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Rose hoisted her skirts and hurried up the stairs.The tramping feet of four men followed.Her bedroom door was open.All her trunks had been opened and her clothing, books, sewing, miniature paintings, jewelry case and mementos were scattered about the room.
“The children!I must see the children.”Rose bolted, hurrying up the next flight of stairs.She could hear Matthew behind her.Cyril was already at the door—this time with a pistol.
“You can’t stop me,” she said.
“Can I not?I am their guardian, they my wards, appointed by my brother.There is nothing you oryour husband,” he said with derision, “can do about it.”
Why was Cyril attempting to disrupt her life again?
Rose’s temper soared.She reached out with both hands, attempting to shove against his chest.Matthew prevented her, his hand at her waist, pulling her into his hard body and away from her querulous brother-in-law.
“There will only be one warning, Sandhurst,” Matthew said.
“Or what?You think to harm me in my own home when my servants see everything you do?”
“They see everything you do, too.In this case, I would pay them to look the other way.Or I could remove your brains with a hole in your head,” Matthew said.He’d already pulled out his hidden pistol, secured beneath his jacket and tucked in the waistband of his trousers.Sandhurst’s head was a convenient resting place, the muzzle at his temple.“Let her by.”
Sandhurst gritted his teeth and lowered his pistol.Matthew took it from him.Rose could thank Matthew later, but now she had to get to the girls.Thankfully, they were safely abed, their trunks unopened and waiting at the door.Rose scooped up Ava, warm in her cotton nightdress and woolen stockings, and without saying a word, Matthew lifted Elaina and carried her propped against his shoulder while with his free hand he gripped Rose’s arm as they hurried down the stairs.At the carriage, Matthew laid Elaina on one seat, then helped Rose into the other while she still clutched Ava to her chest.
“Stay here until I get back.I’ll bring some blankets.Rose, remember, everything in the house can be replaced.You have what’s important.”
“I need the miniatures of my parents.Please, Matthew.”
Then he was gone.
It was a whirlwind of a night, and her children were safe.She glanced at their peaceful visages in the darkened carriage, barely stirred from sleep with the quick rescue.She had the rest of her life to understand the man she’d just married or to understand her demented reasoning for marrying the first man to come along.
But now, she needed to have a good cry or else she was going to commit bodily harm against her brother-in-law.
* * * * *
Matthew surveyed therage-induced chaos.“Damn him.”
Seeing Cyril Elliston’s clenched fists caused a blazing anger in Matthew.It could mean anything, but Cyril’s fury was directed at Rose.Palpable, crazed wrath.In time, Matthew would deal with it.
In time.
He was satisfied to learn that some of what he knew about Sandhurst was confirmed.Even Rose’s reaction to him.And it was her reaction that compelled Matthew to do what he was doing tonight, for her benefit and their safety.
To get in her bedroom, they had to walk over piles of fine linens, silk skirts and fancy lace.There was no light, but his crew was quite used to working in the dark.
Matthew barked orders to the men.They knew what they were doing, but they’d never cleaned out a duchess’s rooms before.“Get as much as you can inside the trunks.Don’t worry about neatness, just make sure nothing breaks or spills.”Twelve trunks needed to be filled.Fortunately, not all of them had been emptied, just disordered.Matthew plucked up some paints and two ink bottles, fully intending to leave them behind.Such things were easily replaceable.But Rose had no real confidence that she would have the same luxuries to which she was accustomed, so he took anything that could be identified as hers.
A jewelry case was upside down on the bed, but there were no particular pieces or even everyday bangles or silver chains left in the rumpled coverlet.It was all gone.Also replaceable, but then he couldn’t know of any special gifts or meanings she placed in such items.
Matthew exhaled hard.He remembered this sort of dread when he was young.Dark nights with his mother crying beside him.Confusion.Growling hunger.Disorder and turmoil.Cold and rain.Rose and her children hadn’t experienced exactly that, but leaving their home was a different sort of trauma.Rose had jumped into the unknown.To protect one child, she was jeopardizing two others Oh, it wasn’t really comparable, but he did feel their pain.
Matthew had Walter Snell.Rose would have Matthew Hardy with all his hardened imperfections and his great desire to right the wrongs of the oppressed.
He went on, opening both spacious armoires to see she’d left hats, shoes, parasols and other tidbits.“Will there be any extra room?”he asked.
“Aye, some.”
“Fit as much of this as you can.”Two more trunks were carried down.Matthew started to work on a trunk near the door.In spite of his recent marriage, he felt it was a gross violation to rummage through her personal items.Matthew had to hold back a laugh—he sometimes forgot he could be a rank hypocrite.
Sandhurst evidently had no such notion of privacy or care.Matthew, at least, resealed the envelopes he’d opened.
He did have the urge to strip the room of every knickknack, painting, bed covering and carpet.He glanced at his watch.Ah, hell, why not?Cooper and his four men had worked for Matthew for over five years.They knew what he wanted.
