by Dawn Brower
The Marsden twins, Andrew and Alexander, had decided a long time ago to let Angeline run wild. Hell, they were equally as crazy at times. They took any number of risks and didn’t think twice about jumping blind into a situation. Lucian fully understood why Emilia liked Angeline so much. At times, Lucian believed he liked her a little too much, but that was a problem for another day.
He strolled down the hallway and opened the door leading into the sitting room. Emilia sat on the settee near a window reading a missive of some sort. She didn’t seem to notice him enter, and that gave him the element of surprise. Whatever the contents of her note were, it had her enthralled and made him want to read it too. Perhaps it would give him some insight into what scheme she was concocting with Angeline. He took three quick long steps toward her and snatched it from her hand. “What do we have here?”
She leaped to her feet and jumped up, trying to take it from him, but he was considerably taller than her and able to keep it out of her reach. “Give it back,” Emilia demanded. She swung her arms in the air to no avail, then blew out a frustrated breath and glared at him for good measure. Then, not one to give up so easily, she stomped on his foot with the heel of her slippers in an attempt to get him to lower it closer to her reach. Pain shot through his toes, but Luican was made of sterner stuff and didn’t give in to her tactics.
Lucian kept the letter out of her reach. He’d prefer she told him what was going on herself. Invading her privacy had never been something he’d relished in, but he’d do it if it kept her safe in the end. “What’s so important that you need this back so bad? Is it a love letter?”
Emilia’s cheeks reddened at his teasing. Was it a love letter? He’d been joking when he’d said that, but did his little sister have a beau? He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of any man courting her. The logical side of him realized that eventually she’d settle down with someone… Did it have to be now though? “Of course not,” she scoffed. “It’s personal. Please give it back to me.”
“Personal, you say?” He flipped it open above his head, so he could read it. “That makes me want to read it even more.”
“Don’t.” She punched him in the gut and he bent over. “Stop being a wanker and give it back now.”
“That’s no language for a lady,” he wheezed out. She packed a mean punch, and he regretted teaching her how to land a proper one. At the time, he’d thought she’d use it on someone other than him. “Who taught you that word?”
She rolled her eyes. “I heard you say it to Drew a few times. If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t let it roll off your tongue.”
Damn, why did she have to make sense? “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on conversations that have nothing to do with you.”
She lifted a brow. “If you don’t want me to overhear things you don’t like, then perhaps you shouldn’t bellow them on a regular basis.” Emilia held out her hand and gestured toward her letter. “Now quit playing games and give it back to me. I thought you stopped acting like a child when you bought your own townhouse.”
He’d bought the house because he couldn’t stand the bachelor apartments that were available. Lucian had wanted space and figured why shouldn’t he have something more elaborate. If he married, he’d need something to take a wife home to, and he refused to move back home. He was the Marquess of Severn, and that came with some responsibilities. “I’ll give it back if you tell me what you and Angeline were discussing last night at dinner.”
She tilted her head to the side and gave him a pensive look.“I’m not telling you Angeline’s secrets either.” She shook her head defiantly. “If you want to know what she is doing, go ask her yourself.”
His little sister definitely knew something… She was being too evasive for him to believe otherwise. He chuckled lightly. “It’s easier to ask you. Angeline would tell me to go to the devil and attempt to knee me in the bollocks.” She had a rebellious streak that was unrivaled. “You know you want to tell me. Save us both the trouble and start talking.”
“No,” she replied belligerently and placed her hands on her hip emphasizing her displeasure. “You don’t get to come here and order me around. Keep the letter. I have better things to do with my time.”
She brushed past him, starting to walk away in a huff. Lucian frowned. That hadn’t gone as he’d planned at all. She really didn’t want the letter back? Why had she fought so hard for it if it meant nothing? No, that wasn’t how this worked. “You’re not fooling me.”
“I don’t really care,” she yelled over her shoulder. “You’re the worst brother.”
Well, if she really didn’t care, then he would read the letter. He flipped it open and scanned the contents quickly. He swore under his breath when he realized what it contained. Emilia knew exactly what she was doing. Angeline was in over her head, and this was her way of ensuring she got help without breaking her confidence. Lucian had stolen the letter, and Emilia couldn’t stop him from reading it. That was a whole lot of plausible deniability, and he had a newfound respect for his little sister.
That still didn’t help him solve his most immediate problem. He didn’t know exactly where or when this ridiculous parade Angeline had decided to take part in would occur. How was he supposed to save the brat from herself if he couldn’t find her? He probably wouldn’t have time to ask Andrew or Alexander for help either. A part of him wondered if they would even jump in and save their irresponsible sister if they knew. He had to believe they would. They thought Angeline should forge her own path, but joining the suffragette cause could get her killed.
It was up to Lucian to save her, and he’d do whatever it took to ensure she made it home unharmed. Angeline would probably hate him for it, but he could live with those consequences. As long as she was all right, nothing else mattered.
Chapter 4
Angeline wiped the sweat from her brow. The noise from the women marching echoed around her. Sometimes she wondered why she chose to do some of the ridiculous things she did. Being surrounded by numerous women shouting loudly and being in close contact wasn’t anything remotely resembling amusement. The crowd made her even more overheated than she already was, and all she wanted to do was go home and take off every stitch of her clothing. Why did it have to be so bloody hot?
A loud shrill reverberated in her ears from a whistle being blown somewhere nearby. The sound surrounded her on all sides and it hurt to listen to. Somehow, it managed to rise above the shouts of the women marching beside her. A woman next to her stumbled and knocked Angeline to the ground. She landed on her side and pain shot through her entire body. Chaos ensued, and all the ladies started running. Angeline wasn’t sure why at first until she saw a man in the distance—the police had arrived. Several of the women stepped on her in their mad dash to escape from the police sent to breakup their protest. Angeline curled into a ball and tucked her head under her arms. Tears streamed down her face, and she prayed she’d somehow survive it.
“Angeline,” a male shouted.
She wanted to look up and figure out who was calling for her, but she was afraid, if she did, someone would injure her more. The crowd was dispersing, and all the women were heading in different directions. This whole thing wasn’t going well. What had she been thinking? Someone grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. Angeline breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank the person who’d helped her up. Every part of her body ached, and she didn’t doubt for one second that she’d be covered in bruises from head to toe.
“Miss, you’re coming with me,” a police officer told her. The dark blue of his uniform blurred before her. Had he been the one calling out to her? How had he known her name, and if he did, how dare he use it so personally. She was the daughter of a viscount and he shouldn’t treat her so commonly. “You broke the law, and I’m afraid you’ll be spending some time in a cell.”
Angeline had known that would be a risk for participating in the march, but she’d foolishly believed she would escape such a fate. This was one m
ore thing that had gone wrong since she’d agreed to participate. She wanted equal rights for all women; however, she was starting to wonder if the cost for acquiring them might be too high a price to pay. Her mother and father would be so upset with her. It wouldn’t be the first time, but being thrown in jail would definitely top the list of greatest disappointments. Women’s rights were still something she’d like to fight for in some way. Perhaps this wasn’t the right path for her to take, but she could still do…something. She’d have to talk with one of the women in the suffragette group and ascertain what her role should be. She wasn’t quite ready to give up on it entirely. At this particular moment she had something bigger to worry about. “No,” she said and tried to pull her arm from his grasp. “I can’t go to jail.”
“That’s something you should have considered before you decided to participate in this women’s march.” He yanked her toward him and led her away from the street. “This is why women need someone to look out for them. Left to make their own decisions, they make the wrong ones. You need a strong man in your life to help guide you on the right path.”
Angeline’s mind went momentarily blank at his declaration. He was rude and uncouth. How dare he think he had a greater mental capacity because he’d been born male. She would bet her entire dowry that she had far more intelligence than the brute forcing her to walk beside him. “You’re the reason all the women marched today. Men like you make them want to fight for the right to make their own decisions. You might not like it, but we will one day have equal rights. It might take longer than we’d like because we have to fight misogyny similar to yours on a regular basis, but it will be a reality.”
It had been a horrible day. She still didn’t think it could possibly get any worse, but she refused to hold her tongue. The police officer probably would make her life even more hellish for speaking her mind. She couldn’t let that influence her decisions. She’d already had too many doubts running rampant through her mind.
“Lady, you’re delusional.”
He didn’t say any more than that. The rotten man kept dragging her down the street toward the nearest jail. He would probably forget about her once he locked her away. The only person who even knew what Angeline had planned was Emilia. How long would it take for her friend to realize she was missing. “I’m not the one paranoid about women having a say as to what their future holds. Does it threaten your masculinity for women to have any kind of power?”
He shook his head and tightened his grip on her wrist. Angeline winced. Perhaps she should keep her mouth shut, but it was intrinsically impossible for her to stop talking. Becoming a blabbermouth was second nature to her in situations of high stress.
“What? You don’t have anything to say for your self?”
“I don’t need to explain my beliefs to you.” His eyes narrowed and his voice echoed with the derision that nearly screamed from his gaze. “Besides, in a few moments, you won’t be my problem.”
Angeline was actually afraid that everyone would do that. Even the ladies who had participated in the march wouldn’t think of her. At least they wouldn’t consider what happened to her at first. It would probably take a while for them to even make it back the Pankhurst house. She had to count on Emilia to check up on her and hopefully find her. “You, sir, are a horrible person.”
“I’m doing my job. One day you might thank me for it.”
If there was one thing she knew with a certainty, it was that she would never show this particular police office even an ounce of gratitude. He reveled in his position of authority a little too much for her liking. They reached the jail and he pushed open a door, then shoved her inside. He placed his hand at her back and made her move forward. “Lock this one up.”
Angeline swallowed the lump in her throat and managed to hold back from crying. The tears she’d shed when the crowd nearly trampled her had dried in the face of her current fear. All she could do now was hope someone—anyone—came to her rescue.
Lucian had been searching for Angeline in the crowd. He’d finally caught a glimpse of her as someone knocked her to the ground. Calling to her hadn’t garnered the desired results, and not long after that, a police officer had led her away from the pandemonium that ensued. He lost sight of her in the crowd. Luckily, he had an idea where he could find her. Extracting her from a jail cell might prove difficult though. He wasn’t a family member and had no claim on her. The officers would be reluctant to release Angeline into his custody. He would have to figure a way to extricate her from the mess she’d created by joining the suffragette group. He couldn’t be more thankful that his sister had the good sense not to follow Angeline on such a dangerous path.
It took him a while to break free from the crowd. At least most of them were going in the opposite direction of the local police. In some ways, that made things more difficult because he was going against the horde, but once he found an opening, it was much smoother. He started to run when his path opened enough to allow it.
By the time he reached the jail, his lungs burned, and he fought for to suck in air. He stopped outside the entrance and took several deep breaths before he considered entering. It wouldn’t look good if he continued to gasp for air while demanding they release Angeline in his custody. He’d have to embrace his pretentious future duke voice to make them listen to him. Once he had his breathing under control, he pushed the door open and went to find someone to help him locate Angeline.
He’d thought chaos had ensued the streets, but it had nothing on the inside of the police headquarters. No one stopped to greet him or inquire why he’d even walked inside. They all went about their business and ignored his presence. Lucian couldn’t help thinking it didn’t bode well for their ability to protect the citizens of London. “Pardon me,” he said to the next officer that crossed his path. “I am in need of assistance.”
“Take a seat,” he said dismissively. “We’ll get to you when we have time.”
Fury exploded through him and it took everything inside of him not to hit him. His fingers curled into a fist and he tapped it against his leg to prevent himself from doing something incredibly stupid. “I will not wait,” he said in his most authoritative voice. “If you value your position here, you will address my concern immediately.”
The officer froze and slowly turned to face him. “You’re one of those fancy nobs, aren’t you? Not used to being told no.”
“That’s one way of considering my status in society.” This guy was a real wanker, and he seemed somewhat familiar. “I am Lord Severn. My father is the Duke of Huntly, and if need be, I’ll have him step in and remove every officer from this post and replace them with more diligent men who fully understand their duty.”
“To serve at the whim of a lord like you?” He lifted a brow. “What is it you want so I can be rid of you.”
Lucian had half a mind to ensure the bastard lost his job after he collected Angeline. If he wasn’t so concerned about her, he’d do it now, but she was his priority. He tilted his head and studied the man. It hit him then why he’d seemed so familiar. “You dragged my fiancée in here earlier. Her name is Miss Angeline Marsden. I need you to release her now.” Lucian hadn’t considered the option of professing to be betrothed to her until that very moment. It was pure genius and should get her released quicker than if her own father had come to retrieve her. Lucian had more power as the heir to a dukedom than a viscount did—even one who claimed to be the son of a reformed pirate.
“I don’t know anything about that. We locked up some miscreants earlier who had caused a fuss, but there were no fancy ladies in that bunch.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I doubt the fiancée of a future duke would find herself mixed up in that mess.”
The awful man probably didn’t know a true lady if one stepped across his path, and clearly had no idea how prickly Angeline could be. “Be that as it may, you do have her here, and I’d like for you to go retrieve her from whatever cell you shoved her into.”
“I’l
l do this much,” the man began, not really looking at him as he spoke. He didn’t seem to care one whit what Lucian wanted and wasn’t in a hurry to see to it either. “Tell me what your lady looks like and I’ll see if we have a female that matches her description.”
At least he’d caught a glimpse of her before she’d been arrested. “She was wearing a navy-blue dress. Her dark hair was wound up into a chignon and she had on a wide brim hat that matched her attire.”
“What, you’re not going to tell me the color of her eyes?” He batted his eyelashes at him, mocking Lucian.
“Blue. Like the suit, but lighter. Now please retrieve her.” He was having difficulty holding his temper in check. If he didn’t bring Angeline to him soon he might give in and punch him in his smug face.
“Fine. I’ll take a look, but I doubt she’s here.” He’s supplied her name. Was it so hard to ask the ladies in holding if anyone was Angeline Marsden? Lucian really didn’t like him. Lucian didn’t like his dismissive and equally condescending attitude. Instead of waiting for him to come back, he decided to follow behind him. Otherwise, the man was likely to claim Angeline wasn’t in a cell, and Lucian didn’t doubt for a second he’d find her in one.
He stopped momentarily and glanced back at Lucian. “There’s no reason to come with me.” His tone had a different texture to it than it had earlier. This time the police officer was irritated. Good. Lucian hoped the man would have a horrible day going forward. He’d had enough of his sneering and lack of respect.
“There’s every reason,” Lucian countered. “It’ll be easier for me to identify her if I come with you.”
The man shook his head but wisely quit arguing with him. They walked down a hall and to a row of cells where several women were locked inside, but one stood out amongst them. Angeline sat in a corner with her arms wrapped around herself as she rocked back and forth. Poor girl had no idea what she was getting into when she’d signed up with the suffragette group. “There she is,” he pointed at her.