Hannah was ready for her this time, jerking her face away an instant before the inevitable collision smeared powdered sugar down her cheek. “Would youpleasestop that? I don’t want a biscuit!”Wait a minute. That wasn’t what I meant to say. “And I don’t want to bemarriedeither,” she added. That was the crucial part.
“A little more gratitude would suit you well, young lady.” Sir Richard wagged his finger in the direction of Hannah’s nose. But it wasn’t his dry, raspy voice that had captured her attention or madeher sit bolt upright in her chair.
Had she only imagined it, or was there someone outside? For a second, she thought she’d heard her name.
That, or desperation has made me hallucinate.The last few days had certainly begun to feel like a fever dream.
Her mother was back to task. “I promise you, Sir Richard, she’s really a very lovely girl. She only needs a little time to appreciate all the advantages of the match…”
There!Hannah rose from her seat and scampered to the window. There reallywassomeone outside.
“Miss Williaaaaams.” The voice was louder this time. She recognized that rich timbre and gruff tone. Hannah wasn’t one to pay much mind to what a man’s voice sounded like, but in her present circumstances she had to own that it was the most attractive sound she’d ever heard.
“I’m here!” she called back, throwing the curtains to one side so that everyone could see her knight in shining armor. She hadn’t imagined him!
Mr. Corbyn was actually wearing a tweed morning coat, not armor, but his golden hair shone brightly in the sun, which was nearly as good. He looked heroic, at any rate. Particularly when Molly went outside a moment later to try to shoo him away with a parasol and Mr. Corbyn stood his ground in the face of this siege.
Despite the distraction, he seemed to spot Hannah’s face in the window. He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, “I’m in love with you.” After a pause, he added, “Undyingly.”
Oh my.
Hannah had never received a declaration of love before. She’d expected it to sound a little more passionate, even if it was an act. But Mr. Corbyn had spoken in the sort of tone one might have used to say, “I’m going to the dentist to deal with this persistenttoothache.”
Still, he’d arrived in the nick of time and he’d remembered her name. Hannah couldn’t afford to be choosy.
“What on earth…!” Mama reached her side, her face turning scarlet as she recognized the man she’d beaten with her reticule the other night. “Him.”
She grabbed the latch to the window and slammed it shut so quickly that Hannah worried that they might damage Eli and Jane’s house. Then she tugged the curtains back into place with a rough jerk.
“Careful,” Hannah admonished. “That’s French lace.”
Her mother turned to their guests. “Sir Richard, I can explain.”
But it was too late. Mama’s baronet and his daughter had already risen from their chairs to get a good look at the man professing his love on the front lawn. Judging by their thunderous expressions, they were none too impressed. Sir Richard carried himself with great restraint as he spoke. “I believe this call was a mistake, Mrs. Williams. We shall bid you good day.”
“That man is nobody,” Mama said quickly, rushing after her guests as they made toward the door. “I beg you to pay him no mind.”
“He’s my dearest love,” Hannah called after them, a giggle of triumph bubbling up from her lungs. “We shall never break faith, though the world conspires to keep us apart!”
She needn’t have bothered with this last part. Sir Richard and his daughter were already gone, hurrying from the room and down the approach to the house with a disdainful glance toward Mr. Corbyn, who was still dodging the maid’s assault.
It worked! I’m safe!
There was no chance that Sir Richard would be back after this. He was brave enough to take on one headstrong girl, it seemed, but not her strapping young lover. And hadn’t Mama said this was herlastchance for a match?
Oh dear. Now Mama had gone outside to join in the fray. Hannah craned to see them through the window. Mr. Corbyn had managed to escape the maid and put the hedges between himself and his pursuers, but with a second person in the mix he wouldn’t be able to evade them much longer.I’d better go out and make sure they don’t hurt him.
It would be a poor reward to send the man home with a bloodied nose in exchange for saving her life.
* * *
What the hell am I doing here?
Silas had asked himself this question a hundred times on the journey over to Mayfair, but it took on a new urgency as Mrs. Williams descended the front steps and stormed toward him. At least he didn’t see a brick-stuffed reticule in her hands this time.
“What is the meaning of this?” the woman bellowed, red-faced. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Scared off a pair of callers, from the looks of things.The old man and the young lady who’d hurried past him with matching expressions of horror must have been the reason for Miss Williams’s invitation, though Silas didn’t care to guess why their presence should require his intervention.
