Waiting for a Rogue Like You (Rogues of Redmere) Page 3

  A smile tugged his lips and he took her hand, shaking it firmly. “Nicholas Drake, war hero. My friends call me Drake. I can bring you to your brother.”

  “Good.”

  “Good,” he mimicked under his breath. His hand tingled from the contact, despite gloves. He drew in a breath and they continued up the hill toward the inn. Why did he feel as though he had just made a deal with the devil?

  Chapter Four

  Julianna hesitated at the door of the inn. She might have little pride left after her various falls and she was more than desperate at this point, but she could safely claim she had never stepped foot in a building in such a state. In truth, she had never once had her dress and face caked in mud. But chills shook her to the bone and if Drake was going to take her to her brother, she had to follow him.

  She swung a look at his profile, lit by the glow of two lanterns on either side of the door. With a strong jaw, intense eyes, a slightly crooked nose and curling hair darkened by the rain and brushing his collar, he was a far cry from the men she usually associated with. A scar cut across his lip though it was not unsightly. Somehow it added to the character of his face and made him look far too devilish.

  She could not say she had never understood the appeal of dangerous-looking men. Some of her friends had been prone to swooning over such men, and she had no doubt they would swoon over Drake. But she was far too sensible to do such a thing over a man like him...was she not?

  “You do know how doors work, do you not?”

  The words were said with wry amusement. His lips were twisted in a look that she was growing familiar with.

  “Yes, of course.” She pushed open the door and a sigh escaped her as instant warmth struck her face.

  A fire burned brightly in the fireplace, reaching its inviting fingers out to her. Most of the patrons had dispersed or were asleep in chairs or slumped over tables. Three old men huddled in one corner over a game of cards that was being played with such sluggishness that she imagined the game would last until dawn.

  “I shall fetch Louisa. She can arrange a room and bring you up some water to”—he glanced her over— “wash.”

  A flicker of something in his gaze had her stomach twisting in a way that felt far too delicious. Nothing like when her fiancé tried to touch her. A shiver trembled through every inch of her and she could not blame the cold for that. John was enough to make her shudder even if she were sitting in front of the fire with clean, dry clothing on.

  Julianna put a hand to his arm. “Wait. I...” She bit down on her bottom lip. “I cannot pay for another room.”

  He waved her words away. “I can cover it.”

  She shook her head vigorously. “I do not need your charity.” She had depended on men her whole life and look where that had led her—covered in mud in a part of the country she had never stepped foot in. Unfortunately, she would have to rely on her brother for a little longer, until she figured out what to do. But that was different to having a stranger pay her way. “If you take me to my brother, he shall cover it.”

  “Not going to happen.” He strode over to the bar and she followed. Drake leaned over and snatched up a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar, pouring himself a generous helping into an empty glass. He lifted the bottle and offered it to her.

  Julianna shook her head and propped hands on hips. “Why is it not going to happen?”

  “He’s away on business. He won’t return for another few days.”

  “But you said—”

  “I said I can take you to your brother.” Drake eased himself up on a stool and peered around. “Although I suppose I should have said, he will come to you. Once he returns, the Ship will be his first port of call.”

  “Oh.”

  He grinned. “Yes. Oh. Now, why do you not sit and have a drink? If you really are Knight’s sister, he will have my head if I let you freeze to death.”

  “Only men think whiskey will save a person from freezing.”

  “Whiskey has saved me many a time.”

  “And will likely be the death of you too.”

  Drake shook his head and laughed. “You have me all figured out, do you not, Princess?”

  She folded her arms. “I think so.” Julianna frowned when he did not respond and continued to eye her. “What is it?”

  “Knight’s sister,” he mused. “No, I cannot see it.”

  “Well, it is true. There are quite a few years between us, but we were born of the same mother. Not that any of this matters. I still have to find a way to pay for my lodgings if my brother will not be returning anytime soon. If what you are saying is true.”

  “I am many things, Princess, but I am not a liar.” He threw back the whiskey and slammed the glass down.

  Drake moved from the stool. She did not miss the wince that he tried to disguise. His war wounds clearly caused him pain. Perhaps that was why he had acted so strangely after the fight.

  “Louisa must be in the kitchen.” He jerked his head toward the door to one side of the bar. “Come with me.”

  She hesitated. This evening had not gone at all as planned. She had anticipated finding her brother quickly, being able to explain all that had occurred, and talking over what she might do next. Instead, she had been attacked, soaked, covered in mud, and forced to rely on this rogue of a man.

  “Princess?”

  “My name is Julianna,” she protested, following him into the kitchen.

  The woman Julianna had met earlier looked up as they entered. She paused in her work of beating pastry into submission. A serving girl stood by the sink washing glasses and plates. Another swept the floor. Julianna lingered in the doorway, feeling as though she was intruding into another world. Entering the servant’s quarters at home was frowned upon and the servants did not generally like being watched over by their employers.

  “Drake, you survived,” Louisa declared, spinning the dough over and slamming it back down onto the floured surface. “I wondered if those brutes might have had the better of you.”

  “Never.” He walked into the room as though he owned it and spent many a day in it. Leaning against the wall, he picked up a peeled carrot that was waiting patiently in a pile to be diced, Julianna assumed, and bit down on it.

  Julianna looked between the two. Could they be lovers? She had assumed Louisa was the innkeeper’s wife, but it seemed she was the only one in charge here. If she were not married, there would be no reason for Drake not to take her as a lover. With honey-colored hair and an ample bosom, Louisa likely had her fair share of attention from men.

  But why on earth did the idea of them being lovers make her stomach twist with annoyance?

  Louisa paused in beating the dough when she finally glanced over in Julianna’s direction. “Good Lord, what happened to you?”

  Julianna gave a weak smile. “I can hardly explain.”

  “Julianna needs work,” Drake announced.

  She blinked. “I do?”

  He nodded. “And board too.”

  Louisa eyed her. “Can you clean floors? Wash pots?”

  Opening her mouth to declare she had never done either, she shut it again, and looked at the women doing just that. It did not look so hard. Julianna lifted her chin. “Yes, I can do anything you need of me.”

  Louisa nodded. “I can always use an additional hand, and it’s a slow time of year so you can have one of the guest rooms.” She motioned upstairs with a floured hand. “Show her upstairs, Drake. She can stay in the one facing the sea.”

  Drake took another bite of carrot and nodded. “Will there be water?”

  “Yes. Though I’ll have Amy bring you up some hot water. I think you need it.” Louisa gave Julianna a warm smile.

  Julianna smiled back. “I really cannot thank you enough.”

  Louisa dismissed the words with a wave of a hand. “All I ask is that you work hard.”

  “I will,” Julianna vowed.

  “Follow me.” Drake turned and led the way upstairs.
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br />   “Have you known Louisa long?” she asked, traipsing after him.

  “Ever since I came to Penshallow.”

  “And when was that?”

  “A few years ago.”

  “Why did you come here?”

  He paused at the top of the stairs. “I am not the stranger here, Princess. You are. I think I should be the one asking questions.”

  “You can ask away, but it does not mean I will answer.”

  “Then why should I answer yours?”

  She pursed her lips and scowled. “Just take me to my room.”

  “Why of course, Princess. Anything you say.” He gave a mocking bow and led her along a narrow corridor lined with doors. He stopped at the end room, twisted the key in the door and eased it open. He pulled the key out of the door and handed it to her, pressing it into her palm.

  “Lock the door. There are all sorts of rogues around at night.”

  “Rogues like you, you mean?” She closed her fingers around the key.

  His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Far, far worse than me.”

  “I—” She pressed her lips together and tried again. “I am grateful for your help.”

  He gave a flash of teeth. “There, that was not so hard now, was it?”

  She narrowed her gaze at him. “A gentleman would not be so smug about it.”

  “Well, as you have already pointed out, I am a rogue, and not a gentleman.” He turned. “Sleep well, Princess.”

  Julianna could not quite fathom why, but the urge to ask him to stay burned in her throat. Likely because he was the only friend she had here. If she could call him a friend. She forced any words down and waited until he had vanished into the darkness of the stairs before stepping into her lodgings.

  Simple but clean, the room overlooked the sea. The inn was set back from the cliffs, exposed to the brutal weather of the coast. Though the rain had eased, wind buffeted the windows, making them creak and rattle. She could make out the white tips of rolling waves in the inky darkness of the ocean. Julianna clutched her arms about herself. Northumberland could be known as unforgiving, being so close to Scotland, but it was not nearly as wild as Cornwall where it was known that pirates and smugglers controlled much of the coastline.

  She had always wondered why her brother had come here, but she understood it now she was running away. This wild place really was like the end of the earth. Perfect for those who did not wish to be found.

  Chapter Five

  “Knight has a sister?” Nate stabbed a fork into charred bacon and grimaced.

  Drake nodded. He peered at his own morning meal which was about as edible as Nate’s. Red had opted for porridge washed down with coffee and had escaped the charred offerings that Drake and Nate were eating.

  “I never imagined Knight had any family. It’s hard to think of him even having parents,” mused Nate.

  “I suppose you imagined he was hatched from an egg,” said Nate’s brother Red wryly.

  The two men were similar in looks though Nate wore glasses. Dark hair, with that elegant air that came from good breeding. Both men could work harder than any nobleman Drake had ever met, though. Red, or the Duke of Redmere as he was known to his serfs, owned enough land and fortune to spend the rest of his days idle but Nate, being the second son, had wanted to join the war effort. When he’d been unable to, due to his eyesight, their plan had been hatched. Red brought Drake on after he recovered from his injuries, and thank the Lord he had. Before joining these men in Cornwall, he’d been sitting in an inn with hardly a penny to his name, having lost his family’s modest estate, and a lot of alcohol rotting his gut. Smuggling had given him purpose again.

  Oh, and coin. Plenty of coin. He might only be a mere baron, but he hoped to be able to restore his family’s manor house and lands once this was all over. In his heart, he’d always be a captain, but the lure of the sea was slowly waning.

  “What does she look like?” Nate leaned in, having given up on his bacon and thrown down the fork. “Is she...you know...?”

  Drake narrowed his gaze at Nate. “I have little idea what you mean.”

  Red laughed into his coffee, which swiftly turned into a cough. Nate gave him a hefty slap on the back.

  “Is she...?” Nate motioned in front of his chest with both hands.

  “Be careful,” warned Red. “Patience will have your balls if she hears you talking about another woman like that.”

  “My wife would never do such a thing.” Nate paused. “I don’t think. Hell, who knows? She’s damned unpredictable.”

  From his grin, Drake assumed Nate was more than content with his unpredictable wife. He could see why. The breeches-wearing woman was quite the fearsome creature.

  “Hannah would not be impressed either.” Red made a stitching motion across his mouth. “Which is why I am having nothing to do with this conversation.”

  “I don’t know why you think the first thing I would notice about a woman is her breast size.” Drake affected an offended look.

  Nate shook his head with a chuckle. “Because we know you.”

  “Because you would not stop talking about Hannah’s...assets when you first met her,” muttered Red.

  “Well, they are indeed—” Drake caught the cold look in Red’s eyes and opted not to mention his wife’s assets ever again, as bountiful as they were. “Anyway, Julianna is quite small. A delicate thing really.”

  “How the devil does a brute like Knight have a delicate sister?” Nate shook his head in disbelief. “I rather imagined she’d be a large, homely thing.”

  “You only just found out about her,” Red pointed out.

  “I have a fast imagination,” shot back Nate. He glanced down at his uneaten meal. “It’s a shame Knight isn’t here. I could send him out back to have a word with Louisa. You know how every mention of her turns his cheeks red. It’s the most amusing thing.”

  Red took a sip of coffee. “He should be back in a few days once he’s finished disposing of our last haul.”

  “And hopefully bringing back a fair price for it.” Drake picked up a blackened sausage and tapped it against the plate. It made a clunk sound against the metal. “I think I shall go and find out why our food is inedible.”

  “And see if Knight’s sister is around?” asked Nate, a knowing smile curving his lips.

  “I have a suspicion she is already gainfully employed, hence the food.” Drake cast a hand over their plates. “She told me little but there is no chance she has ever cooked or cleaned before.”

  “So you put her forward for a job she cannot do?” Red shook his head. “You can be a cad, Drake, but I did not think you cruel.”

  Drake held up a hand. “I rescued her from God knows what fate and tried to pay for her lodgings, but she would have none of it.”

  “A heroic rescue and offering to give up your coin? Not to mention refusing to talk of her...assets. You must be in love.” Nate nudged him with an elbow.

  With a chuckle, Drake stood. “She’s a fine-looking woman, Nate, but there’s a distinct difference between love and lust. You should know that, being an old married man. Or perhaps the lust has already gone from your marriage. I would not blame Patience, having to bed you every night.”

  Nate straightened. “My wife lusts after me as much as she did the first day we were married. If not more.”

  Drake smirked. “If you say so. Now let me see if I can find out what has happened to the food in this place.”

  “Be careful, Drake,” cautioned Red. “Knight won’t take well to you lusting after his sister.”

  “There’s no harm in a little lust. Knight does not need to know a thing about it. After all, I’m only going to look. Julianna thinks little enough of me.”

  “Clever girl.” Red smirked.

  “That must be a first,” commented Nate.

  Drake ignored them and headed to the kitchen. A yawn escaped him, and he rubbed a hand over his face. After stormy nights, he was used to feeling a little wor
se for wear, but it wasn’t because of drink like usual. No. It was Julianna Knight.

  Well, Julianna Knight and her propensity for getting into trouble. He’d lingered outside her room for a while to ensure no more trouble found her.

  Unfortunately, he’d been far too aware of padding footsteps coming from her room and the sound of splashing water. Heat trailed its fingers through him even now, just thinking of her stripping and washing the grime from her body.

  He sniffed as he entered the kitchen, and smoke caught the back of his throat. He couldn’t hold in a cough and Julianna whirled at the sound of it, a pan of blackened bacon in hand.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  She wore a simple gown today that was too large for her. She must have borrowed it from Louisa who was more generous in the chest than her. An apron was tied around her waist, marred by greasy fingerprints. He’d have to offer to retrieve her belongings from the inn.

  “I came to see why my morning meal was blacker than the night’s sky.”

  She blew a curl from her face. Tied into a haphazard knot of dark curls, strands stuck out at all angles, and her cheeks were flushed and sheening. “It was not that bad.”

  He lifted a brow and propped himself against the doorway. “My stomach says otherwise.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “I shall cook you another.”

  He eyed the bacon. “If those are to be part of the breakfast, I shall stick to whiskey.” He glanced around the empty kitchen. “Where’s Louisa?”

  “Amy is late and there were beds to be made.”

  “Could you not have made the beds?”

  Julianna’s shoulders sagged. “I...I do not know how.”

  He could not help but chuckle. “And you thought cooking meals for hungry men was the better option?”

  She lifted a shoulder and offered him a weak smile. “I thought it would be easy enough.”

  “Do you have any experience with cooking?”

  He saw her weigh up her options before shaking her head.

  “What is a lady like you doing in a place like this, Princess? It’s clear you do not belong here. Why do you not return home where you can have people cook for you once more?”