“Funny you should say that,” she growled, “considering you are the one who began this in the first place.”
His lips tightened. “Perhaps I should have known better than to continue speaking to a woman like you.”
“A woman like me? Someone who won’t stand back and allow you to disrespect her?” She gave him a cutting sneer, satisfied to watch him flinch as she stepped closer to him. “How pathetic.”
She didn’t know why she did that at first, but it soon came to her realization that she loved the way he smelled. It was like the first day of spring in the flower garden; a mix of lavender and earth. It felt oddly familiar and it threw her for a second. And when she saw his eyes soften into something akin to awe, she nearly took a step back.
Who are you? Why do you say such things to me, yet look me in admiration?
He laid his hand on her shoulder, making her go rigid. She’d expected repulsion, or anger at being touched without consent. But heat rushed through her instead.
“You are crippled. That is a fact. But, I will apologize if it offends you.”
Cripple? Again?
Too many things rushed through her at once. The anger was understandable, expected. But the tender way he spoke, the feeling she got that he truly hadn’t meant to offend her, had confusion bolstering that anger.
Mary Ann acted without thinking, letting her rage take ahold of her. She pulled her arm back with a growl, not caring one wit that it might be unwise to punch a stranger in the jaw. She’d done worse to men who’d deserved it.
Thomas caught her fist with one hand, the force of her blow making him wince. His eyes were wide with shock. “You—”
Mary Ann tugged her hand from his, trying to ignore the blush creeping up her neck. She glared at him, waiting for him to apologize. Instead, Thomas moved closer to her until she could feel his breath. She looked up to face him and her eyes caught his well-structured muscles. He looked nothing like most men she had seen. Even with the torn cloth, he looked well-groomed and well-nourished.
Mary Ann could take a look at anyone and guess what they did, but he was different. He looked nothing like someone who had grown up in the farm or on the streets. She felt the urge to touch his chest, to see if it really was a hard as she expected, but she knew better than to do that. The wish was strong nonetheless.
Who are you, Stranger?
His huge body towered over her and while it seemed intimidating, she stood her ground. When she looked up to stare at his face, she almost melted away. The rays of sunlight hitting him from behind made his hair a bit shiny while lighting up his face. It filled her with an unnamed urge, which only angered her even more.
For a moment, she wondered how she would feel with his large palm gently squeezing her breast before pulling her shirt off gently to reveal all. She soon snapped out of it, as the rage she felt toward him was already making her quiver. Out of the blue, the man did something unexpected and very daring. He moved even closer and held her by the waist. Mary Ann’s hand twitched, as if to slap him, but she found herself powerless to him, to his touch. His hands were strong and firm, she peered at his broad chest one more time before she noticed herself drawing closer to him. At first, she had thought he was pulling her, but she sooner realized it was of her own accord.
“This is your last warning,” she murmured, annoyed that her voice was so soft.
Thomas didn’t say anything. He only stared down at her and it made her more furious.
Mary Ann jerked away from him, her hands curling into fists. Her heart was pounding. “I pray we never meet again,” she finally was able to say
“At least, we agree on something,” he replied.
Series of thoughts were running through her mind. She hated being called cripple, and she would do anything just to see him regretful for his words. She knew exactly what she was. She didn’t need to hear him say it.
“Good! Be on your way and I will be on mine,” she ordered looking away.
“Try to walk safer this time,” he called as he turned.
She took a last look at the man, staring at him as he walked, before turning to be on her way too. As she did, she remembered all the annoying things that the man had done and said to her. She had learned to act tough on the outside, but she was fragile on the inside and it was the inside that the heartless man had broken.
She sat at the foot of a wagon, trying to process her emotions. Her face was red with her anger, an emotion she understood. One she could use to her advantage. A feeling that constantly followed her with this leg of hers.
But there was also something else lurking underneath the rage. Something that made her want to look back at Thomas’ retreating form.
Damn you, Stranger. I hope we never meet again.
Chapter 8
"How bothersome,” Thomas sighed.
He couldn't believe that he had allowed the girl rile him up like this. Heavens! He couldn't even remember the last time he was this angry. And he couldn’t take his mind off her, picturing the buxom girl who had to be the only human on earth who had managed to excite and annoy him at the same time. If Thomas was being truthful, in fact, she excited him in more ways than one.
Just the thought of how her body had felt against his skin when they had physical contact was enough for Thomas to get chills all over his body. He could feel all his muscles tighten even as his heart beat faster and louder. He cursed under his breath as he tried to think of anything else beside her. It didn't help, of course. The more he was determined not to think of her, the more she invaded his thoughts, filling him from his head to a more private part of his body.
Frowning deeply, Thomas couldn't help but think of how horrified his mother would be if she saw him in this condition, walking all alone in the poor section of the town with an erection that he had gotten from just talking with a woman. Thomas shook his head aggressively. No matter where his train of thoughts took him, he would go right back to the woman with the terrible temper and a nice body.
"Thomas, you are a Duke, so get your act together,” he murmured. “There is no point in thinking of such a stubborn woman. I’m sure she will be fine on her own. You only need to get home and take a warm bath.”
Thomas had just taken two steps forward when he stopped immediately. Which way is home?
The sun was beginning to set rather fast and Thomas had just realized that he didn't know which direction he should head in. This was the first time he’d ever gotten lost
Thomas threw his hands up in the air in frustration as he looked around. His location didn't seem familiar and he was pretty sure that he had never seen this part of the town before. Thomas' heart thudded loudly in his chest as he started thinking about all of the things that could happen to him in this part of the town where scoundrels and robbers lived.
For one, he could get robbed or worse. Someone could recognize him and before he could say Duke, the London's newspaper would have his face splattered on its pages with his adventure read by everyone… including his mother.
The thought of this was enough to terrify Thomas so he quickly began to think of a way out. As the sun began to set further, he knew that he had to do something fast, or else, he was going to end up sleeping on the streets.
He began to retrace his steps, going back to the direction where he had come from. He hoped that he would recognize one of the buildings and that way, he would be able to get his way back home. However, it didn’t take him long to realize that this was a hopeless decision.
At this point, he knew he had no choice but to make a move that was rather dangerous.
Pulling himself together, he approached the next person that he saw. It was a middle-aged man who was walking as though he had a spring in his legs. He seemed to be in a hurry.
"Excuse me, Mister," he called out.
The man did not spare him a glance. Thomas groaned but he was not discouraged. He went to another set of passersby. This time, it was two women who were giggling and taking rather
loudly as they approached.
"Excuse me, Ladies," he said.
He was luckier this time as the two women stopped and regarded him suspiciously.
"Please, I am lost, and I would—"
"Lost?" one of the women said in a voice that was ridden with disdain and rudeness. “That is exactly what you should do this instant. Get lost!" She giggled to her partner.
"Run along and do not infect us with your foul odor," said the other.
With that, the two ladies began to leave. But then, the second lady looked over her shoulder at him. "And next time, it would be better if you simply beg for money outright.”
Thomas could only gape. If only they knew who he really was, he thought angrily. But how could they talk to him like that? Was that truly how commoners often spoke to one another?
He looked down at himself. He looked nothing short of a man who worked in the mines. In his bid to blend in with the commoners, he had ended up overdoing it by wearing the type of clothes only reserved for the poor.
At this point, darkness had slowly begun to seep through the sky and that was enough motivation for Thomas to try and get back home as soon as possible. Having realized that no well-meaning person would stop to help him, he decided to go for his last option. He frowned deeply as he thought about what he had to do.
The last person that he wanted to talk to was that insolent wench, but it seemed that it was inevitable now. If there was anyone who would talk to him in his tattered and dirty state, it was her. Whether Thomas wanted to see her or not was out of question now as he concluded that he needed to swallow his pride before it became too late.
Looking around, he was quick to see the direction that the girl had taken when they had departed. All he had to do now was catch up with her before she went too far. How far could she have gotten?
A sudden pang of guilt hit him. They had ended things on a rather bad note and even as Thomas continued to look for her, he had no doubt in his heart that he had been the one at fault. Again. For some reason, he had a bad habit of saying things he shouldn’t.
He had been insensitive enough to make jokes out of her disability and he had been too proud to apologize to her. Thomas made a mental note to make things right once he saw her. No, he still wasn't going to apologize, his ego wouldn't allow that. He was, however, going to refrain from making comments in that manner.
The longer Thomas walked, however, the more he realized that he was nowhere near seeing her. He had thought catching up with her would have been easy given her condition, but she was yet to be found.
He was just about to give up when he finally saw a figure in a green dress. He raced the rest of the way until he caught up with the figure that he already knew to be the girl. Instead of calling her attention to him, Thomas merely fell into step with her and began to walk with her.
He hoped she would talk to him first, then he could make his move by asking for her help. The gentle dusk that fell over them seemed somber almost and Thomas tried to catch a glimpse of her face. Even with this, the girl didn't say a word to him or even spare him a glance.
"Will you continue to ignore me?" Thomas asked her, looking at her in disbelief.
"What else do you want from me? Do you want to insult me some more?" she asked, her voice tight with that lingering anger. She stopped to face him.
"No, I—" Thomas ran a hand through his hair even as he stopped himself from giving her the apology that she deserved. He felt such shame that he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
"What do want from me?' she asked, her eyes now blazing with anger even as she took few steps toward him.
"I… I don't… I'm not sure," Thomas stuttered on and on without forming an actual sentence. His inability to string words together had everything to do with his body because even as she drew nearer to him in her anger, his body couldn't help but respond to her.
Her scowl was back with full force. “Did you forget how to speak?”
It would appear so.
Thomas finally pulled himself together, taking a few steps backward so that he could concentrate on what he needed to do. Even though being several steps away from the girl didn't really calm the raging storm that was going through his body, he was still a lot more focused now than when he could feel her breath on his lips.
"I need your help," he finally said as he pulled himself together.
The girl blinked rapidly as she regarded with. For a second, her anger turned into shock.
"My help?"
"Yes," Thomas replied.
She stared at him as he’d lost his mind. Thomas felt as if he had. "Why would I help you?"
Thomas shrugged as he tried to come up with something that wouldn't worsen things even further. "I know that I have not been the nicest—"
Mary Ann burst out in laughter. "Have not been the nicest? That is surely an understatement considering all the horrid things you’ve said to me thus far!"
With that, she began to leave. Thomas knew that if she left then he would lose his chance at getting back home. He quickly tried again, hoping that she would change her mind about helping him.
"I am not sure where I am and I need someone to help direct me to the right way to get home," he tried to say.
Mary Ann paused… only for a moment. Thomas quickly walked up to her and began to talk in a rush and she began without looking at him, "For what reason should I believe a word that comes from your mouth?"
"Believe me, this is not a fabricated story,” he tried to explain. Being the subject of her cold anger was not a good feeling. “In fact, I had come into town today and then I decided to go sightseeing. And now, I do not know my way back. Considering you are the only one who will speak to me in this town, and you seem to know your way around, I had hoped that you would help me.”
Mary Ann paused, sliding her eyes over to him. She seemed to study him and while Thomas was wholly unused to being the subject of another person’s obvious perusal, he didn’t say or do anything.
"Very well,” she said finally, “where do you need to go?"
"I need to get to Creakys," he said.
"Creakys? Is this some sort of bad jest?" she asked as her eyes blazed fire again. "There is nowhere called Creakys in this town."
"I'm sorry," Thomas quickly said as he realized his folly. Creaky's was the name known to only him and his family so it was quite understandable that she wouldn’t know of it.
"The house that I'm going to belongs to the Comefords. Do you have an idea where that is?" he asked.
"The Comefords?" she asked as she regarded him curiously. Once again, the distrust came right back to her eyes.
"Yes, that is where I am headed. Do you know where it is?"
"What could someone like you possibly want to do at the Comeford’s residence?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he quickly asked. There was wariness in her eyes, confusion streaked across her face. For the first time since meeting her, Thomas was happy she was so terrible at hiding her emotions. “You needn’t have to worry about that. I assure you.”
"You don't look like the type of person that would live in such a house. Not even as a stable boy. Are you a thief?" Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you wish to rob the house of these nobles?"
"What?" Thomas gasped and he nearly laughed out loud himself at the ridiculousness of it all. How did things happen so fast that he has been accused of wanting to steal from a house that belonged to his family?
His laughter only had her narrowing her eyes at him, crossing her arms. "I will advise you to desist from such an endeavor as I will be the first to report you," she said fiercely.
Thomas didn’t bother to explain himself. He merely shook his head. "In all my life, I have never been called a thief,” he mumbled, huffing a laugh. He looked her dead in the eye, trying to show his sincerity. “My reasons for heading to the Comeford residence are noble, I assure you.”
She looked him up and down, stepping back as she did. Thomas knew she was trying
to see the truth in his words and hoped it would end in his favor. Though, being scrutinized like this made him uncomfortable.
Then, she did something he hadn’t expected. She smiled at him. It was beautiful and Thomas could have sworn that his heart caught in his chest for just a few seconds.
"I will help you if you pay me," she finally said.
Thomas raised his eyebrow then. He was a tad disappointed that she wanted to get paid for taking him to the Comeford house and he even wanted to remind her that he had put himself in danger just to save her from some scoundrel earlier and he hadn't even asked for any payment of any kind.
However, as he looked at her yet again, he couldn't help but feel pity for her. While he was wearing his tattered clothes as a disguise, she was wearing hers because it was her reality. Thomas knew he lived a comfortable life as a man of the gentry but, from the looks of it, he could tell that her own life was even harder than that of other commoners.
A Fiery Duchess for the Dashing Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 6
