Chapter 14
Fourteen
Kingston stood at the billiard table, the cue in his hand, though he barely registered its weight.
His mind was elsewhere, entirely absorbed with the woman whose safety had been on his thoughts for hours.
Jaclyn. He couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him—every moment they wasted was a moment Oakley could discover where she was hiding.
He took a shot—well, it was supposed to be a shot—but the cue ball lazily rolled past the intended ball, hitting the cushion with a dull thud before rolling to a halt.
Lord Foxmoore, ever eager to goad him, chuckled from across the table. “A poor shot for such a fine duke. Perhaps your mind is elsewhere, Your Grace?”
Kingston didn’t respond. He wasn’t concerned with Foxmoore’s taunts.
He wasn’t even concerned with the game of billiards, a game he typically enjoyed, but today he found the game exasperating.
He couldn’t focus, couldn’t care less about the balls rolling across the table.
His eyes wandered to the door, willing Charlotte and Georgina to return from the hunting lodge.
They should be back soon from escorting Jaclyn there.
Oakley wouldn’t know of the lodge’s existence and therefore would never think to search for her there.
Lord Easton, lounging in the armchair beside the window with a glass of brandy in his hand, glanced at them with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t tell me you’ve lost your touch, Kingston,” he remarked, though the tone was casual, more out of curiosity than anything else.
“You do not even have the excuse of being foxed this time for that terrible shot.” Amusement was laced through the marquess’s tone.
He lifted his glass of brandy to his lips and drew in a sip of the amber liquid.
“You haven’t taken one drink of your brandy. ”
Kingston leaned forward, took another shot, but missed again.
“It seems I have,” he muttered, though his voice was far from affected.
He simply wasn’t in the mood. His focus had shifted entirely to Jaclyn’s safety, and nothing—least of all a foolish billiard game—could sway it.
He glanced at his untouched brandy and grimaced.
He could not allow himself the pleasure of the drink.
He had to keep his mind clear in case Jaclyn needed him.
Foxmoore grinned mischievously. “Something on your mind? Perhaps something that’s more important than a little game of billiards?
” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “What has you so distracted, Your Grace?” Kingston ignored him, but Lord Foxmoore didn’t relent, as was his usual way.
“Come now, Amberwood. At least make it interesting. What do you say to a little wager?”
Kingston didn’t even look up. He could feel the tension rising in his shoulders, the mounting anxiety threatening to consume him.
Jaclyn’s safety had to come first—he couldn’t risk Oakley discovering her whereabouts.
He had to be careful. He had to maintain the appearance of indifference, even though every part of him wanted to race to her side and ensure she was safe.
He lifted his gaze to meet Foxmoore’s. “What sort of wager?”
Setting some stakes on the game might help improve his attention on the game.
He did so hate losing and it would not hurt to trounce Foxmoore again.
It would not do to allow the earl to believe he was more skilled at the game than Kingston.
He did have a reputation to uphold, and he could do that, and keep Jaclyn safe at the same time.
It wasn’t as if they were blurting out that they had found someplace to keep her hidden.
“I did not think you would be interested,” Foxmoore said. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I am already winning, you do realize that, correct?”
Kingston scowled. “You do not need to remind me,” he said through gritted teeth. His inattentiveness had taken them to this point. “Please join me in this moment, Foxmoore. The wager if you please. What are your stakes?”
The earl grinned. “If I win…”
It was then that the door to the game room burst open, and Lord Oakley stormed inside, his face a portrait of fury.
His eyes scanned the room with an intensity that made Kingston's stomach tighten.
They would have to get back to the business of that wager later.
A reckoning had come. One they all had been waiting to appear.
“I demand you give me my sister,” Oakley bellowed, his voice full of menace. “Where have you hidden her?”
Kingston did not so much as twitch. His gaze remained fixed on the billiard table, his grip steady on the cue stick, though every muscle in his body was screaming to turn and face Oakley.
He could feel Easton’s eyes on him, and though his friend said nothing, Kingston knew that he, too, was calculating their next move.
Easton—ever the unbothered presence—casually sipped his brandy before addressing Oakley.
“Lost her, have you?” His voice was casual, as though Oakley had simply misplaced a glove. “How very careless of you.”
Oakley’s eyes snapped to Easton. “This is no time for your damned humor,” he growled, but Easton was unphased, continuing to savor his brandy as if Oakley wasn’t standing in the middle of the room with fire in his eyes.
Kingston refused to make eye contact with Oakley.
He simply wasn’t interested in engaging with him—especially not now, with Jaclyn’s fate hanging in the balance.
As long as he could keep Oakley distracted, he could wait. They had to wait.
Oakley shifted his attention to Kingston, his voice low and threatening. “Where is she?”
His expression was cold and impassive as he drifted his gaze up to Oakley. “You seem quite upset,” he remarked mildly, “for a man who should know how to manage his own family. She is your sister… shouldn’t you know where you left her?”
Oakley’s nostrils flared, but before he could respond, the sound of the door opening again drew their attention.
Charlotte and Georgina entered, seemingly unperturbed, as though they had just been out for a stroll in the gardens.
Charlotte glanced at her husband and frowned as Easton lifted his glass of brandy up to salute her.
He winked and lifted his chin toward Oakley in a silent message.
One that Charlotte received, and she took her cue from him.
“Oh, good heavens,” Georgina exclaimed, placing her hand over her chest as if she had received a fright. “What on earth is going on in here?” It was easy enough for her to mimic. Georgina was known to be perpetually shy and skittish around those she did not know well.
Charlotte, who stood just behind her, regarded Oakley with feigned surprise.
“My lord, what on earth has you in such a state? Surely there is no need for all this noise?” She narrowed her gaze.
“Did you lose at billiards?” she asked him.
“It is my understanding that His Grace is quite skilled. I’ve been told he rarely loses. ”
“He’s losing now,” Foxmoore chimed in. “Oakley here just interrupted us as we were about to make a wager.” He gestured toward Kingston. “Should we settle the terms now?”
Oakley’s eyes darted between the women, his anger still smoldering.
He blatantly ignored Foxmoore—his sole focus now on the two women.
Kingston did not doubt that Charlotte would be able to handle him.
He was more worried about Georgina. If Oakley upset her, Foxmoore would lose his calm demeanor and fast. “Where is she?” Oakley demanded, his voice still thick with frustration. “I know she’s here.”
Charlotte stepped forward, her tone light. “You’ve gone quite mad, my lord. Are you looking for your sister?” she asked. “Is she not resting in her room?”
Georgina nodded in agreement. “You really must calm yourself, Oakley. Shall I go upstairs and check on Jaclyn for you? I assure you she should be perfectly safe. The doctor did say she must rest if she is to recover.”
The tension in the room seemed to dissipate as Oakley’s frustration met the cool, composed demeanor of the two women. His gaze, still dark with suspicion, flicked from one to the other, but neither one of them so much as flinched.
“You are sure she is in her room?” he asked. “How can you be so certain?”
“Well,” Charlotte began. “That is where we left her before we went out to the gardens for a walk.” She frowned. “She was not feeling well so we saw her to her bedchamber before we departed. Though I suppose she could have gone somewhere while we were outside…”
“Did you check her bedchamber?” Georgina asked.
“Before you accused these gentlemen of doing something dastardly with her?” She tilted her head to the side.
“Are you always this willing to jump to the worst conclusion, my lord?” Her glare was breathtaking to behold.
Kingston fought the urge to applaud her acting, and to think he worried her shy nature would prevent her from helping her friend.
He should not have been concerned at all.
Besides, Oakley did need a good dressing down and Georgina was doing so brilliantly.
“It is my understanding your presumptions are what led to Jaclyn’s reputation being ruined.
Do you truly wish to tread along this path again? ”
Finally, Oakley exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging slightly in defeat. “Please check her room for me,” he said. “If she is there, I will owe you all an apology.” He frowned. “Is she really that unwell? She seemed perfectly fine when I spoke to her this morning.”