by Laura Landon
He fed her another spoonful. “No, I don’t imagine it is.”
He fed her another spoonful of broth, then another. On the fifth spoonful, she shook her head and turned away from him.
“Please, tell Mrs. Grady that was very good. I’m just not hungry.”
“I’ll tell her. She’ll be glad to know you ate at least a little.” Hugh set the bowl back on the table and lowered her back into bed. When she was settled, he returned to his chair.
She closed her eyes, but he knew she wasn’t sleeping. Her question confirmed it.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“My name’s Hugh Baxter.”
“Did my cousin hire you to find me?”
“Yes. I’m an investigator with the Bedford Street Brigade, and Lord Chillbrooke hired us to find you and bring you safely back to London.”
“Well, you found me. But I have no intention of returning with you.”
“Your cousin said that might be your reaction.”
She sighed. “I’m sure he did.”
They were silent for several moments, then Hugh asked the question he’d waited all afternoon to ask. “What did you mean when you said that killing you now would ruin everything?”
She shifted beneath the covers, then opened her eyes. “What reason did my cousin give for hiring you to find me?”
“He was concerned over your safety, of course. And he explained that you were about to marry, but got cold feet at the last minute and bolted. Your disappearance caused quite a scandal as well as an embarrassment to your fiancé.”
She turned her head on the pillow and focused her gaze on him. “Yes, I imagine it did.”
“If it will ease your mind, your cousin mentioned that the man you were to marry has agreed to forgive your indiscretion and proceed with the wedding.”
A smile crossed her face. “Yes, the Marquess of Burlingdon is known for his kind disposition.” She hesitated, then asked, “Did my cousin explain why it was so important to return me to his loving arms as quickly as possible?”
“He only mentioned that the sooner you were married the faster the gossip would shift to some other scandal.”
“And, of course, he offered you a bonus if you found me and brought me back before…?”
“Before February twentieth.”
“Yes, that would be in plenty of time.”
“Plenty of time for what?”
“Before my twenty-first birthday.”
Hugh studied her. Her complexion still lacked color, and she seemed to have a difficult time keeping her eyes open. But she possessed an inner strength he found impressive.
“Did my cousin mention why he and Lord Burlingdon consider me such a valuable commodity?”
“No, that was none of my concern.”
“Oh, Mr. Baxter, my worth is everyone’s concern.”
Hugh waited for Lady Lorna to explain herself. When she did, her words stole the air from his lungs.
She closed her eyes and breathed a heavy sigh. “According to my solicitor, my worth to the fortunate man who weds me will be somewhere around three hundred thousand pounds.”
CHAPTER 3
Hugh remained silent for several tense moments. He wanted to ask her to repeat what she’d said, but knew he’d heard her correctly. She was worth a bloody fortune.
He waited until she opened her eyes before he asked the first of many questions he wanted to ask. “I think you need to fill in some details for me. Such as: If you’re worth that much, why did you offer to do kitchen work to pay for food? Why aren’t you traveling by carriage? Why are you alone and without a chaperone?”
There were several other questions he wanted to ask, but he stopped to let her answer these.
“My father was the late Earl of Chillbrooke. I don’t know if you were acquainted with him…” She paused.
“Actually,” Hugh said, “I was. My father had several business dealings with your father. He greatly admired your father’s business acumen and advice.” When a frown deepened her forehead, Hugh bid her to continue. He didn’t want to veer away from her explanation with talk of himself and his family. “Please, continue.”
“Since my father never remarried after my mother’s death, he knew that when he died, his title and entailed property would go to my cousin, Randolph, the current Earl of Chillbrooke.”
“Did this please him?”
She hesitated before answering. “No. For most of his adult life, Randolph lived as if he’d already come into possession of Father’s wealth. Father covered Randolph’s gambling debts and excess spending on more than one occasion. Which was the reason Father doubted Randolph would provide for me when he was gone.”
“So he left you a large part of his fortune.”
She shook her head. “Father left me his entire fortune.”
Hugh sat back in his chair. “I see.”
“Of course, I can’t touch the money until I turn twenty-one, but I don’t think Father expected that he wouldn’t live to see me reach my majority.”
“What happened to your Father? How did he die?”
“If you’re asking to make sure Randolph didn’t have anything to do with Father’s death, I am sure he didn’t. Father complained of not feeling well one evening, and on his way up the stairs, he stopped and clutched his chest, then collapsed. The doctor said it was his heart. It gave out on him. Randolph wasn’t even in London at the time.”
Lady Lorna’s eyes turned wet and Hugh handed her a dry cloth. He knew she needed time, so he poured some water into a glass, then placed his arm beneath her shoulders and lifted her so she could drink.
“Thank you,” she whispered when she finished.
Hugh lowered her again then returned to his chair.
“Randolph was furious when he discovered all the entailed properties were his, but the fortune he assumed would come with them was mine. He is desperate to get his hands on it. Which is the reason he is determined to see me married to Burlingdon.”
“Because your fortune will go to Lord Burlingdon when you marry?”
“Yes. The law has no regard for females when it comes to inheritances. It doesn’t consider women intelligent enough to manage either property or finances.”
“But you know differently?”
“I am my father’s daughter, Mr. Baxter. I took lessons from one of England’s finest businessmen.”
Hugh let his smile answer her point. “I take it you weren’t agreeable to marrying Lord Burlingdon.”
“I am not agreeable to marrying anyone. I have been courted by countless suitors, all of whom professed to love me—but didn’t. They only wanted to marry the money they knew came with me. One only has to look at me to realize I am not courted for my beauty. And please, don’t tell me you disagree. Every mirror in my house proves my point. I decided long ago that I would not marry.”
“Was Lord Burlingdon one of your suitors?”
Lady Lorna breathed a deep sigh. Hugh knew she was tiring, but he needed to hear everything. Knowing every detail was the only way he could determine what steps to take.
“No, he was never a suitor. Burlingdon is in love with Clarise Spalding, the Earl of Renfrow’s daughter. Burlingdon and my cousin are friends. Close friends.”
Hugh watched the color drain from her face and recognized a hint of the fear he’d seen before. Something terrified her, and it wasn’t just the thought of marrying her cousin’s friend.
“Everyone knows that Burlingdon and Clarise are in love and want to marry, but Lord Renfrow has refused Burlingdon’s suit because he is penniless. Marrying me would solve that problem.”
Hugh relaxed back in his chair. He couldn’t quite follow what she was telling him. “I can see where marrying you will solve Lord Burlingdon’s financial difficulties, but that wouldn’t enable him to marry the woman he loves. I also can’t understand why your brother would agree to the marriage. On your marriage, your dowry would go to your husband, and Lord Chillbrooke would lose any po
ssibility of gaining any part of the three hundred thousand pounds. Unless, of course, he and Lord Burlingdon have entered into an agreement whereby they each receive a share of your inheritance.”
“Yes, there’s an agreement.” Lady Lorna closed her eyes and took several unsteady breaths. “My cousin and Lord Burlingdon have agreed to share my inheritance equally. Lord Burlingdon will receive seventy-five thousand pounds on the day of our marriage, and another seventy-five thousand pounds on the day of my death.”
“The day of your death? But—” Hugh asked, then stopped short. “Bloody hell,” he whispered, unable to keep the words from escaping. He leaned forward in his chair. “How do you know this?”
“I overheard my cousin and Burlingdon discuss the details.” Her face paled even more and she turned away from him. “In Burlingdon’s defense, he refused my cousin’s plan at first. He didn’t want anything to do with my…murder.” She swiped at a tear that trickled down the side of her face. “But Randolph said he’d take care of that detail. All Burlingdon had to do was marry me.”
Hugh pushed himself to his feet and walked to the window. He pulled back one corner of the drapes and stared out at the stark winter countryside. “Does your cousin know you’re aware of his plan?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
Hugh turned to face her. “Where in Scotland were you headed?”
“Edinburg. My mother had a cousin who lived there. She’s deceased, but I hoped there were still relatives there who would put me up for a while. I just need to stay hidden until after I turn twenty-one.”
“When will that be?”
“In a month. On the twenty-fourth of February.”
Hugh looked out of the window again. Snow was starting to fall. He was glad he and Lady Lorna were inside where it was warm.
“Rest now. I’ll send Mrs. Grady up. She said she’d help you wash and change into something clean.”
Hugh walked to the door and turned the knob. Her voice stopped him. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not going to take you back so they can kill you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He heard her deep sigh all the way across the room. “Yes, that’s what I’m asking.”
“You have my promise. I’ll keep you safe.”
And Hugh opened the door and left her. Except he couldn’t forget the promise he made her. He meant to keep her safe.
. . .
A week passed since she’d told him that her cousin wanted her dead, and Lorna concentrated on getting stronger each day. She’d eaten even when she wasn’t hungry, and made more than one attempt to get out of bed on her own.
Although Hugh Baxter had made it clear that she risked falling if she got out of bed by herself, how could she build her strength if she didn’t use the muscles of her arms and legs? She had to get stronger if she intended to continue on to Scotland—which she did.
His routine each morning was to take the breakfast tray to the kitchen, then see to his horse. Once he left the room she could get out of bed without him knowing. And today she intended to see how many times she could walk across the room before she had to rest.
She waited for Mr. Baxter’s footsteps to grow fainter as he made his way down the stairs, then she threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
She was amazed at how much easier it was to stand on her feet today compared to how difficult it had been at the beginning of the week. She smiled as she took her first unassisted step. It wouldn’t be long now and she’d be able to leave. If only she could make her escape without him knowing.
She needed at least an hour’s head start to stand any chance of getting away from him. The fact that he’d followed her here after all the care she’d taken to hide her trail was evidence of how good he was at tracking someone who didn’t want to be found.
She walked across the room and looked out the window. She only had to watch a few seconds before she saw him walk from the inn to the stable. The fact that he took such good care of his horse worked to her advantage. And she couldn’t waste one minute of the time she had to herself.
Lorna walked from one side of the room to the other, checking each time she passed the window to make sure he wasn’t returning. She couldn’t miss his broad shoulders and towering height as he walked from the barn to the inn. The long, muscular length of his legs ate up the ground in a fraction of the time it took most other men to cover that same distance. She couldn’t help but recognize him. And if by some chance she did, her body would tell her he was approaching. For some reason she didn’t understand, an instinct inside her became instantly alert whenever he entered the room.
She didn’t know why he affected her like he did. Maybe it was the way he’d cared for her. Or perhaps it was the conviction of his promise to protect her. Not that she could allow herself to trust him that completely. She couldn’t trust anyone but herself for seventeen more days. She wouldn’t be safe until she turned twenty-one.
She continued from one side of the room to the other, back and forth, faster and faster. When her forehead dampened with perspiration, she picked up a cloth from the bedside table and wiped it away. She was pushing herself harder today than she’d pushed herself before, but she was running out of time to build up her strength. She had to take advantage of every free minute she had.
She walked to the window and looked down. Still no sign of him. She turned to make one more turn around the room, but stopped when the door opened and he entered the room.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, closing the distance between them.
“I needed…”
Lorna struggled to find the words to say, but the room suddenly shifted around her. She reached out to steady herself against the nearest piece of furniture but there wasn’t anything close enough to help her. Just when the floor seemed to give out from beneath her feet, his strong arms wrapped around her.
“You little fool,” he whispered as he lifted her into his arms. “You’re freezing cold.”
Without releasing his grip, he grabbed a cover from the bed and carried her across the room. When he reached a chair close to the fire in the grate, he sat down and wrapped the blanket around her.
“What did you think you were doing?” he asked, taking the cloth still in her hands and dabbing at her forehead.
“I n…needed to g…g…get out of b…bed,” she chattered. “I wasn’t c…cold until just n…now.”
He wrapped the covers closer around her. “You’ll be lucky if you don’t get sick again.”
“I won’t,” she assured him. “I’ll be f…fine as soon as I g…get warm.”
“You are the bravest little fool I’ve ever met.” He tucked the quilt beneath her chin.
His arms held her more securely and she snuggled closer to him. The heat radiating from his body felt wonderful and she buried her face against his chest and breathed a sigh of contentment.
Being held in his arms awakened emotions she only dreamed of ever experiencing. For a few moments, she allowed herself to imagine that he was truly concerned for her, that he’d lifted her in his arms because he wanted her there.
Her blood warmed as it rushed through her veins. She relaxed against him and for as long as he held her, she let herself pretend that she could rely on Hugh Baxter to keep her safe. She closed her eyes and imagined that Hugh Baxter was the one man on earth who could care for her, and not the money that came with her. She tilted her face upward and opened her eyes.
Her gaze met his. Locked with his.
The look in his eyes held an emotion she couldn’t explain: wonder, confusion, amazement, bewilderment.
“Ah, hell,” he whispered.
Then he lowered his head—and kissed her.
CHAPTER 4
His lips were warm and gentle atop hers, his touch tentative at first, then increasing in intensity. For the first time in her life, she was being kissed. Really kissed.
She should push hi
m away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She wanted to experience the gift he offered her. She didn’t know why he was kissing her. It wasn’t because he desired her. She knew that wasn’t a possibility. No one as handsome as Hugh Baxter would ever desire anyone as plain as she.
No doubt, the only reason he’d done something so rash was because he was overcome with relief. He’d worked so hard to make sure she survived that when he saw her weak from exhaustion, he was more worried than he had to be. Kissing her was just a thoughtless reaction.
But she didn’t care. She’d felt an attraction to him from the first, and wanted to kiss him. And even more than that, she’d wanted to be kissed by a man who had no intention of wooing her because of her astronomical dowry. She wanted to be kissed by a man whose actions were nothing more than a rash impulse. He was giving her the experience she’d dreamed of having her whole life.
He deepened his kisses and she accepted his ministrations. He was more skilled than she so she allowed him to show her what to do. She would learn from him, accept the emotional upheaval he offered her as the gift it was. Being kissed by someone as perfect as Hugh Baxter was a dream come true.
He opened his mouth atop hers and she opened to him. His tongue skimmed her lips, then entered her mouth. Fiery bolts shot through her body.
She couldn’t remain still in his lap. She turned into him, then pushed at the quilt that was wrapped around her until she’d freed her hands. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight.
He was perfect. What he gave her was an encounter more incredible than anything she’d imagined. His arms held her securely as he tilted his head. Although she didn’t think it was possible, the shift in position allowed him to kiss her with even more intensity. She moaned with desire.
He kissed her once more, then again.
She took him into her mouth, eagerly accepting his entry, seeking out his tongue, battling his intrusion, doing a frantic dance that stole the breath from her body.
Bright lights exploded behind her closed eyelids. Fiery bolts of lightning shot through her body. Harsh gasps of air threatened to overtake her. She was no longer in control of her emotions. No longer in control of rational thought. No longer in control of anything.