Chapter Twenty-One
Flaherty woke to the sound of heavy footsteps pounding toward their door. He shifted, pulling his arm out from under his wife. When she stirred, he whispered, “Stay here while I see what’s happened.”
She sat up abruptly. The covers slid down to her waist, giving him an eyeful of the delights he’d sampled just hours ago. He fought to control his body’s reaction to the midnight-haired beauty…the woman who now held the other half of his heart.
The footsteps slowed, and he tossed Eileen’s chemise to her. “Pull this on,” he whispered. “Quickly now!”
The momentary silence was deafening when the footsteps paused right outside their door. Flaherty growled, “Whoever ye are, go away!”
Something hard hit the door, near the top of it. Eileen jolted, and Flaherty said, “’Tisn’t someone trying to break down the door—’twill either be O’Malley or one of me brothers banging their head against it.”
She frowned as the sound repeated, louder this time. “Why would they do that?”
Flaherty brushed a kiss to her temple, pulled on his trousers, and stuffed his feet into his boots. “Because whoever it is,” he said, raising his voice loud enough to be heard, “knows that we’re newly married just yesterday and deserve some bloody privacy!”
“Ye know I wouldn’t be pounding me head against the door otherwise.”
Flaherty pulled on his shirt and waistcoat, but didn’t bother buttoning them. With his frockcoat in one hand, he leaned down and hauled Eileen against him. Her cool skin soothed the frustration arrowing through him. “If O’Malley sent Dillon, ’tis urgent. I’m needed back at me post.”
“’Tis urgent, Fenton. We need ye now!” Dillon called, confirming Flaherty’s words.
“But I thought we’d have more time,” she protested.
Flaherty kissed her fully, deeply. “That we will, lass, once we’ve flushed out and detained whatever trouble is outside these four walls.”
“But I—”
Flaherty cut her off with another kiss, one that would have to hold him until he returned.
He brushed the back of his hand to her cheek.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stick close to Mollie.
Together ye’ll be stronger and able to protect me cousin and Mollie’s sweet babe.
I trust yet to help wherever, however ye can. Are ye willing to do so?”
Blue eyes flashed with fire. “Do you honestly think I’d refuse?”
Delighted that he’d gotten the reaction he hoped for, he fought the urge to smile. “Not in a million years, lass. Ye’re made of strong stock, same as Mollie. Guard the babe and each other. Stay safe. I’m coming back to ye.”
Her temper fizzled out. “Promise?”
Flaherty laid his forehead against hers. “On me honor and me life.”
She grabbed hold of his lapels and kissed him until his eyes crossed. “That kiss will have to hold the both of us until you return.”
Dillon again pounded on the door with his fist. “Kiss yer wife later!”
Flaherty turned to go, but Eileen grabbed hold of his hand, knelt on the bed, and wrapped her arms around him. “Remember that I love you, Fenton.”
Eyes locked on the vision of his wife, he rasped, “I depend upon it.” He brushed one last kiss to her forehead, squeezed her hand, and released it. He didn’t look back as he reached for the door. He knew he’d never be able to leave otherwise.
Closing the door behind him, he grunted.
His brother shook his head at him. “If it wasn’t urgent, ye know I would never have disturbed ye and yer wife.”
Flaherty didn’t answer. He buttoned his shirt and waistcoat.
“Where’s yer cravat?”
He glared at Dillon. “Me wife’s using it.”
His brother frowned. “’Tis part of our uniform.”
“Can ye wait ten or so minutes while I go back and fetch it?”
Dillon paused in front of the door to the servants’ staircase. “It shouldn’t take more than a second to retrieve it.”
“Ah,” Flaherty said with a grin, knowing just what to say to rile his brother and shut him up at the same time. “But the knots I tied need to be secure.”
His brother’s brows shot up. “Are ye saying—”
“Well now,” Flaherty interrupted, “that would be sharing something that’s meant to be private.”
He opened the door and descended the stairs, holding the door open as he waited for his brother to catch up. When he did, Dillon’s expression was one of admiration. “I haven’t been able to convince Pippa to try that yet.”
The image of what his wife would look like, arms tied above her head with his black silk cravat, planted itself firmly in Flaherty’s mind.
He knew it would be something to suggest once he’d finished the first of his wife’s lessons in lovemaking.
“I’ll have yer word now that ye’ll not repeat what I’ve confided.
” Eileen would be mortified. First because she would not have imagined his asking her permission to tie her up, and second, because he’d told his brother he already had!
Dillon placed his hand on Flaherty’s shoulder. “Faith, but I’m proud of ye, Fenton. I’ll never breathe a word of it.”
The brothers slipped out of the back door unnoticed.
“I’ve saddled yer horse for ye.” Dillon jogged to the two horses standing side by side. “There’s no time to waste!”
Flaherty knew it was bad now. “What’s happened?”
“Selkirk and Talbot escaped.”
“Bloody hell!” Flaherty vaulted into his saddle, while his brother did the same. “What about Judson?”
“Judson and Balfour are under heavy guard in the village.”
“Where are O’Malley and the others?”
“O’Malley and his men, plus Tremayne and our brothers, have split up, searching for the bloody bastards who escaped.”
Flaherty glanced up at the clouds and headed for the road that would lead past Penwith Tower. “Weather’s moving in. Scuttlebutt hints that there’s a ship, maybe two, headed our way.”
Dillon cursed. “Bloody wreckers! To the cliffs?”
“Aye, and the caves. I know where they’re hiding.” Flaherty urged his horse to a fast trot, and Dillon followed his lead.
*
“It’s been hours—why haven’t we seen hide nor hair of our husbands?” Eileen asked.
Mollie sighed, lifting her babe to her shoulder to gently rub the little one’s back in a circular motion. The ensuing burp was loud enough that Eileen laughed.
“Is it normal for a babe to belch that loud?”
Mollie smiled. “For my darling daughter, aye.”
“How do you remain so calm when O’Malley is out there in the thick of things, risking…” Eileen couldn’t finish the sentence. Just the thought of her husband doing the same only a day after his fallacious wake had her stomach churning.
Mollie stared at Eileen before answering the unfinished question. “Our husbands swore a vow to the Duke of Wyndmere to protect His Grace and his family with their lives.”
“But…”
Mollie’s expression softened in understanding. “There are no buts. Finn would never break a vow of honor, nor would Flaherty.” When Eileen didn’t say anything, Mollie added, “Would you expect either of our husbands to break their vows to us?”
Eileen blew out a breath. “No. It’s just that I thought I’d have more than just one night.”
Mollie settled her daughter in the cradle and drew the blanket over her. She turned back, and the look in her eyes surprised Eileen, who asked, “What’s wrong? Did our husbands make another vow I need to know about?”
Mollie answered the question with a question: “Have his brothers sworn to protect you with their lives yet?”
“As a matter of fact, they have, at Flaherty’s wake.” Eileen’s irritation at the ruse perpetrated to rout out the murderer, and at her husband for leaving her this morning because duty called, melted away. “They added my father and his men to those under their protection.”
“And do you know why they would have done that?”
Eileen could guess, though she hated to admit it, because to do so would be to give in to the fear that clutched at her heart.
Her eyes met Mollie’s, and she knew Finn’s wife was waiting for her to say the words out loud.
It would be wrong of her to ignore the reasons the duke’s men had for doing so.
Finally, she said, “At the time they wanted me to know that even though Flaherty was lying in the coffin at the front of the great hall, and we had not yet married, their intentions were clear. They would protect us with their lives.”
Mollie’s eyes twinkled with merriment. “And now that you know the reasons why they staged the wake…and your husband of but a few hours was called away from your marriage bed…are you still angry with Flaherty?”
Eileen’s shoulders slumped. “Of course not. It’s just that—”
Mollie laughed softly. “If Fenton is as passionate behind closed doors as he is when chasing down those who threaten anyone under their protection, or when sparring with Finn and anyone who feels brave enough to challenge him…then you do not need to finish that thought. I understand.”
“Mollie?”
“Aye?”
“Can I ask you a personal question?
“Of course, but depending on the question, I may not answer.”
“Did you ever imagine that you could fall in love with someone who at one point irritated the life out of you?”
Mollie snorted with laughter and glanced at the cradle, where Boadicea slept. “I was irritated with Finn when he left last night.”
“Last night? Hasn’t he been home yet?”
“He sent word that there was a problem with the prisoners, and he would be home as soon as it had been resolved.”
Eileen’s stomach twisted into knots. “So he did not tell you what the issue was.”
“There have been so many times I’ve wondered when Finn would finally tell me the whole of whatever situation he was involved in was.”
“How long did you have to wait before he did?” Eileen asked.
Mollie sighed. “I’ll let you know when it happens.”
“I see.” And Eileen did. “They cannot tell us because it might affect whatever their mission is.”