by Dawn Brower
Angeline smiled. “I have that part worked out too.” She went over to her vanity and picked up two letters she’d written in preparation. Originally, she’d planned on leaving them on her writing desk for someone to find later; however, this would be better. She handed them to Emilia. “One is addressed to Lucian, and the other is for my parents. Once I’m aboard the ship, see that they get them. I’ve explained it all.”
“They’ll still berate me for helping you.”
Angeline couldn’t shake the horrible feelings spreading through her. She hated putting her friend in a terrible situation. Emilia was a true friend and she appreciated her more than she could ever express. “I honestly didn’t plan on asking you to assist me, but once you walked in, I realized that some things are meant to be.” She hugged Emilia. “I will miss you.”
Emilia hugged her back. “Don’t make me cry. We’ll never make it out of here and to the ship on time.”
Angeline stepped back, then went over to close the trunk. She lifted the handle and nodded at Emilia. “Let’s go.” With that, they exited her room and she did not look back once. That was her old life, and she wanted to move on to new adventures. Lucian would forgive her someday. He’d come to realize she’d done them both a favor by leaving. Once he found someone to love, he’d look back at this moment with kindness. She might always love him, but she was all right with that. As long as they both found some measure of happiness they’d have wonderful lives.
Lucian strolled up to the Marsden townhouse and rapped on the front door. He hadn’t seen Angeline in several days, and he liked to keep up appearances. As her fiancé he should be seen in her company, even if, she seemed to hate every minute of it. Lucian had no clue what he could do to make her understand that he was only looking out for her best interests. She’d been surly the last time he’d stopped in. He had hoped she’d come to see that their marriage was for the best. With each day that passed he had realized how much he did want to marry her. He had a hard time keeping his hands to himself and for that reason he kept their visits to a minimum. He was afraid he might act upon his desires and she deserved to be treated with respect. She was lovely, infuriating, and stubborn as hell, but he also wanted her with a desperation he’d never felt before.
That was why he had kept her at a distance. If he touched her too much he’d want to keep kissing her, and if he did that then it would lead them down a path that shouldn’t be explored by a lady outside the bonds of marriage. For that, he was glad her father had announced the betrothal in the times. It sped up the wedding, and in a little over a month she’d be his wife. Then—he closed his eyes and took a deep breath—she’d be his. He’d have every right to kiss her and make love to her.
The door swung open and the butler greeted him, “Hello, my lord. Were you expected?”
“No,” he answered. How odd. Did the man plan on leaving him on the front steps? “But I’ve come to call on Miss Angeline.”
“She’s not at home,” he replied. He remained stoic in his response.
“Is she not at home to callers, or is she really not in residence?” He wouldn’t put it past Angeline to refuse his presence. She really was still irritable about their upcoming wedding. He pushed past the butler and said, “Tell her I’m here and require her attention.”
The butler closed the door. “She’s not here, my lord. Lady Emilia came by, and then the two of them left an hour past.”
His sister had come by? That wasn’t unusual, he supposed. They were close and often spent time in each other’s company. If he still lived at home, he’d have known where Emilia had intended to go and accompanied her on this particular visit she’d made. “Do you know where they went?”
He shook his head. “No. They did have Miss Angeline’s trunk with them.” He tilted his head to the side as if pondering everything. “Perhaps they’re going to the country for a visit.”
Lucian froze at his words. Now if Emilia was going to Huntly Castle or even Marsden Manor he would have known that. His mother didn’t let his sister go out of London without letting him and his father know about it. Before his birth, his mother been held captive by a crazed man, and his father had thought she’d died. They had a strict policy of always making each other aware of their travel plans. A mishap like that one would not befall anyone in their family ever again.
That meant that Angeline was leaving him. He couldn’t let that happen. His heart nearly froze inside of his chest as fear crippled him momentarily. The very idea of not having Angeline in his life—terrified him. That fear quickly turned into anger. How dare she runaway instead of trying to work through their problems. They were betrothed, and their wedding would occur as scheduled. He…needed her, and he believed they belonged together. Lucian would find a way to make her realize that inevitability. “Pardon me,” he said to the butler. “Do you know which direction they were heading?”
He couldn’t be certain where Angeline planned on hiding from him. She could go North to Scotland, or cross the channel to France—or good God—surely she wouldn’t go to America… He cursed under his breath. Of course she would. Angeline wasn’t often compared to her Aunt Lily without reason.
“They were heading west, my lord.” He tilted his head. “Come to think of it, that is the direction of the docks. It is an odd choice if they’re going to the country for a visit.” His tone held a hint of puzzlement to it.
Because that wasn’t where his headstrong fiancée was going…. Lucian didn’t say another word. He ran out of the house and as fast as he could toward the docks. She would not be traveling to South Carolina. He wouldn’t lose her before he ever truly had her. Somehow, he’d make her see that they belonged together, but he had no idea how. Lucian was certain of one thing though. He had to make it to the docks before her ship set sail. Then he’d make Angeline, and his sister, promise never to do something so foolish again.
Chapter 9
Angeline walked across the gangplank and sighed with relief. She had given her one trunk to a sailor to put in her cabin. She didn’t have a suite on this journey. Her passage had been too last minute to arrange it; however, she did have own stateroom. She’d have plenty of privacy on her voyage to America. She would go there now and relax until the ship departed. It would probably be an hour or more for everyone boarding and settling in. Until the ship was well away from London, she wouldn’t be able to breathe easy. If one person, besides Emilia, discovered her plan, everything would be ruined.
She was used to traveling in the suites, so she wasn’t entirely certain where her stateroom was located. All she knew for sure was that it was one of the lower decks. She’d figure it out somehow, and if necessary ask. The sun was bright in the sky, and there was a crispness to the air. A lot of the passengers were along the railings waving at people on the docks. Angeline didn’t have anyone to say goodbye to. She’d said all she needed to with Emilia before she boarded. Her friend had to return home as soon as possible so she could do her best to pretend everything was all right. Her parents, probably Lucian too, would become suspicious sooner if Emilia lingered on the dock. For her plan to work Emilia would have to be home to divert them from Angeline’s true location.
Even if she didn’t have anyone around to wave her off, maybe she would still go along the deck. She could imagine they were all there and this was a grand adventure—not a desperate attempt to flee from her problems. Her gut rumbled, and she wondered if perhaps this was the wrong decision. She didn’t really want to live the rest of her days in America. Angeline didn’t even really like it there. She’d visited Aunt Lily and Uncle Rand enough to realize that kind of life didn’t suit her. The plantation didn’t offer much in the way of entertainment. They talked about farming, the changing of the crops, rotating fields, and livestock. None of it appealed to her and never would. That wasn’t something she’d grown up with and Angeline was thankful for it. Her cousin, Brianne, preferred New York and often begged her parents to take her for a visit. Angeline loved her hom
e, and London society would always be her preference, and America was a foreign place she’d never felt comfortable in. She might not like how women were treated at home, but that was no different in America. The whole world had to make changes on how women were viewed.
Angeline nibbled on her lip and considered what she should do. This had seemed like the most reasonable option earlier. Now though… She wanted to go retrieve her bags and rush back to her family townhouse. What had she been thinking? Lucian doesn’t love me… If he had even an ounce of the feelings for her that she did for him, things would have been so different. She’d have hope then—a possible future. She sighed and decided to face reality.
Running away wasn’t the answer. She would sit down and have a long talk with her father. He’d understand why the marriage couldn’t happen. There had to be another solution to her dilemma. No matter what though, she would not continue on her current path. She would have to exit the ship, and sooner rather than later.
Angeline strolled away from all the people along the railings and headed back to the gangplank. They would be raising it soon, and she couldn’t afford to get stuck on the ship. She’d made a grave mistake, and she had to rectify it before it was too late. Angeline still didn’t want to marry Lucian—not the way it had come about, but she wanted to stay home. Having made that decision, she felt lighter for the first time in weeks. There was a way out of her predicament; she hadn’t found the correct answer yet. That didn’t mean she should give up entirely.
Angeline was almost to the gangplank when nothing but air greeted her feet. She flailed about, trying to catch her balance and realized why she was suddenly floating. Someone had lifted her up and was now carrying her toward the gangplank.
“What the hell,” she muttered. More to herself than anything—how dare this person think they could carry her anywhere. “Put me down, now.”
“Not until we are both off this ship,” a man said.
She frowned. Angeline knew that voice. “Lucian?”
“Yes, Angel, it’s me,” he answered. “Did you really think I was going to let you leave me?”
Her mouth fell open in surprise. She hadn’t even considered he’d discover she’d gone missing. How had he come to realize she was bound for America? Surely Emilia wouldn’t have told him. She couldn’t have… They’d separated from each other a half an hour ago. When would she have found the time to tell her brother that Angeline had decided to run off? “Put me down,” she asked again—her tone less demanding, softer even. He’d come for her, and somehow that made a difference. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew it did. Had she misjudged his feelings?
“Once you’re safely in my carriage, I’ll be happy to oblige,” he told her, his tone firm and brusque. “Until then, I’m keeping you where I know you won’t do something foolish.”
“I promise I won’t run,” she pleaded with him. People stared at them as they passed by. Angeline’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I was about to disembark from the ship when you grabbed me.”
“I don’t believe you.” He walked down the gangplank but readjusted how he carried her so she could see his face. Before, all she could see was his backside. “Don’t worry, we’re almost to the carriage. Then you will be safely across from me on a separate seat. I know how you hate touching me.”
She didn’t hate that… Why would he think she didn’t like touching him? She’d love to do far more than that, but it hadn’t seemed right or even comfortable. They didn’t have a normal betrothal. “I’m not worried about anything of the sort, but I would like to use my own two feet to walk.”
“And I see what giving you that kind of freedom does,” he retorted.
“What about my trunk?” she asked in one last effort to make him see reason. “Shouldn’t we go retrieve it?”
“Everything has been taken care of,” he replied. “All you need to do is listen to me, and we will be off without any issues.”
Angeline sighed and gave in to his demands. It wasn’t as if he was giving her much choice in the matter. At least he’d ensured her trunk had been retrieved. She’d have hated to lose some of the items she’d packed. When she’d decided to leave the ship, she hadn’t considered how she’d go about recovering her belongings. She appreciated that Lucian had. If it made him feel better to carry her all the way to his carriage, who was she to argue? Besides it was kind of nice to be in his arms. It almost seemed as if she was loved…
Lucian had found her. He’d almost given up and figured they’d both be sailing to America. Admittedly, a part of him had almost hoped for it. They could spend the week trapped together on that ship and find some sort of compromise. He could have seduced her… Oh, how he wanted to seduce her… But then he’d spotted her walking across the deck, and he’d squashed the mental images of her naked and writhing in his arms. Normally seeing her would intensify them, but his other emotions took over in this one moment. He needed her with him and the rest could wait.
They reached his carriage and he managed to open the door without setting her down. He really didn’t trust her to not run off on him. He’d chase after her of course, but why expend the breath when he didn’t have to? Lucian set her down inside the carriage, then joined her and closed the door behind him. He rapped the top of the coach, and the driver set the horses in motion.
Lucian breathed a sigh of relief now that he had her safely ensconced. He met her gaze and asked, “What were you thinking? You should not have even considered traveling such a distance on your own. Anything could have happened. What if someone had kidnapped you?”
“Someone did,” she replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. He opened his mouth and closed it. The muscles in his cheek twitched. Damn her. She was goading him… “Grabbed me right off the deck and carried me away. Never would have imagined it could happen. Thanks for enlightening me.”
Lucian swallowed hard. She made light of it, but the very idea of losing her terrified him. What if she’d been successful and he’d never found her? He couldn’t handle it. For the first time in his life, he understood what his father must have gone through when his mother ran off. He must have died inside when he thought she’d perished at sea. Lucian never wanted to feel such despair. He adored his parents and had humored them when they’d been overprotective in his formative years. Now though, he’d make sure to hug them and apologize for his condescending attitude. “If it makes you consider your actions in the future—it was my pleasure.”
“I’m sure it was.” The corners of her lips twitched upward. “But if it’s all the same to you, I’ll be glad to leave the confines your company and find refuge in my chambers at home.”
He lifted his lips into a smile. She hadn’t realized it yet, but she was not returning to the Marsden townhouse. If she wanted to run away, they’d do it his way. They were not going to remain in London for long. They'd go on an entirely different venture instead. One that she wouldn’t be able to escape from… He’d carry her through the whole journey if necessary. “You’re not enjoying my company?”
“It’s been known to be tedious and condescending,” she quipped. “Most of the time completely intolerable.” Angeline lifted her chin defiantly. “But I brave on and suffer through it.”
“I’m sure you do,” he said amused with her pluckiness. The carriage rattled on. She didn’t seem to notice that they weren’t heading toward her home, but instead the nearby train station. Angeline kept her attention on him for the trek. She could be so trusting... It was both endearing and equally frightening. “It’s a cross we both bear, don’t we?” He lifted a brow. “We’re doomed to endure and thrive at the same time. That spark keeps us coming back for more?”
He couldn’t believe how much he wanted her. In the past, he’d found her almost—annoying. Now he wanted to kiss her until their passion consumed them. One day it might… She tilted her head and studied him, as if, she didn’t quite understand who he was.
“I’m not sure I understand.” She pushed
her eyebrows together. “Why are you so insistent we wed?”
Because he couldn’t live without her… The very idea of not having her by his side... She had become important to him that he couldn’t imagine what a life without her might consist of. Lucian couldn’t say those words to her. Of course she didn’t understand. Hell, he didn’t either. He had only kissed her once, and he couldn’t fathom not having the right to do it every day. Maybe in time they could have more, but he needed the chance to win her heart. If she left now, he’d never have that. “Sometimes it’s best we don’t understand the inner workings of another person’s mind.”
“That’s not an answer,” she retorted. “What are you afraid of?”
Losing her, losing himself, becoming nothing because he didn’t have her—how about everything? “I’m not afraid of anything.” The lie rolled off his tongue. He couldn’t possibly tell her the truth. “But perhaps you should find a healthy amount of fear from somewhere and latch on to it. You might be less likely to do something foolish if you did.”
She remained silent for several moments. He was thankful for it. Lucian needed the reprieve to gather his thoughts. She’d put up a fuss once she realized where the carriage was going. He couldn’t take any more chances where she was concerned. Angeline would see the wisdom of his plan in the end. Wasn’t that all that mattered?
Angeline jerked her head to glance outside the window. Ah—she’d finally realized that they were not heading into the heart of London and to the Marsden townhouse. “What have you done?” she asked in an accusatory tone. No one ever said Angeline was stupid. “Where are you taking me?”