Chuckling, the duke slapped Vincent’s shoulder. “It does my heart good to hear you say that. She deserves a man who will put her first in his life, and I believe that man is you.”
Narrowing his eyes, Vincent studied the duke’s expression. He didn’t appear to be joking in the least. “Tell me, Your Grace, why do you feel this way? After all, you did practically force us to get married.”
The duke threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Oh, my boy. The truth is I was helping you along. I knew my daughter was interested in you, just as much as you were interested in her. When I followed you outside into the grove of trees that night, I was just giving your relationship a little nudge. Neither of you wanted to believe you had feelings for the other.”
Shaking his head, Vincent chuckled. “You cunning old man…”
The duke laughed harder. “True, but it worked. Correct?”
“Yes, it worked.” Vincent sighed as he folded his arms. “However, now I just need to convince your daughter that she loves me.”
“Do it soon.” The duke nodded toward Lord Calvin, who stood against a wall, watching Ellie. “Because I fear that she’ll think she’s still in love with Adam. Although I really never believed shetrulyloved him. She hadn’t been with enough men to know what love is.”
How odd that Ellie’s father would say such a thing. But Vincent was sure her father knew quite a bit about his daughter by this point in her life. “Well, Your Grace, I’ll do all I can to win her heart.”
The duke nodded once. “You’re nearly there.” He turned and walked away, still chuckling softly.
Vincent grinned. He hoped the old man was right.
Soon the time came when the duke ordered the butler to fetch their wraps. Vincent kept his eyes on Ellie, and she glanced around the room until their gazes met. She nodded, and he returned the gesture.Follow us, she mouthed, and he gave her another nod. Within minutes, the duke and his family left the party.
Vincent didn’t wait more than five minutes before he hurried out to his horse and mounted. He followed, but at a distance. There was no way he was going to let Lord Stone touch Ellie. He would rather rip off the man’s head with his bare hands…and Vincent wasn’t usually a violent man.
When Ellie’s coach approached the drive to their estate, Vincent slowed his horse and waited behind a large tree. He watched them exit the coach and enter the house.
He urged his horse closer before dismounting, then tied it to a tree and crept toward the west side of the manor. He glanced around the area, wondering if he would see Lord Stone waiting. He almost hoped he spotted the man. Vincent wouldn’t hold back. He’d love to use that insipid fool as his new punching bag.
He tried to find something to hide behind, and moved from one tree to the next, waiting and watching. A good ten minutes passed, with nobody coming or leaving the manor. The small window in the door showed that the hall behind it was dark. But he kept his eyes on the door.
Finally, a light flickered in the window. Holding his breath, he waited for Ellie to appear.
*
Ellie couldn’t believehow easily she was able to slip out of her room, down the stairs, and toward the west corridor without being spotted. It was as if leaving the house tonight was meant to happen.
This evening, she had wondered if her father knew what she had planned. The way he bade her goodnight with a twinkle in his eyes while grinning like a fool made her curious about his actions. Did he know she’d be sneaking out tonight? If only he could do something about that wife of his and her nincompoop nephew, Ellie wouldn’t have to leave the house in fear.
Just as she had done last time, she changed her clothes so that she resembled a lad—even stuffing her long hair in the cap. She donned the same boy’s shirt and breeches.
She tiptoed down the hall, listening for any sounds, especially voices. But none were heard. Dare she hope that everything would continue to go smoothly? No, that would be ridiculous. Bad luck was following her as of late.
Suddenly, the echo of a heeled shoe clicking against the hardwood floor broke the silence. Light began to brighten the area. Someone was coming her way. And fast!
Panicked, she quickly opened the door to the nearest room and hid inside. Slowly, she closed the door, but not fully, praying it wouldn’t squeak and bring undue attention. Holding her breath, she peeked through the slit, trying to see who the person was.
Augusta!Ellie should have known. The older woman unlocked the door that Ellie would leave out of. Confused, she scrunched her forehead. This was the west door, not the east. Then again, Edgar was probably too stupid to really know the difference. Perhaps that was why she had unlocked this door. Would she unlockallthe doors? Ellie rolled her eyes. Probably.
Augusta waited by the door, peering out the window. Ellie’s heart hammered crazily.Please don’t spot Vincent.Without a doubt, her trusted protector was out there—somewhere—waiting for her. But if Augusta noticed him, the night would be ruined completely.
After what seemed like several minutes, Augusta stepped away from the door and headed back up the corridor.
Ellie expelled her breath. Her hands shook as she slowly pulled the door open. She glanced up the hall to make sure Augusta was well enough out of sight. Relief swept over her when she saw darkness covered the corridor.
She took soft steps toward the door, her ears on high alert. She peeked out the window, but the half-moon’s brightness didn’t let her see much tonight.
Holding her breath, she turned the knob and slowly opened the door. A small wind blew from the trees nearby, rustling their leaves. A cricket or two chirped. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.
She crept outside, pulling the door behind her softly until it clicked. Shadows were everywhere. Dare she call out to Vincent? No, that wouldn’t be wise. But what if Edgar was somewhere close by?
