She sat with her knees bent, her arms hugging her legs, while Dominic lounged on the edge and waited patiently.
“Where to begin…” She clearly was conflicted about what to say.
“Hey. You can trust me.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. Rubbing his thumb along her lower lip, he found that words failed him, but he hoped that his gaze would portray whatever strength or support she might need to continue.
She covered his hand with hers. “I know. That’s why I’m here.” After drawing a deep breath, she said, “You already know that the earl paid me a visit this morning with a proposal of marriage.” She shook her head. “It is honestly hard to believe this all happened in one day.”
He nodded in understanding. “Go on.”
She kept hold of his hand as she said, “When I returned to the townhouse, I immediately instructed for my belongings to be packed and loaded onto the coach. Shortly after that, my aunt returned home, and as you can imagine, the conversation did not go well.” She frowned. “I can’t understand why she cannot accept that I chose you and not Lord Lindley.”
Dominic had his suspicions about that, but he said nothing. And he wouldn’t do so until they could be confirmed.
“She was so harsh, and I realized I was glad I was leaving, that I’d made the right choice.” She looked to the side, as if replaying the events in her mind. “What I never dreamed was that the coach would be stopped by Lord Lindley and a gang of bandits.”
He had to remove his hand because his fist suddenly tightened. “What did you say.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand, a statement of fact that he intended to react upon given the first opportunity.
“He said that my aunt was set on a match between us and no one else will do. He also said that he owed her everything and it was too late to disavow her wishes.”
“What else?”
She shook her head. “We only talked for a few minutes in the carriage, and then the masked men with him started to drag me toward their horses. I knew that all would be lost if they took me, so I fought back.”
The terror that shot through Dominic at the image of her risking her life was not something he wanted to ponder for long.
“The Runner you’d sent with the driver yelled at me to run, so I did.” She closed her eyes momentarily. “I fear for what happened to them. They were outnumbered three to two.”
“Don’t fret about that. I only employ the best. They will have been victorious, of that you can be assured.”
“I hope so.” Her tone was soft, full of remorse, and Dominic had to admire her more for her selfless consideration of others. “I ran toward the forest and got lost in the woods. Thankfully, it was getting dark and by the time I stumbled across a cottage, I was hoping I hadn’t been followed. There was a widow there who took me in and took care of me for the night. This morning, she helped to secure a ride to London where I hired a hackney and made my way here.”
“I’m surprised you remembered how to get here,” he noted.
“Me too, truth be told.” She snorted. “And I’m glad I was able to find a loose window and climb inside with not too much effort.”
“A loose window?” he murmured. “And here I thought I was adequately secure in my hiding place.”
He was hoping to bring the smile back to her face with his teasing, and he was glad to see his ploy worked when her lips quirked with amusement. “That may be true, but you seem to forget that I am not without my cunning wiles.”
His nostrils flared. “Aye. I certainly know it now.”
His masculine pride flared at the rise of color on her cheeks, but then he recalled a very important detail he hadn’t yet shared with her. “Do you remember when I told you Lord Lindley had been speaking to a man at a seedy gaming hell?”
“Yes.”
He was reluctant to relay this bit of information, but he knew it was imperative. “The man in question was found in the Thames. He’d been murdered. A knife right through the chest.”
Her jaw went slack and she visibly paled, but she kept her overall composure. “How do you… know?”
His mouth thinned into a tight line. “I saw the body at the morgue as well as gave strict instructions that it is not to be moved until I can discover who was responsible. He might be our only proof and it will still be difficult to point the finger of blame.”
She reached out and grasped his hand. Her eyes were blue pools of fear. “I don’t like this, Dominic. Whoever is threatening you is not above murder. The fact he nearly succeeded with you once already is frightening enough. Can’t we just run away together? I have heard that America is quite nice?—”
He put a finger against her lips. “As tempting as your offer is, I will not spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I have to end this, and I will not flee like some coward. My honor would never allow it. I am the Duke of Cuthbert. You will be my duchess. We must set an example that we won’t be cowed, either to our peers or the commoners that live beyond the area of Mayfair some people prefer to focus their attentions on. If more people took a stand against injustice, then perhaps things would not be as bad as they are.”
She placed her palm against his slightly rough cheek. Tears swam in her vision. “I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were an honorable man.” She let her hand fall away. “But I cannot rest easy with us separated from each other. You have to let me stay in London. With you.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “You are putting me in a precarious position, and you in irrefutable danger. I’m not sure I can agree?—”
