Page 3 of Boxing With My Duke (A Sweet and Lighthearted Regency #16)

C atherine had no doubt their journey to Gretna Green would be a miserable one. The duke was a pompous, arrogant man. But she had no choice. She needed his help to stop a wedding.

She leaned back against the plush burgundy leather in the carriage and adjusted the thick, velvety blanket on her lap. The duke did have a point. She had brazenly burst into a men’s club, ranting and raving. With no chaperone. What was I thinking? Her foolishness had potentially landed her in a mess. But in her defense, she’d been so worried about Edward that she hadn’t stopped to think. After losing William and her father, it would be unbearable to lose Edward too.

And she was worried about her mother’s health. Her poor dear mother would take to her bed if she learned of Edward’s disappearance. Catherine had penned a brief note and had asked one of the duke’s footmen to deliver it to her maid, Bertha , who was wise beyond her years. Bertha would make sure no one in the household found out where Catherine was heading, and with whom. Nor would they know Edward whisked a woman he met in a gentleman’s club to Gretna Green .

She turned to gaze out the window at the passing scenery. She felt awkward sitting across from him. A virtual stranger. Lord , he’s big. The duke had been right about his carriage. It was huge and accommodating for his size. But he still dominated the space. She couldn’t decide whether it was his height or the dynamic energy he exuded. She snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye. He was handsome. Very handsome. So handsome she could barely keep from blushing every time he looked at her with those dark brown eyes framed perfectly with wavy, brown hair. His tall, muscular body was impeccably contained in well-tailored clothing. It was all she could do to maintain a stiff upper lip to get through this ordeal.

“ I … I realize our traveling together could be compromising for me,” she said, breaking the silence. Her voice had sounded too soft and feminine. Fiddlesticks !

“ For me as well,” the duke said in a wry tone, arching a dark brow. “ And if you are compromised, we may have to marry. Oh , that’s right…your brother is on the road, possibly compromising my young ward.”

“ That’s not what I meant…” she started.

“ Look , we don’t know what’s going on. But I’m hoping we can catch up with them before it’s too late. They’ll have to stop along the way to eat and attend to personal matters.”

“ Yes , of course,” she agreed, feeling another blush heat her face. Personal matters! She hadn’t thought of that. They would have to stop at some point as well. Oh Lord , she’d have to hold her bladder if that were the case.

“ Adams asked my cook to pack several days’ worth of provisions. Cheese , meats, bread, fruit, and drink should help with any hunger issues,” Carlton said.

“ There are more blankets in the drawer under the seat. Be careful, the foot warmers should be hot.”

“ Thank you, that is most kind of you. You are right about the comfort of your coach,” Catherine said.

“ Barring unforeseen difficulties, we should reach Scotland in about four days,” Carlton said.

“ Four days?” she squeaked out.

“ Yes . What did you imagine? That we’d be back before teatime?”

Her gaze dropped to her gloves, embarrassed by her naivete. “ Forgive me, I wasn’t thinking. Of course, I understand it will take several days to cross into Scotland .”

The duke cleared his throat. “ I don’t know your reading preferences, but I brought a few books from my library. And I brought a book that you might enjoy. It was to be a gift for Serafina .”

She glanced up, meeting his dark brown gaze. “ That was very thoughtful of you.”

He inclined his head.

“ Edward is usually so sensible,” she murmured. “ I can’t understand why he’d behave so rashly.”

“ I understand love is an emotion that can cause logic and sensibility to fly out the window,” Carlton said, lifting his carriage seat and pulling out a book. He handed it to Catherine . “ Serafina specifically asked for this one. Have you read it?”

“ Pride and Prejudice ! No , I’ve not read it yet. But I’ve been wanting to. Where did you purchase it?”

“ There’s a fine bookshop next to my club. They always seem to have what I’m looking for. If not, they’re most accommodating when placing orders.”

“ Perhaps it’s because of its nearness to a gentlemen’s club—it allows for the quick gift for guilty consciences,” Catherine quipped, then immediately regretted her comment. As a child, her parents had often scolded her for blurting out her thoughts. She’d learned to curb that habit over the years, but given her anxiety under the circumstances, she’d reverted to that pesky old habit. “ Forgive my comment. I too enjoy reading and I thank you again for the loan of the book.” She smoothed her hand over the leather-bound cover. “ Er , what do you enjoy reading, Your Grace ?”

“ My name is Carlton . Given our close confines over the next few days, I think it would be more agreeable if we forgo formal forms of address when in private, don’t you?” He arched that brow again. This time, he seemed to be challenging her.

“ Please call me Catherine .” She inclined her head. “ I agree, Carlton , it would be agreeable to me as well, when in private .”

“ Very good, Catherine .” He nodded. “ I’m glad we cleared that up.” He leaned forward and pulled the shade down on one window and then the other, blocking the bright rays of the setting sun. “ I enjoy reading a wide variety of subjects,” he said, leaning back against the seat. “ At the moment, I’m reading a new edition of Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift . My ward prefers romantic tales of love.”

“ You don’t believe in love, Your — Carlton ?” There I go again. Edward had teasingly called her Miss Blabber Mouth . She did not know why she’d asked Carlton such an outrageous question. But she could not help herself. She was most curious to hear his answer.

“ I’ve never had a reason to,” he replied. “ Men have done foolish things in the name of love. I’ve known several of them.”

“ Do you think my brother is one of them?”

“ I think your brother and my ward are both too young to know better.”

She nodded. He was right. Of course, he was right. Wasn’t he?

“ You don’t think highly of my business, do you?” Carlton tapped the ceiling with his cane and the carriage surged forward.

“ I don’t. It’s how my brother William got into trouble.” She blinked back tears. “ I know it wasn’t at your club, but it could have been another gentlemen’s establishment. He became dependent on the vices that places such as yours allow. My father would still be here if William had not been killed. Edward would still be at Oxford . And our family would still be together.” Catherine couldn’t continue to blame others for what had happened to William . She knew it but couldn’t help herself.

“ You know very little about my club,” he retorted. “ We don’t have an entertainment floor…at least not as you seem to think. There are gaming rooms and apartments that members may rent. And we offer pugilistic training. That was started by my grandfather years ago…and my uncle made it a part of his club. When I inherited it, I expanded it and built a larger building—just behind the main one. It’s an enjoyable and healthy pastime for our members.”

“ Forgive me. I’m afraid I’m blaming you and Serafina for my family’s shortcomings. William’s death had nothing to do with you. And while I am worried about my brother, I apologize for my rude and unfounded accusations about your ward. I will do my best to remind myself of that.”

“ You know, life is not a constant battle between you and the rest of the world, Catherine .”

Her gaze flew to his. “ I know that! I don’t consider myself doing battle with anyone. And I just apologized to you. The least you could do is acknowledge it.”

They passed out of Bath as the sun was setting, and Carlton pulled the shades down to cut out the extreme light. “ I’ve been boxing my entire life, and I know when someone has a chip on their shoulder. You stormed into my club with guns blazing, so to speak. And you were looking for a fight.”

How dare he! She opened her mouth to retort, but the carriage careened to a sudden stop. “ What happened? Why aren’t we moving?”

Carlton placed a finger to his lips in warning.

“ Stand and deliver,” a man’s raspy voice called out. “ Now .”

Highwaymen ! Catherine felt her legs trembling as she watched Carlton mouth a silent curse. Thank goodness the blinds had been drawn. At least the thieves couldn’t see inside the coach.

“ We’re armed, in case yer thinking of doing anything stupid,” another nasally-sounding voice said. “ One of my pistols is pointing right at your driver. And another at your carriage door. So , you’d better step out right now, or your driver won’t be livin’ much longer.”

Catherine thought he must have been pointing to another man. She breathed slowly, still trying to calm her fear.

“ We’re no threat to you,” she heard his driver reply.

Catherine had seen an armed outrider for the duke’s coach when they’d set out. Where is he? Had he been injured or worse?

“ Here , take this,” Carlton said, unsheathing a lethal-looking knife from his boot. “ Keep it hidden. This shouldn’t take long to dispatch. But if something happens, aim for the gut.” He leaned across her, barely touching her hair with his chest, and slid open a small panel that opened under the driver’s seat. “ How many, Morris ?”

“ Three of them, Your Grace . One’s hiding at the tree line. Two are on either side of the carriage. They look rough.”

Catherine wished she could keep her knees from knocking together. It didn’t help that Carlton was practically on top of her. Every breath she took was heady with his masculine scent of citrus and sandalwood. His nearness sparked a frisson of sensation that reverberated from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. Never had she felt anything like it.

“ Be ready—on my order,” Carlton whispered, sliding the panel closed. Moving away from her, he motioned for her to stand and lifted the bench seat, revealing a compartment.

“ It’s completely hidden and large enough for you to hide,” he whispered. “ I don’t want them to see you. I want you to get in and keep quiet. Hold on to that knife, but be careful. It’s sharp.”

“ B -but I c-can help. I h-have the knife.” Her heart hammered in her ears and her head began to spin. She didn’t want to admit that the thought of climbing into that dark space terrified her.

“ Look , I don’t have time to watch over you and fight off three armed highwaymen. For once, don’t argue with me. And just do as I say.”

His eyes were deadly serious as he spoke. Catherine was too anxious to even counter his insult that she was argumentative with her stomach in her throat. She nodded and obeyed his order.

“ If you should need it, there are coins under my seat—in a small bag.”

Catherine felt faint as she scooted to the back of the secret compartment.

“ Keep quiet. And don’t worry. I’ll be back for you,” he whispered, closing the lid and securing the seat.

She heard the carriage door open and Carlton stepping out.

He’s right. Get ahold of yourself, Catherine . This man is risking his life to save you and you’ve been nothing but peevish.

Why , oh, why did she insist on chasing after her brother? She’d behaved foolishly and rashly, and now she’d put them all in danger. Catherine clutched the knife, praying she would not have to use it.

“ I’ll have yer purse, milord,” the raspy voice demanded.

“ You’ve got competition. The men on the other side of Bath already cleaned me out.”

Catherine was amazed at how calm and confident the duke sounded.

The thief barked out a laugh. “ That’s too convenient, milord. Look inside.” Catherine heard the raspy order. The carriage door opened, and she held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut—not that it could shut out any light. It was pitch black in the box. The air smelled like pine, she reflected, trying to keep the dark thoughts away.

“ There’s not’n inside. Empty , like he says,” the nasal voice called out.

“ Now !” she heard the duke command. Three shots rang out, and Catherine froze.

She was terrified. Terrified that Carlton or one of his men was hurt. Terrified that she would be discovered.

A few minutes passed, but it felt like hours.

She heard the carriage door open, and someone stepped inside.

Oh God ! She prayed it was Carlton . Finally , the seat was lifted, and a hand reached down.

“ It’s all right. You’re safe.”

A sob escaped her as she gripped the big, muscular hand. Carlton helped her out of the black box.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she held on for dear life. “ T -thank y-you!” She could barely speak between sobs. All she could do was hold onto Carlton .

His arms went around her, and he pulled her to his chest. “ Hush , it’s all right. Everything is all right now.”

The feel of his powerful arms around her and the warmth of his broad chest made her feel safe. Protected .

She didn’t know how long he held her that way. Maybe it was a few moments, maybe an eternity. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “ You s-saved my life. Th -thank you.”

He stared into her eyes, holding her gaze captive. He angled his head as his gaze traveled down to her mouth and then back up to her eyes, then back down to her mouth.

Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to kiss her? She realized she did. And that quite shocked her to the core. She closed her eyes and waited. But he didn’t lower his lips. And there was no kiss.

“ Come , I’ll help you down,” he said in a hoarse voice.

Foolish . Foolish woman! She’d practically puckered her lips! Catherine opened her eyes but avoided his gaze. She’d been silly and na?ve. As foolish as Edward and Serafina . Why would Carlton want to kiss her? He most likely had a bevy of sophisticated mistresses.

Stepping outside the carriage, she spotted the three highwaymen, bleeding, slumped over, and firmly tied around the base of a large tree. “ Are they dead?”

“ No need,” he said smugly. “ The magistrate will take care of the hanging. I’ll send my outrider, Yates , to fetch him.”

“ But that will mean we’ll have to stay here and wait.”

“ Yes , it will take a few hours.”

“ But we don’t have a few hours,” she snapped. “ We don’t have time to wait. We need to leave now.” She didn’t mean to sound so abrupt and harsh, but the sting of his rejection was still with her.

Carlton raked his hands through his hair. “ Look , I don’t take orders from you. And may I remind you that I just saved your life?”

“ Yes , I know, and I thanked you for saving my life. But now that the danger is over. We cannot afford to dally here.”

“ Then what do you suggest we do?”

She looked back at the men tied around the tree. It was a very big tree. An idea flashed through her mind. She turned to Carlton . “ Do you have a sheet of paper and a pencil?”

He blew out a breath and stepped back into the carriage. A moment later, he returned with a piece of paper he had torn from the back of his book and a short, fat pencil.

“ Excellent ,” she said and proceeded to write on a blank sheet of paper. “ Now , if you’ll please assist me.” She walked over to the tree and handed Carlton the note. He glanced down at what she’d written, and his lips twitched.

They walked to the tree, and she studied the robbers’ boot tops until she spotted a knife. Pulling it from its sheath, she handed it to Carlton .

Carlton tacked the note well above the heads of the thieves. “ Does this meet with your approval?” he asked, crossing his hands over his chest.

“ Indeed , it does. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Carlton shook his head and helped her into the carriage.

Catherine looked out the window and smiled at the note hanging above the three unconscious thieves. “ There ! We can leave now.”

To Whoever Finds these highwaymen ? —

These three thieves accosted our carriage and would have killed us were it not for the courage of the Duke of Richmond and his men. Unfortunately , we could not wait for the Magistrate as we were in a terrible hurry. Therefore , we leave the fate of these three miscreants to you.

( P.S . This was not their first hold-up.)

She heard a snort and turned her notice to the duke, who was trying to hold back his laughter. Her lips twitched, and she began to giggle. At that, Carlton threw back his head and howled with laughter. From the window, she heard Brandon , his footman, and Morris , the driver, laughing as well.

“ If those miscreants don’t die of thirst, someone will bring a magistrate,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes. Tapping the ceiling of the carriage, they lurched forward once again.