Laurie Brown (15 page)

“Do you trust me?”

She nodded.

“I want you to go to the folly, finish that bottle, and then take a nice long nap. When you wake, clean yourself up and go
back to the house as if nothing had happened. If anyone asks about the stains on your apron, say you walked into a door and
got a bloody nose.”

“You’re not going to raise a hue and cry? Rouse the servants and neighbors to help you look?”

“Your mistress will be better served if no one knows Hargrave took her off. Wait in her rooms for her return. She’ll want
a hot bath and a long rest. Don’t worry. I think I know where they’ve gone. I’ll bring her back safe and sound.”

If he’d guessed the right destination.

If he picked the same road.

If he was in time.

Josie fought the drowsiness caused by the swaying coach, monotonous view, and boring company. By her reckoning three hours
had passed and the horses had not slowed significantly at any point. If she was going to have a chance to escape, she would
have to make it happen.

“Hey, Hargrave,” she said.When he continued to snore, she poked his foot a couple of times with the parasol that had been
thrown in behind her along with her bonnet and shawl.“Hargrave.”

He raised his hat and glared at her.“What?”

“Is there an inn on this godforsaken road? I’m starving.”

He sat up, put his feet on the floor, and twisted in his seat to open a panel behind his head, revealing a small storage compartment.
He took out a half loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese and threw them on the seat next to her. Right where his dirty boots
had been.

She wrinkled her nose.

“Have you ever seen Shakespeare’s
Taming of the
Shrew?
Yes? Then you should take the bard’s advice to heart.” He again tipped his hat over his eyes.

He’d obviously missed the whole point of the play and the fact that it was supposed to be a comedy, not a blueprint of admirable
behavior. He was no Petru-chio, and she was no Katharina, but she was willing to play the part of a shrew.

“Hargrave.”

“What?” He didn’t bother to remove his hat.

“Do you also have a chamber pot in there? I have to pee.”

He sat up.“My, my. Such a fine example of delicate womanhood. After we’re married I expect you to watch your language.”

She bit her tongue.

He knocked on the panel behind him, and immediately the carriage began to slow. If she’d known that was all it took, she would’ve
done it hours ago.

“I could do with a bit of leg stretching myself,” he said.

The carriage stopped at the side of a deserted road, the coachman opened the door, and Hargrave alighted first. He stepped
away, waving his arms and doing knee lifts. Josie was left to clamber down as best she could. As she sidled around the back
of the carriage, she noted the coachman was already busy seeing to the horses. If she could just get out of sight in the woods,
she could take off. Surely she would come across some sign of civilization sooner or later.

“Stay with the horses,” Hargrave said to the coachman. “And keep your eyes to yourself.We have private business.”

She glanced back and saw her captor unwinding a length of rope.

“Can’t have you going too far away,” he said to her.

She ran. But the hours seated in the carriage had not been kind, and her leg muscles protested the sudden activity. An imminent
cramp burned down the back of her leg. She continued to hobble as fast as she could.

Hargrave grabbed her. Even though she stomped on his toes and kicked his shins, her dainty shoes had little effect on his
thick, knee-high boots. He soon had her immobile, her right arm wedged against his side and his left arm wrapped over her
shoulders. His left hand gripped her just above the elbow and pinned her other arm.

With his hand he reached for the vial of drugs. “You’ll be sorry you caused me so much trouble.” He flipped out the cork with
his thumb and raised the nasty-smelling bottle to her lips.

She twisted her head away.

He was forced to turn her toward him, and when he did, she resisted until he pulled harder. Then she reversed her bearing
and used the impetus of his uncontrolled reaction to add extra impact as she bent her leg. She kneed him in the groin.

Hargrave immediately released her and fell into the dirt with a pained groan.

Her self-defense teacher would have been so proud.

He moaned and whined like a baby.Okay, a foulmouthed baby. His words were indistinct, muttered between his gritted teeth,
but she caught the drift.

Pleased with herself, she grabbed the rope and tied Hargrave up while he was still incapacitated. She was concentrating so
hard on tying him securely, she failed to notice a horse and rider galloping down the road until they were practically on
top of her. She dove out of the way, cursed the careless rider under her breath, and continued her task.

As she secured his legs, she remembered the coachman and glanced up to check on him. He was out of sight in front of the carriage
about eighty yards down the road.

Was that all the distance she’d managed to run? She really was going to have to get serious about going to the gym regularly.

As she secured Hargrave’s wrists, the sound of a single horse walking toward her caused her to look up.

Dev pulled the beast to a stop. He crooked one leg over the pommel and propped his elbow on his knee. “I’d offer my services,
but you seem to be doing rather well.”

Josie stood up and dusted off her hands. After smoothing her dress, she retrieved the stuff she’d dropped when Hargrave had
tackled her. She draped the shawl over her arm and plopped the bonnet on her head, not bothering to tie the ribbons. Her first
inclination was to leave the parasol, but then she thought of a good use for the silly thing.

She poked Hargrave with the pointy end. “Let that be a lesson to you.”

Another string of invectives spewed out of his mouth.

She turned to Dev.“May I have your handkerchief?”

He held it out to her. His mount shied at the white flag flapping in the breeze.

“Easy, Galahad.”

Even though Dev kept the enormous horse under control, the beast’s withers twitched and he pawed the road with his front hooves
in apparent annoyance with the sudden inactivity after the freedom of a long gallop.

“Toss it to me,” she requested, not wanting to get any closer to Dev’s stallion than necessary.After catching the large square
of linen, she stuffed it into Hargrave’s mouth and secured it by wrapping the last of the long rope around his head.

Suddenly she remembered. “Ohmigod. I forgot the coachman.” She spun around.

“He should wake up in a few hours with a pounding headache,” Dev said.

“Good.”

“Vengeful little wench, aren’t you?”

“You don’t know the half of what I’ve been through.”

“Well, it hasn’t been much of a rescue...”

“I really do appreciate your help.”

“But if you will return to the carriage, I shall be honored to drive...”

“I’m not getting back in there. Not ever.” She turned and headed away from the coach.

Dev followed along, keeping his horse to a sedate walk beside her. She moved further to the side of the road, but there was
no soft green lawn to cushion her steps. Only rocks and twigs and sticks and more rocks.

“Would you like to ride? Galahad can handle double...”

“No, thank you.” She did not slow her pace, but she couldn’t keep from wincing as her feet and leg muscles protested. “Ouch.
It’s not that I’m, ouch, ungrateful for your help. I’m not fond of riding.”

They walked along for a few minutes, the silence broken only by her involuntary complaints.

“It’s a long way back,” Dev said.

“I’ll, ouch, make it.”

“No food. No water.” Dev looked up at the sun overhead.“You ought to get there about midnight.”

“I’ll...ouch.” Josie hopped on one foot after stepping on a particularly sharp stone.“Damn rocks.”

Dev leaned over and swooped her up to sit in front of him.

“What are you doing?” She struggled against his hold, and in the process one or the other of them knocked off her bonnet.

The horse, spooked by the bonnet fluttering to the ground, reared and then danced away from it.

Josie twisted toward Dev and wrapped her arms around him. The parasol flew and the shawl slithered away. The horse reared
again. She clutched Dev tight.

Dev struggled to hold on to Josie and manage the reins.“Easy. Easy. Settle down,” he said, his voice smooth yet commanding.

Both the horse and Josie obeyed.

She relaxed, but she did not remove her arms from around his neck. Looking up she gazed deep into his gray eyes, and for a
moment it was as if she saw directly into his soul. Despite his flaws she felt...safe. She saw...respect. Oh, he might laugh
at some of her outrageous ideas, but not in a disparaging way. He would never belittle her or demean her.

His eyes promised to cherish her.

This could not be. She let her arms slip away as she untwisted her torso so she sat sideways on the horse.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he said, his voice husky and thick. The words were appropriate for that moment, but he knew he was
referring to earlier that day.When he’d found out she’d been taken, it had seemed as if the rest of his life had been ripped
away, as if without her he would have no future. When he’d heard she was in danger, he’d felt soul-deep fear for the first
time.

The fact that he’d come to care for her so deeply in so short a time terrified him. Somehow they had a connection that transcended
their brief acquaintance.

Would she think he was crazy if he told her? He forced himself to relax his hold around her waist.

“So, what are we to do now?” she asked.

She was probably talking about the ride home, but that was the least of his worries.As far as everything else went,well, it
was a damn good question.

Twelve

D
EV GRITTED HIS TEETH. JOSIE’S NEARNESS
was arousing enough without her wiggling and twisting to find a comfortable position. She seemed to be trying to get as far
away from him as possible. Every step of their mount threatened her precarious perch.

“Lean against me,” he suggested.

“No, thank you. I’ll be fine as soon...” Her breath left in a whoosh as he pulled her back against his chest.

“If you fall and break your neck...” Josie stilled.

“My efforts to rescue you will have been wasted,”

he finished.

Her back remained stiff. He knew from experience she needed a bit of time before she could relax after a fight.The walking
should have helped. She crossed her arms under her breasts as if to keep his arm that remained around her waist from sliding
upward. Fine with him. Her action made his view all the more interesting, but if she didn’t relax, the ride would seem even
longer than necessary, for both of them.

“Where did you learn to fight?” he asked.“I was quite surprised when you used that trick with your knee. But not as shocked
as Hargrave,” he added with a chuckle.

“Every woman should know self-defense,” she answered without giving him any particulars.

Her nearness warmed him better than a roaring fire on a winter’s night and was more intoxicating than the best Napoleon brandy.
When she relaxed a bit against his chest, he was careful not to tighten his hold as his baser impulses prodded him to do.
Her needs were more important than his.

“Quite a blow to my self-esteem,” he said, keeping his tone light. “Rather than rescue a damsel in distress, I simply watched
her save herself. Not good form, you know.”

“You took care of the coachman.”

“Clobbering an unsuspecting henchman over the head with the butt of my pistol is not the same as defeating a nefarious villain,”
he said, acting annoyed. “My shining armor is intolerably tarnished.”

“I’ll never understand men,” she said, but she also leaned her head back against his shoulder. “And you are saving me from
a long walk back,” she added.

“A pittance,” he said with a sniff.

“I imagine my feet would not think so if you hadn’t overruled me on the matter. Again I owe you my thanks.”

“You are quite welcome. In truth you saved me from what promised to be an uncomfortable if not downright unpleasant meeting.
I doubt we’ll be back before one o’clock.” He chuckled to himself. “She won’t be happy when I fail to appear at the appointed
rendezvous.”

“She? Meaning Estelle, who is convinced you will marry her if for no other reason than the spirit guide Amanu says so?”

“No. I will have to deal with Estelle at another time. I was supposed to meet Lady Wingate in the rose garden.”

Josie stretched her neck to look over her shoulder at him.“You have a romantic assignation with that featherbrained, giggling...”

“An appointment. At her insistence. No romance. My mother may despair of my morals, but I do draw the line at pursuing married
women, especially wives of my friends.”

“So you agreed to meet her to tell her to leave you alone?”

“I might not have put it in those exact words, but basically yes. If she does not cease her outrageous flirtations, I’ll have
no choice but to cut both her and Timothy from my social circle.”

“I’m glad you missed your appointment. Take my advice. Never meet that woman alone. You’ll...stay healthier.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant or why the discussion of the Wingates made Josie finally relax, but he was grateful all the
same. She breathed a deep sigh, her eyelids drifted closed, and she snuggled into his arms, the inevitable exhaustion overtaking
her as the last of the fight drained away.

Cradling her gently, he urged Galahad to a smooth mile-eating gallop and allowed him his head, knowing the horse would take
them home. Dev did not expect Josie to sleep long, and by the time she woke he wanted to have a plan for salvaging her reputation
ready to put into motion.

In her dreams Josie relived the kidnapping, only somehow her worry about the ghost and the need to set up another séance got
mixed into the ordeal. Hargrave became seven feet tall and glowed green like the spirit guide Amanu. He mocked her puny attempts
to escape with bone-chilling laughter. Deverell rode past her on a menacing ghost horse and kept on going into the black void
he dreaded. She jerked awake with a gasp.

As soon as she recognized where she was and that she’d been dreaming, she slumped against Dev’s warmth, just for a minute,
just to allow her heartbeat to slow to normal.

He pulled the horse to a sedate walk, and she realized her anxiety about riding had not returned.

She had too many other things to worry about, she rationalized.

“I’m glad to see you are finally conscious,” he said.“We are close and we need to discuss...”

“Another séance,” she said, sitting up and twisting so she could see his face.

“What?”

“Tonight. Can you arrange another séance tonight?”

“There are more important matters to...”

“Not until you give your word as a gentleman that you...”

“The ball is tonight.”

“I don’t care about that.”

“My mother does, and she will be busy with her hostess duties.”

“You can convince her to do it. I know you can. I can’t explain why this is so important, but I’ll promise you anything you
want...”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Within reasonable limits, of course.”

“You still owe me a walk in the garden from the last séance.”

“You’re right, but it’s not my fault Hargrave interfered.” Now was not the time to bring up that she’d been on her way to
give him a piece of her mind rather than enjoy the planned walk.

He stared at the road ahead as if deep in thought.

“Please,” she added in a wheedling tone for good measure.

When he looked down at her the corners of his mouth twitched. “If I somehow manage to convince Mother to schedule a séance
in the middle of a ball, then you will...”

“Walk with you in the garden right after the séance,” she supplied in a rush, hoping his previous first choice of rewards
would still be valid.

“No chaperone. No maid,” he bargained.

After a moment’s hesitation she said, “Agreed.”

As much as she’d fantasized about kisses in the moonlight, she intended to hold him to the letter of the agreement.A walk.That’s
all.

“Then we have a deal,” he said.

She didn’t trust that sparkle in his eye. A tiny frisson of anticipation shivered up her spine. Dev might be dangerous, but
her physical reaction to him was an even bigger problem.

“Whoa,” Dev said, accompanied by a gentle tug on the reins. Galahad halted with a snort.“Easy, fella.”

Dev patted the horse on the neck. “I know you’re anxious to get home,” he added as he dismounted.

“Why are we stopping here? If we’re that close...”

Dev lifted her down.“We’ve been on the estate proper for some time now, but we can’t just ride up to the front door.Your reputation...”

“But
I
didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I agree, but others may not see it that way.”

“That’s their problem.” The roadbed was a bit smoother than before, but her feet were still tender. Taking gingerly steps
she tottered to the side, where thankfully there was now a strip of mown grass.

“As a gentleman and your host I am responsible for safeguarding your good name.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“That’s reality. Unless you wish to be shunned by all...”

Josie thought of sweet Honoria and dear Mrs.

Binns. Surely they wouldn’t think the worst of her, would they?

“...and bring disgrace upon both my mother and your chaperone, then you will do as I say.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t argue with...” He hesitated. “Oh, I remember that means you agree. In that case here’s the plan.We will use the private
entrance to my rooms. You can clean up, and when the coast is clear you can slip down the hall to your...”

“That’s your grand plan to salvage my ruined reputation?” She put her hands on her hips.“Sneak me into your bedroom? What
if someone sees us?”

“They won’t.”

“Are you kidding? That place is crawling with servants.”

He blinked as if the possibility of being seen by servants had never occurred to him as important.

“And if you think servants don’t gossip, boy, are you in for a rude awakening. Just this morning Dora...ohmigod, Dora? What
happened to Dora? Is she...”

“She’s...okay. Maybe a bit of a headache.” He chuckled.

“Not funny. She’d tried to help me and that man...that evil coachman dragged her off unconscious and...and...”

“I found her and she seemed fine except for a bloody nose. I gave her a bottle of champagne...”

“Champagne?”

“It was handy. Don’t ask why. I told her to finish the bottle, hence the headache. I instructed her to take a long nap and
then wait for you in your room. I specifically requested she not tell a soul what had happened. If anyone notes your failure
to appear at the folly as planned, the story will be that you got lost in the woods.”

“Servants have eyes and ears.”

“My valet is the soul of discretion.”

She shook her head.“I don’t know. Doesn’t sound like a good plan to me.”

“And you have a better one?”

Perhaps if she had more time, but she could hardly stand on the side of the road until inspiration hit.“No,” she admitted.

“Then we will proceed as I had planned.” He bowed and held out his arm. They walked along the road.

“Where is this private entrance of yours?”

“We access it from the folly.”

She raised her eyebrows, and he had the grace to blush.

“My grandfather had it built,” he explained.“So he didn’t disturb the household on returning from his late-night card games.”

“I’ll bet he did.”

“I’ve used it myself for the same reason.”

“I’ll bet you have.”

“Now who’s thinking the worst without regard to the facts?” He turned to the right and onto a path she would have missed if
he hadn’t known where it was. The narrowness forced them to walk closer together, and they automatically matched their steps.

“My apologies,” she said. “I’m sure you’ve never used the secret entrance to further your own means.”

“Well...” He swallowed deeply, and with his free hand he adjusted his cravat.“Perhaps a time or two.”

“Aha!” she grinned.

“I see you enjoy being right.”

“Don’t you?”

“Well, yes, but...”

“But you’re a man and lord of the castle; therefore being right is your prerogative.”

“That’s not what I was going to say.”

“But it is what you meant.”

“Not exactly. I was merely going to comment that most women would agree with me—or any man, for that matter—simply to seem...agreeable.”

“And the men of this...land...find meaningless conformity attractive?”Whew. She’d almost slipped and said
of this time
.“Agreeableness is a virtue?”

“I used to think so. Now I’m not so sure.”

“Good. The differences between men and women are more than just physical and contribute to a full and interesting relationship.”

“You are quite bold, Miss Drummond. I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone quite like you.”

“And you probably never will again.” Not unless time travel became as common as taking the redeye to New York. Flight 753
to the Regency now loading at gate H15. She giggled and then realized he was looking at her strangely.

“Sometimes I have absolutely no idea what you are thinking,” he said. “I find you...intriguing.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I meant it so.” He shook his head. “At least I think I do. Here we are.”

The folly had been built to resemble an open Roman temple, with fluted columns at each corner of the eight-sided structure.
She went up the steps with a bit of trepidation but found no remnant of the earlier planned assignation. Other than a few
carved stone benches there was no furniture at all.

Dev strode across the floor without the slightest hesitation or sign of surprise at the emptiness.

Could Dora have been mistaken about his intentions? He’d been nothing less than a true gentleman so far.

“This way,” he said.

She followed him down the steps at the far side of the folly and directly into a tunnel made by a long arbor covered with
fragrant white roses.

“At the far end is the moon garden. Although visible from a few select windows, it is quite private. All the plants were chosen
for their fragrance and the way their blooms reflect the moonlight.”

“Sounds lovely.”

“If all goes well, you will have a chance to experience it yourself later tonight,” he said with a mischievous grin.

She turned her head away to keep from returning his smile—and nearly bumped into him when he stopped in the middle of the
tunnel. He moved aside some of the profuse greenery and, using a key attached to his watch fob, unlocked a low door that had
been invisible moments before.

“Wow. You weren’t kidding about a secret entrance.”

“What do goats have to do with it?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“Huh?”

“Goats. Kidding?”

“Oh. No, that means joking, not serious.”

“Sometimes I think we do not speak the same language. Aren’t the colonies still speaking English despite two wars?”

“Certainly.” Because she didn’t know much about either the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812 she decided it was a good
time to change the subject. She stepped through the door. “Into the lion’s den, as they say.”

“Hardly.”

Although she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, it wasn’t a neat storeroom approximately eight feet by fifteen feet.

Dev ducked through the door and stepped around her to lead the way. “The staircase is back here.This is where I keep my private
stock and...other items.

Only Carson,my valet, and I have a key.”

“Like what?” she asked, craning her neck as she passed, but everything was in closed and locked storage.