“Hands, please.” The lady reached for both her hands and placed them on the table, palms facing up. She traced along the lines of her right palm first, as she had with Malcolm’s. “Yes, I see here that your head line is deep, very defined.” Her finger traced across the top of Adeline’s palm. “This means you are intelligent and analytical. But this line here means you have a soft heart. You want to believe the best in people. You are not married yet, yes?”
Adeline shook her head.
“I thought so. See, the knuckles are very stiff and crack easily. Married women have more lubrication of the joints.”
A muffled laugh came from behind Adeline, and she turned to give Malcolm a quizzical look. Why was that funny? She began to feel uncomfortable again. Was this woman teasing her because she did not believe in her craft? Adeline sighed and shifted in her seat. But the fortune-teller did not let go of her hand.
“You have been lonely for a long time.” That statement hit a little close to home. “And here, this cross in your lifeline means you have a choice to make on what path you wish your life to take.”
Didn’t everyone have to make choices in the path of life? That was precisely the kind of general statement that pulled in gullible people.
The lady took Adeline’s hands and carefully examined both palms. “On this hand, see there, is a very unusual pattern.” She leaned more closely to peer at Adeline’s left palm.
Adeline found herself peering down as well. She could almost see a picture in the small lines crisscrossing her hand.
“It is a star, but not just any star, the North Star.” She tapped the center of her palm. “This is a good sign for one who is searching. The North Star will not lead you wrong. Follow it to your new life.” The fortune-teller let go of her hands. “You are done.”
Adeline rose. What a strange fortune. She was to follow the North Star? Like the wise men of old? How silly. When she turned to Kingsbury, she found him strangely quiet, his brow lowered, and his expression thoughtful.
She picked up her carpet bag and slipped her hand in his. “You all right?”
He gave his head a small shake, his expression clearing. “Yes, fine. That was fun, wasn’t it?”
Adeline shrugged.
“Let’s return to the inn to rest before the bonfire this evening.”
As they walked back to the inn down the long cobblestone street, Mr. Bosely approached them from the wheelwright’s shop. “Sir, the wheel on the carriage has been repaired. He is attaching it now around back.”
“Excellent.” Malcolm turned to Adeline. “I’d like to check it myself. Do you mind waiting a few minutes?”
“I don’t mind. I will find myself a sunny spot to sit over there.” She pointed to the garden along the right side of the building. She found a bench amongst the flowers and plopped down with a sigh. The past two days, she had walked more than she had in an average week. She wiggled her toes in her half-boots and, closing her eyes, raised her face to the meager sunshine that peeked in and out from behind clouds.
A large hand gripped her arm. Adeline’s eyes popped open as she was dragged to her feet. She didn’t recognize the man before her, but his grip squeezed her arm painfully. She was in trouble.
He leaned close, his breath rancid. “Your father is looking for you, Lady Amberley.”
Adeline tugged against his grip. “I don’t know who you are talking about.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “He said you were a clever one. No, we’ve been waiting all day for your bodyguard to leave you alone. You got the stuff in there?” He pointed at her carpet bag lying on the grass by the bench. He tugged her roughly against him, her arm pinned behind her back. “And don’t lie. You don’t want to see me get mad.”
“You can have it. Take the bag.” Adeline’s voice wavered.
His eyes were the palest watery blue, so transparent it was as if he didn’t have a soul behind them. The shiver that ran down her spine woke her instincts to fight. Lucy’s session on self-defense, given so enthusiastically to Adeline and Violet last year, played through her head.
Adeline raised her booted foot and stomped on his instep, eliciting a grunt. Twisting her body, she rammed her elbow into his stomach. Unfortunately, this just made her attacker angry, and he shook her like a rag doll. Genuine fear began to make her stomach roil. But Lucy’s voice rang out clear in her head.Scream for help!Adeline opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could. She pulled at his strong grip. She would not be taken back to her father. She wasn’t going anywhere with this soulless blue-eyed devil.
“Stop that,” he growled.
Adeline screwed her eyes shut and screamed as loud as she could again. Then, suddenly the man’s punishing grip was gone. Adeline stumbled backward. The hired thug crumpled at her feet.
“Adeline!” Malcolm came running around the building. He scooped her against him. “What’s happened? Are you hurt?”
She reached out and touched his face so glad he was here. But what had happened to her attacker? Spinning around, she came face to face with another man. He stood with one boot on her attacker’s back, a short club grasped in his hand.
He tipped his cap. “Glad I could be of help, Lady Amberley.”
Her mouth gaped. She looked back at Malcolm.
