Captivated by the Viscount (The Captivating Debutantes Series Book 1) (11 page)

“John, get on
with it, quickly.” Ketridge left the room to determine what all the noise was
about.

Lucy shrank
away as the man grabbed hold of her arms. She tried to bat them away but his
arms came round her, tight and suffocating and he began hauling her to the bed.
She wriggled and scratched, bit and kicked with everything she had, growling in
satisfaction when she heard him grunt in pain.

“Little
bitch,” he moaned and she was flung onto the bed. “The only way to keep you
quiet is a clip to the ‘ead.” His fist suddenly loomed and Lucy knew it was all
finally over.

She closed
her eyes and heard a large crash. The fist never came. She opened one eye
gingerly. John was slumped on the edge of the bed. The chair that she had
planned to use was in pieces, parts of it on the slumped body and parts of it
scattered on the floor. Blood dripped from a particularly nasty gash on the
back of his head.

“Lucy….thank
god?” She looked up.

“Jasper, how
did you…”

“No time. The
brawl is making its way upstairs. Are you hurt? I saw the doctor arrive.” The
man in question was quivering in the corner.

“No, he was
here for....something else.” Jasper frowned.

“Later then,
we have to go. Can you walk?” Lucy jumped up in reply and they rushed to the
door.

In the
corridor was the Duke of Ketridge - lying unconscious and bleeding from the
nose. Two men were stripping him of his ring, watch and money pouch. As they
were passing the men started on the silks he wore. He’d probably be naked by
the time they’d finished with him.

They made
their way down the stairs, but the tavern was bedlam. Jasper didn’t want to
risk pulling Lucy through the melee and he hesitated. Thankfully the barmaid
gestured to them from behind the bar and he ducked under the counter flap,
pulling Lucy behind him.

“You can take
the side door…for a fee of course,” she purred. Jasper took out two coins, the
woman was an extortionist. She tucked them into her bodice whilst slowly perusing
Jasper’s body. “Nice to do business with you, if you’re ever looking for a bit
o’ pleasure as well…” She left the invitation open and Lucy glared at her as
they exited the door into the side alley that her bedroom had overlooked. They
headed towards the main thoroughfare.

“That girl
Jasper…” She was interrupted by Jasper’s mouth, hard and fierce on hers.

“Lucy, I thought
I’d lost you, Christ woman…” And his mouth descended once again. It was rough
and brutal and the most exciting thing Lucy had ever felt. She didn’t know if
it was the shock of everything but she suddenly felt ravenous for Jasper, she
threw her arms round his neck pulling him closer.

His mouth
left hers only briefly to mutter, “I love you Lucy,” before one of his hands
that was twisted in the matted curls of her hair tightened and pulled her in
for another kiss. His other hand was now clenched on her buttock, pulling her
body so hard against his; it was as though he wanted to absorb her.

Suddenly
Jasper felt Lucy jerked violently out of his arms; he heard the tear of her
dress. He looked up and saw Richard Lazenby with his arm round Lucy’s waist, a
knife held to her throat.

“You’ve
ruined it all. Why did you have to ruin everything,” he sobbed out. He looked
crazed now, tears ran down his face and blood spotted his clothes.

Jasper knew
that the man was capable of anything. He was no longer in his right mind and
there would be no reasoning. If he could just get Lucy away unharmed, he could then
subdue the man.

“Richard, I’m
sorry. You don’t want to hurt your sister do you? She loves you.”

“If she loved
me she would have helped me. She’s always had everything and I was left with…”
His arm tightened hard around Lucy’s waist and the knife shook at her throat.

“Maybe the
Duke will still have her.” Richard had started to mutter. “He can have her
without marriage as long as he pays me something.”

As Richard
talked to himself Jasper slowly reached into the back of his trousers and
unfastened the dagger that hung there. He brought his hand down slowly, always
watching. Richard didn’t notice, but Lucy did and her eyes widened. Jasper
prayed that Lucy would not do anything foolish to distract the madman.

“Richard,” Lucy
whispered. “I….I can see I have hurt you. I’ll be a good sister now and help
you. Richard. Brother. Look at me.”

Richard
without thinking looked down in reaction to the heartfelt plea, his knife
moving fractionally away from her throat. Jasper took his chance and threw his
dagger praying Lucy wouldn’t move a muscle. The aim was true and Richard fell
back, releasing Lucy as the blade entered his shoulder.

“No,” he
gasped, dropping his weapon to clutch the protruding hilt in his shoulder.

Richard
stumbled backwards onto the main street that was still in chaos from the brawl
which had now spilled out from the tavern. Jasper ran to Lucy and held her.
They both looked to her brother.

“Richard,”
Jasper shouted, “watch out,” his arm raised as though to grab Richard even though
there was no chance of reaching him. Lucy cried out as Richard crashed into a
horse. Already scared by the commotion in the street the brewery horse reared
up, its eyes rolling with fright, its hooves flailing. Men scattered in all
directions, but Richard was too slow and he was sent sprawling backwards by a
hoof.

Lucy tried to
rush forward, but Jasper caught her round the waist until the horse had been
brought under control. He let her go and they both ran to her brother’s fallen
body. Blood leaked copiously onto the road from under his head. Jasper had seen
death enough to know there was nothing they could do, but Lucy scrambled to
pull his head into her lap, stroking his face.

“Jasper,
Jasper, we need a doctor,” tears streamed down her face.

“Lucy,” he
said grabbing hold of her face between his hands. “There’s nothing we can do
for him.”

“There must
be something you can do Jasper…please,” she cried.

But there
wasn’t. All Jasper could do was hold Lucy and rock her as she wept her grief
for her brother into the dirt of the street.

►▼◄

“If you find
happiness, never let it go. Fight for it. I have my animals; you may find a man
to give you happiness. Blinky has a pink and orange stripped ball…the footman
tried to take it from him once. We never saw him again…the footman that is.”
Aunt Augusta.

Jasper tucked
Lucy’s head into his chest as the carriage rocked them to their destination. Lucy
had asked to be taken to her friend Rosalind’s house. She had sat dry eyed and
silent as Richard’s body had been removed from the street, and he recognised
that shock had overtaken her. He couldn’t bear the thought of being parted from
her but he tried to understand that she needed the compassion and company of
her friend.

The coach drew
up at the Stonebridge residence where Rosalind was staying. She was cousin to
the current Earl, and Jasper hoped that Stonebridge wouldn’t begrudge their
sudden imposition. As Jasper opened the door to the carriage, a small dark
figure dressed in green flew down the steps.

“Lucy, my poor
Lucy. Come inside. I knew something awful might happen but I never thought…”

Jasper
released Lucy from his embrace and she stepped from the carriage and into the
arms of her friend Rosalind. His body went cold at the loss of her warmth, he
felt…abandoned. A totally selfish feeling he acknowledged. Lucy needed her
friend and a place to recover.

He exited the
carriage and watched helplessly, as Rosalind led a sobbing Lucy up the stairs
to the front door. Lucy turned as she came to the top, “Jasper?”

His voice was
soft. “Go with Rosalind, Lucy. I will call on you soon.” She nodded and turned,
the townhouse engulfing the two of them. He knew she was in shock, he knew she
needed a little time to get over the horrors of the day, let alone the death of
her brother, but he wanted to be the one to dry her tears and soothe her
nightmares away.

He turned to
get back into the cab when he heard the clearing of a man’s throat. He looked
back to see the Earl of Stonebridge glaring at him from the top step. They knew
of each other and had swapped civilities in the past but that was all.

“Care to tell
me why I’m hosting another young lady in my house Danbury?” Stonebridge called
out. Jasper didn’t want to explain anything, but he supposed he did owe the man
an explanation. Jasper sighed and made his way up the steps, ignoring the rigid
butler who gave a dismissive sniff at his garb. He did stink.

He followed
Stonebridge to the study. Thankfully the man headed straight to the decanters
that lay invitingly at the side of the oak desk. “Brandy, whisky, port?” Jasper
let out a sigh of relief. He could talk to a man who had whisky in his drinks
cabinet.

“So…”
Stonebridge left the word hanging.

Jasper wasn’t
quite sure how much to say without coming out of the story as a downright cad.
He also wasn’t about to expose his feelings for Lucy to a man he hardly knew. He
decided not to lie exactly, but maybe omit one or two details.

Jasper took a
gulp of whisky and kept it short. Explaining that he’d been courting Lucy but
then found out her brother was planning on marrying her off to the Duke of
Ketridge. Stonebridge cursed at the name and Jasper found himself liking the
man more and more. He recounted how Richard and Ketridge had taken Lucy by
force and how he had managed to prevent the marriage. At least from then on
he’d been able to tell the full truth, including Richard’s death.

“Poor girl.
She is quite welcome to stay here as long as she needs. Plenty of room and it
will do Rosalind good as well.”

“How did she
know Lucy was - ” Jasper started, but Stonebridge cut him off.

“She just
has…a very good intuition, Danbury.” Jasper opened his mouth to ask more but
Stonebridge turned his back to pour more alcohol. It was clear that the subject
was closed. He didn’t honestly care for now. Weariness was seeping into his
bones as the whisky did its job.

“I presume
you mean to offer for Miss Lazenby?” Stonebridge had turned, with a raised
eyebrow at the question. Jasper polished off his whisky before answering. Yes
by god, he wanted Lucy, but he wasn’t totally sure that feeling was
reciprocated.

“Miss Lazenby
is the only person to whom I will discuss that matter with.”

Stonebridge
nodded. “You will call on her soon then? I advise letting her have a little
time to rest and recover.” Amusement tinged his voice as he added, “you look
like you need a few days in bed as well. And a few days in the bath.”

Jasper looked
down at himself. He was caked in sweat, blood and some unidentifiable liquid
from the gutters of the slums. He was disgusting; no wonder the butler had
disapproved. It was time to remove himself to his townhouse, clean himself up
and wait for Lucy.

►▼◄

Over two weeks later…..

Jasper
brooded. He was getting quite good at it he realised, almost as good as
Mainwaring. Soon he will have perfected the permanent scowl, the tussled hair
and the fatigued eyes. Maybe he should start to write like those bloody poets
as well. Except like Mainwaring his ennui wasn’t affected, it was real.

He sat back
in the large chair in his study trying to find a comfortable position. The
townhouse study wasn’t as comfortable as his country one. His father had always
had rather a gothic taste in furniture – Jasper shuddered – bad gothic taste at
that and he hadn’t yet had the chance to update the townhouse – however it did
suit his mood as he eyed the rather ugly wood carved gargoyle jutting out from
the bookcase.

He sat forward
pointing his finger. “Two weeks. Over two bloody weeks it’s been since I last
saw Lucy,” his divulgence aimed at said ugly gargoyle.

He slumped
back again in the chair as the gargoyle refused to sympathise.

He hadn’t called
on Lucy straightaway as he thought she needed some time to recover without his
protestations of love confusing her– he’d sent flowers, but it felt trite, they
were hardly at the early courting phase.

Stonebridge,
whom Jasper had found to be an excellent chap, informed Lucy’s relatives in Scotland and with good weather they had arrived after some days to sort out the estate.
Jasper had stayed away from the funeral; he felt it would have been crass
considering the part he’d played in Richard’s premature death.

It was then
that it all seemed to go wrong. First Stonebridge was called away on estate
matters, and then when Jasper called on Lucy for the first time he was told she
was ‘indisposed’. He’d called again and she had a ‘slight’ fever – that had
lasted a week.

He’d sent more flowers, so many
that he should have bought the goddamn florist. She had sent him a note but it
was short and devoid of details, merely telling him to wait until she was
better.

Frustration had
coursed through his body every time he was turned away and doubts started to
creep in. Although Lucy responded to him on a sexual level maybe that was all
she felt for him and once they were apart even that had dampened. Perhaps she
did blame him for her brother’s death, or even the whole damn fiasco at the
inn. Maybe, just maybe she wasn’t ill at all and she just didn’t want to see
him, didn’t want to be reminded of a man that had kidnapped her, had abused her
trust and finally had contributed to the death of her brother.

He had tried
one last time at her door, to be told…
she was shopping
. That had
hurt…deeply. In the day he was tearing his hair out in frustration at not
seeing her. In the nights he was haunted by dreams of her half clad body
cleaving to his.

He was going
half mad and she was shopping.

So he had
stopped calling and stopped sending flowers – only the florist seemed
disappointed. He had heard no word from Lucy.

So here he
was. Foxed and alone. He raised his glass to the gargoyle and then to a
painting of his brother which hung in the corner of the room. He’d had plenty
of time to think whilst ensconced in his study. Richard may have led Simon to
the water but Simon hadn’t had to drink. Jasper acknowledged that his brother
had always had a curiosity for everything, good and bad, and that indulgence
had led to his death.

Jasper had
realised as soon as he had first set foot on the battlefield how real death was
and how hard you had to fight for life – not just physically but mentally.
Simon had been a man with everything laid before him – youth, good looks, money
– he must have felt like he was drinking from the cup of immortality.

He yawned. He
felt weary tonight, he felt weary all the time without Lucy. He stood up, and
taking up the candlestick, bade goodnight to the gargoyle and stumbled up to
bed.

Robinson watched
him with concerned eyes from the hall. Lord Danbury had sent for the staff from
the country estate two weeks ago and over that time, they had watched the
master slowly decline. Now he was talking to the sculptures. He shook his head
and doused the hall candle.

►▼◄

Jasper
regained consciousness with a groan and tried to open his eyes. They felt heavy
and sticky and his head hurt. He sensed no light in the room and tried to move
his hands to rub at his eyes. They wouldn’t move and pain streaked down his
wrists. He realised in a daze that his hands were bound above his head to the
bed spindles, not tightly but enough that he was unable to move them and the
position had caused them to stiffen.

Bloody hell…Jasmine,
he could smell jasmine and suddenly he didn’t want to open his eyes….but he
did.

Lucy was
leaning over him.

“You are a
dream,” he said firmly and closed them again. It was dark and still obviously
the middle of the night. His dreams were getting erotic; he’d never been tied
up before in them…of course Lucy was a different matter. He felt a pair of
hands either side of his face.

“I’m real,”
the voice whispered. “Taste me.” Jasper waited in exquisite agony, and then
finally a pair of lips met his. They started soft. Light kisses drifting over
his cheeks, his eyes, and his mouth. He turned to capture them fully and then
opened his eyes.

 “You were
awake!” were his first accusing words as she raised her mouth from his. “That
night in your bedchamber, those were my words to you.”

Lucy tried
not to look guilty but a giggle emerged.

“Why did you
pretend I was a dream?” Jasper looked fiercely at her “I thought I’d…I’d...”

Lucy put her
finger over his mouth. He struggled to try and sit up but Lucy pushed him
firmly down again. At last she had him exactly where she wanted him.

“I was awake,
but it was all so beautiful I convinced myself you couldn’t be real.”

“Beautiful?
Untie me and I’ll show you more of the beautiful,” his voice husky.

“Not quite
yet Jasper, we have some talking to do.”

Lucy asked
seriously. “Why haven’t you called on me again Jasper? It’s been days. And you
never came to the funeral, or came to see me before it.” Her voice broke.

“Oh Lucy,
forgive me. I thought to give you time to recover. I thought some time alone
with Rosalind, a close friend would be beneficial, so much had happened. And
then I thought you wouldn’t want me at the funeral. It was my fault….”

This time Lucy
put her whole hand over his mouth and she felt his lips still mumbling under
it. It tickled in a most delightful way and sent shivers down her spine. She
suddenly felt the intensity of the moment. Alone with Jasper, in his chamber,
his hands bound, his mouth below her hand, her bosom leaning against his chest,
his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She suddenly felt the lick of his tongue on
her palm.

She gasped
and took her hand away. Talk first,
that
…later.

“Jasper, I
have never, and will never blame you for Richards’s death. He held a knife to
me Jasper. My own brother. And even then, you only aimed your knife to wound
him. But he was too crazed by then for reason. It wasn’t even the horse’s
fault. His death was horrific and sad but no-one is to blame.” She paused, her
hand tracing a pattern on Jasper’s shirt.

“You know
Richard was sent to Uncle Cosmo when our parents died and I went to Aunt
Augusta.” Jasper nodded. “Well, my Scottish aunt says they tried to get Cosmo
to release guardianship to them for Richard. Apparently when they first visited
they saw signs of neglect. He was half starved and thin, and then later…they
saw bruising. Cosmo laughed it off, saying it was normal for a boy to get into
scrapes but they had a big fight and aunt and uncle were banned from the house.
I’m not saying it as an excuse as we all have problems, but…I feel Richard was
not dealt the best hand in life, especially at such an early age. He was not
himself by the end. Uncle explained to me about the opium. I believe Richard
sought its oblivion but in the end it damaged him in some way.”

Jasper
nodded. He’d judged Richard as a careless malcontent but with Lucy’s words he
could see that Richard’s problems may have been greater than mere greed.

“He needed
help to overcome his problems, not some fat headed viscount bent on vengeance.”
Jasper sighed.

Lucy shook
her head. “It’s over Jasper. Ultimately we can only learn from life and move
on. Otherwise we destroy ourselves…just like Richard.” A tear rolled down Lucy’s
face and Jasper tried to lean up to lap at it with his tongue. The ropes
strained with the movement and he heard the spindles creak ominously.

“When did you
become so wise?” he whispered.

“When you
bloody left me alone for over two weeks,” she accused, bashing his chest with
her hand so he fell back down.

“Lucy, I am
sorry. However the last time I came to the house,
you were
shopping.
”
Pronouncing the three words slowly and accusingly. “And before that some
nonsense with a cold. You had a chill at my estate and it barely kept you in
bed for a day.”