Page 15 of How to Ruin a Rake

Allegra nodded. She’d never considered herself a hysterical woman, but the urge to burst into tears and beg him not to leave her was surprisingly strong.

He cupped her cheek. “I won’t abandon you.”

She swallowed hard. “You’d better not, because if anyone gets to murder you, it really should be me.”

He laughed and leaned in to brush a kiss on her forehead. “Let me lift you over this gate, and then I’ll be on my way. Don’t come out until you hear me calling your name.”

He hoisted her over the gate and quickly left. Allegra hiked up her skirts and set off for the small white sanctuary on the field boundary. It wasn’t large, and there was a comfortable stone bench for Allegra to sit on. The offerings to whatever deity had once been worshipped there seemed to have been long removed. She pulled her cloak tightly around her and turned to the open entrance, both hoping for and dreading the dawn.

To her surprise, she must have fallen asleep, as she woke with a shudder when someone called her name. She peered cautiously out of the entrance to see a familiar figure coming toward her over the field.

“Come on,” he called out to her. “The faster we can get away from here, the better.”

She rushed out to greet him, stumbling over the rows of ploughed earth. “Did you get the horse?”

“Yes, and I let the other one out to cause some confusion.” He grabbed her hand and steered her over to the fence, where a saddled and bridled horse awaited them. “I decided they owed us the saddle after plotting to murder us.”

“They absolutely do.” Allegra’s teeth were chattering.

He mounted the horse and leaned down to her. “Put your foot in the stirrup, and I’ll pull you up.”

She tried but couldn’t gain enough height.

“I’m sorry.” She looked up at him. “I can’t seem to manage it. My reticule is too heavy.”

He got down, picked her up, sat her on the saddle, and mounted again, drawing her back against his chest as he gathered the reins.

“Would you be more comfortable sitting sideways?” he asked, his voice close to her ear. “Or will this suffice?”

“This is … ​fine,” Allegra replied somewhat breathlessly as the heat from his body surrounded her. “I have pantaloons on.”

He went still. “I beg your pardon?”

“Underwear for ladies. It’s considered quite risqué, but it’s far more practical than being completely bare down there, especially in this current situation.”

The arm around her waist tightened, and he clicked to the horse. “We should be off. I don’t want Mrs. Pike and her meat cleaver chasing us down the road.”

Allegra shuddered. “And I thought she was so pleasant.”

They moved off at a gentle trot, and Allegra allowed herself to lean back against Max’s body. Despite the horrors of the night, she felt safe with him, which was somewhat surprising.

“She did ask a lot of questions, though,” Allegra murmured. “I suppose our arrival without a carriage or any baggage was fairly suspect.”

“That still isn’t a justification for murder,” Max said.

“We should report them to the local authorities,” Allegra said.

“And reveal our identities?”

“Then perhaps I’ll write a letter when I get home.”

“That’s a much better idea. At the moment, my attention is on securing accommodation as far away from the Queen’s Head as possible.” He looked ahead at the endless, empty road. “Although, where in God’s name we are heading, I have absolutely no idea.”

Allegra woke up to a gentle dawn light and the smooth motion of the horse beneath her. For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the shelter of Max’s arms before forcing herself to sit more upright.

“Good morning, my lady.”

She hastily wiped at the strands of hair sticking to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I do apologize.”