“But what about the men that my father owes money to?” Adeline paced away from his soft touch and kind concern for her. She had to think clearly. She must marry Bellamy.
“Adeline, paying off your father’s debts is not your job. Besides, he is in bigger trouble than you think with the stolen artifacts he has in his possession.”
She whipped around. “Stolen…artifacts? How do you know?”
He sighed. “Because my assignment here in London was to recover the missing pieces.”
Adeline let that sink in. The artifacts were stolen, as she feared. He had been investigating her family. His attention to her finally made sense. He wasn’t interested in her romantically. He had been pretending to get close to her family. She liked it when things made sense, so why did it hurt so much? “Is that why you renewed your acquaintance with George? Is that why you kissed me? Were you hoping I would confess?”
“No.” He moved toward her. “I kissed you because you asked me. I have thought of nothing else in the last two days.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Kingsbury’s mouth pursed into a thin line. “I don’t need you to believe me. But I need for you to come with me.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I will put you over my shoulder and take you. But wouldn’t it be better if you packed a few things to take on your journey? I could do it for you, but I don’t have a keen sense for what a lady might need.”
She stared at him openmouthed as she thought about him pawing through her shifts and hosiery and forgetting to bring her books. Wait, was she going with him? She chewed on her bottom lip. Did she have a choice? He’d said he would take her over his shoulder if she refused. Somehow, this calmed her. This was the escape she’d wished for.
What did that say about her loyalty to her family?Blast it all. George wanted her to go to Millstone and so she would. Her father deserved any trouble this would cause. It may not permanently solve her problem with Bellamy, but it would give her more time to figure out other options to free herself.
A knock sounded on the door. “Miss, are you still up? Do you need anything?”
Damnation!Adeline raised a finger to her lips to tell Kingsbury to be quiet. “My maid,” she whispered.
He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. She sent him another quelling look before she moved to the door.
Opening it a crack she peered out at Mary. “No, nothing is amiss. Just having trouble sleeping.”
“Let her in and help you pack your things,” Kingsbury called out.
Mary’s eyes went wide as saucers. Adeline gritted her teeth. She was going to murder that man. She opened the door farther and tugged her sputtering maid through the threshold. “Miss, what is a man doing in your bedroom?”
Adeline glared at the grinning Kingsbury. Then, she came up with the only excuse that made sense. The only way to keep Mary from telling this juicy piece of gossip to the entire staff. “We are eloping.”
Kingsbury’s smile widened.Blast him.
Mary gripped her hands. “Oh, miss, I’m so happy for you. Working for that Lord Bellamy would have been awful. I heard he treats his servants poorly.” She leaned in to whisper in Adeline’s ear, “Your gentleman here is very handsome. Who is he?”
“This is Lord Kingsbury.”
Her maid curtsied. “Please to meet you.”
“Please to meet you, Mary. Your discretion will be well rewarded.”
Mary turned back to Adeline. “Let’s get your trunk packed, miss.”
As Mary moved off to the wardrobe, Adeline glared at Kingsbury. “You wait outside. I need to get dressed.”
His hot gaze ran over her night shift, all the way down to her slippered feet, causing her to feel bare even through the thick flannel. Her cheeks heated, and that sense of light-headedness returned.
But he shook his head. “No, I don’t think I trust a girl as clever as you. I will turn my back. You have my word as a gentleman and naval officer; I won’t peek.” He crossed the room and turned to face the door.
She huffed loudly, more for his benefit. Strangely, she did trust him. Not that she would admit it to the man. He had been manipulating her from the start. She would need to be far savvier if she would be traveling with him. No more mooning over him.
Adeline hurried over to Mary. “I think I should wear the plum velvet. It’s warm and comfortable for traveling.”
