“I don’t think I can walk another step,” she confessed.
“No matter.” He swept her up into his arms and strode toward the curricle, where his groom held the horses.
He was so big and warm, and he smelled so nice, so…manly. “You always make me feel so safe, Jack,” she confessed, then widened her eyes in horror. She’d never before addressed him by his given name. “I hope you don’t think that I…”
“Sweetheart, I want to keep you safe. You are safe.”
Prue nodded against his coat, breathing in the faint tinge of aromatic snuff. “I’ll be all right once I’ve had a nap,” she said, closing her eyes.
She heard his chuckle and smiled, vaguely aware of being driven somewhere with his arm cradling her.
The horses drew up on the main street outside an inn. “You’d best wear my ring, sweetheart.” He slipped a gold pinkie ring with a small diamond onto her finger. “I’ll tell the innkeeper you are my wife, Lady Hereford.”
Moments later, after the sympathetic innkeeper’s wife, Mrs. Bloom, had hurried upstairs to prepare the bedchamber, Jack carried Prue into the room and laid her gently on a soft bed. A cover tucked snugly around her; she felt his light kiss to her cheek and pressed her hand to it with a smile. She didn’t want to be alone; all her fears would come crashing in. “Will you stay? Lie beside me?”
A pause and then a deep sigh. “No, sweetheart, but I won’t be far away, I promise.”
She should have been embarrassed. But her mind skittered and her limbs felt leaden. As she drifted off to sleep, a thought struck her. Would he return and share the bed? Was she a scandalous hussy to want him to?
*
Jack had beenshocked and outraged to find Lady Prudence in such a state. She was a ‘game un,’ as his groom would say, but she’d come to the end of her tether when he’d found her. Asking him to lie with her would have been innocent, born out of fear of what she had just been through. But it had still been devilish hard for him to refuse her whenhe wanted her so much. It wasn’t mere desire, or admiration for her pluckiness; it was something far deeper. When he’d found her alive, after he’d feared he’d be too late, it had hit him hard how much he cared. Was it love? He didn’t know. These emotions were new to him. And he was a little afraid of how vulnerable they made him.
To ensure he didn’t respond to the part of his body that told him to go back and to hell with the consequences, he sought out Mrs. Bloom in the parlor. He explained to her that the carriage bringing his wife here had been in a dreadful accident. Although unhurt, she was feeling poorly, having also suffered a recent bereavement, and needed rest.
As reluctant as he was to leave Lady Prudence, he had to find out who’d brought her here and where she had been in the days following her abduction. While she slept, with Mrs. Bloom hovering near in case she was needed, Jack walked back to the church to see the vicar. His questions had to wait while a christening was held. Once the vicar, Mr. Thomlinson, was free, he came to where Jack waited, seated on a pew a fair distance from the family clustered around the font, chatting and admiring the babe. Jack felt a little envious of the happy family. Did he want children? He’d rather like a son. Damian was besotted with his little daughter. What was this? Surprised at his thoughts, Jack noticed the christening had ended and stood as Mr. Tomlinson came down the aisle to meet him.
“Did you find the woman you sought, sir?”
“I did, thank you. She is in a distressed state, and I need to find out who brought her here.” He briefly explained that she had disappeared from home without a word.
The man’s kindly face looked troubled. “How dreadful! I’m sorry to hear that, my lord. But I know even less than you. The lady told me nothing before she ran out. I did think her mind might be disturbed due to some upset.”
“Do you know of a coach that would have come through the towna couple of days ago? One of the carriage horses was a handsome, black steed.”
“I am not one much for horses, my lord. But I do notice anyone new to our town.” He stroked his chin. “When I was out visiting my parishioners, I saw an unfamiliar coach that might have been the one you describe. It passed through the village and drove up the hill toward the convent.”
“There’s a convent here?” Jack asked, surprised.
“It is not connected to the church. A refuge for women. Perhaps your lady needed solace because of her recent loss.”
“That may well be the place I’m looking for.” Jack offered his hand. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Tomlinson.”
“It was very little, I’m afraid. If I can do more, please do come and see me,” the vicar said, shaking his hand.
Determined to visit the convent once he was sure Lady Prudence had recovered, Jack walked back to the whitewashed inn. Mounting the stairs, he met the innkeeper’s wife coming down.
“Her ladyship is feeling better, my lord. She has had a bath. It is a pity that her trunk has not arrived, but I lent her a dressing gown.”
“That is good of you, Mrs. Bloom.”
Jack knocked at the door and when Lady Prudence answered, he opened it and walked in.
She was seated before the mirror, a brush in her hand. Her hair shone like a burgundy waterfall over her shoulders. The frivolous dressing gown Mrs. Bloom had lent her was totally unexpected from such a correct lady. Pale pink, with a mass of ruffles, it failed to hide the voluptuous body beneath.
Jack groaned under his breath. The sooner he restored Lady Prudence to her great-grandmother, the better it would be for his peace of mind.
She smiled as she came toward him, her hands held out. “I am so grateful to you for coming to find me, Jack. I think of you as a goodfriend. May I call you ‘Jack’?”
