Wonderland By Night (Heroic Rogues Series) Page 14

  Inwardly, he groaned as dread washed upon him. Reality hit him head on. They had to return to the estate today. Emiline would change into those ugly, large dresses, and he could never kiss her again.

  * * * *

  After breakfast, Emmie hurried back to their room to clean up, but when she entered, the bed had been made and the room looked as if she and Gabe had not stayed here at all. The only evidence that she had stayed the night was that her riding habit was folded up neatly on the end of the bed. Gabe couldn’t have possibly done this. Perhaps it was Georgia’s friend, Amy. Emmie picked up her clothes then returned downstairs to thank her grandmother.

  As she passed a front window, a movement caught her eye. Gabe stood in front of the stable getting their horses ready. She smiled, loving the way he looked. So handsome and refined. So strong. And the sweetest man she had ever met. If they had been introduced under different circumstances, would she have liked him at all?

  Dishes clicked together in the kitchen, pulling her out of such heavenly thoughts. She stepped inside the room to tell her grandmother goodbye. As she suspected, Georgia packed a lunch for their ride home.

  “Georgia?”

  Her grandmother turned and smiled brightly. “Are you ready to depart, my dear?”

  She nodded. “As much as we would love to stay and visit more with you, we both have obligations back home.”

  Georgia folded a cloth over the picnic basket and handed it to Emmie. “I packed you a light lunch. I hope you don’t mind.”

  She grasped the handle of the basket. “You really should not have done this, Georgia.”

  “I know, I but would not feel right if I let you two leave for your long trip home without any food.” She walked closer and softly touched Emmie’s cheek. Tears gathered in her eyes. “Besides, it’s the least I can do for my own granddaughter.”

  A gasp sprang from Emmie’s mouth, her own eyes filling with tears. “How...how did you know?”

  “Two reasons, actually. One, because you look too much like my family not to be related, and two, well...that handsome man of yours let it slip that Lady Sarah and her companion, Emiline, from England were staying at his uncle’s house for a while. Do you not think I would remember my own granddaughter?” She paused for just a second. “From the way I understand it, Gabriel thinks Lady Sarah and Emiline are two different people. He doesn’t know you are the duke’s daughter. Am I correct?”

  Emmie grasped her grandmother’s hand, panic flowing through her. “No, he doesn’t, and I want to keep him from knowing my true identity for now. And truly, it’s for my own safety. Please say nothing to Gabe.”

  Georgia titled her head. “Tell me something, Emiline. Is Gabriel your husband?”

  Shame swept over her and she hung her head. “No.” Slowly she lifted her eyes as she met her grandmother’s stare. “But let me assure you that nothing happened between us last night. If I had not been in the downpour last night and chilled to the bone, I would have thought things out more clearly and would have asked for two separate rooms.” She sighed heavily. “I had allowed Gabe to make the decision for me, which was wrong, I know.” She paused, then asked warily, “Do you believe me?”

  “I believe you.”

  “Georgia –”

  “My dear child, please call me Grandmother. I would appreciate it very much.”

  Emmie smiled. “All right, Grandmother. The reason I don’t want him knowing about my identity is because Father wanted me to switch roles for my own protection. Although I want to tell Gabe, I just don’t dare. Not yet, anyway.”

  Georgia caressed Emmie’s cheek again. “I understand, but really soon Gabriel is going to realize you are not who you have pretended to be.” She glanced out the window into the yard. “He has strong feelings for you, I can tell.”

  Her heart fluttered. “Well, for now, I want him thinking of me as just an ordinary woman.”

  Georgia nodded. “All right. I shall not say a word.”

  Sighing heavily, Emmie threw her arms around her grandmother and gave her a big hug. “Do you know how much I missed having a grandmother when I was growing up?” Her voice broke with emotion as tears fell freely down her face.

  Georgia held her tightly. “I have missed my granddaughter, also.” She pulled away and looked into Emmie’s eyes. “Your mother missed you terribly, too. It broke her heart when she thought the two people she loved the most were dead.”

  A lump formed in Emmie’s throat, and all she wanted to do was bawl her eyes out—to cry for not having a mother all of those years. “Grandmother? What happened? Father and I were told her ship was the one attacked by pirates and all passengers were killed.”

  Sadness crossed Georgia’s face as tears filled her eyes. “I wish I knew, my dear. By the time your mother arrived here, a heart-breaking message awaited her. Daphne didn’t talk much about it. You will have to find out the whole story from her.”

  “Do you think I should find her?”

  “Oh yes, my dear. She will be overjoyed when she sees you. She has not been the same since your death—or what she thought was your death.” She paused again, but only for a moment. “Does your father still love Daphne?”

  “Oh, yes! I still catch him staring at her picture. If we had known Mother was alive, Father would have moved heaven and earth to find her.” Emiline kissed the older woman’s cheek and pulled away. “I will find her, and thank you Grandmother, for everything.”

  “Good luck with that handsome man of yours.”

  Emmie smiled big. “I will definitely need it.”

  * * * *

  Gabe hooked both horses to the buggy he’d purchased from Georgia. At first she just offered it for his travels today, telling him she never used the vehicle, but he couldn’t go without giving her some kind of payment. Finally, he convinced her to take his money.

  Emmie walked toward him carrying a basket, and his heart leapt. She now wore a cloak that matched her gown, with a purple scarf over her hair, which thankfully didn’t hide much at all. Curses! How would he be able to handle being so close to her without wanting to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses? Her lips were sweet as honeysuckle, and her skin soft as a rose petal. Strange how in one day she turned from being a friend he took pleasure in teasing to a woman he wanted so much to pour his affections on.

  She stood next to him and he smiled. “I bought this buggy from Georgia. I hope you don’t mind if we take this instead.” He glanced at her gown again. “I thought this way of transportation would be easier because you are dressed as a princess.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “You are too kind. I would very much enjoy riding in a buggy.”

  He bowed then offered his hand. She slipped her fingers against his palm, and once again, desire burned inside him. As he helped her into the vehicle, he fought the impulse to pull her against him. He climbed in the buggy, took the reins, and urged the horses into a trot. Immediately, he could tell the journey home would be horrendous. Emmie kept bumping into him, making him more and more aware of her. Not that he wasn’t already. How could he forget after what happened last night and this morning?

  A few minutes of silence passed very slowly before she turned to him and cleared her throat. “Gabe, I would like to thank you for what you did.”

  Confusion filled him and he looked into her innocent, wide eyes. What had he done besides practically attack her in bed? “Which was…”

  “You accidentally, on purpose, let it slip about Lady Sarah and her companion—Emiline—visiting from England. You knew Georgia would have figured it out soon enough.”

  He smiled. “Did Georgia say something to you?”

  “She did, and we talked about it.” She softly laid her hand on his arm. “I don’t think I could have mentioned it to her, but because of your help, I was able to open up and talk.”

  He moved his attention back to the road. “I suspected you were scared to say anything, so I thought to help you in some way. I’m relieved you are not
upset with me for sticking my nose into your business.”

  She squeezed his arm. “No, I’m not upset. I’m very grateful for your help. This whole mess has left me so confused, I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “I cannot fathom how you must feel right now, learning that your mother has been alive all this time.” He snuck another glance at her. “How exactly did she die?”

  “She was sailing to the colonies from England, and her ship was attacked by pirates.”

  Curiosity niggled his mind. “Pirates, you say? And she was on a passenger ship?”

  “Yes.”

  “Most pirates that I have heard about do not attack passenger ships.”

  She shrugged. “I had heard the same thing, but when we received the letter about my mother’s death, it stated her ship was attacked by none other than the fearsome pirate, Captain Hawk.”

  He swallowed wrong, and nearly choked. Yet he didn’t want to cause suspicion. “How long ago did this happen?”

  “Fifteen years.”

  Impossible! Gabe had taken over the title of Captain Hawk after his friend, Marcus Thorne had retired. And Marcus took over the title after another man had retired. Gabe didn’t know how long the name Captain Hawk had been used, but apparently, the name brought with it rumors from the past.

  “Forgive me, my dear, but it’s hard to believe that her ship was attacked by that pirate, since his only mission is to attack Naval ships.”

  “But what else can I believe?” She rested her palm on his arm. “Gabe, will you tell me what you know about this pirate?”

  His breath caught in his throat and his blood froze. “You think I should know something?”

  “Well, I did hear a rumor not long after Lady Sarah and I arrived here, that Mr. Hampton was related to the pirate, Captain Hawk.” She licked her lips. “And if he is related, than surely you must know him as well.”

  Gabe didn’t know what bothered him more, the rumors or that someone had known Gabe’s true identity or that there might be a spy in the family. Although he didn’t want to lie to Emmie, neither could he confess the truth. Not yet. “If I’m related to this pirate, this is the first I have heard about it.”

  A heavy sigh escaped her and she brought her hand back to her lap. “Then perhaps the rumor was false.”

  “Perhaps. You know how rumors can get out of hand. The fact that a pirate attacked a passenger ship tells me this rumor is indeed, false since this particular pirate wasn’t known to do such things.”

  “I’m sure you are correct.” She sighed again and smiled at him. “I’m most appreciative of your knowledge.”

  Glancing back at her, he winked. “Anytime, Princess.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. Once again, his focus turned to the lovely vision beside him. He skimmed her enchanting face, resting on her mouth. His own mouth watered, remembering the way her lips had tasted when he had kissed her. Shaking himself out of the wicked thoughts, he quickly diverted his eyes to the road. In order to keep her in a pleasant mood—and her thoughts away from Captain Hawk—Gabe must change their conversation.

  “You know, Emmie, I get the impression that you are actually enjoying looking so lovely today. Am I correct?”

  She laughed lightly, removing her hand from off his arm. “What I enjoy is the way you look at me. You look at me as if I was a real princess, and that makes me giddy.”

  He chuckled. “I suppose it is fun to be treated differently, is it not?”

  “Indeed, it is. Would you like me to treat you differently, also?”

  “Pray tell, how would you treat me?”

  She leaned toward him and touched his arm again. “I would treat you like a king.”

  “A king?” He laughed out loud. “Not if I’m treating you like a princess. That would mean you would be my daughter.” He scrunched his face, making her laugh. “Why not treat me like I’m a duke or even an earl?

  She shrugged. “Either one will work, I suppose. You are truly a gentleman.”

  “Such kind words, Princess.”

  “You know, I have changed my mind. You are more like a King…and you can treat me like a Queen instead of a Princess.”

  “If I do that, then instead of you being a daughter, you would be...” Laughter quickly disappeared when he realized where his thoughts were leading. He swallowed hard and stared deeply into her eyes. “My wife,” he ended softly.

  She too, became serious. Her body remained so close to his, and the heat between them grew more powerful by the second. Why did he like the idea of her becoming his wife? Although she was a mere lady’s companion, Emiline came from a fine family—apparent by the wonderful kind grandmother they had met. Besides that, Emmie could pass for a real lady, as she did today.

  He continued to stare, not caring that the horses had stopped. He couldn’t look away. Her eyes were so soft and filled with desire. His heartbeat pounded a quick rhythm, and he loved the way happiness flowed through his blood.

  He shouldn’t have made that bet with her yesterday. If she had remained in those ugly, plain dresses, perhaps he wouldn’t feel so dumbfounded right now. Then again... She actually took his breath away no matter what she wore.

  He dropped his gaze to her mouth. She ran her tongue across her sultry, wine-colored lips, and he wanted nothing more than to taste the sweetness he had found this morning.

  “Gabe?” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “We have stopped.”

  It took all of his effort, but he snapped out of his dreamlike state of confusion. “I suppose we have.” Pulling away from her, he sat up straighter, and then flicked the reins to urge the horses to move forward, again.

  Heaviness settled in his chest as he stared straight ahead. He wanted to kiss her so much it hurt. Why did his feelings confuse him so?

  They didn’t talk much during their ride back, and if they did, nothing personal was brought up. Gabe talked a little about his life, without mentioning his true identity. She talked about growing up with a sickly mother and a father who was always busy doing other things than to spend much time with his daughter.

  They stayed on neutral ground.

  Dusk sprinkled across the sky when they arrived at his uncle’s house. Instead of taking the buggy around to the stables as he would have done with the old Emiline, he stopped in front of the house. He jumped down first, then turned and helped her out. He wanted to pull her against him, wrap his arms around her and never let her go. Once she walked in through that doorway, his fantasy would end.

  She stepped away and broke the contact. “Gabe, I had a wonderful two days with you. The best two days of my life, in fact. I thank you so much.”

  He smiled into her angelic face. “I had a splendid time, as well. I’m glad you were able to find your grandmother.”

  “Thanks to you.” She touched his hand, and he quickly grasped her fingers. “Will you still help me find my mother?”

  “Yes. I told you I would, and I always keep my promises.”

  “I thank you again.” She stepped closer, then up on her toes to press a kiss on his cheek.

  Gabe turned his face so her lips would meet with his as he slid his arms around her waist, holding her tight to his body. Heat ignited in his chest, and he didn’t want to pull away. Apparently, she had other thoughts because she broke the kiss and stepped out of his embrace. Her face darkened a deep blush.

  “Good night, Gabe.”

  “Good night, my princess.”

  She smiled. “You know, I don’t expect you to carry out the wager for the whole week. It has been enough that you treated me like a princess for a whole day, but you need not continue it. I’m quite certain it was difficult enough for you, and because of that, I will not hold you to our wager.”

  He caressed cheek with his knuckles as he gazed into her twinkling eyes. “What if I want to continue?”

  “Just know you don’t have to.”

  “Are you trying to tell me you do not wan
t to wear pretty dresses any longer?”

  “No. I just don’t have that many gowns to wear as Lady Sarah’s companion. I have not made it to see a dressmaker yet. But rest assured, it has been rather fun feeling pretty today.”

  He shook his head. “Emiline, you are not just pretty, you are resplendent. And it was not hard for me to treat you as such, especially since you look so very lovely in the gown your grandmother gave you.” He raked his gaze over her dress once again, wishing it didn’t make her womanly figure so flattering. “You were definitely made to wear gowns like this. Not plain dresses only fit for old lady’s companions.”