All the Things You Never Knew Read online

  Besides, Viscount Herring was in debt to him too. Using his daughter in a little scheme won’t hurt, but it seems that won’t be working anymore. He’ll have to find a different use for them. As for now, he’ll have to get that little bastard and show him a little of his wrath.

  * * *

  Leon left Rose early before dawn arise after a series of love making and promised to get back to her as soon as he can.

  “I will be waiting,” she had said as she sends him off down her window, smiling languidly at him.

  Damn it, he’s already missing her.

  He just wanted to run back and have her once more. His lust had turned him greedy. He can’t think of anything else. Well, at least he had come to serve his purpose and achieve a little something more.

  He must remain abstinent until he accomplishes his task. After that is over, he will have Rose to be his wife and they will live a happy life together till the end of time. He was astonished to have her accept his proposal in such haste without hesitation.

  I have dreamed of it, Leon, she had said, making him grin crazily to himself as he strode back to Hargate Inn to rest. It proves that he was not the only foolish one that had waited for the impossible. He would make it a possibility now for Rose and himself. Nothing is to ever come in between them again.

  Even if he fears for her safety, she would be more in danger without him by her side. He had beaten that ass of a marquess and all. He would not be too pleased to have Rose’s lover thrash him to death like that. Her protection now is in high need of his. He shall act cautiously to prevent her from being the target of any harm. If anyone ever happens to hurt her, he would not rest until he has thrown that person out to the end of the earth. That, he would do for sure.

  “You seem quite in a good mood,” came a deep voice that startled Leon as he enters the inn.

  He whirled around to see who it was but was knocked out cold from behind before he had the chance.

  Rose couldn’t stop smiling to herself as she thought back to the passionate night she had shared with Leon. It was the best thing she had ever experienced in her life. She wonders if she would ever feel this way if it was to be Lord Lansing caressing her and–Ugh! The thoughts disgusted her. She shouldn’t think about him.

  She should be thinking about Leon and her future since he had proposed to her and she accepted it.

  She was going to be his wife! Lord that excites her more than anything. She’s going to be known as Mrs. Heartily. Mrs. Rose Heartily. Not any Lady Lansing or Marchioness of Lansing. Just plain wonderful Mrs. Heartily. She loves it!

  “Are you okay, m’lady?” asked Frances as she looks at Rose.

  She had totally forgotten about the presence of her maid, who was accompanying her through the stroll at Hyde Park. She had risen rather late that morning and thought to have a walk in the park to waken herself.

  “I’m perfectly fine,” Rose answered, inhaling in a deep scent of the autumn breeze that’s coming up fast. “It’s such a beautiful day, won’t you say? Look at the falling leaves with their bright orangey color and yellow specks.” She bended down to scoop up a handful and threw it up in the air with a laugh of delight.

  “I say that’s most unlady-like,” Frances replied, brushing the falling leaves off her. “Your mother passed away with a list of duties for me to keep you well-trained and marriageable. Though I am nothing more than a maid to assist you, I’m also like a mother to guide you. You will soon be married to his lordship. You can’t throw leaves out in public or smile musingly to yourself without any proper reason. People would think you are not right in the head.”

  Rose merely rolled her eyes at such absurdity and continued on her walk while Frances continues to babble.

  How she wish she could just have a normal life. Perhaps she will be free after she marries Leon. She wants to be as far away from this aristocratic society as possible. Leave the ton and everything to rot. Why should they care about her action when it’s not their life? Why must she disguise herself to make everything perfect when it’s not?

  Stupid regulation of the ton.

  Rose decided to take a short rest on a nearby bench and stretches her legs and arms to untangle the aching muscle. It must have been from part of Leon and her lovemaking. Too much caressing pleasure, perhaps.

  Rose smiled again at the thought and averted her expression elsewhere to hide it from Frances. She was like a love struck puppy, all dazed and out of her head. She blushed as the image of Leon standing naked in the moonlight lingers in her head and cupped her cheeks. They were hot with mortification. How could she be thinking of that of all things in the world?

  But soon her thought was interrupted and her smile vanished as she saw a man approach towards her.

  At first, she thought he was just a mere stranger then she realizes that he was the Earl of Longsword that came that one day to tell her of Lord Lansing’s despicable doings. What reason does he have to be here?

  “Beautiful day isn’t it, Lady Rose?” he asked, giving her a salute.

  “Quite, yes,” she answered, flashing him a smile.

  “You look striking today,” he commented, scanning down her figure that it made her blush.

  “Well thank you, m’lord.”

  He smiled and then grew serious as his gaze ran to her face.

  “I have to talk to you, Lady Rose,” he said sternly. “Privately, that is.”

  “Oh?” What does he want now?

  She looked at Frances who had on a disapproving expression, then back at the earl.

  “A pleasure, m’lord,” she curtsied and gestured for Frances to remain seated while she strolls off with Lord Longsword.

  “You do know that Leon loves you right?” his lordship started as soon as they were out of earshot. “He came yesterday to explain everything of his doing to you, I presumed.”

  “Yes,” she nodded. And a little more than that. “He did.”

  It makes her feel rather awkward to have such an improper conversation with the earl.

  Why did he ask? she wondered.

  “Did he…tell you everything?”

  “Yes,” she said again. “He did, though he did not go into much details.”

  “It troubles him to think back to the past,” Lord Longsword said with a brief nod. “He doesn’t speak of it that openly. Even as a close friend, he still hides away certain things. I never truly know of what he thinks or what he’s suffering.”

  So Leon and this Lord Longsword are not just friends but are close friends.

  “I figured so,” Rose answered in agreement. “He attempted to tell me three times but never manage to.”

  His lordship laughed at her remark and clucks his tongue. “That’s Heartily, all right. Fails at every verbal attempt. Was he stuttering? He tends to do that when he’s trying to say something that he can’t reveal.”

  Rose rubbed her forehead to think. “I can’t really recall,” she said. “But he hesitates a lot and never gets the message across.”

  “I’ll just take it as a yes, then.”

  “Perhaps, yes,” Rose agreed. She rather likes this Earl of Leon’s. He probably was being honorable to come and inform her that day of Lord Lansing’s acts at that…that Phillipa’s whorehouse. It shows the similarity Leon and him shared in their friendship.

  “But you two did get things set out straight, did you?”

  She beamed at yesterday’s memories and exclaimed, “Oh yes. Most certainly.”

  “That’s good then.”

  “Is something wrong?” she asked him when she saw a bit of darkness in his eyes.

  “Well, Lady Rose,” he said, his light mood dimmed. “I’m afraid something bad has happened to Leon.”

  That brought a sudden tight knot to her chest.

  “Something bad happened to…Leon?”

  “I don’t know what, but I returned this morning from a trip to get back one of our friend and found a note.”

  He reached into the pocket of his coa
t and pulled out a paper, handing it to her.

  Rose took it and opens it up to skim over it briefly.

  It reads:

  We have your bastard friend in captive. If you want him alive, you must bring his garnet jewel of the Sacred Cave of Treasure in exchange. Limit of three days. If you can’t do as then bid farewell to your dear friend.

  requested,

  Islington

  Rose gasped, and dropped the letter at the thought of Leon dying. He had just been with her last night.

  Why are all this rising up so fast?

  “No,” she shook her head. “What do we do, m’lord?” she asked

  full of concerns. “Who has him captive?”

  “No name was mention, but Islington has got to be where Leon’s at since it’s what was signed at the bottom of the letter.”

  “Where exactly in Islington? These abductors have got to know how to be more specific,” she said, bending down to pick up the letter from the ground. “And what’s with the garnet jewel of that cave?”

  “I was going to ask if Leon mention it to you at all,” Longsword replied, looking at her.

  “He never told me about any jewel or cave,” she answered. “How are we to get it for them in exchange for Leon’s life?”

  The earl shrugged and turned to look at the scenery in the distance. “I don’t know either,” he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I was thinking,” he turned back to her and said again, “I was thinking perhaps you can get the Marquess of Lansing to tell you where Leon is, not directly, but try to extract some clues out of him. You can do that, can you? I suspect Lord Lansing to be part of this since…”

  “Since Leon beat him near death,” Rose finishes when the earl hesitated to say the words.

  “So Leon told you?”

  “Yes,” Rose nodded. “He did, which I’m totally grateful for. And thank you, my lord, for telling me about Lord Lansing’s presence at that…brothel. I’m most grateful to know of his wicked side and black heart. Saves me from agreeing to an unfaithful marriage of cheats and lies.”

  “Your gratitude’s my pleasure,” Lord Lansing bowed formally in front of her.

  “So,” she went on. “Back to Leon’s case, I’ll try to go see that despicable Lord Lansing and pull some things out of him. I have to go save my husband.”

  “What?” Lord Longsword’s eyes widen in astonishment.

  Darn it! She didn’t mean to be so carried away with the thought of marrying Leon to be calling him her husband already. Oh well.

  “Leon and I are to be wedded,” she explains. “We agree to it yesterday.”

  “Really?” The earl was still shocked.

  “Yes,” she answered. “You must help me save him, m’lord. If I lose him again this time, I shall die.”

  The earl gave out a sigh of resignation and nodded his head in agreement.

  “I will,” he said. “Leon’s my friend. And if he’s to marry you, I would do anything I can to get him to the altar.”

  Rose smiled at his friendly remark and threw her arms around him.

  “Thanks, m’lord,” she said happily, pulling back with a blush. “I…I guess I should hurry on with my part and help you to gain information on where to find Leon.”

  “Indeed,” he agreed. “I’ll be at Hargate Inn. If you learn anything useful, please call on me there. It may be improper for a lady like you to do so, but then if you are to fit in with the Heartilys, improper is the way to go.”

  Rose laughed, and answered, “Oh, I have given up the life of a lady the day Leon returned. Don’t worry, your lordship. I’ll do my part. In the meantime, please, don’t let yourself get capture too, or else Leon would…who knows what would happen to him.”

  “I will be fine. When our other party is back, the crew should be secured,” he told her. “Now you have to keep yourself safe in this or Leon would sure skin me alive if he knows what I’m dragging you into.”

  Ah, that is so what Leon would do, no doubt. He’s always so protective of her. He had saved her from many terrible events. It’s her turn now to do whatever she can to save him.

  “I’m pretty sure he will object to this,” Rose agreed, “but he’s not here so all is good. I will be careful.”

  “Well, then it’s settled. I must get going, Lady Rose. Many tasks awaits me.”

  The Earl of Longsword bid her another good day with a bow, and strode off back down the road.

  Sudden panic and worries swirled and stabbed at Rose’s heart.

  “Leon,” she whispered, clasping her hands to her chest. “God, please. Let him be safe.”

  She doesn’t know what she will do if anything happens to him. She must hurry off and speak with Lord Lansing. He should have something to say in this. But in the act, as Lord Longsword had said, she must be careful and watch her mouth and choose her words carefully.

  She would do precisely that to rescue her prince.

  Islington

  Where… am I?

  Leon slowly opened his eyes to face the darkness of a room he couldn’t familiarize. His vision was a blur and he had to blink a few times to adjust his eyes to the dark.

  He tried to move his arms and legs only to find them chained. His muscles twitched in pain from the crucified position he was hanging in on the wall.

  “Damn!” he cursed with a wince, trying to break himself free.

  How did he get here? He has no idea. All he remembered was returning to the inn from a wonderful bliss with Rose and then…Everything else was lost.

  Why was he here?

  A crackling sound cut in and Leon feel himself being pulled up on the wall with his arms and legs spread apart. A nefarious laugh broke out in echoes and on came the lights, blinding Leon for a second.

  As he adjusted his sight, Leon saw a figure walking towards him with a cane. He looked a bit familiar like…like the man in the picture that Hargate gave him.

  Could it really be the old marquess?

  He was dead, wasn’t he?

  Or could this be…

  “Release me!” was the first thing Leon shouted, lunging forward only to be thrown back by the chains.

  The old man came forward face-to-face with Leon, a smirk playing across his face.

  “Ah. The bastard of the Duke of Windsor, eh?”

  Duke of Windsor?

  He took Leon’s face and turned it from side to side as to examine him.

  “What do you want?” Leon asked through clenched teeth.

  “What do you want?” the man countered, letting go of Leon’s face with another laugh.

  He has got to be the old marquess that was involve in the murdering of his parents.

  Leon could recognize the voice now, even if the memory was still a little dim.

  “You’re not the one chained up, are you?” Leon said, kicking his leg to loosen up the knot in his muscle. “Release me now!”

  “Why ever would I do that?” His old wrinkled face was back to Leon’s with a gleam in his eyes. “I’m no fool, you see. Besides, whatever did my son do to deserve such a deadly thrash from you?”

  Son? That means…

  “I know what you’re probably thinking,” the old man answered. “And yes, I am the real Marquess of Lansing. Not my son. I’m sure you can recognize me.”

  Ah, so he wasn’t wrong at all in assuming that this marquess was really one of the murderers. It must have been some kind of a trick he had brought up to deceive Leon as suspected.

  “You know well why, then, if you’re the real marquess,” Leon answered with an urge to sling himself forward to knock down the old man

  “It’s the little whore, isn’t it?”

  The little whore?

  Leon’s eyes narrowed at the old man and nearly went mad when he realizes who the he was talking about.

  “You can go to hell!”

  The marquess merely laugh and poke him with his cane.

  “You should be glad that you are not going to hell for what you d
id to Marcus. However, your precious little whore would, if you dare to make any more threats.”

  “Rose is not a whore!” Leon bellowed with rage. He would so kill this old man as soon as he has the chance. That was his intention all along. Now that he had told Rose about his quest, it would no longer be delayed.

  “Is she not? Do you think I don’t know of you two’s affair? I have my eyes open, you know. I know both your history. I’ve looked into it well.”

  “And you mean to use it against me.” It wasn’t a question but a matter of fact.

  The marquess smiled devilishly and without warning, threw a blow across Leon’s face with his cane.

  “You son of a–” Another blow struck, making Leon flinch and splitting his lips.

  This old ass is going to have hell to pay after he’s freed.

  “Yes,” said the marquess triumphantly. “All that she’s use for is to trap you. Do you think she will forgive you for choosing a whore over her?”

  Damn, he knows about that?

  “She was using you for revenge only,” the old man continued. “She has my son. You are nothing now.”

  “No,” Leon denied. “Rose would never do that!” Not after what they shared. She even said that she forgave him. Could she really be toying with him?

  “Say what you like,” the marquess went on. “However, give me the garnet stone to the Sacred Cave of Treasure and I shall let you go.”

  “Over my dead body!” Leon shouted, spitting out at the old man’s face. There’s no way in hell would he ever give such a valuable thing from his father to this devil.

  “You bastard!” The marquess struck him harder with anger, and pulled him forward by the collar. “You will die a slow death here. I will find the stone myself and I will get your siblings’ as well. Speaking of them, I have already sent my men out to get their stones. It’s either you give me yours first and I retreat from attacking your sweet siblings, or you be stubborn and lose them and everything.”

  Leon’s eyes widened at the mention of his siblings. This devil didn’t really just threaten his siblings, did he? It’s all because of him and the damn jewel stones.

  “Like they would ever give it to you!”

  “Oh, they would,” the old man grinned, rubbing his hands cunningly together. “I will get them to. As soon as the news spread that you’re held in my captive, they will hand it off nicely, no doubt.”