To Marry a Marquess by Teresa McCarthy Page B

the open doors. Reality abruptly set in. Shocked at her response to Lord Drakefield's kiss, she groaned out loud.
    "Why, ye are the bloomin' pirate!"
    William stood at the doors, holding his stick in one hand, flying it in the air like a sword in battle. His white nightshirt flapped about wildly as he circled the marquess.
    His black pirate hat hit the ground as if in challenge. "Ye are not supposed to kiss the princess, not unless ye are married!"
    The boy pulled his second in command for a look. The furry creature squirmed about William's fingers and emitted a restless squeak.
    "Well, well." The marquess's eyes lit up with amusement.
    "What do ye think ye are doing?" William stood his ground.
    Lord Drakefield's chest began to rumble with laughter.
    Victoria looked on in horror, humiliation filling her. The pirate had kissed her, but more mortifying than that, she had kissed him back! And trust him? He must be daft!
    William interrupted the tense moment with another slice of his sword. "If you are going to marry her, then I will not have to call you out." The sword fingered back to Drakefield's belly.
    "An interesting prospect," the marquess said coolly. "Is it not, Lady Victoria?"
    Victoria's eyes widened at the implication. "William, what are you doing up at this time of night?"
    "I was watching for that villain, of course!" The boy stomped his foot. "And I saw him! Out there!" His sword flew past the smirking marquess's mouth, toward the tall windows.
    Victoria's anger was mounting, toward her cousin and the marquess. She could never trust this man. What in the world had she been thinking?
    She patted William's bottom, hurrying him along. "To bed with you, young man."
    "Wait just a minute, me brother pirate." Drakefield stepped forward and touched the boy's shoulder. "What villain?"
    Victoria glared at Lord Drakefield. Then pushing her cousin along, she said, "I said it is time for bed, William."
    But Lord Drakefield gently moved in, brushing her aside. He proceeded to haul William to a nearby chair, then onto his lap, sword and all. "Now, tell me about this villain, me pirate."
    "Humph!" William glanced up at Victoria with a winning look in his eyes. "Well." William smiled at the marquess, his expression one of great importance. "The villain always watches us from outside that window."
    William pointed across the room. The marquess stood up and held the boy's hand as they took a look.
    "He waits on the corner, over there." William stabbed the air with his finger. "He watches and waits, dressed all in black. Sometimes he says bad words. Why, I've heard him say words like—"
    "William," Victoria interrupted. "That is quite enough. We have no need to know specific details."
    "Go on, William." Lord Drakefield hid his smile. "Continue without the undignified words."
    William's eyes grew round, obviously enthralled that someone was finally paying attention to him. "The villain wants one or all of the princesses in the house."
    The boy looked back at Victoria, then whispered into the marquess's ear, tugging at his stained cravat. "And I am telling ye, he wants the treasure, too."
    "Ah, he does, does he?" The marquess's eyes sparkled. "Depend upon it, William, I will keep an eye out for the villain myself. But I do believe it's time for bed, me pirate friend."
    With one fluid motion, the marquess threw the boy on top of his shoulders. William whooped with glee.
    Victoria stared, dumbfounded at the man's gentleness with William, and it wasn't the first time he had acted that way either. Drat. She was beginning to like the wretched pirate, and if that didn't go against everything she believed, she didn't know what did. One moment, the man seemed hard and unforgiving, the next moment, he was as soft as pudding.
    And the memory of his kisses made her blush. But while her mind was caught in a whirl of emotions, she almost missed the two pirates moving past the library doors and mounting the stairs toward William's