“Yes—there is a street name here, with directions.” She pointed to a spot on the paper.
Taking it from her, Raphe studied the elegant script and then grimaced. “I know this place. It’s in St. Giles.” Not an appropriate place for an earl’s daughter by any stretch of the imagination. “We have to get her out of there. Have you spoken to your father?”
“No! Of course not, or I would not be here asking for your assistance.” She dropped her gaze. “Victoria asked that I not mention this to him. I’ve decided to respect her wishes until I know exactly what happened to leave her in such a dreadful state.”
“Very well then,” Raphe told her firmly. “I will set out immediately in order to find her, and once I do, I shall bring her here so that you may speak with her.”
Raising her head, her eyes met his with a remarkable degree of strength for a cultured lady of breeding. Whatever fear or misgiving had been there before, it had swiftly been replaced by steel. “If you think I will sit here and passively wait for your return, then you are mistaken.” She rose. “I am coming with you.”
“Absolutely not,” he said as he got to his feet as well. “St. Giles is no place for a lady. It’s bad enough that yer sister is there, but yer father will murder me, and rightfully so, if ‘e finds out that I allowed ‘is daughter to go traipsin’ through that part of town.” God damn it! She’d riled him to such a degree that his roughened tongue was running away with him again.
“She’s my sister!” She jabbed a finger at his chest.
“An’ ye came to me fer ‘elp. So let me do me job an’ bring ’er back safe.”
Crossing her arms, she glared at him with menace in her eyes, which to his consternation, Raphe found strangely arousing. “If you refuse to take me with you in your carriage, I shall find the place by myself. Is that what you want?”
“Christ, woman!” He wanted to grab her, shake her, talk some sense into her. Arguing with her was impossible, though. She was simply too bloody stubborn. “Ye’ll do as I say, an’ ye’ll stay by me side. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly, Raphe.” Her expression eased—a calm after the storm—and then she stepped forward and touched her lips to his, setting off a series of sparks with that simple gesture. “Thank you. I will never forget your kindness.”
Chapter 25
Comfortably seated in the ducal carriage, Gabriella waited for Huntley to issue instructions to his coachman before climbing in and claiming the opposite seat. “I fear this will prove to be a very bad idea,” he murmured.
“You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to,” she told him sharply, annoyed by his comment.
His dark eyes pinned her to the plushly upholstered squabs. “Have you ever visited that part of town before?”
“No.” Her parents had always restricted her outings to Mayfair proper. Even when they left London for the country, they travelled north past Regents Park, avoiding any travel through the less favorable parts of the city.
“Then ye’ve no idea what to expect,” he said with no effort to speak in a cultured tone. “Ye did the right thing, comin’ to me. Ye’ll see that soon enough.”
Knowing that he was probably right, she turned her head away and stared out of the window as the carriage started along. She didn’t like being difficult or sounding ungrateful, especially since he could easily have refused to help her. He didn’t owe her, after all, and considering what she knew of him, it might not be easy for him to return to a place that probably held bad memories for him. But the fear she felt for Victoria, the shock of discovering that she was living in squalor, abandoned by her husband, filled her with such anxiety that she found herself turning into an impossible person to deal with.
Raphe didn’t deserve that. His kindness and sympathy and concern for her safety demanded her appreciation. So she took a breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of her tension dissipate. “I apologize,” she told him softly. Turning her head away from the window, she looked at him. His expression was tightly drawn, his mouth set in a strict line. “I’m grateful to you for agreeing to help, and for letting me come along with you.”
“You gave me little choice.” His voice was hard.
“She’s my sister,” Gabriella said. She could feel that awful tightening of her throat again as her eyes began to burn. “Please try to understand.”
“Of course I understand!” Leaning forward, he grasped her hand. “Understanding is not the issue. Don’t ye see?”
She shook her head, unable to look away from the depth of his gaze.
“Just as ye fear for her, I fear for ye. If word of this little expedition gets out, the consequences will be dire.”
She studied his face; that dear face that filled her thoughts whenever she wasn’t with him. His eyes were overflowing with aching emotion, making her wonder . . . would he welcome the declaration of love she planned on making? Did he perhaps feel the same way? Her heart stuttered slightly in response to that thought, her nerves drawing tight. I have to tell him what’s in my heart. “I—”
The carriage rolled to a sharp halt and Raphe looked out. “We’re here,” he announced. Removing his hat, he set it on the bench beside him and then removed his cravat to reveal the bare skin that dipped toward his collarbone.
Gabriella swallowed, the tips of her fingers already itching to reach out and touch him. “What are you doing?”
“Blending in as best as I can, considerin’ me well-tailored clothes,” he said as he reached up to scuff his hair, creating an untidy mess of haphazard locks.
Gabriella’s mouth went dry. There was no denying the appeal he exuded when he tossed aside his gentlemanly appearance in favor of a more rugged one. As far as masculinity went, Raphe topped the list, his solid build and virility so potent it made Gabriella feel small and fragile by comparison. “Well, you, err—seem to be doing a good job of it.” Lord, she sounded like a nitwit!
He gave her a curious look. “Stay here,” he ordered before opening the carriage door and stepping out into the shadowy alley beyond.
