Page 73 of A Deal for the Duke’s Virgin

The man sighed. “Well, you had better come with me, girl. It’s up to you whether you want to wait for another cab, but you’ll not get better than me.”

Thalia bit her lower lip. “I… I suppose I’d better.”

He nodded. “Now, it’s up to you whether you want to climb inside or sit beside me. It’s warmer inside, but you can keep a better eye on your surroundings if you sit beside me.”

Thalia considered and decided that she didn’t want to be locked up in the cab.

“I’ll sit beside you,” she decided.

The driver gave her a hand, and she managed to haul herself up onto the high seat beside him. It was the first time she’d ever sat on a driving seat. Jonathan never allowed it. He had a fine, high-sprung phaeton, but he never took her with him. She was allowed to ride but never to drive, which was a shame because she thought that driving looked interesting.

The driver didn’t talk much to her, collecting the reins in his hands. He glanced at her and smiled. “Where are we going, then, girl?”

“T-T-Thornhill Abbey if you please.”

The driver stared at her for a long moment, then threw back his head, laughing. “Oh, lass! I should have known. A pretty thing like you, so genteel, out alone! I might as well tell you that I’ve delivered many pretty young women to that address over the years.”

Color rushed to Thalia’s face. She cleared her throat, folding her arms angrily. “I am not a woman of ill-repute if that’s what you’re saying!”

“I am making no accusations, don’t you worry. I’m a discreet man, and in any case, I don’t fancy judging others. The Good Book warns us what happens if we judge others and don’t love our neighbors, and that’s all there is to it. You can live your life, and I’ll leave mine.”

That seemed fair.

The driver clicked his tongue, flicked the reins, and off they went. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

“See, that whip is only for show. And for whipping people, of course. People generally deserve it, but my horses don’t.”

Thalia chuckled and leaned back in the seat. Some of her anxiety began to fizzle away. The driver seemed a kindly, paternal sort who meant her no harm.

The dangerous part is done. Or is it?

Now, she had to confront Christian.

As they drew closer to the abbey, her nerves returned. Anxiety coiled in her gut, fluttering like countless butterflies. She leaned forward, tugging her shawl around her. Gradually, she became aware that the driver was looking at her.

“You seem nervous,” he noted after a while. “Are you looking forward to meeting this fellow or not? Because if you’re not, I can take you straight home, no trouble.”

“It’s not an assignation,” Thalia insisted, although she was not entirely sure what else it could be. “It’s just a… just a meeting.”

Well, that is lame, isn’t it?

The driver chuckled but said nothing in response. She thought she saw a warm, almost affectionate look in his eyes.

“Well, we’re only young once,” he murmured.

She was not entirely sure what that meant and decided against asking for clarification.

At last, they reached the bend that led to Thornhill Abbey. Through the iron gates, there would be a long, cobbled drive, winding all the way up to the house.

“Can you… can you stop for a moment?” Thalia burst out, reddening a little. “Just so I could gather my thoughts. You see, I’m not exactly expected.”

The driver lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, quietly guiding the cab over to a shadowy spot by the side of the road.

“Not expected?” he murmured softly. “What does that mean?”

She reddened further. “I need to speak with him. I might as well tell you now that there is nothing romantic about this visit. Nothing at all. It’s another matter entirely.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I hate to contradict a lady, but I might as well tell you that over the years, I’ve taken probably hundreds of young ladies to visit their beaus. Some cab drivers are unsavory fellows. You should know this; you encountered one. But I have a reputation for treating women properly. As I said, I have daughters of my own and a fine wife. So, more often, they choose me. Sometimes gentlemen will hire me to bring their lady-friends, fiancées, or wives to them. Sometimes the ladies will ask me themselves. But they all have one thing in common. They all have the same look in their eyes as you do. Excitement, nerves, determination. Oh, some of them sit beside me, some sit in the cab, but it’s all the same. You see, a woman going on a… an adventure is an easy thing to spot.”