by Wolf, Bree
Pierce grinned. “I must.”
“What do you want?”
His gaze lingered on her, studying the hard lines of her face, proof of the iron will that ruled her life. And yet, he’d seen her face soft and gentle when she’d whispered of the way she hid herself from society’s eye. “I need you to make me a promise.”
Suspicion darkened her features. “Why would I do that?”
“Don’t you even want to know what it is?”
She shrugged. “I suspect it is something I’m unwilling to do.”
Pierce chuckled. “What gives you that idea?”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here asking,” she pointed out with arched brows. “Although I must admit, why you’re here in the first place has me puzzled. Perhaps some morbid fascination? The need to control everything and everyone?” Her brows rose again, daring him to answer.
Pierce could not deny that he loved her courage, the way she faced him, a masked intruder, without so much as a tremble. And yet, he also loved getting under her skin, seeing her affected by him, hearing her breath catch and seeing her cheeks flush.
Holding her gaze, he slid closer, his knee brushing against hers.
Instantly, she tensed, and he could see the pulse in her neck quickening. “Stay where you are,” she demanded, her hands rising to ward him off.
Pierce grinned. “The last time we shared a coach, you were much more accommodating,” he teased as he moved closer still until the tips of her fingers brushed against the fabric of his cloak.
She swallowed, her breath coming fast. “Don’t you dare!”
“Dare what?” Pierce asked innocently, feeling his pulse quicken when her gaze dropped to his lips. He chuckled. “It’s good to know where your thoughts are lingering.”
Her lips thinned, and her eyes returned to glare at him. “Aren’t yours?”
“Yes,” he admitted openly, watching her throat work as she swallowed. He held her gaze, then moved closer an inch. Then another.
Her hands now lay flat against his chest, her eyes wide as she looked at him. Still, there was no resistance, no pressure against him as he drew closer.
His hands reached for her then, moving under her cloak and finding her small waist, the feel of her familiar and, yet, temptingly new. A shuddering breath fluttered past her lips as her eyes darkened with something deeply alluring.
“Are you disappointed to see me here?” Pierce whispered against her lips as his hands on her waist tightened, pulling her closer.
Her chest rose and fell with a heavy breath. “I…” Her eyes remained on his, but only for a moment before they dropped to his mouth once again.
Pierce chuckled, then dipped his head and kissed her.
Chapter Eighteen
A Respectful Man
Oh, this was a bad idea! A very bad idea! And yet, it didn’t feel like a bad idea. In fact, it felt wonderful, utterly bewitching, and Caroline felt herself respond to his kiss with surprising enthusiasm.
Her hands slid from his chest to snake around his neck, toying with the curls at his nape. She pressed closer, and a low hum escaped her throat when he teased her lips apart, deepening their kiss.
Still, it had to be a bad idea…even if Caroline couldn’t quite say why at the moment.
After an awfully long day, she’d felt exhausted, close to collapsing into a heap of nerves. Her feet had barely managed to carry her the few steps to the coach.
And now this!
His hands sent heat shooting through her body, chasing away the lingering cold of the early year. His touch was gentle and, yet, demanding, and despite the fact that she did not know him—his name or his face—Caroline did not feel afraid. In fact, she felt safe in his arms.
A distant part of her wondered why he always sought her out. Why had he followed her this night as well? Why had he come? To urge her not to leave the house at night? Was he concerned for her? Why would he be? After all, they knew all but nothing about one another.
Or did they?
Pulling back, Caroline looked into his eyes, shrouded in the dim light, gazing at her through the openings in the black mask he wore. She felt his pulse thud beneath her fingertips and his warm breath tickle her skin. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to tear the disguise from his face and look at him.
And yet, she didn’t. What would happen once this illusion shattered? What would happen once she knew who he was?
For a part of Caroline whispered that she did know him.
That she’d met him before.
That he was no stranger.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she contemplated what to do. The spark in his eyes, the way they looked into hers, the way they lingered and trailed over her face felt oddly familiar. If only she knew…
“Have we met before?” she asked, and her breath caught when his hands stiffened on her waist. “We have, have we not?”
Releasing her, the masked man moved over to the other side of the carriage.
“I’m right, am I not?” Caroline pressed, still wondering if she truly wished to know. “Take off your mask.”
Again, he chuckled and, yet, the sound was a bit strangled. “I will not.”
“Why?”
He sighed. “For the same reason you don’t want anyone to know where you go at night.”
Caroline paused as her gaze swept over him.
From the first—even when he’d tried to rob her—he’d been respectful toward her…if one could call it that. Although he certainly could have, he’d never forced his attentions on her. Instead, he’d protected her and, so far, he had not uttered a word about betraying her secret. He had not asked for money or anything else of value in return for his silence.
“Why do you rob people?” Caroline asked, trying to look behind his mask. “You said you only rob those who are undeserving of what they possess.” Her gaze narrowed. “What do you do with the money you steal? Do you use it for yourself? Or…?”
“That is none of your concern,” he rebuffed her, his voice strained and defensive.
Caroline chuckled. “Our roles seem oddly reversed.”
He smiled at her then.
The carriage pulled to a halt with a sudden jerk that Caroline slid off her seat, her arms and legs too wobbly to keep her on the bench.
Fortunately, her companion’s reflexes did not seem dulled at all for his hands whipped forward with startling speed and caught her before she dropped to the carriage’s floor.
“Thank you,” Caroline huffed out, her breath coming fast as she held on to his arms to stagger to her feet.
“You need sleep,” he remarked, and she could all but hear his brows rising in emphasis, urging her to heed his words. Because of the mask, however, she could not be certain.
“You may be right,” she conceded, sinking back down onto her seat. Then she lifted the curtain and glimpsed out the window, recognizing the house out front, a few doors down from her own home. Her heart slammed to a halt as she glanced up and down the pavement and, yet, she found the usual fear of discovery to be absent.
“You should go,” her companion stated, “inside and to bed.”
Caroline chuckled, feeling strangely at ease. She knew there was still reason for concern, but for the life of her, she could not seem to muster the appropriate emotion. Perhaps she was simply too exhausted.
Casting him a weak smile, she moved to the door, then paused. “Will I see you again?”
“Do you want to?” he asked, warmth in his voice.
“I’m not certain, but I think so,” she whispered, knowing she ought to feel embarrassed for stating her thoughts so openly.
Leaning forward, he met her eyes. “Then you will.” It sounded like a promise, and Caroline wondered at the warmth it sent through her, touching every fiber of her being.
“Good night,” she whispered before stepping outside. Her eyes moved up and down the pavement as she stepped into the shadows and then proceeded onward with quick and silen
t steps. Her right hand held her hood in place, ensuring that no one would see her face. Fortunately, the street remained deserted.
However, after she stepped through the servants’ gate and then headed to the back of the house, Caroline froze when movement caught her eyes.
Instantly, her eyes whipped open and she shrunk deeper into the shadows by the wall, her gaze drawn to her cousin’s window.
Oddly enough, it stood wide open.
What was even more odd was the rope that dangled from the tree outside said window.
Still, it wasn’t until a man emerged from Rebecca’s room that Caroline felt she’d strayed into a dream. Her gaze narrowed. This couldn’t possibly be happening! Had she fallen asleep over the ledgers at the orphanage? Was all this a very bizarre dream?
The kiss she’d shared with her masked savior in the carriage, however, had felt utterly real, and Caroline could not deny that it would be deeply frustrating if it hadn’t been.
Rubbing her eyes, she shrank deeper into the shadows cast by a dense hedge near the outer wall and watched in amazement as a masked man proceeded to climb down the tree.
Had London gone mad? Or at least the men? Or were black masks high fashion these days and no one had bothered to tell her?
Caroline blinked her eyes fiercely. The image proved true and she watched in fascination as Rebecca stuck her head out the window and dropped the other end of the rope once her visitor had reached the ground. The masked man then collected it, waved a silent goodbye and, glancing over his shoulder, slipped from the property.
For a long while, Caroline remained hidden among the foliage, too stunned to move or think straight. She watched Rebecca close her window and the house fall silent again as though nothing had happened.
“I need sleep,” Caroline mumbled, feeling her lids close. Quickly, she rubbed her hands over her face to wake herself more fully. She was not in her chamber, yet, and still needed to be watchful. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
Would have to wait until tomorrow.
That night, Caroline slept like a rock. Upon waking, she did not remember how she’d found her way into her bed nor the many questions Sarah had asked her upon her return. All she remembered was the odd, yet wonderful dream she’d had.
The one thing that finally did wake her up the next morning was a very cheerful cousin, who could not—no matter how hard she tried—hide that excited and suspiciously adventurous spark in her eyes. At least not from Caroline.
Her father and mother were, as usual, quite oblivious as they sat at the breakfast table.
“Would you like to take a stroll through Hyde Park today?” Rebecca asked her as she sipped her tea. “It’s such a lovely day.”
Caroline’s gaze narrowed, but she quickly agreed, knowing she would have a better chance of extracting information from her all but glowing cousin without her parents within earshot.
“Why are you wearing your riding habit?” Caroline finally asked as the two cousins strolled down the street toward the park. “And this cloak? To hide it?” Clearly, Rebecca had other plans than a mere stroll through the park. Plans that would have no doubt turned her father’s head dark red if he knew!
All but sighing, Rebecca fought to suppress a smile…and failed.
“I know that smile,” Caroline exclaimed, pouncing on this small, yet, telling detail. “And it worries me.”
Quickening her stride as though she could not wait to reach their destination, Rebecca shrugged, a devilish twinkle in her green eyes. “Then look away.”
Concerned, Caroline scoffed. “You’re planning something, aren’t you?”
Rebecca’s green eyes veered to her cousin for a split second before she forced her gaze straight ahead, her lips pressing into a tight line as though to force the words that clearly wished to make themselves heard back down.
Caroline could have laughed. “Does it have something to do with the gentleman who climbed out of your window last night?” At least, she hoped he was a gentleman.
As expected, her cousin froze mid-step, her eyes wide as she turned to stare at Caroline, a hint of panic lingering on her face. “How…how do you know?”
Again, Caroline scoffed. “I’m not my mother. My eyes work fine,” perhaps it was not wise to point that out, though, “and I tend to observe the world around me with great care.” Grinning at her cousin, Caroline could not help but enjoy the moment. “I saw him leave.”
As Rebecca continued to stare at her as though she’d just lost the ability to speak, Caroline chuckled. “Words don’t fail you often, do they?” Laughter tickled her throat, and she realized how much more enjoyable it was being on the other end of this discussion. “Don’t look so terrified. I shall keep your secret. However, I would ask you to be cautious. Men can generally not be trusted. You might have your own agenda, but believe me, so does he. Never forget that.”
Caroline could only hope her cousin would take her words seriously. After all, despite being a wallflower, Caroline could, at present, name two men within her small circle of acquaintances who no doubt possessed hidden agendas. Agendas that worried her. Agendas that kept her awake at night and made her fidget nervously during the day. Needless to say, she didn’t much care for hidden agendas!
Suddenly, the look in Rebecca’s eyes…changed…in a rather alarming way that sent cold shivers down Caroline’s back. “How did you see him?” her cousin demanded, suspicion sneaking into her voice as her eyes swept over Caroline’s face. “From the window of your chamber, you couldn’t have seen him. You couldn’t.”
Caroline’s heart slammed to a halt, and it took all her concentration to keep the smile on her face.
“Where were you when…?” Rebecca’s brows rose in challenge. “You weren’t in your chamber when you saw him, were you?” And this was why keeping secrets was generally not a good idea!
Knowing when a battle was lost, Caroline sighed in annoyance…with herself as well as her observant cousin. “Fine. No, I was not in my chamber.”
“Where were you then?” Rebecca pressed.
“That, I cannot tell you.” After all, her cousin had been less than forthcoming as well.
“Why?” Which, of course, didn’t stop her from asking questions.
Caroline gritted her teeth. “It is of no importan—”
Shaking her head, Rebecca interrupted her. “How can it not be of importance? You left your chamber in the middle of the night and went…where?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at her cousin. “Did you leave the house? Where did you go?”
Willing herself to remain calm, Caroline held her gaze. “As I said before, you have your secrets and I have mine. I’m not asking you to tell me what you’re up to today. All I’m asking is that you’re careful.” As Rebecca kept staring at her in awe, Caroline decided to forge ahead. “You’re meeting him at Hyde Park, are you not? Are you not worried that my father will hear of this? You know you will not be able to hide in such a place.” The conspiratorial gleam in Rebecca’s eyes gave her pause. “But you don’t care, do you?” she whispered, trying to understand what it was her cousin was hoping to accomplish. Clearly, an elaborate plan lay at the root of today’s outing.
Clearing her throat, Rebecca shrugged. “As you said, you have your secrets and I have mine.”
“Very well,” Caroline said with a sigh. “Do what you must, and good luck.” She turned to head back down the street when her cousin spoke up again.
“Tell Aunt Mildred I slipped away while you were looking at ribbons…or something, and that you don’t know where I went.”
Caroline nodded. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Heading back the way they’d come, Caroline had no intention of returning home so soon. After all, her parents thought her in Hyde Park with Rebecca, and even if they would later hear of whatever scandalous thing Rebecca had planned, there was still time for Caroline to stop by the orphanage and feign ignorance later.
A yawn stretched across her face when she finally
reached the two-story building. The window to the office was still boarded up, and Caroline could see in her mind’s eye the stack of ledgers resting on the desk inside. With the additional expenses and the money Mr. Wolsey had taken, Caroline worried for the children’s futures. How were they supposed to continue on?
Turning around the corner, Caroline spotted the door to the office wide open, the sound of someone moving around inside drifting to her ears. Had Mr. Wolsey returned? Inhaling a deep breath, Caroline braced herself for another confrontation. However, when she turned to step across the threshold, she found a tall, slender man standing behind the desk, his eyebrow-less eyes surveying the papers upon it. He seemed about her father’s age, his face slightly strained like someone who knew well the meaning of misery. His attire was impeccable, in order, and she watched him as he reached out a hand, its forefinger giving one of the ledgers a slight push so that its bottom right-hand corner moved up a bit, now perfectly aligned with the others at its side.
Caroline cleared her throat.
The man almost jumped out of his skin, his gaze wide as his head jerked up. When his eyes fell on her, he closed them briefly, his hand coming to rest on his chest as he exhaled a deep breath. “Good morning, Miss Hawkins,” he stammered, slightly out of breath as he stepped around the desk and gave her a formal bow.
“Good morning,” Caroline replied, surprised to feel the beginnings of a smile tug on her lips. “May I ask who you are?” she inquired when he remained quiet.
At her question, his gaze widened once more and a hint of red came to his cheeks. “I apologize for my lack of manners, Miss.” Again, he bowed. “My name is Albert. Lord Markham sent me.”
Caroline’s jaw dropped.
In turn, Albert all but flinched at the sight of her astonishment. “I assumed Lord Markham had informed you…” his voice trailed off when Caroline began to shake her head. “I see.”
Swallowing, Caroline stepped into the room, her mind racing to make sense of this new development. Had she not half an hour ago spoken to her cousin about men and their hidden agendas? Now, what was Lord Markham’s? Not for a second would she believe he’d sent Albert out of the goodness of his heart. Not after the way he had teased her since first addressing her. But what could he possibly hope to accomplish with this? And more pressingly how had he known of her predicament? Had she said anything to him when he’d come upon her outside the orphanage the other day?