She turned another corner and ran into a solid form. A scream tore from her throat as she grasped his arms to keep from falling. Two strong arms circled her waist. She looked up into the face of a soldier wearing a red coat.
“My, my.” He grinned, tightening his arms around her. “What lovely package do I have here?”
Instead of being relieved to see a soldier, she worried he would think she stole the apple just as the others did. “Please, sir, release me at once.” She squirmed, but to no avail.
“’Tis all right, my dear. I shall protect you.” He winked. “Have I not always been your champion?”
His words confused her, but she didn’t have time for his explanation. “Please, if you would be so kind. I must get away.” The shouts of pursuing men grew louder. “You do not understand. I cannot be caught. I fear they will put me in jail for a crime I did not commit.”
The soldier raised a dark eyebrow. “What stories are you telling now, Mrs. Worthington?”
She gasped and stared at the man holding her.Mrs. Worthington?He thought she was her sister? But of course he would. She and Kat were identical twins. And nobody knew Kat had died.
As she opened her mouth to deny his comment, heavy footsteps rounded the corner. Panic gripped her, and she couldn’t breathe. They had come to take her away.
When she dared to peek over her shoulder, it surprised her to see the men’s expressions showed no anger. Instead of scowls aimed at her, their brows were creased, mouths pursed tightly, as they glared at the soldier. Confusion filled her and she slowly shook her head, trying to understand what was happening.
“Release her at once, sir,” the apple cart’s owner said to the soldier.
Surprised, she blinked, switching her attention back and forth between the soldier and the other man. Why did they dare talk to this officer so disrespectfully?
A chuckle rumbled through the soldier’s chest, but he didn’t let her go.
The thundering hooves of a horse bore down upon them. Camilla switched her attention to the man on the steed. The small crowd parted, and the man atop the animal dismounted. The sight of the rider left her speechless and a bit weak in the knees.
His rugged appearance shocked her, and his strength was evident in his muscled arms and legs. Rather than the fancy clothes of an English nobleman, the beige shirt and brown leather vest of a farmer’s attire stretched taut across his wide chest, and the dark brown material of his trousers molded to his legs and fit snugly into his dark brown knee-boots. But this man was no farmer. That much was apparent by the way he carried himself as he strode toward her, his step too confident, too graceful.
When he neared and she gazed upon his face, her breath caught in her throat. The sun had turned his skin a light brown, and the sureness of his jaw bespoke authority. Chestnut hair tousled by the wind framed his head, and she had a sudden urge to swipe the unruly locks off his forehead.
He was quite handsome, if she dared admit, and he literally made her lungs stop working. Never had that happened to her from just admiring a man. Looking into his fiery hazel eyes, she swallowed hard.
He stopped mere inches away, towering over both Camilla and the soldier like a dark cloud of doom. She leaned back to take in his height.
The handsome man met the soldier’s stare. “Sir, will you kindly remove your hands from my wife?”
Her jaw dropped.Wife?
“Correct me, Mr. Worthington, but was your wife not running from you?” The soldier shook his head. “A few hours ago, I had heard that you reported your wife missing. Now here she is caught running. There must be a reason for that.”
She sucked in her breath.Mr. Worthington?This handsome and very powerful man was her sister’s husband.
The pulse in her temple grew stronger. She couldn’t speak, and she couldn’t think. Telling him about Kat’s death was crucial, yet she didn’t want to do that in front of all of these spectators.
If only her mind would cooperate with her tongue and voice, perhaps she wouldn’t feel like a trapped animal. But more importantly, why did she find her brother-in-law dangerously attractive?
When the man in question settled his eyes on her, his expression softened, and a smile touched his mouth. “Yes, Mrs. Worthington. Please inform the captain and all these good people why you were running from me.”
Silence stretched through the crowd as all eyes were aimed toward Camilla. Even the horses seemed remarkably quiet. Panic grew inside her chest like rising dough, suffocating her slowly. They all expected an explanation—one she couldn’t give.
“My dear.” Mr. Worthington took a step closer. “Will you please clarify why you were running from me?”
She needed to set the matter straight. Now. Although she assumed Mr. Worthington’s change of attitude was all for show, her heart leapt at the tenderness he displayed. That could be the only reason her mind had gone into a momentary dither.
She opened her mouth to explain about Kat’s death, but a thought struck her. She could portray her sister.
Obviously, these people didn’t know she was Kat’s twin. This mistake in identity might make the difference in pilfering the money she needed from Mr. Worthington and finding him guilty of the illegal actions against his business partners. After all, pretending to be his wife would be easier, since she would have free rein of the house—and more freedom to follow him or eavesdrop.
Yet what Kat had said about her husband caused a wave of nausea to roll through Camilla’s middle. It would be as if she were married to Lord Hardy all over again.
