He strolled towardher, his face unreadable. A perfect example of cold calm. But she knew better, and her heart was pounding. He was angry, enraged even.
“Will you escort me?” she asked. “They procured a hack for me. Or did you just arrive and intend to stay?”
“I can’t be in the ladies’ area, but I was informed you were here and was permitted to collect you.”
Collect her? She didn’t like that one bit, but she bit her tongue and stepped to his side like the dutiful future wife she was pretending to be.
“Wonderful. I’d love for you to see me home.” She hugged his arm, looking up into his face adoringly. Over his shoulder, she spotted Mr. Chase smirking at her.
“Come this way and put that on,” he said, nodding at her cloak. He led her down the stairs to the ladies’ entrance and out to the street.
“Graham I know I should have—”
“Not now.”
They were silent as they climbed into the Alston carriage and Graham took the seat across from her.
“Alston House,” he instructed the driver. “We have just enough time to make tonight’s engagement if you dress quickly.” He said it with a tone strung tight like the cords of a violin. His gaze wandered over her as if he had to make sure she wasn’t missing any pieces. This overprotectiveness was something she was struggling to accept. Really, he was being rather dramatic.
“I don’t want to go,” Amelia said.
“You will be missed. Won’t that cause a stir?” The harsh lines of his face softened. “Are you all right?” His concern warmed something inside of her, and the part of her that wanted to rage at his attempts to control everything lessened. Despite his tendency toward being overbearing, he did care for her—she knew he did.
“Yes. I am perfectly fine. Though I am tired and would rather go home than to another engagement. I’ll a send a note.”
“Fine,” he said. He turned his head toward the window and Amelia studied his profile.
She was confused and not quite over being angry. At herself, for proving to Graham once again how right he was about her impulsive and reckless behavior, and at Graham, for thinking he always knew better. Although Amelia was beginning to see that his priggish behavior wasn’t judgment so much as concern. For her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone,” Amelia blurted. She pressed her eyes closed in embarrassment. Would he gloat? It wasn’t like him, but after all the trouble she’d caused him, she probably deserved a bit of mocking. She opened her eyes when he didn’t speak.
He was staring at her, the outside lanterns casting his face in gold. He was so handsome. Had he always been this gorgeous? In a way, she’d known it all the time, but his frigid behavior toward her used to mute the effect.
“If you know you shouldn’t have gone, why did you?” he asked, far gentler than she expected.
Amelia bit the inside of her cheek as she searched for something better to say thanbecause I wanted to.But she had no excuse. She was curious and wanted to meet the mysterious Widow who ran a gaming club and had a spy working for her.
“I don’t have a good reason. I did what I wanted to do, and I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d try to stop me.”
“Do you have no care for your safety or the worry of others?”
“Iwassafe. The Den is a luxurious and respectable establishment from what I’ve seen—if a little eccentric. But I do have regrets about making you worry. Does Sam know?”
“No. He was sleeping when I got the note.”
Amelia frowned in confusion. “What note?”
“Mr. Chase sent me a note as to your whereabouts.”
She bristled. “What right does he have to—” She cut herself off and shook her head. “This was a trap. Why else would he encourage me to attend and then tattle?”
“Perhaps he knew the dangers better than you and had a crisis of conscience.”
Amelia shook her head in aggravation. “Why does everyone insist on treating me like a child? Even if going to the Den today wasn’t the wisest choice, I still deserve to have a life of my own and to garner my own experiences. Please help me understand why I can’t.”
“Youcan’ttraipse around alone in a gaming club and think that you will leave the same young woman who entered.”
“But there were many respectable matrons there.”
