What would she do to the blackguard once she found him? She’d envisioned killing him so many ways. The easiest would be to shoot him, if she could procure a gun, but something about that method left her cold. It was too easy. Too merciful.
Teddy’s soft footsteps padded behind her, that and the swish of his trouser legs rubbing against each other the only sound on this quiet street.
What she wanted to do was take a bit of rope, twist it about the neck of her sister’s killer, watch as he gasped for air, as the spark of life drifted from his eyes. Did she have the strength for that? She flexed her hands, wiped the sweat on her palms off on her skirts. Would her will fail her at the end?
The toe of her slipper caught on the ground, and she stumbled before catching herself. Her inhaled breath sliced loudly through the silent night.
She paused. The night was silent. Absolutely quiet. The hair on the back of her neck rose on end. Slowly, she turned.
The street behind her was empty. “Teddy?” She cleared her throat and forced her voice above a whisper. “Teddy?” She peered through the fog, but the solid shape of the footman didn’t materialize.
Her heart leapt about beneath her breast. Her breath came in heavy pants. She fell back a step. “Hallo? Teddy?”
A shadow shifted. Rose. It took a step forwards.
Cassie pressed a hand to her throat. “Who are you?”
He didn’t answer. It was a man, she could see, as he took another step closer. The form emerged from the mist, blanketed in the inky night. He kept his face down, his hat resting low across his forehead. The gloom concealed his features, but his eyes gleamed like two fireflies trapped in a bottle.
Her mind blanked. Instinct took control, turning her body, forcing her legs to fly.
Footsteps once more sounded behind her, each thud of his boot meeting earth pounding like a drumbeat through her ears.
She turned the corner. The steps to her home was mere feet away. She twisted her neck, looking behind her as she ran. The shadow was closer, gaining on her. She urged her legs to move faster. Opened her mouth; tried to scream. Only a moan emerged.
She slammed into a solid wall. The scents of a meadow at sunset wrapped around her. Two thick bands did the same, holding her tight against a wide chest.
She looked up into a face she recognized. A face she’d never been happier to see.
And for the second time in a week, she found herself inside the circle of Mr. Strait’s arms.
Chapter Fifteen
Charles helped lay the mumbling footman on the back seat of the agency’s carriage. A doctor had already been sent for and would meet the injured man back at The Minerva Club. He said a few murmured words to the driver, then stepped back and rapped on the side of the coach.
He turned and found Miss Moore shivering in the fog a few steps away. “What are you doing out here? I told you to wait inside your home.”
“Will he be all right? There was so much blood.” She wrapped her arms around her waist.
“A wound on the head tends to bleed heavily.” He removed his greatcoat and pulled it around her shoulders. When he pulled the two front panels together, she stumbled into him. Her bosom brushed against his lower chest, making his gut clench.
Tonight was the second time he’d held Miss Moore. He hadn’t noticed the first time how soft and round her breasts were. How the most delicate scent of citrus and lilies rose from her skin. How her eyes were almost a match for a painting he’d once seen of the ocean off the Barbados coast.
Beads of sweat pooled on his lower back. He shouldn’t be noticing such things about a business associate. Did he care how Verity smelled? How Duffy’s and Wilberforce’s bodies were shaped? He couldn’t even remember what color Hurst’s hair was. Miss Moore deserved the same lack of awareness.
“It’s cold. Let’s get you inside.” He took her elbow and steered her down the street.
“Shouldn’t we follow Teddy? Make sure he’s taken care of?”
A lick of irritation slid down his spine. Teddy. Why was she on the first name basis with the footman? Did he mean something to her? “He’ll be fine. But let’s get you indoors. The streets around here are obviously not safe.” Which was strange. Although this neighborhood wasn’t in the top tier of fine establishments, it was still a place of quality. Roughs didn’t usually step foot in areas like these.
She paused before the steps to her home. “Do you think this assault was random?”
“Of course.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you?”
She stared into the distance, scraping her teeth over her bottom lip.
Charles clenched his hand. “Miss Moore?” He gently shook her arm. “Cassandra?”
