The unspoken command to play along with Mr. Worthington loomed in the depths of his eyes. A warning buzzed through her head, commanding her to stop this insane idea of switching roles, but no other choice came to her. It had to be done.
Her tongue felt enlarged, and her mind had turned to mush. “I—I was not running from you. I thought the cart owner was after me.” She switched her attention to the merchant. “A street urchin stole an apple, and I thought you were after me because of it.”
She glanced at the soldier then pushed away from him. “Thank you, kind sir, for breaking my fall, but I no longer need your assistance.”
The soldier shook his head. “But why did your husband feel the need to report you as a missing wife this morning?”
She gulped, feeling like her throat had dried considerably within seconds.Think, Camilla…“I had been to Preston to visit my ill sister.” She switched her gaze to Mr. Worthington. “Do you not recall my telling you?”
Worthington released a light laugh. “I do now.” He aimed his attention toward the soldier. “I had a temporary loss of memory, but all is well now.” Mr. Worthington’s gaze softened as he held out his elbow. “Are you ready to return home, my dear?”
Could she be seeing right? He was acting like a gentleman instead of the monster her sister had described.
“Yes.” She placed a shaky hand in the crook of his well-muscled arm, and he led her toward his horse. Another man followed and mounted a horse tethered nearby.
“Mr. Worthington.” One of the townsmen in the group stepped forward. “Do you still want those chairs delivered to your residence on the morrow?”
“That will be fine, Mr. Perkins.”
“Sir.” Another man doffed his hat. “My Mary wanted me to ask the next time I saw you when you’d be needing more eggs?”
“I’ll have my cook speak with her.”
“As you wish, Mr. Worthington.” The man nodded to Camilla. “A good day to you, Mrs. Worthington.”
She smiled. “And a good day to you.” Odd, but the townsfolk seemed to respect Kat’s husband.
Without meeting her eyes, Mr. Worthington placed his large hands around her waist and lifted her onto his horse. Strange sensations flitted in her stomach and spread through her body until he released her. He mounted behind her, draping her legs over one of his. The intimate position had her shivering in a mixture of fear and awareness. Though this was the horrid man her sister had warned her about, a few moments ago she detected a softer side. His touch wasn’t as rough as she expected, either.
She sneaked a glance over her shoulder to peer into his eyes. These were not the same pair she had seen a minute ago. Instead, they had turned incredibly cold. Had the monster she’d been warned about returned?
“Where have you been?” he said in a tone low enough that only she could hear. “I have been out of my mind with worry thinking you had been kidnapped… or worse.”
Finally, Camilla was able to glimpse the atrocious man Kat had married. Apparently, he was only an angel of mercy in front of his acquaintances. The harshness in his voice caused Camilla’s limbs to shake. What was he capable of doing in a fit of anger?
Before she had time to speak, his large arm tightened, holding her against him in a viselike grip. He wouldn’t abuse her right out in the open, would he?
“You can explain after we get home.” The sharp tone in his voice made her cringe. “I don’t want to air our disagreement in public.”
He reined his horse, turning in the opposite direction of her trunk—and poor Timothy, who probably thought she had been kidnapped or arrested.
“Wait.” She touched Mr. Worthington’s hand. “We have to go back and retrieve my trunk.”
“Your trunk?”
“Yes. It is at the mercantile.”
He growled but maneuvered the animal around. A man who’d been with Mr. Worthington earlier followed at a distance as they rode the few minutes in silence. Mr. Worthington’s stiffness against her back conveyed his anger.
Ahead of them, Timothy stood by a wagon, loading her trunk. His skittish gaze roamed the street. The lines around his mouth gave evidence of his concern.
“Right there.” She pointed in her servant’s direction.
“Picking them older now?” Worthington sneered.
She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see his curt expression. “Pardon me?”
“The man. Who is he?”
