She let him continue to rant for several more moments, not saying a thing in response. It felt as though he was draining her of all her excitement and happiness with each harsh word he spoke.
Finally, he hissed, “Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”
No, she did not.
She held his gaze a second longer, then simply turned from him and walked away.
“Victoria?” he called after her. “Victoria!”
She did not turn back. She continued on down the corridor, turning a corner and finding her way back to the house’s foyer. Victoria did not hear Edward pursuing her, which made her heart ache even more, but she still did not look back. Fighting back the tears, she headed outside and found her way to Henrietta’s carriage.
She just wanted to go home. Not back to Edward’s family, nor even to Henrietta’s, honestly. She wanted to go back to France. Back to her family.
Climbing into the carriage, she decided she had never known Edward at all. Not really. Perhaps there was some truth to the rumours that he was engaged to Cressida after all. That might explain why he had treated her so cruelly. He had been hoping to drive her away.
Well, he had succeeded in doing so.
Chapter 37
Slipping through the shadows, Alvin followed Victoria closely as she made her way along the row of carriages waiting for the ball to come to an end. He glanced over his shoulder, but it did not appear as though Edward was chasing after her.
Good, Edward thought.He will not get in my way again.
Alvin had noticed Victoria in the ballroom and had not recognized her at first. He had been curious about the mysterious beauty, but before he could approach her, she had fled the room, pursued by Edward. That was when Alvin realized who she was and why she had seemed so familiar.
Why would a nanny masquerade as an aristocrat, though? He had been curious about her before, but after witnessing her kissing Edward in the park and running from him just now, Alvin decided he had waited long enough to get a taste of her. If she was so willing to give herself to Edward and play mistress to him, she should have no qualms about doing so for Alvin.
He slipped up behind her as she stepped into the carriage and stepped in after her.
Shutting the door, he knocked on the roof to tell the driver to go.
“What in the…?” Victoria started to cry out, whirling around to face him.
He slapped his hand over her mouth to silence her, grinning with glee as he pushed her down onto the carriage bench.
***
Guilt pounded through him. Edward regretted the way he had spoken to Victoria. He had been startled to see her and had reacted badly. He had said things he had not really meant.
He did not understand what she had been thinking about attending the ball or where she had gotten her heart-stopping dress and mask, but he should have given her a chance to explain herself. Instead, he had just attacked her, letting the confusion and stress of the evening overwhelm him.
He needed to find her and apologize. He had let her walk off but had not been able to keep himself from chasing after her in mere moments. She was already climbing into her carriage when he stepped outside the house, but to his shock and fury, he watched Alvin slip up behind her and force his way inside after her. Edward immediately saw red, knowing Alvin’s intentions were likely nefarious.
The carriage took off with a jolt, and Edward felt a surge of panic. Looking around, he spotted a line of horses tethered nearby and bolted for them. Reaching the closest one, he untied it, jumped up into the saddle and took off after the carriage. He rode hard and caught the carriage quickly.
“Stop!” Edward shouted as he rode up next to the driver. “Stop the carriage!”
Startled, the driver yanked on the reins, bringing the horses to a sudden stop.
“My lord?” he exclaimed. “What is the matter?”
Edward did not answer, dropping from his horse’s saddle and yanking open the carriage door. Alvin had Victoria pinned down against the bench. She was fighting to get him off her, but Alvin was too big and heavy for her to budge.
Reaching forward, Edward grabbed the back of Alvin’s collar and hauled him off of Victoria. The man barely had time to recognize who was snatching him back before Edward slammed his fist into the side of his face.
Alvin let out a cry of pain and surprise as Edward threw him out of the carriage and slammed the door shut. Knocking on the carriage’s ceiling, he got the driver to start moving before Alvin had a chance to try and get back in.
“Are you all right?” he asked Victoria, taking hold of her arms and helping her to straighten and sit on the bench.
