The Lady Plays Her Ace (The Langley Sisters) (28 page)

He would have to send her to her family; there, she would be safe until he had dealt with Blackheath. Looking to the stairs, he wondered how Thea would take the news that she was leaving London tomorrow.

"Can I take your coat, Mr. Dillinger?"

"Thank you, Elliott, and please accept my apologies for my earlier behavior. You could not have stopped Lady Dillinger from leaving, as she had set her mind on doing so."

"She is an admirable lady, Sir, and one we are all very happy to serve."

"The staff likes my wife?"

"Very much," Elliott said. "She knows them all by name now, and often spends time talking with them about their families."

"Does she?" Ace looked to the stairs again. "Thank you, Elliott," he then said and began to follow her. He was not surprised his staff was happy with their new mistress; Thea had a way of making people feel comfortable and special to her. She had certainly done that to him. On the journey back to London today, he had realized that life before Thea had been about business and nothing more. Yes, he'd had his family, but his focus had been on money, and how to get more of it. Now, he wanted a future with his wife, and children they could love and raise together.

Walking the hall towards her rooms, he felt the tension inside him ebb away. She was here, she was safe and he would now make sure she stayed that way. Blackheath would not get to either of them, Oliver would make sure of that.

She hadn't locked her doors, possibly because she knew that a lock would not keep him out if he chose to enter. He found her lying on her bed asleep, her eyelashes resting on her pale cheeks, still dressed in her coat and bonnet, with her boots on her feet. She looked small and defenseless and as he leaned over her, he saw that her cheeks were damp. Ace had never wanted to hold her more than he did at that moment. Seeing her pain was making his chest hurt.

"Thea." He touched her shoulder. "Wake up."

She did, her eyes opening to stare up at him.

"Oh, I must have fallen asleep." Her voice was husky as she sat upright.

"Have your maid pack your things. You are leaving for your brother's home tomorrow."

Her fingers stilled on the ties of her bonnet, as she was undoing the satin bow.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, and after today I'm determined you will, as I cannot allow you to take such a risk again." Ace took a step back from the bed so he didn't touch her, as the urge to do so was overwhelming. He needed to get her to do this, and to do that, he had to remain calm. He loved this woman, and that emotion made him weak where she was concerned—weak and easily manipulated.

"Y-you would send me away because you are angry with me?" She tore the bow undone, her fingers trembling as she pulled the bonnet from her head.

"I would send you away to keep you safe," he said.

"No." She regained her feet and unbuttoned her coat, her movements angry. "I will not go. I don't care how angry you are with me."

"My anger has nothing to do with this decision, Thea. This is the best way to keep you safe, because in London you are at risk, which you proved today."

Her hand caught in the lining of her coat and she struggled furiously for several seconds until she finally wrestled it free; she then hurled the coat onto the bed. Ace swallowed his smile. How could he be angry with her and want to laugh at the same time.

"I am your wife. You cannot dispatch me like a used neck tie, simply because you feel like it!"

Her gray eyes darkened as they glared at him.

"I am not dispatching you. I am protecting you, Thea."

"No. I refuse to go and you cannot make me."

She was now in a wonderful temper, when minutes before she had been sad and vulnerable. God, how he loved this emotional, infuriating woman.

"I can and will," Ace said, wanting to tweak her temper more—simply because she was wonderful to watch, and perhaps because he wanted her to pay a small price for putting him through the hell he had endured today.

"No, I will not leave." She was trying to get the knot on her shoelace undone now, but her furious movements were tightening it.

"Thea, I cannot have you take any more risks like you did today, and if I know you are safe then I will be able to give my all to finding Blackheath."

She gave a frustrated little shriek as the knot refused to yield.

"Stop tugging on the ends," Ace said, moving towards the bed and dropping to his knees. Pushing her hands aside he began to work on the knot.

"I know you are angry with me for what I did today, but I'm not leaving London unless you come with me."

"My anger has eased now you are here safe." Ace removed the boot from her foot, then moved to the next one.

"I'm sorry I scared you." She touched his cheek.

"God’s truth, you did," Ace sighed. "But I must find him, Thea, and I can't do that if I'm not here in London."

"My family wishes for us all to go to Twoaks for Christmas. Let us do that, Oliver. Let us go and have this time, and then if you wish it, you shall return to London and look for John Blackheath. But I want this for us…please."

"Thea—"

"You can have your men look for him now they know who they are after. It will only be for a brief time. Please, Oliver. Let us go to Twoaks. We will be safe there with our families around us."

"You want mine to come also?"

"Yes, of course."

And it was that simple for her. His family was now part of her life; Therefore, they too would be included. She humbled him with her generosity.

"I suppose I can leave men here to start looking, tracking him until I return."

Thea placed her hands on his cheeks. "I want to show you where my home was."

"Was?" He gave her a gentle smile before kissing her softly. "Where is your home now?"

"With you," she whispered. "Always with you."

Oliver and Thea left London on a crisp, clear winter's morning before the other inhabitants had even placed a foot on their cold floors. It was decided this was the best time to leave, and they had alerted only family they were doing so. Will and Luke were following in Luke's carriage.

As they left the borders of the city and the houses gave way to fields, Thea drew her first deep breath. Oliver was safe now for a while, at least until he returned to London. They, she reminded herself, he would not be returning without her. She would see her family soon, but more importantly, she would show Oliver her home and the village of Twoaks. His family would follow in four days, in carriages he had hired for them.

"You're smiling like a cat that has the cream, my love."

He often called her love, and Thea wondered if he realized he was doing so. He sat across from her, long legs stretched, big body sprawled on the seat in a relaxed manner that she knew belied what was going on inside his head. Oliver was on alert, his eyes switching from left to right constantly, checking for dangers, then coming back to rest on her briefly before going through the process once more.

"I am very happy to be taking you and your family to my home, husband, but first I want to tell you about it and that it is very grand, so don't be shocked when you see it." Thea needed to say this, because she did not want Oliver to feel uncomfortable at Stratton. He had come so far with her, and had now accepted who she was and where she had come from.

"Thea," he said, taking her hand. "Your brother is a duke, as was your father and his father before him; I do not imagine they live in a house the size of a handkerchief, love. I will not feel uncomfortable, if that is what is worrying you."

Thea smiled in relief.

"I just need to be careful how I treat you when your brothers are around, as they have threatened my existence should I not place you on a pedestal."

"Did they?" Thea looked at the big, handsome man seated across from her. She always felt warm inside when she did so, and a silly smile was never too far away. "I can't say I'm surprised. They're not the easiest of men to handle. However, I shall protect you, my love."

His eyes widened at her words and his body grew still, now focused on her intently.

"Oliver?"

"Thea." His voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Surely you know that I love you?"

"N-no, I did not know that." He moved to sit on the edge of his seat directly across from her and trapped her legs between his. "Tell me now." His hands took her shoulders, drawing her closer until their faces were inches apart.

"I just told you."

"No, you said, ‘surely you know I love you,’" he said slowly. "Not, ‘I love you, Oliver.’"

"I love you, Oliver Dillinger." Thea cupped his cheek. "I love your strength and loyalty, I love your body, but most of all, Oliver, I love you…all of you."

"Are you sure?" She could see he was struggling to believe her.

"For so long I held my brothers aloft as the perfect men, and struggled to find their equal. Then you came along, and, Oliver, you are so much more than perfect to me."

He exhaled slowly. "God, Thea, I love you, too, so much it consumes me." His forehead rested on hers. "During the day, when I am away from you, I just stop and stare at nothing thinking about you. Daniel is most perplexed and thinks I need to see a doctor."

"My love," Thea whispered against his lips.

Their kiss was soft and sweet and Thea didn't know a time in her life when she had been happier. He pulled her across the gap and onto his lap until she was straddling his thighs.

"My brother’s carriage follows, husband," Thea said as he removed her bonnet and then started on her pelisse.

"I shall not remove all your clothes, my love, just enough to satisfy me…and you."

And he had, so much so that Thea had slept in his arms for the remainder of their journey. She woke when they pulled into the inn that they would stay at for the evening. Oliver let out a groan as he stretched his legs and arched his back.

"Big men do not fare well in small carriages for hours," he muttered, turning to take Thea's hand and help her down.

"Women with big husbands fare little better, Sir," Thea said, relieved to be on solid ground, "as they take up most of the carriage."

"You spent the majority of that ride sleeping in my arms, wife. I fail to see how you were cramped or uncomfortable." He patted her bottom which made her giggle. "Not that I'm complaining."

"God, there better be ale and food on the table before me soon!" Will said, stepping from his carriage. "Traveling with Luke always makes my head ache."

"There speaks the man who only stops talking to draw in a breath," Luke drawled, getting out the carriage next.

The proprietor was more than happy to accommodate their needs as his rooms were not full. Soon, they were sharing a meal in the small dining parlor, and there was enough food to make all the men happy.

"You're happy, little sister."

Will spoke these words in her ear as Luke and Oliver talked.

"Yes, very happy," Thea whispered back.

"I told Joe you would not allow your marriage to be any other way."

"Did you?" Thea looked at her handsome brother. "And there was me thinking that you threatened my husband should he not make me happy."

"That, too," Will said, unrepentant.

"Horrid man." Thea kissed him on the cheek.

"Excellent," was all Will said, going back to his food.

And Thea thought he was right; everything was excellent and could only become more so, once the threat of Blackheath was no longer hanging over them like a dark cloud.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ace woke slowly, enjoying the soft weight of Thea pressed against him. It was cold; the fire had died down and he needed to get up and stir it to life. Squinting towards the window, he saw a crack of gray morning light and thought it still early.

Rolling onto his side, he looked down at the woman sleeping beside him. Hair covered her face and lay in dark tangles against her pale skin. He kissed the curve of her shoulder and she twitched, so he moved to her neck she wriggled deeper under the covers.

"Thea," he whispered into her ear, which made her lift a hand and try to push him away. "We have to rise early, love." He kissed her neck again and she sighed, rolling onto her back. Her lashes fluttered and then he was looking into the gray, sleep-filled eyes of his wife.

"I don’t want to wake up yet."

"But you have to." Oliver twitched the cover off her breasts before lowering his head and covering them with kisses.

"It’s cold in here," she whispered.

Oliver rolled her under him and warmed her up.

When they finally managed to dress and make their way downstairs, it was to find an empty parlor and the proprietor telling them that Luke and Will were still asleep.

"Well, please wake them at once, and in the meantime, my husband and I shall take a walk and then return for our morning meal.

Ace swallowed his smile as the man bowed and hurried from the room. Thea had a great deal of her elder brother in her at times.