“Your father warned me you've been sulking in your rooms, but he felt sure you would venture downstairs once you thought I had gone. It seems he was right.” He leaned casually against the door frame, watching her while she gathered food onto a thin china plate from the sideboard.
“But your carriage...”
He shrugged. “I sent Harry a few blocks down the street. He isn't gone, Red, but merely waits for my signal to return.”
“Well, get on with it, then. Go give your signal, my lord and be gone with you. I've not had my supper and I vow I am like to starve if I must wait for you to disappear from my life yet again.”
“I am delighted to learn you want nothing to do with me, Red. Just as I would like nothing more than to disappear from your life for good.” His bright, feral gaze burned into hers, and she turned away, blinking back the sudden, unexpected and unwanted sting of tears.
“What I desire, my lord, is to turn back time, somehow. To have not one day of this past month happen at all, and then to go on with my life as I would have had you not--”
“Saved you from young Woodhurst? And then later, from your own grandmother?”
Pulling out her usual chair, Rhiad sat, carefully placing the fine china onto the table's polished surface before she dared look at him again. “Yes, exactly that, Lord Wolfe. I wish we had never met, for if we had not, I would not feel so... torn.”
He joined her at the table. Seated beside her, he took both her hands in his and said, “Which is precisely why I've stayed tonight, Red.”
A harsh bark of laughter escaped her lips, the sound ending on a note much more reminiscent of a pained croak than any slight or imagined merriment. “You have discovered a method for turning back the sands of time, my lord? For pushing back the hands of fate? Forgive me if I disbelieve you, please, but even you must admit the mere idea is more than a bit... far-fetched.”
He peered at her from beneath lowered brows. His voice when he spoke was low. “No, Red. What I have is a much more simple solution. Do not come to the chapel.”
Tilting her chin up in an effort to hide the glossy sheen of tears, she blinked them back and shook her head. “I cannot jilt you, Damien. Grandfather has taken special care to explain the consequences, should I decide upon such a drastic course of action.”
He smiled, if the tight-lipped expression he offered could be called that. “You will find a way, Red. If nothing else, you are an extremely bright and most resourceful lady.”
“And if I cannot, my lord? What then?” She took up her fork and picked at the cold, unappetizing fare before her. “Tell me, Damien, would you find it truly terrible having me as your bride?”
Chapter Ten
Her quiet question bothered Damien from the moment he left her side until the morning before the morning of the wedding that would not happen.
Would having Rhiad bound to him for the rest of his life truly be a terrible thing?
He had a sneaking suspicion if he had said yes, his Red would have done everything in her power to prove him wrong. And had he said no, well, she would likely have put at least as much effort into proving him right.
He hadn't answered her. Instead, he had brushed a kiss against her bare fingers and walked away. He hadn't summoned his carriage, but sent a boy with a message for his driver to return to Wolfehaven without him and he'd walked the several blocks instead with visions of his life playing out in his thoughts, both with Rhiad and without.
When her grandmother had forced his hand by declaring the two of them betrothed, Damien had wanted nothing so much as he wanted to escape. But those minutes the two of them had spent together, precious few though they were, he realized had been some of the brightest moments of his life since he'd come into his majority.
Would having Rhiad beside him as his wife – for the rest of his life – truly be such a terrible thing?
She was unlike any other woman he had known, his Red. Calm and brave when she should fear. Curious and bold, unafraid to stand her ground or to try new things when she should have run away.
Remembering how she had refused to see him, day after day, though her father had all but forced him to at least offer a pretense of proper courtship, he added perseverance to the list.
More like stubborn to a fault, he had clarified, the thought bringing a reluctant smile to his lips.
But none of that mattered at the moment because less than a quarter hour ago he had received a note from the earl, delivered by a footman, informing him that Rhiad had disappeared. She had taken the carriage out earlier in the day, the earl's note explained, but several hours had passed, the sun had long since made its descent, and Rhiad still had not returned.
Somehow, he knew she was giving him the escape he needed, the release he had asked for, despite whatever dire threat her grandfather had promised in consequence. But now, faced with the freedom to live out the rest of his life without her, Damien was no longer sure doing so was what he really wanted.
A sense of urgency filled him and he called for his mount to be readied and brought 'round.
“Grab your pistols, Harry, and hurry,” he ordered his driver. “Little Red is once again in need of rescue.”
Harry, a stout man and a bit rough around the edges, hitched a thumb in his trousers and, ignoring the pure impudence of his question, asked, “What she be in need of rescue from now, my lord?”
Damien grinned. “Why, the big, bad wolf, of course.”
* * *
A shrill whistle pierced the night, and Rhiad bolted upright inside the carriage, her fingers clenched in the folds of her cape while up top, the driver struggled to bring the team of frightened horses under control.
A cold sense of dread filled her because she realized in a moment of panic that, unlike the last time her carriage had been halted en route, she could be in very real danger.
Cautiously, she edged forward, feeling beneath the edge of the seat for the dagger she knew her father kept there. Then, she moved to blow out the lamp, turning the inside of the coach pitch black.
Outside, she could hear a bit of commotion and then the sound of low, muted voices before silence settled over the night once again. She drew the dagger carefully from its hiding place and hurried to conceal it within the folds of her cloak. She had barely managed it when the door was snatched open, revealing naught but shadows and the forest beyond. It slammed hard against the side of the conveyance, and Rhiad bit back a squeak of terror an instant before the dark bulk of a man heaved himself into the carriage.
“Good evening, Red. Smart precaution, dousing the lantern. Too bad you forgot to do so the last time.”
A flint was struck, and Damien smiled at her before he busied himself with re-lighting the carriage lamp.
“Damien?” Confusion rolled through her. “What are you doing here and how dare you overtake my carriage – again?”
Grinning non-repentantly, he closed the door, secured it, and then settled himself against the squabs before reaching up to thump his knuckles once against the roof.
“There is to be a wedding soon, my dear, and you simply must attend,” he offered by way of explanation.
The carriage lurched forward and Rhiad flung out her hand to steady herself, the hand holding the forgotten dagger. The hard glint of sharpened steel did not escape his notice. “Is that a blade, Red? Tsk tsk. You should put it away before you hurt one of us.”
Rhiad leaned down to slide the dagger back into its place of concealment beneath the padded seat and then shook her head, staring at him in disbelief. “You, my lord, are quite fickle. I believe this particular wedding is one you specifically asked me not to attend.”
“Mmm.” He nodded in agreement. “You are correct. But that was before.”
“Before?” Rhiad watched him, watched the dance of shadow and light play across his features while he struggled for the words to explain.
“Before I knew having you in my life would make my life far better than my life could ever hope to
be without you in it. Before I understood what having you as my wife would really mean.”
He was silent for a long moment while his eyes searched hers as if he were looking for something inside that would help him explain. Finally, he said, “All of that, Red, was before I realized that--”
Leaving his seat on the opposite side of the carriage, he reached for her. He pushed his hands beneath her cloak and, with a deft twist, lifted her and then settled them both along the soft length of the padded bench.
Rhiad squawked in protest, but he would have none of it. Finally, she stilled, and apparently satisfied now that she lay half-curled against his side, Damien reached out to tilt her chin upward so she was facing him. “I asked you to find some way to avoid the wedding – our wedding, Red – before I had a chance to think things through. To fully understand that there is most definitely something in you I hadn't quite recognized before.”
Rhiad twisted to better see him in the low light. “Are you saying you want to marry me, Damien?”
He nodded, but his capitulation only added to her confusion. “I don't understand. Did my grandmother--”
He put his fingers against her lips, shushing her, and slowly shook his head. “Just me. No one else. And what I discovered is that there is something within you, Lady Rhiad of the pushy, eccentric, odiously matchmaking Ryding Hoodes, that I simply cannot live without.”
Rhiad felt her breath catch in her throat. Had he really just correctly pronounced her name? “And that something is?”
His steady gaze held hers while he lifted his and with one finger, traced the curve of her jaw. The swirl of emotion she saw in his eyes was nothing compared to the happy riot of her own when he said, “The other half of my soul.”
...and then, he kissed her.
The end.
###
A Note From the Author
Thanks so much for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would love to hear your feedback and chat with you either through my website or Facebook fanpage. I’m going to be running some great contests and give-aways this year so please do check me out online and join in! Also, if you can find the time to leave a short review of the book on Amazon, it would be much appreciated!
Be sure to watch my website for other books in the Fancytales series which will be published in 2013.
If you enjoyed this book, you might also like my contemporary romance anthology:
Sweet Escapes - Buy it today for only $4.99 and save 35% over what you would spend if you bought all the stories individually. Plus you'll get stocked up on sweet escapes for the rest of the week!
Book Includes 4 Stories:
Physical Attraction, Passionate Vengeance, Second Chance and Forbidden Desires.
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You might also enjoy my latest contemporary romance:
Reluctant Romance -Risa Kennedy will stop at nothing to save her company. Connor Dunn is a ruthless corporate executive who only cares about the profits. When the two are pitted against each other in a corporate buy out, sparks fly… and not just sparks of anger.
Connor has everything most women find attractive: he’s wealthy, astonishingly handsome, successful, charming and he loves his dog, Picasso.
But the last thing Risa wants is to be attracted to Connor, especially since he’s trying to buy her pet-food company and shut down the low-cost vet clinic that she loves so dearly.
As their worlds collide a spark of attraction turns into a burning desire. But both of them are hiding secrets that could jeopardize everything.
Will Risa and Connor satisfy their desire or will the secrets between them extinguish their reluctant romance?
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And don’t forget to check out my Cozy mystery series:
Killer Cupcakes (Lexy Baker Bakery Series Book 1) - Things are going great for Lexy Baker. She's finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriend and settled into her grandmothers house with her perky dog Sprinkles at her side.
But her blissful life doesn't last long. When her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery, Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunky neighbor detective Jack Perillo.
With the help of a gang of iPad toting, would-be detective grandmothers, Lexy decides to take it upon herself to find the real murderer in order to clear her name and get her bakery back in business.
As things heat up on the murder trail, in the kitchen and between Lexy and the hunky detective, it's a race against time to put the real murderer behind bars and get back to baking.
Will Lexy get her man?
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***
Dying For Danish (Lexy Baker Bakery Series Book 2) - When Lexy Baker lands a high paying catering job that allows her to buy some much needed kitchen equipment, she's excited that things are going so well … until she stumbles over the body of the bride-to-be.
Suddenly Lexy finds herself in a race against time to find the killer. Aided by four iPad toting amateur detective grandma's, her best friend and her little dog Sprinkles, Lexy finds the suspect list growing at every turn.
To make matters worse, the investigation is headed up by her hunky neighbor Detective Jack Perillo who she had been hot and heavy with - until he mysteriously stopped calling her several weeks earlier.
Add a handsome, rich bachelor who is also a suspect and seems to have designs on Lexy to the mix, and Lexy soon finds that things are not what they seem.
Will Lexy be able to catch the killer in time, or will she end up Dying for Danish?
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***
Murder, Money and Marzipan (Lexy Baker Bakery Series Book 3) - When Lexy Baker makes it to the finale of America’s most prestigious bakery contest, Bakery Battles, she thinks her biggest dream has finally come true…
Until she stumbles across the dead body of judge Amanda Scott-Saunders.
What starts out as a bad day for Lexy becomes even worse when the police discover the judge was strangled with Lexy’s apron. Now Lexy’s sitting at the top of the suspect list with a motive, means and opportunity… but no solid alibi.
Lexy soon finds herself in a race against time to find the real killer before she ends up disqualified from the contest, or worse, in jail. But that’s no easy task. There’s a bakery competition full of suspects who all hated the victim and have a $100,000 motive for murder. And then there’s the gorgeous, smart police detective who has mysterious ties to Lexy’s boyfriend and thinks Lexy is the killer.
Luckily Lexy has a secret weapon -- her iPad-toting grandmother. As long as Lexy can lure Nans away from the slot machines, she and her gang of senior citizen amateur detectives can help Lexy sift through the clues to uncover the startling truth about the real killer.
With a $100,000 grand prize at stake and the search for the killer heating up -- will Lexy clear her name in time to grab the prize… or will her dream turn into a nightmare?
Click Here to download a sample or to order Murder, Money and Marzipan from Amazon!
***
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About Me:
Leighann Dobbs lives in New Hampshire with her husband and her trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. She likes to write romance and mystery short stories and nove
lettes perfect for the busy person on the go. These stories are great for someone who doesn't have a lot of time for reading a full novel. Why not pick one up and escape to another time and place the next time you are waiting for an appointment, enjoying a bath or waiting to pick up the kids at soccer?
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
A Note From the Author
Something In Red (Fancytales Regency Romance Series) Page 4