  Angelica started to turn away when the majordomo opened the door for them, but the duke’s voice stopped her. “I would like a private word with you Lady Angelica,” he said. It was a command, not a request. “Tinker will return for you shortly.”

  “Mind your manners, darling,” Aunt Roxie said, giving her a pointed look.

  “Please sit down,” the duke said when they were alone.

  With malice in her heart, Angelica set the macaw down on the upholstered chair in front of the desk and then sat in another chair. She gave the duke a sunny smile and said, “You don’t mind if Jasper sits there, do you?”

  The Duke of Inverary inclined his head. “Where does he usually perch?”

  “Jasper has a cage,” Angelica answered. “However, macaws need companionship, so I doubt placing the cage in my bedchamber will be healthy for him.”

  “I will instruct Tinker to purchase a cage for every room,” the duke said expansively.

  “He’ll need blankets and perches and toys to go with each cage,” Angelica added.

  “I’ll leave it to you to tell Tinker what will make your pet happy.”

  Angelica fixed her gaze on his and said, “My cottage is what will make Jasper happiest.”

  The Duke of Inverary appeared unruffled by her statement. He leaned back in his chair and studied her until she began to fidget uncomfortably.

  “You are even prettier than I remember,” he said finally.

  “I don’t recall meeting you,” she replied. “Though you do seem vaguely familiar, as if I’d seen you somewhere recently.”