Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

“No … not Robby, I mean—”

“Yes, I heard you, but Ryker is the marquis, and they have been playing a horrible game of ‘switch and bait’ … for reasons I have yet to understand.”

“But … why?”

“As I said, Lizzie …

I don’t know …” and this time it was Jewels who burst into tears, and it was her cousin who held her fast!

*

The Marquis of Lyndhurst mounted his gelding and took to the open road. He was angry with himself, with the world, and with Jewelene for not hearing him out. He felt that the fates had used him harshly, or so he told his horse.

“Fiend seize it all!” he shouted. “If anything was ever so ill-timed. I was going to tell her, but then Ben showed up with news … and then what must she do but come to town … and what must my friends do but say hello! Damn it all. What do I do next?”

His worthy animal appeared to have no suggestions on the subject, so he sighed and searched his mind for a solution. By the time he had arrived at the Henshaw stables, made his way to the house, got indoors, and stomped up the stairs to his bedroom where he proceeded to pace, he still hadn’t come up with an answer.

He undid his cravat and threw it to the bed. He dropped off his superfine, and then he paced some more. He would not make any attempt to speak with her just yet. Better let her cool off …

He would wait until she was calmer and her anger had abated. Then he would approach her and try to reason with her …

At any rate, he had the first shift guarding Lightning that evening. He would take his dinner early in the kitchen and then set himself up in the tool shed to watch for intruders. Robby would relieve him, and then Jimmy would relieve Robby … and … did she not know? Did she not realize he would lay down his life to see her safe and happy? How could she not have realized that by now?

*

What he did not know—what he had failed to see—was that letting her go and then not storming her door to declare his undying love had made things worse, so much worse.

Jewels wanted him to scream his love for her and make the hurt go away. She wanted him to get past her tantrum and save the day. She was one and twenty and still had her head full with tales of knights in shining armor storming the castle to get their women and ride off into the sunset. She wanted him to storm into her room and explain the situation no matter how badly she treated him, no matter how she tried to stop him. She wanted him to save her from her misery by forcing an explanation on her that made sense of it all. Instead she got nothing, and when it finally dawned on her that he wasn’t going to knock at her door or send her a message, she cried herself into the wee hours and finally fell asleep.

When she awoke, stretched, and padded over to the window it was with a heart almost devoid of hope. A soft drizzle beat down the tall blades of overgrown grass, and wind was swishing a path through them with unwonted vigor.

A knock sounded at her door, and she looked its way with a spark of hope until her brother announced, “Come on, lazy … it’s me.”

She pulled her velvet wrap around herself and told him, “Come on then …”

Jimmy appeared, a sunny smile on his face, his eyes alight with anticipation. “Got through the night … what with Ryker taking the first shift to guard Lightning—”

“You mean, his lordship the marquis,” she stuck in roughly.

“Oh, aye … he told you then?” Jimmy sighed. “You are angry … I see that, but you know, you can’t blame the fellow.”

“Can’t blame the fellow? Sir James of Henshaw, what are you saying?” Her hands went to her hips.

“Oh, aye, see, you are in a fret. Here is the thing, sis. Being who he is … and although his mother is a dear, she is forever trying to find him a wife, and he was heartily sick of it.” He shrugged. “Thought he would only be here a day or two … so, he decided to take a backseat and let everyone fawn over his cousin.”

“Fawn over …?” Jewels seethed.

“Well, aye … but we didn’t do that … Lyla did, and maybe Aunt Dora a bit … but no one else, and then he was in a bind. He knew he should confess … but didn’t know how to go about it.”

“Honestly is how.”

“Yes, well, timing is everything,” he answered succinctly “Going into town, want to get something before we leave tomorrow … and, sis, you better make up your mind to treat the marquis decently. He has been a good friend to us.” He saw her expression and laughed right out loud, and as he left her he said at the doorway, “You know you more than like him …”

She threw a pillow at his head and grimaced ruefully. “Oh, out … puppy … out,” she said and folded her arms across her middle. She had to think!

*

No one was about at Henshaw; the marquis had made certain of that by sending Mrs. Debbs and Elizabeth to town on a makeshift errand. His cousin Robby he had given an important chore to busily accomplish, and he knew Jimmy was off to meet Arthur.