by Vella, Wendy
“Why are you here? Don’t tell me you and Hetherington are making a run for Gretna Green?” The smug look on his face had her wanting to smack it, but as the knife was still pressed into her she did not. If she could keep him talking long enough surely someone would see her talking to him?
“No. I am alone and making my way there for work.”
She did not want him to know about Heather or Jeremy, and hoped they would simply appear and the distraction would help her escape the clutches of Sanders again.
“Let me go and you will never see me again, I promise,” she said.
“No. I’m not sure what to do with you, but someone needs to pay for what happened to me.”
“You will not get away with kidnapping me like you did last time,” Primrose said, attempting to sound brave.
“As you have said, you are alone, Miss Ainsley, and at my mercy. I fail to see who will stop me. So it would be in your best interests to do exactly as I say.”
Alone, as I always am. The thought was a depressing one, but still she did not want to let this man win. She had a life to live, and perhaps it would not be with Benjamin or anyone she loved, but she still wanted to live it. It was strange how she suddenly realized that.
“But you have no need of me. I can give you nothing, and no one will pay you for my return. It is foolish to take me with you on a whim, Mr. Sanders. We loathe each other.”
His eyes suddenly changed, and Primrose felt unease slither down her spine.
“I had not realized quite how pretty you are, Miss Ainsley. Perhaps I will have a use for you after all.”
“No!” She tried to get free, but the knife dug into her skin.
“Now we are going to walk to my carriage. Make one wrong move and I will kill you where you stand.”
Primrose walked to the carriage that awaited Mr. Sanders. Benjamin was not here to save her this time, so she would have to save herself.
“I won’t let you hurt me,” she said. “I’ll kill you before I allow that.”
He opened the carriage door and pushed her inside, issuing orders to the driver.
“Sit and be quiet,” he said, joining her.
“You do realize how foolish this is, don’t you?” Primrose tried again to get him to release her.
They were now rolling out of the courtyard and onto the main road. A horse and rider galloped past them, but they were moving too fast for her to alert them that she was being abducted… again.
“What possible reason could you have to take me with you other than vengeance?”
“It’s as good a reason as any, but I have other uses for you.”
“I will not let you touch me!”
Primrose didn’t like the calculating look in his eyes. “I have no wish to touch you, but I think you are going to make me some money, Miss Ainsley. In fact, I think I may have found a way to recoup my losses after losing the Clipper book.”
Primrose battled down her fear.
“A word of advice, Mr. Sanders. It would not pay you to close your eyes, as you will not like the consequences if you do.”
He barked out a laugh. “You’re an entertaining woman, Miss Ainsley, even if an infuriating one. But I will tie you up if I need to sleep. For now, I will contemplate how happy my friends are going to be when I present them with you. They own a brothel in Edinburgh, you see. Its specialty is providing clients with young innocent women.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ben and Will had been following the trail of Primrose, Jeremy Caton, and Miss Fullerton Smythe for three days.
“Strangely, we have yet to encounter Lord Fullerton Smythe,” Will said, standing in his stirrups to ease his aching muscles. “And yet we know by the descriptions matching him that he is ahead of us. I am amazed at his stamina. I would have thought he’d have given up by now.”
“Perhaps he has caught his daughter?”
“But not returned, or we would have seen the carriage as this is the main road back to London.”
They were only a day’s ride from Scotland now, and he hoped Primrose was still with her friends and hadn’t decided to leave them somewhere on the way.
Moving to one side of the road as a carriage approached at speed, Ben tried to look in the window. A pale face appeared.
“Primrose!”
She opened her mouth and screamed something, and then someone pulled her back. Ben thought it was Sanders.
What the hell is that man doing here? How did he get his hands on her again? This time Ben was killing him.
“Sanders has her!”
He turned his horse and set off after the carriage, that had picked up speed, at a gallop. He and Will quickly drew alongside, but it was about to pass over a narrow bridge, so he had to pull in behind it.
Horrified, he watched the door open, and then Primrose was being thrown out. He couldn’t reach her as she flew through the air and then plummeted down toward the water.
“Christ. Primrose!” Ben roared her name as he galloped over the bridge and down the bank. Dismounting, he ran to the water’s edge, ripping off his jacket as he prepared to jump in.
“St-stop!” She surfaced, spluttering. “You don’t need to get w-wet!”
Ignoring her, he waded in and grabbed her, hauling her into his arms.
“Primrose, tell me you are all right?”
“I am.” She pushed against his chest. “Release me, please.”
“Never.”
She pushed against him harder, forcing him to stumble backward, then walked around him and out of the water. “Good day.”
“Where in God’s name are you going?” Ben followed.
“Back to the inn.”
“Primrose.” He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Sanders just threw you out of a carriage. Stop and let me take care of you. You could be injured.”
“I am quite well. Good day.”
“Will you just stop and listen to me!”
She wouldn’t look at him. Her hair had come loose and was a wet tangle of curls. She was shivering, as the weather was cooler here, and her clothes clung to her lovely body. He felt the tension that had gripped him when he’d been in London ease.
Primrose was here with him and unhurt. He bent to grab his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“We have n-nothing to say to each other.”
“Look at me.”
“I d-don’t want to look at you.”
“Please look at me.”
“You can carry on with your journey now.”
“I am not here by chance, Primrose.”
“Why are you here, Mr. Hetherington?” Her eyes were on his left shoulder.
“I came to find you.”
She looked at him then, and he saw the utter devastation in her lovely eyes.
“Why?”
“Because I was wrong to speak to you as I did.”
“You c-came all this way to apologize?” she scoffed, and it was a brittle sound. Benjamin realized just how much pain had been inflicted on this woman by him, her family, society, and Lady Jane.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Primrose.” He cupped her cheeks. They were ice cold.
“V-very well, you have apologized, although why you had to c-come all this way to do it I have no idea. Now I must leave, as it is g-getting cold.”
“It is, but before we do leave, I want to tell you something else.”
“What?” She tried to pull out of his arms again, but Ben gave her a little shake.
“Stop fighting me and listen.”
“Say it then!”
“I love you.”
If he’d thought that would make her happy, he was sadly mistaken. She was furious.
“Don’t you dare lie to me!” Her blue eyes fired to life.
“I’m not. I love you.”
“No, you d-don’t! I told you, people don’t love me… well that’s actually not true. Heather does, but no one else.” She wrenched out of his arms and stomped away. “It is
wrong of you t-to make fun of me with your lies.”
She sounded like she was going to cry.
Ben looked to where Will stood with Ben’s horse a few feet away. He was listening unashamedly. His friend made a shooing motion that had Ben following Primrose.
“Primrose.” He caught her. “You are loveable, and I know this because I love you.”
She wouldn’t look at him, just kept walking, her shoes squelching, as were his boots. The wind was cold, and soon she’d be frozen.
“Is this your idea of f-fun, Mr. Hetherington? Because I had once thought better of you.”
“Damn it, will you just stop, woman!” Ben was starting to get angry. “I love you!”
She stopped before him suddenly, and he had to wrap his arms around her so he didn’t flatten her.
“Benjamin?” She turned, pressing her hands into this chest. “I-I h-have had a challenging few d-days… weeks actually.”
“I know you have, sweetheart.” He cupped her cheeks, tilting her face so their eyes met.
“I d-don’t think I will cope if you are lying to me.”
“I’m not. I love you. It took what happened to Alex, and then me falling ill—”
“You’ve been ill? Are you all right? What happened?”
It humbled him that she was so concerned.
“I’m fine now. But what I’m trying to say is that it took those things happening to make me realize I was a fool to deny my feelings for you.”
“Oh.” Her mouth formed a perfect O, so he kissed her chilled lips.
He saw the hope in her blue eyes when he pulled back, and it made his chest ache.
“Miss Primrose Ainsley, I love you and desperately want to marry you. I don’t want to live a day without you. Please put me out of my misery and say yes.”
“You said horrible things to me. Mean things, Benjamin, and I did not deserve them.”
“I know, forgive me. I was scared for Alex, but more importantly scared of my growing feelings for you.”
She looked at him then, reading his expression.
“Why did you take so long to come for me?”
“I was ill, and when I was well again you’d gone. I came to London as soon as I could, love, I promise.”
“Oh… I, well, it’s just that I…. Do you really love me?”
“Yes, I really love you.”
“Oh, Benjamin.” She threw herself at him, and of course Ben caught her. “I love you, too.”
“I had hoped that was the case. And now we’ve sorted that out, can we go somewhere and get warm?”
“I believe I can help with that.” Will arrived. “Hello, Miss Ainsley.”
“Lord Ryder.” She attempted to bob a curtsey, but Ben wouldn’t let her go.
“There is a posting house not far from here,” she said when she was seated on his horse.
“Excellent, let’s go.” Ben climbed on behind her and pulled her back into his arms. “And just so you know, you are completely loveable.”
Her little sigh made him smile.
“But I need to tell you both something.”
“Mr. Caton and Miss Fullerton Smythe are in the posting house, as they are eloping to Gretna Green?” Ben said.
“Yes. How did you know that?” She looked up at him.
“How is it you think I am here? I was told by a footman of the Fullerton Smythes’ that Miss Fullerton Smythe had eloped and that you were accompanying her.”
“Servants really do know everything, don’t they, Benjamin?”
“Yes. Now tell me if I’m right, and that was Sanders who threw you from that carriage, Primrose?”
“Yes. He’s going to Scotland to steal something else. I was to be sold to his friends who own a brothel as punishment for foiling his last commission.”
Ben tightened his arms around her at the thought of what could have awaited her in Scotland.
“That man needs to be dealt with,” Will said, and Ben agreed. They would see it done with a little help from Ace, who had many contacts.
They pulled in to a small posting house and stabled the horses a few minutes later. It was as they approached the building that they heard raised voices.
“I think Lord Fullerton Smythe has arrived,” Ben said as they entered.
“Oh dear, that’s not good,” Primrose said, clutching his hand tight.
“Go up those stairs and change, love, and we will see what’s happening,” Ben said to her.
To his surprise, she nodded. He kissed her before she left.
“I like her,” Will said.
“Me too.”
They found Jeremy Caton, Miss Fullerton Smythe, and her father in a parlor.
“You’ll come home with me now!” Lord Fullerton Smythe was roaring.
“No, Father, I will not. I am to marry Jeremy.”
The runaway couple were standing together holding hands.
“Good day to you all,” Will said.
“Ryder! Hetherington!” Lord Fullerton Smythe looked ill at seeing them.
“Good lord, what has Mr. Caton and Miss Fullerton Smythe here, and her without a maid?” Ben said, pretending to look shocked. “Surely this is not what it appears?” He winked at Jeremy.
“My daughter has been with me the entire time, Hetherington. Mr. Caton has just arrived,” Lord Fullerton Smythe bluffed.
“Oh now, you don’t expect us to believe that, do you, my lord?” Ben said.
“Why are you wet?” Miss Fullerton Smythe asked. “Have you found Primrose?”
“I have. She is at present getting changed.”
“Thank God.” She slumped into Caton. He held her close. “I was so worried she’d run off, as she had a silly notion we should be alone.”
“Release her!”
“Lord Fullerton Smythe, if you do not let these young people wed, I will return to London and tell everyone who will listen that your daughter has been compromised,” Will said in a conversational tone. “If you do consent, then we will all go back, they can have the grand wedding your wife wishes, and no one will know she has even left London.”
t“I spoke with your wife, and she told me Miss Fullerton Smythe is unwell, so I’m sure that as long as she is not seen, your daughter’s reputation will remain pristine,” Ben added.
It took a bit more convincing, but eventually Lord Fullerton Smythe gave in.
“You must travel with the Fullerton Smythes, my love, and I will follow.” Ben intercepted Primrose as she came back down the stairs.
“But I don’t want to leave you.” She wore a simple cream day dress, and her hair was in a long braid. She looked so beautiful that his chest ached.
“You’re not. I’ll follow, I promise.”
She looked worried.
“Primrose, I love you, and I will always love you. Nothing will ever change that. Put your faith in me.”
“I want to.”
“But no one has ever given you reason to trust them?” Ben took her into his arms. “But I will, if you’ll give me a chance to.”
“I do trust you.”
“Excellent. Now, all you have to do is stay out of trouble, and the water, until we reach London and all will go well.”
That made her smile.
“I have never loved anyone like I do you, Benjamin.”
“I feel the same way, my sweet. When we are married you can tell me that every day, at least twice… possibly more.”
Her smile would have melted even the most hardened of hearts.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Primrose refrained from pinching herself as she and Heather stood outside the church. Looking up at the imposing façade she could hardly believe that Benjamin awaited her inside. Today they were to be married, and at her friend’s insistence they were to do so together.
“You looked beautiful, Miss Ainsley.”
She turned and saw the Duke of Rossetter . He was dressed immaculately and looked every inch his title.
“Thank you, your Grace.�
�
“Will you call me Joseph?”
“Thank you, it would be my honor.”
“And it would be my honor to walk you down the aisle, Primrose.”
She didn’t know what to say. Tears filled her eyes and choked her throat, and she had a terrible feeling she would be sobbing loudly soon.
“I don’t understand?”
“As your father is out of the country and Lord Fullerton Smythe already has one beautiful lady on his arm, I thought I’d stand in and take your father’s place. If you will accept, of course?”
“Take his arm, Primrose,” Heather ordered her.
“I don’t know what to say,” Primrose whispered.
He simply took her hand and placed it on his arm, patting it with one big gloved hand.
“Lead on, Lord Fullerton Smythe,” the duke said in his deep voice.
They walked into the church and a hush fell over the guests. Some gasped as they saw her on the arm of the duke; others sighed.
Mrs. Fletcher, Lady Ryder, and their husbands smiled. Lady Althea and Mr. Dillinger did the same. Her soon-to-be sisters-in-law waved. Looking down the aisle, she found Benjamin flanked by his brothers.
“Oh Lord, he loves me.”
“Yes, he does, and isn’t that a splendid thing,” the duke said calmly.
“It really is,” she whispered, smiling. “I never thought that would happen.”
“Being loved?”
“Yes,” Primrose whispered as she smiled at the Sinclair and Raven families. She was so happy they had come, as they had visited her regularly at Lady Jane’s house.
“Everyone is loveable, Primrose, it just takes that special someone to see it.”
Primrose didn’t reply, she simply nodded. Ben had turned to look at her, and the words remained lodged in her throat.
Ben had never seen anyone as beautiful as Primrose at that moment. She looked like an angel on the arm of the Duke of Rossetter . His angel. Feisty, confrontational, and every inch the woman he loved.
Her dress was lemon satin, the skirts swirled around her legs as she walked. Her hair was pinned in a mass of curls, and on her head was a simple circlet of flowers. Every inch of her was exquisite.
