Scoundrel of My Heart (Once Upon a Dukedom #1) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,61

cries mingling with the rush of the waves. Glancing around, he wondered in which direction Kathryn might have gone.

He began wandering toward what appeared to be a cliff’s ledge, relishing the silk of grass against his soles. His boots had seemed like too much trouble to tug on. As a lad, he’d raced across meadows in bare feet whenever he was able to escape the watchful eye of a nanny or governess. His father had caught him once and taken a switch to his backside, while lecturing him about the importance of always being perceived as a gentleman. The irony of his traitorous father lecturing him about anything was not lost on him now.

When he reached the land’s edge, he looked down, and his breath caught. Not because of the dizzying height but because she was there with her skirt hiked up over her knees as she waded about in the blue water. She gave a little screech, hopped back, and the wind carried her laughter up to him. He wondered if some sea creature had pinched her toe.

Gingerly he eased himself down to the ground and simply watched, feeling at peace for the first time in months. It was as though cares couldn’t reside here. He understood why she’d wanted to come.

She began walking away from the waves rolling onto the shore, her movements light yet sinewy, not displaying the stiff posture, the erect spine, the calculated actions of a well-tutored lady. Instead he caught glimpses of the girl she’d been when she’d visited her grandmother here, more relaxed, more at home, more herself.

A woman the Duke of Kingsland would never see, would never explore, would never understand.

Abruptly she stopped, lowered herself to the ground, drew her knees against her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. Even from this distance, he could detect her shoulders heaving. Issuing a harsh curse, he shot to his feet, grinding out a slew of profanities as his wound protested his sudden actions. Glancing around, he noticed a spot where the grass looked to have been recently trampled. Heading for it, he discovered a path leading down to the shore and carefully navigated it until his feet hit the sand. With a purpose to his stride, he crossed over to where she sat with her brow pressed against her knees and crouched beside her, near enough that the fragrance of oranges mixed with salt wafted around him. “Kathryn?”

Giving a little sniff, she turned her head to the side, away from him, for all of two breaths. When she looked at him, he realized she’d been swiping at her tears, as unobtrusively as possible, but some still clung to her long auburn lashes. She gave him a tremulous smile. “How is your side this morning?”

“Aching like the devil.” Little, if any, laudanum remained to course through his blood and dull the pain. He didn’t know how many stitches had been needed to close the gaping wound. If she hadn’t distracted him with her presence, he might have counted them. He’d felt every blasted one going in. Reaching out with his thumb, he captured a tear glistening at the corner of her eye. “How are you this morning?”

She released a shuddering breath. “I thought I was all right. And then suddenly I wasn’t. All the emotions of last night just hit before I could prepare for them.”

Lowering himself so he was sitting on the sand, better able to balance himself, he nestled her face against his shoulder. “There’s no shame in weeping.”

“It makes me feel weak.”

“You’re far from being weak, Kathryn. Your strength was clearly evident only a few hours ago.”

“As was yours.” Pulling away, she studied him as though she hadn’t known him for years, had never really seen him before. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“While I was working the docks.”

Her brow furrowed. “A lot of brawling goes on there?”

“No, but a lot of bruisers haul cargo. Like Billy, the fellow who stopped you at the door the first night. Althea and I lived in Whitechapel for a while, and I wanted to ensure I had the wherewithal to protect her, if need be. On those streets they hardly follow the Queensberry Rules. So I hired Billy and a couple of other blokes to teach me how to fight in a manner no gentleman ever would.”

“Did Althea know?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t want her worrying that we were in dangerous environs or that I might get hurt. If the