Sari Robins - [Andersen Hall Orphanage 01] (13 page)

Despite her insistence that nothing occur between them, gallingly, she still wanted to look her best when he was around. The problem was, most of her wardrobe was for a worldly high stepper. Even though she was no longer an innocent, she was hardly a Cyprian, either. It was like she was in a sort of sexual limbo, from which she doubted she would ever emerge. Fanny had explained that she had not really experienced the full act of sex, and she wondered if she ever would.

Where was Redford, anyway? It had been three days, and she had not heard from him. She had spent most of the interim at the prison, and she had made it her business to be in residence in the evenings. Maddeningly, no one had called. Not even Russell.

Dillon was growing anxious for word, and Lillian was almost ready to chew off her thumb from worry. Granted, Redford was probably very busy, with such a short time until the trial. Nonetheless…

She wondered if he was avoiding her. Could she have been wrong about the truce between them? Still, he should have reported to Dillon at least. Lil
lian had been inordinately relieved when Dillon had asked her to contact Redford. She had not had the nerve to go to Redford’s office or Tipton’s Tavern herself, but she had sent notes. Calling on him would have felt almost like begging for attention, the last thing she wanted to do.

Still, she seemed destined to have the man in her thoughts.

Hence, her completely unseasonable garments.

She peered out into the darkening evening. It seemed later than half-past five. There was no sound of a carriage approaching or even footfalls on the gravel nearby. Where was everyone these days?

Was Redford at Tipton’s Tavern having a beer? Sitting with his cronies, laughing about how he had tasted Miss Lillian Kane’s bungling charms?

Her belly flipped with mortification. Even though she knew that it was pure fantasy, the fear lingered. No. Redford was too honorable for that. Wasn’t he?

Thank heavens Lady Rece had asked to meet for a visit tonight. The woman could talk sense into a looby with a loose screw. Not that she could really tell the lady anything about Redford. Lady Rece did not know her secrets. She was more like a supporter in the wings. But a cherished one. Lady Rece maintained their friendship despite her husband’s staunch disapproval of Lillian, which made Lillian fully aware of how much the lovely lady really cared.

She and Lady Rece had met at the milliner’s one fortuitous afternoon. Over tea they had realized that they had not a blessed thing in common, yet they had seemed so similar it was astounding. They had become fast friends. Lillian and Lady Rece tried to get together about every week or two, but they’d
missed their last visit because of the whirlwind events surrounding Dillon’s arrest. So they were due for a chat.

Lillian realized that two of her dear friends in Town were significantly older than she was. Fanny had to be at least thirty (probably older, but who knew?), and Lady Rece was well into her forties.

“I wonder if I should go fetch an umbrella, my lady?” Lillian’s footman Gillman stepped forward, his shoe heels clomping loudly on the wood-planked porch. “It looks as if it might rain.”

Roused from her musings, Lillian finally took note of the impending storm. The air was thick with moisture, and leaves flashed agitated on a restless wind.

“Yes, it smells like rain,” she observed, recognizing that it was not as late as she had assumed; the sky was simply darkening in anticipation of the storm.

As if confirming her words, lightning flashed. Seconds later, thunder clapped overhead, fairly shaking the rooftop with a shuddering boom. Deadly quiet shrouded the gazebo, only to be broken by the pitter-patter of a shower.

“Oh, dear,” she muttered as realization dawned. Paper-fine white silk and water did not mix. If her ensemble got wet, it would be like plaster. She wanted to groan from the ignominy of it. Thank the heavens Redford had not chosen to meet her here. Now she just prayed that he did not decide to await her at home.

“It’s just a little rain,” she muttered to herself. “You’ll not melt.” No, but she wanted to. She had been a fool to try to impress an uninterested man. She was acting like a girlish ninny. A mistake she would not make again.

She nodded to her footman. “That is a good idea, Gillman. Thank you. Also, ask Jon Driver and the other footmen to bring the carriage closer. I fear that Lady Rece has been delayed.”

“Yes, my lady.” Nodding, Gillman stepped off the porch and into the darkening woods.

The winds whipped the tree branches into frenzy. Darkness oozed up the stairs of the gazebo like spilled ink on a desktop. The rain intensified, hammering the rooftop like tiny pellets.

Unease filtered through her. Lady Rece had not shown. Now Lillian was alone, unguarded in an open gazebo in the woods. She stood, feeling the sudden urge to get out of there.

Hearing a sound behind her, she turned. A man in black stepped out from the shadows and up the rear steps of the porch. She ran screaming for the stairs.

I
n the gloom, Nick cursed under his breath as the rain lashed at his face and glazed his woolen cloak wet. This was ridiculous. Lady Janus had probably come, taken one look at the rain clouds, and left in her nice dry carriage before the storm. Why the hell was he out here risking a chill when the rest of the world was home safe and dry?

His boot heel slipped on a rut in the path and he tripped, just barely catching himself. Still, he pressed on, knowing that he could sooner disregard that sinking feeling in his gut as ignore a ravenous stomach. They were both signals to him that something needed doing, and without delay.

He shifted his heavy cape more fully around his shoulders, glad that he had thought to wear it tonight. He cursed the gods for mocking him so. “Couldn’t have the rendezvous on a cloudless
spring morning, eh? That would be too convenient. Blasted fool’s errand.” He prayed it was so.

A scream shattered the night, jolting his heart and raising the hairs on the back of his neck.

He spun and tore down the path, heading toward the sound. Fear lent his boot heels wings. Coming out from the cover of trees, he spied a structure in the distance. The faint outline drew his racing steps, and he charged up the wooden stairs two at a time. The sight before him froze him in his tracks.

A man swathed in black clutched Lady Janus tightly before him. His ebony arm snaked about her shoulders, and he held a glittering dagger perilously near her throat.

Her face was as white as her coat, and her eyes were wide with terror. Fear gripped Nick so hard that he felt as if the knife were at his own throat. That would have been far preferable.

“Let her go or I’ll see you bloodied before a moment’s gone,” Nick growled, stalking forward.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” he shrieked, his voice muffled by the thick scarf at his face.

Nick froze, not wanting to panic the man into doing harm. “Calm down.”

“No one wants you!” he screamed, yanking Lady Janus closer to him. “Go away!”

Nick would sooner cut off his own arm, but he did not say so; instead, he studied his quarry. The bastard’s face was covered in black paint. He obviously did not wish to be recognized by voice or features. He had not killed Lady Janus when he’d had the chance, which indicated that he had some other goal. First and foremost Nick wanted to see Lady Janus safe, then get acquainted with the scurrilous dog.

Never taking his eyes from the blade, Nick shifted closer. “If you let her go, then I will go as well. It’s that simple.”

The blade quivered. “No! You leave now!”

“Perhaps we can discuss a trade of some sort…,” Nick stalled, slowly advancing. “I didn’t catch your name—”

“Stay away!” The bugger stepped backward, dragging Lady Janus with him. If he moved just a couple more steps, his back would be against the latticed wall. No way out except through Nick.

“I suppose it is getting late. With the rain and all, leaving might not be a bad idea.” Nick slowly turned as if he were leaving.

The fiend’s arm lowered just a pinch.

Nick swung his cane in a high arc and downward onto the man’s knife arm.

The knife clattered onto the floorboards as the man shoved Lady Janus forward and raced out the back of the gazebo.

Nick caught her as she spun and dropped heavily into his arms. “Get him!” she shouted as the villain dashed past them and down the steps.

“I’m not leaving you alone,” he growled, watching the bastard dart into the trees. He fought the urgent impulse to give chase. There was likely no way he could get the bastard now. And Lady Janus’s safety was his primary concern. But given half a chance, he’d skin the man alive.

“Where the hell are your servants?” he demanded. Thank the good Lord for his intuition. Thank Lady Janus for sending the note. Still, he wanted to shake her for putting herself in such danger in the first instance.

“I-I don’t know. Gillman left for an umbrella. I
brought extra footmen like you suggested, but they waited by the carriage. It is not far, and I thought that it was safe….” She raised an unsteady hand to her head.

Nick decided that he had more important things to do than chastise her. “Are you hurt?” he asked with concern.

“He hit me when I tried to get away.”

Lightning flashed, illuminating the trees. Thunder boomed. Nick hugged her close, as if to ward off the violence.

Looking down, he scanned her face. “Blast, I can’t hardly see you.”

Lightning flashed again. In the brightness, he saw the line of blood trailing down her forehead. Something constricted inside him, making him thirst for blood of a different owner. He had been pushed to kill before and had never enjoyed it, but he might just make an exception for that black assailant.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with alarm.

He realized that he was clutching her too firmly. He loosened his grip and forced his temper to settle. No use coiling himself up; he needed to think about more than just doing violence.

“I must check that wound.” Ripping his glove off with his teeth, he explored her skull with his fingertips. An egg-sized lump was already forming on the side of her head. A small cut lined her scalp where the handle must have struck her. For her sake, he tried to temper the rage pulsing through him as he considered what he would like to do to the owner of that blade. Nick had always had a problem with men who preyed on vulnerable women. Something about it just made him want to bang heads.

Cautiously raising her hand to her scalp, she winced.

“Bad?” he asked, suspecting that it ached like the dickens.

“Feels like I had a night of merry mayhem without the merry.”

Some of the tightness in his chest eased. She was jesting; she could not be so terribly harmed. He nodded. “I want to get you out of here.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Helping her stand, he was glad to see that she was not too unsteady on her feet. Still, he hoisted her into his arms, just in case. He should not have been surprised, but she was amazingly light considering her forceful personality.

“I’m not an invalid. Put me down.”

“Your balance may be affected—”

“And your life may be if you don’t put me down this instant!”

He gently set her on her feet but kept his arm wrapped about her waist. He was not about to let her fall.

“Thank you. I really am…fine.” She was putting on a good face, he had to admit, but she was shaken. “What…what do you think happened to the servants?”

“I don’t know. I did not see anyone.” And no one had come. Which was not a good sign.

“They would never leave their post unless…” Her voice quivered slightly. “We must find them.”

Instinctively, his grasp on her tightened. “No. We will get you safe first. I can come back and look for them later.”

“We cannot abandon them. What if that man…”

His instincts were telling him to leave, and he was not about to ignore them now. “He wanted you. And the last thing in the world I am going to do is give him the opportunity to return with reinforcements.”

“I had not thought of that.” She shuddered in his arms. “But to leave seems so wrong—”

“Do you trust my judgment to do what’s right?”

The question hovered between them.

Slowly, she nodded. “I do.”

“Then we need to get going. I’ll not give that bastard a second chance.”

Eyeing the pouring rain and the darkness, he eased her closer to prop her weight onto him. “I hope you don’t mind a little rain. I don’t think that Noah’s going to show up on his ark to save us.”

She did not seem to appreciate his jest; she only hesitated at the top stair.

“What’s wrong?”

“It is of no consequence. Let us go.” She leaned into him. Her body was stiff with tension.

He slowly led her down the stairs, and sheets of water poured down, soaking them in an instant. The soft grass sank slightly under his feet, and once on the path, he was careful to mind the ruts and puddles.

“The carriage was here,” she declared, eyeing the empty grasses.

“Come,” he urged, keeping his arm locked around her and continuing down the path. “I will find out what happened and do what I can, but your safety must take precedence.”

Lightning cracked and the sky rumbled. Nick kept their pace slow and steady, ready for anything
and more than ready to do a bit of damage if the blackguard returned.

“God is trying to tell me something,” she muttered, shuddering with cold.

He pulled her closer, concerned. “God’s been trying to tell me something since the day I was born. I just try not to listen.”

Doused by the rain, they gradually trudged through the park, side by side. The trail was slick and muddy, and he gripped her firmly to keep her from falling. He tried to ignore how good she felt in his arms; this was neither the time nor place for his randy thoughts.

As they progressed through the trees, she seemed to relax in his embrace, leaning more into him. She was probably drained from her ordeal. Still, she did not complain once, although he knew that she had to be in more than a bit of discomfort from her injury. Lady Janus wasn’t turning out to be the fancy powder puff she appeared to be.

Exiting at the west gate, Nick allowed himself a momentary sigh of relief that they had made it to safety. He led Lady Janus toward a busy intersection, where he hoped to find a ride. The streets were deserted, the smart folk staying where it was warm and dry.

He leaned closer to speak in her ear, and rain streamed off the rim of his hat and down her collar. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. I cannot get any wetter.” Her features were grim. “Thank heavens—at least the rain seems to be easing.”

The rain had lightened up to a drizzle. The darkness had lessened as well, the clouds seeming to
have drifted east. Nick looked down at Lillian, noting the tightness of her lips and the unnatural pallor of her skin. The once fluffy feathers of her bonnet were limp hunks clinging to her cheek. He brushed a flaccid plume from her face.

“We should be able to get a hackney around the next—” The words froze on his tongue as he took in the state of her attire. Dear Lord, she looked like a sea nymph ready to seduce him senseless! Her white spencer clung to her rounded curves, showing off every nook and cranny of her glorious form. Her generous breasts curved enticingly, emphasizing her hard nipples in magnificent detail. Her every sweeping curve was clearly discernible through the thin, wet fabric. Unable to help himself, he peered behind her and was so stunned that he almost tripped. The gentle sweep of her derriere was deliciously outlined for his intimate perusal.

He swallowed, noting that his chill had suddenly waned and heat swamped his body, especially at his groin. He pushed away all licentious thoughts. This woman was in his care. Injured, cold, beautiful, hot-blooded…

He would pretend to be indifferent. A knight in service to his lady. Focus on his charge: safeguarding the lady.

He cleared his throat. “May I ask you a question, Lady Janus?”

“Yes.”

“Was that attacker Kane?”

“No. Kane is taller, more aggressive, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

Her shoulder lifted slightly. “Kane would have knocked me first, for good measure. This man only struck me when I struggled.”

The distinction was not lost on him. But that she should be so nonchalant about the violence made something constrict in his chest. Kane was going to have to be met, and soon.

Her smile was stiff. “I am just grateful that you came along when you did. Thank you.”

“Me, too. But I have to ask, with all that is going on, why did you choose to meet Lady Rece in the park?”

She wiped some rain from her eyes. “It is not unusual for us to visit in the park, and so I thought nothing of it when I received her note…dear Lord!” She raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with fear. “Do you think that Lady Rece is in trouble? That something untoward happened to her?”

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “Do not jump to conclusions. There could be a number of reasons why she did not show. This weather, for one.”

Lillian let out a long breath. “You believe so?”

“Yes.”

She grimaced. “I suppose anyone with sense would have noticed the incoming storm. Anyone with intelligence would have realized that nothing unusual is just that these days.”

“Do you typically meet in the gazebo at the park?”

“Yes.”

“And who knows of this?”

“Well, I suppose all of my staff. Some of hers. Fanny, Dillon…it is no secret.”

“Why there?”

“Lord Rece knows that Lady Rece and I are friends, but he does not approve of me. Hence, we
choose to meet in not too public a place so as not to ruffle his feathers. It is better for Lady Rece all around, since I am socially on the margins.”

She said it dispassionately, as if this was par for the course. He had not fully appreciated what Lady Janus had given up in assuming her persona. It made her choices and Kane’s menace all the more compelling.

“Why did you come?” she asked.

“I received your note, and, well, it gave me pause.”

“You thought that I might be in danger?”

“There was no indication of it,” he assured her, finding it difficult to explain the sense of foreboding he’d had. “I just was unwilling to take the chance.”

“It was foolish to think that I could continue with my customary practices.”

“Your assumption was not so wide of the mark. You have done well for two years—”

“But you suspected that there might be a danger to me. Why did I not see it?”

“I am an outsider to your daily life. It is easier for me to see things that fit and things that seem off.”

“Shouldn’t it be the opposite way?”

“No, actually. Which is why I can make a living doing what I do. If people could see their own foibles, notice the contradictions in others, well, then I would be out of a job.”

They walked along in silence.

“I would feel much better if we could stop by Lady Rece’s residence to ensure that she is well,” Lillian stated. “Even Lord Rece could not fault my presence under the circumstances.”