by Lydia Dare
Maddie’s mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it. She couldn’t believe the words that fell from Miss Reed’s lips. What a thing to say!
“But Weston is a sweet one, for the most part. Radbourne, on the other hand, would scare the devil himself. And Lavendon—”
Maddie held up a hand to stop the woman. “Please.” It was bad enough knowing Lucinda Reed knew Robert. If Nathaniel was a patron of the arts, too, Maddie would rather not know. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“I should say so. Where are we headed? Somewhere I can catch a mail coach going south, I hope. Dovenby, damn his eyes, can forward my portmanteau on to me in London. I have no intention of spending even one more night in Cumberland.” She snarled the last word as though to show her disdain. “The rustics are quaint for about five minutes, and that is all. You can mark my words.”
***
“However did you catch such a marvelous creature, Hadley?” Dovenby asked as the Eynsford coach grew smaller in the distance.
“Perhaps you’ve noticed I don’t have her in my possession at the moment,” Wes grumbled as he started after the carriage.
“Bad bit of luck there, Lucy mentioning your bed and all.”
Which Wes didn’t need to be reminded of. All men had pasts. What a sad excuse of a man he’d be if he didn’t have one. But no man wanted his past exploits laid out before the girl of his dreams. And certainly not in front of an audience. “Can you shut your muzzle?”
“What does Eynsford think about this mad dash north? Is he aware you took his coach? Or will you face his wrath when you return to Kent?”
Wes stopped in his tracks and shoved Dovenby with all his might. The Lycan stumbled but didn’t fall. “Go back to whatever hole you escaped from, will you? You’ve got both a bay and a gig needing your attention.”
“A simple ‘No, Eynsford doesn’t know I’ve absconded with his carriage’ will do next time, Hadley.”
Wes growled. What he wouldn’t give to put his fist though Dovenby’s face, but every moment he stood with the Lycan, the farther Madeline got away. But she couldn’t outrun him. He’d meet her at the next village, where Renshaw was certain to need a fresh set of horses.
Of course, he could follow along like a good little pup and run behind the coach. But that smacked at his pride harder than any ruler his tutors had ever struck him with. She couldn’t get but just so far ahead. He started to walk. Dovenby fell in beside him.
Wes shot him a look. “Don’t you have a carriage to retrieve?”
The earl shrugged. “It’ll be there when I send someone for it.”
“What about the bay?”
“She’s lame. That must be why Lucy was walking her.”
“So, you plan to accompany me to the next village?” There was no way he could tolerate the arse that long.
Dovenby arched a brow at him. “Do you think I’d miss the look on your lady’s face when she steps from the carriage after riding for hours with Lucy Reed?” He shook his head dramatically. “Absolutely not.”
He was right. Wes should probably start running, if he wanted to be there to soothe any ruffled feathers. Madeline’s. Not Lucy Reed’s. He didn’t give a damn about Lucy’s feathers.
Wes wasn’t sure if he was angrier at Dovenby for admitting himself into Eynsford’s coach in the first place or Lucy Reed for opening her big mouth. Either way, he’d have some serious explaining to do.
Wes could just imagine the things that Lucy was telling Madeline. He bit back a curse. Surely she wouldn’t speak of specific bedroom behavior, would she? She might. He muttered an expletive.
“I’d be worried if I were you,” Dovenby sang.
“What were you doing with Lucy, anyway?” The last time he’d seen Dovenby, he’d been engaged to a pretty little heiress with a huge dowry. “What happened to your fiancée?”
“She’s with her family.” The earl looked none too pleased. “They hate me and the feeling is mutual. I only agreed to the match to please my grandfather.” He picked up a stone and sent it skipping along the path. “What about your lady? How on earth did you land Madeline Hayburn? That is who she is, isn’t it? Hythe’s daughter?”
“It’s a long story,” Wes murmured.
Dovenby scoffed and made a motion that pointed to all the open space around them. “It’s not as though we don’t have time.”
“It’s not important.”
“Oh, come now, you can’t leave me hanging like this,” Dovenby teased. “Or I’ll simply make up my own story and be forced to spread it around.”
The jackass would do it, too, Wes had no doubt. Still, he doubted the earl could come up with something worse than had actually occurred, at least for a Lycan. “She stumbled upon me on the night of the full moon,” Wes admitted.
“All fur and snout?” Dovenby whistled dramatically, the sound long and loud. “Rotten luck, there,” he said. But then he got a contemplative look on his face. “So you spent the night of the moonful with her? And now you have to marry her.”
“Something like that,” Wes prevaricated.
“But you didn’t claim her,” the earl pressed.
Wes stopped walking and glared at him. “That’s none of your concern.”
“Pardon me. I’m simply trying to get hold of the events in my mind.”
That would be the only time Dovenby had ever arranged his mind. He wasn’t exactly known for his acumen.
“Well, you didn’t sleep with her. So, I’d imagine your blasted honor is what’s pressing you to marry the chit,” the earl groused. “What is she thinking, settling for you? She could still do better.”
She could, but Dovenby didn’t have to be so callous about it. “Go to the devil, Dove,” Wes said as he started to walk again. “And she’s not a chit.”
“Been to the devil already. Her name is Lucy Reed.” Dovenby shivered. He poked at his cheek. “How does my eye look? Did she blacken it? She got in one solid punch in the carriage.”
“Healed already. You look positively ravishing,” Wes said drolly.
“Don’t get any ideas. Next thing I know, you’ll feel led to marry me.”
Wes chuckled. Dovenby might be an arse, but he did make him laugh on occasion. “What did you buy for Lucy to get her to come with you?”
“Necklace,” Dovenby said crisply. “A big one.”
“I’m surprised she settled for that.”
“She didn’t. She wants a house.”
“You mean to make her your mistress?” Wes gasped.
“She means for me to make her my mistress. I mean to ditch the spoiled bit of baggage as soon as I return her to her home.” He snorted. “Besides, I’m about to be married, for God’s sake.” His face looked a bit green at the thought.
Wes doubted a little thing like marriage would change Dovenby’s outlook on taking a mistress. But perhaps Lucy had doused his ardor with her temper tantrum in the carriage. “She’s a nice chit. A bit dramatic.” Lucy had once tossed Wes’ clothes out the window when he refused her a bauble. He’d had to ring for a servant bare-arsed and ask for his clothes to be retrieved. “What do you think she’s saying to Madeline?”
“I’m sure she’s telling her every dirty little secret you have, or at least all the ones she knows about.”
Wes’ head swiveled so that he faced Dovenby. “She wouldn’t be that ruthless.”
“You think not?” Dovenby laughed. “You underestimate her.”
Damn it to hell. Lucy Reed would ruin any chance Wes had of winning Madeline’s heart. Good God, if she told him even a quarter of the things he’d done, or the women he’d entertained, Madeline would never speak to him again. “I better get to the next village.”
Dovenby nodded and fell into step beside him as he began to run. As Lycans, they could both run for hours and might even meet the coach about the same time it arrived at the next coaching inn. Or he hoped so, at least.
Sixteen
Maddie glanced across the coach and watched as
Lucy Reed’s mouth fell open and a soft snort erupted. The blonde had finally dozed off, after going on and on about men and their propensity for letting a woman down. Maddie had listened intently until she realized that Miss Reed had no plans to speak of her time spent with Wes. The woman had just smiled and evaded the question, as though she liked having a secret that Maddie would never know.
She should have kicked the tart out of the coach as soon as she’d climbed in.
Maddie took in the tumbled state of Lucy Reed’s curly hair and wished for a brief time that her own hair could look so artfully disarranged. She patted the top of her head. Her own hair probably looked as though a rat had settled in it and built a nest.
The dress Miss Reed wore was freshly laundered but showed quite an expanse of flesh. Maddie glanced down at her own tattered neckline. Other than the damage done over the last two days, her gown was respectable and demure. She was everything a lady was supposed to be, while Lucy Reed was not. They both had numerous suitors, but their situations couldn’t have been more different. What was it that Wes had seen in the actress? Was it because Miss Reed’s gown showed a bit more of her ankles than was proper? Or because she tossed up her skirts freely? Warmth crept up Maddie’s cheeks. The very thought of it!
And it wasn’t just Wes. Both of her brothers apparently had showered Miss Reed with attention, as well as the Earl of Dovenby until Lucy Reed started thrashing him. What was the allure? She didn’t have a fortune or an important family. But Lucy Reed looked like she knew how to have… fun. That was the word. The woman looked like she probably enjoyed her life.
Maddie wished she could say the same, but “enjoy” was too strong a word. Oh, she knew it would be foolish to complain about her life. She was quite fortunate in many ways, but she’d never had the luxury to have fun.
The carriage’s pace slowed and then finally stopped. Renshaw probably needed to change horses. After all, they had traveled for hours after leaving Wes and Lord Dovenby along the side of the road. She wasn’t even certain where they were headed any longer. This was as good a time as any to find out.
Before she could open the door, it was yanked open from the other side. Wes poked his head inside, anxiety etched across his brow. “Miss me?”
“H-how?” she muttered, but then clamped her mouth shut. How in the world had he reached them? What other abilities did the man possess? She wanted to ask, but she was still too annoyed with him to show any appreciation for his miraculous appearance. “I didn’t miss you at all. Please move, Weston. You are blocking me, and I’d like to stretch my legs.”
“Without your slippers? The pebbles on the drive will hurt your feet.”
Blast her missing slippers. They were the bane of her existence. Still, she thrust her chin upward with every ounce of dignity she still possessed. “I’ll manage.”
His eyes flashed across the coach to the still sleeping actress. “Look, Madeline, whatever she said, I can explain.”
Could he? That Maddie highly doubted. Not that she’d gotten anything of use out of the actress, but had the woman spilled the beans, Maddie couldn’t quite believe Wes could explain it all away with just a few words. Still, perhaps she could get him to divulge his own secrets if she went about this the right way. “I wouldn’t be so certain if I were you.”
Wes’ face turned a bit red as his gaze resettled on Maddie. “Why? What did she tell you?”
Of course, Maddie had no answer for that question, so she shrugged instead. “Didn’t you tell me as late as last night that I was the only woman you cared for?”
His dark eyes narrowed and a frown settled on his face. His scar made the whole look appear more than a bit menacing. “Perhaps you’ll remember, my lady, that for years you were well out of my reach.”
Did that justify whatever it was he’d done? “I hardly see how—”
“What would you have me do?” he growled. “You never even gave me a second glance.”
“That is hardly true.” She’d seen him a number of times over the years, but until recently he’d simply terrified her.
“Prevarication does not become you, my dear.”
“I say, Hadley,” Lord Dovenby’s voice drifted into the carriage, “I thought we were in a hurry.”
Wes took a step backward and Maddie could see the earl standing behind Wes. “We are not in a hurry. I am in a hurry. Now retrieve Lucy and move out of my way.”
“Oh, no, no, no.” Dovenby brushed past Wes, and the carriage dipped as the earl climbed inside, settling in a spot beside the still sleeping actress. “Don’t think for one moment you’re going to leave me behind.”
“Get out!” Wes barked.
“I have no intention of missing your blissful union. Besides, you’re going to need a couple of witnesses once you reach Gretna anyway.” Dovenby stretched his long legs out across the coach as though he was settling in for a long journey.
Maddie wasn’t certain what good it would do to have the earl along for the ride. They’d need two witnesses, and Lucy Reed, being female, wouldn’t qualify.
“And I’m certain we can find a couple of willing Scots to serve as witnesses.” Wes gestured out the door with his hand. “I’ve got Hythe on my tail and I don’t need your added bulk, Dove.”
The earl sighed. “Well, then I suppose you shouldn’t tarry, Hadley. Every second counts, does it not? Climb on in so we may be off.”
Wes did climb inside, though he grumbled as he did so. “If Hythe catches us, I will have your head.”
The earl chuckled. “Promises, promises.” Then he tapped on the roof of the carriage for Renshaw to start driving.
***
Honestly, Wes would like to have Dovenby’s head now rather than later. If the damned earl had just taken Lucy and stayed at the coaching inn where Renshaw had swiftly changed horses, Wes could have tried to smooth over whatever truths Lucy had let spill from her lips. Madeline’s leg was pressed against his, but she was staring out the window beside her as though he didn’t exist. How many times over the years had she given him the back of her head in that same way?
But it was different now. He wasn’t some penniless gentleman. He wasn’t Rob’s friend. He wasn’t some besotted fool. Well, he was all of those things, but most importantly, he was now about to become her husband. And he couldn’t even speak openly with her since that damned Dovenby had decided to tag along on their journey.
“Next stop, Gretna Green,” Dovenby nearly sang out. “I’ve never been part of an elopement before.”
“You shouldn’t be a part of this one,” Wes complained.
“Oh, come now. I might actually be of assistance.”
“And the King might actually welcome his wife at his coronation.”
Dovenby laughed. “You should see the goings-on in that trial. Madness, all of it. I’m embarrassed to have to sit through it.”
That was saying something. “I didn’t know you ever got embarrassed about anything.”
The earl gestured toward Lucy Reed with his head. “I believe we all get embarrassed from time to time, Hadley.”
Wes’ eyes settled on the sleeping actress. He’d give all his worldly possessions to know what Lucy had revealed to Madeline. How was he to soothe his intended’s ruffled feathers if he didn’t know what she knew?
“If men would behave with some decorum and common sense, then you wouldn’t find yourselves in these predicaments,” Madeline murmured from beside him. Then she turned toward him quickly, irritation flashing in her green eyes as she hissed, “For goodness’ sake, you’re fearful of what she told me. But she wouldn’t be able to tell me anything if you hadn’t done anything, Weston.” She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and turned back to glare out the window.
From across the coach, a low voice said, “I didn’t tell her anything, Wes, if it eases your mind any.” Lucy Reed glared at him for a moment before her eyes drifted shut again. But it was obvious that she had no desire to continue.
Madeline bristled
at Lucy’s use of Wes’ given name. And he couldn’t blame her. But, good God, he’d bedded the chit. He couldn’t expect her to call out “Oh, Mr. Hadley” in the throes of passion.
Madeline held up a hand to silence him. “I don’t want to know.”
“Good, because there’s nothing to tell,” the sleepy actress said quietly.
“I highly doubt that,” Madeline sniffed. “There seems to be quite a bit I don’t know.”
Lucy finally opened her eyes fully and looked at Madeline. “You and I lead very different lives. Please don’t judge my life and I’ll refrain from judging yours.”
“As though you could cast any negative aspersions on my character,” Madeline said, her voice full of self-righteous haughtiness.
“I could judge you,” Lucy said. “And I’d wager that your servants line up to do your bidding in your castle on the hill. I bet you have nice gowns and people to do your hair. And I’d bet my eyeteeth that you have very rarely had fun. Any kind of fun at all. The kind where your stomach hurts from laughter. The kind where you can’t catch your breath because of the sheer enjoyment of it all.”
She shot Madeline a nasty look. “I came from your lifestyle, Lady Madeline, and you couldn’t pay me enough to go back to it. I choose to be who I am. I don’t do what I do because I have to. I do it because I enjoy it. And when you learn to do that, you will indeed be rich and privileged.”
Dovenby whistled. “I had no idea you had it in you, dear,” he said to Lucy. Then he began to clap. “Bravo.”
“Shut up, Dove,” she said, before she crossed her arms and made a perfect imitation of Madeline’s stance, glaring out the same window.
Madeline’s mouth hung open. She closed it tightly and quickly when she caught Wes staring at her. Madeline did lead a privileged lifestyle. She did have all the things Lucy mentioned. And because of that lifestyle, she did have a decided disadvantage in some things. He’d seen Madeline smile. He’d seen her sing and curtsy and be respectful, but he’d never seen her in a fit of side-splitting laughter. He’d never seen her so excited she couldn’t sit still. He’d never seen her truly enjoy herself. And that was something he would endeavor to change.