Vivian got out of bed and reluctantly started her day. Her mind whirled; she needed to put together a plan on how to find Jack.
Later, over lunch, she told the same fib she told Gabi to the rest of Jack’s family. After some discussion, they decided there would be no announcement of the engagement at the ball since Jack would not be there to stand with Vivian. She let out a silent sigh of relief. At least she had some time before she must publicly face the horrible truth of being jilted.
****
That evening, when it was time to go downstairs for the ball, Caroline poked her head into Vivian’s room. “Are you ready?”
Vivian took a last look at her reflection. She had on her armor. A dress of deep purple with puffed cap sleeves showed her shoulders and neck off to an advantage. Long gloves hid her bruises. And a necklace of multicolored stones across her throat, along with her favorite amethyst earrings finished the look. She pulled some of her hair back from her face, with most of it left tumbling down her back.
Tonight, she would not pretend to be the perfect lady. No pale, overly modest debutante’s dress, no tightly-coiffed hairstyle in the latest fashion. She was tired of it all. Tonight she just wanted to get through the niceties, and then escape back upstairs to figure out what she would do about her errant lover.
“Yes, I am ready.” She linked arms with Caroline, and they headed downstairs.
****
Jack arrived at Stoneleigh with Captain Jamieson around six in the evening after spending the day riding hard from London. He still didn’t know if he’d done the right thing by returning, but Jamieson had brooked no argument. All day Jack thought about Vivian as he rode his horse, the wind rushing against his face, clearing out his foggy brain.
His belief Vivian shouldn’t love a scoundrel like him hadn’t changed. But he recalled how his brother had described him with pride that day in the park. How his nephews looked up to him, asking endless questions about his ships. He also thought about the respect he had earned from Lord Winters and his fellow agents over the course of his years of service to the crown. He’d worked hard to redeem himself over the past five years. Somehow Vivian seemed to think he was worth the risk. He needed to start believing that himself.
But how would he win her forgiveness this time? He didn’t guess a puppy would fix the blunder of that letter. He went up the back stairs to his room and called for a bath. The first call to order, make himself presentable.
Jack stood on the edge of the ballroom with Captain Jamieson. Jamieson offered him his glass of whiskey, but Jack shook his head. He needed all his wits about him tonight. He searched through the crowd for Vivian. When he spotted her, his heart stumbled in his chest. She looked breathtaking in a gown of deep purple; her blond curls tumbled down her back like a waterfall.
He frowned as the impeccably turned out Davenport escorted her onto the dance floor. They looked perfectly matched as they twirled around the dance floor. Vivian didn’t trip once or misstep and stomp on his foot. Jack’s resolve faltered. Perhaps she would be all right with Lord Perfect.
Jamieson leaned in toward him. “Are you going to let that fella plunder what’s yours, my boy? Get over there and claim her. It’s you she wants. Just remember that when she is tearin’ your hide off.” He chuckled and gave Jack a nudge with his elbow.
Jack made his way onto the crowded dance floor to intercept Davenport and Vivian. “May I cut in?” His gaze searched Vivian’s face. Her eyes widened in surprise and then clouded over in anger.
“No, you may not.” She stomped on his foot.
He winced. “Vivian, please.”
Davenport looked from Vivian to Jack and back to Vivian’s thunderous expression. “Aston, the lady has made her wishes clear.”
“Excuse us,” Jack replied. He bent down and lifted Vivian right up over his shoulder. Pinning her legs against his chest, he strode back across the ballroom.
“Jack, put me down at once. You are making the worst sort of scene!”
“I don’t care one whit what these fools think. But I do care very much what you must be thinking of me right now.” She went still on his shoulder. As they left the ballroom, Jack turned left. Hopefully, his brother’s study would be empty.
Relieved to find it empty, Jack turned the lock before heading for the seating area to set Vivian on her feet. She promptly slapped him across the face. He should have expected no less from his spitfire, her temper clearly at gale force levels.
“How could you run away, just leave me a letter of goodbye and disappear?” She began to pace across the room. “You left me for my own good-what does that even mean?” She turned as she reached the front of the desk and started back toward him. “You left me to explain where you were to your family, to face everyone with the prospect of being ruined, jilted. You coward!”
She picked up an empty glass from a side table and threw it at his head. He ducked in time, barely. The glass sailed past him, smashing against the fireplace.
Apologize, you idiot, before she throws something else.He held up both hands in the air.
“Vivian, I am truly sorry. Please, can we sit and talk?”
“No, I don’t think I am so inclined.” The dead calm of her voice made Jack’s stomach plummet. “I think I will leave now—” her voice rose, “—for your own good. Because if I stay, I fear for your safety.” She yelled and then stalked toward the door. As she crossed the room, she walked right into the edge of a small table. “Ow. Bloody hell.” She sat down hard on the settee, reaching down to rub at her shin.
Jack walked over. Pushing the table out of the way, he knelt in front of her. Slowly, he lifted the edge of her skirt to examine her shin. “Won’t you give me a chance to apologize, Vivi?” He held her calf in one hand and bent over to kiss the red welt forming across her soft skin. When she didn’t slap him again or try to get up to leave, he took it as a yes. Sitting back on his haunches, he sighed.
“Vivian, I am sorry for the letter, for running away.” He ran a hand across his face. “I panicked when I saw you kneeling on the floor of the tavern, gun in your hand, tears streaming down your face. I couldn’t believe I let you be a part of any of what happened in that place.”
She reached out to lay hand along his cheek. Her thumb rubbed across the dark bruise on his jaw.
